Wolfstar's Story: Chapters

So, here's my first fanfic. Enjoy!

Prologue
 A dark smoky gray tom sat before a cliff, purring as a silver tabby she-cat slowly groomed his back, his blue eyes narrowed in comfort. He stood up and looked into the silver tabby she-cat’s face. The four blue eyes locked together.

 The dark gray tom whispered, “Feathertail, do you know why I chose you over Leafpool and Nightcloud here, in StarClan?”

 “That was what I’ve been wondering,”Feathertail mewed, “I understand Nightcloud was just a she-cat to help prove your loyalty to WindClan, but Leafpool? You loved her a lot. Why did you give her up to be with me? I am a lot older than her, Crowfeather.”

 “I never thought I would love a she-cat, before I met you. After you died, I still thought of you everyday, even when I ran away with Leafpool. I liked her, but that was not true love. She was like you, but no, you were my first love. That’s all that matters.”Crowfeather meowed gently.

 Feathertail purred and pressed her cheek against his muzzle. They looked over the cliff. It falls steeply towards somewhere in its depths. Below that, was the ThunderClan camp.

 Crowfeather continued, “Please don’t be mad at me, but I still wonder about ThunderClan, the Clan Leafpool belonged to. I’m sorry, but I just can’t stop thinking about it.”

 “I understand.”

 “Thank you, Feathertail,”Crowfeather whispered, “How you always understand others is one of the things I love most about you.”

 They silently watched a fluffy white queen giving birth to two kits. One silver tabby she-cat, one pale gray-and-white tom.

 “I’m sorry I never got to live long enough to have your kits. They’d be lovely,” Feathertail mewed sadly.

 “It’s not your fault. And, even if you had lived, we would have been in different Clans. Hey, that silver tabby looks like you!”

 Feathertail lowered her head and meowed, “You’re right! We do look alike. You know what Silverstream would have said if she were here? She would say that kit is an exact copy of me. True, we’re basically the same. Let’s hear what her name will be.”

 They both leaned forward for a moment, and then they sat back.

 “So her name is Wolfkit,” Crowfeather purred, nodding slowly, “Would you like to think her as our daughter? I promise I will watch over her with you. Always.”

Chapter 1
 Wolfkit blinked open her eyes. All she saw was dazzling white. She closed her eyes, covered them with one paw, and then opened them again. Much better. Her mother, Cloudpelt’s fur was just too white, especially in the sunlight. Wolfkit prodded her brother, Flykit, with one paw.

 “Wake up!” She mewed.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Flykit groaned and turned over, showing his pale gray belly fur. Wolfkit poked him again. Flykit swiped at her paw groggily.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Get up,” She hissed, “It’s already late morning!”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Flykit stood up sleepily and shook out his pelt, ruffled from sleeping.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Race you to the fresh-kill pile!”Wolfkit yowled.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> She dashed towards the pile of prey, where Rosestem and Grassleaf are sharing tongues, Flykit at her heels. She reached the fresh-kill pile first, but Flykit hopped on her tail. She whipped around, purring, and leaped aside. Flykit lashed his white tail. Wolfkit crouched down, judging the distance carefully, and pounced on Flykit. She felt Flykit struggling under her grip and he suddenly dropped down and rolled over, trying to squash her. Wolfkit jumped away just in time but tripped over a twig. Seizing this opportunity, Flykit hopped onto Wolfkit. Wolfkit squirmed, but couldn’t wiggle free. So she let her muscles go limp. Flykit loosened his grip, confused. Then Wolfkit threw Flykit up and jumped back to her feet explosively, while Flykit was still trying to gain his balance, she ran towards him and bumped into something solid. It was Shimmerstar.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “S-sorry,” Wolfkit squeaked.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “It’s all right,”Shimmerstar whispered, “Don’t tell others I said this, but I think you would make the greatest warrior of our Clan. Your wit and strength works perfectly together, and look at the length of those teeth!”She winked and walked away, leaving Wolfkit staring after her, her heart beating. Then, her surprise melted into happiness. The leader of ThunderClan had praised her!

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Flykit growled playfully and Wolfkit flicked his ears with her bushy tail.

Chapter 2
The sun shone weakly into the camp. No one was in the mood of talking. ShadowClan and ThunderClan were fighting, again, for the clearing by the border. Cloudpelt had no thoughts to soothe her frightened kits. Her thoughts were out with her mate, who was out fighting.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit begged for the hundredth time, “Please, Cloudpelt! Tell us a story!” Wanting to make her mother feel better, she added, “Sunfire will be fine! He is the best warrior in ThunderClan!”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Cloudpelt bent down to lick her ears. “Of course, my dear,”she murmured, “If you say so.”Flykit squealed in excitement, and Rosestem’s kits gathered around too, ears pricked.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Cloudpelt began, “I was a kittypet, long ago. My name was Claudia. I didn’t enjoy living with Twolegs at all, not like other kittypets, who purr to Twolegs all day long. I used to stare at the moors outside my fence, wondering what it would be like to live with the Clan cats, who kittypets fear.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “One day, my Twolegs let me out for a walk. I was very excited, and I jumped over the fences. I ran as fast as I could, into WindClan territory, thinking they wouldn’t harm a defenseless kittypet. I was wrong. I got into a fight with a WindClan apprentice out alone, called Pebblepaw, who is now Pebblenose. I was lucky no warriors were with him, but I was scratched badly and had a twisted paw. I managed to escape and limped into ThunderClan territory. A patrol found me and brought me to Shimmerstar. Streamwater took pity of me and treated my scratches. She told me I have to stay for a few days because of my twisted paw.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Staying in ThunderClan, I was fascinated by how a Clan works and hoped more than ever to be a member of the Clan. I begged Shimmerstar to let me stay. She disagreed, and I was very discouraged. After a few days, my paw got better, but I pretended to limp so I could stay in ThunderClan for a longer time. I knew Streamwater could see that I was just pretending, but she didn’t tell anyone and allowed me to stay.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “One day, Streamwater let me go out into the forest for a walk alone. I saw a rogue cat in ThunderClan territory and fought it off. I didn’t know that Shimmerstar was watching me behind a bush. She praised me, and seeing this as a chance to join ThunderClan, I asked, again, if I could become an apprentice. She said she would think about it, and, later that day, she renamed me Cloudpaw and gave me Creeksky as my mentor! That was the greatest day in my life, also the happiest—”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Cloudpelt was interrupted by a loud yowl. Wolfkit turned around, bristling, but then realized the yowl came from Swiftwind. The battle patrol was back! She hurried out and found the warriors standing, scratched but proud.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “So you won?” Asked Mapleberry behind Wolfkit, her swollen belly swaying with Grassleaf’s kits.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Yes!”Answered Rowanpaw, Swiftwind’s apprentice, “We taught those fox-hearted crowfood eaters a lesson they won’t forget in a hurry!”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Now,”Streamwater meowed, “Come in and get your scratches treated before they get infected!”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit watched as the cats with the most severe injuries went into Streamwater’s den. Sudden interest washed over her, and she walked subconsciously over to Streamwater’s den.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Wolfkit,” Cloudpelt called from behind her, “Streamwater’s going to be busy. Come back.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Oh,” She mewed, disappointed, “Okay.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Wait, Wolfkit,”Streamwater meowed, staring at her, something unreadable stirring in her gray eyes, “Come inside.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit looked back at Cloudpelt. The white queen looked as if she was going to say something, but then dipped her head.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit bounced happily after Streamwater and into her den. Lionfoot, Jaypaw, and Spottedpaw were already inside. Lionfoot’s eye was scratched, Spottedpaw’s ear tip was hanging loosely, and Jaypaw was the worst. He was lying on his side. A long scratch ran from his chest to one of his hind legs, and blood was still spilling out.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “This is bad,”Streamwater murmured, looking at Jaypaw’s wound,“As you’re in here, Wolfkit, you might as well make yourself useful. Fetch some cobwebs for me.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit dashed off to where Streamwater stored her herbs. Cobwebs. Cobwebs. She found a thick wad of them and covered her paw with it. Hopping on three legs, she went back to Streamwater. Nodding her thanks, Streamwater took the spiderwebs. Wolfkit watched as Streamwater skillfully pressed them onto Jaypaw’s belly. Wolfkit was surprised by how calm she looked. Her own heart was pounding so loudly she was surprised no one heard her.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Does it hurt?”She whispered to Jaypaw.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Jaypaw looked up at her, his blue eyes glazed with pain. Wolfkit immediately knew it did, but Jaypaw rasped, “I’m fine.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit was impressed. He was so brave!

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “You’re amazing,”She whispered. Jaypaw purred and licked her ears. Wolfkit ducked away, surprised.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Wolfkit,”Streamwater meowed from where Lionfoot was sitting, “Give me some celandine for his eye. They are the yellow flowers with four petals, in the back of my store.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit nodded and bounded off. She found the flowers that matched Streamwater’s description, picked some up, and ran back to where Streamwater was sitting. Streamwater bit through the stalks and held them over Lionfoot’s eye. The juice trickled into his scratched eye. He blinked as it watered.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “You can go now, but be careful. I suggest you not to go around chasing squirrels in a few days,”Streamwater purred. Lionfoot rubbed his eye with one paw. He blinked his thanks, but winced. Streamwater purred with amusement as Lionfoot walked away.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Now, it’s your turn,”Streamwater meowed, turning to Spottedpaw.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “My ear isn't even that bad. It’s just that Grassleaf insisted me to come here. My mentor is a little bit overprotective, you know,”Spottedpaw mewed, sounding apologetic and defiant at the same time.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Well, we’d still better get it treated, or else the great Clan deputy might make me collect moss all day long,”Streamwater meowed, her whiskers twitching, “Fetch me some dock, Wolfkit. They are large-leafed plants with a sharp smell. Also some catchweed, the ones with burrs.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit leaped away, found the herbs matching Streamwater’s description, and ran back.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Excellent. Here, I think you should do it this time,” Streamwater mewed.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Me?”Wolfkit gasped, and when Streamwater nodded, the silver tabby she-kit dipped her head and asked, “So what do I do?”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “First, bite the tip of Spottedpaw’s ear off. And then chew the dock up, spit it on Spottedpaw’s ear, and put the burrs of the catchweed on it,”Replied Streamwater.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit bit the tip off. Spottedpaw gasped, but did not flinch. “Sorry,” Wolfkit whispered. She chewed up the dock, wincing at the bitter taste, and spat the pulp onto Spottedpaw’s scratched ear. Then, she removed the burrs from the catchweed, and put them on the pulp.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Very well,”Streamwater meowed, sounding impressed, “I have something to ask you later. Meanwhile, Spottedpaw, you can go and rest. You are fine, but try not to open that wound.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Spottedpaw nodded and skipped away, but not before calling to Wolfkit, “Thanks!”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Now, Wolfkit, come with me,”Streamwater mewed quietly. She started to go to the herb-store, and Wolfkit followed, pelt tingling. She wondered if she did anything wrong, because she wanted to please Streamwater a lot, for some reason not even known by herself.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Streamwater sat down by a pile of alder bark, and pointed her tail to a rock in front of her, indicating Wolfkit to sit down. Wolfkit sat down before the rock, her tail reaching nervously under the rock, where it met broad, smooth beech leaves. She ran her tail over the large leaves, trying to calm her racing heart.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Wolfkit,” Streamwater started, her voice gentle, “Here, I am going to be very honest and straightforward. I am getting old, and I need an apprentice. You showed great talent and enthusiasm, and I am wondering if you would be interested in becoming a medicine cat apprentice.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit’s eyes widened in surprise and pleasure, and for a moment she thought she was about to say “yes, sure”, but her mind flashed back to a few days ago, when Shimmerstar praised her and said she might be the strongest warrior of ThunderClan.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Wolfkit?”Streamwater asked quietly.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “I-I’ll think about it,” Wolfkit meowed quickly.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “I don’t mean to hurry you, but your apprentice ceremony is in two days, so you have to be quick. Please, make up your mind tonight, and tomorrow, tell me your answer. If it is yes, I’ll go and talk to Shimmerstar. I believe she will let you choose your own path,”Streamwater’s voice was calm, but her gray eyes were pleading, an emotion unusual for the gray-blue she-cat, “Now, it’s getting late. Cloudpelt will want you back. She can tell you a bedtime story.”She dismissed Wolfkit with a wave of her tail and turned her attention to sorting a pile of herbs into two stacks, one pile of bindweed and one pile of blackberry leaves.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';">

Chapter 3
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit looked around. Everyone in the nursery was asleep. Cloudpelt slept quietly, her tail wrapped protectively around Wolfkit and Flykit. Rosestem slept on her side, her dark orange flank slowly rising and falling. Willowkit and Olivekit snored muzzle to muzzle. Leafkit was dreaming, his two light brown paws twitching. Fallowkit was fast asleep in the curve of Rosestem’s belly, while Mapleberry’s pale ginger pelt glowed silver in the moonlight, her belly round with Grassleaf’s unborn kits.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit sighed, even Flykit was asleep beside her. She was still wondering if she should be a medicine cat or not. She enjoyed helping others, and she recognized herbs instantly, without anyone teaching her. Yes, when she left Streamwater’s den, she recognized the bindweed and blackberry leaves easily. The answer simply popped into her head. No effort, no thinking. She just knew it. But she remembered the excitement pulsing through her with each beat of her heart when she play-fought with Flykit, when she noticed every twitch of his muscles, so that she could predict his next move. She also remembered when she let her instincts guide her, when she knew what was unexpected for her opponent. And Shimmerstar had praised her, saying that she could be the strongest warrior of ThunderClan. But Streamwater had also said she has a great deal of talent and enthusiasm, just right for a medicine cat, too.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> She shook her head clear and expressed her exasperation in a miserable sigh. A shadow fell over her. She gasped.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Before she could yowl her surprise, a tail muffled her cry.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Hush, little one,”A gentle voice purred, “We won’t hurt you.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Wolfkit looked up in fear, but saw two cats she had only heard of in Creeksky’s stories.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> The tom, whose shadow was still cast over the cowering she-kit, was dark smoky gray, so dark that he was nearly black, even in the bright moonlight. The she-cat was like a reflection of Wolfkit, only bigger, and with twinkling clear blue eyes instead of bright green.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Crowfeather? Feathertail?”She whispered in awe, “Why are you here?”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “My dear, sweet Wolfkit, we have watched over you since nearly six moons ago, when you were born along with your littermate, Flykit. You have a great destiny before you,”Feathertail leaned closer to Wolfkit, her beautiful face such a short distance to Wolfkit’s that the little she-kit could feel Feathertail’s warm breath on her nose, “You, my dear, are special.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Confused, Wolfkit stared at Feathertail’s perfect face. Special? What did she mean?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> Crowfeather walked forward, gently pushing Feathertail away with his flank, and mewed, “Wolfkit, I can see that you’re troubled. You don’t know whether to follow the path of a medicine cat’s or a warriors. We, StarClan, know how your destiny will unfurl, but it’s not our place to tell you, or to choose it for you. Think, Wolfkit, which one’s more important to you, in your heart? Follow your heart, let it guide you, but don’t forget to listen to your head.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> With that, the two cats vanished, leaving only their faint scent behind.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> “Follow your heart, let it guide you,” Wolfkit whispered to herself. That does not really help. “But don’t forget to listen to your head.”Being a warrior, she would serve her Clan well, hunting and fighting, just like the other warriors. But being a medicine cat, she would be very important. A Clan without a medicine cat cannot survive. They would need a cat to interpret signs from StarClan, speak to them, and heal the injured and ill. Streamwater is getting old. She needs an apprentice.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:'HeitiSCLight';"> She knew her choice.