Veil Of Shadows

Tigerstar was present now out of respect, but his mind was clearly elsewhere, his head turning as if he was compelled to look back toward his son. Rootpaw couldn’t blame him. No cat seems to be fully present. . . . How could they be?

Leafstar, who had been sitting on the Tallstump as her Clan assembled, leaped lightly down and padded into the center of the circle. “We are here for one of the most important moments in the life of a Clan,” she announced. “The making of a new warrior.”

“This is weird,” Rootpaw whispered to Needleclaw. “I haven’t even had my warrior assessment.”

“You’ve done better than that,” his sister whispered back. “Now shut up and listen.”

“Rootpaw saved Shadowsight,” Leafstar continued, “the young medicine cat who had been missing for some time. And in doing that, he created a strong bond between SkyClan and ShadowClan. While we’ve had conflicts in the past, Rootpaw has given us a way to heal those divisions. He demonstrated bravery, strength, and clearheadedness in a time of great peril. Not only that, he showed wisdom in seeking help when he needed it. Because of this, I don’t think it’s necessary to give him a formal assessment. His actions speak for themselves. Does any cat object?”

Flooded with embarrassment at his leader’s praise, Rootpaw was staring at his paws. Now his pelt prickled with apprehension as he wondered if any of his Clanmates would protest.

But the only cat who spoke was his mentor, Dewspring. “Just get on with it, Leafstar,” he said, amused.

Rootpaw looked up to see Leafstar beckoning to him with her tail. He padded out into the circle to stand in front of her. His heart was pounding as he waited for the words that would make him a warrior.

“I, Leafstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” the Clan leader began. “He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn.” Bending her head to gaze at Rootpaw, she continued, “Rootpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Rootpaw knew what a heavy commitment he was making—even heavier, in this confused time of accusations of codebreaking. “I do,” he responded firmly.

“Then by the powers of StarClan,” Leafstar announced, “I give you your warrior name. Rootpaw, from this moment you will be known as Rootspring. StarClan honors your strength and resilience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan.”

Leafstar stepped forward and bent to rest her muzzle on the top of Rootspring’s head. In response Rootspring licked her shoulder, then stepped back.

“Rootspring! Rootspring!” the cats of SkyClan acclaimed him.

Warm pride swept through Rootspring as he listened to his Clanmates’ congratulations, and his chest swelled even more as he caught a nod of approval from the deputy, Hawkwing, and several of the senior warriors.

As he waited for the clamor to die down, Rootspring tried out his new name in his mind. He was a warrior at last. For so long, he had worried that his ability to see ghosts would separate him from his Clan. He’d been embarrassed by his difference from other warriors. But that difference had let him save Shadowsight, and had made him a warrior.

Rootspring accepted that he did see spirits, and he wanted to believe that what Leafstar had said was true: that his own spirit was strong and resilient. He wasn’t sure; he wished he felt that strong inside, but the whole episode with Shadowsight had shaken him. He hadn’t told any cat about the ghostly presence that had led him to Shadowsight’s body. That cat was still hanging around the camp; Rootspring had seen him several times.

What is he doing here? Rootspring asked himself. Is he waiting for Shadowsight to die? Then he shook his head. No! I won’t believe that. Shadowsight has to survive.

By now the circle of cats was breaking up into smaller groups, some of them heading for their dens or the fresh-kill pile, while others left the camp on patrol.

Needleclaw gave Rootspring a nudge. “Come on, I’ll find you a big, juicy piece of prey,” she urged him. “You deserve it.”

Rootspring was tempted, water flooding his jaws at the thought of a fat vole or a squirrel. But he shook his head. “I’ll join you later,” he responded. “There’s something I want to do first.”

“Okay.” Needleclaw flicked his ear with her tail. “I’ll save you something tasty.”

As she bounded off toward the fresh-kill pile, Rootspring saw that Leafstar and Tree were heading for the medicine cats’ den, where they joined Tigerstar. As all three cats vanished inside, Rootspring followed them.