Book 10 - Chapter 31

Darkfinch launched himself over the edge of the clearing. "How are you Rissa he asked?" "Storm," snarled Rissa. "Olivia believes in me she was always the more fun sister." "It's to bad I was always the smarter sister and Serafina was always the sister that cared about our safety. Now she doesn't care about yours since you tried and succeeded to kill her. Then since Olivia sided with you only Princess's and my safety now matter to her." snapped Rissa. "I'd like to see you prove that" snarled Darkfinch "but considering the fact that I did kill Hollytail you can't exactly." "Yes I can't exactly prove that Hollytail hates you considering you're the reason that she's dead I can make a pretty good guess that if she was alive she would hate you for trying to kill her and that she hates you know because you did kill her." replied Rissa. "I would also like to state that you're the reason Olivia is dead." said Darkfinch evenly. "Me how, I'd like to make you prove that I am the reason that Olivia is dead but he only way I'd believe it is if Olivia told me herself which she can't do because as you have told me she is dead." "Not necessarily" said Dragonwhisker. "Sorry to bring it up but I do recall that we once met Serafina in her starry form. She was a spirit that talked to us, then when Darkfinch appeared he left so he did kill her. So if we are able to find the spirit of Olivia she will be able to tell us the truth about her death." Everyone nodded and then Darkfinch lunged at Rissa. Rissa turned and retaliated by launched herself into the air like a bird. Darkfinch pulled out the sacred flower of  Ruby and raised it into the air, as the sun hit the flower the clearing was surrounded by fire. Darkfinch pointed the beam at Rissa and it knocked her out of the sky. Her power a small pair of black wings fell to the ground and Darkfinch picked it up. Rissa lunged and knocked the flower out of his paws. She grabbed it and took the fish with it and then disappeared and came back and did something to the flower which made Darkfinch disappear. "I banished him back to the Dark Forest for a month or two, when his cats need him the most he will be able to return and his cats won't need him for a while." Suddenly Dragonwhisker realized something, "That means while he is in the Dark Forest we can get back the cats that didn't want to go and live with Darkfinch in the first place. They can be set free." 

Book 10 - Chapter 30

Rissa looked around and sighed. Apparently she would have to share as well now that she was "apart of the clan." She snorted she would never be apart of a clan. She stepped forward and said to the clan as the started to assemble. "I don't have much of a story to share except for the fact that I do not belong to the clan of Fishclan. I never will, I am independent hunting on for myself, that way I have nobody to blame but myself." Barrister bristled and stopped, "Why should you stay with us then," he growled. "You heard this a few times I take it. I stay because I can, I still hunt for myself yes, no I will not hunt for anyone but myself but I will not hunt in your territory." "So why stay?" Snapped Whiteclaw. "Why do I stay here?" growled Rissa. "You know why I stay here, you owe me. If not for me teaching Lionstripe how to save them then you would be living in exile, not that you weren't after following Darkfinch into exile." "Follow him did I," Snapped Whiteclaw. Rissa ignored him. "I wish to say that I will not be staying here permanently unless I see a drastic change is behavior from certain warriors here. The warriors that haven't made me feel very welcome. The ones that don't trust me just because they have heard things like what I have said before." Rissa let her gaze sweep over the clan letting it rest on Birchtail, Sagewind, Appledawn, and Whiteclaw. "So" she continued, "You cannot judge me for what my brother has done, I may be like him in a few ways looks, although I am smarter. You cannot judge, Serafina, Olivia or I because of what Storm has done. Serafina helped to over throw Storm and make Nightclan a better place for them to live." Whiteclaw concentrated for a moment then remembered something and spoke up, "You were training in the dark forest as well, though so how do we know that we can trust you as well?" "I saved your classmates and saved you from exile and you doubt that I am loyal to the living world. That's sad." "It's sad that you might betray us at any moment to the Dark Forest like Darkfinch would." snapped Birchtail. Rissa whipped around to face him. "So you side with Whiteclaw? I may have trained in the dark forest but I left before I was given my warrior name." "But not your power, you wanted the ability and the power of a Dark Forest cat but the status. You wanted to say that you were loyal but wanted to have a power." snarled a voice. It belonged to Darkfinch.

Book 10 - Chapter 29

Foxflash stepped up to the edge of the rock where he was going to give his speech and tell his story. Foxflash thought to himself that he didn't really have a story. He just had the fact that he knew the truth about Mosskit and that it was definitely a valid reason why Mosskit wasn't telling the others. He knew that Mosskit knew that he knew and Mosskit had only stopped talking to him when he promised to not reveal who his parents truly were. For all the clan knew Mosskit could be a loner's kit. "Foxflash stepped to the edge of the rock. "My friends and clan mates of Fishclan. I don't have much to speak of tonight. Although I do remember that there was a time that I blamed myself for another cats death. If you noticed I always jump into the river and then rub fish scales into my pelt. I always smell like fish and that makes sense considering we are Fishclan. There is a reason I do that though and there is a reason that I around any cat until I jump in the river feed the clan then rub the fish scales into my pelt. I have something to hide. If I don't do that each day and then the sun gets to my fur my fur turns reddish brown and my whole body changes. I turn into a fox. As long as the sun cannot get to my true fur I stay a cat. I stay in the shade the days I can't get to the water. As long as my pelt is wet the sun has to dry the water first which gives my time to get the fish scales into my pelt. Each fish scale starts to dry out after 5 days so I always have to find new scales. Today is the last day and since I haven't found any most likely I will be a fox until the sun sets today. I blame myself for 2 cats death. One day I was standing around when I realized that I hadn't gotten the fish scales, so I became a fox. A few moments later I saw that a barn was on fire. I wandered closer to investigate when I saw a young dark brown tom. He was staring at the fire and I realized that this cat must have lived in that barn. Then another cat came racing over it was a light-brown she cat. This cat was a little larger and I figured she was his mother. Being a cat that looked like a fox I could understand them but they couldn't understand me. The mother said Tenner run and don't stop until you find Poppy. This cat nodded and then the mother turned and hissed at me. I looked at her and she turned and fled straight into the fire. So I turned to explain what had happened to the brother of Poppy. I found him and he hissed at me stay away from me you fox. I tried to talk but he couldn't understand fox. He then lunged at me, I didn't want to kill him but he tried to kill me and being a fox I had the urge to protect what I considered my land since I had lived on that land for at least 3 years before joining the clan. I killed him in the end and then I ran off into the woods regretting that i had just taken the lives of two cats, and I think that they were you family Pinkpoppy," Pinkpoppy looked up at me and stared in sadness, fear and regret. 

Book 10 - Chapter 28

"Hello clan mates, as you know my name is Mintwish." The clan settles around her feet. "As most of the other members of this clan who have shared my name is also literal. When I was a younger kitten I thought I would grow up to be a medicine cat. So as a kit I learned every herb out there. That was not the case of course, I'm a warrior now." Emberberry and Pinkpoppy wondered over to hear that last sentence. "If you ever wish to help us out in the medicine den you are more than welcome to," said Emberberry. Mintwish nodded dipped her head to the two medicine cats. "Thank you for the offer, but no thanks." Pinkpoppy looked at Mintwish confused, "You said that your name was literal I am wondering what you mean by that and if my idea is correct how is that possible?" "That is a good question," said Mintwish. "I was named Mintkit by my parents as you know, and I loved every herb and if I ate them I could eat any of them they were all very good to me except for one. Mint. I never liked the taste of mint it was disgusting which is interesting considering my name and the fact that every other cat out there wants to eat cat mint. I didn't, I was staring at the piece of mint in front of me one day and thought I wish I was able to eat these mint leaves without them tasting bad, then I bit into it, and it tasted like any other mint leaf out there. Good. I realized that I had this ability to make a wish come true if I wished it on a mint leaf. I then started trying out my theory and it seemed that it only seemed to work on mint leaves. Then it was pure coincidence that I was named Mintwish. Since I have figured that out I have helped my clan by going to wish on the catmint whenever someone is assigned to go and collect it or bring it to a cat I always volunteer and then wish on it. I wish that whoever needs it gets better unless it is there time to join Starclan. If it isn't there time I wish for them to get better so there isn't any sufferings. I usually wish that all kits get enough for to make it to the apprentice stage. If they don't I feel that it is my fault that they didn't make it because I have always been able to wish that they make it to apprenticeship and adulthood." Soon Mintwish was being swamped with requests to make something happen. 

Book 10 - Chapter 27

"Fishclan," called Berrystar. "We have an announcement to make, we have had the request to make a warrior today. I agree with the to parents of the this cat. Appledawn and Birchtail have requested that we make Fishpaw a warrior and we agree that it is indeed time for make Fishpaw a warrior. She has definitely proven that she is loyal to our clan and that she is worthy of her warrior name. Fishpaw do you promise to always be loyal to our clan and serve your clan even at the cost of your life?" Fishpaw looked around at the assembled c lan before speaking loudly and clearly to the leaders, "I promise  to always serve my clan and my clan only. I do promise and you can count on me to serve you Fishclan," said Fishpaw. Berrystar looked down at the apprentice proudly, "Then by the power and authority that has given to me by our ancestors as the clan leader of Fishclan I give Fishpaw her warrior name.   Fishpaw from this time on you will be known as Fishfur a loyal and dedicated warrior of Fishclan. We will honor you as a member of Fishclan." Appledawn and Birchtail were beaming with pride as their oldest daughter was now a warrior of the clan that they served with their life, however the other kittens were not happy. "Why should they request to have Fishpaw no excuse me Fishfur become a warrior but not the rest of her kittens. We work just as hard as she did if not more, there is nothing special about Fishfur." they whispered. Appledawn turned and cuffed each of the apprentices over the head with a paw and said, "Don't speak like that, you shouldn't be speaking badly about your clan mates, nonetheless your own sister." While the apprentices still didn't say anything Birchtail spoke, "Don't me tell Mossfur what you were saying, for she would have something to say you can be sure of that. You don't want to be spending the next 5 moons helping other cats instead of training, or else then you will never become a warrior." He threatened then all the apprentices nodded glumly and padded away. 

Book 10 - Chapter 26

All the cats looked around the clearing and then turned their attention to Blackmint, "There is a secret reason that I was named Blackmint. The name was requested by my parents to the clan leader, and there I was. A dear friend of mine left my family to become medicine cat, far away where she could learn about a larger variety of different plants. She kept returning in my dreams, for a reason and then one day I followed her in my dreams and she brought me very far away from the clan areas I knew. She taught me everything about all the plants that she had learned about in her new home area. When I woke up I was back in my clan and I still had the plants with me. I hurried to the medicine cat den and I told the medicine cat at the time that was there which I believe was Morningflower. She was delighted about how much I knew about these new herbs, and she told the other medicine cats. I knew everything about every herb except for one herb. It was a black plant, with a fuzzy texture but spiked edges. It was a little bit crinkly but kept for a long time. It tasted like a mint plant so I made up the name of a frozen black mint plant, it didn't sound very real like that was the true name of the plant, but Morningflower excepted it. Then I had to go and train for my warrior ceremony, but what I didn't know until after my warrior ceremony that my parents had gone to the leader of the clan and told them what I had done, and they asked if I could be named Blackmint because I told the medicine cats of a mint that cure d a deadly disease that the clan had been exposed to once or twice before. They were very proud of me and the leader understood that so they gave me the warrior name Blackmint in honor of my knowledge of plants." The leaders nodded and then Pinkpoppy went up to Blackmint and started asking questions, and Blackmint gladly answered them. The clan then nodded and soon the medicine cats went to Blackmint if they had a question about a foreign plant.

Book 10 - Chapter 25

Rivera was watching Birchtail and stalking towards the center of the clearing to begin her story for the day. "I have a story to tell, it is very similar to Mossfur's story. Although I have not always had a warrior code to guide me. I have had my own code of sorts, the house cats have always had a code to live by. I don't believe that loyalty is the most important, no matter who you are or where you live that matters, what matters the most is who you are loyal to. As a house cat some clan cats may not believe in a thing I say or they might not take us seriously, but I do know that it is the truth, it won't matter if you aren't loyal or are loyal. If you are loyal to someone or a group or side that isn't good or a side that is good doesn't matter. As long as you are giving your best to a group is what matters, as long as you want what is best for the group that you live with proves you are loyal. Loyalty to a group is what matters the most, without loyalty there would be no group to care for. If no cats are loyal and they only care for themselves, then there is no true group and no reason to live in a group. So I feel that if you betray a cat, human, animal even yourself, you don't deserve to be called loyal. So that is why I guard my loyalty to myself, the clan even my old human owner so fiercely." When Rivera finished speaking Appledawn, Sagewind and Birchtail were all bristling and glaring, "So you're saying that Birchtail isn't worthy of being called a loyal warrior just because he betrayed your human," snarled Appledawn. Rivera stared at the warrior in the clearing below before speaking, "I never said anything of the sort," she told the younger warrior. "You were thinking it though, and you wanted to say it," snapped Sagewind. Rivera calmly sat down and looked at the queen glaring at her,"I would never say something bad about any of my clan mates, a good habit that I learned. Also, how would you know what I am thinking? You are not me." Birchtail was the one who stood up and spoke "I don't know for a fact that you are thinking that I shouldn't be allowed the title of a loyal warrior but I can almost 100% safely say that you are thinking that." "How would you know that is true, and how are you almost 100% certain that I am thinking that?" said Rivera sheathing and unsheathing her claws. "I know you, you would never say something like that out loud but you would say it in your head, and I know that, that is what you think of me," growled Birchtail in return. Finally the leaders pushed their way in-between the two cats and spoke to the whole clan. "We thank Rivera for sharing, and I think that she is right it is not loyalty that matters the most it is whether or not you are loyal," said Berrystar. The clan nodded and went back to sharing stories quietly with each other before heading off to bed.