Second special point of view in this book! This time, it is Stormjaw, Jaypaw's mentor. This will also reveal quite a lot of Stormjaw's past.
~
Laying in the medicine cat den, Stormjaw could hear the call of his Clanmates. They were calling the new apprentice's - Redpaw - name with pride, which made the tom remember his own apprentice ceremony.
It was so long ago...
The scratches on his back still stung, not because of pain, but because of how Stormjaw felt. I'm sorry, Cloudmist, I am still too weak.
Very night, Stormjaw remembered his old mate, Cloudmist, about the happier days where he spent many moons beside her, sharing their joys and sorrows.
His claws tore part of his mossy nest angrily. My future was ruined... because I lost Cloudmist. We planned to have kits, until that happened.
As much as Stormjaw tried to let go, he couldn't. He kept remembering Cloudmist's - then Cloudpaw - encouraging smile when they were practising moves together as apprentices.
Cloudmist was also the one who manage to comfort me when I lost my mentor, Stormjaw remembered.
"Stormjaw, if you hear me, please take care of yourself. You can get really injured if this continues," the sound of the RookClan medicine cat, Mistystream woke him up from his thoughts.
Stormjaw didn't know to reply. Instead, he let out a grunt of acknowledgement.
His thoughts led him back to when he was a kit, playing with his denmates - back then - Cloudkit and Mistykit.
~~~~
Back then, Birdstar wasn't the leader of RookClan. The Clan was led by a wise, but old tom named Webstar, supported by his deputy, Cinderbreeze, a she-cat with great experience.
Birdstar was just a new warrior, waiting for her own apprentice. There were three kits in the nursery - Stormkit, Cloudkit and Mistykit.
Cloudkit and Mistykit were littermates, but regarded Stormkit as one of their littermates. Their bond became inseparable.
When the time came for the three kits to become apprentices, Mistypaw was apprenticed to Leafshine, the medicine cat after revealing she wanted to become a medicine cat.
Meanwhile, Cloudpaw was apprenticed to Birdfrost, much to every cat's surprise.
Stormpaw's mentor was a great warrior named Vineheart. Together, the mentor and apprentice also formed a great bond between them - almost comparable to the bond Stormpaw had with Cloudpaw and Mistypaw.
However, because of the many secrets a medicine cat apprentice have to keep, Mistypaw became more distant from them.
That was when Cloudpaw and Stormpaw promised to each other that they will maintain each other's bond.
No cat could have guessed that the bond turned into something more sweeter - love.
Together they faced all odds, braving every challenge together, which brought them to the day where they become warriors.
Cloudpaw was named Cloudmist, while Stormpaw was named Stormjaw, after his strength of biting prey and enemies.
When Vineheart was discovered dead, Stormjaw grieved for his mentor while the others tried - in their own ways - to comfort him.
Cloudmist was the only cat that managed to wake him up from his grief.
Later, both warriors agreed to be mates. Mistystream - she received her full name a moon after they received their warrior names - congratulated them warmly, and that was the day the three cats finally felt that their bond was returning.
Then came the fateful day...
Cloudmist was patrolling the WaveClan border with Stormjaw, Smalltail and Darkpaw.
The border was separated by a river that flows on the border of WaveClan and SunClan as well.
That river alone gave a clear border for three Clans.
The RookClan patrol met with a WaveClan patrol. What started out as a minor dispute about borders turned into a fierce skirmish.
It only ended when Cloudmist was found dead, her throat cut by a sharp rock. While fighting, a cat must have accidentally pushed her, causing her death.
From that day on, Stormjaw was never the same.
~~~~
Stormjaw got from his nest, deciding that he needed to take a walk. Mistystream was fast alseep, so Stormjaw had no problem sneaking out of the medicine cat den.
"Stormjaw."
Stormjaw heard his name being called as soon as he stepped out of the medicine cat den.
He whipped around, but did not see any cat in the camp clearing.
"Stormjaw." It was that voice again. But why does it sound so familiar?
"Why are you doing this?"
The voice came from above him. Stormjaw looked up and saw a cat sitting on top of the medicine cat den.
"Cloudmist?" Stormjaw mewed softly. His former mate looked different, her light gray fur were surrounded by stars, but the look in her eyes stayed the same.
"It's time for you to let go," Cloudmist meowed. "Your apprentice doesn't need to suffer the same fate as others. The fate of RookClan lies on that young apprentice."
"What's going to happen to RookClan?" Stormjaw asked. "Tell me please!"
"Just remember my words," Cloudmist mewed as she began to fade away. "It is your decision to make."
Feeling confused, Stormjaw padded out of camp through the other path so that Paledapple - the warrior guarding the camp that night - wouldn't catch him heading out of camp.
As Stormjaw padded closer to the training area for apprentices to sharpen their skills, he spotted his apprentice standing there - much to his surprise.
"Jaypaw, why are you here?" Stormjaw demanded.
Jaypaw turned around and was surprised to see him there. "Why are you here?" he retorted.
This is your chance, Stormjaw could hear Cloudmist's gentle voice in his head.
"Jaypaw... well..." Stormjaw hesitated.
"Well what?" Jaypaw asked warily.
"I'm... sorry," he mewed. "Could you give me another chance?"