Gorsepelt's Insanity

Chapter 5

"Gorsepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" Shadestar's yowl echoed over the hollow.

The brown she-cat nodded, "I do."

Shadestar's ears twitched. His tail lashed through the air. "Then by the powers of StarClan, from this moment on you shall be known as Gorsepelt. StarClan honors your courage and intelligence."

Gorsepelt felt a flame of jealousy when she saw how Shadestar had given Blackpaw his warrior name compared to hers. Blackfrost! His name should have been Blackheart for the way he only cared about himself. Yet Shadestar had given Blackfrost his name along with his selflessness and bravery, traits Gorsepelt had never seen in him.

Moontail, Cloudfeather, and Hawkcry had all revived their warrior names about a moon ago. Hawkcry had grown into a handsome young tom, and Gorsepelt felt her ears burn whenever the dark tabby was on patrol with her. She longed for the day he would admit his feelings for her so that one day, they could be mates.

When Blackfrost looked over at Moontail, Gorsepelt wanted to claw his ears off. Those two had been mooning over each other for what felt like decades and why Moontail would put up with a cat like him was a mystery. He won't care about your kits Moontail! He's a selfish badger who only cares about himself.

"Blackfrost! Gorsepelt! Blackfrost! Gorsepelt!" the MoorClan cats cheered.

Sunfeather was expecting Shadestar's kits any day now. The pretty tortishell's belly had grown as round as the moon, and Lakeflower constantly fretted over her, saying kits were the most delicate thing in the world.

Hawkcry padded over to Gorsepelt and purred, "Congratulations!" His bright yellow eyes looked like fireflies against his nearly black face.

Gorsepelt's pelt burned. "Oh! Uh, thanks!"

Hawkcry was the only cat Gorsepelt cared about anymore. Everyone else was just a dead, literally, cause. She had never been able to figure out what the red fuzz that hid how he died.

"Umm...do you want to go hunting sometime?" Hawkcry mewed, his eyes shining.

Gorsepelt could feel her heart flip over in her chest. "Of course!"

After saying a hasty goodbye, Gorsepelt padded off to start her vigil. Blackfrost greeted her with cold green eyes.

"You're the reason both of our parents are dead," Blackfrost snarled as Gorsepelt sat next to him.

Gorsepelt felt her hackles raise. She turned toward the black tom and snapped, "It wasn't my fault and you know it."

"I believe this is a silent vigil," Shadestar's tail twitched as he padded past the two new warriors.

Gorsepelt and Blackfrost nodded. Shadestar exchanged glances with each of them before disappearing into his den.

Blackfrost leaped to his paws and immediately went to the other side of the camp. Gorsepelt snorted, and watched him with narrowed eyes.

A cold leaf-fall breeze made Gorsepelt shiver. It was nearly the half-moon, and Pebblelake would venture to the Moonpool in just a few nights.

A cat's death flashed across Gorsepelt's vision again. It was a white she-cat shrieking as a dog bit down on her spine with an organic crunch. Gorsepelt took a sharp inhale of air and blinked. As quickly as it came, the vision was gone.

What was that? Gorsepelt looked around the hollow. The she-cat was nowhere in sight, but as soon as she relaxed, another vision came.

A small black tom howled as flames engulfed his thin frame. The forest around him was on fire, and he shrieked and fell to the ground in a charred, bloody mess.

What's happening? I'm not even looking at anyone! Gorsepelt backed against a tree as more death scenes played out in front of her.

The sun rose like a flaming hawk in the sky. Many hours had passed, and the night was over. Cats were just beginning to stir in their nests and shake the morning dew off their pelts.

Gorsepelt sat, her eye twitching from the shock of seeing so much death all at once. Cats she had never seen before and destined to be born many seasons in the future Gorsepelt had her death visions of.

Pebblelake can help me...Gorsepelt looked over at the medicine cat den. It's his job to help cats.

"Hey Gorsepelt! Can you come on the dawn patrol?" Applefoot mewed from the camp entrance.

Gorsepelt's head snapped over to the brown and black tom. She darted over to them, "Yes." I can tell Pebblelake later, for now I need to worry about serving my clan.

***

"This one will be Slatekit," Sunfeather mewed, touching the tiny grey tom with her tail tip.

She moved on to the next kit, a dark grey and white tabby. "I was thinking Mistlekit for her and Bumblekit for her sister."

"Excellent names," Pebblelake mewed. He brushed Bumblekit with his plumy tail. The tortishell and white kit was the largest of her litter, and she gave a muffled squeak through her mother's belly fur.

Gorsepelt listened to them talk from just outside the nurserey. She had taken to eavesdropping recently, she felt that her clanmates spoke about her when she wasn't around.

A few sunrises had passed, Gorsepelt had never gotten the chance to speak to Pebblelake since she had her vigil and she was waiting for him to finish up helping Sunfeather with her kitting. So far it had gone well and Sunfeather now had three healthy kits. Shadestar's kits.

Gorsepelt heard whispering coming from the warriors den. Her head snapped up, They're talking about me! Moontail and Ambershine were talking by a sunny spot in front of the warrior's den. Gorsepelt felt her heart beginning to race, What are they talking about? Is it me? Is it my power?

Her thoughts were interuppted when she saw Pebblelake pad out of the nurserey. Now!