"Are you serious, Seedgrowth?" Riverstar asked.
"Very serious," the sandy he-cat replied calmly. "I do believe that our missing apprentices are not gone without reason. You recall the prophecy I told you Promisepaw received. Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will join together and save the Promised Clan."
"Yes. Why? Do you think they found out what it meant?"
"They must have." Seedgrowth paused thoughtfully. "In fact, I think I know what it means as well."
"What?" Sunface demanded, his tail twitching nervously.
"Tell me the names of the missing cats, Sunface."
"Promisepaw, Sunpaw, Shadowpaw, Trickpaw, and Wavepaw."
Seedgrowth nodded to Riverstar, who had a look on her furry face that suggested understanding. "Shadowpaw came from SwampClan...Sunpaw is from MeadowClan...Wavepaw is from LakeClan...Trickpaw was a kittypet...and Promisepaw is from PromiseClan." She shrugged. "Some of it makes sense."
"What Clan does Promisepaw resemble?"
"DuskClan. Radianteyes and Quartzfur both were from DuskClan," Sunface meowed. His tawny eyes grew wide. "Great StarClan! They've called cats from those four Clans...or at least cats who look like they came from there!" The ginger tom kneaded the ground of Riverstar's den excitedly.
"But what of Trickpaw? He has no Clan," Riverstar pointed out.
"He must have left because StarClan called him," Seedgrowth replied. "After all, he was the cat who gave Promisepaw the prophecy, isn't he?"
"What can we do?" Sunface asked. "We can't keep them from fulfilling StarClan's latest prophecy...but at the same time, we can't knowingly put them in danger. Shall I send out some warriors to follow them and travel with them?"
"No." Riverstar shook her head. "No. That wouldn't be right. They're together. Besides, I have a feeling that if PromiseClan really is in danger, and those apprentices are the chosen cats to save it, our warrior ancestors will protect them through it all."
"But leaf-fall is here," Sunface protested. "The equinox was today! We can't let them be alone during leaf-bare, can we? It's not right! I...we can't...it's..." He sighed and sat down, ducking his head into his chest. Riverstar laid her tail across his shoulders.
"Don't worry, my deputy," she meowed softly. "Remember, they are strong together. They have the gifts of all the Clans with them. LakeClan's claws. MeadowClan's endurance. SwampClan's senses. DuskClan's strength. PromiseClan's heart. They will not fail us."
Seedgrowth twitched his whiskers questioningly. Riverstar nodded, and the tawny cat left the small den. Outside, he sat down to watch the sun set. Riverstar was right. Every cat that had gone missing was special. Now that he thought about it, each strongly resembled their Clan ancestors. Promisepaw was strong in will and body. Wavepaw was lighthearted, but swift and fierce. Sunpaw was gangly and tall, with a leap that not many warriors could match. Shadowpaw was slender and had a firm stance.
Yes. StarClan had chosen all of its original Clans to be represented in these four apprentices. But what of Trickpaw? Had he just decided to tag along with his friends? Or did he have some deeper motive that drove him to seek out the questing apprentices? Perhaps he, too, had had a dream.
StarClan... Seedgrowth prayed silently. Guide their paws and bring them safely home to us.
.-''-.-''-.-''-.
Promisepaw's father, Quartzfur, stood tall in the shadows of the warriors den. "It's not right," he growled. "They could be in real danger out there. You heard what Riverstar said: the AoDs are coming back! It's not safe for them to be out there!"
"Settle down, Quartzfur," Radianteyes mewed. "Our daughter and the others are fine. They're together, aren't they?"
"You don't know that," the tom muttered.
"She does. A queen can sense these things when it involves her kits."
It was Sleetfur who had spoken. The silver she-cat raised her head and fixed her soulful blue gaze on the anxious warrior. Her own kits, Riverpelt, Ashfire, and Nighthawk, were all seated around her. "When Riverpelt was a kit and wandered out of camp, I knew exactly where she was. When Ashfire was still an apprentice, no matter what patrol he was on, I could always sense where he was. Nighthawk, too." The senior warrior's eyes burned into Quartzfur's. "Believe Radianteyes. She is a mother."
Quartzfur sighed softly. "I don't doubt you, Sleetfur," he meowed. "But I'm a father, and if it's one thing we do, it's have no clue where our kits are and if they're safe or not."
"Trust me, Quartzfur. I know that Promisepaw, Wavepaw, Shadowpaw, Sunpaw, and Trickpaw are all together." Radianteyes dropped her head onto her paws. "I don't know where they are, but I know they're safe."
The glossy-furred tom curled up beside his mate and licked her ears. "They should never have left," he murmured. "The whole Clan is in turmoil because of it. Summerpaw can't sleep. Greatpaw is becoming short-tempered. Bearpaw can't pay attention to his mentor any more."
"It's part of having a sibling missing," Blacktip mewed. "Riverstar is my sister. When she left DuskClan, I went into the same slump. They'll get over it eventually, realize that sitting outside the camp all day won't bring her home, get back to their old schedules. Of course, they won't stop worrying about Promisepaw. They'll just get over the worst of their worry." The white he-cat nodded.
"I never knew you and Riverstar were..." Quartzfur shook his head wonderingly. "Any other cats in your litter that are here with us?"
Blacktip shook his head. "No."
Quartzfur studied Blacktip. Now that he looked...the two cats did have a similar scent and build. He hadn't thought of it before, but it was fairly obvious. Blacktip purred, grinning. "Never thought of it like that before, did you?" he asked.
"No...not really..."
"Well, I don't like to talk about it." Blacktip shrugged. "I mean, some cats would think I was bragging if I told them that my own sister was Clan leader. It's not like I'm not proud of her. No...I'm very proud of Riverstar...And I'm glad she let me be mates with her best friend."
Quartzfur now understood the whole web of relationships between the older warriors. Blacktip and Riverstar were littermates. Sleetfur was Riverstar's best friend, and Riverstar had been the mediator between the two cats as apprentices, hoping to bring them close together. And, of course, that brought his mind to the alliances that had happened to the group of young warriors from DuskClan. Sunface and Radianteyes were brother and sister, and Quartzfur, Sunface's best friend, was mates with Radianteyes...
Ruthie: This is starting to sound like some kinda cheesy soap opera, ain't it? My sincerest apologies if I have offended you at all. This is what we call a "filler" chapter, for those who didn't know. It means that Ruthie is having a bad case of writer's block, and needs to keep those who read her fanfictions satisfied while they wait for her latest block to break. x.x; Sorry. On with the filler! (Oh, and if you want, you may now skip this chapter—if there's another one to go to, at least.)
.-''-.-''-.-''-.
Summerpaw groaned and rolled over in her little nest in Seedgrowth's den. She wasn't really sick. She just wanted to be near the herbs that reminded her of Promisepaw. Their scent alone was enough to trigger her memories. The golden queen closed her green eyes. This wasn't right...Promisepaw should be here, giving her a lecture on how she shouldn't be with the medicine cat if she wasn't sick. And Sunpaw. He should be waiting for her in the den, his pale blue eyes gleaming with that warmth he reserved for her.
"I know...it's hard," Bearpaw murmured. He padded out from the brush around the hollow tree stump and slumped beside his sister. "Greatpaw isn't doing to hot either."
"Bearpaw, why?" Summerpaw mewed. "Why did she have to leave?" And why did she have to take Sunpaw with her?
"StarClan works in mysterious ways," the brown tom replied sullenly. "They wanted our sister to do their will, and now she's off doing what they asked of her. I ask myself the same things sometimes. Why was Promisepaw so keen on being a medicine cat? Why couldn't she have settled for being an ordinary warrior like the rest of us?"
"Greatpaw says she wants to be a queen," Summerpaw pointed out.
"That's different. Greatpaw gets to sleep in the same den as we do." Bearpaw heaved a sigh. "Look, why don't you come back to the den for the night? Greatpaw and I need you with us. We're the only ones in the den!"
"Icewind's kits will be apprenticed soon," Summerpaw mumbled.
"But they're not our littermates. Summerpaw, come on. Do I have to drive you there with my claws?"
Summerpaw stood up. "Fine. I'm coming." Before she left the den, though, she grabbed a mouthful of herbs, the sweetest smelling ones she could find. Bearpaw watched in confusion, but said nothing. Summerpaw dropped the herbs in her nest. "They smell like Promisepaw," she explained. Bearpaw nodded.
"The whole den will smell of herbs until she returns," he meowed.
Summerpaw turned around and around in her herbal, mossy nest a couple of times before flopping down. She inhaled deeply. The sweet smell of the herbs brought comfort to her troubled mind, and she fell into her first easy sleep in days.