Chapter 4 Mistaken Prophecy
Mosspaw thought for a moment. A new leader! But when will he get his nine lives? Is he officially the Clan leader or just temporarily? Will Goldenstar come back? Will he appoint a new deputy? Mosspaw cleared the thoughts out of her head for a moment and then exhaled. She needed to just relax for a moment.
Bluerain pushed out of the medicine den, relieved all the commotion was over. She padded over to Mosspaw and licked her ear with friendliness, "So, how was the huge gathering party in the middle of MeadowClan camp?" Bluerain asked.
Mosspaw pushed out the words in a flurry, "All the leaders were causing up a huge storm with Goldenstar and telling him about StarClan's message they told him and Greenstar's about to retire, and Dolphinstar and Goldenstar almost got in a fight and Goldenstar ran away and suposably Hawkfeather is our new temporary leader until Goldenstar comes back. But if he doesn't, Hawkfeather will be out official leader and get his nine lives and all that jazz," Mosspaw inhaled this time, relieved to be done.
Bluerain was wide-eyed the whole time, trying to understand what Mosspaw was saying. "S-So Goldenstar ran away?" Bluerain asked nervously.
Mosspaw nodded.
Bluerain let out a long sigh and sat down. "This could end up bad you know," Bluerain mumbled for only Mosspaw to hear.
"How? The worst leader has left!" Mosspaw felt a little hop bounce up from her legs. She was acting like a happy kit now that Goldenstar was gone.
"You know as well as I do he's not officially gone," Bluerain looked at Mosspaw and leaned over her like she was whispering something secret to her. "I've known Goldenstar for many moons, and I know he wouldn't let his Clan go that easily."
Mosspaw looked across her Clan camp, mixing Bluerain's words over and over in her head. "But, he hated MeadowClan. How could he not want it to go so easily?" Mosspaw looked back at Bluerain with curious eyes.
"Mosspaw, you have to understand Goldenstar has been leader of MeadowClan for a very long amount of time," Well that time just concluded. "he still has that little piece in his heart. And that piece is his love for his Clan. No matter how deep hidden in his heart that piece is, it still is there," Bluerain looked at the grass-tunnel. The grass covering it was gently fluffing up with the breeze. "and I know, that he is still hiding somewhere out there in MeadowClan territory."
Mosspaw licked up some traveling herbs as Bluerain washed her pelt. When Mosspaw was done, she padded over to the entrance of the medicine den, and let the cool night breeze fluff up her neck fur. She saw the moon was high up in the sky, gleaming over the whole MeadowClan camp.
Mosspaw felt anxious to go to the medicine cat gathering tonight at Moonhollow. It had been a while since all the medicine cats had gathered up and socialized a bit.
Bluerain finally walked up to Mosspaw and licked her neck fur a little bit. "Ready?"
Mosspaw nodded and they headed out.
A huge thorn bush loomed up ahead of Mosspaw and her mentor, Bluerain. It was covering the whole entrance to the Moonhollow. Mosspaw quickly pushed through the spiky thorns, followed by Bluerain. Mosspaw felt the prickly thorns rubbing harshly against her fur, and let out a little yelp as a tuft of her fur got tugged off her skin.
"Oh," Bluerain whispered. When they got out of the makeshift tunnel of thorns, Bluerain licked Mosspaw's skin where the fur had been ripped out. A little bit of blood seeped up from the bare skin, and Mosspaw hissed at the pain. "It's okay, you'll survive." Bluerain meowed, beginning to pad up the hill to the Moonhollow again.
Mosspaw grumbled all the way up the hill, hoping the other medicine cats wouldn't make fun of her bare patch of skin.
"Greetings," Bluerain meowed as she brushed pelts with Goldentail, LightningClan's medicine cat. Asheyes flicked his tongue over Bluerain's ear and nodded greeting to her. She flicked her tail in excitement to see her fellow friends. "where's Runningsong Fallenglide and Mudface?" Bluerain asked with her head tilted.
"Dunno. They haven't arrived yet. But I heard Mudface and Fallenglide have apprentice's now. Including me and Goldentail" Mosspaw's belly turned to a meadow of butterfly's as she heard they had gained a new apprentice.
"Well let's see them!" Bluerain meowed excitedly. But Mosspaw wasn't excited to see new apprentice's. She was very shy and it was always hard to make new friends.
Soon enough, two she-cat, a black and white one with green eyes, and a pretty grey one with a black line and striped line running down her back with green eyes hopped out of the ferns behind Asheyes.
"They were discovering the territory around Moonhollow," Asheyes commented. "It's their first time meeting StarClan."
"Congratulations!" Bluerain hopped up to them and touched noses. They both looked nervous but had gratitude gleaming in their matching green eyes. "Come Mosspaw, say hi." Mosspaw nervously walked up with her head bent down.
"Hi!" The black and white one meowed excitedly. "My name is Leafpaw. and this is Breezepaw," Leafpaw flicked her black tipped tail to the grey she-cat. She looked shy like Mosspaw.
"What's your name?" Breezepaw asked.
"My name is Mosspaw. Congratulations on becoming apprentice medicine cat's," Mosspaw shyly replied.
"Thanks," they both replied at the same time. Right then, Mosspaw and the others heard a rustle and saw Runningsong, Fallenglide, and Mudface pad up to join them.
"Man, you guys got here early," Fallenglide meowed, joining the rest of the medicine cats. A tabby pale grey tom with white came behind her. "looks as if everyone has apprentice's now besides Runningsong." Fallenglide pointed out. Runningsong just nodded and padded up from behind Mudface to sit beside Asheyes.
"Nice to see you guys have apprentice's," Runningsong mewed.
"Thanks," Asheyes replied.
Mudface was the last to pad up. With a little light tabby tom padding behind him. He had a white muzzle and little white stripes under his eyes. Mosspaw quickly slapped her tail against the bare skin that had been ripped out. She didn't want to have a tom see it. That would just be too embarrassing.
"Sorry our late entrance," Mudface meowed. "would you like to meet Littlepaw?" Mudface offered, pushing Littlepaw ahead of him with his tail. All the medicine cats, including Mosspaw, padded up to him and greeted him with licks and names.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Littlepaw mewed. Mosspaw knew that he was probably more social than she was.
Nodded with the other apprentice's and then quietly padded back over to Bluerain to sit by her.
"Shall we go in the Moonhollow and begin our meetings with StarClan?" Bluerain asked, flicking her tail towards the Moonhollow. Mudface gave a brief nod and padded into the front of the dark, rocky tunnel. Littlepaw followed him. Before the tabby apprentice entered the tunnel, he cautiously sniffed, and stiffened his muscles. He was clearly nervous of his first time at the Moonhollow.
Mosspaw followed behind Bluerain next, and everyone went after them. Mosspaw felt the stone walls tighten between her slim body with every step she took. She started to panick that the walls would end up squishing her so tight until she got stuck, but soon enough, the tight walls opened into a huge stone hollow.
Mosspaw breathed in the musky smelling air, feeling passionate and comfortable being here again. Although it was a quite eerie place, she felt comforted by it since it was where StarClan gathered to talk to cats in their dreams.
Mosspaw watched Littlepaw, Leafpaw, and Breezepaw warily creep around the hollow, picking a place to sit around the starry pool. That was where all the cats gathered to meet with StarClan. The Starry Pool was a wide pool in the very center of the hollow, with a swath of stars floating in it.
Mosspaw confidently padded over to her usual spot, at the back of it, on the left of where Bluerain sat, and on the right of where Mudface sat. This time, Littlepaw sat on her right and Mudface beside him. Across from Mosspaw, sat Breezepaw. On the left of her, sat Leafpaw. Then Mintpaw, Mudface, Littlepaw, Mosspaw, Bluerain, Goldentail, then lastly, Runningsong.
Mosspaw lapped at the icy cold water and felt it wash over her tongue. She waited for sleep to take her as she closed her eyes and laid her head down on her paws.
Mosspaw awoke in an empty forest. A gentle breeze whipped up the leaves on lush green trees and warmed Mosspaw's pelt. She looked at her surroundings and didn't notice the place where she was in. Suddenly, the trees in front of her opened, almost like they were sliding over into the rest of the forest. Mosspaw waited for what would happen next.
A dark grey tabby she-cat walked through the trail the trees had opened for her. Mosspaw did not recognize this cat, although she scented, somehow, she was familiar in a way.
The she-cat looked worried and troubled about something. Mosspaw could see it in her blue gaze. The she-cat looked at Mosspaw thoughtfully, and flicked her tail. Well? Who are you and what do you want to say? Mosspaw thought impatiently.
"Mosspaw," the she-cat began, "I've made a terrible mistake."
Mosspaw tilted her head in confusion. This message must not be for me. I don't know what she's talking about.
"I was the one who sent Goldenstar the prophecy he got," the mysterious she cat bent down her head in sadness, and let out a long sigh.
Mosspaw froze. So you're the one! You're the one that made my leader go crazy and feel nothing but hatred toward his own Clan! Mosspaw felt her fur began to rise, and soon enough bristle. She tried to keep calm, but she knew this cat was the one who had ruined everything.
"You sure did make a mistake," Mosspaw mewed. She tried to keep her patience with this mouse-brained cat.
The she-cat looked up at Mosspaw again, her eyes were flooded with guilt. Mosspaw didn't feel sorry for her one bit. She made her own mistake, and now she must fix it by talking to Mosspaw in this dream. "I'm sorry," the she-cat whimpered.
Mosspaw ignored her apology. And kept listening. Surely this cat must have something else to say besides, 'sorry'.
"That prophecy was meant for another time. But I sent it too early. I am aware it has ruined everything about your Clan leader, but I'm sure everything will get better soon," the she-cat assured.
Mosspaw felt her claws slide out, and didn't keep her temper down this time. "No it won't!" Mosspaw yowled, walking closer to the she-cat in a challenge. "Have you realized you've ruined everything about MeadowClan? You made our leader go no-brained and the cats around him get their heart torn out!" Mosspaw noticed she was now on top of the she-cat, holding her down with her claws puncturing into her little shoulders.
"I-I'm sorry!" The she-cat hissed, struggling under Mosspaw's light weight.
"Sorry's not enough you crow-food eating piece of fox-dung!" Mosspaw growled, letting the she-cat go.
"Fine, I tried talking to you, but I guess you just don't listen," the tabby she-cat shook her fur out and sat down while licking a paw, trying to act like nothing happened.
Mosspaw looked at the she-cat in disgust. Who was she anyway? "Who are you anyway?" Mosspaw asked the question out loud.
The cat looked back up at her, pausing from her washing. "I'm Goldenstar's sister,"
The gentle breeze suddenly picked up into a blustering wind. Mosspaw thought the force of it would carry her off her paws. But the breeze didn't carry her off, instead, the she-cat began to melt into the breeze, disappearing with the wind.
Mosspaw scoffed, and whipped around. She didn't want to ever see that cat again. All she did was cause trouble for MeadowClan and that was not a reputation any cat would want to start out with.
Mosspaw woke up in the Moonhollow to see her fellow medicine cat friends were stirring as well. Mudface was already up and grooming his pelt, and Breezepaw was just opening her eyes.
"You're awake," Bluerain sounded from beside her. Mosspaw turned her head to look at her mentor and nodded briskly. "we best be going soon."
Mosspaw sat up, and thought about her dream for a moment. Was that all I needed to know? The cat who had destroyed my leader's Clan life? Wow. StarClan must be really lost right now if they can't share anything better than the mouse-brained cat who ruined my Clan.
Mosspaw began to walked through the tunnel that lead to her territory. She didn't wait for Bluerain, or any of the others. She just simply walked out. She couldn't wait to get out of here for some reason. She just wanted to go home and lay down.
Mosspaw emerged from the tunnel, and found that dawn was rising up above the mountains. No breeze was in the air, no sound at all. It must be really early. Mosspaw thought.
Bluerain soon came out from the tunnel behind her and opened her mouth to taste the air. "It's barely even dawn," she announced.
Mosspaw began to walk towards home. She didn't care about what anybody had to say unless it was something important. Her head was down and her tail drooping. She felt as if her stomach was a hollow hole. She hadn't eaten in almost two days and she felt like she would just fall over her paws and tumble down the rest of the hill if she didn't keep conscious.
Mosspaw slowly walked through the grass tunnel. Hawkfeather was gathering up a border patrol with Moonglide, Greyshadow, and Darknight. They soon brushed past Mosspaw and headed out of the grass tunnel. Hawkfeather smiled at her before they left.
Mosspaw just padded into the medicine den and then into her nest. She collapsed onto her grassy nest and curled up. But she grumbled before she even got to relax because she had forgotten to eat. To her relief, Bluerain padded in with two mice in her jaws. She dropped one at Mosspaw's paws and went to her own den to eat hers. Mosspaw purred in hunger as she bit into the delicious mouse.
After she finished her meal, she licked her jaws and opened her mouth to let out a huge yawn. She then flumped down her body and went to sleep.
Mosspaw awoke to a fair amount of chatter sounding from outside her den. She flicked open her eyes and quickly blinked the tiredness out. She had a nice sleep last night. With a full stomach full of food, and no pointless dreams.
Mosspaw hopped out of her nest, and padded out to see what was happening in the medicine den. Bluerain was chatting with some apprentice's. Icepaw, Stormpaw, and Dewpaw. They were talking about their training session. Mosspaw overheard that supposedly Dewpaw was the best at charging for a fight, Icepaw was good at slipping under a cats body and giving them some scratches, and that Stormpaw was very agile and fast.
Mosspaw hadn't ever been to the training hollow before, Bluerain had never taken her there. It would be useful to go there sometime. Maybe there would be a battle and Mosspaw would have to fight in it. But how could she if she didn't know any battle moves? Maybe she knew some little scratches and flicks here and there, but she didn't know how to actually full out battle with someone. That could be a thing she could do today.
"Hey guys," Mosspaw meowed as she walked out in the middle of the den to join the conversation.
"Hi Mosspaw," Icepaw sounded first. "it's been a while since we've talked."
We've never talked to each other before. Mosspaw corrected in her head.
"How was your sleep?" Bluerain licked the tip of Mosspaw's ear with her tongue.
Mosspaw noticed she had gaped a huge yawn, "it was good," Mosspaw replied, licking a tuft of misplaced fur on her neck.
Stormpaw padded up to Mosspaw and smiled, "why don't you come and practice some battle moves with us apprentice's sometime?" She offered. Her dark grey eyes were sparkling with happiness.
Mosspaw thought for a second. What did she mean by, 'us apprentices'? Am I all of the sudden not an apprentice anymore? "Maybe," Mosspaw blaintly answered. First, I'd just like to have a private training session with Bluerain.
Without speaking of anything more, Mosspaw padded over to the herb isle to check on the herb supply. Everything was tidy and full… except for the goldenrod. It will grow eventually. Mosspaw hoped.
"Well goodbye girls, have a nice day," Bluerain exited the three she-cats, and padded into the herb isle with Mosspaw. "I wish goldenrod would just sprout out of the ground already." Bluerain puffed, moving a piece of feverfew back to its place.
Mosspaw padded out of the den, ignoring Bluerain's comment. But Mosspaw didn't notice Bluerain had followed her.
"Why are you so down in the dumps today?" Bluerain asked.
Mosspaw turned around to look at her mentor. "Me?" Bluerain scoffed.
"Yes you! Who else was in this den I could have asked?"
Mosspaw shrugged and headed out of the medicine den. She didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. For some reason, she was upset that Goldenstar had taken a flee out of MeadowClan camp… and maybe territory. It was weird that she felt that, she didn't even like Goldenstar. Why did she miss him? Mosspaw let the thought escape from her head and sat down outside the medicine den. Moonglide, Greyshadow, Hawkfeather and Darknight were out on the border patrol, Moonthicket, Snowgleam, Dawnsplash and Fernpelt were out on a hunting patrol, all three elders were basking in the sun outside the elders den, Meadowbreeze's kits were play fighting outside the nursery, and Dewpaw, Icepaw, Strompaw, and Frostpaw were eating some prey around the fresh-kill pile.
Mosspaw decided to socialize with the other apprentice's. Maybe it would cheer her up. "Hi guys," Mosspaw meowed as she sat down to sit by the other apprentice's.
"Hey Mosspaw," Frostpaw replied first. Then everyone greeted her.
Mosspaw smiled and nodded at them all. Then everything was silent. The only noise was the other apprentice's chewing on their prey.
"Why don't you join us and get some prey?" Dewpaw asked with a mouthful of rabbit.
"I'm not hungry," Mosspaw meowed. It was kind of hard not to just take one bite of the Clan's plentiful prey. Mosspaw licked her jaws but fought the urge to get some prey. After all, she wasn't very hungry and she wanted to save prey for the rest of the Clan.
"Suit yourself," Dewpaw meowed as she finished the rest of her prey.
"Hey," Frostpaw began. "why don't we go to the training field to practice some battle moves? Just ourselves though. Not bringing out mentors."
"Possibly," Dewpaw meowed to Frostpaw. Icepaw licked a paw thoughtfully.
"Wouldn't we get in trouble though?" Stormpaw asked warily.
"Well we'd have to ask," Frostpaw reassured. Stormpaw settled a bit. Why is she always so nervous? Mosspaw asked herself.
"I'm kind of tired though," Icepaw sighed, getting up and stretching her back legs.
"Well then you don't have to go," Frostpaw meowed, getting up as well.
Mosspaw realized all these apprentice's talked about were fighting, training, and prey. Why don't they talk about medicine and herbs? It's a much more interesting topic then all the stuff they talk about. Mosspaw inhaled and exhaled. They probably don't even notice I'm here. Mosspaw thought.
By now, the four apprentice's were heading out of the grass tunnel, leaving her there without even saying, 'goodbye' or 'wanna come?' Mosspaw let her head drop and looked at the ground. When will I have any friends? The only friend I even have is Bluerain and she's my mentor! Mosspaw slowly padded back to the medicine den.
A screech split through the air. The cats of MeadowClan all turned their heads toward the tunnel. Bluerain ran out of the medicine den and her sparkling eyes were clouded with terror. Mosspaw was scared. Her belly dropped down to her legs, and her heart felt like it just stopped.
A cold chill ran through the camp, and everyone was silent, waiting for what was to come next.
The grass tunnel shook. It was Dewpaw.
"Goldenstar! Goldenstar's back and he's killed Darknight!"