**OLD** Valley Cats: Of Sky and Stone 1- Daughters and Darkness

Chapter Twenty

 "How am I supposed to make that jump? I'll just slide off!" Brightpaw complained, staring up at the smooth rock.

 "It gets easier. I've done it plenty of times, you know. And maybe all that weight will help you." Twisterpaw teased him. "Watch and learn."

 She crouched down, focusing through the dawn haze. She was great at making vertical jumps, but her brother might not possess the same skill. She leaped upwards, her front paws landing just inside the fence. The she-cat dragged herself up and triumphantly gazed down at her brother.

 "Ready or not, here I come!" Brightpaw backed up and took a wild leap towards the hole in the fence. He fell short about a tail-length, and scrambled furiously at the smooth stone before sliding down, his claws scoring the dried plant matter that dotted the rock.

 "Close! Try aiming higher, as if you were jumping straight up!" Twisterpaw encouraged.

 After a few attempts, Brightpaw managed to squeeze into the hole in the fence. "So, what now?" he demanded, circling around and studying the yard. 

 "Now we go into the twoleg den. And remember, Pumpkin is the young one. Mango is elderly and his ears are sensitive, so don't make any loud noises." Twisterpaw detailed.

 "Got it. No loud noises." the white tom echoed.

 The two cats trotted across the lawn, pushing their way into the twoleg den. It was dark and quiet, with Twisterpaw sniffing around for a while before she was able to locate Pumpkin asleep on the structure she called a couch.

 "Pumpkin, wake up! I brought a friend!" Twisterpaw hissed up at her. The kitten blinked open her eyes, immediately appearing wide awake. "Oh, cool! Who's this?" she leaped down onto the surface she called a carpet, staring up at the fluffy tom.

 "I'm Brightpaw, Twisterpaw's brother. Your home smells weird." the white tom said formally.

 "Aw, thanks! I'll go get Mango!" the kittypet chirped, racing off into the twoleg den.

 "Seriously? You can't just insult her home like that, Brightpaw. Haven't you learned anything from spending two moons in the nursery?" Twisterpaw scolded.

 "But it's true! Everything in here smells weird!" he protested.

 After a few moments, Mango slowly padded onto the carpet. "Hello, Twisterpaw. You're here early. Who is this?" he asked calmly.

 "This is Brightpaw. He's only going to be here for a little while, though. I'm just dropping in to give you some news." Twisterpaw informed him.

 "Ah, so you're her brother? I've heard a bit about you." the elderly tom settled down into the furry floor. 

 "Brightpaw, this is Mango. He used to be a member of ForestClan before he left to be a kittypet. He's... Pansypool's sister." Twisterpaw introduced the elderly tom.

 "Oh. I was wondering why you looked so old." Brightpaw said obliviously.

 "Now, the news?" the ginger tabby waved him off with a paw, just like Poppystar had always done.

 "Yesterday, we had a Clan meeting where two apprentices became warriors and three kits became apprentices. But Poppystar was acting weird. She was making really odd decisions about who mentored the new apprentices." she began.

 "Go on. What was strange about it?" Mango inquired.

 "Well, first of all, Brightpaw had been sent to the nursery for a while because he got into trouble during a gathering. While he was a kit again, his mentor became pregnant. But when Poppystar made him an apprentice again, she made her pregnant daughter mentor him!" Twisterpaw informed him.

 Brightpaw sniffed indignantly. "She said so herself that I'd be a warrior soon anyways. We've been training for three moons now." 

 "But warrior training takes around six moons or more!" Twisterpaw reasoned.

 Mango held up a paw. "Maybe the rules have changed. I don't see a problem with his mentor being pregnant if he'll be a warrior soon." he proposed.

 At that moment, Pumpkin returned from the darkness. "Hey, guys! John's awake now! If you want any extra food, now's the time to ask!" she piped up.

 "Who's John?" Brightpaw pricked his ears towards the kittypet.

 "That's our twoleg. And Clan cats don't eat kittypet food, Pumpkin." Mango rolled his eyes.

 A few moments after Pumpkin disappeared behind the couch again, the den was suddenly filled with the familiar orange light. Brightpaw crouched down, alert. "What is that?" he hissed.

 "That's the lights. John makes it bright in here during the day. If you don't like it, we can go outside on the porch." Mango offered.

 "Yeah. Sure. Outside is good." Brightpaw nodded.

 Once the three cats were sitting on the smooth stone, Mango nodded at Twisterpaw to continue. "So, what was unusual about the new apprentices?" he prompted.

 Twisterpaw thought for a moment, then told him. "Amberpaw and Mosspaw are really nervous, but Thornpaw is very hyper. Amberpaw was apprenticed to Cedarspike. Do you remember him?" she asked.

 The old tom smiled slightly. "Ah, yes. He was mentoring Mothtail when I left." he recalled.

 "Wow. This guy's old." Brightpaw spoke up.

 "If you're not going to be helpful, why don't you look around?" Twisterpaw snapped.

 "Alright, fine." the white tom stood and stretched.

 "Just don't leave the yard. The neighbors have dogs." Mango warned as Brightpaw walked away. "Anyways, what about Cedarspike?" he turned back to Twisterpaw.

 "He was going to retire with Sprucefall, but instead he got another apprentice." the she-cat told him gravely.

 "You mentioned Amberpaw was nervous? Well, maybe Cedarspike was the right choice. From what I've heard, he's good with apprentices. If he does want to retire, maybe Poppystar wanted him to train just one more cat. He's still kicking, isn't he?" Mango chuckled.

 "Well, yes, but Mosspaw got apprenticed to Robinsong. And she's so aggressive! She mentored Squirrelstrike, and from what the elders say, she used to be a cheerful cat. But once she began training with Robinsong, she got really bitter. Is that really the best choice for an anxious kit?" Twisterpaw explained.

 "But a warrior like that could teach a shy kit some confidence." the elderly tabby reasoned.

 "Wait until you hear about Thornpaw! He got apprenticed to Dovetail, his mother's sister. He's full of energy, but his mentor was just about to become a permanent queen when Poppystar made him her apprentice!" the she-cat growled.

 Mango was quiet for a moment, but then he hung his head. "I didn't think it would happen this soon. But I think Poppystar's days as a leader may be numbered." he finally admitted. "I just kept denying it, but her judgement may be a little clouded these days. Is the Clan holding their own?"

 Twisterpaw hesitated. "Well... Our senior warriors are really old. And the younger ones are really young." she admitted.

 "Ah. I knew that would happen." Mango shook his head sadly.

 "You should visit her! Why wouldn't you?" Twisterpaw suggested.

 "Oh, all right. But I'm not sure if I can make it on my own. You'll help me, right?" Mango grumbled.

 "Of course I will! You can count on me!" the she-cat promised. "Brightpaw! Get over here!" she called.