Chapter 59
Jaystar leapt down from Highledge, her muscles rippling as she landed on the ground of ThunderClan's camp. It was the morning after Featherfoot, Dovewing, and Ivypelt's warrior ceremonies and the three warriors were sitting in the center of the hollow, keeping their silent vigil. Jaystar padded towards them and asked, "Glad that its morning?" The three warriors nodded silently, still following the ancient laws set down by their ancestors. "You may speak again. Your vigil is over. You three must be exhausted. Go to sleep. Remember that you sleep in the warriors' den now." Jaystar watched Dovewing and Ivypelt pad away, but Featherfoot remained. "Featherfoot, is something wrong?"
"Becoming a warrior is one of the greatest things of any Clan cat's life. I don't know if my littermates in the Tribe of Rushing Water would understand what it means to be a warrior, but Stormfur will. If its okay with you, I would like to go to the tribe and at least tell my father that I have earned my warrior name. Brook would too probably understand the warrior code since she spent a couple seasons in ThunderClan before I was kitted. And besides the revealing of my warrior name, I miss them. I haven't seen Stormfur, Brook, Stone, Crooked, or Silver since I was just a little kit. I even miss Talon and he used to chatise me all the time." Featherfoot's words tumbled from her lips. Clearly she had been holding this in for awhile.
"I think its a good idea for you to visit your kin, but I think you should wait at least a couple more days. You also won't be making this journey alone. I will be sending at least two other warriors to accompany you." Jaystar ordered and Featherfoot dipped her head before padding towards the warriors' den. Jaystar watched her leave and then noticed a cat padding out of the nursery. It was Leafpool and- although Jaystar was about a badger-length away from the medicine cat- she could scent borage clinging to the she-cat's pelt. That could mean only one thing. Either Stripepool- Jaystar's sister- or Rushleaf- Jaystar's daughter- had kitted. Either way Jaystar had new kin.
Jaystar padded towards the nursery and- once Leafpool had nodded- ducked through. The nursery was warm and Jaystar realized she had not been in the den since she was nursing Rushleaf and Rabbitclaw. Daisy was gazing at Jaystar, her tail wrapped around her two daughters, Bearkit and Badgerkit. Both kits' blue eyes were staring at Jaystar like their mother. Ferncloud and Rushleaf were sleeping in the far corner, their ears twitching as they slept. Jaystar's gray eyes then found Stripepool who was bent over a dark ginger kit and a white kit with black stripes. Spiderleg was crouched over Stripepool, his amber eyes beaming with pride as he looked at his new family.
"Hello Jaystar, would you like to meet your new kin?" Jaystar nodded at Spiderleg's words and padded over to Stripepool, glancing at her sister's mate for a hint on the names, "Well, the ginger she-kit's name is Rustkit while her brother's name is going to be Tigerkit." Jaystar felt silence fill the air as Tigerkit was named. Stripepool had named her kit after Tigerstar?! Then Jaystar realized that she was jumping to conclusions. Like Jaystar, Stripepool had become good friends with Flamecloud, Dawnclaw, and their brother, Tigerfur. Maybe Stripepool named her kit after her friend. Jaystar hoped that she was right.
Blinking at Stripepool, Jaystar pushed out of the nursery, ready for another day as ThunderClan's leader.
*
"Lionblaze, Turtleclaw, can I talk to you?" Jaystar called from Highledge. It was a day after Jaystar had made her promise to Featherfoot and saw Stripepool's kits. Now Jaystar had decided- after talking with Featherfoot first- that the gray warrior would leave the Clans tomorrow morning. Thus Jaystar had to ask if Lionblaze and Turtleclaw would be willing to accompany Featherfoot to the Tribe of Rushing Water. Jaystar had chosen Lionblaze and Turtleclaw because they both had met the Tribe before. Jaystar had at first wanted to ask Squirrelflight to journey with the younger warriors until the ginger she-cat had started coughing. Although Jaystar didn't want to admit it to herself, but Squirrelflight was becoming a more senior warrior. Jaystar couldn't imagine her former mentor in the elders' den with Mousefur, Longtail, and Purdy.
"What is it, Jaystar?" Lionblaze asked as he and Turtleclaw leapt up to sit beside Jaystar. Blinking her gray eyes, Jaystar forgot- as she always did- that Lionblaze and Turtleclaw were kin. Lionblaze had golden fur while Turtleclaw had Leafpool's tortoiseshell markings. Lionblaze had amber eyes while Turtleclaw had Ferncloud's green eyes. They weren't even built the same. Lionblaze was a larger set cat while Turtleclaw had a small, delicate frame. Jaystar blinked her eyes again as she realized Lionblaze and Turtleclaw were waiting for her to say something. Jaystar felt awkward because she didn't want to make the request an order, but she wanted them to say yes.
"Featherfoot wants to visit Stormfur and Brook. I think its a good idea since she is a warrior now and her father would be proud that she earned her new name. If its alright with you two, I would like for you to accompany Featherfoot to the Tribe. Featherfoot sort've knows the way, but not enough where I would feel comfortable sending my warriors alone. Also, you two know the way and it would make me more comfortable if you could help guide her. I'm not ordering you to, but will you?" Jaystar asked, her gray eyes glancing around her camp. Featherfoot was seated outside the apprentices' den with Dovewing and Ivypelt, talking to their old friends. Dovewing and Ivypelt both looked jealous while Brownpaw looked like her was going to miss Featherfoot. The other apprentices simply looked thrilled.
"I'll do it, Jaystar, it would be nice to see Stormfur and Brook again as well as the other Tribe cats," Lionblaze meowed, his amber eyes suddenly looking far away as though reliving memories. Turtleclaw had bounded to her paws and mewed excitedly, "I'll go to! I loved the mountains and that means I can see Cloud again! He was a good friend." Jaystar remembered when she, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, and Turtleclaw- then an apprentice- had all journeyed to the mountains. They had all found something they liked there. Squirrelflight had enjoyed seeing Stormfur and Brook while Lionblaze was eager to show off his fighting abilities for the Tribe. Turtleclaw had loved spending time with the to-bes while Jaystar had spent most of her time with the prey-hunters- especially Gray.
Remembering Gray, Jaystar added, "Will you two remember to say hi to Gray for me?" Lionblaze and Turtleclaw both dipped their heads and Jaystar dismissed them with a flick of her long tail.
*
That night Jaystar had an odd dream. No cats from StarClan came to visit her, but Jaystar did hear Jayfeather meow: "Jaystar, a cat who has no Clan blood in his veins will turn odd into even. His path- and his future kin- will one day shape the forest. Accept him even when those of those don't. You can either be a good leader or great. Your decision will affect the way you will be remembered.
