Warriors; Roar of the River

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The crowd around Emberleaf was silent. She glanced around, but no cat met her gaze; their eyes remained on Ashstar, whose ominous words still seemed to be ringing around the clearing. Emberleaf desperately wanted something to distract her from the grief hanging over her head, and her disbelief and utter shock seemed to be working. She felt numb and confused.

“For now,” Ashstar called out, her eyes still misty and searching the crowd, “I want cats to go about their day normally by hunting and going on border patrols. ShadowClan’s new leader and deputy will have to be chosen by moonhigh, by their own Clanmates.”

Emberleaf listened as murmuring broke out over the crowd, sounding like a low buzzing in her ears. Who will be chosen as leader and deputy? How are we supposed to decide? Thoughts raced through her head as though they were hares sprinting over the moor. No cat of ShadowClan is wiser than Darkstar. We need him, she thought mournfully.

“Rosetail and I will organize border patrols, specifically to ShadowClan’s border, and then through ShadowClan territory to RiverClan’s border. I also want to send a patrol to WindClan camp, just in case. And Lionstar will organize hunting patrols.”

Ashstar dismissed the cats with a flick of her tail, but as she leapt from the Highledge, no cat moved. She didn’t look fazed by this as she walked past them to where her deputy, a spotted russet-brown she-cat, was standing near the fresh kill pile. Emberleaf stared blankly as they chose warriors from the crowd, and she padded over them, hoping to be assigned to head somewhere other than where she was; surrounded by her own feelings of horror.

When Emberleaf made her way to Ashstar and Rosetail, Ashstar dipped her head. “I understand you were Darkstar’s apprentice,” she whispered. “And you’re part of a prophecy?”

“Er…” Emberleaf trailed off, unsure of what to say. Sure, I’m part of a prophecy, but it’s not important. It’s never been about me. I’ve never been able to do anything for ShadowClan… I’ve only made mistakes… I lost my temper, I lost my father, and I lost so many of my own Clanmates! Her heart pounded with grief at how much the four Clans had changed, especially her own. RiverClan had taken so many lives from ShadowClan. And maybe I wasn’t powerless to stop it.

We’re supposed to be the fiercest Clan, she thought, infuriated. I want to take back all those lives and show RiverClan what a real warrior is like!

“Did you hear me?”

Ashstar’s annoyed voice snapped Emberleaf from her thoughts abruptly. She shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she meowed.

“I told you to lead a hunting patrol. Take whoever you want, as long as it’s not that filthy traitor you call your brother,” Ashstar hissed. Emberleaf narrowed her eyes.

“Shadefall’s as good a warrior as any cat,” she retorted. “His loyalty lies with us. He’s just been fooled by his beliefs.”

Even as she said this, she wasn’t sure she believed it, and Ashstar looked skeptical as well. “Whatever you say,” the silver she-cat growled. Emberleaf suppressed a sigh and turned to find cats to take on patrol with her. As if on cue, Thistlepaw padded over to her and mewed, “Are you leaving the camp?”