Flames At Night: Book 1: A Shattered Path

Chapter Thirty-Four

Applepaw

"I hate to say it, but I'm leaving." Fire Lily stood on the Gathering Rock, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm going to go to the mountains."

"Why?" someone called.

"Did the leaders make you leave?" another meowed.

The orange-yellow she-cat shook her head. "This was my decision. If anyone wants to come with me, I'm setting out at daybreak tomorrow. I'll wait here until the sun is just above the horizon." She leaped down and disappeared into the crowd.

I'm going with her. Applepaw turned to Bloomingpaw only to find her friend excitedly staring back.

"Did you hear?" the yellow and white she-cat exclaimed. "I'm totally going with her! I wonder who else will join."

"Me," Applepaw said firmly. "This is an opportunity that I won't pass up."

"Bloomingpaw!" the black she-cat whispered urgently. "We have to go before they leave without us!"

"Just a minute!" Bloomingpaw emerged from the hole they had created in the camp wall, herding four tiny kits through.

Applepaw gaped at her. "Are you serious?"

Her friend met her gaze and held it. "Yes. I'm not leaving without my siblings." She bent down and lifted one of the kits. "Help me carry them."

"What about Purpleblossom?" Applepaw crouched to let the kits climb onto her back. "She'll be worried sick."

"Wouldn't she want them to be happy?" Bloomingpaw blinked at her. "I believe Fire Lily. The Clans are too restricted. I want my siblings to be free."

The black she-cat sighed. "All right. We need to hurry, though, if we don't want to be left behind." She set off into the forest, careful not to let her tiny charges fall.

The sun's fiery circle was slowly moving above the treetops as they reached Gathering Beach. A small group of cats was visible, coming past them to cut through DustClan territory.

"Wait!" Bloomingpaw cried, quickening her pace. Someone looked back, and the patrol halted. The two apprentices caught up, grinning at each other.

"I'll help you with the little ones." A gray and white she-cat with pretty green eyes lifted a pale gray tom-kit from Applepaw's shoulders. Bloomingpaw passed one of her sisters to a light brown tom with peculiar tufts of long fur on his ears.

"I'm Applepaw," meowed the black she-cat. "How about you?"

"Skypaw," replied the gray and white apprentice. "Fawnpaw and I used to be part of FlightClan." She smiled at the brown tom. "What are the kits' names?"

"Oh yeah!" Bloomingpaw touched a cream and white she-kit. "This one is Featherkit- Feather. They shouldn't have Clan names anymore, I think."

"Probably not," agreed Skypaw. "I'm just going to call myself Sky from now on. How about you, Fawnpaw?"

Fawnpaw shrugged. "Sure. I'll be Fawn, then."

"I want a longer name," Applepaw mewed. "Not a warrior name, something like... Apple Frost. And as long as we're changing names," she lifted the white tom-kit in her jaws higher, "let's call this one Snow."

"Perfect," Bloomingpaw whispered, tears in her eyes. She quickly blinked them out. "I'm Blooming Song. These other two are Buttercup and Falcon."

"Good names," said Sky. "Come on now, we have to catch up!" She dashed ahead, causing Falcon to squeal with excitement.

Apple Frost reached the next rise and turned back to look at Clan territory. This is the end of my life with DustClan, she thought. Scenes flashed through her mind, of playing mossball with Umberkit and Rabbitkit, of her first hunting patrol, of Midnightwish explaining how to catch a squirrel. The kit she was carrying, named after the friend she had let die, would never have any of that.

She faced the mountains once more and continued to walk with her friends. She did not look back again.