Fawnstar's Return

Chapter 9

Dewpaw stretched in his nest luxuriously and began to groom his pelt. Almost half a moon had past since he had been confined to the camp. The confinement would end in two sunrises. After Dewpaw washed, he padded out of the medicine den and sat down, his tail curled around his paws. Clan life was going about as usual. The elders were sunning themselves in the sun. The queens were watching their kits play in the sunshine. The apprentices were play-fighting, and the warriors gathering around Oaktail for the patrols. Dewpaw loved the sight of a flourishing clan, but a pang in his side reminded him that Fawnstar was gone. So were Patchpaw and Blossompaw. When the clan saw they were gone, they suspected they'd left the clan, but really they were with Fawnstar.

"Dewpaw?" He turned around to find Jaywhisker padding out of the Medicine den to sit beside him. "Oaktail and I have decided to lift your confinement," he murmured. Dewpaw stared at him, surprised. The medicine cat was being uncomfortabley nice.

"Uh, thanks?" he meowed. Jaywhisker looked at him and blinked.

"What is it Dewpaw?" he asked curtly. Dewpaw looked at his paws.

"You're being nice to me..." his voice trailed off. Jaywhisker rested his tail on Dewpaw's shoulders and let out a soft rusty purr.

"I've seen inside you Dewpaw. You have a great future ahead, and I will be here with you every step of the way." Dewpaw gaped at him. That was the only thing Jaywhisker had ever said that reminded Dewpaw of the former Medicine cat of Lightclan, named Frostpool.

"Really?" he whispered. Jaywhisker nodded and looked him straight in the eyes. "But what about when I become a full Medicine cat?" Jaywhisker looked down at his paws.

"Well you see, I haven't told you this before, but Frecklepaw is already a medicine cat." Dewpaw looked at him in shock.

"What?" he mewed in surprise. 

"She got her Medicine cat name right before I left, Frecklesnow, but Amberstar didn't want to tell anyone at the gathering," Jaywhisker anwsered.

"Why not?" Dewpaw asked.

"Because Frecklesnow was a kittypet before she came to the clans, and Amberstar wasn't leader yet, so she was pretty furious when she was taken into Rockclan. When Amberstar became leader she saw to the good side of Frecklesnow and let her become Medicine cat apprentice. But then something happened. Amberstar went back to hating her, so that's why she told the clans that Frecklesnow is still an apprentice. The point is Dewpaw, I'm not going back to Rockclan." Dewpaw stiffened beside him.

"Why?" he asked, surprised. 

"Because I know that you need me, Dewpaw. You have a dark future ahead, and you'll need someone to help you with that future. I am here to be your guide, someone to go to if you need help. I am also telling you to stop seeing Sagepaw, but I'll let you decide that. I hope that you'll figure out where your loyalties lie." Dewpaw purred.

"I didn't know you could be this nice!" Jaywhisker purred.

"There's a nice side of every cat," he meowed, his rasping voice full of wisdom. "Even the most evil ones. You just have to harness the nice side. Or at least try." Dewpaw dipped his head.

"Thanks Jaywhisker," he meowed. "I'll think about what you said." He padded away from the old medicine cat. He was about to go out of camp for a nice stroll to loosen his thoughts when a yowl sounded from the high stump. Oaktail was standing up on top, facing his clan. 

"I have an announcement! Jaywhisker has decided to stay and be Lightclan's full Medicine cat! I know Fawnstar would've done the same in letting him stay. Welcome him like you would any cat as the new Lightclan Medicine cat!" Yowls of outrage sounded from the crowd below as Jaywhisker padded up. Dewpaw hoped he wasn't offended but the former Rockclan medicine cat just sat calmly waiting for the cats to speak.

"He can't stay!" Honeyfur yowled. "He's from Rockclan!" 

"We can't keep letting outsiders in!" Rockfur growled. Oaktail silenced the Clan with a flick of his tail.

"Have you forgotten who's in charge?" he meowed calmly. Rockfur curled his lip.

"Fawnstar is leader, or so I'd forgotten?" he hissed. Oaktail glared down at the black tom, but Jaywhisker spoke up.

"Fawnstar left Oaktail in charge of the camp, remember?" he retorted. Rockfur hissed at the grey tom.

"You're a piece of filth! Go back to where you came from!" he snorted. Jaywhisker returned the glance with an angry stare.

"Huh, says Rockfur, the cat who has "Rock" in his name, when I am from Rockclan!" Jaywhisker shot back. Dewpaw stepped in between between the quarreling cats.

"Enough!" he told them in a loud mew. "If we all keep bickering no good is going to come out of any of this!" Jaywhisker licked his chest fur in embarassment. He was a medicine cat, and supossed to stay out of the rivalries of warriors.

"I agree with Dewpaw," Oaktail meowed. "We must stop bickering. It won't get us anywhere. Rockfur, that's enough." Rockfur shut his mouth, but his fur was still bristling with fury.

"I also have one more announcement," the Deputy meowed. I know Fawnstar would say these words, but she is on her mission. Honeykit, Birchkit, come forward." The two kits squeaked in surprise, but came to stand before the Oaktail. "These kits have reached six moons, and they are ready to become apprentice's. Appleleap, you will be mentor to Birchpaw. I know you will teach him the loyal and courageous skills you know." Birchpaw went to touch noses with his mentor. "Roseheart, you will be mentor to Honeypaw." The dark cream she-cat went to touch noses with Roseheart. 

The clan began yowling, "Birchpaw! Honeypaw! Birchpaw! Honeypaw!" Dewpaw glanced at the new apprentices with warmth in his eyes when it was his turn to congratulate them. 

"You guys will make great warriors!" he purred. Honeypaw's eyes were happy balls of blue.

"Thanks!" she squeaked. Dewpaw padded over to the far side of the clearing and saw Rockfur glaring at Jaywhisker. Dewpaw gulped. What would happen to their Clan if the cats began to bicker? Just then a yowl sounded from the edge of camp. Bouncetail, the Moonclan Deputy, burst in through the camp entrance. He looked around for Fawnstar but found Oaktail instead.

"You have to help us!" he gasped. "The river is flooding!"

This was kind of a short chapter ^-^. I'll make longer ones in the future!

-Fawntail_19