Song of the Warriors: Part One
It had been twelve long, tiresome days since Mudfur had first visited Silverkit in her dreams. Although she was blind, Silverkit was learning the fascinating ways of the medicine cats and her ancestors in Star Clan. Already, she had learnt over half of all the herbs known to cat-kind! Mudfur had told her that she had a destiny. Star Clan joined him as he said, 'Four there will be, from the four corners of the lake, with the heart, mind, strength, and agility to carry the Clans once again to safety.' Silverkit had learnt a little about clans from her grandmother, Princess, who told her about Firestar, the leader of Thunderclan as well as Hannah's brother, Cloudtail, a warrior of Thunderclan. Princess had failed, however, to tell Silverkit that there were four clans in the Old Forest where they lived before the Two-legs destroyed it. (This was when Mudfur, Riverclan's old medicine cat, had died.) His apprentice, Mothwing, became the new medicine cat, but Mudfur didn't know that she didn't believe in Star Clan until he had joined their ranks.
Silverkit (who was turning 6 moons very soon) had listened to Mudfur as he led her to the lake and taught her for those twelve long days. She scented the leaf-bare air, crisp with the cold, and detected a new, unfamiliar scent. Mudfur had put a name to it: wild water from the lake. They were almost there! Picking up her pace, Silverkit twitched her tail with excitement. What would her new life be like? Which clan would adopt her? Would they actually accept her? Then a new, frightening thought struck her: Will I be a burden to them? Weighed by this new thought, Silverkit stopped. She turned her sightless eyes to the sky and discovered it was nearly sun-down. Mudfur's voices rung in her ears, "There should be an empty tree log to your left, Silverkit. NO! Your other left!" There was humor in his voice, and something else...affection? Silverkit followed Mudfur's directions and trodded wearily to the fallen log Mudfur had described. Her whiskers touched wood, so she ducked and welcomed the warm, moist air trapped in the shelter. Lying down, she prepared herself for the new knowledge to be given from Mudfur.
When she closed her eyes, however, she saw not Mudfur, but another cat who looked just like a reflection to Silverkit. The new cat sat elegantly and began to wash an ear. Curious, Silverkit walked up slowly. "Who are you?" she asked cautiously. The cat stopped washing and looked down at Silverkit with eyes filled with such knowledge that Silverkit had to look away. The cat's tail twitched with humor. "Don't worry Silverkit!" Mudfur's voice sounded behind her, frightening Silverkit. "Mudfur! You scared me out of my fur!" Her anger dieing down to wonder, she asked, "Who is she?" The cat stood and approached the two cats, "I, Silverkit, am Silverstream. I am here to teach you..." "To fight, defend, and hunt like a warrior." Mudfur finished. Warrior? But that can't work! I'm blind! Remember? "Yes Silverkit. We know you are blind, but one must still learn defense, even if it weren't to be used in the offensive position." Silverstream spoke again, melting Silverkit like butter with her voice. Hmmm...I wonder...Can you... "Read your thoughts? Maybe..." Silverstream said mysteriously. Taken aback, Silverkit looked down.
When she looked up again, she was no longer in the mountainous clearing where her dreams usually took place, but in a clearing near a river. Looking around, she also saw that Mudfur had gone! Suddenly, a force threw her backwards into the river. Looking at the attacker, she saw it was Silverstream crouched down and snarling, "Let's begin." Terrified, Silverkit ran to the opposite side of the bank and fluffed out her tail, but it had no effect on Silverstream. She jumped the river easily and pounced on Silverkit again. "Tails do nothing to your attacker Silverkit! Use your claws!" Silverkit wailed, "But I don't want to hurt you! Anyways, here, I can see clearly, but in the waking world, I am sightless once again! If I learn how to fight with sight, won't I begin to depend on it?" Silverstream stepped off of Silverkit and nodded. "You are wise for a kit!" She looked around and found a leaf flexible enough to be wrapped around the eyes and long enough to block out all vision. "Okay! Now attack where you think I am." Silverstream commanded.
Silverkit nodded and sniffed the air. Aha! Here I come! Silverkit walked to the left and turned abruptly to pounce on her right, landing on something solid. "G'erroff me! Well done!" Silverkit wagged her tail with glee and said, "Did I do well Silverstream?" "Yes, you did wonderfully!" Another voice had answered her. "Who's there?" Silverkit asked, shaking the leaf-bandana off. "Don't worry, Silverkit. This is Leopardstar, Riverclan's leader." Glancing at the cat who congratulated her, Silverkit realized that her name was true; Leopardstar's pelt was brown and spotted like a leopard's! Silverkit nodded respectfully and declared, "With the other Star Clan cats, I can scent old and new life...With you I can only scent old life. Why?" Leopardstar chuckled. "I am not dead, that is why little kit!" Silverkit narrowed her eyes. "Then how have you come into my dreams?" Mudfur's voice appeared beside Silverkit, "I brought her." Silverkit blinked in surprise at Mudfur.
"How?" Mudfur exchanged glances with the other cats in the clearing, "Another time perhaps. Right now, we need to ask you something. Would you like to join Riverclan?" What a stupid question of cour... Silverkit's tail dropped. What if I do become a burden? "That is what you want, isn't it?" Mudfur asked worriedly. "Yes, of course, but...the thing is, what if I become a burden to the clan?" Leopardstar flicked her tail over Silverkit's ears reassuringly, "You won't! Not with Mudfur and Silverstream teaching you! So, how 'bout it? Would you like to belong to the cats of Riverclan?" Silverkit nodded eagerly, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Leopardstar stood and said, "Very well! I, Leopardstar of Riverclan have invited this young kit into my clan. She has accepted my offer and wishes to become the next medicine cat. She has two talented mentors in the dreaming world and will be assigned one in the waking world on her sixth moon. Please watch over this kit and let her be happy with her new life." Then, to Silverkit, she said, "Stay in this log when you awake, I will send a patrol out to get you." Silverkit nodded gratefully and yawned. "Thank you," she said as her dream faded into nothingness...