Honesty is bravery and selflessness is peacefulness.
—A famous RoseClan saying; commonly used in times of despair.
~.~
Tawnyleaf meowed quietly, "Littlefeather, take your son."
The light brown tom picked up the sleeping sandy-gray tom named Duskpaw by his scruff. Tawnyleaf watched with a great sadness as her mate took her son away.
"Take care of him," she whispered after the tom. Littlefeather nodded. Their son was old enough to move to his father's Clan. He would train to be a ThistleClan warrior. His sister Briarpaw would train to be a RoseClan warrior. Her friend, Brightsong was lucky. She had two she-kits: Sunkit and Moonkit. But that was just luck.
She sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do to change fate. She rose from her lone nest and emerged from the nursery. Tawnyleaf padded over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a squirrel—her favorite prey—to cure her sorrow. Tawnyleaf looked up as Briarpaw appeared from the apprentice den, yawning. The poor kit had been given a poppy seed in her mouse, so she wouldn't be around to see Duskpaw leave.
"Hello Mother," she called brightly. Briarpaw bounded over to her. The dark brown she-cat glanced around the clearing, flicking her ear. "Where's Duskpaw?"
Tawnyleaf bowed her head in sorrow, avoiding her daughter's persistent gaze. "Briarpaw, the time has come for him to go to ThistleClan," whispered Tawnyleaf. She hated telling the truth, but it was a RoseClan saying. Honesty is bravery and selflessness is peacefulness. All the she-cats of RoseClan lived by that code.
Briarpaw was quiet for a few moments. She muttered something indecipherable, then her voice became gasping. "No, no," she growled, her head swiveling toward Tawnyleaf. "No!" Briarpaw shook her head. "How could you, Mother?" the apprentice hissed. "How could you?" The fur along her spine began to rise as anger surged through her.
Tawnyleaf flattened her ears, noticing the attention Briarpaw was causing. Guilt tugged at her heart. "I love you, Briarpaw," Tawnyleaf whispered. "I love you!" she repeated louder, willing her daughter to hear the words she'd so often shared with Duskpaw too. She touched her tail to Briarpaw's shoulder. "You still have me."
The dark brown apprentice let out a sob and her body shook. A fierce cry escaped from her. Abruptly, she sprang away from Tawnyleaf. She charged for the gorse tunnel that led out of camp, but wasn't quick enough.
"Stop!" Poppynose yowled, pinning the struggling young she-cat to the ground.
Briarpaw looked pleadingly at Tawnyleaf with her father's bright green eyes, but she was helpless to do anything about it. She held her daughter's gaze with deep sorrow, hoping that she knew that this was for the best. Toms belonged to be separated from she-cats so they didn't interfere with training. Love was just another thing to hold a warrior back in battle. That's why it is essential that the toms leave at a young age.
Everyone looked up as Blossomstar padded over to them. Briarpaw had already created a crowd and the whispering quieted as RoseClan's leader stepped fourth.
"Departing is always the hardest thing," she murmured apologetically to Tawnyleaf's daughter. The white-furred queen glanced warily at her warriors. "Let her up, please." With reluctance, Poppynose got off and trotted back to the gorse. "Briarpaw," the RoseClan leader purred softly, "You know that this day had to come. You were born a RoseClan kit; it is in our blood to sacrifice what we have to."
The dark brown she-cat curled her lip. "Duskpaw was born a RoseClan kit too! Why does he have to join those fox-hearts?"
Tawnyleaf winced, wishing Briarpaw would hold her tongue. "You are RoseClan because you are a she-cat," she snapped. "He is ThistleClan because he is a tom."
"I don't understand! Why can't he stay here with me? Here with his true kin!" Briarpaw wailed.
"Enough of this!"
Tawnyleaf looked up, watching as Frostleaf's stern gaze landed on her daughter. The white-furred medicine cat waved her tail in annoyance, padding over to Briarpaw.
"You will stop this right now!" the queen hissed. Her eyes darted from Blossomstar back to Briarpaw. "You will stay at camp for a moon, like all the other she-cats with toms as siblings before you have. Learn to like it here in RoseClan, Briarpaw. This is the way things are. Respect that or leave us now."
Silence washed over the apprentice as she stared at her paws. "I'll stay," she whispered, meeting Frostleaf's gaze. "But only for my mother. Not you." Briarpaw turned on tail and vanished into the apprentice den.
Frostleaf turned to her. "You should've prepared your daughter for this, Tawnyleaf!" Frostleaf growled.
"I-I did!"
"Apparently not enough!" the medicine cat spat, her white pelt disappearing through the lichen hanging across her den.
~.~
Briarpaw felt sick to her stomach. Frostleaf's words still rang in her ears. This is the way things are. Respect that or leave us now. She curled up tighter in her nest, wanting to be as far away from this day as possible. She wished she was good at lying to herself. When you wake, he'll be there. This was just a dream. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't convince herself it was a dream. All she could do was rest her head on her paws and hope he'll return.
But it was hard to kindle that hope.
Her older denmate, Snowpaw was murmuring away, trying to console her. "It's okay, Briarpaw. You'll be all right," the white apprentice whispered, touching her tail to her shoulder. "I know that Whitepaw and Graypaw will be fine. So will Duskpaw."
Briarpaw sighed. "I miss him." She glanced at her friend, watching as Snowpaw delicately finished removing the two nests which belonged to Dawnpaw and Larkpaw. They were having their ceremony anytime now. Snowpaw had heard from Heathercloud—Larkpaw's mentor—that they would both become warriors today.
"Well, you might be able to see him at the Gathering," Snowpaw purred, gazing down at her. She twitched her whiskers. "I doubt we'll be allowed at the next Gathering, but maybe the one after that." She sighed thoughtfully. "Do you want to know what ThistleClan camp is like?"
Briarpaw perked her ears, trying not to look too eager. "Describe it."
The white apprentice began, "I don't know this firsthand, but my mother has been there once—it was to escort Frostleaf; it was for some reason to see Thornstar, if I remember right." She shook her head. "Anyways, it has a bramble barrier as an entrance. The camp is in a valley and surrounded by a thick forest. Their dens are close together, built with brambles and ferns. Their camp has no nursery, but two warrior dens. My mother only knows a few toms . . . Goosewing—my father, and Hawkstalker—your father's brother . . ."
She curled her lip when Snowpaw mentioned Hawkstalker. Tawnyleaf said he looked like Duskpaw. Briarpaw shifted in her nest so that her front legs were stretched out before her. She dug her claws into the soft dirt in anger, imagining it was Frostleaf's fur. Abruptly, Blossomstar's caterwaul echoed from across the clearing. "Snowpaw, listen . . ." Briarpaw quieted her friend. Snowpaw stopped babbling and listened.
"Let all she-cats sweet enough to be flowers gather here around Rosebush Rock!"
Briarpaw rose from her nest and tailed Snowpaw out of the den. Dawnpaw, Larkpaw, and their mentors had already gathered, anxiously waiting below Rosebush Rock. Hailmask sat proudly behind them, ready to watch her daughters become warriors. Briarpaw saw her mother settling down beside Flowerwish. She winced at the sight of her mentor, who had seen the dilemma.
Keeping her tail high, she avoided her Clanmates' gazes and kept close to Snowpaw. They sat near the back of the Clan, more towards the nursery, where Brightsong was peeking out.
"We have gathered here to make two new warriors of RoseClan. Heathercloud and Poppynose proudly shared with me Dawnpaw and Larkpaw are ready to become true RoseClan warriors. I, Blossomstar, leader of RoseClan call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and in their turn I commend them warriors. Dawnpaw and Larkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, protect, and defend RoseClan even at the cost of your lives?"
The cream-furred apprentices yowled, "I do!" in unison.
"Then by the power of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Dawnpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Dawnsong. StarClan honors your grace and intelligence and we welcome you as a full warrior of RoseClan!" Blossomstar announced, pride filling her voice.
"Dawnsong, Dawnsong!" the RoseClan she-cats cheered. Briarpaw's eyes found Frostleaf. The medicine cat was looking satisfyingly at the new warrior.
The white-furred leader continued: "Larkpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Larkfeather. StarClan honors your agile skills and compassion and we welcome you as a full warrior of RoseClan!"
"Larkfeather, Larkfeather!" RoseClan called the new warrior by her new name.
"Tonight, Dawnsong and Larkfeather shall sit their proper vigil as we rest," Blossomstar finished, whisking her tail. She gave a short nod to Roseshade and the meeting was over.
Briarpaw glanced to her right and saw that Snowpaw was already trailing toward Dawnsong and Larkfeather. She decided she'd go visit Sunkit and Moonkit, the newest addition to RoseClan.
A milk-scent filled her nose as she squeezed inside. Memories flooded her mind, but she held them back, knowing this was not the place.
"Hello, Briarpaw," Brightsong greeted her, moving to settle in back in her nest. "Have you come to meet my darlings?" She gently nosed her daughters.
"Who are you?" the silver-and-white she-kit squeaked, her bright blue eyes gazing up at her.
She let out a purr. "I'm Briarpaw."
"I'm Moonkit," the she-kit piped. She pointed with her nose at the golden kit. "That's Sunkit."
The other kit let out a big yawn. Brightsong gestured for her to leave them be.
"Hello, Briarpaw!"
She looked up to see her old nursery friend, Mosskit. The dark brown tabby kit's eyes were round with excitement. The sight of her former denmate brought back a rush of memories, but she fought back the anger that was surfacing. Mosskit's sisters, Swiftkit and Hazelkit were sleeping against their mother, Robincloud. "Where's Redkit?" she asked her young friend.
"Here!" the reddish brown kit piped, his voice muffled.
Briarpaw turned to see the tom carrying a mouse in his jaws.
"Yummy!" Mosskit licked her chops as Redkit dropped the prey at her paws. The two littermates tore into the flesh, not wasting a second.
"I'll see you later, Mosskit!" she called quietly, squeezing out of the tightly enclosed nursery. She felt better, knowing there was always someone she could count on.
"Blossomstar would like to speak with you." Roseshade's voice made Briarpaw jump. The deputy eyed her warily.
She nodded to the dark red she-cat and bounded over to Blossomstar's den. It was an ancient badger set, though the scent has vanished long before RoseClan's time. Paw prints of many cats were pressed into the clay.
The white leader's lithe structure was hardly visible in the paling moonlight. Blossomstar's blue eyes gleamed when she looked up to meet Briarpaw's gaze.
"You wanted me?"
Blossomstar rose to her paws, padding nearer the apprentice. She flicked her ear, her eyes clouded with emotion. She sat back on her haunches. "You know, when my brothers Toadfur and Darkthunder left it felt like the end of the world, but my mother told me it was for the best." Her gaze flickered with sadness. She shook her head, rising to her paws, the sorrow vanishing from her eyes. "But I believed her and still do. If we stopped having ThistleClan's kits we'd have to entrust filthy rogues to be our mates." She curled her lip in disgust. "It is better that there isn't interference with training and that there isn't love." She paused, studying Briarpaw's reaction. "That's why we have a Clan, my dear. RoseClan was formed to keep peace at bay. Selflessness is peacefulness. We give up our toms to ThistleClan so that we can have stronger warriors. It is StarClan's will when a tom is born. We don't decide that."
Silence fell as Blossomstar retreated to her clearing. Fierceness still glimmered in her blue eyes. The white leader turned to Briarpaw. "Remember, sweet darling, you are RoseClan. Be careful what you do, because leaf-bare's frost is always the worst."
