Warriors AU: Skyclan's Destiny

Chapter 33

Poppystar fluffed up her fur against the dawn chill. The sky was pale gold where the sun would come up, but shadows still lay thick in the gorge. From where she sat on the Rockpile, she could watch her warriors as they slipped silently out of their dens and gathered beside the pool.

She and Cherrytail had arrived first, followed almost at once by the four Twolegplace cats. They stood huddled together; Poppystar remembered the hope that flared in their eyes when she gave them her decision the night before; now they just looked anxious, murmuring quietly to one another.

Tinycloud and Sharpclaw stood side by side, their pelts brushing, while Shrewtooth paced nervously up and down the riverbank. Poppystar hoped she was right to include the young black she-cat on this mission. But she's started to show such promise. I want to give her a chance to prove herself.

Rockshade was saying farewell to her littermates, Bouncefire and Sparrowpelt. "I guess we'll be back in a few days," she meowed, trying and failing to sound cheerful.

"It's not fair!" Sparrowpelt exclaimed enviously. "Why do you get to go and we don't?"

There was a sudden patter of paws as Waspwhisker's kits scampered down the trail and hurled themselves at Fallowfern while he was padding toward the meeting place.

"No! You can't go!" Sandykit squealed.

"We'll miss you." Mintkit pushed his head into his father's shoulder. "What if you never come back?"

All four kits set up a loud wail.

"That's enough," Fallowfern told them, nuzzling each kit in turn. "Of course I'm coming back. And you have to look after your mother while I'm away. Make sure you do everything she tells you."

"We will!" Creekkit promised.

Fallowfern's gaze met his mate's as Waspwhisker padded up to him. "Take care," she whispered.

"Of course I will." The two cats stood with their tails twining for a moment before Fallowfern turned away and went to join Cherrytail and the others.

Poppystar's whiskers twitched as she spotted a pale shape slipping into the midst of the cats. What's Egg doing? I said that no apprentices were to come. She thought that the cream she-cat was trying to stay unnoticed, but Cherrytail's eyes were sharper than that.

"Egg? What are you doing here? Didn't you hear Poppystar say no apprentices?"

Egg shouldered through the cluster of cats until she could face her mentor. "But Cherrytail—"

"I don't have time for this," the deputy interrupted, waving her away with a swift lash of his tail.

"I've been in Twolegplace before," Egg went on, her voice growing louder until Poppystar could hear her clearly from where she stood on the Rockpile. "And I'm just as old and strong as some of the warriors, even though I haven't finished my training. You know this, Cherrytail. You said as much when I did my assessment the other day."

Cherrytail paused, unusually hesitant, while his gaze traveled over the young she-cat. "That's true..."

"I really want to come." Egg kneaded the ground with her forepaws. "I want to prove my loyalty to Skyclan."

Cherrytail hesitated for a heartbeat longer, then turned to look up at Poppystar. "What do you think?"

Poppystar gazed down at the eager apprentice. It was true that she was strong; her thin frame had filled out since she had lived with the Clan, and her muscles swelled beneath her sleek pelt. And she had watched her in training; she was swift and agile in battle, easily outmatching the other apprentices.