Hi guys! I said I'd talk about the other Clans more in this one, right? Well I am! This one takes place in ShadowClan. The chapters will periodically jump to the other Clans to give the forest a bit more depth. I hope you guys like it! If you don't, I'm wiling to change! This one is a bit sad, so get your tissues ready :(
Chapter One
The flickering of a white, fluffy object held the attention of two huge amber eyes. They watched and followed its every movement with intense curiosity. The tiny black-and-white kit pressed himself against the ground. He stalked forward, tail lashing about behind him, and gathered his legs under his small body. With a high-pitched caterwaul, he sprang at the plaything, missing it by at least a mouse-length. He tumbled along the soft, pine-needle covered ground until he came to rest at the feet of a pale gray she-cat.
"Frostpaw," the she-cat said, feigning anger. The smile on her face gave her away. "It's not nice to tease the kits like that."
The she-cat in question, a stunningly beautiful white cat with fur like gleaming snow, rose to her feet. She let out a rumbling purr. "Oh, don't be such a downer, Willowpaw," she purred. "The game is harmless. You're just jealous that I'm having more fun that you. Ratkit will catch me eventually. He's just got to practice." She motioned to the wobbly black-and-white kit. He scrambled over with a wide smile. "There, see? He's not hurt. Are you?"
Ratkit shook his head. "Let's do it again!" he squeaked. "Please, please Frostpaw!"
"There you two are!"
The apprentices flattened their ears against their heads when they heard the stark cry of Foxtail, the angriest tom in the whole forest. Anything and everything set off his awful temper. Ratkit buried himself in Frostpaw's fur out of worry. Foxtail's favorite punching bags were the few kits that ShadowClan managed to hold onto. It was a rough few moons for the queens. Poppythorn miscarried her litter and returned to being a warrior. Mintwhisker tried her luck at having kits, but Dognose told her that those days were over now. Sulking, she too went back to being a warrior. Quailfur, the young mother of Buzzardfur's kits, started out with a litter of five that dwindled down to the three she now kept: Ratkit, his sister Cranekit, and their sickly brother Shadekit. Frostpaw wrapped her tail around the small tom. She hoped to establish a bond with him so that Lightningstar would appoint her as his mentor when he turned six moons.
That is, if Foxtail didn't kill them first.
The ornery ginger tom stormed into the nursery, eyes blazing. "You lazy piles of fox-dung!" he hissed. "Redberry and Icetalon have been complaining about wet bedding for ages, and yet here you are, wasting your time with the kits!" He swung his head around and hissed at Cranekit, who'd been crawling over to him, probably mistaking him for Lightningstar, who visited often. The poor she-cat whimpered and staggered back. She crawled over to Willowpaw and cowered under her.
"Poppythorn and Loudfire haven't given us orders since sunrise," said Frostpaw, twitching her tail in annoyance. She hated being bossed around just for being an apprentice. "I think they're on a patrol, actually doing something for this Clan instead of yelling at other cats for taking a break!"
Foxtail hissed loudly. "As a warrior, I have permission to give you orders!" he snapped. "Now get to it! I'm sick and tired of hearing Icetalon's griping!"
"Where's Dognose?" asked Willowpaw. "Can't he do it?"
"Dognose is at the half-moon, mouse-brain," he snarled.
Their medicine cat, Dognose, left early each half-moon to join up with the other four medicine cats from the Clans. They finally had access to Moonstone where, prier to its infiltration by the Dark Forest, medicine cats and leader had met for generations to speak to their warrior ancestors. During the time of the Dark Forest's occupation, they met at a small creek that ran close to a Twoleg barn.
"Fine." Frostpaw got to her feet and touched her nose to Ratkit's head briefly. "We'll go clean out their dens." She nodded to her friend, who only stared back at her in confusion. "Come on, Willowpaw," Frostpaw meowed. "Icetalon and Redberry aren't going to wait forever."
"Right," Willowpaw murmured. She licked Cranekit and shoved past Foxtail roughly. The ginger tom followed them out, growling deeply. They walked into the shaded center of the ShadowClan camp. There were tall brambles all around them, blocking out the sun. Frostpaw purred as she stepped into a rare beam of sunlight. She then turned her attention to the log in the corner of the camp where the Clan's two elders slept. Willowpaw followed closely behind. Willowpaw feared Foxtail more than any other cat in any other Clan. They arrived at the elder's den, and Willowpaw stuck her head in. "Icetalon! Redberry!" she called. "Are you two here?"
Two pairs of eyes opened in the darkness. "Oh, hello, Willowpaw," murmured Icetalon. She moved slowly towards the entrance. Her blue-gray face lit up in the dim light of the camp, and Willowpaw saw the bright silver hairs that streaked through her once beautiful fur. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
"Foxtail told us that your bedding was wet," Frostpaw replied.
"Wet?" echoed Redberry as he clambered over. He stuck his red-brown head out. "It's not wet. We're perfectly comfortable. Palepaw cleaned the log out this morning."
The two she-cats exchanged glances before groaning loudly. "Foxtail," Willowpaw growled. "That tyrant! He ordered us to do it even though he knew very well that Palepaw already had!"
"Don't be too rough on him," purred Icetalon. "He's only jealous because his sister is such a great leader. He wanted so badly to be her deputy as well, but she chose Beetleflight in spite of his young age. They're both young, actually. Patchstar was almost six seasons by the time he became leader."
"What're we gonna do now?" murmured Willowpaw. "Foxtail is probably guarding the nursery, so we can't go play with Cranekit and Ratkit anymore."
"Maybe you two should go see if your mentors are up for some hunting," said Redberry.
"Oh, are you two hungry?" asked Frostpaw.
"A bit," replied Icetalon.
"Then we'll go hunting right now!" said Willowpaw. "We'll be back soon!"
The gray she-cat backed out of the elder's den and raced across the camp to the thick, thorny exit. Frostpaw followed her out and into their territory.
---
"You two sure came back with a lot," purred Loudfire when he spotted the two apprentices returning triumphantly. They each had their mouths full and were forced to set down their kills before replying.
"Foxtail gave us a fake order again," grumbled Willowpaw. "I'm sick and tired of him doing that!"
"Dealing with Foxtail is just another chore of being in ShadowClan," muttered Poppythorn as she sat. She curled her tail around her paws. "Here's to hoping that the Dark Forest possess him."
"Poppythorn!" chuckled Frostpaw. "That's so evil!"
"It may be," replied the light brown she-cat, "but then at least it would give me a reason to claw his ears off."
Purring, the four ShadowClan cats moved into the center of the camp where their Clanmates were settling down to share tongues. Palepaw, the youngest of the apprentices, bounded over. He smiled purred to Frostpaw. "Hey," he said. "Beetleflight is looking for you. I think he wants to share tongues."
Frostpaw felt heat running through her at the thought of the handsome deputy. Ever since her apprenticeship, he'd been trailing after her like a lovesick kit. She found it flattering, but she'd been scared at first to return the much older tom's affections. She told herself she needed to wait until after her warrior ceremony. She supposed, smirking, that maybe she could break her own rules for something like this. Willowpaw playfully smacked her friend with her tail.
"Go on!" she encouraged. "He's not going to wait forever!"
"He's over there," Palepaw said, flicking his tail to where the black tom sat with his leader and Mintwhisker. He grinned evilly. "Go get 'em, tiger."
Frostpaw frowned as her two friends laughed. She hated that they constantly teased her for her apprehension. She cuffed them both over the ears before padding over to the black deputy. As she walked, Loudfire, Poppythorn, and Buzzardfur watched. Poppythorn looked less than pleased. Buzzardfur chuckled and playfully swiped at his friend's ear.
"Don't pull such a jealous face," he chuckled. "It's not very attractive."
"I wish he'd leave my apprentice alone," growled Poppythorn. "StarClan knows how weird his is. He's been vanishing inexplicably so often nowadays. I swear that I've seen his eyes glowing bright red once."
Loudfire laughed incredulously. "You think Beetleflight is the cat the Dark Forest chose to possess?" he chuckled. "Boy, have you got your cats crossed!"
"It's not unlikely!" Poppythorn protested. "I mean, he spends so much time with Lightningstar since he's the deputy. He could kill her without any cat knowing! Not to mention the way he looked at poor Quailfur's kits. I'll bet anything he's the reason they disappeared."
Buzzardfur bristled. "You can say a lot of things about that peculiar brother of mine," he growled, "but I sure as hell won't let you claim that he'd do any kind of harm to his niece and nephew. He loved those kits. Besides, the scent led Dognose to that badger set both times. They've been picked off by badgers, and that's that."
"Maybe," muttered Poppythorn, "but that still doesn't explain why Beetleflight keeps vanishing without any warning."
"He's probably just busy," Loudfire replied. "Does he normally tell you everything he's going to do? Do you fancy yourself to be Lightningstar?"
"No!" hissed Poppythorn. "I just…I get a bad feeling when I see him. It kills me that Frostpaw is even a tail-length away from him." She narrowed her eyes as she watched the snow-white she-cat speak so animatedly towards the odd deputy. "I hope she rejects him and he moves on."
"The only cat he can move on to is Cranekit," Buzzardfur chuckled, "and StarClan knows that's not going to happened."
"Yeah, you should've seen Mintwhisker run," Beetleflight purred, staring down at the blue, gorgeous eyes of the white apprentice. "She heard that monster and raced all the way back to the burnt sycamore before any of us could tell her that it was already gone!"
Mintwhisker bristled at the story as her leader, deputy, and daughter purred in amusement. "I wasn't scared!" the queen protested. "I was surprised! There's a difference!"
"It's okay to be scared of monsters, Mintwhisker," purred Lightningstar. "Patchstar was scared of them. He told me once that his worst nightmare was being hit by one because he wasn't fast enough."
"That explains why he spent so much time running!" chuckled Mintwhisker.
The four of them shared a laugh before Beetleflight motioned with his tail for Frostpaw to follow him. He dipped his head to the senior warrior and his leader. "May I borrow Frostpaw for a bit?" he asked.
Lightningstar and Mintwhisker exchanged a glance. "Of course," Mintwhisker purred. "Just promise to return her by moonhigh."
"That's right," said Lightningstar. "After all, she wouldn't want to be late for her own warrior ceremony."
"Warrior ceremony!" Frostpaw exclaimed. "Really? I'm going to be a warrior?"
"Yes," purred Lightningstar. "Loudfire told me today that he thought you and Willowpaw were more than ready to be warriors."
Frostpaw eagerly kneaded the ground.
"Well, then we'd better make this quick, huh, Frostpaw?" chuckled Beetleflight. He walked a few paces away and waited for her. "Come on! It won't take long, I promise."
Frostpaw followed him with a feeling like she was walking on air. She could only imagine what Beetleflight was going to tell her. She skipped along beside him, out the bramble exit, and into the windy evening air. Beetleflight led her up a slope and sat at the top of a hill. Frostpaw craned her neck around to see that they were far away from the ShadowClan camp. They were near the Carrionplace, and Frostpaw wrinkled her nose at the horrid scent. She pulled what Willowpaw called her 'cute face', and leaned towards where she thought Beetleflight was sitting.
"So what was it you wanted to tell…" Frostpaw stopped when she noticed that Beetleflight wasn't there anymore. She frowned. "Beetleflight?"
"Over here."
Frostpaw whipped around and gasped. He was almost a fox-length away, standing behind her with a toothy grin. "You scared me!" she chuckled. "I didn't know you were that fast."
"You don't know a lot about me," purred Beetleflight. "Close your eyes."
Frostpaw trembled in excitement and complied. A few moments ticked by, during which Frostpaw tried to locate the sound of his soft paw steps. "Open them," he finally whispered. She opened her eyes to find herself alone again.
"Beetleflight?" she murmured. "Where'd you go?"
"Right here."
Frostpaw jumped when she realized how close he was. She turned and saw him standing right beside her, tail flicking in amusement. Frostpaw opened her mouth to speak, but she noticed something off right away. "Beetleflight," she mumbled. "Your eyes look strange."
"My eyes?" he echoed, still purring. "Why would you say that?"
"They're darker," she murmured, backing away slowly. Every step she took, he answered with a step in her direction. He was gaining on her, smiling all the while. Frostpaw started to shake. "Your eyes look red," she mumbled. "Is something wrong?"
"Wrong? Wrong?" Beetleflight chuckled. "Why would anything be wrong? I'm alone with the most beautiful she-cat in ShadowClan—maybe the whole forest. The only thing that I find wrong about this situation is the fact that you're running away." He cocked his head to the side. "Don't you like me?"
"I-I-I do," Frostpaw stammered. "But you're scaring me."
"Scaring you? I'm not being scary. This is me being me. You really don't know me well."
Beetleflight moved closer, still smiling that evil smile. He wound his tail around her neck as he walked in a circle around her. "You see, Frostpaw, I need you. You're a young, strong cat, and you can keep me going for a while. Those kits weren't nearly enough to sustain me. Besides, you like me, right? You wouldn't mind doing me this one, small favor, would you? It'll be a kind of learning experience. This way, you'll get to know me better."
"No!" Frostpaw meowed. "You're not…" He's possessed! She thought, recalling the warning that Dognose delivered about the spirits of the Dark Forest that lingered with them. Dognose said the only way to defeat them is to kill them. She swallowed. She wasn't that great of a fighter. He'd kill her for sure if she even tried. Frostpaw took a deep breath and decided on her plan. I'm not strong, she thought. I'm not that clever either. But I'm pretty. Willowpaw always said that beautiful flowers are almost always the poisonous ones. I sure hope she's right. Frostpaw pulled on a cheeky smile and stepped towards Beetleflight instead of away form him. The black tom's expression grew curious. "You're right," she purred. "I don't know a lot about you." She leaned forward and forced herself to rub her head against him. "Why don't you show me?"
Beetleflight let out a rumbling purr. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Frostpaw stepped back and towards the camp. "How about you show me everything about you after my warrior ceremony? That way, we won't have to sneak around like this." She wove her tail underneath his chin. He shivered at the contact. "What do you say?"
The black tom smirked and moved towards her. A shaft of light blazed across his face, and his crimson eyes lit up. Frostpaw shrieked when she saw them. She pressed herself against the ground as his eyes burned with hatred. His body grew larger and larger until he towered over her, claws extended. "How about I teach you something about myself right here, right now?" he coed. He placed a paw on her shoulder, and Frostpaw screamed for all she was worth. "I absolutely hate waiting for anything."
---
"Lightningstar!"
The bright ginger she-cat frowned when she saw Buzzardfur hurrying over to her, his face twisted with worry. "What's wrong?" she asked. Fear sparked in her eyes. "Has something happened to your kits?"
Buzzardfur nodded. "Shadekit is gone!" he wailed. His cry drew the attention of every cat in camp. "Quailfur went to visit him, and the den was empty! My son! That badger has taken my son!"
"Calm down," growled Mintwhisker. "Did you actually scent badger?"
He shook his head. "No, but I know badger claw marks when I see them!"
"Claw marks?" echoed Lightningstar.
"Yes! The ground is littered with them! Maybe Shadekit tried to fight or…I don't know, but there are splotches of blood, patches of black fur, and deep claw marks all over the ground! Shadekit is dead, and I demand to know what you're going to do about this!"
Lightningstar hissed darkly. "That badger has overstayed its welcome," she snarled. "Buzzardfur, take Foxtail, Poppythorn, and Ceadarpelt out to go find it. Don't just chase it--kill it. Mintwhisker, get Palepaw and go to the nursery. Guard it to give Quailfur some piece of mind. I'll stay in camp with them to be sure that the badger doesn't return!"
Buzzardfur nodded and screeched at the cats Lightningstar named. The four of them took off at a full sprint. Mintwhisker motioned to Palepaw, and the two of them rushed into the nursery, where they could hear Quailfur wailing pitifully. Lightningstar felt horror crashing over her.
If only I'd gone after the badger sooner, she thought. She hung her head. This is all my fault.
"Lightningstar?"
The ginger she-cat snapped her head up to see Willowpaw. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Um, Beetleflight and Frostpaw aren't back yet," the gray she-cat replied. "I'm worried. What if the badger is still out there, and Beetleflight can't protect Frostpaw? She's my best friend. We have to find her!"
"I'll go look for her," said Loudfire as he walked over. "I think that Mintwhisker and Palepaw have the nursery covered."
"Fine," Lightningstar meowed. "Willowpaw, come with us too. You know Frostpaw's scent the best. Let's go."
---
The sharp plants licked Frostpaw's already torn face as she raced through the plains towards the ShadowClan camp. She was limping heavily on her right forelimb where Beetleflight sunk his massive claws into her flesh. She could hear him crashing through the underbrush behind her. She shrieked in fear and tried to pick up the pace. As she ran, she began to remember all the times she spent with Beetleflight--the real Beetleflight. She saw him sitting underneath the moonlight at her apprentice ceremony, his blue eye dazzling as he stared at her. She remembered the way he looked at her as if she were the only cat in the whole forest. She remembered the funny way he smiled as if he were nervous around her, as if she could ever make a tom nervous. She remembered how he always looked out for her. Once, he'd chased a fox off all on his own after it stalked her during her last assessment. She remembered lastly the way he made her feel special. She truly wanted to spend her life with him. She was a tiny seed, just waiting to bloom. She wanted to grow up with Beetleflight. She wanted to have kits that would make him proud.
She never imagined in her worst nightmares that it would come to this.
Suddenly, her injured limb tripped her, and Frostpaw fell face forward into the dust. She howled at the burning pain and tried to crawl away from the impending doom that followed her. Beetleflight's footsteps grew louder and louder until they stopped all together.
Maybe he gave up, Frostpaw thought.
Then she felt his hot breath on the back of her neck.
"NO!" she screamed as his teeth sank into her scruff. Beetleflight lifted her off the ground and held her in the air. She flailed about wildly, trying to free herself. He bit down harder, and Frostpaw wailed in agony as blood trickled down her flanks. "Let go!" she wailed. "Let go!"
Ignoring her, Beetleflight threw her onto the ground. Frostpaw hit her head and lay, stunned, as he moved himself over her. She turned onto her back and gazed up at him with pleading eyes. The wound on the back of her head bled heavily, and a crimson rose bloomed behind her. A single tear ran down her cheek.
"Please…" she whispered. "Don't…"
He killed her regardless.
---
"Frostpaw!"
"Frostpaw!"
"Frostpaw, where are you?!"
"Beetleflight?!"
"Hello?!"
Lightningstar skidded to a halt. She froze. "Blood!" she exclaimed as the wind blew over her. "I smell blood!"
Loudfire and Willowpaw exchanged glances before they picked up the pace and ran after her. The sharp branches tore at Willowpaw's cheeks, but she pressed on, worry for her friend seizing her heart. The three cats tore through their territory, yowling for their lost Clanmates, until Lightningstar pulled to a stop. She flicked her tail for silence.
"Shh," she whispered. "Do you hear that?"
The ShadowClan warriors trained their ears forward. Willowpaw grimaced when she recognized the sound of crunching bone. "The badger must be close by," Loudfire whispered. "He's got Shadekit."
"There are only three of us, but I think that if I go for his face, we can scare him off," Lightningstar murmured. "Then, when he's injured, it'll be easier for the patrol to track him down and make him pay. I may lose a life, but swear to me that you'll run away if we are being overwhelmed, alright?"
They nodded.
Lightningstar crept forward towards the sound and bundled her legs underneath her. She extended her claws and bared her teeth, ready to fight. Willowpaw flinched when she saw how menacing her leader truly looked. I'd hate to be that badger right now, Willowpaw thought.
"Now!" Lightningstar yowled as, with one powerful kick, she sailed over the bramble bush and into the fray. Willowpaw waited for Loudfire to chase after her before she gave a yowl as well and leapt out to join her Clanmates. She crashed into Loudfire's hind legs and let out a hiss of surprise.
"What are you doing?" she hissed. "We need to—" She stopped when her eyes fell upon the horrific scene that lay before them. Her body began to tremble. Her eyes grew wide as moons. Her mouth opened wide as she let out a hollow caterwaul that echoed through the night air. "FROSTPAW!"
The broken, bloodied body that lay before them was hardly the beautiful, vibrant she-cat she'd been in life. Blue eyes blank in death, she lay on her back, blood staining her perfect fur. Standing over her was the most evil creature they'd ever seen. It was twice the size of a normal cat with fiery red eyes and a black pelt like the night sky. It bristled when it saw them and stood protectively in front of its kill. Blood dripped down from its mouth. It curled its lips and revealed a mouth full of razor sharp fangs, poised for the kill.
"What is that thing?" howled Loudfire.
"It's Beetleflight…" whispered Lightningstar. "Great StarClan…"
The creature lunged for them with a loud howl. It barreled into Lightningstar and pinned her by her shoulders. Willowpaw screamed when she saw its huge claws. It raised a paw to strike Lightningstar, but Loudfire crashed into its neck, screeching madly. The brown tom held fast as the creature bucked to throw him. Blood rained down on Loudfire's back, but he only dug his fangs in deeper and deeper, hoping to at least inflict serious damage. Lightningstar recovered and leapt at the creature's face. She dug her fangs into its forehead and clung to the sides of its face. Frozen, Willowpaw could only watch as her Clanmates struggled to take down the beast. It reared on its hind legs and threw Loudfire at last. The brown tom rolled across the ground until he rolled onto his legs. He got up and staggered briefly. He looked down in fear at a huge gaze on his hind leg, but he shook off his horror and charged towards the creature again.
"Help us, Willowpaw!" Loudfire screamed. "Help!"
Willowpaw shook herself and luned for the creature's eye. She felt her teeth meet flesh just above its eye. She kicked out against its chin as she bit down deeper and deeper. At last, she heard a snap, and whether or not she'd dealt the final blow, Willowpaw let out a sigh of relief as the four of them toppled to the ground. Lightningstar rose stiffly. There was blood all over her, but Willowpaw doubted that it was all hers. Loudfire squeezed out from under the beast and limped a few paces away to lick at his wound. Willowpaw panted as the creature shrank until it reached the size of a normal cat. Willowpaw screamed as a dark cloud lifted from Beetleflight's body and soared into the air. It gave a loud cry and streamed away.
"I can't believe they got Beetleflight," murmured Lightningstar. She walked to her deputy's head and sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry, my friend. I didn't think it would end this way."
"Never mind Beetleflight," mumbled Loudfire. "I can't believe what he's done to Frostpaw..."
"Frostpaw!" Willowpaw exclaimed. She tried to run to her friend's side, but Loudfire stopped her.
"No," he said. "It's too gruesome. You don't want to remember Frostpaw like this. Remember her as the cheerful cat she was." Willowpaw struggled against him. "Please, Willowpaw," he murmured. "Listen to me just this once."
Willowpaw wailed and collapsed to the ground. "Frostpaw! Frostpaw!" she cried. "No!"
Lightningstar hobbled over to them and laid her tail across the apprentice's shoulders. "Shh," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." ShadowClan's leader found herself at a loss for words. She hung her head.
Willowpaw couldn't believe it. All this time, she was jealous of Frostpaw. She hated that Frostpaw was so beautiful. She hated that Beetleflight fell in love with her so easily when Willowpaw couldn't get Cedarpelt to even look her way. She envied her friend's snowy fur and despised her own matted, pale pelt. She hated her dark green eyes and loved the way that Frostpaw's gaze shone in any kind of light. At first, she hung out with Frostpaw out of need. They were the only two young she-cats in the Clan. They were the future. The more time she spent with Frostpaw, the more Willowpaw began to realize why every cat loved her. She was kind and clever. She brightened any day with her youthful optimism that knew almost no bounds. She was the only surviving kit of Mintwhisker and Blizzardpelt, her deceased father. She felt a need to earn her mother's love and was so consumed by thoughts of greatness that she couldn't see that Mintwhisker loved her already. Frostpaw had helped Willowpaw through an injury she received in a battle with WindClan that threatened to keep her from becoming a warrior. Frostpaw helped Willowpaw gain her courage back after being screamed at by Foxtail over and over again. Frostpaw had always been there. Willowpaw squeezed her eyes shut and let the tears fall.
"I can't believe this happened," mumbled Loudfire. "I thought that…I thought the curse was over…"
"StarClan are not as powerful as we thought, I suppose," whispered Lightningstar. She gazed up at the stars that speckled the night sky. "It is as Nightstorm feared. The forest is on their own once again."
---
"Willowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do."
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name: Willowpaw, as per your request, from this moment you will be known as Willowfrost. StarClan honors your courage and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."
Pelt burning in the rippling moonlight, Lightningstar stepped down to place her head on the pale gray she-cat's. Willowfrost shut her eyes and let out a purr. "Frostpaw would be proud to see you like this," Lightningstar whispered. "She is surely watching over you."
Willowfrost purred. "Thank you."
"Willowfrost! Willowfrost!"
The Clan chanted her name, and her Clanmates rushed over to shower her with admiration. Willowfrost purred at their praise.
Lightningstar moved on to the next order of business. She called the Clan back together and named Loudfire deputy--something that surprised the young brown tom. He never dreamed of being deputy. Willowfrost congratulated him excitedly and basked in the praise that their Clanmates gave them both. He swore that he'd never allow the Dark Forest to take hold of another ShadowClan cat ever again.
When all the cats had left her, and she stood alone, Willowfrost trained her eyes on the moon. She imagined Frostpaw sitting next to her. She shut her eyes and said a silent vow: I swear that I'm going to avenge you, Frostpaw, she thought. I'm going to show the Dark Forest who they're messing with. I'm going to tear into every Dark Forest warrior that I lay eyes on. You mark my words. Willowfrost gasped as she felt something brush against her. She opened her eyes to see a white blur standing before her. Smiling, she recognized the beautiful form of her friend.
"Thank you, Willowfrost," Frostpaw whispered. "Thank you for being my friend."
Willowfrost dipped her head. She wasn't permitted to speak.
Frostpaw purred as a black figure appeared beside her. She turned and touched noses to this new cat. Beetleflight! Willowfrost realized.
"Make sure that Lightningstar knows StarClan haven't gone," the former deputy murmured. "We're right here."
The two cats turned and began to walk off into the night, their tails intertwined. Willowfrost watched them go with a faint smile. Her smile quickly faded to a frown as a new thought popped into her head. If StarClan are always here, she thought, then why am I sitting alone?
Like many of the forest's cats, Willowfrost sat awake that night, questioning her faith.
Hope you guys liked it! Who shivered? :D I did, just a bit while writing it. I'm evil. I know. Don't forget to leave a comment even if you hated it!
