Chapter Nineteen
DISCLAIMER
If I owned warriors, Feathertail would've survived the fall, the three would belong to Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, and Spottedleaf and Firestar would never have loved each other
Silverdapple pushed her way into camp, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her fur. She had just gone for a walk to stretch her legs and had also been looking for a juicy vole to take to her sister. Clearmist was now taking tentative walks around the clearing, though her fur was still covered with rushes and cobwebs. Jayfeather had tried taking her to the lake to swim like he had done with Cinderheart – Cinderpaw then – many moons ago. It was working, for Clearmist no longer grimaced with pain when she put weight on the injured leg.
"Hey, Clearmist." Silverdapple mewed, dropping the vole at her sister's paws.
"Hi, Silverdapple. Is that vole for me?"
"Nah, " Silverdapple purred sarcastically, "It's for Maplekit and Birdkit."
"But they can't even eat fresh-kill yet," Clearmist laughed obviously detecting the sarcasm. She bent down and took an eager bite. "Mmm…" She murmured. She pushed some toward Silverdapple.
"Thanks." She mewed. The two sisters tucked in to the fat vole. "Let's take these feathers to the nursery." Silverdapple said when they had finished.
"Ok. Have you seen Millie's kits? And Honeyfern's? They are so cute!" Clearmist exclaimed.
"I know, right?" Silverdapple replied. They walked toward the nursery. Silverdapple was about to push through the small entrance when a soft pelt brushed hers. A familiar scent wreathed around her that usually would've relaxed her, but instead it made her want to spit with fury.
"Silverdapple," Foxleap began. She turned her head away.
"I'm taking feathers to the queens." She hissed.
"Silverdapple, please," Foxleap said more desperately.
"I'll take the feathers in, Silverdapple." Clearmist purred with a knowing glance at the two cats.
"Wait – " she began, but the injured warrior was already pushing her way inside. Surprised greetings floated out of the nursery.
"Can we go into the forest?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No. Whatever you need to say to me, you can say here. Unless you're going to accuse me of jumping down your throat again." She challenged angrily.
"Silverdapple, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I don't think that you're like your brother in that sense, I just meant that lately you were both a bit jumpy. But not in a bad way," he amended hastily. "I just mean, I'm sorry."
Silverdapple looked into his eyes and saw genuine regret there and grudgingly, she realised he meant it. "Ok, I forgive you." She purred affectionately.
"So… Do you want to go hunting?"
"Alright." She muttered reluctantly. More clearly, she added, "Have you eaten yet?" Foxleap nodded. "Ok then, let's go."
They charged into the forest and practically fell over a mouse. Silverdapple nipped the back of its neck quickly and buried it. When she caught up to Foxleap, she saw him stealthily stalking a robin. It was snoozing on a branch. It didn't even wake when Foxleap brushed against stalks of bracken. With a mighty leap, he heaved himself off of the floor and snagged his claws into the robin's wing. It woke with a start and fluttered away. But Foxleap's claws were still in it. He batted at it with his other paw but the robin gave one frantic heave and escaped.
"Bad luck," she called. Secretly, she had thought he would catch it – Foxleap was great at jumping and he had almost caught it. He nodded absently at her. They continued through the forest. A rabbit appeared in front of them and Foxleap thundered after it as soon as it noticed them. Silverdapple leaped in front of the rabbit, cutting off its escape route. Foxleap lunged at it, and it practically threw itself at Silverdapple's claws.
Overall, the hunt had gone pretty well. Silverdapple had managed to catch another two mice, but so far, Foxleap had missed every single piece of prey. Something was clearly bothering him.
"Is everything ok?" Silverdapple asked.
"Yes," he said but he did not meet her eyes.
"If everything is okay, why are you being so lousy at hunting today?"
"What a weird way to kick me when I'm down."
"Aha! So you are upset."
"No," he said, "I'm not. I'm just…" He trailed off and looked in the other direction.
"Distracted?" She asked. He nodded absently again. Then it hit her. "You like somebody!" She exclaimed. Inside her heart was sinking. What was I thinking? Of course Foxleap likes somebody else. After all, we're just friends. I don't care. We're just friends. Just friends. The thought pierced Silverdapple no matter how much she denied it.
"You know me too well," he rasped, bringing Silverdapple back up to attention.
"Well, who is it. You don't just eat half a black-bird!"
"No."
"No?" She purred in amusement. "You clearly don't know me well enough. Who is it? Is it Briarlight? Rosepetal? Oh my goodness! It's Blossomfall! You're in love with your best friend's future mate!" Silverdapple exclaimed.
"It's not Briarlight, Rosepetal or Blossomfall. And whoever said that Lighteningclaw was my best friend?"
"Fine then… Who else… Clearmist!"
"No."
Only one cat left… "Is it… me?"
"You know me too well." He rasped again only softer. When Silverdapple didn't reply, and just stared at him blankly, he continued. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed. I tried to comfort you when Brambleclaw joined StarClan, but I was more caring then any other clanmate. I brought you food when you were hungry. It feels like claws sink into my heart every time we fight and you run off without me. I don't know how you failed to see all that. I thought you liked me too – we spent a lot of time together as apprentices. You brought food to me when I was sick. You stopped calling me Foxdung, and when you did, I thought you were embarrassed and were using names to cover it up."
"Foxleap," she began, but he cut her off short.
"I understand if you don't feel the same way. But please let me say this," he mewed as she tried to interrupt again, "I hate the fact that I love the way your eyes glow when you bring down a piece of prey. I hate the fact that I love how your fur shines in the sunlight and moonlight, and how your eyes reflect the light of the stars… They sparkle, Silverdapple. They really do. I hate the way that I love how your voice sounds smoother then honey, softer than petals and sheep fur. I hate the way I love how your scent is warmer then the sun and sweeter then the juiciest mouse. But I don't hate how much I love you."
Silverdapple stared into his amber eyes, shining with his love, and she knew that she felt the same.
"I love you too, Foxleap." She whispered. The pair set off into the woods, back to camp, with their tails twined and pelts just brushing.
Silverdapple was in a daze of happiness. Foxleap loved her! She found herself instinctively going to the medicine den where her sister was.
"Clearmist," she murmured. "I feel so wonderful."
"Yes, yes, I'm sure that Foxleap is madly in love with you and I'm sure your head is full of stars but I have something important to tell you!"
"How did you know?"
"How did I know what?"
"That Foxleap confessed."
"I don't know. But that's beside the point! Silverdapple, listen to me!" Her normally calm and clear blue eyes were urgently serious and misty.
"What's wrong?"
"I had a nightmare," she began, but Silverdapple cut her off harshly.
"Clearmist! You're a warrior! Nightmares are just a figment of your imagination."
"I'm not done yet! At the end I saw Brambleclaw's eyes and smelled his scent. I heard him say very faintly 'The trouble is closer then you think,' then I woke up."
"Maybe—" This time, Silverdapple was cut off by Jayfeather.
"If you guys are going to sit around and gossip, you may as well go into the clearing!" He snapped. "I'm busy here!"
Silverdapple knew something was wrong. Though grumpier then Mousefur and snappier then a piranha, Jayfeather always had a calm glint in his eyes. But now, the clouded blind eyes were troubled as though something had happened. Before either she-cat could point this out, a startled yowl came from the clearing.
"Spiderleg! Oh, Spiderleg!" It was Ferncloud. Silverdapple trooped into the clearing and stopped dead. The deputy was deeply unconscious, his head lolling and blood welling around his neck. Jayfeather raced out, aroused undoubtedly by the scent of blood, and gave a quick sniff.
"Take him to my den," he ordered. He sounded calm and in control again, but as he passed Silverdapple, she felt his quivering pelt and heard him whisper, "StarClan help me!"
"What happened?" Firestar demanded, bounding down.
"Spiderleg… was hunting alone!" Ferncloud sobbed. "He got caught… In a fox-trap!" The gentle queen yowled.
"What?" Firestar sounded startled.
"My patrol found him near the lake. He had obviously been there for a while. We dug the trap, but he was bleeding uncontrollably. We tried to stop the bleeding, but it kept pouring." Thornclaw said.
"Jayfeather is a gifted medicine cat," Firestar murmured, "But even the most skilled medicine cat can not change the paws of fate." As soon as the words were finished Jayfeather stepped out, his eyes brimming with sorrow and defeat.
"He's dead," he announced softly. Ferncloud let out a strangled yowl and went to race to the medicine den. Dustpelt stopped in front of her and she rested her muzzle in his fur.
"We will hold vigil right away!" Firestar announced.
"Who will be deputy now?"
"I can't believe that Spiderleg is dead!"
"Caught in a fox-trap! I'm never going hunting alone again!" Mournful murmurs rose from the startled clan.
"Foxleap…" Silverdapple said. The tom was grieving silently for his brother.
"He's in StarClan now." He murmured. Silverdapple pressed her nose to his ear and purred comfortingly.
It was nearly moonhigh.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge for a clan meeting!" The familiar summons brought the clan into the main clearing, some stumbling out from their dens.
"It is time to appoint a new deputy, and might I add, much too soon. Spiderleg had his whole life in front of him," Firestar paused, his head bowed in grief as Ferncloud and Dustpelt let out murmurs of sadness. "I saw him one day leading the clan – though perhaps with a much calmer deputy. We all know how hot-headed Spiderleg could be at times."
Even though sadness rippled through the clan, amused mrrows escaped the gathered cats at this comment.
"I say these words before the body of Spiderleg and hope he approves my choice. Lighteningclaw will be the next deputy of ThunderClan." Surprised gasps erupted from the crowd, and Lighteningclaw looked slightly stunned. However, Silverdapple could not bring herself to feel anything even though her brother was now Clan Deputy. There was something different about him these days…
"Firestar," Toadstep called out boldly, "Surely there is some mistake? Wouldn't it be better for a more experienced warrior to be deputy?" He glanced in Brackenfur and Graystripe's direction.
"I too, originally had plans for other warriors. But Jayfeather came to me with a dream… Well, he can describe it better then I can."
The blind medicine cat scrambled up the rocks until he stood beside Firestar.
"I had a dream," he began softly.
"Speak up!" Mousefur mewed impatiently.
"The camp was covered in darkness." He went on more loudly. "But even then, I could see that it was in ruins. Cats lay dead on the floor. Others lay badly wounded. Those that were unscathed huddled together in terrified groups. But then, a claw of lightening flashed through the sky. It lit up the camp. The dead cats were alive again, the wounded healed, the unscathed confident. Rain came pouring down, and claws of lightening encircled the camp."
When he finished, there were accepting murmurs. Cats crowded around Lighteningclaw. Of course, Silverdapple purred encouragingly after Clearmist had licked her brother's ear, and Blossomfall had wound her tail happily with his, but yet, Silverdapple felt no excitement. Only a dark dread that lay like a stone in her belly. Somehow, Lighteningclaw was evil, and she knew that whatever happened, ThunderClan's future was in danger…