Hope ✓

Chapter Twenty-two

My eyes widened in shock. "She is? Couldn't Bella and Poppypaw heal her?" I asked.

The tom shook his head. "Apparently not."

I pushed my way through the crowd into the medicine den. Poppypaw was smoothing the Mistclan leader's striped sandy pelt down, preparing her for the vigil. Bella was tending to one of the other sick cats. The one closest to Lightstar of the crowd though, was Fogbreeze.

I tried to read my mentor's gaze, but he just stared down at the leader's motionless body, no emotions escaping his expression except for the faraway look in his eyes.

I sighed and sat beside him. "I didn't know her very well, but I could tell she had been a great leader."

Fogbreeze didn't show any sign that he heard, but Poppypaw nodded towards me.

"She was, the clan was lucky to have her and she should've served them for many seasons to come. In the end though, it's Starclan who decides our fate." The apprentice said.

Fogbreeze's gaze snapped up to Poppypaw and the black and white tom looked down, busying himself with the late leader again. I was about to question what was wrong when Fogbreeze stood up.

"It's time for the clan to sit vigil for our leader."

I nodded and padded out of the den behind him as he made his way through the crowd. I spotted Flick watching from a shaded corner of the camp but ignored him. Now was not the time to continue their argument, it was the time to honor Mistclan's lost leader.

-

Fogbreeze stood up and stretched as dusk approached. He nodded to the three elders of the clan and padded off into the trees without a word. Amberblaze was standing up from the circle of cats, and I approached her.

"Where's Fogbreeze going? Finding a place to bury Lightstar?" I asked.

Amberblaze sighed. "No, he's leaving to become leader."

I nodded in understanding. "Where's the place you share with Starclan?"

Amberblaze narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you ask someone who actually cares to listen to a stupid apprentice?" The ginger she-cat remarked before stalking off.

I shook my head, knowing there was no use trying to get the warrior to actually listen. I turned around to be confronted by the cat I wanted to speak to least of all.

"What do you want? To tell me we should leave again?"

Flick sighed. "I know you don't believe me, but I think I may know how to convince you. Come with me."

The sandy tom turned and padded to the camp entrance. I rolled my eyes but followed reluctantly. I couldn't just let him go out into the fog-filled forest on his own.

"Where are we even going?" I asked after we had padded a bit of ways from camp.

"Shh. You'll see." Flick whispered and lifted his nose to scent the air before setting off again.

Before long, Flick stopped. His gaze was fixed on something and my eyes followed to where he was looking. In the next tree, Fogbreeze was crouched in a tree stump.

"See what I told you? He's not even doing what you said leaders do when they become leader and receive their nine lives." Flick whispered.

I shook my head and turned away. "I'm not going through this again. Fogbreeze is a great cat, they just do things differently here. Who are we to judge their ways?" I began to pad away.

Flick caught up to me. "How much proof do you need before you actually listen to me? Why don't we ask Bella and see what she thinks?"

I whirled around to face him, my eyes narrowed. "You leave Bella out of this, she has her paws full enough as it is. As for you, I don't understand why you're so determined for us to leave. I finally find a clan willing to take me in after searching for moons and you want to just take that all away from me." I started walking away from him again.