Warriors: The Trail of Centuries

Epilogue

     Spottedpath hummed happily as the warm newleaf breeze flowed through her fur. She and Nightstream had found a small clearing that overlooked the river inside the Gorge. When they realized that the daily patrols rarely strayed close to the patch of land, they quickly claimed it as their own hideout when they wanted some peace and quiet from their Clanmates.

     "More flowers, your highness?" Nightstream's teasing mew called Spottedpath from her blissful daze. The grey-speckled molly leaned over Spottedpath with a few stems from a nearby orchid plant clamped in her jaws. Before Spottedpath could protest, Nightstream was shaking the branches, sending a cascade of petals down onto her golden-spotted fur.

     Almost immediately, Nightstream burst into a fit of affectionate laughter. The sound of her laugh was too contagious, and Spottedpath found herself joining in quickly. Just as soon as it had started, their laughter ceased, and the two mollies found themselves happily lost in each other's gazes.

     "That look suits you," Nightstream mewed suddenly, her amber eyes holding a mischievous glint.

     "What, being covered in shredded flowers?" Spottedpath retorted playfully. She nudged Nightstream in an attempt to hide how nervous she managed to make her every time.

     "No, not that." Nightstream paused and pretended to look thoughtful for a heartbeat. "It's that mock-grumpy, disheveled look you get when you're flustered."

     Spottedpath immediately became flushed, her ears growing hot and her fur ruffling defensively. Nightstream collapsed in another fit of laughter as Spottedpath searched miserably for the words to defend herself. The sight of the molly's giggles — her sides heaving from the effort of keeping her laughter down — only embarrassed her more.

     "That's it! That's the look!" Nightstream exclaimed between bursts of breathless laughter. She managed to nudge Spottedpath affectionately between fits, finally dragging the golden tabby into her bouts of laughter.

     Eventually their laughing died down, and the two mollies dedicated their attention to the sun as it began to set. Spottedpath closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth that the sun cast onto them. Beside her, Nightstream shifted a bit and prodded her side gently.

     "Thornheart's kits are about ready to be apprentices, you know," she murmured lazily. "Fernspring's kits can't be that far behind them. Who do you think they'll be assigned to?"

     Spottedpath peeked an eye open and saw that Nightstream was waiting impatiently for her response. "Are you excited to finally have your first apprentice, Night?" she purred teasingly.

     "You know I am!" Nightstream sat up a bit, as if she were trying to make herself look more responsible. "You already got Sunheart, it's my turn to train some diligent warriors! Maybe I'll get one of Fernspring's kits — Asterkit, Poppykit, and Crowkit are so well-behaved."

     "They really are. Jaggedkit and Cliffkit share Thornheart's serious attitude and her poor temper." Spottedpath gave a soft chuckle as she agreed before she remembered something concerning. "I just hope Fernspring's kits don't get the same harsh treatment that Shortstep has gotten from some of the medicine cats." Even though the cats of MistClan didn't care about his relationship with Fernspring, a few of the other medicine cats had made a point out of excluding him from their conversations. 

     Nightstream made a face when she said that. "You mean the fits they throw over that silly rule about medicine cats having kits? Why don't you suggest that it changes? You are overseer, after all."

     "It's not that simple," Spottedpath mewed with a sigh. "I make sure our leader follows the warrior code — the medicine cat code is something totally different, and their business is still their business. I do agree that it's ridiculous, though — the risk of him giving his kits special treatment is the same as him giving his siblings or parents special treatment!"

     "Exactly!"

     The bushes on the far side of the clearing rustled before Tangle and Lucienne stepped into view. Spottedpath quickly sat upright while Nightstream remained laying by her side.

     "Oh, are we interrupting a moment?" Tangle asked innocently, though the glint of amusement in his green eyes betrayed him.

     "No," Spottedpath murmured with a glance at Nightstream. "What is it you need?"

     "Are you sure? We can always find Foxleap or Mudstar instea —  oof."

     Lucienne rolled her eyes and elbowed Tangle as she stepped forward. "We've been keeping tabs on the rogues in the city —  er, the Twolegplace. They've been gathering, and it's clear to us that something is going on."

     "Rumor is the warriors who went missing at the end of the Great Battle have joined them," Tangle whispered after dropping his playful tone. "I know a few cats who said they're trying to stage some kind of conflict with the Clans."

     Spottedpath eyed them both warily. "They wouldn't be able to organize such a thing — especially not at the start of newleaf, when the Clans are only growing in strength. Keep an eye on it for now, and make sure Mudstar is aware of it."

     "Yes, Spottedpath," they chimed before leaving. 

     As soon as they were gone, Spottedpath laid down next to Nightstream once again. A troubled sigh left her lungs, and soon Nightstream was dangling another orchid branch over her. She shook it violently, the action sending a flurry of petals over Spottedpath, who laughed in response. Spottedpath noticed a pile of petals and leaves accumulating at her paws and scooped them up to throw them back at Nightstream. They both erupted into fits of giggles and laughter again, and Spottedpath found her worries easing away.

     "Hey," Nightstream murmured after a few sublime moments with her partner. "The sun is setting — can you tell me the legend of the Great Clans while the stars come out?"

     Spottedpath twitched her whiskers as she recalled the stories she had heard from Mouseberry and Jayleaf over the moons. "A long, long time ago, there were three Clans. Their names were TigerClan, LionClan, and LeopardClan, and in these Clans were the biggest, fiercest cats to have ever roamed the lands." Spottedpath let her body fall fully flat against the grass beneath her as she locked her gaze to the setting sun. 

     "The cats of LionClan were proud and noble, with manes that flowed with all the warmth of the sun. The cats of LeopardClan were swift runners and agile climbers, with spots dancing on their pelts like embers from a dying flame. The cats of TigerClan were cunning and stealthy; they used the night to trick their foes, and were branded with jet-black stripes on top of their fiery pelts to honor this. Whenever the Great Clans were faced with a new and unusual foe, they put their skills together to solve the problem swiftly — that is, until a mightier enemy than anyone had ever seen came along . . . ."

     As Spottedpath recited the tales that had burned themselves into her mind, she felt the sun's rays slowly creep away and over the edge of the world. The absence of their warmth didn't bother her, though, as she was warm enough in the company of Nightstream along with the thoughts of their ancestors watching over them.