Heronpaw saw a shiver run up Dawnpaw's spine as the pale apprentice took the warrior's oath.
That will be me soon. Heronpaw thought to himself. He barely suppressed a shiver of his own. He watched as Dawnpaw was given the mark of a warrior and stripped of his name.
"I ask StarClan now to grant this cat a name fit for a warrior of CedarClan."
The Clan collectively held its breath. Heronpaw knew there were those among the crowd that would prefer if the cat before them remained nameless, but Heronpaw was confident that would not happen.
He still wilted a little from relief when Blizzardstar opened his mouth next to speak.
"From this moment you will be known as Dawnheart. StarClan honors your optimism and unbreakable spirit. We welcome you as a full warrior of CedarClan."
Blizzardstar rested his muzzle on Dawnheart's head. Dawnheart licked his leader's shoulder, his whole body trembling again. The two newly named warriors stood shoulder to shoulder and turned to face their Clan. Before any cat could cheer however, Slatefang opened his own jaws and yowled in a firm, resounding voice "Dawnheart! Dawnheart! Dawnheart!" Heronpaw added his own voice to the chant, as did Kestrelfeather and many others.
Dawnheart looked happier than Heronpaw had ever seen him. The new warrior's eyes were shining as he looked around at his Clanmates. Slatefang turned to Dawnheart and swiped his tongue over his friend's ear in an affectionate gesture. Dawnheart softly head-butted Slatefang in return.
"Congratulations!" Spottedfur bounded forward and began covering their ears in licks.
"I'm so proud of you!" she purred, loud enough for Heronpaw to hear over the cheers. Dawnheart happily nuzzled the old speckled cat. Slatefang flattened his ears in embarrassment but licked Spottedfur on the shoulder nonetheless.
The cheers for the new warriors went on for a bit until finally they died down. More cats moved in on the new warriors to congratulate them. Spottedfur stood at their side, her tail in the air and her chest puffed out like a proud mother goose showing off her goslings. Heronpaw hung back, waiting for his turn.
As the cheers and congratulations died down, Blizzardstar's voice rang out again.
"All warriors and apprentices report to Whiteshade for duties. The Clan meeting is now over." With that Blizzardstar leapt down from his perch and disappeared into his den.
Warriors and apprentices alike stood up and made their way to the Clan deputy. Heronpaw and Kestrelfeather padded over to the group together. The warriors all stood in a ring around Whiteshade. When every cat was present, Whiteshade started to speak.
"First things first, congratulations to our new warriors." He gestured a white paw to Slatefang and Dawnheart. They both nodded respectfully at their deputy. Heronpaw was pleased to hear an agreeable murmur go around the group.
"Any cat who is still recovering from battle can opt out of patrols for the day." Whiteshade said.
Cherrynose and Elkheart both rose to their paws and made their way back to the warrior's den. Cherrynose was limping and Elkheart still had a bloody cobweb patch on his shoulder.
"Falconstorm, I need your patrol to check that there are no rogue scents on our land." Whiteshade continued. "And Plumleaf needs a volunteer to lead a trade envoy to PineClan and WillowClan to bring the first of the flowers."
"I volunteer." Kestrelfeather called out.
Heronpaw felt a thrill of excitement. He had never been part of a trade envoy before. At the beginning of leaf-fall every year, the four Clans around the lake began to trade items of great importance. CedarClan land was home to yellow and purple violets that leaders used to make ceremonial dyes and paints. PineClan to the northwest grew bright red berries for the same purpose. WillowClan, CedarClan's neighbors to the southwest, supplied the Clans with catmint, a precious herb that medicine cats used to treat deadly greencough. AlderClan, the cats across the lake, spent the warmer months drying and cleaning the pelts of prey animals for the extra warmth they provided during the harsh cold of leaf-bare.
Heronpaw had been taught all of this at the beginning of his training to be a warrior, but he had been only a kit last leaf-bare. He had never taken part in the Great Trade.
"Good." Whiteshade grunted. "You should take two cats with you and leave when the sun breaks the tree line."
Kestrelfeather took one scrutinizing look at his fellow warriors.
"Dawnheart. You are with me today." He decided.
Slatefang and Dawnheart exchanged a quick look. Slatefang stepped up. "May I join you, Kestrelfeather?"
Kestrelfeather gave a tiny eye roll. "I should have known you would want your first warrior outing to be together."
Dawnheart looked sheepish but Slatefang showed no chagrin.
Kestrelfeather sighed. "Oh alright. We leave soon so don't wander off." he turned and met Runningriver, a silver and white tabby she-cat, as she made her way to the fresh-kill pile. She greeted him with a soft touch of her tail.
Heronpaw stood kneading the ground with his paws. He wanted to go now but Whiteshade had ordered them to wait. He checked on the position of the sun. It wouldn't be too long before the sun was completely above the tree line. He looked around, trying to find something to do to pass the time.
As if summoned by his thoughts, Hawkpaw and Crowpaw came bounding through the fern tunnel, each carrying fresh-kill and followed by their mentors. Heronpaw waved his tail at them and they waved back. He padded over to a nice spot near the apprentice's den and sat, waiting.
His brothers flopped down next to him, each carrying a small finch. Before Heronpaw could speak, Hawkpaw spat his bird out of his mouth with a look of indignation. He opened his jaws and took a deep breath. Almost instantly he fell into a coughing fit. Heronpaw looked down at his choking littermate, then back up to Crowpaw. Crowpaw's solid black ears drooped and he shook his head.
"Did you swallow a feather again?" Crowpaw said in a flat tone. Hawkpaw continued to hack and cough and did not reply.
Heronpaw purred. "At least we are saved from the rant that was coming."
The sound of coughing turned indignant.
Crowpaw grunted in agreement, sinking his teeth into his own catch.
"How was the dawn patrol?" Heronpaw said.
Crowpaw chewed slowly and swallowed. He opened his mouth to respond but Hawkpaw had finally emerged from his coughing fit.
"It was terrible." He choked. "Swiftwing told me I did everything wrong. I looked bad because Talonscore wouldn't stop talking about Crowpaw like he's some sort of magic flying mouse."
"No, you looked bad because you insisted on using a bird stalking technique on a rabbit." Crowpaw retorted.
Hawkpaw responded by burying his face in his finch.
"Then you swore you smelled PineClan scent in a hole and tried to crawl in." Crowpaw gave Heronpaw an exasperated look. "It was a badger."
Heronpaw couldn't suppress his mrrow of laughter. "Why are you a magic mouse? What did you do?"
Crowpaw shrugged. He was avoiding looking at Heronpaw's face. "It wasn't anything special. I chased a squirrel up a tree and then jumped down."
Hawkpaw made a choking sound and emerged from his finch.
"You did a back-flip." He protested. "And your stupid squirrel fell on my head."
Heronpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement at Hawkpaw's exasperated expression. Crowpaw just shrugged again and didn't say anything.
"That does sound magical." Heronpaw purred.
Hawkpaw shot them an angry look from behind the mask of feathers that was his breakfast.
"What's wrong with you? You seem distracted lately." Heronpaw poked his brother with a forepaw. He remembered an event a quarter-moon ago when Hawkpaw had slammed face-first into a tree because he misjudged where the entrance tunnel was.
Hawkpaw's tail was thrashing. He swallowed his enormous mouthful of finch in one gulp so he could speak. His gray eyes grew huge and began watering as the mouthful struggled to go down his throat. Crowpaw gave his brother a disgusted look.
He gave Hawkpaw's tabby shoulders a firm thumping. "For StarClan's sake, get it together Hawkpaw." After another short coughing fit, Hawkpaw was finally able to speak. He didn't even bother to breathe before explaining himself.
"It's the pressure." He gasped. His eyes were gleaming with anticipation and awe, as though he found the prospect of pressure exciting. "Blizzardstar, Falconstorm, and our mentors have been watching our every move. If we fail to impress, we will never be warriors." He took another enormous bite of finch.
Heronpaw and Crowpaw flinched at the mention of their father.
"Who cares what Falconstorm thinks?" Crowpaw said coldly.
Hawkpaw rolled his eyes. "He's a senior warrior and our father. If he doesn't think we can be warriors we never will be."
"I guess you'll be the only elder whose name still ends in 'paw', then." Crowpaw said. He twitched his whiskers, dislodging a small downy feather.
Without retorting, Hawkpaw hooked a bloody piece of his finch on a foreclaw and flung it at Crowpaw's face. The morsel hit Crowpaw with a squelch. Crowpaw spat angrily, trying to rub the blood off of his black fur.
Heronpaw ducked his head and flattened his ears, expecting more flying entrails.
"Stop that. Ferntail would have our pelts if we were walking around camp looking like pieces of fresh kill." He hissed.
Crowpaw looked at Heronpaw with unblinking eyes and slowly lowered his forepaw. An incriminating piece of finch was dangling from his claws. Hawkpaw bared his teeth in a triumphant smirk. Crowpaw just glared at him.
"By the way, you missed the ceremony." Heronpaw added. His brothers looked at him, forgetting their quarrel.
Hawkpaw flattened his ears. "Seriously? I hate the dawn patrol. I missed Cherrynose's ceremony because of one too."
"Did any cat argue this time?" Crowpaw asked.
Heronpaw shook his head. "No, thank StarClan. Cloudpelt and Brushfire will have to accept Dawnheart now."
"I still don't get why they're angry in the first place." Crowpaw flattened one ear in confusion. "If StarClan gave him his warrior name, doesn't that mean they approve?"
Heronpaw shrugged. "That's what I thought too."
Crowpaw and Hawkpaw went back to their meals. Heronpaw chanced a glance at the sun. It had hardly moved. With a sigh, he flexed his claws in and out, tearing up ferns as he did so.
He thought about saying something else to his brothers, but changed his mind. He simply rose to his paws and stretched.
"See you later." He said.
"Sure." Hawkpaw muttered. Crowpaw just grunted.
Heronpaw padded over to where Slatefang and Dawnheart were standing. The crowd of well-wishers had dispersed finally, so Heronpaw could properly congratulate his friends.
"Congratulations!" He purred when he was close enough. He leaned forward and touched Dawnheart's nose with his own.
"Thank you." Dawnheart meowed. His eyes were still shining. "It means a lot."
"Of course! You're my Clanmate." Heronpaw said firmly.
"Looks like it's almost time to go." Dawnheart remarked, looking up to where the sun had finally risen above the tree line. Heronpaw couldn't help but give a little skip. Finally!
Kestrelfeather appeared a moment later. His jaws were bursting with bundles of bright yellow and purple flowers.
"Ready?" asked Kestrelfeather after he had set down his bundle of flowers. All three cats nodded. "Let's have our new warriors do the honor of carrying the cargo."
Dawnheart and Slatefang divided the pile and filled their jaws carefully.
"Alright, let's go." Kestrelfeather said briskly.
He led the way to the fern tunnel. The rest of the patrol followed
"Glad to have you two in the warrior's den where you belong." Kestrelfeather purred over his shoulder at his new denmates.
Neither new warrior could respond. Their jaws were too full, and they had to be careful not to puncture the delicate petals.
As the cats approached the fern tunnel Kestrelfeather waved his tail and his patrol fell in behind him. Heronpaw took his place at Kestrelfeather's heels.
Heronpaw opened his jaws and breathed in the fresh forest air. Even though the sun had been up for quite a while, Heronpaw could still taste a chill. Leaf fall was here. Prey would soon burrow down for the cold season. Food would become scarce and the undergrowth would die. Heronpaw held comfort in knowing his Clan was strong and ready for the coming snow.
CedarClan didn't mind leaf fall as much as cats from other Clans did. Their forest was thick with evergreens which did not have leaves to shed. There were other trees here too, like oaks and maples, but cedars dominated the landscape. Their wide, flat needles stayed green during every season. Heronpaw liked the way the cedar's needles created a canopy above his head. It always felt safe and quiet in his forest.
Kestrelfeather led his patrol through the trees. After weaving in and out of closely knit trunks, the ground slowly began to slope downward and the cats began to run. Fewer trees and more undergrowth began appearing. Ferns spread their tendrils over the stony ground. Bright green mosses covered almost every surface. The light here was green and soft. Heronpaw kept his mouth open, letting all of the familiar scents pass over his tongue. The smell of soft needles and dew laden ferns surrounded him.
This was home, familiar and friendly.
Heronpaw watched the green scenery flash by as he ran. As the trees came and went, he had his ears pricked and his eyes on the lookout for anything unusual. An unfamiliar white shape between two trees distracted Heronpaw momentarily. He thought to himself how strange it was for a dove to be this far under the canopy. He let his mind dwell on the strange sighting until he ran straight into Kestrelfeather. His mentor had inexplicably stopped.
"Watch where you're going, Heronpaw." Kestrelfeather meowed after he regained his balance.
"Sorry." Heronpaw felt his ears flush with heat. "Why'd we stop?"
"Can you smell anything strange?" Kestrelfeather encouraged his apprentice. Heronpaw noticed that every cat's eyes were on him. He quickly dropped his jaw and drew air over his scent glands.
"There might be a PineClan scent." He concluded after a moment. Kestrelfeather nodded.
"That's what I thought too. Heronpaw, I'd like you to go investigate. Stay low and out of sight. The scent is faint and stale, but you can't be too careful. When you're done, meet us at the riverbank."
Heronpaw stood straighter. A mission! His mentor must want to evaluate his tracking skills.
"I won't let you down, Kestrelfeather." Heronpaw said. Kestrelfeather nodded and then signaled the rest of the patrol with his tail. Dawnheart gave Heronpaw a friendly wave of his tail as if to say 'good luck' before vanishing into the undergrowth.
Heronpaw focused and began padding quickly through the growth, his mouth held open to better scent underneath the wet leaves. The smell of the rival Clan was faint and hard to detect among the pungent fern fronds, but Heronpaw was determined. He followed the traces for several tree-lengths, all the while nearing the PineClan border.
It was strange to smell another Clan's scent on his land. It was against the warrior code for a cat to trespass onto land that wasn't their own, and relations between Clans had been peaceful for many moons. There wasn't a good reason for PineClan scent to be here, but Heronpaw followed it all the same. He couldn't let Kestrelfeather down.
After a while he lost the trail. He spun in circles, trying to find it again. As he inspected a tuft of dark fur caught on a stick, a sudden, deep, calm voice made him jump.
"Careful now, apprentice."
Heronpaw looked up to see a patrol of Pineclan cats standing just a fox-length away. The patrol was fairly small; two warriors and an apprentice. The one who had spoken, an intimidating looking long-haired ginger tom, gestured to a moss-covered rock just a tail-length from where Heronpaw was standing.
Heronpaw recognized it as a border marker. He took a step back, embarrassed that he had come so close to trespassing.
"Sorry." he mumbled.
The ginger tom shrugged. He had a snaggle tooth that gave him a wild air, but there had been no aggression in his voice when he called out.
"No need." he said with a wave of his tail.
The other warrior, a white-patched tabby she-cat, walked up so she could begin re-marking the border. "Keep your eyes as well as your nose sharp next time." she said to Heronpaw with a friendly wink.
Heronpaw gave the warriors a respectful nod.
The snaggle-toothed warrior looked Heronpaw up and down. "Are you here for the trade?" he said slowly.
Heronpaw jumped a little. He had completely forgotten about that.
"Yes! My patrol is just…" he trailed off as he turned and realized he didn't know where Kestrelfeather had gone.
Snaggle-tooth shook his head. "This isn't the right place for that. Trades take place further down the border." he said with a flick of his tail. "If you go now, you won't miss it."
Heronpaw dipped his head in gratitude. "Thank you." He said.
He turned and headed deeper into his own territory. He could hear the snaggle-toothed warrior speaking to his apprentice as he moved away.
"Hopefully CedarClan will return the favor the next time you make a mistake, Moonpaw."
Heronpaw moved further away and lost the voices of the PineClan cats to the soft sounds of the forest. He picked up speed, hoping that he could catch up in time to watch the trade happen.
The sudden loud rustle of ferns behind him made him stop and look about. Had Kestrelfeather come back to get him?
There was no one.
"Hello?" Heronpaw looked around, searching for the source of the noise. It had sounded so close. The perpetrator couldn't have gone that fast. Sinking into a defensive crouch, Heronpaw took a few ginger steps in the direction of the sound. He scented the air, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He half expected Hawkpaw to burst forth from the ferns and tackle him to the ground, but it didn't happen. Heronpaw straightened up, thinking maybe it was just a bird.
Standing directly in front of him was a pure white cat. Heronpaw yowled in surprise and fear. He lost his footing on a slippery fern frond and fell to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and looked wildly around for the cat. It was completely gone. His chest heaving, Heronpaw backed slowly into a tree. His claws were unsheathed and it felt like every hair on his pelt was on end. His wide eyes darted all around, but the cat was nowhere to be seen.
"What in StarClan's name…?" he gasped.
He blinked his eyes forcefully for a few heartbeats, trying to dispel the image from his mind. Questions flew like startled starlings around his brain.
Why didn't I smell it? How did it get so close to me? What was it?
"Heronpaw!"
Kestrelfeather's yowl broke Heronpaw's terrified silence.
"I'm here!" Heronpaw managed to croak.
Seconds later, three cats burst through the undergrowth and into the small clearing. Kestrelfeather raced to Heronpaw's side while Dawnheart and Slatefang looked wildly around for a threat.
"What happened?" Kestrelfeather demanded. He sniffed Heronpaw all over.
"Nothing. I'm fine." Heronpaw said.
"We heard you yowl." Dawnheart panted. His body was stiff with tension.
Heronpaw took a deep breath, sheathed his claws, and flattened his neck fur.
"I'm not hurt." He said again. This time he directed the statement at Kestrelfeather who was still giving him a thorough once-over.
"Are you sure?" Kestrelfeather stopped his examination, but was reluctant to leave his apprentice's side.
"Yes. I thought I saw something." Heronpaw sighed.
Yes. He had only imagined the white cat with its oddly empty eyes.
Slatefang made an impatient 'tch' noise before stalking back though the ferns. His gray tail tip was twitching with irritation. Heronpaw watched him go, his heart sinking.
He felt like a fool. Slatefang obviously agreed.
"Don't take him seriously." Dawnheart said. He curled his tail around Heronpaw's shoulders as they began walking back towards the main clearing. "He's relieved. He just has a funny way of showing it."
Heronpaw tried to meow back with good humor, but a lump of anxiety was stuck in his belly causing him to feel like he ate a bad mouse. Kestrelfeather stayed behind for a moment, sniffing the same tuft of fur Heronpaw had found. When his mentor had caught up, Heronpaw turned to him.
"Did I miss the trade?" he asked.
Kestrelfeather shrugged apologetically. "PineClan was impatient. Sorry. You'll see the next one."
His fur was flattened again and had stopped looking worried. Heronpaw wished he could feel his mentor's calm as well, but the vision of the white cat was still fresh in his mind, and the disappointment he felt wasn't enough to chase away his fear.
He had heard of visions from StarClan granted to medicine cats and Clan leaders, but he had never heard of an apprentice receiving one. He gave himself a mental shake. StarClan wouldn't have sent him a message. He was just under stress and seeing things. That was all.
At least I didn't smell anything strange. He reminded himself.
The patrol moved on, picking up Slatefang who was waiting for them with the remaining flowers at his paws. He also had a few leaf wraps in his jaws. Those must contain the red berries that PineClan traded for the violets.
They moved in silence towards the WillowClan border. As they neared the boundary the trees started to change. There were less of Heronpaw's beloved cedars and more of the twisted beech trees. Their gnarled roots threatened to trip any cat who was not paying attention, like the claws of a waiting fox.
As they approached, Heronpaw could smell the river. They were nearing their destination. The rushing of water grew louder as the patrol picked their way down a steep, root-entangled slope that led to the river bank. Heronpaw felt himself relax at the beautiful sight of the river.
The bank was hardly a bank at all. Descending layers of angular stone jutted out from the earthy slope and dropped off into the deep, clear blue water. Moss and saplings grew from every crack in the smooth gray stone. The water slid by, deceptively calm, but every cat knew that the current was too fast for even a full-grown warrior to fight with ease. A set of well-placed flat stones poked out of the water at intervals across the river. An apprentice could easily jump from stone to stone to get across. The water stretched for about a tree length before more flat stones marked the WillowClan side of the river. Their bank was steeper and had less vegetation. Heronpaw knew that WillowClan cats were adept at maneuvering their steep banks and swimming in the swift rapids. He was silently thankful for CedarClan's flatter territory.
As the patrol stepped out into the direct sunlight, Kestrelfeather made a quick headcount to affirm that every cat was there. His gaze lingered on Heronpaw a little too long for Heronpaw's comfort.
Does he know what I saw?
Kestrelfeather looked up, checking the position of the sun. "WillowClan should be here," he mused. "I suppose there's nothing to do but wait." He sat down on the pebbles and began washing his tail.
Slatefang set down his bundle. "Typical of WillowClan to be late." he grumbled.
The others settled down to wait without complaint. Heronpaw tried to relax. He began to pace to calm his nerves.
A gust of wind carried the smell of a strange cat to his nose from across the river. He looked up, expecting to see the WillowClan patrol making their way down the slope to the stepping stones. What he saw instead made his heart nearly stop.
It was the white cat.