Rosepaw was about to set her ginger paws outside of the gorse tunnel, and onto the warm ground on the outside of the camp, when a voice behind her called to her. She turned her head, and saw Thorntail rushing towards her.
"Rosepaw," he meowed. "I'm going to be hunting up by Fourtrees tonight with Sandpelt and Shrewtail. If you see us on the way back, give us a holler would 'ya?"
Rosepaw nodded blankly.
Thorntail looked pleased, and then the gray tom turned around, and ran back into the camp.
Rosepaw chuckled to herself and kept went on with her journey.
…
"Hello, Rosepaw," Blueherb, the medicine cat of RiverClan purred, as the four medicine cats: Rosepaw of ThunderClan, Blueherb of RiverClan, Heartfur of WindClan, and Shadedhope of ShadowClan met under the half-moon.
"Hello Blueherb." Rosepaw meowed curtly, dipping her head to the medicine cat. To Rosepaw, all three of these cats were her mentor, and she was taught by them all, because her own mentor Flamespirit had abandoned her.
"You're late," Shadedheart growled, the dark gray she-cat curling her upper lip with disdain. "We don't have time to chat. We have to hurry to Moonstone."
"Sorry," Rosepaw mumbled, as the four medicine cats took off towards the dark cavern.
"Don't mind Shadedhope today, Rosepaw." Blueherb mewed breathlessly as they raced through the night. "In fact, don't ever mind her. She has a thorn eternally stuck in her side."
Rosepaw purred, and opened her mouth to try to defend Shadedhope out of simple respect for her, but they had just entered the darkness that was HighStones.
Rosepaw knew the way fairly well by now. It was dark, but the scents of countless other cats that were here before her, were evident.
Rosepaw stared down at where her paws would be if she could see them. She always felt safe here. As if she was safe here. Well, as safe as she had felt in a long time…
Rosepaw was almost blinded by the sudden light before her. Moonstone had awakened! The light danced off all of their pelts, and even Shadedhope's dark gray pelt turned silver. It was as if everything in the cavern had been covered with snow…but….warm snow.
Rosepaw knew what this meant. She stepped towards the stone, and touched her nose to it as she had done many times before. The chill startled her – right into sleep.
But even in the dreams that StarClan were to send her were plagued with…him. And no matter how fast Rosepaw ran from her deepest fear, it caught up to her…
Rosepaw writhed around in pain as she slept. Apparently, through all her thrashing about, she bumped into Heartfur of WindClan, because it was Heartfur who eventually knocked her awake with a good cuff on the ear.
"Are you okay?" Heartfur asked the groggy Rosepaw.
"Fine. Just a nightmare."
"A terrible omen…" Heartfur murmured. "Would you like to share it?"
Rosepaw knew it wasn't an omen. She had the same dream every night. And every night she would…
"No…I think I can figure this one out on my own. You, Blueherb, and Shadedhope taught me a lot."
"So did Flamespirit before he left." Heartfur purred licking Rosepaw's ear. "He really loved you, you know."
"I know he did."
Heartfur smiled at her, and the two waited for the other two to awaken from their slumber. Once they did, it was time for everyone to go their separate ways.
Rosepaw padded through WindClan territory, trying to ignore the weariness that tugged at her heart. She always hated walking alone like this. She also hated walking in groups…
Rosepaw sighed, and chuckled to herself. "I guess I make no sense…"
"Rosepaw?"
The sound of her name jerked Rosepaw from her thoughts. The sound came from behind her, and she turned around.
A few paw steps away, was the WindClan leader, Runningstar.
The ginger tom's long fur blowed in the wind, and even a strand of it hit Rosepaw's cheek as he came towards her.
"It's great that you're so dedicated to your duties, Rosepaw." He purred. "But the sun will be up soon. I think you should hurry home from now on, okay?"
"S-sure." Rosepaw mewed dipping her head respectfully to the leader, while wondering why he was talking to her almost as an equal. Rosepaw turned away from him, and took a few paw steps away from him, when Runningstar stopped her.
"But wait one moment." He growled blocking her path. "You…really like being a medicine cat, don't you?"
Something about his tone… something… something was wrong.
"I admit, it's a waste though. You're such a beautiful she-cat, Rosepaw."
Rosepaw's eyes widened, as she felt the WindClan leader's tail on her underbelly, seductively moving towards her…her…
Rosepaw opened her mouth to yowl for help as Runningstar pushed her to the earth… but nothing came out. She tried to move her paws to run, but they wouldn't move…
"Hey!"
Rosepaw's eyes widened, and somehow she got control again. Runningstar backed away from her, and the two turned around to see Thorntail standing a few tail lengths away.
"Runningstar…?" Thorntail asked curiously.
"Um…I was just patrolling the territory!" Runningstar defended himself. Suddenly he seemed to realize that he was speaking to an enemy warrior and he narrowed his eyes. "You're not a medicine cat…and you're not one of my warriors…what are you doing here?"
Thorntail blinked. "Oh I get it. A warrior can't escort the medicine cat home huh? Sorry, Runningstar." The gray tom padded closer towards them, and licked one of his paws. "But you know, I was kind of thinking of becoming a medicine cat myself."
"You're kidding." Runningstar scoffed. "Thorntail, I think it's a little late for you to make that decision." Apparently Thorntail's… talent wasn't only known in ThunderClan. "Besides, I don't think you're intelligent enough to become one."
"You never know," Thorntail meowed sniffing a few of the moor flowers. "I might have some hidden talent…you know. And…I may be stupid, but at least," Thorntail leveled his gaze with the leader's. "I go after she-cats that are in my Clan."
"What are you talking about?" Runningstar sneered. "You're insane! How dare you insult the leader of WindClan like…?"
Rosepaw and Runningstar both saw that Thorntail had unsheathed his claws.
"Relax," Thorntail chuckled, as he lightly scratched the back of his ear. "I just have an itch. It's…not like I was thinking of slashing your face or anything like that."
Runningstar's eyes widened even more, and before either of them could say more, he sped off into the distance.
"Amateur." Thorntail sighed.
Rosepaw couldn't hold it in anymore. A tear slid down her cheek.
"What's wrong with you, Rosepaw?" Thorntail asked. "You let him feel you up, and you didn't say anything? You could've at least said you wanted payment of some sort…"
Rosepaw stared at him with a look of horror in her eyes. Thorntail smiled at her. "Kidding." He explained. "Rosepaw, if you look scared…like you do now; it makes everyone think they can take advantage of you. I know they shouldn't, its wrong on so many levels…but it's true. You know that, right?"
His eyes flashed towards the sky. The stars of silverpelt were starting to disappear, and the sky radiated with the all the colors from red to violet – on one half of the sky, while the other was still dotted with the warriors of StarClan.
"I wonder where StarClan goes when the sun comes up?" Thorntail wondered out loud.
"Its because of Emberstar." Rosepaw mewed softly.
"Emberstar?"
"Emberstar," Rosepaw repeated. "Was a blood thirsty leader of ThunderClan." She meowed recalling the stories she heard from the elders who were retelling stories elders told generations ago." He tried to kill a warrior of his own Clan – Tigertail because he wanted Tigertail's mate. However, he failed, and Emberstar was killed instead. ThunderClan didn't know the mistake until it was too late - they killed Tigertail. Once the two cats were in StarClan, StarClan made judgment. For Emberstar's wrongs, he was to enter the Forest of Darkness."
"What's that?" Thorntail asked.
"It's where you go if StarClan disapproves of you so much, they don't want you." Rosepaw explained. "But Emberstar begged for it to be otherwise…so they made deal. Every day now, Emberstar's blood is spilled by Tigertail in the sky. And Emberstar's blood covers all of the StarClan warriors as well, so that we down here can see it. This is a reminder to everyone who ever plots a murder leader, warrior…anything…"
"How do we know what went on in StarClan?"
"I don't know. Maybe a medicine cat or leader was told by StarClan themselves."
Thorntail looked at her doubtfully. "You talk highly about Tigertail." He meowed. "Your voice lowered when you spoke of him."
Rosepaw didn't answer.
"You know though," Thorntail mewed. "For something so…violent, it sure is beautiful." Thorntail stretched out into the blue flowers, and stared up at the fiery sky.
Rosepaw blinked. Thorntail… she never saw him like this. The handsome gray tom, with Emberstar's blood spilling on him through light, as he rolled in flowers as blue as the day-sky… was amazing.
The two stayed there until Sandpelt came and got them – reminding them that they were in WindClan territory.
Rosepaw smiled. WindClan. She would never forget it…
She looked to the sky as they padded back to camp.
"Thank you, Tigertail." She whispered. "Thank you for spilling Emberstar's blood onto Thorntail. It's enough. I don't need anything more…"