Super Edition - Lightstar's Wrath

Chapter 9

A few days have passed, and Lightpaw curled his tail around his paws. He felt cold, and the leaf-fall wind didn't help. He tried to keep a smile on his face but his disappointment overwhelmed him. Duststar had just called a meeting. Russetpaw returned from her assessment, her chest puffed out proudly.

"I, Duststar, leader of IcyClan, 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 her to you as a warrior in their turn." The elderly leader rasped. "Russetpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Russetpaw gave a quick, sympathetic glance toward Lightpaw. Thistlesong hasn't left his nest in days. Lightpaw knew he wouldn't be assessed anytime soon. The dark ginger apprentice looked up at Duststar again. "I do." Russetpaw mewed.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Russetpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Russetheart. StarClan honors your loyalty and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of IcyClan." The silver leader nodded to the mottled she-cat.

"Russetheart! Russetheart!" The clan cheered. Lightpaw thought his jealously would swallow him whole. He wanted so badly to have his ceremony with his sister, one of his only kin left. His uncle Pebbleheart barely even looked at them. Maybe they reminded him too much of his sister?

"Lightpaw!" Russetheart pranced over. "I wanna take you on my walk!" The mottled cat purred. 

"Alright," That was all he could muster. He shrugged and followed his sister out of the gorse tunnel. Very few trees were scattered along the territory. Those trees already had orange and yellow leaves. Some even crunched beneath their paws.

"I'm sorry you couldn't be assessed," Russetheart mewed, her ears folding back. "You could've been assessed with Mothbelly and me. And Duststar should've let you know that sooner."

"It's fine," Lightpaw muttered, keeping his gaze on the dry grass beneath him. "Besides, I should've never said anything about Squirreldust's kits not being Thistlesong's too." His heart still weighed with regret. "I broke a whole family, all because I was mad at something he couldn't control."

Russetheart opened her jaws but closed them again to think. "Worst case scenario, Thistlesong stops training you, and Duststar could give you a new mentor." She finally said.

Lightpaw cared less about his mentor and more about the consequences of his actions. "Thunderpelt would be ashamed..." Lightpaw whimpered, slowing his pace down. "Thistlesong was his good friend. Now that I've ruined his family, Thunderpelt would hate me."

Russetheart stopped, turning to face her brother. She put her muzzle close to his and looked straight into his eyes. "Thunderpelt would never hate you. He loves us more than anything! No one is upset with you. Thistlesong would've found out eventually anyways. What if StarClan was planning to send him a sign? I would rather have my apprentice tell me bad news than some random dead cats."

Lightpaw gave a half-hearted smile at the last part. "Yeah, but so many bad things happened because of me." He huffed. "I would've never found out that information if I didn't break away from the hunting patrol, Thunderpelt would still be here if he didn't take me on the tour of the clans, Thornmuzzle would've never run away if I had never met that rogue, Hailshade wouldn't have been killed if I didn't dash ahead-"

"What?!" Russetheart cut him off, her eyes widening. "Hailshade was killed? And you never told me?"

"It was moons ago, before Thornmuzzle left," He mewed. "She was trying to take me. Snowfeather and Thornmuzzle had to kill her or she would've hurt me!" He explained. "Besides, we last saw her when we were like, two moons. We wouldn't have seen her anyway if she wasn't killed. She was exiled for murder, remember?"

"Yeah, but..." Russetheart's voice broke off. "She was still my mother. She gave us life, Lightpaw." She huffed. "I... I just wish you told me sooner, I..."

"I'm sorry, Russetheart," The apprentice put a tail-tip on the ginger warrior's shoulder. "It happened the day after Thunderpelt died. I didn't want to put you in more grief."

A quiet sob could be heard nearby. The two IcyClan cats perked their ears up. "You heard that too, right?" Russetheart mewed. Lightpaw nodded. Russetheart decided to follow the sound. It came from behind a cedar tree. A grey pelt was peeking out.

"Pebbleheart?" Lightpaw mewed. Pebbleheart lifted his head up, grief clouding his eyes. "When did you get here?"

"I was following you guys," He mewed. "I wanted to make sure you two would be safe. You're my only kin left." His tail flicked. "But, Hailshade is really gone?"

Lightpaw nodded. "I'm sorry," He breathed. So his theory was correct. Pebbleheart missed his littermate dearly. But now that he knows that she's dead, his grief poured out.

"No, I'm sorry," Pebbleheart's voice wavered. "I've been a terrible uncle. I should've helped look after you two when you were kits. I just... couldn't. You reminded me too much of her." He took a moment to draw in a breath. The usually cold and aloof warrior was finally letting his emotions out. "I thought maybe I could talk to her one last time. Say a proper goodbye, at least. But now I can't. And I doubt I'll see her in StarClan..."

Russetheart and Lightclaw gave each other a sympathetic look before pressing up against Pebbleheart. 

"Thank you," Pebbleheart's voice was muffled by fur surrounding him. "Now the only family I have is you two and Lakebranch. But Lakebranch has been so stressed with feeling with his deputy position, I can't even spend proper time with my mate anymore!"

"Well, at least you'll have us," Lightpaw mewed before standing again. "C'mon, let's finish our walk." Russetheart stood as well, followed by Pebbleheart.

The three of them finished their walk and returned to camp. The sun was slowly descending behind the moor, blending the sky with an orange shade. The sunset patrols were being organized now. Lightpaw took a moment to look at Lakebranch. He did seem more stressed. His fur was a bit messy and his eyes revealed tiredness. There were a few grey hairs on his muzzle that weren't there before.

The dark blue-grey deputy turned his head, his yellow eyes landing on Pebbleheart. "Pebbleheart! There you are!" He gave his mate a lick on the cheek. "I was getting worried. Where were you?"

"I wanted to spend some time with my kin," Pebbleheart answered, smiling down at Russetheart and Lightpaw. "You know, we should go on a walk together sometime, just the two of us. Just like how we use to when we were younger."

"Oh, I wish I could, but once the sunset patrol comes back I need a report from them, then I need to assign two cats for the night watch, then I'll have to hear their report, then the dawn patrol and the hunting patrol," Lakebranch inhaled, running out of breath. "I would love to spend more time with you, but I just can't."

"Why not you get some cats to help you?" He mewed. "I would be more than happy you organize some patrols for you. And I'm sure other cats would do the same."

Lakebranch pondered for a moment. "I guess so," He mewed. "I'll try to make time for you." He gave his mate one last nuzzle before returning to his patrol organizing. 

Lightpaw decided to head to the apprentice's den for some rest. Before he ducked inside, a tail tapped his back. He turned around to see Snowfeather behind him. "Meet me near the Moss Cedar tomorrow morning, okay?" She mewed in a hushed tone. Lightpaw didn't bother asking why, he just nodded. Snow feather smiled and padded away while Lightpaw made his way to his nest.