Stories of the Clans by Chocolatemeerkat (read this if TXT) 📖
- Author: Chocolatemeerkat
Book online «Stories of the Clans by Chocolatemeerkat (read this if TXT) 📖». Author Chocolatemeerkat
"Can you keep charge until I come back?" He asked. The light brown tabby dipped her head. "Of course. Travel safely, Bramblefoot. I'll be the first cat to greet you by your new name."
"Thanks." The dark brown tabby purred in amusement.
"We haven't got all day!" Sweetpetal called. The deputy quickly dashed over to the medicine cat and followed her out of camp, up the slope which led out of the gorge and into the forest.
"I wonder if ReedClan will let us past." Bramblefoot wondered out loud. Sweetpetal glanced at him. "They'll have to. Even they wouldn't let one clan go leaderless. Fishstar is a reasonable cat who wouldn't be that cruel."
As they approached the border with ReedClan, the two cats noticed a border patrol. Leader of it was Bigfur, the large black tom. The other three cats with him were Puffinfeather, Seaview and one of the older apprentices called Swanpaw.
"Sweetpetal, Bramblefoot," Bigfur greeted them. "Why are you coming through here?"
"We're going to Highstones." Sweetpetal told him. "Thistlestar died yesterday and now Bramblefoot is leader."
"I see." The patrol dipped their heads respectfully, and then Puffinfeather spoke. "We'll tell Fishstar. He will be upset to hear this news."
"You'd better go now, anyway. StarClan be with you!" Bigfur meowed.
It was nearly moonhigh by the time Sweetpetal and Bramblefoot reached Mothermouth. The young deputy had been resting while Sweetpetal watched the sky.
"It's time." She murmured, nudging the dark brown tabby awake. Bramblefoot rose to his paws with a yawn and blindly followed the cream she-cat towards Highstones.
"Once we get inside, follow my scent." Sweetpetal instructed. "That way, you'll find the moonstone and you won't have to worry about a thing."
"Alright." Bramblefoot meowed.
In the darkness of the cave, the medicine cat's sweet scent comforted the deputy as he followed it. Yet a newfound light almost blinded him as they came closer to the Moonstone.
"Lay down beside the Moonstone and touch your nose to it." Sweetpetal told him. "StarClan will come to you."
Bramblefoot slowly padded over to the brightly lit quartz and laid down beside it, pretending that he was in the warrior's den with his clanmates.
Sleep soon claimed him as he shut his eyes tightly, waiting for StarClan.
Bramblefoot woke up to find himself surrounded by darkness. He had expected StarClan to come and greet him, but he couldn't see a thing.
He almost fainted in relief when many cats of StarClan appeared before him, stars twinkling in their eyes and their pelts as they faced him. "Welcome, Bramblefoot. Are you ready to recieve your nine lives?" They spoke.
"Yes." The dark brown tabby tom replied.
A small dark grey tom stepped forward. He had bright blue eyes and white paws. Bramblefoot instantly reconised him as Jaggedstone, one of Thistlestar's former deputies.
"With this life I give you strength." He meowed. "Use this to fight side by side with your clanmates, no matter what enemy you face."
A powerful surge struck Bramblefoot. He could feel the life flowing into him, and a mighty roar defeaned his ears. Jaggedstone stepped back and a young light brown she-cat stepped forward. When Bramblefoot noticed that she had a twisted back paw, he knew that this cat was Dreampaw. She had been Specklenose's sister, yet just days before her apprentice ceremony she had fallen into the gorge and broke her neck. She died moments later, causing grief throughout the clan.
"With this life I give you faith." Dreampaw explained, her soft voice reminding Bramblefoot of her sister, gentle and caring. "Use this to believe in your ancestors and in your clanmates."
Bramblefoot had expected this life to be gentle and kind like Dreampaw, but it shocked him when he felt a similar surge to Jaggedstone's life. He felt like the whole of StarClan were his family, his clanmates. Some of his family and friends were among the ranks of StarClan, but not all of them.
As Dreampaw stepped back, a tall, skinny black tom appeared, his muzzle greying with age. Bramblefoot knew that this was Molefang, who had been an elder when Bramblefoot was born. He had served the clan for many moons before finally joining StarClan when Bramblefoot became Thistlestar's final deputy.
"With this life I give you empathy." Molefang rasped. "Use this to feel what others feel, which will help you understand the needs of your clanmates."
This life flowed through Bramblefoot like a wave in the water. He felt as if his heart had expanded in his chest, like if it was going to jump out. The deputy winced quietly in pain, but Molefang rested his long tail on the tom's shoulder, comforting him. He then stepped back, letting a pretty long-haired white and grey she-cat step forward. "You never met me, little one." She purred. "My name is Cloudpatch. I was a former ForestClan medicine cat when Thistlestar was a kit."
"How did you die?" Bramblefoot asked.
"Rat attack." Cloudpatch replied quickly. She stepped closer to Bramblefoot, her warm green eyes showing pride. "With this life I give you joy. Use it well to look on the bright side of things, even on bad days."
Bramblefoot was relieved when Cloudpatch's life was gentle and warm. He felt excited, full of happiness and joy, as the pretty medicine cat had described.
"I will always watch over you, Bramblefoot." Cloudpatch promised, stepping back to join the ranks of StarClan. A small silver she-cat took her place. Bramblefoot realised that this cat was Mistdrop, a CourageClan cat who had fallen in love with Coalstep, a ForestClan cat. She died giving birth to his kit, who had died shortly after her mother without being named.
"With this life I give you loyalty. Use it well to lead your clanmates without them doubting you." She meowed quietly. Her yellow eyes then flashed a warning. "Don't make the same mistakes that I made."
"I won't." Bramblefoot promised her. Mistdrop nodded and turned away, not turning to gaze at him once. A pretty cream she-cat took her place. Bramblefoot's heart skipped a beat when he realised who it was. Lightleaf!
"I'm so sorry!" He mumbled as she approached him. "It's my fault you died!"
"It was no one's fault." Lightleaf comforted him. "You would have died yourself if I didn't save you."
"You have no idea how much we miss you!" Bramblefoot protested, but Lightleaf pressed her muzzle against his for silence. "With this I life I give you wisdom. Use it well to guide your clanmates and make the right choices." She murmured.
Bramblefoot felt a painful surge strike him once again, his head pounding. He hadn't expected this life to be one of the most painful, as a close friend had granted him this life.
"You will make a great leader." Lightleaf reassured him, giving him a quick lick on the ear before turning away, back to the other StarClan warriors.
I've got three more lives to gain.
Bramblefoot told himself. Who will grant them to me?
A pure white she-cat stepped forward. She had a torn ear and small paws, yet despite her obvious appearence Bramblefoot didn't know who she was.
"I am Whitepaw." The she-cat introduced herself. "I was Jaggedstone's daughter, but my mother refused to care for me. She did many terrible things, so she walks among the cats in the Dark Forest. I was dead when you were in the clan."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Bramblefoot sighed, his eyes sympathetic for her. She nodded before speaking again. "With this life I give you good judgement. Use it well to judge your clanmates fairly."
Yet again, another surge of energy flowed through Bramblefoot, making him tremble with fear. He desperately didn't want to show his pain, not in front of StarClan. When the agony finally ended, Whitepaw stepped back and stood beside Lightleaf. The cream warrior murmured a few hushed words to the apprentice while a light ginger tabby tom stepped forward. Bramblefoot knew this cat, because he was his own father, Brackentuft.
"With this life I give you bravery, even when you are lost, it will be the light to show you the way." He mewed. His amber eyes shone in pride. "Desertflower and I are proud to call you our son, Bramblefoot. You will serve you clan well."
"Thank you." The deputy whispered as his father stepped back. This left one more cat, and it was Thistlestar.
"Welcome, young Bramblefoot." He greeted him. "It seems many moons ago since I joined StarClan. But now it is your time to lead ForestClan. With your ninth and final life, I give you curiosity to discover new things and new strengths of your own." He then smiled as he spoke. "You are a deputy no longer. Your new name is Bramblestar, and you are the new leader of ForestClan. Serve it well and use your lives well."
"Bramblestar! Bramblestar!" The StarClan cats chanted. Bramblestar raised his head and gazed at the nine cats in order.
I will be among your ranks soon.
He thought. But, for now, I will continue to live my nine lives as a loyal ForestClan leader.
"Sleetstar! Help!"
Water rushed into the gorge, tickling Sleetstar's whiskers as he slept in his den. He had been unaware of the flood until now, when a voice awoke him. His patchy grey and white fur was untouched by the water, only his muzzle.
"Sleetstar!" The voice cried again. "There are queens and kits trapped in the nursery!"
The grey and white tom was up instantly. He knew that he had two lives left to help his clan before StarClan came calling, so he could help the she-cats in the nursery with their kits.
He darted out of his den, realising that the ForestClan camp was being battered by water. His deputy Browntree was trying to rescue the queens from the nursery, as his mate was among them. Sleetstar also noticed his mate, Smallcloud, was ushering their three kits away. They were only a moon old, but all three were curious and brave.
"Smallcloud!" The leader called. The young black and grey she-cat poked her head up, her blue eyes filled with panic. "I-I don't know where to go!"
"We need to get all the kits out of camp." Sleetstar told her. "Take them to the top of the gorge and stay there. If you see any queens on the way, tell them what I told you."
"They can't climb the slope!" Smallcloud protested. "Molekit won't make it, especially with his eyes!"
Molekit, Sleetstar's son, was born blind and he had already injured himself many times because of his poor sight. His brother Ferretkit and sister Sweetkit were strong, but they wouldn't be able to climb up the slope which led them out of camp.
"You can carry one kit at a time." Sleetstar meowed. "Take Molekit first, then come back for Ferretkit and Sweetkit. I'll keep watch on them."
Smallcloud grabbed Molekit's scuff in her jaws and started
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