Warriors: Flamestar's Path (Lightclan Mini Story)

Chapter 7

Flamestar stalked into camp well past sundown. The main clearing was deserted; everyone was asleep. Waiting by the leader's den was Silvershy, the deputy glancing up when Flamestar approached.

"You're here." The silver she cat stated, giving herself a brief stretch. "Finally, thought I'd never get any sleep."

"Why'd you stay up then?" Flamestar muttered back, sitting down before her deputy.

"Because," Silvershy sighed, "I wanted to tell you that the clan really doesn't like Strike, Tyler and Dime being here. They all want them dead- well, most of them do."

"We'll sort that out tomorrow." Flamestar mewed back wearily with her tail flicking against the sandy ground, brushing softly against the never-fading blood stains from the executions only days ago. "Now before you leave, I have some news as well."

"Is it about Shadepaw?" Silvershy asked, her black-tipped ears pricking in interest.

"Yes." Flamestar replied. "I've decided to give up hunting him."

Sivershy gave her a quizzical look. "Why?" She meowed suspiciously, her green eyes glittering as she thought of all the possible outcomes.

"Skystar came to me while I was hunting and she showed that he was in twolegplace as a kittypet, happy, settled down." She sighed. "And it's stupid to go into the twolegplace to hunt him. I don't want to pick fights with twolegs."

He knew I wouldn't follow him! Flamestar thought, suddenly angry. You win this one, brat. She forced down a growl, looking back at her deputy.

"Well." Silvershy yawned. "Since you're back now I'm going to sleep, goodnight Flamestar." She trotted off the warrior's den.

"Goodnight." Flamestar mummered in reply, suddenly realising how tired she was. She walked into her den and settled down in her nest, the moss was still stained with blood. It filled the den with a disgusting, musty smell. Yuck.. She'd get someone to replace it next thing tomorrow.

She rested her head on her paws and drifted off to sleep, her exhaustion quickly helping her ignore the stench of NoName's two-day-old blood.

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The second Flamestar woke up, she rose from her nest and shook her coat, ridding herself of the flakes of dried blood that clung to her. Once this nest is clean, the memory of NoName will die forever. Nobody will ever speak of her again.

Stepping out of the den, Flamestar breathed in the fresh morning air. In the main clearing, Silvershy was sorting out the patrols. Everything was turning back to normal. For a moment, Flamestar wondered if the cats were going to ever split into their separate clans, or if they were going to stick together as Lightclan. Maybe she should approach that subject and see if any cats were willing to take over as new leaders of their clans.

Sighing, Flamestar called over Wrenpaw. The little apprentice bounced happily over to her. "Yes?" She asked eagerly.

"Could you clean my nest for me?" Flamestar smiled down at the apprentice. "There's a lot of blood on there that I need to get rid of." She glanced up as Darkpaw and Bluepaw approached. "You can join Wrenpaw too."

The three apprentices nodded and trotted off to gather moss to change the nest. While they did that, Flamestar went to eat something. She was starving after not eating a thing the day before.

The orange she cat settled down by the prey pile, picking out a mouse to feast upon. She ate in silence, letting her mind drift as she chewed on the warm meat.

How could she get into the twoleg den? There had to be a way to kill Shadepaw. She couldn't let him live, even if he were a kittypet. He could return anytime with an army of his own and destroy the clans once and for all. Flamestar wouldn't allow it, Shadepaw had to he killed!

But how? She huffed in frustration, swallowing a bite as she stared at her paws. Shadepaw was protected by his twolegs, there was no way she could get remotely close to him before his two giant guardians came to his rescue.

Maybe she really should leave him alone, as Skystar had suggested. He was simply a mouse-brained apprentice afterall, and he'd grow up to be a fat and lazy kittypet. There was no way he'd be a danger to Lightclan.

Flamestar let herself ponder on the subject, until she was called to join a patrol.

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