Warriors, The Next Chapter; Spiderpaw's Journey

Chapter 24

Spiderheart marched on, his paws falling into the marks he and the others had made on their way to MoonClan. Tinypaw had been enjoying her sleigh ride and Cherryspirit's kits had quickly figured out how to fit next to the injured apprentice.

"Scoot over flea-brain! I sit in front," Fidgetkit was mewing.

"No I do!" Runningkit argued.

"You both can sit in front or walk with me," Cherryspirit snapped and the kits silenced.

Sunset was approaching and Spiderheart was surprised how much distance they had made despite having to stop for Tinypaw's incident.

"I smell the ShadowClan border marker!" Scurrypaw exclaimed.

"Where will we be staying?" Blackleaf asked.

Yarrowfur nodded to the deputy, "Sparrowstar welcomed you to stay with us till the gathering in two nights where we will decide where you stay."

"Very well, how do we get to this, 'ThunderClan'?" Needlestar mewed.

"It's just along the lake shore," Appledusk mewed, "Just follow us."

Shamblecreek and Mintnose nodded to ThunderClan warriors, "We also live this way so we'll follow you."

"Well then this is where we split ways," Nuttail mewed, "May StarClan light your path."

"And yours!" The Clan choursed.

"Bye Jaywhisker! Bye Nuttail! Bye Fishthorn! Farewell Scurrypaw!" The cats called.

As the remaining warriors reached a hilly part of the trail, Shamblecreek and Mintnose turned uphill.

"Farewell MoonClan, may we see you at the next gathering!" Shamblecreek yowled as he and his clanmate left.

Yarrowfur led the way toward ThunderClan. They followed the shoreline for a while before breaking off into the woods where they weaved between the tree and struggled not to trip on the twisted roots.

Suddenly, they appeared in a magnificent clearing with cats walking around, chatting and sharing prey.

"Yarrowfur! Appledusk! Your back," One cat cried from the crowd.

An old gray tom with pale blue eyes padded into the clearing with a little brown she-cat. "Which one of them is the medicine cat?" The tom mewed.

"I am," Sagebranch padded forward, "Are you the ThunderClan medicine cat?"

The tom dipped his head, stepping forward and outstretching his paw, "Oceanwinds, and this is my apprentice Whiskerpaw."

Sagebranch copied the gesture, gently touching the pad of his paw to Oceanwinds' paw, "Sagebranch."

Suddenly a familiar scent struck the air and shimmering musky brown fur appeared in the crowd.

"Sparrowstar," Spiderheart mewed, dipping his head and gesturing to his leader, "Meet MoonClan's leader, Needlestar."

"So this is your leader Spiderpaw," Sparrowstar mewed, "Pleasure to meet him. Good to see you two Sweetpaw, sent by Clawstar as a messenger?"

"I'm Spiderheart and this is Sweetblossom, she is a MoonClan warrior now," Spiderheart told the ThunderClan leader.

"How time flies! Let us get you all settled in, your medicine cat can stay with Oceanwinds. I don't think Dappledfeather and Briartail would mind some extra friends in the nursery?" He mewed, beginning to sort out the MoonClan cats, "Your elders may rest with ours."

A fawn-ticked tabby tom with a black face signalled to the elders and they went to join him.

"Rosepaw! Rockpaw! Tumblepaw! Make nests for your temporary denmates," Sparrowstar called, "As for the rest of you, we can fit a few cats in our warriors den? Or you can all sleep in the clearing here."

"We'll be fine in the open here," Needlestar mewed, "Is there anything you wish to ask us?"

"It will all be answered at the gathering soon," Sparrowstar mewed.

***

Spiderheart woke the next morning to Sparrowstar's call, "Let the cats of ThunderClan and MoonClan gather beneath the High Ledge to hear what Needlestar has to say!"

He rushed into the clearing, excited.

Shellkit and Brightkit sat at the base of the High Ledge, Blossomwing beaming proudly at her daughters.

"I know this is a bad time to welcome more new apprentice into the Clan but these two kits are of age and it is time," Needlestar mewed as the cats gathered. He stepped to the edge of the stone, "Shellkit and Brightkit, you have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this moment onward until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Shellpaw and Brightpaw."

"Shellpaw! Brightpaw!" The Clan yowled.

"Shellpaw, your mentor will be Quailspeckle. Quailspeckle, you are a wise and loyal warrior and I hope you pass these skills onto young Shellpaw," Needlestar mewed, "Brightpaw, your mentor will be- Spiderheart. Spiderheart, you are one of the bravest, most noble cats I know and I hope you pass these qualities onto Brightpaw."

"Shellpaw! Brightpaw!" The Clan cheered one last time.

Spiderheart looked around for Sweetblossom but found her sitting by a broken tree stump with Dappledfeather.

Brightpaw bounced up to Spiderheart and the two cats touched noses. "Can we train!" The new apprentice asked eagerly.

"Let's first get permission from Sparrowstar," Spiderheart mewed and guided his apprentice toward the crowd of cats. He spotted Windsnap at the front of the group, "May I take my apprentice hunting here?"

Windsnap nodded, "Go for it, just for every catch she fails you bring us one piece of prey back."

Spiderheart nodded, "Let's go then Brightpaw."

He led the eager young she-cat out of the camp and gazed around, realizing how alike ThunderClan territory was to their old home.

"I won't let you down Spiderheart!" Brightpaw promised.

The two MoonClan cats strolled through the woods for a while, tail in the air and ears perked, alert for prey. Spiderheart stopped in a flower covered meadow and explained the hunter's crouch to Brightpaw. As she began to practice, he half-mindedly corrected her mistakes and began to think about what was next for MoonClan.

Will be fail to find a home? Will the Clans send us away? Will we end up merging into the other Clans and dividing our cats?  Spiderheart wondered.

"Spiderheart! I got the crouch and the pounce you showed me!" The little she-cat mewed, dashing forward, "Can I try hunting a real mouse now!"

"Sure, just don't go far," He mewed, still day-dreaming.

Brightpaw disappeared into the bracken and Spiderheart was alone in the clearing. He quietly voiced his biggest worry for his Clan. "After all this- will MoonClan be destroyed over- territory?"