Chapter Eighteen

Sunfire picked up a mouse, carrying it over to the heap of brown and gray that was Pinefur. A day had passed since Mudspeckle had brought her to camp, and Lightningstar had said nothing about whether Pinefur would stay or go. Dropping the mouse, Sunfire nudged her.

Pinefur jerked her head up, bristling before she recognized Sunfire. "Sorry," she muttered. "Thought you were Shadowfur." After a moment, she added, "Heard Lightningstar talking to that tawny queen...Yellowflower? Something about mentors."

Sunfire's heart beat harder. Much as she wanted to mentor Softkit, there were warriors who were more likely to get her. Mudspeckle, Quickriver, even Badgerclaw. She, along with Raintail and Icestorm, would have to wait for Waterdrip's kits to be apprenticed, possibly longer. She felt a stab of irritation; she thought she deserved to mentor Softkit, but she knew that Lightningstar would have said something to her by now.

"I was hoping to mentor a tom before Waterstar joined with Shadowfur," said Pinefur. "He'd be apprenticed by now." Bitterness clung to her voice.

Before Sunfire could speak, Darkcloud came up. "Lightningstar wants to see us," he announced, then politely waited for her.

Hope and excitement pounded through Sunfire. "See you later," she said to Pinefur, then, Darkcloud beside her, walked towards Lightningstar's den.

"Do you know what he wants?" asked Sunfire.

"I've an inkling," murmured Darkcloud.

Slipping under the willow's trailing branches, Sunfire saw Lightningstar sitting in his nest, rhythmically washing his chest. Hearing them enter, he raised his head. His yellow eyes gleamed.

"An important ceremony is taking place tomorrow," he began. Sunfire's heart beat hard and fast, hope flaring inside her chest. "Softkit and Rustykit are being apprenticed. I have selected you to be their mentors."

Sunfire felt dizzy. Despite her sitting position, she nearly staggered. She could only nod like Darkcloud, hoping Lightningstar understood.

"The ceremony will be after the evening meal." Sunfire barely heard him. When Darkcloud stood to leave, Sunfire followed, unsure how she felt.

"You should be honored," said Darkcloud. "Lightningstar could have selected many other warriors more experienced than you."

Nodding and dipping her head to the older warrior, Sunfire watched him walk away. In a rush, she needed to tell Icestorm and Raintail. Looking wildly around camp, she spotted them both.

"You alright?" asked Raintail, scrutinizing her. "You look odd."

"Lightningstar's chosen me to be a mentor," Sunfire said quickly.

For a moment, her friends just stared. Then her words sunk in. Raintail's eyes danced.

"He did? That's great!" She was so sincere Sunfire had to purr with her.

"Who's the other cat?" asked Icestorm, not moving towards her, his tone close to chilly.

Sunfire's purr faltered. "Darkcloud." Something was wrong. Icestorm wasn't...aloof like this. Something fairly largemust've happened to get Icestorm cold like this.

"Which kit are you getting? When's the ceremony?" asked Raintail.

"Don't know, and tomorrow evening."

Raintail tilted her head. "Strange that he waited so long to tell you."

Sunfire shrugged; she wouldn't have cared if Lightningstar had waited until minutes before the ceremony, so long as she became a mentor. She glanced at Icestorm; he stood unmoving, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Aren't you the youngest warrior?" asked Pinefur, leaving the spot she'd been told to stay in and joining Sunfire.

"Along with Icestorm and Raintail," answered Sunfire.

"Big compliment that Lightningstar chose you, then."

Sunfire murmured agreement, forgetting what she'd agreed to; Icestorm had flicked his tail in farewell and was starting up the slope. Something's up. He wasn't himself.

"I'll see you later," she muttered to Pinefur and Raintail, weaving around them, and trotting to catch up with Icestorm.

Reaching the top of the slope, she saw his silvery banner-like tail disappear behind a bush. Pushing away the strange nervousness that rose inside her, Sunfire raised her head, hoped her fear didn't show, and ran after Icestorm.

She caught up with him seconds later, slowing her pace to match his. He acknowledged her presence only with a flick of an ear, and barely glanced at her.

"What's up with you?" she asked, surprised at the gentleness of her own voice.

He sighed and sat down, studying the sky. "I envy you," he said quietly, all trace of his sudden coldness gone."Raintail and I were made warriors with you, but you're the one who gets an apprentice first." He turned to meet her gaze, and Sunfire could not look away. "I wanted to be a mentor with you," he continued. "Now you'll be around Darkcloud more." His tone turned bitter, and he looked away.

Sunfire was at a loss for words. Touched, warmed, and a little incredulous, she pressed her flank against his. "You think I'll enjoy mentoring with Darkcloud as much as I would with you?" She would also like to be a mentor along with Raintail, her best friend, but it was a different matter with Icestorm. Her words seemed to have worked; Icestorm faced her again and touched his nose to hers.

Sunfire knew she was shaking, her heart pounding powerfully, heat rushing to every hair on her pelt. With the deepest rush of affection she'd ever felt, along with a wave of nervousness, the question she ached to ask burned in her mind. Sunfire's courage surpassed that of many other warriors, but this required a different kind of courage, a kind that, she now knew, was a little shaky.

Worst that'll happen is I'll feel like a complete and utter fool for the rest of my natural life, she thought, with no small amount of sarcasm. Steeling herself for a negative, she spat it out. "Do you love me?" She cursed herself; she'd really gone and asked it.

He twisted his ears as though unsure of what she'd said. Then his midnight-blue eyes glimmered. "I'm surprised you have to ask." He pressed his muzzle to hers.

Recognizing a "yes", Sunfire felt faint. Feeling worlds away from her impatient, dry-humored, and slightly short-tempered other self, a purr rumbled up in her throat, mingling with Icestorm's, as she leaned into him, feeling content to stay.

All in a horrible, unwelcome rush, she remembered her dreams. From just last night, where he abandoned her on the mountains; and the one from moons ago, where he turned away from her. Closing her eyes tight, Sunfire pushed down her fear and distrust, forcing the bristling of her tail to stop.

StarClan, why Icestorm, too? Aren't Shadowfur and Hawkclaw enough?

;-;-;-;

Sitting tall, her pelt blazing, Sunfire sat near the head of the Clan, pride pounding through her. Yellowflower sat with her kits on either side of her outside the nursery, her green eyes gleaming. Icestorm and Raintail flanked Sunfire; when Icestorm pressed against her briefly, Sunfire flicked her tail uncomfortably, yet purred.She was bound to crack under the pressure of her conflicting emotions for him, and she dreaded the day it would happen.

Lightningstar jumped onto the Hightree, waving his tail for silence. "We gather here this sundown for two reasons," he called, his yellow eyes roaming over the Clan. "First, a naming ceremony. Come forward," he said to Softkit and Rustykit. The she-kit bolted over, her tail straight up, eyes flashing with determination. Rustykit followed slowly.

"From this moment on, until they have earned their warrior names, these apprentices are to be known as Softpaw and Rustypaw. Darkcloud," Lightningstar turned to the black warrior, "you are without an apprentice since Badgerclaw became a warrior. You will be mentor to Rustypaw."

"Sunfire," continued Lightningstar, "you will be mentor to Softpaw." Raising her tail and head high, Sunfire walked over to the tawny apprentice, touching her nose to hers. The fact that nearly every cat yowled congratulations for her gave her a rush of satisfaction; she finally seemed to have been accepted as a loyal Clan cat, not just a half-blood.

Softpaw bounding beside her, Sunfire walked to the edge of the camp, holding her tail in a jaunty curl. Becoming aware that Softpaw was jabbering loudly, Sunfire silenced her with a nudge and turned her attention to the Hightree again.

"Second," Lightningstar continued, "I would like to offer Morning a true place among us. For several moons has she lived in our camp, hunting and patrolling as any warrior. In battle, she has proven her loyalties lie with ThunderClan. She has learned the warrior code. Morning," he found the gray she-cat, who looked self-concious yet pleased, "Do you accept the post of a ThunderClan warrior?"

Interested in her response, Sunfirecraned her neck to see Morning."I do," she replied.

"As a warrior of ThunderClan," Lightningstar continued, "you must have a warrior name." Sunfire, knowing what was coming, wondered if Lightningstar would use the traditional words; Morning had never been a ThunderClan apprentice. "From this moment on you will be known as Morningcloud. Your loyalty and determination is honored by ThunderClan." Slowly, the Clan began calling Morningcloud's name, as they would for any new warrior. Sunfire wondered if StarClan would accept Morningcloud; Lightningstar had not used the age-old words.

He slid off the Hightree, then moved to speak with Mudspeckle. No word on Pinefur, thought Sunfire. Has he forgotten? Giving Softpaw a nudge in the direction of the apprentice's den, Sunfire felt weighted down by all that went on around her. The Tribe gaining Clan cats; Hawkclaw, and no catto believe her that he had murdered; her simultainious love and distrust of Icestorm; the need to mentor Softpaw to the best of her ability.

StarClan, I have faith you watch over me and know theweight I carry. Keep in mind I can only do so much.

;-;-;-;

Now I can only do so much and I will never deviate --Headstones, Cubically Contained