Lightspark peered through a clump of ferns. The night sky glowed brightly above her. She drank the scent in front of her, there was no sign of Quillflight. Lightspark panicked. What if his Clan found out about their meetings and banished him from coming? Or he told his Clan why he was leaving and they had shut him in for good? Her heart raced.
She tasted the air one more time and the scent of Quillflight touched her, along with another scent far off. In the distance she saw Quillflight padding down a slope, there was no one with him. Lightspark's fur bristled. Someone was following him!
Lightspark let her belly fur brush the grass under her. She padded stealthily as if she w-
as hunting prey. Her stomach grumbled and Lightspark remembered that she had not eaten.
Ignoring her bossy stomach. Lightspark padded warily out of the ferns she hid. Quillflight ears pricked up and he opened his mouth to speak, Lightspark swished her tail on the blown leaves under her.
"What is it?" He whispered, pressing close to the ground like Lightspark.
Tasting the air once more, she noticed the cat was hiding nearby. "Wait." she hissed.
Keeping close to the ground, Lightspark padded over to a large clump of heather. She curled her lips back and let out a yowl, the cat that was hiding let out a screech. Lightspark dug her claws into the victims shoulder. The cat rolled onto its back and Lightspark took the opportunity to slash its muzzle.
"Lightspark wait!" Yowled Quillflight, he scrambled to her. "Kestrelfur?"
Kestrelfur gasped, she scrambled onto her paws giving her pelt quick licks.
"Are you meeting this excuse for a cat?" she growled.
"What do you expect, you already know I'm leaving."
Kestrelfur narrowed her emerald green eyes. "I know." She murmured.
Lightspark felt a flush of jealousy at the tabby she-cat. She lapped her chest fur. "I need to tell Quillflight something." Kestrelfur looked up, clearly beginning to ask what. But Lightspark cutted her out. "That is none of your business."
The brown she-cat blinked. Under her breath she muttered, "I don't care anyways."
Quillflight blinked, pressing his gray-black muzzle on Kestrelfur's shoulder. "I need to speak with Lightspark. You head back to camp."
Kestrelfur began to object, then shrugged. Lightspark watched as she padded away, disappearing through the moor.
"Did your Clan agree on letting you go?"
Whipping around to face Quillflight. She nodded. "It's arranged. An elder, Crookednose, called me disloyal."
"Thunderheart called me disloyal," Spat Quillflight.
Lightspark noticed that the sun was rising now, and soon her Clanmates would awake. She mewed a good-bye at Quillflight and hopped on the stepping stones to her territory. Lightspark had catched a thrush on the way and ate it quickly, after, she heard scurrying of a shrew and saw it eating something in its hand. Keeping close to the ground, she leaped biting it swiftly over the neck. The shrew let out an alarming cry before its death and birds had flown away.
Mouse dung! Picking up the one thrush she dragged it to camp. Skirting over to the fresh-kill pile, she turned to face Brightpaw.
"Lightspark don't leave!" She begged.
"I made my choice," Lightspark mewed simply, she flicked her apprentice's ear with her tail.
Brightpaw whimpered. "Smokeleg is a good warrior. He'll teach better than I ever did." Lightspark put in.
Digging the ground, Brightpaw had looked up. Her blue eyes bright. "Do you think?" S-
he whispered.
"I know so."
After Brightpaw had left. Mosspelt padded up to Lightspark, her sleek pelt glowed in t-
he sun. Mosspelt stretched to give Lightspark a sniff. Mosspelt wrinkled her nose. "Why don't you lead a hunting patrol? Bring Brightpaw, Smokeleg, and Riversplash. Perhaps Lilyheart as well if she wishes."
Lightspark nodded respectfully. Mosspelt blinked and padded away. To her surprise, Lightspark could already picture the deputy leading the Clan. She was a strong and fit warrior, uneasiness was inside Lightspark. Was she—also ambitious for the position of leader?
There was nothing wrong with Mosspelt. But she always looked at Sunstar as if she wanted her to die already. Lightspark shivered. She padded over to Smokeleg so he can fetch Riversplash. Lightspark continued to the apprentices' den where Brightpaw was, and she quickly told her about patrol.
"Can't Beechpaw come?" Asked Brightpaw.
"No, we have enough cats coming already," Lightspark murmured. "I want to spend ti-
me with you. Unlike, Beechpaw."
Beechpaw stroked Brightpaw's flank. "It's fine. I wanted to see Cedarpaw anyways. He's out of the medicine cats' den."
Brightpaw looked a bit uncertain, but nodded. Lightspark watched as her apprentice casted away to the entrance of the camp. When Lightspark padded out, she saw Smokeleg and Riversplash. Lilyheart padded behind the two, her stomach round.
"Come on," Lightspark urged.
They trekked down the slope. Brightpaw stopped to taste the air and scented a thrush nearby, it was hiding behind a bush. Brightpaw crept closer. Only to be stopped by
Smokeleg.
The gray tom trampled in front of Brightpaw. His ears flattened in embarrassment. After a while, he mumbled: "Sorry."
Brightpaw leaped to her paws, ready to hiss a sharp retort. But Brightpaw had noticed a rabbit scuffling not far. Brightpaw shot Smokeleg an annoyed look and padded off to chase the rabbit. Smokeleg glanced at Lightspark, his ears flattened and his tail underneath his legs. Lightspark wondered if he chose the right cat as her mentor.
"You shouldn't have chosen me," he mewed sulkily.
"I chose the right cat." Lightspark snapped, "don't get angry with yourself."
Smokeleg's eyes brighten, he trotted off the slope to find mice. Lilyheart walked over to Lightspark, Riversplash at her heels. Lightspark felt her pelt burn with annoyance, didn't he ever leave Lilyheart alone?
"I'm going to chase a squirrel!" Lilyheart yowled, sounding like an apprentice.
The silver she-cat shot down the path, disappearing through brambles. Lightspark's stomach felt heavy with guilt. Riversplash turned to follow her, but Lightspark deliberately stopped him.
"Don't you do more stuff then follow her?" Snarled Lightspark.
"You don't understand," Riversplash meowed crossly, "She loves me more than any cat. I need to be with her to protect her, especially now. She's expecting kits!"
Lightspark unsheathed her claws, digging them to the soil. "Give her space."
"How do you know she wants it?"
Lightspark let out a yowl, pouncing on Riversplash. The two cats wrestled as they fell down the slope. Blood poured out of Lightspark's ear as Riversplash gave her a deep nick. Lightspark sunk her teeth into the gray tom's neck, Riversplash turned around, squashing Lightspark.
Wriggling under Riversplash's weight, Lightspark nipped his paws and she sent Riversplash flying away. Lightspark hissed, scratching his muzzle with her claws.
A yowl sounded from not far. Lilyheart raced to them. "What are you doing?"
"Your so called 'friend' attacked me," Riversplash hissed. He shook his blood matted fur.
"Only for a good reason," Lightspark curled her lips back. She saw the terror in Lily-
heart's eyes and swallowed. "I'm so sorry."
Smokeleg and Brightpaw appeared behind, their eyes wide with pure shock.
Riversplash's ears twitched, Lightspark looked at her paws sadly.
"I think it's time we head back," Smokeleg meowed, he glanced at Lightspark's muddy pelt and Riversplash's blood covered.
Feelings a rush of embarrassment and anger for Riversplash, she padded up the slope. Guilt dragging behind her. To her surprise, Sunstar was sitting on the MeetingBoulder, her head held high.
"Today a special apprentice will become a warrior." She gazed down. "Beechpaw." She
hopped down and looked at her: "I, Sunstar, leader of CloudClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn, Beechpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Hesitating for a moment, Beechpaw mewed. "I do."
"Then by the powers ofStarClan, I give you your warrior name. Beechpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Beechfur. StarClan honors your swiftness and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of CloudClan."
Sunstar pressed her muzzle gingerly on Beechfur's forehead. Cedarpaw raced over to Beechfur. Brightpaw who was behind Lightspark raced over to her. Lightspark gazed fondly at her Clanmates, she would miss them. I have no choice.
Gathering to her paws, Lightspark went to congratulate Beechfur. Beechfur's fur glowed in the sunlight, but not as much as her eyes who glittered with triumph.
"I'll miss you in the apprentices' den," Brightpaw mewed. "You can't leave too."
Beechfur blinked fondly at Brightpaw. "It's not long before you come as well," The new-
ly made warrior gazed at her brother, Cedarpaw shifted on his paws and mewed something Lightspark could not hear.
Lightspark shook her head and trotted off to the warriors' den. Longing for a deep slee-
p.