Chapter 2: Stories and Prohpecies
Cloverkit led them down out of the dirt walled nursery cave. The trees overhead blew with a cold leaf-bare wind. Although it didn't reach the gully where Skyclan made their camp, it did keep the cats from sitting in the trees above their heads. "Come on, Moonkit, keep up" Cloverkit called.
"What are you four doing out of the nursery!" Mapletail called from the fresh-kill pile. "I thought you were to stay in the nursery." Mapletail hurried over. "Cloverkit was taking us to see the elders, mother!" Amberkit called, excited. "Their going to tell us about the clans!" Mapletail thought for a moment. "I guess that's alright. As long as you don't go anywhere else." Amberkit glanced excitedly at Smokekit and Dawnkit. They took off across the clearing, before Mapletail could change her mind.
Dawnkit scrambled up the dirt trail to the elders den behind Amberkit. She couldn't wait to her about the clans. All the tales about hunting and fighting! She followed Cloverkit as she pushed through a thick, thorny bush under a wide overhang where the elders made their nests.
Three old cats lay in the shelter of the overhang, away from the early leaf-fall winds. A ginger apprentice bent over one of them, a piece of moss dipped in something foul in his paws. Cloverkit flicked her tail "Hi Sunpaw." "Hi" his mew came out muffled, distracted by the gray cat he was tending too. "Mouse bile." Cloverkit whispered "hes putting it on Owlwhiskers tick." A pale ginger tabby lifted her head near the back of the den. "Hello, Cloverkit, hello little ones." She purred. "that's Sweetpelt. She's really nice. Not as good a storyteller as Littletail, though" as Cloverkit whispered, the last cat in the den lifted her head and blinked, as though just waking up. "Hi Littletail!" Cloverkit turned her head towards the old black cat. "Can you tell us a story?" Cloverkit asked without hesitating. "sure I can. Which one would you like to hear?" "About the clans, and the forest" Amberkit piped up "And the river, and fourtrees" smokekit joined in. "And…" Dawnkit was about to add. "So you want to know about the clans, hmm" Littletail said. "it all started when…" "you might not be able to stay for all of it, though." Owlwhisker interrupted, looking at Cloverkit. "I heard that Rainstar plans to have your apprentice ceremony at sunhigh today" "Really! That's great! I have to find Ashkit!" Cloverkit streaked out of the elders den in a flash. The four kits stared after. "Lucky! I wish we were going to be apprentices today." Smokekit said. "It'll be your turn soon enough. Now, do you want to hear that story?" the four of them turned and nodded. "it all started when the cats of old came into the forest for the first time. Some were kittypets who dreamed about what would be out in the forest. Others were rogues and loners who knew there was something more than living to stay alive. There were no clans at first, but the cats lived where their favourite prey lived. The mouse pouncers stayed to the undergrowth in the forest, where they could stalk their prey. The squirrel hunters stayed in the sparse pine woods to the north. The rabbit chasers kept to the moorland to the west. The fish catchers settled far down the river, where the fish ran thick.
The tree-climbers stayed in the thickest forest, where they could hunt birds from the trees. Then the warrior code was formed…" "whats that?" Dawnkit interrupted "The warrior code is the way of the warrior. It states what is right and what is wrong. They deicieded that the groups of warriors would come together as a clan, which resulted in the 5 clans. They also deicided that the five clans would come together to share news in peace every full moon." "They? Who's They?" Moonkit asked "They, are Starclan. They are the sixth clan. When warriors die, they join Starclan. Starclan sees everything, sometimes they send medicine cats signs of the future as warnings." Littletail saw Moonkit's eyes shining. "Starclan watch over the clans. But even so, there are battles. Fights over prey, borders." Amberkits eyes were shining, though Moonkit didn't seemed particularly excited. Littletail knew that great things were planned for these kits. But Starclan knows were their paths would lead.
Silverwing turned over in her sleep. She was dreaming.
In her dream, Silverwing watched the moon from the crest above fourtrees. It was bright and full. There were cats in the clearing below, two groups. A cat from each group were talking together under the light of the full moon. suddenly, another very large group of cats charged into the clearing and attacked! The fight was very bloody, Silverwing could tell. A bright orange cat rose up in the fighting. It was a magnificent fighter, taking on dozens of cats of a time. In the distance, she saw smoke rising from the forest, curling with a column of mist. Suddeny, other black silluetes charged into the clearing and started fighting on the side of the orange cat. Suddenly, the sun peeked over the horizon, making the sky shine with colors. Everybody stopped fighting with the coming of dawn. A loud, strong voice echoed all around her. It said
Moon shines with dawn for peace between twoAmber at fourtrees, the fighting anew
Smoke and Mist together save
But dawn brings peace to end the day