Guild Wars

~ Guild Wars: Chapter 20 ~

Rust helped the other members of his Guild carry the bodies of their lost cats back home. Midnight looked heartbroken. That night, they'd lost Holly. Now the Guild needed a new Second-In-Command, and she had no idea who to pick.

I just hope it's not me, Rust thought. I'd hate to have that extra responsibility thrown onto me.

Rust's heart felt heavy. Yes, Killon had died, but so had Isila, Wire, Snowheart, Hope, Nightmare, Cheetah, Chromewhisker, and many others. Midnight's tail drooped and she wasn't walking with her normal confidence. He wanted to comfort his leader in any way he could, but he didn't know how. How do I reassure someone everything is okay when they've lost someone as important as Holly?

"Midnight?" Strawberry mewed, her voice low and sad. "I don't mean to rush you, but who will be the new Second-In-Command?"

Midnight shook her head. "I don't know."

"When will you have to make the decision?"

"By sunrise," Midnight replied.

Strawberry opened her mouth to speak again, but Rust quickly went to her side. "Maybe we should stop asking questions about it," he murmured. "Midnight just needs some time to grieve." Strawberry nodded and didn't say anymore.

"Rust?"

Koi bounded forward, startling him. "Rust, I need to go back to Carter," she told him. "I need to let him know I'm alright."

"You should let one of our healers treat your wounds first," Rust suggested. "It'd be good practice for Cody, and it'll make Carter fuss over you less. Besides, I wanna see him, too, but not like this," he added jokingly.

Koi grinned. "Alright." Then her face of joy vanished and she looked down at her paws. "Are your healers really as skilled as you say they are?"

"Oh, they're wonderful!" Diamond chirped, not giving Rust a moment to answer. "Trust me, they'll take really good care of you."

Koi looked away. "Rust, I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice breaking. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you to take CC here. I realize now how wrong I was to not let your Guild help. All I knew about them was what I'd heard from rogue cats, you're cruel groups who only want to kill. I thought you were the only different one, from what Carter had said, but now I know that that's not true. I'm so sorry, CC may still be alive if I hadn't trusted the words of rogues."

"It's okay, Koi," Rust meowed, laying his tail on her back. "CC's death wasn't anyone's fault. Besides, she's doing okay, in the stars."

"How do you know?" Koi asked.

Tell her that I've been talking to you! CC said.

"Uhm." Rust shuffled his paws. "Okay, this might sound crazy, but CC's been talking to me. She's been in my head, talking to me. She has been since this prophecy became a thing." Koi's eyes widened. "She has?"

"She has," Rust mewed. I want to talk to her. "There's some things she wants to say."

Tell her I forgive her, even though it wasn't her fault. Tell her she was the closest thing to a mother I've ever had, and tell her that I trust her to listen to the guidance of others. Tell her to tell Olive I love and miss her. Please tell her, Rust.

"CC wants you to know she forgives you, but she doesn't believe it was your fault," Rust began. "She forgives you for not trusting my Guild and I. You were the closest thing to a mother that young kit ever had, you did all you could for her in her last moments. No cat could ask for better. She trusts you to listen to the guidance of others. Sometimes others may know something you don't, and listening to them could benefit you. She also wants you to let Olive know that she loves and misses her." Rust took in a breath, then looked kindly at Koi. "She loves you, too."