The Dawn of Night | A Warriors Fanfiction ✔

Chapter 13

Moonpaw sighed. She had spent the last quarter-moon taking and cleaning out the elders' bedding. It had been tiring, but at least Buttonweasel had kept her somewhat entertained with his crazy stories. He had told her about the "Great Mouse Famine"- one of his most famous stories - and how apprentices had to eat elder's ticks as a punishment "back in his days." He also related on how he used to be a great fighter and hunter.

Her mind snapped back to the present. She was out hunting - or was meant to be - and had only caught a small, skinny mouse. Only a mouthful - or not even that. She shook her head crossly and trotted back to camp. She dropped her catch on the fresh-kill pile and padded to the medicine den. She popped her head inside the den.

"Emberfur?" she asked. The tortoiseshell she-cat turned from sorting herbs. The sweet and tangy scent of them drifted toward the apprentice.

"Yes? Oh hi, Moonpaw. Come for your herbs?" the medicine cat asked.

Moonpaw nodded. "Yes, thank you." Emberfur handed her the usual - a bundle of coltsfoot - and returned to her sorting. Moonpaw trudged out of the den and stared around the clearing, wondering what to do. Duskkit, Darkkit, Beaverkit, and Scarkit were playing outside the nursery with Littlerose, their mother. The kits were growing fast, and would have to be apprenticed in a few moons. They tumbled around the grass, pouncing on a dead leaf. Their squeals of excitement drifted towards her. She padded towards them.

"Hi," she mewed. The kits stopped and looked up at her.

"It's an apprentice!" Beaverkit, the smallest of the litter, squeaked. "A real apprentice!" His brother, Darkkit, cuffed him playfully over the ear.

"Well, yea. ThunderClan does have apprentices. And we'll be ones soon!" His eyes lit up. Scarkit pushed between them. He was the biggest of the four, and his ears twitched.

"We better grow up, kits," he huffed. "Or you three, I should say. I'll bet Maplestar makes me an apprentice before you because I'm so big and strong compared to you runts!" Littlerose gently pawed at him.

"Oh really?" Her eyes glittered in amusement.

"Scarkit's being bossy again!" Duskkit whined. "You should tell him off!"

Litterose laughed softly. "Alright. Scarkit, be nice!"

"Fine." He rolled his eyes. Moonpaw let her attention drift to the elders' den. She trotted over and pushed inside. I'll just listen to one of Buttonweasel's crazy stories, she thought.

"Well hello, young 'un," Buttonweasel rasped. The wall-eyed tom was sitting in his nest, his oddly pointed nose buried in his shaggy brown pelt. His head lifted, and he popped a tick between his teeth. Then he swallowed it. It took every ounce of willpower for Moonpaw to not comment or screw up her face in disgust.

"Hi, Buttonweasel," she meowed.

"Come for another about Buttonweasel the Great and Powerful?" he asked.

Moonpaw shrugged, positioning herself to sit in front of him. "Sure."

"Right," he began. "So the Great Mouse Famine wiped out every Clan cat in the forest except the Clan leaders."

"But you're still here," Moonpaw pointed out. "And the other elders." Buttonweasel glanced at Littlestripe and Windpelt.

"Well - they were lucky," he muttered. Then his expression brightened. He nodded. "Yes, yes, only the Clan leaders, and I of course, survived. Well, let's leave Littlestripe and Windpelt out of the picture." The other elders grunted in agreement.

"I was a very, very strong and valued cat, so I couldn't die," Buttonweasel went on. "No, wait, I did die, but StarClan granted me nine lives. Plus, they didn't want me so they sent me to ThunderClan this time."

"Right," Moonpaw muttered. "This time?"

"Oh, yes, yes. RiverClan was the best. And I was the very best swimmer and fisher." He puffed his chest out proudly.

"You can swim?"

"Oh, sure, It's easy! Good for the soul, ya' know."

"Um, okay."

"Yes! Anyways, in RiverClan there was a Great Fish Famine! Wiped me and many other clean away! Oh, then StarClan was amazing! So many faithful Buttonweasels who perished..." He sniffed sadly for dramatic effect.

"WindClan favored me over every other cat in the forest. I became their deputy, ya'know. The Great Hare Famine wiped the old deputy off his paws. I saw him back when I was ShadowClan's medicine cat. Such a friendly cat, he was. I was a great medicine cat, one of the best. For example, catmint is used for deep gashes on the legs. Wonder if Emberfur knows that one, hm?

"My Twolegs loved me. I fought bravely with them and beat off the giant frog single-pawed. It would have eaten them! Ooh! That reminds me of the Great Frog Famine that almost wiped out the ShadowClan population. I hunted for them and saved the whole Clan all on my own. But then a snake bit my tail, and I died saving ShadowClan. And then I was reincarnated as a mouse in ThunderClan. Then I dreamt my way to StarClan and said, 'Bring back the mouses for ThunderClan! They need mouses again!' And good 'ol StarClan listened to my prayers that I prayed in StarClan. They brought mice back and gave me yet a new life in ThunderClan where I once again became a faithful deputy. Then Maplestar had to come along and kick me out as deputy!" He snorted.

"But she's a good leader. Although, she does make me sleep in this smelly den." He sniffed and screwed his face up in disgust. "Must be you, young 'un. Ah, and I'm very pleased to say that I decided to save the Clans from the Butterfly, Shrew, Lizard, and Minnow Famines..."

"Very nice, Buttonweasel," Moonpaw sighed.

He nodded. "And then I met this lovely she-hare. She was so lovely that I decided not to kill and eat her. So I brought her back to camp and we played together. But then... she had two jackalopes. I asked, 'who's their fa-'"

"Moonpaw!" Swiftclaw called into the den. "Time for training!"

"Oh, good timing!" She hurried out of the den. But as she was leaving, she heard Buttonweasel telling Littlestripe the rest of his tale.

"Their father was a deer!" he meowed as Moonpaw hurried outside.

"We'll be battle training," Swiftclaw announced. Moonpaw nodded as they headed for the training hollow. But as they were trotting towards the hollow, Moonpaw couldn't but imagine what jackalopes looked like. I'll have to ask him, she decided. What is a jackalope...?