Spottedpaw yawned and exited the apprentices' den, squinting as the rising sun blinded her temporarily. The clearing was already buzzing with activity from warriors and apprentices alike, and Yellowheart's authoritative voice echoed as he sorted out the patrols of the day. In front of the deputy, Spottedpaw noticed Firthistle, Smallmoon, and Tinyflight, Smallmoon's old mentor, expectantly waiting to hear their duties of the day.
She felt a painful tug at her heart as she remembered what Heatherstar had told her the night before. For once, Spottedpaw found herself wishing that Rockstorm would critique her hunting and battle stances. Though irritating at first, she'd admit the smoky warrior's chastising nature grew on her. She could almost hear his condescending tone as he begrudgingly gave her advice whenever Swallowclaw chimed in.
With a sigh, Spottedpaw made her way to the medicine den. They must have the traveling herbs ready, she thought bitterly. When she squeezed into the den, the faint trickling of the pool in the furthest back corner soothed her worried mind. Off to her right, Spottedpaw noticed Muddapple sitting patiently. She was painfully aware of his golden gaze following her as she stepped further into the den.
"Blueheart?" she called hesitantly, wondering if the old medicine cat was in the crevice sorting through herbs. "Skyfeather? Are you around?"
"They went out to stock up on herbs," Muddapple spoke up when nobody else answered, startling the apprentice. "They left your traveling herbs with me." The brown tabby pushed forward a bundle of herbs, and Spottedpaw gave him a wary glance.
Without a word, she stepped forward until the bundle was at her paws. Spottedpaw turned her gaze down to the herbs and sniffed it hesitantly, enticing a chuckle from Muddapple.
"Just eat them," he murmured, amusement dripping from his voice. "I know that look. No, I didn't put anything in the herbs. I'm a medicine cat, for StarClan's sake. Not everyone is out to get you, Spottedpaw." Spottedpaw looked back up to meet his gaze and saw that, to her surprise, he didn't look offended at all. After a moment of thought, Spottedpaw felt silly for her silent suspicions and ate the bundle of traveling herbs.
"Thanks," she mumbled awkwardly. The apprentice nodded to him and rushed out of the den, not wanting to suffer another moment under his inquisitive gaze. When she entered the main clearing once more, she was met with familiar faces.
"Spottedpaw!" Firthistle called and bounded toward her, Bouncepool close behind him. "I have to go on some morning patrols, but I just wanted to say goodbye one more time. I-It would have been nice to have more time with you, but Heatherstar won't waver no matter how much I beg her to reconsider."
"Oh," Spottedpaw spoke, taken aback by his kindness. "You didn't have to do that for me, Firthistle. I'm sure she gave you a scolding for it."
"Not at all!" the pale brown tom assured her, his green eyes glimmering and a hint of a blush resting on his muzzle. "I wanted to try and persuade her. We can still talk at Gatherings, though! I promise, if I see you, I'll come say hi!" Together, the two brothers bounced off to meet the rest of their patrol. Not far off, Spottedpaw noticed Talonstrike watching their interactions. His sharp-angled face held a stoic expression, and his long-furred tail tip fluttered lazily at his paws. Before she could look any closer, Swallowclaw and Jayleaf approached her.
"You know where to find me at the Gatherings," Jayleaf murmured before Swallowclaw could speak. The grey tabby's eyes were round with sadness as he spoke. "You better come say 'hi' if you see us!"
"I will," Spottedpaw promised, nudging him affectionately with her paw. "How could I go to a Gathering and not sit with my BlazeClan buddies?" Jayleaf gave a chuckle and stepped back, indicating that it was Swallowclaw's turn to say his farewells.
"You've come a long way," the long-furred warrior started, his gaze solemn. "The future must have some big plans for you, with medicine cats chasing after you like this. Hawkscar would be proud. When it's my turn to travel to StarClan, I'll make sure he knows that he did a good job." Spottedpaw frowned at his words, tilting her head.
"Don't talk like that," she teased, though she was serious. "You're not going anywhere yet!"
"That's right," Jayleaf chimed in, a hint of worry flashing across his gaze briefly. "You're stuck with me for plenty more seasons, whether you like it or not!" The three cats laughed with one another for a few moments, each of them trying to fight off the gloom that threatened their minds and hearts.
Spottedpaw glanced up, noticing that Heatherstar watched her from atop her ledge. The black-furred leader sat with a noble posture, her expression unreadable and her bluish-lavender eyes piercing Spottedpaw from afar. Spottedpaw narrowed her eyes ripped her own gaze away from the BlazeClan leader, trying not to get mad. If the medicine cats say this is for the best, then they must have their reasons, she told herself firmly. As she was trying to convince herself that this was a good thing, Muddapple approached her, his tail swaying lazily behind him.
"Are you ready to depart?" the medicine cat asked, his golden eyes as inquisitive as ever. "We'll want to leave soon, so we can make the most out of our sunlight. The days are already getting shorter as we near leafbare."
Spottedpaw let her gaze travel over the BlazeClan cats one more time, wishing she'd had more time to say her farewells. She knew that there was a chance she'd never see some of these cats again, though she told herself that she could try to spot them at Gatherings.
"Y-Yeah," she stammered after a moment. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
"Let's go, then," Muddapple responded, swiveling around and leading her out of the BlazeClan camp. As soon as they left the camp, Spottedpaw felt as though the still-blinding sun would wear her down despite offering little warmth. Muddapple led her along silently, his tail still swaying lazily as he walked.
For countless unbearable moments, they walked under this suffocating silence. At least, that's how it felt to Spottedpaw. If the SwiftClan medicine cat apprentice felt similar, he showed no signs of it. Spottedpaw narrowed her eyes and made a face at him, wondering what he could be thinking. Then, she got an idea.
"So," the dappled tabby apprentice started, quickening her pace to catch up with him. "What exactly was your reasoning behind this? I mean, I get it, Deadeye and all, but do you really expect me to believe that's the only reason?"
"We've already told you," the brown tabby mewed curtly. "Deadeye is unstable, and you know it more than any cat."
"Sure," Spottedpaw responded, letting her tone soften. "But I also know that Deadeye is a lot of things; one of the things he's not is an idiot. BlazeClan sheltering me would be the most obvious result, so that could easily be the last place he checks!"
"Perhaps that's true," Muddapple murmured, letting his own voice grow terse. Spottedpaw fell back a few steps and rolled her eyes, quickly growing frustrated.
"Yeah, it is," she muttered to herself. Then, she spoke up again. "It is true, and if I know it, then surely you do. That means that this isn't the best option considering your reasoning, which means that you have another reason!"
"Perhaps I do," the golden-eyed tom sent a cool glance over his shoulder. Spottedpaw blinked in surprise, having gotten used to his blatant interest in her. "If that's the case, you'll find out when the time is appropriate. For now, we've got a destination to reach, and all that talking will only wear you out."
Spottedpaw opened her mouth to object, but quickly thought better of it. What ruffled his fur the wrong way? she wondered sourly, lowering her head as they continued traveling. Before she knew it, they had reached the Gathering clearing. Spottedpaw sniffed the air tentatively and quickly recognized the RushClan and NightClan that weren't far off. As they padded along the northern outskirts of the clearing that sheltered the Gathering Stones, she noticed another vaguely familiar scent, and realized that it must be SwiftClan.
As they crossed the border, she noticed that the barren land that made up BlazeClan territory slowly grew more forested. Up ahead, several large hills stretched out, making up the marshy moorland of SwiftClan. Spottedpaw cringed as she stepped in a particularly swampy spot, the cold, wet mud squishing between her toes.
"You'll get used to it," Muddapple called over his shoulder, seemingly unbothered by the mud as he kept striding ahead. Spottedpaw grimaced and shook out her paw before bounding forward to catch up to him. The further into the territory they delved, the more Spottedpaw noticed. It wasn't all muddy, marshy land; on the hills that made up the moors and the dips in between, the land was relatively dry, and although there weren't many trees around, the shrubbery provided plenty of shelter.
Spottedpaw blinked when she realized that he was leading her to an area heavily overrun by gorse and sedge. The widespread thicket seemed to lie in the heart of the territory and, as they drew closer, she realized it must be the camp. Muddapple padded through a tunnel of gorse and, hesitantly, Spottedpaw followed him.
Inside the camp, cats bustled about excitedly. A burly, golden-brown tom stood in front of two smaller grey cats, his expression stern but his tail twitching in amusement. Just outside of a den—Spottedpaw assumed it was the nursery—a bluish-grey tom with a white-spotted muzzle sat next to a plump grey tabby she-cat, while three kits of various shades of grey tumbled about in front of them. On the other side of the camp, a brown tabby with lighter tan markings on his legs sat with a fluffy black molly with striking eyes that were an odd mixture of green and brown. A tortoiseshell she-cat sat close to a dappled pale-grey molly, and after a moment Spottedpaw recognized them as Dapplecloud and Fernwillow. They all look so close, she thought. Like the families I saw in BlazeClan.
She blinked when Muddapple cleared his throat, and she noticed he was waiting for her to follow him further. Spottedpaw hesitated a moment before following him; peeking ahead of him, she saw that he was leading her to a broken tree stump. In front of the stump, she saw Brightpelt sitting next to an older brown tabby tom. That's Fishstar! she realized. Are they waiting for me?
"I'm glad to see you back in one piece," Brightpelt purred to her apprentice, greeting him with a touch of their noses. Fishstar said nothing, his green eyes fixated on Spottedpaw.
"I'm lucky this apprentice didn't talk me to death," Muddapple responded, sending a teasing glance to Spottedpaw. "She claims that we have ulterior motives in bringing her here." The two medicine cats gave purrs of amusement, and Spottedpaw shuffled her paws sheepishly. She noticed that several of the cats in the clearing were peeking at her curiously, though none of them said anything, nor did they approach her.
"Welcome," Fishstar spoke after the medicine cats quieted down. His tone was warm and welcoming, relieving Spottedpaw only slightly. "As you might have noticed, several of the cats here recognize you from Gatherings or patrols with the Gorge. Before you get worried, I'll tell you that those who recognized your description spoke up and claimed that you never behaved the same way as your kin and campmates. Even so, I've already spoken with everyone, and nobody should be giving you a hard time."
"Th-That's relieving," Spottedpaw admitted shyly. "In BlazeClan, a lot of cats were pretty vocal about wanting to deny me shelter."
"If anyone gives you a hard time, feel free to come to me or Grassheart about it," Fishstar reassured her, flicking his tale to the light tabby she saw earlier. "I know that, even though you were apprenticed rather early, you've been an apprentice for some time now. You shouldn't have long left before you earn your warrior name; I'll take you on as my own apprentice, and I won't make you do everything all over again. You've trained in the Gorge and in another Clan—you know how everything goes. Once I've decided that you can hunt and fight well enough, you'll receive your name."
"What about Gatherings?" Spottedpaw blurted out before she could think twice. More than anything, she wanted to attend Gatherings to see her friends again.
"What about them?" Fishstar responded smoothly, his face suddenly stoic. Spottedpaw narrowed her eyes slightly and examined his expression.
"Can I go?"
"No." Fishstar held her gaze for a moment, and Spottedpaw heard Muddapple snicker softly under his breath. Fighting back the urge to send the medicine cat a glare, Spottedpaw sat down calmly.
"Okay . . . why not?"
"Spottedpaw, according to Blueheart, you only escaped the Gorge a moon ago—if that! Deadeye is surely still keeping an eye out for you; his patrols have certainly let us know. Your presence at a Gathering will only bring more risks."
"Please!" Spottedpaw begged quietly, tearing at the grass beneath her with her claws. "I'll hide at the back of the clearing, in the bushes where nobody can see me! I just wanna make sure my friends are okay. I left some cats at the Gorge and I'm really, really worried about them." Spottedpaw desperately wanted to see Nightpaw and Riverpaw, to know what they were safe. Fishstar fixed her with a stern look and gave a defeated sigh.
"Fine," he murmured begrudgingly. "You can come if you promise to focus on finishing your training. You don't want to be an apprentice longer than you have to. Now," the leader added when Spottedpaw nodded eagerly, "Go and introduce yourself to the other apprentices. They're over there, by the burly golden warrior. Your training will start tomorrow, so be prepared." Fishstar dismissed her with a wave of his tail and led the medicine cats into a nearby den. That went a lot better than I expected, Spottedpaw thought in surprise. She let her gaze wander to the warrior Fishstar mentioned and noticed the two small, grey cats from before.
Spottedpaw padded over to them hesitantly, realizing that the warrior nearby must have been scolding them. When she drew nearer, both of the apprentices looked at her with wide eyes. The burly warrior that had been lecturing them also paused, letting his austere gaze rest on Spottedpaw.
"Hi there!" the grey tabby she-cat chirped, a thick accent lacing her voice. "Aren't you that one cat from the Gorge? Spotty-somethin'?" Spottedpaw stopped in her tracks, surprised at their forwardness. She examined the molly carefully; the strange apprentice didn't seem hostile, but it could be a trick.
"Shut up, Mosspaw!" the other, a solid grey tom, hissed sharply. Though his voice carried a hint of an accent, Spottedpaw wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't for the other molly. The solid grey cat turned back to her and stepped forward. "I'm Mousepaw, and this is my sister, Mosspaw. You must be Spotpaw, right? Fishstar said you'd be coming!"
"It's actually Spottedpaw," the golden tabby corrected slowly. "A-And it's nice to meet you both. Fishstar said to introduce myself, so, er, here I am." Spottedpaw let out an awkward chuckle and glanced at her paws, suddenly unsure of herself. I sound so stupid! she thought hopelessly. Ugh, I hope they don't laugh at me. To her surprise, Mousepaw bounced forward a few pawsteps. When he did so, she realized his eyes were differently colored—one was a deep blue, while the other was a striking yellow.
"That's great! Come with me, I can show you around!" Before Spottedpaw could respond, Mousepaw whisked away, leaving her to trail hopelessly after him. "My sister and I are the only apprentices right now," he mentioned once Spottedpaw had caught up to him. "Juniperstorm's kits were born not too long ago, so they have a while before they become apprentices. They're already causing a ruckus though, those three—especially that Bristlekit!"
Spottedpaw didn't respond as he led her up to a pair of cats. One was a lithe, whitish molly with a darker muzzle, tail tip, and paws. Next to her was a grey tabby tom with striking yellow eyes and cream-colored eartips. Somehow, Spottedpaw felt like she recognized the molly from somewhere, but ultimately decided that she'd seen her at a Gathering.
"Spottedpaw, these are my parents, Hollyheart and Ploverfern!" Mousepaw mewed cheerily once he sat in front of them. "Mom, dad, this is Spottedpaw! She's the apprentice Fishstar told us about!" The two warriors exchanged an amused glance before turning back to Spottedpaw.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ploverfern, the tom, meowed. His voice trembled slightly, and Spottedpaw blinked when she realized he was struggling to hold back a chuckle.
"Oh, Spottedpaw!" Hollyheart exclaimed, her deep blue eyes glittering with surprise. Spottedpaw noticed that she shared the same accent that Mosspaw and Mousepaw carried. "I recognize you from a border issue some moons ago—that angsty brown kit that chased a mouse onto our territory!" Spottedpaw felt her ears heat up in embarrassment when she remembered the incident.
"That'd be my brother, Dustpaw," she admitted sheepishly. "He wasn't always like that, he just got a pretty mean mentor."
Hollyheart let out a song-like laughter, nodding empathetically. "Siblings suck, honey. I'm sure he'll get over it eventually." Spottedpaw nodded and glanced at Mousepaw, noticing he was waiting for her attention.
"Come on! I'll show you our den!" Once again, he sped off without waiting for Spottedpaw. The golden apprentice rushed after him, holding back an amused roll of her eyes. "My uncle's the deputy, you know," he boasted, sticking his chest out proudly. "And my parents are great warriors!"
"Your uncle?" Spottedpaw echoed, the meaning of the word lost to her.
"Yeah, you know, aunts and uncles, your parents' siblings! Grassheart is my dad's brother, and so is Longstep! They're so cool!" As Mousepaw kept chattering, Spottedpaw drifted off into thought. She wondered if any other cat in the Gorge was related to her aside from her parents and siblings. It'd be hard to say, considering how distant they kept their kin. Being with these Clans is so different, she thought. Even so, it's . . . kinda nice. The more she thought, the more she wondered—until she remembered Rocksplash mentioning that Fireclaw and Foxleap were siblings. I'd have never guessed, she wondered to herself. I don't even think I've seen them interact before.
"Hee-lloooo! Earth to Spottedpaw!" Spottedpaw blinked and realized that Mousepaw was waving his paw in front of her face.
"Stop that!" Spottedpaw muttered, pushing his paw away. She briefly wondered what was compelling him to act like this; she'd never seen anything like it. Then again, most cats she knew were emotionally constipated or wary of her.
"You totally zoned out!" Mousepaw huffed in a pouting manner, though he quickly got over it. "I said I'll be getting my warrior name soon! Mosspaw, too! It'll be any day now, I just know it!"
"That's great to hear," Spottedpaw mewed back, careful to keep her voice level. "I bet you're really excited."
"Yeah! It'd be super cool if we got our warrior names together, Spottedpaw! Fishstar said that you escaped Deadeye, so you must be really skilled. I've never heard of anyone escaping that place!"
"N-No, I don't think so," Spottedpaw murmured, growing sheepish again. "I just got lucky, really."
"You'd need more than luck to escape him!" Mousepaw paused for a moment, and when Spottedpaw didn't respond, he continued. "I wonder what my warrior name will be. I don't want something lame like Mousepelt, or something horrible like Mouseheart—I wanna be Mousecatcher! Oh, or Mouseslayer. That'd be so cool! What about you, Spottedpaw?"
"Uh . . . ." The question took Spottedpaw by surprise, so she sat dumbfounded for a few moments. "I'll be honest, I've never really thought that far ahead. I just figured I get it when I get it, and it'll just . . . be."
"Aw, c'mon! What kind of apprentice doesn't dream about their warrior name?" Mousepaw pouted, then his eyes lit up. "Oh! I'll list some off, tell me what you think, alright?"
"I guess that's okay," Spottedpaw murmured reluctantly, sitting down to listen to the potential names. Mousepaw sat as well, his face scrunched up as if he were pretending to think.
"Alright! How about . . . Spottedwillow! Spottedberry? Oh, Spottedfrost! That sounds cool, doesn't it?"
"I think those sound funny," Spottedpaw retorted, scrunching up her face. "Besides, it isn't like you can change them once you get it."
"Sure you can!" Mousepaw objected, jumping to his paws. "All you have to do is ask Fishstar to grant it! My mentor, Hazelberry did it. Come on, I'll keep showing you around." Spottedpaw blinked in surprise. Suddenly, she thought of Hawkscar and Deadeye; the two toms certainly weren't born with those names, and must have changed them when they received the wounds they were named after. As she followed Mousepaw, Spottedpaw wondered if she would like the name Fishstar assigned her, or if she'd want to change her name entirely to forget her past in the Gorge.