MoonClan's Return

Chapter 15

            Hazelstar sat perched on the rock in the center of their camp, smiling as the guards brought the captives forward. As they walked, it was as if their hearts had been shattered and all hope was lost. They would drag their feet and look down, not daring to make eye contact with their leader.
            "Eyes up here!" Hazelstar snapped. When a few refused to look at her, they were greeted by a pawsmack to the head. Soon, eyes were gazing up at her.
            "Thank you," Hazelstar purred. "MoonClan is so thrilled to have you here. Each of you will be training in a group with one of our loyal warriors, so I hope you're prepared," she purred.
            "But first," she began, "Let's make our lovely kits apprentices. Come up here, kits," she said, calling up Rosecloud and Lavenderwhisker's kits. Slowly, their mothers scooted them forward and they raced up.
            "We will make this quick," Hazelstar began. "Which is the older litter?"
            "Us," called one of Rosecloud's kits. It was the she-cat who resembled Hazelstar.
            "Very well. Step forward, you three."
            The three kits stood next to Hazelstar as she begin. "Since these FoxClan kits have graciously accepted to train to be MoonClan warriors, we will make them apprentices now. Blackkit," she began, looking at the black tom.
            He turned in fear, and she noticed he was shaking from head to toe.
            "Your new name will be Blackpaw. Mentors will be saved until the end of the ceremony," she announced. "Brownkit," she said, turning to the small version of herself. "Your new name will be Brownpaw until you receive your warrior name."
            Brownpaw nodded slowly, gulping.
            "And Copperkit," Hazelstar said, turning to face the ginger tom. "Until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Copperpaw."
            "BLACKPAW! BROWNPAW! COPPERPAW!" the clan cheered. The captives seemed to look down in embarrassment.
            "Now for the other litter," Hazelstar announced, calling Lavenderwhisker's kits forward.
            The tom stepped forward first, his sister following behind him.
            "Shadekit, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Shadepaw," she yowled, looking at the black tom.
            "And Violetkit," she said, turning to face the white she-cat. "You shall be known as Violetpaw."
            "SHADEPAW! VIOLETPAW!" the clan cried.
            "Let's make this simple then," Hazelstar said, facing the five small kits. "We'll split up boys and girls. Blackpaw, Copperpaw, and Shadepaw," she said, looking into the crowd. Who would she choose for their mentor? It had to be someone good and clever...
            "Fang," she growled.
            The white tom padded forward.
            "I trust you to mentor these three toms. Show no mercy," she growled. "Take them around the territory and get to work."
            "Yes, Hazelstar," he said, dipping his head. "Come now, toms," he said.
            The three kits slowly made their way down, looking at their parents, for it might be the last time they saw them. Then, they left the camp, leaving the two she-cats.
            "As for you two, Brownpaw and Violetpaw, your mentor will be...Berry," she said.
            The white and ginger she-cat padded forward, though she looked nervous. Hazelstar was nervous too, afraid the she-cat wouldn't be good enough to teach them.
            "Thank you for this honor, Hazelstar," Berry began. "I will show no mercy," she said, locking eyes with the two she-cats. "Follow me now."
            Brownpaw slowly padded down, but Violetpaw stayed put.
            "Go on!" Hazelstar hissed, shoving the she-cat.
            Slowly, she leapt down the rock after her trainee and mentor.
            "Now that the apprentices have been dealt with, it's time to teach our FoxClan warriors how to be MoonClan warriors. We'll most likely work in groups of three," she began.
            Hazelstar scanned the crowd, looking at her captives.
            "Once again, toms and she-cats will be split up. Rosecloud, Lavenderwhisker, and Hollybreeze, step forward."
            The three she-cats obeyed her orders.
            "Bloodfur," Hazelstar snapped.
            Slowly, the she-cat made her way out of the crowd, bowing to her leader.
            "You've proved well in the past. Show these she-cats how to be true warriors," she commanded.
            "Yes, Hazelstar," Bloodfur gulped. "Follow me now, she-cats!"
            The she-cats looked back at their mates before following. Then, they headed off.
            Hazelstar looked at the the rest of her captives. Five toms. They'd have to be split up.
            "Chesnuttail and Cloudfoot, step forward."
            The two toms did, staring up at Hazelstar.
            "Bone," she growled.
            The tom padded forward, his emerald green eyes staring at the two captives.
            "You remember these two traitors very well, correct?"
            "Yes, Hazelstar," Bone growled.
            "Then I trust you to teach them well. Now go!" she yowled, watching as they ran off.
            The last cats that remained were Rainwhisker, Treestep, and Chesnutfang. She would easily find someone to mentor them.
            "All right, you three. Your mentor will be Shard," she commanded.
            The gray tom looked shocked that she would pick him, but he stepped forward and bowed.
            "This way, kittypets," he laughed maliciously. Then, the toms went off.
            "Fire!" Hazelstar yowled.
            The ginger tom padded forward.
            "Yes?"
            "Go get Crystal to organize guards. I want five guarding each group. Three guarding the apprentices. Now go!" she yowled.
            The tom nodded and ran off, leaving the camp empty like it had before. Cats stood guarded while others hunted or did patrols. A few were to bring food and water to the rogue camp nearby.
            "At last, peace," she purred. She knew Tigerstripe and Jetfur still had to be found, but she would wait and relax a little bit before getting into that mess. No, right now she needed peace.
            An ear-splitting yowl rang through the air, and Hazelstar growled.
            "What now?"
            "MY KITS ARE COMING!" Snowflake yowled.
            It was true. Hazelstar had sent her to the nursery the previous night as she was getting fairly big and would deliver soon.
            Hazelstar looked around, knowing they had no medicine cat.
            "Screechshade!" she yowled.
            The brown she-cat padded forward. Her stomach too was beginning to look plump.
            "What?"
            "Help me deliver Snowflake's kits."
            "I'm not a medicine cat," she growled.
            "No, but we don't have any! Peach, Cherry, come help with your sister!" she yowled at the two ginger she-cats.
            The three followed Hazelstar into the nursery where Snowflake yowled in pain, her eyes red from crying.
            "Grab a stick," Hazelstar instructed to Screechshade.
            The she-cat stuck one in Snowflake's mouth.
            "Bite when the pain comes," Hazelstar told her. She remembered sitting in the woods when she had given birth to Treestep. It had been painful, though she had remembered how births had been done in FoxClan, and that had helped.
            "It'll be okay," Peach told her sister, coaxing her.
            "Where's Shard?" Snowflake asked.
            "Training. He'll see the kits later," Hazelstar growled. "That means you'll most likely be naming them."
            "But shouldn't he choose too?"
            "He won't return until evening, now push!" Hazelstar growled.
            Snowflake yowled as the first kit was born. The first was a white tom. Quickly, Cherry pushed the tom towards his mother where he began to suckle.
            "Is that all?" she asked.
            Screechshade felt Snowflake's belly. "I don't think so."
            Snowflake groaned, crying out in pain as the second kit was born. It was a she-cat, her pelt a bright white like her mother's and brother's.
            "One more," Screechshade told Snowflake. "You're doing great."
            "Oh, shut up!" she growled, yowling as the last kit was born. Hazelstar watched as a tumble of gray fur slid onto the moss. It was a gray she-cat, resembling her father.
            "You're done," Screechshade told Snowflake.
            "Thank goodness," Snowflake breathed, licking her three kits. "Two she-cats and a tom," she purred.
            "Congratulations," Cherry purred.
            "Yes, yes, it's all good fun. Cherry, Peach, back to work. You too, Screechshade. I'll take care of the naming business with Snowflake," Hazelstar instructed.
            "Whatever you say, Hazelstar," Screechshade said, exiting the den.
            Hazelstar turned back to Snowflake who smiled at her kits.
            "Have you decided names?"
            Snowflake frowned. "It feels wrong naming them without Shard."
            "He'll be fine."
            "I think I'll give them clan names," Snowflake said, looking up at Hazelstar.
            "All right. Clan names it is. Do you have any?"
            Snowflake thought for a moment. "The white tom can be Wolfkit," she said, licking her only son.
            "And the white she-cat...Arctickit," she said. "She reminds me of myself," she giggled.
            Hazelstar rolled her eyes. "What about the gray she-cat?"
            "Graykit," Snowflake decided.
            "How creative," Hazelstar groaned. "Well, Shard will see them after training. Congrats."
            She then exited the den, going into the her den to rest.
            When evening did fall, the word spread fast that Snowflake had given birth. Shard padded into camp quickly, rushing to the nursery to see his new kits. Rainwhisker, Treestep, and Chesnutfang were escorted by guards behind them, their pelts coated in dried blood. It had most likely been a rough day.
            Hazelstar stood put in the center of the camp, watching as other cats made their way back. The she-cats were not as beat up, but they did have scratches, and it looked like a chip of Hollybreeze's ear was missing.
            The three tom apprentices followed behind, dragging their feet behind them. At the sight of their mothers, they ran to them in tears.
            Following behind was Chesnuttail and Cloudfoot. Cloudfoot didn't seem too beat up, but Chesnuttail had an awful wound on his leg.
            The two she-cat apprentices followed behind, having the least amount of scratches. Still, they seemed tired and exhausted.
            Hazelstar watched as the captives gathered back in their den, probably hating the idea of returning to training the next day.
            You'll suffer just like I did, Hazelstar thought before entering her den to rest.