Heartstar's rise : Book one

Ch. 15

Heartkit crawled towards the mouse. He was going to do it this time. He got ready to jumped, tensed, took a deep breath, almost jumped, waited a little longer...he pounced. Riverclaw pulled his tail away quickly and Heartkit hit the ground instead. He gave a muffled cry of frustration. Whitecloud smiled with amusement. 

             "Heartkit! You need to move faster. Any mouse would have seen that coming," Riverclaw instructed with a sigh. Heartkit nodded. 

              "You know, you would be a great hunter if you would just not hesitate," sighed Crowtail. "As Riverclaw has been trying to tell you all this time." 

               "I'm sorry," muttered Heartkit. "I just get a feeling it's not the right time sometimes." Riverclaw sighed and nodded. 

               "But once your choose to pounce, no more hesitations," Riverclaw said. "Your instincts on when to pounce are never wrong when you're a Shadowclan cat." Heartkit nodded distractedly, he had just seen Roselight returning into the clearing, looking sligthyl ruffled. Stormpelt bounded up to her with Firpaw at his side. Heartkit watched with interest. 

              "What's wrong?" asked Stormpelt. "Did you find anything?" Roselight nodded. 

             "Thunderclan has been going into our border once again," she said. "I saw two. A mentor and her apprentice. She was mentoring her apprentice in our territory! I scared them away but she managed to bite me." Stormpelt called Eagleflight quickly then turned to the Tall Stump. He looked for Pinestar but Pinestar had gone on one of the hunting patrols. 

             "Daisyfoot, Goldenheart and Clawpelt, come with me! Firpaw, you may follow," ordered Stormpelt. He spotted Heartkit and smiled at him reassuringly. Firpaw smiled excitedly, his eyes sparkling. 

            "You'll beat them!" Heartkit cried. Stormpelt nodded then turned and slipped out of camp with his patrol behind him. 

            "Oh I wish I could go and claw their pelts off myself," grumbled Riverclaw. Crowtail sunk his claws into the ground and nodded angrily. Heartkit sighed. He was alone once more. 

Stormpelt slunk into camp and spotted Pinestar. He had had a good day, protecting Shadowclan with his patrol and acting as deputy, but he knew what must be done. He padded over to Pinestar and flicked his tail. Pinestar stopped talking to Cindertail and walked up to Stormpelt. 

           "Good job today," congratulated Pinestar. 

          "Pinestar...," Stormpelt trailed off. He didn't know how he was going to say it. He couldn't bring himself to say it in his head himself. 

          "Is something wrong?" Pinestar asked worriedly. "Should I call Eagleflight?" Stormpelt shook his head. 

          "It's about my being the deputy," said Stormpelt. Pinestar gave Stormpelt a concerned look. 

           "Do you not like it?" asked Pinestar. 

           "No no I do. I love feeling like I'm protecting my Clan as much as I can and that I'm leading Shadowclan to victory and peace and.., I love taking care of my Clan," Stormpelt said. He realised how much being a deputy meant to him. He loved it but he had made a decision. Heartkit needed him more. 

           "What is it then?" asked Pinestar. 

           "I don't think I can be deputy anymore though," said Stormpelt in a hoarse voice. 

            "What do you mean?" exclaimed Pinestar. 

           "Heartkit doesn't have a mother. Which means he needs me more," Stormpelt finally said. 

            "This is about Heartkit?!" burst Pinestar. "You're taking the most care of him by protecting your Clan and serving your Clan. You're a great deputy Stormpelt, that's why I chose you. Not Clawpelt, not Cindertail. You." Stormpelt hung his head. 

             "But- I can't...," Stormpelt trailed off. Pinestar's head drooped and he looked wary. 

             "It's your choice," Pinestar said finally. 

             "And that's what I choose," Stormpelt mumbled. His whole body was telling him to say no, to just back away. He didn't want this. But Heartkit needed him and that was enough. "My duties are keeping my from Heartkit." Pinestar nodded sadly and bit back a protest. Stormpelt had been a great deputy. 

             "Then we'll have to tell the Clan soon and I need to choose a new deputy," Pinestar said. Stormpelt nodded numbly. He couldn't face his choice anymore. So he fled. He ran out of camp.