Pick A Flower

Chapter 10;Wisped Code

Hollowfrost's white paws rose and fell from the ground rapidly, her white patches blurring at her speed. Her yellow eyes were searching. The trees flashed by her, merely blurs of browns on greens. She skidded to a stop just before she could topple off the shore beside a rushing river. Leaf-bare frost was drifting in the air.

"Hollowpaw?" Hollowfrost turned her gaze, visibly as she saw the blue-gray tom.

"Bluepaw!" she purred, unable to stop herself from running up and nuzzling the tom's chest fur. The blue-gray tom looked visibly surprised and uncomfortable. She pulled away. "Stonestar is dead. Dewshine is the leader now. We're letting you back in! Oh, and you might want to know I'm Hollowfrost now. Fernflight died last half-moon." Hollowfrost's words were half-rushed.

"Really! That's sad, the passings, but I'm glad to get my chance- wait." The tom's blue gaze switched from excited to curious in a heartbeat. "Dewshine?"

"FlowerClan are not our ancestors anymore. WispClan are. They gave her nine lives and were going to name her Dewstar, but I didn't like the idea of carrying that with the dark history behind 'stars. So I suggested shine, because we'll be shining into the future of what VineClan should be and that includes you being in it."

"I like that," Bluepaw purred.

~~~

"We need a Code," Dewshine fretted, her white paws stomping on the ground as she paced, her voice was strained.

"I know, I already have a few ideas for rules- and what to call it," Hollowfrost mewed comfortingly, her yellow eyes warm, both with comfort and the happiness that Bluepaw had been renamed Bluestream, to match how he'd adapted like a stream when rocks blocked it, and he was calm, even when he was wronged he didn't wrong the Clan in return.

Dewshine looked up at her, her blue eyes desperate. "Tell me then."

"One: The Flowering Fields are not to be used for anything other than herb finding and teaching history. Two: One cat must be designated to tell the history of what was before and how it came to be this way. Three: Prey is killed to be eaten, thank WispClan for its sacrifice to feed us. Four: A deputy is chosen before sunfall once the old deputy is promoted or demoted for any reason. Five: A medicine cat must have an apprentice who wants to learn in at least two moons. If no apprentice has been made in that time, one kit will be chosen to fill in until someone else is wanting to take the place."

Hollowfrost paused before continuing: "Six: A leader must go to Wisped Hollow with the medicine cat only to get their nine lives. Seven: A new medicine cat apprentice must go to Wisped Hollow with their mentor to get WispClan's approval of their apprenticeship. Eight: A Historian Cat must have an apprentice within a moon willing or a kit will be chosen until another decides to take its place. Nine: No sort of kit or cub is to be left to die. Even if a fox cub is found abandoned, it is to be taken in." Hollowfrost was still surprised at the warmth in her heart at the ninth code, "Every creature deserves a chance to live. Ten: A warrior does not kill unless needed in self-defense. Eleven: Clan disputes should be settled by two choices, decided by the leader, deputy, medicine cats, and any greatly trusted warriors. Twelve: Cats are ranked in skill and trust. There will be three classifications: Reds- The new warriors, who haven't quite gained a more-than-normal trust. Yellows- The older warriors who haven't quite gotten a more-than-normal trust, and new warriors who have done something to show they can be trusted more than a normal Red category."

Hollowfrost paused again. "And oranges- the older warriors who have been trusted by the leader, including the deputy in their ranks."

"I like that," Dewshine mewed, nodding, "but I have one more edition for now. Thirteen: A leader may add to the Code as needed, but only if their medicine cat is in agreement and WispClan shows no disapproval like-" The gray leader stopped, looking at Hollowfrost, her blue eyes confused. "How do WispClan show their disapproval?"

Hollowfrost was about to reply, but she was dragged out of the real world to a half-real one. She recognized it as her memory from WispClan's nine lives ceremony to Dewshine, but for some reason her eyes were only pierced on her parents. For the first time, she noticed that they both had pelts wrapped in vines and withered flowers. 'Withered flowers. WispClan show their disapproval by withered flowers!'

"Hollowfrost? Hollowfrost!" A ruff paw prodded Hollowfrost back to the real world. "What happened? You just froze."

"It was a vision. WispClan was telling me that they show their disapproval through withered flowers."

"Then we have finished the Code for now. No withered flowers are around here. What should this code be called?" Dewshine mewed, sitting down and draping her gray tail over her white paws.

"The Wisped Code." Hollowfrost had thought it through right when she had first heard the Clan name spoken from the wind of Snowpaw's voice.

"I say these words before WispClan. If they shall approve, let a flower bloom in front of him. Bluestream will be VineClan's deputy." Hollowfrost was impressed by the improvised ceremony from the young she-cat. They had discussed it and decided when it came to making warriors and deputies, and historians they would still ask for a flower growth. Hollowfrost wasn't sure why she felt so attached to the flowers being a part of their culture. She looked on as a light blue flower bloomed and spread up towards Bluestream. The outward-tipped petals and the light color of them sen Hollowfrost into memories. This was the flower she had taught Dewkit to begin this whole plan. 'It seems like centuries have passed since I was a young apprentice, set on changing a broken culture. Now look at me: The first medicine cat of a new era. And era where fate isn't all decided by the color of a flower's petal.'