Chapter 5

"Focus, Mistyfoot."

Mistyfoot flexed her claws, resisting the urge to open her eyes.

"Steady your breathing."

In. Out. In. Out.

"Good."

Good!

She tried not to let her pride at the flash of praise show. Mistyfoot waited, each muscle coiled and tense, expecting a sharp blow for losing her focus - but she felt nothing, which meant she must have succeeded.

"Now. Strike."

Mistyfoot, eyes still closed, sprang. She launched herself not forward but to the side, and in mid-air, she twisted, righting herself just before her paws made contact with a wall of fur.

She heard Bluestar grunt as she was pinned to the earth. Mistyfoot opened her eyes, staring down at her mother with alarm.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

The pale she-cat lay still, unmoving. Panic shot through Mistyfoot - had she hurt her mother? Complicated feelings writhed and twisted in her belly. While it felt somewhat satisfying to see this nightmare of a cat pinned to the ground, there was still the guilt that came with doing so to her own mother.

Mistyfoot bent down and sniffed her mother's scruff. She smells fine... Could a spirit even die, really? She stared down at the pale she-cat, worry crawling beneath her pelt. StarClan above, she looks so old!

Bluestar's eyes opened then, bright and burning, and she hissed, "Mistake!"

The older she-cat lurched, upending Mistyfoot with a vicious snarl and twisting her body like a snake, freeing herself from her daughter's grasp. Mistyfoot felt claws prick her pelt as Bluestar brought her down, slamming her against the cold, slimy earth of the dark dream-realm.

Mistyfoot was too stunned to speak. Her heart rattled in her ears as she felt her mother's claws sink into her fur.

A moment later, Bluestar stepped off of her daughter. She sat on her haunches, the picture of calm, with her tail wrapped around her paws. She stared down at Mistyfoot and sighed, a noise so quiet that it barely stirred her whiskers.

"Do you know your mistake?" Bluestar asked, her tone mild.

Mistyfoot pushed herself to her paws, feeling the ghost of her mother's claws in her skin. When she met Bluestar's eyes, she found no hint of her error. She shook her head.

Bluestar made a noise in her throat. "You hesitated," she answered.

"I had you pinned," Mistyfoot pointed out. "That was enough."

"No, it wasn't." Bluestar's eyes hardened. "You hesitated when you should have struck and left yourself open to a counterattack as a result."

Mistyfoot's ears flattened. "That's not how warriors do things."

Bluestar took her silence as a cue to continue: "You are not just a warrior now, dear daughter - you are deputy of ThunderClan. It is your duty to protect your Clanmates, using all your strength."

Mistyfoot frowned. "I know that," she meowed back, "but I won't break the warrior code." Not like you.

Bluestar's gaze flickered. Mistyfoot expected more of her harsh words, but instead, the blue-gray she-cat lifted her silvery muzzle and mewed, "How are things?"

We must be done for tonight, then, Mistyfoot guessed. There was no way to tell time in this place; minutes seemed to pass like hours. She took some time to examine her pelt, noting that though she had felt her mother's claws, Bluestar had drawn no blood - she wouldn't have to form an excuse for her Clanmates in the morning.

"Things seem okay," Mistyfoot admitted, raising her muzzle to her mother. "WindClan has been quiet, and ShadowClan is being a little strange. There are those traps in our territory, but otherwise, it seems like things are getting back to normal."

Bluestar blinked slowly at her. "Take care not to grow too complacent, Mistyfoot," she meowed soberly. "ThunderClan relies on you now more than ever."

"I know," Mistyfoot mewed.

Bluestar bent her head to give her chest fur a few quick licks. "What do you think of the kittypet and her kittens?"

Mistyfoot was surprised that Bluestar would ask such a question, considering her relationship with Tinystar. Knowing that the night was ending, Mistyfoot asked, "Why do you care? You hate kittypets."

Bluestar's ear flicked. "When did I ever say such a thing?" she wondered. Causally, she drew a paw over her ear. "I suppose it's not too difficult to guess why you'd think I would - but my anger towards Tinystar was not due to his heritage." She stopped her grooming, and her blue eyes burned into Mistyfoot. "He squandered his potential and betrayed me. His being a kittypet once had little to do with that."

Mistyfoot grimaced. "You killed so many cats, Bluestar," she reminded her. "Did you really expect him to follow you after that?"

Bluestar tipped her head. "Hm. I suppose I should have thought differently, but that was then, and this is now." Her gaze rested on Mistyfoot with a glimmer of consideration. "Are you second-guessing our little arrangement, daughter?"

"Always," Mistyfoot muttered.

Bleustar's whiskers twitched - the closest to amusement she would ever come. "Well, I suppose I oughtn't be shocked - but consider this, Mistyfoot: I have had a long time to sit and think on what I have done, to consider myself and change my ways. And I have chosen to pass my knowledge on to you."

She blinked slowly. "Really, dear daughter, how much trouble do you think I can get up to in a place like this?"

Mistyfoot bit her tongue, unsure of how to answer that. Some part of her wanted to believe more than anything that her mother's time in this strange, dark place had caused her to reflect on herself and change - but another part doubted that a cat like Bluestar could ever change when she was so fundamentally broken from the start.

Bluestar sighed. "All this is to say that I think the kittens have potential," she meowed on briskly, "if guided by the right cats. The mother, though, I'm less certain of - but not every cat was meant to be a warrior."

It felt very strange to hear her mother echoing the sentiments of her Clanmates. Mistyfoot wasn't sure how to feel about it, especially since she had her own doubts about Daisy since the debacle in the medicine cat's cave two days ago.

"You should endear yourself to the kits," Bluestar told her. "Make them feel welcome - after all, their world is changing so rapidly, it must be overwhelming. And if one of them happens to want you for a mentor..."

"I'm not going to manipulate kits," Mistyfoot stated firmly.

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Bluestar insisted, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "Remember how you looked up to Tinystar when he was the deputy of ThunderClan? He was a symbol of safety and security, and you wanted to be just like him - well, now you're in his position, and you cannot ignore what that means to the young members of the Clan."

She didn't even flinch when she said his name! Mistyfoot couldn't help but be impressed by her mother's self-restraint. It must burn her deeply to admit that Tinystar had done anything worth admiring, let alone inspiring her daughter. Perhaps Bluestar really had changed?

"Just think on it, dear daughter," Bluestar mused. The world around her began to waver, and she added, "Our time here is ending - I will see you soon."

Mistyfoot nodded and braced herself as the dark forest warped and twisted into stone and rain and sorrow.

Mistyfoot woke early enough to sort the patrols out before dawn broke, stifling a massive yawn until her Clanmates had gone their separate ways. Her pelt itched from where Bluestar's claws had pricked her, but no blood was in her nest, and Nightfrost hadn't said anything, which was a relief. Poor Larchpaw would get in trouble if Mistyfoot kept complaining about her bedding.

Finally able to select her own breakfast, Mistyfoot made her way to the fresh-kill pile. Though WindClan had destroyed many of the dens in camp, the Clan's food supply was sheltered by some stones that had formed a shallow cavern near the stone walls, and thus, it hadn't needed any of Dustpelt's time to repair, though he had suggested weaving a bramble wall around it to keep intruders out with the thorns.

Mistyfoot wasn't sure that was necessary yet. She ducked into the cavern and selected a fat thrush, pulling it out by its wing. As she secured it in her mouth, she thanked StarClan - the lake territories had held many surprises and unforeseen dangers, but it made up for it with how plentiful the prey was. She knew it wouldn't last forever - it didn't take many generations for the smaller creatures to understand the change in their world - but it was a blessing for now.

She considered where to eat, glancing about the camp. The past days had been gloomy and rainy, typical of newleaf, but today was sunny, and Mistyfoot felt warmth on her pelt. The ground in the clearing was solid and dry underpaw, birds were singing in their new families, and leaves were bursting from the buds in the forest above.

A mewl caught her attention, coming from over the fallen tree. Mistyfoot crept around its scraggly, upturned roots, which kept the nursery and elder's den hidden from view in its own little grotto.

Daisy's other two kittens, Hazel and Goose, were playing in the small clearing made by the dens and tree, wrestling over a ball of moss in the dust. Nightfrost and Rainwhisker were watching them, the remnants of a shared breakfast on their muzzles. Neither of them had been assigned to the early patrols, so while Mistyfoot was unsure of what they were doing, she couldn't find a reason to begrudge them doing it.

Nightfrost spotted Mistyfoot, and he looked her way with a smile. "Join us!" he purred.

Mistyfoot did, giving the tussling kittens a wide berth. When she settled beside Nightfrost and Rainwhisker, she spared the kits a glance - Hazel was the leaner of the two, built more like her mother if Daisy didn't have all that fur. Goose was squatter and sturdier, resembling Smoky, their father.

"Shadepool asked us to occupy them while Sorreltail's getting a checkup," Rainwhisker explained, answering a question that Mistyfoot was thinking of asking. "They're a bit big and have more energy than the nursery can handle right now."

That made sense - these weren't newborn kittens or even ones just weaned off their mother - Hazel, Goose, and Berry were nearing five moons and had all the energy to show for it. Mistyfoot couldn't imagine what trouble they were getting into cooped up in the nursery.

"Where's Daisy?" Mistyfoot wondered. "Shouldn't she be handling her kits?"

Nightfrost grimaced and lowered his voice to answer, "Berry's tail got an infection last night. She's not left the medicine cats alone since she found out."

Mistyfoot sighed. There was no way Daisy felt good about that, especially after Brackenfur and Shadepool had insisted that severing his tail was the call that would prevent something like this from happening.

"Will he be okay?" she asked.

Nightfrost shrugged. "Shadepool says it's pretty mild, all things considered. Daisy just isn't letting up about it." He frowned. "I get her frustration, but she really needs to relax and let them do their jobs."

"Should I talk to her?" Mistyfoot wondered. She chastised herself for missing this development - dreaming with her mother was beginning to make the days blur and blend together, and this was certainly something a deputy should be looking out for.

Rainwhisker's tail twitched. "Probably not worth it. She's made it pretty clear she won't leave the cave until Berry is okay."

"The medicine cats can handle her," Nightfrost insisted. He rested his tail along Mistyfoot's flank and purred, "Don't worry, okay?"

His assurance was warm, and Mistyfoot accepted it. Finally, she tucked into her meal while watching Hazel and Goose play-fight. She admired their limitless energy - she was getting sleepy just observing them.

As she finished her thrush, she noticed something - Hazel and Goose's play was somewhat unfocused for kittens their age. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but there was no thought or technique put into what they were doing. It was a simplicity reserved for kits far younger than they were, who would live comfortably in a barn and not wander the vast, unknown world.

If they're going to survive on their own, they have a lot to learn, she thought worriedly.

She set the remains of her meal with Nightfrost and Rainwhisker's, and got to her paws. She stretched, flexing her muscles and curling her toes, and then she put herself between Hazel and Goose, blocking them from one another, much to their surprise.

The two stared up at her, owl-eyed and confused. It was Hazel who squeaked, "Who're you?"

"Hay-brain," hissed Goose, who nudged his sister, "that's Mistyfoot!"

"Yeah, but who is that?" Hazel wondered honestly. "These cats have such weird names..."

"Mistyfoot is ThunderClan's deputy," Nightfrost pointed out.

Hazel didn't look any more enlightened, but Goose asked, "What's that mean?"

"It means she's second in command," Rainwhisker chuckled, twitching his whiskers in amusement, "and you should listen to what she says."

"Oh," Goose mumbled. He turned his pale green gaze up to stare at Mistyfoot. "Huh."

"Huh," Hazel repeated, copying her brother.

Mistyfoot swished her tail. "You two are far too old for simple kitten games," she meowed. "How about we teach you something useful?"

"But we're not Clan cats," Hazel pointed out, "and Mama says we might not stay here."

"What we can teach you can help far beyond Clan borders," Mistyfoot reasoned.

"Exactly!" Nightfrost chimed in. "Once, Mistyfoot and I went on a long journey, and we wouldn't have made it back home alive if we didn't know how to hunt or fight properly."

Goose seemed to consider this. His eyes gleamed, and he nudged Hazel again and mewed, "We could learn to protect Mama! And Berry, too, since he doesn't have a tail no more!"

"You could," Mistyfoot agreed.

Hazel hesitated. "But don't you Clan cats get into bad fights?" she wondered. "I heard Sorreltail talking about how y'all were fighting another Clan, and some cats died."

Rainwhisker flinched, his gaze growing sorrowful. Nightfrost frowned as he touched his tail-tip to the other warrior's shoulder. Mistyfoot sighed.

"We Clans fight one another sometimes, yes," she admitted, "but killing is a line we don't like to cross. Sometimes things get out of paw, but it would be much worse if none of us knew how to defend ourselves."

"So... you don't just kill each other?" Hazel wondered, her gaze imploring for the truth.

Mistyfoot shook her head. "You see, we follow something called the warrior code..."

The kits sat in rapt attention as Mistyfoot explained the warrior code and its tenants to them, their eyes growing wider and wider. She could see their interest and fascination growing. Mistyfoot couldn't help but feel something warm and fuzzy inside at the sight, something that grew only warmer and fuzzier when she glanced up at Nightfrost and saw that he was nodding at her encouragingly.

When she reached the last part of the code - the rule about outsiders joining the Clans that Tinystar had created - Hazel and Goose seemed ready to burst with excitement.

"That means we could join you!" Goose practically yowled.

"And Mama, too!" Hazel added.

"It does," Mistyfoot agreed. "But that's not a decision you can make right now - you're both still kits, and your mother will know what is best for you."

They deflated some, glancing at one another. Hazel scuffled her paw in the dirt and admitted, "We don' wanna to go back to the barn."

"Why not?" Rainwhisker wondered.

Goose mewed, "Mama left because the Nofurs were going to take us away soon, like they did Floss's kits."

"The Nofurs don't want too many cats in their barn," Hazel explained. "Papa said it was for our own safety and that we'd go to good Nofurs who would treat us well." Her ears drooped. "He didn't ask what we wanted..."

"He and Mama fought about it," Goose went on. "Real bad! Then we were leaving, just like that!"

Rainwhisker shivered. "I know Twolegs do that, but every time I hear about it, it just makes me queasy..."

Mistyfoot had to agree. She barely recalled Bluestar leaving ThunderClan, but she couldn't imagine being taken away from Oakheart at such a young age when she still needed him - not to mention the idea of growing up alone, with only large, unknowable Twolegs to contend with.

But Hazel and Goose's story helped Mistyfoot put some pieces together. Daisy clearly didn't know where she was headed; she had just wanted to leave the barn before it was too late. If she wasn't going to stay in the Clans or go back, it was doubly important that their little family knew how to protect themselves.

"Clan kits at your age have already learned some of the basics," Mistyfoot meowed. "But don't worry! We can teach you right now, and you can practice with each other." Quickly, she added, "So long as it's away from Sorreltail."

"Can we show Berry?" Hazel asked. "When he gets better, I mean?"

"Of course." Mistyfoot dropped her body low. "Now, try and copy me..."

She started by showing them the most basic stance, the hunter's crouch. Hazel and Goose copied her as best as they could - Mistyfoot noted that Hazel was more successful, while Goose seemed a bit unsteady in comparison.

"Every cat is different," Nightfrost pointed out when Goose looked frustrated. "Look at how small I am! I've learned to make some adjustments, like this..."

With Nightfrost's help, Goose eventually had a stance that was passable. He was purring the whole time, pleased with himself. When Mistyfoot released them, both kittens flopped over, panting.

"Holding that for so long is hard!" Hazel gasped. She looked up at Mistyfoot, her eyes wide. "You guys do that all the time?"

Rainwhisker twitched his whiskers. "The hunter's crouch is just the start! So many other techniques come from it, so it's important to learn it quickly."

"Show us!" Goose insisted.

Rainwhisker was about to comply when the nursery's entrance rattled. Shadepool slid out from the shadows, with Sun following close behind. Shadepool took a moment to yawn and stretch, arching her back in the sunshine.

"How're things?" Rainwhisker asked, sitting up straight.

Sun answered, swishing her bristling tail: "Shadepool says that Sorreltail is at high risk!"

"I said potentially," Shadepool corrected quickly before Rainwhisker could blurt something out. Whiskers twitching, Shadepool elaborated, "Sorreltail's pregnancy has been tough on her body, so it's possible that things might not go smoothly, especially now that she's so close to kitting."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Rainwhisker wondered. His eyes were wide with worry for his sister, as if he were imagining a world he was suddenly alone in. Mistyfoot didn't blame him one whisker for that.

Patiently, Shadepool meowed, "We're doing everything we can. Sorreltail is getting as much borage and as many strengthening herbs as we dare to give her, but carrying four kits is hard enough as it is."

Rainwhisker's ears pricked. "Four?"

"I think so," Shadepool affirmed.

"Only four?" Goose chirped. "Floss had seven!"

"Seven?!" Nightfrost's eyes went round with shock. "Great StarClan, that's a lot!"

Mistyfoot's pelt prickled nervously at the thought. Clan queens rarely had more than three, and four was irregular! "And she was okay after that?"

"Queens who live with Twolegs often have more kittens than Clan cats," Shadepool remarked, speaking just as much to the kittens as the warriors. "But regardless - I've left Sorreltail with her medicine for tonight and tomorrow."

Nightfrost shifted on his paws. "The Moonpool?" he guessed.

Mistyfoot started. The Moonpool! The half-moon would be the brightest tonight, which meant the medicine cats would have to make the long journey along the Divide and into the uplands to speak with their ancestors.

Her stomach churned. Ever since Onewhisker's trip to the Moonpool for his nine lives had ended in his and Barkface's deaths this past leafbare, the idea of any medicine cat journeying to the Moonpool alone was terrifying. Mistyfoot kicked herself inwardly for forgetting that it was so soon.

"You and Brackenfur will need an escort," Mistyfoot insisted.

Shadepool looked as if she might protest. Instead, she corrected her: "Brackenfur is staying behind. I'm going on my own tonight."

"All the more reason," Mistyfoot pressed. It was unusual for Brackenfur to stay behind, but with him struggling to move and Berry's tail infection, perhaps he had decided it would be best to remain in camp. Shadepool had her full name now, after all.

Shadepool grimaced. Mistyfoot knew the idea of an escort rankled at the tortoiseshell's pride. Plain warriors weren't welcome at medicine cat meetings. But she quickly relented and mewed, "I need to leave as soon as possible; I'm already late. Don't make me wait."

I won't, Mistyfoot told herself as Shadepool rushed past. Hazel and Goose watched her go - as soon as she was out of sight, they were pestering Rainwhisker about the Moonpool, demanding to know about it so forcefully that the gray tom was almost carried off his paws.

They'll certainly keep his mind off of Sorreltail, at least, Mistyfoot thought, amused. But she had to turn her thoughts to who might make the best escort for Shadepool - the she-cat was much like her father, Tinystar. She would go on her own if Mistyfoot dallied too long.

"I'm going," Nightfrost said immediately.

"You have a patrol later," Mistyfoot reminded him. "I'll be going," she said when Nightfrost was about to protest. "Tell Mousefur and Cinderpelt to handle things while I'm gone."

Mistyfoot quickly touched her nose to Nightfrost's when his face turned to worry for his sister. She promised, "Don't worry - I won't let anything happen to her."

Nightfrost thanked her with a slow, purposeful blink, stepping aside to let Mistyfoot pass. Mistyfoot felt her pelt prickling from his gaze as she left the nursery grotto - a warm feeling with an undercurrent of icy cold rain.

She shoved it aside and quickly searched the camp. She couldn't escort Shadepool alone, but most cats had already been assigned duties in the evening that couldn't be reassigned now. One cat, though, hadn't.

"Longtail!" Mistyfoot called. The pale tabby looked up from his wash by the warrior's den. His ears pricked, alerted by the sound of her voice, his tongue peeking out from his jaws.

Ignoring that amusing sight, Mistyfoot meowed, "You're coming with me."

Longtail pulled back his tongue. "What for?" he wondered, confused.

"Moonpool escort," Mistyfoot explained. She crossed the clearing and looked him over, noting the several new scars across the blind tom's body from the battle with WindClan. "Are you up for it?"

Longtail hesitated, but then he heard Shadepool emerge from the medicine cat's cave, her pawsteps swift and purposeful. His ears swiveled, following Shadepool as she headed for the entrance. He must've understood the urgency, swallowing whatever he was about to say and getting to his paws.

"Let's go," he said.