Bluefur watched her sister gossip with Robinwing while the two watched Whitekit playing with Tigerkit. Robinwing's kits were by her side, playing amongst themselves. She felt the distance between her and Snowfur sharper than ever, as if her heart had been clawed open by some ShadowClan cat the day the two went out for their walk.
Snowfur was friendly towards her, but not in the same way she had been before. Bluefur internally lectured herself once again for letting her feelings for Oakheart slip out. They don't mean anything though! I would NEVER betray my Clan for another cat.
Her gaze drifted over to Tawnyspots, the deputy Sunstar appointed when he'd became leader. He was walking over to Bluefur in a determined way, and she met his amber gaze. "Sunstar wants you to go to the Gathering." He informed her. The evening was chilly and she couldn't stop a huff from escaping her mouth over the thought of how much colder the long trek would be.
"This is a privilege Bluefur. You haven't been engaged in Clan activities for half a moon now, it's time you get your head back in the game and act like a Clan cat for once. I don't know what's been going on, but you need to stop letting it affect your ability to be one of us." Bluefur twitched her ear, but continued to watch Whitekit and Snowfur. "And you could show more interest in Whitekit, instead of just watching him." Tawnyspots sternly added.
Bluefur stared blankly at him. He doesn't understand! My kin doesn't need me, not when my own sister seems to be doing so well without me being involved. The Clan hardly needs me either. I almost would be better off in RiverClan so I could be with Oakheart.
A low growl sounded in Tawnyspots' throat. "You used to spend every spare moment with Whitekit. Now you never set a paw in the nursery. He must feel like he's lost a mother."
Bluefur scowled at him. Why was he trying to make her feel bad?
He went on. "I know you and Thistleclaw don't get along and maybe the amount of time he spends with Whitekit is scaring you away. But that isn't fair to make a young kit feel as though he has to choose between his aunt and his father."
Bluefur didn't respond to this jab either, turning her gaze back to Snowfur, where Thistleclaw had made his way over and the two were sharing tongues.
"What makes you so special that you can get away without doing anything for you Clan?" Tawnyspots demanded.
Bluefur had no answer for his question, nothing makes me special! With that thought, Goosefeather's prophecy ran through her mind. At least not yet, but one day I will be! Goosefeather promised. She hauled herself to her paws. "Nothing makes me special," she growled. "I'll go to the Gathering if it makes you happy."
Tawnyspots turned away and signalled with his tail. Lionheart and Goldenflower, recently made warriors, were already at the camp entrance. They circled impatiently while the older warriors gathered.
Tigerkit bounced over, his dark brown tail sticking straight up. He was starting to lose his fluffy kit fur, and broad, powerful shoulder and long legs were emerging from his stumpy body. "Can I come?" he called. "I'll be an apprentice in a moon." Bluefur crossly thought he could take her place.
"Kits don't go to Gatherings," Tawnyspots reminded him.
Tigerkit rushed over to Lionheart and batted at his shoulder with his front paws. "You will tell me everything when you get back, right?"
"You'll be asleep when I get back," Lionheart purred.
"No, I won't. I'm going to say awake."
Leopardfoot, who was joining the patrol to Fourtrees for the first time since she kitted, shook her head. "You'd better be sound asleep when we get back. Robinwing and Snowfur will want some peace after having you rascals charging around all day."
"We've been outside for ages," Tigerkit objected.
"And who's been keeping on eye on you to make sure you don't get into mischief? Robinwing said she had to get you out of the warriors' den three times."
Snowfur chimed in, "I fished him out once too!"
Tigerkit shrugged. "We wanted to see what it was like. Anyway, I'm not tired, so why are they?"
Leopardfoot gave up and turned to Adderfang. "Do you think he'd be less argumentative if his father were still around?" she sighed.
Adderfang's whiskers twitched. "I don't think any cat could influence that young tom. He's going to make a great warrior."
Leopardfoot's eyes glowed. "I know."
Dappletail brushed against Bluefur in greeting as she joined her Classmates. Patchpelt dipped his head to her, and Rosetail stood beside her and mewed hello.
The forest was crisp. For the first time since greenleaf, Bluefur remembered what it was like to shiver with cold as a chill wind rustled the branches. As the cats padded through the forest, Featherwhisker caught up to her. He'd come without Goosefeather this time. No one said it out loud, but there was a feeling in the Clan that the old medicine cat could no longer be trusted to mix with the other Clans. His words and actions had become too unpredictable.
Featherwhisker stared ahead. "She'll come around," he murmured.
Bluefur knew he was talking about Snowfur. She glanced behind her, half expecting her sister to come running after her and walk by her side like they used to. Having Whitekit had changed the dynamic of their bond, and Bluefur hated it. A part of her was upset over how much of her sister's attention Whitekit had stolen away. What use was her sister when she was stuck in the nursery all the time? Her Clan needed her out here, Bluefur needed her.
Featherwhisker let his pelt touch hers. "Whitekit will need your help to learn how to make the right choices, and how to care for his Clan like a true warrior."
"He has Snowfur and Robinwing and Leopardfoot," Bluefur reminded him, "and Swiftbreeze." The tabby warrior had only just kitted. Spottedkit, Redkit, and Willowkit hadn't even opened their eyes yet.
"Snowfur and you are his kin, he needs you as much as he needs his mother." Featherwhisker added.
"So is Thistleclaw."
"Thistleclaw will teach him how to be a fierce warrior," Featherwhisker murmured. "But who will teach him that softness and strength can exist together? And that loyalty to the Clan comes from the heart, not through teeth and claws? Snowfur is too in love to contradict what Thistleclaw teaches their kit, and he's a harsh teacher." The medicine cat apprentice went on ahead, his paws silent on the forest floor, leaving Bluefur to walk alone with her thoughts.
Trailing after her Classmates as they padded through the silver forest, Bluefur glanced at the stars. She tried to imagine Moonflower looking down from above, urging her kits to make up. But the stars looked like tiny fragments of ice sparkling in distant blackness. Pretty to look at, but useless. Utterly, utterly useless.
The moon shone over Fourtrees like a cold white eye. ShadowClan and RiverClan already mingled in the clearing. WindClan hared down from the moorland as ThunderClan arrived. Excited voices shared news, and purrs warmed the chilly night air. Bluefur watched her Classmates melt into the crowd, feeling far, far away.
"Got your paws wet recently?"
A deep, familiar mew made her turn.
Oakheart!
Instantly she remembered the conversation between Snowfur which seemed to drive such a huge rift between them. He'll cause nothing but trouble!
"Don't you have any friends in your own Clan?" she snapped.
Oakheart stepped back, surprised. "I was just trying to say hello," he meowed. "I'm sorry."
"You're a RiverClan cat, we shouldn't even be speaking!" she spat.
Before he could argue that this was a Gathering, the whole point to mingle with the other Clans, she stormed away.
"Isn't it great?"
Bluefur had nearly crashed into Goldenflower.
The young ginger warrior was staring at the assembled cats with wide, glowing eyes. "I've never seen so many cats at a Gathering before!" she went on. Then she caught Bluefur's eye and stopped. "What's wrong?"
"Oakheart's been sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong," Bluefur growled.
"Ignore him," Goldenflower advised. "He's so full of himself that he's got no room left for brains." Bluefur ignored the prickling in her pelt at the insult, having to bite her tongue to stop herself from defending him like she did with Snowfur. She didn't want more cats accusing her of being disloyal.
Instead, she snorted. "That just about described the smug fleabag!"
"Look!" Goldenflower stared up at the Great Rock as the leaders bounded to the top. "They're starting!" She hurried away, pushing through her Clan to get to the front. Bluefur was happy to loiter at the back.
Rosetail sat down beside her. "WindClan's looking plump."
Bluefur hadn't noticed, but now she realized that the moorland cats did seem healthy and well fed for once. "I hope they don't get too fat to catch rabbits," she muttered. "We don't want them thieving from the forest again."
Rosetail nudged her. "Don't be so grumpy."
Sunstar was addressing the Clans. "ThunderClan has three new kits." Murmurs of appreciation spread through the Can. "And two new warriors." The ThunderClan leader gazed down at his Clanmates. "Lionheart and Goldenflower."
The two young cats pricked their ears and straightened their whiskers as the Clans called their names. As the cheers died away, Sunstar went on with his report.
"We chased a fox back into Twoleg place and halted the kittypet intrusions."
Bluefur wondered if any of the patrols had seen Pinestar since he'd left.
"ShadowClan has a new medicine cat." It was Cedarstar's turn. He nodded toward the thick-furred, flat-faced gray she-cat that Bluefur had noticed several moon ago, at a previous Gathering. "Yellowfang will work alongside Sagewhisker from now on."
Bluefur narrowed her eyes. Like Hawkheart, Yellowfang had been a warrior first. That made for a dangerous combination, in her experience. Medicine cats should never study the skills of battle; they should be trained only to heal and help their Clanmates.
Hailstar nodded respectfully. "Welcome, Yellowfang."
"May StarClan light your path," Sunstar meowed.
Heatherstar padded forward. "I pray that your ancestors guide you wisely in your duties."
Bluefur's gaze drifted to the foot of the Great Rock. To her surprise, Raggedpelt, the ShadowClan deputy, was narrowing his eyes at Yellowfang. The gray she-cat shot him a look sharper than flint. Had the two Clanmates just quarrelled? Bluefur twitched her ears. Yellowfang didn't look like she'd be easy to get along with. Bluefur didn't envy ShadowClan, having to put up with her as their medicine cat after Sagewhisker.
Heatherstar began her report. "WindClan has thrived this greenleaf. We have never seen so many rabbits on the moor, and we've made the most of StarClan's bountiful gift."
Hailstar stepped forward. "RiverClan, too, has enjoyed rich prey. The river has been full of fish and its banks stocked with prey." He glanced down at his Clan and Bluefur realized the RiverClan was looking straight at Oakheart. "Only one cloud shadows our horizon." He nodded to the RiverClan warrior. "Oakheart has more information."
Bluefur snorted as Oakheart bounded onto the Great Rock. "He has no right to be up there," she hissed to Rosetail, forgetting momentarily that she wasn't Snowfur. A pang went through her as she thought of her sister back at camp, sleeping with Whitekit.
Clearly other cats agreed. Shock murmured through the Clans.
"I am sorry," Oakheart began, his voice carrying clearly across the hollow. "I do not belong here, but with so many cats I was afraid you wouldn't be able o hear me from down there." He nodded to the shadowy base of the rock. "I hope you will forgive my boldness. I do not mean to offend." The murmuring ceased. Ears pricked up and muzzles were raised to hear what the young RiverClan warrior would say next.
"Smooth as a snake," Bluefur growled.
"I know," Rosetail breathed, "and so handsome."
"You don't actually think-"
"Hush!" Rosetail cut her off. "He's speaking."
Oakheart went on to describe a situation the RiverClan cats were having with Twolegs invading their territory and Bluefur let her mind drift. A part of her yearned to be with Oakheart, the young warrior was handsome as Rosetail pointed out and she admired his strength. But he's also the reason her sister wasn't speaking to her!
"Wow." Rosetail leaned against Bluefur. "Why don't we have a warrior like Oakheart in ThunderClan?" she sighed.
"In case you hadn't noticed, he's RiverClan. There may be a truce, but we're still supposed to be loyal to our own Clanmates." Bluefur felt uncomfortable hearing Rosetail mooning over the RiverClan warrior. I'm jealous! She realized, pushing the thought away as quickly as it surfaced. The leaders were jumping down from the Great Rock. It seemed that the rich greenleaf had brought harmony to the Clans, and there was nothing more to discuss. Perhaps they'd be home before Tigerkit was asleep after all. And she could try reaching out to her sister and talking about the Gathering's events.
Bluefur padded up the slope, pulling ahead of her Clanmates. She didn't want to hear any more praise for the young RiverClan warrior. She wanted to push Oakheart out of her mind. If it wasn't for him, Snowfur would still be acting like her sister. And yet the memory of his gaze in the moonlight lingered in her mind. Bluefur recalled what she had said to Snowfur beside the river. RiverClan can't all be bad, can they? I mean, they must be cats like us.
Paw steps sounded at her tail as Sunstar caught up. "Are you in a hurry to get home?" he asked, puffing slightly.
"I just want to speak to Snowfur." Sunstar seemed to puff his chest out a little at that, proud that him requesting she go to the Gathering had seemed to force her to want to make the first step to healing the rift that had come in between them.
"I'm glad you came tonight."
"Did I have any choice?"
"We always have a choice," Sunstar reminded her. "I think Pinestar proved that."
Bluefur didn't reply. She wondered what the ThunderClan leader really wanted to say.
"For example," he went on.
Here we go.
"You can choose whether to help your Clan or be a burden to it."
"I'm not a burden."
Sunstar didn't seem interested in Bluefur's objections. "You can choose to mope around over a fight with your sister, or focus on being the best warrior you can be and hope that she can support you. You didn't lose her, Bluefur. Whatever's going on, it's just a fight and the bond between siblings is stronger than that."
It felt like they'd had this conversation before. When Moonflower died.
"I have high hopes for you, Bluefur. You were my apprentice once, and I will always feel like your mentor. I want you to strive to become the best warrior you can be, because I believe one day ThunderClan will have need of your gifts."
Bluefur slowed to a stop and allowed Sunstar to continue on without her. Does he know about the prophecy? Surely not, or he would have said something. Besides, blazing through the forest at the head of her Clan didn't seem so exciting now that she wasn't sure if Snowfur wanted to be by her side or not. Had she really believed Goosefether's vague prophecy once? Snowfur had said it was nonsense, just the rambling of a cranky old medicine cat. Maybe she'd been right all along.
As her Clanmates thronged around her at the top of the ravine, Bluefur gazed across the valley with Goosefeather's words echoing in her head.
You are fire, and you will blaze through the forest. But beware. Even the most powerful flames can be destroyed by water.