Tales Of ForestClan, Chocolatemeerkat (Echopath) . [phonics reading books .TXT] 📗

cat checked them over. "Two she-cats and a tom." He concluded. "Well done."
"What will you call them?" Eagletalon asked. The queen watched as they suckled for the first time. "I think the light grey tabby can be Cloudkit, the white and brown she-cat Secretkit, and the dark brown tabby tom... he looks like Tigerpelt."
"Well, what would you expect?" Eagletalon teased. "That senior warrior is their father." Specklenose looked up at him. "I think I will call him Mysterykit." She said at last. "I now have three beautiful kits: Cloudkit, Mysterykit and Secretkit."
"Congratulations!" Flowerpaw shouted from the medicine den. "Tigerpelt will be very pleased!"
And what if he's not?

Eagletalon thought. His eyes were fixed on the new-born kits as they suckled their mother's milk. Specklenose was proud, and she hoped that they would become good warriors. But how would that be possible if their father couldn't be trusted?

~5~

Echopath and the other ForestClan cats gasped in horror as Fishstar falsely accused their clan prey-stealing. No one had suspected that he would actually say to Bramblestar's face that ForestClan were a bunch of prey-stealers.
As for Bramblestar, he was shocked and angry. "How dare you accuse my

clan of being thieves! We haven't laid a claw on your fish!" Many ForestClan cats yowled their agreement from below, but the ReedClan cats hissed. CourageClan remained silent.
Echopath exchanged a look with Twistpelt, who had spoken out earlier when Fishstar mentioned the missing fish. They were both angry, like the rest of their clanmates who had heard Fishstar.
"We scented ForestClan on our boarders yesterday, and the strong scent of fish." Fishstar growled simply. "So you're not only thieves, you're liars too!"
Echopath could see Swiftpaw's eyes. They were blazing angrily, and the apprentice looked like he was about to spring at Fishstar. But Sandtail was his mentor, and also was Bramblestar's loyal deputy. So she wouldn't let him.
"I think that I deserve some time to report about my

clan." Bravestar meowed, standing in front of the two fighting leaders. "CourageClan survived Leafbare well, and coming into Newleaf means new life. We sadly lost Dusteyes in a fox attack earlier today, whom we all miss dearly. He hunts with StarClan now."
Show-off. We don't need to know that you're the best clan in the forest because you survived Leafbare. We all survived it.

Echopath thought angrily. She was thinking of saying that, but she couldn't cause any more arguements, especially as the other two leaders had already broken the truce.
"Anyway, back to the fish problem." Fishstar growled.
Before anyone else could object, Bravestar yowled "The Gathering is over, before StarClan punish us for breaking the truce!" She called her clan over, and CourageClan left swiftly. Bramblestar then jumped down from Three Rocks. "If one goes, we all go." He meowed coldly. He beckoned his clan over with his tail and they followed him.
Echopath walked along with Sandtail and Otterswim, who were also confused by this. So being her usual cheerful self, Echopath tried to create converstaion. "Do you think ReedClan will attack us again?"
"By what has happened at tonight's gathering, yes." Sandtail sighed. "ReedClan won't forgive us for this apprant fish stealing matter, and Bravestar won't forgive any of the leaders for breaking the truce."
"We should forgive Bravestar for butting in and stopping Fishstar and Bramblestar arguing." Dawnsong added. "Otherwise.."
"If you love CourageClan cats so much, join them!" Tigerpelt snapped angrily, shoving the little grey warrior out of the way. Dawnsong gave a little hiss and walked beside Otterswim, sulking. Echopath noticed this. "No one blames you and Crowpelt for having parents from diffrent clans. Treasureheart and Longstripe tried ever so hard for you, but they knew they were in trouble." She mewed gently. "You both weren't very old."
"But that's not what is troubling me." Dawnsong sighed. "I think my brother has told huge lies to the CourageClan cats. They all think he has no sister, but they are aware he is a half-blood. However, they don't know that it is ForestClan. They think it is rogue."
"Why?" Echopath asked without thinking it might upset Dawnsong more. But luckily, it didn't. The grey warrior just sighed. "He doesn't want to be exiled. And I think he'll be a father soon, he's got way too many she-cat supporters." There was a small hint of amusement in her mew, but not much. She was being serious.
"Don't forget that we caught you yesterday beside the CourageClan boarder." Otterswim meowed sternly. "Bramblestar has strictly told you not to meet with Crowpelt. He has found his place in CourageClan, and your's is with ForestClan." Echopath then saw Eagletalon standing outside camp, with Oakpelt and Flowerpaw. Has camp been attacked while we were gone?

She thought anxiously.
"Specklenose has had your kits, Tigerpelt." Eagletalon annonced. "She's had three, two she-cats and a tom. They're called Cloudkit, Secretkit and Mysterykit." The senior warrior pushed past a couple of warriors, and rushed to the nursery. Echopath just sighed. She had feelings for Eagletalon when they were apprentices, but he was made a warrior before her, along with another cat. She was called Willowstream, and she was very pretty. As Echopath became a warrior, Eagletalon took Willowstream for a mate and broke Echopath's heart. It hurt to think about it, but the silver she-cat had to get over it. Willowstream had kitted to three kits a couple of moons ago.
"Are you sleeping in your den, or outside?" Eagletalon joked. Echopath just sighed and padded in. On the way in, she looked up at Eagletalon. "I trusted you." She muttered. The tom stared. "What do you mean?"
"I had feelings for you." Echopath growled, her eyes filled with tears. "But you went off with Willowstream." Eagletalon was silent for a moment, but then he spoke. "You did not show it. We were friends, nothing more. I was destined to be with Willowstream, and.."
"I am destined to be with no one!" Echopath ran back into the forest, desperate to get away from him.

^6^

Eagletalon sat just by the entrance of camp alone, watching Echopath run off into the forest. It hurt him to see one of his closest friends argue with him. It hurt even more to know that this she-cat loved him, and he failed to notice.
I'm a mouse-brain. Why did I not notice that one of my bestest friends had a crush on me?

He thought, guilt washing over him like riverwater. But then Eagletalon clawed at the ground. Echopath's the mouse-brain! I love Willowstream, not her!

Thinking about his mate, Eagletalon padded into the nursery. In here, Silverleaf and Frostear were talking, Poppyfoot was asleep, Specklenose was saying her farewells to Tigerpelt and Willowstream sat in her nest, her tail wrapped round three little puffs of fur. These were Eagletalon's kits, almost 6 moons old. The oldest one, Leopardkit, had golden fur with darker spots and amber eyes. His sister Moonkit had white fur and yellow eyes, and their youngest brother Clawedkit had a dark ginger tabby pelt with lighter ginger stripes and yellow eyes.
Eagletalon looked at the kits, and then at his mate. He smiled and sat down beside her. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. Leopardkit and Clawedkit look like they'll make strong warriors." Willowstream meowed. "But Moonkit I think would be more suited to being a medicine cat." This was unlikely to happen at the moment, because Oakpelt had already taken on a apprentice. Eagletalon looked at his paws. "What happened at the gathering? Did Tigerpelt discuss anything with Specklenose?"
"Apprantly Fishstar picked up ForestClan scents near the boarder, and he thinks that we are a bunch of prey stealers." Willowstream sighed. Eagletalon's fur bristled with fury. "How dare he!"
Before Eagletalon said anything else, Willowstream licked his shoulder. "You don't need to worry. We'll beat those fish eating rat-faces." She mewed gently. Eagletalon felt a bit angry that she was treating him like a kit. He pressed his muzzle against her's and purred. She purred back, and Eagletalon let the vibrations bounce across his pelt. This is perfect. I have a caring mate, three strong kits, a loyal brother and... I used to have a best friend.

He thought. Eagletalon gulped at the thought of Echopath, all by herself in the forest on this cold night. She would surely freeze or die. "I have to go." He muttered to the queen. "Echopath's gone missing in the forest, and I have to find her."
"So you care more about her than you care about me?" Willowstream was speechless. Eagletalon shook his head. "No way! Willowstream, don't you ever think that, because to me, you are the most beautiful cat in the whole forest. You are so precious to me, and I wouldn't swap you for the world. Echopath's just my friend. I'd stay with you, but Echopath will die without my help." He insisted. Willowstream nodded, and Eagletalon padded out into the cold.
I won't let you freeze, Echopath. Even if we're not mates, you're still my best friend.

>7>

Swiftpaw curled up in his nest, thinking about what Cloudeye had told him. Longstripe had been caught around the CourageClan boarder before he retired, and he brought back two little kits. It made no sense, and it hurt Swiftpaw's head trying to figure it out.
Cloudeye never mentioned what the kits were called. Could they be Longstripe's kits? Or a rogue?

He thought.
Just as he was about to go to sleep, Chickenpaw and Featherpaw padded in. They were shivering and their pelts were all messed up. Swiftpaw sat up. "What happened?"
"Tigerpelt told us to go hunting." Featherpaw said coldly. "We tried to object, but he forced us out and we had to hunt atleast a squirrel or a mouse." Swiftpaw gasped in horror. "That's not fair. Why is he so grouchy?"
"Because he's a senior warrior." Chickenpaw mewed, twitching