Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 8

It had been almost a moon since the volunteers had arrived in GrassClan. It had been rough, but Swanflight had stuck it out. It helped that she had slowly gotten more comfortable with her new Clanmates. The other she-cats, especially, had been kind and patient with her. Well, most of them.

Shadowheart was not kind or patient with any cat. From the first day, she had been pushy and rude, challenging Hawkstar and Thistletail at every turn. Sensing Swanflight's fear, Shadowheart seemed to take pleasure in bullying her. Smaller and far less assertive, she was no match for the bossy black she-cat. Swanflight had come to dread patrolling with her.

Like now.

Shadowheart was leading a hunting patrol with Duskflower, Fernshade and Swanflight. Originally, Wildbloom had been assigned to their patrol, but Hawkstar had switched Duskflower and Wildbloom for some reason. Duskflower was Shadowheart's best friend, and they did almost everything together. Thankfully, Duskflower was nothing like Shadowheart in personality and treated everyone with the same cool indifference. Swanflight could only hope that this patrol would be tolerable.

Thistletail was still not giving the volunteers much in the way of freedom. He picked the patrols and where they would hunt. Not that Shadowheart cared about that. The only reason she was leading this patrol was because Hawkstar had interfered. Thistletail had been unable to do anything about it.

So, it was no surprise to Swanflight that Shadowheart led her patrol along the unclaimed woodland border instead of towards the GrassClan woodland as Thistletail had ordered. She wasn't about to confront Shadowheart, quietly relieved for once about the black she-cat's defiance. She was still struggling to perfect her hunting technique in the meadow. Trying to hunt in woodland was another thing entirely! Of course, not every cat was afraid of Shadowheart.

"Aren't we supposed to be hunting in the woodland?" Fernshade asked from her position just ahead of Swanflight.

Shadowheart cast a cool glance over her shoulder. "Do you really think we'll catch anything there given its current condition?"

"No, you're right about that."

"Then shut up and let me lead."

Fernshade rolled her eyes but didn't seem offended by Shadowheart's snappiness.

Swanflight envied her Clanmate's confidence and ability to take such things in stride. It was something she wanted for herself. It was part of the reason she had left WillowClan to begin with. To try something different and become different herself in the process. So that's what she needed to do.

"If that's the case then why did Thistletail want to send us there in the first place?" Swanflight asked.

"Because he wants us to fail," Duskflower meowed, as if it were obvious.

"Thistletail hasn't exactly made his feelings about us a secret," Fernshade added.

Swanflight flicked her tail. It was true. Thistletail didn't like the volunteers but still...

"If we fail then GrassClan dies. Doesn't he realize that?" Swanflight asked.

"He's angry and hurt. It's blinded him to the fact that we are GrassClan's only hope," Fernshade meowed.

Swanflight nodded thoughtfully, suddenly feeling sorry for the GrassClan deputy. She didn't like him, was afraid of his anger, in fact, but she hadn't realized before that he wasn't just mean to be mean. He was hiding how hurt he really was by all the loss his Clan had suffered. He didn't know how to handle his anger and lashed out at the volunteers, as if they were the problem. It reminded her that every cat had their own struggles, and she shouldn't take it personally how they treated her.