Brackenfur had rushed to Firestar immediately and told him the news. "THUNDERCLAN, RETREAT!" Firestar called. Sandstorm was the last to leave, watching Firestar. "I'll be back in a moment," he said, flicking his tail. Sandstorm turned tail and left. Firestar padded over to Onewhisker and murmured something to him, and Onewhisker nodded, grief in his amber eyes. Firestar padded to Mudclaw and dipped his head to him. "Onewhisker forfeits. You win." Mudclaw smiled, and looked at Barkface. "I will receive my lives in a moment." He turned to Onewhisker. Onewhisker crouched down, and dipped his head to Mudclaw. Mudclaw slashed at Onewhisker's eyes, as hard as he could, and the golden tom yowled in pain. Blood poured, quickly washed away by the rain. Firestar looked helpless. That's what you get for nosing in our business. Mudclaw thought, pleased. Firestar turned, tail tucked, towards ThunderClan Territory.
"My lives. I wish to receive them. Barkface."
"Yes.. Yes, Mudclaw."
They walked into the cavern and Barkface said wistfully, "Touch your nose to the Moonpool." Mudclaw obeyed.
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8 cats stepped forward. Excitement filled Mudclaw from ears to paw-tips, but the air was filled with uncertainty. The dead cats looked hesitant.
Shrewclaw, Mudclaw's father, stepped forward first. "With this life I give you mind. Use this in battle to control your thoughts and hatred." He touched noses with Mudclaw, and Mudclaw felt pain throughout his body.
Deadfoot, the deputy before Mudclaw, stepped forward. "With this life I give you empathy. Think about others before you act." He, too, touched noses, and Mudclaw felt the tingling pain.
Webfoot stared at Mudclaw. "Webfoot? Y-You.." Webfoot looked torn. "I died in the horrible battle that took place, "he murmured, "but it doesn't matter. With this life I give you truth. Be honest, even if it means that you may not be viewed as the best cat in the end."
A pale pink-gray cat stepped forward. Mudclaw did not recognize her, but she smelled of WindClan. "I am Heatherstar. I was leader of WindClan many seasons before. With this life I give you independence. A clan leader must care deeply for their Clan, but sometimes they must overcome obstacles on their own." She dipped her head, then quickly touched her nose to Mudclaw's and stepped back into the circle of cats.
A ginger tom with patchy, ragged fur approached Mudclaw. Mudclaw saw a flicker of the same stubbornly persistent Tallstar in the tom's eyes. "With this life I give you pride. Be proud.. no matter how dark your path is." He touched noses with Mudclaw, and Mudclaw dug his claws into the soft moorland in pain.
A large clumsy looking tom stumbled forward and looked into Mudclaw's eyes. "With this life, I give you duty. Remember your duty is to your Clan, and nothing- or no one- else." Once again, he was filled with pain as the tom touched noses with him.
A black kit stepped forward. "I give you a life for determination. Despite wanting to give up, never stray from the path. Keep going, as your Clan will be by your side." Mudclaw bent down to touch noses with the small she-cat.
A black and white tom approached him last. "T-Tallstar?" Tallstar eyes scanned him uncertainly. "With this last life, I give you friendship. Please keep the bonds you have. They will come in useful." Tallstar touched noses with Mudclaw. Mudclaw stepped back and sighed. It was over. Tallstar stepped back.
"I hail you by your new name, Mudstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of WindClan. Defend it well, care for young and old, honor your ancestors and the traditions of the code; and live each life with pride and dignity."
"Mudstar! Mudstar!"
Mudstar sighed again and looked around. The StarClan cats seemed to be fading away, except for Tallstar. The lovely moorland melted away into mud. Just mud. Confused, Mudstar looked up at where Tallstar sat on a rock, silent. He too faded away. "N-No! What? Wait!" Mudstar looked up at the sky where a hawk was flying. The hawk landed on the rock Tallstar was just on, and from its talons, frost grew. The frost spread until eventually it reached the mud, the mud being frozen over by the frost. The frozen mud suddenly was full of cats, a battlefield. A never ending war. Mudstar thought he heard Tallstar's voice on the breeze.
"Beware, Mudstar, as the Mud will be frozen over by the frost."
YOU ARE READING
Muddy Frost
Action"𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕸𝖚𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖊 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖟𝖊𝖓 𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖇𝖞 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖘𝖙." Mudclaw reluctantly becomes a warrior due to Tallstar's decision to make Onewhisker deputy before he lost his final life.. But when Hawkfrost comes to him with cats who are...
