Warriors: Rising Tide

Chapter 46: Maplestar

I felt proud leading my clanmates to the island tonight. But I knew it was only a temporary happy feeling. It was something I always dreamed about. Being up in the large oak, discussing the news with the other clans , but the sting of the facade was spoiling it. Behind me I could here my clanmates talking amongst themselves, with Puddlesplash somewhere among them.

"It is too cold for this... why can't we have a meeting during the day or something when the sun can beat down on us?" Fireash complained.

"Oh stop your complaining, this is gonna be a lot of fun like always!" Forestfrost cheerfully expressed.

"No it won't be" and the two siblings continued to bicker. As we got closer to the island I spotted distantly on the moore a group of cats.

Must be Windclan then I grimaced in my head. I didn't know why they left Thunderclan so soon after making plans for them to stay, but I had a gut feeling it was Briarstars doing. As we continued to walk along the beach the Windclan cats started to flank us from the side and walk along side us. Snailstar, the lame legged leader, was hobbling at very fast pace to keep ahead of his clanmates and to keep up with me.

"Maplestar I wanted to say thank you for the giving us a place for a few nights a moon ago" the old leader said with a small smile.

"It was no trouble" I smiled back. The pair of us walked the rest of the way in silence. In the background I thought I heard Puddlesplash laugh about something. He must me talking to Mudstripe or Ferretflight I thought. His friendship better not get in the way durring a battle in the future. No! Wait don't think like that! Once we got to the tree bridge Snailstar and his clan stood aside.

"Thunderclan can go first" he said with another small smile again. I nodded and hopped onto the bridge, leading my clanmates in a single filed line across the bridge.

"Damm this bridge is slippery" Silverfeather muttered. I hopped down off the bride and took glance back at my clanmates still crossing. Most were confident crossing while some parts of the line were slowed down or stopped because some of my clan mates were nervous. I sighed and shook my head before pushing through some bushes and into the snow covered clearing that was the gathering place. The snow was a clean unbroken sheet across the clearing, untouched by cats. It was pretty to say the least, but I don't care to much for scenery. I walked over to the base of the large oak where the leaders will be and waited. As my cats and Windclan cats began to filter into the clearing I spotted Puddlesplash talking with Mudstripe. I think Puddlesplash said congrats to Mudstripe before Puddlesplash left and came to my side.

"What was that all about?"

"Oh, him and Flowerbreeze will be expecting kits" he smiled softly at his paws. "He also told me that Swiftwater and Leafbloom named one of their kits after me, Splashkit, for helping Leafbloom get her kits to Thunderclan"

"That's nice" I nudged him jokingly, "Hero Puddlesplash!"

"Oh come one..." he gave me an embarrassed laugh. "Oh! Here comes Birchleaf and Snailstar!" Puddlesplash sounded eager.

"Hello Puddlesplash!"

"Hi Birchleaf" Puddlesplash greeted the tortoiseshell Windclan cat. "Hello Snailstar"

"Greeting to you too" Snailstar smiled at my deputy. "Did you hear about Leafbloom and Swiftwaters kit names?"

"Yep, I feel kind of honored for them to do that" he said sheepishly. "I didn't think I left that big of an impression"

"You are a very kind cat, they hope Splashkit will be just like you" Birchleaf gave him a confident grin.

"It is hard to be Puddlesplash" I chimed in jokingly. Birchleaf laughed a little at my joke. Snailstar had begun looking at the direction of the tree bridge. Soon Briarstar has entered the clearing with her clan and I bristled at the sight. Closely following behind Briarstar was her kin and deputy Shortlake. Shortlake was a silver tom with stump for a tail. Briarstar was from an older litter than her smaller brother. Shortlake was known to be the reasonable one and keeps the Riverclan leaders grounded, but after Briarstars blackmailing conversation I doubt the rumors.