Yes well I wish I had a reason for my long absence, but I don't. I did have this strange writers block the whole time though. But I'll have you know I know what general direction this story's going to go in so things should be moving on a bit quicker.
The sun filtered in between the roof of leaves. Its dappled light fell upon a small she-cat as she staked around the damp forest.
Mysticpaw kept her body close to the ground. The small woodland mouse was just a few tail lengths ahead of her chewing on an acorn. Her eyes narrowed and her body fell into the position that she had become quite accustomed to. 'Light on your feet, keep you haunches level, and don't wait too long,' she ran through the mini checklist she had made for herself.
'One, two, three,' she sprang, the mouse dropped the nut and ran for it. She landed, it never had a chance. She bit into its neck the warm tang of blood filling her mouth. It lay still.
"Well done, your learning, but you were almost to late. Go a second sooner, the mouse almost escaped," Squirrelflight praised.
"Yes Squirrelflight" Mysticpaw answered, "may we go down to the stream to hunt? I like it there."
Squirrelflight sat down on her haunches and looked down at her apprentice with an amused look painted on her face. "You just like to play in the water."
Mysticpaw made a face to her older sister, "so a cat can like the water, look at RiverClan."
"Yes well, don't go splashing my fur, alright? And maybe I'll teach you how to fish."
"Yah lets go," Mysticpaw turned around I anxious circles.
"Alright, alright, don't wear a hole into the ground."
They travailed to the stream that marked the ThunderClan border. Mysticpaw, seeing the water, bounded towards the crystal clear water and barreled into it. She pounced after the little silver fish as they swam around her paws. "I swear they mock me like this," she muttered her ears folding backwards.
"Hold still," Squirrelflight suggested from her stretched out position among the grass.
Mysticpaw froze, her paw poised for attack. A small fish darted around her shadow. Mysticpaw inched forward...forward...forward. Splash!
Mysticpaw face planted into the water, scaring all the fish away, and covering herself from head to toe in mud.
"You're as clumsy as a badger, get out of the mud." Squirrelflight instructed.
Mysticpaw dragged herself up onto the shore and shook her pelt, dotting the ground with mud. "It wasn't my fault, the ground was slippery," she grumbled.
"And hedgehogs fly." Squirrelflight sighed, "let's get you back to camp, you won't be any good hunting with your fur all bogged down like that."
"Ok," Mysticpaw mewed disappointed
OoOoOoOoO
"See I was right," Lightpaw boasted. It was twilight now, and the stars seemed to gather especially over the clearing that housed MysticClan.
"Fine, you were right," Moonpaw grumbled. "But you have to admit that it's rare."
Lightpaw tucked her tail around her paws. It was dappled with orange and black making it stand out strongly against the rest of her white coat. "Yes it is," she agreed not giving much of a fight. "But I still won," she added smugly her eyes shining with pride.
"Bet you she wont even make the journey here, that's how half of the cats die." Moonpaw shot back.
"Let's go get her then," Whitepaw said only half way meaning it.
"An escort?" Sapphirepaw's smooth voice asked. She was interested now.
Moonpaw looked skeptical, "Snowstar wouldn't go for it, besides I'm almost done with my training, I don't wanna miss anything now."
"Moonpaw does have a point, apprentices making the journey alone?" Whitepaw shook his head, "it'll never get passed as a good idea."
Sapphirepaw stretched out in the grass thinking, "what if we got a warrior to come with us?"
Lightpaw looked hopeful, "that could work."
Moonpaw looked up at the moonlit sky. "Well if you guys want to go prancing down to our sister clans you'll have to wait until tomorrow to ask." Moonpaw gestured to the warriors' den shaped out of the ferns that liked the west side of the camp. "Look the only one awake is Brownpebble.
The others looked over. Sure enough the small brown tom was resting outside the den.
"Alright, in the morning then." Sapphirepaw agreed. The other apprentices murmured mews of agreement.
-x-
Warmth flooded Lightpaw's body as she stepped out into the sun. Many cats were already up. Warriors were eating lunch over by the bramble bush, Snowstar was talking to Seastep who was nodding and listening intently, and kits were scrambling around in the grass that was just outside of the nursery with Mistcloud to watch them.
"Lightpaw."
Lightpaw turned towards the cat who had called her name. It was Smallfoot, Sapphirepaw's father, a black and white tom with yellow eyes. It was strange to see him not in the nursery, his mate, Gingerheart was close to kitting.
"Shimmergate is looking for you." he said as he came up behind her.
"It's a little early to be doing training isn't it?" Lightpaw asked.
"She didn't say what she wanted, but I don't think its training."
"Alright," Lightpaw nodded to Smallfoot and padded across the clearing.
When she reached the seer's den the cavern was aglow with the light from the pool. Figures danced on the water's surface, and Shimmergate was looking down on them her bright blue eyes not shifting from the pool even as Lightpaw stepped into the den.
"You wanted to see me Shimmergate," Lightpaw said as she entered further into the den.
"Yes, it was about an idea you had, our ancestors feel that this cat is important. She needs to be safely brought to us." Shimmergate explained her gaze leaving the pool to look at her apprentice. "And Seastep overheard your discussion last night, he thinks it would be a good idea that this cat was escorted to us."
"But why is she so important Shimmergate?" the apprentice asked, eager for an answer.
"You know of Violetleaf, correct?"
Lightpaw nodded.
"She gave herself seasons ago, before you were born, when we struggled with our sister clans. I think this apprentice is the key to us living in harmony again." the seer paused, "There was always meant to be six clans, five isn't an even number." Shimmergate motioned for Lightpaw to sit next to her and gaze into the pool. "Six is the number of the stars, Lightpaw. There are six clan ranks, and it's six moons until a kit can become an apprentice."
Visions of kits playing, gatherings, warrior and apprentice ceremonies flashed across the water as Shimmergate willed it to.
"There was always meant to be six clans Lightpaw, and this apprentice, is the one who can make a difference." a picture of Mysticpaw in camp stabled in the water. As Shimmergate broke eye contact with the pool the vision disappeared. "Round up your friends, and at least two warriors, then report to Snowstar, she'll want to approve your choices."
"Yes Shimmergate," Lightpaw's eyes sparkled with excitement as she bounded out of the den and across the grassy clearing.
"Whitepaw! Whitepaw!" Lightpaw called, her tail like a multi colored flag as she darted towards where her brother was just returning from training.
"What is it?" he asked curious as to the cause of his sisters excitement.
"Come one we're going to go get the new cat," she said.
"Really?" he asked surprised.
Lightpaw looked up at Rainfoot, "would it be ok if he took time off to go get the new one?" she asked, hopeful.
Rainfoot looked down at his apprentice, "if you wish to go I think it would be beneficial to you training to go."
"Thanks Rainfoot," Whitepaw said.
"You're welcome," the warrior purred.
"Come on, we have to find some warriors to go as well," Lightpaw ushered her brother over towards the warriors den.
"Who were you thinking of brining?" Whitepaw asked.
"Well I think Shadowrose would be a good choice, she's a good talker and she's strong," Lightpaw offered.
"Yah she'd be good for the trip," Whitepaw agreed.
"Do you have another cat in mind?"
Whitepaw thought, "Snowstar said that she had flight as one of her talents right?"
"They're powers not talents," Lightpaw corrected, "but yes she did."
"Why not Smallfoot then?"
"What about me?" Smallfoot's mew came from just to their right
"We've been given a mission to go get the new cat, will you come with us?" Lightpaw asked politely.
Smallfoot thought about it for a moment, his tail swishing at the grass, "I'll have to talk to Gingerheart, she's close to kiting and I don't' wanna leave without talking to her first."
"Alright, have you seen Shadowrose?" Whitepaw asked.
"She's on a hunting patrol she'll be back soon," Smallfoot told them.
"Thank you Smallfoot," Lightpaw said. "And say hi to Gingerheart for us."
"I will Lightpaw," Smallfoot replied as he got up and headed toward the fresh kill pile.
Whitepaw looked at his sister, "I bet he won't go, remember when Sapphirepaw was born, he didn't leave the nursery for suns."
"Yah," Lightpaw agreed. "Who should we bring instead?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Whitepaw looked up to the sun, "let's think over lunch."
Lightpaw wordlessly agreed walking toward the fresh kill pile.
"Do you think we can do this Whitepaw?" Lightpaw asked as she snatched up a mouse.
"I hope so, Lightpaw, I hope so," he answered.
Now the joining of the clans rests almost solely in the hands of apprentices…this leaves lots of opportunity for things to go wrong. Enjoy the suspense
purpletail