Warriors: A New Chapter- An Era of Unease

Chapter 5

"Will all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highboulder for a Clan meeting." Phantomstar's voice rang out throughout MoonClan camp. Nightpaw's ears twitched as she climbed stiffly out of her warm nest into the windy clearing. She searched around the gathered cats for Shadowpaw's striped pelt. Nightpaw felt a purr rise in the throat as she noticed her sister sitting with Boulderfur chatting idly. She stalked briskly to Shadowpaw's side. Shadowpaw whirled around as soon as Nightpaw guessed she had caught her scent. "Nightpaw!" Shadowpaw exclaimed nuzzling Nightpaw roughly. "You saw me at sunrise, not three moons ago." Nightpaw purred, returning her sisters affection. Nightpaw felt a twinge in her stomach and instinctively flashed Boulderfur an apologetic and respectful look. He dipped his head and paced over to Willowstripe and the elders. Nightpaw settled in beside her sister and shot a glance at Phantomstar on Highboulder, her tail lashing impatiently as she waited for the rest of the Clan to gather. "Do you think she's making Skypaw and Stonepaw warriors?" Nightpaw asked quietly, instantly feeling Shadowpaw's pelt prickle anxiously. Nightpaw glanced around to her denmates but found their eyes clouded with confusion. Shadowpaw parted her jaws to speak before being interrupted by Phantomstar's continuing words. "Cats of MoonClan I ask you listen intently to these next words and take the proper precautions. A cat of our Clan has reported being watched by a cat other than one of our warriors. Normally, and reasonably, I expected a passing loner or a lost kittypet but, these reports have been given to me more than once in these past few sunrises and I believe it's best we check our borders a bit more thoroughly and be extremely vigilant." Nightpaw's eyes narrowed as her thoughts spun with wonders of possible dangers new cats could bring to MoonClan. She thought of the elders' stories of tyrannical leaders such as Tigerstar and Brokenstar. "No cat is to leave without two other warriors and one of our four warrior apprentices who can be spared in case of battle to warn the Clan. This is something we have never experienced before, possible danger from other cats is something MoonClan has never faced under Sunstar's or my leadership, but it will not be something we aren't prepared for. Meeting dismissed." Phantomstar leaped down from the boulder and raised her tail for the evening patrol to come forth.

"Nightpaw." Ashtail's said from behind her and Shadowpaw. Nightpaw turned and dipped her head respectfully to her mentor. "Despite the words exchanged during the meeting, we, Dawnbreeze and Skypaw are going on a hunting patrol. You have to swear you'll be alert and report anything suspicious to either of us, understand?" Ashtail's voice was laced in concern and sternness Nightpaw had never heard before out of the brown tabby warrior. "I understand Ashtail." She said trying to concentrate on hunting techniques Ashtail taught her two sunrises ago. Nightpaw stood and followed Ashtail to the camp entrance, Dawnbreeze and Skypaw meeting them outside camps protective walls. "Wait!" Nightpaw pricked her ears to Quietrain's call. The calico she-cat stopped behind the four and dipped her head to her denmates. "It'd be best if I came with you, three warriors are better than two." She said ruffling her fur against the wind. "Make that four warriors!" Skypaw exclaimed her tail lashing excitedly. "Just because your assessment is soon doesn't mean you've already had it." Dawnbreeze teased, much to Nightpaw's surprise. In a time like this, I'd have expected Dawnbreeze to have even more thorns in her pelt. Skypaw rolled her eyes and bounded ahead, her ears pricked ready to pick up even the smallest of sounds.

The warm sun began to sink below the horizon as the five cats made their way back with their first round of fresh prey. Prey had been easy to find thanks to the warm season and Nightpaw was grateful there would be enough prey for her and the rest of the apprentices to eat. I wonder if Shadowpaw's enjoying her training? The thought of her sister fidgeting in place in the small den made her purr. Suddenly, the three warriors stopped causing the bouncy Skypaw to almost knock over her mentor. The patrol set down their prey and looked around, the foul scent of the thunderpath strong in the air. "Who's there?" Quietrain called, her eyes narrowed. The silence of the forest erupted in thundering pawsteps closing in on the five. An ambush! Nightpaw thought. What happened to the evening patrol to let them get here? "Run to the camp!" Dawnbreeze's yowl pulled Nightpaw from her thoughts. She pushed off with Ashtail beside her, Nightpaw thought she could hear the rapid beating of their hearts, pounding like hail. Nightpaw glanced back, catching a glimpse of a swift red pelt before Quietrain drew her attention with a scared call. "Skypaw slow down you're going to run into the-" Before she could finish Skypaw pushed off with her powerful hind legs gracefully into the air over the fallen tree. Nightpaw clawed after her, bounding clumsily over the log after her. "I think I know what her warrior name will be," Ashtail called up to Dawnbreeze. "Focus, Ashtail!" Dawnbreeze called back.

The five pushed through the prickly bushes that surrounded the camp. "Phantomstar! Invaders!" Dawnbreeze yowled. The camp was filled with prickles pelts and unsheathed claws. "Thank you for the introduction, Dawnbreeze. You haven't been that kind since you got me exiled." A tom's voice purred at the camp entrance. Nightpaw felt a small nudge from Ashtail. "Go into the apprentices den with Quietrain and don't come out until I tell you it's okay to." He instructed curtly before joining Dawnbreeze. Nightpaw quickly slipped into the small den with Quietrain on her heels. Once they settled Nightpaw saw a gray tabby tom below Highboulder, a black tom and the red tom from earlier behind him. "What are you doing here, Ashclaw?" Even though she couldn't see her, Nightpaw recognized her mother's voice, it was bitter and ice cold. "Pleasure to see you again Phantompelt." The tom, now known as Ashclaw, calmly replied. "I am Phantomstar now." Nightpaw felt the tension between the two. "Who is that?" Nightpaw whispered to Quietrain. "That's Ashclaw, he once was a MoonClan warrior but was exiled and sent to be a rogue. Him being here with these new cats can't be good." Quietrain's pelt prickled and her claws began to curl into the soil nervously. "You don't belong here, we drove you out once we can do it again!" Dawnbreeze's yowl caught Nightpaw off gaurd. Dawnbreeze sounded desperate and scared like a distressed queen. "Do you have anymore kits Dawnbreeze or, even with me gone from MoonClan, did you believe I'd come back and kill those." Dawnbreeze let out a screech launching herself forward at Ashclaw before seemingly easily being pushed down by the black tom. The Clan froze, no cat dared to move in fear of what tricks the three had planned. "Now speaking of kits," Ashclaw turned his attention up to Phantomstar again. "Where are ours Phantomstar?" Nightpaw's heart dropped as the words fell from his mouth. She faintly felt Quietrain's tail touch her shoulder reassuringly. "Why would I tell you of our kits? What in StarClan made you believe I'd show a rogue kits he'd lost the privilege to call his own once he killed another queen's?" Phantomstar's mew was shaking with hatred as Ashclaw narrowed his eyes. "I think you forgot, we have one of your warriors pinned and ready to kill. Show me our kits. I have more than enough reason to kill Dawnbreeze right now." Nightpaw could here Phantomstar draw in a deep breath before uttering the words that made Nightpaw's heart lurch with fear and confusion.

"Nightpaw, Shadowpaw, come here, immediately."