Warriors: The Power of One: Chapter Eleven

"The Elder's Tale"

It had been four days since Nightpaw had ruined their meet-up with the WindClan cats, and Sunpaw was still furious with her sister. Nightpaw had had no right to stop them. What they were going to do had been the right thing. It was about honor, and protecting the clans. Nightpaw didn't understand, and Sunpaw was pretty sure she had faked the story about StarClan telling her not to let them go. Until she apologized, Sunpaw had resolved not to speak to Nightpaw.

Luckily Sunpaw had a relaxing afternoon planned for her. Their mentors had assigned Sunpaw and Cinderpaw to clean the elder's den and then have the rest of the day free from work. Cinderpaw was her best friend. The sister she wished she had. Cinderpaw always knew what to say to make her feel better. She was fiercely loyal, brave as a lion, full of joy, adventurous, and kind. Just the kind of cat she knew she would be friends with until she died.

The job went quickly and pleasantly as they worked together, and soon Sunpaw realized they were almost done. The two apprentices finished pulling the fresh moss in the elder's den after taking the old out, and began to assemble nests for Longtail and Mousefur.

"You don't need to do that, dears," Longtail said. "We're capable of making our own nests."

"Yes, you can be finished now if you'd like," Mousefur mewed, "go enjoy your evening."

"Or stay for a story," Longtail suggested quickly, before they could leave.

Sunpaw knew Longtail enjoyed telling stories almost as much as young cats loved hearing them. Before she could suggest a story, Cinderpaw beat her to it.

"Ooh, can we hear the story about the badger attack?" she asked, "I've forgotten some of the details since I last heard when I was a kit."

Longtail grinned, "Ah yes, one of our greatest triumphs as a clan in the lake territories. Of course I'll tell you the story again. That is if Mousefur promises to help me if I forget, of course."

As he looked over to her with a teasing smile, the rough old she-cat purred, "I suppose. If I don't you'll have these two believing you fought off all the badgers on your own."

Sunpaw and Cinderpaw settled down into some of the moss they hadn't made into nests and listened as the elders told their tale.

"It was a normal afternoon," Longtail began, "not unlike this one. Most of the clan was relaxing in the sun, enjoying a well-earned rest after the unrest the disappearance of our old medicine cat had caused."

Sunpaw remembered that it was her sister's mother Leafpool who had been the clan's old medicine cat before Brightheart. She had left the clans to be with a WindClan tom, Crowfeather, and no one had seen them since that day.

Longtail continued, "We had no idea what was happening when all of a sudden Brackenfur and Whitewing—she was Whitepaw then—came bursting through the tunnel into camp. I remember some cat screaming 'Badger!' and then all was chaos as badger after badger tore down the bramble wall around the entrance of camp. Every cat was fighting them off, but it was clear that we wouldn't be able to hold them off forever. I fought off three at once, when their leader jumped on top of me. I would've killed him too but I saw that Mousefur needed help with the old crippled badger attacking her—"

"Now wait just a minute," Mousefur protested, "I don't quite remember it the same way as you, Longtail. I thought it was the other way around."

Longtail grinned, teasing his old friend. Then he became much more serious. "In truth I remember fighting off a couple of badgers with Mousefur and Goldenflower at my side. I remember feeling helpless as Mousefur led me up to the highledge so that we would be able to defend ourselves from high ground."

Both elders had tears in their eyes, Sunpaw noticed. She watched as Mousefur drew her tail comfortingly around Longtail.

"Several cats died that day," Longtail continued, "Cinderpelt, Sootfur, Rainwhisker."

"But new life was born as well," Mousefur pointed out to him, "Remember this was the very day that Cinderpaw and her siblings were born."

Longtail seemed to brighten at that memory, "Yes it was a good day too. Our clan was able to unite after WindClan sent a patrol to help drive the badgers away. Several more cats were gravely injured during that battle too, including your father, Sunpaw. Without Brightheart, as well as Barkface and Littlecloud you would not be here." Longtail purred without humor, "Maybe Ashfur would have preferred it that way."

"Longtail!" Mousefur hushed him, "You should not have said that."

Longtail seemed to realize what he'd said and his near-blind eyes widened in embarrassment.

Sunpaw was confused, "What do you mean?" she asked.

Mousefur huffed at Longtail, "Never you mind," she said, "I mean it, both of you. That is a tale that is better left untold. Now go enjoy your evening. Story time is over."

Sunpaw and Cinderpaw left, confused by Longtail's last statement. As they walked across the camp to the fresh-kill pile, Sunpaw focused on Ashfur who was sharing a starling with Berrynose. What was his story, and why would he wish her dad was dead?

Before she could think much more about Ashfur, there was a commotion at the camp entrance.

It was the hunting patrol, returning from the forest. Sandstorm, Spiderleg, Graystripe, and Mousewhisker hurried to the highledge where Sandstorm and Graystripe jumped up to talk to Firestar in private. Spiderleg sat in shock, not saying anything, and Sunpaw and Cinderpaw approached Mousewhisker.

"Mousewhisker?" Cinderpaw asked quietly. She didn't need to say more.

"Honeypaw is missing," Mousewhisker said, still looking at the ground. "We were hunting and she didn't meet us where we agreed. We went looking but didn't find her. We smelled badger, so we hurried to find her but then…" he paused to gulp but then continued, "Then we saw some of her fur and blood."

Cinderpaw began to wail softly. Honeypaw was her sister.

Sunpaw felt the horror rise in her throat. She couldn't believe that something like this would happened in their own territory with other cats nearby.

Mousewhisker gulped again. "I—I think she was killed by a badger."

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