The Medicine Cat Code

Chapter 7

Silverpaw stared at her paws as she prepared to go to the Gathering. She, like Darkpaw, was to be a Warrior Apprentice. With no Medicine Cat, Thistlepaw had stepped up and taken on her name, Thistletail, and was getting the last of her training through Skunkpelt. Silverpaw's kits were growing steadily; they were a moon and a half old, and starting to walk, with eyes and ears open. Even now they were beginning to speak a little, babbling along to Silverpaw's talking as she cooed to them.

When they arrived at Fourtrees, she could see Darkpaw sitting next to Mallowfoot. She sighed, long and low, as she sat next to her own mentor Pinetail.

"Behave," Pinetail said in a low voice.

"I'm two years old, almost three," Silverpaw growled angrily.

"Not in the Clan's eyes, you aren't." He narrowed his eyes and flicked his tail. "Now stay silent while the Gathering commences."

She sighed, long and slow.

"Cats of the Clans!" RiverClan's leader, Swiftstar, raised her tail to call attention to herself. "SkyClan and ThunderClan's leaders would like to make an announcement."

Eaglestar and Palestar stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "Last moon we suffered a terrible tragedy; we lost our beloved medicine cat, Silverfur," Palestar said. "However, new life has come to the Clan; we found a rogue kit, Bluekit, by the border."

Eaglestar swished his fluffy brown tail. "We lost our venerable deputy Darkpelt to the same fate. We also found new life in the form of Rainkit, Bluekit's littermate, by the border."

"Both kits are being suckled by our best queens; Bluekit by Whitewhisker, Rainkit by Nightfur. They will grow into fine Warriors."

Silverpaw stared at the two Leaders, horrified at their story. They didn't even acknowledge that she and Darkpaw were their parents! Not even that they were Clanborn. They were Rogueborn now.

She hunched over, staring at the clearing floor, and her mind fogged up until the night was nearly gone.