Moon Of Warning - Warrior Cat Fanfiction

Chapter Thirteen

Moonshade stretched, her tail and spine arching comfortably. Her kits would be apprenticed today. It was only five moons after the mentor conversation, and Vinekit and Scratchkit were a moon older than her own kits. Their mother and father decided to wait for their ceremony. Now, Moonshade's litter had reached six moons, and were going to be apprenticed to their chosen mentors! Moonshade gave a little jump of excitement, which quickly turned into a hop of indecision. What if I've chosen the wrong mentors? She thought, scratching her ears one at a time. Moonshade shook her head violently, trying to banish the bad thoughts. A happier voice whisked into her mind. I'm glad my kits are apprenticed on the full moon. They might have their first Gathering sooner than they thought! Moonshade stood up, her still-short legs not doing much to raise her from the ground. Meadowkit has legs like mine, and so does Larkkit. Moonshade smiled at the thought of her playful daughters. Slatekit is more mellow, and she preferres hunting to fighting. Shadekit and Driftkit are a lot like me, Moonshade thought, arching her brows. They both are like me... and Shadepaw! We were so close, and they share the same bond- Moonshade was roused from her musing by Laurelstar's call. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highledge for a clan meeting!" Moonshade bolted for the nursery. As she pushed her way in, she called, "Little ones! Come here!" She started to lick them, trying to groom their play-ruffled fur. They darted away, laughing at their mother's attempt to clean them. All of them laughed, except for Meadowkit. "I'm coming Mommy!" She mewed. She stumbled forward, her tiny paws tripping over everything. Sharpstone came in just as Meadowkit fell flat on her face. "Come on," he meowed. "It's starting!" The kits dashed away, leaving Moonshade, Meadowkit, and Sharpstone bewildered at their speed. Meadowkit licked her mother once on the cheek, then pelted after her littermates. Moonshade and Sharpstone followed their children, reminded of their own apprentice ceremony. As they exited the nursery, Laurelstar called again, her voice ringing clearly around the camp. "I've called you all here today for one of the most important moments in the life of a clan." All seven kits bounded forward, then sat in a perfect line in front of their leader. "All of these kits have reached their sixth moon, and it is time for them to be apprenticed." Laurelstar beckoned for Slatekit to advance. The little kit's legs were shaking. "Slatekit, from this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Slatepaw. Your mentor will be Mintnose." Laurelstar bowed her head to touch her muzzle to the little cat's head. Slatekit stepped back, and sat beside her new mentor. Laurelstar proceeded, using the same words for every kit, until they all had new mentors- except for Shadekit. "Shadekit, from this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Shadepaw. Herontail, you mentored the first Shadepaw. Now you will train the second." Herontail managed to look amazed, sad, and happy all at the same time. All of the names of the new apprentices rang around the camp. "Slatepaw, Meadowpaw, Larkpaw, Driftpaw, Scratchpaw, Vinepaw, Shadepaw!" Moonshade yowled their names as loud as she could. Joy filled her as she watched her kits puff their chests- or raise their heads uncertainly- with pride. As the meeting drew to a close, Moonshade moved forward to congratulate her kits, but was intercepted by their mentors. Before she knew it, they were whisked away for their first tour of the territory- including her own apprentice. Sharpstone received the same treatment. Moonshade turned to talk to her mate, but he was whispering to his mother, Morningflame. Moonshade instead padded over to Laurelstar, who was watching the camp share tongues. Moonshade hauled herself up onto the Highledge. "I guess I should do the patrols, right?" She questioned. "Yes. Go on ahead." Laurelstar replied, without looking at her deputy. The Thunderclan leader withdrew to her den, still casting glances at her clan below her. Moonshade hesitated for a moment, looking after her leader. Then she called out to the camp. "Patrols!" All the cats looked up, and started to gather in a tighter circle, awaiting her orders. Moonshade clambered back down, and sat on a smaller rock at the base of Highledge. "Alright. The clan needs food. Slightshadow, you can lead one of the hunting patrols, and bring Marigoldheart and Morningflame with you. Hunt near the Windclan border, and make sure those scrawny rabbit-munchers are in their own territory. Tulipheart, you lead the second, and take Litchenfeather and Twinklepelt. Hunt around the Skyclan border." The cats who were chosen grouped together, and left the camp. "Now, who's left? Ah. Myrtletail, you lead a boundary patrol, and take Crystalflower and Whiskerear. Sharpstone... you take Leafnose, and ..." Moonshade trailed off, realizing she was about to send all of Thunderclan's warriors out of camp. "Actually, you stay here. You can go out when the first hunting patrol comes back." Moonshade decided, leaping down from the rock. The boundary patrol exited the camp, and Moonshade was left with nothing to do but wait.

***

When Slightshadow's hunting patrol came back, Sharpstone and Leafnose were itching to be in the forest. They had walked around aimlessly, waiting to be released from the camp. As the thorn barrier rustled, they leapt to their paws, and ignored everything else. They grinned at each other, and raced for the entrance tunnel. Moonshade let them go, smiling to herself. Slightshadow's patrol was laden with prey; a sparrow, a thrush, three mice, and a chaffinch in their jaws. Slightshadow laid his burden in the fresh-kill pile, and motioned for his clanmates to do the same. As they let their catch fall into the prey pile, their faces were able to be clearly seen. They were furious. "Has Windclan crossed the border? Moonshade asked, her curiosity aroused. "No." Slightshadow hissed, reaching down to pull a small, sharp shard of stone from in between his claws. "It wasn't Windclan at all. It was Riverclan." Moonshade watched him for a moment. How could Riverclan come through and steal prey? They didn't share a border with Thunderclan! Only Skyclan and Windclan were on the other side of Thunderclan's borders. Moonshade uttered only one word. "Explain." Slightshadow obliged, sitting down and wrapping his ebony tail over his paws. "We caught Riverclan scent right beside the Windclan stream. We followed it to the lake, and it stopped three fox-lengths from the water. Then it circled around the lake, back towards the Riverclan territory. It just stopped beside the stream, and only went in one direction, but they could easily circled back over their scent and left a trail up to the stream. But the question is; Why? Why would they undergo a journey of no importance? If the trek was important in any way, how? Anyway, thought you would want to know about it. '' Slightshadow meowed, and he licked his paw, signifying the end of his speech. "Thank you," Moonshade mewed, scratching her ear with a hind paw. "I'll make sure Pikestar knows about this at the Gathering tonight. I'll go and tell Laurelstar right now." Moonshade dipped her head to the black warrior, and leapt up the stones to Highledge. "Laurelstar?" Moonshade called hesitantly. "Yes? Come in." Moonshade nosed her way into the cave. "Slightshadow just gave me some unnerving information." Moonshade told her leader about the Riverclan scent. "Yes, that is disturbing. I'll ask Pikestar-" Laurelstar broke off with a fit of coughing. "Or maybe, I'll ask Pikestar about it." Moonshade filled in. "Yes, you can do that. Maybe I'll just stay here..." Laurelstar mumbled, laying her head on her paws, and closing her eyes. Moonshade retreated, and left to fill Stonewhisker in on the coughing fit her leader had just had. With a jolt, Moonshade realized she hadn't asked Laurelstar who was to come to the Gathering. How will I ever pick? She thought, her face crumpling into a worried expression. I will pick the best I can. Moonshade ran through the list of cats in her head. Treeclaw could go, perhaps Stormwhisper would be there and they would do the strange thing they did last time. And her kits, they could come too... and their mentors. And Scratchpaw and Vinepaw. Moonshade vowed to herself that tomorrow nothing would stop her from taking the little tom out for training. Now, picking all of the apprentices to go, that left the camp with only a few warriors. Slightshadow should come... ARGH. Being deputy was SO HARD. Why was it SO HARD? Moonshade stamped her paw on the ground, and cursed quite loudly. "KITTYPET-GROVELING MULCH-EATING SHADOWCLAN MANGE-PELTS!" It was her particular favorite among other Shadowclan-related insults. Moonshade pulled her paw off the ground to examine it. It was bleeding. A shard of rock was protruding from the ground, and it looked like it was placed there by large paws.