Chapter 11
"It worked!" Thin cried. "The berries worked!"
"Wha-" Cloud meowed. He looked tired and confused.
"Cloud!" Wave meowed. "You're awake!"
"What? What do you mean? I was awake the whole time." Cloud was becoming extremely confused.
"Cloud? You've- You've been unconscious for the past seven moon cycles," Thin explained.
"Seven? But-" Cloud shook his head. "So Wave never trained you? You never found Blue? She's not being trained by Storm..." Cloud listed everything that had happened while he'd been asleep. "I was just dreaming?"
"Um, yes," Chestnut said. "But all of that did actually happen."
"But I wasn't there?" Cloud asked. When the cats shook their heads he said, "I was wondering why everyone was ignoring me."
"So, basically you were dreaming about everything that was happening?" White asked.
"Um, I guess so?" Cloud answered.
"You need to rest," Chestnut said. "You look tired."
Cloud yawned. "I can stay awake."
"No," Chestnut said. "You need rest."
***
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Thin half-expected Cloud wouldn't wake up. He ended up waking up the next morning.
"Good morning, Cloud," Thin greeted him when she saw him.
"Good morning, Thin-tail," he responded.
"I'm glad you're finally awake."
"Me, too."
"How are you feeling?"
"A little tired still but I can return to my position as a fighter now."
"Good to hear!" Thin looked over at Wave. "I think Wave's assigning a scouting and hunting group. You should see if they need you for that."
Cloud dipped his head and ran off towards Wave.
***
The next few moon cycles went by smoothly. Wave assigned scouting and hunting groups just as well as White did, Cloud recovered from his tiredness, and White's kittens were ready to train.
"Everyone gather beneath the branch!" Thin yowled.
The group gathered beneath the branch. White looked at her kittens, proud.
"Cream-splotch, Berry, and Cresent-moon are ready to have trainers. Cream-splotch, Berry, Cresent-moon, you are all ready for a trainer. You have all reached four moon cycles. and can now train with you're trainers. Cream-splotch, your trainer will be Wave. Cresent-moon, your trainer will be Cloud. And Berry, I heard you wanted to be a healer?"
Berry nodded.
"Then your trainer will be Chestnut."
The cats all went up to their trainers and sat by them.
"And Storm thinks that Blue is ready to be a fighter. Blue, step up."
Blue stepped forward.
"Blue, you've been trained to hunt and fight and have grown to be a true cat. You are ready to be a fighter. I, leader of this group, welcome you as a true cat and fighter of Thicket Group." Thin jumped down from the branch and touched his nose to hers, just as had been done with the two other fighters made. Blue, as leader of this group I welcome you to Thicket Group as a true cat and the third fighter to be made. You will defend the group with your life and hunt with the other fighters like a true cat." Thin finished and lifted her head.
Blue dipped her head respectfully and stepped back.
Thin jumped up onto the branch. "There is one more thing that must be addressed," Thin said. "Yet again, Stream Group has been reported to be on our territory. We must approach them with this and see if we can get this stopped. This has happened multiple times in the past three moon cycles. I will go to Stream Group's home and talk to Fade about this. Wave, White, and Cloud will come with me. Everyone is dismissed."
Wave walked up to Thin as she jumped off the branch.
"Are you sure we have to talk to her?" he asked.
"Yes," Thin replied. "We must bring this to her attention."
"Well, I mean, she is Fade... This could end badly."
"It could but it won't," Thin meowed. "Just because Fade has attacked us before doesn't mean she always will."
"Well..."
"Just come on."
Thin and Wave waited for White and Cloud to gather with them. "Let's go," Thin said, leading them to Stream Group's home.
"Do we have to do this?" Cloud asked.
"Yes," Thin responded calmly but firm.
The cats were quiet for the rest of the way.
***
They got there with no trouble.
However, the gaurd gave them a bit.
"What are you doing here?" the gaurd asked.
"I am Thin-tail. Leader of Thicket Group. I have come to speak with your leader," Thin said.
"Well, you can't."
"We came to discuss something with her."
"What? Surely it isn't important."
"It is. It will determine wether or not there will still be peace between our two groups. I don't want to go to war."
"Fine."
The gaurd led them to Fade's hole.
"Fade! Thin-tail wants to speak with you!" the gaurd said.
Fade growled. "Bring her in."
The gaurd led the four cats into Fade's hole.
"No. Not the rest of you," Fade said. "Just Thin-tail."
Thin watched the other four cats leave making it so it was just Fade and her.
"What do you want?" Fade asked, her tail lashing.
"I would like to inform you that your cats have been on our territory," Thin said.
Fade laughed. "I already knew."
"You did?" Thin was visually surprised.
"Of course." She smiled. "I told them to."