Warriors
A Message Hidden in the Stars
Book 1
Chapter 1
"That green cough has gotten you good this year huh?" Meows April as she bends carefully over her littermate May. She licks her gently behind the ears, while her twoleg owners pour their foul-tasting liquid into May's mouth. The tortoiseshell queen wriggles under their massive paws. "Ughk!" She tries her best to spit it out but her twolegs keep pouring more in. "Now now, May. Keep still, if you don't take this medicine-" April is cut off by a warning glance from her sister. She went to whisper something in May's ear, but was abruptly shoved by the scared twoleg queen. April winced, then drew her mouth back in the beginning of a snarl. "Lousy twolegs." She murmured as she padded off with her two tom kits, Bark and Bite into another twoleg room. After their treatment was over, the twoleg male had picked Mays shivering body up and carried her into another twoleg room with a small fire going. Honey, May's only kit, scurried frightened into the small dimly lit room by her mother. "My darling, I'm sorry I have this illness, but you must not get too close, because I don't want you to get sick too…" The sick queen's voice cracked as she spoke to her daughter. "But, I have to keep you safe, I have to make sure you don't get taken away." "She means starclan.." April had padded over to sit by her sister also. May simply shifts her head to look out of the small green twoleg thing which they call a, window. Then May whispered in her daughters ear. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving you, I promise." She smiled as if every ache in her body was healed. Honey sighed and looked at the floor. "Don't worry Honey, your mother is strong, she means what she says." April gave Honey's shoulder a warm lick. The small ginger kit padded out of one of the twoleg doors into the garden. Her teal eyes warmed as she looked up into the stars. "Please.. Starclan, if you take her.. don't make her suffer." Honey pleaded to her ancestors. Just a single star shone in the dark night sky. Suddenly, April burst out of the twoleg door and ran over to Honey. "Honey, quickly, come quickly! It's May! She can walk! She's warm again!" Honey's eyes glistened as she was filled with hope and joy. She pelted inside to see her mother. "Mom!" May was padding towards her daughter. Tears silently streaming down her warm icy-blue eyes. May stopped in front of her mother, confused. "Wh-what's wrong mommy?" Her eyes suddenly clouded with worry. Her mother bent down to lick Honey's ear. "I, I'm afraid that, I have to go after all…" May whispered in such a weak, regretful voice Honey had to strain her ears to listen. "But, your fine, your walking, your not cold any more." Honey just couldn't bring herself to believe her mothers words. She couldn't read her mothers expression, for it was clouded with to many thoughts. "Starclan have spoken to me, I have some good and bad news Honey." She spoke softly to her kit. Then she tensed. "But, you must promise me, after I tell you, you must not speak of my meeting with Starclan to my sister. Honey bowed her head in agreement, then spoke. "But, who talked to you?" She sounded alarmed. May sighed. "Well, I'm not exactly sure. It was, a tortoiseshell she-cat. With glistening eyes the color of the moon, shining back at me.." Honey watched her mother's eyes sparkle as she spoke of the she-cat. "Then she bowed her head, and told me to come, so I followed her, and we ended up in a miraculous place, Honey." Honey was at least glad that her mother was happy about this place. Then May's eyes glistened as she spoke again. "Then, there were cats, many cats, millions of cats, staring.. As if, welcoming me." Then Honey was relieved, her wish had come true! Starclan had made her mother feel better, but… if she was healed, why did Starclan still want to take her? Honey's eyes dimmed and she looked silently at the floor. "But.. Why do u still have to leave…" she murmured to herself. May gave her a questioning glance. "Uh, then, does that, mean your going to leave me.." Honey started to whimper. Her mother felt her pain, and started crying for her daughter. "I-I'm sorry Honey, yes, I must leave.. But, not yet." Then her daughters eyes shone. "Really?" "Well.. Not today, the tortoiseshell said that tomorrow, after third-meal, she will come back, and then, she will take me with her." May shone as she spoke of the tortoiseshell she-cat again. Honey felt relieved that her mother was ok and happy about this place, but couldn't stop her tears from flowing. May could see her tears hitting the floor. She padded closer to Honey, and gave her a gently lick behind the ears. "Don't cry, my darling, I'm only going away for a while, someday, you'll join me." May comforted Honey. "Now come, its time for sleep." May gave Honey a comforting flick with her tail for her to follow her mother. She padded silently behind her mother. When they approached May's warm, wooly blue quilted bed, Honey quickly got in beside her mother, and the two she-cats snuggled together as though they would never be separated. Then the small golden kit fell quietly asleep. She was silently padding through a forest lined with brambles and cone trees. "Where am I?" She suddenly realized it was cold, and she was alone. She shrank down and began to whimper. "Don't cry, little one." Suddenly Honey heard a soft voice in front of her. She looked up and saw a tortoiseshell she cat with gleaming silver eyes. The one her mother had seen! "You're the tortoiseshell mommy saw!" Honey beamed, exited to meet the famous she-cat with the eyes of the moon. "The tortoiseshell nodded, then spoke again in that soft, warming tone that made Honey feel safe. "Nothing to fear, nothing here can harm you." Honey suddenly noticed the bright green forest grass that lively began growing under her paws. Then tall leaves of poppy began to sprout, and Tulip Poplar, her favorite flower. "Where am I?" Honey asked with a hint of anxiousness. The brown, black, and white she-cat sat down beside Honey carefully. She meowed softly. "This is the place your mother will be coming tomorrow." Her eyes glistened as she talked calmly to Honey. Honey shot up, "You mean I'm in Starclan?!" The Tortoiseshell she cat gave a purrr of amusement. "Yes, dear, this is Starclan, the sacred place where all cats will eventually come." Honey's eyes began to focus strait on the wonderful she-cat talking to her. She asked, "What's your name?" The tortoiseshell focused on Honey, then began to speak. "My name.. is SpottedLeaf, it is wonderful to see you again, Honey."