Rosethorn's Destiny

6

"Badgerclaw?" Rosethorn murmured, scenting the air for him. "Over here." She heard him whisper. She leapt over the hidden thorn barrier surrounding the clearing they made to meet each other. "Rosethorn!" Badgerclaw whispered, his voice filled with passion. Rosethorn purred and rubbed her muzzle on his and their hushed purrs mingled. "I thought you'd never come!" Rosethorn shook her head, "I would miss you too much to stay away!" After some more purring and signs of appreciation and admiration, Rosethorn mewed, "Guess what?" Badgerclaw answer with a curl of his tail, "What?" Rosethorn wound their tails together, and purred, "Im expecting kits!" Badgerclaw's eyes went wide with shock, anger, and... regret? "How could you do this!" Rosethorn was shocked. "What? I thought you wanted us to be together!" Badgerclaw snarled, "Kits will ruin us!" Rosethorn unsheathed her claws, "Then I guess we can't be mates anymore!" She searched his eyes and found a spark of loss, but instantly replaced by hatred. She flashed out a thorn-sharp claw and clawed his eye, leaving a permanent scar. "Remember us by this." She snarled, then leapt over the barrier and ran back to her camp."What's wrong?" Icestep asked as she raced into camp, almost running into her herb-laden brother. "I don't want to talk about it right now, Icestep, sorry." She whispered. Icestep saw her emotions in her clear grey eyes and nodded silently, and licked her ear. She padded off into the warrior den to lie down and think about her tiny kits and the loss of Badgerclaw. When she woke, she heard Timberstar call, "Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words!" She ruffled her fur, knowing this was Flamepaw's warrior ceremony. She had assessed Flamepaw two sunrises before, and she had done perfectly. Rosethorn padded to the front of the crowd to sit beside her apprentice, who had groomed her rusty orange fur to shine in the light. "Rosethorn, are you satisfied with Flamepaw and are you sure that she is ready to become a warrior?" Timberstar mewed. "I am." Rosethorn kept her voice steady. Timberstar nodded. "I, Timberstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Flamepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" He asked her. Flamepaw's eyes were shining with joy as she answered, "I do." "Then by the powers of StarClan, Flamepaw, from this moment on you will be know as Flamebreeze. StarClan honors your courage and loyalty to RiverClan, and we honor you as a warrior in your turn." Timberstar finished. "Flamebreeze! Flamebreeze! Flamebreeze!" As the sun set and the chant rose into the cool leaf-fall wind, all Rosethorn could think about while she called Flamebreeze's new name was her kits.