Chapter 6

Wasppaw puffed his chest out in pride. His new mentor was Minnowfin, and Moonpaw was happy to be training beside her best friend. But Eveningfern was still mourning for her lost daughter.

A moon had passed since Hazelkit's death, and only a few days after Wasppaw began his training. Eveningfern has refused to leave the nursery, begging to Goldenfoot for the chance to have a litter, but he always was a little apprehensive at the idea.

Moonpaw crouched low, Wasppaw just a pace behind her.

"Good," Whispered Stonedust. "Now pounce."

Moonpaw obeyed. She sprung her legs forward and outstretched her claws and snapping at the tail of a squirrel. The fluff sprawled the area until Moonpaw lurched forward and snapped the squirrel's neck directly. She picked it up and looked to Wasppaw, whose eyes were wide with awe, and Minnowfin who flicked his tail. Stonedust stepped ahead and took hold of the squirrel. He looked to the dappled gray tom and he nodded.

Minnowfin went on, "Wasppaw, you are to pounce next. I expect you to stalk just as well as Moonpaw."

He nodded. "Yes, Minnowfin." The cats went through the forest until a splash of pale gray entered their visions. The wings fluttered anxiously, picking at the ground. Wappaw's eyes narrowed. "I got it."

"You better." Minnowfin huffed softly.

Wappaw slipped forward. He was a naturally large cat, he looked almost exactly like his father, Goldenfoot. Moonpaw watched as he then slicked back his ears, but let his tail flicker. The dove caught notice that she was being stalked, and immediately fluttered her wings to take flight into the air. Minnowfin growled. "Failure!"

Wasppaw rushed forward and leaped up, attempting to catch his claws on the feathers, but ultimately failed. He lowered his ears and slumped his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Minnowfin."

"'Sorry' doesn't feed cats!" He snapped.

Stonedust seemed like he wanted to say something, but said nothing.

Minnowfin raged on, "When I was your age, I caught a pheasant without a mentor to show me how to tread on the ground! But you're clumsier than a badger!"

Stonedust remained silent.

Moonpaw spoke up instead. "He's a new apprentice, I don't think you should be expecting him to-"

Minnowfin hissed loud. "You're not his mentor, are you?" He turned around and padded through the undergrowth, his shoulders shoving through the ferns and trampling plants. "Come on, Wasppaw. I'm going to teach you how to fight instead."

Wasppaw skittishly followed.

Moonpaw looked up at her mentor. "Minnowfin isn't normally this moody."

Stonedust stared after where the tom left. "He's just upset about Quietweed."

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. It's not an apprentice's business." He twitched his ear. "You continue hunting. I'll catch up with you after I take your squirrel back to the Clan." Without another word, Stonedust went back on the path following back to their Clan.

Moonpaw blinked and smiled. A solo hunting mission! At least for a little while. She continued on walking toward the gathering cliff. She was grateful that HavenClan always had access to hunting there, as the territory pressed directly against it. She was told by Rubbleflight, an elder, that MortalClan once had the audacity to mark the gathering cliff, despite it not touching any part of their territory.

Moonpaw spotted a seagull, barely hidden by the long fronds. Her blue eyes turned into slits before she darted forward. But she underestimated the distance. She landed a tail-length from the bird. It looked panicked before realizing that the trees blocked the sky. It squawked loud and began to hop through the woods.

Moonpaw smelled the sea-brine as she chased after it. She jumped forward, crashing through the undergrowth barrier onto flat, stoney earth. She looked down to see that she had the struggling seagull in her jaws. She quickly bit down the neck and the struggling ceased.

Then she looked forward to see a sleek black cat sitting on the cliff ahead. She pricked her ears and approached the cat. It took a moment to realize that it was Eveningfern! She set down the bird and meowed, "Eveningfern?"

The she-cat barely turned her head, her amber eyes glinting dim in the dying sunlight. "Hello, Moonpaw."

"What are you doing here?"

She she-cat turned back to the orange ocean, a delicate spray glittering her fur with water droplets. "I'm thinking about killing myself." She answered honestly.

Moonpaw'e eyes widened. Then Eveningfern sat up and bunched up her muscles. She was really going to do it without so much as a goodbye!

Moonpaw immediately lurched forward and tightly gripped her teeth in the she-cat's black scruff. Moonpaw strained under the weight, already feeling sweat drip off her whiskers.

"Drop me, please." Eveningfern said softly.

Moonpaw continued to try and heave her up. The queen hung limp in Moonpaw's jaws. This added more to the weight. The apprentice grunted, feeling the pebbles shift under her paws. She nearly gasped in alarm, the cliff was about to fall apart!

The apprentice suddenly felt an incredibly sharp pain in her scruff. She looked out of the corner of her eye to see a large gray tom, heaving the two up. With almost no effort on his part, he tossed Eveningfern and Moonpaw onto the solid ground before it fell away. Moonpaw and Stonedust were panting.

Without another word, Stonedust gripped hard on Eveningfern and began to drag the numb she-cat through the forest. Moonpaw feebly followed as well. The three cats eventually got back to the Clan. Moonpaw caught a glimpse of Wasppaw licking at bloodied wounds on his pelt. He raised his golden eyes and his pelt spiked up to see his mother covered in dirt.

"Mom!" He shouted in alarm. He began to lick the dirt off her pelt anxiously, like a mother to her kit. "What happened?"

Eveningfern did not respond. She simply stared ahead with blank, orange eyes.

"She tried to kill herself." Whispered Moonpaw, swallowing back tears of despair.

Stonedust continued to drag the she-cat to the medicine den, Seedthorn immediately assisting in pulling her inside.

"W-Why?" Wasppaw asked, fur still fluffed up in alarm.

Moonpaw lowered her head. "I-I'm not sure. I think it had to do with Hazelkit and Nightkit."

Wasppaw held back tears. He raised his head high and proud. "Hazelkit was supposed to become medicine cat. Eveningfern wanted that."

The silver cat pressed close to her golden friend. "I'm sorry, Wasppaw."

He sniffed hard and then looked up at the sky. "I'm going to become medicine cat."

Moonpaw suddenly pulled away, her blue eyes wide in shock. "W-What? But you wanted to be a warrior with all your heart!"

"I know." He turned to the medicine den where Seedthorn was working anxiously. His amber eyes glinted with a strange new glow. "But I need to help her. I can't help her by being a warrior."

"Do you think you can do it?" She glanced at the den. "I wouldn't want to be a medicine cat. That's too much responsibility and studying. I can't dedicate my life to studying. I want to be a warrior, and eventually a deputy, just like Bamboostep."

He blinked and gently smiled. "Then… I guess if you're going to be leader, I'll walk with you every step of the way."

"As I with you." Moonpaw purred. "If you want to be a medicine cat, I'll support you; every step of the way as well."