woo
—
Sunlight sparkled on the surface of a river, as it wound around rocks and lapped at its sandy shore. Sitting on the riverbed, two cats spoke in hushed voices in the shelter of a willow tree.
"He's blind - he cannot be a warrior!"
"And? He can hunt and fight as well as any of his Clanmates. Him being blind doesn't matter as much as a whisker."
"Yes it does! Havenstar, you may not realize, but he's useless! You say he can hunt and protect us, but what about that rat fight? He wrenched his shoulder so badly on that rock that now he can't leave Robinbelly's den!"
Havenstar, a black-and-white she-cat, sighed. Her deputy was right, but Cypresspaw still deserved a chance at a normal life.
"Dewclaw, listen to me. Look at Larkpaw - does she seem useless because of her deaf ear?"
Havenstar flicked her tail towards the river. Larkpaw, a white she-cat, and Honeypaw, a golden tabby, were wrestling in the shallows. Honeypaw tried to tackle her half-deaf denmate, but Larkpaw splashed aside and forced Honeypaw into the claybed where she'd been standing, getting the tabby stuck.
Dewclaw, a gray tabby, hissed in annoyance. "She's only half-deaf! She can still hear out of the other ear! Cypresspaw is completely blind!"
"He's still trained as hard as his denmates! He deserves a chance to be a warrior. If you can't see that, then your as narrow-minded as a trapped frog." Havenstar fixed Dewclaw with an icy green glare. Her deputy shifted under the pressure.
Thinking quickly, Dewclaw got to his paws, and paced out of the shade to the water's edge. "Larkpaw, make sure to face your enemy with your good ear. And Honeypaw, stop making so much noise, or you'll wake the whole forest."
Disgrace crossed Havenstar's features. She observed his teaching, sighing. He was loyal and brave, but refused to see past ailments. It was like Cypresspaw was a dead fox in Dewclaw's eyes.
"Dewclaw, go fetch Cypresspaw from camp." the words escaped her mouth before she could think them through.
The deputy turned, curiosity lighting up his fire-colored eyes. But it flared out as fast as it came, and he stormed off into the woods.
Havenstar stood and moved to the edge of the river, soft sand squishing between her toes. "Honeypaw, why don't you try out that move again? I didn't quite. And for the both of you, be careful near that claybed, or else Robinbelly will be stuck cleaning out grit from your paws all night long."
The two apprentices soon were locked in more training, Havenstar instructing them and occasionally shifting to shake sand from her pads. After awhile, Dewclaw returned with the blind apprentice close behind.
Cypresspaw's brown tabby pelt bristled along his spine, as he gingerly sniffed the air to get a sense of where he was. He pricked his ears, and soon relaxed. Havenstar guessed the sound of rushing water and the damp sand had told him they were at the river.
Without a word, the blind apprentice splashed into the water, seeming shocked and even startled when he ran into Honeypaw mid-pounce.
Worry touched Havenstar's mind as she noticed Dewclaw glaring at her. He still thought Cypresspaw was worthless.
"Cypresspaw, can you identify who you bumped into?" the leader questioned.
He sniffed the air for a moment, "It's Honeypaw. And Larkpaw's here, too. We're going to be battle training, right?"
"Yes, you are correct." Havenstar smiled in pleasure. She snatched a glance at Dewclaw, who met her gaze equally.
"Larkpaw, why don't you and Cypresspaw train together first? Honeypaw can join in after." the leader glanced over the apprentices. Larkpaw and Cypresspaw nodded in unison, Honeypaw clambering onto the sand and sitting - soaked - beside Havenstar.
"Larkpaw, you leap first. Cypresspaw, try to dodge." the patched leader's chest tightened as she gave the command - if Cypresspaw couldn't move in time, and lost this training session, Dewclaw would probably insist he not be a warrior. Even if she was leader, the feeling of knowing her deputy disapproved so heavily of her actions would ruin her.
Larkpaw, tail swishing in the water, pounced on Cypresspaw. The ginger tabby mistimed his defense, and came crashing down as his white denmate tackled him. Havenstar froze.
Luckily, Cypresspaw was able to kick Larkpaw off, and swiped quickly at her nose, making the she-cat topple into the current. For a moment she was swept away, before resurfacing a tail-length away.
"Be careful! We don't want any drown apprentices!" Dewclaw yowled with an edge as sharp as claws in his tone. Havenstar could tell he was upset Cypresspaw was proving himself strong - if the apprentice completed and won this, Dewclaw would be wrong.
Larkpaw's head ducked beneath the water's glittering surface, and Havenstar narrowed her green eyes to make out the apprentice's shadow among the rushing river. Before Cypresspaw could avoid her, she sprang from the depths, sending sparkling drops into the air as she tackled him down underwater.
Havenstar's throat tightened. Dewclaw tensed, fur bristling.
After a long, worrying moment, both apprentices finally popped up.
Havenstar's fear quickly turned to anger, as a growl brewed deep inside her. "Larkpaw! Get up here now!"
Shocked silence spread across the five cats. Larkpaw slowly climbed onto the sand and gently shook the water from her snow-white pelt. Cypresspaw followed her, him and Honeypaw going to sit with Dewclaw, who had his gaze fixated on Havenstar. She rarely snapped.
"Larkpaw!" the leader snarled as the half-deaf apprentice approached her. "You and Cypresspaw could've drown if the current swept you away!"
"But, Havenstar..." Larkpaw tried to place her words carefully, tail between her legs, "We are RiverClan apprentices... Swimming is one of our skills."
"And? That does not mean you can breathe underwater! What if the current dragged you to a place where we couldn't save you? Then what?" Havenstar lashed her tail, eyes blazing like green flames.
Dewclaw stepped forward from his sitting spot, "Havenstar, you are being irrational. Yes, it was dangerous, but I think they've been scared enough for one day. Plus, Cypresspaw shouldn't be practicing anymore anyways. He isn't a warrior apprentice."
Havenstar whipped around at his last sentence. Not a warrior apprentice? The young blind tom had worked as hard as his peers, and to be stripped from his title would wreck him.
Before the leader could speak, Cypresspaw stepped up with wide, clouded eyes.
"Am I really not going to be a warrior?"
His tone was heartbreaking. Havenstar looked at him, all her fury gone.
"Cypresspaw..." the words came as short, dainty whispers, "Your blind. You can't..." Havenstar paused. What would she say? He had caught prey before, and he'd won fights. What was keeping him from being a warrior other than being blind? She pondered it for a moment, before the answer struck her like lightning hitting a tree.
Dewclaw.
"Everyone, back to camp." she raised her voice so that they could all hear. She hopped onto her paws and trotted quickly through the trees, ferns and brambles sweeping her sides as she sped into a run back to camp.
"All cats old enough to swim the river, gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"
Havenstar's paws itched to leap down and confront Dewclaw nose-to-nose, but she knew that telling the Clan would be easier. At least, she hoped so.
After a few moments, the Clan had gathered in the clearing, and her eyes skimmed over the pelts until she spotted Cypresspaw. He was sitting nearly beside Larkpaw and Honeypaw, the only other apprentices at the time.
Dewclaw sat at the base of the rock which Havenstar stood on, his pelt smooth. He hadn't the slightest clue of her news.
"Dewclaw is no longer RiverClan's deputy."
Shocked gasps and suspicious murmurs raked the crowd like claws. Havenstar flinched as the gray tabby below her jumped to his paws and hissed up at her, eyes wide.
"What have I done to get this? I've been loyal and brave, what else could you ask for?" he yowled, fur spiking.
Havenstar met his enraged gaze as calmly as she could, "You have refused to let Cypresspaw become a warrior. All young cats deserve the chance to hunt and fight and protect their Clan, and because of you, he hasn't been given this chance. You may remain in RiverClan, but you are no longer my successor. Instead, I shall choose a new deputy tonight at moonhigh."
Dewclaw growled, claws unsheathing. Havenstar's eyes widened with terror, as he latched onto the rock and sprang up to her, facing his leader nose-to-nose.
"I have done everything in my power to serve this Clan. And now, I'm repaid with this?"
"Dewclaw, be careful with your words, or I'll be forced to banish you as well. Now, join your Clanmates at the base of Highrock."
"How dare you!" the former deputy yowled, tackling Havenstar to the dusty ground. The Clan shuffled aside to give them room, gasping in shock and fear. Dewclaw pinned Havenstar, hissing. Over his shoulder, the leader caught Cypresspaw's blank stare, and despite the fact his eyes were dull, he looked horrified. She guessed he could hear the thud of their fall.
Before Havenstar could speak or react to Dewclaw's attack, he slashed across her muzzle, filling the leader's mouth with metallic blood. She yowled, the red liquid beginning to trickle down her chin, staining her fur crimson.
"Havenstar!" A voice rang out through the air, and the leader saw a darker gray blur tackle her former deputy to the floor. Havenstar staggered to her paws, blood dripping onto the ground as she watched in horror.
The medicine cat, Mistyfur, had Dewclaw pinned. The leaves she'd been carrying were scattered about, and her golden eyes blazed as she tried to hold down the stronger tom.
"Get off me!" Dewclaw hissed, kicking her ferociously. Mistyfur heaved for each breath, the kicks to her stomach weakening her. Havenstar was frozen in shock.
Finally, Mistyfur rolled off, and Dewclaw sprang to his paws with a bristling tail. His crazed gaze raked the crowd like claws on a leaf. "Who will challenge me next?"
Havenstar stumbled forward, "Me."
The former deputy spun around to face her, teeth bared. Their Clanmates stood in shocked silence, Mistyfur watching with wide eyes as she retreated into the mass of cats. Golden and red light bathed the camp as sunset graced the sky.
Dewclaw, with a tremendous hiss, leapt and tackled Havenstar. Her muscles were weak, and blood still stained her mouth.
I can't do this.
Havenstar gasped for deep breaths, the blood in her mouth trickling down into her throat and making her gag.
I can't do this.
Blood roared in her ears.
I can't do this, and Dewclaw's going to destroy RiverClan.
As the thought crossed her mind, a gray blur flew towards her throat, and she choked on more metallic liquid. Through bleary eyes, Havenstar saw Dewclaw rear his head, blood staining his teeth and muzzle.
It's my last life.
As the world blurred and spun, Havenstar's head lolled to the side, and over the screeches of her Clanmates, she heard the single, heart-breaking voice that belonged to Cypresspaw.
"I just wanted to be a warrior..."
—
done
