HeatherClan Book: Chapter 31

Chapter 31: The Search- Part 2
Silverstar and the other three cats trekked towards WaveClan territory.  Silverstar noticed someone following them, but she wasn't sure who they were.  Still, they were HeatherClan cats, so she didn't want to attack them. But she did want to find out why the cats were following the band.
When they got to the birch tree close by the border, Slverstar held up her tail for the other cats to stop.
"This is very close to the enemy's territory," she meowed quietly.  "Birdflight, why don't you climb the birch tree and tell us if there are any FearClan patrols?"
Immediately, Birdflight scaled the tree and mewed, "No patrols.  It's all clear."  There was a moment's pause.  "No, wait.  There are a couple cats approaching.  Three, no, four of them."  She hopped down from the tree.  "What should we do?"
Silverstar thought hard, than meowed, "Well, since we need help, you cats can come out now."  There was a small mew of surprise, quickly silenced by the sound of a paw cuffing an ear.
"We know you're there," Graynose meowed.
"There's no use hiding," Sandpelt added.
There was a bit of grumbling, then out came two mud-covered cats.
"Jaywing?" Silverstar meowed in surprise.
"Hi, Aurorapaw!" Birdflight greeted her friend, then added, "What are you doing here?"
Aurorapaw scuffled the ground in embarrassment as her mentor mewed, "Goldenfur sent us.  She wanted to make sure we saw you cross the border safely."
Silverstar blinked in gratitude while Sandpelt snorted.  "It's easy to cross the border," she meowed.  "But not easy to avoid the cats that live across the border."
"Also," Graynose added.  "How can you protect us with only your knowledge of herbs?"
Aurorapaw studied her paws and murmured, "I hadn't thought of that.
But Jaywing wasn't so easily swayed.  "We have teeth and claws too," he spat, his fur bristling.  "We can fight!"
"Be quiet!" Silverstar interrupted.  "There are enemy cats coming right at us, and we're wasting out energy on arguing!"  Indeed, the FearClan cats were now in plain view, padding purposefully towards the HeatherClan cats, as though they knew they could not lose.
Silverstar tensed as they drew closer, until they were nearly standing on the border.  Her heart sank as she realized who they were.
"Snaketail!" she hissed.  "And Iceshard!"  The two warriors were Brightstar's deputy and Brightstar's mate.
"We are pleased to see you too," Snaketail sneered mockingly.  "This is Robinpaw, and this is Dovepaw."  He gestured towards the two younger cats behind him, who narrowed their eyes.
"You wouldn't mind if we claw your ears off, would you?"  Iceshard snarled, then leaped at the cats.  Snaketail joined in, claws flashing, and with only a heartbeat's hesitation, so did the apprentices.
Birdflight noticed something peculiar.  Iceshard, along with their apprentices, had their claws sheathed and their lips curled over their teeth, inflicting no damage whatsoever to the HeatherClan cats.  In fact, they seemed to be the ones Snaketail was tripping over the most.  Birdflight's suspicion was confirmed when Iceshard pinned her down and hissed in her ear, "We're on your side!  Pin Snaketail down and we'll finish him off!"  Birdflight barely had time to nod when Silverstar dragged Iceshard off.
"Pin Snaketail down!" she yowled.  Silverstar was busy fighting the big tom, but Sandpelt and Graynose dragged him off of her.  All of the cats scored scratches down his, flank, trusting Birdflight.  Suddenly, Iceshard charged.
"Look out!" Aurorapaw yowled to her friend.  But Birdflight calmly stepped aside and let the white she-cat pounce on her Clanmate.  With the apprentices right behind her, she gouged out Snaketail's eyes as the HeatherClan cats watched with silent fascination.  Finally, it was over.
"I can't see!" Snaketail wailed.  "What have you done to me?  I thought you were a FearClan cat!"
"I wasn't," growled Iceshard.  "You were tricked.  Robinpaw, Dovepaw, and" ----- she looked pained ----- "Finchpaw were Lightningstar's kits, not Brightstar's.  After he was killed, I convinced Brackenstar to let me be a spy.  Brightstar will pay for killing my mate and my kit."  Her voice filled with grief, but then she raked her claws across Snaketail's face, making him open his jaws in a yowl of pain and fury.  "His whole so-called Clan will pay, starting with you!"
Jaywing sniffed him over.  "You are blind," he pronounced.  "You better come with us."
Silverstar nodded in agreement.  She looked shaken.  "Take him back to camp and keep him prisoner," she told the medicine cats.  "Perhaps you coming here was some use after all."  She then turned to Iceshard and her kits.  "You may stay, but you have a lot of explaining to do in the morning."
And so, after Silverstar posted Graynose as the guard, she tucked her nose under her tail, and fell into a deep sleep.

Isabel's Journal: 8-1-16 to 8-14-16

August 1, 1916

Today, Ivyheart came back!  And guess who she had with her?  Three adorable kittens!  I will name them Hollykit, Leafkit, and Flowerkit.  Now, I shall have many more things to worry about and take care of!

August 5, 1916

The kittens are getting along well.  They’ve already opened their eyes, and Leafkit has also tottered a few steps.  And guess what?  There are only ten more days until my birthday!

August 15, 1916

Today is my birthday, so now, I’m eleven!  Da bought a cake and a dress for me.  I have included a photo of both of them in my photo album.  Abbey and her family came over to celebrate, and we had a fine feast.  I only wish every day could be like today!

September 31, 1916

Today, Abbey visited my shop!  She bought a hat and a dress.  And even though she does not know, I gave her the half price.  Then I invited her to my house and showed her the new kittens.  Abbey taught me how to train them to go to the bathroom outside, because if she didn’t, Da and I would have to get used to repeatedly cleaning up after them!  Abbey invited us to eat at her tenement, and that chicken soup was good!  I was sad to see her leave, but I know that she will visit me again!

Isabel's Journal: 12-1-15 to 12-7-15

December  1, 1915

We are arriving at the port.  I can catch glimpses of enormous boats docking at the port.  We waited in a  long line, and when I boarded the ship, I looked at my sisters one more time, praying it would not be the last.  Even as I entered the wild, rocking boat, I vowed that I would be able to survive the journey.  My bed was below deck and there are only two privies.  I found that there was only enough room for me to sleep on my side.  Suddenly,  I heard a pitiful yowling.  At first I thought it was the baby on the bed next to me, but then I realized  it was Ivyheart, my cat.  She must be hungry!  I fed her a bit of dried beef jerky and she calmed down a bit.  When she had settled down to sleep, I decided to make a few friends.  Looking around, I saw a little girl whose mother  looked very sick.  The girl didn’t look very good herself.  When I looked harder, I saw that the little girl had a younger sister and a bigger brother that seemed to be soothing the youngest.  I started to get up when the ship’s whistle sounded.  I sat back down immediately.  I shall have to talk to them later.

Later...

I have just woken up from a fitful sleep.  ‘Tis nighttime, and I began to have nightmares of the sea, threatening to sweep me away.  I am writing by candlelight, but I am cautious not to wake anybody else.  I feel a bit queasy and I hope ‘tis not seasickness or hunger.  I shall eat a bit of my mother’s best rice cakes.  Then I must use the privy.  I hope the fresh air  above deck shall help me feel better.

December 4, 1915,

After a few days of eating stale bread and drinking ale, I have decided to introduce myself to the two girls, their brother and their mother that share three beds directly across from me.  I crept over to them, ignoring the people that yelled at me as I tripped over their belongings.  I finally reach the family.  When I ask for their names, the mother lifts her head wearily and tells me that the youngest girl is Anika, the second youngest is Caroline, the boy in named Samuel(but he insists on being called Sam), and that I should call her Mrs. Brooke.  I told them I was Isabel Cooke.  I learned that they had spent all their money buying the tickets to travel to America, and they didn’t even have a mere halfpenny to buy food.  I offered to share my food, but she only accepted a small rice cake, however hungrily Anika and Caroline stared at the fatty beef jerky.  There was a commotion at the front of the ship, and while Mrs. Brooke’s back was turned, I secretly gave some beef jerky to Sam, Anika and Caroline.  You’d never imagine how their faces lit up.  Then I turned to the commotion as the children ate the beef jerky ravenously.  There was a group of men  wrestling a thin and frail looking man out of one of the many barrels of food that lined the boat.  I heard him wailing, “Please!  I beg you, please don’t send me back!  I must get to America and I don’t have enough money for a ticket!  My family!   Please!  Please...”  The pitiful man dissolved in tears.  The group of men showed no mercy as they dragged him above deck.  All was silent for a couple moments, and then there was screaming like I’ve never heard before!  ‘Twas the sound of something...no, someone being tortured!  The ship captain came down and said there was nothing to worry about, that they were just punishing a stowaway that snuck onto the ship.  I could hardly keep from protesting that there was something to worry about.  They were hurting that poor man!  Mrs. Brook put a firm hand on my shoulder.  “Tisn’t anything you can do,”  she whispered sadly.  Now, I lay on my cold, cramped bed, gripping my own ticket tightly, banishing any thought that those men would do the same to me if I lost my ticket.