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It was rare for the territories to get extremely hot. They lived in a cold world, and the summers were often cool and perfect. That didn’t mean the long-furred cats enjoyed the heat of summer, though. For ElkClan, it was positively miserable.
Most of the clan was at camp, hiding in the shade. Cranefeather huddled at the edge of the holy den, fur splayed out to catch a breeze. Sunfang seemed to burn as he entered camp, dragging himself to the warrior’s den and quickly dismissing his apprentice Scauppaw. Most signs of life only emerged when the clouds drifted over the sun. There was only one long-furred cat in ElkClan who dared to stay in the sun longer than he had to.
“Whinchatpatch glared into the eyes of the mara and declared ‘You shall not harm these Clans!’” Cardinalblaze declared, rearing up on his back legs. Starlingkit mimicked him, kicking his front paws in the air. “He demanded that the mara release Violetface from its wicked grasp, but the mara would only submit if Whinchatpatch offered… a sacrifice.”
“A sacrifice of what?” Starlingkit gasped, back end wiggling.
“If Whinchatpatch wanted to rid Violetface of the nightmares the mara caused,” Cardinalblaze explained in a dramatic whisper, “he would have to become her new victim. Whinchatpatch would do anything for the cat he loved, and so the mara began to plague his dreams, and Violetface began to heal. When Violetface realized what Whinchatpatch had done, they grew furious! ‘You mouse-brain, I can handle my own problems!’ Now it would be Violetface who would save Whinchatpatch, and they would not make a deal with a monster to do so. She decided she would trick the mara out of Whinchatpatch. You see, once a mara has left its victim, it cannot harm them again. And the mara would not harm a dead body. So Violetface gathered as much sea rocket as they could find.”
“False,” Berryfrost noted from his spot by the story-keeper’s den, where he slowly ate a plump cardinal. “Violetface used poppy seeds to calm Whinchatpatch enough so the supposed mara would believe him dead. Sea rocket would be too harmful.”
“The exact herb doesn’t matter, sea rocket is more dramatic anyway,” Cardinalblaze huffed, dismissively flicking his tail.
“Our job as story-keepers is to remember the details of these stories, so the exact herb used does matter,” Berryfrost sighed. “That story is inconsistent with the legends of maras anyway. It is the only story that ever claims that individual mara won’t return to past victims. Other stories contradict that. I haven't yet mentioned the fact that maras don’t exist.”
“Blasphemy,” Cardinalblaze gasped, a paw to his chest.
“Starlingkit, come back in here,” Darkheart called from the nursery. “You’ll overheat. You can finish my mouse.”
“Cardinalblaze is telling me a story,” Starlingkit huffed. He rubbed his feet into the ground, hoping to stay.
“Don’t argue, come in here,” Darkheart sighed, her black form hidden in the shadows of the nursery, revealing only her green eyes. Starlingkit groaned with a level of drama that made Cardinalblaze’s fur fluff with pride before he trotted into the nursery.
“Cardinalblaze, you’re at more risk of exhaustion in the heat than Starlingkit is,” Berryfrost sighed. “We don’t have major duties until the evening hunting patrol, step into the shade.” Cardinalblaze frowned. Berryfrost ruined his story! Just to spite the colorpoint tom, Cardinalblaze settled into the shade of the leader’s stump, curled in just the right spot to protect his (admittedly, quite hot) fur from the sun.
“I know Starlingkit won’t become an apprentice for two more moons, but do you have any idea who you’d like to pick as his mentor?” he heard Hazelear ask from inside the stump. Cardinalblaze perked up his ears. Hazelear was talking to Nutstar! He shouldn’t eavesdrop, but he had to know who Starlingkit’s mentor would be! He’d been with the little tom so much, surely Nutstar had to pick him! He squirmed closer to the stump.
Inside the cool den, Hazelear and Nutstar laid beside each other in comfortable conversation. The stump kept the den cool, a wonderful retreat from the heat. For one selfish moment, Hazelear wished she could be leader already, just so she could have such a nice den.
“That all depends on what Starlingkit wants from life,” Nutstar sighed. “He hasn’t said anything about what role he’d like to pursue. If he doesn’t say anything, I’m going to assign him as a warrior apprentice with Roachspring as a mentor.”
“Roachspring?” Hazelear and Cardinalblaze said in unison, though Cardinalblaze whispered his outraged reaction so he wouldn’t get caught.
“Do I have fluff stuck in my ears?” Hazelear scoffed, scratching at her ears. “You want to give Roachspring an apprentice?”
“I think it would do him some good,” Nutstar explained. “He’s shown an interest in Starlingkit since he was born. Despite his reputation, he’s actually a successful warrior. His hunting skills are strong, and he’s always a top pick for battle patrols.”
“You realize he once told me after a battle that he enjoyed getting hurt because he likes the taste of his own blood?” Hazelear huffed, sneering.
“He’s… a challenge for the counselors,” Nutstar admitted, paws tapping the ground. “StarClan knows, he may become more welcoming with an apprentice to look after.”
“If Starlingkit wants to be a warrior,” Hazelear grunted. “What about a story-keeper mentor?”
“Cardinalblaze, of course,” Nutstar said. “The two are incredibly close.” Cardinalblaze’s eyes lit up. The leader and deputy continued talking, but he was no longer paying attention.
“Yes,” he muttered, stumbling towards the story-keeper’s den with a growing smile. “Yes.”
“Yes, what?” Berryfrost asked, taking the last bite of his cardinal.
“Yes!” Cardinalblaze cheered, ears and tail shooting up as he jumped. “YES!” His feet skidded across the paw print covered dirt and bolted out of the camp, all as he screamed “YES!!!”
“Did you hear something?” Hazelear asked, glancing out of the leader’s den.
“Probably just the kits being excited,” Nutstar sighed. “Sit back down, I want to discuss Weaselkit and Pondkit’s mentors now.”
While they continued their conversation (and the Clan quickly forgot Cardinalblaze’s cheer, as it was common behavior) Vetcheye and Rainsong sat near the back of the camp. Vetcheye sat tall and stiff with his tail over his paws while Rainsong laid about like she was at her own vigil.
“Do you think the heat will ruin my fur?” Rainsong sighed.
“Most definitely,” Vetcheye huffed.
“Oh,” Rainsong groaned, making no attempt to move.
“The worst case, your fur melts off,” Vetcheye noted, face squished in a far off thought.
“The other clans would never take me seriously if I lost my fur,” Rainsong moaned, still not moving.
“It would be interesting,” Vetcheye hummed, before suddenly wincing. “Great StarClan, the humiliation.”
“I don’t need to go to Gatherings,” Rainsong muttered, closing her eyes. Across camp, a slender fawn molly hopped into camp, followed by an equally jumpy tortoiseshell.
“Our Clan doesn’t know what they’re missing out on,” Morningshine laughed, hopping around her apprentice Smallpaw. “This weather is great for a run!”
“Maybe we can get some of our clanmates out?” Smallpaw suggested. “Everyone seems so mopey.” That’s when she spotted Vetcheye and Rainsong. She cocked her head. “Those two seem like the only other cats who don’t care about the heat. They’re kinda cool.”
“ Those two are the mopeist of them all,” Morningshine grumbled. She glanced at Smallpaw and smirked. “Ready for a new challenge?”
“Absolutely,” Smallpaw said, smirking back. Morningshine skipped over to the gloomy blue littermates with a smile and her tiny apprentice by her side.
“How are my two favorite rainclouds doing?” Morningshine asked. Rainsong raised her tail, saying she was fine despite looking dead.
“Let’s see,” Vetcheye huffed, scratching the ground. “It’s too hot, the nursery wall keeps breaking, and each time I look at the elder’s den, I’m reminded of the grim spirit of painful death!”
“It’s a good day by his standards,” Rainsong grumbled, face in the ground.
“I think so,” Vetcheye chirped with a nod.
“Then you, my friend, have low standards!” Morningshine grunted, waving her tail in Vetcheye’s face. She booped his nose.
“Maybe you just have high standards,” Vetcheye huffed, nose wrinkling.
“Yes I do,” Morningshine declared. She walked around Vetcheye and Rainsong, giving them a once-over. “Let’s shake out those frowns! How do you expect to be happy when you’re sitting around in dark thoughts all day?”
“Sorry we aren’t the sun’s living beams,” Rainsong sighed. Morningshine frowned, a disappointed glare in her eyes. Smallpaw flicked her ears, thinking hard. She gasped softly, perking up.
“What if you fought to be happy?” Smallpaw asked. The three adults looked at Smallpaw with curious but patronizing expressions that made Smallpaw’s neck fluff up.
“We don’t exactly want our clanmates to fight,” Morningshine chuckled.
“No, I mean a competition,” Smallpaw huffed, shaking out her annoyance. “Littermates like to compete with each other, right? What if you two had a competition to see who can be the happiest?”
“Yeah!” Morningshine gasped, prancing to her apprentice’s side. “You can fake it until you make it! The more happy you pretend to be, the happier you’ll eventually become! Retrain your soul to be happy!”
“What exactly would be the prize?” Vetcheye asked, getting to his paws. Smallpaw sat, scanning her thoughts for something to reward them.
“A… a catmint-filled mossball!” Morningshine declared. “Yeah! Have some fun, be a kit again for a bit, that’s your prize for being happy!”
“You can get catmint?” Vetcheye asked, unconvinced.
“I’m a counselor, of course I can,” Morningshine scoffed.
“Cranefeather and Saltfrost don’t give me catmint,” Rainsong grumbled, finally getting up.
“See, happy cats get catmint,” Morningshine noted, nodding like she was agreeing with herself. “Whoever can be the happiest for…”
“A quarter moon,” Smallpaw suggested.
“A quarter moon,” Morningshine repeated, “then you get the mossball!” Vetcheye and Rainsong glanced at each other.
“I’m pretty sure I win automatically,” Vetcheye scoffed, stretching his back out.
“I can be happy,” Rainsong whined. She turned to Vetcheye, frowning.
“Okay!” Morningshine chirped. She covered her eyes with her paws, balancing on her back legs. “Next time I lay eyes on you, the competition begins! Three…” Vetcheye and Rainsong groaned and bolted to their dens. “Two… and happiness!” Morningshine opened her eyes. Smallpaw hid a laugh as her mentor looked around, pupils big and curious. “Vetcheye? Rainsong? Where’d you go?”
“Happy cats don’t mope in the heat,” Smallpaw giggled. Morningshine smiled, lifting her tail proudly.
“No they do not!” Morningshine chirped. “Good job, us!”
Sun seemed to realize how grueling his warm shine was, so he hid himself behind hills of clouds the next morning as he replaced the moon. It meant ElkClan could get off their flanks and get back to work. Morning work always meant a dawn patrol, and that day, Hazelear took Drizzlecloud, Bearclaw, and Roachspring to the PuffinClan border. Drizzlecloud and Bearclaw walked behind Hazelear, side by side, participating in the epitome of ElkClan life; small talk.
“Bless StarClan for a cooler day,” Drizzlecloud sighed, glancing at the sky. “This is how I picture a perfect summer.”
“Winter may be hard on the clans, but I feel it suits ElkClan the best,” Bearclaw noted. “With our fur, I think we were simply made for it. It’s tough to lose a winter battle simply because we keep warm better than the other clans.”
“I don’t know how PuffinClan doesn’t freeze out on the plains,” Drizzlecloud huffed. Her pelt rubbed against her mate’s as she walked. “I can’t imagine living somewhere so exposed.”
“I had a dream I was standing in PuffinClan territory, but the ground was made of eyes,” Roachspring added, slipping in front of his parents. Hazelear looked over her shoulder with a freaked out glare, but Drizzlecloud and Bearclaw didn’t skip a beat.
“Talk about being exposed,” Drizzlecloud chuckled, shooting Roachspring a playful side-glance. Roachspring broke out laughing.
“Don’t encourage him,” Bearclaw groaned, closing his eyes to collect his frustration.
“Roachspring, we’re at the border,” Hazelear huffed. She stepped out of the trees to the clan border. At the moment, the farthest tree in the forest was considered a fluffy spruce just beyond the thick layer of trees, and therefore the border was a tail-length from it. “Can you get into the trees and see if there are any PuffinClan warriors beyond the crest of the hills? We’ll mark the border if you’ll keep a lookout”
“Yes ma’am, deputy ma’am,” Roachspring giggled, digging his claws into the closest pine. He zoomed up the tree like a squirrel. He bounced between the branches until he got as high as he could go.
He could look out across most of PuffinClan from his spot in the tree! He could see a far off patrol stroll across the plains like ants, but they were moving away from the border. They’d beaten the dawn patrol that day. He dangled his paws over the pine branch and breathed deep.
“While he’s out of earshot, there’s something I’d like to talk to you two about,” Hazelear sighed below. Oh, secrets! Roachspring diverted his attention from the fields to the ground below.
“What did he do this time,” Bearclaw grumbled, trotting to the border.
“Actually, if Starlingkit decides to be a warrior, Nutstar wants him to be his mentor,” Hazelear explained. Roachspring smiled wide. Bearclaw coughed loudly, like he choked on his own spit. Hazelear purred and headed to the other part of the border. “I had a similar reaction when I heard. Nutstar thinks it might help him mature. What do you think?”
“If Nutstar thinks he’d be a good mentor, who are we to say otherwise?” Drizzlecloud chuckled. Bearclaw quickly marked the border.
“He’d get that kit killed,” Bearclaw huffed, returning to his mate’s side.
“I doubt that,” Drizzlecloud scoffed. “You want him to mellow out, don’t you?” Bearclaw muttered under his breath, claws scratching up loose blades of grass. “I think that’s an approval.”
“It’s only if Starlingkit wants to be a warrior,” Hazelear warned. “He hasn’t said anything yet.” She raised her voice to shout “Roachspring, are there any patrols coming by?” Oh right, Roachspring needed to go back down. He scampered down the tree, falling more than climbing. He landed with a hard thud, rolling to his paws. Drizzlecloud winced as he fell.
“No dawn patrol in sight,” Roachspring reported.
“The border’s remarked,” Hazelear sighed. “Unless we want to do a bit of hunting, let’s head back to camp.” Roachspring hurried down the nearest Deer Path, leading the way home. He couldn’t wait to see his brother’s face.
The border patrol trotted back to camp, but at the other border, Vetcheye and Adderscar sniffed around the stream that separated their clan from SealClan. Morningshine and Smallpaw sat on their side of the stream across from Redburr and Sappelt.
“I know better than to cross the stream,” Sappelt grumbled, ears flat. “Whoever you smelled wasn’t me.”
“We just need to make sure, that’s all!” Morningshine chirped. “You know how it goes. The wind drifts the scent too far over the border, someone thinks it smells like you, and suddenly everyone’s got their tails in a twist.” She spun her tail around. Adderscar scoffed softly and continued sniffing along the edge of the border. Vetcheye snagged a thin fur ball from the grass, but the fur was black, so he let it drift in the stream.
“Anyone trying to cross this border has the intelligence of a tree,” Adderscar scoffed. He smirked at his half-brother. “What do you think, is SealClan attempting to take our territory?”
“Everyone’s good over here, Morningshine!” Vetcheye chirped, smiling wide enough to make Adderscar wince. “You were right, there’s no trace of SealClan crossing the stream!”
“Like I said,” Sappelt huffed. As Redburr shared a polite goodbye with Morningshine, Adderscar stared at Vetcheye. He was smiling, giving a happy wave to the SealClan cats as they trotted back into their territory.
“What, no wild theories?” Adderscar huffed, slipping along the river and brushing past Vetcheye. “No mad conspiracies of all three clans plotting to wipe us out?”
“It’s just a misunderstanding,” Vetcheye assured him. His tail twitched, his scent briefly carrying fear before fading away.
“Come on, Vetcheye!” Smallpaw called as her mentor led her back to the forest. “Why don’t we do some tree racing?”
“He doesn’t—” Adderscar chuckled, but Vetcheye ran past him. This wasn’t his usual nervous energy either, it was excited energy. He dug his claws into the closest tree and bolted through the leaves with Smallpaw right on his tail. Morningshine laughed and ran below them, not watching where she was going. Adderscar ruffled his fur.
“Who are you and what did you do to Vetcheye?” he groaned, padding after them.
Back at camp, Cardinalblaze stumbled out of the nursery with three tiny kits clinging onto his back. He groaned dramatically as Harekit, Patchkit, and Stormkit squealed with delight. Harekit’s sharp claws snagged Cardinalblaze’s fur, trying to hold on.
“Best elk ride ever!” Patchkit squealed. Cardinalblaze groaned like an elk, making the little tortoiseshell giggle.
“Uh oh, spooked elk!” Cardinalblaze gasped. He went faster, jogging around the leader’s stump and groaning. Stormkit yelped and burrowed into Cardinalblaze’s back while his littermates cheered. Their mother, Partiridgeleg, slipped out of the nursery with a purr. She trotted to Cardinalblaze, moving like she still had four legs, though she had a hop to her step whenever her back leg moved.
“Thank you so much for giving them an elk ride,” Partridgeleg sighed. “I don’t understand how they have so much energy at dawn.”
“Cardinalblaze is always here to help lovely queens in distress!” Cardinalblaze declared, twirling around with the kits. Stormkit slipped off his back and landed on his belly.
“Let’s eat,” Partridgeleg purred. She grabbed Harekit by the scruff and flicked her tail to the nursery. Her belly sagged against the ground as Cardinalblaze crouched to let Patchkit down. The happy family slipped into the nursery.
“Oh, brother!” Roachspring hopped into camp, tail high as the rest of the dawn patrol slipped in behind him. “I have some news!” Cardinalblaze groaned, standing. Roachspring got right in his face. “Starlingkit’s going to be my apprentice!”
“Ah, you’ve heard the news too, I see,” Cardinalblaze laughed, putting on his strongest voice and shoving his brother back. “Little do you know, that’s only if he wants to be a warrior! When he shares his dream of being a story-keeper, Nutstar will make me his mentor.” He batted Roachspring’s ears.
“And yet,” Roachspring giggled, slipping around his brother. He dragged his tail down his back, making Cardinalblaze cringe.
“You KNOW I hate that!” he whined.
“Starlingkit hasn’t decided, has he?” Roachspring purred. “I’m sure I can convince him of being a warrior.”
“Not if I convince him of being a story-keeper first!” Cardinalblaze snapped, nose nearly touching Roachspring’s nose. The two locked eyes, glaring at each other with fiery determination. Roachspring broke first by licking Cardinalblaze’s muzzle. Cardinalblaze stumbled back while Roachspring laughed and ran into the warrior’s den. Their parents watched from the camp exit with the usual exhausted look on their faces.
“Why did we have idiots for sons,” Bearclaw sighed.
“They’re great in their own way,” Drizzlecloud assured him. She touched her nose to his with a mischievous smile. “We can always have more.”
“Is that an offer?” Bearclaw purred.
“It’s too early, stop flirting!” Cardinalblaze groaned, hurrying into the story-keeper’s den.
It took a whole day before either brother was ready to spring their plan. By then, a quiet day in ElkClan had come and gone, and now sunhigh dangled overhead. That meant everyone decided to share tongues, making the camp loud and alive with activity.
“Frogbelly, give me the moss ball!” Starlingkit laughed, bolting around Frogbelly. His older brother held a moss ball in his mouth, fighting back a laugh. He shook his head, humor twinkling in his eyes. Starlingkit pounced at Frogbelly’s head, but he rolled away. Starlingkit batted Frogbelly’s long fur.
“I yield!” Frogbelly giggled, dropping the moss ball. Starlingkit snagged it in his claws and tossed it around. Berryfrost sat beside his mate, quietly grooming his paw and watching the young kit play. As Starlingkit reenacted a battle scene on his moss ball, Frogbelly started grooming Berryfrost’s head. Harekit, Patchkit, and Stormkit brawled with Bustardkit and Porpoisekit, rolling around the adults in a wild flurry of fun. Cardinalblaze sat by the nursery with his back straight, watching the kits as his paws tapped the ground. Spiderstorm shared a squirrel with Saltfrost, and noticed Cardinalblaze’s excited behavior.
“What do you have planned?” Spiderstorm groaned, glaring at Cardinalblaze.
“Nothing big, I assure you!” Cardinalblaze huffed, dismissively flicking his tail. “I already got approval from the queens.” Darkheart and Skualeap strolled out of the nursery.
“Kits, it’s about time for a nap,” Skualeap sighed, slipping in the middle of the tiny free-for-all. “Cardinalblaze has offered to tell you all a story if you’ll head back into the nursery.” The kits tumbled over each other in a flood back to their den. Starlingkit perked his ears up. Cardinalblaze had the best stories.
“I’m gonna go hear the story,” Starlingkit sighed, turning to Frogbelly and Berryfrost. “I’ll see you later!” He joined Skualeap and Darkheart as they all entered the nursery. Stoatpool shared a large rabbit with her kits near the back of the den. Partridgeleg got trampled by Harekit, Patchkit, and Stormkit as they curled up by her plump belly. Starlingkit settled beside Darkheart, focused on Cardinalblaze as he entered the den. The story-keeper smiled at Starlingkit. This was just what he wanted!
“I figured I would share one of my favorite stories with you today,” Cardinalblaze declared. “It’s a story of a story that saved lives, and the brilliant tom who remembered it.”
“Let me guess, that tom was you?” Spiderstorm scoffed, poking his head into the crowded nursery.
“Why, yes it was!” Cardinalblaze cheered, making Partridgeleg’s kits giggle. “Thank you for acknowledging my brilliance.”
“If you tell this story it will be full of incorrect facts,” Berryfrost sighed, as he and Frogbelly joined Spiderstorm outside. “Someone should be here to correct you.”
“Oh, I love this one!” Frogbelly chirped.
“If the tree full of squirrels will stop making comments, I’ll begin,” Cardinalblaze huffed. He cleared his throat and crouched to the kit’s levels. “Many moons ago, when I was an apprentice, a terrible fire scorched the territories!” He fluffed his fur and shook his pelt like leaping flames. “It’s a story for another day, but it destroyed large pieces of ElkClan territory. Many trees were reduced to gray husks. Two apprentices and an elder perished in the blaze, and prey was scared from the territory.”
“Webshade was a senior counselor, not an elder,” Berryfrost sighed. Cardinalblaze groaned dramatically. Would Berryfrost make a comment about everything?
“The point is,” Cardinalblaze huffed, “it hurt ElkClan. We had to get prey from the other clans, negotiating with counselors in return for assisting them with various duties. Despite being known as the kind-hearted clan, PuffinClan used our time of weakness to expand their territory and use our warriors for simple labor. It was insulting.” He looked at Starlingkit, smiling. “You need to make sure no one uses you like that, Starlingkit.”
“I won’t,” Starlingkit grumbled, heat rising in his pelt as the other kits watched him.
“At a Gathering one night, Nutstar called Whalestar out,” Cardinalblaze explained. He stood tall, mimicking Nutstar’s proud pose and voice. “‘While ElkClan appreciates the help PuffinClan has provided as we recover from the fire, we cannot accept any more prey if their warriors will continue to insult us at every turn.’ Whalestar didn’t like that.” Cardinalblaze curled into himself and copied the wizened, harsh PuffinClan accent of Whalestar. “‘PuffinClan has shown you nothing but generosity during this time and you dare to claim we took advantage of your suffering?’ No one liked that. Everyone started arguing, and it took both Brinestar and Lemmingstar to stop our clans from fighting.”
“But we did fight,” Spiderstorm grunted. “Roachspring clawed that PuffinClan apprentice.”
“Yeah, and you helped!” Frogbelly added, giving a disappointed frown.
“Anyway we all went home,” Cardinalblaze stammered as Weaselkit chuckled in the back.
“Doesn’t PuffinClan need their prey?” Bustardkit asked, hopping over Skualeap’s back. “Wouldn’t they be happy we stopped taking their food?”
“They’re a bunch of lazy mouse-hearts,” Weaselkit scoffed, showing off his claws. “They care more about looking nice and high and mighty than anything else. Giving us food meant they were heroes.” Stoatpool gently smacked Weaselkit with her tail, shushing him.
“Tensions were growing in both clans,” Cardinalblaze said. “The border was hotly contested. A few PuffinClan warriors decided to extend it past the farthest tree in the forest, claiming they needed more hunting space since we were relying on them so much. Nutstar led a battle patrol to teach them a lesson. She lost a life in that battle, and was ready to declare war!”
“No she wasn’t,” Berryfrost noted. “She was going to push the border back and fight any patrols who tried to question the expansion. Counselors on both sides were constantly negotiating peace. It was not a war.”
“See, Starlingkit, when you become a story-keeper, you can’t get so hung up on details that you forget the story!” Cardinalblaze huffed, glaring back at Berryfrost.
“You want to be a story-keeper?” Darkheart asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Starlingkit muttered. He avoided everyone’s eyes, leaning into his foster mother.
“Everytime our clans laid eyes on each other, someone would land a blow,” Cardinalblaze said in a tense whisper. The younger kits leaned in, fully engrossed. Cardinalblaze hit the air, making dramatic sounds like blows. “Our healers were run ragged. That’s when I come in. I decided it was time to do something about the fighting! The younger Frogbelly back there told me that the two leaders would meet with battle patrols late at night to try and settle their feud once and for all, and if they couldn’t, they’d beat the other clan into submission. When the battle patrol of warriors and counselors left camp that night, I followed. And it’s a good thing I did. When I got there, Nutstar and Whalestar were arguing about respect and borders and every little issue they’d had with each other. The counselors couldn’t do anything to stop it.” Cardinalblaze slipped deeper into the nursery. “I snuck around the group, quiet as I could, before I climbed into the nearest tree. And I started to shout this story.”
“Leave out the gore, please,” Frogbelly asked.
“Generations ago, a wolf terrorized PuffinClan,” Cardinalblaze said. “It was more monster than animal, with paws the size of boulders and a muzzle large enough to swallow a kit whole.”
“That is drastically disproportionate to the size of an actual wolf,” Berryfrost sighed.
“It haunted the fields of PuffinClan, devouring warriors and mauling their prey,” Cardinalblaze continued, ignoring Berryfrost. “It made its den not far from PuffinClan camp, making it dangerous to leave their home. Queens were afraid to make their kits apprentices for fear they would get eaten. The leader at the time, Dogstar, was scared to show weakness to the other clans. He was afraid they would attack PuffinClan since they were too weak to fight back. He insisted nothing was wrong at Gatherings and watched with stubborn pride as his clanmates starved under the threat of the wolf. One counselor, Barnaclefeather, refused to let her clan suffer. She knew the other clans could help. She snuck out of camp, dodging the hungry jaws of the wolf, and made her way to the ElkClan border.
“She waited all night for a patrol to come by. They took pity on her skin and bone body and brought her into camp. There, she met with the ElkClan leader, Rootstar. She made a humble plea for help.” Cardinalblaze looked at Starlingkit when he said the next part of the story. “What she said was probably the most important part of the story, as I shouted it from the trees at the battle patrols. Barnaclefeather said, ‘My leader is afraid of weakness, of being used and abused in PuffinClan’s time of need. But I do not believe that the consequences of asking for help are truly as vile as Dogstar claims. It shows that we are of the same breed. Our fellow clan cats are the same as our clanmates, and deserve aid when their lives are threatened. Despite how many times our two clans fight, we always come back to each other as allies and friends.’ Rootstar was impressed, and officially offered Dogstar the service of her healthy warriors to drive the wolf away. With their help, the wolf ran from the territories with its tail between its legs.
“Now, in the tree, as I finished this story, I yowled, ‘If our clans could put aside pride to help each other before, why can’t we do it now?’ And just as it did all those moons ago, my plea worked. Both sides sheathed their claws. Whalestar apologized for the rude behavior of his clan, and Nutstar thanked PuffinClan for their help recovering from the fire. I earned my story-keeper name the next day.”
“You make it sound like they didn’t try and drag you out of the tree,” Spiderstorm scoffed.
“A lot of the story got lost as you ran around,” Frogbelly remembered.
“It worked,” Partridgeleg whispered. Her kits were asleep at her belly, faces still turned to Cardinalblaze. Porpoisekit was asleep too, while Bustardkit yawned and settled next to Skualeap.
“That’s it?” Weaselkit huffed. “No fight?”
“Shh, go to sleep,” Stoatpool sighed. “You’ll miss these naps when you’re an apprentice, trust me.”
“So, what did you think, Starlingkit?” Cardinalblaze asked, standing tall and proud. “Did you like the story?” Starlingkit nodded, squeezing into Darkheart. Did Cardinalblaze have to focus on him so much? This was supposed to be a story for all the kits. Starlingkit trotted around Darkheart and laid by her back, facing the nursery wall. Darkheart watched her foster son with glimmers of concern. She glanced at Cardinalblaze, but he was already heading out of the nursery accompanied by the friendly teasing of his old nursery friends.
There were at least a few cats who worked while the clan relaxed in the warm sunhigh light. Adderscar slipped down a Deer Path with Rainsong behind him, veering off only when he caught sight of mold covered wood that lacked any leaves. Gray wood formed a human den that had collapsed long ago. Sharp splinters stuck into the air. Only two walls remained standing, with the roof partially caved in. The forest had claimed the Tree Den long ago. Grass and herbs grew in the cool shade of the collapsed roof. They spread outside the den in thick patches. Water dripped onto thirsty leaves. Moss and mold covered most of the den like a thin green pelt.
“Which of these plants smell the strongest?” Rainsong asked, padding into the thick of the den.
“You’re the counselor and you don’t know?” Adderscar scoffed.
“You smell things differently after the fire,” Rainsong sighed, laying amongst the lavender. “We need a different plant for your cloud feet.” She breathed deeply, her shoulders relaxing. Adderscar hid a grimace. He hated it when others knew things about him. If he could erase memory of himself from the clans, he’d prefer to wander about like a ghost.
“You can’t even pick herbs without the healer’s permission,” Adderscar huffed, sniffing the catmint that grew plentifully around the Tree Den. “What is the point of going all the way out here when we could decide what I smell best in the holy den?”
“The smell isn’t as strong there,” Rainsong muttered. Her paw traced through the flowers, her usual wistful look making her look like a dying cat. Adderscar sniffed the herbs, trying to see what smelled strongest. The lavender made his nose curl. He nearly gagged. How did cats enjoy the smell? It was stronger than anything else in the Tree Den, but Adderscar refused to go near it. As he sniffed the tansy, Rainsong suddenly sat up and brushed the lavender petals off her pelt.
“I can’t believe I forgot,” Rainsong grumbled. In the second creepy display of the past two days that Adderscar had seen, Rainsong smiled. Her mouth seemed to strain in the foreign pose. “Adderscar, does the lavender smell nice?”
“I can’t smell it,” Adderscar lied.
“That’s okay!” Rainsong declared. “There are better herbs. I think we should try lilac.”
“This is the part where you grumble about how lavender makes you forget how sad life is,” Adderscar huffed. He braved the disgusting lavender to get closer to his half-sister.
“I’m trying not to think like that anymore!” Rainsong chirped, in a tone that made Adderscar physically recoil. Rainsong’s strange smile dropped. She shook her head and regained her smile. “I should have tried this moons ago. It’s healthy.”
“You don’t believe that,” Adderscar huffed. “I can always tell when someone’s lying.” Rainsong’s tail ruffled the lavender.
“I’m not losing this,” Rainsong muttered, her face hard.
“Care to explain?” Adderscar grumbled.
“I don’t need escorts to go for a walk,” an old voice snapped from beyond the nearby bushes.
“We just wanna make sure you don’t get lost!” Smallpaw hopped into view, looking over her shoulder. Stiltpelt slipped through the bushes with Morningshine at her side. Rainsong smiled again with big, welcoming eyes that bled with lies. Adderscar copied his half-sister with his own false smile.
“If I get lost in my own territory, just leave me to rot,” Stiltpelt snarled, trudging back to the Deer Path.
“Are you both having a good day?” Morningshine chirped, smiling at Rainsong and Adderscar.
“Just enjoying the lavender,” Adderscar purred.
“It’s nice out!” Rainsong coughed. Adderscar hid a flinch. How was his own kin so bad at lying?
His next concern was how Morningshine was so gullible, because the cream colored counselor smiled and said, “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourselves! We should see if we can all be on the evening border patrol tonight!”
“That sounds good!” Rainsong chuckled, closing her eyes as she smiled in a poor attempt to hide the pain. Stiltpelt stumbled onwards, so Smallpaw and Morningshine padded after her, giving a friendly wave goodbye.
“I’m begging you, stop smiling,” Adderscar huffed as soon as the group was out of earshot. Rainsong obeyed, but still tried to look happy. Adderscar trudged out of the lavender. “Let’s say the tansy works for me and call it a day.” He didn’t look back at Rainsong as he headed back to camp. He had questions, sure, but he wasn’t the tom who ever asked them. If he wanted to know why Rainsong and Vetcheye were acting like something they weren’t, he’d have to do a bit of investigating.
The nursery was always a loud place, even at night. The shifting and grumbling of sleeping kits never helped Starlingkit get to sleep. He stuffed his head against Darkheart’s belly and tried to block out Weaselkit’s snores. Would he have to deal with this for the rest of his life? Maybe he could sleep if he got some energy out, but Darkheart always insisted Starlingkit take lots of naps. He always had energy!
He sat up and glanced into the camp. The moonhigh patrol headed into their dens while the patrol leader, Grassleaf, gave Nutstar a quick report. How was it only moonhigh? Starlingkit was pretty sure Cranefeather had something that helped cats fall asleep. Maybe he can ask for something?
Something rustled the nursery wall. Starlingkit turned around. Two dark eyes peered through the nursery wall. Starlingkit held his breath. The figure stuck its muzzle deeper into the den. Oh. It was Roachspring. He smiled at Starlingkit and flicked his ears for him to approach. Starlingkit carefully slipped around Darkheart and hopped over Partridgeleg’s tail.
“What are you doing?” Starlingkit whispered.
“Let’s chat,” Roachspring chuckled. “Through here.” Roachspring pulled his head out. He left a hole in the nursery just big enough for a kit to slip through. Starlingkit crawled through the brambles and leaves, his tail catching in the branches. He stumbled out of the nursery and landed on sweet smelling grass. The trees of the territory stretched out around him forever. He was only a mouse-length from the camp, but he had no idea it looked so different just beyond the nursery wall.
“I’m not supposed to be out here,” Starlingkit whispered, watching Roachspring as he laid on his back, watching the stars. He tucked his tail under his belly.
“I just want to chat without the queens listening,” Roachspring said, stretching.
“About what?” Starlingkit muttered, trying to breathe.
“Bout being a warrior!” Roachspring chirped, rolling on his side. He laughed at Starlingkit’s tucked tail. “Why so nervous? I’m not gonna hurt ya.”
“You talk about hurting cats a lot,” Starlingkit grumbled.
“Just in the abstract,” Roachspring assured him. “Battle is exciting. It shows how strong you are.”
“But cats die in battle,” Starlingkit whined.
“If you don’t hurt them first, they’ll hurt you back,” Roachspring explained, swiping at the grass. Starlingkit jumped back. “Life’s all about death! We kill prey, foxes and badgers and bears kill us, we kill each other, we’re just trying to outrun it! Warriors are experts in outrunning death.” Starlingkit side-stepped towards the hole in the nursery.
“Why are you so scary?” Starlingkit whined. Roachspring sat up. The wild look that always shone in his eyes flickered.
“You think I’m scary?” Roachspring whispered.
“You’re always talking about death and blood,” Starlingkit muttered, pressing against the nursery wall. “You brought me out of camp. It’s not safe out here for me. Frogbelly says you’re a monster.”
“No no no!” Roachspring gasped. He crouched in front of Starlingkit, paws carefully tucked away. “I’m no monster! I’m different! Please don’t leave.”
“What do you want from me?” Starlingkit asked. “Why do you like me so much?”
“I’m here to help you become strong and brave!” Roachspring said, in a rather gentle tone compared to his usual nasal voice. “You can become a great warrior!”
“Why do you like making jokes about death?” Starlingkit muttered, refusing to meet Roachspring’s eyes. “Can’t you be more pleasant? The clan would like you more.”
“Big words for a little kit,” Roachspring giggled. “Did my brother teach you those words?”
“Maybe,” Starlingkit grumbled.
“What if I told you I don’t want the clan to like me?” Roachspring purred.
“Everyone wants friends,” Starlingkit huffed. He sat taller, carefully untucking his tail.
“And I do have friends!” Roachspring insisted, tail high. “Adderscar’s my best friend! I hang out with my brother, and your older brothers, and our good know-it-all, Berryfrost.”
“I don’t think they all like you,” Starlingkit admitted. He met Roachspring’s gaze for a moment before looking away.
“I’m working on it,” Roachspring chuckled. “I used to be closer to them. The whole clan can hate me, for all I care. I can’t help who I am, and I refuse to change. Liking dark things doesn’t make me a bad person.” Something in Roachspring’s gut twitched. He wasn’t like Adderscar, he never lied. But he couldn’t say with absolute certainty he believed his words. “You know, I think liking bad things makes me a better warrior.”
“How?” Starlingkit asked. The two toms finally locked eyes.
“I know the worst things someone could do to harm the cats I care about,” Roachspring explained. “That means I can prepare for it, and stop them from getting hurt! I know how to adapt when things get rough. I want to teach you how to protect ElkClan.” Starlingkit dragged his paws across the grass. He looked at the trees swaying softly overhead.
“Why did you break the nursery open?” Starlingkit asked.
“This wall gives out every few moons,” Roachspring huffed, patting the nursery. “Gives you the chance to have adventures!”
“I think I’m going to go back in,” Starlingkit muttered, heat building in his fur.
“See you in the morning!” Roachspring chirped as Starlingkit snuck back into the nursery. Roachspring stuffed brambles and twigs into the hole once Starlingkit was back inside. The young kit settled back by Darkheart. The sleeping queen wrapped her tail over him. Starlingkit pawed at the moss in the nest. Couldn’t Roachspring and Cardinalblaze let him decide his future without embarrassing him?
As the day began and the sun cast long shadows through the forest, a squirrel scampered down an oak tree. It snagged a big acorn in its lanky paws and nibbled at the shell. A breeze carried its scent into the nearest bush. Claws dug into the grass. A golden eye gleamed through the leaves. The wind shifted. The scent of a cat hit the squirrel’s nose. It dropped the acorn.
Adderscar zoomed out of the bush. The only sounds in the forest were the terrified squeaks of the squirrel and the gentle crack of its neck as Adderscar bit down. Adderscar dropped the squirrel and licked his lips. He scratched at the fur-less skin surrounding his blind eye and sighed.
“Let’s see,” he muttered. He poked the squirrel’s body. “You’ll feed Cranefeather and Saltfrost. Yes, I know, I should take you to the nursery, but you should be just the offering I need to snag a few extra herbs for my skin. You never know when they’ll run out and I need some quick relief.” He batted the squirrel, pushing it onto its back. “It’s amazing how many herbs I can hide in my nest.” Adderscar dug a small hole and shoved the squirrel into it. “I’ll catch something else for the queens. Unless it’s fatter than you, then you’ll be their meal.” Adderscar tasted the air again.
He hated to admit how hard it was to smell that squirrel, or anything else for that matter. When he breathed deep, he would either catch nothing or the faintest whiff of smoke still buried in his lungs. Hunting patrols were a nightmare, with the smell of his clanmates giving him no chance of smelling prey. He may be able to see it, but with the scarred, useless eye he had, he’d have to focus. He still had his hearing. He didn’t smell or see the squirrel, but he could hear it scratching the bark and biting at the acorn.
“Let’s try for a bird, shall we?” Adderscar muttered to no one. “A partridge for Partridgeleg? Frogbelly would be proud of that little joke.” He scaled the oak tree the dead squirrel once called home. The branches were sturdy as he ran through the leaves. He lept from one tree to another, ears perked and scanning. He’d turn his head to check what his left eye couldn’t see and continue on.
He stopped at the edge of a maple tree when he heard a gentle bird song. He spotted a sparrow higher in the tree, but before he could move, the sparrow flew off. Something moved in the tree opposite Adderscar, across a Deer Path. It was a cat, but Adderscar had no chance of telling who from scent alone. He hopped to the next tree. A flash of gray and cream fur jumped from the lower branches of a pine to the trunk of an oak before scurrying back up. It was Smallpaw. Now what was the apprentice doing racing through the forest without her happy-go-lucky mentor at her side? Adderscar matched her pace, landing carefully to not disturb the leaves or birds. Vetcheye and Rainsong’s odd behavior was largely focused on Smallpaw and Morningshine. When those two weren’t around, they were a bit like their normal selves. Maybe he could find out why without Morningshine breathing down his neck.
The forest flew past below Adderscar and Smallpaw as they raced further away from camp. Since the sun was to his right, Adderscar knew they were heading for the outer regions, but why? Smallpaw jumped to the ground and followed the Deer Path. Adderscar stayed above her, ears perked for signs of anyone else. As the border got closer, Adderscar climbed higher through the trees, balancing on the smallest branches.
Smallpaw flew over the border and stopped. Adderscar crossed too, just to get to a thick rowan tree that could hide his bright pelt. Smallpaw looked around with slanted eyes, ears twisting and nose twitching.
“Who's your friend who likes to play?” she chanted. Adderscar blinked, taken aback. “Who’s the friend who likes to play?”
“Dolphin!” someone from beyond the territory chanted back. “Dolphin!” A fat gray cat trotted into view. His fur was so odd, it looked almost purple from some angles. He had long fur and a ringed tail. He had leaves and flowers stuck in his fur. He seemed older, but he pranced around like a kit.
“Who’s climbing makes you shout ‘Hooray!’” the gray tom cheered.
“Smallpaw! Smallpaw!” Smallpaw chanted back, giggling. Her flank wiggled in the air. “Who’s the best in every way and likes to chant this rhyme to say…”
“Dolphin!”
“Smallpaw!”
“Dolphin and Smallpaw! Forever!” The two chanted in unison. They jumped up, front paws hitting the others as they laughed. This was getting interesting. Adderscar relaxed in the branches and watched, his head angled so his good eye wouldn’t miss anything.
“This poey-tree stuff is the best!” Dolphin laughed, hopping around. His voice was high and goofy, despite looking as old as Darkheart. A touch of aging fur lined his flat muzzle.
“It’s called poetry,” Smallpaw giggled. “It’s an ElkClan invention.”
“Well how’s clan life treating you, kitten?” Dolphin asked. He plopped onto the ground and curled his tail.
“There’s finally another apprentice again,” Smallpaw explained, sitting beside him. “Scauppaw’s training to be a warrior with Sunfang.”
“Yeah, I don’t get why you have to change your names,” Dolphin huffed, tail flicking. “It seems complicated. Don’t you forget the new names? Hasn’t anyone called you Smallkit?”
“I don’t know,” Smallpaw hummed. “We’re so used to it, it doesn’t make sense to forget a new name. The only time I’ve ever heard someone say the wrong name is because they didn’t know there was a naming ceremony.”
“What sort of name would I have?” Dolphin wondered. “Dolphinface?”
“Oh, you’re no -face,” Smallpaw laughed. “That’s for good looking cats.”
“Now that is offensive!” Dolphin gasped, smiling.
“Dolphin-pain-in-the-flank,” Smallpaw suggested. “Dolphinbarf.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dolphin scoffed, batting Smallpaw’s ears. “Anything else?”
“I think I had an idea that impressed Morningshine,” Smallpaw explained, biting an itch on her back leg.
“Ooo, do tell,” Dolphin purred.
“Vetcheye and Rainsong are always so mopey, so I encouraged them to fake being happy for a quarter moon!” Smallpaw explained. “Whoever did the better job would get a silly catmint moss ball.” So that was the secret! Adderscar never thought Vetcheye or Rainsong to be the types to succumb to competition. And for something so dumb on top of that.
“Fake it till you make it, huh?” Dolphin huffed.
“Yeah, that’s a good way to phrase it!” Smallpaw chirped. Dolphin sat up, stretching.
“I’ve seen them before,” Dolphin yawned. “I think they might be my brother’s kits.”
“Really?” Smallpaw gasped.
“He’s met some clan mollies before,” Dolphin explained. “Before he got cut.”
“What does that mean?” Smallpaw asked, sitting up.
“Sometimes, the humans will grab one of us and when we come back, we can’t have kits,” Dolphin explained, dismissively flicking his tail. “Happened to my brother, then it happened to me.”
“That’s why you smell weird!” Smallpaw realized, standing. “I didn’t want to say anything.”
“You smell weird too, forest cat,” Dolphin chuckled. Smallpaw looked back towards ElkClan territory, paw scratching the ground.
“I should head back before Morningshine decides to come find me,” Smallpaw sighed. “Thanks for being here.”
“Where else would I go?” Dolphin laughed.
“I’ll see you during the half moon,” Smallpaw assured him, climbing up an oak.
“See you on the moon, Smallpaw!” Dolphin cheered, smiling. As Smallpaw jumped back into ElkClan territory, Adderscar left his spot in the rowan and headed back into his home trees.
Smallpaw climbed a few trees before she hopped back down. She sniffed the air, making sure her scent didn’t carry to the border. Luckily, it hovered in the trees. Smallpaw smiled. The Deer Path she was on would lead close to camp, and then she’d see what Morningshine had in store for the day.
“What happened to Eiderburr and Stonestep’s honest daughter?” a voice sighed overhead. Smallpaw jumped. Adderscar dangled in the oak to her left, paws crossed and tail waving high and cocky. Smallpaw’s hackles rose, a deep set feeling of “uh oh” in her gut.
“When you were in the nursery, Eiderburr loved to talk about his goofy little kit,” Adderscar noted. “You always admitted if you did something wrong. What happened to that honest kit, Smallpaw?”
“You’re always questioning the code, why do you care what I do?” Smallpaw snapped. Adderscar twitched his whiskers. He jumped from the tree, landing in front of Smallpaw.
“This loner, Dolphin,” Adderscar asked, leaning his muzzle into Smallpaw, forcing her to back up. “Is this a romantic relationship?”
“Ew, no!” Smallpaw groaned, sticking her tongue out. “He’s like, a hundred moons old. Why were you following me?”
“I’m not allowed to be concerned for a clanmate?” Adderscar scoffed, eyes big with insincere worry. “I see an apprentice sneaking through the territory without her mentor, why shouldn’t I be concerned?”
“I wasn’t sneaking,” Smallpaw grumbled into her chest. “Dolphin’s not a clan cat, who cares if I spend time with him?”
“I don’t,” Adderscar said matter-of-factly. “Why should I concern myself with who you choose to socialize with?”
“Because you’re a story-keeper!” Smallpaw snapped, waving a paw at him. “Your whole job is to make sure we’re following the warrior code!”
“Something like this is a waste of my time,” Adderscar snorted, looking back to the border.
“Then why are you harassing me?” Smallpaw groaned.
“Because it’s an opportunity,” Adderscar explained. He walked around Smallpaw, good eye facing her. “This little competition you’ve made for Vetcheye and Rainsong. I need you to stop it.” Smallpaw blinked. She definitely wasn’t expecting that.
“Why?” Smallpaw asked. “I’m helping them.”
“They can’t ‘fake it’ when they don’t believe in it,” Adderscar tutted, shaking his head. “Lying to yourself makes things easy, but what you’re forgetting is you have to believe the lie as well as tell it.” Adderscar stopped his dramatic pacing. “Plus, it’s creepy.”
“You want them to stop being happy because you think it’s weird?” Smallpaw muttered, brow raised.
“They aren’t happy,” Adderscar explained. He smiled. “I’m sure you can convince Morningshine to try a different strategy. Don’t want to break her happy attitude by learning her first apprentice is breaking the warrior code.” Adderscar walked a few steps down the Deer Path before looking back at Smallpaw, who stood tense and stuck in her spot. “Unless you want to leave ElkClan? Join Dolphin as a loner? Two best friends facing the world?”
“If this is all I have to do,” Smallpaw grumbled, “I’ll try and convince Morningshine. If I do, you won’t tell anyone what you saw?”
“Tell them what?” Adderscar asked. “That I bumped into a clanmate during my hunt? Let me fetch my catch and we can walk back to camp together.” Adderscar beckoned Smallpaw closer and headed towards his buried freshkill. Guilt flooded Smallpaw’s ears with heat as she followed him.
In camp, the eight kits of the clan gathered inside the holy den, batting each other's ears and gazing outside, hoping to run back into the sun. Spiderstorm paced in front of the healer’s herbs, watching them closely. Starlingkit eyed the camp clearing, where Roachspring and Cardinalblaze watched with creepy interest while trying to look like they didn’t care. Starlingkit slipped behind Pondkit, who poked at the patient nests while Weaselkit stomped around, tearing up the moss. Maybe if he stayed there, the brothers would finally forget him.
“We can’t begin until you shut up,” Spiderstorm grumbled as Bustardkit and Porpoisekit squirmed around his long legs, sniffing at herbs and exploring the den.
“We don’t even want to be here!” Weaselkit groaned. “This lesson is stupid!”
“Maybe to you, but we want to see if any of you are interested in being seers,” Spiderstorm huffed.
“Then Starlingkit can go,” Pondkit said, looking at the younger kit. “Kin can’t mentor kin. It’s in the code.”
“Considering I'm the only seer,” Spiderstorm huffed, “there would be an exception. Hey, don’t touch that!” Porpoisekit had stuck her nose into the cowslip flowers carefully collected in a big maple leaf. She stumbled back, giving an innocent smile. Harekit, Patchkit, and Stormkit were young enough that Partrigeleg had to stay with them so they wouldn’t wander off. Harekit kept playing with his mother’s tail, though Patchkit and Stormkit seemed ready for the lesson. Spiderstorm sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath.
“Being a seer is a sacrifice,” Spiderstorm explained as Bustardkit and Porpoisekit scurried away from his gentle swipes, joining the other kits. “You spend quite a bit of time alone, without a mate or kits, watching the world and interpreting the signs of StarClan. If you’re like me and prefer time alone, it’s a tempting role.”
“Don’t you want a mate?” Bustardkit asked, looking up from where she was playing with one of the nests.
“You don’t need a mate to be happy,” Spiderstorm sighed. “I see things no one else does. I walk with StarClan during the half moon. I can see them helping us in tiny ways. I keep our clan in the good graces of the stars, the sun, and the moon. StarClan watches us all, but the limited power of the sun and moon means they can only talk to a few cats.”
“Do they already know what we’re gonna be?” Starlingkit asked meekly.
“I believe so,” Spiderstorm said, hesitating.
“So I don’t get a choice,” Starlingkit sighed, laying behind Pondkit and turning his back to the camp.
“You always get a choice,” Spiderstorm huffed. “They just know what you’re gonna pick.”
“Did they tell you what we’re gonna be?” Stormkit asked, trotting away from his mother.
“No, because that defeats the point of you picking your futures,” Spiderstorm snapped.
“I bet they said Starlingkit’s your future apprentice,” Weaselkit scoffed, giving Starlingkit a taunting smile. “He’s used to special treatment.”
“I don’t get special treatment!” Starlingkit huffed, standing.
“You’ve got half the clan caring for you,” Weaselkit grunted, tail straight behind him. “It’s just because your parents died.”
“Hey!” Spiderstorm and Partridgeleg snapped in unison.
“It’s not my fault!” Starlingkit whined, ears spreading as his frustration rose. “I don’t want everyone on my tail all the time!”
“You’re a kit, so the clan cares for you,” Partridgeleg assured him. She glared at Weaselkit and added, “Love is not special treatment.”
“Roachspring and Cardinalblaze have been fighting all day over who gets to be his mentor,” Weaselkit huffed. “It’s not even their choice!”
“Okay, this lesson was a failure,” Spiderstorm huffed, rolling his eyes.
“Weaselkit, don’t be mean!” Pondkit snapped, stomping to Weaselkit’s side and batting his ears.
“I was just saying he’s gonna be the seer apprentice!” Weaselkit whined. “I’m not saying anything that’s not true.”
“Alright, everyone back to the nursery,” Partridgeleg huffed, nosing Weaselkit and Pondkit out. “Stoatpool’s going to hear about this.” Bustardkit and Porpoisekit scrambled out of the holy den, tasting the sweet freedom of the open camp.
“Can I stay to hear you talk about StarClan?” Stormkit asked, standing on Spiderstorm’s paw.
“Ask your mother and we can talk tonight,” Spiderstorm sighed, He gently nudged the tiny kit out of the holy den after his littermates and mother. Starlingkit hid behind Partridgeleg, carefully avoiding Roachspring and Cardinalblaze’s gazes. The two looked up as the kits stumbled out. Cardinalblaze got to his paws. Spiderstorm’s ears went flat, pointed left and right. He stomped out of the den towards the brothers.
“Star—” Cardinalblaze began to call. Spiderstorm got to him first and stuffed a paw in his mouth.
“No,” he grunted. Cardinalblaze spat his paw out.
“You don’t know what I was going to say,” Cardinalblaze grumbled.
“You two have been trying to convince Starlingkit to be your apprentice,” Spiderstorm huffed.
“He doesn’t choose who his mentor is,” Cardinalblaze muttered, spitting out a few pieces of Spiderstorm’s fur.
“Nutstar said one of us would be his mentor if he wanted our roles!” Roachspring proudly chirped, rolling onto his back.
“Way to keep a secret,” Cardinalblaze grumbled.
“Okay, not that your help with him isn’t appreciated,” Spiderstorm groaned, running a paw down his face, “but you seriously need to lay off.”
“I want to encourage him!” Cardinalblaze huffed. “Being a story-keeper is an honor.”
“You’re going to stress him out,” Spiderstorm snapped. “How’s he supposed to decide his future when you’re telling him what he should do?”
“We’re not forcing him,” Roachspring whined, getting to his feet.
“Yes you are,” Spiderstorm said.
“StarClan said he has great potential!” Cardinalblaze gasped, dramatically flicking his tail. “I don’t want him to waste it.”
“Good, so let him decide what he wants for himself,” Spiderstorm snapped.
Smallpaw and Adderscar slipped into camp, a squirrel in Adderscar’s jaws. Spiderstorm and Adderscar shared a glare as Adderscar dropped the squirrel onto the freshkill pile. Smallpaw slipped towards the warriors den, shared by warriors and counselors alike. She glanced inside. Morningshine chatted quietly with Sunfang as the counselor groomed his shoulder.
“Morningshine?” Smallpaw asked. “Could I talk to you?”
“Sure!” Morningshine chirped. She gave Sunfang’s shoulder one last lick and trotted out of the warrior’s den. “Ready to meet with CliffClan?”
“Before we do that,” Smallpaw muttered, back paw scraping the ground, “I wanted to talk about Vetcheye and Rainsong.”
“They’ve been doing well!” Morningshine declared. “They aren’t very good at being happy, but they’re trying! You had a good idea!”
“About that,” Smallpaw groaned. “I think we shouldn’t do this competition anymore.”
“Why not?” Morningshine asked. She led her apprentice to the side of the den so Bearclaw could enter. She softened her voice. “It’s working.”
“I don’t think it is,” Smallpaw admitted. “You taught me that it’s not good for a warrior to lie about how they’re feeling. Isn’t that what we’ve asked them to do?”
“Only for a few days,” Morningshine explained.
“I don’t think pretending to be happy works if they don’t think they’re happy,” Smallpaw insisted, glancing at Adderscar. The scarred tom’s blind eye seemed to stare at her across the camp. She quickly looked back at Morningshine. “They’re just trying to get the catmint moss ball, and I don’t even think we’re allowed to give out catmint as we please! Besides, they aren’t always sad. They might just be happy being quiet and mopey.”
“That’s not what being happy is,” Morningshine huffed, sitting, “but I see your point. The last thing I wanted was for them to lie to themselves. I think they’re out by the SealClan border. We need to head with Frogbelly and Grassleaf to the Stacked Stones for our meeting with CliffClan, but once we get back, we’ll tell them the contest is over.” Morningshine stroked Smallpaw’s back with her tail. “You have a lot of good ideas! We’ll come up with something else to help them.”
“Yeah,” Smallpaw chuckled awkwardly, ears threatening to flatten. It could have worked, Morningshine knew what she was doing, but she wasn’t going to give up Dolphin.
While the two mollies talked, Starlingkit watched the camp from the edge of the nursery, where Darkheart groomed his thick pelt. He stared at the leader’s den, words churning in his throat. Spiderstorm was arguing with Cardinalblaze and Roachspring. Starlingkit tried to ignore them.
“Darkheart?” Starlingkit asked, looking up at his foster mother.
“What is it?” Darkheart purred.
“Am I allowed to go talk to Nutstar?” Starlingkit asked, squirming out from under Darkheart’s tongue.
“I believe she’s in her den,” Darkheart sighed. “Why do you want to speak to her?”
“I wanna talk to her about my apprenticeship,” Starlingkit admitted, speaking to the ground. “I think I know what I wanna do.”
“She should be free,” Darkheart said. “Come with me. I’m glad you’ve figured it out.” She touched her nose to Starlingkit’s head and padded towards the stump. Spiderstorm was the only one to notice Starlingkit slip after her. Luckily, Cardinalblaze and Roachspring were too focused on explaining why they should be Starlingkit’s mentor to notice.
“Nutstar?” Darkheart called. The leader was in her nest, finishing up a mouse. Starlingkit peeked around Darkheart’s thick fur.
“Do you need something?” Nutstar asked.
“Starlingkit wants to talk to you about his apprenticeship,” Darkheart explained. She gently pushed the kit into the cool den.
“Wonderful,” Nutstar purred. “Come closer, young one.”
“I’ll be in the nursery if you need me,” Darkheart whispered into Starlingkit’s ear before heading out. Fur standing up, Starlingkit approached his leader.
“So, what would you like to become, Starlingkit?” Nutstar asked, pushing aside her mouse.
“I want to be a story-keeper,” Starlingkit explained, nodding like he had to convince himself. “I really like stories. I wanna tell my own.”
“Lovely,” Nutstar said with a smile. “You’ll do a wonderful job. I already have an idea who your mentor will be.”
“Uh…” Starlingkit stammered, the words catching in his throat. “I…”
“Is something wrong?” Nutstar asked, sitting up.
“I don’t want Cardinalblaze to be my mentor,” Starlingkit stuttered, words flying out of his mouth in a panicked flurry.
“That’s very specific,” Nutstar muttered, looking serious. “Did something happen?”
“Don’t get me wrong, please,” Starlingkit stuttered, “he’s a hero to me. I think he’s amazing. I… I’m being rude, I sound like I don’t like him…”
“You sound just like Spiderstorm, back when he was a kit,” Nutstar chuckled. “Always worried about saying the wrong thing. Breathe deep.”
“He expects a lot from everyone,” Starlingkit explained, shaking his head. “He wants me to be the best. I don’t think I can be. I can’t be a hero like him.”
“He makes you uncomfortable?” Nutstar asked.
“He’s been on my tail all day,” Starlingkit muttered, grimacing. “He’ll be upset if I tell him to leave me alone.”
“He’s an interesting tom,” Nutstar sighed. “Does he need a talking to?”
“I just don’t want him as a mentor,” Starlingkit mumbled into his fur. “He means well, I think.”
“I don’t need any more explanation,” Nutstar sighed, standing. “I don’t give kits a mentor they aren’t comfortable with.”
“Can you not tell him I said this?” Starlingkit begged. “He wouldn’t take it well.”
“It’s not your job to worry about him,” Nutstar assured him. “I’ll talk to him, but I won’t mention this conversation, I promise. If he bothers you, tell Darkheart.”
“Thanks, Nutstar,” Starlingkit sighed.
“Will you go fetch Hazelear for me?” Nutstar asked.
“Alright. Goodbye!” Starlingkit stammered, slipping out of the den. A few moments later, Hazelear stuck her head inside Nutstar’s den.
“I’ve changed my mind on Starlingkit’s mentor,” Nutstar explained. “I just had a conversation that’s given me a new idea.”
“Whatever this is about, I’m blaming you,” Cardinalblaze hissed in Roachspring’s ear as he followed Hazelear to Nutstar’s den.
“That’s probably fair,” Roachspring scoffed. Starlingkit watched the brothers enter the stump as he batted a moss ball across the camp for Harekit, Patchkit, and Stormkit. He gulped and turned his back to the den.
Nutstar was waiting for the brothers when Hazelear led them inside the den. She sat tall, giving them both an unreadable stare. Cardinalblaze tried to make himself look bigger, even though he was naturally taller than his leader. Roachspring sat and groomed his paw, seemingly ignoring his leader.
“You called for us, Nutstar?” Cardinalblaze asked.
“I wanted to discuss something with both of you,” Nutstar explained. She rubbed her paw in the dirt, leaving a clear paw print behind. She waved a paw over it. “Over the next few moons, we will have more and more apprentices in the clan. As such, we need wise mentors for them.”
“I will gladly mentor Starlingkit!” Cardinalblaze declared, losing all of his nerves and puffing up his chest. Nutstar looked him up and down, unconvinced.
“You are not going to be Starlingkit’s mentor,” Nutstar explained. Cardinalblaze’s face dropped as Roachspring’s tail rose, excitement building up. “Neither will you, Roachspring.” Roachspring dropped his tail. Nutstar looked to Hazelear, who sat outside. “Hazelear, could you please bring them over?” Hazelear nodded, walking away. Cardinalblaze glanced at her as she left.
“So why are we here?” Roachspring grumbled.
“I know you both have been interested in Starlingkit,” Nutstar sighed, “but I’ve decided that neither of you would be a good fit for him.” Cardinalblaze nodded to hide his disappointment. “You’re both young and capable, and I think you have a lot to teach an apprentice. Yet I’ve realized you both would likely pamper Starlingkit.”
“I pamper no one,” Roachspring scoffed, sneering.
“Don’t think your interest has gone unnoticed,” Nutstar huffed. “Since his birth, you’ve both spent a great deal of time with him. I believe you see Starlingkit less as a possible apprentice and more like a younger brother.” Cardinalblaze and Roachspring shared a look. Roachspring glanced at his paw, which bore a small bite-shaped scar.
“Grandmother!” Weaselkit barreled into the den, racing between Cardinalblaze and Roachspring. He tackled Nutstar, purring as he rubbed against her. Nutstar purred back, licking his ears. Stoatpool and Pondkit squeezed into the den.
“You’ve never invited us in here,” Pondkit gasped, looking around. Nutstar patted the spot next to her. Pondkit hurried to her and rubbed against her with a soft purr.
“You both need to start acting mature,” Stoatpool sighed. “Your grandmother is still your leader. I don’t think this is a personal visit either.”
“They only have a few days until their apprentice ceremonies,” Nutstar purred. “Let them be. You are right though, this isn’t a personal visit.” Nutstar stared at Weaselkit, her seriousness returning. “Weaselkit, you’ve wanted to be a warrior since you opened your eyes.” She turned to Pondkit. “And Pondkit, you told me you want to preserve our history as a story-keeper.” Finally, she looked at Cardinalblaze and Roachspring. “Little ones, I would like to present you with your mentors.” Cardinalblaze’s eyes sparkled as he locked eyes with Pondkit. It was true, the kit was always attentive when he told stories. How had he not noticed the passion in his eyes for the ways of the clans? Roachspring and Weaselkit both looked like excited kits, smiling wide.
“Mother,” Stoatpool hissed, shoving between the toms. “If Pondkit insists on being a story-keeper, Cardinalblaze is fine, but Roachspring as Weaselkit’s mentor? He is a brute!”
“We’re going to be a great team!” Weaselkit cheered, racing over to Roachspring.
“You’re bound to keep up with me,” Roachspring laughed. “You’ll outmatch the whole clan in a fight.” Roachspring rubbed his paw against Weaselkit’s head.
“Mother!” Stoatpool hissed.
“Stoatpool, Weaselkit adores him,” Nutstar sighed. “Roachspring wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”
“It would be my pleasure to mentor Weaselkit,” Roachspring purred, giving a little bow.
“Pondkit, do you want Cardinalblaze as your mentor?” Nutstar asked, nudging him towards the story-keeper. Pondkit watched Cardinalblaze with wide eyes.
“Okay,” Pondkit gulped.
“I’ll do my best to be your mentor, Pondkit,” Cardinalblaze purred. “Which means, of course, that you’ll have the best mentor you could ever have.”
“My mentor’s better,” Weaselkit huffed, smirking as he stood by Roachspring.
“They aren’t your mentors yet,” Stoatpool grunted. “You’re still in trouble, Weaselkit. I expect you to apologize.” Weaselkit frowned as Roachspring chuckled.
“You’ll have your ceremonies in two days,” Nutstar explained. “Why don’t you head back to the nursery?”
“Will we talk later?” Stoatpool asked as her kits trotted into camp.
“Of course,” Nutstar purred. Stoatpool sighed and followed her children.
“Thank you, Nutstar!” Cardinalblaze declared, giving his own bow.
“Don’t rush off yet,” Nutstar sighed. “I have one last thing to tell both of you.” She moved closer, giving both toms a hard glare. Though they were both taller than her, Nutstar towered over them in terms of presence. No matter how pompous and loud the brothers acted, they rarely portrayed the true toughness of their leader. “I take all mentorships seriously, but this one is special to me. These are my grandkits, the sons of my daughter, my kin. I avoid special treatment, it’s why I gave Stoatpool your father as a mentor when she was an apprentice. I knew he would be tough. But I do not lie about my love.” She held up an unsheathed paw and showed her teeth. “Should you harm my family, I will bring the wrath of StarClan down on your mangy hides. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cardinalblaze gulped, staring at her paw.
“Yes, ma’am!” Roachspring purred, as though this was a flirt rather than a threat. Nutstar smiled softly and put her paw down.
“You’re free to go,” Nutstar said. “Cardinalblaze, why don’t you tell Hazelear I’d like you to lead a hunting patrol, see who she wants you to bring.” She flicked her tail and turned her back. The two brothers trotted into the sun. They locked eyes. Both burst into giant smiles.
“Yes yes yes yes yes!” they cheered softly, dancing around. “We’re mentors, we’re mentors, we’re mentors!” Starlingkit watched their little dance and relaxed. Everything would be alright.