A/N: In order: my deepest thanks to L.e.g.e.n.d, Seiren no Kaze, Amberpelt, Creature of the Night, Spirithunter, and Dewflower. To Spirithunter: a sequel? Could happen. First, of course, I've got to finish this one, and heck knows how long that'll take; still, the possibility will be there. Plus, sorry for taking a while to update.
Anywho, one month has passed since last chap.
Chapter Thirteen
"Do you know who I am?" her voice, kit-squeaky, sounded hopeful as she looked up at Sunpaw.
"Sure do," replied Sunpaw. "You're Dewkit."
The tiny silver tabby kit mrrrped with happiness, then bounded clumsily over to her mother Waterdrip. "She knows me!" announced Dewkit, her short tail curling up with pleasure that she was so well-known.
Waterdrip nuzzled Dewkit, her blue eyes gentle. The silver tabby queen's kits were one moon today, and had learned to talk in usually coherent sentences. Dewkit had a sister, Rootkit, and a brother, Fogkit, whose pelts were grubby brown and dark gray. Softkit, Yellowflower's daughter, bowled over Dewkit playfully.
Sunpaw watched the little scraps, her eyes glowing with warmth. She liked the kits, especially Softkit. Already she was impatient to become a warrior and mentor. Softkit and Rustykit were just over two moons, though, and Sunpaw knew she still had quite a wait.
Icepaw had commented the day before that he was seeing a whole new Sunpaw, one who was quiet and gentle and patient. Sunpaw had to admit, she really could even surprise herself. The most prominent side of her was the dry-humored, sarcastic, impatient, proud, and brash one; every cat who had come into contact with her knew that side. But then as Icepaw had pointed out, she did have a quieter side, a much lesser-known one.
"Hey!" Icepaw himself was calling to her from across the clearing. "Orangestripe says we're to go hunting!" As he spoke, he padded over to her. "Ready, then?"
Nodding, Sunpaw stretched, flexing her shoulder and leg muscles. As she arched her back, Icepaw twitched his whiskers. "Show-off," he meowed.
"You hypocrite! Who purposefully stayed in the moonlight at the last Gathering to make his fur shine?"
He rolled his eyes and bumped his shoulder against hers, but did not reply. Sunpaw raised her head and tail in triumph, knowing his silence meant she was right. Generally, Icepaw was known for his honesty, but silence after a comment meant he knew it was true but was too embarrassed to admit it.
The sun moved across the sky, sending tall shadows reaching across the forest floor. By now, new-leaf had passed and greenleaf had been introduced. The seeming overabundance of prey and building heat was new to Sunpaw, Icepaw, and Rainpaw, who had all been born during an unusually early leaf-fall. The warmth and amount of prey in newleaf had been new enough, and by now the heat and available food had doubled. The current luxury made it almost easy to forget the natural tension between Clans.
Even the threat from the Tribe had dwindled to almost nothing. The only thing kept all the Clans reminded of the danger was the strange cat-scent and fox-scent that blew on the breeze every few days. At the last Gathering, the most Tribe danger that had been reported was some missing prey from WindClan's territory. ThunderClan in particular, though, was reminded of the Tribe, as one of the enemy's own lived in their camp. True, Morning had been accepted to the point of going on patrols maybe four times a quarter-moon, but many still distrusted her. Sunpaw had come to know the gray she-cat better; she talked to her when Icepaw and Rainpaw weren't around. Morning was cheerful, never letting the uneasiness the cats had when they were around her bother her.
As she watched Icepaw shoot off after a rabbit, Sunpaw took a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking a moment to think. The images she'd seen at the Silverstone came back to her every day, as if of their own will. Sunpaw preferred not to think about the flashes she'd seen: puttering around worrying about the future distracted from the present. While some part of her wanted the events to happen now, her usual impatience rising to the surface, another part of her knew the events would come in their own time. That's what you get from being around Icepaw, Rainpaw, and Lightningstar, mused Sunpaw. Patience rubs off on you.
;-;-;-;
"Ha! Joyous day!"
Sunpaw swivelled her ears at Sorrelflower's exclamation. Sunpaw had gone out hunting again, and Sorrelflower had accompanied her. "I like to pretend I'm still a young warrior and not a creaky old lump," the tortoiseshell elder had said to her.
"Sunpaw, come and see!" Sorrelflower's voice was a little too loud; she'd been going deaf for some moons now. Feeling rather nettled, Sunpaw stood and walked over to the elder.
"You scared away my mouse," she meowed testily, not caring that apprentices were meant to be polite to elders.
Sorrelflower barely spared that comment a glance. Keeping her eyes riveted on something up in an old oak, she said, still too loudly, "Look, Sunpaw! Joy!"
Now what? Not the crows again? Following the old tortoiseshell's gaze, Sunpaw saw two dark figures perched atop the oak. As one, the figures flew away, proving themselves to be crows indeed.
"One for sorrow, two for joy," Sorrelflower said happily. "Ha! Joyous day!" she meowed again.
With a strange twist in her belly, Sunpaw remembered what had happened the last time the counting crows rhyme had been recited. As if reading her thoughts, Sorrelflower mewed, "Sunpaw, the last time it was one. It did come true, yes, so why not this time?"
"It was sheer coincidence," Sunpaw insisted. "Nothing as simple as a crow showing up determines future events."
"What do you call messages from StarClan?" asked Sorrelflower.
"I don't call them crows, that's for sure. Messages from StarClan are one thing, but a scaly-footed bird determining future happenings?"
"I find it comes true the majority of the time," mewed the elder, her voice cracking. "And I've lived for quite a time."
"Sheer coincidence," repeated Sunpaw. Sorrelflower dropped the subject, and impressed Sunpaw by managing to catch a robin.
;-;-;-;
Sunpaw padded towards the lake unhurriedly. Sunhigh had barely come, and Lightningstar had told her to hunt until sundown. Seeing as she'd already caught a rabbit, mouse, and sparrow, Sunpaw figured she deserved a short break. Feeling content in the splash of sunlight she stood in, she bent her head and lapped up some water, which was surprisingly cold, given the building warmth.
Licking her lips, Sunpaw shifted position slightly so she could see past a break in some reeds on RiverClan territory. If Pinepaw came, and if she came alone, Sunpaw wanted to ask her if there had been any trouble with the Tribe since the last Gathering.
Hardly a minute had passed before Sunpaw's typical impatience came into play. It was warm, and that was reason enough to move around and do something. She'd see Pinepaw later. Rising, Sunpaw shook a strand of moss off her forepaw, ready to continue hunting. Before she turned back into the forest, she paused for another drink from the lake.
"Holy burning StarClan, what–?"
Every cat expected to see their own reflection when they looked into water. It was simple: stare into a lake, stream, or puddle, and meet your own eyes.
Sunpaw hadn't seen herself.
Getting over her shock in record time, Sunpaw bent over the lake again, curious to see if it would happen again. For a fraction of a second, she saw her own face, her own golden-red fur. Then her reflection shifted, fur darkening, ear shape changing. Sunpaw stood, frozen not by fear, but some other nameless thing, as she found herself looking at a dark gray cat with deep green eyes. A water bug skittered over the reflection-that-wasn't, causing Sunpaw's own face to shimmer back into existence.
Raising her head, Sunpaw had no time to dwell on the event before a flash of white caught her eye. Whipping her head around, she saw the palest outline of Roseleaf sitting a few tail-lengths away. Her mother flicked her tail in greeting.
"Remember his face. Remember his name." The words sounded like they had been spoken out loud, but the shadow of Roseleaf hadn't opened her mouth. Sunpaw blinked, and her mother vanished to be replaced by Rainpaw, who came stepping out of the bushes.
"Hi," mewed the white apprentice, her pale blue eyes bright. "What's up?"
Given what had just happened–seeing another cat's face in the water and seeing her dead mother appear–Sunpaw felt somewhat flustered. True, she'd seen shadow-cats before, but she had no personal connection to the ones she'd previously seen.
"Nothing much," she answered. "Aside from seeing my dead mother." Sunpaw had done her best to keep her tone light. Her words and tone combined had the effect she'd wanted: Rainpaw looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or not. After a moment, she shook her head. "You know, Sunpaw, I can't tell if you're joking or not."
Remember his face, remember his name. Sunpaw repeated the words in her mind as she padded deeper into ThunderClan land alongside Rainpaw. Sunpaw could recall knowing only one dark gray cat, and that had been Ashfur, Icepaw and Rainpaw's father. Can't be him, Sunpaw thought. Ashfur had dark blue eyes, like Icepaw. Whoever the heck I saw had green. Come to think of it, the emerald-green eyes had been the only thing to remain unchanged when Sunpaw's reflection shifted to become the gray cat. Same exact shade of green, same shape, same glitter...the eyes alone could have made them related.
And then it hit her.
Her father. Sunpaw's reflection had become the face of her father, the loner called Alexander. As if she could ever forget that name.
Well, Roseleaf, Sunpaw sighed silently, I'll find Alexander and tell him you loved him. That was what you told me to do, over a moon ago.
Sunpaw could have sworn she heard the forest sigh in satisfaction.
;-;-;-;
The day after she'd seen her father's face in place of her own reflection, Sunpaw was on RiverClan border patrol with Hawkclaw, Icepaw, and Nightwhisker. Hawkclaw, who was the oldest cat present, led the patrol. Nightwhisker flanked him, and Sunpaw and Icepaw walked directly behind them. When Hawkclaw paused to leave a fresh scent marking, Sunpaw caught sight of two crows flying past far overhead. Not again...she was suddenly weary of the counting crows rhyme.
"Any of you smell that?" asked Icepaw suddenly, his nose in the air, scenting the faint breeze that blew from RiverClan territory.
In unison, Sunpaw, Hawkclaw, and Nightwhisker scented the air. "Tribe scent," said Sunpaw, identifying it first.
"Lots of them," added Nightwhisker.
"Fox is there, too," said Icepaw gravely.
"We're leaving, then," said Hawkclaw shortly. "The last thing we need is–"
He never did finish the sentence. A loud, high-pitched yowling split through the woods, followed by the sharp crash-and-snap of breaking undergrowth. Pinepaw burst out of the reeds, gasping for breath, blood dripping from a cut on her shoulder.
"Thank StarClan!" she blurted. Turning to Sunpaw, the only cat she knew, she said in a rush, "Tribe and the fox are attacking our camp. We're incredibly outnumbered. We need–"
"You need to fight this battle on your own," growled Hawkclaw. "If RiverClan can't defend their camp, it's RiverClan's problem."
Flame coursed through Sunpaw. Thrusting her face into Hawkclaw's, she snarled, "And when the Tribe comes for us, who will we turn to? If ThunderClan refuse to help the other Clans, why would they help us when we need it?" Turning to face the rest of the patrol and Pinepaw, she beckoned with her tail. "More warriors would be useful," she called over her shoulder, before she turned to sprint back to camp.
Sunpaw knew Nightwhisker, Icepaw, and Pinepaw were following her, and for a moment, she felt like a leader. A new power and pride surged through her, and with the sun breaking through the trees and making her pelt blaze, Sunpaw truly felt as regal and strong as a leader of ThunderClan. The pale outline of a flame-colored cat flickered into her vision, and she heard a deep voice whisper in her ear.
"Firestar reborn."
The cat vanished when Darkcloud came hurrying up the slope that led into ThunderClan's camp, alerted by the sound of pounding paws.
"Sunpaw?" said the black warrior, his amber eyes puzzled. "Is that a RiverClan cat? What–"
"The Tribe's at RiverClan's camp," interrupted Sunpaw. "They're losing, Darkcloud, ThunderClan needs to go–"
"How many do you need?" asked Darkcloud, directing the question at Pinepaw.
The RiverClan apprentice shook her head, barely able to gasp out, "As many as you can spare."
To Sunpaw's relief, the dark warrior whipped around, back down the slope. Less than a minute later, a stream of cats came bounding up the slope; it was close to sunhigh, and many cats had returned to camp to eat. Quickriver, Mudspeckle, Sparrowbeak, Snowwind, Jaywing, Rainpaw, and, to Sunpaw's surprise, Morning. Darkcloud nodded, and Pinepaw turned, winding through ThunderClan's territory to reach her own.
Sunpaw kept right on Pinepaw's heels, hearing the rumble of paws from behind her. Icepaw and Rainpaw surged up on either side of her, and as Pinepaw jumped over the reeds that marked the start of RiverClan land, Sunpaw felt a twinge of regret that Lightningstar had not joined the patrol. She'd wanted her mentor to see how well she and her friends could fight. Briefly, she wondered how Morning felt about fighting the cats she used to live among.
They heard the fight long before they reached it. Pinepaw cleared a wide stream in one adrenalin-charged leap, then shouldered through a clump of brambles. Sunpaw leapt over the thorns to land on the edge of the RiverClan camp, which was filled with screeching, clawing cats. She could not see the black fox.
A dark gray cat cannoned into Sunpaw. The impact made them both roll, and Sunpaw thrust her hind legs into the Tribe cat's belly. As the cat grunted and tumbled off her, Sunpaw crouched low to the ground, remembering a trick Lightningstar had taught her. When the gray cat regained its footing and saw Sunpaw crouched submissively, it yowled in triumph and reared up on its hind legs, ready to drop down on her. Timing her move perfectly, Sunpaw leapt headlong into the cat's belly. The Tribe cat hit the ground hard, did not rise, and Sunpaw turned away from it.
She caught a glimpse of Rainpaw chasing off a cat easily twice her size. Before the Tribe cat fully got away, Rainpaw gave it one last bite, letting it know she was strong, regardless of her small size. Icepaw pinned a brown tom to the ground, clawing its shoulders and neck before allowing it to flee.
A shrill cry caught Sunpaw's attention, and she saw a tiny tabby, hardly old enough to be an apprentice, flinching away from a lean, heavily scarred, black Tribe she-cat.
"Coward!" spat Sunpaw as she jumped in front of the little apprentice, blocking it from harm. "Taking on a cat not even half your size!" Reaching out with a forepaw, Sunpaw feinted a blow to the cat's left ear, then connected the same paw to the cat's right cheek. The black she-cat backed away from her, flinching from blow after blow to its face. It was a trick Icepaw had taught her; enough hits to the face, and a cat would usually get dizzy enough to trip over its own paws.
"Sunpaw!"
It was Icepaw who called her name, and Sunpaw instinctively turned in the direction of his voice. He beckoned with his tail, shaking drops of blood out of his face that trailed from a cut over his eye. Running over to him, he pointed with his nose to a dark corner of the camp. With a jolt, Sunpaw saw two black figures sitting in the shadows. One was the fox, her pale eyes glinting; the second was Shadowfur, his dark orange eyes calm and almost...triumphant as he surveyed the battle. Shadowfur didn't come with the patrol Darkcloud gathered. When did he get here? Sunpaw didn't know if she spoke the words aloud or not, but a second later she was forced to turn away from them. Another Tribe cat had appeared, seemingly from nowhere, in front of her and Icepaw.
Working as one, Sunpaw and Icepaw attacked the cat. Icepaw relied on feinting moves, stepping one way and clawing from the other, effectively flustering the Tribe member; Sunpaw worked with a combination of strength and speed, shoving with her shoulders and darting away from reaching claws.
One yowl sounded above all the others, and a moment later, five more ThunderClan cats joined the battle, led by Prickerclaw, a RiverClan warrior. Apparently deciding the odds were too stacked and the risk of losing was now too large, the fox stepped out from the shadows it had been sitting under. Barking sharply, it waved its tail, signaling for the Tribe to retreat.
The sudden silence roared in Sunpaw's ears. The Tribe were like lightning: there one heartbeat, gone the next. She stared around the unfamiliar camp, watching as RiverClan and ThunderClan cats alike came padding unsteadily from behind thick clumps of reeds and brambles. She watched as Darkcloud, limping on one leg, walked up to Waterstar, the leader of RiverClan. Too far to hear what they were saying, Sunpaw watched as Waterstar bowed her head almost to the ground.
Bending her head and licking a cut on her foreleg, Sunpaw twisted her ears at the sound of pawsteps. Rainpaw came hobbling up, keeping her left forepaw pressed tight against her chest. Thumping down next to Sunpaw, the small white she-cat held out her paw. "Look at that," she mewed, her voice and eyes both quivering with nervousness. Sunpaw looked. Sunpaw winced.
"Nice," she said.
"It's really anything but," muttered Rainpaw, staring at the deep cut that ran clear across her pad. "I'll probably get some fatal infection and wither up."
"Thought you weren't one for jumping to conclusions," said Sunpaw, turning her attention to another of her own wounds. "We do have a medicine cat, need I remind you."
"ThunderClan!" Darkcloud had finished speaking with Waterstar and turned to address his Clan. "We return to camp." He beckoned with his tail, waiting for all the ThunderClan cats who had come to fight to gather around him.
Before Darkcloud led the way out of the RiverClan camp, Pinepaw caught Sunpaw's eye and flicked her tail in farewell. Sunpaw returned the gesture of friendship, and wondered if the mottled she-cat would gain her warrior name.
Heck, wonder if we'll get our warrior names, thought Sunpaw as she fell into pace with Icepaw and Rainpaw, neither of whom were able to walk steadily. No cat can bloody well tell me we don't deserve it.
Mudspeckle broke through her thoughts. "I'll be sure to tell Lightningstar how well you three performed," he said, indicating Sunpaw, Icepaw, and Rainpaw with one sweep of his tail. He looked to Morning. "I'll tell him how well you defended ThunderClan as well," he added.
Morning adopted a defiant look in her amber eyes. "I do not belong with the Tribe any longer," she said with dignity. "ThunderClan is my new place, and it is with all my pride I live there."
When they reentered ThunderClan territory, Sunpaw felt compelled to look over her shoulder, to see if Shadowfur had come back with the rest of his Clan, but she knew, just somehow knew, that the black tom had not followed. A sudden, sharp throb gnawed at her ribs, where she had received a particularly painful bite. Unprepared for the jab of pain, Sunpaw stumbled, nearly rolling head over tail. Icepaw and Rainpaw stopped.
"You alright?" they asked in unison, both pairs of blue eyes holding concern. Sunpaw knew the whole patrol had seen her trip.
"Fine. I'm fine." She managed to keep her voice even, pushing back the still-present throb. She raised her chin and tail, trying to keep her dignity intact. Adding insult to injury, she thought.
It was halfway to sundown when they reached the camp. Lightningstar, who had been hunting when Pinepaw first came asking for help, had close to no knowledge of what had happened. Mudspeckle quietly filled him in, while Sunpaw, Icepaw, and Rainpaw took turns filling in those who had also been out on the event. Yellowflower and Waterdrip's kits, riled up from all the chatter and frightened by their first sight of blood, dashed from one corner of the camp to the other, their short tails fluffing out.
As the sun crept lower and lower, the camp gradually quieted down. Lightningstar ordered three patrols, informing them to be back quickly, before the sun disappeared for the day. Sunpaw, feeling drowsy from the poppy seeds Treeshadow had given her, yawned as she went to join Icepaw and Rainpaw outside the den.
"Some day," she said through another yawn, flopping down close to Icepaw. She managed a short purr as Icepaw licked her cheek, then rested her chin on her paws. "No sign of a warrior ceremony, I notice," she added.
"It's not sundown yet," argued Rainpaw. Her gray tail twitched. "There's time still."
"Lightningstar told the patrols to be back before sundown, you'll notice," added Icepaw.
The three lay in silence together, saying nothing on the anticipation and hope that kept a firm hold over them all. When the last patrol returned with nothing to report, Lightningstar nodded his thanks to them and leap up the Hightree. As he called the summons, Sunpaw felt her heart skip more than one beat. Icepaw and Rainpaw managed to keep calm and look reasonably collected, but Sunpaw, for all her careful dignity, couldn't help but hold her tail straight up and practically hop over to join the rest of the Clan.
When all the cats had gathered, Lightningstar began to speak. "Cats of ThunderClan, as you all know, a battle took place today between RiverClan, ThunderClan, and the Tribe." He paused. Nice dramatic effect, thought Sunpaw. "We are gathered here this sundown to honor four young cats in particular." His yellow gaze fell on Morning. "First, I wish to honor Morning, who defended ThunderClan with as much ferocity as though she were born among us." To Sunpaw's mild surprise, about half the Clan called appreciatively to the gray she-cat, who bowed her head shyly. Sunpaw added her voice, and Morning's amber eyes glowed.
"Secondly," Lightningstar continued once the clearing was silent, "The apprentices Sunpaw, Icepaw, and Rainpaw deserve a place of honor tonight. Mudspeckle tells me the three of them fought like the greatest of warriors." Trying to stop her fur bristling with excitement, and feeling like her heart would burst from beating so fast, Sunpaw's fur gleamed in the last rays of light as nearly every cat who had been in the battle murmured their agreement.
When Lightningstar slithered off the Hightree and walked to the head of the crowd, Sunpaw heard Rainpaw squeak and saw Icepaw's shoulders tense. She almost choked on nothing when Lightningstar began the traditional words.
"I, Lightningstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." Holding her chin high, Sunpaw pressed closer to Icepaw for a moment, suddenly feeling much older than she had earlier that day. She felt Rainpaw quivering on her other side.
"Sunpaw, Icepaw, Rainpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
"I do." They had spoken in perfect time with one another. Sunpaw noticed all three of them sounded older, more mature.
A red glimmer caught her eye, and Sunpaw's eyes flicked to an empty space beside Lightningstar. In less than a heartbeat, the flame-pelted tom stood there, his dark green eyes glowing. After a moment, he bowed his head. Sunpaw was unable to look away from him, knowing that no other cat could see him. Lightningstar's voice startled her back to the moment.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names: Rainpaw, from this moment you will be known as Raintail. StarClan honors your compassion and your patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Raintail stood, visibly shaking, and bowed her head. She gave Lightningstar's shoulder a respectful lick, then turned to join the warriors, her gray tail held aloft.
"Icepaw," said Lightningstar, and a warm glow spread through Sunpaw, mixing with understandable impatience for her turn, "from this moment on you will be known as Icestorm. StarClan honors your bravery and your honesty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Icestorm licked Lightningstar's shoulder, and his deep blue eyes met with Sunpaw's as he sat next to Jaywing in the line of warriors. Sunpaw fought against the shiver that ran up her spine, caused by either the knowledge she was next, or by Icestorm's eyes lingering on her.
"Sunpaw, from this moment you will be known as Sunfire. StarClan honors your courage and your spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Dipping her head to Lightningstar, Sunfire knew the flame-pelted tom also watched her, proud as any mentor.
"Welcome, warrior of ThunderClan." Both Lightningstar and the flame-cat spoke the words. Proudly, knowing StarClan was watching, Sunfire turned and took a place between Icestorm and Raintail as the Clan chanted their names, bringing them forever to the rank of warrior.
"In the tradition of our ancestors," said Lightningstar, once the camp was again silent, "Raintail, Icestorm, and Sunfire must guard the camp alone." His yellow gaze swept over them all. "Your vigil begins."
One by one, the Clan slipped off to their respective dens, many calling congratulations as they did. Sunfire noticed the flame-colored shadow-cat still sat, unmoving.
Even with pride and excitement pounding through her veins, Sunfire had only one thought: Who are you? She asked silently, looking at the shadow-cat.
His green eyes glimmered, and she heard his voice in her mind: Do you not know me, young Sunfire? With a flick of his tail, he paled into non-existence.
Seated between her two friends, Sunfire trained her eyes on the first star that appeared in the velvet-purple sky. With a jolt, she thought she knew the flame-pelted tom who appeared to her in both dreams and in the waking world.
Firestar?
;-;-;-;
A/N: Hopefully, next chap up in less than a week.