Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal my characters intentionally.
Chapter 14
Rowanwind paced impatiently outside of Frostflower's den. Thunderstripe sat nearby beside Palepaw, who was nervously kneading the ground with her paws. Lightdew was lying on Palepaw's other side, her tail twitching impatiently. Crookedfern, who had been out on a patrol and had been fetched when Purepaw had gotten back to camp, licked Lightdew's ear distractedly. All of them were anxious to hear Frostflower's diagnosis on how Purepaw was doing.
The bracken shook and all eyes darted to Frostflower's face. Relief flooded Rowanwind when he saw Frostflower looked hopeful.
"The injury didn't damage his actual eye," Frostflower meowed. "It looks as if the injury only affected the flesh above and below his eye. He should be able to see just as well as he did before, but he'll be left with a nasty scar."
"Will he be able to continue training?" Rowanwind wondered with dread.
"Once he is healed enough, yes," Frostflower said. "But only StarClan knows how long that will take."
Rowanwind sighed. "It's all my fault."
"No, it isn't," Thunderstripe said. "It's the stupid badger's fault."
Rowanwind didn't feel like arguing. He turned away and padded over to the fresh-kill pile to lie down, alone, and think about what had happened.
"Hello there, Rowanwind. I'm sorry to hear about your apprentice," a familiar voice said.
Rowanwind opened his eyes. He wasn't in the darkness of sleep any longer; trees surrounded him and the lake sparkled with stars nearby.
"Hello, Firestar," Rowanwind said. "You must have seen what happened with Purepaw, if you know about it."
"There was nothing to be done," Firestar replied quietly. Rowanwind noticed a look in the tom's eyes, as if he were remembering something that had happened long ago.
"So, why are you here in my dreams tonight?" Rowanwind wondered.
Firestar's cloudy look evaporated. "There is something you need to see. Wake up and follow me."
Rowanwind felt himself waking. He blinked his eyes a few time in the darkness. Soft snores came from the sleeping cats around him. Quietly, he slipped out of his nest beside Stormypelt and headed out of the den. Thornfur was seated on a rock near the entrance, guarding the camp.
"Couldn't sleep?" Thornfur meowed.
"Yes. I'm going for a walk to try and relax," Rowanwind replied.
"Be careful," Thornfur said.
"I will."
Rowanwind pushed his way through the tunnel and outside the camp. His thoughts drifted back to the time he was a kit, hoping he would get Thornfur as a mentor. He was happy that Stormpaw, his nephew, had gotten Thornfur as his mentor when Rowanwind had not. Rowanwind had felt so disappointed when he was apprenticed to Ashfang, but by the time she had given her life in battle, they had grown a strong bond. And now, she watched over him from StarClan.
"Are you ready? Or should I let you finish your thoughts?"
Rowanwind blinked and looked around. Firestar was sitting not too far away at the base of a small oak tree. "I'm ready to go."
Without another word, Firestar stood and began to trek through the forest. Rowanwind followed, trying to keep as close as possible, wondering where in the world his ancestor was taking him.
It didn't take long for Rowanwind to realize where he was being led. Firestar was taking him to the spot where Clawstar, Dapplefoot, and Cottonbrave had all lost lives. Only Clawstar, having been granted nine lives by StarClan, had survived out of the three.
Rowanwind jerked back when Firestar suddenly disappeared. A strange, almost familiar, scent reached him. Cautiously, he walked forward and around a bush.
A tom was sitting, staring at a patch of grass, his pelt shimmering silvery white in the light of the moon. Rowanwind immediately recognized him as the cat he'd seen standing over the body of a thrush that had been killed by the Twoleg poachers. What was he doing, just sitting there?
Slowly, the tom looked up at Rowanwind. His yellow eyes were filled with sorrow. But what could this cat possibly be sad about?
"A very special cat died here," the tom meowed. He gestured at the tuft of grass.
Rowanwind blinked. How could he have known that? Why was this strange cat here in the first place? "Who are you?"
"My name is Ghostlight," he replied softly. "You know the special cat. He was related to you by blood."
"How do you know that?" Rowanwind demanded, the fur on his shoulders bristling. "How could you possibly know that?"
The cat shrugged. "I've never been very certain how I know such things. It may have to do with my use of magick."
"So you do know magick!" Rowanwind said. "You used it to disappear the first time I saw you."
"Yes. I'm sorry about that, but it wasn't the right time to speak to you," Ghostlight said. "Now, however, is the right time."
"Why do you need to speak to me?" Rowanwind wondered, sitting down.
"You must hear my story," Ghostlight said. "It will help you understand my reasons for being here."
"Okay," Rowanwind agreed.
"I was born in DarkClan to a she-cat named Mangle. She gave birth to me and another tom, whose name does not matter," Ghostlight said. "As I was being born, sparkling cats came to me. They said to me, 'Little one of snow white fur, we grant you these nine lives. Save the water, save the shadow, save the thunder and the meadow. Your friend is red, your foe is black. Know that StarClan has your back.'
"When DarkClan's leader, Sly, saw me, I was taken away and killed by him. However, I came back to life. A loner named Dannie found me. One of DarkClan's ancestors, Deathmask..."
"Deathmask!" Rowanwind gaped. "I know him! He's come to me in my dreams!"
Ghostlight nodded. "Deathmask was watching over me when Dannie found me. He watches over me still, like a shadow that speaks. He told Dannie to raise me and tell me about my heritage when she thought I was ready for it.
"Once I learned about the evil I'd been born into and was fortunate enough to never be a part of, I vowed to follow DarkClan wherever they went. It took me some time to find them. Ever since then, I have followed them and watched, silently, as they destroy home after home.
"I've met many cats on my journey. None have been powerful enough to stop DarkClan. Until now. You, Rowanwind, are the only cat with a will strong enough to defeat DarkClan. DarkClan is going to pay for what they did to me. When I see the time is right, I will battle Sly and tire him out. Then, it will be up to you to go in for the kill."
Rowanwind felt a shiver go down his spine. He'd always known it would come down to that, but hearing Ghostlight put it that way made it sound so much more foreboding and final. "How did you know my name?"
"It is the same as how I know that a special cat died here," Ghostlight said. His yellow eyes filled with sorrow again. "Was he very close to you? You did something very nice for him before he passed on."
Rowanwind nodded. "He was my half-brother's son. My cousin. We never got along very well, but his death hit me really hard. I gave him what he was wishing for the most while he was alive: a warrior name."
"Was it DarkClan who killed him? I can feel their presence here," Ghostlight murmured.
"Yes. Cottonbrave sacrificed himself to try and stop the DarkClan cats from hurting our leader, Clawstar," Rowanwind explained.
"Cottonbrave. It suits him," Ghostlight said, blinking slowly. His eyes suddenly widened in surprise. "There are...outlines. Faint outlines. They remind me of the outline of my kittenself."
"You're probably seeing the lives Clawstar lost," Rowanwind said. "StarClan grant nine lives to leaders. I don't know why they gave you nine lives. Maybe you're supposed to be leader of DarkClan?"
"No!" Ghostlight hissed. "DarkClan will have no leaders after Sly. It's my destiny to make certain of that."
"But if you were DarkClan's leader, you could make them good again," Rowanwind said. "Wouldn't that be the same as destroying them?"
"The only way for DarkClan to be destroyed is if Sly is killed," Ghostlight replied. "I will not be taking his place."
"If killing Sly is the only way to end DarkClan, then that's what I'm going to have to do," Rowanwind said. He realized that dawn was approaching. "Would you like to come stay with us in ThunderClan? We might not have enough room, but you could come stay as our guest."
Ghostlight's ears twitched. "Your Clan has had many tough times in recent seasons. I do not want to be a burden."
"You wouldn't be. As long as you help us out a little, nobody will have any objections to having you as our guest," Rowanwind said. "Especially when I tell them you're here to help us against DarkClan."
"If you insist," Ghostlight replied. "Lead the way."
"When we get to camp, wait outside the entrance. I'll fetch our leader, Clawstar, and tell him about you. Clawstar will have to make the final decision," Rowanwind warned.
"That is fine with me," Ghostlight said.
Once Rowanwind had told Clawstar everything he'd learned about Ghostlight, Clawstar had no objections to allowing Ghostlight to stay in ThunderClan, as a guest.
"You understand we are welcoming you as a guest," Clawstar said to Ghostlight after the two toms had been introduced. "This is not an acceptance of you into our Clan."
"I mean no offense, but I do not wish to become part of your Clan," Ghostlight said. "I am here strictly to aide in the defeat of DarkClan, nothing more and nothing less."
Clawstar nodded. "Good. I will wake the Clan now and tell them of our decision."
Rowanwind and Ghostlight followed Clawstar into camp. Clawstar headed over to the rock beneath Highledge he'd been using to speak to the Clan.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here before me for a Clan meeting!" Clawstar meowed loudly.
Rowanwind sat down near Clawstar with Ghostlight beside him. He watched the entrances to the dens rustle as warriors, apprentices, queens, and elders came out. Frostflower slinked out of her den with Maggotpaw right behind her. Whispers began to travel between the cats as some of them spotted Ghostlight.
"Cats of ThunderClan, we have a guest among us," Clawstar said. "His name is Ghostlight. He is here because he wants to help us get rid of DarkClan. I don't doubt his motives. You can all see his entirely white pelt. DarkClan would never ally themselves with such a 'light-demon,' as they call us."
"How would we know that for certain? They used Maggotpaw to spy on us!" Crookedfern reminded everyone.
Rowanwind glanced over to see Maggotpaw duck her head down in shame at Crookedfern's words.
"I promise you all that I am not working for DarkClan!" Ghostlight said, loud enough for all of the cats to hear. "I was born as a DarkClan cat. Sly threw me out because of my white pelt. When I learned of my horrible heritage, I vowed to do whatever I could to destroy DarkClan!"
Rowanwind noticed Ghostlight's yellow eyes scanning the crowd of cats. The fur on Ghostlight's shoulders suddenly rose. Following Ghostlight's gaze, Rowanwind realized that the white tom was staring at Duskpaw, who was quietly seated beside Crookedfern. Did Ghostlight somehow know that Duskpaw had once been a DarkClan cat?
Ghostlight gave a ferocious yowl and sprang at Duskpaw. The apprentice gave a yelp and dodged out of the way quickly. Ghostlight spun just as fast and slammed Duskpaw's shoulders to the ground. The white tom snarled in Duskpaw's face. Rowanwind went to save Duskpaw when Ghostlight suddenly froze. The white tom's yellow eyes widened as he stared into Duskpaw's mismatched eyes.
Rowanwind pricked his ears in time to catch Ghostlight whisper, "...a tom with one eye as green as new spring leaves and one eye as blue as the noon sky..."
"Ghostlight!" Rowanwind shouted. "What are you doing?"
Ghostlight slid off of Duskpaw.
The black tom shifted onto his feet and shook himself. "Are you mouse-brained?" Duskpaw spat. "What in StarClan's name are you attacking me for?"
Ghostlight hissed. "You have DarkClan blood in you!" Ghostlight looked up at Clawstar. "How do you know this tom is not a spy?"
"I trust Duskpaw," Clawstar replied. "He refused to kill a kit that DarkClan kidnapped from RiverClan, one of our neighboring Clans. Duskpaw rescused the kit and returned her to her rightful home."
Ghostlight turned back to Duskpaw. "Duskpaw? What was the name given to you when you were born?"
Duskpaw sat back on his haunches, his tail lashing back and forth. "My mother named me Switch."
"I knew it!" Ghostlight purred. "What good fortune this is! I am very glad that I don't have to destroy my little brother."
Duskpaw's eyes widened in surprise. "Little brother? What are you going on about? How could I be your brother?"
"Our parents never told you?" Ghostlight shook his head sadly. "Of course they didn't. Mangle and Snarl would never have allowed you to learn about me. Have you learned the truth behind your mother's death?"
"Nobody would tell me why Sly killed my mother," Duskpaw whispered, his eyes glazed. "I'd always wondered why Snarl never chose another mate after that. I just thought he'd actually loved my mother and couldn't bare to take another mate."
"Sly forbid Snarl from ever choosing another mate," Ghostlight said. "I know because I was there. It happened just after they killed an acquaintance of mine."
"You were there?" Duskpaw stared at Ghostlight. "Have you been following DarkClan?"
"Yes, I have. How else am I supposed to fulfill my vow to destroy them? I'm just glad that you have gone against them, as well. It is better for brothers to be on the same side in a war such as this," Ghostlight said.
"How do you know I'm the little brother?" Duskpaw wondered curiously.
"Just a guess," Ghostlight replied with a knowing look in his yellow eyes. "I'm usually right about such things."
"This is all very fascinating," Clawstar interrupted. "But the Clan needs to get back to it's daily life. Isn't it about time the dawn patrol left?"
"We'll leave now," Rainfur said. "Nimblepaw, come on!"
Blackcloud and Reedclaw followed the mother and daughter out of the camp to do the dawn patrol.
"You can all go back to your duties," Clawstar said, jumping down from the rock. He padded over to where Rowanwind was sitting with Ghostlight and Duskpaw. "This is an unusual coincidence. I'm very glad the two of you have found one another again, but don't let this new knowledge keep you from your duties, Duskpaw."
"I won't, Clawstar," Duskpaw replied.
"Speaking of duties, you need to clean out the elders' den this morning, Duskpaw," Crookedfern said from where he was sitting close by.
"Okay, Crookedfern," Duskpaw said. He looked back at Ghostlight. "That was my mentor. I have to do what he tells me to."
"Don't let me keep you," Ghostlight said. "We can catch up later."
"Rowanwind, why don't you show Ghostlight around the camp?" Clawstar suggested.
"Good idea. Come on, Ghostlight. We can start at the medicine cat's den," Rowanwind said.
Ghostlight followed Rowanwind around the rather quiet camp. Most of the cats had gone back into their dens to rest for a little while longer before the sun fully rose. Rowanwind showed Ghostlight Frostflower's den, the nursery, the apprentices' den, the warriors' den, and the dirtplace. He was showing Ghostlight where they kept the fresh-kill pile when a familiar, loud noise echoed through the forest.
Rowanwind and Ghostlight flattened themselves to the ground, their fur bristling with fear. It didn't take long for Rowanwind to get over the ringing in his ears. Clawstar came racing back out of Frostflower's den. Rowanwind heard Summerkit and Springkit mewing in fright inside the nursery. Warriors and apprentices came running back out of their dens.
The fear scent wafting from his Clanmates was overwhelming Rowanwind. Everyone was frightened about the sound. Rowanwind looked around helplessly, his mind reeling. The Twolegs had taken one of his Clanmates already. How could he possibly stop any more of his Clanmates from being killed?
The tunnel entrance shook. All eyes turned to watch Nimblepaw scrambling into the camp. She looked twice her normal size due to her entire pelt being fluffed out. Even from where he sat beside the fresh-kill pile, Rowanwind could make out Nimblepaw's wide, frightened, amber eyes.
"Nimblepaw!" Clawstar called, smoothly winding his way between the gathered ThunderClan cats. "What's the matter?"
Nimblepaw let out a dry sob. "It's...Blackcloud!"
Rowanwind noticed Thornfur's shoulders tense.
"What happened, Nimblepaw?" Clawstar demanded, the fur along his shoulders bristling.
"Blackcloud...is dead!" Nimblepaw screamed, her voice echoing off the walls of the quiet ThunderClan camp.
End of Chapter Fourteen
Author's Notes: Oh, no! Not Blackcloud! He was one of my favorite characters! Why did I kill him off if he's one of my favorite characters? Honestly, I don't know.
On a better note...yay, my readers have finally met Ghostlight! Keep an eye out for Warriors Descended Ghostlight's Story: A Legend in the Making! It's going to tell Ghostlight's life story, from his birth to his death! I've only just started to write his story, and I can already tell that I'm going to have fun writing it!