A/N: I would like to thank her awesomeness Risque Tendencies for being the beta of this fic. And I want to give a shout out to my fellow man-in-arms, The One Waffle, for helping me with my plot problems.
You two rock.
:D
My claws sank deeply into the branch below my paws, trying desperately to maintain a grip on the sodden wood. The wind was howling furiously, threatening to plunge my bundle and me right back into the cold, black water of the river.
The gust passed. I scrambled off the slippery roots, pushing myself forward until all four paws were steady on the thick tree trunk. Wolfkit wailed in terror as her tail dragged across the water a mouse-length under out paws. I forced myself to purr in an attempt to calm her down.
My legs felt weak as I stumbled forward, nearly reaching the center of the fallen log.
"Tawnypaw!"
I pricked my ears and raised my head when I heard my name yowled mutedly above the storm. Narrowing my eyes, I saw three dark silhouettes splashing through the floodwater to reach the bank.
The wind whistled again, battering my side. I dug my claws into the wood so deeply my paws started to throb. The largest figure signaled for the other two to stay back. I couldn't tell who it was; I could barely see Wolfkit's ears two inches in front of my eyes.
The cat stepped onto the log, the sudden weight making the bridge shift a little. Wolfkit shrieked again, her fear-scent threatening to gag me.
I saw a pair of fierce golden eyes blaze with determination and the cat inched along. I strained forward to hand the precious little she-kit off. Without stopping to glance at either of the others, the cat turned and raced towards where the clan was sheltering. Wolfkit would need to be seen by Echosong right away to avoid catching too bad of a chill.
My body trembled with relief, and I started to walk along the slippery wooden surface again. The wind threatened to knock my paws right out from under me. I heard a familiar voice encourage, "You're doing fine, Tawnypaw. Just another fox-length, take it slow."
I didn't have the chance to try and make it across---slowly or otherwise. My moving weight shook the log loose from the mud, and the unforgiving current made the bridge lurch sideways.
I felt my heart skip a beat, and the tom beside my best friend wailed, "No!"
Anything else that either of them may have said was cut off as I crashed into the roaring water and began to wash downstream.
Present Day
Paws curled under my chest, I lay at the entrance of the den and watched the snow fall calmly from the pale night sky. I was dimly aware of one of my brothers sitting just behind me as we waited.
All of the apprentices were inside the den as we waited to hear Leafstar's call. It was the full moon tonight, so as soon as the moon reached its highest point in the sky the clan would gather. There was a buzz around the camp since dawn, whispers of curiosity and excitement. Leafstar had a very special announcement, she had told us, and everyone wondered what it could be.
"I bet she's having kits," Orangepaw eventually thought a-loud. Orangepaw was the son of the ex-deputy Sharpclaw and the senior warrior Clovertail. Sharpclaw retired a few moons after his birth. He and his brother were now thirteen moons old---nearly warriors.
"Who?" Firepaw, Orangepaw's littermate, asked distractedly as he peered out into the camp. I turned my head to listen to the conversation.
"Leafstar."
My brothers, Whiskerpaw and Stormpaw, both looked astonished with this assumption. The most outspoken of us, Stormpaw demanded, "Is that even allowed?"
"She is the leader," Whiskerpaw pointed out mildly. "She can do whatever she wants."
"No she can't! Not even a leader can break the warrior code," Firepaw argued, his voice very heated. He was extremely strict with himself and us other apprentices when it came to following the laws laid down by StarClan themselves. The very same laws all clan cats have followed since the very beginning of our time.
"And if she did, what would we do about it?" Stormpaw asked sharply, letting his notorious temper flare.
The toms glared at one another, hackles bristling on them both. Stormpaw may only be nine moons old, but he was a big cat. He was nearly the same size as Firepaw was. If the two of them got into a fight it would be difficult for any of us others to break up. Orangepaw and Whiskerpaw were on the smaller side, and I couldn't out muscle two aggressive males.
"Both of you, get over yourselves!" Whiskerpaw hissed, looking irritated.
"Yeah," Orangepaw agreed. "All she-cats have the right to kits, so this whole argument is just wasting time and energy."
"Echosong can't have kits," I pointed out for the sake of being mischievous. I thought it rather amusing to see the headstrong brutes spitting at one another. It very rarely led to even the threats of violence, so it was not like I was actually being a problem.
"That is different," Firepaw pointed out, as if I didn't already know. "She is our medicine cat."
He left it at that, because there was nothing more that needed to be said. Even the tiniest of kits knew that a medicine cat, no matter the gender, was forbidden from choosing a mate so long as they wished to remain a medicine cat. No warrior knew the reason why, because it was never spoken of. It was just something that was not done.
"Leafstar has gotten rather fat," I pointed out with a chuckle. Nobody argued that. She had been glued to Patchfoot's side and spending all her free time with the other queens. Orangepaw was probably right. I would have been terribly shocked to learn Leafstar was not expecting.
She only had three lives left. If she wanted them she'd have to have them soon, right?
"It's going to be a bitter winter," Whiskerpaw predicted as he glanced outside once more, his ears twitching warily. None of us were old enough to remember any snow, even though Firepaw and Orangepaw had been born at the end of last leafbare.
I suspected that Whiskerpaw was correct, though. The elders said that the cold season had come almost an entire moon too early, and our deputy Sparrowpelt mentioned that the even the rats seemed to realize trouble was on the way.
The rats were our biggest problem here in SkyClan. Sure, we had other things; foxes, badgers, and rogues. But a run-in with any of those was few and far between. I had never seen a badger or cat that didn't belong to the clan---excluding Hutch.
Hutch was an ex-warrior that helped found the clan. He had returned to his kittypet life shortly after, feeling he was not ever going to be happy as a fierce and fearless wild cat. He visited all the time now that Cherrytail had his kits, Shortkit and Acornkit.
Anyway, the colony of rats living at the barn had been a growing threat for many long seasons. The senior warriors, the cats who rebuilt the clan with Firestar and Sandstorm of ThunderClan, could remember the battle where my grandfather Rainfur lost his life. They worried that one of the same relative magnitude was just beyond the horizon.
We had not seen a trace of rat in two moons. None of us apprentices were able to truly comprehend this sudden anxiety. Perhaps we were not yet old enough to understand, even with two of us so close to warriorhood.
Leafstar's summoning yowl startled me out of my thoughts. My brothers and Firepaw swarmed out of the den, eager to get good spots for the ceremony that was being held tonight. Shadekit and her brother Whitekit would be earning their apprentice names and mentors now that they were six moons old.
I padded behind them more slowly, with Orangepaw at my side. He asked me conversationally, "So, Tawnypaw, are you nervous about your assessment tomorrow afternoon?"
I had almost forgotten. Tomorrow at sunhigh my brothers and I had our very first apprentice-assessment. Sparrowpelt was going be making sure we were learning our battle skills at a proper rate. After the evening meal the Clovertail and her son Rockslide would be watching us during a hunting assessment, held at night because it was more challenging.
If you could succeed at something hard, you would excel at something easy. That is what my mentor, Shadowfox, always liked to tell me.
"Why would I be nervous?" I asked him honestly.
"Oh, you know. Whiskerpaw is a better hunter than you are, and Stormpaw is a better fighter." His voice was playful rather than condescending, and I could tell by the twinkle in his eye that was just kidding around. "I would be nervous if I were you."
I snorted, feeling myself hold back a giggle. I knew Orangepaw better than his own brother seemed to sometimes. He played with us when we were kits, and he was supportive of all us younger apprentices. Besides, his mentor was my uncle Thornfang. It was expected that we saw a lot of one another.
And what I saw in him right now was slyness. He was trying to give me a confidence boost. And it was working too...
"I can outshine them both at the very same time if I want to," I answered, perhaps just a little arrogantly. Growling a little I added, "I can be better than you, too!"
"Hah! Prove it!" He challenged, his tail rising in amusement.
Yowling loudly, I flung myself at Orangepaw. He dodged to the side with the speed of an adder and roughly shoved me off of my paws. I grunted as I flipped onto my side. Claws sheathed, the heavy tom landed on me and knocked my breath out.
I struggled under him, managing to twist onto my belly. With a mighty heave I flung myself upwards, sending him toppling onto his back. I instantly retreated, darting towards the rock pile. Orangepaw shouted a protest and pounded after me.
Streaking forward at full-speed, the only way I'd ever have the slightest chance at outrunning the fastest cat in the clan, I ducked behind my father Sagefur. I demanded, "Save me! The badger is attacking!"
Orangepaw skidded to a halt and narrowed his eyes. "Hey! Why do I have to be a badger? They're lumbering, stupid animals."
"And that's exactly why you have to be a badger," I teased. "You're not cunning enough to be a fox."
My father purred in amusement, his soft blue eyes shining. "All right you two, settle down. The meeting will start any moment."
I realized that Leafstar had been watching our play fight with a soft smile on her face as we waited for the last stragglers of the clan to arrive. Orangepaw licked down his chest fur in embarrassment, but I just smiled and flopped onto my side.
The last two attending cats, Nightwing---who had been on guard on the Sky Rock, and Cherrytail---who had to get her kits settled before she could leave them---had soon arrived. Only Tinybird was absent. She was due to kit... yesterday, actually. It wouldn't be good for her to leave her nest.
Leafstar began to speak, her voice ringing strong above all the murmuring, "Tonight is the night that Shadekit and Whitekit receive their mentors."
The clan instantly hushed into silence. I instinctively looked to Duskfall and her children. On one side sat Shadekit, her eyes wild with excitement and her claws impatiently kneading the ground below her feet. On the other was Whitekit, his eyes half-closed as he sat there---looking totally relaxed and serene.
"From now until they earn their full names, these kits will be known as Shadepaw and Whitepaw," Leafstar announced. The cream tabby smiled down at the enthusiastic female apprentice.
"Patchfoot, you taught Mintleaf well." Leafstar hesitated for the slightest of moments. I knew why; I had been told the story all apprentice eventually learned. Patchfoot's first apprentice Bouncepaw, the son of the elder Clovertail, had been lost to a tragic accident just two moons into his training. No cat liked to speak of that day. None of us young ones even knew what had killed him!
Giving herself a little shake, Leafstar continued a moment later. "I expect you to pass your strength and skill onto Shadepaw."
The mentor and apprentice touched noses to her mentor. He led her over to the side and out; the attention then turned back to Leafstar.
"Whitepaw has been selected," she announced, her voice perhaps a bit more in volume than usual. Being a white cat with blue eyes, Whitepaw had the deafness gene that was unfortunately common for that combination. His hearing was diluted, and it was suspected he'd be totally unable to hear once he neared his eldership.
A ripple of surprise seemed to jolt through the entire clan at Leafstar's words. The young tom finally turned his head to look at Leafstar, his bright eyes glowing knowingly. Leafstar continued, "StarClan has spoken with Echosong! Whitepaw, is it your wish to train to be the next medicine cat of SkyClan?"
His eyes blazed with sudden eagerness. He declared firmly, "Yes, it is."
Leafstar nodded once. "Then it shall be so. Echosong, teach this youngster the way of the healer, and guide him along the path that he must walk."
The dainty silver tabby picked her way forward to greet her apprentice. I noticed that her deep green eyes held a certain... glint. It was an oddly desperate look that I couldn't recall having ever seen before. A moment later she purred and started leading Whitepaw further into the clan. The little light was gone. I realized I must have been imagining it.
Sparrowpelt had climbed the rock pile and come to sit beside his former mentor. That instantly caught the clan's attention. Once it was silent, the deputy started to speak. "Leafstar has informed me that tonight she joins the nursery."
A gleeful chorus rang among the clan, and I saw Orangepaw smirked at his brother. Firepaw looked happy, though. We were all happy. Kits were a blessing to the clan.
Besides, we needed more kits. Tinybird had lost three of her four sons three moons ago to an early bout of whitecough. The newborns had not been strong enough to fight it off, nor old enough to be given any herbs. It was over for them within a few short days. Only Skykit remained, and he was excited to be an older brother as soon as Tinybird's second litter arrived.
Cherrytail only had two, though, and the clan had not been threatened with so very few apprentices since it was founded. Not after the members who had traveled from very far arrived---my mother and uncle included. Every clan needed a lot of warriors, even clans like ours with no other clans to compete against.
That was just how it was.
The clan began to break apart. I bounded over to Whitepaw, who was just sitting there observing the clan business. I heard Orangepaw come up to my shoulder, though he remained silent because he didn't know what we were doing.
Whitepaw's icy eyes locked onto mine. I asked, "Do you want help collecting moss for your nest? You have to go into the Whispering Cave."
The Whispering Cave was where our medicine cat and leader went to share tongues with StarClan. It was situated as an overhang of the river that cut into the camp's edge. Whitepaw had wandered off there with Shadepaw once when they were young kits in late greenleaf. He had slipped on the wet moss and fallen right into the river.
If Tigereye, the clan's strongest swimmer, had not been near enough to hear Shadekit's wails for help the tom would have died. It was no secret that he was absolutely terrified of the water now.
He seemed to understand the reason behind my offer. He accepted instantly, "That would be nice."
I led the way down towards the cave. Ducking under the wall I entered the open arena. The tomcats followed me. Orangepaw bounded right over to the far wall and started looking for the best moss. I watched Whitepaw as his body totally locked up. His eyes stretched wide and he asked under his breath, "Do you hear them?"
It took me a second before his question clicked. "The whisperings of StarClan? No, can you?"
The whole reason the cave had its name was because of something that happened during the re-founding. StarClan had led the then-kits Tinybird, Rockslide, and Bouncepaw into the cave. The three of them insisted they could hear voices whispering in their ears. Echosong confirmed it once she had joined the clan. After that, no cat but Echosong herself had heard them again. Apparently the young tom, selected by the ancestors themselves, had that same connection in here.
Whitepaw's ears perked and he shook his head. "Not whispers. Voices. Loud, clear voices. They're talking to me!"
Orangepaw had padded back over to the two of us. He asked excitedly, "What are they saying, Whitepaw?"
He snapped his head to the side to gaze unblinkingly at the elder apprentice. A soft smile curled onto his muzzle and he promised, "Nothing really. They say hello."
His eyes flickered onto me for the briefest second. I took it that he was daring us to disagree with him, as it was obvious by his bristling tail that the messages were probably more important than a greeting. I shared a look with Orangepaw, who just shrugged.
Purring warmly I promised, "Your secrets are safe with us, Whitepaw. You can relax."
He clearly trusted me, because his fur flattened and his muscles loosened. He reminded us, "Moss."
Orangepaw perked. "I found some really thick stuff. Come on, I will show you how to get it without getting wet."
It was not long before we had collected his bedding and made it back to the den. Firepaw and Shadepaw were asleep together, both set for the dawn patrol. Stormpaw and Whiskerpaw were drowsily sharing tongues in the furthest edge of the den.
Orangepaw flopped into his own nest, which was settled just beside my own. I circled into it and leaned against his side---relishing the warmth on this cold winter night.
"Room for one more?" Whitepaw asked tentatively, his eyes warily looking at the other two pairs. He didn't seem inclined to wake his fierce sister, and I noticed his hackles prickle when he took in Stormpaw's intimidating figure. He was a scrawny little cat, without being compared to the bigger toms.
"Sure, just get comfortable," I answered for us, as Orangepaw's eyes were already drooping closed.
Whitepaw nosed his moss around messily before flopping over. Purring under his breath he snuggled near us, efficiently creating a little triangle of fur. I set my chin on his flank as he tucked his head beside Orangepaw's foreleg. It was not long before all three of us had fallen asleep.
