Seedgrowth twitched his tail at his apprentice, Promisepaw. "All right, Promisepaw," he meowed, "tell me about this plant here. I want its name, what it's used for, and how to use it."
Promisepaw, a white she-cat with bright amber eyes, stuck her pink tongue out of the corner of her mouth thoughtfully. She approached the plant and patted the leaves with a paw. Seedgrowth watched without a word. Promisepaw reached out again, this time knocking loose a scarlet berry. "Uh, these would be deathberries. They're used for killing cats, and about three will bring down a strong warrior if they eat them," she mewed, backing away carefully.
Seedgrowth couldn't help a purr of amusement. "Very good," he praised. "You're coming along quite well with your training, Promisepaw. You're a fast learner. I remember how only last week you told me they were juniper berries."
Promisepaw ducked her white head in embarrassment. She had hoped Seedgrowth would have forgotten about that by now. "What else?" she asked, pouncing up and down. "Where are we going next?"
"Calm down, calm down." Seedgrowth placed a dark paw on her gingery back. Promisepaw settled down slightly. "We've been out here all day. How about heading back?"
"Okay. What are we going to do tomorrow?" Promisepaw gazed up at her mentor with excited eyes. Seedgrowth purred again.
"You'll find out. Let's get back to camp now, shall we?"
The two cats padded together towards the familiar brush that marked the outside of the PromiseClan camp. Seedgrowth hung back, allowing his apprentice to enter first. The medicine cat stood at the camp entrance, gazing out at his home.
The PromiseClan camp was situated in a clearing in the forest. There was Tallrock, where Riverstar addressed the Clan. Her den was in the bushes beside the huge, egg-shaped rock. Going over to the right, Seedgrowth's eyes found a large den hidden by tree branches. Under those branches was a ditch of reasonable size where the warriors slept. He padded into the camp, eyes missing none of the familiar landmarks. Across the camp from the warriors den was the apprentices den, a shady cove that was given its shape by an old stone Twoleg structure.
Walking along the edge of the camp, Seedgrowth found his own den, a massive knothole in an old tree. There was plenty of space for him, Promisepaw, and his supplies inside. Rather than follow his apprentice to the den, Seedgrowth instead went along the rest of the camp. He slipped across the middle and into a huge bramble thicket. Lying on a bed of moss and ferns was a golden-gingery queen. Four kits nursed at her belly, while the fifth and smallest lay between her front paws. Her eyes were raw with pain.
"Goldenkit..." she whispered, her voice trembling. Seedgrowth licked between her ears gently. The queen gave a yowl of pain and grief. "GOLDENKIIIIIT!"
"I know, Firebelly," Seedgrowth mewed. "But you mustn't blame yourself. You did everything you could for Goldenkit. It's not your fault StarClan called her back to them so soon."
Firebelly licked the dead Goldenkit gently. "It's not fair...StarClan has many warriors already. Why did they need Goldenkit? They have so many of my kits already." Seedgrowth would have stopped her, but he thought it was best if the old she-cat got everything out of her system. "Darkkit...Hollykit...Shorekit...Lionkit...Coalkit...Why?"
"Our warriors ancestors work in mysterious ways," Seedgrowth murmured, trying to soothe her. "When did it happen?"
"Around...around...s-sunhigh," Firebelly rasped. "I...I didn't tell any cat...I couldn't believe it...Goldenkit was fine last night...And today...she...died." Seedgrowth gave her ears a gentle lick. "Perhaps it is a sign from StarClan," Firebelly continued in a serious voice. "Yes...they are trying to tell me something...this is my last litter. I will join the elders when my kits are apprenticed."
Seedgrowth nodded. "They will welcome an honorable cat like you," he meowed. "I'll tell Riverstar." Firebelly nodded, giving her dead kit another lick as if trying to stir her still heart.
The sand-pelted tom padded out of the den. The first cat he ran into was a blessing from StarClan: the PromiseClan deputy, Sunface. Firebelly's son looked much like his mother, but his pelt was less gold and more ginger. The red tom dipped his head. "Evening, Seedgrowth," he meowed. "Need anything?"
"Riverstar," Seedgrowth replied. Sunface flicked his tail towards Tallrock, where the blue-gray form of the PromiseClan leader could be seen as she stretched after her nap. Seedgrowth pushed his muzzle into the deputy's flank as a sign of thanks before trotting off to greet the leader.
He was almost too late. He caught Riverstar in midleap as she jumped onto the Tallrock. "Riverstar, I need to speak with you!" he insisted. Riverstar dropped back to the ground, nodding. She was a bit bigger than most she-cats, with dark blue-gray fur, and dark gray stripes going horizontally across her lower back.
"What's up?" she asked, giving her chest a couple of licks. "And can it wait? Seedgrowth, you know what I was planning to do tonight...You now how much it will mean to Sleetfur."
"It's Goldenkit."
Riverstar froze, stiffening her shoulders. Her blue eyes were troubled. "No...it can't...she isn't..." Seedgrowth nodded sadly. Riverstar moaned softly.
"She was the smallest..." she murmured. "Seedgrowth, are StarClan angry with us? Fishtail's tail was nearly torn off by a fox last moon. Heavenstep's two kits were born dead. I'm wondering what we have done wrong." She hesitated, flicking her tail for Seedgrowth to enter her den. When they were both inside, she whispered, "In my dream at the Moonstone, Foxpelt told me that I was right to leave DuskClan with you...Has he changed his mind?"
Seedgrowth pushed aside all his fears. "StarClan do not change their minds," he meowed. "We were right to start PromiseClan."
"But what of the four rogues we took in? Pyrefoot, Sparkfur, Hexmind, and Wovenpelt? Has StarClan abandoned us because of them?"
"Riverstar, you're acting like a paranoid queen!" snapped Seedgrowth. "Stop worrying! StarClan have not abandoned us! We are PromiseClan! We are a Clan, perfect in the eyes of our warrior ancestors."
Riverstar's hackles fell. She looked acutely embarrassed at being reprimanded by the medicine cat. "Y...You're right, Seedgrowth," she meowed. "I got carried away...Of course StarClan love us...We're just have a run of bad luck." She looked up. "Yes...and tonight PromiseClan will gain three new warriors...always a good sign."
"The more to mentor Firebelly's kits," Seedgrowth mewed. Riverstar purred and rubbed her head against his shoulders.
"Thank you, Seedgrowth," she said as they left the den. "I suppose I just needed someone to renew my faith in StarClan. Every cat has their moments of doubt, I'm sure. I'm not the first leader to have those thoughts and I won't be the last."
"If you have any dreams, though, be sure to tell me," Seedgrowth reminded her. Riverstar nodded and leapt onto Tallrock.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!" she yowled. Cats started to appear from the various dens and shadows where they had been eating or sharing tongues. Sunface padded to sit beside the Tallrock, the proper place for the deputy.
Five cats stepped out of the small crowd, two larger and battle-scarred, three lean and tough. Riverstar fixed her gaze on the reddening sky, right up to the heavens were StarClan hunted. "I, Riverstar, leader of PromiseClan, 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." Her gaze dropped to rest on each of the three younger cats. "Riverpaw, Ashpaw, Nightpaw," she meowed, "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
Riverpaw stepped forward. "I do," she mewed solemnly. Her brothers, Ashpaw and Nightpaw, started and nearly jumped forwards to stand beside her.
"I d–" they started to meow in unison. Nightpaw motioned for Ashpaw to go first, while Ashpaw did the same at the same time. After struggling for a while, they gave up and meowed, "I do" together. Amused purrs rippled through the assembled cats.
"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names: Riverpaw, from this moment you will be known as Riverpelt. StarClan honors your courage and your strength, and we welcome you as a full member of PromiseClan." Riverstar laid her muzzle on top of Riverpelt's bowed head. Riverpelt gave her shoulder a lick and padded off to sit beside the other warriors.
Seedgrowth nodded. A StarClan ritual was always a good thing. Riverstar continued down the line of apprentices. "Ashpaw, from this moment you will be known as Ashfire. StarClan honors your strength and your compassion, and we welcome you as a full member of PromiseClan." She did the same with Ashfire as she had with Riverpelt. The tom responded with the same shoulder-lick and sat beside Riverpelt.
"Nightpaw, from this moment you will be known as Nighthawk. StarClan honors your speed and your bravery, and we welcome you as a full member of PromiseClan." Nighthawk licked his leader's shoulder and padded over to sit beside his littermates.
"Riverpelt! Ashfire! Nighthawk!" PromiseClan chanted eagerly, welcoming their newest warriors. "Riverpelt! Ashfire! Nighthawk!"
"In tradition of our warrior ancestors," Riverstar added when the cheers had died down, "Riverpelt, Ashfire, and Nighthawk must keep silent vigil while we sleep tonight. But that doesn't mean we can't celebrate with a feast first!" Yowls of agreement rose from her comment. Seedgrowth kept one eye trained on Promisepaw. He could clearly picture the eager apprentice annoying the newest warrior trio.
The sandy-brown tom was about to grab something from the fresh-kill pile when Sunface intercepted him. "Listen," the PromiseClan deputy meowed, "I need to ask you about my mother, Firebelly. We, that is, Radianteyes, Firebelly, and myself, were going to bury Goldenkit tomorrow, just the three of us, and we need you to say the final words over her. Will you do that for us?"
Seedgrowth knew that Firebelly was both Sunface's and Radianteyes's mother, making Goldenkit their sister. He nodded. Kit burials were usually not made into a Clan affair. "Sure. I wouldn't let you do it without the proper words to send her to StarClan." Sunface nodded his thanks and padded off to chat with the newest warriors.
Seedgrowth sighed softly. Suddenly, he did not feel very hungry at all. The incidents played over and over in his head: Goldenkit's death, Riverstar's momentary loss of faith in StarClan, the warrior ceremony...Was PromiseClan really doomed?
A chill wind picked up, tugging at his pelt. Seedgrowth shivered. Leaf-fall was not too far off...he knew that next moon there would be a day of equal light and darkness, an equinox. After that, it was only a matter of time before the solstice. Leaf-bare would be cruel for the growing Clan...Seedgrowth shivered another time.
"Seedgrowth!" Nighthawk shouted. Seedgrowth jumped. "If you don't hurry up, you won't get any fresh-kill!"
Seedgrowth couldn't help a purr of amusement. Nighthawk had spent nearly a moon in his den as a kit, and the two cats were close friends. The sandy tom padded over to the fresh-kill pile to eat. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...
.-''-.-''-.-''-.
That night, the medicine cat apprentice's dreams were filled with fleeing cats and screeching warriors. Promisepaw let out a mewl of terror. Then, out of the darkness, a cat appeared to her. It was a young tom with bright goldy-ginger fur, almost like Firebelly's. Promisepaw was relieved by his wiry body (perhaps he could help her escape this madness), but her relief turned to disgust when she saw the collar around his neck. "You're a kittypet!" she spat.
"I may be, but I come with a message from StarClan," the tom replied.
"Since when do our warrior ancestors send Twoleg pets?" Promisepaw demanded. The tom's hackles rose.
"D'you want the message or not?" he asked. Promisepaw shrugged.
"What is it, you stupid kittypet?" Promisepaw didn't know why she was dreaming of a house cat or why he claimed to know of StarClan, but she didn't believe him at all.
The kittypet rolled his eyes, muttering darkly to himself. Finally he spoke, "PromiseClan is in great danger," he meowed. His next words chilled Promisepaw to the bone. His voice suggested that of a powerful warrior, not that of some little kittypet. She knew StarClan was speaking to her. "Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will come together and save the promised Clan."
"What's that mean?" Promisepaw asked nervously, fully aware that StarClan had entrusted her with a prophecy. "And who are you? Will I ever see you?"
The ginger kittypet shrugged."My name is Trickster," he mewed. "And I don't know if I'll ever see you, or what it means." His lip curled, and he added, "After all, I'm just a stupid kittypet. What do I know?"
"I'm sorry, Trickster!" Promisepaw mewed. "I...I didn't think before I meowed. I didn't realize you really were sent by StarClan. I want to see you outside of dreams."
"Maybe you will, maybe you won't. You're kind of cute, Promisepaw." Trickster looked up as if distracted by some sound. His ears twitched. "Ugh...not those stinking pellets agin," he snarled, and faded from Promisepaw's view.
The white she-cat awoke with a start. She padded from the den, tail twitching nervously. She sat in the center of the camp and gazed up at the night sky. Her eyes found Silverpelt, and she begged the heavenly warriors silently, Guide my paws to do your will, StarClan.