Chapter Thirty-Four
Darkflame took the quickest possible route to the camp and was relieved to find it still empty.
"Ivypool, Mousewhisker, Hazeltail, Berrynose, Icewing, Snowlion, Silverpaw, Windpaw, and Ivypaw. All of you can blend in with the snow fairly well; I want you to take up positions outside the camp. Allow the enemy to pass you and approach the cats inside the camp. Rabbitstride, Bryonypetal, Foxleap, Dustshade, Lionblaze, and Hickorypaw. Any of you complain about being bait?"
There was a general purr of amusement at Darkflame's choice of words but Foxleap stepped forward.
"I'd rather not wait in camp. Is there something else I could do?"
"Lightningleaf showed us a way of hiding under the snow so the darker or more brightly colored cats could wait outside also." Snaketail offered.
"Thanks, but I need something more active than that." Foxleap replied.
"It might not be a bad idea to send out a scout or two to let us know which way they're coming from." Icewing suggested.
"No." Darkflame disagreed. "I don't want anyone going off on their own. Sorry, Foxleap, but we're all laying in wait. The only options are inside the camp, out front, or behind it. And with Snaketail's suggestion, each of you can choose where you want to be instead of having your fur color decide for you."
After rather more discussion than Darkflame really felt comfortable with, three distinct groups formed and he could do something again.
"Snaketail, Snowlion, show everyone in your group how to hide. I want you spread in a half-circle in front of camp, facing in. Try to keep an equal amount of space between each of you. Those of you staying in camp, act like everything's normal. Like you're not expecting an attack. But move around. Give the appearance that there are more of you than there actually is. And you lot, follow me." Darkflame instructed, turning to each patrol as he addressed them. Then he jumped up through the hole in the top of the log. The black-furred warrior landed in the snow close to the camp's outer wall and listened to the twelve muffled thumps as his patrol joined him. "Stay close to the log and listen for sounds of battle. We'll come back in the way we left."
The last of the cats with him, Mousewhisker, had just found a shadowy place to hide when Cloudpelt jumped down from the top of the log.
"Brighttalon, Wildear, Crowfeather, and I just arrived." He explained to Darkflame. "The other three stayed inside but Crimsonclaw thought I'd be better off with your group."
"'Kay, find a place close to camp to hide in. Follow our lead."
The gray fox nodded and slipped into a shadow between Rainpaw and Windpaw. And they waited.
The morning dawned bright and clear, and with no noise but the usual waking calls of the winter birds.
"Let's go inside." Darkflame called to his patrol after a long yawn. "It seems our guests aren't coming."
Instead of climbing the back of the log, Darkflame led his cats around to the easier entrance and called the hidden patrol in as he passed them.
"No sign of them." Brighttalon commented.
"Yeah." Darkflame agreed. "That's just so rude!"
"Well, they aren't exactly nice." Dustshade observed.
"Even so, you plan a party – the guests should show up!"
"So was this a deathday party?" Snaketail asked with a grin, eliciting a laugh from Brighttalon and Darkflame.
"Everyone get some sleep." Darkflame suggested after the joking was done. "I'll take first watch. I'll wake you up at sunhigh for the next one, Brighttalon."
The silver tom nodded and joined the rest of the clan in finding a spot to sleep. The day was quiet and Darkflame had to get up and walk often to avoid falling asleep during his shift. Finally the sun rose high enough that Darkflame could wake Brighttalon and find a place of his own to rest.
The sun was just beginning to brush the horizon when Darkflame's eyes next opened. Most of the others were already awake so Darkflame maneuvered his way to the entrance and sat just inside where he could be easily seen by all.
"Everyone, come gather for a clan meeting!" It didn't take long for them all to crowd in before him. "I don't know why the Dark Forest cats haven't shown up but we're meeting the same problem here that Panther foresaw in the tunnels – there's not enough room for everyone. So I'm giving each of you the choice – do you want to stay here as Fireclan warriors, or would you rather live as members of Enigma?"
A sussurration broke out as Darkflame's friends and allies talked among themselves. After several heartbeats, Brighttalon stood up.
"Rosethorn, the kits, and I are going to go back to the tunnels. It's like you said when they first came; it's good to have an Ace in the Hole."
"I'm with them." Dustshade added, standing by his mother.
"The three of us are also returning to the tunnels." Snowlion decided, standing between Breezepelt and Snaketail. One at a time, Cloudpelt, Icewing, Tawnypelt, Mousewhisker, Hazeltail, and Scorchfur spoke their desire to go back underground.
"I'd rather stay up here, under the trees." Berrynose said, talking as much to his siblings as to Darkflame.
"Me too." Lionblaze agreed.
"I need to feel the wind in my fur." Crowfeather explained.
"All right. Brighttalon, go ahead and bring your group home and send my cats back up here." Darkflame instructed.
"I will." Brighttalon agreed with a nod. Darkflame waited until after the warriors of Enigma left to continue speaking to his clanmates.
"Wildear, do you still lay claim to leadership of Fireclan?"
"No. It's your turn again." The younger calico declined.
"Thanks. Will you act as deputy until things change again?"
"Sure. You want me to send out patrols now or should we try to get on a diurnal schedule?"
"Nah, don't send out patrols tonight but if anyone wants to go out unofficially, they can soon. I have just one more thing to do once the rest of our cats get here."
It took longer than Darkflame had expected and his clanmates began talking among themselves before too long but Nightshade led the rest of Fireclan into the log before moonhigh with Purdy and Graystripe in tow.
"Welcome home, all of you." Darkflame greeted them, acknowledging the elders. "Crimsonclaw, Rabbitstride, and Shadowlion, are your apprentice ready to become warriors?"
"Shadowpaw is." Shadowlion answered first.
"Flightpaw will make a fine warrior." Crimsonclaw agreed. Rabbitstride simply nodded, looking at Swiftpaw proudly.
"And I know Rainpaw's ready. So I, Darkstar, leader of Fireclan, call upon Starclan and each one of you to look upon these apprentices as they take their first steps into being warriors! Do each of you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
"I do!" Rainpaw and Flightpaw shouted in unison.
"I do." Swiftpaw echoed, her voice calm and proud.
"I do." Shadowpaw promised with a nod, her eyes shining.
"Then, from this moment on, Flightpaw will be known as Flightwing, Rainpaw will be Rainheart, Shadowpaw will be Shadowcloud, and Swiftpaw will be Swiftstorm. The four of you will sit a silent vigil while the rest of us sleep, when next we sleep. Until then, feel free to socialize."
Despite how dark and painful the winter had been, especially these last few nights, Darkstar couldn't keep a smile off his face as Fireclan congratulated its newest warriors happily.
"Darkstar?" Sorrelpaw began quietly, walking up beside her leader.
"Mrr?"
"I don't think I should be a medicine cat."
"What? Why not? I thought that was what you wanted."
"Nope, never was. Wildear ran out of living cats to mentor us and she was trying to avoid giving the Dark Forest cats apprentices. But we've got plenty of warriors now."
"Then I will give you a warrior mentor, but I'll need to think about it some to decide who."
"Thank you, Darkstar. I appreciate that. And of course, I'll always be happy to help Nightshade when she needs it."
"You should go talk to her about your decision." Darkstar suggested.
"We've discussed it often but yeah, I'll tell her that I told you." Sorrelpaw agreed before weaving back into the crowd. With something new to think about, Darkstar looked more closely at his clanmates.
'Obviously our newest warriors can't train her, nor should their former mentors. I'm not going to tell her to train under any of her siblings. I don't know Crowfeather, Lionblaze, or Berrynose well enough to give them apprentices yet. I'm not really sure I want to give Ivypool, Foxleap, or Bumblestripe an apprentice either but maybe I should be trying to make them feel like part of the clan, and both Wildear and Duskmist have recently trained apprentices. I'll ask Ivypool if she'll mentor Sorrelpaw.'
Decided, Darkstar stood to find the slender silver and white tabby, just as she left camp with Crowfeather and Amaranthflight.
'Oh well, I can ask her later.'