Oh StarClan I just realised I forgot to publish chapter 10 x) (so check it out)
But nothing so important happens...
Finally a longer chapter! The story finally move on to more interesting stuff...
And Moonpaw will have the pleasure to introduce you to it!
Moonpaw: Why!? Why!? *sobs*
me: No spoilers!
Fernkit: Can I do the disclaimer? PLEASE!
me: as you wish...
Fernkit:
1. ~BrightSun~ does not claim or own Warriors! Erin Hunter does.
2. If you want to join a forum... click on the link on her profile page
3. please review! (thx to everyone, she managed to find Warriors names for Sedgepaw, Grasspaw and Nutpaw!)
4. you can propose kits names and their description... i have no more kits in windclan
Chapter 12
Me!" she mewed.
Brightpaw and the WindClan turned around, probably shocked to see that their secret had been found out. Well I'm just as shocked! she thought, padding out of the shadows.
Brightpaw gasped. "Moonpaw!?"
"Standing right in front of you."
"Isn't she the medicine cat apprentice?" whispered the other apprentice into Brightpaw's ears, though not quiet enough.
"I am." replied Moonpaw. She narrowed her eyes at Brightpaw. Sneaking out to see a tom! And breaking the warrior code…
"I think there are a few things that needs to be discussed." mewed Brightpaw. She brushed her tail along the WindClan apprentice's flank as she added. "You should go."
"Wait!" said Moonpaw. There's no way she would come back with injuries if that was the only thing she had been doing, is it? "Wait for me by the Ancient Oak." she ordered to her sister. "I just want to ask him one thing, alone."
Brightpaw narrowed her eyes with suspicion but immediately did as she was ordered. She brushed one last time against the tom and disappeared into the forest.
The apprentice looked at her, uneasy. "Don't worry I don't bite." mewed Moonpaw. "Like I said, I just want to ask you one thing. Actually, I've got two questions. First, what's your name?"
"Wetpaw."
"Wetpaw? Oh, so you are the cat who nearly landed on Brightpaw at the gathering." she recalled.
"What if I am?" he asked.
"No, it's nothing… I just wanted to know when did you start seeing her."
Wetpaw sighed. "The first night I've seen her, we happened to be both here. Then I saw her at the gathering and afterwards we started meeting every two nights."
"Really!?" she squealed.
"Yes, why are you so surprised?"
Moonpaw looked away. Should I tell him? she wondered. Then an idea formed into her mind. "I have a deal with you."
Now it was his turn to be surprised. "A deal?" he repeated.
"You see…" she began, not sure how to say it. "There is something wrong with Brightpaw."
"Something wrong?" he echoed. "What do you mean?"
"You said you've met just before the gathering?" he nodded so she continued. "Since a long time –not just since last the full moon- she has been going out at night and sometimes coming back with unexplained injuries."
Wetpaw narrowed his eyes. "If it's about those injuries, I have nothing to do with it. And when I asked her about it, she begged me not to and we never talked about it afterwards."
"I want to find out how does she gets them." explained Moonpaw. "I'll say nothing about you and her, even helping cover up for you –though I must say I don't like- and in exchange, help me search what's going on with her."
"You've got a deal." answered Wetpaw. "I'll find a way to contact you if I find something important." Looking toward the hills, he added: "I think I'll take my leave now."
"Thanks." she mewed, watching him go back to his territory.
Moonpaw then ran toward the Ancient Oak, preparing herself to face Brightpaw. Her sister was sitting beside the tree, avoiding her gaze. Moonpaw brushed her tail along her flank.
"Don't worry." she mewed.
"Have I got any reason to be worried? You just found out I was breaking the warrior code, meeting a tom from another Clan." snapped her sister.
Moonpaw shrugged. "I guess, but it's not of my business so I'll pretend nothing happened."
Brightpaw looked at her in disbelief. "Really? Why?"
"Like I said, it's not of my business. And if you sneak out to see a tom, it's your heart's problem, not mine." she answered. There's no way I'll tell her about the deal. She'll just try even harder to hide what is she doing at night.
Brightpaw nodded, a little bit suspicious, but she kept quiet. She smoothed the fur between Moonpaw's ear and mewed: "Thank you, you don't know how much that means to me. But I only have one question…. how did you find me?"
"I found your scent trail when I came back from the moonpool."
Brightpaw narrowed her eyes, worry showing in her eye. "Anyway, let's get back to camp."
About two quarter moons had passed since that night. Moonpaw was preparing a poultice for Stormfall's sore shoulder, while she watched Fernkit and her littermates play a couple of foxtails away.
"I win again!" mewed Fernkit.
Ivykit scrambled to her paws as her sister got off her. "Not fair. You used that move Brightpaw showed you."
Fernkit shook some dirt off her black fur then looked at Ivykit. "Last time I checked, you also learned that move."
"Whatever." murmured Ivykit. "Berrykit, want to fight against me?"
"Don't complain once I make you crowfood." mewed the light brown kit.
Moonpaw watched the kits, amused. They will soon be apprentices she observed. She then went to the elder's den to apply the poultice. After Stormfall thanked her endlessly, she went back to the medicine cat's den. There she found her mentor taking a nap. Resting for the journey to the moonpool tonight she observed. I hope StarClan will be willing to talk to me this time. she thought yet again. She drank from the small pool then went again in the clearing just as Brightpaw was returning from the dusk patrol. Moonpaw padded to her and they went to eat something.
"Squirrel or blackbird?" asked Brightpaw.
"Hmm… Good question. Let's take squirrel." answered Moonpaw.
They settled down side by side and ate.
"Tonight you are going to the moonpool, isn't it?" asked Brightpaw.
"Yes. While you have a good night of sleep." advised Moonpaw. "You are not meeting him today."
"Unfortunately…" murmured her sister.
"If you met him every night, you'd be even to exhausted for duties!" scolded Moonpaw. Brightpaw looked away. As she sneaks out every night, it's no wonder she wants to hide it. she observed. But what is she doing if she isn't meeting Wetpaw?
It felt like moons had passed before Blackleaf and Moonpaw left for the moonpool. They were now walking toward the border.
"Have you got any news?" asked Blackleaf -unexpectedly as usual.
"What do you mean?" she was afraid of the answer. I can't tell him just yet.
"On Brightpaw."
She carefully chose her words. "I know new things. For example, I'm nearly sure she is sneaking out every night."
"Tell me something I don't know. Do you know what is she doing?"
"Half of it."
Blackleaf tilted his head on one side. "Half?"
"If you trust me, don't ask any questions." she mewed. Blackleaf opened his mouth, but then closed it and they remained silent for the rest of the trip.
Moonpaw crouched to lap a couple of drops from the moonpool. She hardly felt the icy water, as she was already drifting into sleep.
"Wake up little one." mewed a gentle voice beside her.
Moonpaw opened her eyes, and saw the beautiful pale ginger StarClan she-cat. "It's you!"
"Yes, my name is Dawnfeather and I was once your Clanmate." she presented herself. Suddenly Dawnfeather winced. "Oh no…"
"What is it?" asked Moonpaw.
"Come! Follow me, we haven't got much time!" she mewed urgently before running. Moonpaw raced behind her and much to her surprise she found herself in the forest of ThunderClan's territory.
"How is it possible?" she asked.
Dawnfeather stopped. "Only your spirit is here, your body is at the moonpool."
A pained yowl echoed in the quiet forest.
"We are too late…" mewed Dawnfeather, distraught. She began running again in the direction the yowl had come from.
Wasn't that yowl Brightpaw? asked Moonpaw herself, worried about what she might find. And what she did find was worst that she imagined.
Dawnfeather stopped in a small clearing near the abandoned Twoleg nest. There was lying the body of a tiny black cat. Oh no, not this! Moonpaw saw a spirit raised from the body.
"Fernkit!?" she mewed, confused. "What is she doing here?"
The spirit looked around and then padded toward Dawnfeather. The StarClan she-cat brushed her tail along the kit's flank.
"So I died?" asked Fernkit, not surprised.
"Yes my little one." answered Dawnfeather, pain showing in her amber eyes. "Please forgive me."
"Fernkit?" mewed again Moonpaw.
"Moonpaw!" called Fernkit as she saw she was there. The kit brushed against her.
"What… What happened?" she asked. "You can't be dead!"
Fernkit answered, her green eyes sadly looking toward her body. "I died because of that fox."
"Fox?"
Fernkit pointed toward a large body Moonpaw hadn't noticed before. "That one. Though it's dead now."
Just then Moonpaw saw another body beside the fox –and her heart skipped a beat. "Brightpaw!" she called rushing toward her sister. She found her covered in blood, not moving. "Please don't tell me she died too…"
Dawnfeather was the one who answered. "No, she's alive but unconscious. You are a spirit here, you can't help her. You'll have to come back with your body from the moonpool."
Fernkit padded toward her. "She tried to protect me, please don't let her blame herself. Whatever happened her, Brightpaw must remember that it wasn't her fault. It was that cat's fault alone."
"That cat's fault? Who is that cat?" asked Moonpaw.
Dawnfeather rested her tail on the kit's mouth. The StarClan she-cat shook her head, distraught. "I can't tell you now… I'm so sorry!"
Moonpaw then felt she was beginning to fade. No! Not now! she wanted to say but no words came out of her mouth.
Fernkit padded forward. "Please tell everyone that I'll miss them but I'll watch their every move from the stars!" she mewed happily, waving her tail as her goodbye.
"No!" screamed Moonpaw, opening her eyes beside the Moonpool.
"Moonpaw, are you ok?" asked Blackleaf beside her. "You were refusing to wake up… What happened?"
Moonpaw looked around and saw the other medicine cats around her. She sobbed, remembering what had just happened.
"She's in shock." mewed Icefur. She felt her mentor's beginning to lick her fiercly.
Brightpaw! she recalled. "We've got no time for this. We've got to go now!" she mewed to Blackleaf, scrambling to her shaky paws.
"Calm yourself first." ordered her mentor.
"There's no time!" repeated again Moonpaw, storming between the medicine cats.
"Moonpaw, wait!" called Blackleaf behind her.
She didn't slow down, she ran as fast as she could. I'm so sorry! she heard Dawnfeather mew. Oh StarClan, what happened there? Please tell me that's not true! Please... And again Dawnfeather's words echoed in her head.
Sorry everyone for killing Fernkit! But even before I began writing the story I knew she had to die... (hope you don't hate me for killing an inocent kit -.-" )
Next chapter is going to be Brightpaw's... you'll see from her point of you what happened!
~BrightSun~
ps: I never mentioned it before but the cats on the cover are:
Brightpaw: white with brown tortoiseshell patches
Wetpaw: silverwith darker tabby stripes
Moonpaw: white with golden stripped tail and ears