Chapter 4- Waiting

Redkit yawned and opened her eyes. It had been several moons since the incident with the fox. Greenkit, Spotkit, and Lightkit were already outside, playing in the puddles left by the last night's rain. She got to her paws, stretched, and padded out. Rushsong was watching the other kits play, and Redkit happily joined them.

Soon Shadowstep padded into camp, the dawn patrol close behind. The deputy joined his kits, meowing proudly.

"How are my little warriors today?" he asked, beaming at them.

Rushsong glared at him. "They aren't even apprentices yet, Shadowstep."

"But they will be in two moons. And one day they'll all be warriors. Spotback, Greeneye, Lightfeather, and Redeye, the fiercest warriors in ShadowClan!"

The kits rolled their eyes and scampered off. Shadowstep followed them, howling like a fox. The kits spun around and formed into two lines, Spotkit and Redkit out front.

"It's my turn to be leader!" mewed Spotkit.

"I'm deputy!" cried Redkit.

Spotkit flicked his tail and all four of them launched themselves at Shadowstep. This had become their favorite game.

Shadowstep disappeared beneath the kits. He was just managing to slip out of the pile when three more kits joined the attack.

Yarrowpelt padded out of the nursery and sat beside Rushsong. Yarrowpelt's kits were two moons younger than Rushsong's, but they were strong and healthy. Of course, so were Rushsong's, but they didn't play too roughly.

"Shadowstep's a good father, Rushsong," meowed Yarrowpelt, "and a good mate. You were wiser than I when choosing who to give your heart to."

Rushsong lay her tail-tip on Yarrowpelt's shoulder. "Lionmane is a good cat. He's just busy. That apprentice of his is a pawful, and the Clan doesn't trust him after the incident with ThunderClan. But you must remember that he stayed by your side when your kits were born, and he was even ready to ask Moonstar if another cat could take over Beepaw's training so that he could spend more time with you."

Yarrowpelt's ears pricked. "I had forgotten, but thanks for reminding me, Rushsong. I just wish the Clan would forget that incident with ThunderClan. Lionmane was only trying to help. I mean, why should we let their kits stay lost in the middle of the forest?"

Before Rushsong could answer Shadowstep padded over, kits clinging to his fur and tail. Both she-cats collapsed in great mrrows of laughter. Shadowstep sat down, almost crushing Sunkit's tail. The golden kit squeaked and hopped out of the way.

Yarrowpelt gathered her kits close to her with her tail, her yellow eyes still twinkling. "Careful, Shadowstep. I want Sunkit, Rabbitkit, and Lionkit to still have their tails by the time they're apprentices."

Shadowstep nodded. "Sorry, Yarrowpelt." He winced and looked at Lightkit and Spotkit, who both had his tail. "Umm, could someone please get these kits off me?"

Rushsong laughed again, shooing her kits back into the nursery. They went promptly, mewing complaints, and Yarrowpelt's kits scampered after them.

The three cats went to get some fresh-kill and Lionmane joined them, having just returned from a training session with Beepaw.

"Hello, Yarrowpelt," he meowed warmly. "How are our kits?"

Yarrowpelt purred. "They're fine, Lionmane."

Lionmane buried his muzzle in his mate's dusty brown fur. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to spend time with you. Beepaw's been more trouble than a pack of dogs lately, but I've been talking to Moonstar. We both agree that he should be made a warrior sometime in the next moon."

Yarrowpelt's yellow eyes shone. "Then you'll be able to spend more time with our kits!" she meowed happily.

Lionmane nodded, his thick golden chest fur blowing in the mid-morning breeze. Shadowstep and Rushsong slipped away, leaving the happy couple to their business.

"It's good to see those two back together again," commented Rushsong as they settled in a sunny spot near the nursery, allowing the warmth of the Greenleaf sun to soak into their fur. They had barely taken two bites of fresh-kill when they heard yowling coming from the apprentices' den.

Two of the apprentices, Snowpaw and Brackenpaw, were facing each other, hissing with their claws extended. Beepaw was bouncing around them, trying to calm them down. Tidalpaw was nowhere to be found, probably out training with Brownclaw.

Rushsong sighed. "For once it's not Beepaw causing the trouble."

"Then StarClan help us," meowed Shadowstep, annoyed. He leapt to his paws and bounded over to the low hanging tree that formed the apprentices' den. Moonstar appeared moments later.

"What's all this noise about?!" demanded the leader, irritated.

Beepaw spun around and started explaining as quickly as he could. The words tumbled from his mouth like a swarm of buzzing bees. Moonstar listened attentively.

"Brackenpaw was out late last night. She came back with a couple of mice, so this morning Snowpaw accused her of stealing prey from ThunderClan. Brackenpaw denied it, but Snowpaw didn't believe her, so he called Brackenpaw a foxdung liar. Brackenpaw attacked him, and then you came over. Really, it was Snowpaw who started it."

By the time Beepaw was finished explaining he was thoroughly winded, so Moonstar let him go catch his breath. She then addressed Brackenpaw.

"Brackenpaw, is it true that you stole prey from ThunderClan?"

Brackenpaw shook her head. "No, Moonstar. Moontide gave me the afternoon off, so I went hunting. I asked Moontide if I could go first, of course. I decided to take a short nap, but I slept until sundown, so when I woke up I quickly caught another mouse, collected what I had caught earlier, and hurried back to camp."

Moonstar nodded, and then turned to Snowpaw. "Was there any reason besides Brackenpaw's late return that gives you reason to believe that she was stealing prey from ThunderClan?"

Snowpaw hung his head. "No, Moonstar."

Shadowstep stepped forward. "Then that's that. Brackenpaw has done nothing wrong, other than maybe sleeping too long," Snowpaw shot Brackenpaw a contemptuous glance, "and you, Snowpaw, have been making ill-advised accusations. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Snowpaw's contempt turned to hatred as Moonstar indicated with her tail that Shadowstep could go. The deputy stepped back, but did not leave.

"Shadowstep is right," meowed Moonstar firmly, "and I expect better from both of you in the future."

Brackenpaw bowed her head in shame, but Snowpaw simply shrugged the warning off, and then bounded away as Whiteheart called him for a training session. The look in the white she-cat's light blue eyes showed that she already knew what had happened. Snowpaw's ears drooped. Whiteheart was the only cat Snowpaw truly respected. If any other cat, even Moonstar, chastised him he would just shrug it off, but when it came to his mentor, he would hang his head like a beaten dog. He hadn't even respected his previous mentor, Raggedear, that much. He had sat vigil after Raggedear died of greencough, but he didn't seem more distressed than the rest of the Clan.

Whiteheart twitched her gray tail-tip and Snowpaw slunk out of camp. She followed him angrily, almost nipping at his back legs.

Moonstar and Shadowstep padded away, Shadowstep heading for Rushsong, and Moonstar rejoining Cragheart, who had been patiently nibbling at a mouse. Moonstar sat down beside him, and Lionmane padded over to them.

"Hello, Lionmane," meowed Moonstar, already guessing that Lionmane wanted to ask about Beepaw's warrior ceremony. "I was thinking of having Beepaw's warrior ceremony later today."

Lionmane seemed relieved. "Thank you, Moonstar. Beepaw is definitely a pawful, and it will be a relief to get him off mine, but he is also ready to be a warrior."

"And I'm sure he will make a great one. Now, another border patrol's about to leave. Why don't you two go join it? I'm sure Rockfall would be happy to have you two along."

Lionmane nodded and called Beepaw. The apprentice bounded over, his moss green eyes sparkling. He followed Lionmane without hesitation to where Rockfall stood.

Moonstar watched the patrol depart. She sat watching the camp entrance for a while until Cragheart taped her shoulder with the tip of his tail. She was snapped back into reality.

"Sorry," she murmured.

"You shouldn't be. You've worked hard these last four seasons. You should relax. The Clan is doing better than it has in the memory of any of the elders. Even Poppytwig doesn't remember a better time," Cragheart reminded Moonstar.

The leader gazed up at the sky. "I know, Cragheart, but it won't last."

"It won't," agreed Cragheart, "but it will probably last through our time at least."

"It will hopefully last through our time, Cragheart. Probably is not likely. Something is coming. I can feel it in my fur, and StarClan has shown me something, I just don't know what it means yet. It's just like before Warmstar's leadership crumbled. Something is coming, and it will probably be here sooner than later."