Chapter Two

"Walk with me, Flamepaw. We have much to discuss."

Flamepaw trotted hurriedly after her mentor as he disappeared into ShadowClan's chilly pine forest. I think I've got all the talks about nobility and strength and cleverness and upholding ShadowClan's reputation and stuff, she thought mildly. What much more is there to discuss?

Well, Darkstar wouldn't keep her waiting. She matched the black tom's pace and padded beside him, taking two steps for every one stride he took.

"The Gathering is in two days," he began.

"Uh-huh."

"You're a moon away from twelve, which means under any usual situation, you would have to wait to the next one."

With those couple of sentences, Flamepaw was pretty sure she already knew where this was going. Such was the magic of Darkstar's concise language. The blue-gray apprentice pricked her ears eagerly.

"However," her mentor continued matter-of-factly, "the other Clans don't have any younger apprentices who would go with you. The journey to the Moon Tunnels is that for a team of cats, and regardless of how well I've taught you, a single cat could not make it alone."

Flamepaw cracked a feline grin. "I'm listening. And?"

"And I cannot ask them to wait an extra moon for you; RiverClan has already had to wait. Their of-age apprentices are thirteen moons now. Which means..." Darkstar inclined his head, allowing Flamepaw to complete the sentence.

"I get to go a moon early!" she cried gleefully.

"It may be controversial— to the other Clans, as ShadowClan is well aware of your capabilities. I'll personally make sure that you will be on the path to the Moon Tunnels two nights from now."

"Oh, thank you!" Flamepaw said fervently, feeling a gratitude that couldn't be expressed in words. Four whole seasons was a long time to wait; a moon less was wonderful. She was almost bouncing on her paws as they walked on a path that snaked through the pine trees.

It wasn't that she was some weirdo who was excited for glory or potential death. Flamepaw simply had an intense desire for adventure. It flowed through her veins and circulated through her whole body, pumped constantly by her arteries; it drove her every pawstep and it was what made her try harder, get stronger, run faster. She needed to breathe air beyong the sharp swamp-scents of home, she needed it so badly; it was a primal kind of hunger, a wild thirst, that she had in her belly.

She needed to run through open moors and still be a ShadowClan cat.

She needed to stalk squirrels in dense oak forests and still be a ShadowClan cat.

She needed to explore the grit and harshness of Twolegplace, the mouse-abundant farms, the coldest and tallest mountains, the hottest and driest deserts, all the places she'd only heard of in elder's tales and seen in her dreams.

Great StarClan, she was even (secretly) interested by the prospect of swimming and catching fish.

And how else could she do that but go to the Moon Tunnels?

Flamepaw didn't have a choice, really. As soon as she was born, a single kit, her destiny had been mapped out: mentored by Darkstar, the greatest of all ShadowClan; trained every day until her pads bled and her claws broke; made into the perfect cat who could best any challenge and defeat any creepy monsters that made apprentices disappear on the way to the tunnels.

But if she wanted it, then wasn't it technically her choice? This line of reasoning made her content, and that was enough.

She loved ShadowClan, she really did. She loved hearing the crickets chirp and seeing the fireflies glitter at night; she loved the cool of the mud on her paws after a long day of training; she loved the gentle rain dripping off of pine needles and the way the sun looked through the pine trees as it rose and the sharp scent of sap on the trees.

But their territory was only a little corner of the earth...

Flamepaw knew the world was too huge for her to see everything in one lifetime, but she intended to get as close as she could.

"Did anyone ever tell you why you were named Flamekit?" Darkstar asked suddenly as he leaped over a sneaky bramble hiding in the mud.

"Certainly not for my pelt," the apprentice retorted with a laugh. "Unlike you." Darkstar was clearly and simply named by his fur color: he was a pure black cat. Flamepaw, however, was blue-gray all over; even her eyes, pale green, bore no resemblance to fire.

Darkstar fluffed out his fur. "You were named because you were a flame of hope, in the midst of ShadowClan," he informed her. Yes, Flamepaw did recall a distant memory of someone saying something along those lines, but it had never really mattered to her.

"Small, but bright. Now it's time for you to become a wildfire," said the leader. "Blaze your way through the path to the Moon Tunnels. Restore ShadowClan's courage and belief in the tunnels, so that the Clan can have more kits, and a much-needed new generation to continue their legacy."

"Sounds like a plan," Flamepaw meowed cheerfully. She paused, then asked, "Am I going to get my name?"

"I've been thinking about it," Darkstar told her. "On one paw, I certainly want you to have your first name to carry you through the journey, and you deserve it. On the other paw, the other Clans might be even less welcoming if you have your name prematurely. I might leave it up to them in order to win their favor, and we'll hold a little impromptu ceremony before you leave if they're okay with it."

Flamepaw didn't like the idea of being bossed around by the other Clans like that. Where was the honor in it? But what her mentor was saying made sense, so she made a noise of agreement.

They walked along in silence, but Darkstar didn't turn back. There was more to be said, it seemed. Flamepaw focused idly on the cold mud under her paws and the sharp bite of leaf-bare until he spoke again.

"These five moons, we've been training so hard to get you ready for the journey. I don't think I've said this enough," the black tom told her. "I'm very proud of you."

"Oh," Flamepaw mewed, suddenly feeling shy. She looked at her paws. "Er... thank you."

"So are your parents, I'm sure," he said, and the mention of them awakened a dull pain in Flamepaw's heart. She pushed it away with a small sigh.

"They watch me from StarClan."

"Yes. And your Clan is proud of you, too. Everyone cares about you, Flamepaw."

"I know." ShadowClan was nothing but kind to her.

"Don't let yourself be overwhelmed by the great burden we are placing on you. If I could send any other cat, someone older, someone who's made the journey, I would. But the path to the Moon Tunnels is only walked twice: once to arrive, and the other to leave."

Flamepaw nodded to show that she understood. She didn't want anyone to go in her place, anyway.

"We will all miss you." Darkstar ended his speech, then said with a more carefree tone, "But the parting of ways is in two days. Given that, we have two days to train. Race me to the training set!"

He dashed off with a burst of speed and Flamepaw sprinted after him, cool mud splashing over her paws in her pursuit.

The training set was one of the most useful gifts that ShadowClan had received from the Moon Tunnels. Many ShadowClan apprentices had gone on that journey, and each brought back a piece to be assembled in their old clearing. It was essentially a giant obstacle course, designed to test agility, tree-climbing abilities, speed, and nimbleness.

There was also a patch of sturdy, tall grasses that served as a sparring dummy. It was the stick, sharp kind of grass that could get you stuck in it, and was too tough to be an easy "opponent". It got shredded every so often, but always grew back. The grass was incredibly useful for Flamepaw in particular, as she had no one her age to train with.

I wonder what I'll bring back from the tunnels!

The thought gave her a burst of excitement, and she sped up, nearly overtaking Darkstar before he pulled ahead and swerved into the clearing. Flamepaw skidded to a halt.

"Go and have a run through the course to warm up," Darkstar offered. "If you do well, I'll fight you after."

Flamepaw's claws tingled at the thought of a chance to beat her mentor. She shot towards the pine tree that served as a starting point, gripping the rough bark and pulling herself onto the first branch.

"Ready? Go!"

The blue-gray she-cat eyed the next tree. Thick vines swung around it, leaving almost no place to land; she noticed a small gap in the swath of growth and narrowed her eyes, quickly calculating the power she'd need to land there and launched herself towards it.

Through the gap she flew, wind whistling past her fur, and she barely paused before leaping down onto the base of the small boulder below.

Up the slippery stone she clawed, digging hard into pawholds left behind by other cats from long ago. When she reached the top, she didn't hesitate before moving on.

She leapt to knock down a pinecone hanging in the next tree. That was great. Most quickly I've got a pinecone; prey won't stand a chance! she was able to think, before landing with all four paws on the ground. Then she ran, straight ahead into the tangle of brambles and vines that waited to meet her.

She knew the training set as if she'd been born and raised in it. The foilage grew and this part was different every time, but she knew when to duck, when to jump, when to flatten her fur so she could squeeze through a tight spot.

Flamepaw's heart pounded in her ears as she nearly caught her paw on the last bramble and slid a little unceremoniously to the end point, where Darkstar was waiting for her, his whiskers twitching.

"Got any thorns?" he asked, and smiled approvingly when she shook her head. "Tomorrow will be a windy day; we'll see if you can get two pinecones while they're moving, a little more like real prey. For now, let's not waste your adrenaline. Attack me."

She did not need further invitation.

The blue-gray she-cat lunged at her mentor, sheathing her claws, and aimed to land on his shoulders, but he knew her fighting style well and was ready for it. Darkstar had dropped to a crouch and when she hit her target, he sprung up, hurling her off of him.

Flamepaw was back up as soon as she hit the ground, a little winded. She didn't have time to catch her breath. Darkstar engaged her in close combat within heartbeats, pummeling her with his paws.

The smaller apprentice dipped under him and emerged on the other side, shoving Darkstar with the strength of her whole body to make him lose his balance.

They went on like this, tussling with only a few pauses throughout the day to drink water and catch their breath. The cold leaf-bare morning turned to a slightly warmer sunhigh; the temprature dropped again as the sun began to sink, until the sky was all pinks and purples and Flamepaw's muscles ached pleasantly.

Darkstar rarely had a whole day to give her; he was leader, after all, and he had responsibilities. The apprentice was delighted as they padded back to camp.

"You have good stamina," he told her.

"Only because of your training."

"Either way, it will be invaluable throughout your journey. You should hope that the other Clans' apprentices will be able to keep up with you."

His words, somehow, made a realization slowly sink in. Flamepaw was actually going to the Moon Tunnels. She was going to leave ShadowClan and travel north, to where no cat had come back for a very long time. Everything was going to change.

This is it.

There's only tomorrow, and then... the Gathering.

After that, I'll be leaving.

The blue-gray apprentice raised her muzzle to the sky. Cool ShadowClan air brushed her nose and whiskers. It was comforting, but also a reminder: there were other sorts of air to feel, other territories to walk, other sights to see. She was ready for it; she'd been born ready.

Adventure, here I come!