The Rising Moon

Prologue

"I say these words by Starclan so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve my choice. The new deputy of Moonclan is Sunfern." Goldensky said in unison with the other Leader; Featherpool. Goldensky looked at her kit with proud, loving eyes.

Sunfern turned to look at his sister, Rosemist, a red furred she-cat. She looked at Sunfern jealously before stalking off. Sunfern's face fell, but he pushed his mind away from that. There was more important stuff to do.

Sunfern was excited, but nervous to be deputy. It was just before moonhigh, and his apprentice had become a warrior in the same night. "Congrats on becoming the deputy!" Scarfeather said to his former mentor . "Congrats yourself, becoming a warrior is no small feat, you even beat me in the mock battle!" he said, proud of how spectacular his former apprentice did on his test. Scarfeather looked up at the sky and said,"It's moonhigh, we should probably get to sleep, you have a big day tomorrow". Sunfern kneaded his paws into the cold ground anxiously. "I will, and don't forget you have to sit vigil tonight!" he reminded him.

"Oh right! I forgot!" Scarfeather raced to the middle of the camp and sat down.

"Happy vigil Scarfeather!", teased Sunfern. Scarfeather playfully stuck his tongue out at Sunfern.

Sunfern silently padded to the warriors den. As he quietly slipped inside, all the other cats were already asleep. He tried not to step on any cats tails as he looked for an empty nest.

"Ow, who stepped on my tail?!" Moonfall yelped. The pretty white she-cat lifted her head, her silver eyes glistening in the moonlight.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to step on your tail!"Sunfern said, flustered. All the other cats in the warriors den woke up. "Why are you being so loud?" Quickstream meowed, a bit annoyed. "I bet he didn't mean to." Darkstorm meowed, the big gray tabby shouldering his way into the commotion, not knowing who to side with. "We can't go to bed talking" Nightpelt pointed out. Blackpelt came trudging into the warriors den, looking furious and tired. "I could hear you from about a mile away! Even Lostsound could hear you!" Blackpelt snapped. "Well-"Sunfern started but Blackpelt cut him off. "This was your doing! Always seeming so high and mighty!" he said. Sunfern felt like he was shrinking as Blackpelt loomed over him with accusing eyes. "It was an accident..." he squeaked. He thought that Blackpelt would rip his fur off. "Well fine, I'm going back to my den" he rasped. Sunfern felt relieved. He slunk back into his nest and let sleep wash over him.

"Sunfern! Wake up!" Sunfern slowly opened his eyes to see Treepelt looming over him. "It's past sunhigh!" Treepelt said. "Wait, what happened to the dawn patrols then?" Sunfern asked. "They sorted themselves out." Treepelt informed him. Sunfern looked at his paws, ashamed. Treepelt smirked. "Look, I'll get you some prey and then you can organize the patrols." Treepelt said in a sudden burst of kindness. "Thanks", Sunfern smiled gratefully. "I'll go hunting as well." Treepelt padded away and Sunfern went out of the warrior den. As he was leaving camp a group of apprentices bounced up to him. Their mentors came up behind them. "What can I do for you?" asked Sunfern. The first apprentice replied with, "Tortoisepaw, Bluepaw, and I want to go on a hunting patrol!"

The three mentors nodded. "Well, okay then Springpaw. You can go out for a hunting patrol with your mentors." He purred in amusement as the apprentices happily bounced out of camp. "Thanks. They wanted to go on a patrol organized by the new deputy so badly." Moonfall said, turning her head as they walked out of camp. Sunfern gazed at the beautiful she-cat for a little longer. "Hey! I got your prey!" said Treepelt from behind. She dropped a rabbit at his paws. "Yeah. Yeah, thanks Treepelt." Sunfern meowed.

When Sunfern finished his rabbit he decided to bring prey to the elders to apologize for waking them the night before. Sunfern picked up a good, juicy looking vole and walked over to the elder den. "Here Blackpelt. I brought you and Lostsound some prey to apologize. "Sunfern meowed anxiously. "Well at least he has some respect" Blackpelt mumbled "When I was your age, I was the top warrior." Blackpelt started. "Oh no, not this story again" Adderfur rasped. "Uh, well, I um- I was going to go on a patrol..." "Well, fine. Make sure to bring Adderfur and I a robin! He's been wanting one for moons..." Blackpelt grumbled. "I will!" Sunfern promised. As he ran out of the elder den, he felt a rush of energy.

"Hey Sunfern, where are you going!?" yelled Scarfeather. "Hunting! You wanna come?!" Sunfern yelled back. Scarfeather nodded and ran up beside Sunfern. "I sent Springpaw, Bluepaw, and Tortoisepaw with their mentors on a hunting patrol so we should just patrol and hunt." Sunfern meowed. "That's six cats on a hunting patrol, Sunfern. That's a lot." Scarfeather meowed seriously. Sunfern shook his head in amusement. "They all wanted to go so I let them. It won't be like this later." he meowed.

"You need to stop making these mouse brained mistakes, you might be removed from your role as deputy" Scarfeather looked at him with concern in his eyes. "Have you been feeling okay? You haven't been like this for a while."

"I'm fine..." Sunfern felt okay, but what if he wasn't? If he was sick, it could affect the clan. Sunfern's pawsteps slowled slightly as they exited the thornbush barrier. They ran into the light forest. "Do you smell that?!" Scarfeather exclaimed, "So much prey!" Sunfern felt drowsy. He sniffed the air and smelled the prey too. All of a sudden, he collapsed.

He woke up in the medicine den, Poppyleaf, the brown and white medicine cat, nearby looking through her herbs and picking out the dry ones. Poppyleaf spinned around to face him and her worried expression turned to a relieved one. "You're awake!" She exclaimed. "W-what happened?" Sunfern managed to meow. "Your friend brought you in, he's very nice." Poppyleaf blushed. Scarfeather looked at his paws beside Poppyleaf. "I'm not..it-well...thanks." Scarfeather stumbled on his words. "But what happened? Why did I collapse? Why do I keep messing up?!" Sunfern wailed. Scarfeather just looked at his friend with concern, not knowing what to say to his puzzled friend.

"Calm down, it's not your fault." Poppyleaf sighed. "Can I at least do something for my clan by the end of the day?" Sunfern asked. "Er- well... it's already Sundown..." Scarfeather meowed, shuffling his paws. Sunfern gasped and jumped up. He ran out of the medicine den despite Poppyleaf's protests. He ran into the two leaders den underneath the Moon rock formation. "Come in." said the strong voice of Featherpool. Sunfern ran in. "I'm sorry-" Sunfern began, only to be cut off by Featherpool.

"It is okay. Poppyleaf found out that you had too many poppy seeds. Someone could have slipped them into your food." Sunfern gaped. Certainly not Treepelt?! "Did anyone give you prey? And how are you feeling? Als-" Said Goldensky, being cut off at the last moment by Sunfern.

"I don't care about any of that! Who organized the patrols!?" He yelled furiously. Goldensky looked at her paws. "Well..." she meowed, "it was Treepelt." Every hair on Sunfern's pelt rose in anger. He was the deputy! He should be organizing patrols! Not Treepelt, who didn't want him to be deputy in the first place! He ran out of the den only to see Treepelt returning from a patrol.

"TREEPELT!" he hissed furiously. "I'M THE DEPUTY NOT YOU!" he crashed into Treepelts side, claws unsheathed. "Sunfern!" Goldensky gasped. He turned to look at his mother only to be clawed by Treepelt. "I want to be the deputy, and I will get my way!" she hissed for only Sunfern to hear. They continued to wriggle around scratching at each other. Sunfern launched himself away, done with fighting a clanmate.

Scarfeather happily trotted out of the medicine den only to see Treepelt and Sunfern fighting. Sunfern turned to see his best friend but Treepelt blocked his view. "Give up, weakling?" she hissed tauntingly.

"I don't want to fight a clanmate anymore. You will not take over my duties Treepelt. No matter how much you want to be deputy." Sunfern stated firmly. Goldensky rushed over to her kit.

"What were you thinking!? My poor kit, you have so many scratches everywhere!" A kit sprang out into the middle of the clearing. "I wanna fight too!" he mewed. "Leapkit! Get back here!" yelled Frostfall, a fluffy white she-cat with silvery-blue eyes. Two other kits stumbled out and sat next to Leapkit.

"We wanna fight with her!" a calico kit and a blue kit mewed together. Another queen came to the entrance of the nursery, this one a blue-grey tabby. "Frostfall, Skystrike. Take your kits back into the nursery." meowed Featherpool. Sunfern looked away from the nursery and stalked into the warriors den. When he was just about to curl up and fall asleep, his mother came into the warriors den. "What happened with Treepelt?" Goldensky asked carefully. "I don't wanna talk about it." Sunfern dug deeper into his nest, he wasn't sure how to tell his mother that Treepelt wants to be deputy, enough to kill him. No, I won't say anything about it. She may have come in as a rogue but she is good. She was just joking...right?