Chapter 6: StormClan
Two moons had passed since Leafpool’s kitting, and the birth of StormClan. Lionkit, Hollykit, Jaykit, and Breezekit were all healthy and happy. It was the young Clan’s sorrow to see that Jaykit would never see them. He was born blind. Leafpool wondered if StarClan was punishing her because of her love for Crowfeather, but she had no intention of asking, as Spottedleaf hadn’t spoken to her in two moons.
The personalities of her four kits became evident very quickly. Lionkit was the warrior, the fighter, the boaster. He acted noble and courageous, and he had a very strong sense of justice. Hollykit was the thinker, and she always looked before she leaped and anticipated every consequence for every action she took. Jaykit was the surly one, and he had a very sharp tongue, just like his aunt. Despite his blindness, his senses of smell and hearing were astounding. Breezekit was exactly like his father: sour-tongued, quick-tempered, and completely loyal to those dear to him.
Otis, Stormy, and Raindrop had recently reached their sixth moon. Otis and Stormy took an intense liking to brave Lionkit, smart Hollykit, and determined Breezekit. Raindrop took more of an interest in Jaykit. She didn’t treat him like everyone else. She didn’t sugarcoat things or help him excessively. Because of this and his yearning to be independent, Jaykit was fast friends with Raindrop.
Sasha, Crowfeather, and Sparrow were training Cody lucklessly. The kittypet had no fighting instinct whatsoever. Leafpool couldn’t see the plucky tabby ever becoming a warrior. However, Cody was incredibly loyal to the Clan. Leafpool would never throw her out because she couldn’t fight. The issue was something to be on Leafpool’s mind for a while.
Crowfeather and Leafpool were sharing tongues one lazy evening. The smaller kits were tussling, with the three older kits watching in amusement and calling out advice.
“Bite her tail, Lionkit!”
“Show your brother whose smartest, Hollykit!”
“Jaykit, you can find Lionkit easy, because he’s the one who fell asleep where everyone makes their dirt!” crowed Raindrop.
“I did no-” Lionkit’s protest ended in a sharp squeak as Jaykit bit down hard on his tail.
“Don’t you think Raindrop would be a good medicine cat?” Leafpool asked Crowfeather softly, so the kits wouldn’t hear.
Crowfeather’s ears pricked in surprise, telling Leafpool that he apparently hadn’t given much thought to StormClan’s hierarchy.
“Won’t you want to be medicine cat?” he asked.
“Of course. But I’ll need an apprentice,” she mewed. “Raindrop has the smarts and the attitude.”
“As does Cody,” considered Crowfeather. “I can tell right now she won’t be any good as a warrior.”
“We can’t throw her out!” Leafpool protested hotly.
Crowfeather blinked. “Of course not. But she can’t exactly be an elder, now can she?”
Leafpool frowned. “No. She could stay in the nursery.”
“She isn’t having kits,” blinked Crowfeather.
Leafpool rolled her eyes. “We had a permanent queen back in ThunderClan. Daisy, that cream-colored she-cat from the Horseplace. She couldn’t be a warrior, so she stayed in the nursery. Who knows? Maybe Cody will find a mate someday.”
“Lionkit or Breezekit, maybe,” joked Crowfeather. Leafpool knew how realistic that was; if StormClan didn’t pick up any more rogues or loners, their three tomkits were the only toms Cody could really mate with.
“I think we should figure stuff out today,” decided Leafpool firmly. “Who do you think our leader will be? You?” she suggested.
Crowfeather wrinkled his nose. “I don’t plan on it.”
Leafpool was tempted to ask why, but she didn’t. Instead, she leaped atop the highest pile of hay she could find and yowled, “May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Haypile for a Clan meeting!”
All the cats aside from Crowfeather looked mystified, but they soon grouped beneath the pile dubbed the Haypile and sat, looking curious.
“This is StormClan’s very first meeting,” meowed Leafpool, “and I think we should straighten some things out.” She then proceeded to describe all the classes: kit, apprentice, warrior, queen, elder, medicine cat, deputy, and leader.
“I think Hollykit could be our first elder,” recommended Lionkit with a straight face.
“You’ll be an elder by the time I get done with you,” hissed Hollykit with sharp green eyes.
Jaykit backed up Hollykit. “If she’s an elder, Lionkit, then you’re an elder too.”
“Anyway,” Leafpool swept on, “I think it’s high time we all had our names.”
“But we do have our names,” piped up Stormy, her eyes wide.
“She means warrior names, mousebrain,” meowed Otis, nudging his sister with broad shoulders.
“May Sparrow, Moss, Cody, and Sasha step forward.”
The four grown cats did as they were bid. Leafpool leaped from the Haypile. Standing a few paw steps in front of them, she lifted her head to the ceiling of the bran. Above where she stood, a hole yawned in the barn’s roof, and a determined shaft of sunlight arched down and set their pelts alight.
“I, Leafpool, medicine cat and mentor to StormClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these four cats. They have the courage and loyalty and faith required of all Clan cats, and they have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code. I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.” She looked at each of them, staring into eyes of yellow, green, and blue. “Sparrow, Moss, Sasha, and Cody, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?”
The cats hesitated, and Crowfeather whispered to them, “Say, ‘I do.’”
“I do,” replied Sparrow steadily.
“I do,” Moss echoed her mate.
“I do,” Sasha mewed.
“I do,” answered Cody.
“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Sparrow, from this moment you will be known as Sparrowheart. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StormClan.” Leafpool stepped forward and rested her muzzle on Sparrowheart’s head.
“Lick her shoulder,” whispered Crowfeather. Sparrowheart did so, and he stepped back, his yellow eyes shining.
“Moss, from this moment you will be known as Mossflower. StarClan honors your loyalty and your wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StormClan.”
As Mossflower stepped back, she added to Leafpool, “I’m proud to be a warrior, but for the next few moons, I will be a queen.” She went to stand beside Sparrowheart, her eyes bright and proud. Leafpool purred. Mossflower was expecting kits!
“Sasha, from this moment you will be known as Tawnyblaze. StarClan honors your courage and your ferocity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StormClan.”
The former rogue looked almost dazed as she stooped to lick Leafpool’s shoulder, and she quickly joined Sparrowheart and Mossflower.
At last Leafpool came to Cody. The kittypet was trembling with fear and excitement as Leafpool meowed, “Cody, from this moment, you will be known as Fawnstep. StarClan honors your loyalty and thoughtfulness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Stor-”
“Wait.”
Leafpool blinked as Fawnstep mewed, “I’m very proud to be a StormClan cat. I would never wish to leave, but... I don’t think I can be a warrior.”
“You could be a queen,” suggested Leafpool.
“But I’m not expecting kits,” mewed Fawnstep, confused.
“You don’t have to be. You can keep Mossflower company, and you can help care for the Clan’s kits. It’s a very important job, and I know you can do it,” meowed Leafpool.
Fawnstep paused for a long moment, her blue eyes narrow slits. “Of course. I would love to do that.”
“It’s settled then. We welcome you as a permanent queen of StormClan.” Leafpool lay her head on her old friend’s, and Fawnstep rasped her tongue over her shoulder.
“Can we be apprentices? Can we be apprentices?” chirped Otis and Stormy in perfect unison.
Leafpool sighed, but she still mewed, “Otis, Stormy, and Raindrop have reached their sixth moon. It is time they were made apprentices. Otis, from this moment, you will be known as Sunpaw. Crowfeather, you are ready for your first apprentice. You will be Sunpaw’s mentor.”
Surprised pleasure glowed in Crowfeather’s azure eyes as Sunpaw scampered toward him.
“Pass on all the skills you learned from Mud- er, from WindClan to this young apprentice.” Leafpool avoided saying Mudclaw’s name. The tom had been Crowfeather’s mentor, but Mudclaw had been a traitor to WindClan as well.
“It’s my pleasure,” meowed Crowfeather, not even acknowledging Leafpool’s faux pas. Sunpaw bounced excitedly by his mentor’s side.
“Stormy, from this moment, you will be known as Stormpaw. Tawnyblaze, you are ready for your first apprentice. You have had an especially hard rogue’s life, but from your suffering, you have become very strong. Teach Stormpaw all your know, and pass on your skills to her.”
“I’ll do my best,” meowed Tawnyblaze, her blue eyes unusually soft on Stormpaw as the she-cat trotted to her side.
“Raindrop, from this moment you will be known as Rainpaw. It has come to my attention that you possess all the necessary skills to become medicine cat. Would you like to become my apprentice?” asked Leafpool. She hoped that the beautiful young she-cat would agree; she had the temperament and patience of a medicine cat.
Rainpaw’s eyes were filled with regret, but no uncertainty. “Leafpool, I’m honored, but I don’t think I should be medicine cat.”
Disappointment flooded over Leafpool. “Why is that?”
Rainpaw shrugged. “I have a choice.”
“I don’t follow,” mewed Leafpool, deeply confused.
“I would love to be a medicine cat. But I know that there is a cat here who doesn’t have the choice between warrior apprentice and medicine cat apprentice.”
“Who is that?”
Rainpaw looked deep into Leafpool’s eyes, her words steady and strong. “Jaykit.”
There was a very tense, fragile silence. This kind of taciturnity happened often, whenever Jaykit’s blindness came into conversation.
Jaykit was speechless. His gray tabby fur was bristling, and his sightless blue eyes were hot and radiating fury.
“Mouse dung to that!” he spat. “I’m not going to be a medicine cat, I’m going to be a warrior!”
Fawnstep and Mossflower exchanged a long, sad look that made Leafpool’s heart ache. All the cats present knew Jaykit would never be a warrior. Except-
“Jaykit doesn’t want to be a medicine cat!” meowed Lionkit.
“He wants to be a warrior,” added Hollykit, standing protectively beside her brother.
“He can scent and hear better than any of us!” Breezekit hissed, his little black pelt starting to stand on end.
“But-” started Stormpaw.
“But nothing!” hissed Lionkit. “Let Jaykit do what he wants!”
“Jaykit.”
Tawnyblaze left Stormpaw’s side and went to stand before Jaykit. She had to bend down, but she put her face exceptionally close to the little tabby’s. “Do you have courage?”
Jaykit blinked. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Answer my question.” Tawnyblaze’s voice was quiet, but full of steely firmness.
“Yes,” Jaykit mewed.
“Then you can adapt.”
“What’s adapt?” Jaykit was confused.
“Adapt... means to adjust to what destiny has in store for us.”
Jaykit’s blind eyes widened as he caught the meaning of what the former rogue was saying. “No! I’m not going to be a medicine cat!”
“Jaykit-”
“No! You can’t change my mind! What do you know about being blind?”
Tawnyblaze took a very deep breath. “You’re right. I’m not blind. I can see, as I have my whole life since I was born. But I have had to adjust to things you can’t even imagine.”
“Like I care. It doesn’t make any difference to being blind,” growled Jaykit rudely.
“Do you really think that?” Tawnyblaze’s voice was angry. “I was blind, just not in the way you are.”
“What do you mean?” demanded Jaykit.
“As you said before, you don’t care. So why should I waste my time explaining things to a kit who has no courage?” Tawnyblaze said very quietly, and all the ice in her gaze was frozen over in her words.
“I have courage!” snapped Jaykit, his tail poofing up. “That’s why I want to be a warrior!”
“Not just warriors own courage,” hissed Tawnyblaze. “Do you think any less of Mossflower because she will soon bear kits? Do you think any less of Sunpaw and Stormpaw because they are only apprentices? What about Rainpaw? You know, she’s trying to give you a choice because you have no other alternative. What about your mother? She’s a medicine cat. Does that make her any less courageous than Sparrowheart or me? And Fawnstep. She realizes that the path of the warrior is not hers to trod. Is she a coward?”
“No-”
“Apparently so! What do you think courage is?”
“Courage...” Jaykit narrowed his eyes in thought, “is being able to ignore pain.”
“Not ignore it, withstand it. Do you have any idea how much pain a queen feels when she’s kitting? You never will. Mossflower is very courageous because she will stand through the pain to bring new life into the world. Fawnstep may soon experience the same.”
“What would you know about kitting?” demanded Jaykit. “You never had kits!”
“I have too!” snapped Tawnyblaze. “And I’ll never see them again!”
There was another silence, this one shocked and filled with surprise, just like Jaykit’s round blue eyes.
“Tadpole is dead. And Hawkfrost and Mothwing are far away,” murmured Tawnyblaze. “I... I’ll never see them again.”
Jaykit was stiff-legged, his face frozen in a shocked expression. “I’m... I’m sorry...”
“It’s fine.” Tawnyblaze turned away from him, her eyes filled with pain and grief and long-sealed wounds scratched open and raw. “It’s not your fault.”
There was a little more silence, and then Leafpool awkwardly moved on. “So it is your wish to train as a warrior apprentice?” she asked Rainpaw.
There was a hint of regret in Rainpaw’s eyes, but no hesitation. “Yes, it is.”
“Then...” Leafpool frowned slightly. Tawnyblaze and Crowfeather, the most experienced of the cats there, were assigned to Sunpaw and Stormpaw. Leafpool would have loved to have taken Rainpaw, but the gray apprentice had a valid point; it was either the medicine den or the elders’ den for Jaykit. Mossflower was a queen, as was Fawnstep, so the last cat able was Sparrowheart. Typically a cat would not be assigned their kin as a mentor, as the mentor may go too easy on them, but as there were no other alternatives...
“Sparrowheart, you are ready for an apprentice. You will take Rainpaw. Train her in all the skills you learned as a rogue. Normally, the mentor can not be the father or mother of the apprentice, but I think we can make an exception in this case.”
Sparrowheart chuckled. “Don’t worry, Leafpool, I won’t go easy on this one,” he meowed, shooting a glance at his daughter.
“With that being said,” continued Leafpool, “I think it’s time that we left the barn.”
Shock filled the air.
“Leave the barn?” Sunpaw’s voice was a high-pitched squeak.
“Mossflower is due to have her kits in two moons!” protested Sparrowheart. “We can’t leave now.”
“And the kits are too young to travel,” added Fawnstep.
“Are you sure we should leave now?” Crowfeather mewed, a touch of uncertainty in his azure eyes.
Leafpool blinked in surprise. She had been bent on leaving the barn today, but Crowfeather’s doubt made her stop and think.
“I say we should go,” voiced Tawnyblaze unexpectedly. The former rogue’s eyes were clear and bright, unshadowed by the breakdown earlier. “The longer we wait, the worse it could get.”
“Leaf-bare will roll around soon,” meowed Rainpaw. “We should go before it gets cold.”
“Why should we leave before leaf-bare?” challenged Sparrowheart. “It would seem logical to stay until newleaf. Mossflower would have had her kits, and Leafpool’s kits would be old enough to travel easily.”
“But Mossflower’s kits will be the same age these kits are,” argued Tawnyblaze.
“If we leave during newleaf, it will be warm,” mewed Fawnstep.
“But-” started Leafpool, when the soft scent of wildflowers wreathed itself around her.
Leafpool... the voice of Spottedleaf ruffled the fur around her ears, you can persuade them to come with you. Your faith in StarClan is as strong as ever.
But they don’t believe in StarClan! Leafpool protested.
Anyone can learn, Spottedleaf insisted. Tell them that within a moon’s walk, there will be a barn, warm and cozy as a fox’s den, even safer than this one. Two cats will wait for you, and they will have a story to tell you.
Is this true? asked Leafpool.
Would I lie to you?
No, Leafpool thought. Aloud she said, “We would only have to travel a moon. There’s a barn waiting for us, warmer and safer than this one. Mossflower could have her kits there, and-”
“How do you know?” demanded Sparrowheart. “Have you been to this barn before? Do you know the way?”
“Um...” Leafpool wasn’t exactly sure if Spottedleaf was speaking of Ravenpaw’s barn or a different one. Either way, she didn’t know where to start. Spottedleaf, a little help, please?
“I’m always here, little one...” Spottedleaf’s voice reverberated once, twice, thrice outloud...
The stars that shined their light through the hole in the roof of the barn moved. They slowly came together before the cats’ stupefied eyes and came to settle on the barn loft in the form of four cats whose pelts glistened with starlight and the scents of night.
The tortoiseshell shape of Spottedleaf was first to step forward. “Greetings, cats of StormClan,” she meowed, her voice as soft and beautiful as honey. “I am Spottedleaf, former medicine cat of ThunderClan, Leafpool’s former Clan.”
A blue-gray-pelted cat stepped forward next. Her blue eyes shone as she mewed, “I am Bluestar, former leader of ThunderClan.”
“My name is Tallstar, formerly leader of WindClan, Crowfeather’s previous Clan,” meowed a black-and-white tom with a very long tail.
The last cat to step forward made Leafpool’s head swim with too many emotions to contain at once. Relieved happiness, guilty anguish, shocked grief, and the love a cat can only give to her mentor.
“Cinderpelt!” she breathed as the gray she-cat limped forward on the only good three legs she possessed.
“Leafpool...” crooned the gray medicine cat. “You didn’t think I would leave you, did you?”
Leafpool rushed forward, disregarding the fact that all the StormClan cats were watching, and pressed her nose into Cinderpelt’s starry shoulder. “Oh, Cinderpelt, I missed you so much! I-”
That was when Leafpool realized that Cinderpelt was here.
“Wait, what-”
“Relax, Leafpool.” Cinderpelt stroked the tabby with her star-filled tail. “I knew I was going to die, even before you fled the Clans.”
“But-but, who is ThunderClan’s medicine cat?” whimpered Leafpool. “Cinderpelt, you should have let me know! You should have made me stay!”
“Leafpool, calm down,” purred Bluestar. “Brightheart is taking over for right now. She knows most of the herbs, and she will pass them on to the new medicine cat apprentice.”
“Who is that?” asked Leafpool, trembling.
“Cinderkit, Sorreltail’s daughter,” mewed Spottedleaf. “When she becomes old enough, I will teach her everything Brightheart doesn’t and can’t know. ThunderClan is taken care of.”
“But what happened?” demanded Leafpool. Crowfeather came to stand beside her, laying his tail reassuringly over her shoulders.
“We were attacked by badgers, not long after you left,” mewed Cinderpelt. “Sootfur was killed, and I died when a badger broke into the nursery when I was delivering Sorreltail’s kits.”
“How is Squirrelflight?” asked Leafpool. “What about Firestar? And Sandstorm?”
“Everyone is fine,” soothed Bluestar. “Stormfur and Brook are there helping. Squirrelflight is together with Brambleclaw again.”
This surprised Leafpool. “What about Ashfur?”
Worry shadowed the StarClan cats’ eyes for a heartbeat, but they didn’t answer.
“It is good to know you are well,” Tallstar addressed the former WindClan tom and his mate. “And your kits are very beautiful. WindClan will be overjoyed to hear you are safe.”
“Not all of them,” muttered Crowfeather. Leafpool knew not all of his Clanmates would care for the news of his safety. He did, after all, abandon the Clans for the ThunderClan medicine cat.
“The cats who count, then,” meowed Tallstar. He turned to look at Leafpool. “Never forget that StarClan walks with you still. We may not always be there, but we will when we are needed. We will pass on the news to your Clanmates.”
“Be brave!” meowed Bluestar. Both of the former leaders faded away, but the ThunderClan medicine cats remained for a few moments longer.
“Remember, little one,” Spottedleaf mewed, winding around Leafpool, “that we shall always love you.”
“We would never abandon you in your hour of need,” added Cinderpelt.
“Like I did,” mewed Leafpool sadly.
“You followed your heart. That is expected of every Clan cat.” And with that, Spottedleaf and Cinderpelt faded away.
Stunned, Leafpool turned back to her Clan. Eyes of every color were round and stupefied.
“Now,” Sparrowheart mewed briskly, “where are we going to find that barn?”
This chapter was very long. I'm proud of it~! :D I also had fun coming up with the names, and I love writing the naming ceremonies. <3