The First to Fight the Storm

Chapter 12

She woke up to Wolftail in the medicine den talking to Greenleaf.

"-can't have a deputy that's against the warrior code!" Wolftail was telling her.

"I know. Poor cats. They probably left because they were afraid of him."

"I'm going to talk to Bloodstar." Willowmoon started to try to get up to tell Wolftail he couldn't.

"Don't. He'll hurt a young warrior like you." Greenleaf interrupted him. "I'm so old I knew his parents. I'll talk to him."
Willowmoon watched as Wolftaail followed Greenleaf out of the medicine den. She slowly followed them.

"Bloodstar!" Greenleaf yowled. It wasn't much of a yowl though.

Bloodstar creeped out of his den and onto the highrock. "Yes?"

"Get over here." Bloodstar jumped off the highrock and walked over to Greenleaf.

"What."

"Are you mouse brained?!" Greenleaf yowled. "You've made a young warrior a deputy! You're disobeying StarClan and the Warrior code!"

Cats were starting to look now.

Willowmoon could see Hazelwing creeping up to the fresh-kill pile, taking out a squirrel, and sneaking back.

"I think that any cat worthy enough can have a role in this clan!"
"Being simply a warrior is a role!"

"I-"
Greenleaf stamped her foot down.

"I am your medicine cat, and I say that you have to pick someone else!"
Bloodstar flinched then lifted his unsheathed paw.

Wolftail staggered forward but it was too late. Greenleaf crumpled to the ground.
"No!" Someone screamed. Sunnyfeather ran over and buried his face in her fur.
Bloodstar stood over Greenleaf, claws still up in the air. Then he turned to the clan.

"This is what happens when you disobey me."

The clan was silent for a second, then Sunnyfeather fell back away from Greenleaf's body.

Greenleaf rose from her body, except she was shining and Willowmoon could see small stars in her pelt.

"StarClan can see you, Bloodstar!" She yowled. "A light of hope that runs won't save the falling moon but the claws of the earth instead."

Willowmoon watched Midnightstorm shove sandkit back into the nursery.

When she looked back, Greenleaf was gone.

Deerhawk ran out of the medicine den.

"Bloodstar!"

"Not now!"
"You've killed a medicine cat."

Duskshadow ran up too. "You can't be a leader!"
"Yes I can. I have nine lives." Bloodstar replied, still calm.

Duskshadow and Deerhawk continued to shout insults at Bloodstar.

Willowmoon noticed that most of the clan was too shocked to do anything.

Silverscreech jumped onto the highrock.

"MountainClan! We cannot allow disloyal cats! Duskshadow and Deerhawk are exiled!"

"Yes. Get out." Bloodstar agreed. "And you." He said looking at Silverscreech. "Get off the highrock."

Deerhawk and Duskshadow hung their heads and left.

Silverscreech growled but got off. Bloodstar took her place. "We will have three new apprentices today."

No! They're only five moons!

"Dreamkit, Sandkit, and Carrotkit, please step forward."

Sandkit raced up in front of the highrock, and then skidded to a halt, bright eyes shining.

Carrotkit followed behind, looking nervous. Dreamkit stayed with Midnightstorm and tried to hide behind her.

"They can't be apprentices yet!" Blackfang yowled, trying to defend his kits.

"Yes, they can." Bloodstar said, glaring at him. "And I need the third kit here. Remember what happened to Mudkit."

Midnightstorm shot her head up and yowled into the sky. "You killed him! You killed him, you fox-heart! You killed my kit!"

"Get your other kit over here!"

Silverscreech briskly walked over to Midnightstorm, grabbed Dreamkit by the scruff, and brought her over to the highrock.

Midnightstorm collapsed by the nursery door, and Blackfang went over to comfort her.

"Sandkit, you will now be known as Sandpaw. Your mentor is Rubyclaw."

Willowmoon continued to watch. Bloodstar had used the wrong words.

Rubyclaw and Sandpaw touched noses.

"Carrotkit, you will now be known as Carrotpaw. Your mentor is Wolftail."
Wolftail touched noses with Carrotpaw.

"Dreamkit, you will now be known as Dreampaw. Your mentor is .... Willowmoon."

Willowmoon was filled with shock. She had only become a warrior three moons ago!

Still, she hurried up, and touched noses with a terrified Dreampaw. "It will be okay." She whispered to her cousin.

The next morning Willowmoon went into the apprentices' den.

"Dreampaw?" Willowmoon walked into the cave. On the small pile of moss were Sandpaw, Carrotpaw, and Dreampaw, all curled up and snuggling with each other. Willowmoon noticed this wasn't a happy snuggle. She had done this with Scorchfur when Thunderkit had died. This was a sad snuggle.

She lightly tapped Dreampaw on the head. The black cat didn't move, but instead Sandpaw yawned and rolled off the top of the pile.
"Dreampaw."

Steps sounded behind her.

"Wolftail, I can't get them to wake up." Willowmoon whispered.

"That's cause you're not trying hard enough." He turned to the apprentices. "Wake up! Time to go. Dawn patrol, right now." He pushed Carrotpaw lightly off of Dreampaw, and picked Sandpaw up and put her on her paws. All three apprentices slowly woke up.

"Huh. Guess you do have to be a little rough."

"Alright Dreampaw." Willowmoon said in a hushed voice. "See if you can get that mouse."
Dreampaw didn't respond.

"Dreampaw!"

"Huh? What?"

Willowmoon shook her head lightly.

"See if you can catch that mouse."
Dreampaw crouched down into a hunter's crouch and stepped towards the mouse.

The mouse looked up and bolted off.

"Mouse-dung!" She said, stamping her foot.

"Do you know what you did wrong?"

"Nothing!"

"Your tail was touching the ground. You have to lift it up."

"Oh."

They continued to hunt for a little while longer. Willowmoon was growing nervous from seeing many border patrols of the same cats. Cats that Bloodstar would trust.

"Willowmoon?" Dreampaw said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Is Bloodstar-"
"Let's not talk about Bloodstar right now. We need to hunt for the clan," She said. "And look for the missing cats."
"We could get my siblings to look for them with us."
Willowmoon looked in the direction of camp. "That's a good idea."

They were able to gather up Rubyclaw, Wolftail, Carrotpaw, and Sandpaw by sunhigh.
"Rubyclaw, take Sandpaw with you to ForestClan. See if they've seen anything." Wolftail said with authority. "I'll go to BrightClan with Carrotpaw, and Willowmoon and Dreampaw, check SeaClan."
"Alright. Everyone should be back here by sundown." Rubyclaw added.

"See you later."