Ch. 13 Meet Darkstep
The half-moon cast a dark shadow over the medicine cat den as Redmoon fell into a restless sleep. Tossing and turning, the events of the battle she saw in the prophecy shifted and swayed in her dream. She felt as if she were holding onto a branch that she couldn't let go and she was being swept away by the current. Nothing made any sense at all. Greenleaf, her father's injury was healed, her leader's jaws and pelt were covered in blood, and the entire battle took place at ShadowClan. Did Willowbranch know something she didn't? And what did it all mean? It wasn't long before a paw shook her awake.
"It's time to get up Redmoon."
With a groan, Redmoon shrugged off the paw that had been prodding her side and groggily rolled onto her paws. After rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Flamestar's blurry muzzle came into focus. After half a day of making her rounds treating injuries with little to no sleep, she felt like she could sleep through a forest fire.
Suddenly, she became aware of a warm scent flooding the den and noticed that Icebreath was digging into a squirrel. When they met each other's gaze, she threw a morsel towards her, which she ate famished.
"It's almost time to go," Flamestar mewed. "Did you eat the traveling herbs?"
"Traveling herbs?" Redmoon swallowed the prey. "I don't think Willowbranch taught me that." She flattened her ears. She wanted to forget all about her mentor, but the gray tabby just wouldn't leave her mind.
"Ah, I know what they look like," Flamestar said as he padded over to the herb storage.
Redmoon quickly rose to her paws and leaped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "Oh no, don't worry about those," she mewed quickly, "we need to save them for emergencies. The other medicine cats can show me what they look like." The last thing she wanted to happen was for her leader to find out about their low stash of herbs or pull out something that could potentially poison her.
Icebreath cocked her head to the side. "I thought you said didn't have any-" Redmoon jammed her tail into her mouth, silencing her instantly.
Flamestar looked up thoughtfully. "Well, I guess if you don't need them…" his voice trailed off. "Are you ready to go then?"
Redmoon gave Icebreath a nasty stare, daring her to say something else, and then moved her tail away. "I'm ready."
The sun was at its highest point, warming the ground below with its soft rays, defrosting the snow-covered leaves and making the snow feel like slush underpaw. As soon as she stepped out of camp, Redmoon sniffed the crisp noon air. Carried on its breeze was the scent of oak and prey and the faint scents of the hunting patrol, which consisted of Leopardstrike, Cloverpaw, and Flintfoot who had returned to camp not too long ago. The scent of a blackbird made her mouth water; their hunt was a success.
The further they moved along into unfamiliar territory, the more nervous Redmoon became and soon she became hyper-aware of her surroundings. Every sound made her jump, every new scent sent shivers down her spine, and every time she glanced towards Flamestar, she saw his blood-covered pelt and his dark, beady eyes staring her down amidst a huge, mischievous grin. Redmoon shook the vision from her mind and flattened her ears. She realized she had no idea who he really was, and he was acting extremely suspicious. Why did he cover up her mentor's death and blame it all on her father? Was that prophecy she saw supposed to be a warning from StarClan? What did they want her to do?
Maybe...she should just…
Redmoon unsheathed her claws, taking deep breaths as the thought of what she needed to do caused prickles of anxiety to roll down her spine. Her heart pounding, Redmoon attempted to steady herself.
How many times would she have to do it? How many times would she have to kill him until he's dead?
Lost in her thoughts, Redmoon failed to pay attention to where she was going. Suddenly her front paw slid underneath a buried tree root, and she tumbled face-first into the freezing snow.
Flamestar turned, his gaze fixing on the ginger feline half buried in the snowdrift. "Are you okay?" he asked, padding backward to catch up to her.
Before he could get halfway there though, Redmoon had leaped to her feet. "I'm fine!" she shouted, vigorously shaking the icy flakes from her fur. There was no way she was going to let him get anywhere near her.
Flamestar furrowed his brows. "You need to be more careful," he mewed with concern. "Everything looks different in the snow. Do you need to stop and rest for a moment?
Redmoon shook her head. "I can still move." She leaped forward, landing a squirrel length away from the tree, and winced briefly as she resettled herself. It's true that she had rolled her paw, but the pain was already fading away.
"We're almost there," the white tom continued. "Once we get to the WindClan border, you'll be able to distinguish the clan boundaries from the scent markers."
Thanks. Redmoon rolled her eyes. Wasn't that obvious?
"By the way I hoped you've been paying attention on our way here," Flamestar stated, as the two cats slid down a steep embankment about a fox-length high and into a clearing. In the middle of it stood a huge boulder with jagged edges, partially covered in snow. It seemed out of place within the forest, and if Redmoon hadn't known better, she would've thought it was the HighStones itself.
"That is called the Great Rock," Flamestar said, brushing his tail over it. He disappeared behind the boulder, and Redmoon had to quickly pad forward to catch up. "It's been here since the clans were formed many moons ago," his blue eyes sparkled as he gazed upon it. "As an apprentice, I used to dream about one day standing on top of this rock and greeting the clans."
"I guess you got your wish," Redmoon shrugged, brushing her tail across the snow. "We're wasting time. We should go now before it gets too dark."
"Of course," Flamestar mewed. "What's the rush?"
Redmoon spun around, shooting her wide gaze towards him. Was he serious right now?
"Look up," he pointed with his tail towards the trees above them.
"What?" she asked, lifting her gaze to stare at the twisting branches of the four great oaks, which canopied the entire clearing like a huge nest. The dead branches creaked and ached, rubbing against each other while gently swaying in the soft wind.
"This is Fourtrees." Flamestar mewed. "This is where all four clans gather every full moon to share news."
"This is Fourtrees?" Redmoon wrinkled her nose at it. It looked dead and abandoned, but what did she expect in the middle of leaf-bare?
"Because there are only four trees, there can only be four clans." He explained, his gaze falling on her ginger pelt. "In half a moon's time, you'll be going to the gathering, so I thought I would show it to you. It's important to know what it's all about."
Redmoon lashed her tail back and forth, clearly agitated by his words. It made no difference to her whether there were four clans in the forest or five. What was he going on about? "Okay, I get it," she finally mewed. If agreeing with Flamestar shut him up for good, she would happily oblige.
Thankfully, the tom decided not to waste any more time. Together, they crossed into another clearing, where Flamestar began to slow down once again. He pointed out a steep, rocky slope, and gingerly the two cats climbed up the boulders to reach a plateau where they could finally give their paws a break before they reached the top.
"By the way, how is life as a medicine cat coming along?" he asked, weaving underneath a thick layer of vines that spilled over the edge of the slope. The wet leaves stuck to Redmoon's belly fur, further increasing her already agitated state.
"I got used to it, "she replied, "Willowbranch taught me a lot."
Flamestar flicked his ear. "Does it bother you now that she's gone?"
Redmoon's jaw fell open, and then she closed it again, clenching her teeth before Flamestar could turn his head to see her reaction. "I-I'm going to miss her," she meowed, her voice shaking with every word. "Although we hissed at each other a lot, she did what was best for her clan. I only wish StarClan hadn't seen me as a threat so that she could have had a better apprentice."
"You're not a threat." Flamestar muttered darkly, "StarClan is."
Redmoon stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. "What do you mean by that?"
Flamestar paused, turning to face her. The tom blended into the snow perfectly, except for the flame-colored stripes on his face and paws. "There's a cat I would like you to meet," he said, pointing with his tail towards a dark shape on top of the slope.
"Darkstep!" he called.
Redmoon opened her mouth wide, detecting the WindClan cat's faint scent from across the border.
Instantly, the scent of cat mint and numerous other dry herbs got stronger and drifted toward them both as the medicine cat made her way toward them.
"This is Redmoon," Flamestar mewed as he introduced her.
The gorgeous all-black medicine cat waved her tail in greeting, and Redmoon stared in surprise as she caught sight of her faint tabby stripes. "Nice to meet you," she looked past her shoulder, "And, uhhh…"
Flamestar shook his head. "Willowbranch isn't coming."
At his words, Darkstep flattened her ears, disappointment showing in her amber eyes.
"Redmoon was her apprentice. Please take good care of her."
"I will," Darkstep mewed as she dipped her head respectfully towards the ThunderClan leader. She turned; With a flick of her tail, the skinny feline signaled for Redmoon to follow her.
Redmoon glanced over at her leader for permission. He nodded, his blue eyes shimmering with pride. Perhaps he was relishing in the fact that he had successfully carried out Willowbranch's legacy, now that she was well on her way to becoming a full-blooded medicine cat. Maybe StarClan will view him favorably from now on.
Hesitantly, Redmoon stepped over the border. At once a blast of cold air buffeted her fur, sending shivers running down her spine. This was her first time setting paw in another clan's territory, and it felt so wrong to do so.
As they journeyed across the snowy plateau, Redmoon couldn't ignore the growing intensity of the wind. With no trees to cover them, it did as it pleased, ruffling their pelts, and spraying a thin layer of ice crystals across their backs. She couldn't help but wonder about the WindClan cats who chose to call this harsh land their home. Did they suffer from the same biting cold as she did?
Their path led them up a long hill, and for a while the two medicine cats remained silent, listening to the wind as it ebbed and flowed across the uplands. Finally, Darkstep spoke up. "Have you decided what you are going to ask your ancestors?"
Redmoon stared at her paws. She hadn't really thought of it. What should she ask them? A dozen questions swirled around in her head, but all of them would probably make StarClan angry. Would they even be interested in speaking to her?
She turned her yellow gaze towards her. "What do medicine cats usually ask their ancestors?"
Darkstep gave a quick lick to her chest, realizing her mistake. "Oh, that's right it's your first time, isn't it?" she meowed quickly. "Well, we often seek guidance on various matters. Like where to find herbs or asking for advice..."
Maybe she should ask them why she was forced to become a medicine cat in the first place. Redmoon realized as found a new sense of motivation. Maybe by now, Spottedleaf would have an answer for her. A real one, without the hurried atmosphere from when she was a kit.
As they reached the edge of WindClan's territory, a new, unfamiliar scent stopped Redmoon in her tracks. She looked up at Darkstep, but the black tabby's pelt was already beginning to lie flat once again. If she was worried, she didn't show it.
The experienced she-cat sensed Redmoon's unease and gave her a reassuring glance. "Don't worry," she meowed, "As medicine cats, we are granted safe passage through clan territories. It's part of the warrior code."
"The warrior code…" Redmoon muttered under her breath, her gaze resting on her paws. If it weren't for the warrior code, the clan would be no better than rogues. Although, that's what she was supposed to believe and that's what StarClan wants them to think. Not even ThunderClan follows it closely anymore.
"It seems RiverClan made it here before us," Darkstep observed. She paused, her amber gaze scanning the barren valley. They were standing upwind, so it was to easy to detect the fishy scents of the RiverClan cats.
"I know you're there!" she called out, her voice bouncing off the many rocks that dotted the area. "Stop being rude. Come out and introduce yourselves!"
Redmoon looked up just in time to see a small, light brown she-cat poke her head out from behind one of the boulders. When she spotted Redmoon, she narrowed her yellow eyes and flattened her ears. "I thought I smelled a ThunderClan cat."