Chapter Three: Elders' Tales

Wildkit's eyes blinked open slowly. Reddish light was filtering through the nursery wall. Wriggling away from Rainheart, she poked her head outside. The sun was starting to sink below the treeline, staining the sky crimson and orange as it fell.

I slept through a whole day! she thought in surprise, shaking away her remaining drowsiness. How did I sleep through a whole day?

She turned, ready to shake Patchkit awake—only to jump in surprise as a pair of brown eyes glittered a whisker-length from her own.

"You're finally awake!" he mewed cheerfully, sitting back on his haunches.

Wildkit huffed, batting at one of his ginger ears. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier, you big furball?"

Patchkit ducked with a shrug. "You looked happy," he said. "Like you were having a good dream."

Wildkit cocked her head. She didn't remember what she was dreaming about; all she could recall were faint, fuzzy blurs of sound and color. The thought of it did make her perk up a bit, though. "Huh," she mumbled.

Patchkit smiled sheepishly. "And I didn't want to get clawed."

At that, Wildkit giggled and shoved him. "Didn't want to get clawed, huh?" Wiggling her haunches, she pounced on the bigger kit, sending them tumbling into the side of the nursery.

"Ow!" Wildkit twisted around to nose a tiny scratch on her side; there was a thorn poking through the moss on the den wall. "Stupid thorn!" she growled, turning to lick the scratch.

"Kits!" Rainheart lifted her head, blinking. "No rough-housing in the nursery," she told them softly.

Wildkit scowled. "Where are we supposed to play?" she whined.

Her mother smiled. "Why don't you go see if the elders will tell you a story?" she suggested.

Patchkit's face immediately lit up with glee. "Okay!" he said.

Wildkit, on the other paw, scowled. She'd been to the elder's den already…and she was already positive that she didn't like it.

"But Mom!" she complained. "Firewhisker's a cranky old furball! He doesn't like us!" She screwed up her face. "And Stoneleap's crazy! He sits there all day, talking to cats who aren't even there!"

Patchkit turned to look at her with confusion on his ginger face. "But…weren't you talking about an imaginary cat earlier?"

Wildkit froze as the image of the silver tom flashed through her mind. That's different! she thought defensively. He was really there! Wasn't he…?

A jolt of horror ran through the dark ginger kit. What if she was crazy like Stoneleap? Was she going to spend her life babbling to cats no one else could see?

She was jerked out of her thoughts when a pelt brushed against her side. Patchkit stood next to her, expression anxious. "Wildkit?" he asked tentatively. "Are you okay?"

Wildkit hesitated. "I'm fine," she muttered darkly. "Let's just go see the stupid elders."

~000~

"Stoneleap tells great stories," Patchkit assured her as they trotted across camp. "Honest!"

Wildkit rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he does," she mewed disbelievingly.

Patchkit shot her a look, then poked his head into the den. Sighing, the red she-kit followed him.

The inside of the den was darker than the nursery. There were only two nests, and two occupants: a big ginger tom with battle-scarred ears, and a raggedy old gray tom with faint white flecks in his pelt.

As the two kits padded into the den, the ginger tom lifted his head to appraise them, amber eyes glowing faintly in the dim light of the den. After a few moments, he curled his lip. "Oh," he growled. "It's you two." He laid his head back down, pointedly turning his back. "Outsiders," he muttered, as if they couldn't hear him. "Give me the days when ShadowClan didn't take in stray kittypets and half-Clanners."

Wildkit glared at him. She opened her mouth to make a sharp retort, but a raspy meow cut her off. "Now, don't be so rude, Firewhisker," the gray tom meowed, blue eyes narrowed slightly. "They don't mean any harm!" He turned his milky gaze back to the kits. "Hello, Patchkit," he rumbled. "And you've brought a friend with you! How nice…" The gray tom turned his head to stare at the den wall, still smiling vacantly. "Isn't that nice, Larkflight?"

Wildkit couldn't help but curl her lip slightly. I knew this was a bad idea, she thought. Stoneleap's crazier than a moon-struck fox! She turned her head to say something to Patchkit, but was surprised to see that the older kit was totally unfazed. "This is Wildkit," he introduced, pushing her forward slightly. She glared at him, but nodded to the elder. "Hello," she meowed.

Stoneleap glanced back over at them, blinking confusedly. But he smiled again. "You're Rainheart's daughter, aren't you?" he said. "She was always a sweet little thing…she's my kit, you know," he added. "Which makes you my grand-kit!" He patted Wildkit on the head with one shaky paw. She flinched slightly, making a face as she wiggled backwards slightly.

Stoneleap chuckled. "But enough of that," he said. "You came here to hear a story, didn't you?"

Patchkit nodded eagerly. "Of course!" he mewed, face lighting up. "You tell great stories!"

From his corner of the den, Firewhisker snorted.

Stoneleap shot the other elder another look. But he rolled his eyes and turned back to the kits. "Now, where were we?" he asked, mostly to himself.

"You were about to tell us a story," Wildkit said blandly.

The elder smiled again. "Ah, yes! That's right!" He leaned in closer to them, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "What kind of story would you like to hear?"

Patchkit's little tail wiggled eagerly. "Any story!" he said.

Wildkit shot her friend a look at his enthusiasm. But she glanced up at Stoneleap anyways, waiting expectantly.

"All right," Stoneleap meowed. Pulling his paws in to his chest, he closed his eyes. "I'll tell you a story about the Dark Forest."

Her ears pricked up at that. "The Dark Forest?" she repeated curiously.

Stoneleap nodded, eyes still closed. Wildkit settled down. Okay, she thought. Maybe this'll a little interesting…

"Long ago," Stoneleap began, "The warriors of StarClan realized that not every cat could be accepted into their ranks…"

~000~

"And then, Firestar raised one paw, claws gleaming in the moonlight!" Stoneleap exclaimed, lifting himself up onto his haunches and lifting his forepaw. "'You will not destroy my Clan!' he roared, bringing it down on an attacking warrior." He then demonstrated, falling back onto all fours as he acted it out.

"But then," he meowed, "Tigerstar appeared from nowhere!" He growled ferociously at the kits, making them squeak in mixed fear and delight. "The dark leader struck

out at Firestar, pinning him beneath his paws."

Patchkit gasped, and Wildkit's eyes widened. "Did Tigerstar win?" Patchkit mewed fearfully.

Stoneleap just smiled again. "Firestar hasn't given up yet, has he?" he purred. "The fiery leader snarled in his greatest enemy's face, kicking him away with his back paws.

"Both leaders, good and evil, fought with equal vigor. Their blows struck as swift as lightning! The force of their battle rattled the forest like thunder!

"Until…finally…" Stoneleap trailed off, and for a brief moment Wildkit thought he'd fallen asleep. But she was proved wrong a moment later when the white-flecked elder reared back onto his haunches. "Until finally, Firestar gained the upper paw. 'You lived like a rogue,' he bellowed. 'Now you'll die like one!'"

"And with that," he meowed, "Firestar finished Tigerstar off once and for all!"

Wildkit was unable to keep herself from smiling. "But," Stoneleap continued sadly, "as Tigerstar faded from existence, Firestar fell to the ground. A bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree, setting it ablaze for a brief while before being extinguished by the rain. Firestar had given up his final life saving the Clans from evil.

"As the rain began to drizzle down, the cats of StarClan returned to pay their respects to the fallen. They carried Firestar's spirit up to the stars with the other brave cats who died in the battle. And they continue to watch us now, as they will for all time."

Stoneleap finished his story, pulling his paws back in to his chest. "Well?" he asked, dull blue eyes glinting. "What did you think?"

Patchkit was on his paws instantly. "That was a great story!" he mewed,

Wildkit smiled. "It was really good," she admitted.

"Can we hear another?" Patchkit begged.

Stoneleap chuckled. "Not now, little ones." He lifted his head to peer out the den entrance. "It looks like it's getting dark out!"

And the old cat was right; the sun had finally moved below the horizon, and it was time for them to get back to bed. The gray tom yawned. "And it's about time these old bones got some rest, too!"

Both kits groaned as Stoneleap gently nudged them out. "Good night, kits," he rasped, giving them a final smile as he retreated back into his nest.

Wildkit sighed, then started padding back towards the nursery.

"So," Patchkit said, the corners of his mouth twitching. "What did you think?"

Wildkit hesitated, unwilling to admit that her friend had been right about Stoneleap. "I guess he was okay…" she meowed.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting!"

The call came from the Highbranch, where a magnificent red tom stood, amber eyes appraising the gathering cats below.

Wildkit pricked up her ears. "What's Redstar calling everyone for?" she asked.

"I don't know," Patchkit mewed with a shrug.

After all the cats had gathered, Redstar lifted his head. "Cats of ShadowClan," he said. "It is time for one of the most important ceremonies to the new Clan…the naming of new warriors!"

Vinepaw and Marshpaw padded out into the open, heads held proudly high as they took their seats before the Highbranch.

Redstar turned his gaze to Mothbreeze, who was seated beneath him. "Mothbreeze," he meowed. "Do you believe that Vinepaw is ready to become a warrior?"

The brown-and-white she-cat nodded, head held just as high as her apprentice. "I do," she meowed. "Vinepaw is ready to become a warrior."

The red tom nodded, then looked to Lilythorn. "Lilythorn, do you believe that Marshpaw is ready to become a warrior?"

Lilythorn nodded. "I do," she meowed with a flick of her ear. "Marshpaw may not the best at everything, but he has shown great skill at tracking and hunting. He is ready."

Redstar gave a nod, then lifted his head. "I, Redstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." He stared down at the two apprentices. "Vinepaw," he meowed. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

The brown tom raised his chin, green eyes shining with triumph. "I do," he said.

Redstar turned to his brother. "And you, Marshpaw," he continued. "Do you swear to uphold the warrior code, and to protect this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Marshpaw was quieter than his brother, but he nodded once. "I do."

The ShadowClan leader beamed and leapt down from his perch. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names, Vinepaw, from this moment forward you shall be known as Vineclaw. StarClan honors you for your bravery and skill in battle, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan." He leaned forward and rested his muzzle on the brown tom's head, and the newly-named Vineclaw licked his shoulder.

"Marshpaw," he continued, "from this moment forward, you shall be known as Marshnose. StarClan honors your loyalty and your sharp mind, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan." He laid his chin on Marshnose's head, and the warrior licked his shoulder.

"Vineclaw! Marshnose!" The Clan began to cheer their names. "Vineclaw! Marshnose! Vineclaw! Marshnose!"

Wildkit watched the scene with wide eyes. "Vineclaw!" she meowed. "Marshnose!"

Boulderstrike had been seated at the back of the crowd. He suddenly whipped around, giving the two of them a fierce glare. A few other cats joined him, shooting both of them nasty looks.

Wildkit shrunk beneath the big tom's amber gaze. As the deputy turned back around, she let out a quiet hiss, stalking back towards the nursery. Patchkit followed, looking more meek than his friend.

"This isn't fair!" she meowed. "I'm not even allowed to congratulate my Clanmates!"

Rainheart poked her head out of the nursery as the ginger kit trotted over in a huff. "Calm down, dear," she meowed as Patchkit climbed in with Duskflower. "One day, you'll show them what you're made of," she purred, licking Wildkit's head. "Then they won't look at you that way!"

Wildkit let out a tiny growl as she curled up closer to her mother's side.

One day, she vowed silently. One day I'll show you! I'll show all of you I can be the best warrior ShadowClan has ever seen!

Just you wait, ShadowClan. Just you wait.

~000~

A/N: Stoneleap was taking some creative license with his story there—except for Firestar's line at the end. That actually was from The Last Hope.

This was another sort-of filler chapter—but don't worry, the plot will be picking up soon enough!