Raggedear groaned slightly as he lifted his head, blinking awake. He could feel Thistleprick asleep beside him, and nudged him slightly with his paw. "Wake up, Thistleprick, you know you have guard duty." Thistleprick muttered something incomprehensible, causing Raggedear to roll his eyes.
The tortoiseshell tom sat up abruptly and gave his chest fur a few quick licks before running his paw over his damaged ear. He stepped over Thistleprick and made his way to the entrance of the den, silently taking note that everybody else had already awoken. He had to blink his eyes to adjust to the dull light of the day, and wearily padded into the clearing.
Amberpaw was sharing what looked like a rabbit with Moonfur a couple of fox-lengths away. Raggedear gave a final yawn and stretched his forelegs as he padded over to join them, not noticing the dark figure sitting in the shadows.
"Good morning, Raggedear." Moonfur meowed as he walked up to them. Amberpaw turned quickly, "Hi Raggedear."
"Amberpaw, I was wondering if you wanted to be one of the cats on the hunting patrol this morning. Greysight and Warpaw already left, but you'd end up splitting up anyway." Raggedear replied, hoping he would get the chance to speak with Moonfur again, the two of them hadn't interacted much since the day they went hunting together.
"Sure! I'm already done, I'll go right now." Amberpaw meowed, rising to her paws. "I'll be back before you know it." She smiled confidently and padded away from the two warriors, fully intent on accomplishing the task assigned to her. Not only would it help the clan, but it would make Raggedear happy as well... He never looked very happy. Amberpaw smiled to herself, she would just have to catch him a nice big, juicy rabbit! Then he would be happy again, just like the other day.
Moonfur watched her daughter leave with an approving gaze, she was glad that Amberpaw and Raggedear seemed to be doing okay. She thought Raggedear would be more standoffish with having to train an apprentice, but he seemed lighter somehow.
"She really looks up to you, you know." Moonfur meowed to Raggedear. The mottled warrior's ear twitched and he sat to grab a mouse of his own, making a small sound of acknowledgement.
"Her training is going very well, she's a fast learner." Raggedear responded quietly, taking a bite of his breakfast."Where is everyone?"
"Well, Greysight and Warpaw are hunting. Thistleprick and Darkpelt are guarding the border, and I think Browneyes took Branchpaw and Goldenpaw on a normal patrol near OceanClan."
Raggedear nodded absentmindedly, "Yeah... We should go hunting later too, for the nightly round."
"That sounds good to me." Moonfur meowed. "...Raggedear, I know this is kind of a personal question, but can you tell me more about twolegplace?"
Raggedear seemed to recede back into himself, and was silent for a moment. "Not much to say. Smelly, gray, noisy." he meowed impassively. "...What about the mountains?"
Moonfur didn't mind that Raggedear changed the subject; from what she heard from Thistleprick, she wasn't surprised that Raggedear didn't like to talk about it.
"Cold and rocky; plus you have to make sure to avoid all the eagles- these huge birds; they preyed on cats."
Raggedear's eyes widened slightly, "Birds hunting cats? Something just doesn't seem right about that." The tom couldn't imagine having to hide from birds, it sounded ridiculous.
"You're telling me." Moonfur replied. "But it was nice...the tribe cats were very kind to me."
"Then, why did you leave? How did you wind up here of all places?" Raggedear asked, eyeing her curiously. He felt a bit guilty for prying, but he wanted to know.
"I wasn't born in the mountains, so when I grew old enough, I wanted to find my parents. All I remembered was that I used to live in a field-like area with a stream and neighboring forest. That's why when I came across DarkClan territory, I thought it might be my old home."
Raggedear nodded, familiar with the setup of DarkClan territory. He wondered if it ever bothered her, staying here while her family could still be out there. "So why stay here? You could still find them you know." Raggedear meowed hopefully.
Moonfur's eyes dulled slightly and she shook her head, "My mother died when I was young...and I just recently found out that my father is no longer alive." Moonfur attempted to put a smile on her face and looked back up at Raggedear, "But its okay, I have my kits now, and all of you. I'm happy, I really am."
Raggedear didn't look convinced, and instead looked more concerned for the she-cat."...What about your mate, I bet he really misses you." Raggedear meowed softly, feeling a bit awkward for bringing it up.
"He died."
"...Oh. I'm..sorry." Raggedear muttered, there was a genuine sort of sadness to his expression as he met Moonfur's eyes, but the pale she-cat kept her smile in place.
"Don't be, we all lose cats we care about, the important thing is making sure we live how they would have wanted us to." she replied. Yellow eyes met the gaze of cool silver and charcoal ash in a brief moment of understanding.
Raggedear nodded mutedly after a second and rose to his paws, "I should probably get to that patrol now..."
"Okay. Be careful." Moonfur meowed, causing Raggedear to pause briefly and turn back to her, giving her a small nod before continuing on his way and disappearing into the tree tunnel. Moonfur watched the mysterious tom go with a mixture of both concern and apprehension.
He was so distant, from everyone. She wondered how he had become like this, there was always a reason cats acted the way they did; there was always a reason, and she could see it just by looking at her clanmates and learning more about them. She could see it in Darkpelt, in Lostheart, in Greysight and Sunstar...there had to be a reason.
She knew he lived a difficult life, one that she couldn't begin to imagine; having never entered inner twolegplace herself, let alone the outskirts. Thistleprick had said his personality was split...but she had never seen any sign of such a thing. Raggedear was Raggedear, and she had never seen the tom any differently.
But still. Why would Thistleprick lie? He wouldn't. What the spotted tom said had to be true, and from the way he had said it...Moonfur knew it was no lie. She just couldn't believe such a calm, gentle tom could harbor so much hatred inside him.
'Be careful Raggedear...'
"When will you return?" Sunstar meowed gruffly, facing the three medicine cats standing before him. Roseclaw met his green eyes evenly, no trace of emotion left in her own crystalline gaze.
"By sunhigh definitely. Our meetings don't last long, but Wetpaw must go through the ritual." she answered. The apprentice in question looked up at the fluffy white she-cat with worried eyes; the thought of leaving DarkClan territory scared him, especially with what all the other cats were saying.
Sunstar looked down at Wetpaw, expression unchanged. "Very well, leave early if you must though, I don't like having so many cats out of the territory at once." His eyes drifted toward Greysight who stood near the tree tunnel, waiting to accompany the medicine cats at her own request.
"We will. Thank you, Sunstar." Roseclaw meowed, dipping her head respectively while Mintpaw and Wetpaw did the same. The three cats then backed away from the golden tom and joined Greysight where she stood at the head of camp.
"Let's go." Roseclaw meowed, stepping past the blind she-cat with an unusually serious expression. They needed StarClan, and if StarClan wouldn't come to her, she would do everything in her power to get them to reach her apprentices.
Greysight frowned slightly, but followed after the three cats and took up the rear of the group. Once they entered LightClan territory, she would have to be on the watch for any approaching paws; LightClan cats weren't the only ones moving about the area now.
Mintpaw seemed the least on edge of the group as the four cats warily crossed through Fourtrees and onto LightClan territory, but Morningstar and Lightseed wouldn't be able to protect them anymore. Roseclaw quickened her pace as their group moved through the swaying flowers and grasses around them, eyes glancing upward at the darkening sky.
A storm was coming; they could all sense it. Greysight could smell the scent of fear surrounding Wetpaw, and feel unease in his wary pawsteps.
"You'll like the Moonstool," Mintpaw meowed, turning back to look at the younger apprentice, "Its beautiful."
"Come on," Roseclaw cut in, "We need to hurry up, Sunstar doesn't want us to take long."
Wetpaw nodded hurriedly and quickened his pace as the four cats neared the wall of the cliffs where the Moonstool lay hidden. "The cave is just up here." Roseclaw meowed, helping Wetpaw up the rocky path. The white she-cat glanced briefly over her shoulder, but could see no sign of any approaching cats.
Greysight, in turn, helped Mintpaw over a large boulder before turning to Roseclaw. "Calm down." she whispered lowly so the apprentices wouldn't hear. "There's no one there, you're scaring the apprentices."
Roseclaw let out a breath and nodded, she knew Greysight would know if there was, but she couldn't help feeling on edge. The mouth of the tunnel came into view, and the four cats quickly made their way inside, following the passage until it opened up to the grove hidden within.
Wetpaw blinked in wonder at array of life hidden by the surrounding stone, and in particular, what looked to be a small lake with a large tree stump sitting in the center. This was the Moonstool.
"Roseclaw! Its good to see you friend."
Wetpaw blinked as he realized there were other cats sitting on the flat stone of the water's edge. Roseclaw dipped her head in greeting, recognizing Tidepool, OceanClan's medicine cat. Hazeltail and Owlpaw were there as well, along with LightClan's medicine cat Petalwing. Roseclaw had her doubts about whether the LightClan cat would show up or not, but it appeared she had after all.
A sort of awkwardness settled over the group, but despite it, no cat spoke of their clans' current positions. Instead, they took notice of the young tom by her side while Greysight backed away from the group and settled in a small patch of nearby grass.
"Who's this?" Petalwing questioned softly. Hazeltail's ear twitched at her words, and the chestnut she cat followed her gaze.
"Wetpaw, my new apprentice." Roseclaw could see the questioning looks of the other clan medicine cats, but was thankful when none chose to question her or DarkClan's motives.
"Then we shall present him to StarClan." Tidepool meowed, stepping past the other three cats without so much as a sideways glance. Roseclaw nodded her agreement, and gently nudged Wetpaw toward the water's edge.
Wetpaw moved forward hesitantly, sparing Roseclaw another glance to which the she-cat nodded her head supportively. Once he was seated, Roseclaw herself stepped forward, her white fur glowing in the moonlight."Wetpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?"
Owlpaw watched the other tom quietly, his eyes fixed on Wetpaw in a serious manner, perhaps sizing up the new apprentice. Hazeltail looked down at the young tabby with a stern gaze, one meant to ensure he didn't act out of line.
"I-It is." Wetpaw stuttered, looking into the eyes of his own reflection upon the water's surface.
"Warriors of StarClan," Roseclaw continued, gazing up at the half moon above, "I present you with this apprentice. He has chosen the path a medicine cat must walk, please grant him your wisdom so that he may understand your ways, and that he will heal his Clan according to your will."
Wetpaw moved as he had been previously instructed and lay beside the water and the other medicine cats padded forward to join him as well as Roseclaw. Roseclaw desperately hoped that StarClan would accept the apprentice that she held the ceremony for, she who had never been accepted at all.
"Greysight..."
Slowly, the blind she-cat begin to stir, blinking awake her eyes before quickly squinting at the appearance of a bright light. Her head felt heavy as she pulled herself up, taking in the sudden appearance of star...Wait. Stars?
Greysight's eyes widened and she immediately straightened herself, turning to stare in wonder at the starry gray she-cat in front of her.
"Mosspelt!" Greysight exclaimed. The old medicine cat hadn't visited her in her dreams in forever. However, instead of greeting the she-cat, Greysight's eyes narrowed angrily. "Why haven't you contacted me? So much has happened! Is StarClan just going to sit behind and watch as Willowstar destroys DarkClan- because hes getting awfully close! Light and Tree have merged, do you even-"
"I'm sorry." Mosspelt meowed, stopping Greysight mid-sentence. "I tried, but I was unable to reach any cat in DarkClan territory. I couldn't."
"Why not?" Greysight questioned, "You visited me plenty of times before."
"Yes, it is true that you were the only cat I could reach for a while. But now I can no longer reach any cat in that place, its almost as if there is a barrier shutting me out." she answered, somberly. "The presence of darkness there is too great, and even now I can sense it on you."
Greysight didn't know what Mosspelt was talking about; their territory wasn't the issue, Willowstar was the issue! Suddenly, a new thought struck Greysight's mind, distracting her from any other. "Longtail," she meowed quickly, "Is Longtail-"
Mosspelt's tail rose briefly to silence Greysight, her blue eyes filled with a sort of soft understanding. "Longtail is at peace."
"...And what of Windstream? Neoseeker? Cherrynose?"
Mosspelt's eyes closed slowly with a soft smile on her face. Crystalline eyes met that of dull gray, and Mosspelt's voice became serious.
"Brought upon by the lust for power, a deeply embedded grudge will lay waste to the clan. Until the blood of the cursed has been repaid, DarkClan will be forever left to waste away into nothingness. Until the harbinger of darkness is put to rest, DarkClan will forever suffer in a never-ending cycle of misfortune."
Greysight looked at the she-cat quizzically, "What are you talking about?!"
"That is the prophecy I was given. I feel like you should know." Mosspelt answered, blue eyes flashing.
"Why me?" Greysight asked anxiously.
"There must be a reason you were the only cat I could reach, isn't there?" Mosspelt's form began to fade away, along with the forest surrounding her. Greysight was now left alone, standing in darkness. "Mosspelt?" she meowed.
No answer came. Greysight stood frozen in place, thinking about what the medicine cat had said. 'Until Willowstar is gone...we'll never be able to live in peace.' A part of her had already known that, but why had StarClan waited so long to deliver the message?
A frown remained on Greysight's face even as they padded into camp; the meeting had indeed been a short one, and the moon still remained high in the sky. However, she was surprised by all the activity in camp when they arrived.
"What's going on?" Greysight meowed as they entered and she felt all the movement of cats searching around the camp. Moonfur was quick to pad up to the group.
"It's Amberpaw," she meowed worriedly, "Did you happen to see her on your way back?"
Greysight and Roseclaw both blinked in confusion. "No..." Greysight replied. "Why? What's wrong?"
"Raggedear went out looking for her after she took a long time hunting, but he couldn't find her anywhere; and she still hasn't returned to camp!" Moonfur exclaimed as the cats began to gather around them.
"She's not in camp." Browneyes meowed. "We searched everywhere." Warpaw was quick to run over to the group, running up to a concerned looking Raggedear.
"I saw her earlier when I was out hunting, she said she was going to catch rabbits."
Raggedear's yellow gaze snapped down to the apprentice. Rabbits? That didn't mean...
"No." Raggedear meowed out loud, confirming the fear that was in every cat's mind. "TreeClan...Who was on guard?" He asked hurriedly, looking amongst the cats.
"Thistleprick and I were, but I saw no sign of any apprentice down near the trench." Darkpelt replied gruffly. "I would have noticed."
The cats blinked as all eyes suddenly fell on Thistleprick who was now sitting towards the back of the group with a troubled expression.
"Thistleprick..." Greysight growled.
"I didn't know I was supposed to be on guard duty!" Thistleprick defended. "No one told me anything!"
Moonfur gasped causing Greysight's eyes widened in shock; and Darkpelt stepped forward letting out a low growl. Raggedear closed his eyes, it couldn't- Amberpaw couldn't be... This was all his fault, he had been the one to send Amberpaw out alone in the first place.
Sunstar stepped out from the shadows, green eyes dark with anger. "There's a chance Amberpaw may still be alive, Willowstar wouldn't kill a good set of paws. This must be his way of getting back at us for killing the kit." Sunstar growled. "We lost him a warrior, so now hes going to take one of our cats to fill in its place."
"He can't do that!" Moonfur meowed, "That's my daughter! Sunstar, we have to do something."
The DarkClan cats watched anxiously as Sunstar was silent for a moment before he looked up at the cats before him with a thoughtful expression. "We will." he meowed, eyes falling on Greysight."We will sneak into TreeClan territory and get Amberpaw back."
"But how?" Darkpelt questioned. "That territory must be filled with cats now, and we don't even know the location of their camp."
"Yes, we do."