Brace yourselves... a long chapter is coming.
Lilystorm's POV
"No, I'm sure he likes robin. Trust me." Opalwing earnestly slid a plump robin from the freshkill pile over to Lilystorm, nodding in encouragement.
Lilystorm shook her head, pushing the robin away in frustration, feathers dislodging from the dead bird and littering the ground. "But what if he doesn't?" Lashing her tail, she continued digging through the dead creatures, trying to find something that stood out to her as being worthy of the clan leader. Ever since the tragic rockslide that had made Glorymask comatose and left Silverstar with traumatic head injury, warriors had been caring for the leader in shifts, bringing him prey and water, and in general keeping the troubled tom company. According to Ravendusk, who had the last shift, Silverstar hadn't been speaking that much, instead sitting quietly in the back corner of his den, staring at nothing. He wouldn't even eat or drink, only sleep, only the faint rising and falling of his flank indicating that he was still alive.
Lilystorm couldn't recall who had organized the system, especially since that had been Glorymask's job. It sort of just happened randomly. Her fath- er, Orangeface might have stepped up to do it once, but now that he'd disgraced himself in the eyes of the clan, it was unlikely anyone would listen to him. Peering through two fluffy squirrels, Lilystorm spied on Orangeface where he was lying forlornly by the elder's den. A trace of sympathy swirled in her chest, but it was instantly quelled by Opalwing's voice behind her, replacing the feeling with dread.
"Still haven't talked to your dad?" Opalwing asked, putting a sympathetic paw on Lilystorm's speckled shoulder.
"Technically I'm not supposed to refer to him as that." Lilystorm corrected, stiffening. "But yeah, I haven't." But she couldn't blame her friend for asking. She was lucky that she hadn't been shunned like Orangeface had. After all, she'd been on the patrol too.
She scanned the pile as she continued, "Basically Ravendusk made a deal: she and Lilacfall would continue to associate with me as long as I didn't speak to him. But Lilacfall still always is the favorite." She added bitterly, meeting Opalwing's green eyes. "She got an apprentice first, and she's constantly praised while I'm almost completely ignored." Sighing, she shifted aside a mouse with her left paw. "But it's better than being shunned like Orangeface."
"Very true." Opalwing agreed, giving Lilystorm a friendly nudge. "And I don't ignore you." Lilystorm smiled back at Opalwing, but then her eyes dropped, hackles raising.
"Great StarClan!" Lilystorm exclaimed.
"What? WHAT?!" Opalwing demanded, starting to freak out.
"Oh, relax. I just remembered hearing the Silverstar really likes red squirrel. And…" Lilystorm buried her muzzle into the pile, returning with a small red creature hanging from her jaws by its bushy tail. "...there just so happens to be one right here."
Opalwing let out a loud exhale, tense shoulders relaxing. "Mousewhiskers, Lilystorm, please don't scare me like that!"
Lilystorm laughed. "And miss hearing your ridiculous expressions? No way!" Mousewhiskers. Priceless. She shuffled her paws as she thought of the task ahead. "Alright, well, see you. Wish me luck."
"May StarClan light your path, my dear friend!" Opalwing responded, with the affected air of a devout medicine cat. "I'll be here!"
Lilystorm smiled as she turned from Opalwing's encouraging face. Then it became a frown as she beheld the leader's den, so high up in the cliffside. She shook herself. There was nothing to be afraid of. Silverstar wasn't even talking, right? She could just give him the prey, maybe hang around for a few minutes, listening to the awkward silence, then find another cat to do the next shift. Easy as stealing a moss ball from a kit. She winced.
Though that would be kind of mean.
Hopping carefully from boulder to boulder, the dilute tortoiseshell made her way to the den. Her paws slipped on the final boulder, and for a moment her claws painfully scrabbled on the stone as she tried to regain her balance. Her legs splayed and claws unsheathed, she breathed heavily for a moment, heart pounding. It didn't help that she was afraid of heights.
She popped her head into the cave. Over the scent of the squirrel the cave smelled damp and musky, mixed with the sour smell of misery. Lilystorm tilted her head. Was Silverstar alright? For the first time, she started to worry about the leader, and the future of ThunderClan. With no sign of Glorymask waking up soon, who would lead the clan? What would the other clans think of a clan with a disturbed leader? She shook herself again.
Everything will be just fine. He'll get better. She was probably overreacting.
"Silverstar?" She called softly into the velvet darkness. "It's me, Lilystorm. I've got some prey." She proceeded to pad further into the cave. "It's red squirrel. That's your favorite, right?"
There was no response. Lilystorm's pelt prickled. Something was definitely wrong. He could be in the back of the cave. But it was so cold. And dark. Spiders could be hiding back there. And after sniffing the air again, Silverstar's scent seemed… faint. As if he wasn't even in the-
"Red squirrel?" Exclaimed a voice.
Lilystorm let out a screech and fell onto her hindquarters, hard.
"I love red squirrel." The voice continued. It wasn't Silverstar. Lilystorm blinked, shivering in terror as the cat came out into the light. "Don't worry. It's me, Hawkscream."
Lilystorm screeched again at an even higher pitch.
She barely noticed Hawkscream bend down and snatch the squirrel, purring in delight as she took tiny bites. She was too busy being terrified. Hawkscream… was creepy. Always skulking around, huge, round, owl-like amber eyes that could see into one's soul… Lilystorm cowered before the she-cat, afraid to meet her penetrating stare.
"Were you looking for Silverstar?" Hawkscream continued as if she didn't notice Lilystorm's obvious fear. She took a bite of the squirrel, licking her lips. "He left some time ago."
Lilystorm's head shot up as she momentarily forgot her fear of Hawkscream so she could confront this new dilemma. "L-left?" She stammered. "As in, gone?" She stood up, wobbling on her paws. "Where did he go?!"
Hawkscream shrugged, clearly not grasping the urgency of the situation. "Out. He said he needed to take a stroll." She laughed. "After our talk, he said he had a lot to think about!"
She's no help! Lilystorm thought in exasperation. She was about to leave when she realized what Hawkscream had said. She spun around, then remembered who she was talking to, lowering her gaze.
"W-what do you mean? Silverstar was talking to you?" Lilystorm asked with disbelief.
"Of course!" Hawkscream responded happily. "I was telling him all about Invisiblepelt's hard work with his apprentice and-"
"Yeah yeah." Lilystorm interrupted, annoyance creeping into her voice. She also hadn't needed the reminder that she'd lost the chance to mentor her first apprentice to an invisible warrior. It was a load of foxdung. If Snowpaw hadn't clawed her nose, then she'd probably be mentoring him right now. It was a conspiracy! Or just plain bad luck.
Lilystorm continued to press Hawkscream for any clue she could use to find Silverstar. "Just tell me, was there any hint of where he was going to go? Like in your conversation, or…"
"Well, 'e didth taw 'bout the lake a loth." Hawkscream mused, her mouth full of squirrel. "It'th suth a nice plathe to wal' durin' leaf-fall."
"Okay thanks enjoy the squirrel!" Lilystorm replied, dashing out of the den as if she had a horde of foxes chasing her. Though the thought of spending another moment with Hawkscream was motivation enough.
Freaky she-cat. Lilystorm hissed in annoyance as she scrambled down the boulders. And she stole Silverstar's red squirrel! The nerve!
She zoomed past Opalwing, who was still waiting loyally by the freshkill pile.
"Hey Lilystorm how did it go-" She trailed off as Lilystorm ran past her without even looking in her direction. Lilystorm felt guilty about literally leaving her friend in the dust, but this was something she had to do alone. Opalwing probably wouldn't tell anyone that Lilystorm had lost the clan leader, but she couldn't risk any unwanted eavesdroppers.
She pushed her way through the thorn tunnel, taking a huge breath of the fresh leaf-fall forest air. It was tinged with the scent of decomposing leaves and a ripeness that Lilystorm couldn't quite name, like a fruit ready to drop from a tree. The scent relaxed her tense muscles, and filled her with determination. She wasn't going to end up like Orangeface. She'd find Silverstar, and never betray her clan again.
Lilystorm had been poring over the shores of the lake for foxlengths, and she still hadn't found Silverstar. His scent had led to the sandy shores, but the silver leader was walking so close to the lapping waves that his scent was beginning to wash away.
Lilystorm furiously kicked at the next round of waves washing over the scent trail. "Mousedung." She growled. Becoming an outcast was looking more and more likely as the time drew on. Especially if another patrol found Silverstar first. Cats would ask questions, and eventually the clan would find out that Lilystorm had been watching him last. Ravendusk would caterwaul that yet another member of her family had betrayed the clan. Lilystorm had abandoned the leader when he needed her most. Ravendusk and Lilacfall would mourn, pleading with StarClan, wondering why they'd been so cursed. Then Silverstar would tell them to chase her out of camp, and-
Lilystorm's nightmare was interrupted by a chilly breeze, wafting across the lake. She watched the lake's blue surface ripple with curiosity. Closing her eyes, she lifted her head higher, letting the wind ruffle her fur, and blow back her whiskers. Then her eyes snapped open.
There. Just for a moment, she thought she'd caught Silverstar's scent. Again, she closed her eyes, taking in deep draughts of the damp lake air. Yes, there it was. Gazing across the lake, Lilystorm's eyes wandered until they came to rest on the island. Of course! It would make sense that Silverstar in his depressed and fragile state would try to find a place far from his troubles as possible. Lilystorm definitely could relate.
Rearing onto her hind legs, she began to sprint in the direction of the tree bridge, careful to stay two tail lengths away from the shore. If she was lucky, the WindClan warriors would leave her alone. WindClan's leader Nightstar had saved Silverstar, hadn't he? She ducked her head, hoping her gray and ginger pelt would blend in with the terrain.
She also had to wonder: how had she even captured the leader's scent in the first place? It was a miracle that his scent had drifted so far across the lake. Was it StarClan? She couldn't help but grin a little. Despite all her mistakes, it was nice to know that StarClan was still on her side.
Passing through WindClan didn't prove to be too much trouble, though she did catch a patrol's scent on the breeze. Heart pounding, she willed her paws to move faster, though she was quickly tiring, her breath coming out in short gasps. The tree bridge was just ahead. Just a little further-
"Hey! Stop!" Yowled a voice, and Lilystorm chanced a glance over one shoulder, seeing a WindClan patrol running toward her. Lilystorm accepted defeat, slowing into a walk. She was just so tired, she couldn't escape them if she tried. As the WindClan patrol approached, she lowered her head and tail submissively, hoping that they'd take the sign that she wasn't a threat.
"Well well well, looks like someone wandered into our territory." A black and white tom sneered. "Is ThunderClan trying to steal the island now? How stupid of them to send only one warrior."
"ThunderClan are a bunch of rabbit-brains anyway." A smaller gray she-cat beside him added. She looked too young to be a warrior, so she was probably his or the other member of the patrol's apprentice. The last member of the patrol still bared her teeth, yellow eyes gleaming with malice.
"You can explain yourself, but if we don't like it, we attack." The white she-cat growled, unsheathing her claws.
"I- uh.. I…" Lilystorm stammered. What about the two tail length rule? What was wrong with these cats?
"Too slow." The white she-cat hissed, eyes narrowing. "WindClan, atta-"
But before they could attack, an eerie yowl sounded from behind Lilystorm. Every WindClan cat froze, jaws parting in terror.
"That… that can't be…" The black and white tom whispered weakly.
"It-it's a…" The white she-cat shook her head. "Run! Get out of here! She's probably cursed or something!" With kit-like yowls of terror, the patrol turned tail and fled, leaving Lilystorm feeling very bewildered. She turned to her savior, who leapt down from the tree bridge.
It was a tall black and gray she-cat with golden eyes, with an interesting crescent-shaped scar on her right cheek. Like a tiny moon.
The she-cat cleared her throat, and with a jolt Lilystorm realized that she was staring. She continued to stare blankly for a few more moments when she realized that she should probably say something to the cat who had saved her pelt.
"Oh, sorry." Lilystorm mewed, blinking up at the she-cat. "And, uh, thank you."
The she-cat dipped her head. "Of course. It would have been a shame for you to have been torn to mousedust before you got to find your leader."
Lilystorm blinked. "What?" Her mind was oddly fuzzy at the moment. She shook herself out of her stupor, and realized the she-cat was still giving her an odd look. Lilystorm forced her fur to remain flat. Stop judging me! You literally just said-
"Silverstar, right?" The she-cat continued. "I met him on the island." Waving her tail for Lilystorm to follow without any further explanation, she leapt back onto the fallen tree, balancing easily on its scarred surface.
"W-wait!" Lilystorm meowed, finding her voice. "How can I trust you? Those WindClan warriors…" She shivered as a new thought came into her mind. "...they were afraid of you. Why?"
The she-cat didn't bother to turn around, holding her tail out behind her to keep balance. "I used to be a WindClan cat. Once." There was a sorrowful note to her voice. "...I was once known as Shrewbite. I was believed to be gone, so I suppose they were just surprised to see me."
Lilystorm wasn't satisfied with that answer, and many more questions were coming to her lips. But Shrewbite bounded ahead, gracefully leaping off the log, slowly alighting upon the ground almost as if she were made of fog. And as Shrewbite walked on the muddy shores of the island, Lilystorm noticed her paws didn't seem to make any indents on the ground. Eyes widening, Lilystorm tested her own paw print into the mud, and it left an obvious mark.
What…? Lilystorm glanced up and realized Shrewbite hadn't waited, and was continuing deeper into the island. Lilystorm raced to catch up, falling in step beside the black she-cat.
"Why did you leave WindClan? If you don't mind me asking." Lilystorm added apologetically.
"I didn't want to leave." Shrewbite responded quietly, sounding bitter. "It was circumstances beyond my control." Whirling around, she searched Lilystorm's eyes, for what Lilystorm couldn't say. Then she turned away with a sigh. "I know that WindClan's in good paws, with Nightstar as leader. But…" She sat down, kneading the ground. "But I can't say it was the same way when I was in WindClan, before he began his leadership."
Lilystorm also sat down, confusion washing over her pelt. She felt like she was invading something. Shrewbite seemed especially regretful, but Lilystorm had no idea why it was her Shrewbite was confessing to. Maybe she just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The mysterious loner must have no one else to talk to. At least Lilystorm had Opalwing to talk to whenever there was something weighing on her.
"What do you mean?" Lilystorm asked slowly.
"Cats were influenced by me, back when I was a bit different." Shrewbite answered. "I encouraged recklessness, power over mercy. Those warriors back there who attacked you, they are victims of my poisonous tongue." The black cat bowed her head in sorrow. "If only I knew what I know now- that it never lasts. Eventually life will run dry, and despite writhing around and harming others to prevent the lurking darkness from reaching you, eventually death comes, like a fox in the night. Waiting for its chance to strike."
"I'm… sorry." Lilystorm mumbled, not sure what else to say.
Shrewbite licked her chest fur a few times, then rose. "Right, I must have bees in my brain. You need to find your leader." She nodded at the reeds masking the island's central clearing, where the clans usually assembled for gatherings on the full moon. "You'll find him resting on the roots of the great tree."
"Thanks." Lilystorm padded forward, pushing her muzzle through the reeds, wincing as the stiff stems brushed her cheeks. Reeds could be rather sharp. She shot one last uncertain glance behind her, realizing she should probably also thank Shrewbite for saving her again. The loner had just poured her heart out, and Lilystorm felt awkward leaving things at an odd imbalance. Then she did a double take. The black and gray she-cat had vanished. A shiver went up Lilystorm's spine.
Lilystorm had a feeling she knew why the WindClan warriors had been so spooked.
Lilystorm found Silverstar exactly where Shrewbite had said he was, on the roots of the Great Tree. His head was resting on his paws, hind legs splayed out awkwardly over the thick roots. His dull green eyes stared blankly ahead of him, and his pelt rose and fell faintly with each soft breath. The leader looked worse than Lilystorm had ever seen him, his bright silver tabby pelt matted and lacking its usual shine. Plus the scabs on his head… a jarring reminder of how badly Silverstar's head had been injured.
Not wanting to startle the leader, Lilystorm tiptoed over, making sure she was within his line of sight, so wouldn't perceive her approach as a sneak attack. After stopping a tail length away from his nose, Lilystorm crouched, looking into Silverstar's eyes.
"Um, Silverstar?" Lilystorm asked cautiously. "You alright?"
The leader gave a small sigh, but otherwise didn't respond. He didn't even blink. Lilystorm waved a paw in front of the leader's eyes, beginning to worry. Silverstar really wasn't okay, was he? Was he even still capable of being leader in this state? And with Glorymask being in a coma, did this mean that ThunderClan also didn't have a deputy? Who would be a suitable replacement?
Lilystorm didn't notice she had started to pace until a grunt from Silverstar caused her to halt.
"...I'm fine." Gritting his teeth, Silverstar pulled himself to an upright position, tucking his legs under him.
Immediately Lilystorm bombarded him with all the anxiety that had been building within her. "Great StarClan, Silverstar! I was so frightened for you! You see, I was supposed to be looking after you, but then Hawkscream said you left, and, and…" She stared down at her paws in shame. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright." Silverstar said gently, touching her shoulder with the tip of his tail. He withdrew it after a moment, eyes beginning to lose their blank look. "It was nice of Flakewhisker to assign warriors to look after me, but I am capable of looking after myself by now."
"I… Flakewhisker never assigned any of us to look after you, actually." Lilystorm wasn't sure why she was bringing this up, but she didn't question it. It had already been a crazy day. "It just sort of… happened."
"Really." Silverstar didn't sound surprised. "Of course…" He rose shakily to his feet, while Lilystorm stood still as a tree, not sure whether it would be rude to offer help to a leader with something that should be as easy as standing up.
"What is it?" Lilystorm questioned.
"I need to get back to the clan." Silverstar answered, and Lilystorm heard sharp resolve in his voice. "I've pondered over things for long enough. There can be only one way for the clan to move forward."
"What do you mean?" Lilystorm asked, though she had a feeling she knew what was coming next. She swallowed, quivering.
"I have a feeling that Glorymask won't be waking up from her coma." Silverstar's voice shook a little. Glorymask had been the deputy for seasons, and Lilystorm knew that they were quite close. Never mates, but sometimes friendship went deeper than even matehood did. If Orangeface and Ravendusk are any example…
"I wouldn't accept it at first, but now I realize that I must let her go." Silverstar mewed sadly, staring straight ahead. Lilystorm followed his gaze, but all she saw were the swaying reeds.
"Death comes to us all eventually, no matter how much we try to escape it." Lilystorm agreed, echoing Shrewbite's words.
"That's right." Silverstar responded, glancing at Lilystorm in mild surprise. "Though it feels like death's presence has been lingering around ThunderClan increasingly lately."
"Yes." Lilystorm looked up at Silverstar's hunched form, defeat evident in his stature. Suddenly she wondered how many lives the leader had left. It was always a matter that was kept quiet, and usually only those closest to the leader and the medicine cat knew the number. But Silverstar, usually so vibrant, seemed so hollow. Like he's almost empty…
Lilystorm couldn't explain how she knew, but right then it couldn't have been clearer than crystal. Death was lingering around ThunderClan, yes, but its claws were inches from Silverstar's throat.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highledge for a clan meeting!"
Lilystorm hadn't been the only cat having doubts about whether Glorymask would be waking up. In fact, there was an air of expectation in the camp. Every cat avoided glancing in the direction of the medicine den, but Lilystorm knew it was on every cat's mind. It had been days, and Glorymask showed no sign of awakening. She'd pass away within a few sunrises, most likely. This weighed heavily on Lilystorm's heart, but her curiosity was even stronger. Who would be worthy of filling Glorymask's place? Probably no one. No one could ever replace the witty, fiery, and ambitious she-cat.
But something about the way Silverstar held himself on Highledge made Lilystorm think that he knew exactly who to appoint in his longtime friend's place. It was in his voice as he'd risen to his feet at the roots of the Great Tree. He'd thought long and hard about this, so Lilystorm knew they must be a valuable choice. It couldn't be her, she'd never been assigned an apprentice. But other than herself and the other warriors who'd never trained an apprentice, she couldn't eliminate anyone else, except quite possibly Orangeface, who was too old and still very much seen as a traitor. Her father was in the very back of the crowd, staring up at Silverstar with sad eyes.
Lilystorm looked away quickly as his gaze shifted in her direction. She wasn't ready to confront him yet. But one day, she'd speak to him again. She didn't give a mouse whisker what Ravendusk thought anymore. She couldn't put a paw on why her feelings had changed, but perhaps it was the combination of meeting Shrewbite, and finding Silverstar. Events had lined themselves up, and changed her. Maybe only a little, but small changes, like a small shift in a stream, eventually lead to entirely new rivers being formed.
"I say these words before StarClan, so that Glorymask, along with the spirits of our warrior ancestors, may hear and approve of my choice." Silverstar meowed, his voice sorrowful, yet each word rang with power. Lilystorm's tail twitched in approval at the addition of Glorymask. Hopefully her blessing would be on the new deputy once she finally joined the ranks of SkyClan.
Silverstar took a deep breath. "The new deputy of ThunderClan is Invisiblepelt."
You know you saw this coming.
Until next time! Let me know what you think! Thanks to everyone favoriting, following, reviewing, or simply reading. I'm so grateful.