Warriors: FlowerClan's War #1 - A Clan's Choice

Chapter 10 - Lightningstar

Lightningstar shot a glare at Cherryfrost as the RainClan cats left the gathering. The red she-cat had claimed that the blood on her pelt had come from prey, but Lightningstar was still suspicious. Cherryfrost had been acting weird ever since then, and a little bit before.

Pebblelight padded up next to her and tried to see what she was looking at. Lightningstar tried to block his view of the red she-cat. She hadn't told him about what had happened with Cherryfrost yet.

And she wouldn't tell him until she had figured out the truth.

***

"Lightningstar?"

"Yeah?" Lightningstar looked up to see Petalshine poking her head inside the leader's den.

"I'm moving to the elder's den."

"What!? Why!?" Lightningstar sprang up from her nest, her eyes wide.

"Well, I can barely walk." Petalshine looked down at her paws. Lightningstar followed her gaze and instantly felt horrible. She should have known why Petalshine wanted to join the elders. Her wound wasn't healing.

"I understand." Lightningstar tried to keep her voice steady. "I'll announce it to the Clan when I've found a new deputy." Lightningstar followed Petalshine out of the den and while Petalshine went to talk to the elders, Lightningstar padded over to a group of cats eating freshkill.

The group included Bluefeather, Pebblelight, and Marigoldtail. They had all been kits at the same time since Pebblelight and Bluefeather were only a moon older than Lightningstar and her siblings.
Lightningstar sat down next to Pebblelight, who purred as Bluefeather and Marigoldtail continued talking.

"I wonder how Cloudlight is doing," Bluefeather said, as Marigoldtail looked at her in confusion. "Don't tell anyone until she announces it, but she's having a second litter of kits."

"That's great! But isn't it a little close to leafbare?" Marigoldtail and Bluefeather didn't seem to know or care that Lightningstar and Pebblelight were sitting right next to them and could hear their entire conversation.

"She's moving to the nursery soon, and I think the kits will be strong enough by the start of leafbare."

"Frostpaw is going to be so excited! He's always wanted siblings." Lightningstar opened her mouth to correct Marigoldtail, but Bluefeather was faster.

"He's Frostfeather now, remember?" Marigoldtail frowned.

"I still don't think he should have become a full medicine cat so soon." Marigoldtail tail swung her tail back and forth, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

"Hmm...He did ask me which herb borage was yesterday. He seemed very scared to ask Cherryfrost." Bluefeather looked towards the medicine cat's den as Marigoldtail groomed her tail.

"Exactly! He should have been trained for a few more moons!" Marigoldtail tried to brush off some of the dust that was still on her white tail.

Lightningstar sprang up from her sitting position as she remembered that she still had to pick a new deputy. She looked around the camp. The only other cats there were Morningrain and Birchfur, who were basking in the sunshine and grooming their tabby pelts. Lightningstar looked back at her friends. Morningrain and Birchfur were both elders, so Lightningstar tried to think of a good reason for one of her friends to be deputy.

She suddenly knew who should be deputy.

***

Lightningstar jumped onto the fallen tree that made up the entrance to the camp, then called the cats to a Clan meeting. Only a few cats weren't in camp, but Lightningstar had made sure that they didn't mind missing the meeting.

The cats started to gather and as they walked towards the tree they started talking about what the meeting could be about. Graykit, who was being led to the meeting by her mother Sparkwing, was still four moons too young to be an apprentice. Lightningstar turned to Petalshine, who had sat right under the fallen tree.

"Petalshine, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and join the elders?" Everyone in the crowd gasped, except for the elders. Petalshine must have already told them about her decision.

"I-it is."

"Your Clan honors you and all of the services you have given us. I call upon StarClan to give you many seasons of rest." Petalshine walked over to the elders and the Clan looked expectantly at Lightningstar, waiting for the new deputy to be announced.

"Since Petalshine is now an elder, it is now time for me to choose a new deputy. I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our ancestors may hear and approve my choice. After careful consideration, I have decided that Bluefeather will be the new deputy of RainClan." Bluefeather looked up in surprise, then stood up straighter.

"I am honored, Lightningstar."

"Lightningstar!" Bramblepaw jumped through the camp entrance, his pelt bristling. "Blossomfern and Rosepaw are being attacked by a fox!"

Lightningstar quickly gathered a large patrol and Bramblepaw led the way to the fox. Lightningstar scented blood and sped up, following the scent instead of following Bramblepaw.

Rosepaw was bending over Blossomfern, desperately trying to stop the wave of blood that was coming from her mother's neck. The scent of fox was everywhere, and Rosepaw had clear scratches all over her body.

Frostfeather lept forwards, pressing cobwebs onto the wound. Cherryfrost had stayed in the camp. Frostfeather's paws were shaking, and as he ordered some cats to find more cobwebs his voice was very quiet.

Bramblepaw was the first cat to return with cobwebs, and immediately after giving them to Frostfeather he ran off to find more. The other cats returned soon after Bramblepaw had disappeared into the woods, but Blossomfern's breaths were getting too faint for the other cats to hear.

A few moments passed as the cats were silent, desperate to see or hear some sign of life coming from the she-cat. Frostfeather pressed more cobwebs onto the wound, but Blossomfern had gone to StarClan.

Rosepaw pressed her nose into her mother's fur as Frostfeather looked down at his paws. Lightningstar chose a few cats to carry Blossomfern, including Bramblepaw and the clan walked back to the camp in complete silence.