ForestClan Adventures - Chocolatemeerkat (Echopath) (primary phonics txt) 📗

on your territory anymore, Swiftpaw." He then looked at the mouse. "Are you doing your warrior assessment?"
"Yes." Swiftpaw told him. Crowpelt took a step back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to come here. I am only here to speak with Bramblestar and Dawnsong. How are they?"
"Bramblestar is fine, Silverleaf is expecting his kits soon." Swiftpaw meowed. "Dawnsong is expecting Runningbreeze's kits." Crowpelt tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Runningbreeze? Dawnsong has a mate that isn't him."
"How?"
Crowpelt hesistated after Swiftpaw questioned him, but he did eventually speak. "I am about to tell you a secret that will threaten Dawnsong's place in ForestClan if it gets out. You must promise not to tell anyone!"
"I solemnly swear by StarClan." Swiftpaw declared.
"Good. Well, you know my old mentor Noblespirit? Him and Dawnsong met at the gathering, and kind of fell in love. They are mates secretly, and that means my sister is expecting his kits."
Swiftpaw could barely speak. Why would a senior warrior, who knew the warrior code well, take a she-cat from another clan as his mate? He dipped his head to Crowpelt. "Thank you for sharing that with me. I will not tell anyone, but you better go now."
"I still need to speak to your leader and my sister." Crowpelt reminded him. Swiftpaw let out a very irritated sigh. "Fine. I'll take you back to camp, but if my warrior ceremony is put back because of this, I'll rip your pelt off."
^4^

"I'm so hungry!" Gorgekit wailed, his jaws fastened tightly around a pinecone.
"Hush, little one." Frostear soothed, wrapping her tail around her son's body. "We'll eat soon, don't worry. Just wait for a patrol to return."
Ha!

Eagletalon thought grumpily. Prey has been scarce lately. It's unlikely for any patrols to return with decent prey! To be honest, I won't be suprised if any kits die of starvation!

Since he had found the dead body of Willowstream yesterday, Eagletalon had been silent and furious. His mate's death had shaken him badly, especially as no one knew who was responsible.
To be honest though, I admire Frostear's courage and determaination.

Eagletalon scraped his claws down the side of a rock. I can see her spirit in Heatherkit, but Flamesnake's arrogant manner in Gorgekit. Hopefully I'll mentor one of them, or maybe Poppyfoot's kits. It would be great to have a apprentice.

A butterfly then landed on Eagletalon's nose, it's flame coloured wings shining in the warrior's eyes. He tried to bat it away, but it wouldn't move. Eagletalon noticed that the butterfly had two black spots on it's wings, like eyes. "Why won't it move?" He muttered in annoyence. The butterfly then took flight into the air, but magicly disappeared.
Was that a omen? Or the sun tricking me?

Eagletalon asked himself in his mind before padding over to Dawnsong, who was sunbathing with two little kits beside her. "Have you kitted already?"
"No." Dawnsong purred in amusement. "Crowpelt found these kits and reckons they're a sign from StarClan."
"I found a butterfly." Eagletalon meowed. "It sat on my nose for ages, but when it flew off, it disappeared into thin air. No joke." Dawnsong's eyes widened in suprise. "That's really...um....strange." She then sighed and shook her head. "I take it you are still grieving for Willowstream?"
"Of course." The warrior told her. "Who do you think killed her?"
"My suspects are Echopath and Tigerpelt." Dawnsong replied. "Echopath because she hates Willowstream, and Tigerpelt because, well, he hates everyone!"
"I spoke with Echopath about it earlier, she ripped my whiskers off." Eagletalon complained, drawing a paw over his ear. "She denies all knowledge of the murder. But remember that Spiderleg is a suspect too."
"And Ghostfire." Dawnsong added unhelpfully. "For some reason, I don't trust her." Eagletalon shook his head. "She's new. When do you see newcomers slaughtering their own clanmates? Anyone

could have done it."
"I don't think everyone is a suspect." Dawnsong pointed out. "Since when were kits and elders murderers?" There was a hint of amusement in her voice, but her face was serious.
The discussion was interrupted by a loud yowling. Eagletalon pricked his ears up and listened, trying to identify the cats. "I think some cats have wondered a bit too close to the gorge. CourageClan and ReedClan, but more of CourageClan I think."
"Well, let's go and help them!" Dawnsong said. "Get Echopath and Swiftpaw, they're quite strong and good trackers." Eagletalon chuckled mildly. "Runningbreeze will kill me if I take you out of camp. You're expecting his kits, after all."
"I heard my name?" Echopath's gentle mew could be heard behind Eagletalon. The tom spun round and saw she had Swiftpaw with her too. The apprentice sighed, shaking his head. "Cats down the gorge again? I thought that was no clan's territory, so why do cats go there?"
"We haven't got time for chit-chat." Eagletalon told them sharply. "Come along!"

After a couple of minutes, the ForestClan cats arrived at the gorge. The ground was now hard, unstable and rocky, making the cats struggle to walk when their pads got stones stuck in them.
"Dawnsong and I will see who needs help." Eagletalon meowed. "Echopath and Swiftpaw and can find some long branches which will be able to pull the cats out." The cats nodded, and Eagletalon went with Dawnsong towards the edge. He looked down and saw several cats hanging or resting on small ledges. "What happened? Why are you all down here?"
"There were some foxes in our territory." Cinderfoot explained. "We chased them out, but CourageClan were having the same problem. So we all chased them out and over the gorge, but we toppled over the edge with them. The foxes are dead, luckily for us we are all alive."
"But we're completely stuck down here. The gorge is too steep to climb up, and also the ledges can't support our weight for long." Crowpelt continued. "Thank StarClan you two showed up!"
"Correction, that's four

of us." Echopath purred in amusement. "We'll get you all out before you can say 'mouse'." Eagletalon smiled at her as she nudged some huge branches over. "I tested these with Swiftpaw, they hold him fine. Start with the closer cats first, and keep going down until we reach the two cats on the bottom."
"There's three of us, actually." Puffinfeather corrected. "Noblespirit is here too, but he is quite badly injured. Swanfeather and I have been looking after him, although he is CourageClan and we are ReedClan." Eagletalon nodded and grabbed one of the branches in his jaws, hanging it down to Hollypaw, Barkpaw, Clawedear and Minnowtail.
Within a few minutes, most of the cats were up. Only Noblespirit and Swanfeather remained, but Eagletalon was having trouble getting them to cling onto the branch.
"Send me down there." Dawnsong told the older warrior. "I'll talk to them." Eagletalon nodded and let her climb onto the branch, lowering her down. "Be careful." He warned, remembering that he was letting a queen down there. Despite the fact Dawnsong was expecting kits, she was willing to risk her life to save any cat.
Please StarClan, keep Dawnsong safe. She is a real credit to the clan, and none of us would be helping these cats without her.

*5*

Dawnsong landed gracefully onto the ledge, despite her paws ached from hanging onto the branch. Nothing would stop her from saving innocent cats, especially as one was Noblespirit. She cared dearly for his safety, as he did for her's.
Beside her mate, Swanfeather greeted the grey she-cat. "Thanks for coming down here to help us, but it will be hopeless. Noblespirit is so weak he can barely move."
"I'll help him." Dawnsong offered. "You get up there and I'll sort this out. Stay with your clanmates until we're sorted." Swanfeather nodded, and dipped her head respectfully. "Good luck, Dawnsong. All of us are behind you." She meowed before grabbing the branch and watching as Eagletalon heaved her up.
The little grey she-cat then slowly approached the last cat and sat beside him. "Don't worry, I'm here to get you out of here." She comforted him. Noblespirit gazed up at Dawnsong, his green eyes shining. He then realised that she looked a bit fatter from when he had last seen her. "Why are you a lot plumper than your clanmates?" He mumbled.
"I haven't told you, have I?" Dawnsong murmmered, her blue eyes sparkling. "You'll be a father in a couple of moons, because I'm expecting your kits." Noblespirit's eyes widened in suprise. "Do they know who the father is? Because we'll be crowfood if our leaders find out."
"No, Runningbreeze is pretending for me." Dawnsong told him. "I will show you them when they are old enough to travel." Noblespirit purred quietly. "I just want to yowl how proud I am, but we've got company. So you'd better help me up."
The two cats grabbed the branch, and watched as Eagletalon pulled them up to safety. However, Dawnsong could see that he was having trouble, which frightened her. What if Eagletalon can't pull us up, and he drops the branch?

Suddenly, the young she-cat felt the branch crack. The cats above her head were silent, but Eagletalon showed determaination in his green eyes. Noblespirit clung onto the branch with his claws.
"Hang on, there's no way you can lift a fully grown warrior and a queen by yourself." Echopath growled sternly, grabbing the branch in her jaws. Along with Eagletalon, they pulled the branch up and the two cats to safety. Dawnsong laid down on the hard ground, thanking StarClan that she survived rescuing Noblespirit.
She then watched Eagletalon slowly approach Echopath, who was cleaning her dust-covered pelt. "Thanks for your help. Dawnsong and Noblespirit would have died." He mumbled, embrassment in his tone.
"No problem." Echopath replied brightly. "We make a good team." Eagletalon ducked his head, embrassed still. Dawnsong laughed softly, but rose to her paws. "I suspect some of you need help with injuries?"
"That is a very generous offer, Dawnsong." Clawedear replied, flicking his tail towards the forest. "But I think my clanmates will be alright, despite their injuries."
"So will mine." Minnowtail said coldly. "Grassnose and Sootpaw are gifted medicine cats, we do not need aid from another clan to assist us."
It was only a offer.

Dawnsong thought grumpily. No need to act all high-mighty.

She then turned