Sunflower's Past

Chapter 15

Sunflower awoke to a strange quietness over the camp. Gingerly she made her way to avoid the few still sleeping cats, and into the clearing of the camp.

"What's going on?" Sunflower asked Lilyheart as the she-cat walked by.

The brown and white warrior sighed, looking up to the leader's den. "Fernstar was taken by the greencough this morning," Lilyheart meowed softly, glancing back to Sunflower.

"Why hasn't it been announced?" Sunflower asked, her tail stilling.

"Ivystone wanted to wait a bit. It's hard," Lilyheart meowed, looking back up to the leader's den. "Hollystorm is heartbroken, and I'm sure that Forestpelt and Weedwhisker will be too."

"They haven't heard yet either?" Sunflower asked.

"Dawn patrol," Lilyheart explained, tail sweeping across the ground as she sat down.

Sunflower glanced to the entrance to the camp, seeing the dawn patrol just get back. "Here they are," Sunflower meowed, going over to them.

"Sunflower!" A familliar meow said as Forestpelt and Weedwhisker ran over to her, Weedwhisker wet and dripping.

"What happened to you two?" Sunflower asked, forcing a purr as she looked over them.Forestpelt's fur was ruffled and covered with burrs.

""Weedwhisker pushed me into a bush, so I shoved him and he fell into the river!" Forestpelt meowed excitedly, purring as she looked to Weedwhisker and his dripping fur.

"That's great!" Sunflower exclaimed, trying to make some false excitement about it.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here," Ivystine suddenly called behind from behind them.

"A meeting? Where's Fernstar?" Weedwhisker demanded, tail swishing as he went to gather along with the rest of the clan cats.

"Do you know what this is about?" Forestpelt asked Sunflower, the tortoiseshell looking worried.

"Yes," Sunflower meowed, her voice quiet as the two of them went to join the meeting.

Ivystone looked down at the cats each in turn, looking weary and tired. "Fernstar is dead."

The hushed crowd of cats suddenly was no longer quiet as everyone gasped.

"Dead?" Forestpelt meowed in a hushed tone, not completely believing what the deputy had said.

"The greencough has spread through the clans, and everyone must be careful now. It took our brave leader, and many of our warriors. If you start feeling sick go straight to our medicine cats," Ivystone meowed seriously to the whole clan.

Sticktail stepped up to face the clan. "Ivystone and I will be going to the Moonpool tonight," The older cat announced.

"Before I leave I want to choose a deputy," Ivystone meowed.

Murmurs spread through the gathered cats at this. This wasn't how meetings usually went.

'Maybe it'll be Weedwhisker, Treeclaw, or Lilyheart,' Sunflower thought to herself, as the rest of the cats were.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of IvyClan is Grasswhisker," Ivystone said, speaking the words to the ceremony.

'Grasswhisker? Why?' Sunflower thought to herself, some of the cats giving each other looks at the mention of their new deputy.

Grasswhisker, the large white cat with forest green eyes, walked up to Ivystone.

"I'll do it," He meowed. "Thank you."

"Grasswhisker!" Lilyheart cheered, the other cats joining in to cheer on their new deputy.

Ivystone nodded in acknowledgement. "Clan dismissed," She meowed, coming down from the ledge in front of the leader's den.

"I can't believe it," Forestpelt meowed sadly, looking to Sunflower. "Fernstar..."

"It'll be alright," Sunflower said. "Fernstar made Ivystone his deputy for a reason, she can take care of the clan."

Forestpelt watched as Sticktail and Ivystobe exited the camp on their way to the Moonpool. "Fernstar was leader ever since I was born, now its going to all be different."

"How about we go on a patrol to get your mind off of it?" Sunflower suggested.

"Fine," Forestpelt said, getting up and leading the way to the new deputy.

"Lilyheart, Mossystep, and Weedwhisker, can you go on a border patrol?" Greenwhisker asked the three cats.

"Sure," Weedwhisker said dully, following the two other cats out of the camp.

"Grasswhisker, do you need Forestpelt and I for a patrol?" Sunflower asked the large white warrior.

"If you two could go for a hunting patrol, that'd be great," Grasswhisker said gratefully, turning to some other warriors.

"Come on," Sunflower meowed to her friend, loping towards the entrance. Forestpelt sighed, but tries to work up a good attitude, running after her.

Sunflower suddenly stopped, turning to the side as she heard yowls. Forestpelt came to a stop beside her. "What is it?" Forestpelt asked, tail stilling and ears pricking as she too hears the yowls.

"Come on!" Sunflower tells her, swiftly making her way towards the sounds, hearing Forestpelt behind her.

'The border patrol!' Sunflower remembers. 'Weedwhisker!' She remembers again, making her go even faster over the ground, coming to a halt as she sees the border patrol in battle.

Another border patrol was attacking them back, but the three cats were ferociously attacking them, their yowls loud and clear.

Sunflower ran up to join them and Forestpelt did the same, the two joining together against a large warrior.

"You're Sunpaw!" The large warrior suddenly meows, not attacking anymore, stopping right away.

"No, I'm Sunflower," Sunflower tells him, tense and ready to attack again. Forestpelt glances over to her, in a position to strike, tail lashing.

"Flamestar needs to see you!" The warrior explained. "You have to come back to FlameClan!"

"I'm not in your clan! I'm an IvyClan cat!" Sunflower meowed firmly, a bit confused by the warriors attitude.

"You're Flamestar and Brightfire's daughter, Redtail is your sister. Don't you remember?" The warrior asked in confusion.

-This took me way longer than it should have, and it's pretty short, but I tried to get over writers block AGAIN. Who else hates writers block?- Moonflier