He was so pleased that he barely paid any attention as Bellapaw and Rileypaw were made warriors, though he joined with the rest of his Clan in chanting their new names.
“Bellaleaf! Rileypool! Bellaleaf! Rileypool!”
The ceremony over, the Clan was beginning to disperse when Leafstar halted them with a commanding wave of her tail.
“Wait,” she meowed. “We still have more to do.” When the Clan had settled again, she continued, “The youngest cats—kits and apprentices—are the future of any Clan. It’s time now for some kits to be apprenticed, and these strong young warriors-to-be should give us all hope. Fidgetkit, Curlykit, come here.”
The two kits scampered up to their leader, their eyes brighter than they had been since Snipkit’s death. Birdwing and Sagenose watched them proudly, though Birdwing let out an exasperated sigh. “I’d have groomed them if I’d known. Look, Curlykit has a leaf in her fur!”
“Fidgetkit,” Leafstar began, “Echosong tells me you have shown a real interest in caring for your Clanmates since the battle, and she thinks you would make a wonderful medicine cat.”
Fidgetkit let out a gasp. “Really?”
Leafstar dipped her head. “With Frecklewish missing, and new adventures ahead of us, SkyClan badly needs a medicine cat apprentice. It’s a difficult and important job, and a medicine cat stands apart from the rest of the Clan. If you take this step, you won’t find a mate or have kits, and you’ll be responsible for caring for your Clanmates and, eventually, passing along the will of StarClan. Fidgetkit, are you willing to take on this responsibility?”
Solemn and with shining eyes, Fidgetkit nodded fervently. With a purr of approval, Leafstar turned to Echosong and beckoned her forward with a sweep of her tail.
Echosong padded up to Fidgetkit and looked down at him, her green eyes full of wisdom. “Fidgetkit,” she mewed, “is it your wish to share the deepest knowledge of StarClan as a SkyClan medicine cat?”
“It is,” Fidgetkit replied. He suddenly sounded much older, and completely certain that he was making the right choice.
Echosong has chosen the right cat, Hawkwing thought. That must mean things are going to get better for SkyClan.
“Warriors of StarClan,” Echosong continued, looking up at the sky, “I present to you this apprentice, who has chosen the path of a medicine cat. From this moment his name will be Fidgetpaw.
Grant him your wisdom and insight so that he may understand your ways and heal his Clan in accordance with your will.”
Fidgetpaw stood blinking in front of her, overcome with awe, scarcely reacting even when his Clanmates began to call his new name. Hawkwing could share some of his wonder. That’s a huge step for a kit to take.
“Before the rogues came,” Echosong meowed when the Clan was quiet again, “I would have performed this ceremony in the Whispering Cave, where StarClan would have greeted you as a new medicine cat. I can’t do that now. But don’t worry, Fidgetpaw.
Wherever we may be at the next half moon, you will meet with StarClan.”
Fidgetpaw dipped his head. “Thank you, Echosong,” he whispered.
The Clan was hushed and serious as Echosong drew Fidgetpaw to one side. Hawkwing knew that every cat shared his feelings: pride in their new medicine cat apprentice, but sadness too that Frecklewish was missing.
M eanwhile, Leafstar turned to Curlykit, who had waited patiently while her brother was apprenticed. “From this day forward,” the Clan leader announced, “this apprentice will be known as Curlypaw. Hawkwing, you will be her mentor. I trust you will pass on to her your loyalty to your Clan, your generous heart, and your courage in battle.”
What, me? Hawkwing thought, shocked to the very depths of his pelt. His heart was pounding hard as he stepped out of the crowd of cats to meet Curlypaw. Am I really ready to be a mentor?
Even though no cat had blamed him, he knew that he should have been a better judge of character, to know what kind of cat Darktail really was. And he could never forget the last words Darktail had said to him: that they were alike. He wasn’t sure he deserved the faith that Leafstar was putting in him by making him a mentor. Will I really be able to guide Curlypaw? She was so brave when the rogues attacked the nursery, and so determined to cross the river…
. She has so much to offer her Clan.
The little gray she-cat bounced up to him and stretched upward to touch noses with him. “I’ll work really hard,” she assured him.
Then so will I, Hawkwing thought, his heart filling with warmth. “I know you will,” Hawkwing responded. “And I’ll do my best to make sure you become a great warrior.”
The next day dawned bright and warm, with a brisk wind that sent white puffs of cloud scudding across the sky. Hawkwing hoped that the fine weather was a good omen for the journey he and his Clan were about to make.
The remaining cats of SkyClan gathered together under the bushes at the end of Ebonyclaw’s Twoleg garden. Hawkwing’s pads prickled with excitement, but there was a hollow feeling in his belly, because he knew that not all his Clanmates would be setting out on this new journey.
“We’ve thought a lot about this, and decided we won’t be coming with you,” Nettlesplash meowed, standing protectively over M intfur and their litter. “The kits are too small to travel.”
“They’ll be safer here, on familiar territory,” M intfur added.
“But we’ll miss you all terribly. And who knows what StarClan has in store for us? M aybe one day we’ll all be together again,” she finished with a sigh.
“I’m afraid we have to stay with our Twolegs.” Ebonyclaw was standing beside Harveymoon, who murmured agreement.
“We’ll miss you all,” he told his Clanmates. “And we’ll always be SkyClan warriors at heart. But this decision is right for us.”
Listening to them, Hawkwing felt as if his life was splitting into two parts. There was Before, where he had lived in the gorge, played with Duskpaw and grieved over his death, trusted Darktail and then been betrayed by him. Now, from this point forward, his life would be After. After Darktail and his rogues took the gorge, and SkyClan was forced out. Hawkwing had no idea what After would hold, but he knew that he was unlikely to see the gorge or these cats again.
Am I being selfish to want to leave with Pebbleshine? he asked himself, glancing over at Blossomheart, Cloudmist, and Cherrytail.
Do I owe it to my father to attack Darktail and avenge his murder?
A hot, sick feeling gathered in Hawkwing’s chest and throat, and he slid out his claws as if Darktail were right in front of him.
While he hesitated, Curlypaw scampered up to his side. “This is so exciting!” she mewed. “Hawkwing, will you teach me to hunt while we travel?”
Hawkwing dipped his head, his feelings of rage dissipating like fog when the sun broke through. “Of course.”
My duty is to my Clan now. And if I’m going to be loyal to my Clan and to Leafstar, I have to follow where she leads. I have to be the best mentor to Curlypaw that I can be.
Then his gaze met Pebbleshine’s. Her eyes were bright with excitement and hope at the thought of setting out into new territory. He realized, staring at her, that there had never been any real question of what his decision would be. Wherever Pebbleshine goes, I go.
Leafstar nodded understandingly to the cats who were staying behind, though Hawkwing could see sadness in her amber eyes.
“We will miss you,” she mewed. “But wherever your paws lead you, may StarClan light your path.”