Warriors: The Trail of Centuries

Chapter 33

     When Spottedpath opened her eyes, she realized she was in a clearing that smelled of morning dew and stars. StarClan. She slowly rose to her paws and saw two familiar starry pelts waiting for her — Ivorystar and Shadestar.

     Before she approached them, she glanced around the sunny clearing that she had woken up in. At the far side, she caught sight of Hawkscar talking to none other than Riverdash. Their expressions were serious, but even so, they looked relaxed in the shimmery clearing. Riverdash made it, then, she thought happily, and considered calling out to them. It would be so nice to talk to him again, and Hawkscar, too. I feel like I'll never have enough time in the world to speak to them, though. Spottedpath nodded to herself and took a pawstep toward her old mentor and brother.

     A soft call from Shadestar stopped her before she could make a sound. She turned to the two starry leaders and padded to them slowly as she started putting the pieces together. I was just at the battle at the Gathering stones — I had won against Deadeye. If I'm here, then . . . .

     "Um . . . am I dead?" Spottedpath looked down at herself and noticed that she didn't have the same starry sheen of the StarClan residents, though her wounds weren't present. Surely, her first day as a StarClan resident would feel more mystical.

     The dead leaders exchanged an amused glance at her question. "You did well, little one," Ivorystar murmured and leaned forward, pressing her muzzle to Spottedpath's forehead gently. Then, she sat back and gave Shadestar a meaningful look. Spottedpath glanced between the two of them quizzically, waiting for one of them to answer her question. 

     Shadestar finally let out a sigh, though he looked hesitant as he began to speak. "I have a favor to ask of you, Spottedpath," he mewed slowly. "Or rather, they do." Spottedpath tilted her head curiously at Shadestar's words, trying to peek around him to see who he meant.

     He and Ivorystar moved apart to reveal three familiar young cats sitting together. When Spottedpath looked more closely, she let out a soft gasp. Brownpaw, Blackpaw, and Dapplepaw had found their ways to StarClan and now chattered happily to each other. Once Spottedpath saw them, they looked over from their conversations as if they'd been waiting for her. Shadestar beckoned to Spottedpath with his tail as he and Ivorystar slowly made their way to the deceased apprentices.

     "They made it?" Spottedpath whispered with a breath of relief. "Sunpaw and Nightstream will be so happy to hear it. They all look so happy here."

     "Spottedpath, I'd like you to grant them their warrior names," Shadestar murmured after a moment, glancing at her over his shoulder. 

     "Wait, what? Was that a joke, Shadestar?"

     "They died before their time," Ivorystar explained quickly, looking exasperated with Shadestar's natural ambiguity. "Deadeye robbed them of their chances, but you can still grant them their wings. They actually asked for you personally, or else we'd have done it ourselves."

     Spottedpath stopped in her tracks and glanced between the two ancestors, feeling uncertain. They paused with her and waited patiently for her decision. When she met their gazes and saw that they were nothing but encouraging, Spottedpath realized they were being entirely serious. She let out a sigh and pulled at the grass beneath with her claws. 

     "Okay, fine, but I have no idea what I'm doing." Despite agreeing, she still felt hesitant.

     "That's okay — this isn't exactly a common occurrence, you know. Do whatever feels best, Spottedpath."

     Swallowing thickly, Spottedpath nodded before approaching the three apprentices. They watched her curiously, excitement twinkling in their eyes. "I've been asked to grant you your warrior names, but before we start, I know that life under Deadeye's rule wasn't . . . easy. If any of you would like to change your names to be free of the painful memories it left, feel free to speak up." Both of Deadeye's late kits, Blackpaw and Dapplepaw, shook their heads after exchanging thoughtful looks. Brownpaw, on the other hand, stepped forward.