Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 35

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Larkstar's mew rang across the MistClan camp.

At the MistClan leader's summoning meow, cats began emerging from their dens and trotted over to sit under the base of the Highrock to see what was happening.

Bluepaw sighed and shuffled her paws in the dirt. "What does Larkstar want now?" she muttered under her breath.

"Let's go find out shall we?"

Bluepaw spun around in surprise and came face to face with the amused green eyes of her friend and mate. Flowingstream purred softly and touched her nose to Bluepaw's own.

"Do we have to go Flow?" she meowed with a childish whine which made Flowingstream laugh. Bluepaw gave her the kitty cat eyes, which she never could resist. But to her dismay, it didn't work like she had hopped it would. Well, not this time at least.

"Yes we do," she told her with a small laugh. Bluepaw sighed but followed her mate outside to where the rest of their clanmates were sitting.

As the blue-grey molly scanned the clearing, she caught sight of Spotmuzzle standing directly beneath where the elderly MistClan leader was sitting, beside him sat Honeypaw, his apprentice.

And sitting right beside them was Puddlesplash and his apprentice Pinepaw.

Larkstar cleared his throat, effectively getting the attention of every cat in the forested clearing.

"Spotmuzzle," Larkstar began, staring down at the calico tomcat. "Is Honeypaw ready to become a warrior?"

"She is," Spotmuzzle replied.

Larkstar then turned to Puddlesplash.

"Puddlesplash, is Pinepaw ready to become a warrior?"

Puddlesplash dipped his head. "She is."

Larkstar sighed and spoke. "I, Larkstar, leader of MistClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

"Honeypaw, Pinepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?"

Both apprentices spoke loud and clear. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Honeypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Honeyspring. StarClan honors your courage and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of MistClan. Pinepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Pinebreeze. StarClan honors your energy and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of MistClan."

"Honeyspring! Pinebreeze! Honeyspring! Pinebreeze!" the two young cats lifted their heads in pride, the amber sun behind them making the two young cats look like brands of flame in the new morning light.

The cheering died down.

"Clan meeting dismissed," Larkstar meowed.

Once that was done, Cloudsky began organizing cats for patrols.

Was it just Bluepaw's imagination, or did Cloudsky look a lot thinner then she should? The young she-cat shook her head and coco used her gaze back on the MistClan deputy.

"I'll ask her about it later, right now I need to pay attention just in case I get assigned to go on a patrol," Bluepaw quietly meowed to herself. "Maybe it's nothing and I'm just worrying for no reason."

But even as she said this, something in the back of Bluepaw's mind told her that it was something really bad.

"Goldenleaf, Lightpaw, Soulpaw, Dawnlight, Rushingwater, and Duskflower, you will go on a hunting patrol." The MistClan deputy instructed.

She then turned to face another group of cats. "Ravenwing, Flintbloom, Bluepaw, Sunsetpaw, Leafwing, Silverfeather, and Twilightpaw, you will come with me."

At the call of her name from Cloudsky, Bluepaw was brought out of her depressing train of thought. Giving a soft sigh of relief, the young she-cat shook her head and groomed her fur back down.

Bluepaw nodded her head and said a quick goodbye to Flowingstream before racing off to catch up with her mentor and the rest of the patrol.

"Why are we going on a border patrol?" Bluepaw asked, blinking and staring up at her sister with confusion shining in her eyes.

It was silent for a moment before Cloudsky finally spoke. "Larkstar said that he doesn't want me doing anything too dangerous until I'm fully recovered," her sister told her with a soft sigh.

"What happened?"

Cloudsky sighed yet again and Bluepaw felt a stab of guilt pass over her.

"I-I'm sorry," she quietly apologized. "I shouldn't have asked."

Cloudsky rolled her eyes in response. "Don't be like that, you have the right to know so I'll tell you."

Bluepaw's ears perked up and she nodded for her sister to continue.

"Well you see..." Cloudsky began, pausing to think over what she was about to say. "Meadowlight says that there's something wrong with me, she says that whatever it is is effecting my body."

Bluepaw's ears flattened against her head and her eyes lowered to stare at the forest floor instead of her sister's face.

"So what are you trying to say?" her voice came out shaky and her breathing hitched.

Cloudsky sighed and her eyes grew somber. "I may not be able to train you for much longer."

Bluepaw felt the world fall out from beneath her paws.

"No!" Bluepaw cried, her eyes brimming with tears as she stared up into her sister's eyes. "I don't believe you! Please tell me you're joking! Please, Cloudsky! Tell me that this isn't happening!"

Cloudsky's head lowered and her tail dropped to the ground. "I'm not lying," she whispered, her own tears beginning to fall from her eyes as she continued staring down at her paws.

Bluepaw struggled to breath as her sister's words echoed in her mind like a ghost haunting her dreams.

With one last look at her mentor - no - her sister, Bluepaw turned tail and ran, ignoring the cries for her to come back.

Tears blurred the young she-cats vision as she continued to run, her paws screamed at her to stop but she didn't listen. She needed to get as far away from Cloudsky as she possibly could.

Bluepaw raced into camp, her fur matted with dirt and mud as she slowly trudged towards the apprentice den.

As she laid their, curled up tightly in her mossy nest, one thought kept echoing in the back of Bluepaw's mind.

Things were never going to be the same ever again.