Warriors: Cobwebs

4. The Offer

     "What do you think of our camp?" inquired Fallenstar as she entered her den. Cobweb followed, shivering as his paws touched the cold, tan stone. At the center was a cracking rock, four long, deep claw marks running along the top. The back wall, which was slate grey instead of tan (hinting to a change in the type of stone), held other claw marks, each set varying in depth and age. The oldest ones were sleek now, smoothed by time. And the newest set consisted of five scrapes.

     "Why are there claw marks?" asked Cobweb, dodging Fallenstar's question. Fallenstar appeared to be amused by the kit-like question and looked to the rock in the center.

     "The first leader of this clan clawed that stone as a symbol of leadership of the clan, and ownership of this territory. A record to be kept at the center. Those on the wall were created by every leader after then, except for one who never even entered this den," explained Fallenstar, and Cobweb tilted his head. "Who?"  This question made Fallenstar flick one ear to the clawed wall, and pointed at a dried mud painting on the stone, shaped similarly to a butterfly or similarly. Over the image were several marks from several cats. "That image was painted by pressing one's nose into mud and to the wall- meant to represent Mothstar, one of DarkClan's greatest tyrants. She starved her clan, and held such a hatred for StarClan that she refused to set foot in this den, although many leaders before and after held no belief of the ancestors. When she left, and her brother was killed for his crimes by being forced to consume deathberries, Redstar, who was the leader after her, created this image and was the first to strike the stone."

     Cobweb eyed the five-claw group. "Who's that?" he asked, looking to Fallenstar, who looked down at her paws. Cobweb followed her eyes and his own widened. This she-cat had an extra toe on each paw, and Fallenstar let out a soft purr. "I was born with these, and these extra toes have helped me quite a bit. It's quite rare.

     "Now- onto what you were pulled into here for. I have a question for you, a choice that could change your life forever," the she-cat added. "Please, sit down."

     Cobweb did as he was told, his tail curling around his paws. He tilted his head, ears perking and swiveling so that he could listen. Fallenstar did similar, sitting with her tail around her ankles, but she kept her stare at the tom in thought. Cobweb shifted anxiously as the leader pondered for a time, yet soon she spoke.

     "You realized how old Clearwhisker is, yes?" Fallenstar said in a whisper. Of course Cobweb had! Clearwhisker should have been part of the elders bush long ago, in Cobweb's opinion. But he did not say all of this, and simply nodded and mewed a soft "yes." He watched Fallenstar with a flitting eye that traveled from her eyes to his paws, waiting for her to continue, and soon turned his head upwards to see the smile that she bore.

     Fallenstar flicked the end of her tail, the white fur on the tip scuffing up dust.

     "Clearwhisker needs an apprentice now, before he-" she started to explain, but she paused. "Passes," Cobweb finished for her and the leader nodded. "Indeed. I've come to believe you're alone in the world?"

     Cobweb blinked his single green eye, and gingerly nodded in agreement, sadly sighing. "Yeah- that's right." The leader before him appeared to feel badly for him, as if she regretted the wording of her statement.

     "Clearwhisker is going to pass soon and you're alone, half blind. I feel like you and he could work together, and learn from each other," suggested Fallenstar. Cobweb's eye widened. Work with a clan medicine cat? Really?

     "You're a bit trusting, aren't you?" he asked her, and Fallenstar smiled. "I am. But you give off a good aura- like you would be willing and true to the Medicine Code. You could train as a warrior," Fallenstar explained. She paused and blinked. "But Clearwhisker needs an apprentice- one who is as inquisitive as you appear to be."

     Fallenstar stood and padded to the entrance of her cavern den. "I'll give you time to think on it. Meanwhile, I suggest you get to know the cats around here. Especially Clearwhisker."

     And she left the den, Cobweb following.