Elemental Warriors: Shadowed Steps

Chapter Nine

The next morning when Ashpaw woke up he carefully stepped around his sleeping littermates. Birchpaw was muttering to herself in her sleep again as usual, and Oakpaw was snoring softly curled up beside Birchpaw in what was usually Amberpaw's nest.

When he stepped out into the camp the sun was just beginning to cut between the trees filling the camp with just a bit of light. The medicine cats den was silent, Silverpaw was sitting just outside the entrance to the den eyes staring down at her paws.

"Silverpaw," Ashpaw whispered her name as he sat down next to her. When she didn't reply he slowly leaned over nudging her shoulder gently with his own, "you alive in there?"

"Sorry," She replied shaking her head, "lost in thoughts."

"About Weaselfur?" Ashpaw asked and Silverpaw shook her head staring down at her paws again.

"He passed away this morning," Silverpaw replied and Ashpaw nodded slowly his stomach tightening as he thought about the grouchy elder. "Do you think I'll be a good medicine cat?" Her question startled Ashpaw, he had never even debated the life of a medicine cat. His interest was always to become clan leader which required him to be the best warrior he could be.

"Do you remember when we were kits and we would play warriors?" Ashpaw asked watching as Silverpaw tilted her head thinking back to when they were kits.

"No, I don't remember that."

"Because you never did. When we used to play with your littermates do you know what you were doing?" Ashpaw remembered that part of his life well, when they all lived in the nursery playing warriors with Amberpaw, Goldpaw and Copperpaw. When their sister had decided to become a medicine cat they'd all been confused with her decision and hadn't supported her in it. "You were always here, following Mintflower around learning about herbs." Silverpaw still staring at her paws shuffled them awkwardly as his comment. "I don't think you'll be a good medicine cat Silverpaw, I think you'll be a great one. You were born for it."

A loud purr erupted from Silverpaw as she nuzzled his face licking his cheek, "Thank you Ashpaw." She replied turning back towards her den her large fluffy silver tail running along his flank as she walked away, "I needed to hear that."

The camp was just beginning to awaken as Graypelt exited the warriors' den, he moved stiffly as he leapt onto the great stump. He must have been up late with Weaselfur as he yawned stretching out, this was Ashpaw's favorite part of the day. Sitting in the early morning witnessing the clan wake up, everyone was half awake until their first run. Quietly the clan gathered in front of the stump, "Hawkleaf you can lead the border patrol on the EarthClan and boundary line, take" he hesitated for a moment scanning the crowd, "Maplespring, Pouncepelt and Icefur. Hayriver you do the WaterClan and mountain border, take Cloverbee, Robinfern and Oakpaw with you." Nodding Hawkleaf gathered his patrol as did Hayriver both groups hesitated as Dappledstar leapt to the top of the stump,

"Cats of SnowClan," she hadn't bothered to call forth the clan as everyone seemed to have already gathered beneath the stump other then the kits and elders still sleeping. "Last night Weaselfur went and joined StarClan, we will sit vigil for the elder later tonight." Though most of the clan was prepared for the news already Ashpaw watched as faces fell across the clan each grieving the sharp tongued elder in their own way.

"He's with Tinyleaf again," Hawkleaf commented, "if there was anything Weaselfur wanted in this world it was to be with her again." Ashpaw never met Weaselfur's mate but one look at Honeypuddle was all it took to remind him of the all consuming love his clanmates had for their mates. He'd never considered taking a mate before, his only focus was on becoming clan leader. Thinking about it now the only cat that came to mind was the beautiful silver she-cat who would always walk a different path from his own. Shaking his head he cut off his thoughts, one day he would be clan leader and Silverpaw would be his medicine cat. That was the path they would walk together and it was far too important to mess up with flimsy feelings.