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Chapter Text

The full moon slowly inched up the sky as the last of the cats stepped onto the Fourtrees island, all gathering patiently around the Great Rock and staring up at the five leaders. 

Cloudstar eyed the other leaders cautiously. It had not been long since the twolegs had begun to rip apart SkyClan’s territory, and he hoped that the other clans would help his own, even though deep down he knew how they would react. 

“Let the Gathering commence!” Birchstar, the leader of RiverClan, declared, her words silencing the cats below. 

“Cloudstar,” Dawnstar said, raising a paw and pointing it at him. “You said you wished to start us off. Said there’s something urgent you have to tell us.” Cloudstar nodded, and the other leaders backed up to let him speak. 

“Cats of all clans!” Cloudstar began. He’d been preparing himself for this, thinking of what to say, discussing it with his deputy, Buzzardtail. “As most of you are aware of by now, twolegs have begun to tear apart our territory. We ask of you to help, not because we wish to burden your clans, but because we know our clan will not be the only one to fall victim to the twolegs. Let our clan stay with one of yours only until we can make a new camp, and our clan will owe yours a massive debt in turn.” Perhaps it was dangerous to offer a debt, but his options were rapidly decreasing, and he doubted any other clan would accept without a reward for their own. 

The whole island fell silent for a few heartbeats as cats processed this. Finally, Redstar stepped forward, eyeing him. “No cat wants your half-starved clan, Cloudstar,” The tom sneered. “You would only hold us back. It would be too many mouths, too many lives to worry about. You must find your clan a new territory alone.”

The other leaders were silent, but Cloudstar could see them nodding in agreement, though Birchstar looked a bit unsure. 

“Cloudstar,” Dawnstar began, stepping forward. “Perhaps your new home should be farther away. Think about it,” she continued, “Of all the clans the twolegs chose to destroy, they chose yours. It cannot be coincidence.”

“What?” Cloudstar exclaimed, stepping back. Dawnstar could not be serious!

“I mean,” Dawnstar went on slowly, “was it not your clan’s founder that went against the stars? Perhaps StarClan sent the twolegs to punish you all.”

“But why would they do it now?” Cloudstar objected, shaking his head. How were these words ones that seemed to convince the other leaders further? “Why wait?”

“Do not question the will of StarClan,” Dawnstar hissed, which Cloudstar took as meaning you’re asking too many questions . 

“And what of WindClan?” Cloudstar’s deputy, Buzzardtail, hissed, looking up at the leaders. Cloudstar groaned inwardly. If there had been even a sliver of a chance of WindClan helping them, Buzzardtail had just destroyed it. “Did Windstar not also go against the stars?”

Swiftstar sputtered, seeming surprised that he was being dragged into this. “Can we not all agree that Skystar was the one at fault? Sure, Windstar may have been involved, but she was not the one who strayed first, and was not the one who started the first battle. Besides,” He added, looking around nervously. Cloudstar wondered if he even knew what he was saying. “Look at this island, the island we use for our gatherings. There are four trees. Four . And there are four seasons. And without SkyClan, there would be four clans. Perhaps this was a sign that SkyClan was never meant to be.”

The other leaders all nodded in agreement. Birchstar stepped forward. “Cloudstar, I am deeply sorry for the losses your clan is facing right now. But there is nothing we can do. We cannot go up against the twolegs, and we cannot feed both your clan and our own. The river has run low these past few moons, there is not enough fish. Perhaps you will find fortune in a new camp, away from the clans. Perhaps that is SkyClan’s destiny, to be independent from the rest, to atone for your founder’s sins.” 

“You can’t be serious!” Cloudstar exclaimed, at a loss for words. Would not a single clan be willing to help? “Our clan needs help, and you would turn away?”

“I may be willing to take your queens and your kits, but no more than that,” Redstar said, standing beside Birchstar. “If you would be willing to think about what’s best for them, of course. I know you aren’t very considerate in that regard.” Cloudstar hissed at him.

Swiftstar looked up, seeming relieved. “The moon is being covered by clouds!” He declared, pointing to a thin wisp of a cloud drifting over the moon. “Your anger disturbs StarClan. You must take your clan and go.” 

Cloudstar glared at the other leaders. “Fine, we’ll go. But one day you will understand why this does not work, why your logic means nothing. I just hope you won’t turn away from it like you have now.” He hopped off of the rock, intending to leave, but a paw on his tail stopped him. He turned to see the cat he loved, Birdflight, looking at him sadly. 

“We cannot go on this journey with you, Cloudstar,” Birdflight began. Hazelwing, who stood beside her, nodded. “Our kits would not make it. We have decided to take up Redstar’s offer.”

“I can’t lose you too!” Cloudstar exclaimed, fur bristling. “I need you!”

“Cloudstar,” Birdflight began. “Cloudstar, I will always love you. But I must put our kits before our clan. With ThunderClan, they will stand a chance of survival. Besides, perhaps this way I can keep SkyClan’s memory alive.”

Cloudstar blinked, feeling drowned in sadness, but he could understand why Birdflight wanted to stay. As she was pregnant, not only were their kits in danger, but also her. And as Hazelwing’s kits were still too young to even think about apprenticeship, she, too, would have to stay behind. Cloudstar nodded slowly.

“We wish our clan well,” Hazelwing told him as he walked away from them. “May StarClan light your path, even in the dark.”

Chapter Text

Jay was woken up from his very nice rest by Willowpaw breathing loudly in front of him. Willowpaw and Mothwing had let him stay in their den for the time being, which he liked. They gave him space to let him adjust on his own.

“You’re finally awake!” Willowpaw sang. “It’s time!”

“For what?” Jay asked. “Breakfast?” He stood slowly, yawning and stretching, and Willowpaw laughed softly.

“No, no, that’ll be after,” Willowpaw informed him, still radiating warmth and joy, enough to tell Jay that something big was happening today, if Willowpaw’s tone and her words weren’t already giving it away. 

Figuring she was waiting for him to question her words, Jay decided to ask, “after what?”

“After your apprentice ceremony!” Willowpaw told him. “Leopardstar thinks that while you’re here you can train in the ways of the warrior, and maybe you’ll even stay?” She sounded hopeful.

“But my family-” Jay started, but Willowpaw cut him off.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but you’re about the age that you would have left your parents anyway,” Willowpaw told him. She paused, then added, “But if we find your siblings, perhaps they can join as well.”

Jay shrugged, though he doubted they would be interested in joining. Maybe after a bit of persuasion, though even then they would be unhappy. 

“Leopardstar wants to speak with you, Jay,” Mothwing said, entering the healer’s den. Jay nodded, and quickly headed out of the den. He’d never had a conversation with the RiverClan leader aside from when he’d first showed up, but he wasn’t nervous. It was probably just about the ceremony.

The clans have a lot of different kinds of ceremonies, Jay thought to himself as he passed the prey pile, surprisingly full for the leaf-bare. And all of them end in feasts. 

He wondered for a heartbeat whether he actually knew what he’d have to do in the apprentice ceremony, whether it would be obvious he hadn’t been paying attention during Willowpaw and Mothwing’s explanation. He stumbled, but kept going, thankful that no cat had noticed. 

He sensed Leopardstar was sitting beside the Riverstone, and approached her slowly, sitting in front of her. 

“As Willowpaw has informed you, it is time for you to join our clan,” Leopardstar told him. “This does not have to be permanent, many warriors both clanborn and not have chosen to leave our clan to fulfill their life elsewhere. Though that does not make our clan weak,” She added, as if Jay would care or be worried.

Leopardstar was silent for a moment, before continuing. “I was thinking you could be a healer’s apprentice,” She told him. “Since you and Willowpaw get along so well.”

“Friendships should not determine a cat’s role,” Jay objected. “I know you think I can’t be a warrior because I’m blind. But I can. Just give me a chance to prove myself.”

“Then what role would you want?” Leopardstar asked. 

“A land-hunter would be fine,” Jay replied. “I am already skilled in that, and I don’t particularly like getting my paws wet.” Willowpaw had tried to teach him how to swim once, but he’d been too scared. He’d hated that, the fear that the river would wash him away again. 

Leopardstar seemed to understand that. “Then I will hold your ceremony and you will become a land-hunter.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and jumped onto the Riverstone, yowling loudly to summon the clan to her. Jay moved away from the rock and found Willowpaw, sitting beside her.

“I think this means you have to move into the apprentice den,” She whispered to him. “Bad timing. There’s already four apprentices in there, it might be hard to squish you in.” Jay frowned.

“Today is the day the former wanderer Jay becomes a RiverClan apprentice. Beechfur, you will be training Jay in the ways of land-hunting, and ensuring he becomes the strongest warrior he can be. But until then, he will be known as Jaypaw.” The clan erupted in cheers at Jaypaw’s new name, and he turned his head to where Beechfur was sitting with Voletooth and Possumwhisker, feeling the pride that rippled off his new mentor. 

“Go approach Leopardstar, then touch noses with Beechfur,” Willowpaw whispered, nudging him. Jaypaw stiffened, but rose to his paws anyway, slowly approaching Leopardstar. He felt the impact as she landed on the ground in front of him, touching her nose to his forehead. She whispered his name again, and stepped back, letting him go to Beechfur. 

Jaypaw approached his new mentor with less tension, leaning forward and touching his nose against his mentor’s. The clan began to cheer again, and he heard Mistyfoot call him over. Beechfur nudged him, and he went over to RiverClan’s deputy.

“Congratulations, Jaypaw!” Mistyfoot told him. She slid over a large mouse. “This is for you. Go celebrate with the other apprentices for a bit, then tomorrow your training may begin.” Jaypaw nodded, picking up the mouse and turning to leave. “And Jaypaw?” Mistyfoot added. “You and Pouncepaw will be accompanying the healers to the Moonpool in a few days. It’s part of being an apprentice.” With that, Jaypaw headed to where the apprentices had gathered, sitting around a small pile of rocks. 

A rock clinked against another. “And that’s the last rock!” Minnowpaw declared. He heard the rocks clatter, and suspected Minnowpaw had tried to sit on the rocks. “Hi, Jaypaw! I’m the leader of the rocks!” 

Jaypaw set his mouse down, mumbling a quick greeting, before tearing into the mouse. The other apprentices were silent, and Jaypaw wondered if it was going to be like this for the rest of his apprenticeship. Well, at least Minnowpaw would be lively enough, he figured. 

A sudden wave of sadness hit Jaypaw. He’d been like this with his siblings once, playing and laughing without a care in the world. But now he was all alone.

Chapter Text

Lion had been staying in the apprentice’s den while he recovered. Leafpool had insisted that he would be better off recovering around cats his age, especially in a strange new place. The apprentices, whose names he was more confident in now than with any other ThunderClan cats’, had been overjoyed to have him stay, even for a little while.

“Good morning, Lion!” Honeypaw chirped, her yellow eyes radiant in the daylight. “Berrypaw, Mousepaw, and Poppypaw are out hunting, and I don’t know where Hazelpaw slinked off to…”

“I’m over here!” Hazelpaw called, sitting by the stump, a half-eaten finch in front of her. “Gosh, Honeypaw, I’m not that hard to spot!” Hazelpaw gestured to her white fur, which glowed in the sun. Honeypaw meowed a soft laugh, then turned to Lion.

“Cinderpaw is grabbing some prey for us, since Hazelpaw apparently couldn’t be bothered,” Honeypaw told him, turning to glare at her denmate. 

“You two were still asleep when I got this, and I wasn’t sure you’d be up in time!” Hazelpaw said, then frowned, looking down at her bird. “Not like the prey can run anywhere anymore…”

Honeypaw shook her head, watching as Cinderpaw returned, dropping some prey at the entrance of the den before joining Hazelpaw at the stump. “Anyway, Lion-” The light brown apprentice began, turning to look at him. Honeypaw was interrupted, however, by hisses from some of the warriors, and Birchfall escorting a cat into camp.

Wait… is that…

“Squirrelflight!” A pale ginger molly exclaimed, rising to her paws. “Firestar, look! Our daughter has returned!”

“Was ShadowClan not good enough for you?” A golden-brown tom hissed. Both Squirrelflight and the ginger molly glared at the tom. Lion could definitely see the family resemblance in their glares alone. The ginger molly must be his grandmother, he realized. He wanted to go up to talk to Squirrelflight, but he had a feeling he shouldn’t. He could mess everything up somehow.

“Enough, Thornclaw,” Firestar said, emerging from his den. “Squirrelflight, I am happy to see you, but…” He turned to look at the camp entrance. “You didn’t bring Brambleclaw as well, did you?”

“No,” Lion’s mother replied. “He refused to come with me. I’m here to stay.”

Lion flattened his ears as he saw Thornclaw and a black tom whispering, their faces discontented. “For how long?” Lion heard Thornclaw mutter. “Until she falls in love with another non-ThunderClan tom?” 

“Thornclaw,” Firestar began. “If you continue acting like a kit, I will have to ask you to step out of camp.” Lion heard Honeypaw and Hazelpaw giggle.

“I’m happy to be home, Dad,” Squirrelflight said, brushing her cheek against his in thanks. “I missed you and Mom.” She stopped, her green eyes landing on Lion. Tears sprang into her eyes. “Lion! You’re alive!” Squirrelflight bounded forward, touching noses with her son. Lion felt his own eyes water, and some of the cats gasped.

“Mom…” Lion mumbled. “You’re here…”

Squirrelflight sucked in a breath, sitting down. “You- you don’t yet know, but… I have no idea where any of your siblings are. Finch and Dove were taken by a bird, and Holly just left .” His mother spoke rapidly, as if trying not to dwell on the words. “And your father- your father didn’t want to come with me.”

“Squirrelflight!” Lion saw Leafpool approach, tail held high in greeting. “I thought you were dead!”

“Sister!” Squirrelflight exclaimed. “Lion, this is my sister, your aunt, and ThunderClan’s healer, Leafpool.” So that was why her name had been familiar. Squirrelflight had mentioned her only once before, but Lion hadn’t thought he’d ever meet her.

“So, Lion, are you planning to join us?” Leafpool asked. She’d never asked before now, and Lion wished it could stay that way. 

“Yes, Lion, you should join. Please.” You’re the only kit I have left, were Squirrelflight’s unspoken words, haunting Lion nonetheless.

“I- sure,” Lion answered, wondering if he would come to regret this decision or not. He heard Hazelpaw and Honeypaw cheer. 

“I suppose that calls for a clan meeting, then,” Firestar said, walking up to them. “Unless you’d rather wait..?”

“No, no, let’s do it now,” Lion replied quickly. Firestar frowned, but nodded, and turned to leap onto the top of the fallen monster, yowling loudly to call the clan together. Lion thought it was unnecessary, as most of the warriors were still hanging around in the clearing in front of it.

That was another thing; ThunderClan’s camp had an abandoned monster right at the end of it. It was only the den for the healers, the kits, and the elders, as well as a vantagepoint for guards and a great place for clan meetings.

“ThunderClan!” Firestar began. Lion was nudged forward by Squirrelflight, and he stopped next to where the annoying cream-colored tom Berrypaw had sat, back from patrol. “StarClan has blessed us with yet another apprentice!” The clan cheered. “Lion, step forward.” Lion paused, before doing as his leader told him. “You will train in the ways of the warrior, and until then, you shall be known as Lionpaw, to signify that you still have much to learn. Brightheart, I trust your strengths and wisdom, and believe no cat could mentor Lionpaw better than yourself.” The clan called out his name, and Firestar flicked a paw out and in, gesturing for Lionpaw to approach him. Firestar touched his forehead gently, and let him go to his mentor.

Brightheart was one of the other cats he’d remembered the name of easily, not because of the scar caused by something he’d never dared ask about, but that she’d often helped him when Leafpool was away. He liked her, and was happy she was his mentor. He leaned forward, touching noses with her gently, her blue eye shining with pride.

“We can take a tour of the territory and discuss the Warrior Code tomorrow,” Brightheart whispered. “Go celebrate.” Content, Lionpaw went to join the other apprentices.

“Congrats, Lion paw !” Mousepaw exclaimed, bumping Lionpaw’s shoulder with one paw. “Brightheart will be a good mentor.”

“Yes, congrats!” Cinderpaw echoed. “I’m glad you’ll be staying!” Hazelpaw and Honeypaw murmured their congratulations, and Poppypaw dropped a mouse and a squirrel beside the prey Cinderpaw had brought over earlier. Only Berrypaw did not greet him, instead simply nodding. 

After the apprentices finished up the prey, Poppypaw and Mousepaw having brought over more prey from the pile, Lionpaw went to go and talk with his mother. He spotted Squirrelflight sitting in the shade beside what he believed was the warriors’ den, Leafpool walking off to talk to a long-furred gray tom he was pretty sure was Graystripe. 

“I’m happy you decided to join, Lionpaw,” Squirrelflight told him as he settled down beside her. “But- is this what you want?”

“Yes,” Lionpaw replied. If his family was- was dead, the thought alone being enough to cloud his mood, then he wanted to stay with the family he had left. He rested against his mother’s side, closing his eyes until a light gray tom trotted up to them, sitting down in front of Squirrelflight.

“I’m sorry that Brambleclaw left you,” The tom said, his blue eyes reflecting none of the sorrow his words did. “But at least your son is alive.”

“Yes, Ashfur, I’m glad he’s alive,” Squirrelflight said slowly. “It’s- it’s good to see you again.” 

“If you find that your grief and loneliness overwhelm you, you know you can always talk to me,” Ashfur told her. Lionpaw caught him muttering under his breath as he turned away, “unlike Brambleclaw.” Lionpaw decided that he did not like Ashfur. Lionpaw glanced at his mother, seeing that she was frowning slightly. Ashfur did not notice, and simply went to go talk to a molly who looked almost identical to him, apart from the eyes. 

“Who was that?” Lionpaw decided to ask, turning to look again at his mom. 

“Just… another warrior,” Squirrelflight told him. “It’s nothing to worry about. Go hang out with your new apprentice friends.” Lionpaw nodded, heading towards his new den slowly. As he walked, he couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that had clung to him like cobwebs. He looked at Ashfur for a moment, but the tom had not moved from talking to his molly clone. Lionpaw shook his head, and went to talk to the apprentices. 

“Lionpaw!” Mousepaw greeted, headbutting him. Lionpaw laughed, then paused, turning to look at his mother.

“Do any of you know what happened between Ashfur and Squirrelflight?” He asked. “I feel like something happened, but Mom didn’t say anything.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Cinderpaw said. “I think they’re… exes? Something along those lines. I heard my mom talking to Ashfur once. He was really sad that Squirrelflight chose Brambleclaw over him.” Lionpaw stared at Ashfur again, then turned to look at the apprentices.

“Now that you’re here, we can begin!” Honeypaw said. “We’re playing a game. We’re all warriors of a clan we’re calling DarkClan, and currently we’re preparing to face a whole bunch of dangerous outsiders! I’m Honeytuft, then there’s Hazelstem, our healer, Berrystar, Cindertail the deputy, Mousedart, and Poppypetal. What do you want to be called?”

Lionpaw took a moment to process what Honeypaw had said, then nodded. “I will be… Lionclaw.” Honeypaw nodded, and the cats all spread around the now-empty treestump, Berrypaw leaping on top of it and Cinderpaw settling beside it. 

“Warriors of DarkClan!” Berrypaw declared, standing up straight. “The Pack of the Setting Sun hold no true strength over us, for they fight with fear in their hearts! Stand strong and fast, and they will fall.” 

“But what of their leader, the Wolf?” Cinderpaw asked, turning to look at Berrypaw. “Surely we should fear him?”

“The Wolf is a very large tom,” Honeypaw whispered to Lionpaw. “He can speak dog and fox, and I’m pretty sure Berrypaw plans to have him-” Honeypaw was hushed by Berrypaw quickly, before she could spoil the plot to the rest of them. 

“The Wolf is not a cat to fear,” Berrypaw replied. “He and his right paw tom, the Fox, may be dangerous, but not something even StarClan fears.”

“That may be true, Berrystar,” Mousepaw said, raising a paw to interrupt the stumpy-tailed apprentice, “but their methods are cruel. They drown our own warriors in the lake, and have taken to using kits as bait for larger, more dangerous prey than the clans would ever dare hunt.”

“Mousepaw,” Berrypaw groaned. “Stop making this so dark . We got in trouble the last time this happened. We don’t want another anthill story.” 

“Sorry,” Mousepaw mumbled. “I got lost in the moment.” Hazelpaw mrrowed a laugh at her brother, who swatted at her playfully. 

“Lionclaw and Poppypetal,” Berrypaw said, flicking his paw towards them. “I need you two to find out what the Wolf and the Fox are up to. And,” He added, dropping the dramatic tone, “for your information, Lionpaw, Cloudtail is the Wolf and normally Birchfall is the Fox but since he’s out on patrol you can ask Ashfur or Graystripe to stand-in. Also, some warriors think we’re too old for games, so try to be discreet.”

Lionpaw nodded, and the two apprentices rose to their paws. Poppypaw turned to look at him. “Lionclaw, you go and watch the Fox, I’ll keep an eye on the Wolf.” With no other words shared between them, Lionpaw looked around, realizing he had no idea where Graystripe was. Hazelpaw touched his shoulder briefly and pointed to where Graystripe was, talking to Firestar. 

Graystripe caught his eye and his whiskers twitched with amusement, seeming to read what Lionpaw had to say. He wished Firestar well and went up to the golden apprentice. “Do I need to fill in as the Fox again, or have you apprentices moved on from that?”

“Fill in as the Fox,” Lionpaw told him. “My warrior name is Lionclaw, by the way.” Graystripe headed over to Cloudtail, and Lionpaw followed, keeping low to the ground as if he were tracking prey. He noticed Brightheart watching him, seeming content with his form. That, or because it wasn’t training day she wouldn’t correct him. He wasn’t sure.

Lionpaw slipped next to Poppypaw, and watched as Graystripe dramatically bowed to Cloudtail, who looked awkwardly away, clearly unused to the attention. “So, evil plans, hm? We’ve sure got loads of them, huh?” Graystripe said calmly, his face surprisingly straight. Poppypaw giggled beside him, and Lionpaw’s shoulders shook with laughter he desperately tried to hold in. 

Cloudtail nodded, somehow also keeping a straight face, though Lionpaw could see in his eyes that he wanted to laugh as well. “We plan to attack DarkClan when the moon is gone from the sky, for they will not see us coming. In other words,” Cloudtail glanced at the apprentices, “in two days.”

Poppypaw feigned a shocked expression, then nudged Lionpaw. The two apprentices went back to the others.

“Report,” Berrypaw said, his dramatic voice returning. 

“The Wolf is planning his next attack in two days, when the moon is darkest,” Poppypaw replied quickly. Cinderpaw rose to her paws, padding over to stand beside the mock leader.

“As we have not found the Pack’s den, we must wait for them to come to us. Only then will we stand a chance,” Cinderpaw mused. The other apprentices nodded from behind Cinderpaw. Cinderpaw opened her mouth to speak, but before any more words could come out she was interrupted. 

“Are you apprentices, or kits?” Thornclaw demanded. “Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, Mousepaw, you should all be practicing your hunting skills. You’ve got an assessment in three days!” The three named apprentices hung their heads in shame. “And the rest of you should be training too! Just because Lionpaw doesn’t have to start until tomorrow doesn’t mean the rest of you get to slack off.”

“Sorry, Thornclaw,” Berrypaw mumbled. Thornclaw seemed satisfied, trotting off with Poppypaw trudging along. “We can continue tomorrow, hopefully.”

Lionpaw watched sadly as the apprentices all left the camp, Cinderpaw and Honeypaw looking at him apologetically. He went over to the stump and sat on it, wishing they could have continued. He hadn’t had that much fun in a while. His gaze snapped up as he saw Ashfur approaching him, looking briefly at the passing apprentices.

“Sorry Thornclaw had to ruin your game,” Ashfur told him. “He can be such a strict rule-follower. I think he hates young cats in general, actually.” Lionpaw shrugged. 

“It is what it is,” Lionpaw dismissed. It wasn’t actually what it was, but he didn’t want other cats taking any more pity on him. 

“If you ever need to talk to someone about losing a cat close to you, come find me,” Ashfur told him. “I lost my mother back when Tigerstar ruled the forest, and two of my siblings as kits.” Lionpaw wondered who Tigerstar was. “So I understand the grief you’re going through.” Ashfur’s eyes darkened as he recalled his family. “I’d better be off.”

Lionpaw watched him go, and noticed his mother was watching him through narrowed eyes. Not him, Lionpaw realized quickly, but Ashfur. They’d been close in the past, if Cinderpaw was right, but what had happened between them to spark this mistrust? 

Chapter Text

“Dovepaw!” A high-pitched voice screeched into Dovepaw’s ears. She groaned, flattening her ears and turning her head away. “Dovepaw!”

She’d only recently gotten her apprentice name, with Snowbird as her mentor. But apparently the apprentice’s den being exclusive to apprentices was not a rule that existed to the three kits, Tigerkit, Flamekit, and Dawnkit, all of whom were staring wide-eyed at her, waiting for her to shoo them off.

She lifted her head, glared at the kits, and closed them again. She heard them running off, giggling as they chased each other around camp. Dovepaw heard their mother, Tawnypelt, calling after them to slow down. Dovepaw shook her head and sat up, before gently prodding her sister, Finchpaw, with one paw. “I think Russetfur wants to see us,” Dovepaw whispered. Russetfur, the ShadowClan deputy, had immediately taken a strong liking to Dovepaw and Finchpaw when they’d first showed up. According to one of the elders, Russetfur had once been a wanderer as well, so she understood their struggles with adapting to clan life.

Finchpaw opened her eyes, sitting up, and Dovepaw wondered if she had ever been asleep. Finchpaw was like that sometimes, and Dovepaw knew not to question why. Unlike Dovepaw, Finchpaw had had a harder time adapting to the ways of the clan, especially with her dislike of anything ShadowClan liked. 

The other two apprentices, whose names Dovepaw did not remember, were already out of the camp on dawn patrol. Dovepaw hated going on dawn patrol, which was why she was glad she didn’t have to today. 

Dovepaw flicked her tail for Finchpaw to follow, leading her to where the ShadowClan deputy was, seated on a smooth stone, which was beneath the low-hanging branch that Blackstar liked to call meetings from. 

“Your mentors want you for battle training,” Russetfur told them. Dovepaw then noticed that Snowbird had been sitting next to Russetfur. While Snowbird was Dovepaw’s mentor, Finchpaw’s was Russetfur. Dovepaw thought it was a good choice, as Russetfur could probably help Finchpaw adapt to clan life better than Dovepaw could. Dovepaw was about to stand, but Russetfur raised one paw. “Wait,” The deputy told them. “There’s something else.” Russetfur flicked her tail in the direction of Blackstar’s den. “Blackstar will tell you when he finishes with his conversation.”

Dovepaw blinked in confusion. Ever since joining ShadowClan, she’d had to learn how to tune everything out, as it was all so loud. She’d been getting the hang of it now, and sometimes wondered how Finchpaw seemed to adapt to it much better than her. Now, however, she needed to listen in, so she did.

“I’m sorry that she did not choose to come with you.” That was definitely Blackstar; he had a distinctively deep voice that no other ShadowClan cat had. “And I’m sorry to tell you that my offer for her will be void as a result. Even if you can convince her now, she will not be welcome to join my clan. You know clan-hopping is against the Warrior Code, and you’re lucky I was willing to bend that rule even for a few moments.”

“But Blackstar!” The other voice objected. Dovepaw stiffened. Was that… her father? Had Brambleclaw returned home like Finchpaw said he might? “Just give me another chance. Let her realize that in ThunderClan she isn’t as happy. Please.”

“I’ve already made my decision,” Blackstar said, sounding exasperated. “I don’t want the other leaders to accuse me of code-breaking and hypocrisy. Besides, maybe she doesn’t want to join ShadowClan. Maybe you should find a ShadowClan mate, like your sister did. This conversation is over.”

Dovepaw shook her head for a moment as Blackstar walked out of the den, Brambleclaw following. She felt her sister stiffen at the sight of their adoptive father, but said nothing. Brambleclaw’s eyes widened as he spotted Dovepaw and Finchpaw, and could have sworn a look of irritation crossed his face for a second, though she wasn’t sure.

Blackstar stepped to the side as Brambleclaw walked up to the kits, seeming to know that they were his, in a way. “So you survived. Good.” He nodded his approval, and Dovepaw felt excitement bubble in her mind at her father’s praise, his initial reaction to seeing her forgotten.

“Good to see you’ve returned, Brambleclaw,” Russetfur said, dipping her head in greeting. “I’m Finchpaw’s mentor now, and Snowbird is Dovepaw’s. I’m sure you wish to spend time with your kits, but they are due for more training. Perhaps you can come,” Russetfur added, before rising to her paws and heading out of the camp, the apprentices following.

The pine forest was green year-long, which had been a shock to Dovepaw at first, though it made sense. These trees did not produce leaves, after all, only pines. 

Russetfur led the cats to the training clearing, which was an open space with less pine needles and more moss around. It was also beside the tallest pine tree in the forest, and Dovepaw could tell why apprentices used it for climbing practice. Not only was it tall, but many of the branches were thick enough to support a cat’s weight, and there was an abundance of moss underneath it.

“Today is a simple training day. Rather than teach you new moves, you will practice ones you already know on each other. Dovepaw, Finchpaw, when you are ready, begin. Remember, claws sheathed.” Russetfur sat down on a large rock, Snowbird and Brambleclaw sitting on either side. 

Dovepaw shifted herself into a more prepared stance, and braced herself for Finchpaw’s first move. Dovepaw swiftly stepped back as Finchpaw attempted to smack Dovepaw with one forepaw, and saw the annoyance in her sister’s eyes for a brief second. Dovepaw saw her opportunity and rammed into her sister with her head, knocking her onto her back. Dovepaw then leapt on top of her sister, pinning her down for a few moments until Russetfur declared Dovepaw the winner. Dovepaw backed off, feeling prideful at her victory. 

Dovepaw saw the disappointment in Finchpaw’s eyes, and was about to comfort her, when she heard a loud squeal and watched in horror as a small brown tabby kit fell from the pine trees nearby. What was Tigerkit doing out of camp? Judging by the cries in the trees, Flamekit and Dawnkit had come as well. 

Dovepaw bounded forward, as fast as her legs could carry her, and felt Tigerkit landing on her back rather than the moss-less part of the ground. She felt her paws buckle slightly, but managed to pull herself upright. She heard Russetfur and Snowbird approach, and felt Tigerkit hop off. 

“You should be in the nursery!” Snowbird exclaimed. “I presume Tawnypelt has no idea you’re out here.”

“No,” Tigerkit confirmed. “I just wanted to see battle training!” Tigerkit looked up, eyes wide as he spotted Brambleclaw. “Who are you? Russetfur, why does this tom look like me? Is he copying me?”

“That’s your uncle,” Russetfur told him. “Tawnypelt’s brother.”

“Tawnypelt had kits?” Brambleclaw asked. Dovepaw realized that Brambleclaw was still raising his own kits when Tawnypelt must have had hers. “With Rowanclaw, I presume?” Russetfur nodded.

“Hi, uncle!” Tigerkit exclaimed. “I’m Tigerkit!” Brambleclaw stiffened at the name, and Dovepaw wondered for a moment why. Maybe he didn’t like tigers. It then occurred to Dovepaw that this meant that she was cousins with Tigerkit, Dawnkit, and Flamekit, in a way. Hopefully they don’t use that as an excuse to bug me later on, Dovepaw thought, sighing. Or cause other problems.

Dawnkit and Flamekit slid down the tree, Snowbird swiftly moving to catch them before they hit the ground. “Can we go back home?” Flamekit asked. “I think I got a splinter in my paw. It hurts!”

Snowbird nodded. “Training’s over,” Snowbird told the apprentices, before grabbing Flamekit by the scruff. “Sorry.” Russetfur grabbed Dawnkit, leaving Brambleclaw to grab Tigerkit. 

As the cats headed back to camp, Dovepaw moved closer to her sister, intent on talking to her. Before Dovepaw could say anything, Finchpaw spoke. “It’s not fair that you do so much better than me,” Finchpaw whined. “I do just as much training, but I can’t get it. I’ll never get it.”

“You just need to give it more time!” Dovepaw exclaimed. “Every cat learns differently.” Finchpaw glared at her.

“It’s not that simple,” Finchpaw objected. “This- this can’t be solved with a few words.” Dovepaw blinked in surprise, and was about to offer to help train Finchpaw, but her sister picked up her pace, moving to walk beside her mentor. Dovepaw felt hollow at the sudden rejection, but told herself that Finchpaw was just struggling to adapt and tried to shrug it off.

Chapter Text

“I do not wish to keep outsiders in my clan for any longer than they require,” the leader of WindClan, Onestar, told the young black cat. “Either you join us or leave.”

Holly blinked, not expecting to be told this so soon. She knew she couldn’t stay forever, but she didn’t believe she could take care of herself yet. But she really didn’t want to join a clan.

The mysterious force that sometimes said things into her mind answered for her, forcing the words out of her mouth. “I will join WindClan.”

Onestar nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Your role is for you to choose, not me,” He told her. “For now, until you decide, you will give both roles a try.”

“Could I be a healer instead?” Holly interjected, her words her own. “I know Barkface has an apprentice, but I don’t think he would mind another.” Holly heard Onestar growl and backed up slightly.

“That is for him to decide. If you wish to heal, talk to him, not me.”

Holly nodded quickly, desperate to get away now, and decided to go and find Barkface. She found it strange that WindClan had their clan underground in a series of paw-dug tunnels, save for the elders, kits, and healers, and was hoping Barkface would accept her as an apprentice. She really didn’t feel safe underground. Plus, herbs seemed more interesting than fighting or hunting anyway.

She found the healer in his den, sorting through the herbs. Holly wondered why he was choosing to sort them now, as the sun was already setting. He looked up when he saw her, and waved her in with one paw. “I find I focus best at night," He explained. "Need anything?”

“No, no,” Holly replied. “Well- yes, actually.” Barkface stared at her, and Holly realized he was waiting for her to elaborate. “I want to be a healer’s apprentice. I know you’re already training Kestrelpaw, but-”

“Sure,” Barkface interrupted. He paused, then added, “You won’t get a proper ceremony until the next half-moon healer’s meeting, but for now, your new name is Hollypaw.”

Barkface turned back to his herbs. “I’ll teach you about herbs in the morning, and tell you more about StarClan after the ceremony. Unfortunately you just missed the last half-moon, it was two days ago.” Hollypaw sighed in disappointment. “But if you want to learn a bit about StarClan now, I recommend talking to a fellow apprentice. Harepaw or Heatherpaw would be wisest, I think.” Hollypaw nodded, remembering the anxious white-and-brown tom and the elegant brown tabby molly from when she’d first arrived. 

Reluctantly heading back into the tunnels, Hollypaw spotted Harepaw sitting alone, clearly lost in thought. An idea sprung into her head, and she dropped into a low crouch, slowly approaching the distracted apprentice. Harepaw had no idea Hollypaw was nearby until she landed on his tail, and he jumped back with a squeal. 

“Holly!” Echostep, one of the warriors still in camp, scolded. “Be nice!”

“Sorry!” Hollypaw called back. She turned her attention to Harepaw, quickly apologizing for scaring him. “Barkface says you can teach me about StarClan now, so that I don’t have to wait for another moon.” Harepaw sat there for a moment to process, then slowly nodded.

“Give me a moment,” He told her. “I need to talk to my mentor about something. If I can find where Runningstride went…” He mumbled, looking around. “Oh. She’s on a hunting patrol. Again. She'll be back soon, but I'm not waiting.” Without another word Harepaw headed to the entrance, flicking his tail for Hollypaw to follow. “You’re training to be a healer, right? With Kestrelpaw?”

“Yeah,” Hollypaw answered, eyes wide as she stepped out of the tunnel, stunned by the sheer amount of stars. “There’s so many…” Harepaw laughed quietly, then gestured for her to continue following. He led her to a large, soft-looking hill. Hollypaw shifted on her paws, feeling the ground below her. A cool wind ruffled her fur, and she breathed in, enjoying the night air.

“I like to come here after sunset to watch the stars,” Harepaw told her, laying down on his back to stare at the sky. “Breezepaw likes to tease me for it, but it’s nice.” Hollypaw joined him, looking up at the moon, more than half-full now.

Harepaw pointed to a small cluster of particularly-bright stars. “That’s WindClan’s constellation, the Cheetah.”

“I don’t see it.”

“Those three are meant to form the head, then the rest are the body and tail,” Harepaw tried to explain, waving his paws around as if it helped.

“What, no legs?” Hollypaw asked, craning her head to look at him. “How can a cheetah run without legs?”

“The constellations aren’t perfect,” Harepaw said, ears lowering. “They are what they are.”

Hollypaw studied the constellation, at last figuring out what was the head and what wasn’t. She could visualize it better now, even if she still thought it deserved legs. The stars flickered, and Hollypaw looked away, finding another constellation to stare at. Despite the fact that the Cheetah had no appointed eyes, it still felt like it was staring at her. The two apprentices lay in silence for a while, before Harepaw decided to speak.

“I was an outsider too,” He whispered. “Abandoned by my parents. The clan took me in, but… I wouldn’t consider any of them real parents. They didn’t care for me the same way they did with their other kits.” Harepaw paused. “The other clans- they aren’t like this. They aren’t so disgusted by wanderers and kittypets.”

Hollypaw nodded. “My parents didn’t want to abandon me, but… it’s complicated. They were fighting, and it just wasn’t healthy for me. My mom said it was normal for couples to fight, but I think she was lying.” She felt surprised to have finally admitted it. “She said I’d understand when I’m older, but I don’t think I will. I mean…” Hollypaw paused, fumbling for the right words. She turned to look at Harepaw. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand.”

“Are you not into any cats?” Harepaw asked, seeming to pick up on what she was suggesting. “Not toms, not mollies?”

“No, I don’t think I’m interested in either. Maybe my mom was right and I’m still too young, but I don’t think I am.” Hollypaw turned to look at the stars again. "I mean, how much older do I have to be to understand this?"

“I get that, in a way. I don’t really think I like mollies.” A pause. “But the problem is, the warriors don’t really get it. They expect every tom to get with a molly, and I don’t know if they’ll accept that we just don’t want to.”

Hollypaw shrugged the best she could, still laying on her back. “Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. But there isn’t much they can change.” Harepaw turned back to the stars. “Tell me about that constellation.” Hollypaw pointed to one that was nearest to the Cheetah. 

“That’s the Jaguar. It’s the only feline constellation to not represent a clan. I don't know much more about it than that, though.” Harepaw rolled back over, sitting up. “We’d better head back into camp, before Breezepaw notices we’re gone and tattles. He’s done that before.”

Hollypaw followed Harepaw, but stopped at the camp entrance. “I should go into the healer’s den,” She told him, flicking her tail at the den. Harepaw nodded, and headed into camp. Hollypaw went into the healer’s den, finding a fresh third nest, beside Barkface's and Kestrelpaw’s nests. 

She slept without remembering any dreams, and awoke when sunlight poured into the den. She got up, stretching, and immediately noticed an angry-looking black tom about her age. Breezepaw, she was pretty sure. He looked at her with narrowed amber eyes and dismissed her entirely, going up to Barkface instead and explaining something about a sharp thorn in his paw. 

“Why don’t you let Hollypaw help?” Barkface asked. “She’s my new apprentice, and it’d be good for her to get the experience.” Breezepaw hissed, not shielding his disgust towards her.

“I don’t want her to look after me,” He grumbled. “She looks like she’s covered in fleas.”

I am not! Hollypaw thought indignantly, wishing Breezepaw’s half-baked words hadn’t worked in making her feel upset. 

“Grow up, Breezepaw,” Kestrelpaw hissed, the other apprentice sitting beside the herbs and watching the exchange. Breezepaw glared at him, but rolled his eyes, aggressively outstretching his paw towards Hollypaw, refusing to break eye contact with Kestrelpaw while Hollypaw leaned in, found the thorn, and pulled it out, trying to be gentle. He hissed at her anyway, then left without another word.

“I’m sorry about Breezepaw,” Kestrelpaw said, sniffing at the thorn. “He hates any and all outsiders. Myself, Harepaw, and now you. Joke’s on him, though,” Kestrelpaw added, “I’m older than him, and it’s an unspoken rule that the older apprentices get to boss around the younger ones.”

“You were an outsider as well?” Hollypaw blurted. Kestrelpaw laughed slightly.

“Yeah. My mom an ex-kittypet and my dad not worth mentioning. My mom couldn’t take care of me and herself, so she left me here in hopes that I would survive,” Kestrelpaw told her. “I tried to go into the Twolegplace once, to see if I could find her. I never did. I don’t know if that means she’s dead or very far away.”

Hollypaw nodded, feeling sympathetic. She decided that she liked Kestrelpaw and Harepaw. She turned to Barkface at his request, and he began to explain basic remedies for injuries. Hollypaw listened intently, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Kestrelpaw was beginning to fall asleep. 

“Kestrelpaw will show you,” Barkface told her, and Kestrelpaw flinched awake at his name, blinking rapidly. 

“Show you what?” He asked her, whiskers flat against his face in embarrassment. “I kinda fell asleep…”

Hollypaw laughed. “Show me where the chervil grows here. Nothing else, I believe.” She quickly glanced at Barkface, and he nodded. Kestrelpaw shrugged, and stood up, flicking his tail for Hollypaw to follow.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Kestrelpaw said. “Forgive me if I ask too much, I’ve never met another outsider.”

Hollypaw paused for a moment to think, her mind wandering. What could she say? “I had four siblings,” Hollypaw began slowly, content that Kestrelpaw was paying attention. “And my parents fought.” Kestrelpaw sighed, turning his attention to the horizon in front of them.

“I guess we have that in common, then. Fox-cursed parents.” Hollypaw was about to protest, but Kestrelpaw went on. “WindClan isn’t so bad. I mean, most of the cats don’t like me, but the ones that do are always looking out for me. You’ve met Harepaw, right? He’s very… nice.” Kestrelpaw stopped himself, looking at his paws, before flicking his tail to signal for them to end the conversation and head to the chervil.

The two cats continued across the empty plains, before they stopped in front of the river that flowed across the edge of WindClan and into the shining lake. Wordlessly, Kestrelpaw directed them up along the river until they reached a small patch of forest, where she could smell many plants, but none reminding her of the chervil Barkface had shown her.

“It’s behind that bush,” Kestrelpaw informed her after a few pawsteps, flicking his tail to a large, leafy bush. “We’ve got enough roots, so just take some of the leaves.” Hollypaw slowly walked around the bush, not interested in getting stuck in the twisted branches, and found the small patch of chervil Kestrelpaw had led her to. As she crouched down to grab some of the leaves, she heard the voice again.

Today, I bring you a prophecy, the voice declared in her mind. Hollypaw stopped and froze. Five stars that shine so bright, against the warriors the fallen shall send. And so with their final dying light, the clans shall find that this is not their end.

“What does that mean?” Hollypaw hissed under her breath, aware of Kestrelpaw nearby, still waiting on her to return with the chervil. What warriors? Which stars?

I’ll leave that to you to discover, the voice replied. Hm. You know the five stars, but do you know the warriors? No matter, you will soon.

Hollypaw decided to ignore the voice, though a part of her mind that was her own began to turn, echoing the prophecy. She leaned forward and hastily grabbed a few chervil stalks, grateful to not have taken too much or too little, and looped around the bush again. Kestrelpaw was sitting on a flat rock nearby, eyes narrowed in concern. 

“Are you alright?” Kestrelpaw asked, jumping off the rock and padding up to her.

“I’m fine,” Hollypaw said quickly. Kestrelpaw sensed she was not keen to elaborate, and led the way back to the den, not saying anything the whole time. 

As they returned to camp, Hollypaw stumbled back as Harepaw practically ran into her from inside the burrows, his pupils wide with discomfort. “Sorry,” He mumbled quickly, before sprinting off to a small patrol of cats who had stopped to wait for him. Hollypaw noticed Heatherpaw watching him through narrowed eyes from near the camp, though she didn’t look like she hated him like Breezepaw did.

Hollypaw went into the healer’s den and dropped off her collection of chervil, Barkface murmuring his approval, while Kestrelpaw slinked into the main camp. Hollypaw then dropped herself into her nest, tired, and found another dreamless sleep awaiting her, until Breezepaw ran in, interrupting her. He glared at her, as if upset that she hadn't given up and left WindClan, then turned to Barkface, who was sorting the newly-obtained chervil. “Harepaw’s injured,” He told the healer. “Fell into a fox-den. He was lucky it was abandoned, but his foreleg’s hurt.”

Barkface was instantly on his paws, beckoning with one paw for Hollypaw to follow. The two healers followed Breezepaw to a small indent in the ground that seemed to go a bit deep, where the cats Harepaw had patrolled with crouched. 

“He wasn’t looking where he was running,” A brown-and-white tabby molly, Owltail, told Barkface, her eyes wide. Crowfeather, a dark gray tom, nodded from where he stood beside the others, staring into the hole.

“Hollypaw,” Barkface said. “Since you’re smaller than I am, I need you to go down there and pull him out. Gently. If he’s laying on his injured leg, roll him over first. If he can get out on his own, that’ll be fine as well.”

Hollypaw nodded, sliding down the small entrance to the abandoned fox-den to where Harepaw lay, his pupils still dilated from shock. 

“Are you okay?” Hollypaw whispered to him, aware of the awkward ground she stood on. She doubted Harepaw would be able to stand up, let alone climb out, though she wouldn’t be surprised. Harepaw mumbled something, but it was too quiet for her to hear.

“What?” Hollypaw asked, assessing both of his front legs to see if one looked more injured or not. She supposed the wound could be internal, and that if so, she wouldn’t see it.

“Breezepaw pushed me,” Harepaw repeated, still quiet, though louder than before. “He said I didn’t belong here, and that I betrayed Heatherpaw.” He paused, before adding, “She likes me, but I don’t like her in that same sense. Heatherpaw’s still convinced I feel the same, but Breezepaw figured it out. Not- not everything, just that I don’t like her.”

Hollypaw sighed, flexing her claws. Attacking Breezepaw would surely get her thrown out of the clan, no matter how furious the apprentice made her feel. “Which leg is injured?”

“I can stand,” He told her quickly. “But I don’t think I can climb out of here without support. I don’t know if it’s broken or sprained or what, but I hope the pain goes away soon.” Harepaw quickly pushed himself to his paws and stumbled over, leaning against Hollypaw for support. She gently guided him out of the fox-den, and let Barkface check him over while Hollypaw glared at Breezepaw. 

Now is not the time for rage to blind you , the voice whispered, suddenly serious again. But I assure you, there will be a moment eventually.

Chapter Text

The scents of the clearing around her were overwhelming. Finchpaw and Dovepaw had been selected to attend ShadowClan in the gathering, much to the two apprentices’ joy, and after a brief instruction on how to behave from their mentors, they’d gone to the island.

Upon the large rock near the edge of the island, which was just in front of a ridiculously tall tree, stood the four leaders, conversing with each other while the full moon rose slowly in the horizon. Beside them, on thick slabs either side of the rock, were the deputies and healers, also lost in their worlds. In front of her were the warriors from all four clans, their distinct scents mixing together, messing with Finchpaw’s nose. And somewhere not far off, the elders gossiped together, laying in comfortable nests made just for them. 

Finchpaw and Dovepaw sat beside a large fallen tree, where the apprentices were. Ivypaw and Owlpaw, the other two ShadowClan apprentices, had slunk off somewhere with a few other unfamiliar apprentices from different clans, leaving the two sisters alone. Finchpaw wrapped her tail around her paws, feeling suddenly insecure. Unlike Dovepaw, she struggled to get along with her own clan. How would she get along with three others? They didn’t have to love her, she supposed, but she would greatly prefer them not to hate her either.

“Finch? Dove?” A familiar voice called from behind. Finchpaw whirled around in surprise to see Lion standing there, his yellow eyes wide in shock at the sight of his siblings. Jay stood close to him, his tail held high in greeting. “I thought you two were dead!”

“We’re Finchpaw and Dovepaw now,” Finchpaw informed them delightedly. Maybe this gathering wouldn’t be so dull after all. Lion and Jay murmured their congratulations, then informed them that they were now Lionpaw and Jaypaw of ThunderClan and RiverClan, respectively. 

Before Finchpaw had a chance to say something, Holly emerged from the crowd of cats, greeting them cheerfully. “I’m now Hollypaw, the new healer apprentice for WindClan!” Hollypaw tucked her paws beneath her, seeming very pleased with herself at her new role. Like before, the siblings all congratulated her.

The five apprentices’ attentions were snatched up as the leaders silenced the murmuring warriors. It was time to let the leaders speak. Leopardstar, the leader of RiverClan, stepped forward first, mentioning there was a new apprentice, and that the prey swam well. The other leaders followed, their words as similar and uninteresting as Leopardstar’s. 

As the leaders presented their news, Finchpaw stiffened as she spotted her mother, Squirrelflight, in the crowd of warriors. Finchpaw longed to run up to her and talk to her again, at least one more time, but she knew not to. Brambleclaw sat beside her, the two cats whispering quietly and angrily. No other cat seemed to pay any mind, not even the leaders.

Finchpaw pricked her ears as she heard pawsteps from behind her. She twisted her head, careful not to draw attention to herself from any warriors that might scold her for getting distracted, but saw nothing. No cats, no prey. Maybe she was hearing things. She turned back to the leaders in time to notice that ThunderClan’s leader was finishing his words and calling the announcements to an end, letting the cats return to their gossiping for a bit longer. Finchpaw felt the fur along her spine lift as if an enemy watched her, but she forced it flat and turned her attention to her siblings.

Hollypaw thought the gatherings were too loud. She’d flattened her ears against her head to lessen the noise, but it still wasn’t enough. She could hardly hear her own thoughts.

Finchpaw seemed on edge, which caused Jaypaw to be alert, ears pricked in her direction, while Dovepaw seemed even more overwhelmed than Hollypaw, her pupils so wide Hollypaw could hardly see the ring of gold around them. Hollypaw stood up and walked over to her sister, sitting down beside her. There wasn’t too much she could do for her, but she hoped this gesture of comfort would be enough. Dovepaw leaned against her, her pupils thinning somewhat, turning her attention back to the others. 

“So, how’s training been for you guys?” Lionpaw asked, breaking the tension. “You all like your mentors?” As they chatted among themselves for a while, talking about their mentors and fellow apprentices and whatnot, Hollypaw felt the world go silent as she spaced out. 

‘You should pay attention,’ the voice whispered to her. Hollypaw groaned inwardly. Leave me alone! ‘You won’t get another night like this again.’ What does that mean?

Hollypaw sat up and stiffened as she sensed the mysterious presence again, trying to seize control of her body. Hollypaw tried to deflect it, but as it was a figure of the mind and not the reality, there was nothing she could do. 

Suddenly, two large paws grabbed her from somewhere above, lifting her up high, higher. She looked down to see her body still sitting there, smaller and smaller, then noticed her transparent, ghostly paws. Hollypaw shut her eyes as the island grew further and further away, until finally the feeling of the world shrinking went away. She slowly opened one eye, then opened them both in surprise as she saw there was absolutely nothing around her at all. No trees, no grass, no stars, no color. Just darkness. She wasn’t even standing on anything, just levitating alone.

I have to get back! She panicked, then felt unnerved as she realized she didn’t have a heartbeat. What if I can never get back?

Hollypaw pricked her ears as she heard the voice again, this time echoing all around her, so that she did not know where to look. ‘Five stars that shine so bright against the warriors the fallen shall send. And so with their final dying light, the clans shall find that this is not their end.’ The voice sounded even more like her than before, and Hollypaw realized with horror that it was still puppeting her body. Then the whole void was completely silent. Hollypaw couldn’t even hear her own breaths. 

Hollypaw squinted her eyes as a sudden light filled the void. But not the light of the gathering. Hollypaw’s fur spiked, her green eyes and her pupils as wide as they would go, as she spotted the figure that seemed ten times her size at least. It was a being made of pure starlight, glowing as green as a newleaf forest. It did not entirely resemble a cat, with a lean body built for speed and a broad muzzle. No, Hollypaw realized, it resembled the big cats Morningflower, one of the elders, had drawn in the dirt for her a while back. This was the symbol of WindClan. Then Hollypaw dropped back into her body.

“Hollypaw? Are you alright?” 

Jaypaw could feel the fear and sadness ricocheting off of her, overpowering Jaypaw’s own emotions. He heard the shifting of fur as Hollypaw buried her face in Lionpaw’s neck fluff and cried. Jaypaw was only remotely aware of the gathering that went on as he approached his sister carefully and nudged her gently with his head. He was aware of Lionpaw wrapping one paw around Hollypaw’s neck, comforting her, and returned to where he sat. 

“What does that mean?”

Jaypaw was vaguely aware of Dovepaw, Finchpaw, and Lionpaw talking to each other in low voices, but he paid them no mind. Hollypaw’s sadness, while still clearly present, had begun to drain, and she’d stopped crying. 

“I don’t know.” With that, Hollypaw left them, heading over to where WindClan had gathered. The gathering was over, Jaypaw realized. He felt frustration, wanting to ask Hollypaw what she meant, but knew she would not be well enough to answer. He had to wait. He took a breath to steady himself, and went to find his clan. 

As he walked, he picked up an unfamiliar scent. It wasn’t a clan cat, nor was it among them. The scents seemed to be on the edge of the island, but any time he tried to turn his head in their direction, they vanished. He shook his head, deciding that Hollypaw’s words had him on edge, and went up to Willowpaw.

“Jaypaw? Are you alright?”

Willowpaw’s concern flooded over him, and he took a breath, trying to ground himself. “You look like you’ve s- heard a ghost.”

Jaypaw shook his head, aware of what she was about to say. “It’s been a strange night for me,” He said slowly, unsure of how much he could tell the healer apprentice. “My siblings are here, but… I don’t think we’re going to leave our clans. Isn’t that strange? We want to be reunited, but when we are, we want to stay separate.”

“I don’t think it is,” Willowpaw mused, more to herself than Jaypaw. She turned her attention to him fully. “I mean, you all trained in different clans. You’ve already gotten used to it, and you don’t want to adapt again. Besides, joining another clan is against the warrior code. Leaving the clan and becoming a wanderer isn’t, though, so there’s always that, I guess.”

“I suppose,” Jaypaw considered. “But I don’t want to become one. I like being in RiverClan, even if I can’t swim.” He hadn’t tried once to swim since joining the clan. No cat had pressured him to.

“You’ll swim one day,” Willowpaw shrugged. “Or you won’t. It doesn’t make you any less or more of a RiverClan cat if you can swim or not, really.”

Jaypaw nodded, though his mind had wandered from their conversation, circling instead around the words Hollypaw had uttered not that long ago. Five stars shining bright… the fallen… final dying light… None of it made sense, but he could figure out that it meant the clans were in danger. And somehow, he had the feeling this prophecy would have more meaning to him than any other RiverClan warrior.

Chapter Text

Despite the chilling leaf-bare, the sunlight was warm on Lionpaw’s pelt as he relaxed on the treestump that marked where the apprentices slept, feeling exhausted after going on a border patrol. The three oldest apprentices had not earned their warrior names as he had expected, for apparently they had not completed their final assessment, only a progress one. It didn’t make sense to Lionpaw to call them all assessments, but he supposed it didn’t matter. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Foxkit and Icekit bounding out of the abandoned monster, giggling to each other. He suspected that Ferncloud was still sleeping in there, in the section of the monster set aside for queens, unaware that her two kits had snuck out. Lionpaw always found the abandoned monster peculiar. Monsters he’d seen before were smaller, a bit more rounded. This one was more like a giant tree stump, without the bark or coloration, just the shape. He wondered if it was intended to carry multiple twolegs at once, rather than the few that the smaller monsters could.

“Hi, Berrypaw!” Lionpaw chirped as he saw the cream-colored tom come back from a hunting patrol, his pelt practically glowing in the sunlight. Berrypaw nodded his head in greeting but did not look up at Lionpaw. Lionpaw felt awkward but decided to continue on talking like he would with anyone else. “Want to join me on a patrol later?” Lionpaw hoped that just because Berrypaw had been on a patrol didn’t mean that he wouldn’t go on another, even though Lionpaw had also just been on patrol, and the thought of going on another made his fur prick.

Berrypaw finally glanced at Lionpaw, his yellow eyes narrowing at the question. “I’d rather not,” He said, neither kind nor unkind in his tone. “I just got back from one.” Berrypaw eyed him, or rather, the stump he was laying on. He knew that Berrypaw liked to lay there, but Lionpaw also rather enjoyed relaxing on its flat surface. Pretty much all of the apprentices did.

“Then do you want to sit with me?” Lionpaw asked, scooting himself over and flicking his tail at the open space. “There’s space for you, if you want.” Berrypaw’s whiskers twitched, but he jumped onto the stump anyway, trying to settle himself down, his fur brushing against Lionpaw’s. Lionpaw held himself extremely still, for if he moved too much, Berrypaw would leave him, and he realized he liked sitting beside him.

“You take up too much room,” Berrypaw complained, ears flattening. “Could you move a little more, please?” Lionpaw frowned, his whiskers lowering. There wasn’t enough space for him, but for Berrypaw, he could try. Probably. He tried scooting over a little more, tail bristling as he almost fell off, and shifted himself around until he was as comfortable as he could get while on the edge of the tree. He looked over at Berrypaw, but found the tom still looked annoyed, like Lionpaw was still taking up too much space. Maybe I should get off and let him have it, Lionpaw decided. It’s what a nice cat would do. Lionpaw slid off the stump, leaving Berrypaw to lay there by himself, and went to go and talk to his mom, before remembering that she was still out on a patrol. With little else to do, he took a magpie off of the fresh-kill pile and, spotting Cinderpaw and Honeypaw, went to go and sit with them. They sat near the apprentice’s den, sharing between them a rabbit while talking about something. Lionpaw flicked his tail in greeting, and Cinderpaw returned it with her own tail flick.

Berrypaw had turned himself around on the stump to join in the apprentices’ conversation when Lionpaw arrived, and he eyed the magpie in Lionpaw’s mouth hungrily. “I’ve been on a hunting patrol all day, but I haven’t been able to eat yet!” He exclaimed to Cinderpaw and Honeypaw, seemingly ignoring Lionpaw. “I’m starving!”

Lionpaw glanced down at the magpie he was holding. He wasn’t that hungry, right? He supposed that the border patrol had worn him out, and that he’d been looking forward to eating a nice, freshly-caught bird, but he could also be nice, surely. Maybe he could find something else, even though no other prey on the pile had been as appetizing. Before he could stop himself, he said to Berrypaw, “You can have the magpie. I’m not hungry anyway.” Berrypaw’s eyes widened, and Lionpaw set the magpie down in front of him, before settling next to Honeypaw.

“You can share the rabbit with us,” Honeypaw whispered to him. “There’s no way we’ll be able to finish it. I swear, Spiderleg must have trespassed onto WindClan to catch a rabbit this huge!” Lionpaw mrrowed in laughter, before leaning over and taking a bite out of the rabbit. It was no magpie, but it would satisfy his stomach enough. Honeypaw leaned over to him and continued whispering to him. “You shouldn’t let Berrypaw push you around like that. I understand that he’s a handsome tom, but he’s clearly taking advantage of you now.”

Lionpaw glanced down at his paws. He didn’t think Berrypaw was handsome , did he? He stared up at the cream-colored tom and immediately looked back at the rabbit. What is wrong with me? Lionpaw wondered. Honeypaw’s right; he’s not the cat for me. There are surely better toms in this clan than Berrypaw.

Before Lionpaw had a chance to drown in his thoughts, Mousepaw came up to them, settling down next to Lionpaw. “You’ll share this rabbit with me, right?” He asked the three apprentices, his eyes wide. “Even just one bite? It looks huge!” 

“Of course!” Honeypaw replied cheerfully. “But not too much. I was worried a moment ago Cinderpaw and I wouldn’t be able to finish this, but now I’m worried there won’t be enough left for all of us!” Mousepaw laughed, and Lionpaw admired the way the tom’s white fur looked like it was made of moonlight. Lionpaw shook his head and went to take another bite of rabbit. 

“Lionpaw?” Lionpaw lifted his head at the call of his mother’s voice from somewhere else in the camp. Lionpaw rose to his paws, and spotted his mother sitting comfortably underneath a low-hanging branch near the warriors’ den, where she usually sat. Ashfur was walking away from her, and Lionpaw wondered what the two had talked about. Not him, hopefully.

“Hi, Mom,” Lionpaw greeted as he approached his mother. “Did you need something?”

“I know you just went on a border patrol,” Squirrelflight said, sitting upright, “but I haven’t had much chance to see how you’ve improved in hunting. You want to show me?” Lionpaw nodded, excited at the chance to show how he’d gotten better.

As the two cats left the camp, Squirrelflight waved with her tail at the current cat guarding the camp, Millie, who waved back with one paw. Lionpaw didn’t quite know who Millie was, aside from the fact that she had been a former kittypet and had joined the clan when Graystripe returned, supposedly after being captured by twolegs. Lionpaw didn’t know the full story, nor did it interest him.

Lionpaw followed Squirrelflight along one of the many paw-cleared paths until they came across a large fallen log. “From here,” Squirrelflight told him, “try to catch something.” Lionpaw nodded, enthusiastic at the chance to prove himself to his mother, and bounded up the log, sniffing the air for any prey. As it was leaf-bare, there wasn’t much prey around, but he could smell a single mouse, not far from where he stood. It was all alone, as far as Lionpaw was aware, so he leapt silently off of the log and dropped into a crouch, approaching the hidden mouse. He tensed, preparing to leap, and the mouse stood no chance against him as his heavy paws pinned it down and his sharp teeth killed it with one blow. He picked up the now-dead mouse, carrying it over to where Squirrelflight was watching, her green eyes glittering with pride. 

“You’ve improved so well!” Squirrelflight exclaimed. Lionpaw recalled how the last time she’d properly seen him hunt had been back at home, just before he’d fallen into some twoleg trap. He hadn’t been as good then, and he’d wanted to impress his father. Would Brambleclaw be proud of him now? Lionpaw was sure his father would tell him where he went wrong, were he here. Maybe he wasn’t quite angled right, or jumped too soon. He shook off the thoughts. His mother was proud of him, and that was all that mattered.

Squirrelflight led the way back to camp, and Lionpaw triumphantly set his mouse with the other fresh prey, about to go and talk to the other apprentices. His mentor, Brightheart, called to him, stopping him in his tracks. He turned and faced her.

“I know you’ve had quite a busy day, Lionpaw, but we still need to go over some battle training,” Brightheart told him, rising to her paws from where she’d been sitting with Cloudtail. Lionpaw nodded, and stretched out his forelegs, ready to practice fighting. Brightheart called over Berrypaw, Mousepaw, and Hazelpaw. “You will be practicing the battle moves you already know, rather than learning new ones,” Brightheart said once the three apprentices arrived. “Berrypaw and Hazelpaw, you’ll go first, as to give Lionpaw a good idea of what to expect. After that, Lionpaw and Mousepaw can practice.”

Brightheart led them to the mossy clearing where warriors had been practicing their battle moves for moons upon moons, much older than even the elders. As she’d instructed, Berrypaw and Hazelpaw began to battle each other, keeping their claws sheathed and their teeth from piercing one another. Despite how impressive Berrypaw was, Lionpaw observed, Hazelpaw ended up beating him anyway, pinning him to the ground and boasting her victory. Once she let Berrypaw up, he cuffed her lightly over the ear, declaring that  one day he’d finally best her. 

“We’re up,” Mousepaw whispered to him, his lime-green eyes staring intently at Lionpaw. Lionpaw blinked, realizing he’d forgotten that he would also be battle-training. He followed the older apprentice onto the center of the clearing, kneading the ground with anticipation.

Mousepaw began by lunging at Lionpaw, one paw aimed for his ear. Lionpaw lifted one of his own to deflect it, and flinched as he felt Mousepaw’s other paw slamming into the side of his head. He backed away, before leaping onto Mousepaw, who began battering his belly with his hind legs. 

Lionpaw side-stepped off of Mousepaw, and as Mousepaw rolled onto his side in order to get up, Lionpaw jumped back onto the apprentice, pinning him down. Mousepaw squeaked in protest, but ultimately could not get up in time, giving Lionpaw the victory. Lionpaw stepped off the apprentice, who rose to his paws, shaking scraps of moss everywhere. 

“No fair,” Mousepaw laughed. “You’re younger than me but you already fight like a warrior.” Lionpaw wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but judging by the way Mousepaw’s eyes seemed to sparkle told him it was a compliment, and that it meant a lot coming from one of the older apprentices. 

“Good job!” Brightheart exclaimed from a low-hanging branch she’d perched on, watching the apprentices fight. “Lionpaw, at this rate you might become a warrior before Berrypaw!” Lionpaw felt excitement fizzing inside of him, and turned to look at Berrypaw. Berrypaw did not seem pleased that Lionpaw was doing as well as him, leaning over to mutter something in Hazelpaw’s ears. Hazelpaw flattened her ears but did not object to whatever Berrypaw had told her.

“You did good as well, Berrypaw,” Lionpaw told him. “Really, I think you’re very skilled.” Berrypaw puffed out his chest, and Hazelpaw rolled her eyes, before pouncing on her brother to begin another mock fight. Lionpaw left the two apprentices to fight, and sat beside Mousepaw, who was watching his siblings with an expression that told him that no matter how much Mousepaw tried, he would get dragged into that fight.

Lionpaw felt nothing but content as he followed his mentor back to camp, the other apprentices keeping up with him with ease. His mother was proud, his mentor was proud, even the other apprentices were proud. He had done well.