Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 2. (A Path Beyond Stars)

~A Path Beyond Stars: Chapter 5~

"What's wrong?" Whitestripe said, instantly bolting outside the den.
Windcaller and Swiftflight lifted their heads to stare at Reedtail. Ashpelt, Spidertail and Voleroach were still asleep. She assumed Flameclaw was still outside, and Fernfeather and Redpelt were probably on a patrol with Mossgaze and some of the others.
Aside from the six other cats in the den, it was empty.
"I... nothing," said the black she-cat finally. Windcaller and Whitestripe looked skeptical, but said nothing.
Swiftflight looked outside the den. It seemed to be just after dawn. "I'll go and bring Flameclaw in."
Swiftflight left the den to Windcaller, Whitestripe and the sleeping warriors. Whitestripe and Windcaller were left in the den, leaving Reedtail embarrassed.
"We heard you mumbling in your sleep," Whitestripe said.
"I wasn't," Reedtail said defensively.
"Whatever you believe," Windcaller sighed, stretching. He padded quietly out of the den as Flameclaw flopped on one of the empty nests.
Some of his loose fur flew off his pelt and near Ashpelt who sneezed, shaking his head as he got up.
"Watch what you're doing, you great lump!" he scoffed, shaking his fur off and backing away from the ginger warrior.
"Sorry," Flameclaw said drowsily.
"Let's go see Spiraltail," Whitestripe suggested. "Russetpaw and Crookedfire are going to the Moonpool later tonight, since it's a half-moon, and they said she'd probably be awake by now."
"I wonder why they've never gone before?" Ashpelt murmured as the three left the den.
"It is odd," Reedtail agreed. She knew Medicine Cats normally went to the Moonpool every half-moon, but she had never seen Crookedfire go even when she was a new apprentice. The Medicine Cat had never left the Clan unless it was to supposedly get more herbs.
So why in StarClan's name would he be deciding to go now?
"Maybe Russetpaw's going to become a Medicine Cat," Reedtail suggested. "She's a real fast learner, and Crookedfire, despite his other intentions, actually likes training Russetpaw."
"That'd be so great!" Whitestripe said unexpectedly. "Russetpaw as a Medicine Cat."
"Especially since we know she's more trustworthy than Crookedfire," Ashpelt added. "Isn't it a bit odd how we've never seen him leave the camp until we realised what he was up to?"
"Maybe he used to," Whitestripe said. "Maybe, before Russetwhisker died, she used to take him to the Moonpool with the other Medicine Cats. Perhaps that's why he stopped so suddenly?"
"Grief, you think?"
"It's a possibility," said Whitestripe. "I felt like I didn't even want to move after Grayfur died..."
Ashpelt winced and carried on walking.
The three young warriors made it to the Medicine Den and peeked inside. Crookedfire wasn't inside, but they could all see Russetpaw picking up Poppy Seeds and Burdock in frustration.
"Do you need some help?" Ashpelt offered, but the small red-brown she-cat shook her head stubbornly.
"No, I just tipped these over by accident," she said grumpily, carefully placing the Poppy Seeds on one shelf and the Burdock on the other. "Spiraltail just woke up. If you could get her something to eat, that'd be helpful."
Ashpelt ducked out of the den and trotted over to the fresh-kill pile.
"So is there anything wrong with her?" Whitestripe asked the Medicine Cat's apprentice in a concerned tone.
"I am absolutely certain it is just lack of food and rest," Russetpaw said. She placed the final Poppy Seed with the others and turned to Reedtail and Whitestripe. "Don't worry, I checked more than once. She's fine."
Whitestripe tilted her head questioningly, as though asking if she were allowed to see her sister. Russetpaw nodded and let Whitestripe walk past.
"I'll go in after her," Reedtail said before Russetpaw could ask.
"Okay," Russetpaw said. "Hmm. I think Stonestar wanted you to meet him by the ThunderClan border with your scent masked."
Outside ThunderClan's border? Reedtail thought in confusion. "What for?"
"He didn't say specifically. Only that he wanted to meet you there to show you something."
Odd.
Reedtail left the Medicine Den and waited until Spidertail's loathing gaze left her general direction before she rushed off.
She searched for anything she could use to cover her scent and found, with a hint of surprise, a small patch of Mint.
After she finished covering her scent, she lurked around the RiverClan side of the border. She suspected, after what Specklefern had said all those moons ago, that was where he would be.
Sure enough, as she edged closer to the border, she saw a gray tabby pelt and a black pelt facing each other.
For a moment, she thought the gray tabby pelt belonged to Whitestripe or Ashpelt, but she shook her head, remembering they were both back at camp.
"Stonestar?" Reedtail said as she neared him and the tabby. She thought at first that it was just some other cat from RiverClan, but then she realised it wasn't just some other cat.
It was Runningstar.
"Do not be alarmed," Stonestar said before Reedtail jumped at the RiverClan leader.
"Why is she here?" Reedtail growled, her tail lashing back and forth as he glared at Runningstar, her claws unsheathed and her ears flattened.
"We want you to know something," Runningstar said in a voice calmer than Reedtail would've appreciated.
Stonestar and Runningstar shared a look that reminded Reedtail oddly of Ashpelt and his kittypet.
Don't tell me Stonestar truly had a mate before Grayfur, she thought with a silent sigh.
"I understand you have grieved for Grayfur," Runningstar said. Reedtail was surprised. "The warriors of RiverClan miss her greatly, but surely not as much as you."
"I don't want to sound rude, but I've heard this more than once already," Reedtail said stiffly. Runningstar looked down and Stonestar spoke.
"Before you were born, I met Runningstar," he said instantly. "I had met Runningstar while hunting, and a short time after, I met Grayfur.
"When Grayfur joined ThunderClan, everyone was suspicious as to who she was and why she was there. After she'd been in ThunderClan for a while, we'd gotten into an argument about the matters of ThunderClan at the time."
"Was this before Silver-Eye and Russetwhisker died?" Reedtail asked without hesitation.
"We were not senior warriors at the time," Stonestar said uncertainly. "After the argument, I came to Runningstar for advice on... some things.
"Eventually, Grayfur stopped talking to me because she found out about our secret meetings. In that time... you came along."
Reedtail held her breath for a long moment. "Do you mean..."
Runningstar sat up. "I am your mother, and Stonestar is your father."