Warriors AU: Skyclan's Destiny

Chapter 14

Fluffy white clouds were building up above the gorge when Poppystar emerged from her den on the morning after the Gathering. The sun had not yet risen, and a stiff breeze buffeted her fur. She yawned and gave herself a quick grooming as she watched her Clanmates trot down the pathways to the Rockpile. Bounding down to join them, she found Cherrytail setting the patrols.

"I'll lead the border patrol," he announced. "Haze, Leafdapple, and Sparrowpelt, you come with me. Tinycloud, I'd like you to lead a hunting patrol, with Shrewtooth, Stumpy, and Rockshade. Cory, you lead the other hunting patrol, with—"

"Hey, Cory's not a warrior," Clovertail interrupted. "Should he be leading a patrol?"

Cherrytail gave his tail an irritable twitch. "Sorry, you're right. You lead the patrol then, Clovertail. Cory can go with you, with Bouncefire and Harleymoon."

Poppystar looked on with approval as the patrols started to move off. She liked to see her Clan like this, busy and well organized. This is a new day; Starclan grant that all last night's tensions have vanished.

"Are you coming, Snookpaw?" Leafdapple called, glancing back at his apprentice as Cherrytail led his patrol toward the bottom of the trail.

"Sorry, I can't," Snookpaw replied. "I promised to fetch fresh moss for Tangle and Lichenfur."

"Fine." Leafdapple nodded. "We'll do some battle practice when you get back."

"Great!" Snookpaw's tail shot straight up into the air as she clambered over the Rockpile and bounded across to the other side of the river.

Poppystar was impressed with the young cat's loyalty to the promise he made last night to the elders. She'll make a fine warrior. I hope she decides to stay with us full time. She watched Snookpaw creep along the narrow ledge beside the stream until he disappeared into the tunnel from where the water flowed out beneath the Rockpile. Poppystar pictured her shuffling along the tiny stone path that led to the Whispering Cave where the moss grew.

With the patrols gone, the other cats settled down to rest, eat, or share tongues. Cobaltclaw took Frecklepaw up to the training area for some practice; Poppystar spotted the apprentice casting a longing look back at Echosong's den as he padded away.

Popypstar sat beside the river, intending to give herself a more thorough grooming, but she had barely licked one shoulder clean when Lichenfur shuffled up to her.

"I might have known that pesky apprentice didn't mean what she said," the elder grumbled. "There's no sign of her, and we're still stuck with our old moss."

Poppystar blinked in surprise. "I saw Snookpaw go into the cave myself," she mewed. "Hasn't she come back yet?" Lichenfur shook his head. "I'll go and see what's keeping her."

The ledge to the Whispering Cave was wet and slippery, and Poppystar had to set her paws down carefully. Black water rushed along beside her a couple of mouse-lengths below the ledge. Cold, damp air crept into her pelt, and she shivered. At last Poppystar saw a pale light up ahead, reflecting on the surface of the river. The ledge widened out into a flat path, and she quickened her pace as she padded into the Whispering Cave.

Poppystar paused at the cave entrance to admire the secret world underneath the gorge. The walls of the cave were broken into cracks and ledges; shaggy clumps of moss hung from every surface, giving off a pale, eerie light. Reflections of the water rippled across the cave roof; the sound of the river and unseen dripping water echoed in Poppystar's ears.

This was the place where Echosong came to share tongues with his warrior ancestors. Though she was no medicine cat, Poppystar felt very close to Starclan here, as if she might hear their voices if she listened hard enough.