(Warriors) 🌹Flower In The Shadows🌹 Volume I: ✳Dark Seeds✳

Chapter Twelve

    "Wait for me!" Shadeflower looked up to see Briarkit chasing after Smokekit. She held in her laughter. Oakbriar certainly had her hands full with those three. Cinderkit pounced on Shadeflower's tail. She turned to see the young tom kit.

    "I caught you!" Cinderkit meowed, puffing out his chest. "Surrender to ShadowClan!" Shadeflower flopped over on her side.

    "I surrender!" Shadeflower meowed.

    "ShadowClan is the best!" Cinderkit purred. Oakbriar was watching the two of them.

    "Cinderkit!" Oakbriar called out for her kits. "Smokekit, and Briarkit! Time to go inside!" Stormheart appeared beside her.

    "But I'm playing with Shadeflower !" Cinderkit protested. Shadeflower couldn't help but smile. Oakbriar gave him a stern look.

    "It's getting late, and it's getting cold. It's time to come inside." Oakbriar repeated. Oakbriar was indeed correct. The sun was setting and it was the middle of leaf bare, and the air was cold and crisp, with the promise of snow. Cinderkit looked at his mother and he nodded. He ran over to his mother, joining Smokekit and Briarkit. Shadeflower stood up. She shook her fur and she smiled as Oakbriar led the kits into the nursery. Fernpaw followed, carrying a small vole. It wasn't much, but he had just caught it, and he took it straight it the nursery. She couldn't be more proud of the young cat. He had grown up so much over the past two moons. He wasn't a fluffy new apprentice anymore, his fur was sleek, and his muscles strong. He was almost as big as her, and he was fast, and strong. He would make a great warrior.

    "You coming, Shadeflower?" Stormfall's voice interrupted her thoughts. She nodded and she followed him into the warrior's den. Most of the other warriors were already asleep. Shadeflower curled up in her nest. Many of the other cats assumed Shadeflower and Stormfall were mates. They weren't, at least not yet. Shadeflower still wasn't ready. And he accepted that. Stormfall settled into his nest, next to Shadeflower.

    "Sleep well, Shadeflower." He murmured.

    "You too, Stormfall " She meowed, her eyes half open. They closed, and she fell into sleep's tight embrace.

    She awoke in a familiar place. Starclan. She recognized Yellowfang as the gray she cat from before. Shadeflower held her breath. Another prophecy? Shadeflower's heart filled with dread. Yellowfang dipped her head.

"Hello, Shadeflower." Yellowfang meowed. Shadeflower shifted on her paws nervously.

    "Hello." She meowed. She curled her tail around her back leg.

    "Shadeflower, relax." Yellowfang meowed. "You look stiffer than a tree." Shadeflower immediately sat down.

    "Sorry" She mumbled. Her nerves were still on edge though. What did Starclan have to say to her this time? Yellowfang sat down.

    "It's nothing bad, Shadeflower. I promise you that." She meowed.

    "Oh please." There was another cat who padded forward. Nightwing! He was her father's father.

    "Nightwing? What are you doing here?" Yellowfang snapped.

    "The only thing you ever deliver is bad news, Yellowfang." Nightwing retorted. Shadeflower watched the two of them.

    "Nightwing...." Yellowfang meowed a warning to the tom.

    "Just because we're kin doesn't mean you get to treat me like I'm your kit, Yellowfang!" Badgerclaw had always told her how much of a bad temper his father could have. Seems he didn't lose that trait when he went to Starclan.

    "Wait, we are related?!" Shadeflower interrupted the two Starclan cats. She had interrupted Yellowfang before she could argue back with her.

    "Yes, Shadeflower. Through a very long and complicated bloodline." Yellowfang meowed. "But that isn't the point right now." She shot a glare at Nightwing.

    "Real subtle, Yellowfang." Nightwing growled under his breath.

    "Anyway," Yellowfang ignored Nightwing's comment. "What I was going to say, wether you become mates with Stormfall or not, it won't affect your destiny. "

    "As if you're the one suited for giving love advice." Nightwing rolled his eyes. Yellowfang hissed at him.

    "Calm down you two!" Bluestar, the famous leader of ThunderClan, padded forward. "But, shadeflower, Yellowfang is right. Your relationship wth Stormfall will not affect your destiny." She meowed. Shadeflower nodded.

    "Thank you. But what is my destiny?" Shadeflower stepped forward, but the Starclan cats were already beginning to fade. With a start, she woke up in her nest. The air was crisp and cool. She emerged from the den to see Cinderkit, Smokekit, and Briarkit pummeling through the snow. It was their first time seeing snow. Stormfallbsat beside Shadeflower.

    "Their first snow. " he smiled. "I remember my first time seeing the snow. It was magical." He meowed.

    "I thought the clouds had fell onto the earth. My mother called be a stupid mousebrain" Shadeflower meowed.

    "You're no mousebrain." Stormfall meowed. Shadeflower smiled and fluffed her fur out. It was a cold day. Fernpaw emerged from the apprentice den.

    "Het Shadeflower!" Fernpaw bounded over. "Do you mind if I help Crowpaw out with getting more moss for the elders?"

    "Nope, I don't mind! " Shadeflower meowed happily.

    "Thank you!" He meowed, and he bounded over to help with Crowpaw. shadeflower watched him follow over to help his brother.

    "You've trained him so well." Stormfall meowed. "I wonder where you learned that from him." Shadeflower gave him a look.

    "No idea." She joked with him. he chuckled and licked her ears. Briarkit suddenly ran right into Shadeflower's side, covered in snow. Shadeflower and Stoneshadow exchanged a glance and they both burst out laughing.

    "You alright there, Briarkit?" Shadeflower asked the young one. She nodded and got to her paws. Shadeflower licked the snow off her fur. "Be more careful, little one." The tiny kit nodded and went back over to her mother.

    "You'd make a wonderful mother, Shadeflower." Stormfall meowed softly in ears.

    "You really think so?" Shadeflower asked him. He nodded with a purr. He rubbed his cheek against hers.

    "I know so." Stormfall meowed soflty.

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    "Fernfeather! Brownfur! Crowpelt!" Shadeflower cheered for the newly made warriors. She was so proud of her apprentice. She purred and touched noses with him.

    "I'm so proud of you." She meowed. Fernfeather looked away shyly.

    "Thank you." He purred. Stonestar silenced the clan.

    "I have another ceremony to perform tonight." Stonestar nodded to Mistyflame who stepped forward. Shadeflower immediately knew what the ceremony was. Anyone could see the white hairs around her muzzle and how shaggy her fur was becoming. Mistyflame was old now.

    "Mistyflame, is it your wish to give up the name of a Warrior and go to join the elders?"

    "It is" Mistyflame meowed solemly. "I am not as young as I used to be and it was an honor to serve as a ShadowClan warrior. "

    "Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest." Stonestar rested his head on hers. Shadeflower looked up sadly.

    "Don't worry! We will keep you company! " Pineheart meowed. Mistyflame nodded and went to sit with the other elders. The clan then dispersed. Suddenly Featherlight burst into camp.

"ThunderClan has attacked!! " she yowled. "Badgerclaw has been gravely injured!"