"The Willow, Part 1: WindClan"

Rated M

Chapter 6: New Beginnings

*Near the ThunderClan/WindClan Border; WindClan Territory*

"And that's the ThunderClan border."

A six-moon-old cat is staring into a dense woodland, her green eyes wide and curious. Branchtail, the she-cat's best friend, had already caught something and gone back to the camp. Now, Barkscratch was talking about borders and whatnot.

"I have a question," Willowpaw mewed when her new mentor took a breath.

Barkscratch blinked. "Yes?"

"Where do the Clans' names come from?"

"What?"

"Like…" Willowpaw struggled for the right words. She nodded to the woodland. "Why's ThunderClan called ThunderClan?" She then nodded to the moor. "Why are we called WindClan?" Finally, she waved her tail at the vast area of the other two territories. "And the others?"

Barkscratch blinked again confusedly. "Well… er… um…"

Willowpaw heaved out a long sigh.

"Well… OK," he mewed. "Here's what I know: the first leaders ever of the four warrior Clans probably bore the names of their Clans."

"You mean such as Windstar, Shadowstar, Thunderstar, and Riverstar?"

"Yes, something like that," Barksratch mewed. "But that's not all I think there is to it."

Willowpaw pricked her ears. Her mentor sat back on his haunches and signaled with his tail for her to do the same.

"You don't?" she asked once she had settled comfortably.

Barkscratch shook his head. "No. Although," he added. "I'm not going to tell you."

Willowpaw just gave him a blank stare.

"See, I've witnessed your intelligence, and heard about it further than what I experienced," he mewed. "You're incredibly smart for your age. Along with regular training, I think you could do with mental exercises. So, you're going to figure out your own question." He licked his paw and ran it over his ear casually.

Willowpaw thought for several heartbeats, then nodded reluctantly.

"OK, so," Barkscratch continued. "What makes each Clan special? What can each one do that the others can't?"

"Well… We live out in the open, on the moor, and we're very fast."

"Good. Now, what does that have to do with our Clan's name?"

"Uh… the wind… is really strong?"

As she spoke the words, an understanding swept through her like wildfire. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "It all makes sense now! RiverClan swims in the lake and rivers so they can hunt and use it to their advantage in battle, ShadowClan uses the shadows to hunt and attack – not to mention the marshes and pines are filled with shadows, and ThunderClan…" She trailed off.

They live beneath trees, she thought. That doesn't have anything to do with thunder. And nothing they do has anything to do with it, as far as I know.

Barkscratch was gazing at her expectantly, but she had no answer to give. She settled on another blank stare.

"OK, I might have been unclear," he mewed. "Even if you're smart, no matter how much you know or think you know, always ask for help if and when you need it."

He paused, and Willowpaw nodded in understanding.

"Have you ever seen lightning strike, Willowpaw?" he asked.

She nodded.

"What did it strike?" he prompted.

"It hit water, then a big, housefolk's pole- I mean, er, Twoleg thing."

"Alright, so it struck something tall the second time. Now, what comes after lightning?"

"Thunder."

Barkscratch gazed at her in silence before everything clicked into place for Willowpaw.

"Oh! Lightning likes to hit tall things, like trees! Thunder comes after lightning, and there are trees in ThunderClan territory!"

Barkscratch purred with approval. "You got it. Thunder could also have something to do with their attack style. They're also very skilled in moving silently among all that undergrowth."

Willowpaw nodded, then cocked her head to one side as another question formed in her head. "Hey, Barkscratch?"

"Yes?"

"How'd you get so smart?"

The question made her mentor laugh out loud. "I've been around for a long time, Willowpaw. I've seen many things, fought in many battles, and caught plenty of prey."

"Well, if you've been around for so long, that means I'm not your first apprentice, right?"

"No, you're my first apprentice."

"Huh?"

Her mentor nodded. "I never really wanted an apprentice when I was younger," he mewed. "I always asked Sunstar not to give me one until I was older and wiser." He rose to his paws and arched his back in a good, long stretch. "Now, we have a lot more to see. So let's-" He suddenly broke off, his eyes fixed on a certain spot, his ears pricked.

Willowpaw was confused. "What-?" she began to ask, but her mentor silenced her with a lash of his tail.

Barkscratch stalked forward slowly, bunched his muscles, and leapt in a huge arc. He landed neatly, and there was a harsh squeak that was cut off quickly.

Willowpaw dashed forward, curiosity making every hair on her pelt stand on end.

Barkscratch turned around with a mouse dangling from his jaws.

She stared at it in slight horror and repulsion, but her mentor didn't seem to notice.

He looked around thoughtfully. "Do you smell that?" he mumbled around his mouse.

Willowpaw blinked. She gave a huge sniff, then coughed and gagged. "Great StarClan! What is that stench?!" she exclaimed.

Barkscratch's eyes shone and he let out a Mrrow of amusement, dropping his mouse. "That would be ThungerClan scent markers," he mewed. "We're right on the edge of the border. Since we're here," he added. "Let's renew our scent markers." He picked up his mouse once more and backed away from the border.

"Setting markers is fairly easy," he muttered around his prey. "All you have to do is-"

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" a voice called from beyond the border in ThunderClan territory.

*Near the Fresh-Kill Pile; WindClan Camp*

"Rabbitclaw!"

Rabbitclaw looked up from sharing tongues with Flowertail. Sunstar padded up to them.

"Did you need something?" mewed Flowertail. "I can go, if you need me to."

Sunstar dipped his head briefly. "No, you don't have to," the WindClan leader replied. "I just wanted to ask how the RiverClan project is going. Did you already send today's help patrol?"

Rabbitclaw nodded and stood up. Ever since RiverClan finally let some Clan help them, the cats working together found the source of the thick, black, poisonous liquid that turned the water rainbow colors – a hard, silver, broken Twoleg thing that had strange, multi-colored vines popping out of it here and there. It was trapped in a ditch by the streams and rivers that run throughout RiverClan. It was half-buried in the sand, so it took quite a while to find.

In the three moons that WindClan had been helping, a patrol would be sent daily, and it had only taken a moon or so to find it and figure out a plan to remove it from the sand and move the thing somewhere else. Once they had dug it up, they had dragged and pushed it right up to the outskirts of Twolegplace, where the Twolegs eventually got rid of it.

For the rest of the time, WindClan had been catching and bringing prey to RiverClan during leaf-bare until the fish came back.

Now that it was newleaf, the patrols Rabbitclaw had been sending were being needed less and less. Pretty soon, RiverClan would be able to survive on their own once more.

"Yes," Rabbitclaw replied to Sunstar. "I sent it out after Branchtail and Willowpaw's ceremonies were over. I sent Redlily, Blizzardpelt, Swiftear, and Nightfur. We all discussed it, and we think today should be the last day patrols are sent out to RiverClan."

Sunstar bristled. "And you decided this without consulting me?" he demanded.

Rabbitclaw felt the urge to flinch, but for some reason, he felt like he didn't have to.

It should have been obvious to Sunstar.

"Sunstar," Rabbitclaw meowed, struggling to keep calm, his fur flat, and his voice steady. "Your cats are tired of going into RiverClan. They hate it there! They've done enough work, and they're needed here for patrols and hunting."

"What about RiverClan?" Sunstar snarled. "They need food as well!"

"Sunstar," the WindClan deputy mewed more gently. "RiverClan will be fine. It's newleaf; their fish are coming back." He blinked. "We need our warriors within our own borders anyway," he continued. "For keeping our territory safe and for hunting prey."

Sunstar's eyes were clouded, and Rabbitclaw rested his tail tip on his leader's shoulder. "What's the matter, Sunstar?" he asked. "You're not usually like this, even when another Clan needs help."

His leader slowly raised his head to look at Rabbitclaw, and he was surprised to find grief in the yellow tom's eyes.

"Rushingpaw…" he muttered.

Rabbitclaw's eyes widened in shock. "That wasn't your fault!" he hissed. "It was Rosethorn's!"

"Yes, but I'm responsible for my warriors, and Rosethorn never paid for her crime."

"Yes, she did! She died! She was killed by Oatstorm!"

"She went to StarClan," Sunstar corrected.

"It's the same thing, Sunstar. Cats die or are killed, and they go to StarClan. But Rosethorn did pay for what she did. A life for a life isn't exactly what I would have done, but that's how it happened."

"I can't help but feel responsible," Sunstar mumbled.

"I felt that way, too, for a while. But then I realized that there wasn't anything I could've done differently to prevent what happened. So, I prayed to StarClan to help me through it. I couldn't let my personal feelings get in the way of being the deputy my Clan needed me to be."

Rabbitclaw reached out with a paw and rested it on his leader's shoulder in lieu of his tail.

"No cat blames us for caring," he continued. "However, we're the leaders of our Clan. We must put them first."

Sunstar let out a weary sigh. "Now I remember why I named you my deputy," he murmured.

Rabbitclaw let out a purr. "'Cause I won't let you boss me around?"

"Because you keep me in check." Sunstar dipped his head. "Thank you for the advice. I'll let you get back to Flowertail." He padded away towards his den, probably to rest.

As Rabbitclaw nestled back down next to his mate, he thought about what he and his leader had talked about.

"I never knew Sunstar felt that way," mewed Flowertail as she started to groom his ears. "Or you."

"Yeah, I used to feel that way," Rabbitclaw replied. "But I never knew Sunstar felt the same."

"Well, I think you set him straight. You're doing the right thing, ending the patrols today."

I really hope so, Rabbitclaw thought to himself. I doubt it would happen, but what if Sunstar's worst fears come true? What if I'm wrong about all of this, RiverClan doesn't make it, and Rushingpaw, Rosethorn, and Oatstorm's deaths were for nothing? They seem to have died just so we could come to an agreement to help RiverClan!

*Near the ThunderClan/WindClan Border; WindClan Territory*

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Willowpaw and Barkscratch blinked in unison as a ThunderClan patrol came crashing through the undergrowth.

"Hello!" Barkscratch called, a friendly tone in his voice.

In the patrol, there were three toms and a she-cat. Willowpaw had never seen cats from another Clan before, so she didn't know who they were or their names.

The biggest of the three toms was a russet-colored tabby with black paws and tail tip.

The two other toms had similar fur colored, they could have been related. One was a light smoky grey color and the other had a darker grey pelt.

The she-cat was a light brown ginger.

"Don't try to be friendly, Barkscratch," the she-cat hissed.

Suddenly, Willowpaw noticed a small grey and white shape behind the big red tom.

Barkscratch seemed to notice as well. "Who have you got there, Foxclaw?"

Since the tom he spoke to looked like a fox, Willowpaw figured that was Foxclaw.

Foxclaw snarled and moved out of the way to reveal a small she-cat, no bigger than Willowpaw. "This is a ShadowClan apprentice who we found on our land," the big red tom hissed. "There was another apprentice with her, but she got away."

Barkscratch gasped. "Why is she with you then? Why didn't you just chase her off your territory? She barely looks like a full-grown kit!"

"The Code says we can challenge any strange cat found on our territory," the darker grey tom spoke up. "Eaglestar said that we can take them back to our camp for questioning as well."

"Besides," the she-cat growled. "She isn't a kit. She told us her name was Stonepaw."

The tiny apprentice let out a snarl of rage, the amount of anger behind it betraying her age. "You won't get away with taking me prisoner," she hissed to her captors. "My Clan knows I've been captured. They'll come for me with no good intentions for ThunderClan, and then you might have a war on your paws."

"You know," Barkscratch mewed thoughtfully. "The little scrap may be right. Come now, Sharpthorn, Foxclaw, Pinebranch, Greyshadow." He nodded to each cat he spoke to. Sharpthorn was the ginger she-cat, Pinebranch was the smoky grey tom, and Greyshadow was the darker grey tom. "Just let her go. She's a new apprentice, like Willowpaw here. She probably didn't even realize she crossed the border."

Stonepaw's hostile look was replaced by one of interest. "It's your first time out of camp, too?"

Willowpaw suddenly found it impossible to make her voice work, so she just settled on nodding. There was something about the ShadowClan apprentice that made her throat dry. She couldn't take her eyes off of the fiery, beautiful tortoiseshell. Her heart was beating so hard and fast, she was surprised no cat could hear it.

Meanwhile, the ThunderClan warriors looked as if they were rethinking their decision. They huddled in a tight little ball of multi-colored fur, apparently trying to figure out what to do. Eventually, they all nodded and dispersed.

"Fine," mewed Foxclaw. "You can go back to your territory, Stonepaw. But go now, run fast, and make sure this never happens again." He bared his teeth for extra emphasis, and the little apprentice – not needing to be told twice – sprinted away into the shelter of the trees. She ran in the direction the patrol came, towards the ShadowClan border.

"Now back to you two," Greyshadow snarled.

"Right," hissed Pinebranch. "Since when do WindClan hunt mice near ThunderClan territory?" Their hostile glares were sparkling with suspicion.

Willowpaw bristled. They were accusing her mentor of trespassing! That's completely hare-brained!

Barkscratch was obviously having a hard time keeping himself calm. "I didn't cross your border," he meowed evenly. "I caught the mouse near it, in our territory."

"A likely story!" hissed Foxclaw. "How do we know you didn't cross the border with your scent disguised?"

"How do you know he did?" Willowpaw found herself spitting. "Honestly, do you think WindClan would do anything to piss ThunderClan off right in the beginning of newleaf?" The words just kept tumbling out of her. "Don't you stupid furballs have something better to do than snatching up lost apprentices and having border skirmishes with two measly WindClan cats – one whom just became an apprentice – like hunting for your Clan?"

"Willowpaw, that's enough!" Barkscratch snapped.

"No, this is ridiculous!" the young apprentice screeched. "What are we supposed to do, stay away from the ThunderClan border? We all have to watch, mark, and hunt on each other's borders."

Before she could continue, Barkscratch gave her a hard cuff over the ears. "I said that's enough!"

"Wait a minute, Barkscratch," Foxclaw meowed. "Despite your apprentice's dirty mouth and the ability to shut her jaws, she has a point." He dipped his head while Barkscratch and Willowpaw stared at him incredulously. "We're leaving now to hunt," Foxclaw ordered. "Come on."

"But, Foxclaw-" Sharpthorn dared to protest.

"I said now!" the big red warrior interrupted. "I'm leading this patrol, and that means I make the decisions! We are leaving now to hunt."

Sharpthorn defeatedly hung her head, the defiance burned out of her eyes. Then she snapped it up suddenly. "Next time, if we know you crossed our borders, we'll shred you!"

The ThunderClan patrol ran deeper into the forest, and the two WindClan cats watched until they disappeared into the trees.

Mentor and apprentice slowly turned to look at each other, then burst out together laughing.

"That was amazing!" Barkscratch puffed out. "I would've never guess in a thousand seasons that they would actually listen to us!"

"Me neither!" Willowpaw laughed.

They both sighed contently after their fits of laughter. Then Barkscratch picked up his mouse, set it down well away from the border, and scraped earth over it.

"We'll come back for the prey later," he announced. "For now, let's renew these scent markers and look at the rest of the territory."

"OK."

*The Moonpool*

"Wingedpaw," a medicine cat was meowing to her apprentice. "Do you promise to separate yourself from the Code of Warriors, uphold the Medicine Cat Code, speak with StarClan, interpret omens, and guide and heal your Clanmates, even at the cost of your life?"

Leafstem and Wingedpaw were surrounded by their fellow medicine cats: Bristleheart and Blackpaw of ThunderClan, Brownthroat of ShadowClan, and Sparrowflight and Rookbeak of RiverClan. All of them were sitting around the starlit Moonpool.

"I do." Wingedpaw's voice came out softly but strongly.

"Then I say these words before StarClan, who I believe know that you are ready to be a full medicine cat. Wingedpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Wingedheart." Leafstem raised her tail before the other medicine cats could break into the usual cheers.

"I named you for your heart because out of all the cats in our Clan besides Rabbitclaw, his patrol, Flowertail, Sunstar, and myself, you were the most willing to accept Willowpaw into WindClan. When I pass, kindness and compassion will be your greatest asset in being the only medicine cat for our Clan."

"Wingedheart! Wingedheart! Wingedheart!"

She sheepishly ducked her head, but in spite of her embarrassment, Leafstem saw her chest puff out a little in pride.

Wingedheart will be a good medicine cat, Leafstem thought as she and the other medicine cats touched their noses to the freezing water of the star-filled Moonpool. But we'll work together for many seasons, before I take my place among the ranks of StarClan.

She suddenly heard the prophecy of The Willow echo around in her head, as she had been hearing it for almost six moons.

Oh, StarClan! she prayed desperately as she felt her eyes drift shut. Will WindClan and the rest of the Clans be able to deal with this new prophecy as well as Wingedheart and I have?


End.