Rosethorn's Destiny

5

"Rosethorn! Get up!" She leapt up at the smell of smoke and the sound of crackling flames. "Fire!" She yowled as she rushed out of the warrior den. She ran into the nursery, finding no cats there, and she sighed with relief. She heard a weak mewl and looked where the sound came from. As she checked behind the nursery, she found Snowkit, the smallest of Lionsong's new litter. She quickly but ever-so gently grabbed Snowkit's scruff and backed out. She saw the cats heading toward Sunningrocks', so she followed them, Snowkit bouncing agains her legs. As she jumped into the river and swam across, a ThunderClan patrol thundered into the clearing where RiverClan was. "What do you think you're doing?" A stout black tom growled. "Our camp is on fire." Rosethorn heard Honeysplash answer as Rosethorn leapt onto the rocks and lay down Snowkit at her mothers paws. "I guess you can stay. But only while the fire's going." Rosethorn looked at the patrol and locked gazes with the black cat, feeling a prickly warmth spread over her slowly. He coughed, and Timberstar stepped forward and mewed briskly, a hint of warning in his voice. "I expect you to pass this on to Mousestar, Badgerclaw?" The black cat, Badgerclaw, nodded and raced off, his patrol following with a parting wave of their tails. "Wait!" Darkfur yelped. "Where is Honeysplash! And Mallowkit!" Honeyshpash, the new deputy, was nowhere to be seen, and Mallowkit, the sister of Snowkit, wasn't here either. "Lets hope the got out safely." Said Timberstar sadly. All the cats bowed their heads. As dusk fell and the cats fell asleep, Rosethorn sent a silent prayer to StarClan. 'Please let them be Ok.' She soon fell into a troubled, restless sleep. The next day, at Sunhigh, they went back to camp. "No!" Whitefoot yowled as they stopped, seeing the body of Honeysplash. "No!" He yowled again. "My mate!" He buried his nose in her dark golden fur. "Where is my kit!" Lionsong cried, "Where's Mallowkit!" She frantically ran around the camp searching for the lost golden kit. Rosethorn started to help the frantic she-cat search for her lost kit. "Look!" Rosethorn yowled. Lionsong rushed over, and Rosethorn gently moved Honeysplash's body over. There was a little golden bundle under her. "Mallowkit! Is she ok?" Icestep shouldered his way through with Stormpaw beside him. Icestep laid an ear on the kit's chest and nodded, "She's alive, but needs care. She inhaled a lot of smoke." He took hold of Mallowkit and carried her into the shade of a fern. "I need honey." Stormpaw shook her head. "It's at Sunningrocks." Owlfur came forwards. "I'll get it." He shook his pelt and licked his mate's cheek. "She'll be fine." He whispered into Lionsong's ear. She licked his ear back. He ruffled his thick neck-fur and started trotting to Sunningrocks, his pace inclining to a sprint. "Every cat go back to your normal duties." Timberstar called. Later that night, Mallowkit woke up. "I'm hungry!" She wailed in her normal stubbornness. "Do you feel ok?" Icestep asked. She nodded and mewed "Thanks for fixing me, but can I see Honeysplash?" Icestep hesitated but nodded slowly. "Follow me." He wrapped his bushy tail around her and led her into the clearing where Honeysplash's body was, smelling like lavender, mint, rosemary, and watermint to mask the smell of death. As soon as Mallowkit saw her body, she wailed. "No!" She raced over to her as fast as her stumpy little legs could go. "No! Honeysplash! Come back!" She buried her nose in the she-cats fur and kneaded her with her little paws. "Honeysplash please come back! I need you!" Rosethorn had watched all this and she trotted over and laid down next to Mallowkit and licked the golden she-cats ears. "She has joined StarClan, little one. She watches you from Silverpelt now." Mallowkit let out a high-pitched wail. "But I want her now!" Honeysplash had been Lionsong's sister, and so they were kin. Just then Timberstar padded out of his den and yowled, "Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words!" All the cats stopped what they were doing and gathered with their ears pricked. "As we all know, Honeysplash has sadly joined StarClan. But we need a deputy. I say these words before the body of Honeysplash so that she may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of RiverClan is to be Owlfur." Owlfur stepped forwards and bowed his head. "I will serve my clan until my last breath." He murmured. At once the gathered cats, the loudest being Snowkit and Mallowkit, took up the chant, "Owlfur! Owlfur! Owlfur!" The clan feasted as the feelings of joy and saddness mingled in the warm green-leaf air, and the bright moon rose, making Honeysplash's fur shine like gold.