Blood Against Blood

Chapter One

Jaystar's Point Of View


"No, you mouse-brain!" Jaystar hissed, swiping Blazetail's ear. "We never go across the border!" She told him, glancing towards Breezeclan's territory. Blazetail looked away from his leader, taking a few paw steps away from the border. "Sorry, Jaystar,” He murmured, licking his paw, and running it over his ear.  Jaystar looked at him with a glare, her tail flicking back and forth. Looking towards Nightpaw, "Don't follow everything your mentor does." She meowed, turning away from both of them. Padding down the border line, she scented the air. "I don't think they have crossed." Nightpaw meowed, following her leader with her tail in the air. "I think you're right, let's head back to camp." She meowed, turning away from the border, and ran into the trees. Blazetail sighed, watching her run into the trees. Nightpaw ran after her, Blazetail on her paws.
Once at camp, Jaystar was instantly surrounded by her clan. "Please move!" A tiny meow came from the center of the cats. Silverpaw finally made it to her. He bowed his head, "Jaystar, Spottedpelt died of white cough." He meowed sadly. Jaystar stared at him for a few heart-beats. "No, Starclan wouldn't do that." She growled, pushing past everyone. Going into the medicine cat den, seeing a motionless body near the back. Quickly padding to the body, she laid her head on Spottedpelt's back. "No, please don't." She whispered, already smelling the scent of death. It made her want to throw up. She quickly rose to her paws, running out of the den. "This is all Breezeclan's fault!" She yelled, climbing the huge tree. Looking down at her clan, "Spottedpelt may be in Starclan now—, but we need to get revenge on Breezeclan! They wouldn't give us catmint to cure her!" She yowled. "No!" Silversand meowed, looking up at Jaystar. "It's not their fault! Maybe they needed the catmint for themselves!” She meowed, trying to reason with her sister.  Jaystar looked down at her sister, swishing her tail. "Stop trying to keep the peace!" She growled, "It will never happen! We are enemies now!" Jaystar looked over her clan, ending the conversation between her and Silversand.  "What does my clan think we should do?" She asked, the tip of her tail swishing. "I don't think we should attack either." Stripedfur meowed, looking up at Jaystar. "We should wait until leaf-bare is over, so we can get strong and healthy again." He explained, bowing his head. Jaystar glanced over the rest of the clan, "Then it's settled, we attack this green leaf." She announced, jumping off the branch. Walking past all her clan mates, she walked into the little hole below a bush, into her den.
~
"Jaystar!" A panicked meow awoken her from her slumber. Looking at the cat at the entrance of her den, "What is it?" She asked, making out the shadow of Ravenwing. "We found an older kit in our territory." He explained. Jaystar stretched out her front legs, padding out of her den. "A kit?" She asked, following him to where all the clan was gathered in the center of camp. "Who was in the patrol? Where did you find him?" She asked him. Ravenwing was about to answer her, when Ivywhip came up on her right side. "We found him near the training camp. He looks like he hasn't ate in days. It was me, Ravenwing, and Tinypaw." She said, while they pushed their way through the cats. Ravenwing wiggled his whiskers, but kept his muzzle shut. Nodding, she looked down at the little white kit. It was just a tiny white kit, but you could see the faint out lines of his bones. "Silverpaw! Take him to your den and help him." She instructed, sniffing the kit's fur. "I don't smell any clan scent on him." She murmured, moving back for Silverpaw to pick the kit up by the scruff of his neck. Watching him take the kit to the medicine cat den, she looked around at her clan. "Get back to your duties, I will let you know more when he wakes up." She meowed, going over to the fresh-kill pile. Getting herself a mouse, she laid down with Grayclaw.
~
"He has awoke, Jaystar." Silverpaw mewed, running over to her. Jaystar got to her paws, quickly following him into the medicine den. She looked over the white kit. "Hello, I'm Jaystar. What is your name?" She asked in a calm voice. The kit looked at her, tilting his head. "I don't have a name." He whispered, turning away from her. "Well, where do you come from?" She asked, sitting down, and wrapping her tail around her paws neatly. The kit didn't look at her this time, "I'm not sure. But, I'm hungry." He announced in a soft mew. Jaystar sighed, knowing the kit probably remembered nothing. "Follow me." She meowed, walking out of the den, the kit quickly following behind her. Going to the fresh kill pile, she looked through it, coming out with a tiny frog. "Here,” She muttered, dropping it in front of the tom. "Eat up."
"Silversand, do you have a moment?" Jaystar asked, catching her by the entrance of camp. "Sure,” She replied sharply, not daring to look at Jaystar. "Can you please stay in the nursery with that kit?" She asked, kneading the ground with her paws. "That kit? Aren't you going to name him?" Silversand growled, "He deserves a name!" Jaystar sighed, "Fine! I'll name him!" She turned away from Silversand, "Only if you stay with him in the nursery." She tried to compromise with her. Silversand nodded, following her back to the center of the camp.  "I will call a camp meeting tomorrow at sun-high." Jaystar meowed to Silversand, both of them heading towards the kit. She nodded, "Come on, we are going to sleep in a special den." She said to the little tom, gently laying her tail on his back.  Watching them as they headed to the nursery, Jaystar sighed. "Why did things have to become so difficult,” She murmured to herself, heading to her own den, since it was moon-high.
~
Jaystar walked into the medicine den, "Silverpaw, it's time we went to Shining Cave to receive your name." She meowed, awaking the apprentice. Silverpaw got to his paws, "Of course, Jaystar." He followed her out of the den, and to the fresh-kill pile. They each picked out a frog, and quickly ate it in a few bites. "Let's go." Jaystar meowed, heading towards the way out of camp. Silverpaw quickly followed her out of the camp, and towards Shining Cave. "Shining Cave is a little past the training area. We should be back to camp by sun-high." She told him, dodging trees and thorn bushes. Silverpaw looked at his leader, "What do I do? What if Starclan doesn't give me my medicine cat name?" He asked, staring at his paws. Jaystar glanced over at the tom, but said nothing at first. "They will." She meowed, trying to keep the tom calm. Silverpaw nodded to himself, following his leader closely.
Once at Shining Cave, Jaystar touched her nose to one of the crystals. Silverpaw did the same, curling his tail around his paws neatly. Once they were in Starclan, many cats greeted them. Jaystar looked over at Silverpaw, "Ready?" She asked the tom. Silverpaw nodded, looking at all the cats excitedly. "I, Jaystar, leader of Shadeclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on the apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help he will serve his Clan for many moons." Jaystar meowed loudly, looking over the Starclan cats. Turning to the apprentice, "Silverpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of medicine cat, to stand apart from the rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your own life?" Silverpaw looked at his leader, "I do." Jaystar looked down at him, "Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Silverpaw, from this moment you will be known as Silvernote. Starclan honors your kindness and helpfulness, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of Shadeclan."
~
Finally padding back into camp, Jaystar walked towards the nursery. "Silversand?" She meowed quietly, her littermate's grey and tan pelt shining in the moonlight. She doesn't answer. Clawing the ground, Jaystar heads up to her den for the night. Tomorrow is that kit's naming ceremony. I need to come up with a name.
~
Waking up to the noises of camp, Jaystar got to her paws, remembering that she needs to call a clan meeting. Climbing out of her den, she noticed she had slept to sun-high. Getting up on high-tree, she called, "Every cat old enough to stalk, join below high-tree for a clan meeting!" Looking down at all the curious eyes, she caught Silversand's and the kit looking happy. Looks like she gave him a good grooming. He needed it.
But before she could start, Silversand came up to high-stone to join her. "He wishes to train to be a medicine cat." She said, leaving no room for Jaystar to fight. Jaystar bowed her head, looking at the little white kit at the foot of where they stand above the rest. "As he wishes." She meowed, dismissing Silversand, and swishing her tail for Silvernote to come up. "He wishes to be a medicine cat. You are young, but it is best to have another." Jaystar meowed, backing up to give Silvernote room to go the ceremony.
"Cats of Shadeclan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown kindness, and interest in taking care of others. Your next medicine cat will be Whitepaw." Silvernote meowed, looking down at the clan, then at Whitepaw. Jaystar looked down at the tom, "Whitepaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Silvernote?" She asked. Whitepaw nodded, "I do." Silvernote purred, "Then at  the half-moon, we must travel to the Shining Cave to be accepted by Starclan before the other medicine cats." Silvernote finished, touching noses with Whitepaw.
"Whitepaw!" Silversand chanted first, the clan joining in. "Whitepaw!"
"That will be all! Ivywhip, please get patrols together." Jaystar meowed to her deputy, dismissing the meeting, and jumped down from high-stone. Heading to the fresh kill pile, she took a small frog from the low pile. Going to join Silversand. "Thank you." Silversand purred when Jaystar approached her. "He really meowed my ears off last night about Silvernote." She twitched her whiskers in amusement. Jaystar didn't say anything at first, biting into her meal. "The clan needs another medicine cat, just incase something happens." Jaystar mumbled quietly, making Silversand swish her tail in annoyance. "Jaystar! We brought an intruder!" Nightpaw meowed, the small apprentice running towards her leader.
"What?" Jaystar jumped to her paws, looking at the entrance. "He put up a fight, but I got to use my battle skills!" Nightpaw meowed, her voice proud. Greyclaw and Dappledfire came through the entrance, a grey tom at their paw steps. Jaystar padded over quickly, a growl rising in her throat. "Who are you and what are you doing in my territory?" She growled, looking at the tom with sharp eyes. The grey tom glanced up at Jaystar, “I was just passing through.” His meow was raspy, like he hasn’t had a drink in moons. “Give him some fresh kill, and a place to sleep.” Jaystar meowed to Ivywhip, her stare never leaving the grey tom. “I don’t need food from any of you!!” The tom hissed, taking a paw-step towards Jaystar. Her tail moving side to side, Jaystar was surprised by the tom’s behavior. “Okay, but you are to stay here, until I say you can leave.” Jaystar meowed, leaving no room for the tom to fight with her.  Nodding towards Ivywhip to handle the tom, Jaystar headed to her den to think over the things that has happened today. Curling in her nest, she heard the final noises of camp before it settles down.