Froststar's Destiny

Chapter Twenty-one

"The earlier attack went badly, but I'm willing to try again," Stonestar declared boldly. "Who's with me?"

There was a soft murmuring from the surrounding cats, and most of them were shaking their heads at his bold announcement. None of them wanted war and their so-called smart Clan leader was practically forcing it upon them.

"I don't think anyone wants it," Hawkfeather informed Stonestar coldly. "Perhaps you should drop the idea. Your deputy almost died. Maybe you should think about that. And we're still not sure if Ashspots is going to make it. Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused? We've also just found out Brightflame is expecting kits. We don't want their father to die, and Dewfrost is one of the few remaining cats left."

Stonestar glared down at his medicine cat but seemed to be unable to find anything to say. Frostwind sighed in relief. Battles were where she shone, but that didn't mean she liked them. The way she'd just murdered everyone the previous night scared her, and she didn't want to do it again, although the way things were, she'd be forced into it one way or another. She ignored her apprentice, who was running in circles around her. Seriously, she thought she'd exhausted that pesky kit. But turned out after two hours of napping she was up and ready to go again. Frostwind still had energy but she wasn't going to waste it on her dumb apprentice. She wanted to rest a little. The previous night's events had been tiring and she'd been woken up at dawn right away. She stifled a yawn, not wanting to seem disrespectful to her Clan leader before stopping and wondering whether she cared at all.

"I think someone should have a say in this," Honeyleaf argued. "Someone who will undoubtedly be doing most of the fighting. Frostwind?"

Frostwind looked up, blinking the tiredness out of her eyes. Shimmerpelt shooed Hickorypaw away, giving Frostwind some space to think.

"I don't think there's a need to," Frostwind said finally. "They trashed our battle party but they're all dead except for Mousestar and maybe Turtleleaf. I don't think there's a point wasting our efforts right now, they're hardly a problem at the moment."

Stonestar narrowed his eyes. "If you say so. Honeyleaf, it seems you are itching to say something else."

"I want Cloudbeam to become a medicine cat," Honeyleaf stated matter-of-factly.

Cloudbeam immediately moved protectively over his mate and his three kits. Twilightmoon looked at Honeyleaf with a horrified expression, and their three kits, Redkit, Talonkit and Flamekit, all stared at Honeyleaf through narrowed slits for eyes. They weren't pleased with the prospect of their father not being allowed to care for them, and their mother clearly felt the same.

"He doesn't want to be one," Twilightmoon protested. "We've gone over this, Honeyleaf! He wants to be a father to them. He's waited so long to have a real family." She twined tails with her mate, but these words struck something in Frostwind.

Cloudbeam had been waiting for a very long time to have a real family?

That meant he didn't count Windecho as his real brother or real family either, like her. Which meant that all that time she'd avoided him so he could spend time with his brother had been wasted. He'd been on the lookout for real, caring family, and she'd basically turned him down time and time again. She didn't have anything to say at that point, though, so she remained silent, crossing her paws in front of her and letting Twilightmoon yammer away.

"I had a prophecy about him!" Honeyleaf protested furiously. "White cat with blue eyes! Okay? You think I'm lying, do you? NO! I genuinely want him to have a nice family but maybe THAT'S NOT HIS DESTINY! MAYBE HIS DESTINY IS TO BE A MEDICINE CAT!"

Frostwind cut in. "You've been wrong before, and you could be wrong again. Let cats choose their own destinies."

Honeyleaf turned her smoking eyes on Frostwind but said nothing, her mouth trembling. "If that's so," she snarled. "Don't you have anything to say about this, Stonestar?"