Nightfrost's Choice

Chapter 21

Nightfall fell into a restless sleep that night, tossing and turning, and she only woke up when Fireheart nudged her.

"Wake up, you sleep door mouse!" He teased, poking her with the tip of his claws. It tickled, so Nightfall squirmed, shooting up to her paws in a flash.

"What'd you do that for?" She meowed irritably, and Fireheart gave her a playful shove. In the lighting, his eyes were light Amber, like an orangey gold.

"Fernstar's recovered completely, and she herself sat vigil for Adderclaw." His eyes turned to a deep blue- grief. "I'm sorry about your clanmate,"

"He was your clanmate too, Firheeart!" Nightfall consoled her friend. "Just because you joined the clan before you knew Adderclaw, doesn't mean he wasn't your clanmate!"

Fireheart dipped his head, his eyes changing a bit green tinted. "Thank you, Nightfall." He paused, ready to leave, but then added, "Did you hear about Petalfur?"

Nightfall pricked her ears. "No." She meowed truthfully. "What's wrong?"

"She's going to have kits. She already knew, but she hadn't told Adderclaw, before..." Fireheart explained sadly.

Nightfall felt her heart thump painfully, mourning for her clanmate. "Oh no..."

"He'll be watching from StarClan." Said a familiar voice behind Nightfall and Fireheart, and they both spun around. It was Dewfur. Her white fur was filled with dirt, and her paws were brown from mud soaking her fur. Her blue eyes had black shadows under them, indicating she hadn't slept well.

"What's wrong?" Nightfall asked, pressing against her sister, and Dewfur drew back.

"Nothing! Oh, my fur?" She added, giving her chest fur some quick embarrassed licks. "I sat vigil for Adderclaw, with Fernstar and Mistycloud, and helped with burying. I should probably go wash my paws off in the creek."

Suddenly Nightfall felt guilt wash over her. She hadn't gone to help her clanmates! She had just fallen asleep, so absorbed in her own self pity, that she hadn't helped out with her clan. She had deserted her clan.

"I'll come with you!" She offered, standing up. Dewfur looked back, her eyes troubled.

"Oh... Are you sure?" She meowed quickly. "It's just a quick wash, not a big deal."

"It's fine." Nightfall answered, wondering why her littermate was acting so weird. "We can hunt on the way back."

Dewfur still looked uneasy. "Oh... Ok."

They walked out of camp, where the birds were chirping and the sun was warm on their pelts.

Despite the cold, Nightfall felt glad to be outside. She stretched luxuriously, her claws flexing.

Dewfur eyed them. "Let's go hunt." Dewfur meowed hurriedly. Her white pelt was puffed up against the cold, her ice blue eyes bright.

Nightfall stood. "Alright." As Dewfur bounded off to hunt, Nightfall stared after her sister.

What's wrong with her? Is she hiding something?

"Nightfall!"

Nightfall shook off the thought and followed her sister. "Coming!" She called back. When she caught up to Dewfur, Dewfur was holding a gray squirrel in her mouth, her eyes gleaming.

"this is a lucky catch!" Dewfur teased, her voice muffled from the fur of the squirrel. "Guess I better take it back to camp."

"What about washing your fur?" Nightfall interupted. They were almost near the stream; no point in turning back.

Dewfur stopped short. "Oh. Oh yeah." Dropping the squirrel reluctantly, Dewfur bounded after Nightfall and they made their way to the bank.

The water wasn't frozen yet, but it was still cold. "Brr!" Nightfall tentatively dipped a paw in the water, jumping back when it was freezing cold. "Are you sure you want to go in there?"

Dewfur shrugged. "My fur is dirty."

Nightfall sat back on her haunches as Dewfur splashed around in the water, quickly cleaning her fur and jumping out as fast as she could.

Her fur spiked up, and Nightfall suppressed a purr of amusement.

"Shut up!" Dewfur snapped, but her eyes were amused as well.

On the way back to camp, Nightfall caught a mouse.

When she dropped it into the fresh-kill pile, she noticed that Dewfur looked uneasy and... angry?

She tried to ask Dewfur what was wrong, but Dewfur kept shaking her head and brushing past her. Nightfall tried not to show her hurt feelings when Squirrelpaw bounced up to her.

"Nightfall! Nightfall! Guess what?" He chirped excitedly, his ears pricked.

Nightfall forced a purr. "What?"

"Foxlift taught me how to do a flip while you're battling! Watch!" Squirrelpaw writhed in the air, his claws outstretched, and pretended that a warrior was in front of him. He hissed, and at the last second, flipped backwards away and pinned down the throat of his imaginary opponent.

Nightfall purred. "Wow! If that was me under your claws, I would be a dead cat!" She promised to Suqirrelpaw. "If you keep training hard, you'll be the best warrior in the clan."

Squirrelpaw pricked his ears. "Really?" He squealed. "Even better than you?"

Nightfall gave Squirrelpaw a teasing shove. "Yeah, right."

Squirrelpaw purred, sheathing his claws again. "Thanks! I-"

"All cats old enough to climb the Valley, gather round!"

Fernstar's yowl jerked Nightfall out of her thoughts, and she leaped up, turning towards her leader.

Fernstar looked frail, her eyes glazed from sleep, but a spark in her green orbs showed determination.

A battle? Nightfall thought reproachfully, but all the same and crept alongside her clanmates, settling down next to Fireheart.

He gave her a warm nod. "What do you think is going on?" He whispered, and Nightfall shrugged.

"No idea."

She glanced to her right. Dewfur's eyes were glued to Fernstar, an expression on her face that Nightfall couldn't place.

She tore her gaze away from Dewfur and onto Fernstar as Fernstar began:

"Cats of ValleyClan! I know that things haven't been all that well."

The first sentence sent a murmur of sorrow through the clan.

Moonshadow.

Nightfall silently voiced her grief for her mother's death.

Adderclaw.

Fernstar seemed to guess her clanmates' unspoken thoughts. "I pray that Adderclaw and Moonshadow watch down on us from StarClan." She meowed, her voice thick with grief. She flicked her tail and tucked her paws closer to her chest. "But, we have a fast growing clan as well. Squirrelpaw, and Silverpaw are working hard. Our new warriors are proving themselves worthy, and the old warriors never change. That is why I ask all of you to come forward with an open heart."

Nightfall saw Fernstar's eyes flash, looking troubled. "Now," Fernstar meowed, her voice shaky. "Has any cat witnessed the death of Adderclaw?"