Redblaze's Regret {COMPLETE}

Chapter 27

 The next day was yet another busy one for Redblaze. It was a very chilly morning, and Nightwhisper had become increasingly worried about the first frost, which could happen any day now. "It will kill most of the herbs in the forest," he said to the Clan. After quickly eating a fish, Redblaze found himself on a large patrol spanning the back portion of RiverClan's territory, hunting for the last scraps of herbs possible to fill up the medicine cats' storage before leaf-bare arrived.

Silverheart was leading this patrol while Nightwhisper stayed in camp. Along with Redblaze were Cherryheart, Bristlepelt, Pebblenose, Sorrelstream, Specklepaw, and Reedpaw. Every cat worked diligently to search for the herbs Silverheart had shown them, and the silver medicine cat herself was bouncing back and forth quickly between cats to answer an endless mountain of questions. Redblaze found a small shrub of juniper berries, and carefully plucked them from their stems, setting them on a large leaf and trying not to crush them. A few were soft and left purple stains on his claws.

He became aware of another cat very close to him, and turned to see Sorrelstream as she sat and began helping him pick the berries. She said nothing, but even though she wasn't looking at him, her gaze was soft. She looked like she was thinking of something, but Redblaze didn't want to pry; he was sure they'd left some argument unfinished moons ago, and they hadn't talked much in a while. Did she still consider him a friend? He wouldn't blame her if she didn't.

"I found catmint!" A loud screech cut through the otherwise-quiet forest. A blur of black and white fur shot past Redblaze as Reedpaw raced for Silverheart, a small frond of green leaves hanging from her jaws. She nearly ran into Silverheart, whose eyes grew wide and excited.

"That's catmint!" she confirmed. "Oh, thank StarClan! We're going to need that!" The two cats then headed back to where Reedpaw had come from, tails high in the air. Sorrelstream was watching her apprentice with a look of amusement on her face, and Redblaze purred at Reedpaw's silly and excitable antics.

"Never a dull moment with that apprentice," Sorrelstream mused fondly as the black and white she-cat disappeared into the reeds. Turning to look at Redblaze, she added, "I bet you're ready for one, huh?" Her eyes gave away a deep, unspoken thought, but Redblaze couldn't pin down what it was.

"I can't wait," he murmured truthfully. Through all that had happened, he still longed for an apprentice of his own, some cat that he could teach the way Flamepelt had taught him. Sadness tugged at his heart; he seemed to be forgetting Flamepelt more with each passing day as the forest sunk into leaf-bare, and as his Clan moved on to new things. He sighed.

Scooting a little closer, Sorrelstream asked, "What's wrong?" She picked a couple more berries.

Redblaze wasn't sure of how to say it; he didn't want to risk angering Sorrelstream by talking about Flamepelt. In the past, she had been the most insistent that he move on. He sighed again. "It's the same old thing," he muttered. "I miss Flamepelt, and now I feel guilty to think that I'm forgetting him."

"But you aren't," Sorrelstream replied, far faster than Redblaze thought she would. He looked at her, and her green eyes were full of wisdom. "You're thinking about him now, aren't you?" Redblaze nodded. "Moving on doesn't mean forgetting, Redblaze. I think that's what you've been missing this whole time. I've moved past Shadebelly's death, but I'll never forget what a great cat my father was. We have our whole lives ahead of us, and we can't spend them mourning over the cats we've lost. Living for our Clan also means living for them, even if they're in StarClan." Her eyes glittered.

Hope filled Redblaze. Somehow, Sorrelstream had found the exact words he needed to hear. "Thanks, Sorrelstream," he purred softly. "I mean it."

Sorrelstream flicked her ears, then batted him with a paw. "You're welcome," she meowed, then teased, "Just don't make me feel like it was all for nothing. Now come on, let's wrap these berries up and see what else Silverheart needs us to do."