Warriors #1: Moondance of Fate ✓

Chapter 3

I awoke, my muscles still tired from the previous day's events. Thoughts swirled in my head like leaves on a fast-moving stream. My father is the ShadowClan leader, I thought, and a shiver ran down my spine.

"Moonpaw," a gruff voice interrupted my reverie. I looked up to find Jaypaw standing at the entrance to the apprentice den, his blind eyes focused in my direction. My curiosity piqued, and I narrowed my eyes slightly. Rising to my paws, I padded over to him.

"What do you want?" I meowed, attempting to sound as friendly as I could. There was a hint of tension between us.

"Would... would you go with me to the Moonpool?" Jaypaw asked, his voice carrying a mixture of hope and uncertainty. "I want StarClan to see you."

I tilted my head, intrigued by his request. "Sure," I replied, my curiosity growing stronger. Jaypaw nodded and waved his tail dismissively.

"Good. Be ready this evening because then we will leave. I'll give you some traveling herbs around then, too," he informed me before turning and padding away. I watched him go, his purposeful stride carrying him deeper into the camp.

"Hmm, I've never seen my brother show interest in any cat," a deep voice rumbled beside me, and I whipped around to see Lionpaw's gentle gaze. He blinked slowly, his golden eyes full of understanding.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" he inquired, his tone soothing.

I let out a low growl and lashed my tail irritably. "No," I replied curtly. "I'll go out with Cinderpaw and Hollypaw to train." My fur bristled slightly as I turned and strode confidently across the clearing to where the two she-cats were waiting. Nodding to them, we moved in unison toward the gorse bushes, our path leading us away from the familiar confines of the Clan camp.

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"Godd!" Hollypaw howled when I bowled her over in a playful tackle. I laughed and pressed my paws lightly on her chest. "Sorry, I didn't hear you. Were you saying something?" I teased, my eyes dancing with mirth.

She huffed, her breath puffing out fur from her nose, and stared up at me with sparkling, playful eyes. "Oh, quiet it, you two!" Cinderpaw chimed in. "You make me feel lonely."

I laughed and stepped off Hollypaw, giving my chest fur a quick couple of licks. "Sorry, Cinderpaw, but there's nothing between me and Hollypaw, at least not romantically," I grinned gently, my gaze meeting Hollypaw's. "But I think, perhaps, me and Lionpaw, though." That remark caused Hollypaw's eyes to glitter with amusement, and she couldn't hide her playful grin.

"Ooo, I could definitely see the two of you together," Cinderpaw teased, flicking her tail over my ears playfully. I growled in mock irritation and tackled her to the ground. Cinderpaw let out a yelp as she was brought down into our little playfight. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "Leave me out of this!"

I chuckled and pinned the two of them down briefly before letting them go. Then, I plopped down between them and stared up at the waving forest canopy ahead. "This is a beautiful place," I mewed, my gaze taking in the lush greenery.

Cinderpaw hummed contentedly, cuddling up to my warm gray fur. "Hey, aren't you going to be with Jaypaw to the Moonpool?" Hollypaw asked suddenly, her tone teasing.

I blanched at the reminder. "I-I am," I stammered, my thoughts racing. Hollypaw chuckled mischievously, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"Well, good luck, and don't mind the other medicine cats. They can be strange, but they're so kind," Hollypaw said as she stood up, shaking her black pelt free of leaves. I followed suit and joined her, and together, the three of us walked back to camp.

I headed straight for Jaypaw's den and waited behind the lichen entrance. Leafpool, the ThunderClan medicine cat, pushed her tabby head out, giving me a warm smile. "Here are the traveling herbs. Jaypaw's almost done," she mewed before passing a bundle of leaves to me.

I sniffed the bundle before lapping at it, the bitterness making me cringe. Leafpool snorted in amusement. "They're bitter, but they'll give you the strength you need," she reassured me. I nodded, trusting in her wisdom as a medicine cat.

Soon, the gray tabby pelt of Jaypaw caught my eye, and the blind apprentice medicine cat pushed his way out past his mentor, Leafpool. "See you, Leafpool," he mewed over his shoulder, beckoning for me to follow him. We walked out of the den's entrance and into the soft glow of the moonlight, ready for our journey to the Moonpool.

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The glow of the moon served as our guiding light, leading us to the shimmering waters of the Moonpool. As we approached, I noticed a stranger there, his fur illuminated by the silvery glow. My pelt prickled with unease as the black-and-white cat turned his enigmatic eyes in my direction.

He tipped his head in a friendly gesture. "I'm Littlecloud, and this is my apprentice, Flamepaw," he introduced himself, flicking his tail at a young ginger cat with striking green eyes. Flamepaw dipped his head respectfully, acknowledging my presence. In response, I dipped my head back and offered a warm smile.

Littlecloud continued the introductions, gesturing to a larger, bracken-colored tom nearby. "And this is Barkfur, RiverClan's medicine cat," he said. Barkfur nodded in greeting, his deep voice resonating with wisdom. The cats introduced themselves one by one, and soon, I felt less like an outsider and more like a part of this gathering of medicine cats by the sacred Moonpool.

But there was still one thing that puzzled me. "Jaypaw, why did you want me with you? I'm not Leafpool, and I'm not a medicine cat," I whispered into the gray cat's ear as we walked toward the Moonpool. He stiffened briefly, then slowed his pace so that the other medicine cats could go on ahead of us. His pale eyes darted about, and he sighed.

"Because I wanted you to meet the medicine cats and feel welcomed for once," he confessed. I blinked in surprise, touched by his honesty. Before I could respond, he continued, "I can see thoughts, Moonpaw. I know how you feel because I've relived your dreams." He shook his head and gently touched my shoulder with his tail. "And because Lionpaw truly trusts you, and so do my sister and I... I trust you, too. Firestar knows you," he added, his words coming out in a rambling rush.

I chuckled and affectionately touched my nose to his ear, finding his rambling quite endearing. "Alright, I get it now. Let's not keep the others waiting," I purred, and he nodded in agreement. Together, we continued our journey to the Moonpool, the moonlight guiding our way.