For years, life in the Clans has been the same. Leader has kits. Daughter hosts comtest for all Clans to find mate. Mate becomes leader. Repeat. But Blossomdust doesn't want to have her mate chosen for her! She is already in love. Can she convince the Clans to change the code, or will her hope be lost… forever?
Blossomdust washed her dark brown tabby fur as she waited for the Clans to gather below her. This is her announcing ceremony for StarClan's sake! The least they could do is show some respect. Her father, Bouncestar of RiverClan, sat above her proudly.
Blossomdust's mother, Brindleblossom, sat underneath her, eyes sparkling proudly. Why do my parents have to be so full of themselves? She thought angrily as ShadowClan, the last Clan, arrived. Their leader, Larkstar, leaped up on the stone.
"Cats of the Clans!" Bounsestar cried. "Tonight, we announce my daughter's adult ceremony!" Cats cried out from the bunch, but not many. "Blossomdust will choose a competition that a tom from each Clan will compete in. The winner becomes the next leader of RiverClan!"
More cries. Blossomdust flinched as all gazes switched to her. "I choose," she began, thinking hard. "Swimming," she meowed at last.
"Only RiverClan can swim!" a tom cried. "That's not fair."
"We all have RiverClan blood," Finchstar, ThunderClan's leader, growled. "My friend's son, Redfang, will compete."
Larkstar stepped forward, obviously not wanting to be left out. "I choose my youngest son, Splashdapple." Bouncestar looked around and picked out a Riverclan cat to compete.
"We choose Ruinclaw," he meowed at last. Now only the leaders of SkyClan and WindClan were left. SkyClan's leader, Reedstar, thought hard about this.
"Tigerfang," he meowed.
"Whispertalon," Whitestar, WindClan's leader, meowed.
"These five cats will spend the next moon with RiverClan, preparing for the comtest!" Bouncestar meowed. "All cats will gather at the river next full moon to compete. May your toms have luck."
That Gathering was over, and Blossomdust jumped down from the rock. If it had been her decision, she would have chosen Pebblepool to compete.
He was so perfect, with his soft gray eyes and dark red fur… Blossomdust shot back into the presence with a prod from her father. "Let's go," he meowed.
Blossomdust nodded and followed him out of the clearing and through the river. The toms from the opposing Clans paused for a moment before moving on. Blossomdust snorted in disgust.
Splashdapple, the big black arrogant ShadowClan warrior, fell into the river, and Blossomdust almost drowned laughing. His fur stuck to his pelt!
But they kept walking.
The RiverClan camp was on an island, and was surrounded by trees. Blossomdust ran to her den where she knew her best friend, Ivywatcher, would be waiting. She barged in.
Sure enough, Ivywatcher was there with Pebblepool.