Crisp leaves swirled to the ground around Snowblaze's paws as a brisk wind blew through the trees. They were staring to change colour ever so slightly. Another leaf fall was just around the corner.
Dens had finished being built and his clanmates were finally feeling safe again, all except Sleetstar. Who had seemed to become worse and worse as they days wore on. EmeraldClan rarely saw the grey and white speckled cat now. He wouldn't even leave his nest to eat.
The burden of his knowledge about their leader weighed heavily on Snowblaze's mind as he stood in the morning sunlight. Flowertail had led the dawn patrol with Starnose, Eaglepaw, and Charfur.
Flameclaw shuffled tiredly out of the warriors' den and began to groom his sleepy fur. He had seemed exhausted lately, having to do the duties of both the deputy and the leader. Snowblaze padded over and sat down beside Flameclaw.
"I'll lead a hunting patrol today if you want. It'll be good to get the fresh kill pile as full as we can to prepare for leaf bare," he said sensibly.
Flameclaw looked up at him gratefully and meowed his thanks. Snowblaze nodded and crawled back into the warriors' den to find cats to come with him. Oneclaw was stirring and Rainwhisker was awake, washing his face.
"Do you two want to come hunting with me?" he asked hopefully. Oneclaw nodded and stretched, letting out a huge yawn.
"Sure," Rainwhisker replied.
The three of them left the camp as it was still waking up and headed out into the forest. The chilly morning air woke Snowblaze up from his morning daze and he broke into a brisk trot to warm up. Oneclaw and Rainwhisker followed behind.
They made it to the edge of their territory on the border with the meadow. It was the area that had seen the least amount of damage. Oneclaw decided to try his luck hunting in the tall grasses of the meadow, while Snowblaze and Rainwhisker padded along under the trees.
The brown and white tom scented the air. Snowblaze pricked his ears and looked around. Birds were chirping in the trees and far away a crow cawed. He enjoyed hunting with Rainwhisker. The older tom was always calm and sensible. He was funny too at the best of times and Snowblaze enjoyed his company.
"I always feel like I need to bring back more prey now," Rainwhisker commented out of the blue.
"What do you mean?" Snowblaze asked. He looked sideways at his friend.
"Well with Meltwater expecting kits, I feel like it's my responsibility to bring back enough prey to feed her and my kits." He sighed dramatically and sat with a huff. "I don't know if I'm even ready to be a father yet."
Snowblaze sat beside him and laid his tail comfortingly over his shoulders. "I think you're ready, Rainwhisker. You two have been in love for a long time and I really do think you'll both be great parents." Rainwhisker looked at him appreciatively. "And as for prey," Snowblaze added, "I'll help you out!"
"Thanks Snowblaze," Rainwhisker said relieved. He stood and shook out his fur. "Let's get going then, we've got bellies to feed."
After catching a mouse each and Rainwhisker catching an impressively large pigeon, they headed back to the gully. Oneclaw caught up dragging a partridge by its wing. Feathers were splayed around his face in a comical way and Snowblaze tried not to laugh at his serious expression.
Snowblaze could hear cats meowing loudly and worriedly before he even entered the camp. He looked over at Rainwhisker and they hurried forward to see what was going on.
The elders were crouched together just outside of their den, heads bent in what seemed like grief. Everyone was out and fur was fluffed in agitation. Robintalon and Badgerclaw were pacing back and forth.
"What happened?" Snowblaze asked Specklepelt, who was nearby. She looked over at him, eyes narrowed, but suddenly her features softened. She just looked defeated, and that unnerved Snowblaze.
"Sleetstar," she began quietly. "Sleetstar is dead."
Snowblaze stood rigid in shock. Rainwhisker dropped the fresh kill to the ground, his mouth wide in disbelief.
"What?" he exclaimed loudly. Specklepelt nodded and turned to pad slowly to her mate. She tucked her head under his chin comfortingly. It was weird to see such a gentle gesture coming from such an ill-tempered cat.
Snowblaze walked slowly into the throng of cats. The elders were shaking their heads and muttering quietly to each other. Flowertail and Starnose were crouched together in shocked silence. Lizardbelly wailed loudly and Charfur tried to comfort her. Littletail said nothing as he stared unseeing into the distance.
Snowblaze could understand what Lizardbelly and Littletail were feeling. He knew what it felt like to lose kin. He approached them slowly.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry for your loss. We're all here for you." Lizardbelly sobbed loudly and Littletail didn't even let show that he heard. Snowblaze nodded to Charfur and left them to grieve.
He found Mistshade sitting off to the edge of the clearing with Meltwater, Leafpaw and Eaglepaw. He made his way over and sat next to them. Mistshade looked at him sadly and nuzzled her head under his chin. The two apprentices were staring, confused and sad. Snowblaze brimmed with sympathy for the little cats, but they would deal with much more death the older they got.
"So Sleetstar is gone forever?" Leafpaw asked Meltwater. The blue-grey she-cat nodded and swept the young cat closer with her tail. She scooted over and sat next to Meltwater.
"He won't be coming back anymore, he will watch over us all from StarClan," she explained.
"Who will be our leader now?" Eaglepaw asked innocently. "Will it be Flameclaw?"
"Yes," she nodded. "He will most likely go to the Star Cave tonight to receive his nine lives."
"I want to be leader one day," Leafpaw said wistfully.
Her littermate looked over in a concerned way. "It's me who's going to be leader!" Meltwater cuffed him over the ear. "What was that for?" he mewed indignantly.
"Now is not the time to be talking about this," she said looking around the camp at all of their devastated clanmates. "You need to learn to be tactful about what you say."
"Sorry Meltwater," he grumbled. Snowblaze purred in amusement and Mistshade was watching through slitted eyes. "Kits," she murmured quietly. "They never think before they speak."
"I'm sure we were all like that at that age," Snowblaze responded still amused.
After Flameclaw, Oneclaw, and Moonbeam helped manoeuvre Sleetstar's body out of his nest and into the clearing, one by one cats went to share tongues for the last time and whisper words of comfort. His body lie there stiffly, not even a slight breeze to ruffle his pelt. Snowblaze hated the way their tradition was to make them looks like they were sleeping peacefully. He hated it ever since they made their parents look that way. It's as if the clan cats were trying to pretend these cats weren't deceased. But it was always so painfully obvious.
Nonetheless, Snowblaze took his turn and buried his nose in their leader's cold fur. Grief took over his body in a wave and he took a moment to steady his legs before speaking to him quietly.
"You were a strong, kind, and fair leader. I know a lot happened at the end... May StarClan light your path, Sleetstar," he murmured in a quiet and personal way.
He found Cloudwhisker laying half in and half out of her den and he padded over. He sat next to her, wondering if he should ask what had happened. Everyone else seemed preoccupied with their thoughts.
"Hello Snowblaze," she greeted him. "All of this is a bit morbid, don't you think? Laying him out for cats to send him off to StarClan. Probably reconciling their own thoughts." Snowblaze was taken aback by her directness, but mumbled in agreement. He did think it was a bit morbid.
When I die, I just want to be buried quickly and painlessly, he thought to himself. They both sat for a time and just watched as the day wore on and as cats came and went. Lizardbelly, Littletail, Whitemoss, and Flameclaw all stayed by his side.
"What happened to him?" Snowblaze asked after some time. Cloudwhisker looked up at him with her clear green eyes. Her gaze was intense and focused and Snowblaze almost looked away.
"He was found in his nest by Flameclaw. Most think it was old age, and I'll let them all go on believing it. But I think he was strangled," she said ominously. Snowblaze felt a chill run through his veins.
"Strangled...? By who?" he asked as he tried to think. He couldn't imagine any single cat in this clan could do such a thing. They all knew he was slowly losing his mind, but not even Snaketail would dare to break the warrior code in that way. Cloudwhisker stayed silent and after a while, Snowblaze dipped his head to her and walked away.
His thoughts reeled; he couldn't place a paw on who would have done such a thing, unless Cloudwhisker's imagination was running rampant. Which could be a possibility, he thought dryly.
The sun was setting now and the elders were getting ready to take Sleetstar's body away before the last light left the sky. Oneclaw helped haul him onto their backs and he walked out with them.
Snowblaze stifled a yawn. It had been a long stagnant day, with only the dawn patrol and one hunting patrol early in the morning before everyone found out about Sleetstar's death.
He pondered going hunting for a moment, but it would be dark soon and too much had happened. He would go out tomorrow. He found Mistshade talking quietly with Rainwhisker, Robintalon, and Meltwater. He noticed that Meltwater was starting to look round and plump with the kits in her belly. He came over and sat next to them; they greeted him quietly.
"Who do you think the next deputy will be?" Robintalon asked the group. Snowblaze hadn't even thought about that yet. He wanted to be deputy, but he still had lots to learn, he admitted to himself. And he hadn't had an apprentice yet.
"I think Oneclaw deserves it," Rainwhisker said thoughtfully. "He's always got a level head."
"But I think he might retire soon," Robintalon added. Snowblaze thought and realized that his muzzle was already pretty grey. It seemed sad, in a way, to lose such a strong warrior to age.
"What about Starnose?" Mistshade asked with a shrug. "I think she might be good, maybe a little timid though."
"I'd say Badgerclaw if he weren't so caught up in Flowertail all the time," Meltwater added amusingly. As she spoke Snowblaze noticed them slip into the warriors' den together.
They really do not leave each other's sides, Snowblaze thought. He remembered wistfully when him and Flowertail used to be good friends. But now she spent all her time with Badgerclaw, effectively cutting themselves off from most other cats. Snowblaze was sad for a moment, but shook it off as he sat happily beside his mate and new friends.
At that moment Flameclaw leaped up onto the Great Maple and called out into the clear evening air.
"Let all cats join together beneath the Great Maple for a clan meeting!"
They all slowly emerged from the shadows surrounding the clearing and sat together underneath the large branch that swept over the camp. Snowblaze thought he looked fitting up there, his fiery pelt glowing in the moonlight.
"Tonight I will be going to the Star Cave to receive my nine lives," he spoke out. The cats below nodded their agreement. He was fit to be a good leader, and they all supported him, Snowblaze included.
"I will leave Oneclaw in charge while I'm gone." He nodded to the senior warrior. Then he took a deep breath and said more quietly, "wish me luck."
Then Flameclaw leaped down from the large tree branch and landed with grace. He motioned for Moonbeam to follow and they left together into the night. Snowblaze yawned again and decided it was time to sleep.
Mistshade stood beside him and angled her ears towards the warriors' den in question. Snowblaze nodded and they walked together to their nests. Snowblaze settled down in the comfortable nest made of moss and bracken.
There was something else soft touching his nose and he sniffed, smelling a familiar scent. He sat up with a jolt and realized there was a tuft of white fur caught in his nest. He quickly buried it deep and covered it with his body. Snowblaze's eyes were wide in surprise and what he thought was fear.
The fur belonged to Emberbreeze.
His mind whirled with incoherent thoughts.
But how? And when? Her scent is fresh, within the day at least. How could she have come back without anyone noticing? Did she...? Did she kill Sleetstar?
Suddenly his thoughts clicked together. If she had been here then, without a doubt, she was the one who killed Sleetstar. Cloudwhisker was right!
"Are you okay Snowblaze?" Mistshade asked, lifting her head drowsily. He slowed his breath and tried to calm his nerves.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "Just a thorn in my nest." He couldn't feel bad about lying because what he had just discovered was too important. He tried to settle into his nest once again.
But how could her fur have gotten caught in my nest? Did she want me to know it was her? This must have been some sort of justice for her, I suppose. Maybe she needed to prove herself to me, or apologize...
His anxious thoughts slowly drifted him to sleep. He awoke and opened his groggy eyes. It was still dark; the sun wasn't even up yet. The moon bathed a silver light on the den and he closed his eyes to go back to sleep. But a paw prodded him in the side gently.
"Wake up, sleepyhead," the voice said softly. Snowblaze jerked his head up, recognizing the voice.
The silver light wasn't the moon, it was his mother sitting beside his nest. Her fur was washed in starlight, and Snowblaze thought she never looked so beautiful. Waves of emotion washed over the tom and he couldn't speak. She nuzzled the top of his head softly, and he felt like a kit in the nursery again.
"Snowblaze, I'm here to tell you not to worry about Emberbreeze anymore."
"Is she dead?" he asked sharply.
"No dear. But what's done is done. Her mind is at ease now. She will find some sort of peace away from clan life and she won't come back anymore."
"So she did kill Sleetstar," Snowblaze said with a yawn. The starry cat did not answer his question, but he took her silence as an affirmation. He stretched his paws and settled back into his nest.
Yellowleaf pressed her nose into his head. It felt cold, but it spread warmth through his body. His mind was at rest and he drifted into the best sleep he had had in ages.
***
"Let all cats join together beneath the Great Maple for a clan meeting!"
Flameclaw's voice rang out across the camp. Snowblaze woke with a start. Mistshade was stirring beside him. She had brought her nest closer in the night because she was curled up and pressed into his side. He looked down at her with a soft expression of love on his face.
He nuzzled her awake and she looked up at him. He loved the way her eyes blinked sleepily when she awoke, and feelings stirred deep inside his heart.
They padded out into the dawn light together, following the rest of their clanmates into the chilly morning air. Snowblaze's breath rose in billows of steam as he tried to warm his nose. The stars were still twinkling faintly above. The sun had barely touched the sky as it slowly turned the hills orange where it would rise.
Everyone sat close together, and of course Swiftear was grumbling about the cold. He always grumbled. Lizardbelly was sitting with her head drooping. Charfur sat next to her and pressed into her side in comfort. Sparklekit was looking up at her mother with concern. She was still too young to entirely understand what had happened. Snowblaze felt sorry for Lizardbelly; first she had lost one of her kits and soon after she lost her brother.
The apprentices walked quickly from their den and they both sat next to Starnose. Now Eaglepaw's mentor was their leader. He must feel special, Snowblaze thought. He remembered wishing that Flamecalw could be his mentor all those moons ago.
Once everyone was gathered he began.
"I have received my nine lives and have been blessed by StarClan."
"Flamestar! Flamestar! Flamestar!" His clanmates called his new name out into the morning air, mist rising from their breath, making the scene seem ethereal. Snowblaze was proud of Flamestar; he had worked so hard in the last days of Sleetstar's life. He deserved to be leader, and Snowblaze trusted that he would be a good one.
Pride shone from Flamestar's eyes as he looked down upon his clan. He sat tall and proud. Snowblaze could only imagine what it felt like to sit up there and gaze down upon cats that trusted him so deeply. He longed for such a feeling.
"Now I need a deputy to aid me as I lead EmeraldClan! I say these words before the warriors of StarClan so that they may hear and approve of my choice."
Everyone leaned forward in anticipation to hear which cat would be chosen.
"The new deputy of EmeraldClan will be Charfur."
Cheers rang out and everyone called his name. He was a popular choice, but obviously he wasn't expecting it considering the surprised look on his face. Cats went up and congratulated him, but Snowblaze hung back until everyone was settled.
"Now. Leaf bare is on its way and we need to get ready. I have some big paws to fill, but with your support we can do this. We can get through leaf bare and any problem we find."
"Flamestar! Flamestar!" every cat yowled again.
As the gathering broke up, Snowblaze made his way over to Charfur. He was so proud of his old mentor, emotion threatened to well up in his eyes.
"Charfur," he greeted him and dipped his head respectfully.
"No need for that Snowblaze, nothing's changed," he responded to the show of respect good-naturedly.
"Everything's changed. But maybe for the better," Snowblaze said. Since his mother had visited him in his dreams he had felt some sort of closure. Charfur murmured in agreement. They stood quietly for a moment.
"I know a lot has happened and definitely not all of it was good," Snowblaze began. "But I'm really glad I had you to teach me along the way. After my parents died, I think you became a father to me in a way. I just want to say thank you and that I'm really proud you're our new deputy. You're going to be amazing."
Charfur looked away hiding his eyes. He shook out his pelt and turned to look back on the cat he had helped raise. He looked proudly at Snowblaze and touched his nose to his ear.
"Thank you Snowblaze, that means a lot to me," he said softly. Looking forward and squaring his shoulders he said, " we've come this far. We can do anything together. I'm proud to be this clan's new deputy."
Snowblaze admired his old mentor. Feeling moreoptimistic than he had in a long time, he looked forward to the future ofEmeraldClan. With a new leader and a new deputy, this clan would thrive.