The pale golden she-cat glanced around the silent, moonlit clearing before pushing past the clinging branches of the warrior's den.
"I need to go on a walk." She told the beautiful white she-cat sitting on guard.
"Take care, Goldenflower." Frostfur's blue eyes were sympathetic and she rested her tailtip on Goldenflower's shoulder for a heartbeat. Goldenflower mustered up a small smile for her before going out into the still night. After wandering aimlessly for some time, lost in memories, Goldenflower realized that her paws were guiding her toward Fourtrees and she bounded up the hill to look down at the body of the tom she had once loved. She paused to take a deep breath before running down into the hollow. She had to stop again, just at the place where there was a screen of ferns between her and the corpse, so as to collect her strength for the task ahead, then stepped forward.
And stopped dead.
"Leopardstar?"
The powerful RiverClan leader jerked her head up in shock and a glimmer of guilt swam behind her eyes for a moment.
"Goldenflower-" Leopardstar cut herself short as though unsure what to say.
"I see." Goldenflower accepted with a quiet sigh. "You needn't worry, Leopardstar. I won't tell anyone. My own clan doesn't know I'm here either."
Rustles in the undergrowth from opposite sides of the clearing drew the two she-cats close together, ready for battle in case it turned out to be BloodClan warriors. Instead, Russetfur and Darkstripe stepped out and froze, almost simultaneously.
"Tonight, there is no need for shame." Goldenflower assured them, her sorrow too deep and strong to allow room for petty jealousy or anger. "Tigerstar was a brave, powerful warrior. Handsome and confident. It's only right that those of us who loved him should be here to bury him."
"He thought about you often." Russetfur told her, touching Goldenflower's shoulder with her nose. "He wouldn't consciously say anything, of course; he was too concerned about showing sympathy for another clan, but he would sometimes talk in his sleep."
"You were there to hear him while he slept?" Darkstripe asked, his tail stiffening.
"I didn't share his nest," Russetfur answered. "If that's what you're worried about. But you know he liked to have a guard outside his den."
"He wasn't always so paranoid." Goldenflower commented, looking down at the bloody body. The four cats sat in silence as the moon moved slowly across the sky. Then Leopardstar shook out her thick fur and stood up.
"My clan will miss me if I'm gone too long. Let's bury him and go home."
"We should bury him here." Darkstripe said, standing at the base of the Great Stone. "He's worked so hard to stand on this rock, he should be buried beneath it."
"Good idea." Goldenflower agreed, joining him. Leopardstar and Russetfur soon came over also and the four of them dug into the stiff dirt. It was slow, dirty work but they had a good-sized grave before the moon reached the horizon. Goldenflower gripped the heavy tabby body by the scruff and Darkstripe lifted his hindquarters by grabbing a mouthful of skin and fur at the base of the spine. Russetfur and Leopardstar flanked them as they carried him across the trampled grass to the hole. The four cats, in mute agreement, sat another long moment of silence before scraping the dirt in over him and patting it down to discourage foxes or other carrion-eaters. Goldenflower left the hollow first, but she stopped at the top of the hill and turned back to watch them; her beloved's other loves. Leopardstar and Russetfur walked back to RiverClan territory side by side and Darkstripe watched them go. He took a step toward them, like he might have wanted to follow, then shook his head and ran the other way. Goldenflower stayed put. She sat there, still as stone, as the sun slowly lifted over the mountains, far in the distance, and spread its golden light across WindClan's plains and finally down into the hollow below her. When the warming rays touched Tigerstar's grave, she stood up and walked away without looking back.
"I need to go on a walk." She told the beautiful white she-cat sitting on guard.
"Take care, Goldenflower." Frostfur's blue eyes were sympathetic and she rested her tailtip on Goldenflower's shoulder for a heartbeat. Goldenflower mustered up a small smile for her before going out into the still night. After wandering aimlessly for some time, lost in memories, Goldenflower realized that her paws were guiding her toward Fourtrees and she bounded up the hill to look down at the body of the tom she had once loved. She paused to take a deep breath before running down into the hollow. She had to stop again, just at the place where there was a screen of ferns between her and the corpse, so as to collect her strength for the task ahead, then stepped forward.
And stopped dead.
"Leopardstar?"
The powerful RiverClan leader jerked her head up in shock and a glimmer of guilt swam behind her eyes for a moment.
"Goldenflower-" Leopardstar cut herself short as though unsure what to say.
"I see." Goldenflower accepted with a quiet sigh. "You needn't worry, Leopardstar. I won't tell anyone. My own clan doesn't know I'm here either."
Rustles in the undergrowth from opposite sides of the clearing drew the two she-cats close together, ready for battle in case it turned out to be BloodClan warriors. Instead, Russetfur and Darkstripe stepped out and froze, almost simultaneously.
"Tonight, there is no need for shame." Goldenflower assured them, her sorrow too deep and strong to allow room for petty jealousy or anger. "Tigerstar was a brave, powerful warrior. Handsome and confident. It's only right that those of us who loved him should be here to bury him."
"He thought about you often." Russetfur told her, touching Goldenflower's shoulder with her nose. "He wouldn't consciously say anything, of course; he was too concerned about showing sympathy for another clan, but he would sometimes talk in his sleep."
"You were there to hear him while he slept?" Darkstripe asked, his tail stiffening.
"I didn't share his nest," Russetfur answered. "If that's what you're worried about. But you know he liked to have a guard outside his den."
"He wasn't always so paranoid." Goldenflower commented, looking down at the bloody body. The four cats sat in silence as the moon moved slowly across the sky. Then Leopardstar shook out her thick fur and stood up.
"My clan will miss me if I'm gone too long. Let's bury him and go home."
"We should bury him here." Darkstripe said, standing at the base of the Great Stone. "He's worked so hard to stand on this rock, he should be buried beneath it."
"Good idea." Goldenflower agreed, joining him. Leopardstar and Russetfur soon came over also and the four of them dug into the stiff dirt. It was slow, dirty work but they had a good-sized grave before the moon reached the horizon. Goldenflower gripped the heavy tabby body by the scruff and Darkstripe lifted his hindquarters by grabbing a mouthful of skin and fur at the base of the spine. Russetfur and Leopardstar flanked them as they carried him across the trampled grass to the hole. The four cats, in mute agreement, sat another long moment of silence before scraping the dirt in over him and patting it down to discourage foxes or other carrion-eaters. Goldenflower left the hollow first, but she stopped at the top of the hill and turned back to watch them; her beloved's other loves. Leopardstar and Russetfur walked back to RiverClan territory side by side and Darkstripe watched them go. He took a step toward them, like he might have wanted to follow, then shook his head and ran the other way. Goldenflower stayed put. She sat there, still as stone, as the sun slowly lifted over the mountains, far in the distance, and spread its golden light across WindClan's plains and finally down into the hollow below her. When the warming rays touched Tigerstar's grave, she stood up and walked away without looking back.