Distant Sun: Flashing Lights - Shimmering Stars

Chapter 17

The camp is quiet for once. As the leafbare preparations wind to a close, cats have more time to lounge about. Coralsong and Violetstorm are settled next to each other while Coralsong weaves a cover for one of the dens to keep heat in. Whitestar and Treetail are talking leisurely as they share a sparrow. Silverstripe, Grassfur and Strikeclaw are laughing at something across camp. Whitekit and Knotkit are intently stalking a stray leaf that has blown into the camp while Ravenkit watches them in awe. Gemspot, Spotleaf and Larkwing are complaining about the increased hunting patrols while Gemspot carefully cleans her fur on her scarred leg. Even Emberwing and Ashpelt are out, lounging in the sun outside of the elder's den.

Jadepaw takes a deep breath, the air feeling crisp in her nose, and walks over to the camp entrance. Fluffypelt is there on guard duty, though he looks about ready to nod off. He jerks awake when Jadepaw passes him, though.

"Rocktooth's finally letting you do solo herb-gathering again?" he asks.

Jadepaw nods. "I'll be back later. If Rocktooth wants me, I'll be by the hanging rocks gathering moss."

Fluffypelt gives her a friendly smile and nods. "Good luck. Be careful on the stepping stones."

"I know how to swim, Fluffypelt," Jadepaw purrs.

As she trots off towards the river, she sees a dark shape in the corner of her eye. She turns and sees four dark cats creeping towards WillowClan camp. Jadepaw hisses and walks towards them carefully. They aren't the cats she met on her trip to the Forest and none of them are the black and white she-cat who had looked at Pebblekit with hunger, so she doesn't know how they'll react.

One, a she-cat with no fur at all, grimaces at Jadepaw and unsheathes her claws. "What a pretty little specimen. Where are you from, girlie? You're obviously not a Clan cat."

Jadepaw doesn't respond, still hissing angrily at the four cats.

"She's quite big, are you sure a cat of your size wants to take on someone like that, Rosestem?" a silver tom asks with a sneer at the hairless she-cat.

"I've taken on cats twice my size, Raggedfur," the hairless she-cat growls. "How do you think I died?"

"Getting poisoned," a black and grey cat scoffs. "You killed a cat you shouldn't have and now you're stuck where we are."

"Watch your tone, Coalstar," the hairless she-cat hisses.

"You watch yours!" the black and grey cat retorts. "You're speaking to a leader here."

"A leader who only ruled for a few short moons," a pretty white she-cat giggles. "Let's get out of here, WillowClan is boring anyways. Though I do wonder why this one can see us, I think messing with RowanClan will be much more fun."

And like that they vanished. Jadepaw allows her fur to flatten, but as she does so, she notices voices below saying her name.

"...hear her? She sounds rabid! I wonder what she's seeing up there?" Amberfeather meows with a chuckle. Then she starts speaking in a baby voice. "Maybe it's a itsy bitsy mouse-y that got too close to her widdle paws!"

"Right? She's real crazy, alright. Crazier than old Rocktooth," Gullwing snickers. "Have you heard what the kits have been saying? That Jadepaw can see ghosts? How idiotic is that?"

"It's a stupid story she probably told the kits," Icepatch meows. "But you should keep your voice down. She is still up there anyways. I like having a medicine cat who actually likes cats and I'd rather her not turn out like Rocktooth if she hears you two making fun of her."

"Besides, she's just a kit," Vinefur adds. "We were all apprentices once. Gullwing, you used to tell all sorts of lies to the kits when you were an apprentice too. Remember when you convinced Lightpaw that her paws would turn to stone if she stood in place too long?"

Gullwing chuckles. "Good times. Sometimes I still catch her pacing!"

Jadepaw walks away from the edge of camp, feeling emotion well up in her throat and tears sting at her eyes. If she knew that was how her Clanmates would feel about her powers, she wouldn't have told the kits at all.