Chapter 9: Golden

"Valleyflight."

I hunch my shoulders. Of course. Blame Flamepool for having bad choices in names. And a good suffix was not part of the deal. So… I'm to blame to not thinking of that part, and Flamepool is to blame for not giving me a good enough suffix. Either way, my name is going to stick for now.

I'm so immersed in my thoughts that I can barely hear the clamor going on behind me. Something about how ridiculous she is, if she has pollen in her brain, or if Flamepool thinks the Outsiders will be nice to me just because I'm her son. Obviously not.

I chance a quick look over my shoulder, careful not to show any emotion. Gloating is a quick way of showing you're weak to the simplest of wins.

Feathernose is the loudest in the complaints. Her eyes blaze with indignation and anger. I hold back a snort. This deal, as useless the name is, is worth so much.

I drift to my thoughts for a moment. Do I really have to redeem myself to these cats? If it were up to me, I would stay as far as I could from this lot. Their views on me? Already tarnished. What I did means more than what I can be. Becausethe past matters more than the future, somehow.

"Valleyflight!"

My ear twitches. A cheer?

"Valleyflight! Valleyflight!"

Ah. Hickorybranch. The wonderful brother of mine. A slight tug at the edges of my mouth happens to curl them upwards.

"Quiet!" I look up. Flamepool is no longer sitting on her branch – she is standing on it, her tail lashing, her eyes aflame with fury. "My decision is final. You, as a clan, have no right to question if a cat is worthy of their name! I will not tolerate this behavior if this goes on any further." She glares down upon the crowd of MazeClanners. "Have I made myself clear?" A low murmur of assent rises from the crowd, punctuated by a few mewls of protest. Probably Feathernose.

I resist the urge to sneer. Pathetic.

"Meeting dismissed," Flamepool announces, leaping down and landing in front of me. "Valleyflight, you are to patrol the maze tonight, as every new MazeClan warrior has done before you. Thornpaw, Leafstorm, Risingsun? A word." My russet tabby leader – I mean, mother flicks her tail as she pads into her den – I can't tell if it's because of triumph or annoyance.

"Congrats, Valleyflight!" A chirp from Thicketpaw shakes me out of my thoughts. "As you said, your mother has a very bad taste of names."

"Very unfortunate," I agree. "Maybe you'll be Thicketbush. Redundant, just like you."

Thicketpaw sniffs. "How am I redundant?"

"I don't know. You just are." I rise to my paws and pad away, deliberately giving the thick-furred brown apprentice a good flick on the ear. "Tell Roseclaw I said hi, will you? The way you two are getting closer, I think it'll take a week to get that she-cat in the nursery."

"Everyone says that! That proves you're redundant!" Thicketpaw yowls after me.

I snort. As I pad toward the warriors' den, with an additional few uncomfortable glances, I recall what Flamepool said to me just before my ceremony.

SCENEBREAK

"Valleypaw," Flamepool greets.

"Flamepool," I reply, my voice flat as a leaf.

"Come sit." Flamepool gestures toward a curve in the hollow tree-den. "I asked Fernsplash to deliver a message to you for a good reason, don't worry," she adds, glancing at my form, which is blocking out the golden sunlight from streaming in. "It's about your… current status within the clan. Surely you know of how the rumors have spread about your assessment? Am I correct in thinking so?"

"Natch," I mumble. "So, what are you going to do about it? Not that you have to do anything," I continue, staring at the russet tabby she-cat. "Living beings will live believing what they want to believe. If you want someone to garner negative attention so that you can try and continue negotiations with the Outsiders, you might as well use me."

"I refuse to use my son in that manner," Flamepool hisses.

"I don't want you to refer to me as son," I counter. "You haven't done a very good job as mother."

Flamepool hunches her shoulders. "I apologize for that," she murmurs quietly.

"Don't be," I interrupt before she can berate herself even further. "I've heard enough excuses. And yes, I assume it would be very useful if Petalblaze were alive, but he's not. Flamepool, focus on your leadership duties first." A standard reply, I think.

"I try, but I hear rumors repeatedly going up and down our clanmates' tongues." Flamepool narrows her eyes at me. "Valleypaw, do you care about that fact?"

"I do not let it bother me," I reply coolly. "If that's what they wish to believe, they will believe. What I say will not shake them."

"See, that's the problem," Flamepool sighs, settling into a more comfortable position. "You're going to be a part of MazeClan throughout your life. This sort of behavior from your clanmates – you must try to make it stop by redeeming yourself."

"What?" I bristle. "I have no intention of redeeming myself for a bunch of cats who will see nothing but a troublesome apprentice even if I change!"

"How do you know they won't change?" Flamepool counters.

"What's your point in doing this?" I snap, not answering her question. "What's it in for you? There's nothing good that might come out of this!"

"Valleypaw, I'm trying to make you see that you have potential to be the next leader of this clan," Flamepool meows. Her voice and face are both cold and calm as a lone pebble. "Hickorybranch has the skills, yes, but you have plenty of chances, if you knew how to take them properly."

"I don't want to be leader!"

"This isn't your choice, and as my son, you already have claim to the leader's position," Flamepool answers. "These are my conditions. If you agree to try to redeem yourself, I will give you your warrior name today."

I stop. "My… warrior name?" I ask weakly.

"This isn't the first time this has happened – often a clan leader gives their children a warrior name before they deserve it. I wouldn't be too surprised if every leader did this," Flamepool defends herself. "Valleypaw, admit it. I may not have been around you too much, but I know enough that you do want to prove yourself."

I'm not listening. The singular fact that she's actually willing to give me my warrior name – when I clearly lost the match, and I didn't yield quickly enough – is… mind-blowing. Fantastic. Mad. Lunacy. And at the same time, it seems the best way to press Feathernose's ego to the ground.

The next few moments pass in a blur. I vaguely remember me saying "Deal" to my mother; lying down on the grass and trying to get Thornpaw off my case – stars above, that former friend of mine is really nosy even when I declared I would cut all ties with her; then my warrior ceremony. The tumultuous crowd.

"Valleyflight!" I skid a fox-length to my right. Green eyes, much like mine, gleam in front of my face.

"Hickorybranch," I purr, nudging against my brother's cheek. "Thanks for cheering for me back there."

"Thicketpaw and Thornpaw cheered too," Hickorybranch points out. "You should go thank them as well."

"Not particularly interested, since Thicketpaw just called me 'redundant' for some reason and Thornpaw… Hickorybranch, you are perspective. You know already what happened between us, or have you forgotten?" I twitch my whiskers in slight annoyance.

The large russet tom flicks his tail. "Ah. Right." He hunches down, trying to appear half his size. "Sorry."

"No worries, but I told you to break out of that scrunch-up habit," I remind him. "It makes everyone look down at you."

"Sorry," Hickorybranch mumbled again, poking his head back out.

"And stop saying sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"Right."

"Okay, keep working on that," I mew to him. "Save me a nest beside yours, will you? I have to talk to Fernsplash. The custom 'thank you for mentoring me' speech and all that, you know. I won't have time to make a nest for myself."

"Got you covered," Hickorybranch calls back. "I'll have Thicketpaw heave the nest next to mine, flowers and all!"

"Dump the flowers out!" I yowl back, dashing away to the exit of the clearing. I dash through the maze – twists and turns and all – and rush out into the fields, the last mounds of snow glowing golden in the afternoon light.

Soon it will be green-leaf, I assure myself. I will… have to bring myself to begin Flamepool's 'plan' then. But why? I see no good that exists for her, except maybe that the clan might – a very slim might – begin to see both her sons are good potential heirs. But that'll just make things harder for her. She'll have to choose between two competent sons, and that is nothing easy.

But at the same time, my mother is right. I do want to prove myself. I want cats to stop mentioning how I failed miserably during my fighting assessment and instead see me as something more formidable. And perhaps… yes, I do want to be leader. But beating Hickorybranch on this matter? That is something impossible. Unless, of course, this plan succeeds.

Stars, how I hate to see morning to come, I think to myself, staring at the sun setting beyond the golden fields.

Another A/N: Guest: Valleyfrost is a character I regularly submit to fanfictions. I guess everyone assumed his name would be Valleyfrost for that reason.

I apologize if this chapter is rather short. It's more for explanation and a bit for understanding Valleyflight's character at the same time. Right now, I'd like to hear your opinions!

Why do you think Flamepool is so adamant about Valleyflight redeeming herself? And what do you think happened between Thornpaw and Valleyflight in the past?

Thank you for the three favorites and two follows, and the sixteen reviews I have received so far! If you like this story, maybe consider checking out my other story, STARLESS! It's about a group of cats on a stone plateau.