Jaystar's Dream/Chapter 2

''Jaywing padded back to camp. ''After he'd finished sitting vigil, he'd gone out to hunt.

"That's alot of prey you've got there," Darkfrost mewed. Jaywing nodded.

"How's Rowanstar?"

Darkfrost looked around. "He's getting worse," the temporary leader replied quietly.

"I hope he gets better," Jaywing told his former mentor.

"The thing is, he might not get better. I think it's too late for that," Darkfrost whispered. Jaywing stared in shock.

"He might die?" Jaywing had never thought that the pale grey tom would die.

Darkfrost shrugged, his amber eyes flashing with worry. "You must remember that Rowanstar is very old."

"I remember. He was a kit in the time of the battle against King and his rogues. And that was a long time ago, before your father was born," Jaywing replied.

"For now, all we can do is wait until he recovers, if he does," Darkfrost mewed.

"Do you remember Wolfstar's leadership? You know, the leader before Rowanstar?" Jaywing asked as he padded along beside the dark grey tom.

"No. I wasn't even born when he was NightClan's leader. It was so long ago that my father was an apprentice. Rowanstar was young then," Darkfrost mewed.

"Do you know Rowanstar's warrior name?" Jaywing asked.

"My father told me his name was Rowanpelt. Rowanpelt is actually my father Dogwhisker's older brother," the older tom mewed.

"So Rowanstar is old enough to be your father?" Jaywing was surprised.

"Oh, yes. That's how old he is, young warrior. You don't understand how old some cats are," Darkfrost replied.

Suddenly, Windwhisper arrived, breathless. "You've got to come quick! Rowanstar is dying."

Rowanstar is dying, Jaywing realized.

As the two toms raced towards Rowanpelt's den, Jaywing was joined by his father Clearpelt.

"What's going on?" his father asked.

Jaywing looked towards the leader's den. "Rowanstar is dying."

"What?" Clearpelt gasped. He followed his son towards the leader's den.

The old tom was coughing, and looked up when he saw Darkfrost. "It is my time to go, Darkfrost."

"NightClan will miss you," the tabby replied.

"They deserved a better leader than me." Rowanstar closed his eyes.

"No." Darkfrost's mew was sharp. "NightClan didn't deserve a better leader than you. No leader was as great as you, and no leader will ever be."

"That is your opinion, Darkfrost. You yourself will be a greater leader than me. You have made many mistakes in your life as a Clan cat, but you are Darkfrost and I want you to be Darkfrost, or should I say Darkstar? You will be great leader, and all the Clans will fear you. Flamestar, Stormstar, and Chasestar will all respect you. None of them will dare to let their cats set one paw on NightClan territory," Rowanstar replied. "My time is coming to an end, and soon it will be your turn to lead NightClan."

Darkfrost looked at the dying leader for a moment, then closed his eyes and dipped his head. "I will try my hardest, Rowanstar. I will never be the leader you are, but I will try be the best I, Darkstar, can be. The other leaders may respect me, but I will always respect them and their wishes."

Jaywing nodded. "We will support you for as long as we live." He turned and padded back inside to Rowanstar, who was being treated by Mousepelt. "Goodbye, Rowanstar."

The old tom opened his eyes and looked up blearily at Jaywing. "Goodbye, young warrior. You have a great destiny." With that his eyes closed, and his breathing slowed. Mousepelt looked up at Jaywing. "He's gone."

Jaywing closed his eyes and let grief surround him. He opened his eyes and turned. Darkfrost was looking in from the entrance. "He's gone," he whispered.

Darkfrost nodded. "I will go to receive my nine lives at moonhigh." He turned, and Jaywing followed him out of the den.

"Let all cats gather beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!" Darkfrost yowled. All the cats turned to him. "I promise, NightClan will be remembered alongside the great Clans of ancient times. There will be no reason to feel besieged by our enemies. We have defeated them before and we will do so again." He turned and yowled at the cats in the clearing outside. "Let me carry you forward in a new era in which we are so respected and feared that no cat will dare set a paw on our lands!"

Clearpelt padded out of Rowanstar's den and stood beside Darkfrost. "We accept you as our leader, Darkfrost."

The tabby dipped his head. "Thank you." He let his gaze sweep over all of the cats in front of him. "We will sit vigil for Rowanstar tonight, then I will go to receive my nine lives."

Jaywing nodded. He wondered who Darkfrost would chose as NightClan deputy. Probably one of the oldest warriors, like Sandthistle, Clearpelt or Windwhisper. Clearpelt and Sandthistle were older than Darkfrost by seven moons, and Windwhisper was about a moon younger than their new leader.

The tabby looked towards Sandthistle. "Get the Clan ready for the vigil."

The ginger warrior nodded. Darkfrost stared after him. "Should I make him my deputy?"

Jaywing shrugged. "In the end, it's your choice."

"He'd be a good choice, though I have another cat in mind," Darkfrost meowed.

"Who?" Jaywing asked.

"You'll see tomorrow," Darkfrost replied. He turned his head. Jaywing heard Sandthistle calling them.

"What is it?" Darkfrost asked.

"Are we going to sit vigil now? It's getting late, and you still have to receive your nine lives," the tom meowed.

"Let's go then." Darkfrost padded towards the cats who were sitting around Rowanstar's body. Jaywing and Sandthistle followed him. Jaywing's heart felt heavy when he saw the old leader's lifeless body in front of him, and he closed his eyes and sat down next to Ashpaw.

Darkfrost had begun the vigil, meowing, "Our leader was a great cat. Kind to those more unfortunate than him, and he never, ever let his Clan down."

Cloudtuft, the Clan's oldest cat, stepped forward. "Rowanstar did an excellent job succeeding Wolfstar, and we will miss him."

All the cats had turns speaking, and when it got to Jaywing's turn to speak, he didn't know what to say. "We will miss him," he meowed. "Forever."

He felt himself drifting off to sleep when Mousepelt and Darkfrost stood up. ''Probably leaving for the Moonstream. ''He settled down to sleep.