Lightstar's Life by Crystal Chen (beach books TXT) 📕

Echoflower smiled and meowed, “Congratulations! I won’t be coming this time, but just make sure you don’t pick any fights!” I gave her a quick nod and hurried away to tell Frostpaw.

It was night, and the stars shone brightly in the clear black sky. Moon high was approaching almost as quickly as I could catch a mouse. “Ready?” Flamestar meowed to the MoonClan cats gathered around him. We nodded in unison and set out behind our leader. Looking around as we raced through the forest, I spotted Shadeblaze, Thrushthorn, Snowsong, Thorntail, Lightningpaw, a black and white tom named Whitefang, and a sleek brown tabby called Whispergaze. We paced ourselves and soon broke into a clearing. Gazing up at two tall rocks fit for kings, I thought, Twinstones.

Flamestar leaped up one of the stones in a clear jump. SunClan hadn’t arrived yet.

I spread around and explored the clearing. SunClan scents lingered around the shrubs closest to their territory. Towering willow trees leaned in over Twinstones and provided a comfortable shade with thin ribbons of sunlight peeking in through the long branches.

Finally, the underbrush trembled, and out came seven sleek cats, all lead by a pretty tabby, whose grayish pelt shone violet in the sun. The MoonClan warriors separated and started chatting with the SunClan cats.

“Hi.” I spun around to find a light-brown-with-dark-stripes SunClan apprenticeering whender, and about my size and age. She had bright green eyes, almost identical Frostpaw’s and mine.

“Uh, hi.” I mewed, taking a step back. Then I saw out of the corner of my eye, Lightningpaw, who was chatting with another black and white SunClan apprentice.

“I’m Swallowpaw.” The apprentice mewed. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Lightpaw.” I mewed. “Who’s your leader?”

Swallowpaw turned to Twinstones and flicked her tail towards the tabby with the violet fur. “That’s Shimmerstar.”

I nodded thoughtfully. The name suits her. I thought. “That’s our leader.” I mewed, flicking my own tail to the tall tiger tom, who was sharing tongues with Shimmerstar. “Flamestar.”

Swallowpaw nodded and mewed, “He looks like a tiger.”

I shrugged, “Well, he sometimes acts like one.”

The SunClan apprentice let out a mrrow of laughter. “It suits him, then.” I smiled and fluffed up my fur as a cold breeze blew past. Then Shimmerstar’s meow rang clearly across the clearing:

“Cats of all Clans, let us begin the Gathering.”

Both from SunClan and MoonClan, all the cats froze and assembled themselves in comfortable positions, heads tilted up to gaze at the leaders.

Flamestar spoke first, “MoonClan patrols have scented SunClan on our territory. We just would like you to know that whwho would mentor these newcomers. The Gathering at Twinstones would take place next moon high. I remember as a kit that Ecwe know. But SunClan patrols also have scented MoonClan on our territory. We also have uncovered a secret that was completely against the warrior code.”

All the cats stirred and murmured. MoonClan cats flattened their ears and narrowed their eyes suspiciously.

“We have two illegal maters, ossing from SunClan.” I felt the other Clan’s cats bristle a bit, but thethe SunClan camp, not trespassing, but mating with a SunClan cat!”

Cats from both Clans hissed and bristled as Shimmerstar meowed those last words. “Who is this cat from SunCssing from SunClp to the leader. The gray she-cat turned to me, meowing softly, “It was my own deputy, Rainfeather.”

Swallowpaw’s mouth dropped open like a stone. “Rainfeather!” she yowled furiously, “How could you mate with a cat from another Clan? Now I’m half MoonClan!”

A beautiful silver she-cat stepped out of the crowd, tail drooped, “I’m sorry, Swallowpaw.” She meowed, pain and grief flooding her mew, “I—I couldn’t help it.”

Then I started getting angry. “Shadeblaze!” I snarled to the surprised MoonClan deputy. “Y—you mated twice! Once with Echoflower, and again with Rainfeather!” Shocked hisses rose furiously from the assembled cats.

But above all the chaos, I stared at Swallowpaw. “We are half kin.” She whispered. I nodded absently and wondered if it was good or bad. Frostpaw and I were real kin, though. I wondered how that would work out. Shaking my head, I mewed, “W—we can’t get too close. Someday we might meet in battle.”

Worry etched on Swallowpaw’s face. “I hope not.” She mewed softly.

“Stop!” Flamestar’s yowl cut off all the cats’ protests and insults. “This is a Gathering! We have a truce!”

“Yeah,” came the angry voice of Thrushthorn, “And it won’t last for long!” Unhappy caterwauls agreed with the brown tom. SunClan warriors spat and bristled at Thrushthorn’s reproach.

“Stop!” Shimmerstar yowled, her shriek piercing the air. All cats froze and spun around immediately at the she-cat’s authority. Then, in a softer tone, she meowed, “This Gathering is dismissed.” Tension built in the clearing as the two leaders leapt down from Twinstones and started leading their groups back to camp. I bid a half-hearted farewell to Swallowpaw and trotted off to join the MoonClan cats.

“That didn’t go all that well.” Lightningpaw mewed to me as we raced through the forest, “I hope neither Flamestar nor Shimmerstar will arrange attacks.” I swallowed, agreeing totally. Our first Gathering didn’t turn out well as we thought it would.

“Lightpaw! Lightpaw!” Frostpaw bounded out of the apprentice den, eyes shining, “How was it?”

I sighed and mewed, “Not that good. Shimmerstar, the SunClan leader, told everyone that Shadeblaze was mating with the SunClan deputy named Rainfeather. I met their kit named Swallowpaw. Apparently we are half sisters, both of us. Swallowpaw is half MoonClan, and apparently she just found that out at the Gathering. There was a lot of tension, and the Clans almost attacked. If you ask me, I’d say it wasn’t all that much fun.”

The light in Frostpaw’s eyes went out. “Oh.” She mewed, disappointed, “But it’s okay. It’ll be better next time, I promise.” I changed the subject as we padded back to the apprentice den and went on normally with our duties.

So moons went by in this manner. Luckily, not many fights broke out; only small quarrels along the border. Just as I hoped, Flamestar didn’t choose to shed any blood over the incident, and I think Shimmerstar chose not to too. My senses grew sharp, and my skills on hunting and fighting improved rapidly. Frostpaw’s did too, though we were mostly trained my Thrushthorn, since Shadeblaze had to constantly clean the elder’s den for his punishment. He didn’t seem too upset about it, though.

Flamestar didn’t choose me or any of the other apprentices to accompany him to the Gathering anymore, but he did inform the whole Clan about the happenings there. It was just the usual. The MoonClan-SunClan mating incident was forgotten. Well, not totally forgotten.

Still, the day came when Frostpaw and I would be made warriors. As usual, Echoflower fussed over our looks, just as she did on our apprentice ceremonies. But today was the day of a lifetime, where we received our full warrior names that could last until we died. I ran through different possibilities of what Flamestar might choose for my name. Light-something, Light-I don’t know. My whole body was quivering with restrained excitement. I could hardly believe that only about eight moons ago Frostpaw and I were tiny helpless kits, and now we were strong and skilled to-be warriors!

“Stop it!” Frostpaw whined, wriggling under Echoflower’s tongue. “I don’t need any more cleaning! I look good enough!” I gave a soft mrrow of amusement, “Frostpaw, just keep still. It won’t be long, and you don’t wanna look messy in front of Flamestar!”

The gray she-cat mewed back hotly, “Well, I won’t! Seriously, Echoflower’s been fussing my neck fur for nearly a moon!”

“Hardly.” I mewed in return, giving my chest fur one last lick. “I’m gonna be ready when Flamestar calls us. Better early then late!” With that I turned and padded out into the chilly new-leaf air. The sun hid behind a cloud and leaf-bare was approaching. I fluffed up my fur to keep warm and trotted over to the apprentice den, where Darkpaw and Lightningpaw were grooming themselves for our day to become warriors. It’s funny, even though Darkpaw and Lightningpaw both at least half-a-moon older than me and Frostpaw, we were still being made warriors at the same time. I could tell Darkpaw didn’t exactly appreciate that fact.

“Hi, Lightpaw.” Lightningpaw mewed, “Ready for the big moment?”

“I think so.” I mewed in return, “How about you?”

My den mate opened his jaws in reply, but Darkpaw first cut him off and snarled scornfully, “Eww! Lightpaw and Lightningpaw are sharing tongues! You’re too young to mate! Get away from me, mouse-brains!”

My fur started to bristle, “What did you just call us?” I hissed, “Mouse-brains, huh? Well, I bet that Flamestar will give you Darkkit for your warrior name!” Immediately I wished that those insults hadn’t whooshed out of my mouth. Mouse dung! I thought in panic as Darkpaw’s fur spiked up and his ears flattened in anger. “Shut up!” he snarled

Lightningpaw’s eyes grew wide as Darkpaw unsheathed his claws, ready for a fight. “Stop!” he cried, planting himself between Darkpaw and myself. “Se—seriously, guys. We are almost warriors. Remember, good warriors do not kill unless for food!”

Darkpaw bared his teeth and turned on the smaller apprentice, but just as he was about to leap, Flamestar’s bold meow rang across the clearing:

“Let all cats old enough to hunt their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting.”

I scrambled to my paws and followed the two other apprentices into the clearing. Frostpaw was already seated near Highrock, gazing with anticipation up the tall stone.

“Hi, Lightpaw.” She mewed when I settled beside her, “I thought you said that it was better to be early then late.” She gave me a playful tail flick. I groomed my ruffled fur and mewed, “Oh well. At least I wasn’t late, right?”

“I guess.” The gray she-cat suddenly seemed lost in thoughts.

Soon the cats of MoonClan gathered and tilted their heads up to look at their leader. Flamestar took a deep breath before speaking:

“We have four young apprentices among us who have trained long and hard to become warriors.” The tiger tom paused to search the crowd for us. His gaze stopped on mine, piercing as it had been on my day to become an apprentice.

“Lightpaw, Frostpaw, Darkpaw, and Lightningpaw, come forth.”

We rose in unison and padded up to Flamestar. The leader leaped down from Highrock in a single leap, approaching with authority. I drew myself up with anxiety.

“I call upon StarClan to look down on these apprentices.” He meowed, “They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I ask you to make them warriors in their turn.” The tiger tom paused.

He meowed, staring intently into my eyes, “Do you swear to uphold the warrior code and serve your Clan always?”

“I do.” I mewed boldly without hesitation, catching a twinkle of satisfaction in Flamestar’s emerald eyes.

“Then I proudly proclaim that from this day forth, you shall be known as Lightfoot, and we welcome you as a full-fledged warrior of MoonClan.”

My heart fluttered with joy as I padded, head held high, over to Flamestar and licked his shoulder. Then I turned to join the growing group of warriors. Several cats murmured their congratulations and others saved theirs for the end of the ceremony.

Next, Flamestar turned