The Blood Valley - (The Blazing Fires Book 1)

Chapter 12

   Violeteyes awoke and noticed Mossgaze and Flamestorm were missing from their nest. The future queen's heart raced. She knew if they were together, blood would be spilled.

Violeteyes split from her nest and dashed into the forest faster than a rabbit could hop. The scent of blood filled her nose. Violeteyes opened her mouth to taste the scent. Flamestorm's scent was mixed with Mossgaze's. She reluctantly followed the scent. She'd nose her way through the bushes and into the training pit. Their scent was rather fresh in the small pit. The scent of fear stretched deeper into the forest as she trotted through the shrubs. Violeteyes soon reached a trail of blood. She lowered her nose to sniff it. Flamestorm's blood! Violeteyes broke into a dash.

The warrior completely froze when she saw the bloody body of Mossgaze. Flamestorm, also bloody, was looming over him, his claws wrapped with white tabby fur. "Flamestorm! What did you do?!" The she-cat howled. Flamestorm snapped out of his dark gaze and stared helplessly at Violeteyes.

"N-nothing! I swear! This is all a big misunderstanding!" Flamestorm shuddered, his ginger and pale ears flattening.

"What happened?" The she-cat hissed.

"You know Flashstar is on her last two lives, and her greencough might cause her to be on her last life. If Mossgaze became leader, we'd all be led to destruction and murder." Flamestorm explained. "I was only protecting the clan."

Violeteyes look at her mate, still in shock. "B-but you can't just kill him! Why didn't you talk to Flashstar or something?" The grey warrior sighed, feeling a few sobs muffle into her muzzle. "No more killing, please. I don't want to be apart from each other. I love you, Flamestorm. And I want that to last." Flamestorm was speechless for a second.

"I love you too. I want us to be together forever. And I'll admit it," The warrior paused. "I made a mistake. A huge mistake." The tom held back a whimper.

"I want to be by your side. I want to start a family with you and grow old with you and join StarClan together. But for that to happen, we have to hide all of this." The silver tom turned towards Mossgaze's bloody corpse.

"Speaking of family, I'm-"

"Mossgaze!" Flashstar's mew made both warriors jump. The ginger she-cat rushes to her son's side and stared in horror.

"Which one of you did this?!" Flashstar snarled, not moving her eyes away from her son's body. Violeteyes opened her mouth, but Flamestorm spoke first.

"It was me. I did it." Guilt rang in his voice. "I had to do it. He was too dangerous to lead." He tried to keep his voice stern, but a slight crack came at the end. 

The leader said nothing and walked past the two cats. "Bring Mossgaze's body back to camp..." She mumbled.

Violeteyes nosed her way through the fern tunnel, Mossgaze's body lying on her back. She'd gently drop the small deputy's body in the clearing. "Mossgaze!" Blueheart wailed from the entrance of the warrior's den. The dark warrior dashed to his brother's bloody body and buried his muzzle into his brother's tuft. Blueheart sobbed, collapsing onto the ground.

Frosttuft peeked her head out of the warrior's den, then trotted into the clearing, eyes wide. "What happened?" She mewed.

Flashstar leaped onto the Cliff Rock, and yowled for the clan to gather. They all seemed shocked that their deputy was dead. "Flamestorm was the one who killed Mossgaze!" Flashstar announced.

"You piece of fox-dung!" Blueheart leaped out at Flamestorm, but Lilystomp held him by the scruff.

"Flamestorm, anything to say in your defense?" Flamestorm sheepishly stepped up. 

"Mossgaze was far too dangerous to become our leader." Flamestorm's pelt was scented with fear.

"How so?" Flashstar challenged. There was nothing but silence. Pebblestorm's death was also Violeteyes's fault, and mentioning it would just make matters worse. Other than that, Mossgaze did nothing the clan knew of that was awful enough for him to get killed. "That's what I thought. Flamestorm, you are now exiled from ValleyClan. I don't know what Cherrystar was thinking, but she obviously made a bad decision letting you in the clan!" Flashstar spat.

As Flamestorm trudged towards the fern tunnel, Violeteyes chases after him. "I'm sorry this had to happen." Flamestorm whimpered to his mate.

"It's not your fault. I still love you. I always will." Violeteyes nuzzled Flamestorm for the final time.

"I'll see you in StarClan..." Flamestorm forced a smile.

"I'll see you in StarClan..." Violeteyes echoed, before Flamestorm disappeared behind the ferns, and left into the forest. Violeteyes dragged herself back into the clearing.

"Violeteyes, you have your mother's strength and talent. You shall become the new deputy of ValleyClan." Flashstar mewed, before leaping down to her son's body. It took a moment for Violeteyes to comprehend the situation. Me? Deputy? Now Violeteyes has to keep the kits secret for as long as possible.

"Oh, Mossgaze. You were so brave and loyal. You were the best littermate any cat could ask for. You were a perfect deputy, and you would have made a perfect leader as well. I love you, Mossgaze, and I hope you can hear me..." Blueheart sobbed. Frosttuft put a comforting lick behind her mate's ear.

Flashstar swished her tail tip on Mossgaze's bloody back. Grief was clear in her eyes. Emberblaze watched the blood slowly trickle out of her former deputy, holding back a smile. Nightchaser watched the commotion from a distance. Tigerpelt placed his tail on his former apprentice's bloody body, sighing. Lilystomp sat next to him.
      "Congratulations on becoming deputy." Dewfur padded up next to Violeteyes.

"My little warrior, you've grown so big." Breezelily trotted forward. "If only your father was here to see you now."

Violeteyes had an important role in the clan now. And with Flashstar on her last two lives, she'll have an even more important role than before.