"So, that's it?" I yelled.
The light brown tom in front of me shifted on his paws. "I...I...just can't go off and leave him like this." He stammered.
"You're not," I protested, "He has the whole of RiverClan. Even if he dies, he'll be with StarClan. You don't need to leave."
He looked at me. "You don't understand. Duststripe was my hero. If he doesn't survive, then his kits need me."
I opened my mouth to protest, but put my head down and stared at my paws. "Don't leave me like this," I whispered.
He walked over to me and slowly licked my head. "Relax, Firepaw." He told me. "Everything will be fine."
I shook my head. "It won't, Lynxpaw." I told him. "Not now that you're leaving ThunderClan for RiverClan."
Lynxpaw didn't say a word. He just licked my shoulder and walked away. I was left standing there, staring after his disappearing tail. This was the first time the two of us had ever fought. I had never felt like this before. I was so angry at my brother, yet I wanted to break down crying right now. I was so angry at Duststripe, whom Lynxpaw had idolized since he met the RiverClan warrior.
But just two days ago, ShadowClan had attacked and RiverClan had come to ThunderClan for help again. In the battle, Duststripe had lost his life. They never told us, but I knew that he wouldn't make it, no matter how much the RiverClan medicine cat Mothwing tried to save him. Now Lynxpaw had got a crazy idea that he needed to be in RiverClan in place of Duststripe.
I tried to talk to him, but apparently StarClan had sent him a message. Now, here I was, standing on the edge of ThunderClan's territory while Lynxpaw easily crossed the ShadowClan territory to get to the RiverClan camp. The leader Leopardstar knew about this, and for once, had invited him to join.
As I put my head down, not knowing whether to yowl or cry, I felt a tail on my shoulder. I turned and saw the ThunderClan leader Firestar. He looked at me with sympathy in his eyes.
"This reminds me of the time when Graystripe went to RiverClan himself." He told me.
I looked at the flame-colored leader in amazement. "You know what I'm going through?" I asked.
He nodded. "It was right after I was made deputy." He told me.
I gulped down a sob as I listened to Firestar retell his life as a deputy. He was right. He had been through what I was going through right now.
"By the way," he told me, "You mentor's Cloudfur, right?"
I nodded. I was wondering where this was going.
"Ask her to meet me," Firestar smiled at me, "I think we have a warrior ceremony to plan for tonight."
And when he walked away, I could literally feel like I could fly. I was finally going to become a warrior, after months and months of training and dedication and loyalty to the Clan. I ran back to the camp, looking back at the place where Lynxpaw left.
Let him be, I told myself, He's old enough to make his own choices. And I trust him enough to know he'll make the right one.
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