Chapter 8

Spottedstone

As the night slowly crept in, the sunlight began to fade into twilight. The winds dying down to a gentle breeze, fluttering the leaves and branches far above his head as he gathered the herbs Moonface had deemed as unfit for their prestigious Clan-mates. The gray spotted tabby worked hard to finish cleaning out the imperfect ones, his mind still reeling back to his talk with Ravenfoot. How he learned that Waspfern was being overly concerned, understandably so as Hazenose was a beautiful she-cat. Spottedstone was not blind to that she-cat's looks. She was young and a strong she-cat of her own free-will. However, the more he mentally delved into the logistics of it, the more he felt it was dangerous to pursue. Aspenfang had philandered his way into Flinthaze's heart and had kits with her; but he also was pursuing Hazenose and giving lies about not being ready for kits.

Meaning, it was up to Spottedstone to somehow save Hazenose the embarrassment of being the other molly in the den. Unless, she seriously thought she could become the only one in Aspenfang's life. The thought was more than Spottedstone could bear to consider. There was so much wrong in the Clan, he could only wonder how and why their ancestors cared so little. Could he be a divine punishment or the beginning of the worst to come? Was he a harbinger for a deadly war between the Clans? So many questions racing through his mind as he gathered the last of the leaves and berries into his mouth to carry. His paws carrying him swiftly as he trotted along through the camp, avoiding the other cats who were lost in their visions or interpretations.

He was so used to it, it was normal for him to see. Yet, he knew, especially when Brokenleg-(Nightstrike at the time)-had stayed in their camp to be cared for after the massive flood that raged through the tundra. Back then he was still a 'paw and had to watch as Moonface splinted Brokenleg's rear leg with rushes, cobwebs, and everything that they could find to hold it as straight as possible. Even back then, the jet-black she-cat was intimidating, her icy-blue eyes glittering with a deep-seeded anger and a desperation that he couldn't fathom back then. Now, he understood it himself.

She wanted to be able to fight and hunt and do warrior things. Just as he always wanted to see and hear the spirits and their visions. He wanted to do full-medicine cat things, but he couldn't. He was not given StarClan's gift to do so, but he was given their blessing to learn to heal. He never understood why and, to this day, he struggled to find the reasons for it. All he knew was, Moonface kept their silence in order for him to stay until he told his truth.

Yet, Spottedstone knew he could never make that happen. Moonface could pass on at any time and when that happened, he had to be able to rise into being a full fledged medicine cat and care for his spiritual Clan. Yet, without Moonface's guidance, he knew it would be impossible. The ancient medicine cat hadn't chosen a different cat to also train to be a medicine cat, meaning if he didn't find out why he was star-blinded and star-deaf, he may never be able to fulfill his duties as a true medicine cat.

Ever so carefully, Spottedstone reached the river, his mind still clouded with thoughts, memories, and concerns that were mounting against him. With great care, he placed the herbs down and carefully set them on their journey. One by one, he placed a leaf or berry into the river's current, watching as it dragged away from him. The leaves twirled gracefully, pushed by wind and current and looking as though dancing into the twilight sky were stars slowly speckled the darkening indigo sky.

With a slow blink, he took a deep breath of the chilled air, filling his lungs before slowly exhaling to steady his racing mind and heart. No matter what happened, the gray spotted tabby and white tom knew it wouldn't last forever. Everything he did was to hide his disability within MoonClan and to attempt fixing what everyone seemed blind to. Yet, he knew he may never truly fix everything. He just wanted to fix whatever was possible to with his lies to bring some truth into the light. Perhaps he shouldn't meddle, but if that was the case, then the stars shouldn't have been silent to him.

He placed several leaves into the river's current. They spread out like it was meant to, only to see that four were clustered close together, twirling and circling gently. Spottedstone watched it, trying to imagine how the rest of his Clan would have been able to see what omens and visions from it. One of the leaves had a small tear, one that he hadn't seen before as it slowed, allowing the other three to go on ahead. A leaf from behind it swirled right into it, their stems caught on one another as they began a spiral out of control. The other three leaves had another branch off, falling behind and swirling into a small eddy near the far bank.

It was beautiful and told some kind of story if Spottedstone tried to personify them a little. He was tempted to, until, he saw the two twirling leaves join the one in the eddy, whirling around and around until the one with the tear was torn enough to be into two. He blinked as he moved a paw, releasing the berries into the river. Some floated others sank into the depths. His eyes widened as the floating ones were dragged every which way from the current alone. almost half of them ended up swirled into the eddy while the others raced downstream.

Perhaps to MoonClan it would mean something. But to Spottedstone, it was a curious sight to behold how alive anything looked within the river. He wondered if that was how the stars felt watching the Clans of the tundra. Unable to stop events themselves without reaching out to touch their lives. Yet, it felt like only MoonClan and true medicine cats were able. Sorrow filled his chest as she slowly rose to his paws. He knew he may never be a true healer of any sort. He could heal, but what use was it if he couldn't begin to fathom the very stars his Clan-mates worshipped so blindly? So far the kits didn't seem able to see or hear anything from the stars either.

Spottedstone truly hoped that it wasn't the beginning of the end for MoonClan's deep-rooted beliefs.

.

The moon's face was still mostly lit, but not for much longer. A few more nights and it will resemble Moonface's very own face. The gray spotted tabby tom blinked as he waited in the spot that Ravenfoot told him to stay, a small glade of a clearing a good ways away from camp. His ears perked for danger as he heard the branches creak above his head in the soft breeze. He curled up in a small space beneath a wild strawberry plant, pale yellow-green eyes stretched wide as his whiskers quivered in anticipation.

Soon, the figure of a long haired tomcat soon entered his vision, the moon's light lining his pelt silver as he approached with a more lithe and graceful feline figure. Spottedstone relaxed as he slipped out of his hiding place and into position as the black tom stopped before him with the confused she-cat.

"Hazenose, it is very nice to see you tonight." He murmured softly, dipping his head slightly in respect.

"Spottedstone? What is the meaning of this, Ravenfoot?" the blue-gray tabby turned on the long haired black tom instantly, her green eyes ablaze with anger. "You said we were going for a walk you liar!"

"I..." The tom started, looking to Spottedstone for help, seeming to be having a loss of words.

With an inward groan, he stepped up with the authority of a medicine cat. "Hazenose, I've been trying to decipher something from our Sister-Clan." He began, seeing the way her eyes widened in disbelief. "They are very worried about the future of the internal structure of our Clan's ways. More importantly, for you, a valuable warrior even in their star-lit eyes."

"What did they disclose to you?" Hazenose asked immediately, taking it seriously.

Spottedstone closed his eyes, hurt spreading in his heart for what he was about to say and do, hoping against hope that it wouldn't cross a line between them. "At first they showed me a raven's feather, so I thought it was about Ravenfoot and his mate, Waspfern. However, when Ravenfoot and I spoke to one another, we understood the truth of what StarClan actually was worried about. It's you and what you have with Aspenfang."

"Aspenfang and I are just fine!" She blurted out hotly, glaring at him.

"Aspenfang already has a mate with Flinthaze, correct?" Spottedstone asked sharply, taking his self-imposed duty seriously.

Hazenose hesitated, before looking away with a snort. "Yes." She replied begrudgingly.

"Then why are you padding around him and wanting kits with him when he already has kits?" He pressed, turning his tone more weary and concerned.

"He..." She looked at her paws, suddenly ashamed. "He was listening to StarClan to look for a mate elsewhere. Because he made a terrible mistake."

"A terrible mistake?" Spottedstone echoed in confusion, his mind racing.

"Tell him." Ravenfoot encouraged bleakly, "He's been trying to understand what our Sister-Clan are trying to tell him and everything we say helps make his omen clearer."

Hazenose closed her eyes as though in pain before prying the truth out from herself. As each word left her lips, cold horror filled the gray spotted tabby, his flanks heaving for air as his eyes grew wider. Silence filled the world as his mind reeled from the information, everything becoming so clear to him. So much so that he understood the shadowed world of MoonClan.

"Flinthaze was raised by her lone-mother. She never knew her own father, but with her gift of seeing omens and hearing the whispers of the stars, she found her place in MoonClan. Where she and Aspenfang fell in love as he taught her the ways of our Clan. At least, until they were expecting kits. He received a dream from StarClan alerting him of Flinthaze's heritage and how he had broken a vital code of nature. He has been so ashamed, he hadn't brought it up to anyone. I love him, I know I can help him. Yet, he won't tell anyone so he can provide for the kits he brought forth. He fears what this may mean for MoonClan, for how blind he was. He doesn't want to go on the Enlightenment Wander, he can't while they still need him to be a father."

All Spottedstone could hear was the pounding of his heart and the roaring of blood in his ears. Aspenfang was trying to atone in his own way, while Hazenose was so blind to his true plight.

"StarClan told me that I can help him. So, I've been trying to become his mate-"

"That isn't what they want you to do." Spottedstone mewed in a hushed whisper of horror. "They want you to make him do the right thing."

"I can't!"

"I've tried to persuade her to many times, Spottedstone." Ravenfoot looked to the sky. "If they have sent you an omen about me, then it is very clear that they just wish for you to do what Hazenose can't."

Fury bubbled into his chest as he gritted his teeth in frustration. Did MoonClan warriors do nothing for themselves? Did they not know how to do the right thing no matter how hard it was? He opened his jaws to vehemently deny telling the leader a thing to get it all started, but he hesitated as icy cold realization crashed through him.

He was no better.

He was lying to his very Clan-mates.

He had no omen or visions.

He had no connection to StarClan.

Yet here he was, trying to fit in and he stumbled into a harsh truth that he could never unlearn.

It was all his own fault and it would show if he tried to deny the part he needed to play now.

Swallowing dryly, Spottedstone nodded stiffly. "I'm sorry, Hazenose. I must tell Sleetstar."

"Please don't. You don't have to!" She begged, her mew cracking with deep seeded horror.

He looked away, out of shame on the inside, as he boldly spoke and rose to his paws stiffly. "I don't make this choice lightly." He reminded her darkly. "There is no other choice. StarClan was telling me to help Ravenfoot, but not with his mate. With you who needs it the most. You have to understand, StarClan isn't trying to punish you. They just need Aspenfang to do what is right and that is to be out with it and accept the Enlightenment Wander to atone for what he has done."

A growing wail of pain and anger erupted from the she-cat as he stalked past her. He wasn't lying about it being a hard choice, but he knew it had to be done. Moonface wanted him to fit in, didn't they? So, why shouldn't he lie and accidentally fall into another cat's problems and bring it to the surface? Would Moonface turn on him for it? Nowhere says I couldn't lie to fit in, the thought crashed into Spottedstone's mind before he could stop it, realizing the truth in everything he was taught by the ancient healer.

Nowhere in the Codes does it say I can or cannot tell another star about the shadows of a star's heart.

Sorrow filled his chest as he slipped into the shadowed rocky forest. Hazenose was spitting and wailing about how he had betrayed her trust and deprived Aspenfang of his own atonement. Despite everything that was shouted behind him as he loped closer to MoonClan camp, he knew his truth. He had to tell his leader and bear witness to the deepening fractures of a seemingly perfect Clan.

Nothing was perfect about MoonClan. Like the moon's surface marred with deep-set craters, their Clan had just as shady shallow hollows that could not hide the selfishness and cruelty in their hearts like they thought it did; and it shows.

Author Note:

With each lie and each struggle, Spottedstone now must do the unthinkable. What will be the consequences of these actions?

This entire section of Spottedstone's story was based on the Untold Legacy where a father was accidentally paired with one of his daughters and had kittens. So, I wanted to touch on it and how it will be addressed when the truth comes out. So look out for that two chapters from now!

Thank you for reading and have a fantastic morning, day, evening, or night! - NightSky