Emerging at the edge of Sunningrocks, Mosspaw peered down to the river below. It was filled with the reflection of the stars, blending the night with rippling currents. Her reflection met her eyes.
A white cat sat next to her. She looked up at the cat and recognized Snowfur.
"Mosspaw." She dipped her head. "Admiring the river?"
"It's beautiful," she purred. "I could stare at it all night!"
"You can, if you wish." She licked a paw and ran it over her face. "Mosspaw, do you understand your power?"
Mosspaw shook her head. "Not at all."
"StarClan laid out two paths for you, small one," she sighed. "In one, you would have joined us when you were very young. If you followed the other, you would live to be a cat with amazing power."
Mosspaw stared at the star-covered cat. "I need to know more about my power!"
"You will understand in time," she mewed simply. "And remember, I will always be here to guide you."
"Can you tell me more?"
"In time," Snowfur mewed simply. "For now, I have something else to teach you."
Mosspaw tilted her head at her kin.
"You've been struggling with hunting," she observed. Mosspaw's ears turned hot.
"Hunting is easy here," Snowfur assured her. "Prey is plentiful, so if you miss something, there's always something more to catch."
Mosspaw nodded and followed her through the foliage, her mouth watering at the scent of mouse. She instinctively dropped to a hunter's crouch and looked around for the mouse using slow, subtle movements.
"That's beautiful," Snowfur whispered. "Keep your tail straight and off the ground so you don't make any noise."
Mosspaw followed her instruction and approached the mouse, careful to keep her pawsteps soft. Once she was a tail-length away from the mouse, who was absently chewing on a leaf, she wiggled her haunches and pounced. She landed right next to it and it bolted off into the forest.
"Mouse-dung!" she cursed.
"Let's try again," Snowfur suggested, crouching. They spent a while practicing hunting crouches, and eventually Mosspaw managed to catch a squirrel and a vole. She proudly marched alongside her mentor until they found Moonflower, who was very proud of her granddaughter's catches.
"Would you be up for some battle training?" Moonflower suggested. "Tawnyspots wanted to meet you."
Mosspaw looked around for the tabby tom, but didn't see him. "I don't know if I'm up for that tonight," she admitted, feeling the heaviness in her paws.
"She's already been training with me all night," Snowfur explained.
"Then let's rest at warm-rocks," she suggested. Snowfur agreed and they followed Moonflower to a group of rocks bathed in sunlight that were warm to the touch. Mosspaw fell into and rolled around on a large, flat rock, absorbing the heat through her fur. Before long, she fell asleep.
Mosspaw struggled to her paws, feeling like she hadn't slept at all.
"You look like you wrestled with a fox!" Spottedpaw's whiskers twitched. Embarrassed, Mosspaw started washing.
Featherwhisker entered the den with a jaw full of leaves. He placed them in a pile behind his nest, and turned to the apprentices.
"Mosspaw, Spottedpaw. I have training for you both."
YOU ARE READING
Mossdapple's Faith
FantasyBluefur is a ThunderClan warrior who has had a prophecy hanging over her head since she was a kit. She has broken the warrior code by taking a RiverClan tom, Oakheart, as a mate, and is now expecting his kits. What will become of her half-Clan kits...
