Chapter 3
A Mistake Left Too Long
LeafStar paced around her den. The gentle light of the dawn seeping through the lichen covering the entrance of her den had not woken her. LeafStar finally crept across the clearing and squeezed her way into Sunfire's den. The medicine cat was not sleeping either but staring from the mouth of her den up at the sky. LeafStar knew that it was beautiful but didn't bother to look. She had to talk to Sunfire.
"Sunfire, I need to ask you something."
"Yes LeafStar?"
LeafStar hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "Do you think that I made the right choice?"
Sunfire's amber eyes stared unblinkingly up at her. The medicine cat had no real need to ask, and LeafStar knew it. "The right choice about what?"
In any other circumstance, LeafStar would have hissed in annoyance, but this was too serious.
"You know what, Sunfire."
"I do, LeafStar."
"The right choice about making you become medicine cat."
"LeafStar, that was long ago. Why do you think on it now?"
"There is another young cat's destiny that may be changed forever. I don't want to make the same mistake again."
Sunfire's voice abruptly changed from warm to icy. "LeafStar, I refuse to believe it was a mistake to become a medicine cat. I love my herbs, my skills, my dreams...all of it!"
"But what a warrior you would have made!"
"StarClan did not object."
"We had no medicine cat to read the signs! How do we know that?"
"They have not objected since I became medicine cat!"
LeafStar, finally defeated, but not comforted, pushed her way out of the medicine cat's den. Sunfire called out to her, "Wait!" LeafStar paused and turned around.
The sun started to rise, casting a half light around the two shecats.
"Only rain can wash away the mistakes of the past." The shift in the medicine cat's voice showed something LeafStar had not heard in many moons. StarClan was speaking through her! LeafStar had heard the words before. Long ago, Sunfire had told LeafStar of the prophecy that came to her. LeafStar's eyes were cold and troubled as she walked back to her den.
Rock had spent most of the day wondering whether the previous night had been a dream. He was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts, however, when Frosty and Coco came padding along the fence beneath him. He looked at Frosty's pale white glittery coat and at Coco's sleek light brown coat; they were both extremely shiny. They were both kittypets. Rock didn't mind, as they were good company. Frosty's cynical nature never made a meeting with her boring, while Coco's easygoing ways seemed to make her think anything was alright.
He jumped off the fence, and touched noses with both shecats. He hesitated for a moment, which allowed Coco to begin chattering. "Rock, how's prey running? You know you can always stay in my nest! Are you getting enough to eat! You always look so thin! Eating food from my nest would be much easier than hunting, you know. You won't believe the news! Diamond is having kits! I know! Amazing! It's so hard to believe! So..."
Frosty cut in, "Hard to believe? She's been getting rounder and rounder for months now! How could you not have noticed? And I suspect he enjoys sleeping out in the cold and eating skinny mice."
Before Coco could burst in with a retort, Rock said, "I'm leaving."
"What!" Coco sounded thrilled. "I always knew you'd come and stay in my nest! This is so wonderful!"
"Don't be a fur brain. He's not coming to your nest...are you?" Frosty's sharp tone seemed to cut a hole in the air.
"No. I'm not."
"What! Then where are you going? You don't need to stay in another housecat's nest! You can share mine!" Coco now looked incredulous.
"I'm not leaving to become a housecat...I'm going further than that - I'm going into the wild."
Frosty said drily, "Rock, you already live in the wild."
"I know...I'm going to live with the wild cats."
They both gasped, even Frosty.
"WILD CATS! Rock, they eat rabbit bones and hunt wolves for sport!" Coco meowed in a shocked tone.
Rock snorted. Frosty pressed her fur to his and mewed, without sarcasm for once, "Goodbye."
Coco had heard. "Goodbye!" For once she hissed. "Goodbye! Is that just it! Rock - you can't be doing this! I'll never see you again! Rock!"
Rock pressed his nose against Coco's and said, "Goodbye." Padding softly away into the forest, Rock did not look back.
Pinepaw was out gathering herbs. It was hot for so late in Greenleaf and Pinepaw was thirsty. She bent to drink from a puddle, and saw Rock standing behind her. Hurriedly drinking a few quick mouthfuls of water, she turned around and faced him. He said slowly, "Can you...can you tell LeafStar I am ready to give her my decision?"
Pinepaw looked at him. But before she could say anything, Rabbittail emerged from the bushes with a mouse at his paws. He looked at the gray rogue with interest. "So this is the rogue then?"
"The rogue has a name!" Pinepaw hissed.
Before things could get out of hand, LeafStar emerged out of the bushes, with a hunting patrol behind her.
Mudpaw, Dovepaw, Frogclaw, and Lillypelt were behind her. Dovepaw and Mudpaw were engaged in a play fight. Their mentors mewed, "Behave, you're in front of your leader."
LeafStar stepped forward. "So what is your decision?"
"My decision is that I will join your clan, LeafStar." LeafStar nodded her head in approval and beckoned to him. Pinepaw hadn't realized how young the rogue was, with his gray pelt fluffed up.
They arrived at camp just as the evening patrol was being sent out. LeafStar surveyed the evening patrol. They didn't have as many warriors as usual, so every patrol was harder. But Mudpaw, Dovepaw, and Thornpaw would be warriors soon. And Dawnkit and Hollykit would be apprentices soon. So would Poppykit, Frostkit, and Hazekit. She decided she would announce it now. After all, it would be a good thing for the rogue to witness. And it was a good thing to start a potentially aggravating move with.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the highrock! Thornpaw, Dovepaw, and Mudpaw, come here please." Even as she spoke the words, a shiver of doubt crossed her mind. Were they ready to become warriors? Thornpaw had only been an apprenticed a couple of moons ago, Dovepaw still seemed lofty, and Mudpaw wasn't exactly graceful. That was not, she reminded herself, why they made warriors, however.
"I, LeafStar, Leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.
"Mudpaw, Dovepaw, Thornpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
Dovepaw replied, excitement glittering in her eyes, "I do."
Mudpaw thought he would burst. "I do."
Thornpaw, the youngest apprentice, blurted out, "I do."
"Dovepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Doveflight. StarClan honors your quick thinking and energy, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Mudpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Mudclaw. StarClan honors your endurance and patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Thornpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Thornfur. StarClan honors your courage and eagerness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." She gazed at them for a moment, then said, "Hollykit and Dawnkit, come here please."
As Hollykit and Dawnkit approached, Larchwing and Lillypelt padded over. LeafStar addressed the Clan again. "From this day forward," she said, looking at Dawnkit, "until she receives her warrior name, this kit shall be known as Dawnpaw. Lillypelt, you are ready to train an apprentice. You are a brave warrior, and I expect you to pass on all you have learned to this apprentice. Hollykit, from this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Hollypaw. Larchwing, you are a warrior that I have grown proud of. Do your best to pass on your compassion and humility to this apprentice."
As the clan cheered the two new apprentices on, LeafStar surveyed the scene. She then cleared her throat and began again. "Cats of ThunderClan, Leafbare is coming. We do not have as many warriors as usual and WindClan is becoming increasingly hostile. So I have decided to take an outsider into the Clan." As she waited for the mews of surprise to die down, LeafStar surveyed the clearing. She found what she was looking for and beckoned Rock. He came uncertainly out into the clearing. She raised her voice again and began, "Rock! Come here." Rock padded towards her. "Until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Rainpaw." She looked down at her warriors. Most of them were shocked, except for Eagleheart. She thought carefully. Eagleheart was wise, but she had reasons of her own for inviting Rainpaw to the clan. She announced, "I will mentor Rainpaw." The newly named Rainpaw looked up at her, his eyes wide. Hollypaw boldly shouted, "Rainpaw!" The rest of the clan gradually took up the call. Rainpaw looked fondly down at Hollypaw. She was quite brave. LeafStar saw this and with approval noted that he had a new friend. Pinepaw's voice was raised up more than anyone else's. "Rainpaw!"