Dark Shadows by Chocolatemeerkat (epub e ink reader .TXT) 📕

in and sat beside his daughter. "Hey, it's ok. It was her time. She knew she would die in this battle." He said comfortingly. Gentlepaw sniffed, tears in her eyes. "Morninghawk's going to hate me though." She muttered. The leader sighed. Morninghawk was Hawkeyes' daughter, and she was upset by the news. "Why? None of this was your fault. It was the tribe's for their bad memory. I swore by StarClan if I caught any of them on our territory or stealing our cats, I would kill them." He said. "Now come on, there's a cerermony." Gentlepaw got up and followed Shadowstar out. The leader stood on the Highrock. "Can Moonsky's kits and Bramblekit come up here please?" The 5 kits rushed up excitedly. Shadowstar smiled at them. "Until these cats have earned their warrior names, they will be known as Firepaw, Echopaw, Songpaw, Jaypaw and Bramblepaw. Firepaw's mentor will be Swiftlegs , Echopaw's will be me, Songpaw's will be Bearpelt, Jaypaw's will be Morninghawk and Bramblepaw's will be Lizardeye." He meowed. Echopaw was trembling with excitment. She had Shadowstar as her mentor! While the others went to touch noses with their mentors, Echopaw touched noses with the leader and he smiled. "Clan dismissed. For now, we will let the cats closest to Flightheart and Hawkeyes speak to them before their bodies are buried at moonhigh tonight, before the gathering." He went over to Echopaw. "I'd better give you a tour of camp. I'll bring Morninghawk and Jaypaw along." He said kindly. "Wait here." Echopaw nodded and groomed herself. Some cats came up and congratulated her on getting Shadowstar as a mentor. Some cats were jealous, and called her names. But the apprentice didn't really care. The leader then returned. "Come along, little Echopaw." He called, leading her out of camp. Echopaw followed, but she didn't like how silent Shadowstar was being. So she decided to start conversation. "How long was Snowstar leader for?" She asked. Shadowstar turned around and stared. "Many, many moons." He replied quietly. Echopaw looked at him. "Erm, hope you don't mind me asking, but why is Gentlepaw your daughter, when she was mothered by Spottedflower, who is Riverstripe's mate?" Shadowstar looked like he was about to attack her, but he just sat down. "My mate was a young she-cat called Robineye. We'd had a litter before your father was born, 2 she-cats called Starkit and Bubblekit. Sadly Starkit died in a dog attack, and Bubblekit was killed on the Thunderpath 1 moon before her warrior ceremony. I had also lost my sister Littletail in a fox ambush, so my only living family was Robineye. She was so pretty... so precious to me. She was expecting kits when the battle of survival broke out. She died giving birth to Gentlepaw, Luckypaw and Cloverpaw. So Spottedflower offered to raise them. You already knew this, but you mustn't tell them." He sighed. "I grieved like mad for moons. So that is why Gentlepaw, Luckypaw and Cloverpaw are so special to me. Because they are my only living family." Echopaw nodded her head and went over to him. "Oh."
"Everyone thought I had gone mad when Moonsky went missing. I was still grieving for Robineye, so all I spoke about was training. Fernwhisker had given me a sharp telling-off when I spoke to the cats that returned from the mission. But now I'm leader... oh it's all happened too fast." Shadowstar looked at his paws, and then at his apprentice. She was sorry for him, and Shadowstar could tell. He licked Echopaw's ear. "Back to the tour?" He said, changing the subject. Echopaw shrugged. "Ok." The two cats padded along, saying nothing apart from Shadowstar explaining about the places they were.

When sunhigh came, and Echopaw and Shadowstar had returned, the clan was quiet, going on patrols and catching up on the latest gossip. However, Ember wasn't talking to anyone. She was tearing up a small moss ball in anger. Echopaw had noticed this, so she went up to Badgerstripe. "Why is Ember so angry?" The senior warrior just shook his head and padded away. Now Echopaw was concerned. What had happened? She decided to go and speak to Blazestrike, seeing as he was a close friend of the queen. "Ember's acting really strange. Why is this?" Her father shrugged. "I don't know, little one. Why don't you go and ask her?" He suggetsed. Echopaw thanked him and padded to the nursery. Spottedflower was there. her belly very swollen. She greeted the little apprentice. "Hello, youngster. What can we do for you?"
"I'm here to speak to Ember." Echopaw replied quietly. Ember looked up. "Yes? I am here."
"I hope you don't mind me asking..." Echopaw hesitated for a moment. "but why are you acting like you've just been acused of killing the leader?" Ember gave a small growl, but then she turned to Echopaw, her eyes blazing angrily. "Shadowstar is a pile of mouse-dung!" She spat. "He forgot about Nightkit and Sparkkit becoming apprentices!" Echopaw took a step back and gulped. "I-I'll talk to him." She stammered before fleeing the den. She bumped into Nightflame, who was carrying prey. "Do you mind?" He snapped angrily, pushing her into a tree stump. Echopaw hissed in annoyence but then stared at him. She couldn't get on the wrong side of him, or he would kill her. Quietly, she got up from the tree stump and padded away quietly. However, Nightflame seemed to be following her. He then stopped Echopaw and put his muzzle close to her ear, his breath hot on her face. "Why don't I mentor you? I haven't had a mentor since Fernwhisker became a warrior." He suggested. Echopaw didn't know why he hadn't had an apprentice for many seasons, but that was the least of her worries. She had to get away from him, because he had been described as 'dangerous' by the elders. She tried to sneak away, but Nightflame stood on her tail. Echopaw yelped in pain and clawed at his flank. Nightflame just growled, and dragged Echopaw towards him. He tried to drag her to his tail, but Blazestrike had noticed this and charged at him. "Get lost, badger-breath!" He snarled angrily. "And stay away from my daughter!" Nightflame crawled away while Blazestrike nudged Echopaw up to her paws. "Come along, little one. Do you need to see the medicine cat?" He asked.
"Nah, I'm fine." Echopaw mumbled. She didn't really want to see Ivyfur. Blazestrike nodded and went away. Shadowstar padded up to her. "I saw Nightflame attack you after you left the nursery. Did you do something to annoy him?" He asked her. The little apprentice shook her head. "Oh, by the way, Ember's furious because you forgot about Nightkit and Sparkkit. They should have been apprentices with me, my siblings and Bramblepaw." She reminded him. Shadowstar's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, I'm so useless!" He wailed. "Snowstar never forgot anyone's ceremonies!" Echopaw gulped. She didn't mean to upset him. "You're better than Snowstar." She mumbled quietly. "You don't go around mating cats from other clans." Shadowstar looked at the little apprentice. "Thank you, youngster." He then padded away, looking at his paws. Echopaw sighed and went off to the apprentice den in silence. The flood returns

The night air brought a chill to the cats as they sat down in camp, waiting for Shadowstar to adress them. He was very late for some reason which no one knew.
"Someone better go and find him." Gentlepaw meowed loudly. Morninghawk rose to her paws and padded into the leader's den. The clan waited silently, but the deputy came out with the leader. Shadowstar rushed up to the Highrock. "StarClan have spoken to me. They have fortold the end of the clans!" He meowed worriedly. Many mummers broke out in the crowd.
"Are StarClan mouse-brained?"
"We can't all die!"
"Hush." Shadowstar continued speaking. "They have told us to be prepared. The end is drawing nearer and nearer, and we must be ready to meet it."
As the tom finshed speaking, there was a loud bang coming from the mountains. Gentlepaw jumped back in fear, but she didn't know what it was. Morninghawk started to climb a tree close by. She then stood on the branches, not moving a muscle.
"Morninghawk," Shadowstar called to his deputy. "what do you see?" The she-cat then cocked her head round. "The boulder that FlowerClan use to keep their water up in the mountains has fallen and broken. The water is flowing down the mountain rapidly, and I think the river in the RainClan has meandered towards us." She reported, scrambling down. "The two types of water will mix and create a flood."
Rain then started trickling down swiftly. Gentlepaw now knew that they would all be doomed. This was the end that StarClan had warned them about. She padded over to Wildheart. "What are we going to do?" She asked her mentor.
"I don't know." Wildheart sighed. "There was a flood when I was a kit, but I don't know what they did." Couragefur then padded over to them. "I know how do resolve this." He told the two she-cats. "My group of rogues were affected by high flood waters, and we used the trees to our advantage. We jumped from tree to tree."
"But our elders can barely jump. And Ivyfur only has half a tail. We cannot afford to loose our medicine cat, neither our elders." Shadowstar pointed out. "However, your idea is good."
"I may be old, but I can still run!" Breezefang rasped.
"And I'm the oldest cat in the clan!" Nighteye croaked. "You never doubt elders!" Shadowstar glanced at the final elder. "Silverclaw has broken her front paws though. How will she escape?"
"Everyone has to make sacrafises." Silverclaw answered. "Go ahead. Go with your clan, Shadowstar. We all believe in you. Your spirit and determanation makes you a good, loyal leader. We can all see that you will think of others before yourself, which Snowstar failed to do most of the time."
"The kits..." Shadowstar still wasn't convinced. "And Blankpelt. His injuries are servre, how will he leave camp? Cherrypaw too, there's no way she'll leave the medicine den." Gentlepaw padded up to her father. "Other cats can carry the kits. Besides, there is only one litter of kits at the moment. As for Blankpelt, Ivyfur and Cherrypaw, that's their choice. I'd prefer them to come with us, but it's their call." She meowed. "Ask them. I'll come too."
"No." Shadowstar told her. "Go with another warrior who they will actually listen to. I know you don't want those cats left behind, but I won't be able to persuade them. Ask Fernwhisker or someone."
"Alright." Gentlepaw sighed, padding off and over to the ginger she-cat. "Hi, Fernwhisker. Can you help me getting the injured cats out of camp? Shadowstar said they won't listen to him."
"Of course." Fernwhisker meowed, getting up. "Which cats do you mean, anyway?" Gentlepaw flicked her tail towards the medicine den. "Cherrypaw, Blankpelt and Ivyfur. But not Silverclaw, because she is willing to give up her life to save us."
The two she-cats rushed into the medicine den, and