So sorry! I know this should've been done sometime back in December. Been caught up with school and stuff. :( I've had half of this chapter sitting in my files for months and now I've finally gotten around to finishing it. Again, I apologize for the wait. Without further ado, here you are!
At long last Hareheart and Fishreek stood before the grand territory of MeadowClan, pausing to drink in the familiar sights and scents. With a pang, Hareheart recalled that the last time he had been here, Thornhide had stood beside him, taking in the view with blue eyes full of awe. He glanced at Fishreek and saw that she too seemed to be remembering this moment. It really hadn't been that long, yet for Hareheart it felt like many seasons had passed since he last stood here. With a sigh, he ventured forwards in an attempt to forget his thoughts. Fishreek was soon padding after him.
A gentle wind ruffled his fur, bringing excitement into his veins. Since the moment Petalbreeze had mentioned MeadowClan to him, Hareheart had anticipated what was just ahead of him now. A new life, full of hope and kindness lay just beyond a few hills. No more misery and humiliation. Soon the huge tree he had seen earlier loomed nearby. The sight of it brought a rush of energy as he gradually broke into a dash. Fishreek was pelting alongside him, a light shining in her eyes once more. Hareheart sniffed the air as he ran. There was only a whiff of blood that he could smell; probably left over from when the camp had been ambushed.
By my own Clan. Hareheart winced at this thought, and for the first time he felt a twinge of doubt. How would MeadowClan accept him when he belonged to such a savage Clan?
By then the two siblings had reached the entrance of the camp, and Hareheart was forced to forget his doubts for the moment and simply hope for the best. He faced Fishreek and met her solemn gaze. After a moment, they both nodded in silent agreement and headed inside, ready to face the prospect of a new life.
They entered to see the reconstruction of the camp from the attack at hand. Cats were tending to the dens and the barrier of the camp, filling the numerous holes with moss and twigs. Hareheart was surprised to see the teamwork and organization that was taking place; some cats were carrying supplies to others that were stationed near damaged areas, who then applied them carefully and effectively. He noticed that most of the cats had grievous wounds displayed upon them, yet they worked with admirable determination and effort despite the pain they may be experiencing. The whole situation was so new and strange to Hareheart. He suddenly felt uncomfortable just standing there watching.
Just then a patrol of three cats approached the entrance, all bearing gashes across their pelts. As they passed by, the three cats sent them puzzled looks, but they said nothing. Hareheart was about to suggest to Fishreek that they should move, when a voice sounded from the other end of the camp.
"Hareheart, Fishreek!" Embarrassed by the use of their horrendous names with some many unfamiliar pairs of ears nearby, Hareheart turned to the face the direction of the voice. The embarrassment soon faded to relief when he saw Petalbreeze darting towards them. As she came closer, Hareheart cringed when he saw the scarlet claw marks stretched across her face. The image of Snowstar whipping around and unexpectedly raking her claws into Petalbreeze flashed before his eyes. Hareheart fought hard to keep his expression calm. Glancing to his side, he noticed Fishreek's expression harden as she too made note of the grievous injury.
"What happened; where's Thornhide?" Petalbreeze questioned as she skidded to a halt before them. Hareheart felt a stab of the sorrow he had attempted to keep at bay as he remembered that as far as she knew, Thornhide was still alive. He gazed into her familiar blue eyes full of innocent curiosity. The last thing he wanted to do was to return the feelings of anguish and hurt she had likely struggled with after Snowstar had struck her.
Hareheart and Fishreek exchanged uneasy glances, their hesitation hanging thick in the air. Petalbreeze seemed to detect this, as a flash of anguish glazed over her eyes, and she lowered her head.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. Without thinking, Hareheart pressed against her flank in an attempt to comfort her. As they quietly mourned for the loss of Thornhide, Hareheart's fur prickled as he sensed that this moment wasn't passing entirely unnoticed. He stepped back to see several MeadowClan cats staring in bewilderment. Uncomfortable, Hareheart looked down at his paws.
"I'll go speak with the Clan leader about allowing you to join, all right?" Petalbreeze offered lightly. From the corner of his eye, Hareheart watched her disappear into a gaping hole inside the tree towering over the camp.
Unsure of what to do, Hareheart lifted his gaze to see that even more cats were looking at Fishreek and him now. He felt his fur bristle along his spine apprehensively as whispers carried to his pricked ears. Instinctively, he fell into submission, lowering himself to the ground with his ears tucked back. He observed that Fishreek hadn't felt the same impulse; she stood tall and gazed defiantly at a brown she-cat in the crowd, who instantly looked away.
After a few uncomfortable moments, a yellow tabby tom broke apart from the others and padded towards them. Hareheart started to back away, but when he saw that the tom's amber eyes were focused on Fishreek, he shrugged off his submission methods and stood beside his sister in an act of instinctive protection. She sent him a look, and he nodded and pressed against her affectionately. Although he was sure that this tom meant no harm, he could not afford to lose his other sister.
The approaching tom halted beside them, placing a sheathed paw upon Fishreek's shoulder.
"Calm your fury; you will receive no harm here." His voice was low and reassuring. "Petalbreeze has explained everything to us."
Fishreek seemed unconvinced. "Then why are we not receiving a warm welcome?" she demanded, her eyes alight with flame, yet Hareheart could see that behind her burning anger, a great sorrow existed, and he realized that her short temper was resulting from Thornhide's death.
The tom gave a heavy sigh and met her eyes with his clear, cool ones, causing her to calm down slightly. "You two, while subjects of unruly punishment and shame, still represent your Clan, which, as you know only too well, has recently launched an unexpected attack upon our Clan." The tom flicked his tail towards the MeadowClan cats watching nearby. "It is only natural that you would be greeted with suspicion and curiosity, especially when you appeared at the scene."
Fishreek's anger appeared to deflate as his words sunk in, and Hareheart couldn't help but take notice of a fresh wound stretched across the tom's face, a sign that he had been pained greatly by Hareheart's own Clan. Just then, Petalbreeze emerged from within the enormous tree, followed by a lithe, light brown she-cat with pale green eyes. She too bore claw marks all across her pelt, yet she seemed unhindered by them.
"Greetings, I am Violetstar," the she-cat informed them. She then gestured towards the yellow tabby tom. "This is Reefwind, my deputy."
Reefwind dipped his head in response.
"Hareheart, Fishreek, I would like to speak with you two in private," Violetstar announced, turning back towards the tree. She started back inside, gesturing with her tail for them to follow her. Hareheart couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at the thought of entering the leader's den with only his sister. He turned to Petalbreeze to see her nodding her approval. The sight reassured him, and without any more hesitation Hareheart stepped inside.
He entered a small room with Fishreek at his side. He breathed in the smell of fresh pine as he cast his gaze around the area. The ceiling was low, nearly directly overhead. Roots created the walls that surrounded him. He felt encased for some reason; like he had been led into some sort of trap, but he forced himself to swallow this feeling and settle down on the ground.
"I will be calling a meeting shortly," Violetstar began, sitting down with her thick tail covering her paws. "For I have decided that you two may join my Clan."
Hareheart's ears shot up in surprise. He turned to Fishreek to see her eyes dancing with delight.
"However, since you two come from a Clan with such different customs, it will take you some time to adjust. Therefore I will be bringing you both into the Clan as apprentices. Your mentors will be announced at the meeting."
"…Mentors?" Hareheart asked timidly, curious.
Violetstar paused a moment, as if searching her mind for an answer. "Ah, yes," she said after a few moments. "I believe they are somewhat similar to what you would call masters?"
The very word sent chills up Hareheart's spine. He heard Fishreek emit a low growl beside him.
"Yet I will have you know," Violetstar continued, in no way affected by their reaction. "Instead of teaching with violence and shame, as your masters are known to, our mentors teach with love and admiration. They carefully observe the positive and negative qualities in their apprentices, and seek to improve their flaws so that one day they may become a full-fledged warrior." When she laid her tail on Hareheart's shoulder, he just barely managed to resist the impulse to leap backwards. "I understand that it will take some time for you and your sister to become used to our ways."
He nodded in agreement as the light brown leader lifted her tail from him.
"There is one more matter to discuss," Violetstar said a-matter-a-factly. "Your CreviceClan names."
Hareheart's ears perked up in interest. What did she mean?
"I think it is time you shed your horrid names given by your birth Clan, if that is all right with you, of course."
If it is all right? The very idea is more than all right! Fishreek seemed to share the same feelings, as she cried out, "Of course, that would be wonderful."
Violetstar gave a slight smile. "In that case, I will present your new apprentice names at the ceremony."
Just then Hareheart realized that he had been forgetting about something. "Wait, can you change our sister's name too? She passed away just this morning." As soon as it was out, Hareheart shrunk back, surprised by his own boldness.
Something flashed from deep within Violetstar's green eyes, but it faded in a matter of seconds. "Why yes, I can. And what would your sister's name be?"
"Thornhide," Fishreek replied swiftly before Hareheart could even open his muzzle to speak.
"I see, well now, unless you have any questions right now, I will go outside to begin the meeting." Violetstar meowed.
So many questions swarmed inside him, but Hareheart instead found himself unable to speak. Of course, Fishreek found the strength to ask instead.
"Yes, are you entirely sure that everyone will welcome us with kindness despite our past?"
Violetstar let out a sigh. "Well, I cannot guarantee that; everyone has their own unique personalities. However, I can promise you that no one here will go to the extremes that your Clan has been known to do quite too often."
Fishreek nodded, satisfied.
"Very well," Violetstar meowed. "Just remember this: loyalty to the Clan is the key, and that key can only be obtained when the stars are audible." Before Hareheart could decipher this, the light brown leader was heading out of the tree, and he found his paws padding after her. He and Fishreek exchanged glances that both shared the same question: What was that?
Soon the thought was momentarily tossed aside as Hareheart witnessed Violetstar leap onto a low branch and address her Clan.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting."
Within moments the cats of MeadowClan had gathered beneath the Highbranch and were looking upwards at their leader. Hareheart and Fishreek quickly followed, sitting down at the edge of the crowd.
"I would like to announce that we will be welcoming two more members into our Clan." There were a few cheers, but most simply turned to stare with eyes full of curiosity at Hareheart and Fishreek. Hareheart felt his fur twitch slightly, but he managed to keep his submission instincts under control.
"However, I feel it is necessary to inform you all that these two new members are from CreviceClan. Do not fear though, for our two newest members were treated as slaves in their birth Clan. They have gone through much, so I would simply like to ask that you will approach them with respect and generosity. Are there any objections to these two joining our Clan?"
From formal air the last phrase contained, Hareheart assumed that this was a customary addition when welcoming foreign cats into the Clan. Fortunately, it was met with utter silence, which allowed for Hareheart to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Very well. Now, before I officially welcome Hareheart and Fishreek into the Clan, it has been decided that I shall change their names before the eyes of StarClan."
The eyes of StarClan? What is this "StarClan?" Hareheart wondered briefly.
"Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name," Violetstar meowed, her gaze now focused intensely on the sky above her. "I ask you now to take away the names from the two cats that you see before you, for it no longer stands for what they are. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give these cats new names. From this moment on, they will be known as Harepaw and Fishpaw. We honor their spirit and independence." Harepaw followed his leader's gaze to the sky, although he was unsure why. He felt an unfamiliar feeling surging from within him: freedom. Freedom to live without feeling embarrassed when his name was called. Freedom to forget where his was from and to live in the now. How sweet it felt.
Harepaw was jerked back into reality as Violetstar continued. "Also, may I ask, great spirits of StarClan, if you can give the sister of these two cats, currently known as Thornhide, a new name as well. From this moment on, she will be known as Thornpaw. May you guide her towards arriving safely in StarClan."
Harepaw nodded solemnly. Of course she hadn't forgotten to change his sister's name as well. He now felt slightly better about her death; at least she didn't have to take her horrendous CreviceClan name with her into the afterlife. But still, it sounded like StarClan was MeadowClan's place for the afterlife. What was it like there? Was it better than the Dark Forest, where the cats of CreviceClan were condemned after death for having failed their Clan?
"These newcomers will be brought in as apprentices so they can learn our ways. Breezepelt," Violetstar stated, her gaze now fixed on a small, wispy, silver tom. "You are a wise and loyal warrior. May you pass down all you know to Harepaw." Breezepelt stepped forward and touched noses with Harepaw, an act he was entirely unprepared for. However, when he made contact with the dark blue eyes of his mentor, he saw signs of hidden misery and grief. Something he could relate to.
"Sorreltail, you are a skilled and loyal warrior. May you pass down all your knowledge to Fishpaw."
A smoky gray she-cat with bright yellow eyes padded towards Fishpaw and touched noses with her. There was a pause, and then Violetstar finished with, "Please welcome Harepaw and Fishpaw as our newest members of the Clan."