The Clash of Stars Book 1: The Key

Chapter 20: Sunnyheart

"Watch your step, Streampaw — "

"It's fine, Flamewhisker! I'm balancing, see?"

"Not with your wings splayed out like that, you're not!"

Sunnyheart purred with amusement as she watched the other mentor and apprentice scramble down the rocky path. Next to her, Palepaw was keeping one wing brushing her mentor's flank, yellow eyes gleaming with anxiety as she tried to navigate the darkness. The moon was no more than a shadow of a sliver in the sky, and the uneven pathway down the mountain didn't help to mitigate that.

"Here," Sunnyheart murmured, leading Palepaw to even land. Both Streampaw and Palepaw — but especially Palepaw — had been under scrutiny since they began their training. They'd both been rather skittish when training nearby the other apprentices, so Sunnyheart and Flamewhisker had decided to find a spot in private at the beginning of their basic training sessions for now.

They'd need to train with the other apprentices eventually, but for now Sunnyheart could understand the anxiety.

A quarter moon after becoming Palepaw's mentor, Sunnyheart found herself falling into the routine with ease. After speaking with Dovewish, Palepaw had run to Sunnyheart to apologize.

"Once I was up close, I thought you were really cool, but I thought I'd get in trouble if I was friendly to you, after what everyone said," the apprentice had admitted. "I'm sorry."

Sunnyheart hadn't been sure if she should be relieved or worried. "It's fine," she'd assured Palepaw. "We're Clanmates, and you can choose who you want to be friends with."

Palepaw was warming up to Sunnyheart much easier now, and didn't hesitate to look to her mentor for advice and listen to her. Sunnyheart tried to focus on that, and not the strange dream she'd had the night before.

She'd been in the same place as before, the clearing from the battle with EchoClan — the raid. And instead of the whole of EchoClan, Sunnyheart had been facing Gorsetalon. She dove and darted at her father, and he parried her strikes with practiced ease, matching her step for step.

Gorsetalon suddenly dove at her paws, and Sunnyheart leapt backwards, flinging open her wings to catch a draft and glide down. She spun as she came down, slamming into his side and holding the dusty brown-furred tom down.

"Give up?" Sunnyheart challenged. Her father nodded, and she released him, though she remained tense, watching him through narrowed eyes. Perhaps he was waiting for her to let her guard down. Even if they were just practicing, it wasn't like him to give up so easily. In the several nights he'd visited her since Beesmoke was exiled, she'd never beaten him, let alone in such short time.

"You're a smart fighter," Gorsetalon commended with a gleam in his eye. "I bet those EchoClan cats didn't see you coming."

Sunnyheart paused, feeling guilt prick at her talons. "We shouldn't have done that, though," she murmured. "Beesmoke lied to all of us."

Gorsetalon frowned. "He had a point, didn't he?" he countered. "Gryphonstar wasn't leading the Clan. Was it not his duty as deputy to make sure FlashClan was still respected?"

"Not like that, though!" she objected. She bit back more protests; her time with Gorsetalon in these dreams was short. She didn't want to waste it arguing with him. "Have you seen Nectarbird yet?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.

"I haven't had the chance," Gorsetalon told her apologetically. "StarClan has been very busy as of late."

"Busy?" Sunnyheart asked, ears pricking. "What's going on?"