Skyclan returns

Chapter 3

Jaypaw could feel the excitement coming off of Hollywing in waves, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Not only had Hollywing become a warrior, something he could never do, but she also loved another cat, something that was forbidden to him by the medicine cat code.

Jaypaw was still sitting on top of the half rock, but he had finished eating awhile ago. He rested his head on his front paws and wrapped his tail around him until he was comfortable. Jaypaw closed his eyes and tried to doze off in the warm greenleaf sun, but he could feel someone watching him like a hunter stalks prey.

At first he thought it might be Leafpool, probably going to come and reprimand him for not welcoming the new guests properly, but then he realized it wasn't her; Leafpool was still in Firestar's den. It was one of the new SkyClan cats, an apprentice. She was sitting alone on the other side of the camp, just watching him. Jaypaw could tell by the smell of herbs wafting from her pelt that she was also a medicine cat apprentice.

Why is she staring at me? Do I have a bur stuck in my fur or something? Jaypaw contemplated going over to the cat and asking why she was staring at him, but then he could get in trouble. With the Gathering looming up ever closer, he didn't want to risk anything that would even chance his missing it. Normally Jaypaw didn't want to go to Gatherings, but he wanted to see how the other Clans would react to the arrival of SkyClan.

Jaypaw stood up as Leafpool and another SkyClan cat emerged from Firestar's den. He leaped gracefully off the half rock and padded to Leafpool, who was heading towards the fresh-kill pile. "Leafpool," Jaypaw called. "What did Firestar want to see you about?"

Jaypaw didn't really expect her to reply; Leafpool would probably tell him it was none of his business. "Firestar said we're going to go to the Moonpool tonight to find out why StarClan sent SkyClan here," Leafpool replied, much to Jaypaw's surprise. "While we're at the Moonpool tonight, I've decided that it's time you were given your medicine cat name."

"W-what, really?" Jaypaw stuttered. He couldn't believe his ears; he was finally going to get his medicine cat name! Jaypaw's excitement must have showed on his face, because he felt Leafpool's fur tinge with pleasure.

"Echosong and Moonpaw will be accompanying us," Leafpool continued.

"Who?" Jaypaw asked, brought back down to reality by Leafpool's words.

"SkyClan's medicine cat and her apprentice," Leafpool answered. She turned back to the fresh-kill pile and chose a squirrel to eat. She walked away to her den, calling over her shoulder to Jaypaw in a muffled voice, "Be ready to leave at sunset!" Leafpool vanished behind the brambles that screened the medicine den and Jaypaw was left wondering what to do next.

Then Moonpaw is SkyClan's medicine cat apprentice and the cat that was watching me earlier. Jaypaw looked over to where the medicine cat apprentice was and he could hear soft mews and smell the tangy scent of herbs. There was another cat with Moonpaw, Echosong, Jaypaw guessed because of the strong scent of herbs.

Jaypaw strained to hear what they were saying, but they were speaking too quietly. He mentally reached out and tried to grab any emotions at all coming from them, but there was nothing there.

Grudgingly Jaypaw gave up and went to find Hollywing and Lionclaw to tell them the good news before it was time to leave. Already he could feel the sun low in the sky, its weak rays warming his pelt. He headed to the nursery where he could hear Hollywing and Harekit playing near the entrance.

"Hi, Hollywing, Harekit!" Jaypaw greeted.

Hollywing and Harekit stopped play fighting and turned around to face Jaypaw. "Hi Jaypaw!" Hollywing mewed happily.

"I'm going to the Moonpool tonight with Leafpool to get my medicine cat name," Jaypaw blurted out.

"That's great!" Hollywing mewed ardently, stroking her tail along Jaypaw's flank in congratulations.

"Thanks Hollywing," Jaypaw replied, feeling happier than he could ever remember. Then he noticed how incredibly cheerful Hollywing was and he became suspicious. "Why are you so happy?"

"Well, it's just that now Lionclaw, you, and I will all have our final names," Hollywing mewed, and Jaypaw instantly knew that wasn't the real reason for her excitement. "It's what we always wanted, isn't it?"

"I guess so," Jaypaw mewed absently. He knew that Hollywing wasn't focused on the conversation; she wasn't even looking at him. She was looking towards a large group of SkyClan cats, and Jaypaw could just faintly detect a ThunderClan scent masked by the others. With a jolt, Jaypaw realized that Hollywing was looking at Birchfall.

Fuming inwardly that Hollywing would rather pay attention to Birchfall than him, Jaypaw turned away and looked for Lionpaw, but stopped when Hollywing called his name. I'm surprised she even noticed that I left. Jaypaw could tell that Hollywing felt guilty by the way she pawed at the ground with her forepaws.

"I'm sorry I wasn't telling the truth," Hollywing mewed. "Harekit, would you mind if Jaypaw and I had some time alone for a minute?" Harekit nodded and trotted away to where Molekit was chasing some moss that was fluttering on the breeze.

Jaypaw's curiosity was instantly aroused. Would his sister actually tell him the truth, or would she try to make up another lie? As of late, Jaypaw, Hollywing, and Lionclaw hadn't exactly been close, all of them always busy, even though they were only apprentices. Hollywing turned away and motioned with her tail for Jaypaw to follow her. They went behind the empty elders' den, making sure they were well concealed.

Hollywing took a deep breath and Jaypaw could feel her anxiousness as if it was his own. "Jaypaw, I think I'm in love with Birchfall," Hollywing murmured so that Jaypaw had to lean forward to hear. He knew it was as painful as going through stinging nettles for her to say that, but he was glad that Hollywing trusted him.

"Have you told him?" Jaypaw whispered. Hollywing shook her head. "Does he know at all?" Hollywing shook her head again. "Are you planning on telling him?" Hollywing shrugged helplessly, and the dejection on her face wiped out all of Jaypaw's impatience with her. "Why were you so happy just now?"

"Birchfall just said that I was a great friend," Hollywing mewed wistfully. "But what if that's all I am to him? What if I'm nothing but a friend to him?"

"Hollywing, you just have to let him know you love him to find out if he loves you back," Jaypaw mewed encouragingly.

"What if that destroys our friendship forever, though?" Hollywing argued anxiously. Her tail was twitching back and forth, making a rustling sound against the grass. "I don't want lose Birchfall for good like that!"

"You'll never know until you try," Jaypaw insisted. "If you don't talk to him, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Jaypaw didn't know what he would do if Hollywing argued with him any more, but luckily, he was saved from having to make the decision because Leafpool was calling his name. "I have to go," Jaypaw whispered to Hollywing.

"Good luck," Hollywing murmured, brushing her pelt against his warmly. Jaypaw licked the tip of her ear affectionately and walked to the center of the camp, trying to pick up the scent of Leafpool. She was already by the camp entrance with Echosong and Moonpaw, so Jaypaw ran the rest of the way, not wanting to be scolded for being late.

"Jaypaw, this is Echosong and Moonpaw," Leafpool mewed once Jaypaw had arrived. "Echosong, Moonpaw, this is Jaypaw."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Echosong meowed, waving her tail in greeting. Moonpaw merely nodded, but she didn't take her eyes off of Jaypaw. He wanted to snap at her and ask why she kept staring at him, but somehow he managed to stay under control. He didn't want his ceremony put off, after all.

"The pleasure's all mine," Jaypaw replied, looking directly at Echosong and nodding his head. He glanced unseeingly at Moonpaw, but didn't trust himself to speak, lest he say something rude or unkind.

"We should get going," Leafpool finally meowed, and she led the way through the tunnel entrance and towards the WindClan border. The small group was silent, and the air was filled with a crackling tension that none of the others seemed to feel. Moonpaw was still staring at Jaypaw, and he wanted nothing more to get a word alone with her.

Finally Echosong stepped forward to Leafpool's side and they started a conversation about juniper berries. Jaypaw slowed his pace, and Moonpaw matched it, their paws crunching on the grass. When Jaypaw judged they were far away enough that they wouldn't be overheard, he glared at Moonpaw. "Why do you keep staring at me?" Jaypaw hissed.

Moonpaw jumped and Jaypaw guessed that she hadn't been aware that he knew she was watching him closely. "It's just that I-I've never seen a blind cat before," Moonpaw whispered. "It's just so amazing that you seem to know everything that's going on when you can't actually see anything."

"I use my other senses to see things," Jaypaw replied shortly. "Now will you please stop staring at me? You make me feel like there's a fox nearby." He remembered the disastrous day when he and his littermates had tried to find fox cubs and chase them out of ThunderClan; it had ended horribly. Jaypaw gave an involuntary shudder and hurried to catch up to Leafpool and Echosong.

Leafpool and Echosong weren't too far ahead; they had just arrived at the stream that marked WindClan's territory. Following the softly chuckling stream, Jaypaw followed two fox lengths behind the two medicine cats. Moonpaw had caught up with him by now, and Jaypaw could tell that she was trying hard not to look at him. She glanced at the stream, the bank on the other side, the trees in ThunderClan territory; everywhere but at Jaypaw.

"You can look at me; just not stare at me," Jaypaw sighed, but only so that Moonpaw could hear.

"I'm sorry," Moonpaw apologized. "It's just that this place is so new, and there are so many different faces, I'm getting nervous."

"You'll get used to it," Jaypaw assured her. Moonpaw nodded gratefully and they continued on their trek.

A little while later, the group of medicine cats arrived at the Moonpool. Jaypaw always enjoyed setting his paws in the paw prints of cats long seasons before his time, but tonight, he hardly noticed them. He settled down not too far away from the Moonpool's edge, Echosong and Moonpaw on either side of him. Leafpool stood at the pool's edge, gazing down into it before turning back to the others.

"This is the Moonpool, where the medicine cats of all four Clans come to speak with StarClan," Leafpool told Moonpaw and Echosong. "Before we share tongues with StarClan, it's time Jaypaw received his medicine cat name."

Jaypaw stood up proudly, but couldn't help but feel disappointed that no one else present was from ThunderClan, excluding Leafpool and himself. He walked over to Leafpool and stood in front of her, suddenly nervous.

Leafpool stared at Silverpelt for a few moments before she continued. "I, Leafpool, medicine cat of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the way of a medicine cat, and with your help he will serve his Clan for many moons." Here Leafpool paused before going on. "Jaypaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan, and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Jaypaw mewed, finding his pride again.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Jaypaw, from this moment you will be known as Jaysight. StarClan honors your determination and hard work." Leafpool rested her muzzle on Jaysight's head and Jaysight licked her shoulder.

"Jaysight! Jaysight!" Moonpaw called, and Echosong joined in. It wasn't at all what Jaysight had pictured it to be, but it was still well worth it. He smelled the air, and was shocked that he scented other cats filling around the pool. He instantly recognized Spottedleaf's sweet scent and that of Yellowfang. Jaysight hoped with all his heart that they were proud of him.