Warriors || Rose's Path

Chapter 12

The air was humid and heavy. The sky was mostly clear of clouds, so the yellow sun's rays beat down over the lake. The long green grass of the moor dipped in the slight wind.
Roseblossom padded into the camp, carrying two field mice by the tails. Ambernight followed her, dragging a small rabbit behind him. They had went out on a team hunt together and appeared successful.
Roseblossom dropped her prey off at the fresh-kill pile, turning to survey the camp. She blinked in surprise as a patrol returned with an unfamiliar cat following.
Crookedwing and Jaggedswirl escorted a dark ginger tabby tom into the camp. Fawnstar padded over from where she sat with her sister, Duskspots. Cats started to slowly gather around the patrol, though keeping their distance.
"Who is this, Crookedwing?" Fawnstar questioned.
Roseblossom expected her leader's tone to be harsh, but she seemed more cautious than anything.
Roseblossom watched as her father stepped forward to answer instead. "We found him near the RiverClan border. He said he was from the horseplace and would like to see what Clan life was all about," Jaggedswirl explained.
The fur of the cats who had overheard began to bristle.
Oliveclaw even spoke out. "Why are we letting a kittypet into our camp?" The black tabby hissed, claws unsheathed. "They're too soft for Clan life."
Fawnstar waved her tail to silence the protests of agreement that followed. "Why did you bring him here?" She addressed Crookedwing who had led the patrol.
The ginger she-cat lashed her tail in frustration. "He brought the kittypet here," Crookedwing motioned with her tail toward Jaggedswirl. "I tried to tell him not to, but he wouldn't listen."
Jaggedswirl glanced at the tom beside him with kind copper eyes. "He'd make a good addition to the Clan. We need more apprentices and it's the right thing to do. Besides," Roseblossom perked her ears as Jaggedswirl hushed his voice and leaned toward Fawnstar. "He'd make another good fighter. The borders have been tense for a few moons."
Roseblossom twitched her whiskers. She couldn't stand it if a battle happened. She wanted every Clan to get along, but what her father said was true: borders had been tight lately.
Fawnstar waved her tail in thought. Before she could make a decision, a cat pushed through the group of cats to get to Fawnstar.
Roseblossom's tail twitched in surprise as she saw Brackencatch step forward to speak. "Letting outsiders into the Clan is against the warrior code," he stated, green eyes flicking to his leader.
Roseblossom couldn't help but silently agree with Brackencatch. The warrior code shouldn't be broken over one extra set of claws.
For the first time, Fawnstar looked down at the small ginger tabby tom to address him. "What is your name?"
The tom looked up with determination in his amber eyes. "Flame. I promise to loyal to WindClan if you'll have me. My litter mate and friends left me to join RiverClan. Now all I want is to be Clan cat as well."
Fawnstar's tail-tip twitched. "So why didn't you go to RiverClan?"
Roseblossom saw that Flame already had an answer for that. "Ever sense they left me, I never wanted anything to do with them. So I came here instead."
Fawnstar twitched her whiskers in understanding and satisfaction. "Then from this moment on, you will be a WindClan cat. Your name will now be Flamepaw and you will be apprenticed to Oliveclaw," Fawnstar glanced at the black tabby, then back to Flame. "If you do not accept these conditions, then you must leave, now."
Flamepaw stood, facing his new leader. "I accept." His amber eyes blazed with determination, and he glanced at his new mentor.
Oliveclaw rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed at her leader's decision. Brackencatch flicked his tail in disagreement, and there were several more protests around the camp.
Roseblossom couldn't help but agree with her Clanmates. Fawnstar should have abided by the warrior code.
Roseblossom glanced down the rise toward the lake. But there was some sense in her decision. With a shiver, Roseblossom could almost detect the tension building up between the Clans, waiting like a storm break.
                            •*•*•*•*•*•*•
       Roseblossom waited until she was sure each one of her Clanmates were asleep. She heard the slow heavy breathing of Ambernight who was curled up beside her. Roseblossom got to her paws slowly. The crescent moon shone brightly above; it was almost moonhigh.
Roseblossom tip-toed around her Clanmates, careful not to wake them. She could make out the white pelt of her brother sitting at the entrance of the camp, outside the barrier of gorse bushes. He must be on guard.
Roseblossom slipped silently through the gorse bushes at the edge of the camp, trying her best not to be seen. To her relief, she managed to leave the camp without Puddlestone noticing.

Roseblossom padded along the border stream, heading up the slope in the direction of the cover of the few trees on the WindClan side of the border. She padded alongside the stream for a couple heartbeats, tree branches blocking out the moonlight. She halted, ears pricked, as a thorn bush rustled ahead of her.
Roseblossom recognized the scent of WindClan, and padded forwards stealthily. The thorn bushes shuddered, and a russet tabby stepped out from the shadows.
Crystalflame eyed Roseblossom, before turning back to the thorn bush, waving her tail. Two more figures appeared from the cover of the thorns, two ginger she-cats, one darker than the other.
Crystalflame sat across from Roseblossom while Firepool hung back in the shadows. Crookedwing sat off to the side, her amber gaze at her paws. Why did she bring her sister's along? And what about their other sister, Dapplesplash?
Roseblossom realized she'd be here for a while, so she sat down as well.
"So," Crystalflame started, grooming her ears calmly. "About the prophecy."
Roseblossom tried not to look too interested, but she felt her ears prick and tail twitch.
Crystalflame stopped mid-groom, gazing intently at Roseblossom. "There will be a price, as I said before," her green gaze dropped, and she began grooming herself again. "Has your mother told you that you were named after someone. Someone important to her?"
Roseblossom shifted her paws sub-concisely. She hadn't found the courage to ask her mother about the cream she-cat yet, but she intended to. Soon.
Roseblossom shook her head.
Crystalflame returned her gaze to Roseblossom, interest flickering in her green gaze. "She hasn't? Well, this friend of Addertuft's was her closest friend," she began. "I didn't seem to pay much attention to her until..."
Crystalflame stopped mid-sentence. Crookedwing had padded between the her sister and Roseblossom. "That's enough, Crystalflame," the ginger she-cat rasped.
Firepool flicked her ginger tail. "I'm not staying here much longer."
Roseblossom wasn't sure what was going on, but all she wanted to hear was what Crystalflame had to say.
Crookedwing's gaze was level with her sister's, ignoring Firepool's complaint. "Just get to the point," Crookedwing backed away when Crystalflame gave a small nod.
"Okay then," Crystalflame spoke again, voice icy calm. "Do you want to know the prophecy? If I tell you it stays between us four. You can't tell anyone. At all."
Crystalflame looked Roseblossom over again, gaze suspicious. Roseblossom gave a nod in understanding. Finally. She took in a breath, nervousness flowing through her.
"The thing you will have to give in exchange is something very close to you," Crystalflame meowed. "I know it won't be easy, but it's for your own good. You will have to stay away from Ambernight, for good."