Super Edition - Lightstar's Wrath

Chapter 23

The days before the battle held tension high above IcyClan's camp. The sun was starting its descent from the sky. Owlpaw had received his full name, Owlthroat, and Sparkflower would return to SwampClan after the battle. Squirreldust hadn't said much since the last gathering. She was immediately assigned to guard camp along with Leafwing and Icepelt. 

Lightclaw and Snowfeather were sitting near the nursery, watching Shrewkit and Thistlekit play pretend. Near the entrance of Duststar's den, she and Fuzzyleaf were having a heated discussion. "Please, she's barely a warrior, can't she-" Fuzzyleaf's begging was cut off by Duststar's irritated growl. 

"Enough! I told you already- Raintail is a fully trained warrior! She's going into battle!" The elderly leader hissed with a flick of her tail. Raintail was on the other side of camp, her head down with embarrassment.

"What if she gets killed? She's still so young!" Fuzzyleaf's eyes grew round with desperation, her pleas shaking with her voice.

"Any one of us could be killed!" Duststar retorted. "She knew that when she chose the path of a warrior. We all know that." The silver molly let out a small sigh, her fur flattening. "This will be hard for all of us. Every cat from every clan is risking their lives in this fight. Because if we don't fight, more of us will die at the paws of those ruthless rogues."

"But she's so young! I just- I can't bear-" The black warrior began to sob. Raintail began to approach her mother, whispering comforting words to her as she placed her tail on her back. 

"I'll take her place," A voice mewed nearby. Lightclaw turned his head to see Squirreldust strutting toward the two cats. "I'll fight in Raintail's place."

"No, you won't be," The fur along Duststar's spine spiked. "You've embarrassed this clan enough. How do I know you won't run off if things get ugly?"

"Duststar, you used to consider me one of your best warriors," Squirreldust mewed with a clenched jaw. "And I know what it's like to lose a kit. Adderpelt doesn't even look at me anymore," Her ears folded. "Please, let me prove that I'm still loyal to this clan. To my home. To my family,"

The pause of silence stretched on for what felt like moons. The whole clan was gazing at those two, curiously awaiting Duststar's response. "Fine," Duststar's words were almost a whisper. "But if you flee from the fight like a coward, don't bother coming back," The elderly leader shouldered past Squirreldust and ducked into her den.

The cats in camp hesitantly resumed their conversations, still tense. Though Thistlekit and Shrewkit still played blissfully as if nothing happened. Now they were stacking twigs together as if making a den. "What are you two making?" Lightclaw mewed to his two kits.

"We're building ShrewClan! This is the warrior's den." Shrewkit squeaked. "I'm Shrewstar! The strongest leader ever and I have a billion million lives because I'm the best leader!"

"And I'm Thistlehead! I'm so strong that even I got lives too!" The ginger tom-kit mewed proudly.

"No, you don't! Deputies don't get lives!" Shrewkit glared.

"And leaders only get nine lives! So why can't I have a few lives?" Thistlekit whined, his ginger fur spiking. 

"What if ShrewClan had two leaders?" Lightclaw chimed in with a calming smile.

"But clans only have one leader!" Shrewkit stomped her foot, her tail flicking irritably. "And it's called ShrewClan, not ShrewThistleClan!"

"Then why not one of you have ShrewClan and one of you have ThistleClan, huh?" Snowfeather stepped in. She was clearly annoyed at their bickering.