The story between
Warriors: Power of Three: Sunrise
And
Warriors: Omen of the Stars: The Fourth Apprentice

“I can’t believe it… I just can’t… Believe it,” Lionblaze huffed under his breath. He padded over to join Wolffeather, as she lazily stretched out on the rocks to bask in the Sun’s warm rays of Newleaf.

“What can’t you believe?” Wolffeather asked, curiosity sparkling in her pale yellow eyes.

“Hollyleaf… She’s dead. She killed herself,” Lionblaze explained, his anxiety to get out of the stone hollow and just hunt mice and voles was strong in his voice. The longing to be with his littermate touched Wolffeather’s gentle but fierce heart.

“It’ll be okay, Lion- um… Bird?” Wolffeather stuttered, her ears flicking.

Lionblaze couldn’t hold back his mrrow of laughter, and he batted Wolffeather over the ear. “My name is Lionblaze, thank you very much!”

“I-I’m sorry,” she muttered under her breath.

“I hope you know that I’m still trying to get used to these names. I just joined this um… Clutter of cats,” Wolffeather’s tail tip twitched as she became some what frustrated that she didn’t even know that ThunderClan was the name of the cats’ organization.

“It’s called ThunderClan, you silly kitten!” Lionblaze purred, as he gently pounced on Wolffeather, claws sheathed, as they tumbled off of the warm rocks.

“Aha!” Wolffeather exclaimed, as she pinned Lionblaze down, her paws pressed softly onto his shoulders as he lay on his back, panting.

Lionblaze let out another mrrow of laughter, as he gently pushed Wolffeather off of him.

“Oww, that kind of hurt,” Lionblaze purred sarcastically, giving his ruffled chest fur a few quick licks.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Lion- um, blaze,” she murmured the last part under her breath, seeing as she couldn’t even remember Lionblaze’s name, again.

“It’s okay if you don’t remember my name. I thought it was kind of hard to remember myself, seeing as I was Lionpaw for so long! It felt like forever, you know? Well, if you would excuse me, I have to go on a hunting patrol with…” Lionblaze stopped mid-sentence as Wolffeather licked his muzzle in a comforting manor. “Dustpelt…” He whispered the rest as Wolffeather backed away.

“I’ll see you around! I’m on the sunhigh patrol,” she nodded half to him and half to herself as she sprang away, and out of the tunnel.

Another cat padded over and nudged him in the shoulder.

“Hey, Lionblaze, aren’t you coming with us on the hunting patrol?” Sorreltail asked, flicking him in the ear with her tail affectionately.

“Yeah, I’m coming! I really need to stretch my muscles, catch a few mice,” Lionblaze cheerfully purred, as the rest of the patrol met the two cats at the exit to the stone hollow.

 

“Hi, Jayfeather, Leafpool. How is the status on the herbs?” Wolffeather padded into the medicine cats’ den as Leafpool was sorting through tansy and borage leaves that were freshly picked in the morning.

“Oh, it’s good. We might need more, like a lot more, cobwebs,” Leafpool murmured, half to her, as she stood up and twitched her ear, hearing Whitewing stirring in the mossy bed next to her and Wolffeather.

“Oh, Whitewing! What’s wrong with Whitewing?” Wolffeather gasped, her voice cracking a little as she rushed to her friend’s side.

“She has greencough. We don’t want her anywhere near her kits, so Ferncloud offered to nurse them for a little. Wolffeather,” Leafpool explained as she turned to Wolffeather, “can you please go take these borage leaves to Ferncloud? I want to make sure those kits get as much milk as they can possibly get!”

“Sure, Leafpool,” Wolffeather nodded, brushing past her and going into the storage area where the herbs are kept.

“Um… Leafpool?” Wolffeather called, feeling embarrassed.

“Yes, Wolffeather?” Leafpool snickered, seeing as she looked so embarrassed since she didn’t even know what borage leaves were. Leafpool picked them up, and then set them at Wolffeather’s paws.

“T-Thanks,” Wolffeather mumbled as she tripped over her own paws, walking out of the medicine cats’ den and into the nursery.

Ferncloud raised her head as Wolffeather padded in, dropping the herbs at her forepaws.

“Thanks a bunch, Wolffeather!” Ferncloud’s soft but strong voice whispered to Wolffeather, trying not to wake up the two sleeping bundles next to her stomach.

“You’re very welcome,” Wolffeather meowed, licking Ferncloud’s ear affectionately.

“Oh, Wolffeather! Before you leave, I need to send you a message,” Ferncloud mewed to her, just as she was about to leave the nursery.

“Yes?” she replied back, turning around quickly.

“Firestar told me that he needed to talk to you. He was talking to me right before you walked in here. He wants you to meet him in the forest. I think he said… Hm… I believe it was the training grounds where the apprentices are taught. Do you know where that is?” Ferncloud explained, and then asked.

“Yeah, I know where that is. I remember it was where I slept when I was with my mother, Night. Did you know she joined ShadowClan?” Wolffeather mewed in disbelief, seeing as her own mother wouldn’t want her to join this clan with her.

“Yes, I know. Her name is Nightblood. It’s sad that she didn’t join our clan. She would’ve received a much nicer name than that! Blackstar is such a fool sometimes,” Ferncloud murmured, as she licked her left forepaw and washed her face.

Wolffeather’s only response was a curt nod and then a flick of her tail, signaling that she was going to leave.

 

Wolffeather traveled into the woods. She heard a bunch of little scrambling noises, too quiet for a cat, but too loud for a clumsy vole.

Sniffing, Wolffeather knew it was a mouse. Instinctively, Wolffeather got into her hunter’s crouch that her mentor, Brambleclaw, had taught her.

Spotting the mouse rustling under leaves, she came up behind it, making sure to be downwind of it.

Pouncing, Wolffeather snapped its neck with a swift blow from her forepaw.

“Firestar will be happy that I can catch my own prey now!” Wolffeather purred as a light breeze ruffled her pelt.

 

Wolffeather padded calmly into the training grounds, seeing Firestar, the leader of ThunderClan, and his deputy, Brambleclaw, who was Wolffeather’s mentor a few moons ago.

“Greetings, Wolffeather,” Firestar’s calm mew sounded around her. Brambleclaw nodded in greeting.

“Please, sit down,” Firestar continued, as he placed his tail over his paws.

Wolffeather did as she was told, sitting straight in front of Firestar, holding his green gaze.

“Ferncloud told me you wanted to talk to me,” Wolffeather meowed, calmly mimicking Firestar’s poise.

“Yes. I held a meeting to every cat, while you were on patrol. This is nothing serious, just a matter we need to take care of, if you want to be fully accepted into ThunderClan,” Firestar become slightly tense, and then relaxed his shoulder muscles.

“Of course. I know that it was hard on you, making this decision, but I’m glad you let me stay here, and actually let me call something my home. Night, my mother, joined ShadowClan, so now I have no way of even speaking to her privately without Blackstar throwing a fit. He would understand if his kits were split between clans!” Wolffeather felt a new fury boiling in her blood, as she flicked her tail tip back and forth.

“You’re mother has more than one kit?” Firestar’s eyes grew wide with alarm.

“Yeah, why? I have two sisters,” Wolffeather mewed, her expression guarded.

“W-What clans did they join?” Firestar stuttered out.

“Well, my mother Night is in ShadowClan, which you know. I am in ThunderClan,” Wolffeather meowed, glancing at Brambleclaw for a moment, “and one of my sisters, Moon, is in WindClan. My other sister, Sun, is in RiverClan.”

“You have kin in all four clans?” Firestar just stared at her, his eyes full with astonishment.

“I don’t think any clan leader but you and possibly Blackstar know about this. We tend to keep kin to ourselves. We were never very friendly, especially when our kin got into battles with BloodClan,” Wolffeather mewed, her voice quivering with fright, remembering the stories she was told when she was a kit.

“BloodClan?” Firestar shivered, his neck fur bristling.

“Yes. BloodClan’s leader Scourge tried to mate with my mother, but she rejected him. She has been around the clans a long time. She even followed them from the old forest,” Wolffeather meowed, her tail still flickering.

“So your mother was the rogue that stole prey off our land back in the old forest?” Brambleclaw hissed, his tail lashing from side to side.

“Yes, unfortunately, it was her. She had no where else to get food from. She hung around the town a lot,” Wolffeather nodded.

“Town? What do you mean ‘the town’?” Firestar mewed, cocking his head to the side.

“Oh, Twoleg place,” Wolffeather mewed, her ears getting hot.

“Oh…” Firestar sighed. “We have business to discuss, by the way.”

“Yes! Of course, Firestar. We should continue this conversation else where though. Unless of course, you want to talk right now?” Wolffeather mewed quietly.

“I think we should get it over with right now,” Firestar mused.

“Alright, I guess that works with me,” Wolffeather nodded.

“Firestar and I would like to talk to you about… A mate,” Brambleclaw hissed out the last two words.

“Mate? Huh?” Wolffeather hissed, rearing back onto her two hind-paws.

“Yes. We want to ask you who would be your ideal mate,” Firestar said, his mew very calming and reassuring.

Wolffeather settled back down, her eyes still guarded, as she meowed, “Why should I tell anyone who I want to choose as my mate?”

“We just want to help you. We’ve noticed how you are jumping between two different toms,” Brambleclaw mewed.

Wolffeather let out a sarcastic mrrow of laughter. “You seriously think that I am jumping between Lionblaze and Jayfeather?” Wolffeather hissed.

“Jayfeather?” Both Firestar and Brambleclaw questioned at the same time, shooting each other a quick sideways glance.

“Who else did you think?” Wolffeather asked, her gaze softening.

“Well, we thought you were trying to go after me,” Brambleclaw purred, amusement showing brightly in his amber gaze.

“You!?” Wolffeather rolled onto her back and started laughing, her tail curling up against her belly.

“Are you kidding me? You, Brambleclaw? Haha!” Wolffeather continued, as Brambleclaw looked embarrassed to even mention it.

“Well, since Brambleclaw is no longer with Squirrelflight, because of a fight, Brambleclaw thought that you might have chosen him, seeing as you two have a very good relationship,” Firestar purred, the amusement that he was trying to hide shown very brightly.

“Well, at least we got that out of the way,” Brambleclaw muttered, as Wolffeather stood and shook her pelt, sand flying all over the place.

“Anyway, we need to ask you one more thing,” Firestar continued, his tail wrapped over his forepaws again.

“Go on,” Wolffeather mewed as she took Firestar’s poise again.

“We also would like to know if any of your kin was in the clans besides right now,” Firestar meowed, meeting Wolffeather’s yellow gaze.

“I have an uncle. He was the ruler of ShadowClan at one time,” Wolffeather shuffled on her paws as she tried to remember his name.

“He was a great warrior. And he led his clan fearlessly into the battle with TigerClan and LionClan. When he joined both ShadowClan and RiverClan,” Wolffeather continued, still looking for the name.

“I believe his name was Tiger,” Wolffeather muttered out the name, as she licked her chest fur.

“Tigerstar?!” Firestar and Brambleclaw both hissed out at the same time.

“Yeah! That’s his name,” Wolffeather mewed, closing her eyes and lifting her chin. “He was the best! So loving and caring.”

Brambleclaw stood instantly, padding towards Wolffeather and breathed in her ear, “Tigerstar is my father.”

Shocked, Wolffeather sprang up, sending sand flying everywhere. She shook her dusty pelt and then hissed furiously. “What?!”

“Wolffeather,” Firestar stood, approaching her.

“That can’t be possible! Kin isn’t a loud to train kin,” Wolffeather hissed again, her fur standing on end so she looked three times her size.

“Wolffeather, calm down,” Firestar breathed in sharply.

“Stop playing games! Tigerstar can’t be related to Brambleclaw,” Wolffeather’s hostile meow rang around the clearing.

Brambleclaw just nodded to his leader and sprang away, heading towards the clan’s camp.

 

“Listen, Wolffeather,” Firestar soothed her, licking her muzzle affectionately. After what seemed like a whole moon of silence, Firestar finally had talked.

“I-I… Didn’t think… Tigerstar… Had any other kin,” Wolffeather mewed, taking deep breaths between each few words.

“Wait… How is Tigerstar your uncle?” Firestar pondered, his tail gently flicking Wolffeather’s back, as he sat closely next to her.

“Oh. He’s my mother’s sister’s mate,” Wolffeather explained, like it was a simple thing.

“Do you recall her name?” Firestar asked, running his tail along her spine.

“Sasha,” Wolffeather mewed.

“Do you know that she had a daughter and son?” Firestar purred, flicking his ears forward.

“Yeah, I knew. Hawk was the son’s name, and Moth was the daughter’s name. We all grew up together,” Wolffeather meowed, her whiskers twitching.

“I hope you know that they have warrior names now,” Firestar said, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“Yeah, but I always call them as the name Sasha gave them,” Wolffeather purred, remembering the pretty brown she-cat.

“Yes, they were great warriors. Mothwing is a medicine cat though,” Firestar placed his paw next to Wolffeather’s.

“Hawkfrost was actually going to be my mate, even though we were kin. He was my first true love,” Wolffeather’s mew was full of sorrow, as she felt the pain he must’ve felt when he was killed.

“He tried to destroy RiverClan from the inside out though,” Firestar pointed out.

“But, he was still a good cat!” Wolffeather’s pelt bristled, her teeth almost bearing in a snarl.

“Wolffeather, temper,” Firestar mewed, amusement re-sparking in his green eyes.

“I can’t control my temper if you keep fueling it, Firestar,” Wolffeather tried her hardest to calm down.

“But, thank you for telling me all of this. I know it is very hard for a younger she-cat like you to trust someone that you just barely met, less than two moons ago,” Firestar mewed, his voice loving and caring. He cuffed Wolffeather over the ear and then trotted back to the stone hollow.

Before he left, he turned and meowed, “Nice catch,” as he passed by the half-buried mouse on the outskirt of the sandy training area.

 

Heading into the stone hollow, Wolffeather had a mouthful of prey. She was carrying two plump mice, one vole, and a big blackbird.

“Wow, well done, Wolffeather,” A familiar mew sounded from behind her. She turned and saw Lionblaze coming in with the Moonhigh patrol.

“Thanks,” Wolffeather managed to say around her mouthful.

“Want to share some fresh-kill together?” Lionblaze asked, his pelt shining silver in the moonlight.

“Sure,” she purred as she set her day’s catch down on the fresh-kill pile. “I’ve just been dieing to eat this blackbird!”

“That is a really big blackbird, too,” Lionblaze showered Wolffeather with praise, as he flicked her in the ear with his tail.

“Are we going to share that, or do you want me to get a mouse?” Lionblaze purred affectionately, not even noticing Leafpool staring at them from the entrance to the medicine cats’ den.

“We can share it,” Wolffeather mewed, as she went to go sit underneath Firestar’s den.

“Okay,” Lionblaze meowed, following Wolffeather.

Leafpool sat, watching his son and Wolffeather. Sorrow shown brightly in Leafpool’s eyes as she watched him finish the blackbird off. Then, Lionblaze started to share tongues with Wolffeather.

The night continued like that, and Wolffeather went on the dawn patrol. Lionblaze went to go get some rest, since he was going to go on the sunhigh patrol and after that a hunting patrol with Wolffeather.

 

Lionblaze awoke to a paw prodding his side. Mumbling, he sat up and saw Cloudtail.

“C’mon! We have a sunhigh patrol to go on, you little sleepy kitten,” Cloudtail purred, batting Lionblaze with his forepaw.

“I must’ve slept through the whole morn-,” Lionblaze stopped mid-sentence, because Cloudtail smacked him with his tail.

“You don’t want to wake up the princess,” Cloudtail snorted, looking over his shoulder at Wolffeather, who was sleeping diagonal from where Lionblaze’s bed was.

“She isn’t that delicate. She is very agile, in fact,” Lionblaze hissed quietly, as he got up and followed Cloudtail out of the warrior’s den.

“Don’t defend her; I’m sure she is perfectly capable of defending and protecting the clan. I don’t doubt her abilities at all,” Cloudtail bluntly mewed, sounding a little sarcastic.

“She is very devoted to protecting every hair on every cat’s pelt! I bet she would even save you,” Lionblaze mocked Cloudtail, just a little.

“I don’t need saving by a princess,” Cloudtail snarled, hissing under his breath.

“Just you wait! She is an excellent fighter, trained by one of the best senior warriors here,” Lionblaze sniggered, because he remembered Cloudtail was once a kittypet.

“Don’t remind me about my mother,” he snorted, shuffling his paws in the dirt as they waited for the rest of the patrol right outside of the stone hollow.

Sorreltail, Dustpelt, and Brambleclaw appeared in a matter of seconds after Cloudtail had finished saying that.

“Alright, we’re all here. Let’s get a move on!” Brambleclaw yowled, dashing off into the forest towards the ShadowClan border.

“Bye, Birchfall!” Lionblaze called out to his clanmate who was guarding the entrance to the clan’s camp. “See you when I get back for the hunting patrol!”

Wolffeather padded back into the stone hollow, Sandstorm leading the head of the hunting patrol, as Lionblaze and Birchfall followed behind. Brackenfur took up the rear of the patrol.

“Hey, Leafpool,” Wolffeather mewed, limping into the medicine cats’ den.

“What happened to you, Wolffeather?” Leafpool’s amber gaze instantly traveled from Wolffeather’s luscious green eyes to her paw.

“I stepped into a big pile of thorns! It was in ThunderClan territory, but it looked like a trap that ShadowClan might have set up. I thought I heard something rustling around in the bushes near the border. And the thorns smell like ShadowClan, too!” Wolffeather cried out, whimpering as Leafpool smelled her paw.

“Lay on your back,” Leafpool instructed, as she spread out some moss from two beds. Wolffeather obeyed, and Leafpool got the thorns out in no time at all.

“Thanks Leafpool,” Wolffeather said, as she touched noses with her. She practiced walking, even though she was still limping a little.

 

As Leafpool led Wolffeather out of the medicine cats’ den, Brambleclaw padded up to them, and asked Wolffeather to speak with Firestar.

Wolffeather agreed and just followed Brambleclaw into his den.

“Greetings, Wolffeather,” he mewed, as Sandstorm settled down next to him.

“Hello Firestar, Sandstorm,” she mewed quietly, nodding acknowledgement to the ginger she-cat.

“We want to talk to you about our grandchildren,” Sandstorm meowed, flicking her tail.

“Jayfeather and Lionblaze?” Wolffeather asked, sitting down next to Brambleclaw.

“Yes, they are our grandchildren,” Firestar nodded as Sandstorm confirmed.

“What about them?” Wolffeather asked, curiosity eating away at her by this time.

“They had a sister, Hollyleaf. She was a fine warrior. A beautiful she-cat,” Firestar meowed, his eyes filled with sorrow.

“Isn’t she the one that killed herself in that tunnel that connects between WindClan and ThunderClan?” Wolffeather mumbled.

“Yes, how did you know? Did Lionblaze or Jayfeather tell you?” Firestar asked, wondering how she knew so much about ThunderClan in the short period of time that she had been with them.

“The word gets around when you live outside of the clans. My mother used to hunt on RiverClan’s land. She knows a lot about the clans. Maybe even more than you, Rusty,” Wolffeather purred out his kittypet name, even though she was insulting her clan leader.

Firestar just looked at her. He didn’t utter a word, as Brambleclaw held his breath, and panic struck through Sandstorm like she had just seen a thousand badgers sitting in front of her.

“Please… Don’t mention that name, again,” Firestar’s voice sounded like he was a kit again.

“I’m sorry, Firestar,” he nodded to Wolffeather’s apology.

“Now, as I was saying,” Firestar continued, “I would like to know if you are interested in either of them. Jayfeather seems to be slightly distracted, and we think it might be because of you. Lionblaze also seems like he is distracted. Brambleclaw reported that, about a quarter-moon or so ago, Lionblaze was tripping over his own paws while out on a hunting patrol. We think that, since you’ve been here for over four moons now, that you are available to pick a mate, if that is what you would like to do,” Firestar mewed calmly.

“I don’t know if I want to do anything like that right now. I’ve seen how wonderful Ivykit and Dovekit are, but having kits right now isn’t my top priority. I would like to get more training with fighting. I would also like to learn a little about herbs, so that I can help Leafpool when Jayfeather is busy. They seem like they need help,” Wolffeather muttered, loneliness showing brightly in her eyes.

“I think I’ve annoyed you enough, Wolffeather. I’m greatly sorry. Brambleclaw, please escort her back to whatever she was doing,” Firestar nodded, half to himself, as Brambleclaw placed his tail around her neck and led her to the bottom of the hollow.

 

Jayfeather emerged from the medicine cats’ den just as Wolffeather was padding over to the warrior’s den.

“Hey, Wolffeather,” Jayfeather called out to her.

Alarmed, she turned around and trotted hastily over to Jayfeather. “What’s wrong?” Wolffeather asked, her tail lashing from side to side, and her fur all puffed out.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just wanted to talk to you,” Jayfeather snickered, feeling how tense she was.

“Oh… Well don’t scare me like that next time, okay?” Wolffeather panted, licking her chest fur back to place.

“Alright, I’m sorry,” Jayfeather murmured, sitting down with a grunt. Wolffeather padded over and sat next to him.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Wolffeather purred calmly, her yellow gaze locking with Jayfeather’s sightless blue eyes.

“I wanted to tell you something… But I didn’t think I would run into you so soon,” Jayfeather confessed.

“Well, we can go out and look for herbs, if you understand what I’m saying,” she hinted to him, flicking his ear with her tail.

“Okay. I’ll tell Leafpool, be back in a sec,” Jayfeather mumbled, as he disappeared into the medicine cats’ den.

“Hey, Brambleclaw,” Wolffeather called to her old mentor.

“Yes, Wolffeather?” Brambleclaw asked, as he padded over to her.

“I’m going to go out and hunt. Jayfeather also needs me for herb gathering. He’s going to teach me what chickweed looks like!”

“Okay, just make sure you bring back a nice vole for me.”

“I will!” Wolffeather mewed, touching noses with him.

“C’mon Wolffeather, we have herbs to get,” Jayfeather meowed to her, as he padded out of the stone hollow, Wolffeather right behind him.

 

Leaves rustled around Jayfeather as Wolffeather immerged from the bushes to the left of him. Hissing with frustration, Jayfeather was toppled over in an instant.

“Good job with not making noise with those bushes,” Jayfeather snapped at her, as her paws pressed into his shoulders.

“I know that you have better senses than everyone else… You could’ve dodged that. I know you are more capable of fighting than that,” Wolffeather growled into his ear.

“Get off me!” Jayfeather screeched, pushing Wolffeather off with his hind feet, sending a blow to her stomach. Hissing, Wolffeather jumped over Jayfeather and placed her paw on his throat, since he hadn’t stood up yet.

“Jayfeather…” Wolffeather shook her head.

“Don’t… There needs to be three for the prophecy!” Jayfeather hissed.

“Prophecy?” Wolffeather asked, her head cocking and the hostile gaze slipping out of her eyes. They became blank and emotionless, as Wolffeather stared out towards the lake. Her expression was completely gone.

“You already know. Don’t act dumb,” Jayfeather hissed through clenched teeth. “Lionblaze is falling for you, Wolffeather. He’s telling you everything!”

“Lionblaze,” she whispered, as she released her grip on Jayfeather’s throat.

“Listen… Wolffeather… You have a secret much greater than anyone else in this clan,” Jayfeather explained, sitting up and shaking his pelt off, sending dust and dirt flying everywhere.