Roots of the Forest
Chapter 3
"Swanheart!" The pure white she-cat turned at the call of her name to see Roanfur padding towards her from across the clearing. His pace was slow and the grey hairs on his brown muzzle were starker and more prominent than ever. She moved forward to meet him half way.
"Yes, Roanfur?" she asked, silently noting how exhausted the deputy seemed. His many moons of service and dedication to the clan had clearly begun to take their toll on him.
"Would you mind leading a hunting patrol? I was going to lead it myself but Clovertail's ordered me to stay at camp today."
His joints had been bothering him again. Roanfur had once been the fastest cat in ThunderClan and one of its best hunters but aching bones and the first hints of failing sight had robbed him of those titles. It wouldn't be long before he would have to join the elders' den. Swanheart could not lie to herself and believe that this turn of events did not please her at all. She was an ambitious cat and made no secret of her nature but she was loyal too and would stand by Roanfur, Shadestar and ThunderClan until the end no matter of her own position in the clan.
Position in the clan. On that thought her eyes shifted towards the nursery, her blue gaze landing on the two young cats tussling at the entrance of the bramble bush. Nightkit and Badgerkit were fine, playing and enjoying themselves. They would not notice if she was gone for a little while. She turned back to Roanfur.
"Of course, no problem."
"Great. Streamfoot, Weedwhisker, Blackfur, Hollowpaw and Tawnypaw are ready to go. Gather as much prey as you can find," he glanced at the fresh-kill pile, "with leafbare fast upon us, we'll need it."
Swanheart nodded in agreement and Roanfur took his leave, heading in Lilypetal's direction. Swanheart began to make her way towards the gorse tunnel and, sure enough, five cats were already there waiting. Tawnypaw was in the middle of showing Hollowpaw a new fighting move he'd learnt whilst their mentors watched. Streamfoot was sitting a little farther away. Swanheart approached, coming to stand next to her silver-pelted friend.
"Ready to go?" she asked.
Blackfur's eyes widened when he noticed her. "You're leading the patrol?"
"Is there a problem with that?" she shot back and Blackfur opened his mouth to reply when Streamfoot interrupted him.
"Everything's fine." She gestured with her tail to the tunnel. "Shall we?"
The hunt went well and the patrol had soon caught enough prey to satisfy the clan. Hollowpaw, who had caught a particularly impressive rabbit, led the way back to camp, eager to show off his kill. Blackfur and Swanheart had fallen into step together, bringing up the rear. Swanheart stole a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. It had been a long time since they had last hunted together, she mused. She had not seen much of him since Badgerkit and Nightkit had been born. He rarely visited the nursery.
"You were surprised Roanfur asked me to lead the patrol," she commented finally.
"I thought you would stay in camp," he admitted through the vole he carried in his jaws, "with our kits."
"Nightkit and Badgerkit are almost ready to be apprenticed," she countered. "There's no harm in resuming my warrior duties."
"You started resuming them when they were three moons old," Blackfur retorted, "I'm surprised they even recognise you."
"And you spend no time with them at all!" she hissed, moving in front of him and blocking his path. "Why are you so opposed to this, Blackfur? To me resuming my duties? Why bring it up now when Shadestar's probably considering the next deputy?"
She didn't wait for a response. Instead she spun around and raced ahead to walk beside Streamfoot and Weedwhisker. She did not speak to her mate again for the rest of the journey back to camp.
Within the camp Badgerkit and Nightkit had in fact noticed that their mother had left and were disappointed. Or, more precisely, they were bored. They had run out of games and Redkit and Poppykit were asleep with Birdwing in the nursery so they were no fun. Though neither she-kit would admit it, both Nightkit and Badgerkit were envious of Birdwing's decision to stay in the nursery and not resume her warrior duties early, as Swanheart had done. Every morning Redkit and Poppykit would wake up to her pretty tabby face and every night they would sleep nestled against her soft fur. It was now a regular occurrence for Nightkit and Badgerkit to wake up to an empty nest. And Bushtail would often come to visit his mate and kits. The last time Blackfur had shown his face in the nursery must have been more than a moon ago.
Finally Badgerkit suggested they visit the elders' den. Amberclaw was a right old grump but Marshflower, Swanheart's mother, was always welcoming to young kits and apprentices and always ready with a story. Upon entering the elders' den the two kits realised they were not alone. Their old denmate, Sweetpaw, was also present, and currently in the process of checking Amberclaw's ragged ginger pelt for ticks.
"Be careful!" the old tomcat hissed at the apprentice, who dabbed at his head with a ball of mouse bile soaked moss. "Don't get any of that revolting stuff in my ear!"
"Stay still then!" Sweetpaw muttered through gritted teeth.
"Maybe you should, Sweetpaw," Marshflower called, shooting an amused look at her denmate, "it might clear out his hearing and he'll finally understand what I'm saying. Oh!" she noticed the two kits enter. "Visitors!"
"What was that?" Amberclaw asked grumpily.
"I said we have VISITORS!"
"I can see that!" he yelled back before turning to Nightkit and Badgerkit. "Well?" he asked gruffly. "What are you two young 'uns doing here?"
"We're bored!" Badgerkit exclaimed.
"Can you tell us a story?"
Behind Amberclaw, Sweetpaw eyes lit up at the prospect. Caring for the elders was always much more enjoyable when there was a story involved.
"Well," Marshflower meowed, sharing a glance with Amberclaw, "what story can we enthral these two young kits with today?"
"Something exciting!" Nightkit urged.
"And dangerous!" her sister added.
"Alright, alright," Amberclaw grunted as Sweetpaw finally dislodged the tick behind his ear. "I think I have just the one. How about the story of my mentor, Shadestar's first deputy who broke the warrior code?"
"I haven't heard this one before," Sweetpaw commented quietly as she moved on to check Marshflower's pelt, pleasantly intrigued. This should be interesting.
It was Badgerkit who voiced the thoughts of all the young cats in the den.
"A deputy broke the warrior code?"
"Yes," Marshflower told them seriously. "Even deputies can break the warrior code, even though they're not supposed to."
"No one is supposed to break the warrior code," Amberclaw continued, "but it is particularly bad for someone so important to the clan to do such a thing, and Mapleshade was punished harshly…"
It was a story that Badgerkit found would stay with her for a long time. The story of Mapleshade, the ThunderClan deputy who had fallen in love with a RiverClan warrior and borne his kits. Shadestar had been furious when the truth had come out. How had it made ThunderClan look? The second most important cat in the clan had violated the sacred code to which they were all held responsible. It was a disgrace. Mapleshade had been angry when Shadestar had refused to allow her to continue as deputy. When she attacked the new deputy, Sandpelt, Shadestar exiled her from ThunderClan and she took her kits with her. After that she had tried to make her way across the river, to her mate but the river was flooded that year and the current was too strong for the tiny kits who had drowned in the crossing. RiverClan and her mate had then denied her sanctuary and she was cast out of the clans.
"What happened then?" Sweetpaw asked, her green eyes wide.
"No one knows," Amberclaw concluded, "she hasn't been seen since that day. I imagine she became a rogue and has passed into StarClan by now."
"If StarClan even accepted her," Marshflower grumbled under her breath as she settled further into her nest, clearly preparing for a nap. Sweetpaw and the kits took this as a sign to take their leave.
"You'll be apprenticed soon, won't you?" Sweetpaw asked them as they exited into the clearing. "You're six moons now."
"Yes," Nightkit mewed excitedly, "Shadestar will have to make us apprentices soon!"
"I wonder who our mentors will be…" Badgerkit pondered aloud.
"The apprentices' den will be completely full soon," Sweetpaw said. "Though it won't be too long before Tawnypaw and Fuzzypaw are made warriors."
Sweetpaw's admiration for the older apprentices was clear in her bright green eyes. Fuzzypaw had told her this morning that Longnose had mentioned he and Blackfur were planning their final assessment soon. She couldn't wait until she was in Tawnypaw and Fuzzypaw's position. She dreamed of the day that she would be a warrior, serving her clan as completely as she could. Badgerkit and Nightkit were both having similar thoughts. Apprenticeship couldn't come soon enough!
There was a rustling at the gorse tunnel which drew the attention of the three young cats. After a moment Hollowpaw strutted proudly into the clearing, a rabbit nearly the same size as he was clenched in his jaws. Following close behind was Weedwhisker, Streamfoot and Swanheart. A minute later Blackfur and Tawnypaw also emerged. Sweetpaw glanced at the kits.
"Larksong told me to meet her at the sandy hollow after I finished helping the elders," she informed them, "we've got battle training with Rushfur and Cherrypaw. I'll see you around."
With that she turned tail and left. Badgerkit and Nightkit shared an envious look – battle training! – before beginning to make their way towards Swanheart, planning to tell her about the story Amberclaw had told them. Did their mother know about Mapleshade, the deputy that had been destroyed by her love for a RiverClan warrior? Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough and Shadestar had reached her first. Leader and queen spoke quietly for several moments before Swanheart's blue eyes lit up and she lifted her head to lock proud gazes with her kits. Badgerkit and Nightkit halted, confused. Swanheart nodded once to Shadestar and then padded towards them, herding them with her plume-like tail in the direction of the nursery.
"What's going on?" Badgerkit asked but Swanheart's answer was cryptic.
"You'll see soon enough." She rasped her rough tongue over each of their heads. "Now, please, at least try to look presentable."
Shadestar leapt onto the highrock and Badgerkit's eyes grew wide. Her heart began to race. Was this it?
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the highrock for a clan meeting!"
Sweetpaw, who had dropped in to the medicine cat den before planning to go to the sandy hollow emerged into the clearing, immediately followed by her brother Duskpaw, who had been suffering bellyache, and Clovertail. Larksong and Streamfoot emerged from the warriors' den, walking over to join their apprentices. It wasn't long before the entire clan was seated in front of the highrock. Swanheart nudged her kits forward.
"Today," Shadestar began, his keen green eyes surveying the cats gathered before him, "is a very special day, and one that I take great pride and pleasure in." Finally his gaze settled on Nightkit and Badgerkit, who were seated at Swanheart's paws, their pelts quivering with anticipation. "Today, two kits of ThunderClan shall become apprentices."
Badgerkit's shoulder bumped Nightkit's and they exchanged delighted glances. This was really it!
"Nightkit and Badgerkit, step forward."
As they did so, Badgerkit was completely aware of the eyes of the clan upon her and her sister but she pushed away her anxiety. Resisting the urge to look back at Swanheart for reassurance she held her head high as Shadestar leapt down from the highrock and approached them.
"Nightkit," he addressed the young black she-kit, "from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Nightpaw." He looked up, scanning the warriors crowded around them. "Skyfall," he called. A grey and white tom stepped forwards. Skyfall was one of the newer warriors and Roanfur's last apprentice. He was wise for his years and a skilled fighter. There was no doubt he would be an excellent mentor. "You are ready to take on your first apprentice. You will be mentor to Nightpaw."
Skyfall's yellow eyes shone warmly as he inclined his head to touch noses with Nightpaw.
"Badgerkit," Badgerkit's eyes snapped back to Shadestar as he continued the ceremony. "From hence forth you shall be known as Badgerpaw."
Badgerpaw. She relished the sound of it. But what about her mentor?
"Dawnmist," Shadestar meowed and Badgerpaw twisted her head as a pretty silver tabby stepped forward from beside Rushfur. The newly-made apprentice blinked. Dawnmist was also a young warrior; Skyfall's sister. It wasn't often that littermates were made mentors together. "You were trained well by Swanheart and I have no doubt you will pass on her teachings to this apprentice."
"I will," Dawnmist promised as she walked forwards and touched her nose to Badgerpaw's.
"Nightpaw! Badgerpaw!" it was Sweetpaw who began the chant, soon followed by Blackfur and the rest of the clan. Badgerpaw glanced first at her mentor, then at her sister and found her own excitement reflected in Nightpaw's amber eyes. They were apprentices at last!
A/N: I know Mapleshade's position in ThunderClan is never specified but for some reason I was always under the impression she had served as deputy. In Crookedstar's Promise she says she was meant to be the leader of ThunderClan and of course to become leader it's necessary to be deputy first. Being deputy would also increase her shame at having half-clan kits and probably make her punishment harsher because she's such a prominent cat in the clan and it would be considered appalling for her to break the warrior code in such a manner. I hope no one minds that I made her a deputy but I felt it would make sense.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed!
