Warrior Cats: Alone in the Sky

Chapter 4

"What's this?" Salmonpaw asked, prodding the green plants growing out of the ground.

"That's grass," Tommy explained gently. "We use it in nests sometimes."

"Hmm," Salmonpaw replied, peering at the grass closely. "It's very soft."

Otterclaw purred. "I imagine this is weird for you."

"Yeah, very," Salmonpaw agreed.

Tommy laughed. "When I was apprenticed, I thought grass was mushrooms, thanks to Sootfur," he mewed.

Salmonpaw nearly choked. "What?"

Otterclaw glanced at the younger warrior. "You're joking."

"I'm not," Tommy admitted. "Sootfur liked to tell tall tales when he was a new warrior."

Rowanbranch purred. "He was a paw ful," Rowanbranch agreed.

"Let's go see the OakClan border," Otterclaw decided, and led the group through a small cluster of trees and across a river.

They stopped on the river's opposite bank.

"OakClan territory is over there," Otterclaw mewed, nodding at the moorland.

"They hunt primarily at night, and often go into prey's burrows," Otterclaw explained.

"Wow," Salmonpaw breathed. He couldn't believe that anyone could hunt like that.

Suddenly, another group of cats slipped out of a hole in the ground a few tail-lengths away.

"Hello!" The leader, a ginger tabby with orange eyes and a long burn scar across their back, called.

"Hi!" Tommy replied.

A small gray tabby she-cat glanced at the ginger tabby. "What should we do?"

"They aren't trespassing," the ginger tabby gently scolded. "We'll let them be."

"Have a good day!" Rowanbranch mewed, gesturing for his patrol to leave.

"Were those OakClan cats?" Falconpaw asked as they padded away.

Tommy nodded sagely. "You can tell because they're tiny."

"Tommy!" Otterclaw laugh-scolded.

"What? It's true!"

"Oh my StarClan."

When they finally got back to camp, Salmonpaw swore that his paws were going to fall off. They hurt from all the walking.

Brackenstar bounded towards his kits and licked each one on the head. "How was it?"

Their father asked.

"It was great!" Kestrelpaw mewed cheerfully. "We saw the OakClan border, and the Twolegplace, and the Thunderpaths, and the grassy place!"

"The moor?" Brackenstar gently corrected.

"Yeah, that," kestrelpaw meowed.

Falconpaw yawned. "I'm going to go get something to eat, then go to bed."

"Good idea," Salmonpaw said wistfully.

Brackenstar nuzzled each of his children. "I'm so proud of you all," he whispered. "So very proud. Now go get some sleep, my darlings. You've had a big day."

Brackenstar sat on a ledge and looked up at the stars. It was clear night, and every star glowed brightly.

"The kids are apprentices now," he said. "They're going to be amazing warriors. And I know you'll watch over us from StarClan. But I wish you could be here to watch them grow up. Salmonpaw is curious like you. Kestrelpaw is sweet and loyal. Falconpaw is compassionate and brave. And they are all so different too, and I couldn't be prouder to call them my children. But I miss you so much. My heart hurts for you to be so far, so untouchable. It's like the days when we were different Clans all over again, but at least then we could see each other occasionally. My sunlight, I would endure anything to see you again. "

I miss your laugh. I miss the smile that could light up my day like nothing else could. I miss the cat who was willing to risk everything for me. I miss the other half of my heart.

When they had first met, they had just been made deputies to Moonstar and Muffinstar.

They hadn't known then that'd they'd fall in love and raise a family together.

Brackenstar felt lucky to have known Flameglow.

I will keep my head up and raise our children, love. But I hope to see you soon, at least in my dreams.

Heronflight peered anxiously at her kits. "You'll be good, won't you?"

Wolf kit and Berrykit nodded. Heronflight sighed. "Alright. Let's go."

She couldn't believe her children had grown so much in the six moons since they'd been born, two moons after Flameglow's last litter. And now they were going to be apprentices.

FrostClan had gone through a lot of change in the last two moons since the last apprentice ceremony, the medicine cat thought. Flameglow had died a few days before his kits' ceremony, to the grief and dismay of everyone in the Clan.

She shook her head sadly and followed her kits out of the medicine den.

The whole clan, except those who had been on night patrol (Tommy and Rainfall), were gathered around the High Stone.

Brackenstar sat on the gray stone, his green eyes shimmering happily.

On his right, on the ground, sat Blackspot, who nodded at Heronflight.

The kits' father, Sootfur, who'd also been on the night patrol, smiled at them from the front row.

Falconpaw and her siblings sat beside Sootfur, and they all beamed at the younger kits.

Owlflight, Kitedive, and Eagletalon, Flameglow's older kits, sat in the second row, and smiled at the kits.

Heronflight sat down next to Sootfur, who leaned over and licked the top of her head. (Benefits of him being much taller than her)

"I can't believe they're so big now," Heronflight whispered.

"Me either," Sootfur replied. "It feels like yesterday that they were newborns."

"Wolfpaw," Brackenstar called. The small she-cat stepped forward, her unusual eyes bright with anticipation and anxiety.

"You shall be trained by Crowflight. May he teach you patience and speed," the leader meowed.

Crowflight padded upwards and touched noses with his new apprentice.

The two stepped off to the side.

"Berry paw!" Brackenstar yowled. Heronflight's mini-me stepped forward, eyes on his leader. "You will be trained by Eagletalon. May he teach you wisdom and acceptance."

The eldest of Brackenstar's children touched noses with the new apprentice and stepped off to the side.

"Berry paw! Wolfpaw!" Heronflight yowled, pride warming her fur. They'll do great, she thought.

Salmonpaw smiled at Berrypaw. "Hello!"

Berrypaw blinked up at the older apprentice. "Hi."

Salmonpaw's mismatched eyes glimmered like a dark pool of water and emerald moss in the sunlight, and Berrypaw found himself getting lost in them.

"Are you ready for the tour?" Salmonpaw asked, snapping Berrypaw out of his daze.

"Wha- oh, yeah! What's grass like?"

"It's soft, green, and looks a bit like your fur right now."

"Oi! I spent a lot of time grooming myself!"

"Riiighhht," Salmonpaw grinned.

Kestrelpaw joined them and rolled their eyes, Falconpaw and Wolfpaw behind them.

Tommy limped over with Rowanbranch, Otterclaw, Eagletalon, and Crowflight right beside him.

"Who's ready to see some crazy shit?" Tommy grinned.

"Language!" Rowanbranch scolded.

Tommy stuck out his tongue at the brown tabby, who sighed deeply at the other's childish behavior.

"Let's go, then," Otterclaw said quickly.