Rising Moon

Jedi Goat

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.

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Chapter 22

"Moonpaw?" Cinderpaw padded up to her. Her blue eyes stared at the ground and she shuffled her paws embarrassedly. "Uh…Firestar wants to see you in his den."

Moonpaw nodded, her belly filling with dread. She and the rest of the clan had just returned to camp.

Glancing helplessly back at her friends, Wolfspirit and Oakheart, she headed toward the Highledge. Pausing at its base, she looked up. She gulped, hoping she would make it back down in one piece.

Her eyes traveled up the stone, finding hidden pawholds and ledges. Gathering her courage, she leaped up and peered into the darkened cavern.

"Come in." The voice was curt, emotionless. Moonpaw stepped inside nervously, blinking to adjust to the dim interior.

Firestar and Leafpool sat inside, facing her. Moonpaw stood, unsure of what to do.

"Sit."

Moonpaw crouched before her leader and her mentor, gazing up at them with frightened green eyes.

"Moonpaw," Firestar sighed tiredly, "why didn't you tell one of us about what you saw?"

"Sorry." Moonpaw's voice was regretful. She stared at the ground. "I forgot all about it."

"And was it necessary to speak out at the Gathering?"

"N-no, I guess not." She blinked back tears, but no one came to comfort her this time.

"You can't do whatever you want, Moonpaw," Leafpool chided. "If you have important information, you tell us. Don't shout it out at the Gathering."

"And not only does Blackstar not believe you, he has reasons to dislike our clan," Firestar added.

Moonpaw nodded, daring to finally meet Leafpool's gaze. "Are you going to punish me?"

Leafpool looked at Firestar. "We're going to withhold your warrior ceremony."

Inwardly Moonpaw felt her heart sink. Could I have chosen a worse time to tell the clans about Russetfur's death?

The silvery half moon shone in the sky as Moonpaw, Cinderpaw and Leafpool made their way toward the WindClan border. Moonpaw hung back, feeling lonely. She had destroyed everything with her accusation! Even Leafpool regarded her with suspicion now. Moonpaw shook her head, blinking back tears as she heard a splash.

"Moonpaw!" Cougarpelt darted across the stream toward her. The ThunderClan cats stopped to welcome the WindClan medicine cat.

"Hi," she mumbled to her paws. Cougarpelt noticed the sorrow in her green gaze and nosed her shoulder gently.

"What's wrong?"
"Everything," she sighed, drawing comfort from her friend's familiar scent.

"Hello, Mothwing, Willowpaw," Leafpool greeted as the RiverClan cats slipped out of the bushes toward them at that moment.

Willowpaw's eyes shone. "I'm getting my warrior name tonight! Mothwing said so!"

"Me too!" Cinderpaw gasped, bouncing forward to touch noses with her. Both she-cats were bursting with hardly-contained excitement. Moonpaw slumped against Cougarpelt, and he nodded in understanding.

"Your time will come," he murmured. "You are a talented medicine cat. StarClan are just waiting for the right moment."

"I hope so," groaned Moonpaw.

"Hello, everyone." Littlecloud had arrived. The ShadowClan cat nodded to Moonpaw, his gaze neutral. Even if he were as angry as the rest of his clan with her, he would not show it.

"And how is the prey running in ShadowClan?" Mothwing asked.

"Fine." Littlecloud's answer was guarded, and Moonpaw glanced up at him curiously, but he didn't elaborate.

"So," Cougarpelt mewed, standing and stretching his forelegs, "shall we get going?"

"Yes!" Willowpaw grinned.

As the exuberant apprentices and their mentors took the quick but restrained lead, Cougarpelt nodded to Moonpaw. He slowed his pace to match hers, and they lagged behind the other cats.

"ThunderClan's treating you that bad, huh?" he inquired softly.

Moonpaw bowed her head. "I shouldn't have said anything," she sighed ruefully. "Now everybody hates me."

"Not everybody," Cougarpelt assured her, moving closer so that their pelts brushed.

A small purr escaped her. "Thanks." She leaned against him, feeling lighter than she had felt in days.

But thoughts of the tom left behind at ThunderClan camp kept entering her mind, though she tried to force them out, to remind herself that she was a medicine cat and that she couldn't allow herself to fall in love.

Moonpaw crouched by the edge of the Moonpool, lowering her muzzle into the cool water. A few tail-lengths away, the other medicine cats were settling in for the night. She closed her eyes to the scene.

Tomorrow morning, two of her friends and fellow medicine cats would no longer be apprentices. They wouldn't be the same again. But Moonpaw…she would be staying behind. She couldn't follow until her punishment was over.

Sighing, Moonpaw lapped once at the icy pool and slept.

"Moonpaw." The black she-cat opened her eyes. She had been expecting the clearing in the forest where she had met with the other medicine cats, living and ancestral. But instead she was crouched in the middle of the forest, darkness seeping into every leaf and branch. The hulking shadow of the old Twoleg nest hung above her.

Turning, Moonpaw saw through the bushes the clearing where she had been attacked by the wolves. Her heart lurched for Berryfoot, lost in the vicious battle.

"Moonpaw." Again a voice came, drifting softly on the wind. Dawnbreak stepped from the shadows. "Tonight StarClan have something to show you."

Wordlessly, Moonpaw's sister whisked around and slipped through the bushes. Her paws barely brushed the ground, silent as a mouse. Moonpaw hurried after her.

She emerged in the clearing after Dawnbreak. The gray she-cat had already settled herself off to the side, tail curled neatly over her paws. She nodded, indicating that Moonpaw should join her.

Moonpaw had barely sat down when a fierce gust of wind ripped through the clearing. She yelped and glanced at Dawnbreak, but the StarClan warrior gazed straight ahead, indifferent. Moonpaw gritted her teeth against the wind, but forced herself to keep her eyes on the empty clearing in front of her.

Suddenly, the clearing was a whirlwind of screeching, fighting animals. The wolves were shadows, snapping and growling at the ThunderClan cats. Moonpaw could even see herself, a bundle of black atop one of the wolves.

"Before there was battle here," Dawnbreak whispered, and the scene darkened in front of them. "There was more."

It was night. The moon was only a slit of a cat's eye in the sky. Moonpaw raised her head, scenting the air. Fear-scent lingered on the bushes.

A shadowy form burst from the bracken, eyes glittering green. Moonpaw could tell she was a pregnant she-cat. The cat paced into the clearing, slowly lowering herself to the ground in the center. She grunted in pain, and then her cry turned to a heart wrenching wail.

Moonpaw closed her eyes, but she could not block out the she-cat's pain. Her paws itched to rush to the birthing cat's side, to help her. Her mind raced, reciting the herbs she would need.

Dawnbreak's tail brushed against her shoulder comfortingly. Moonpaw looked up into her sister's emerald eyes, brimming with sadness. "There is nothing we can do," she murmured. "The past is set in stone."

Already the scene was fading; only Dawnbreak's eyes remained, shining in the darkness.

"No! Wait!" Moonpaw yowled, leaping to her paws.

"Follow your heart," whispered Dawnbreak.

Then she was gone.

To be continued...

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