Opening her golden eyes, Sedgepaw noticed the shadows had grown while she was sleeping. They consumed the den, leaving no trace of sunshine in their gloom. Outside the dense cluster of marigold, she heard the screech of frogs and song of crickets droning harmoniously through the air. It was nighttime. [i]Blueflower![/i]
Bolting upright in her nest, Sedgepaw glanced around wildly in the medicine den. How long was she asleep? Straining her ears to hear, she could decipher movement from the other side of the medicine den, and she could discern between two voices: Redleaf and Heronpaw. Sedgepaw immediately let her fur lay flat and relaxed her muscles. She was not too late. In fact, it seemed that she woke up just in time.
When Spiderfang poked his head into the den, he glanced around curiously. "Redleaf?" he called. His eyes fell on Sedgepaw and she offered a lopsided grin. "Oh, good evening, Sedgepaw."
"Hi," she mewed. "Redleaf's over on the other side of the den." She pointed with her nose toward the shadows beyond the herb store.
Nodding appreciatively, Spiderfang trotted over to the medicine cat. She could only hear a muffled exchange between the cats before all three of them emerged again. Redleaf was staring at his paws; he seemed distracted. Spiderfang led him out of the den, while Heronpaw watched them go from the archway of marigold. Sedgepaw narrowed her eyes when she noticed a particular gleam in Heronpaw's blue eyes.
"It'll be a long night," Heronpaw mewed grimly. His eyes flashed as they flickered to her. "Are you sorry you'll be missing out on the action?"
Sedgepaw knew what she should say, so she smirked and shrugged. "A little bit, but I'm sure this won't be the last time we catch Fallen on our land."
Heronpaw nodded quietly, mumbling to himself, "And so another cat meets their fate." He chuckled. "Such is life, hm, Sedgepaw?"
"Yeah, right…" She mewed uncomfortably. As the silence stretched between them, Sedgepaw began to fidget. "Can I go see everyone off?" she asked Heronpaw. "I'll be asleep by the time they come back."
"Do what you want." Heronpaw flicked his long tail dismissively. "I'm not a kitsitter. All I ask is that you return to your nest before moonhigh."
Nodding appreciatively, Sedgepaw hopped out of her nest and ran into camp. Out of the shelter of marigold, she realized how thick and heavy the air was with humidity. It clung to her fur, suffocating. She only now realized how close the rainy season was. She had grown accustomed to the cool nights of the dry season. Now, a storm could be on the horizon at any time.
Sedgepaw spotted her mentor, Batface, gazing at the night sky, searching. Beside him were the other sentinels returning from their watch to be relieved by the night party: Fernstream, Littlebrook, Mothfur, and Snakefang.. It was their duty to spend all day outside of camp, scouting for potential danger while the border was patrolled by different cats. Without them, foxes and coyotes and birds of prey could infiltrate and threaten those residing back in camp.
"Are you counting the stars?" Sedgepaw purred jokingly at her mentor.
He huffed, but his orange eyes gleamed with humor. "Cheeky apprentice. I should send you straight back to the medicine den."
Sedgepaw chuckled, nudging his scarred shoulder. "You'd miss me too much."
"Sedgepaw!" Fernstream's voice chirped from behind Batface. She was smiling softly as she gazed at Sedgepaw.
Fernstream hurried to her, purring loudly. Her pale brown fur smelled sweet, and it soothed Sedgepaw to be in her embrace. She did not realize how much she missed her mother's warmth until she had it again. Smiling against her mother's chest, she allowed a soft sigh to escape her. Ever since she saw her mother in the medicine den, looking hurt and frightened, but bravely standing up for her family before the one cat that had the power to take them all away, she longed to be close to her; Sedgepaw wanted to reassure her mother that everything would be okay, but she could not unveil her knowledge of the prophecy. It could only put Fernstream in more danger, Redleaf already tried to kill her once… The image of the mysterious white flower reappeared, and Sedgepaw's tongue withered at the memory.
"Fernstream," Sedgepaw muttered.
She could feel her mother tense. It was evident she detected something alarming in her voice. "What's wrong?" she demanded in a hushed whisper.
Sedgepaw leaned back, surprised by the deadly gleam in her mother's eyes as she protectively wrapped her tail around her. "I got sick in the medicine den," she mewed softly. Thankfully, Batface had the courtesy to turn his head away from their private discussion; Sedgepaw waited for her mentor to pad away towards the rest of the sentinels before she spoke again. "I think… Redleaf accidentally gave me the wrong medicine."
If anyone knew what that strange white flower was, Fernstream did. Sedgepaw played coy; she knew she only found out about her mother's past life as a medicine cat apprentice by eavesdropping. She needed to tread carefully over these next few words. One wrong step could land her in hot water.
"Why do you think that?" Fernstream asked, her voice gentle, but Sedgepaw could see the rigidness in her mother's frame.
"I threw up." Sedgepaw shuffled her paws nervously. Maybe mentioning this to Fernstream was a mistake? But I have to know. "In it… I saw a flower that I haven't seen before."
"What did it look like?" Fernstream pressed.
"It was small, with skinny white petals that looked kind of like fangs."
Fernstream was quiet as her eyes remained fixed on Sedgepaw's. She looked thoughtful, then distressed, then furious. The whirlwind of raw emotion in her mother's green eyes swept Sedgepaw up in a tempest of chaos. Her mother's reaction aloned confirmed Sedgepaw's greatest fear: it was no accident.
"Boneset." Her mother's whisper was so faint, Sedgepaw barely grasped the word.
Boneset? What is that? Sedgepaw stared at her mother quizzically. "Fernstream?" she prompted.
"It's nothing, Sedgepaw." Her emotions ebbed, and her face became neutral, if not pleasant, again. Fernstream managed a small smile, but it seemed hollow to Sedgepaw. "Redleaf has a lot of pressure on him; nobody is perfect."
"I know," Sedgepaw mumbled. She regretted mentioning anything to Fernstream; it only seemed to disturb her mother. After seeing how she was the other morning, she did not want to inflict more worry than she already had.
Fernstream rasped her tongue across Sedgepaw's cheek. "Don't worry about it. You're safe, that's all that matters." When she leaned back, Sedgepaw could see the fatigue in her mother's eyes. Her heart lurched.
"Are you tired?" Sedgepaw asked.
"A little. It was a hot day today, and with scouting being an all day affair…" She laughed softly. "It gets to you!" She smiled again, more genuinely this time, for Sedgepaw could see the creases at the ends of her lips. "I'll be fine. I just need a good night's sleep."
Sedgepaw nodded. The life of a warrior was no easy feat. There was no such thing as a day off. One either hunted, patrolled the border, acted as sentinel in the territory, or worked hard training apprentices. Before, Sedgepaw was thrilled by the idea of serving her Clan. Now, she was left wondering if she would even make it that far. Boneset… What could that be? Was it poison, or an accidental dosage?
"Fernstream!" Batface's yowl caught the attention of both Sedgepaw and her mother. Across the clearing, Batface was in a tight huddle with the other sentinels and the oncoming party.
"Looks like your relief is ready," Sedgepaw mewed, seeing Sandthroat, Longscar, Gingerstep, and Dewpelt shuffling impatiently. She brushed against her mother, purring. "I wager Batface wants you to be there for the debrief of your watch."
Fernstream sighed loudly, rolling her eyes. "You're probably right." She touched her nose to Sedgepaw's in farewell before trotting over to the gathered cats.
Watching her mother go, Sedgepaw felt a twinge of regret. If Fernstream did anything rash in reaction to Sedgepaw's worries, it would be her fault. She did not forget how fast Fernstream drew out her claws in reaction to Redleaf merely suggesting Sedgepaw and her siblings should not be alive; now, Sedgepaw implied that Redleaf may have made an attempt on her life. Her heart began to race. She could only hope that her mother would be rational. Sedgepaw's endeavor to gain more information on something as simple as an herb identification could be the nail in the coffin for her mother.
As the group of sentinels dispersed, Fernstream was the first to head for the warriors den; Sedgepaw watched her disappear into the shadows of the knotweed, pleased that her mother did not go straight to Redleaf to confront him. Sighing softly with relief, Sedgepaw was able to regain her composure before Batface hovered in her shadow. She whirled around to look him in the eye when he cleared his throat for her attention.
"Spiderfang met me when I returned and said you would probably be back to training tomorrow." A rare smile cracked across his scarred muzzle. "Apparently, Redleaf is astounded by your fast recovery and agreed to let you resume your apprentice duties."
"Really?! That's awesome!" Sedgepaw bounced on her toes, laughing excitedly. "I am finally out of that awful prison! Look out, MarshClan, Sedgepaw's back!" She was thrilled to be far away from the watchful eyes of Redleaf. She would be free.
"Well, I'm not convinced," Batface interjected sternly.
Sedgepaw froze. "You're kidding, right?"
"You took a serious fall, and no apprentice of mine is going to be training unless I am convinced you're capable of handling anything I throw at you." Batface's expression was grave. He was serious.
"Come on, Batface," Sedgepaw protested with a groan. "I'm dying to get back out there. Whitestar said my test was coming up soon; I have to be ready!"
"Do you doubt my ability?" Batface hissed.
Sedgepaw grunted, shaking her head grudgingly.
"I can assure you, no apprentice of mine has ever failed their final test; you will be no different." Batface pushed passed her, and Sedgepaw restrained the impulse to growl in frustration. "Tomorrow, you are to report to the elders den. There, you will study history and select your ancestor to present to the elders for your test."
There was no room to say no, for Batface was already stalking towards the warriors den. Sedgepaw frowned, her skin crawling with agitation. She was so close to freedom, yet so far. It's only one day, she reassured herself. Frowning, she turned and trotted toward the slowly growing group of cats that formed up before Whitestar. They were waiting impatiently alongside the wall of sawgrass that framed the end of camp, muttering to one another and shuffling against each other like a flock of pigeons.
Whitestar was talking with Spiderfang and Redleaf, her amber eyes burning brighter than the moon above. It was almost moonhigh, when the pale sphere was at its brightest and every star in the indigo sky could be seen. Soon, they would drag Scorchface away to meet her fate. Sedgepaw scanned the crowd of cats for the prisoner, spotting her wedged between her guards, Minnowtail and Egretsong; they looked uncomfortable to be so close beside the withered tortoiseshell. Egretsong in particular had dodgy eyes and her fur standing on end. Sedgepaw snorted. Scorchface wasn't so scary; the she-cat may have murdered in the past, but she was far from dangerous now. Skinny and frail, the prisoner looked more like a bag of bones than a cold-hearted killer. She may not even be a killer, Sedgepaw realized. Her conversation with Blueflower came to mind, and she looked at Scorchface with revived sympathy. The punishment for her crime was heavy; it would be a tragic waste of life if she was executed for a crime she did not commit.
"They'll be leaving soon." Blueflower's sweet scent preceded her soft voice. She was gazing at the crowd of cats while standing alongside Sedgepaw.
Sedgepaw jumped, startled by her sudden appearance. "Where'd you come from?"
Blueflower laughed. "I was talking briefly with Molefoot by the fresh-kill pile, then I saw you and came over." She returned her gaze to their Clanmates. "Tonight's the night."
"It's hard to believe this many cats would want to watch someone die," Sedgepaw murmured. She noticed all her fellow apprentices were among them. "The apprentices don't even really know who she is."
"Well, the majority of them are probably going because their mentors are." Blueflower gestured with her nose to Toadpaw. The stocky tom was rocking where he stood; his amber eyes were half-shut. "Toadpaw looks ready to fall asleep standing up. I seriously doubt her cares about what's going to happen."
Sedgepaw chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, and I'm sure Yewpaw is only going because Palemist made her." She found her sister in the crowd, eyes wide as the moon, as the other cats were jostling around her excitedly. "She wouldn't want to watch something like this."
"Whitestar loves making a show of 'wrongdoers' getting what they deserve." Blueflower's features darkened as she regarded their leader with a brooding stare. "There's no need to question your enemy's design when she paints them for you so distinctly."
"By all accounts, Scorchface is the enemy, though," Sedgepaw argued. She felt a worm of unease wriggle in her belly whenever Blueflower spoke ill of Whitestar. She wanted justice just as much as the next cat, but she also wanted to save her skin. "If she really was innocent, shouldn't she be fighting a little harder?"
In the distance, Scorchface swayed with the warm breeze that filtered through camp like a leaf. Even from afar, Sedgepaw could see the dimness in her amber eyes. The flame that once flickered was nothing but a small spark, struggling to keep its light against the howling wind of her accusers. Sedgepaw felt a pang of sympathy for the old cat. She was either a murderer so diabolical that she would stoop to kill her own daughter, or an innocent framed for the gorey demise of the she-cat she raised from birth. Whether the former or latter was true, she lived a hellish life.
"Giving up and letting go is harder than holding on," Blueflower mewed. "Scorchface must have a reason for staying quiet."
Even if Scorchface had a defense, it was too late. Whitestar rose her long tail for the attention of her Clan, and the gathered cats slowly quieted. Once she was satisfied with the silence, she spoke, "MarshClan, tonight we will have justice for our murdered Clanmate. StarClan's dominion has rung true, and They have brought us the perpetrator so that she may face her fate."
A pleased, harmonious roar erupted from the gathered MarshClan cats. Sedgepaw's pelt prickled with discontent as their eyes flickered in unison towards the prisoner, hungry and frenzied, ready to witness the bloodshed. Scorchface remained silent, but she rose her chin in defiance, prompting a disquieted hiss from Palemist. Sedgepaw could see the she-cat bristling within the crowd, blue eyes ablaze with hatred.
"The time has come," Whitestar continued. "Let us go forth and vanquish the Fallen for her crime and avenge Emberstorm!"
Raucous cheering erupted as Scorchface was hauled into the shadows of the sawgrass. Her disappearance was followed by the Warriors' Chant. Sedgepaw was familiar with the roaring beat, for she heard it once before in Snakefang's warrior ceremony. It was a proud war cry, which was repeated until it crescendoed with a shrill shriek that echoed through the swamp like a hawk's screech. Hearing it now was foreboding, and the bellows of the cats seemed to shake the earth with greater might than the fiercest of thunder rolls. She did not hear the quintescential shriek until the MarshClan cats were out of camp, deep into the swamp.
When silence took hold of the camp again, it was heavy. Sedgepaw could feel it constricting around her throat, squeezing out any prayer of speaking a word. Her tongue felt dry and was covered in bristles, as if it would hurt to speak. Not even a cricket could be heard. Someone was dying tonight.
The moon, almost in its full glory, bleached the camp with its silver shine. Everything around her seemed void of color, except Blueflower. The she-cat beside her only seemed to glow under the oppressive moonlight, and her eyes sparkled like the stars above, holding a blue so pure in their depths, Sedgepaw drank it in like it was her last drop of water. She was glad on a night so foul, she would be in the company of someone so fair.
"They should be far enough now," Blueflower murmured. "Do you still want to come with me?"
"Of course!" Sedgepaw replied, a bit too loudly. She chuckled nervously when she heard a grumble of protest from someone sleeping in the warriors den.
Blueflower laughed softly. "We haven't even left yet and you're going to blow our cover."
"Sorry, sorry," Sedgepaw whispered, ears flattened with embarrassment. "Uh, Heronpaw didn't really seem to care where I went. He was already heading off to bed when I came out of the medicine den." She decided to leave out the bit about having to be back by moonhigh; she did not want to risk spoiling their outing… especially if it meant she finally would have the freedom to say whatever she wanted.
Blueflower nodded before leading Sedgepaw towards the wall of sawgrass. In the dead of night, the tall, brittle stalks of grass seemed even taller, for their shadows stretched to engulf Sedgepaw, dimming her vision. As she followed Blueflower into the grasses, she relied on her sense of smell to guide her; Blueflower's sweet scent was like a light at the end of the tunnel as they ventured deeper and deeper into the dense forest of sawgrass and sugarcane. Brushing through the serrated stalks, Sedgepaw realized they were heading east, away from the palmetto grove.
The mud was thicker as they trekked onward. Sedgepaw only traversed this way during her initial induction as an apprentice, when she was introduced to every last inch of the territory. Before long, the mud was almost up to their shoulders, and Sedgepaw was struggling to push through; her long, thick fur only felt longer and thicker as peat began to clump her pelt into gooey mats. The stench of the bog violated her nostrils, and she glanced around wildly as she noticed Blueflower's scent becoming fainter. She could see movement a foxlength ahead and flopped desperately to catch up. All matters of pondweed and algae were made airborne in her scramble, littering her pelt with more vegetation than an old turtle's shell. By the time she reached Blueflower, she was gasping for air, eyes wide.
"Smoothe, careful movements make the navigation easier," Blueflower advised calmly. Sedgepaw felt her face grow hot when she saw the gleam of amusement in the warrior's blue eyes. "If you keep splashing like a fish out of water, you will tire yourself out, and draw unwanted attention."
"Right, sorry." Sedgepaw grunted, trying not to giveaway how out of breath she was.
After what seemed like moons, the mud slowly thinned into water. Sedgepaw's muscles could relax now that they waded through a pool that only came halfway up their legs, free of the murky bog that cushioned the surface before. Sedgepaw could see the rippling reflection of the moon, distorted by driftwood and leafage, at its brightest. Scorchface would be getting her throat slit right about now… Sedgepaw shivered. A constant hum of mosquitoes in her ears thankfully drowned out her imaginings of Scorchface's helpless gurgles as her lifeblood soaked the earth. The vision of Vinestripe returned, and Sedgepaw realized Scorchface probably wasn't the first to meet such a grisly end.
However, she could not let the thought haunt her for long, for Blueflower reached the shoreline. Unlike herself, she her pelt was sleek after getting rinsed by the pool. When Sedgepaw saw her step into the full gleam of the moon, she was glowing again. In contrast, when she stepped out of the pool and onto the shore beside her, she could feel the slimy concoction of pondweed and mud dripping from her pelt, sliding down her broad chest and shoulders like foul-smelling slugs.
"Did you want to bring the swamp as a souvenir?" Blueflower joked.
Sedgepaw would be bristling if her fur was not so waterlogged. "Ha, ha, you got jokes," she grumbled dryly.
Laughing, Blueflower sprang off from the shore, pushing passed the reeds and into the darkness. Sedgepaw rolled her eyes and lept after her, crashing through the fronds of cattails and broad, spade-shaped leaves of duck potato until she reached the foot of the cypress swamp forest. Nocturnal creatures could be heard grunting and rustling in its depths, and Sedgepaw stiffened when she realized she never went out this deep in the territory at night.
"We're almost there," Blueflower assured her.
Nodding quietly, Sedgepaw fell in behind the warrior as she led the way into the woods. A thick understory of ferns and and shrubbery greeted them, but when Blueflower ducked beneath the tangle of flora, Sedgepaw was surprised when she followed to see a tiny trail stamped out for them ahead. Lit by moonlight, the trail snaked through the cypress, leading deeper into the shadowy abyss. Sedgepaw was astounded by the beautiful collection of fetterbush, which were draped with their pink blossoms, and honey-bloom decorated with their white flowers, lining the trail.
"Twolegs used to follow this trail long ago back when Marshstar ruled," Blueflower murmured as they walked, side-by-side, down the path.
"Twolegs?" Sedgepaw echoed. She only ever heard stories about them. They were hard to imagine… upright-walking, furless creatures, that used their paws to grab and pull things… they didn't even have tails! "They left after the Great Storm, didn't they?" Sedgepaw was spooked by the thought of seeing one.
Blueflower nodded. "After the Great Storm, the path was almost lost to flooding and fallen trees, but overtime, it returned. So many cats have walked it that it could never be lost."
"Why are you showing me this?" Sedgepaw pressed, anticipation kneading at her, coaxing her impatience to stir. "What are you leading me to?"
"I want you to see the Starlit Springs before your test. I want you to see it for what it is, not what they want it to be," she explained.
Sedgepaw frowned, feeling more confused than before. Seeing the Starlit Springs before one's final test was frowned upon, but not forbidden. Leaders and medicine cats alike believed an apprentice should not interact with their ancestors before they were warriors, for their own safety. Sedgepaw heard of many young cats "spirited away" by their ancestors, disappearing into the spring, never to be seen again. To her, it seemed like just a tale used to scare kits.
However, as they drew closer to Starlit Springs, Sedgepaw felt her paws grow cold. Would her ancestors be decorated in their battle wounds like Vinestripe, or would they be made of stardust and moonlight? Her heart rattled against her ribcage like a startled bird when she realized meeting her ancestors meant she would be meeting StarClan… the very entity that prophesied her revolution, that warned against her and her littermates' birth. She froze in her steps, and Blueflower turned, concern alight in her blue eyes.
"Sedgepaw?"
"I don't think I can do this," she admitted. Her eyes were wide as moons. She knew beyond the ferns and myrtle bushes ahead waited her Deity. "I don't know if I'm ready."
Blueflower paused. The music of crickets and frogs sang between them, ringing in Sedgepaw's ears as she struggled to comprehend what lay ahead. She tail trembled. Suddenly, Blueflower was a mouselength away from her, breathing softly, staring at her with a small smile.
"You don't have to see," she mewed. "The Starlit Springs are as beautiful as they are dangerous. If you're mind and heart are vulnerable, you could be lost to Them. But… I feel like you would benefit from seeing this on your own accord, not with the pressure of your test."
Sedgepaw pondered. This was a risk and an opportunity. If StarClan did meet her at the springs, maybe they could explain what the prophecy meant. Sedgepaw gazed into Blueflower's eyes, and a sense of security bundled her pounding heart in a swathe of silk, slowing it to an even, steady beat.
"Okay," Sedgepaw muttered. "I'll go."
Nodding, Blueflower pushed through the undergrowth. Sedgepaw hesitated, waiting for a noise or a scent… anything that would tell her StarClan was there to greet her. Instead, she heard nothing but the cricket song, and smelled only the sweet scent of Blueflower. Inhaling deeply, she pushed through the shrubbery. Leaves flitted down at her paws, one catching a gentle breeze that carried it to the surface of Starlit Springs.
The ripple caused by the leaf's landing travelled across a crystal-clear river. Sedgepaw never witnessed such a translucent body of water in her life. She could see straight to the bottom, where sand as pale as moonlight rested amongst submerged boulders of porous stone speckled with patches of red algae and blue-green moss. Beautiful streams of eelgrass flowed gently along the sides of the spring like long, green bird feathers. On the surface, the faint reflection of the stars struggled to shine against the pellucid springs, and the moon glowed weakly at the surface.
"This is… beautiful," Sedgepaw murmured, breathless.
Blueflower nodded. "Sit still and be quiet now," she mewed. "You have to see this."
Sedgepaw became statuesque, fear emanating off her pelt as the ripple in the water ceased. A warm breeze caused the willow branches overhanging the bank to shudder, stirring the messy strands of moss at their claw-like tips. Then, a light, small and yellow, flickered above the spring. Sedgepaw's golden eyes widened. Another light appeared, flashing and vanishing. Then another, and another. Before long, an array of lights sparkled like tiny embers hovering over the spring shining for a heartbeat before dimming, only to return again. The lights took turns glowing, and the more Sedgepaw stared, the more they began to look like stars, materializing in thin air to dance above the water. She felt a lump in her throat as they bounced to a silent rhythm, shining harmoniously so that the water's surface was never robbed of their glow.
She glanced at Blueflower, and saw that her eyes mirrored her own in their sheer awe. She wanted to say something, but Blueflower shook her head silently, nodding to the lights. One seemed to drift away from the water, approaching the shore. Sedgepaw stiffened, seeing the light come closer, closer… Would it burn her?
She winced as the light blinked below her whiskers, shining on her face with a soft glow. Painless. Sedgepaw's eyes widened as more lights joined the first, surrounding her with their gentle flickers. They floated to Blueflower too, sparking and swirling around her blue-gray fur, highlighting every muscle and curve on her body. Sedgepaw was distracted by the warrior's beauty so much she did not even realize one of the lights landed on her nose. It tickled! She sneezed and watched the little piece of starlight twirl over her head.
Blueflower started laughing, and Sedgepaw could not help but join her. The lights remained despite the noise, silently pirouetting along the shoreline. Sedgepaw was at a loss for words.
"They're called fireflies," Blueflower whispered, smiling softly.
"Fireflies," Sedgepaw echoed in wonder.
"They shine like the stars, don't they?" Blueflower gazed across the spring, where more fireflies congregated in a crystalline ballroom beneath the moon, waltzing along the surface. "Legend has it, fireflies hold the souls of the lost, and when they blink, it is the lost soul calling for their brethren, longing to join them among the stars."
Sedgepaw became crestfallen, and suddenly the once light-hearted dance of the fireflies melted into a sorrowful display of wandering spirits. "That's so sad." Her ears perked with alarm. "Are the Fallen lost?"
"The Fallen are those lost souls, Sedgepaw," Blueflower clarified, her voice cracking with emotion. "They're trapped here. Away from the stars, forever. That's their fate, according to the medicine cats. Doomed to roam this blood-soaked earth until the end of time…"
"That's awful… What can we do?" Sedgepaw's voice was desperate, and her golden eyes scanned across the spring at all the fireflies quietly flickering. "Can we help them?"
"I don't know…" Blueflower's eyes were downcast. "I…"
Sedgepaw leaned closer, eyes softening. Gingerly, she pressed against Blueflower; though mud and weeds still clung to her thick fur, she could not help but try and comfort the warrior. She could feel Blueflower relax against her touch, and she felt a spark of warmth inside.
"It's okay… Thank you for showing me this."
Blueflower smiled, nodding. "Were you expecting to see StarClan?" she asked.
Sedgepaw laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah, actually. You had me thinking I would meet my maker." She was not sure if she felt more relieved or disappointed that the springs did not harbor StarClan; she wanted answers, but she also feared what They would say.
"Not all your ancestors are in StarClan, Sedgepaw," Blueflower mewed sadly. "Some still roam the earth… as spirits."
"You mean like… ghosts?" Sedgepaw scoffed. "Those are just scary stories the elders tell."
Blueflower shook her head. "No, it's true. Ghosts, spirits, whatever you wish to call them, they are the lost souls of our ancestors that did not make it to StarClan. They had their lives stolen from them, violently, and their violent end grants them a dismal eternity."
Sedgepaw glanced at the fireflies suspiciously. "How do you know so much about this stuff?"
When the warrior lowered her head, Sedgepaw frowned. Did she say something wrong? The vivid gleam of sadness in Blueflower's eyes was too obvious to ignore. She could see her features darken as her gaze flickered back to the Starlit Springs.
"My parents," she replied, her voice was heavy and saturated with solemnity. "Nettlefrost, my mother, would bring me here at night and tell me stories of MarshClan's past." Blueflower smiled fondly at the memory. "They were stories that Whitestar did not want us to know anymore. They were so grand! So many heroes and tales of victory, lost." Blueflower sighed heavily, her blue eyes glistening like the spring before them. "The knowledge of the fireflies… it is forbidden, but Nettlefrost always told me: 'to know the truth is the greatest power any warrior could ever have.'"
Sedgepaw pondered, her feathery tail swishing thoughtfully against the sandy shore. She knew Whitestar censored some stories of MarshClan's past, but only because she believed the historical accounts were inaccurate or watered down. Could it be she was burying pieces of history she did not want to believe? Scorchface's hisses from earlier made more sense now: You know nothing of the truth, that's why you wish to demonize all those that dare to scrutinize. Maybe Scorchface was right? Was Whitestar really trying to hide the truth? If so, why? Sedgepaw's head was reeling.
"Wait… You said Nettlefrost?" Sedgepaw realized that was one of the names Scorchface mentioned upon being brought to their camp. One of the names of other Fallen. "Scorchface mentioned her… Is… is she really?"
Blueflower smiled ruefully, nodding. "Yes, she is Fallen. As well as my father, Jayflight."
"What?! That… that's terrible." Sedgepaw felt pitiful. She could not even imagine having her parents pulled from her and banished. To be excommunicated, forever. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. You couldn't have known. I was 8 moons old at the time. Fernstream was still in the nursery, you were just a kit. Kits aren't allowed to watch trials."
Sedgepaw only felt more pathetic. She was not even able to understand how or why this happened to Blueflower. She was shielded from the madness of it, and Blueflower was left to bear the pain alone. She had no siblings like she did, and no other extended kin. Sedgepaw felt her heart rot out of her chest, falling from her to bleed on the ground for Blueflower.
"You don't need to blame yourself, and I don't need your sympathy," Blueflower mewed sternly, eyes flashing.
Sedgepaw stiffened. Were her emotions that readable? "I know." She leaned closer to Blueflower, sighing softly. "I just wish I could've been there for you."
"Well, you're here now." Blueflower's soft mew sent Sedgepaw floating off towards the stars, getting her head caught in the heavens as she felt the other she-cat's warmth mesh with her own like two flames meeting with a spark. "That's all that matters."
"I'm glad you told me about your parents, about the fireflies… everything." Sedgepaw's voice rolled deep from her chest with appreciation.
"It's nice to have someone to talk to." Blueflower's voice was lighter now. "My parents were condemned for spreading the truth, but I promised them I would not stop just because they had to." She was gazing at the fireflies as she spoke, eyes glazed over. "I'm not afraid of Whitestar… I'm afraid of failing them."
"You couldn't fail them… you're too good." Sedgepaw fumbled for the right words to say. Her tongue went limp, becoming nothing more than a useless piece of flesh.
"I'm not very well liked in MarshClan," Blueflower admitted. "There are some that suspect me of carrying out my parents' work. That's why I am not ever allowed in the nursery and why I will probably never get an apprentice."
"Is… is that why you-uh-don't have a mate?" Sedgepaw's face felt hot.
Blueflower giggled, shaking her head. "Probably," she teased.
Sedgepaw felt weirdly happy that no warriors were interested in Blueflower because of her lineage. Though she was astounded as to why anyone would deny her. She was not sure what to make of the bubbling emotions inside of her. They boiled and brewed, threatening to burst like a geyser whenever Blueflower looked her way. Sedgepaw felt immensely awkward and hyper-aware of Blueflower's closeness as the silence between them grew.
"We should probably head back to camp," Blueflower decided.
Sedgepaw bolted to her paws, causing the fireflies to scatter. "Right! I almost forgot… I'm supposed to be 'healing' right now."
Laughing, Blueflower headed for the trail. "Come on, before you're missed."
Sedgepaw hopped after the warrior, breaking through the undergrowth, only to crash into her from behind. The warrior was frozen in her tracks, and standing before her was a dark gray tabby tom. A scar marred his pelt, causing it to rumple, stretching from beneath his jaw and across his flank to his hind. Longscar. Sedgepaw remembered he was on sentinel duty.
The warrior curled his lip, yellow eyes burning bright. "And what are you lot doing up at this time?"
Blueflower took a step forward, giving Sedgepaw a meaningful glance. "I went to look for Sedgepaw; I was going to bring her a ball of moss to keep by her bed and saw she was gone."
Longscar's eyes flashed to Sedgepaw, and the apprentice lifted her chin defiantly. She did not like the suspicious glare in his eyes. So this is what Blueflower meant…
"Is that the way of it?" Longscar demanded.
Sedgepaw nodded. "I wanted to sneak out and watch the execution," Sedgepaw lied, shuffling her paws guiltily. "But I got lost."
A long pause stretched between the cats, and Longscar's eyes were focused on Blueflower. Sedgepaw had seen a snake before, and that unblinking, hateful stare was not much different from Longscar's right now. The warrior finally relented after Sedgepaw felt like her heart was going to burst out of its ribcage.
"Very well," he grumbled. "I'll be showing you both back to camp."
"That's not necessary-" Blueflower was interrupted by a frustrated hiss from Longscar.
"It was not an offer!" His fangs flashed as he growled. "Scorchface escaped…"
Sedgepaw's eyes widened in shock. Scorchface escaped? How?
"What do you mean?" Blueflower pressed.
"I mean exactly what I said," Longscar snapped. "Scorchface somehow evaded her execution. The entire camp is on high alert, and almost the entire Clan is sweeping the territory in search of her." A dissatisfied grumble escaped him. "And what do I find? You two." The warrior shook his head as he led them through the woods. "It'll be a long night, that's for sure. Whitestar's out for blood. StarClan help the cat that gets caught in her warpath."
Blueflower brushed against Sedgepaw as they walked alongside one another. Sedgepaw shivered, feeling someone staring at her. When she turned, Sedgepaw thought she saw a flash of amber eyes hidden in the dense undergrowth. She froze. Could it be?
"Apprentice," Longscar hissed. "Did you forget how to walk?"
The amber eyes were unblinking as Sedgepaw started, and when she turned back to Longscar, all she could think of were the dancing fireflies. "No, Longscar!" she called back. "I'm coming."
