Magicstar's Story

Chapter 11

"Magicclaw! I want you to join me on a border patrol." Ivyheart, Magicclaw's former mentor and the deputy of Fireclan, called to her where she sat in the center of the clearing organizing patrols.

"Okay!" Magicclaw called back, excitement buzzed beneath her pelt. For about three and a half moons she had been confined to the Fireclan camp, now she was able to serve her clan as a warrior. Deadshadow stopped working on their den on the other side of the clearing and padded across to her, rubbing his muzzle against hers.

"Be careful." He murmured, love and affection flooded his gaze whenever he looked at her. She purred.

"If I have to fight, I'll fight." Magicclaw replied and licked Deadshadow's ear, then she bounded across the clearing to Ivyheart, and with a flick of her tail the patrol headed into the forest. They headed to the Darkclan border, Magicclaw's pelt prickled at the thought of her brother. She wanted to talk to him about the rogues, and the possibility that their father was among them. Didn't Scourge tell them about a clan that he led? Magicclaw tried remembering, out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of black fur, slowing her pace she turned toward it and ducked underneath the bushes. "

Shadowclaw!" She hissed softly. Shadowclaw pushed his head through the bushes.

"Magicclaw!" He breathed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"Father! Magicclaw, It's father's scent. It's so close to my own." He went on excitedly. "Can't you see? Father must want to see us!"

"Don't be mouse-brain!" Magicclaw hissed, but her head swam with memories. Playing outside a small den with her brother and sister, her mother and father watching proudly...

"Magicclaw! Where are you!?" A yowl sounded close by.

"I got to go, Shadowclaw, we'll talk more at the next gathering!" Backing away, she headed out of bushes and bounded toward Shadowpaw, with just a few more moons of training, he'll be able to become a warrior. Magicclaw had grown close to him, but just as a friend and that he reminded her so much of her brother.

"Shadowpaw!" She called out, he turned and ran toward her.

"Where were you?" He mewed.

"Rogue scent." Magicclaw answered. "Shadowclaw smelled it too."

"Shadowclaw?" A voice came from behind her. She turned to see the patrol padding toward them. "He smelled the scent too?" Ivyheart asked, Magicclaw nodded. She growled, but turned and raced back through the forest with the patrol following, Magicclaw's paws were sore from running on the cold, hard, ground. Once they were back in camp Ivyheart went straight for Firestar's den.

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Magicclaw was curled up with Deadshadow a breeze drifted into the den, carrying a strange scent. Magicclaw bolt straight up, someone was in the camp! Careful not to wake her mate, she crept out of the den. Just as she stepped paw into the clearing, battle broke out. Cats yowled and she noticed cats being dragged from their dens, one of them was Ivyheart.

"No! Ivyheart!" With a yowl of rage Magicclaw raced and pounced onto the dark tabby that was holding the Fireclan deputy by her neck, scraping his spine with thorn sharp claws. The tabby let out a yowl of pain and tried to shake her off, letting go of Ivyheart, but Magicclaw held on.

"You should never have hurt any cat of my clan!" She screeched close to his ear, biting his scruff hard she pinned him on to the ground.

"Magicclaw! Let him go!" A yowl sounded across the clearing, Deadshadow was beside her and she reluctantly let go of the dark tabby. Wailing, the dark tabby fled out of camp. Deadshadow pressed against as she gazed at Ivyheart's body, unmoving.

"No..." Magicclaw's mew was stuck in her throat like a tough piece of fresh-kill, "Ivyheart..." She bent down, blinded to the battle that raged around her, Magicclaw pushed her nose into the Fireclan deputy's soft fur. Time seemed to go by slow, it seemed like moons before the battle ended, Magicclaw felt cats pressing on either side of her, keeping her warm as she laid beside the fallen warrior.

"She died a warrior's death." A voice sounded close to her, Magicclaw looked up to see Firestar standing over her. "Before we sit vigil for her, I must choose a new Deputy." Greif clouded her leader's gaze, Ivyheart had been her best friend. Fireheart jumped on top of the Highstone, with a yowl she summoned the shock-strucken clan.

"Ivyheart is dead," Firestar began, "she died fighting for her clan, but, before we sit vigil for her, I must choose a new deputy!" Firestar paused for a moment. "I say these words before the body of Ivyheart, so she may hear and approve my choice." She paused again, Magicclaw wondered who she would choose, Probably one of the senior warriors she thought to herself, Thrushheart, Reedclaw, and Mapledusk, all seemed like great choices for deputy. "Tigerheart will be the new deputy of Fireclan!" Magicclaw turned to look at Tigerheart, and saw that he looked startled, but his voice calm when he replied.

"Firestar, I am honored to be chosen as deputy. I promise to help lead our clan through the good, and bad, times ahead." Tigerheart bowed his head, his dark brown fur, striped with light brown stripes and his amber eyes gleamed.

"Tigerheart! Tigerheart!" The clan cheered for the new deputy. Tigerheart padded toward Magicclaw.

"Are you okay?" He asks, she could tell that he wanted her approval of taking Ivyheart's place. Magicclaw nodded, numb with grief.

"There's another ceremony that I must perform." Firestar announced after the cheering died away, she looked down at three kits sitting beside their mother, Stonesong. "Bluekit, Bloodkit, and Frostkit, step forward please." Firestar commanded, jumping down from the Heighstone. The three kits stumbled forward.

"I, Firestar, leader of Fireclan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on these three kits." Firestar touch Frostkit's shoulder with her tail-tip, "from this moment forward until he has received his warrior name, this kit shall be known as Frostpaw. Magicclaw, you fought hard in the battle, and Ivyheart was your mentor. I hope you will pass on the qualities she has taught you to your first apprentice." Magicclaw was stunned, she padded up to Frostpaw and touched noses with him.

"I'll do my best." She promised the little white kit.

They retreated to the edge of the circle as Firestar did the same for Bluekit, giving her the name Bluepaw and Appleshade as her mentor. Then Bloodkit, Bloodpaw and Swiftclaw as her mentor. The kits were bouncing with excitement, except Frostpaw, who was looking up at Magicclaw with big bright, ice-blue eyes.

"What are we going to do now?" He squeaked. Magicclaw led him away from the others, "We're going to collect bedding for the elders." She mewed when they were out of earshot. Frostpaw nodded and followed her out of the camp, they climb the ravine, Magicclaw showed

him where the best places to put a paw and to jump onto the next ledge. Once they were on top of the ravine, she led him to one of the trees where there was moss growing.

"Now, we need the moss to be dry and clean." She began, laying her paws on the tree trunk where the moss grew. Sliding out her claws, she stretched them until they hit bark, then slowly as scraped her claws over the bark scraping moss off the tree.

"Do you understand?" She asked Frostpaw, once she finished. Frostpaw nodded, he came up to the tree and copied Magicclaw. Laying his paws on the tree trunk sliding his claws out until they hit bark, then finally scraping the moss of in clean swipes. Once they had collected enough, Magic showed him how to carry it, then they went back down the ravine carefully and into the camp, Frostpaw followed her. Excitement tangled in her paws, She was a mentor at last! Just then a thought struck her, making her blood turn cold. We're the rogues that attacked the camp, the same ones from her father's group?