"Well?" the voice spoke again, a sharpness starting to show.
Aurorastar stepped forward, ears flat against her head. She looked intimidating, and she meant it.
"The question is, what are you doing on our territory?" Aurorastar snarled. "This is SunClan's land, and we will fight to protect it." She tried not to flinch when the huge black tom bristled out his fur, his fiery amber eyes fixed upon her.
"Is that so?" He hissed.
"Yes!" Bluemoon spoke up. "And we are not afraid to fight you!"
Aurorastar laid her tail on Bluemoon's shoulder. There was something odd about the rogue's scent. "Is that ShadowClan scent I smell on your pelts?" she asked the rogues.
The black tom's eyes widened with surprise, as if he hadn't expected anyone to notice the strange scent. "Er, yes, I guess. We were just passing through there." Suddenly, the rogue tom sped off, his cats in pursuit.
"And don't you come back!" Rainfall yowled. Sunsplash and Bluemoon raced after them, making sure they had crossed the border.
Aurorastar shrugged, but her blue eyes remained serious. Something was rather strange about those rogues. When she had mentioned ShadowClan, it was almost like she had discovered their true identities.
Sighing, she waited with Rainfall, Moonshine, and Honeysplash until the others came back. They finally arrived, panting, but bright eyed. They must have guessed that the rogues were gone for good.
Aurorastar nodded to them and then raced back to camp, the warm breeze billowing in her face. Her tail flew behind her, brushing Bluemoon's nose. Aurorastar pulled it back swiftly and rushed into camp, skidding to a halt near Nightglow.
"Did you get into a fight?" the deputy asked.
Aurorastar put on a fake smile. She wanted SunClan to feel relieved from this event, not more worried. "No. We found a group of rogues, but chased them out of the territory."
Her words her welcomed with cheerful mews and triumphant yowls. The Clan must have thought that they had won. Aurorastar tried to ignore her feelings of guilt and regret.
She left the patrol to tell their stories of the event and slowly walked to Starwhisper's den. The medicine cat stood outside the entrance, her bright green eyes fixed on Aurorastar.
"There is something you are not telling them," she spoke softly.
"We haven't seen the last of those rogues, I am sure of it," Aurorastar confessed. "Their scent was mixed with ShadowClan, and they were almost afraid when I could smell it on their pelts."
"So, you didn't want to scare the Clan," Starwhisper finished.
"Yes." Aurorastar lowered her gaze to the soft ground of Starwhisper's den. "Do you think I should tell them?"
Surprisingly, Starwhisper shook her head. "We cannot make inferences so quickly. Maybe they just happened to pick up ShadowClan's scent. We should explore this a little longer before making any conclusions."
Birchpaw wandered up to Starwhisper, nodding to Aurorastar respectfully. "Swiftpaw is able to walk around now without any pain in her chest," she declared, her green eyes shining with triumph, for Swiftpaw had been her first patient.
"That's great news," Starwhisper mewed, smiling at her apprentice warmly. "I'm sure Tigerlilly will be happy to hear that her apprentice will be on her paws soon."
Starwhisper and Birchpaw trotted into their den. "Try to relax," Starwhisper told Aurorastar over her shoulder.
Aurorastar sighed and walked over to Brightledge, leaping up the rocks until she reached the top ledge. She was tempted to go into her den and rest in her mossy nest, but the warm sunshine seemed to keep her outside of the small cave. She lifted her nose to the sun, closing her eyes as the sunshine coated her glossy pelt. A small breeze whistled through the air, rustling Aurorastar's whiskers. I hope the Clan is relaxing as well, she thought as she gazed down on her Clan. Everyone walked through camp with bright eyes and high tails, greeting one another with friendly mews.
Nightsun clambered up the rocky path leading to the ledge, two mice clamped firmly in his jaws and his golden eyes fixed on Aurorastar.
"I thought you might want some prey and company," he mewed, his voice low and filled with warm welcome. "You haven't eaten lately, and I thought you might be lonely up here."
Aurorastar blinked with gratitude. "Thank you, Nightsun." She bent down to take a bite of the mouse, realizing how hungry she was.
"I hear an apprentice ceremony is coming up," Nightsun mewed through a mouthful of mouse. He glanced up at her, trying to start a friendly conversation.
Aurorastar nodded. "Yes," she replied. "Berrykit has reached her sixth moon." She fixed her dark blue eyes on a small cream colored she cat below, crouched in front of the nursery entrance. Her pale blue eyes were wide as she watched the Clan, and Aurorastar thought she detected a flash of fear in those shining blue eyes.
I do hope she will warm up to the Clan more as an apprentice, Aurorastar thought.
"Who will be her mentor?" Nightsun asked, tilting his black head to one side.
Aurorastar thought for a moment, but the answer was quite clear, and she knew she had made an excellent choice. "Playingbreeze," she answered. The young gray and white she cat was quite intelligent and enthusiastic, and Aurorastar believed that she and Berrykit would make a great team.
Nightsun dipped his head in agreement. "Good choice. Playingbreeze is ready to prove herself, and giving her Berrykit to mentor will be just the thing she needs."
"I am going to perform the ceremony before the sun sets today," Aurorastar decided.
"Then you will have to do it soon," Nightsun pointed out. "The sun is already beginning to fall behind the trees."
Aurorastar flicked her ears in acknowledgment, stood up, and called out to the Clan. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath Brightledge for a clan meeting!"
Nightsun brushed his tail over Aurorastar's ears before jumping down the stony path, sitting next to Redpalm, a reddish looking tom with white streaks.
Berrykit leaped forward in excitement, sitting as close to the Brightledge as possible. Playingbreeze walked out of the warriors den, padding gracefully beneath Aurorastar, her sparkling blue eyes fixed on her leader.
"SunClan has been blessed this greenleaf," Aurorastar started when all of the Clan had gathered. "We have been granted with many kits, and with that many apprentices, and soon to be great warriors of SunClan. It is time to welcome another apprentice into the Clan." Aurorastar motioned Berrykit forward with her tail. "Berrykit has reached her sixth moon."
Berrykit slowly walked forward, looking more relieved as the Clan gave her quiet murmurs of encouragement.
Aurorastar rested her tail on Berrykit's shoulder. "Berrykit, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Berrypaw. Your mentor will be Playingbreeze."
Playingbreeze's eyes shone with surprise, but it soon changed to pride as she stepped forward and touched noses with her apprentice.
"Playingbreeze, you are young, but you are intelligent and enthusiastic, finding fun in the hardest situations. I know you will make Berrypaw a great warrior."
A few of the Clan yowled their approval cheerfully, while the rest cheered, "Berrypaw! Berrypaw!"
Berrypaw and Playingbreeze dipped their heads, half embarrassed, before exchanging excited looks.
SunClan is strong, and we will take on dangers with courage for the good of the Clan.