Chapter eleven
Jetspeed darted away from Goldenstar, his grief replaced by joy as his apprentice came home safely.
"Shadepaw!" he cried happily.
"Jetspeed!" Shadepaw's voice was weak, but sounded happy and relieved. He pressed his muzzle briefly agaisnt hers, and then Littlepaw's.
Shadepaw's eyes suddently grew huge. "Is that.. Goldenstar?" she asked, twitched her tail towards where the Clan esembled around Goldenstar.
"Rogues attacked us." Jetspeed said grimly. The two apprentices faces were deeply remorsful as they followed Jetspeed to give their final goodbyes.
"Goodbye Goldenstar." he heard Shadepaw mutter quietly. "I'll always look up to you."
Littlepaw said nothing, only sinking his black muzzle into Goldenstar's fur, grief choking him.
Runningspirirt was back on the Highrock, preparing a speech.
"As you all know," the ginger tom meowed. "We are to meet RiverClan and WindClan on the moor tomorrow, where we are to take on the rogues."
There were a few yowls agrement. Jetspeed knew each cat would fight twice as hard tomorrow in their leader's memory.
"I will not travel to Highstones until these rogues are put to justice!" Runningspirit declared.
Jetspeed yowled his agrement; they needed every warrior they had, and Runningspirit was one of the best in the Clan. And they would need their medicine cat, for cats were going to get hurt.
"We honor Littlepaw and Shadepaw, who excaped their captur in ShadowClan." he continued. "They are too young to recieve their warrior names, but we honor them nonethless!"
"Littlepaw! Shadepaw! Littlepaw! Shadepaw!" the Clan choroused. Jetspeed joined in enthusiastically. Shadepaw smiled around nervously. Littlepaw was expresionles. Jetspeed noticed that one of his paws was bleeding, like a claw had been torn.
"Dawningsun." he said, turning to the she-cat at his side. "Littlepaw looks injured." The ginger medicine cat instantly went over to examine Littlepaw, and the two cats lfet for the ferns. Shadepaw came over to sit beside Jetspeed.
"When I recieve my nine lives," Runningspirit continued. "Graypaw and Shallowpaw will recieve their warrior names."
Two apprentices beside Icefang exchanged excited glances.
"but now, despite recent events, it is time for Spottedkit to become an apprentice.'
the started kit, who was Shadekit's sister, scampered over besdie her leader. "Until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Spottedpaw." He flicker his tail out as his chosen warrior. "Flickeringfire, you will be a mentor to Spottedpaw."
The two touched noses, Flikceringfire looking excited about trained a new apprentice.
"Before we begin our vigil with Goldenstar, there is one more announcement I'd like to make." Runningspirit voice grew more serious. "Normally, I would wait to appoint the deputy until I recieve my name, but ThunderClan needs a leader and deputy to lead them into battle tomorrow."
He paused.
"I say this before the body of Goldenstar, who will see and aprove my choice." His gaze rested on Goldenstar for a moment. "Jetspeed will be the deputy of ThunderClan."
Jetspeed was aware of Shadepaw purring beside him, and Flickeringfire coming over to congradulate him. He gazed up at Runningspirirt, and saw how much the ginger tom looked like a leader. He was, the best choice to lead the Clan.
"I, along with Dawningsun, will sit vigil with Goldenstar, and tomorrow we will bury him before we set off and drive these rogues from our territory for good!"
The whole Clan yowled its agreement.
Jetspeed stepped forward to where Runningspirirt and Dawningsun were preparing for their vigil.
"I'll join you." he said.
Runningspirit shook his head. "you're wounded," he said, pointed towards the wound on Jetspeed's flank. "I need my best warrior in fit shape for tomorrow."
Jetspeed nodded, and dipped his head to Runningspirit. This simple gesture made the ginger tom infront of him wince.
"You don't bow to anyone Jetspeed." he said quietly.
Jetspeed was struck, and he turned sharply, saying another goodbye to Goidenstar.
You were a noble leader. he thought. Please give me the strength to take care of your Clan.
"""
Shadepaw ventured into the nursery, eager to meet her mentor's kits. She was shocked when she saw five of them. What a large litter!
"Hello Shadepaw. Have you seen Jetspeed?" Commettail asked.
"He's talking to Runningspirirt." Shadepaw said, gesturing with his tail towards the clearing. "He's the new deputy!"
Commettail let out a satisfied pur. "He deserves it." She glanced up. "Oh, forgive me! Thank goodness you're alright. Did the ShadowClan cats hurt you?"
"No." Shadepaw said, exmbaressment creeping up her tail. "You're kits are beautiful! Do they have names?"
Commettail nodded. "Darkkit." she rested her tail a the smallest kit, a copy of Jetspeed. "Waterkit." she gestured to a white, strikingly farmiliar kit. "Stormykit, Nightkit," she pointed to two deep gray kits. "And Mistykit." a blue-gray.
"Wonderful names." Shadepaw complimented.
"Shadepaw?"
She turned, it was Jetspeed.
"Littlepaw's been asking for you." he murmured.
Shadepaw nodded, bidding Commettail goodbye. Jetspeed stopped her on the way out.
"Get some sleep." he said sternly, a slight smile on his lips. "I'll get some combat training with you at sunhigh."
Shadepaw smiled gratefully.
"""
"So you're the deputy now?"
Jetspeed nodded at Commettail.
"What's wrong?" the she-cat asked. Jetspeed smiled, Commettail could always tell when something was bothering him.
"Its... Runningspirit."
"I thought you made up?"
"We did." Jetspeed said hastily. "its just..." he let out a long sigh. "I dont think he wants to be leader."
Commettail blinked. "Give him some time." she said gently. "Goldenstar is dead. Its going to take all of us some getting used to."
Jetspeed nodded. "I have to go work on some combat with Dustpaw and Littlepaw." he said. He bent over his mate and licked her ear. He staring fondily at the kits, and then left.
"Dustpaw! Littlepaw!" he called into the apprentice den. The two toms shot up instantly. Shadepaw, Spottedpaw, Shallowpaw, and Graypaw were stil sleeping. Spottedpaw was not going to be taken into battle, seeing as it was her first day as an apprentice!
Littlepaw was not limping at all, and determination glowed in his gaze. Jetspeed led the apprentices to the training hollow, then turned to face them.
"Who wants to go first?" he asked. The wound on his side gave a small twitch, but her ignored it.
"I will." Littlepaw said, getting infront of Jetspeed and stretching .
"""
Shadepaw rose, giving her muscles a stretch. She felt so much better after her rest. The gray apprentice prodded her sister awake, and the two she-cat exited the den.
"Shadepaw, Spottedpaw!"
They turned. It was Flickeringfire, weaving his way over. Goldenstar's body had been moved to his den, but it would return to the clearing when it was time to sit his vigil.
"How about some hunting?" he asked. "We can give Spottedpaw a bit of a tour of the territory!"
Shadepaw itched to go with them, but she couldn't. "Jetspeed wants me for combat training at sunhigh." she explained, flicking her tail upwards, where the sun had reached the center of the sky.
Flickeringfire nodded. "Maybe I'll go help him. There are six apprentice to spar with!"
The three cats made their way to the training hollow. Jetspeed was batllng Dustpaw, whilst Littlepaw and Graypaw sparred nearby. Shallowpaw was watching intently.
"Shallowpaw!" Flickingfire called. "Why don't you spar with Shadepaw?"
The two apprentices advanced, and Shadepaw could here Flickeringfire instructing Spottedpaw.
There fights lasted for a long time, Shadepaw moving fro Shallowpaw, to Graypaw, and to Jetspeed. Spottedpaw stayed mostly with Flickeringfire, though at the end of practice she was allowed to go with Shadepaw.
"""
"Okay everyone!" Jetspeed said, as they walked into the camp. "Icefang, take Graypaw, Flickeringfire, and Spottedpaw on a hunting patrol. Head for Sunningrocks, and the RiverClan border."
The four cats he had named nodded and exited the gorse tunnel.
He glanced around. "I'm taking a patrol to check on the ShadowClan border."
whispers broke out around him.
"Shallowpaw, and... Frozenstream. You can join me." He nodded to Shallowpaw, and a sliver tabby she-cat.
The ShadowClan border, thank StarClan, was quiet, at the patrol returned to camp unchallenged. It was nearly sundown, and time for Goldenstar's vigil.
Jetspeed and Runningspirit disappeared into Goldenstar's den, and gently took the old leader outside for his vigil.
The Clan dipped their heads and formed two lines on either side of their leader's body. One by one, they made their way to Goldenstar, saying their last goodbye's and grooming his pelt until it shined.
Runningspirit jumped onto the Highrock again. "Tomorrow, " he declared. "We will take on the rogues. I will be taking Icefang, Flickeringfire, Jetspeed, Frozenstream, Birchleaf, Honeystem, Bloomingpelt, Shallowpaw, Graypaw, and Dustpaw."
Shadepaw and Littlepaw raised their voices in protest. "We can fight!" Shadepaw growled.
Runningspirit dipped his head to the apprentices. "I know you can, but you are still recovering from you capture. And don't forget- someone has to guard the camp while we're gone."
Jetspeed froze at the though of Commettail.
"Rabbitears." he said, flicking his tail at a tabby tom with .. slightly large ears. "You will be incharge of camp."
The tom nodded.
The Clan yowled their agreement, and then moved off to their dens. Jetspeed moved his gaze to the sky.
This is it. he thought. This is the one battle for our freedom. Losing is not an option.
But he shivered.
You may not have the choice.
Okay.. I lied. there will be ONE more chapter! I'm thinking about a sequel (gasp).
Please review! I'd love to know what you think!