And here we are again. One of the last chapters of the book! And an interesting question here! Do you guys think that it's a big deal if a she-cat leader becomes pregnant? I personally think that it is a big no no because Bluestar couldn't have kits as a deputy, so why should she be able to as a leader when she has important leader duties to attend to? Mosskit shall not die in vain!
ALSO! You guys should check out the story: Echoes of a Whisper written by DahliaStarr! It's very very good! So go read it. Right now. And review it of course. Thank you!
Echoflight66: Thank you so much for your compliments! I've said it once and I'll say it a million times! :)
DahliaStarr: Hi! I read your book and now I am obsessive over it! Continue it like today please :3 Hehe just kidding though that would be nice… and thank you for what you say! They mean the world to me!
Click Clock: Oh don't worry, it's fine that you didn't review though it makes my day when I get reviews, I understand problems :) Sometimes hehe. And the finale is coming up… like the next few chapters are like the finale… be prepared!
Frostbliss: Hi! And I love Goldenkit already :) That doesn't sound too self-absorbed does it? Considering I made him up :3 Hehe oh well! I'm in a good mood today if you can't tell I'm just all over the place! (Especially the laptop lol) And Larchwing will leave RiverClan when her kits are apprenticed because otherwise nobody can look after them, just a reminder! And of course Larchwing and Lionfire are a cheesy couple! :) So are Stonefang and Rosewater… and Rushfall and Burningheart… okay so maybe I have a tendency for cheesiness right? Haha! Thanks for reviewing!
Amberflame: Hey! Thanks for all the compliments! :)
Chapter 34: Together
It took awhile for the fact to sink in that ThunderClan could be dead come tomorrow. WindClan doubled them in warriors, not to mention, even though Adderstar's warriors were not healthy, they were loyal and merciless, and as long as Adderstar was in charge, they'd kill any cat who threatened him.
Rosewater shuddered at the thought. How oblivious her Clan seemed to that fact. Perhaps Burningheart was right; maybe she needed to lead them out of the shadow that WindClan had laid over them. She looked around her Clan.
They seemed happy enough. Stormwhisper and Grayblaze chatted animatedly underneath the Highledge and Redstreak and Snowfeather shared tongues drowsily under the warm rays of the setting sun. Rosewater cast a glance at the camp entrance.
Lionfire wasn't back yet. He had left with Oakstar and Iceblossom to go negotiate about his kits. Rosewater was on edge waiting for him. What had happened? Great StarClan I hope that everything is okay. She thought her mind wandering.
"Hi Rosewater." Rosewater blinked, feeling a rush of warmth as she felt the familiar and sturdy pelt of Stonefang press against her. She let out a drowsy purr.
"Hey Stonefang." She murmured, leaning heavily against his side.
"Want to share a thrush with me?" he asked. Rosewater turned to him. His green eyes were shining brightly.
"Of course." She purred.
"Great." Stonefang murmured. Quickly he walked over to the fresh-kill pile. Rosewater admired his muscles rippling underneath his shining silver fur. He bent down and snatched up a plump thrush before turning tail and striding back over to Rosewater.
"I hope you don't expect me to eat all of that." Rosewater recoiled in fake horror, her eyes gleaming.
Stonefang purred. "Don't you of all know that I have the appetite of a badger?" he asked, his eyes shining with affection and playfulness.
Rosewater grinned. "So you're the reason why I starve during green-leaf?" She said accusingly, lashing her tail out.
Stonefang just purred and smiled at her before he laid down, Rosewater quickly joining his side. His short gray fur brushed against hers as she knelt her head down to bury her nose into the warm blood of the thrush.
How I've missed times like this… She let out a relaxed sigh as she sank her ivory fangs into the meat of the thrush. She chewed it up slowly before swallowing and leaning against Stonefang. He let out a lazy purr beside her, resting his chin on her back.
She scanned the clearing with her icy blue gaze to rest upon Snowfeather. Her former apprentice was batting Redstreak playfully. Rosewater tilted her head in wonder. Perhaps Dawnpool notices more than I do… She considered.
Her eyes caught those of Redstreak who almost recoiled in embarrassment as though what he was doing was wrong. Rosewater purred with amusement. Snowfeather seemed to notice his temporary distraction and took advantage of it. The slender white she-cat leapt up, angling towards Redstreak. Her paws placed neatly on his shoulders. Redstreak gave a yowl of surprise as he was bowled over.
Rosewater purred again, turning her head away to take another bite. Perhaps for today, she too could forget about WindClan's threat and Burningheart's decision for her to be a leader to her Clan since he had labeled Oakstar unable to.
I'm sure that Oakstar can handle ThunderClan just fine! She thought hotly with a frustrated lash of her tail. She felt a worried emotion wavering from Stonefang as he pressed against her. Rosewater let her muscles relax again. She got worked up too easily. She laid her head in her paws, nosing the thrush away.
"RiverClan!" At the familiar cry of Snowfeather, Rosewater's head snapped up. Her blue eyes narrowed as she flashed her head towards the entrance to their camp. RiverClan? Why would they be attacking when we are in our time of hardship with WindClan!
"It's alright!" Rosewater blinked her eyes as Lionfire's large golden head poked out. He had his jaws parted in alarm though he had said otherwise. His ruffled tabby fur blew gently in the wind, bringing in more scents.
RiverClan is definitely there… Rosewater got up on her paws as she padded nearer to her brother, staying at a safer distance; she sat down, her tail curled around her paws.
Lionfire looked behind him. "It's alright young one. Come ahead." He murmured softly. Rosewater noticed his eyes softened as he padded away, his eyes still fixated on the entrance. Suddenly, a small brown nose poked out of it.
Rosewater held her breath. "Goldenkit. It's alright; this is your new family." Lionfire soothed. The body of the nose peeking out soon followed, revealing a small golden tabby kitten, his blue eyes wide with curiosity and fear. Rosewater's sharp gaze softened.
Goldenkit… its Lionfire's son. She realized as she watched in awe. The way Goldenkit moved was similar to his father, sort of lumbering around like a badger, and he had the large-frame as his father did. Goldenkit bolted to Lionfire's side, peeking out from his legs like a mouse hiding in leaf-bare.
Two more cats slid from the entrance, Oakstar and Iceblossom. Oakstar looked over his Clan, his eyes revealing him to be quite nervous. Iceblossom reached up beside him, her white pelt turning silver as the sun disappeared. She whispered something urgently in his ear. Oakstar looked at her, though his eyes were concerned, he gave a small nod.
"RiverClan!" Rosewater froze at the caterwauling sound of her father. Grayblaze pushed through the crowd and Rosewater cringed when she saw him.
Though it had been many moons since Morningfeather's death, Rosewater hadn't gotten a good look of what it had exactly done to her father. His once sleek gray fur was in clumps and tangles. His formerly gentle and knowledgeable eyes were hard as rocks now, blistering with anger.
"What is the meaning of a RiverClan kit in our camp?" Grayblaze hissed, leaning downs towards Lionfire's son. Much to Rosewater's surprise, Goldenkit didn't shy away. He met Grayblaze boldly in the eye.
"I'm here with my father."
"Oh? And who's that then? More RiverClan cats invading our home?" Grayblaze spat.
"No. My father's standing right beside me."
Grayblaze rose slowly, as if suddenly putting the pieces together. He spun around to face Lionfire. Rosewater felt a twinge of fear as Lionfire recoiled, his eyes unreadable. "Your son?" Grayblaze growled. "This RiverClan disgrace is your son?"
Rosewater bolted forward. There she went again. Acting before she thought. She pushed her way ahead of Goldenkit. "Excuse me father." She meowed, her voice louder and bolder than she'd imagined it to be. She met Grayblaze in his baffled and angry eyes.
"I can reassure you that this kit is no disgrace." Rosewater growled.
Grayblaze looked at her smugly. "Oh? And how's that?"
"Do you know a young kit that would leave the Clan he knew and loved to go join another Clan, where he'd surely be out-casted?" Rosewater met her father's eyes, hard. "Well now you do. And I suggest that you go back to your nest and dream of Morningfeather again because if you say another harsh word about this kit then I'll claw off both of your ears."
Grayblaze turned away in a flash of gray fur. He bolted back into the warrior's den, their Clan members remaining speechless.
Lionfire shuffled uncomfortably on his paws. Rosewater noticed him glance towards Oakstar who stood frozen in surprise. Rosewater didn't turn away from glaring after her father. He was bristling with unease. How can he be so thick-minded? She thought angrily.
She twitched her ears in acknowledgement at the thick thud of the pads of Oakstar as he leaped onto the Highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" he called.
Rosewater felt her muscles drop in slight relaxation. She looked at her Clanmates and stiffened once more at the cautious glares they gave Goldenkit. He is just a kit! Leave him be! She stiffly followed Lionfire and his son to the front of the rows forming. She tipped her head up at her leader afterwards.
"We have news." Oakstar started, casting a wary glance over his Clan. He suppressed a sigh. "Lionfire had kits with Larchwing of RiverClan." He didn't pause and give his Clanmates time to protest. "She gave birth to Goldenkit, Sunkit, Brightkit, and Honeykit in RiverClan. We went over there to negotiate with them, and Goldenkit wished to come with us." Oakstar stopped.
"But he is not one of us! He is half-Clan!" Rosewater froze in cold fury at the sound of Thornbird. She turned around to see the golden tom's eyes sparking with anger.
"And do you forget the Legends of Lionstar (AKA Lionblaze, I think he'll be leader one day), Jayfeather and Hollyleaf? Or perhaps of Stormfur and Feathertail? Seems to me that many Half-Clanners do great things." Shinedove argued smugly.
"But what about Hawkfrost?" Thornbird scoffed. "He was nothing more than a scrape of crow-food!" he snarled.
"And his sister Mothwing? Sure she didn't believe in StarClan yet she was an undoubtedly a great medicine cat." Shinedove shot back, her own eyes blistering in defense of her brother's son. Thornbird revealed his fangs but sat back on his haunches.
There were murmurs of debate throughout the Clan. Rosewater pinned her ears back, trying to block them out. She focused her blue gaze on Goldenkit; the tabby tom sat next Oakstar, his ginger fur fluffed out twice its size and a mixture of fear and curiosity in his eyes.
Protests from ThunderClan started to get louder and louder. Rosewater noticed Thornbird coming back out of his recoil to shout out in protest. Grayblaze still was nowhere to be seen. Rosewater felt guilt tug at her heart. What happened to the sweet and gentle father she used to have?
She looked over at Lionfire to see his ears back as he lashed out hisses at his Clanmates who were opposing him. Rosewater looked at Oakstar to see the tabby tom huddled away, his eyes dim. We should be uniting together against WindClan… not falling apart. Rosewater thought desperately.
She sighed and gathered in a big breath to let out an ear-splitting yowl. Much to her plan, her Clanmates turned to face her, their ears drawn back in surprise, their eyes hard and angry, and their tails lashing out uncontrollably. Rosewater took in a steady breath.
"Enough!" Rosewater snarled, feeling her heart take control of her actions. She snapped her reddish brown tail out and let her icy eyes graze over the Clan. "Look at yourselves! We shouldn't let the coming of a new kit tear us apart when we are potentially days away from an attack!"
"Rosewater-
Rosewater snapped her tail up to cut off whatever Oakstar was about to say. She could feel the irritation flowing off of him but ignored it. She parted her jaws once more. "Goldenkit will be staying; he can be a valuable warrior to us, and who'd want to turn down one so strong of heart at such a young age? That only promises good things to come for him."
Rosewater smiled as she heard some murmurs of approval. She caught the amber eyes of Burningheart who dipped his head to her in approval. Feeling slightly more encouraged despite the irritated hisses coming from Oakstar, she continued.
"Featherfoot," he gaze rested on the long-furred silver tabby whose eyes snapped up when Rosewater called her name. The she-cat peeked out of the nursery with Firestripe sitting nearby, her belly growing with the upcoming birth of his kits. "Would you like to nurse Goldenkit?"
Featherfoot parted her jaws as she looked to Firestripe. The ginger tom nodded his head slowly at her, casting his own approval. Featherfoot turned back to look at Rosewater. "We'd be honored." She meowed.
Rosewater smiled. "Great." She purred. "Now we must unite, and prepare for the battle against WindClan! We shall be victorious!" she cried. Her spirits were uplifted as yowls of approval and encouragement waved off of her Clanmates.
"Rosewater! Rosewater! Rosewater!" Stonefang chanted. Rosewater's heart warmed as several other cats joined in. "Rosewater! Rosewater!"
"Rosewater." The dark cream she-cat froze at the voice of Oakstar.
"My Den. Now."