The nineteenth chapter of Heart of the Willows! I recently realized we hit 20,000 words and I'm celebrating. I know it's not all that much but I'm proud of myself anyway. I'm hoping to get to 30,000 words soon enough and also, thank you all for sticking with me- the first twenty thousand words are generally the hardest for me to write and you stuck with me all this time!
Also…
Kuroimori- Yes, I will use your name for Cinderkit, and thank you for so many kind reviews! I do have a surprise planned for Graydust. Thanks for answering my questions!
Thank you so much but anyway, let's get into the chapter. I revealed last time that I thought this chapter was going to be sad…
"Willowfeather, come on a border patrol with me," Ambereye invited, and Willowfeather got up, relieved to finally see a friendly face. Snowcloud still looked like he had seen a ghost, most of the apprentices were out training and Sweetbreeze had gone with them.
"Can Flamepaw come with us?" Willowfeather asked, knowing very well that he had a better chance of becoming a deputy if he had gone on many patrols. Besides, she hadn't done any training with him recently and he was the only apprentice left in camp.
Ambereye nodded. "I sent Dustfoot and Graydust to hunt near the WindClan border but apparently they have scented some WindClan scent, so I thought we would patrol there for a while, what do you think?"
"I think it's a trick," Willowfeather snorted. "I know from experience that those two aren't trustworthy."
"But what if they are telling the truth?" Ambereye asked thoughtfully. "It might actually be WindClan trespassing, and if we don't patrol we could be telling them to help themselves to our territory."
"Maybe," Willowfeather conceded. "We should place a patrol of our warriors nearby, though, so that we'll have backup should we need it."
"We're not using warriors up for such useless reasons. We should be able to trust our clanmates," Ambereye sighed. "We are going patrolling, and that's that."
Willowfeather swallowed a sigh. Cats barely listened to her until it was too late.
At the WindClan border…
"Our patrol has been calm so far," Willowfeather commented. "Maybe we were wrong about the toms. Though I'll admit I haven't scented anything suspicious yet."
"Yet," Ambereye said suspiciously. "WindClan might still be taking advantage of us."
They realized they had reached the deepest, rockiest part of the river separating the two clans, and conceded that they were fine, for WindClan could not swim and cross the river.
"We'll be fine," Ambereye sighed, before yowls cut them short. Flamepaw let out a screech as Graydust and Dustfoot sprang out of the bushes.
"You promised you wouldn't attack anymore," Willowfeather hissed as she grappled with Graydust. "Yet you've already broken the promise. Bit quick, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry," He gasped. "Forgive us!"
At that, Dustfoot flung Flamepaw into the rushing river. Willowfeather and Ambereye both let out equal yowls, but while Ambereye stood her ground and looked for something to fish him out, Willowfeather jumped straight into the river. Ambereye hooked her claws onto a long stick and reached it towards the swirling bodies, managing to save Flamepaw. It was too late for Willowfeather.
Terrified, Willowfeather's dizzy head vaguely waited for the sharp, punishing rocks to bash her body. Already, she could feel cuts and bruises on her battered body. Flamepaw had run, probably for help, while Ambereye hissed at Graydust and Dustfoot, daring them to get closer. All while Willowfeather pitifully tried to save herself. As the water swirled faster and faster, Willowfeather noticed that Ambereye had fallen, trying to get up at the edge of the water. At least she hadn't fallen into the river.
Willowfeather dug her claws into the softest looking rock she could find, and grimaced. Her claws wrenched and pain wobbled up her weak paws, but still she held on. That was how the WindClan patrol found her.
When WindClan finds her…
Willowfeather woke on dry, heathery land. Comfortable, but not ThunderClan. She saw three cats looking at her worriedly- she recognized them from gatherings. Whitepelt, Lilypetal, and Thistleheart.
"What were you doing in the river?" Whitepelt demanded, giving her a suspicious look. "I don't know what you were thinking, but we had to risk our pelts to help you and we saw your clanmates, too! They weren't helping at all! Care to explain?"
"Please, we just want to take care of you," Lilypetal began, her voice considerably lighter and kinder than Whitepelt's harsh tone. "We need to know what's wrong."
"We will have to take you to Gorsestar, of course," Thistleheart added, naming the WindClan leader.
"Please, don't tell anybody," Willowfeather whispered, surprised by how croaky her voice was. "Our clan is divided at the moment. We are struggling very much. The clanmates you saw, they pushed my apprentice in and I tried to save him."
"Oh," Lilypetal said softly. "Your name is Willowfeather, isn't it? Well, you must stay with us and our clan for a few days, especially considering how banged up you are. Our medicine cat will help you."
"But we have two very capable medicine cats," Willowfeather objected, but her heart wasn't in it.
"Yes, how do you think you will survive your clan?" Whitepelt growled, while Thistleheart just nodded.
"Alright fine will you actually do something useful already," Willowfeather hissed, jumping up and ready to run. She was injured and the three WindClan warriors were built for running, so she would definitely lose, but she wasn't giving in easily.
"Don't run," Lilypetal said, pushing in front of the toms. Though Lilypetal was quiet and calm, Willowfeather realized the she-cat was the leader of the patrol. Willowfeather couldn't have wished for a better executioner. "We will escort you to the camp and say that you were fighting a rogue- we will keep your secret safe. We will care for you and then you will be able to return home. Does that sound alright?"
Willowfeather nodded dumbly, as she noticed the buzzing pain attacking every part of her body. I've broken my leg, she realized, and my ear is gashed badly. I hope I don't get an infection. What will my group do without me? Or will the war end with me dead?
"Don't worry," Whispered the kind, familiar voice of Brightcloud and Willowfeather turned to see Brightcloud and Stoneshade, but Darkshadow had joined them and amber eyes glittered from behind them, though Willowfeather couldn't see who the eyes belonged to. "We continue to do everything we can, but please, you can't give up," Brightcloud pleaded, before they all faded away. "Keep hope!" That was the last ringing of her voice before they disappeared completely.
Feeling stronger, Willowfeather limped quickly to catch up with the WindClan patrol, twitching nervously at the new territory. They have really lush territory, Willowfeather thought, enjoying the feel of the heathery wind ruffling her fur. And they have no problems.
Still, she found herself missing ThunderClan, and if she wasn't there, what if her friends tore the clan apart? She couldn't abandon ThunderClan, not when she had caused so much trouble. Her friends had given up their comfort and safety for her. She couldn't abandon them now.
"I need to get back soon," She pressed to Lilypetal, who had a rabbit in her mouth, no doubt a superb catch from earlier.
"Don't worry, it's only for a few days," Lilypetal soothed through her rabbit. Willowfeather noticed that Whitepelt and Thistleheart carried prey as well- WindClan were great hunters. We're better, but we're still hungry, Willowfeather thought. ThunderClan could have caught more, but Willowfeather wouldn't have been able to eat any of the prey anyway. This will be my first time eating well for moons!
"Once we get there, Birdwing will be busy because one of our queens started kitting this morning, so help yourself to fresh-kill of the moors and wait for Birdwing," Lilypetal said, as the camp came into view.
"I want to help," Willowfeather objected. "Could I fix some dens, or organize the fresh-kill, or care for the elders-"
"I'm sure Birdwing will object to you doing any work," Lilypetal said drily, putting her kill down in the fresh-kill pile. "Well, once you've eaten, you could take some food to the elders."
Willowfeather thanked Lilypetal and took a small rabbit from the pile. There were no squirrels, mice, voles and very few of the birds Willowfeather was used to. Instead, there were rabbits, hares and a variety of birds. She sat down in a corner and began tucking into her food, until there was nothing left and her belly ached from eating too much. She hadn't eaten so well in ages. Days of chewing bitter, soggy plants and gnawing on meat-less bones had taken it's toll on her body. Suddenly, a cat Willowfeather had seen before sat down, smiling.
"Waterwish!" Willowfeather cried. "How is Rowanpaw?"
Waterwish smiled wistfully. "Rowanpelt, now," She corrected. "He's as fast as I expected, and he passed his assessment easily. I'm going to have Thistleheart's kits- you've already met him, I think- and honestly, my life is going so well it's like a dream."
Willowfeather tried to control the jealousy gnawing at her insides. "I'm doing alright too," She said earnestly, trying to hide the fact that she wasn't doing alright at all. "I gave up my role of deputy, but that has left me happier overall. We had a time when cats kept disappearing mysteriously, and we lost a kit to a badger, but other than that, the clan is doing well. A few rivalries, but that's to be expected. The only thing is, Shadestar is ill, really ill, and though she's alive, I don't know how much longer she will live. Ambereye will make a good leader, of course, but who will be the next deputy?"
"To be or not to be?" Waterwish giggled, and Willowfeather hollowly tried to understand.
The only thing she could focus on was how Gorsestar walked around, checking on every cat in his clan, how every cat was free to take prey from the fully stocked fresh-kill pile, how Waterwish's belly was slightly rounded with the promise of new life. WindClan was promising and upbeat, trusting and bonded. In ThunderClan, everything was strict, unfair and Shadestar could do nothing about it. Willowfeather scowled at the unfairness of it all.
"What's wrong?" Waterwish asked peevishly, looking annoyed that Willowfeather wasn't using their precious little time together very well.
"N-nothing," Willowfeather stammered. "Sorry, I need to take food to the elders, Lilypetal told me. I'm really sorry, I'll meet you later, because Birdwing needs to see me too. But I'll probably have to stay for a few days, so we have plenty of time to talk, though I would like to socialize with the rest of WindClan as well. It's like a long gathering!"
Waterwish looked pleased and nodded happily. "I don't really have many friends in this clan, you know. Thistleheart is always quite busy and nobody quite has the time to visit a useless old queen like me."
Willowfeather wondered if Waterwish was bending the truth, just like she was.
A few hours later…
"We need cobweb, horsetail and marigold," Birdwing muttered, taking a look at Willowfeather's wounds. "Juniper berry for strength, as well. A few poppy seeds to dull the pain."
"How did you meet such a nasty rogue?" Birdwing demanded as she wrapped up Willowfeather's torn ear. "Did you get rid of him, at least?"
"Yes, he ran away," Willowfeather said tiredly, watching as Birdwing finished wrapping up the ear and moved onto mashing berries into pulp. "But I got pushed into the river and it was all very painful. I don't have to eat those berries, do I?"
"Of course you need to eat them," The medicine cat replied. I thought my plant-eating days were over, at least for a while, Willowfeather thought in disgust, as she lapped up the mash. "Here, have this poppy seed. This should help dull the pain."
Birdwing set a cast for Willowfeather's broken leg, put herbs on her worst cuts and at the end of the treatment, Willowfeather resembled one big ball of herbs and cobweb.
"Now, you will have to stay here for a few days," Birdwing said sternly. "No leaving camp, either. Try not to stress yourself out."
Another few hours later…
Willowfeather curled up uncomfortably in her makeshift nest. I need to return to ThunderClan, she thought frantically, knowing that Ambereye wouldn't have received the treatment she needed. She slowly got up, her wounds aching, and limped away.
"Where are you going?" A voice asked timidly as Willowfeather reached the entrance. Willowfeather spun to see Waterwish trembling by the nursery.
"Home," Willowfeather hissed. "It's Leaf-Fall. My clan needs me more than ever, you know. I want to go and hunt."
"You promised you would stay and talk to me. I'm quite lonesome, you know, and I finally had a friend who could stay with me forever-"
"Forever? What?" Willowfeather growled. "I would only have stayed for a couple of days at most. Well, I don't care if you stir up trouble. I'm leaving."
Waterwish's eyes glittered sadly, before she turned away.
"Goodbye, Willowfeather."
She padded back into the nursery.
In ThunderClan territory…
Willowfeather walked up the river until she got down to the area the fight had taken place. She imagined beating the sour toms down with her claws, but she was too injured to fight, and she didn't know where they were. Suddenly, Willowfeather spotted something dark and large blotted near the edge of the water.
What?
Ambereye's lithe brown frame was in the water, waves lapping gently over her fur. The ripples over her body seemed almost… ceremonial. The cat was clearly dead.
Willowfeather choked back a gasp, pulling her friend out of the water frantically. It was far too late. Water flooded through Ambereye's sleek pelt, making her look as beautiful and groomed as she had been when alive. Willowfeather thought about burial, but she thought of a better idea to bid the faithful deputy goodbye.
She got a smooth rock and placed Ambereye's body on the rock, giving her pelt one last groom. Willowfeather then scattered fading flower petals over the brown she-cat, and buried her nose in her fur for one last time. Choking back a last sob, Willowfeather pushed the decorated stone and body out into the river and watched it until it sank into the watery depths of the river. Willowfeather stared at the spot Ambereye's body had sunk to until even the last ripples had faded and the she-cat had surely been swept away by the current.
Goodbye, she thought. Rest, and when you wake, you will find yourself in StarClan.
I was going to add a few surprises but that will be next chapter, because I realized this chapter was kind of long (it's 2400 words already…). It might not be long in your terms but it's really long for me. I also think enough has happened in the last chapter, and what did you think of the last part? I thought it was quite sad, but that might just be because I was particularly attached to Ambereye.
Well, on that note, don't forget to review!
