"I'm so excited!" Smallkit squealed running in circles around Crowsky, Driftwater and Silverpool. "We're finally going to be apprentices!"
"Not if you don't smooth down your pelt!" Silverpool pulled in son in closer, rasping her tongue across his spiky pelt. "Behave yourself, Smallkit."
"But I can hardly contain myself!" Smallkit broke away from his mother, turning in circles. "I'm going to be an apprentice! Who is my mentor going to be? I hope it's you Crowsky!"
Crowsky couldn't help but purr. "I doubt that, I've only been a warrior for a moon. There's plenty more warriors worthy of being your mentor."
"Well, whoever it is," Smallkit flicked his tail. "I want them to be awesome!"
"You'll respect your mentor whoever it is." Driftwater chimed in.
"I know, I know." Smallkit snorted then turned to his much calmer sister, Tawnykit. "Aren't you excited?"
"Of course I am." Tawnykit purred. "But apprentices have to be serious and proper." Smallkit rolled his eyes playfully.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!" Cloudstar's voice rang out across the camp.
"It's time!" Smallkit jumped to his paws, ready to sprint towards the gathering area until Driftwater caught his tail and pulled him back.
"You'll walk there like a respectful apprentice, not like it's your first day out in the camp!" Driftwater scolded. Smallkit flattened his ears, but his spirit still shone brightly in his blue eyes. Crowsky followed Driftwater, Silverpool and their kits to the gathering area where they sat before Cloudstar.
"Today is a proud day for MoonClan, Tawnykit and Smallkit have reached the age of six moons are are ready to start their paws on the path of a warrior. With them in our den, we will show that MoonClan is as strong as ever." Smallkit could barely sit still, Crowsky purred with amusement. "Tawnykit and Smallkit, from this day forward until you have earned your warrior names you will be known as Tawnypaw and Smallpaw. Tawnypaw, your mentor will be Nightfeather, she is kind, yet fierce. These are powerful traits that I trust she will pass on to you."
Tawnypaw and Nightfeather touched muzzles and stepped to the side. When I left, Nightfeather was a kit and now she's got an apprentice. Crowsky recalled. "And Smallpaw, your mentor will be Squirrelpelt. She's strong and brave, I know she will guide you to become a brave warrior."
"Smallpaw! Tawnypaw!" MoonClan cheered their newest apprentices and Smallpaw and Tawnypaw quickly started pestering their new mentors. Crowsky couldn't help but notice Shadowpelt sulking at the back of camp. Is it mad he didn't get an apprentice? Crowsky didn't remember him being such a sour cat, he wondered what happened.
"Are you ready for your first gathering back?" Frostfire's mew pulled Crowsky's attention away from his Clanmate.
"Terrified actually." Crowsky admitted, shuffling his paws. He wasn't sure he was ready to face the Clans. What would they think of him? Would Crowsky be able to face Elmheart?
"It'll be fine." Silverpool nudged him after seeing her kits off into the forest for the first time. "We'll be with you."
"Yeah," Crowsky mewed awkwardly.
"Walk with me." Silverpool nudged Crowsky to his paws and guided him just out of camp. "I know what you're fearing." Crowsky didn't respond he just stared at his paws. "You're afraid of seeing Elmheart."
"I just--don't know how to face him." Crowsky admitted.
"There's something you don't know, Crowsky." Silverpool sighed. "Owlstar started a war with LichenClan over the death of Blacksky not long after you left." Crowsky's eyes went wide. A war? "Cloudstar continued the fight after Owlstar died and it cost us the lives of several warriors. I never once partook in the fighting, I know it's not what you or your father would have wanted."
"Who died?"
"Whiteriver and Windsong, and Cloudstar lost a life." Silverpool looked up. "We killed LichenClan cats too, those who didn't have anything to do with this. It was actually Elmheart who stopped it. He has a family now, he convinced Cloudstar to stop." Silverpool met Crowsky's troubled gaze. "I don't expect you to forgive him, I know that part of me never will, but he did stop more deaths from happening."
"I suppose." Crowsky shuffled his paws awkwardly. Last time he had seen Elmheart, he was violent apprentice who killed his father. It didn't matter that he had a family now, he was still the cat who ruined Crowsky's. I don't want revenge Crowsky told himself. But I will never forgive Elmheart for what he did.
"Crowsky!" Crowsky heard small, eager voices calling for him. He looked towards the nursery and saw five kits racing towards him. It was Ashbird's kits, Ebonykit and Shadekit, and Dovestorm's kits, Mistkit, Ravenkit, Ashkit and Stormkit. While Crowsky had been getting to know Smallpaw and Tawnypaw he had also spent some time with the other kits in the nursery.
"What do you need kits?" Crowsky questioned kindly.
"You promised us you would tell us stories!" Ebonykit proclaimed.
"I don't know how much time I'll have before the gathering." Crowsky admitted, casting a glance up towards the sky. The sun was slowly falling behind the clouds, they would have to leave soon.
"Just one little story please!" Shadekit begged.
Crowsky thought for a moment, he knew the perfect story. "Alright, alright." Crowsky turned to face the kits. "Let me ask you kits something, have you ever heard of a coyote?"
Their eyes went wide. "What's a coy--o--tee?" Ashkit struggled to pronounce the words. "What is that?"
"They're similar to dogs and foxes, but they're much bigger. They have deadly teeth and lifeless eyes. They reek of crowfood and eat anything that crosses their path." The kits huddled together, their eyes wide with excitement. "When I was travelling, it started to rain so I took shelter in a cave. When I woke up I found myself face to face with a coyote pup." The kits gasped. "The pup wasn't a problem, but then it's mother showed up. It chased me all the way across the moor I was on. I was terrified, but as you know MoonClan cats are the fastest animals around, but that coyote was nipping at my tail. I finally got up a tree, away from it."
"What happened to the coyote?" Stormkit questioned.
"It clawed at the base of the tree, trying to get me, but like dogs they can't climb trees. I stayed up in that tree for a very long time until I was sure the coast was clear."
"That's so cool!" Ebonykit gushed. "You must be so fast. I want you to be my mentor, Crowsky!"
"No, I want him to be my mentor!" Shadekit pushed her sister lightly. "Imagine all the stuff he could teach us!"
"Kits!" An irritated mew called from the nursery. Nightfeather stood outside the nursery with anger in her eyes. "Stop pestering Crowsky and Silverpool, they have a gathering to get to."
"But he was telling us stories!" Ebonykit argued.
"Get back in your nests, it's time to settle down for the night."
The kits shared a collective groan but looked towards Crowsky. "Thank you for the story! Will you tell us more tomorrow?"
"Absolutely." Crowsky promised and watched as the large group of kits ran to the nursery.
"You've become quite the popular cat among the kits." Silverpool nudged him.
"They only like me for my stories." Crowsky laughed.
"No one else has stories like you." Silverpool turned towards the entrance to camp where several cats were starting to gather. "Looks like it's time to go."
"Yeah," Crowsky took a deep breath and followed Silverpool to the head of camp where MoonClan was gathering. Crowsky was relieved that Icestorm and Frostfire were attending along with him and Silverpool. Driftwater was also coming, but their kits would be staying behind.
Crowsky noticed the hate-filled gaze of Shadowpelt sulking with Cinderfur and Hawkface. Crowsky still didn't know why Shadowpelt hated him, the two of them never really interacted when he was an apprentice, did his leaving really upset Shadowpelt that much?
"MoonClan!" Cloudstar raised her voice. "Let's head out." With Cloudstar at the lead, Crowsky followed his Clanmates, walking in between Icestorm and Silverpool towards the gathering hollow. He wondered how the other Clans had changed, he had learned that Birdstar had died and the Clan was now led by Jumpstar with Daisyfern as his deputy.
MoonClan arrived just after AshClan did and Crowsky noticed that LichenClan was already in the hollow. His eyes scanned the crowd, there were some cats he knew and some he didn't. He couldn't see Elmheart or Jaggedtail just yet, he wouldn't mind seeing Jaggedtail, but he hoped to stay away from Elmheart.
As MoonClan reached the hollow, he noticed Cedarclaw breaking away from the group in a hurry, heading towards the group of AshClan cats. What's that about? He wondered, flicking his tail, but he didn't spend too much time thinking about it. Crowsky looked over the leaders, he could see Jumpstar dipping his head to Cloudstar as she approached, he could also see that Goldenstar still led AshClan. Not long after, Foxstar arrived with SunClan behind him.
The Clans gathered and faced the four trees, it was Cloudstar who started the night off. "MoonClan is proud to welcome one of our cats back after being missing for a few moons and he has earned his warrior name, Crowsky!"
So many confused gazes burned into Crowsky's pelt, he ducked his head and shuffled his paws, feeling awkward. She said I was missing. That's not the truth. He slowly swayed his tail. "We also welcome two new apprentices, Tawnypaw and Smallpaw!" Crowsky was glad that the attention was of of him and focused on the two new apprentices.
Cloudstar sat down and Foxstar stood up in her place. "Prey is running exceptionally well this season," The ginger leader began. "And we welcome two new kits in the nursery as well as new apprentice, please welcome Willowpaw!
Goldenstar stood up once Foxstar was finished. "AshClan also welcomes new kits, Batkit, Crowkit, Nightkit and Dustkit!"
The final announcement came from Jumpstar "LichenClan is thriving, we have plenty of prey but not much news to announce."
The news came to an end and the night wasn't too incredibly cold, so the Clans decided to mingle. Crowsky wasn't sure who he should talk to, he just kind of kept close to Silverpool like a scared apprentice.
However, he noticed a familiar dark brown pelt approaching him, it was Jaggedtail. "You're back." He breathed out in amazement. "I was wondering what had happened to you, where did you go?"
"It's a...long story." Crowsky brushed the question away. "It's nice to see you again, Jaggedtail."
"You as well." Jaggedtail bowed his head. "Nice name by the way."
"Thank you. How have things been in LichenClan."
"Better lately." Jaggedtail mewed, he seemed awkward as well. Was it because he left? Because Jaggedtail's best friend killed his father? Or was it because MoonClan and LichenClan had apparently fought a war while he had been gone. A ginger and cream tabby she-cat padded up to Jaggedtail, looking at Jaggedtail with a certain fondness in her eyes.
"Who is this?" She questioned kindly, her voice soft.
"This is Crowsky." Jaggedtail explained. "I met him a while ago, but I guess he had to leave MoonClan for a while. Crowsky this is Cherrypool."
"It's nice to meet you." Crowsky dipped his head respectfully.
As Crowsky spoke to the two LichenClan cats, small flakes began to fall from the sky. "MoonClan!" Cloudstar's voice rang out above the crowd. "We should get going before we get caught in the snow."
"Guess I'm going then." Crowsky mewed. "It was nice to see you again, Jaggedtail and it was nice to meet you Cherrypool."
"You as well." Jaggedtail and Cherrypool watched Crowsky leave with Silverpool at his side. Slowly things were falling back into a sense of normalcy, but everything still felt strange. I hope that one day I'll be able to find my paws in this forest again.