Warriors #3: Moonrise ✓

Chapter 11

Starspeckle's POV

I yawned as a paw prodded my side, interrupting my peaceful slumber. "Mrr... what is it?" I mewed, slowly opening my eyes. To my surprise, Stormfur stood before me, a gentle smile on his face as he observed my sleepy state.

"Rise and shine, Sunshine. Brambleclaw wants to speak to us," he meowed, his voice filled with a hint of amusement. With a nod, I stretched my limbs, shaking off the remnants of sleep that clung to my fur.

Making my way over to Brambleclaw and the rest of our group, I settled down beside my sister, Sunfall.

"Okay, so we all need to discuss how long we're supposed to stay here," Brambleclaw mewed once we were all gathered.

Lillypetal huffed and lashed her tail, capturing our attention. "Is there something you'd like to say, Lillypetal?" Brambleclaw asked, raising an eyebrow. My sister glanced at me, her green eyes glowing with determination. "Not much, only that my brother here is the chosen cat of this tribe. Should we just leave them to their fate then? I mean, we do have our own problems here, but if my brother wants to stay, then I say he should," she meowed.

I sighed and kneaded the ground with a paw. It's not that I don't want to stay; it's just that my clan needs me, my family needs me. The forest needs me too. And I'm sure of it.

Brambleclaw looked at me, his eyes searching for an answer. "What do you have to say about this, Starspeckle? Do you want to stay with the Tribe of Rushing Water or come with us to save our home?" he asked, his voice filled with earnest concern.

I kept my gaze lowered, focusing on my paws, unsheathing my claws and digging them into the earth. "I don't know, Brambleclaw. I mean, I can't have a paw in both worlds, and right now, there's nothing much I can do at home. I mean, Mother and Father will miss me, but they'll have their daughters back," I started to say, then broke off as a familiar nose pressed into my neck fur.

"They might not miss you, but I will, Starspeckle," Sunfall meowed, her voice soft and sincere. Her ears drooped, and her tail wrapped around my forepaw, preventing me from digging the ground any further. She drew away and met my gaze, her blue and green eyes showing just how much she cared for me. "We will," she added, gesturing with a sweep of her tail towards the group of cats I had come to know during this journey.

A surge of emotion welled up within me. I couldn't deny the bonds I had formed, the friendships forged along the way. Saying goodbye to them wasn't something I wanted to face.

"I can stay with him," Stormfur suddenly meowed, and we all turned to look at him, surprise evident in our eyes. "I mean, I don't... I'm not the cat in the prophecy either. I'm just here as an escort. And if Starspeckle needs help figuring out where he wants to stay, I say here. I mean, we have three cats from ThunderClan, and I think one of them isn't as, you know, important. No offense, Starspeckle."

I gave Stormfur a searching look, wondering what he was hinting at. Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt exchanged a glance, and Feathertail stood up to touch noses with her brother. "If you really want to, Stormfur, then I'm staying too," she meowed.

Internally, I rolled my eyes, wanting to speak up and say, Guys, this is all sweet and stuff, but you have to go home. I'll be fine here! But of course, I couldn't voice those thoughts without sounding rude.

I sighed and stood up, running my tail over Feathertail's back as a farewell before slipping away into the crowd of cats. My destination was clear—I needed to find Brook and talk to her about the situation. Stoneteller, too. And perhaps even seek guidance from StarClan.

As I roamed, I came across Crag, who was grooming himself beside a she-cat I had never seen before. I tilted my head and approached them. "Crag," I greeted, dipping my head in respect. The muddy tom looked up, a smile gracing his face as he returned the gesture. "Starspeckle, what honor is it that brings you to me?" he mewed, curiosity evident in his tone.

I settled down, curling my tail around my paws, glancing back momentarily to see my friends still watching me. I shook off the distraction and turned my attention back to Crag, focusing on our conversation. "I wanted to talk to Brook. Have you seen her around?" I mewed, my voice filled with a mixture of urgency and hope.

Crag narrowed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought, before shaking his head. "Ask her brother, Stoneteller. He's in his cave," he replied, pointing his tail towards the elder's corridor that led deeper into the mountain.

I nodded in gratitude, acknowledging his response, and padded away towards the faint glow emanating from the cave of pointed stones. As I approached, I noticed Stoneteller sitting in deep concentration. Not wanting to disturb his thoughts, I winced and settled down at the entrance, waiting patiently for an opportune moment to speak with him.

Soon, the cat seemed to awaken from his deep thoughts and looked at me, meeting my eyes. He smiled, beckoning me with a jerk of his head. Intrigued, I padded down towards him and touched noses in greeting.

"Starspeckle, son, what is it you wish to speak to me about?" Stoneteller asked, his voice carrying wisdom and patience. "I want to ask about Brook. Have you seen her around?" I meowed, hoping for some information. Stoneteller tilted his head, considering my question. "I have. She is out with the rest of the prey hunters. You may see her tonight when she comes back," he replied, his words bringing a glimmer of hope to my heart.

I nodded, dipping my head in appreciation, before swiftly turning around and padding out of the cave. However, just as I was about to rejoin my friends, a nagging feeling made me turn back to see if Stoneteller was still there. Our gazes met—his amber eyes locking with my blue ones—before he vanished into thin air.