Author’s Note:
Hi fellow warriors!
I have decided to make a series call the Fading Sky. Yes, it is completely a work in progress. I am still working on the plot details and some of the minor characters, but I am really committed to this story. I really hope you enjoy it and I will be posting new chapters as soon as they come out. I have the main characters you should know listed below. Please do not edit anything. Also there will be a bit of blood so viewer discretion is advised.
Thanks,
~Snowy
Allegiances
TalonClan:
Leader- Embersky
Deputy- Drizzlestorm
Medicine cat- Flowerheart
Warriors:
-Moonclaw Ap.Daisypaw
-Snowshine Ap.Tansypaw
-Sparrowfeather
-Bluetail Ap.Stormypaw
-Yellowtail Ap.Stempaw (POV)
-Blazepelt
-Mashwhisker
-Leafheart Ap.Fauxpaw
-Lionfur
-Poppyfeather Ap.Rosepaw
-Ashflower Ap.Lavenderpaw
-Mudpelt Ap.Willowpaw
-Redstripe
-Nightflower
-Purplecloud
Queens:
-Brightstripe
-Whitefeather
-Robinflight
Kits:
-Leafkit(POV)
-Starkit(POV)
-Greenkit
-Mothkit
Elders:
-Scorchsight
-Juniperwing
NightClan (nocturnal):
Leader- Tabbysky
Deputy- Pinetail (POV)
Medicine cat- Sorrelfern
Other important NightClan cats: -Darkpaw (Pinetail’s apprentice)
StormClan
Leader- Rainsky
Deputy- Splashfern
Medicine cat- Brightstream
Other important StormClan cats: -Pearlcloud (POV Brightstream’s apprentice)
FireClan:
Leader- Sparklesky
Deputy- Honeyclaw
Medicine cat- Heatherstripe
Other important FireClan cats: -Badgerwhisker (POV warrior)
Note* the equivalent to StarClan is SkyClan
Cats outside the clans:
-Apple
Prologue
Drizzlestorm waded through the misty undergrowth. He would be home soon. Then he could see young Starkit and his beloved Whifefeather. He wondered yet again if they would be disappointed in him, but Drizzlestorm shook off the thought. They were his kin. He shouldn’t have a doubt.
A rustle ahead of Drizzlestorm caught his attention. The tangy scent of vole. Instinctively, he dropped into the hunter’s crouch. The vole was so tempting. But no, he couldn’t hunt it. The vole belonged to NightClan not TalonClan.
The rustling of the vole stopped. He could smell the vole, it was still ther, but he also smelled something else. A NightClan cat.
There was a hiss from behind him. Drizzlestorm whirled around to see Darkpaw. He recognized the brown tabby from Gatherings. He was an apprentice, almost old enough to be a warrior. But the hiss had came from another cat hidden behind Darkpaw.
Pinetail, the deputy of NightClan, slithered out from the bushes. She was Darkpaw’s mentor. “Come to steal a few voles, Drizzlestorm?” growled Pinetail. Without waiting for a response, she lunged at Drizzlestorm. He tried to dodge but Drizzlestorm, weak with hunger, was no match for the powerful deputy.
Pinetail raked her claws across Drizzlestorm’s belly. The tom screamed in agony. He tightened his grip on Pinetail’s shoulders and flung her into a tree. She raced to recover, but Drizzlestorm pounced, with darting speed. Her vision was covered in his fur and Drizzlestorm felt a pang of satisfaction as he buried his claws down her spine.
Suddenly, he felt her jaw snap at the air. Drizzlestorm tumbled back to avoid her fangs. She was too quick. He felt her sharp teeth bite his throat.
Shrieking, Drizzlestorm fell to the ground with an achy thud. His body was covered with streaks of blood and tufts of missing patches of fur. The blood continues to come from his throat wound.
Drizzlestorm was dead.
Chapter 1
At the TalonClan camp, two kits played. They were pretending to hunt the leaves as though they were mice.
“Watch me hunt this! I’ve already caught my first squirrel outside of camp,” bragged Leafkit. “I bet this will be easy! Have you ever caught a piece of prey?”
The younger kit looked down at the ground and nervously shifted her paws. “No,” she murmured quietly. “But you’re twice my age. I probably will have when I’m as old as you.”
Leafkit’s eyes softened. “Of course, Starkit. You’ll be a great warrior one day.”
“You sound like an elder,” Starkit teased. “But honestly, Leafkit. It’s going to be lonely when you leave to become an apprentice.”
Leafkit sighed. Starkit was right. “I know. But you’ll come and join me soon after. And besides, we’ll always be best friends. When we’re kits, and apprentices and warriors. I’ll teach you everything my mentor teaches me.”
Starkit blinked. “Really?”
He cuffed her ear. “Of course I will, mouse-brain. You know, I’ll be the first cat your father Drizzlestorm makes an apprentice.”
Starkit purred happily. “You mean my father Drizzlesky,” she added.
Leafkit purred too. “I wonder who he will make his deputy. Maybe Whitefeather, since she’s his mate and all.”
His friend rolled onto his side. “Maybe. But that won’t be until I’m six moons old since she’ll be a queen. And Drizzlesky wouldn’t just make her deputy because they’re mates. Although it would be cool to have my father as leader and my mother as deputy.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Maybe Moonclaw or Snowshine.”
“Which one though?” Starkit asked. “They’re littermates so they’ve been warriors for the same amount of time. And neither she-cat has became a queen. They also both have had two apprentices.”
“Well Daisypaw isn’t a warrior yet so Moonclaw has really only had one and a half apprentices,” Leafkit pointed out.
“True,” Starkit agreed. “You know, the apprentice den is going to be packed once you move in. Stempaw, Tansypaw, Fauxpaw, Rosepaw, Lavenderpaw, Stormypaw, Daisypaw, Willowpaw and soon to be Leafpaw. Nine in one den.
Leafkit snorted. He knew very well that Starkit was just showing off his knowledge of the clan members. “Smart-ears. Stormypaw, Daisypaw and Willowpaw might not be warriors when you become an apprentice so that would be ten.
“Who’s the smart-ears now?” Starkit countered teasingly.
“Leafkit!”
Leafkit identified Brightstripe’s, his mother’s, voice.
“It’s smells like it’s going to rain soon! You and Starkit need to come in!”
Leafkit shared an eye roll with Starkit. “Coming, Brightstripe.” To Starkit, she added, “I guess we can’t play anymore.”
He headed in the direction of the nursery with Starkit. As he came inside, he smelled something strange. It was a cat, but the cat smelled nothing like TalonClan.
Then the scent was gone. Leafkit wondered if he had imagined it. That couldn’t have been a cat from another clan in the TalonClan camp. He shrugged it off. But something made him wonder if the scent had been more than his imagination.
Chapter 2
Pinetail watched the tip of Darkpaw’s tail disappear into the brush.
Oh no.
He was going straight to Tabbysky to report that she had killed Drizzlestorm. And she would be in huge trouble. She might be put on apprentice duties or worse, be demoted from her position as deputy.
“Darkpaw!” She tore after her apprentice, running faster than most FireClan cats. “Darkpaw, please! Wait!”
She was relieved to see him stop in front of her. But he looked as though he was going to run again.
“You killed an innocent cat!” Darkpaw accused.
“Watch your tounge!” Pinetail snarled. “I’m deputy!”
“So was Drizzlestorm!”
“It was an accident!” she exclaimed. “Besides, he was trespassing! Great SkyClan, can’t we just keep this a little secret between you and me?”
Darkpaw glared at her, even though he was far younger than Pinetail. “I won’t betray the warrior code like you have!” Darkpaw began to sprint off towards the camp again, to tell Tabbysky what happened.
Pinetail started running again. She cried out in pain as her paw got tangled in a bramble thicket. “Fox dung!” She didn’t have time to undo the brambles though so she ran with them.
Finally, they reached camp. Darkpaw was still ahead of her. She could see him running to Tabbysky’s den. “Darkpaw!”
“What in the name of SkyClan! Pinetail, must you drag in the whole forest on your paw? And what are those scratches?”
Pinetail reluctantly turned to face Sorrelfern, the medicine cat. “Please, Sorrelfern, give me on second!”
Sorrelfern shook her head. “You can talk to Darkpaw later! Now let me pull off those brambles and fix up your wounds!”
Miserably, Pinetail sat in front of the medicine cat den and let Sorrelfern fuss over her. She kept an eye on the leader’s den where Darkpaw and Tabbysky were talking.
Finally, once Sorrelfern had pulled off the brambles and was chewing up ointment for her scratches, she saw Tabbysky emerge from his den with Darkpaw a pawstep behind. And from the icy look her leader gave her, she knew that Darkpaw had told him all about Drizzlestorm.
Chapter 3
Stempaw lowered herself into the hunter’s crouch. She stealthily crept across the forest floor and suddenly, she sprang. The starling’s wings fluttered as it tried to escape her, but Stempaw quickly delivered the killing bite before it could fly away.
Her mentor Yellowtail slithered up beside her. “Great catch!” she praised.
“Thanks!” Stempaw purred. She liked Yellowtail. She was the best mentor in the universe.
A rustle in the brush sounded from behind them. Both she-cats twisted around to find a gray tabby tom with prominent stripes emerging from the bracken.
Yellowtail looked surprised to see the newcomer. “Tabbysky? What are you doing on TalonClan territory?” The fur along her spine lifted and began to bristle.
Stempaw gasped silently. Tabbysky? Wow, he looks so different at Gatherings! I barely recognize him! But what is another Clan’s leader doing here? The apprentice narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth.
“I come in peace!” Tabbysky announced. “I have news about Drizzlestorm. He has not yet returned from his trip to the Moontree, has he?”
Yellowtail hesitated before shaking her head.
Stempaw’s confusion over took her. Isn’t he Drizzlesky, not Drizzlestorm? He should have his nine lives and name, since Embersky died and he went to the Moontree. “Why are you calling him Drizzlestorm when he should be called Drizzlesky? He got his nine lives, right?”
Yellowtail’s green eyes flashed with alarm. Oops. She had revealed to much to another Clan’s leader.
Tabbysky’s eyes flooded with grief. “Don’t worry, Yellowtail and er, Stempaw, right?”
Stempaw nodded.
“I already know that Embersky is dead,” he went on. “You have my condolences. I mourn him as any cat. Now, I must see Flowerheart, for she is the highest ranking cat in your camp.”
Yellowtail slowly nodded. “I’ll lead the way. Stempaw, grab your starling.”
Stempaw picked up the fresh-kill in her mouth and followed her mentor in the direction of camp. They arrived shortly after sunhigh. Her Clanmates started chatting excitedly when they saw Tabbysky.
“Flowerheart’s den is over there,” Yellowtail meowed, motioning with her tail.
Tabbysky dipped his head respectfully. “Thank you.” He disappeared into the medicine cats den.
Yellowtail turned to face Stempaw. “Go eat that starling of yours. You’ve earned it. But next time, don’t tell other clan leaders about our weaknesses.”
“Sorry,” Stempaw mewed. She padded away to sit by the apprentice den. She set her starling down, but before she could eat it, the prey was swatted away by a dark gray paw.
“Hey, Daisypaw!” sneered Stormypaw. “Look at this starling Stempaw brought.” He lowered his chin to take a bite.
“Give it back!” Fauxpaw protested. “He snatched the starling from Stormypaw and Daisypaw and left it in front of Stempaw.
“Thanks,” she mewed. “Want to share it?”
“Sure!” Fauxpaw said cheerfully. “I’m so hungry I could eat a fox! And ignore those two.” He tilted his ears at Stormypaw and Daisypaw.
“I will,” she replied, though they both knew it was a lie. They ate the starling and sunned themselves until Stempaw saw Flowerheart leap onto the Highcave and call a Clan meeting.
The medicine cat was trembling as she spoke. “I have some bad news to share!” She announced. “Drizzlestorm is dead!”
Chapter 4
Pearlcloud climbed up the slope after her mentor, Brightstream. She saw Heatherstripe and Sorrelfern waiting up ahead. “Hello, Brightstream, hello Pearlcloud,” Heatherstripe greeted.
“Hi, Heatherstripe!” Brightstream responded. “How is FireClan doing?”
Pearlcloud let her mentor engage in conversation with Heatherstripe rather than joining in. She went over to Sorrelfern instead. She and Sorrelfern were good friends because they had been apprentices together until Sorrelfern’s mentor recently joined SkyClan. “Hello, Sorrelfern. Is all well in NightClan?”
Sorrelfern shrugged. “Pinetail was being a bit pesky?”
Pearlcloud tilted her head. “How so?”
Sorrelfern barred her teeth. “She killed Drizzlestorm and started a war with TalonClan and made all this drama about infiltrating TalonClan!” she growled. “I can’t believe that Tabbysky made her deputy! I mean she is, I mean was, my friend and all, but still! Selfish cat!”
Pearlcloud stared at the tortoiseshell she-cat. “Wait, Pinetail killed Drizzlestorm? And she’s infiltrating TalonClan? A war? Tell me you can explain all of that, Sorrelfern!”
Before her friend could reply, Pearlcloud heard Flowerheart’s mew. “Hey, Pearlcloud, hey, Sorrelfern!”
They turned to face the TalonClan cat. “Hi,” Sorrelfern welcomed. “Um, Flowerheart, I just want to tell you that I’m sorry on behalf of my clan for what happened with Drizzlestorm.”
Flowerheart lowered her head with sadness. “It’s not for fault, nor the fault of NightClan’s, Sorrelfern. I just don’t understand how he didn’t receive his nine lives. None of us are to blame.”
“Could one of you explain what in SkyClan you are talking about?” Heatherstripe demanded.
“Embersky died,” Flowerheart explained. “Drizzlestorm went to get his nine lives and name. I couldn’t come because I had to take care of a patient. He went to the Moontree. When he came back he was found of NightClan territory. Pinetail, you know her, attacked him. She killed him. Tabbysky came to our TalonClan the other day and told us the whole thing.”
“But why didn’t he get nine lives?” Brightstream asked.
“Let’s hope SkyClan tells us tonight,” Flowerheart huffed. “Come on. We are wasting moonlight.”
They arrived at the Moontree after some time. Pearlcloud could see how Drizzlestorm would be caught on NightClan territory. The whole path to the sacred place was in their pine forest.
Pearlcloud curled herself up between the roots, her white fur gleaming under the stars. She marveled at how glorious the magical tree looked in the starlight. The small light of the sky twinkled on the leaves like morning dew.
She pressed her nose to the Moontree, expecting for sleep to come immediately. But it never did. “Brightstream?”
“Pearlcloud?” She could hear the panic in Brightstreams’s mew. “Is SkyClan sharing tongues with any of you?”
“No!” Sorrelfern.
“Why not though? Come on, SkyClan, be cool!” Heatherstripe and such a Heatherstripe thing to say.
“This must be how Drizzlestorm didn’t get his nine lives and name!” Flowerheart.
Pearlcloud gasped with terror. The Moontree was fading.
Chapter 5
Badgerwhisker yawned. He had been up for too long, guarding the camp. It was no fun, but there was nothing he wanted more in the world than to be a loyal warrior of FireClan.
The first cats in the camp were already awakening. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing it was almost over. But still he didn’t dare speak.
Larchdapple, one of the senior warriors smiled and came towards him. “The sun’s just about up by now. How was the night?”
Badgerwhisker flicked his tail at his muzzle.
Larchdapple let out a mrrow of laughter. “Yes, Badgerwhisker, you can speak now. I can’t make you keep silent forever.”
Badgerwhisker let out a soft howl of relief. “All was quiet. Nothing really exciting,” he reported.
Larchdapple nodded. “Good. Now get some rest, young warrior. You must be tired after that vigil. Be ready for the Gathering tonight. Sparklesky will probably send you since you’re our newest warrior.”
The black and white tom’s pelt tingled with excitement. His first Gathering as a warrior! This is going to be great! “Alright, Larchdapple!” He mewed, trying not to make his voice sound all squeaky.
Badgerwhisker happily padded into the warriors den. He found a nice nest on the side that he could now call his own. I can’t believe that I’ll be sleeping in the warriors den now! It felt like only yesterday that he was curled up as a kit beside his mother’s belly.
He settled down in his nest and soon fell asleep.
🐱🐱🐱
The moon shone high in the sky. Badgerwhisker was trembling with excitement. He watched as Sparklesky and Rainsky climbed onto the Great Stump. The meeting wouldn’t start for a little while though.
Badgerwhisker yelped as a cat bumped into him. He turned to see a black she-cat with glowing green eyes. She smelled of TalonClan and looked only a moon or two from becoming a warrior.
“Sorry!” apologized the she-cat. “I wasn’t looking where I was going!”
“It’s no problem,” he meowed. “What’s your name?”
“Stempaw,” she introduced. “And I believe you are…” Stempaw squinted her eyes, thinking. “Badgerpaw?”
He puffed out his chest proudly. “Actually, it’s Badgerwhisker now! I just became a warrior last night,” he purred.
“Congratulations!” she praised. “I wish I were a warrior.”
“You’ll get become a warrior sooner than you think,” he assured her. “What you you want your warrior name to be?”
Stempaw shrugged. “I guess I’ve never thought about it before. I want it to be something unique that stands out. Like Stemmist or Stempetal.”
“Stempetal’s a cool name!” Badgerwhisker agreed. “Stemmist is pretty nice too. I wish I had been named Badgerscar!”
“Nah, I like Badgerwhisker,” she replied. “It makes you sound a lot nicer.”
“Stempaw, come and meet Ripplepaw!” The call came from the dark gray tom with lighter gray patches and deep blue eyes.
“Coming!” Stempaw called back. “That’s my best friend Fauxpaw. Anyways, I better get over there. I can introduce you if you want.”
Badgerwhisker shook his head. “No, that’s fine. It was nice meeting you Stempaw.”
She smiled. “It was nice meeting you too Badgerwhisker.” There was amusement in her voice as she added. “I guess you should be hanging out with warriors, not lousy apprentices like me.”
He snorted. “You’ll be lousy when hedgehogs fly.”
“Sure. Bye, Badgerwhisker.”
“Bye, Stempaw.” As the black she-cat wove her way through the crowd of cats, he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked.
Chapter 6
Stempaw took her place beside Fauxpaw. “I can’t believe that a medicine cat is in charge of TalonClan,” she muttered. “They might as well call her Flowersky.”
“She does a good job though,” Fauxpaw whispered.
“I guess.” Hedgehogs fly, she added to herself. Stempaw turned her attention back to the leaders on the Great Stump.
“Who will speak first?” asked Rainsky.
“I will,” volunteered Flowerheart. “You must all be wondering what a medicine cat is doing on the Great Stump. Well, we have had a few issues in TalonClan lately. First of all, our leader Embersky, died. He was hunting near the Thunderpath and a Monster ran him over. He hunts in SkyClan now.” The cats fell silent for a moment of grieving.
“We sent Drizzlestorm to the Moontree,” she continued. He was found on NightClan territory and killed by Pinetail before receiving his nine lives and name. It was an accident, and TalonClan does not blame Pinetail, nor NightClan in anyway. For the time being, I am waiting for a sign from SkyClan to tell me and my clan who the next leader should be.”
Stempaw blinked thoughtfully. She could tell by the way that Flowerheart shifted her paws and spoke with hesitation that she was lying about something. But what?
“However, through these troubles, TalonClan is thriving. Prey is running well and the forest is blessed with an early newleaf.” She stepped back.
Tabbysky stepped forth. “I would like to apologize to TalonClan and especially Drizzlestorm. It was an accident, yet our deputy Pinetail is being demoted as soon as possible. The attack was reported to us by her apprentice Darkpaw. He has recently been made a warrior and is now called Darkpelt.”
“Darkpelt! Darkpelt!” cheered the gathered cats.
“Prey is running well in FireClan,” said Sparklesky. “We are pleased to have made Badgerpaw and warrior. His new name is Badgerwhisker.”
“Badgerwhisker! Badgerwhisker!” Stempaw tried hard to chant his name louder than any other cat.
“The river is full of fish and StormClan’s fresh-kill pile is well stocked,” meowed Rainsky. “Diamondpool gave birth to a litter of three kits. She has named them Mosskit, Bluekit and Puddlekit.”
The cat cheered, with no particular names. Stempaw’s whiskers twitched with amusement. There were too many cats to congratulate, so the Gathering couldn’t shout all their names. She was lucky to not have any littermates. Although that’s probably why I’m the most unpopular apprentice.
“This Gathering is at a close!” Sparklesky called. He lept off the stump and led the FireClan cats out of the clearing.
Stempaw caught a glimpse of Badgerwhisker as he was leaving. “Congratulations again, Badgerwhisker!”
He turned to look at her. “Thanks! See you at another Gathering, Stempaw!”
“See you too!” Then she followed her Clanmates back to her own camp.
Chapter 7
Starkit had been awfully quiet every since the news of Drizzlestorm’s death had reached the camp, but she didn’t think Leafkit would notice.
“Starkit?” Leafkit mewed. “Hello?”
He forced a purr. “I was just thinking,” she mumbled. “StarClan will fight for this territory, Leafsky!”
“Well then. It will be the doom of your clan, Starsky!”
“We will never bow down to LeafClan!” Starkit growled. She leaped at Leafkit.
He growled back and sprang onto his hind legs, batting Starkit with his paws. Starkit jumped out the side to avoid him. She darted behind Leafkit and nipped lightly at his tail. “This territory belongs to StarClan!” she declared.
“Leafkit!”
The two kits heard Brightstripe’s scolding meow from behind them “Look what you’ve done! Greenkit and Mothkit are out for the first time and you stepped on Robinflight’s tail! And now they’re in the medicine cat’s den because Robinflight can’t get to them! Leafkit, get off her tail already.”
Leafkit lifted his paw from Robinflight’s tail. “Sorry, Robinflight.”
The tortoiseshell queen didn’t reply, she just sprinted off towards Greenkit and Mothkit who had wandered into the medicine cats den. “Kits!”
Brightstripe glared at her son. “Now go apologize to Flowerheart and Robinflight!”
Leafkit shamefully bowed her head. “Okay.” He hopefully glanced at Starkit. “Want to come?”
She didn’t. “Sorry, I have to go make dirt.” She and Leafkit went off in their separate directions.
Starkit ducked into Dirtplace. She sat down. And she was already bored. With nothing else better to do, she sniffed the air. She smell the other cats of TalonClan and…
Is that a cat from another clan? Are they spying on dirtplace?
Curious, Starkit got to her paws. That was definitely a cat and definitely not a TalonClan cat. Recent, very recent. The cat must’ve just left.
She checked over her shoulder to make sure that no cat was watching, then she bust into the trees.
She forced her muzzle to the ground and sped through the forest. She lost the scent at one point, but found it a moment later. The scent was smelling fresher now, she was getting close to the cat.
Starkit glimpsed the ferns quivering out of the corner of her eye. Her head snapped to the right and she saw a fluffy dark ginger tail disappearing into the bracken. She recognized the same cat’s scent.
It’s them!
Desperately, the kit hurled herself after the intruder. The cat was smart though and he wove from side to side.
Starkit burst into a clearing. It was too confusing! Where was the cat?
“Starkit, there you are!” she saw Whitefeather emerge from the undergrowth. “The whole coffee TalonClan has been looking for you!” She started furiously licking the kit. “What happened?”
Starkit knew that if she told her mother about the cat she would get in trouble and she would never figure out who had been on their territory. “I went into dirtplace and I walked straight past it and I couldn’t find my way back to camp…”
“Oh, my poor kit!” Whitefeather cried. “Never mind that now, let’s get back to camp.”
Before they left, Starkit saw the glimmer of two amber eyes hidden in the brush. It was the cat she’d followed.
I will find you again, she vowed silently.
Chapter 8
Pinetail followed Sorrelfern towards the TalonClan border. “Which way do you go now?” she asked.
Sorrelfern motioned with her tail. “That way.”
Pinetail silently thanked SkyClan for giving SkyClan stealth. Quickly, without a sound, she and Sorrelfern crept their way into TalonClan territory. “Couldn’t you have just asked Flowerheart the night before tha Gathering when you went to the Moontree?” Pinetail grumbled.
“I didn’t know about all of this sneaking around then!” Sorrelfern hissed. “Now, come on. Their camp is over there.” She flicked her ears and padded off.
Pinetail followed her. They circumnavigated the clearing until they reached a large den where a thick, non-transparent wall of ivy dangled from a rock overhang. Unseen, she and Sorrelfern made their way to a hidden spot and poked their head inside the den. “Flowerheart,” Pinetail whispered.
Flowerheart looked up from the two piles of herbs she was sorting. “Sorrelfern? Pinetail? What are you two doing here?”
“We have a message?” Sorrelfern began.
Flowerheart softly snorted with exasperation. “Couldn’t this message have waited until the Gathering.”
Sorrelfern shook her head. “No. Your clan needs a leader now. We have a gift for you.”
Pinetail knew her cue. She came forward and dropped the goose feather on the ground before Flowerheart.
“Pretty feather,” Flowerheart mewed sarcastically.
Sorrelfern slithered into the den and helped her sort the herbs. “It’s a goose feather. Or rather, a white goose feather.”
“Oh.” Flowerheart’s voice was taut. “I understand.”
“Yes. We want you to fake a sign from SkyClan. You said that was what you were waiting for at the Gathering,” Sorrelfern meowed.
“But why should I do as you tell me? Whitefeather has a kit you know,” Flowerheart argued.
This time, Pinetail spoke up. “Your clan needs a leader. Whitefeather is the right cat. She won’t let innocents die or worthless blood be shed. She is strong and she can save TalonClan. Besides, the other queens can take care of her kit. She needs to be leader.”
Flowerheart eyed her. “Spoken like a true non-mouse-brain.”
“You sound like Heatherstripe!” Sorrelfern exclaimed. “But really Flowerheart. What do you say.”
Flowerheart’s gaze dropped to the ground, thinking. Pinetail and Sorrelfern held their breaths as she stared at the ground. Then finally, her gaze lifted.
“I’ll do it.”