Stormpaw was having a rather pleasant dream, without any meddling StarClan cats or foreboding omens. Just a calm forest, filled with the scents of prey, of the rich woodland creatures in ThunderClan's home territory. The kind of prey he hadn't had in the moon or so since the great fire. He was just about to snag a fat mouse when two big paws slammed into him, waking him up.
"Oakstem?" Stormpaw blinked the sleep away from his eyes. The tabby warrior looked sheepish. Stormpaw didn't know him too well, but he was a trusted clan member, as well as Sandface's mate.
"Sorry," Oakstem said. "Sandface wanted everyone in the clan to wake up."
"What's wrong?" Looking at the sky, Stormpaw judged it was a little past sunhigh. He did not relish the thought of losing that much sleep.
"We can't find Turtlekit," He replied.
This woke Stormpaw up. He leapt to his paws. "What? Why?"
"Sandface woke up and Turtlekit...wasn't there." Oakstem's voice shook. "We can't lose her, she's our only kit, oh StarClan-"
"Calm down!" Whiteflower strode past, lashing her tail. "We'll find her. Don't worry. I'm going to go look."
"Whiteflower!" Lightningstar followed behind her. "The ground's unstable here, it's too dangerous. And we don't know what kind of things live here. We can't afford to lose you."
"I refuse to let a kit die because you're afraid, Lightningwhisker." Stormpaw winced; she'd used his warrior name there. But Lightningstar didn't seem to care about the disrespect. "I'm going. I'll be fine."
Stormpaw felt a chill as Minnowfoot manifested next to him. He didn't move a muscle; now wasn't the time to look suspicious.
"You need to go with her," The StarClan cat whispered. "I know where Turtlekit went. I can guide you." Okay, Stormpaw thought.
"Wait!" He called out. "I'll go with you! It'll be...it'll be less dangerous if we can watch each other's backs."
Whiteflower turned to look at him, and for a moment, he thought she was going to reprimand him for this, but her yellow gaze softened.
"Good thinking," She said. "Come on, let's not lose any time."
"What about me?" Lionpaw said. "I can come too!"
"Absolutely not. Your leg is still healing."
"It's fine now, mom, I swear-"
"We will manage fine on our own, thank you, Lionpaw." Whiteflower turned away, and Stormpaw realized she wasn't just being mean; she was worried about Lionpaw getting hurt. Well, he could get behind that. "Come on, Stormpaw."
He followed.
…
Quite luckily, Whiteflower had actually believed Stormpaw when he said he "had a feeling" about the direction Turtlekit went in, and soon they were close enough that they were actually able to catch her scent.
Since then they'd been walking in silence. Whiteflower seemed so intensely focused that Stormpaw felt uncomfortable, and he nearly jumped out of his fur when she finally spoke up.
"Stormpaw. I'd been meaning to talk to you anyway." She wasn't looking at him. Was that a good sign or a bad sign?
"Y-yes?" He replied. "If it's about Lionpaw–I, uh, she's a beautiful cat and I'd never, uh– never take advantage of her–I–"
"Stormpaw. I just wanted to talk about your warrior ceremony," Whiteflower said. Stormpaw felt his face flush under his fur and looked at his paws so he wouldn't have to look her in the eye. Good job embarrassing yourself in front of your deputy. "Lionpaw's too. You're over a moon past when most warriors get their names. I want you to know you're not forgotten. There just hasn't been a good time."
"It's no big deal," Stormpaw said. Getting his warrior name would be nice, of course, but he'd had too many things to worry about the past moon to really care about that. He waited for Whiteflower to say something in return, but she didn't, and they continued in awkward silence for a few heartbeats longer.
"About Lionpaw," Whiteflower finally said. Stormpaw tensed. He knew she didn't approve, and how could she? What cat would want their kit to be with a bland, shy, little nothing like him. He should just give up and let Lionpaw find someone who deserved her– "Tell her. As soon as you can."
"What?"
"I know I'm harsh on the both of you, but you're good kids. It's none of my business, but...you never know when something could happen." She was looking off into the middle distance, and her expression was as stoney as always, but her voice was softer. "It–it took me almost my whole life to tell Lionpaw's father how I felt and we only had a few moons together before he died. I always wonder…" She turned her gaze to him, bright yellow. "I just...I want my daughter to be happy I-"
"I understand." Stormpaw dipped his head, and before he could say anything else, he heard a wail.
It was Turtlekit, tangled up in some kind of thorny plant. Stormpaw and Whiteflower rushed forward and Whiteflower began trying to detangle the little kit. Thankfully, she didn't seem to be hurt aside from a few scratches.
"What happened, Turtlekit?" Stormpaw asked.
"I ran away," Turtlekit said. "I wanted to be by myself but then I got stuck here!"
"You shouldn't run away like that," Whiteflower said as she spat out a thorn. "You could have gotten hurt by yourself. You're just a kit."
"I wanna be an apprentice NOW!" Turtlekit wailed. "It's not fair, Sleetpaw and Acornpaw get to train and I don't! And mama won't let me talk to them, I wanna talk to Sleetpaw some more, she understands!"
"Understands what?" Stormpaw said. Turtlekit mumbled something that Stormpaw couldn't catch, but Whiteflower appeared to have heard.
"Turtlekit doesn't feel like a she-cat," Was all the deputy said before finally pulling Turtlekit out of the brambles. The tortoiseshell kit refused to meet Stormpaw's gaze.
"You know you can talk to Cloverheart about that," He said. "Medicine cats are here to help."
"Sleetpaw understands better," Turtlekit mumbled, walking past Stormpaw. "Cause she actually knows how it feels cause everybody thought she was a tom until she told them she wasn't." The little kit shivered, looking embarrassed, "I don't–I wish–"
"Hey," Whiteflower said. "You don't have to figure it out right now. Let's get back to camp and get some rest, okay?"
Turtlekit gave a bleary nod, and the three walked back accepted the rough terrain, toward their clanmates.
…
By the time the clan had calmed down, it was nearing sunset and Stormpaw didn't think it'd be worth it to try and sleep again. He didn't see Lionpaw laying down to sleep, either. With a quick look around, he saw her standing at the edge of the gorge, gazing out at the view. The landscape was getting rockier and rockier each day they journeyed. Prey was getting scarcer, too.
"Hey, mousebrain," Whispered Minnowfoot into his ear. "Now's your chance."
It's not important, Minnowfoot. There's so much going on, I don't know what's going to happen.
"You really are a mousebrain," Minnowfoot chuckled. "Didn't you hear what the old lady said? Now more than ever."
Stormpaw took a deep breath and made his way over to Lionpaw.
"Ouch!" Robinkit squeaked. "What was that for, Smallkit?!" He bit her!
"I'm sorry," Smallkit leaned forward to lick the blood away, but she swatted him! Like she was gonna let him near her after that!
Sedgekit rushed forward to lick the wound instead. "W-w-w-w-we should see Woodpaw and Lilypettal!" He said.
"It's just a little cut," Robinkit said. She had to be brave, like Mama.
"I really am sorry," Smallkit said. "I needed to so you could meet Briarshade!"
"Briarshade?" Robinkit asked. Sedgekit was still fussing about the bite, but she ignored him.
"Yeah! I see them when I sleep. They teach me things!" Smallkit's orange eyes lit up. "I said I wanted you to meet them, and they said they'd need your blood!"
"You coulda explained that before you bit me," Robinkin said.
"Sorry," His ears drooped. "I just got too excited. You'll like Briarshade, they're really cool!"
Robinkit did admit, the idea of getting training early was exciting. She wasn't going to be an apprentice for two more moons, which was basically forever away. And if Smallkit thought this "Briarshade" was cool…
"Sedgekit, do you want to come too?" Smallkit asked. Sedgekit thought it over for a heartbeat, his blue eyes narrowing.
"Y-y-you see cats when you sleep?" He finally said. "L-l-like leaders and medicine cats see StarClan?"
"Yeah!" Smallkit chirped.
"Th-then count me in." Sedgekit held out a paw. He winced a little when Smallkit bit him, but didn't say anything.
They all looked at each other. Robinkit couldn't stop lashing her tail. Smallkit's eyes were almost glowing and even Sedgekit had a tiny smile. For once, she couldn't wait to get to sleep.
...
"What took you so long?" A deep, rumbling purr made Robinkit snap to attention. Looking around, she could see Smallkit and Sedgekit waking up next to her, but she couldn't see any other cats.
Robinkit had never been into a forest before, and she wondered if all of them were this scary. The trees had no leaves, their branches like claws. She looked up and felt dizzy. There were no stars? But there were no clouds either? The only light was coming from small plants, glowing with an eerie light. She fluffed up her fur. Be brave, she told herself. Be brave like Mama.
"Briarshade!" Smallkit's cheerful mew broke through the silence. "Quit hiding!" Robinkit heard a chuckle from nowhere in particular, and for a heartbeat nothing happened.
Then something….someone started materializing out of the mist. A dark tabby with broad shoulders stepped out of the mist. They were one of the biggest cats Robinkit had ever seen, even bigger than Spottedstar, and they had a thick ruff of fur on their neck and chest. When they opened their eyes, they seemed to glow and cut through the mist, bright orange, like fire.
Just like Smallkit's eyes.
"Well," The big tabby–Briarshade? Purred. "Robinkit and Sedgekit, I presume? I've heard so much about you."
"Y-y-y-y-y–" Sedgekit stuttered.
"Yeah!" Robinkit finished.
"You'll need to fix that stutter, dearest," Briarshade said. The big cat sounded almost motherly, and for some reason, Robinkit's stomach felt sick. "It's unbecoming of a warrior. Hard times are coming for you and your lot."
"Don't pick on my brother!" Robinkit squeaked. "He can't help it!"
"Hey, don't fight!" Smallkit got between Robinkit and Briarshade. He only looked smaller next to a cat of that size. "I want you guys to be friends! Briarshade has a lot to teach you!"
Sedgekit looked at Brairshade and swallowed before speaking again.
"W-w–Who are you?" He asked.
"I'm Reedstar's littermate," Briarshade said, in a matter-of-fact way. "There was a time when I, perhaps, could have been leader. But things don't always work out the way you've planned." They stretched their paws out, yawned, and then curled up on the ground. "I wanted to watch over Smallkit in any way I could while Reedstar is busy. He is my kin, after."
"Mom didn't like it that I talked to Briarshade," Smallkit said. "So I stopped telling her. She wouldn't tell me what happened, anyway."
"And I would never lie to you," Briarshade said, their eyes daintily closed. Their fluffy tail moved in lazy swipes. "I only wish to help my kin survive the coming storm."
"But I said you were my friends!" Smallkit said. "So I wanted them to help you too!"
"What are you gonna teach us?" Robinkin asked. She was still nervous, but if Smallkit trusted them, she was sure they were a good cat. A thought sprung up in her head. "Are you gonna teach us to fight!?"
Briarshade opened one of their orange eyes and smiled. "You're a smart little thing, Robinkit. Yes."\
"B-b-b-but we won't be apprentices for two whole moons!" Sedgekit interjected. "It's against the code!"
Briarshade opened their other eye, and titled their head.
"Your silly rules will doom you," They said. They stood up to their full height. "They already have. StarClan's rules were too strict, you see. They cannot get through, because they must follow them. But I follow nothing. There is something else here, in the place we are going, and it holds you to rules, oh yes. Rules of blood and fate and stars. StarClan is trapped in a prison of their own making." As they spoke, Briarshade stepped closer and closer to Sedgekit, looming over him. Robinkit wanted to say something, but she was scared. She was so scared.
"W-w-" Sedgekit tried to speak.
"If you stick with the fools in StarClan," Briarshade said. "You will die. The Clans will die. The monster at the end of your "Silver Path" will eat you whole and spit out your bones. So I am here to help you live." They sat back.
Sedgekits blue eyes were so wide that Robinkit could see the whites of them, and he was shaking worse than Mama after the fire. She rushed over and curled around him. But she hadn't been there to protect him when he needed it. She was ashamed. Her brother said nothing.
"I am being very kind," Briarshade continued, after a long silence. "You will live, because of my help, you understand?"
Sedgekit nodded. After a moment, Robinkit did too.
"Good." The huge tabby stood up. "Now. Let our lessons begin."
They unsheathed their claws.