"Well, what do you think, Stormsky?" I prick my ears, startled, as I hear my friend's mew. Shadepetal is staring curiously at me, and she tips her head to one side as my hazy blue eyes land on her again. "Do you want to have a chance of being the next ThunderClan leader?"
I shrug. So far, all I had ever wanted was to be a great and respected warrior, but I had never even considered the thought that I might be leader someday. Immediately, an image of myself on the Highledge, addressing the whole of ThunderClan, worked its way into my mind.
"Well, I hope I don't get chosen in the end," Shadepetal mews, twitching her black tail ever so slightly. "The clan is at a time of anger and... well... you know." Of course I did. It was no secret that two cats, Redstorm and Leafmoon, had fought to the death at the edge of the lake, and both had succeeded in killing each other in the end. Neither of them had really liked each other before they died, but no one in ThunderClan had thought they would take it so far.
And now, half the clan blamed Redstorm for the she-cats' deaths, and the other half blamed Leafmoon. It was almost as if the clan had divided itself into two separate groups, as their opinions had grown stronger every day.
"If I was leader, I might be able to put an end to that," I mew thoughtfully, staring at the sky behind Shadepetal. "It might actually be good to become a clan leader, you know. It might turn out to be something better than being a warrior."
"Yes, I know," Shadepetal snaps. "But we're content with our lives as a warrior! Why do we have to take it a step further, and be forced into a task we may or may not like!" She pauses, looking closely at me. "Are you content with being a warrior?"
That question strikes me hard. Am I content? Yes, I probably am, but now that there was a prospect of being the new clan leader, I wanted to achieve that position. I had always been a cat who had wanted the best I could get, always trying harder and harder.
"I don't know," I answer truthfully. "If we are chosen, we might just try our best."
The elders had told the two of us, when we were barely apprentices, that many moons ago, a cat called Moonstar introduced a change to the warrior code. Instead of each clan having a deputy, as soon as a leader was appointed, he or she would select five cats who would be tested to see who carried the true skills of a strong leader that would serve the clan. And that practice still continues today.
Wolfstrike, the former ThunderClan deputy, had died of greencough the previous day, and Ashstar is yet to select the five cats. Shadepetal and I are pacing in front of the Highledge, waiting for her to make her appearance. I shake out my thick gray fur, flicking my long tail as I pad alongside Shadepetal.
"I suppose so," Shadepetal replies. "But I hope I don't become the next leader, Stormsky." The two of us were practically sisters; we had been best friends ever since we were kits. Shadepetal had no littermates, while my mother had died, so I was taken in as Shadepetal's sister.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!" Both Shadepetal and I turn, startled, to see that Ashstar stood on top of the Highledge, her voice loud to address the entire clan. I purr as cats pad out of their dens, and many exchange eager glances. I feel a twinge of anxiety in my chest. Now that it's possible, I want to be the next leader more than anything else.
"I have made my decision on the cats who will be put to the test of leadership," Ashstar announces calmly. "The cats who I have selected are Roseheart, Smokeshade, Emberclaw, Stormsky, and Shadepetal." I brighten at the sound of my name, then shoot a worried glance at Shadepetal. She sighs softly, and leans in to whisper to me.
"I won't do my best, and I'll try to fail." I purr in amusement, and she touches her nose to mine. "No, I really mean it."
I can't reply because Ashstar is speaking again. "The meeting is dismissed, and I want to see the chosen cats in my den, right now." I exchange a worried glance with Shadepetal before padding after the gray-furred clan leader, who beckons with her tail before disappearing into her den. The leader's den is small but warm, and it seemed to satisfy Ashstar, who stood in front of us as Roseheart padded inside, followed by Emberclaw.
The dark red she-cat might make a strong leader, I realize, thinking about Roseheart. But she's far to confident, in my opinion.
"You each will be put in a different test," Ashstar announces. "And your tests will be done at different times. I will monitor each of you, to see who has the most capability of being a leader." She pauses, and I nod respectfully. "You may not receive any details on the test until the day arrives. But, for now, you all have two days before your tests."
Two days?
"Do you think we'll be good enough to pass the test?" I ask Shadepetal, who shoots me a warning glance. "Oh... I meant... do you think I will?" Shadepetal had insisted that she would not do her best for this, and that she was unwilling to become the next ThunderClan leader.
"I don't know," Shadepetal mews softly. "It all depends on the test."
"Speaking of the test, what do you think it'll be?" I ask her.
"Probably something that Ashstar thinks each one of us specifically lacks." It is barely dawn, and Shadepetal and I had awoken early to discuss the test that would come today. Even I am nervous, and I can't help twitching my tail from time to time or thinking about the test, and what would happen if I did not pass it.
I notice that Roseheart is sharing tongues with Emberclaw at the fresh-kill pile, while Smokeshade sleepily pads out of the warriors' den, his green eyes clouded over by anxiety as he pads toward the fresh-kill pile, as well. "Let's go join them," I suggest, and without waiting for Shadepetal's reply, I bound over to talk to the other ThunderClan warriors.
"I hope I pass the test," Roseheart mews. "Even if I'm too inexperienced to be leader, I'd like to know that I have the right skills." The young she-cat had only been a warrior for three moons, but she was wise and loyal just the same.
"Well, I don't want to pass the test," Shadepetal breaks in, pushing ahead of me. Emberclaw and Smokeshade stare at her in surprise. "I don't want to lead the clan, especially when it's in this condition." She flicks her tail over to where Amberheart, a Redstorm supporter, and Longstorm, a Leafmoon supporter, were arguing ferociously.
"I think I'd like to be leader," I mew quietly. "I want to learn to handle the clan wisely."
Smokeshade opens his mouth to speak, but another yowl cuts him off. "Are the five of you ready?" It was Ashstar, who padded briskly over to us, her eyes shining in determination as she flicked her tail to one side. "Stormsky, would you like to go first?"
I freeze, feeling five pairs of eyes on me. Do I really want to go first? Sure, I want to be leader, but I am nervous, right now. Against my will, I nod, jumping to my paws, and I wave my tail in farewell as I pad away from Shadepetal, Emberclaw, Roseheart, and Smokeshade.
"What is the test about?" I ask Ashstar, and the gray she-cat twitches her whiskers.
"You know I can't tell you until we get there." She keeps on walking, but she turns her head to face me. "But I can tell you that the test has three parts. And those parts are different for each of you." I swallow nervously, following her deeper into the forest. My paws stumble on a small root, and I stop to stare around me. Where are we? Nevertheless, I pad after the ThunderClan leader.
"Here we are," she announces.
"Where?" I dare to ask. But the answer lies in front of me. We are standing at the base of a tall rock formation with a broad, flat top. "What is this place?"
"This is the edge of the clan's territory in this direction," Ashstar mews. "Welcome to the first part of your test. This will test your endurance, courage, and determination, which are all critcal skills of a leader."
Well, that's a little generic, I think.
"You must climb to the top of the Flat Mountain, and, at the very top, there is a leaf." I let out a soft snort, and Ashstar narrows her eyes. "You'll be able to tell this leaf apart. Instead of the normal green leaves that you see, this one is blood red."
"Wait," I mew, my paws scuffling in the dirt. "I have to climb this?"
Ashstar nods. "Go on."
Eyeing the tall structure wearily, I let out a sigh before springing gracelessly onto the rock, digging my claws into the crevices as deep as they would go. Gradually, I pull myself upwards, taking my time as though to not slip and fall to my death. I start to move faster, pulling upwards with ease. Become leader and serve your clan, or die trying.
I let out a breath of relief as I spot the flat top of the rock formation barely tail-lengths above me. As I spring onto the top, I sniff the air, seeing Ashstar give me an encouraging glance from at the bottom. A blood-red leaf... there!
Holding the leaf between my teeth, I mumble, "Good thing there's a smooth path down, as well. I can just slide."
"This will test your capacity for intelligence and decision-making capabilities," Ashstar mews slowly, and I nod. "You must find the second blood-red leaf in the midst of this portion of the forest."
"How in the name of StarClan should I find a single leaf in an area this big?" I ask.
"I'm glad you asked," Ashstar replies. "You have three clues: the stars that fall, face the moss, and root out the problem." I nod, padding away through the trees. This should be so fascinating, I think. I hope it's faster than the other one.
Ashstar's words repeated themselves in my head as I padded along, sniffing the air. The stars that fall, face the moss, and root out the problem. The stars that... I shake my head, opening my jaws slightly as my blue gaze scans my surroundings for any signs of a blood-red leaf. Almost heartbeats later, two leaves flutter down and land on my nose. Hissing, I shake them off, and they land on the ground.
Only then do I notice that they are the shape of perfect stars.
The stars that fall! I'm close! Eagerly, I pad along, waiting for the next clue to await me, and I purr to myself, breathing in and out slowly, all of my senses completely alert for any signs. I turn my head to the side to check if I had missed anything along the way, and I almost walk straight into a tree. Or rather, I stop when I am face-to-face with a moss-covered tree.
Rolling my eyes, I pad along, my tail flicking impatiently. Wait. I turn back, sniffing the tree carefully. Beneath all the moss-scent, there was another scent that was faint but unmistakeable. Ashstar's scent. So she was here, I think. It makes sense. Face the moss.
I bound through the trees, my energy somehow renewed by my eagerness. Almost there!
My heart racing, I pause as a leaf spirals down and lands directly between my paws. Then, I shake my head. It wasn't blood red, as Ashstar had said. I stop, thinking about my situation. Root out the problem. Root out the problem. Almost instinctively, I sniff at the thick, widespread roots of the oak in front of me, then I check the next, and a birch tree, and an ash, then stop, shaking my head.
That's useless. I can't check every tree around here.
And then, I see a blood-red leaf between my two forepaws, almost as though it had been waiting.
"Well done," Ashstar mews. "I've finished all of Emberclaw's tests, one of Roseheart's, and two of Shadepetal's and Smokeshade's, in the time that you had gone."
It took me that long? I cringe inside. What if she counts that against me? "Anyway, it's time for your third test, as you can see." I nod, my paws scuffling in the dirt as I face my clan leader. She had brought me to a place I had never seen before, yet, it bore the scents of many former ThunderClan cats.
Before me was a wide pool of fire.
I widen my blue eyes, then glance at Ashstar, who nods. "I have to cross that?"
"Yes, you must safely reach the other side, somehow." Ashstar flicks her tail, then rests in on my back for a heartbeat. "Good luck, Stormsky. You, Shadepetal, and Smokeshade are the only cats who qualify so far. So now, it's up to the third test to decide it all."
"What if we all make it?" At the same time, I am thinking, Shadepetal hasn't stopped yet?
"Then, I'll decide later." I detect a flash of annoyance in her gaze.
I lift my tail readily. "What does this one test?"
Ashstar's blue eyes gleam with an unreadable emotion, and her fur seems to bristle slightly. "I cannot tell you that, but I can tell you that it is a very major quality of a leader, one that is completely necessary. Oh, and by the way, we are in the Hidden Canyon."
"Oh." I suppose that's why no one's ever heard of this place.
"Good luck."
I nod, and sniff. The air was extremely hot, steaming from the fire in front of us. I bunch my muscles, and take a few pawsteps back. "Let me try jumping," I say, half to myself, and Ashstar's ear twitches ever so slightly as she watches me from a distance. Swallowing, I bound as quickly as I can towars the fire pit, my muscles tensed in readiness.
And then, I skid to a halt. The fire definitely seems larger from up close, and I sigh.
"I could use that tree to cross..." I flick my tail towards a fallen branch, and, almost as if in reply, the wind rustles, whispering through the branches. I shoot a glance at Ashstar, but her face lacks any emotion, and she is watching me closely. "But then, it would catch fire before I have a chance to cross it."
I sniff the fire, then draw back abruptly. Though I never touched the liquid fire, it burns my nose to even go near it. It produces an acrid smell within my nostrils, and I shiver. "I would need something solid between me and the fire if I am to cross," I say. "But all I can use is tree bark, and that would burn."
Sighing, my eyes fill with tears. I can't pass this test. I'm just not good enough.
Padding over to Ashstar, I bow my head in defeat, then sit down, my head lowered to stare at my paws. In my mind, I am caught by the merciless current of a rapid, dark river, where I wallow and thrash around in the waves of defeat.
Immediately, a third blood-red leaf lands at my paws, and I stare up in shock. Ashstar smiles knowingly. "Ashstar? But I-"
"You passed the test, Stormsky," she mews. "You are a true leader at heart." She pauses, and I briefly register her words into my mind. "You see, this test was different from the others. It was a test of telling right from wrong. This task was an impossible task, and only a true leader would realize this and admit that this was beyond the realms of a cat's ability."
I nod, my blue eyes glowing.
"You are my new deputy."
How could Ashstar leave? I am in the leader's den, and though Ashstar lost her final life over a moon ago, I still miss the feel of her fur, the sound of her voice, her sweet, motherly scent. My name is Stormstar, and I am the leader of ThunderClan.
The loss of Ashstar is hard on most cats who were close to the gray she-cat, especially to me, as I was her deputy.
And then, I hear a yowl outside.
Jumping to my paws, I bound out of my den, lifting my head challengingly. Ashstar's voice rang in my head. This is why you are a true leader. Find out the problem, and solve it in a way that's best for ThunderClan. For a heartbeat, I could see the faintest outline of a thick-furred gray she-cat standing at my side, and I nod briefly to her.
What could I expect? The Redstorm and Leafmoon supporters are at it again, but I had never seen them this angry. Pelts bristling, claws unsheathed, they are about to start fighting to the death any moment. "Stop!" I yowl, with a touch of authority in my voice. "What is the meaning of this?"
No one answers, and no claws are sheathed.
Finally, a cat speaks. It was Lightstep, my trusted deputy, who is a strong supporter of Leafmoon. "This isn't just about Redstorm and Leafmoon thing," she murmurs. "It's also about me and Rockflame." Oh, that. She and Rockflame are always at odds with each other, and it isn't a secret that Rockflame wishes to be deputy instead of Lightstep. Lightstep had been a former loner, so that also angered Rockflame.
I stalk towards them, then thrust my way between Lightstep and Rockflame. "Do you want to start a fight that could result in so much death?"
"They will fight anyway," Rockflame growls, and at that moment, he launches himself at Lightstep. I shake my head in despair as battle erupts all around me. It is pointless. Why did I ever want to be leader, and especially at a time like this? Shadepetal had been right, but I had been foolish enough to let ambition distract me from the path of a warrior.
Slowly, I return to my den, and I do not come out until sunset, when the sky is the color of the bloodstained grass, and the battle has died down.
Three cats lay in the center of the clearing. Blueshine, Rockflame, and... Shadepetal.
Shadepetal.
I let out a yowl that shakes the sunset sky above. "Was it really worth this?" I yowl, and part of the clan emerges to listen. "Was it worth the lives of three cats because of ambition? This battle was one that should have not been fought."
And I have learned my own lesson on ambition.
Why did I give up the life of a warrior to become leader? Ambition.
My life had been perfect, yet I drifted towards power.
Ambition...
I drifted.