𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝑨 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒕 𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄

CHAPTER 27

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath the High-Ledge for a meeting!" Waspsting's bold voice rang across camp.

The scent of death, something so familiar in the Forest, wafted into Maplethorn's nostrils, and the tendrils of dread and uncertainty held her in their grasp as her pawsteps faltered towards the High-Ledge.

Waspsting gestured with his tail and Blackcloud, standing beside him, with silent tears dripping down his face, disappeared into the leader's den and re-emerged, a dark, limp creature hanging from his jaws. Maplethorn's next breath died in her throat as she realised the enormity of this moment. She wished it was false, for Waspsting to say something else, but her greatest fear was confirmed as Waspsting opened his mouth,

"Our great leader, Cinderstar, now rests with StarClan. She has been a great leader and we have valued her wise rule over so many moons. Now, it is time for me to stand in her position and continue her legacy. A new deputy shall be chosen tonight, after I visit the Moon-River with Ashpool."

A wave of sorrow flooded throughout the clearing as the clan mourned, heads dipped in loss at their leader. Blackcloud alone hauled her body to possibly the graveyard; no one dared to accompany him, nor did he raise the matter aloud.

Maplethorn sighed heavily, Heatherstalk glaring at her. At least her father finally managed to attain his ambitions, to become the leader of MistClan, perhaps things may take a turn for the better, now that her father stopped plotting to overtake the former leader of MistClan.

"Hey," Shadepool snarled at her, causing Maplethorn's spring-green eyes to connect with his.

"What do you want?" she snapped in return. "A congratulations for becoming the deputy? Well there you have it, now leave."

"I don't like that attitude, warrior," he growled, his voice low as he stalked towards Maplethorn, speaking as though he already was the deputy of the clan.

"And I frankly don't like you," she hissed, before choking on her on breath, thankfully not as severe to draw blood before her ears flattened, causing gasps of shock and a ripple of murmurs from the rest of the clan.

"We'll see about that," Shadepool's eyes darkened, yet a smirk formed on his face. "When I become deputy, I'm going to make your life a living Starless Forest."

I'm already one of them, dear brother and it's not like you could ever match their cruelty, Maplethorn internally rolled her eyes yet slathered a face of muted horror and shock over her face, something she knew that Shadepool was expecting from her.

Once he saw that, she watched him prance away triumphant, believing he had won that match with her. Maplethorn licked her forepaws, grooming the dirt out of them and heard Ghostwhisper approach them, along with Silentpaw, who had somehow slipped out of camp during that announcement.

"Did I miss anything?" she whispered into Maplethorn's ear.

"Cinderstar's dead," she casually replied, looking at her sister for her reaction, wondering if she would break down into tears, the side of her sister she was so used to, however, only a spark of alarm shimmered in her radiant eyes.

"Ohhh, mouse-dung," she hissed, ears flattened against her head and they both knew what she was referring to.

The four cats sat in silence at the edge of camp, watching as most of the clan stood up from their mourning, and went on with their daily routines as though nothing had happened. Yet some, especially the more elderly cats stayed put until it was almost sun-down, for they had been present for a majority of Cinderstar's life.

They exchanged tales amongst each other, Ghostwhisper offering the most, especially those about Cinderstar and what she was like as a deputy, before she ascended to become a leader. Maplethorn genuinely was shocked as to how long the half-blind tom had been around for; he seemed almost ancient, seeming almost as old as the fellow elders of the clan, yet seemed healthy and intact as ever.