Fortunately, Fireheart was well enough to attend Petalpaw and Beepaw's warrior ceremonies the following evening. As she sat near the center of the clearing with Briarkit and Scorchkit on one side and Tigerclaw on the other, she waited patiently for her two adopted daughters to arrive. When they finally emerged from the apprentices' den, Fireheart felt her heart swell with pride. Her kits looked every bit the noble warriors she knew they would grow to become one day. Their pelts were sleek and glossy and they held their heads high, eyes shining with pride.
At the same time, however, she couldn't suppress a pang of sorrow. Petalpaw and Beepaw would serve their Clan well, perhaps even ascending to the rank of deputy or even Clan leader one day. But she wouldn't be there to see it if or when it happened. Fireheart wondered if her kits knew how proud she was of them, even if she wouldn't always be there to cheer for their accomplishments.
"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices." Sunstar's voice cut into the crisp evening air, thankfully cutting off the rest of Fireheart's thoughts. "They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Petalpaw and Beepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
"I do," Petalpaw meowed, practically shaking with excitement.
"I do," Beepaw echoed.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Petalpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Petalshine. StarClan honors your spirit and your courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Beepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Beestripe. StarClan honors your humor and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
Fireheart's heart swelled, if possible, even more as she watched Sunstar rest his muzzle on her daughters' foreheads. Petalshine and Beestripe each gave him a respectful lick on his shoulder and stepped back, their eyes gleaming with happiness.
"Petalshine! Beestripe!" she yowled, trying to convey all of her feelings of motherly pride and joy into those two words.
"Petalshine! Beestripe!" The call was taken up by Tigerclaw, followed quickly by the rest of the Clan. Even Briarkit and Scorchkit joined in, excitement for their older sisters clear on their faces.
"As per our tradition, Petalshine and Beestripe will keep a silent vigil for one night," Sunstar announced once the cheers had died down. "That is all. You may go back to your regular duties now."
The rest of the Clan dispersed as several of Fireheart's Clanmates went to take a piece of fresh-kill to share with a friend or left on a patrol of some sort. A few of them, however, stayed behind to congratulate Petalshine and Beestripe. Fireheart pushed her way to the front of the group, wanting to be the first to greet her daughters. She didn't care if it was selfish of her; this was her last chance to see one of her kits earn this accomplishment and she intended to savor every last moment.
"Well done, you two," Fireheart purred, giving Petalshine and Beestripe a lick between their ears. More softly, she added, "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, Fireheart," Petalshine meowed as Beestripe nudged her shoulder affectionately.
"We won't let you down," her other daughter added.
"You could never let me down. Not in a thousand moons," Fireheart murmured.
Tigerclaw walked forward to stand beside her. "Remember, no speaking until dawn," he reminded them. "Unless there's an emergency, in which case you should wake up Sunstar or call an alarm if there's no time."
"We know, Tigerclaw," Petalshine answered, nodding fervently.
"We'll make sure to be extra quiet," Beestripe added.
"I know you will," the dark tabby purred.
Briarkit bounced up and down, her tail trembling with excitement. "Can I sit vigil with you too?" she asked eagerly. "I can be really quiet too, I promise!"
Beestripe purred in amusement. "Not yet, Briarkit. You've still got a long way to go before you have to sit vigil," she chuckled.
"No fair," Briarkit pouted. "Can I sit with you anyway? It sounds so much better than staying in the nursery."
Fireheart chuckled. "I think you'll be changing your mind when night comes, sweetheart. It's going to be cold out here in the middle of the camp and you'll be nice and warm in the nursery. Besides, if you try to stay awake all night, you'll be tired and grumpy tomorrow."
"I'm never grumpy," the black kit protested, her eyes wide.
"Yes, you are," Scorchkit disagreed immediately. "You're grumpy whenever White-eye tells you it's time to go to bed."
"Yeah, but that's because she's so boring!" Briarkit complained, letting out a needlessly dramatic sigh of annoyance. "She always makes us go to bed right in the middle of our games. And I'm not grumpy!"
"Of course you aren't, dear," Fireheart meowed, shaking her head in amusement.
Briarkit's eyes lit up. "See? Fireheart agrees with me."
After a while, the group eventually split up with Briarkit and Scorchkit being herded back to the nursery and Tigerclaw going to meet Sparrowpelt and Lionheart for a border patrol. Fireheart dipped her head in a farewell to Petalshine and Beestripe before turning to head back to her own nest in the medicine den. Before she could get very far, however, she was stopped by the sound of Sunstar calling her name.
"Ah, Fireheart," the ThunderClan leader meowed, striding over to her. "I apologize for interrupting you. Would you mind taking a walk with me?"
"Oh–er, sure," Fireheart agreed, more than a little bemused. What could Sunstar possibly need to talk to her about? "Er–but I really shouldn't be going far, I mean..."
"Don't worry, we won't be gone long. Featherwhisker would have my tail if he knew I let anything happen to one of his patients," Sunstar meowed, a note of amusement in his voice. Fireheart remembered suddenly that her leader and the medicine cat were littermates.
"Er...yeah, okay," she agreed, not knowing what else to say.
She followed Sunstar as the Clan leader led the way out of the camp. As they walked, Fireheart couldn't help noticing how frail the bright ginger tom looked. His fur seemed duller than usual and although his body was still well-muscled, there was a certain stiffness to his movements. When she had to pause to catch her breath, he looked at her worriedly, and she could see a distinct weariness in his eyes. Fireheart stifled a sad sigh; it looked as though she wasn't the only one dealing with an illness.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked when the silence had dragged on for a little too long.
"It's nothing much," Sunstar reassured her. "I was just wondering...well, how have you been feeling lately?"
Of course, he just wanted to know how she was dealing with being sick. She should have figured. Fireheart shook her head to herself. Not that she didn't appreciate his concern, but the constant questioning from her Clanmates wore on her nerves at times. If she had a mouse for every time someone asked if she was okay, she would have enough to feed the entire forest for the next six seasons.
"I'm doing alright," she replied honestly.
"Are you sure?" Sunstar asked, looking at her seriously. "I know you haven't been well lately, and being as ill as you are can be a lot for any cat to handle. It's alright to admit that you aren't okay."
"Thanks, Sunstar, but I promise I'm doing fine," Fireheart meowed patiently. He just looked at her and she sighed. "I mean...it's hard sometimes, of course, knowing that–that I probably won't be here anymore soon. But I accepted that a long time ago. All I can do now is try to keep up with my regular warrior duties as much as possible. Because I don't want my Clanmates' last memory of me to be seeing me waste away in the medicine den."
Sunstar nodded, his gaze softening. "You're very brave, Fireheart."
Personally, Fireheart thought that she should be the one asking her leader if he was alright. Maybe it wasn't her place to, but anyone could see that the bright ginger tom was unwell. It was a well-known fact by now that Sunstar was on his last life, and looking at the ThunderClan leader now, Fireheart couldn't help wondering how much time he had left. He had been slowing down for a few moons now–since before she fell ill, as a matter of fact.
"We should head back to the camp," Sunstar meowed eventually. "It's been a long day and I think we both need to rest. Thank you for walking with me, Fireheart."
"Of course," Fireheart meowed respectfully, dipping her head.
She followed her Clan leader back toward the camp in silence, mulling over the conversation that had just taken place. It seemed strange that Sunstar would take her aside just to check to see how she was doing, but Fireheart brushed it off as him simply attempting to be more involved in his warriors' well-being. If that were the case, she could commend him for it.
Even so, though, it would be nice if every once in a while, her Clanmates stopped treating her with pity.
Fireheart shook her head as they stepped into the camp, brushing her thoughts aside. Now wasn't the time to brood over the fact that everyone felt sorry for her. Her daughters had made it. They had earned their warrior names, and she had gotten to see it happen. Purring to herself, she pushed her way into the medicine den and curled up in her nest, her mind filled with images of Petalshine and Beestripe's proud faces.
Fireheart really, really does not need anyone to ask if she's okay.
Thanks for reading!
-TheShadowedWarrior
