Cinder

Chapter 17

   A moon passed. The clan paced nervously as they waited for the news. Petalstar was pacing, her fur spiked up. Dawnpaw sat with Maplefrost, looking worried. Windpelt and Vipertail were in the medicine den with Cloudspring. All seemed gloomy. Soon, once the sun started setting, Windpelt walked out of the den, grief shadowing his gaze.
    "He's dead." He announced. Petalstar looked at her paws, and Icefur let out a moan of grief. The clan watched as Vipertail set the deputy's body for vigil. All cats started to join as the sun sank and stars started glimmering. Soon, a new deputy would be chosen. Maplefrost sat by Cloudspring's still head. He was too young do die. He was a noble warrior.
   "Thank you for the service you gave to this clan. May you walk among the stars." She meowed. Then she sat at the edge of the clearing. Petalstar soon re-emerged, calling a clan meeting. Maplefrost wondered who the next deputy would be. Deep down, she hoped she would be chosen. But she was young, and not even done training Dawnpaw.
    "I say these words before Cloudspring's spirit, so that he may hear and approve my choice." Petalstar paused, grief raw in her gaze. "Brackenclaw, will be the new deputy of ShadowClan." The ginger warrior looked surprised and pleased and faced his clan.
   "I will try my hardest to live up to Cloudspring's legacy." He promised. The clan cheered for the new deputy. Frogfoot nudged him, and Willowtail wound around him, purring. Puddlepaw and Sootpaw bounced around with excitement. The rest of the clan went to keep vigil that night.

  Maplefrost took her apprentice out for training the next day. Yellowfur padded beside her with Puddlepaw, and Roseheart was with Sootpaw. They did a mock battle session before hunting.
"Should we worry about ThunderClan?" Puddlepaw asked nervously. Maplefrost trailed her tail down her spine.
"We will keep far from their border." She meowed reassuringly.
"Why though? I'm hungry to tear apart a ThunderClan warrior!" Sootpaw boasted. Roseheart, his mentor, flicked her tail over her apprentices ear.
"No, you are not. Those bloodthirsty warriors would shred you to pieces." She growled. Sootpaw dropped his tail. Maplefrost frowned, thinking of Ravenclaw. He was not like his clan mates. And she had spoken to other ThunderClan warriors at the gathering who were gentle and nice. She thought of Hazelstream, the gentle, friendly she cat. And Whiteflower, who was wise and happy. Squirreltail, Blackpelt and Spottedflower were also not eager for fighting or battle. Even though they had to fight, they did not seem to be hungry with bloodlust like warriors like Clawheart, Brokenfoot, Jaggedclaw, Sorrelblaze, And some others. Even the newer warriors, Marshcloud and Toadpelt, did not seem to love fighting so much, though they both seemed like fierce warriors.
    "You okay Maplefrost?" Yellowfur asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
    "Yes" She meowed, shaking out her calico fur. She was also starting to feel weary. ShadowClan seemed to have the least amount of warriors. They had lost both Smokewing and Cloudspring all too soon, and were feeling their losses heavily. Maplefrost hoped a she cat in her clan would announce kits soon. They needed new warriors to protect themselves.
   Soon, each cat carried a piece of prey home, dropping their offering on the pile. Maplefrost looked around at her clanmates. Roseheart padded over to Tallstripe and rubbed her muzzle against his before sitting and eating her fill with him. Maplefrost twitched her whiskers. Maybe the young she cat would have kits after all. Pineclaw and Crowflight sat together in a patch of cool sunlight. Windpelt and Vipertail were stocking their supplies, while Petalstar was in discussion with Brackenclaw. Life seemed to be as normal as it could be. Willowtail was practicing her moves with Frogfoot, and Firefoot was on his own, guarding the camp and pacing he clearing. The apprentices were practicing their battle moves together. Maplefrost felt suddenly very alone in her own camp. She sat on her own and plucked at a startling on the pile, not very hungry. She noticed Petalstar had padded over to her.
"I thought you would want company." Meowed the clan leader, taking a mouse for herself. "How is Dawnpaw coming along?" She asked after taking a bite.
"She shows great promise." Maplefrost meowed, taking a bite of her own meal and swallowing painfully.
"Do you think she could handle a ThunderClan warrior?" Petalstar asked. Maplefrost did not respond right away.
"She could handle warriors who are not as treacherous as Mudstar and Switcheye." She replied after a while. Petalstar nodded.
"We will have to train our apprentices more fiercely than ever before. We have to make sure they are prepared." Petalstar's eyes glisten with grief. "Life was not always this way though. When I was a young warrior, Eaglestar was alive. He was a noble and peaceful leader. I also knew Mudtalon as a warrior. Back then, he was courageous and ambitious, but I would have never thought he would become a ruthless leader. He must have hid it well." Petalstar let out a sigh. "We were even friends and one point. We would share news together, and we were deputies together." She sighed louder. "I was Petalwhisker back then." She let out a chuckle. "All is want to say is; be careful which cats you become friends with. They may not be who they seem." She warned. Maplefrost thought of Cindercloud and Ravenclaw. Surly they would not end up like Mudstar? Cindercloud was a clever and wise warrior. Ravenclaw was ambitious, but he always hinted that he hated the violence of his clan. She would be wary, but she would still be friends with them.
"Anyways. Eaglestar was a loyal cat and a great leader. He must have been blind to Mudstar's ambitions. We all were. He kept it well hidden that he wanted his clan to be feared and not soft. I'm just surprised so many of his warriors have gone along with it." Petalstar shook her head slowly.
"They are afraid of him I'm sure." Maplefrost meowed. "They are probably not allowed to speak out against Mudstar in fear of being punished." Petalstar shook her head again.
"Maplefrost, you are a wise young cat. If you were not so young, and had fully trained an apprentice, I would have made you my deputy." Maplefrost pricked her ears in surprise. "Brackenclaw is a noble warrior, and I am glad he is my deputy, but you are also another of my choices. Though I wish Cloudspring would have never died." Her eyes glistened with grief. She shook herself. "It has been nice chatting with you Maplefrost. I'm going to discuss a few things with Brackenclaw." Petalstar dipped her head to her warrior before padding off with her deputy. Maplefrost watched her wistfully.