Moon paced the length of the medicine den, from the back wall to the lichen overhanging the den entrance. They felt Seedspots's eyes on them even though she feigned work on her herb stores. They felt restless, as they had for the past few days, but they supposed that it was wont to happen when they had been shut in the medicine den for a week. Seedspots called it a quarter-moon, which they thought was a little funny. A quarter of me spent in the medicine den.
It might as well have been the truth. Despite visits by their brother and being able to leave the den to go out into the rest of the camp a few days after waking, Moon had basically been cooped up in camp, mostly in the small den. Though Seedspots had made an effort to make them feel useful, asking for their help sorting herbs and remedies, but they felt miserable. They were useless spending so much time in here. Sunnystream told them on one of her own visits that the clan was already getting back on its paws, at least in terms of the prey pile being stocked near-constantly and its warriors regaining strength. Every time Moon asked anyone, though, they'd always dodge their questions about the battles that they knew were having to fight at the border. A few times now, cats had been sent in to be treated for small injuries, some of them looking haunted, like they'd seen ghosts.
Their reverie was broken as they came nose-to-nose with a cat who was pushing their way through the lichen. "Move out of the way!" he barked, amber eyes glaring and hostile. Moon silently dipped their head, moving to the side to let Foxstrike through. He'd come in yesterday with a deep cut on his shoulder, and Seedspots had told him to come back today so she could redress it. They supposed that was what she was doing now.
"Moon, can you fetch me the cobwebs?" Seedspots called, looking up from peeling away the old poultice from Foxstrike's shoulder.
The white cat nodded wordlessly. For the past few days, they'd been very quiet, their mind always working and distracting them from what was going on in front of them. They did as the medicine cat asked, though, padding over to the place where Seedspots kept the cobwebs and wrapping some around their front paw like she'd shown them yesterday. "Here you go," they said with a courteous nod to her as they returned to her side, holding out their paw.
She returned the gesture with a smile, taking the sticky material from Moon's paw and patting it onto the new poultice on Foxstrike's shoulder. "You shouldn't need that changed again. The wound is healing very well."
The tom scoffed and turned away from Seedspots as she finished with the poultice. "Thanks," he huffed. As the cinnamon and white tabby left, he sent a scathing glance at Moon. Moon flinched in return, thinking his glance clearly said, This is your fault, you know. They absolutely knew it, and they didn't need anyone else to tell them what they'd done.
"Moon." They were startled as Seedspots rested her tail on their shoulder, and they looked up at her questioningly.
"Yes, Seedspots?" The mottled tortoiseshell usually respected Moon's personal space and stayed in her own little bubble unless Moon's wound needed redressing.
"I'm going to do something special tonight," Seedspots answered. "I'm going to a place where I can speak to our ancestors. It's called the Moonpool, and it rests at the end of the stream that creates our border with WindClan - former WindClan territory. I would like you to come with me, Moon." There was something in her eyes - a knowing expression, encouraging Moon to come along.
But they hesitated. "I've heard some of the warriors talking about the Moonpool," they started, "and isn't that a sacred place to your cats...?" They recalled the conversation between Seedspots and Pipitfeather several days before, remembering how the Moonpool had seemed to have something to do with appointing a new leader. They suddenly put two and two together as they realized that Seedspots must want a sign from those who had passed. In their old group, something similar usually happened. When the leader died, a new leader was appointed by the leader's spirit by leaving a sign relating to the new leader's name name in the last nest that the dead leader had inhabited while the other cats were mourning. Perhaps this was just a more direct method of communication?
Seedspots nodded. "The Moonpool is sacred, yes, but anyone who wishes to go may. What makes it sacred is that we see our ancestors there, and if you don't, it's not like you're breaking the sacredness of the place. It's simply that you have a different belief, and there have been many cats through our history that have. There was one RiverClan medicine cat... She did end up in StarClan, I believe. I think I talked to her once, when I was younger, but she didn't fully believe in our ancestors until her last breaths. In any case, I think that you'll be fine going there. I want you to come, alright? I just need to prove something to myself."
"By having me come along?" Moon gave her a puzzled look, but she only shook her head.
"All things will come in time, I promise." Seedspots gave them a kind look and a flick of their shoulder with her tail. "If you want to come, you should rest up first. I'm going to take a quick nap, and at this point in the day, I'm sure we'll be able to wake in time to begin traveling to the Moonpool."
As she finished speaking, leaving the offer hanging, she padded over to her nest, stretching and kneading the moss into the right shape for a moment. Moon's eyes followed her, but they had a far-away look to them. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if they could go there, would they be able to see their ancestors? Speak to them directly? Surely they might be able to, if Seedspots could reach her ancestors from there.
They shook out their head, trying to pull themselves back into the present. They opened their jaws to tell Seedspots that they would come, but they saw that her side was already rising and falling in a rhythm of sleep. They settled into their nest, thinking that she would surely wake them when she woke if they were asleep at that time. It took them a while, certainly longer than it had taken Seedspots, especially with thoughts going through their mind at a faster pace than they could really handle. Finally, they could feel the heavy veil of sleep coming over their mind, and in minutes, they were pulled into its gentle embrace.
"Wake up," Seedspots said softly, shaking Moon's shoulder. The white cat, who had been in a light sleep all along, stirring at every little noise outside, lifted their head.
"Hm?" they asked drowsily. They blinked their eyes open wider, sitting up. "Is it already time?"
"Yes," Seedspots purred. "Follow me." She nodded at Moon and began to pad out of the den, holding her head high. Moon took a moment to stretch and clean their pelt before hurrying after her. All of the eyes in the camp seemed to rest on the two of them as they left, and the little clusters of cats began to murmur to each other. Moon felt their pelt prickle uneasily at the attention, and they were relieved to be out of the camp as they left the tunnel.
The two emerged into the fiery light of dusk, lighting the tree's leaves on fire and straying around each trunk. Moon caught their breath as their eyes rested on each emerald leaf turned a bright orange or gold by the sun, for a moment almost deceived by the trick that the light played as it danced among them. They soon realized that it was only the sun, and they shook their head, continuing after Seedspots, who was waiting patiently some tail-lengths ahead for them by a tree. "What did you see?" she asked nonchalantly as they caught up, as if she wasn't really all that interested, and took the lead again, heading towards the border. Moon could see that she kept glancing back, however.
"I've just been cooped up in camp so long that this sunset is stunning," Moon sighed honestly. Seedspots looked a bit disappointed as she nodded, and when she turned her head frontwards she didn't look back again for some time. Moon didn't seem to notice, breathing in deeply. This was much better than being surrounded by the same scents of the medicine den and the camp.
Seedspots lead them along nearly the same path they'd taken to get to the battle, and Moon flinched as they passed by the clearing. They were doing their best to ignore the scents and sounds of animals in the forest around them as they kept traveling, now parallel to the stream that made the border between the territories, but they were sure that Seedspots could hear their stomach rolling from a mile away. Sure enough, the tortoiseshell stopped and looked back at them, giving them an amused look. "Would you like to hunt, Moon?"
Moon tried not to look embarrassed as they nodded. "Please."
They hurried off as Seedspots gestured them towards the inner part of the territory, still looking amused. "Sorry I forgot to let you eat before," Seedspots said softly as she followed Moon. "I wasn't hungry, and I didn't stop to think about you. It was inconsiderate of me."
"It's okay," Moon said, shaking their head. "I don't mind." They were only half-listening to her, ears swiveling as they tried to catch any trace of prey.
"No," Seedspots sighed, her voice now merely a whisper. "I was just excited for you to see the Moonpool... I haven't been there with anyone else in a while, and..." She trailed off, seeing that Moon was no longer listening. Instead, they were creeping towards a shrub, their eyes fixed on the place where they could hear a small animal scratching at dirt.
It took them only a moment to catch the creature, and as they raised their head they gave Seedspots a questioning look. "Do you want to share?" they asked as they set it down at her paws.
"No thank you," she said politely. "I'm going to go check on a patch of marigold near here, to see how it's been recovering. I'll be right back."
Moon nodded, watching her go before helping themselves to their prey. They were almost done when they felt hairs raise on the back of their neck, like they were being watched. They lifted their head from the mostly-stripped carcass, narrowing their eyes as they turned their head to look around. They couldn't see anything, though.
"Moon, are you ready?" They nearly jumped out of their fur as Seedspots appeared from the brush behind them. Had she been the one whose eyes Moon had felt? Surely not. They nodded and stood, trying not to look entirely spooked. It seemed Seedspots was keen enough to notice the raised fur along their spine and the tenseness in their shoulders, despite how they tried to hide it, because she looked at them more closely, narrowing her eyes. "Are you okay? Do you need to return to camp?"
"I'm fine," Moon insisted, shaking their head. "Come on, let's go!" They trotted forward a ways before realizing that they didn't know exactly where they were going, then slowed down and sheepishly looked back at Seedspots. "Sorry. Got too excited."
Seedspots purred jocularly as she padded past Moon, glancing at them as she went past to take the lead again. Moon could see that she didn't entirely believe them, but they just had to hope that she didn't ask. After all, they didn't know exactly what happened themselves.
As they kept walking, the trees began to thin out, and soon they were walking on stony ground that sloped gently upward. A peaceful look overcame Seedspots, and Moon found their paws slipping into divots in the ground that seemed to be made by years of cats walking this path. They kept going upstream, following the smooth stone path until they were overlooking a hollow, much more shallow than the one the camp was settled in. Moon stopped for a moment at the peak of the path to gaze down at the scene below them. As they had been walking, the sun had set, leaving only the stars and the pale half-circle of the moon above them in the inky sky. It shone down upon the surface of the pool below, which seemed to give off a soft glow, as if it was the moon itself.
"It's a dazzling scene the first time you see it, isn't it?" Seedspots said fondly, looking down from beside Moon as well. "You never really get used it. At least, I don't. Every time I see it I'm reminded that my ancestors have walked here, my mentor and their mentor before them and so on. It's awe-inspiring."
"It is a bit overwhelming," Moon agreed, following Seedspots as she began to walk down to the pool again. Suddenly, they felt eyes on them again. They jerked their head to look behind them, eyes wide. There they saw him. That's...! There was the cream tabby tom, staring at them with pale eyes. He was slightly translucent, Moon noticed after a moment, unable to move for being paralyzed with fear. That's the tom that attacked me! The one Night killed!
"Keep moving," he murmured after a moment. He nudged their flank with his shoulder as he slipped by them on the narrow path, and they were surprised to realize that they could feel his fur brushing against their own, a soft chill seeping through their pelt.
As if in a trance, they followed him to the pool of water, joining Seedspots, who seemed concerned, but she didn't say a word besides to tell Moon, "You need to drink the water and then sleep here on the bank." They nodded, crouching down to lap at the clear, icy water. Somehow, they felt as though they knew that it tasted how stars would if they could hunt one out of the sky.
Instantly a drowsiness overcame them. They settled back, curling into a little ball and closing their eyes. They could feel the tom's breath on their ear as he said, "My name was Claw." It was the last thing they heard before sleep overcame them.
The sun was high in the sky when they woke. It beat down on their back, and they had to squint to shield their eyes from it. "Seedspots? Claw?" they called, nub of a tail twitching as they sat up. The day before had been pleasantly warm with a gentle breeze, but this felt like a summer without rain. The air was hot and dry, and the ground scorched their paws. They stood and began to walk, trying to find either of the cats. "Seedspots? Claw! Seedspots, where did you go?"
Neither the spirit nor the living cat could be found. Moon wasn't exactly sure why, since he was the one that had caused their grievous wounds, but they felt as though they could trust Claw. It wasn't as though he could hurt them any longer, after all. Moon kept going despite not being able to find either cat, occasionally dipping their toes in the stream to cool them off. The ground beneath them felt like it would burn the very skin from their paw pads.
As soon as they began to reenter the forested area on the ThunderClan side of the stream, the scorching sun was rapidly replaced by heavy clouds that seemed to come out of nowhere. Their bellies were fat with unshed raindrops, and after only a few pawsteps rain was pelting down on them. What is going on here? Moon thought, on the verge of panic. They began to trot forward, but it seemed that they weren't moving. Not only that, but a cacophony of coughing soon began to fill their ears, immediately followed by thin wails as each cough died off.
Just as suddenly as the hectic nightmare of a walk through the forest started, it ended. Moon was sitting beside a circle of stones in a large clearing, softly lit by the half-moon above, and in the center of the stones there was a pile of something gray. Though they were still feeling panicked, the air was filled with a drowsiness that quickly started to overtake them.
"Woah there. Don't fall asleep, little kit." A sturdy shoulder propped them up as they began to sway.
"Thank you," Moon said gratefully, looking up at the cat that had approached them. It was a silver tabby, his eyes glowing with pride. Their brows furrowed as they felt like they should know him, but they had no idea who he was. "Who are you?"
"My name is Stormwing," he introduced himself, dipping his head. "I am a cat of what was formerly known as RiverClan. You wouldn't know me, of course, but Sunnystream told you about me. I came to talk to you."
"About what?" Moon asked, gazing at him curiously. Of course they had remembered what Sunnystream had said. It had impacted them deeply, and they were going to stick to their promise to her as soon as they were allowed out of the medicine den.
Instead of answering, Stormwing got up and walked closer to the circle of stones. "Watch," he murmured. He raked his claws through the gray pile in the middle of the circles, and it was suddenly alive. Pinpoints of light danced among the gray, twinkling orange and yellow, like a little piece of sky planted on the earth. Moon stepped forward in awe as some of the little lights popped, more springing forth to flutter in the sky for a moment before going out. Some of the lights, like fireflies, hovered a little longer in the air. Moon stepped forward, and Stormwing stepped aside, letting them pass. They put their paw on one of the lights and hissed, immediately drawing it back.
"It burns!" they meowed, looking at Stormwing crossly. "Why didn't you stop me?"
"Sometimes we have to make mistakes on our own to learn, and sometimes we have to learn a little too late," Stormwing said with a sigh, though he smiled bitterly. "I don't regret what I did, but I wish I'd had a chance to be better to my clan. I played the hero when I wasn't meant to." He nodded towards the scars on Moon's belly. "I'm not telling you to stop following your heart - I'm telling you that you need to be more careful when you do. Otherwise a lot of cats will miss you."
After a moment of pause, Moon realized that Stormwing was still watching them. "That's not all, is it?" they asked, dread heavy in their stomach. What else could this spirit have to say to them?
"Not me," Stormwing said, shaking his head. "Her."
As Moon turned to look behind them, their heart swelled for a reason they couldn't describe, and their throat formed a knot that they couldn't speak around. The white she-cat twined around them, her mismatched eyes gazing lovingly at Moon. "Remember what I say," she murmured softly. "Remember these words. Seedspots knows that the next leaders cannot be chosen by StarClan, but they will be proven by time. These next words are only for you for now, little one. Remember. Do not fear the ones who start the fire, but fear the flames themselves. Can you remember that?"
Moon nodded, still unable to speak. The she-cat purred. "Good. Be strong, little one. Be safe." She licked Moon's ear, and then she was gone.
"Did you sleep well?"
It was still nighttime when they woke, though they felt as though the dream had gone on for forever. They looked up at Seedspots, feeling almost as though they were more tired than when they'd first gone to sleep. Seedspots was looking at them expectantly, and when Moon did a quick glance around, Claw was gone.
"I slept fine," Moon lied. They couldn't wrap their mind about what they dreamed of.
Seedspots looked a bit crestfallen. "Are you sure?"
They turned over their dream in their head, then finally confessed, pouring out the details of their strange experience. As they went on, they saw Seedspots's face lighten. When they finished, leaving out the white she-cat entirely, she heaved a sigh of relief. "I knew it. I knew when you started helping me in the medicine den." She gave Moon a delighted look. "Moon, I would like to take you on as my apprentice. I believe that this is why StarClan has sent you to me. You will never have a mate and kits as a medicine cat, but I can promise you that the whole clan will look on you as family. You will be their healer and guide in faith, and you will get to pass on those skills one day yourself. And you don't have the risk of dying in battle."
Moon felt sick as Seedspots kept going. She had become their friend over the past few days, no matter how distant she could sometimes act, but they didn't want this. "Seedspots," they started, hesitant. Her face fell at the very first word, seeing the guilt on Moon's face. "Seedspots, I'm sorry. I don't want to be a medicine cat. I would still love to help you in the medicine den, but I want to be able to defend other cats, and I don't even know if I'm going to be staying in the clan after you all don't need us any more."
"I understand." Seedspots actually seemed very calm as she replied, nodding. Hesitation flickered over her face, and she continued, "I can't force you to do anything that you don't want to, Moon. If you change your mind, you're always free to tell me, but if you want to be a warrior... I'll talk to the others about starting a training program again. They can teach you and Night all of the best aspects of all of our clans, and you can learn to better defend yourself as soon as you are fully healed. How does that sound?"
"Better," Moon said, nodding. They were relieved that Seedspots didn't seem to be too upset.
"Alright. I'll talk to them as soon as we get back," Seedspots said, beginning to lead the way up the slope again. "Then you can make a nest in the apprentices' den with Night, if you'd like. Come on, now, I want to try to reach camp before daybreak." She began to trot, and Moon was hot on her heels, while in their mind they could only wonder, What could my dream mean?
Next chapter! Not too much to say about this one; more rogue stuff is gonna happen in the next chapter!