Warriors AU: Skyclan's Destiny

Chapter 3

Poppystar opened her eyes to see moonlight slanting in through the entrance to her den. A voice had roused her from sleep, but now all was silent except for the whispering of the river at the bottom of the gorge. She rose to her paws, arched her back in a long stretch, and shook scraps of moss from her pelt. Slipping out of her den, she padded down the trail until she reached the edge of the water.

At the foot of the Rockpile, the three new warriors were keeping vigil, each one sitting upright with their tails curled neatly over their paws. In the moonlight they looked like cats carved out of ice or stone, and they didn't acknowledge the nod Poppystar gave them as she passed.

She headed for the new dens, her paws gliding silently over the white drifts of snow that still lingered in the shade of the rocks. The boulders glistened with frost, as if leaf-bare had returned to the gorge, but the ginger and white leader didn't feel cold. Instead, her body felt warm and curiously light, like a leaf spinning idly in a warm breeze. Scrambling up the rocky cliff face, Poppystar reached the largest of the new dens and padded inside, shaking the snowmelt from each of her paws in turn.

I was right, she thought. This will make a good den. It's sheltered from the wind, and it will be hard for enemies to reach the entrance—if they suspect we're in here at all.

"Your cats will be safe here."

Poppystar spun around at the sound of a voice behind her. Another cat stood outlined in the entrance to the cave, black against the silver moonlight. Catching her breath; Poppystar drew in a sweet but unfamiliar scent. Not until the strange cat stepped forward did she recognize the graceful tortoiseshell and white figure of Spottedleaf.

The medicine cat who walks with Starclan. Sandstar's friend. What is he doing here?

Spottedleaf paced forward, his pelt glittering with starlight, until he was close enough to brush against Poppystar's fur. His scent wreathed around them. "Greetings, dear friend," he murmured.

"Am I—am I dreaming?" Poppystar asked hoarsely. She still wasn't used to dead cats walking into her mind and talking to her as if they were still alive.

Spottedleaf dipped his head. "To your Clanmates, you are asleep in your den. Didn't you notice how the new warriors didn't even blink when you walked by?"

Poppystar shrugged. "I thought they were obeying the rules of the first night vigil."

"I don't doubt that they are," Spottedleaf murmured. He looked around, pricking his ears. "Skyclan must be doing well if you need new dens," he observed.

"I... we were just exploring," Poppystar explained. "Wondering what these caves could be used for. We have new kits in the Clan, and more on the way, but we haven't spilled out of our old dens yet."

Spottedleaf's glowing amber eyes searched Poppystar's face. "Is all well with your Clan?"

"Everything's fine," Poppystar replied carefully. She wasn't going to share her concerns about Leafdapple and the others with this cat who was almost a stranger to her. He isn't part of our Clan. "How are Sandstar and Fireheart?"

"They're both well," the Starclan cat replied. "They have two kits—little daughters."

"That's great!" Warm pleasure flooded through Poppystar. "When you see Sandstar, tell him how happy I am for them."

"I will." To Poppystar's surprise, Spottedleaf didn't seem as pleased as she would have expected at the thought of Sandstar's litter. Once again, he fixed his amber gaze on Poppystar. "You have the hardest task of any Clan leader," he meowed. "You must build a Clan from cats who know nothing of the warrior code."