A True Warrior: Novella Collection

five

Floraclaw lay in the medicine cat's den, sulking. Poultrices clung weakly to her fur. The moss making up her bedding was shredded from where she had clawed it restlessly, over the day.

'Floraclaw, you have visitors.' Cloudflight said, shooting her with an irritated side-eye. Floraclaw knew she looked stupid and reckless in front of her Clanmates, and okay, she was reckless, that didn't make her stupid! She heard him tell Streamfrost that he was going to kill Smokestar. She wasn't mad.

Streamfrost padded into the den. 'Rora?' He asked.

'Only Floraclaw.' She muttered, tail twitching.

'How are you feeling?' He sat by her.

Floraclaw wanted to attack him. 'Look, Streamfrost. I don't want to be your mate. I don't want to be anyone's mate, actually! I just don't... feel love. I don't know if there's a term for it, but I just... don't. So get it in your head. I'm. Not. Freaking. Interested. So... go hunt some prey or something! I don't want you here.'

'I'm going to go gather herbs.' Cloudflight muttered.

'Floraclaw,' Streamfrost seemed slightly confused. 'Why in StarClan's name would I want to be your mate?'

'W-what?' Floraclaw had expected him to recoil and pad out of the den quietly. I thought I was breaking his heart!

'I mean, for one thing, you're reckless. You're needlessly hostile, and you're overconfident. You act like you're invincible when you're quite clearly not. You're convinced you're the best warrior ever and you can't handle the thought that sometimes you might not be. You're too proud for your own good. You'd rather die than let someone save your life which honestly is just plain stupid. Why would anyone want to be your mate?'

'But?'

'I act like I'm in love with you because it's funny. I don't really get to laugh much, with Darkflame always shadowing me. But if it's that easy to really annoy the rudest cat in the Clan, I'm going to take it, Floraclaw.'

She didn't know why, but Streamfrost calling her by her full name hurt a bit, but not as much as his comments about her. Why did she care what Streamfrost thought, anyway!

'I was going to ask you if you wanted help defeating Darkflame. But obviously you don't need help with anything.'

'That's right! I don't.' Floraclaw didn't need help with defeating Darkflame. She just needed to get to the caves before Darkflame did, and get Smokestar and Nightwhisker out of there!

Cloudflight padded back into the den (carrying no herbs), shaking his head at Floraclaw.

'What did I do?' She spat.

'You know I saw that vision, don't you?' Cloudflight asked. 'Obviously you do. You need to start paying more attention to it!'

Floraclaw spat.

'You, Aldertail and Streamfrost need to get along. Without them your lives are at risk!'

'And Darkflame isn't going to murder anyone, Floraclaw.' Cloudflight added. 'Who do you think told Smokestar to put him in charge?'

Floraclaw shrugged.

'StarClan, of course!' Cloudtail said, exasperated.

This was all wrong! StarClan surely didn't tell StarClan to put Darkflame in charge, right? That would just be... plain stupid. Unless Floraclaw had hallucinated the whole thing? She probably would've followed a fox trail if she saw one. At least, that's how all her Clanmates saw her. Streamfrost had told her that much.

'I need to speak to StarClan.' She decided.

There had been much protest when Floraclaw had announced her intent to travel to the Moonstream, but no one could really stop her. All cats were born with a connection to StarClan, and all Warriors had a right to use that connection if they wanted to. Medicine Cats' connection was much stronger, and most warriors couldn't visit StarClan for more than several minutes, but sometimes that was all a cat needed for guidance.

And eventually, when Floraclaw had asked him- "would you like me to go with your consent or without it?"Cloudflight had given in, although he insisted on coming too.

They were mostly silent on the long journey to the Moonstream. As they reached the cliff, Floraclaw gleefully padded to the waterfall. 'Look, FallClan cats jump off of this, ready?' She prepared herself to jump into the waterfall, but Cloudflight grabbed the scruff of her neck.

'Floraclaw, are you an idiot?' He hissed. 'You're wounded!'

'FallClan cats do it.' She shrugged.

'FallClan cats swim, you mousebrain. And they don't do it while they're injured! Do you want to die?'

Floraclaw sighed, because Cloudflight was right. 'Sorry.' She didn't want to die- who else would kill Darkflame?

She nodded to Cloudflight as she entered the Moonstream's cave. She'd been here recently to receive her warrior name, but couldn't help but admire the beauty of the cave. The whole place was pitch black apart from the star-touched river that playfully lapped at her paws, leaving them sparkling when she removed them. She eventually reached a large, hollow clearing with a massive, bioluminescent waterfall that sparkled in shades of purples and blues, that poured into a pool in the middle of the cavern. She carefully took a drink from the glowing pool, and curled up on the damp rocky side.

She awoke in a grassy clearing. The sky was dark and a nebula of pale blue stars swirled above them. The grass was soft and lush. A cat padded over to her. 'Hello, Floraclaw.' She said.

'Who're you?' Floraclaw backed away. She stood grandly over Floraclaw, and her soft, russet pelt was starlit and not fully opaque.

'My name's Maplestar. I'm the-'

'The leader before Viperstar!' Floraclaw exclaimed. 'I've heard of you. Greetings.'

'Not this formal with your Clanmates, are you?'

'Whatever.' But Floraclaw shrunk under Maplestar's stern gaze. The StarClan cat just commanded respect, and Floraclaw felt the need to give it to her. But most of the time, she respected no-one. Huh. That kinda does make me out to be a fox-heart.

Is Streamfrost right about me?

Of course he was! That was what Floraclaw took pride in. Being reckless, and saving the Clan from countless amounts of foxes.

But that wasn't really something to be proud of, was it?

Why am I thinking like this! Stop it! Stop being sentimental!

Maplestar watched in amusement as Floraclaw twisted herself into a ball of confusion.

'We chose to make Darkflame our temporary leader to see if we could trust him. Obviously, we can't.' Maplestar explained. 'And you're the only one who knows what Darkflame's up to. Well... except for that one cat who he trusts... and I know one cat who'd believe you.' She gave Floraclaw a look that just said, figure it out.

'I'll work with them when badgers climb.' Floraclaw sighed. 'Thanks, but I can just kill him on my own. I work alone.'

'Think about it.' Maplestar suggested.

'I will not.' Floraclaw declared. But maybe...

No.