Chapter Text
The distant sound of the crashing waves filled Icechase’s ears as the medicine cat lounged on the warm rocks in the middle of the camp. His breathing was slow as he body relaxed and focused on Amberkit's hushed meows and shallow snoring of Shardpaw as the young she-cat napped right next to him. Normally he would find her presence a bit troublesome as she was always causing messes around him but this morning was a pretty quiet one with her. He assumed it was because of a small argument she had with her mother over something trivial recently. Both she-cats were known for their big emotions that they bottle up, so the two needed some time apart. Which Icechase could understand but he knew that eventually the two would settle their differences and come back together.
It was something that the white tom envied a bit, especially with Chaffinchkit. The tom kit was usually very docile but had grown more bolder as the days counted down to when he would become an apprentice. Icechase tried to keep him in check as he would usually do but the kit had started snapping at him in a way that caught him off guard. In a way that made the tom wonder if he had been a decent parental figure in recent moons. Sure, most of the white kit’s time was spent around cats like Rainpelt and Archbranch due to their skills and stories they had but Icechase was always in the camp taking care of him and Amberkit when the warriors were away on patrol. Though something told the medicine cat that that was probably the reason why Chaffinchkit wanted a break away from him. That was the only reason that Icechase could think of and he was slowly accepting it. Chaffinchkit wouldn’t stay a kit forever and wouldn’t always need him. A hard truth but Icechase was always one for the truth, even if it hurt.
A low huff left the pale tom before a loud yowl broke the silence in the camp. He looked up to see Oakstar perched up on his rock with Sporespirit just below him as he called for a clan meeting. The medicine cat nudged Amberkit and Shardpaw awake before padding over to take his place next to the deputy. She gave him a welcoming purr before the two turned their attention to Oakstar.
“Good morning, everyone, on this wonderful sunny day of Greenleaf, I have decided it time for one particular cat who has come of age to become an apprentice. Chaffinchkit, will you step forward” spoke Oakstar, looking over the cluster of clan cats below.
Icechase glanced around as he spotted the white kit scrabbled to the front of the small crowd, his two toned eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Chaffinchkit, you have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be an apprentice. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Chaffinchpaw,” stated Oakstar, ‘Your mentor will be Sporespirit, I hope she will pass down all she knows on to you”
The dark gray and white she-cat stepped forward to stand beside Chaffinchpaw, turning back to look up at the dark ginger tom.
“Sporespirit, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have proven yourself worthy of a very important responsibility by showing that you hold the ability to be both confident and caring. You will be the mentor of Chaffinchpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him” uttered the tabby.
Sporespirit purred in acknowledgement before touching noses with the eager Chaffinchpaw. The small tom could barely keep himself still as he looked up at his new mentor with pride.
“With the guidance of your mentors, clanmates, and Starclan, we wish this apprentice well on his path in becoming a great warrior” finished Oakstar.
Happy cheers rang from the crowd as they cheered Chaffinchpaw’s name. A soft smile graced Icechase’s face as he watched the small tom cat be tackled by his fellow apprentices in joy. Sporespirit just chuckled at their antics before nudging them off him. She gave an affection lick to Shardpaw’s ear as she began explaining the training she would start giving to the young tom.
As the medicine cat watched, he felt Oakstar appear at his side. The mackerel tabby rubbed his cheek against Icechase’s shoulder in a friendly manner.
“Are you doing alright?” he asked.
“Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?” retorted Icechase, as his eyes met Oakstar’s cyan ones.
“Because your son just became an apprentice” uttered Oakstar, rolling his eyes.
“Well, he was the son of-” stated Icechase, before Oakstar covered his mouth with his tail.
“You took him in, he is your son,” he chuckled, “don’t be so humble”
Icechase scoffed as he swatted the leader’s tail away before looking back over at Chaffinchpaw. He was wrestling with Shardpaw before the two were called off by their respective mentors who were standing by the path leaving out the camp. The medicine cat stood up from his sitting position but stopped himself. It had become instinct for him to make sure the kits didn’t leave the camp. Yet he slowly sat back down as Chaffinchpaw disappeared up the path and out of camp. His ears folded back slightly as he looked down at the ground. A low rumble emitted from his throat as he clawed at the soft dirt. The leader let out a comforting murmur as he rubbed his nose against his cheek.
-Patrol One-
The brushing of grass against Rowandrizzle’s pelt caused a slight annoyance to the dark gray tom, as he pushed it aside with his tail, as he led his patrol further out north of their territory. Houndpaw padded beside him on his right while Rainpelt and Apexpad followed behind the two. The two toms seemed to be whispering to themselves. Well mostly the spotted young tom was trying to make small talk with the dark brown tabby, but Apexpad didn’t seem into chatting with him. Rowandrizzle just shook his head slightly as he glanced over his shoulder at the two.
The former kittypet had settled decently within the clan in Rowandrizzle’ eyes but he could see the hint of jealousy at times when it came to the other warriors, especially a young cat like Rainpelt. Which was understandable but a bit silly. Rainpelt had been raised and taught the skills that he knew all his life but he wasn’t perfect. He still made mistakes that would usually be excused if he was still an apprentice. He was still growing and learning as a warrior just as Apexpad was. Rowandrizzle wished he could tell the tom cat that but didn’t know how to bring it up at the moment. He’ll just need to find time for it whenever they return to camp after their patrol.
As the patrol crossed over a fallen tree, Rowandrizzle noticed Houndpaw’s ears perked upwards and the black fur on his back raised up as he landed on the other side. The small tom nudged him as he looked up at him with wide eyes and shrunken pupils.
“Do you smell that?” he asked.
Rowandrizzle gave his apprentice a curious look before tilting his head up into the air as his ears rotated. A sharp hiss escaped the dark tom as his own pelt bristled in defense.
“There are other cats nearby” reported Rowandrizzle, commanding Apexpad and Rainpelt to stop moving.
The patrol of toms stood silently for a moment before the dark gray tom walked further into the clearing they stood in. He swiftly turned his head to a thorny bush. It shifted and shook about before a pale cream pelted cat emerged from it. She shook out the burrs that clinged to her fur before her blue eyes flashed open as she met with Rowandrizzle’s emerald ones. Behind her emerged four other cats, outnumbering the Oatclan patrol by one. Both of the patrol of cats stood at a stand still, as tension and hostility began to thicken between them. Rowandrizzle felt Houndpaw stand close to him with his ears pointed back as he took a defensive stance. He stepped in front of his apprentice to keep him from making a brash move. He cleared his throat before speaking.
“Hello there,” he spoke, hesitantly, “who are you all?”
“Um, hi, I’m Sungrass we are a patrol from Shrubclan” slowly replied the cream she-cat, glancing over her shoulder as a large white she-cat appeared at her side, “We were just coming to mark our borders”
“Ah, well I’m Rowandrizzle and we are from Oatclan doing the same, '' claimed the tom cat, nodding to Apexpad and Rainpelt who stood on his left.
“Another clan” spoke the white she-cat, her voice wary.
“Yes, we haven’t seen other clans cats in a moon” nodded Rowandrizzle.
“Interesting, we didn’t think there was a clan towards the salty waters” hummed Sungrass.
“We didn’t know there were any cats further to the forest but we hadn’t thought to come north too often” stated Rowandrizzle, who took a small step forward.
“Well now you know so don’t try expanding any further, this is our territory and you’ll stay on your side if you know what's good for you” snapped the white cat, stepping infront of her clanmate,
“Fallowjaw” hissed Sungrass, warningly.
“We wouldn’t even want to,” interjected Houndpaw, who tried to step up to her.
“Houndpaw” warned Rowandrizzle, pulling his apprentice to his side.
Houndpaw fluffed up his fur as he glared at Fallowjaw. She glared back as she bared her teeth at him.
“She was just making a point” corrected Rowandrizzle queitly, stepping up to put distance between the young tom and she-cat, “Even so, we should keep our marks on the other side of this tree”
“That would be for the best” replied the Sungrass, giving an apologetic look as she nudged her companion to the side.
The dark gray tom just nodded before turning away to usher his patrol back to the other side of the fallen tree, though he had to pull Houndpaw as the young tom was still giving a nasty look to Fallowjaw on the opposite patrol. Once on the other side, the white she-cat exchanged quiet words with a small tortoiseshell before they started marking their side. Rowandrizzle gave the Bushclan patrol a final glance before leading his patrol back through the grass. Houndpaw followed a little further behind him with an upset expression on his face. He sighed before speaking to his apprentice once he was sure they were a far distance away from the border.
“You stepped out of line, Houndpaw” stated Rowandrizzle.
“She was the one who threatened us,” retorted Houndpaw.
“But it’s not your place to argue with a warrior from another clan, especially one that we just met,” argued Rowandrizzle, narrowing his eyes.
“Apexpad and Rainpelt didn’t stand up for you” claimed Houndpaw.
“Because they know when and when not to speak in a situation like that” defined Rowandrizzle, stopping to turn and look at his apprentice directly, “and I know how to defend myself when the moment calls for it”
“They would have thought we were weak if I didn’t say something” insisted the black tom.
“They would have thought we weren’t a threat,” corrected Rowandrizzle, “We shouldn’t be trying to stir up trouble with of the other clans, Oatclan doesn’t need conflict right now”
“Even so-” continued Houndpaw, but was swiftly cut off.
“Even nothing, there is nothing to debate about, Houndpaw, you stepped out of line when you shouldn’t have and you need to understand that what you did was wrong!” raised Rowandrizzle, his pupils shrinking in anger.
The agouti patterned tom folded his ears back as he lowered himself to the ground. The dark gray tom let out a slow sigh as he relaxed his muscles, as he didn’t like having to get worked up.
“I’m disappointed in what you did,” spoke Rowandrizzle, lowering the tone in his voice before turning away from his apprentice, “We will continue this conversation after we report back to Oakstar.”
The three toms nodded before following behind him once more. Apexpad just a step closer to the tom while Houndpaw fell into his shadowing steps beside Rainpelt. The spotted tom looked between Rowandrizzle and the young apprentice with concern but didn’t say anything. There wasn’t much to add else about the interaction so the patrol headed back to camp in silence.
-Patrol Two-
The bubbling of a shallow river was relaxing as Sporespirit and Archbranch arrived at it with Shardpaw and Chaffinchpaw at their sides. The two apprentices were playfully fighting as they swatted and tumbled over each other. When the bengal patterned she-cat brought down a blow on the white tom’s head, Archbranch chirped up to get their attention. The two rolled off each other before padding over to their mentors.
“Alright you two, today we are going to go over the rules and boundaries of the borders” proclaimed Sporespirit, as she climbed atop a nearby rock.
“What? But that’s easy, just don’t cross over it” exclaimed Chaffinchpaw.
“Not exactly, it’s more about being able to notice border marks, both visually and scent wise” corrected Archbranch.
“Visually? How so?” asked Shardpaw, pushing the young white tom aside.
“Like scratches on trees or prints left in the mud” stated Sporespirit, pressing her paw into the damp ground beside the river.
“It also helps for knowing what prey or other predators are in the area” added Archbranch, padding over to sit on a smooth rock at the edge of the water.
The two apprentices exchange confused looks before moving to sit alongside the dark brown-white tom. He pointed across the river with his tail before speaking again.
“What do you see over there that might be a mark?” he asked.
Chaffinchpaw narrowed his blue-yellow toned eyes. All he could see was short bushes and an old wooden fence surrounded by overgrown grass. He shook his head before looking over at Sporespirit for help. The she-cat tilted her head lightly clawing at the dirt under the paws. Chaffinchpaw blinked in confusion before glancing back across the river. He stared at the wooden fence for a bit longer. That’s when he notices deep engravings as if something had clawed at him repeatedly.
“The clawmarks on the fence” he called out, looking up at Archbranch.
“I was going to say that!” huffed Shardpaw, puffing her fur out.
“Yes, the clawmarks were actually made by another clan’s patrol that passed through here the other day” nodded Archbranch, giving a light flick to Shardpaw’s nose.
“Though there is another one for you to find,” assured Sporespirit.
“Oh! Is it the clumps of fur that bramble overthere?” quickly stated Shardpaw, pointing to it with her paw.
“It is, good eye” praised Sporespirit, “now, let’s further downstream to see if you guys can pick up on anything else out of place”
The two apprentices chirped with excitement. They followed behind their mentors, keeping their ears and eyes open for anything that might prove this lesson worthy. The walk was mostly filled with the chatter of the young cats calling out anything they see, even if it wasn’t a marker. Eventually it became a game from them to see how many new things they could spot. From talon scratches on a low hanging branch of tree, shimmering smooth rocks in the river, and small ant mounds.
Though they did try to get back on track as they traveled down. Especially when they reached a shallow part of the river that led into a small stream. Sporespirit hopped to the other side of the stream before standing near a small pile of stones.
“This shouldn’t be a hard one but you have to recognize scents, if it’s a cat from our clan, another clan, or another creature wandering about” stated the she-cat, before tapping the rocks, “Tell me who you think set these stones up like this”
Shardpaw and Chaffinchpaw looked at each other before the two sprinted over the pile, almost knocking it over in the process. Shardpaw sniffed near the top and Chaffinchpaw near the bottom. They circled the pile for a little while before the dark ginger she-cat let out a low chuff.
“Smells like sour plants but also like the oat stalks,” shrugged Shardpaw.
“Kind of like Icechase” added Chaffinchpaw, with a grumble.
“Exactly,” nodded Archbranch as padded to the deputy’s side, “We told him to set them up when he was looking for goldenrod in this area”
“This is one of our clan marks, since there is another pile of rocks just over by that bush from another clan” proclaimed the dark gray-white she-cat.
“Well that’s just easy then, this wasn’t too hard” uttered Chaffinchpaw, puffing his chest out.
“Yeah but it was kind of fun as an exercise,” replied Shardpaw.
Chaffinchpaw just shrugged her off before walking a little ways off.
“Can we go hunting now? we haven’t done anything exciting yet” he asked, as he crouched down into a hunting position.
“Don’t try rushing into anything, we will get to hunting but the lesson is not over yet” stated Sporespirit.
“It’s not?” whined Chaffinchpaw.
“We still have the rest of this border to patrol before we can go chasing prey” Archbranch claimed, shaking his head, “besides this is a important lesson you need to know,”
The young tom let out an annoyed huff before nodding his head in response to the older tom. Sporespirit let out a commanding meow as she ushered on Chaffinchpaw and Shardpaw onwards, leading the patrol once more. The two apprentices padded ahead of the older cats as they sparked up a conversation while pointing out more things they saw along their walk.
-Patrol Three-
The song of crickets filled the quiet of the early morning air as the sun had barely risen into the sky. Long shadows were casted along the sandy bank as Oakstar followed behind Icechase. The medicine cat had woken up bright and early to search for watermints to restock on. Which the dark ginger tom hadn’t expected but he decided to tag along since he had already been awake. Though he was quite busy traveling with his clanmate. It wasn’t because he was tired, though he did still feel a bit sluggish since he hadn’t gotten a full night of rest. It was because he was back in his head with worrisome thoughts. Especially as he watched the stars fade as daybreak was slowly arriving.
Four moons had passed since his last encounter with Starclan and he hasn’t heard anything since. He had always been told the leaders of clans were the second closest cats to be able to be in contact with their starry ancestors. Yet none had appeared in his dreams or revealed themselves during the night. He has even stayed awake for a few days just for the possibility of it but it only brought harm to his hunting abilities those following days. He eventually gave up in trying that but his attempts to succumb to slumber were difficult now. He was restless as his thoughts were plagued with worries.
Worried for the clan’s future and if he was being a good enough leader. He had been given his nine lives, yes, but there have been leaders in the past undeserving of holding such power. Oakstar had been leading the clan by his own guidances. He went to Sporespirit at times but he mostly made his decisions standing on his own paws. No one is there to guide him or tell him if he is doing something wrong or right. He just wanted a sign, no matter how big or small. Just a sign.
Oakstar felt a flick of his nose that snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up to meet Icechase’s silver eyes as the medicine cat.
“You alright?” he asked, as he stopped walking and turned around to face the leader, “You’ve been really quiet since we left camp”
“Um, yeah, I’m fine,” replied Oakstar, before looking down at his paws, “Just thinking”
“That’s not a good sign,” teased Icechase.
“I wish it was a sign” huffed the dark ginger tom.
“What kind of sign?” inquired Icechase, tilting his head to the side as sat down.
“I don’t know, just something” shrugged Oakstar, clawing at the sandy dirt.
Icechase just gave the tom cat a look of confusion. Oakstar let out a sigh as he sat down beside him.
“A sign from Starclan is what I mean, I haven’t gotten anything from them since we first settled and I received my lives” he confessed, “I haven’t seen or heard anything in moons and I feel like I’m not being a good enough leader if I can’t interact with our starry ancestors”
“That’s all you are worried about?” questioned Icechase.
“No, I’m worried about a lot of things because I haven’t heard from them, like what the future holds for the clans or possible prophecies or if I’m making decisions that they would approve of,” claimed Oakstar.
“I just don’t know if they regret making me leader,” he muttered.
The tabby let his shoulders sink, letting himself be a little vulnerable infront of the pale tom as he could feel his eyes on him. Icechase was quiet for a moment before he nudged the leader with his own shoulder, getting his attention. He stood back up to his feet and began leading Oakstar to some large rocks. He followed behind the medicine cat until they reached the very top.
Now sitting at the top, the two of them could see the stretch of the salty sea. The rising sun’s light burned brightly. Their long shadows shortening as it climbed higher and any other darkness began to retreat away from the light. The rays warmed Oakstar’s face as a gentle breeze ran through his pelt, bringing his rushing thoughts to a stand still. The only sound that filled his ears was the wind and crashing waves. The faint smell of mint was caught in his nose. In all, it was a beautiful sunrise. A gentle calming good morning to the world. Oakstar let out a slow breath that he didn’t know he was holding exhale from his mouth. He looked over to Icechase, whose eyes were closed as he also took in the moment before looking back over at the dark ginger.
“Our ancestors work in mysterious ways, revealing things usually in small efforts. Yet they also are meant to watch us from their place in the sky” expressed Icechase, “They may not be here to guide you every step of the way but they’ll give you a sign if they think you really need it, so you must trust yourself to know if something is wrong or right”
“But how will I know what’s best for our clan?” asked Oakstar.
“You do what you think is best for us, but don’t keep your thoughts to yourself if it’s going to bring you mental disturbances” proclaimed Icechase, “We didn’t start this new life alone, and you should try to continue so”
“I know…” uttered Oakstar, as his eyes looked back at the sunrise, “It’s just that so much good has happened in the recent moons that I am worried something horrible is to come”
“If is there is something to come, we’ll do our best to handle it” retorted Icechase, as he nudged the tabby, “As a clan and not cat”
“As a clan and not a cat” parodied Oakstar.
The pale tom nodded approvingly before he also looked towards the sunrise. The two toms just sat there in silence, watching as the sun rose higher as the morning began to stretch on.
-Back at the Camp-
Sporespirit let out a tired yawn as she stretched her limbs out before flopping into her nest. She had spent all day with the apprentices that she felt she deserved to head to bed a little early. There were still some active in the center of camp. From Amberkit telling a dramatized tale about a bird he caught in the camp today to the apprentice still having enough energy to get some fighting training. She left them to be supervised by Rainpelt since tom cat was a surprisingly good teacher.
Which left the she-cat an open escape to have some to herself. She rolled around her nest for a bit as she tried to get comfortable before settling. Though as another yawn left her jaws, the sound of rustling of the warrior’s den’s entrance stopped her from lulling to sleep. She perked her ears up as she saw the large form of Archbranch stalking towards his nest.
“Hitting the moss early too?” she asked, stifling back a chuckle as the tom jumped in response to the sound of her voice.
“Oh Sporespirit, it’s just you” he exhaled.
“Am I that scary, tough guy?” she teased.
“No, I just thought you were still off indulging the apprentices' ' remarked Archbranch, curling into his nest.
“I left that to Rainpelt, he has much more fun teaching them and I needed a moment to get away for the night” purred Sporespirit.
“I feel you, I feel like I’ve been on my paws all day” nodded Archbranch, stretching his front paws out followed by a yawn.
“Well let’s hurry and catch some sleep before they realize we’re gone” chuckled Sporespirit, wrapping her tail around her body.
The dark brown-white tom just meowed in response as he rolled over on his side. It wasn’t long before the tom was fast asleep that it was laughable. Though Sporespirit didn’t blame him as she let her own eyes flutter close, the chattering voices of her clanmates slowly faded as she slowly was whisked off to sleep.