Chapter Twelve
Flowstar watched as his mud streaked and damp Clanmates padded through the thorn tunnel back to camp. Their feet dragged and they looked as bone weary as he felt, but he couldn't help but feel pride for them as he watched them trudge back home. They all fought hard and bravely today and he couldn't have asked for more loyal warriors and apprentices to be part of ThunderClan. Jak fought with a ferocity he hadn't yet seem from the tom and the apprentices surpassed his expectations with how they handled themselves in a real battle. He felt a soft smile tug at his features as he watched Arroweye talk quietly to Hazelpaw before slipping into camp. Flowstar couldn't help but notice there was an odd scent that hung in the air and he couldn't quite place it since the rain had washed most of it away. He shrugged it off, figuring it probably came from the mud and blood that covered his Clan. He followed Hazelpaw, the last of the group, through the thorn tunnel and into the camp beyond. He nearly jumped out of his fur when Hazelpaw gave a high pitched shriek and dashed forward to a rumpled, torn up looking chestnut brown pelt lying in the middle of the clearing. Blood pooled around the form, staining the earth red and no movement could be seen.
"What happened?" He demanded, blue eyes flashing as his pelt bristling while Hazelpaw wailed heartbrokenly and her voice echoed off the stone walls of camp. Glidingstorm and Soul both came forward, both covered in mud and blood. Soul had a bad wound on her back hip that was causing her to favor her hind leg and limp, her paw barely touching the ground. Glidingstorm had some nasty looking wounds as well but seemed a little more intact than her Clanmate.
"It was Burningeclipse." Soul spat, her eyes glimmering with a fiery rage Flowstar had not seen the kindhearted she-cat express before. "She came with Brackenstorm and some new cat, a young she-cat she called Brightpaw."
"They didn't even think any of us would be here." Glidingstorm hissed, her pelt still bristling and her tail lashing.
"The moment Burningeclipse saw me she attacked. Brackenstorm took Glidingstorm by surprise and pinned her before she had a chance to react." Soul growled, lashing her tail as her face contorted into a scowl. "I was sure they were going to kill us, then Acorncloud came out." Soul's face twisted with grief as her eyes welled up with emotion. "She distracted them both long enough for us to get free but neither of us saw Brightpaw." Soul hung her head, tail drooping as her shoulders sagged in defeat.
"She came out of nowhere and Acorncloud didn't stand a chance in her state." Glidingstorm mewed quietly, looking at the ground as grief constricted her voice. "She died honorably, a true warrior's death, even after being an elder for so long."
Flowstar felt sorrow twist painfully in his chest and he looked over his shoulder where his Clan was gathering around their fallen elder. Hazelpaw whimpered softly as both Coalpaw and Burntpaw tried to soothe her, tenderly grooming her fur and nuzzling her comfortingly. Appleblossom was grooming her friend's fur and Flowstar felt his heart break for his mother as he watched his kin. She had tried so desperately to save her former mentor, only to have this happen and have her ripped away from her so suddenly. Flowstar shook his head and heaved a sigh as emotions swarmed within him. "You two did all that you could." He mewed, trying to keep his voice steady. "Don't blame yourselves for this. I never would have thought Adderstar would go to these lengths just to prove a point. I underestimated him, this is on me."
"Burningeclipse said she was doing us a favor." Soul snarled, fury outshining the grief in her pale eyes. "She said that Brightpaw had proven her loyalty and would now be fully accepted into ShadowClan after following orders so well. Now she can start her training to be a full fledged warrior"
Flowstar blinked, genuinely shocked. "That's outrageous." He snarled, his tail lashing back and forth as a growl rolled up from deep within him. "Killing an elder does not prove one's loyalty, it just shows their cowardice!" He shook his head and looked once again at his Clan, mud mixed with blood caking on their pelts. He felt a sudden surge of emotion that caused him to fly across the clearing and leap up onto the Highledge in a few bounds. His heart was racing in his chest as he looked down to the clearing below, he had no need to call for his Clan as they were already gathered below him. They all turned their heads and repositioned themselves from where they sat to look up at him.
"Today's events were sudden and heart wrenching." Flowstar began, his voice filled with anger and grief. "ShadowClan and RiverClan tried to wipe out WindClan entirely and they have taken something very precious from us." His gaze rested on Hazelpaw and Burntpaw for a moment before he continued. "We will not let our enemies break us! We will stand tall and show them we will not go down without a fight." He flicked his tail back and forth as Jak and Coalpaw called out their agreement with Glidingstorm and Arroweye joining them. Flowstar waited for their cries to die down before he spoke again. "Soul and Jak, please step forward." He mewed, watching as Arroweye and Burntpaw exchanged excited glances and the two former kittypets looked slightly confused as they came forward and Flowstar jumped down to be closer to their level.
"I, Flowstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these cats. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." Flowstar mewed, letting the ancient words he had heard many times in his lifetime flow from him, smiling at Soul and Jak as their eyes went wide with realization. "Soul, Jak, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do!" Soul mewed, her eyes gleaming excitedly as she puffed up, trying to look bigger as she beamed and her whiskers quivered in excitement.
"I do." Jak mewed, much more calmly than Soul but Flowstar could see his barely contained excitement as his face was set in a hard look of determination.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Soul, from this moment you will be known as Soulfire. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and spirit. Jak, from this moment you will be known as Flamethorn. StarClan honors your courage and strength and we welcome you both as a full warriors of ThunderClan." Flowstar finished their ceremony and smiled as their names rang out through the clearing. "You two will serve your silent vigil tonight. It will begin at sundown and that's when you must be silent until I relieve you of your duty at dawn."
Soulfire and Flamethorn both buzzed with excitement as they licked Flowstar's shoulder as he rested his muzzle atop their heads in turn. They stepped back and the Clan seemed to think the meeting was over, but Flowstar held up his tail to signal for them to stay in place. "Now, Hazelpaw and Burntpaw please come forward." He mewed, smiling softly at the two apprentices as their eyes widened. "I saw you two fighting today and I believe you two have earned your warrior names."
The two siblings looked at each other in surprise but both padded forward, their pelts brushing as they stood close together. Flowstar inhaled and began their ceremony, his voice echoing off the walls as he spoke.
"I do!" Both apprentices mewed with excitement in unison when it was their time to speak. Flowstar felt his heart swill with a bittersweet feeling as his gaze flicked to Acorncloud's form for a split second before he spoke their names.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Hazelpaw, from this moment you will be known as Hazelrain. StarClan honors your energy and skill. Burntpaw, from this moment you will be known as Burntsky. StarClan honors your courage and bravery and we welcome you both as a full warriors of ThunderClan." Flowstar finished, smiling as the two new warriors beamed at him with mixed emotions of pride and sorrow as they looked at their kin. Coalpaw called out Hazelrain's name the loudest and the she-cat ducked her head shyly. "Your time of silence begins with Soulfire's and Flamethorn's." Flowstar mewed softly, looking at both of them. "And I will not mind if you break tradition to sit vigil with Acorncloud tonight. You can stand guard tomorrow night." He murmured, resting his muzzle on their heads as they licked his shoulder. As they stepped back Flowstar looked at his Clan. "Clean yourselves up and have Appleblossom tend to your wounds. Clean out the fresh kill pile and eat your fill tonight. Those that wish to sit vigil tonight may and tomorrow I want us to start doubling patrol to the best of our abilities." And on that last remark, he waved his tail and dismissed the Clan. He turned to begin grooming his own pelt and was greeted by Glidingstorm, who smiled warmly at him as she approached.
"Warrior ceremonies was a good idea to counter Acorncloud's death and the battle." The deputy mewed, watching as the newly named warriors were greeted by their Clanmates. Arroweye greeted Soulfire warmly and congratulated her with a touch of his nose to her shoulder as the she-cat smiled bashfully at him. Burntsky talked happily with Flamethorn, discussing the day's battle and comparing fighting tactics. Hazelrain was with Coalpaw by Acorncloud and Appleblossom, grooming her kin's fur as Coalpaw murmured to her comfortingly.
"Yes but with it we are down to one apprentice and nowhere near gaining anymore." Flowstar mewed with deep inhale as he glanced to the apprentice den.
Glidingstorm frowned and pressed close to him, pushing her head under his so his chin rested on top of her head and he gratefully leaned into her with a soft groan. "It's alright, we will find a way to keep going and stay strong." She murmured softly as she purred quietly. "ShadowClan found new members and so did WindClan. There's got to be more where that came from." She said, pulling back and looking up at Flowstar, her green eyes bright with emotion as she gently licked blood off his cheek.
"Smokestar did say something about hearing about groups of rogues and some loners looking for the Clans, or avoiding them. That's how Sunstrike and Briardawn found the Clans, by getting directions from others." Flowstar mewed thoughtfully, gratefully accepting the warmth Glidingstorm offered as she leaned into him and groomed his pelt.
"Then we have something to look forward to." Glidingstorm purred softly as she gave his cheek another gently swipe of her tongue. She pulled back slightly and looked up at him, giving his torn ear a tender lick as she carefully began to clean his wound on the side of his head. Flowstar closed his eyes as a purr rose up in him, not fighting the storm of emotions that battled in him as Glidingstorm tended to his wound. He leaned forward, pressing his face into the side of the neck, letting his scent surround and comfort him.
"Tell me again how it is you two aren't mates?" A voice as soft as the wind chuckled.
Flowstar jumped as he heard the voice drift through the camp and his eyes flew open. He looked at Glidingstorm, who looked up at him in confusion at his sudden movement. He saw her open her mouth to speak but didn't hear the words she said as he looked around the camp, his eyes resting on an opaque figure of a chestnut she-cat with thick, fluffy fur.
"Acorncloud?" Flowstar mewed in disbelief, glancing from her motionless body to her slightly translucent form that glittered as stars dappled her pelt. It was the same cat he knew, but she looked slightly younger. Her muzzle was hardly gray and her pelt wasn't matted like he was used to it always being. Her eyes were bright and clear, no sign of her failing vision or age.
"I don't have much time, I unfortunately have already lingered too long." She mewed softly, her gaze turning to Hazelrain and Burntsky as her eyes welled with pride for her kin. "You named them well."
"I don't understand…" Flowstar mewed, shaking his head as he tried to grasp what he was seeing. "My connection to StarClan is weak, how can I see your spirit here without being at the Moonpool?"
"My presence here is still strong." Acorncloud mewed with a sad smile. "But that isn't important. I'm here to tell you not to worry about the future of your Clan and if you wait patiently, the answer to your problems will come to you. You mustn't lose faith in your Clan or yourself Flowstar. Stay strong and hold onto your beliefs." She began to fade and Flowstar took a panicked step forward, opening his mouth to beg her not to leave just yet as he still had so much he wanted to ask, but she was gone before he could get the words out of his mouth. He frowned and took a step back, his face crumpled in disappointment.
"Flowstar?" Glidingstorm mewed, looking at him in concern as she gave him a nudge with her shoulder. "You were talking to yourself… Are you alright?"
Flowstar shook his head and sat down with a soft thud. He debated telling his deputy what just happened, but he wasn't sure where to even begin "I'm fine." He mewed quietly, nudging her back with his shoulder as he looked around camp. Dusk was falling over the clearing and the gray clouds overhead were beginning to turn shades of pink. Movement at the top of the stone hollow caught his eye and he turned to look, spotting a large pale cream colored owl swoop down out of a tree to fly across the clearing. It swerved before landing on a low branch and locking it golden eyes with Flowstar's blue gaze. The red tabby tom stiffened and watched the bird with interest, having never seen a bird glide so silently like the owl had. He had also never seen such an owl like that before on his territory, so lightly colored and inquisitive. The owl tilted its head to the side before silently taking off and disappearing into the forest as it called out into the growing night.