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Mudfur stalked the length of the medicine den, swinging his head back and forth as he paced. Shadepool busied herself with sorting fresh yarrow leaves from the leaves too withered to be used, staying silent to allow her mentor to sort his thoughts.
“I told StarClan I would wait for a sign of their approval and it has appeared.” He sighed, speaking more to himself than his apprentice, although he regarded Shadepool with a twitch of his ear. A pale moth’s wing laid on a flat rock, laid out to dry from where it had appeared in the shaded pool of the medicine den. Mudfur had found it at dawn when he woke to get a drink from the chilled waters, floating just out of reach from the sun, drifting in the shadows. “StarClan accepted you as the medicine apprentice and now, they have revealed the apprentice to follow in your pawsteps.”
StarClan’s message was unusually clear, to Shadepool’s chagrin. Mothwing, a RiverClan warrior, was truly meant to walk the path of a medicine cat just as Mudfur had suspected. The young she-cat had never seemed disappointed while training to become a warrior, but she had taken a greater interest in the herbs of the medicine den rather than battle training. Mothwing would make a fine medicine cat, but Mudfur believed that was not StarClan’s full message.
There was no way for a moth’s wing to have made it all the way into the pool of water. If StarClan had simply meant to reveal Mothwing’s true path, the wing would have appeared anywhere. Mudfur believed the moth’s wing floating in the shaded pool meant that Mothwing was not intended to be his apprentice, StarClan expected Mothwing to be Shadepool’s. Shadepool was reluctant to agree despite the evidence laid out before her.
“There is little more you could possibly learn from me. You already have your full medicine cat name.” Mudfur continued, slowly crouching before the moth’s wing. His body moved sluggishly, weary and tired as his life as a warrior caught up to him. He was growing slower with each passing day. “Perhaps StarClan is expecting me to join their ranks sooner than I had realized.”
“Don’t say this like that.” Shadepool said shortly, swatting a rotten yarrow leaf with more force than necessary. The leaf flew across the ground, half torn from Shadepool’s rough treatment. “You are a wise medicine cat. StarClan would be mouse-brained to deprive RiverClan of your knowledge.”
“Hush. I’m plenty old and my bones are growing more and more tired. My time is coming to an end, whether you like it or not.” Mudfur’s words were curt, but his tone was understanding. Mudfur had been medicine cat since before Shadepool was born, she had never known the medicine den without Mudfur’s scent. “Mothwing will be your apprentice, not mine. StarClan has decided.”
Under Mudfur’s scrutinizing gaze, Shadepool could not deny its likeness to the young tabby warrior. The wing’s pale color matched Mothwing’s golden pelt. “Shall I fetch Mothwing?”
Mudfur nodded, turning his stare to Shadepool, burning gaze pinning the she-cat to the ground. “Leopardstar as well. We must share StarClan’s decision with the clan and take Mothwing to Mouthermouth at half-moon.”
A bit startled by the fire burning in her mentor’s unwavering stare, Shadepool nodded and slipped out of the den, abandoning the yarrow leaves to be sorted later. Momentarily blinded by the sunlight, Shadepool instantly missed the cool, dim light of the medicine den as she picked up Leopardstar’s scent by the fresh-kill pile.
Sharing a piece of prey with Mistyfoot, Shadepool slowly approached. Dipping her head to the RiverClan leader and deputy, the she-cat waited for Leopardstar’s impatient gaze to turn to her. “Leopardstar, Mudfur wishes to speak with you.” Shadepool meowed, careful to keep her voice hushed. “StarClan has sent an omen.”
Eyes gleaming with curiosity, Leopardstar nodded and bid farewell to Mistyfoot as she heaved herself to her paws. The spotted she-cat slid past Shadepool and once she was out of earshot, Mistyfoot regarded Shadepool with curiosity.
“A sign, huh?” She meowed. Shadepool nodded hastily.
“Yes. Do you know where Mothwing might be?” Mistyfoot wordlessly flicked her tail toward the medicine den. Quickly thanking the she-cat and dipping her head once again, Shadepool trotted across camp to the warriors den where a great heap of fur was sunning himself.
Dozing, Hawkfrost drowsily turned his ear toward Shadepool as the she-cat approached, ensuring the warrior could hear her pawsteps. Eyes squinting open, Hawkfrost’s jaws stretched in a wide yawn as he turned. Upon seeing Shadepool, the tom quickly sat up, hurriedly drawing his tongue over a ruffled bit of fur. Shadepool never quarreled with any of her clanmates, and certainly never with Hawkfrost, but the warrior acted so nervous around her. He was a strong warrior and Shadepool hoped she had never offended him, but when thinking about Hawkfrost, Shadepool simply thought he was… weird.
“Shadepool.” Hawkfrost’s greeting was little more than a low rumble, although he dipped his head with an air of respect Shadepool felt she didn’t deserve.
“Hello, Hawkfrost.” Shadepool returned the greeting, curling her tail over her back in a friendly gesture. Hawkfrost awkwardly flicked his ear and found another patch of fur to wash. So much for that. Hawkfrost was a charismatic warrior, but Shadepool had never been on the receiving end of it. “Have you seen Mothwing? Mudfur needs to speak with her.”
“Oh, yes. She’s inside. She returned to her nest after the dawn patrol.” Hawkfrost moved to duck his head into the nest, but Mothwing’s head popped out before he could call for her, golden eyes stretched wide in alarm.
“Mudfur needs to speak with me? Has StarClan really sent a sign?” The she-cat whispered, sounding fearful of any other cat overhearing. The tabby warrior sounded terrified StarClan would reject her wish to train as a medicine cat. Shadepool nodded and tipped her head toward the medicine den.
“Yes. Mudfur and Leopardstar are waiting to speak with you. Once you speak, Leopardstar will announce StarClan’s decision to the clan.” Mothwing’s eyes grew wider with each word until the she-cat looked frozen with fear. Hawkfrost impatiently butted his littermate’s shoulder with his head. Mothwing quickly scrambled out of her nest. “Hurry. You must speak with them now.”
Nearly tripping over her own paws, Mothwing raced off to the medicine den with Hawkfrost and Shadepool hot on her paws. Despite the tom’s apprehensive behavior, Hawkfrost stuck close to Shadeppol, keeping his stride in pace with the she-cat’s, dark tabby fur mixing with mottled gray. And as Mothwing disappeared behind the lichen of the medicine den, Shadepool slid in front of Hawkfrost, cutting off his path. Quickly coming to a stop, the warrior blinked and took a step back.
“This is not a conversation we are meant to hear.” Shadepool explained softly. Turning her gaze to the medicine den, Shadepool sat and curled her tail over her paws. Drawing a paw over her muzzle, she continued, “We will know their decision soon enough.”
Hawkfrost’s chest puffed with pride as he sat before the medicine cat. “Mothwing has always wanted to be a medicine cat more than a warrior. If StarClan has sent a sign, then they do not share our clanmates' doubts and want her to train as the medicine cat.”
“Yes, it appears StarClan has destined her to walk the path of a medicine cat rather than a warrior. I have no doubt in StarClan’s decision to have Mothwing train as a medicine cat.”
Hawkfrost flicked his ear, intently watching Shadepool groom her fur. “But?”
Pausing, Shadepool regarded the warrior with a curious gaze. Hawkfrost, for once, seemed to preen under her gaze rather than wither. “But, StarClan has also sent a sign that she will be my apprentice instead of Mudfur’s. It had never been known for the medicine cat apprentice to take on an apprentice while the senior medicine cat still lives.”
Hawkfrost’s eyes flashed with emotions, each too quick for Shadepool to decipher before respect filled the warrior’s blue gaze. “If StarClan has sent a sign that you will teach Mothwing, StarClan knows you will teach her well.” He meowed, sounding very adamant. Shadepool could admire his unwavering belief in StarClan’s ways.
The warrior suddenly dipped his head, falling into a crouch, holding his head so low his breath fluttered against the reeds. “You have my entire trust, Shadepool. I know you will be a wise medicine cat and mentor, guiding my sister and the rest of RiverClan.”
Shadepool’s pelt flashed with hot embarrassment. This truly was much more respect than she was deserving of. Hawkfrost had settled well into the ways of RiverClan, but he was acting as if Shadepool was a StarClan warrior herself. Quickly flicking her tail over his muzzle to force the warrior up, Shadepool huffed.
“Honestly, you sound like Mudfur. I’ve only barely received my full medicine cat name, I still have much to learn before I become wise.” Shaking her head, Shadepool gazed into the shadows of the medicine den, wondering how the conversation was going. Leopardstar could be short at the best of times.
Shadepool missed the look of pure admiration Hawkfrost gazed at the she-cat with. He had much more faith in her than he ever would in any other cat, living or dead.
“Oh no, Shadepool. You are much more precious than you realize…”