Wavestar was sitting atop the Highrock with her tail curled over her paws. Silence thronged the air. Gazing up at the leader, Wolfsoul waited quietly until she spoke. "You all know our deputy has fallen because of ShadowClan." For a moment the brown tabby thought the leader's cobalt gaze slid over to him. Why am I blamed for everything? "I have endlessly pondered my next choice, and now is the time to announce it." The light gray she-cat turned her muzzle to the sky as if she was bathing in fresh rain. Stars hung in the deep black sky, shining their silver light on the grassy clearing. The moon was a radioactive slit whose glow highlighted the frames of the cats. Wind whistled through the trees in a ghostly manner as the silver she-cat proceeded to say her final decision. "May Shallowstream's spirit hear and approve my choice. RiverClan's new deputy will be Azureflame."
The dark gray she-cat's name rippled through the crowd like the effect of a claw dipped in a pond. Wolfsoul felt his neck fur rise. I'm not taking orders from her! But the brown tom chanted her name in spite of his thoughts.
As the chatter died down, Azureflame spoke. "I am very honored, Wavestar. I will be forever in your service." She dipped her head magnanimously, her bright blue eyes gleaming.
Wavestar dipped her head in return. "You are all dismissed," she concluded. Wolfsoul shouldered his way through the crowd to the fresh-kill pile. The brown tom lowered his head to pick up a small fish. He padded toward an inviting patch of grass and sat down to eat. The salty flavor of fish was much different than what he was used to, and the overwhelming sea scent made him gasp. In the end he managed to choke it down. His stomach still growled for the frogs and very occasional squirrels of ShadowClan, but he shook it off and padded to the warriors den.
Gentle moonlight filtered through the crevices of the den. Wolfsoul curled up in his mossy bed and tucked his paws at his sides. Snoring had already filled the room hours before he finally felt himself drift asleep.
Wolfsoul awoke to the sound of curious mewls. Glaring scarlet light of dawn had filled the den, highlighting his lithe figure.
"I think we're going to ambush ShadowClan!" A feminine voice spoke in an ecstatic whisper.
"I wonder who's going," another voice said.
Wolfsoul opened his eyes, his gaze traveling over the camp. Confusion and doubt entered his mind. Why are we attacking right after we won the battle? We don't need to prove our strength twice to them! He flattened his ears.
But this would give him a chance to avenge Brooksong. The brown tabby flexed his claws into the dirt as he recalled Brooksong's loving eyes as she bled into the forest floor. The thought of sinking his claws into Dovestar's pelt made him shiver with sick anticipation. Moonlight reflected in his eyes, turning them silver. They were pools of pale gray as they glittered icily. His long tail swished on the ground, sending bits of dirt into the air. His grey-tinted eyes glinted callously, contrasting to the dawn light that speckled his fur. His breathing came quick, his fangs bared as he fastened his sharp, talon-like claws into the ground. Wolfsoul's ears pinned to his head tyrannically. The tabby's vision glazed over with a vague light that made his mind spin. He felt as though he were suspended in air for centuries, his gaze fixed on something far away. A blast of cold wind battered his fur and sank into his heart. A new, sickening feeling crept into his soul, controlling him, possessing him.
"Wolfsoul!"
A dark she-cat came into view, the glaze fading from his vision as he jolted back to reality. His impossible fanged smile contorted into a frown. It was Azureflame.
Her expression was stricken with fear, which Wolfsoul inwardly reveled in. Suddenly her blue eyes narrowed in fury as she snarled in his face, "Get up and make yourself useful." The gray she-cat whipped around and stalked away with a contemptuous lash of her tail.
The brown tabby felt his claws scrape the ground, barely suppressing a sharp retort. He punctuated his frustration with a hiss as he padded into the clearing to listen to the patrol organization.
"Hawklight, you lead a hunting patrol with Graydusk and Lightpaw." Azureflame gestured to the tabby. "And Dawnstripe, you will lead the border patrol. Take Ivoryshine and Leafpaw with you." She beckoned to the ginger she-cat. The dark she-cat paused to let the cats gather in their said groups. "That will be all."
Wolfsoul's claws pricked the ground with anxiety. She tells me to make myself useful, then doesn't assign me a patrol. I must be as worthless as she depicts.
Suddenly it dawned on him that she might have something else planned for him. But what?
•
The blazing, aureolin sun had cascaded down the sky, painting a trail of infernal light. A scarlet sky besieged the yellow and tangerine view, creating an incomplete splash of rainbow.
In the corner of Wolfsoul's eye, a lithe gray figure moved past him and strode over to Azureflame.
Recognizing Wavestar, Wolfsoul observed as the two cats conversed. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he saw a flicker of surprise in Azureflame's eyes. Then the dark she-cat nodded calmly as the leader pounced onto the Highrock. Wavestar threw her head back and yowled for a Clan meeting.
The brown tabby padded over to sit beneath the Highrock, his interest piqued. As the cats settled, Wavestar spoke. "Azureflame and I have been discussing battle plans, and now is the time to share them." She wrapped her tail around her paws, narrowing her eyes as she considered her options. "We will be bringing Hawklight, Graydusk, Wolfsoul, Talonblaze, Shinepaw, and Mousepaw for the raid on ShadowClan."
Letting her words sink in, the gray she-cat gazed down at her Clan with malignant eyes and a proud, knowing smile. Wolfsoul's ears flattened in disbelief all at once, hearing the cats around him yowl with excitement. For a few heartbeats he wanted to protest, but his words were washed away by a rapid wave of uncertainty. They would think I'm still loyal to ShadowClan. Wolfsoul glanced around in hopes of spotting someone who shared his doubt about the battle, but was disappointed to find each of his Clanmates cheering and yowling determinedly.
Wolfsoul forced himself to dip his head respectfully toward the leader, hardly reassuring himself that the battle would be swift and simple.
Hawklight's voice sounded from behind him. "When do we leave?"
The leader just grinned as though she was expecting the question. "Now." She flicked her tail toward the camp entrance and jumped down from the Highrock.
Wolfsoul's ears perked. A dawn raid? That's unheard of! He shook his pelt as though to shake off his worries and trotted toward the entrance. Pushing between the bramble thickets, he padded a few steps and shifted his weight onto his haunches. His tail neatly curled around his paws as he waited for the others to gather.
Hawklight stepped outside camp, followed by Talonblaze and Shinepaw. The cats scraped the ground anxiously as they pictured a victorious battle. Wolfsoul gazed out into the azure sky as if he were waiting for the thick clouds to shoot out a prophecy at any given moment. But the air moved soundlessly against his fur and through the sky, giving nothing away.
The tabby felt a shove. He whipped around to see that all cats were assembled, with Wavestar in the lead and Azureflame just behind her. Wolfsoul trekked after the warriors, bringing up the rear of the group. As they traveled along the grass down a slope, Wolfsoul could make out the shoreline just ahead. Treading the ground on light paws, the brown tom approached the water, his Clanmates already powering through it.
Touching his paw pads to the cold surface, a feeling of dread pierced his soul. Memories poured through his mind like rain filling an upturned leaf. For a heartbeat, he felt Brooksong's fur brushing against his. He felt his blood run cold with guilt as he remembered her death. But as he turned around, he realized it had been the wind.
