Rising Moon

Jedi Goat

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.

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Chapter 4

Six moons later, three large kits scrabbled playfully outside the nursery, practicing their fighting skills. Their claws were sheathed, but their yowling cries were close to realistic. Leafpool, watching them from her den, suppressed a shudder. It had been moons since the last bloody conflict between the clans and Spiderleg's death. But Spottedleaf's mysterious prophecy haunted the back of her mind, reminding her that the peace wouldn't last forever.

A mouse was dropped at her paws and Leafpool glanced up in surprise to see Squirrelflight. Her sister nodded to her and sat, curling her tail around her paws. Gazing in the direction of the nursery, she murmured, "The kits are being apprenticed soon, aren't they?"

"Probably," Leafpool agreed, inhaling the warm scent of mouse. She took a bite. "Thanks for the prey, by the way," she added, swallowing.

Squirrelflight shrugged. "No problem." Her eyes glinted. "Do you think Firestar will choose me to mentor one of them?"

Leafpool considered; she knew her sister expected the truth. "Well, I don't know," she began. "There are a lot of kits. But Firestar will probably want the most experienced warriors to mentor them, not saying you're inexperienced or anything."

"Yeah," she sighed. Then Squirrelflight brightened. "Hey, do you want to mentor anyone?"

Leafpool looked back over at the kits. "I haven't decided yet," she said carefully. She knew she couldn't tell her sister the truth about Cinderkit. The small kit was the reincarnated form of Cinderpelt, her own mentor. However, Moonkit had a lot of potential, too. And Leafpool knew that choosing one of the she-cats would make her feel guilty about refusing the other one.

Brambleclaw approached them. "Squirrelflight, would you like to join my hunting patrol?"

The ginger she-cat leaped to her paws. "Of course!" She glanced back at her sister. "I'll see you later, Leafpool."

Leafpool nodded, and resumed watching the kits playing.

An orange-golden she-cat popped out of the nursery. "Oh! Let me play, too!" the boisterous Honeykit exclaimed, leaping into the mock-battle. She bowled over Moonkit and wrestled with the smaller black she-cat.

Oakkit and Wolfkit circled each other, growling. The gray she-cat's fur stood on end, making her look bigger than she really was. Across from his sister, Oakkit stayed low to the ground, muscles tense and shoulders hunched up.

Molekit and Cinderkit bounded over to the others, mewing excitedly. The brown tom quickly tackled Wolfkit, while Cinderkit watched, wide-eyed.

Honeykit successfully pinned Moonkit down, then she bounced back up to face Oakkit. With a hiss she lunged for him. Oakkit scrambled away just in time, and Honeykit landed a few mouse-lengths away. She twisted around and snapped at his tail.

Oakkit cried out in pain as her teeth sunk into his tail. He batted her away, turning to try and see the damage. There was a small splatter of blood on the ground.

Moonkit was on the scene in an instant. "Hold still!" she ordered the frantic kit, holding his tail down with one paw.

"I'll get Leafpool." Cinderkit stood.

"No need," the medicine cat answered briskly, stepping up to the group. Leafpool bent and examined Oakkit's tail. There were tooth marks set into it, bleeding slightly. The wound was already clotting up.

Getting up, she explained, "The wound isn't deep. I'll get you a few cobwebs, just in case." She raced back for her den.

Honeykit's eyes were wide. "I'm so, so sorry," she said apologetically.

"I'm not a mouse," Oakkit hissed.

Honeykit smiled toothily and giggled, "Well, when I'm apprenticed, the prey better watch out!"

Molekit cuffed her over the ear. "Yeah, I'm sure they'll call you Honeyhunter, sis."

Honeykit crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue.

"Honestly! You are so immature. We're supposed to be apprentices soon," Wolfkit complained mildly.

At that moment Leafpool returned, and pressed a swab of cobwebs on Oakkit's wound. Moonkit, Cinderkit and Wolfkit watched in wonder, while Honeykit was already distracted by a passing butterfly.

Firestar padded up to them. "Oakkit's injured?" he asked in surprise.

"Not too badly," reassured Leafpool. "Just a cut."

"Good," Firestar meowed. "We wouldn't want him to miss the ceremony this evening."

Suddenly the kits were all ears. "What ceremony?" Honeykit demanded.

Firestar just smiled and changed the subject. "Leafpool, may I talk to you in my den?"

The medicine cat nodded and followed her leader away.

"Leafpool," Firestar began, sitting before her in the rocky cavern above the Highledge that served as his den. "You have served honorably as a medicine cat for many moons. This is why I am asking you if you would like to take an apprentice."

Leafpool bowed her head. "Thank you, Firestar. But…" she shrugged helplessly. "I can't choose who."

"If you would prefer not to…"

"No, Firestar, that's not it." She scuffed a paw on the ground in embarrassment. Again! I thought the whole keeping-secrets thing was long over. "I'll think of something. Just give me a little more time."

The tom's eyes glinted in the darkness. "You know what will happen tonight, at moonhigh."

"Of course."

He stepped forward and licked her ear warmly. "I know you will make the right choice, Leafpool. But remember you only have so much time."

"Yes, father," she whispered, before padding out. As she blinked in the sunlight, Spottedleaf's voice echoed in her mind.

"The choices you make will determine the fate of the forest."

Leafpool spent the afternoon occupying herself with sorting her collection of herbs, giving her mind time to wander over the subject of the kits. She wondered if Firestar had already chosen mentors, or if he was waiting for her decision first. Leafpool sighed and shook her head. Who should I pick?

She discovered her stocks low on nettle, and headed out of camp to find some more. When she returned to camp with several leaves clamped in her jaws, she purposely went past the nursery to check on the kits. Wolfkit and Oakkit were stretched out in the entrance, enjoying the last rays of afternoon sun. Leafpool paused to take a look at the white tom's wound (it had healed over nicely, she was glad to see).

As Leafpool brushed past the curtain of ferns into her den, she was shocked to see a tortoiseshell she-cat standing inside. She dropped her package of herbs and bounded over. "Sorreltail! What-" Then Leafpool froze, a familiar scent rushing over her.

"Spottedleaf," she murmured, sinking back on her haunches to a sitting position.

The StarClan warrior padded forward to touch noses. "I sense your indecision," she whispered, her voice the breeze rustling through the trees above. "Follow your heart."

That's what you told me last time, and Cinderpelt died. Leafpool closed her eyes as bitter memories flooded over her.

Spottedleaf's tail brushed her cheek. "I must go now," she murmured. "But do what you feel is right. I will always watch over you."

Then the she-cat twinkled into nothingness, leaving Leafpool alone with her thoughts.

"My heart wants to train both of them," Leafpool said to herself. She stood and padded outside, telling herself sharply, "The code would not allow it."

Gazing up at the sky, Leafpool thought she saw a star winking at her. She blinked and it was gone. It was still broad daylight; dusk was only beginning to darken the edges of the sky.

Sighing and remembering Spottedleaf's advice, she trudged toward Firestar to tell him her decision.

To be continued...

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