Froststar's Destiny

Chapter Twenty-two

Honeyleaf died after a few moons as an elder. She hadn't wanted that role, but Stonestar had forced it upon her. Hawkfeather had offered to let her help him, but she'd always replied, if Stonestar valued his medicine cats, he wouldn't have dismissed her. And what answer could Hawkfeather give to that?

Meanwhile, Frostwind and Skyfeather had finally agreed that they were ready to have kits. Frostwind wasn't sure if she would be a good mother, but Skyfeather had begged and pleaded with her, and Frostwind wanted his happiness more than anything. She agreed, albeit reluctantly, and they both awaited the day when she would know if she had kits.

The only problem was Stonestar didn't want her to have kits. Since a few moons had passed, Hickorypaw would be fully trained by the time Frostwind needed to move into the nursery. Hickorypaw had shaped up well with Frostwind's training. Surprisingly, her brothers had done so too, even under Cloudbeam and Windecho.

Stonestar came up to Frostwind for the umpteenth time, his irritation showing. "Look, no kits for you. I need a stable bodyguard, and I don't need a mother. I already have one, and I want you focused on your duties."

"What about what I want?" Frostwind asked softly. "What if kits are what I desire?"

"I know you don't want them," Stonestar said huffily. "It's Skyfeather, isn't it? Maybe he should go."

Frostwind stared, affronted. By now, she knew that go meant die. He was going to kill Skyfeather because of their decision to have kits? Well, the answer was no, and she spat the word in his face, leaving him groping at his face as she stormed away.

"Hey, Frostwind! I'm done with the elders' ticks, and changing their moss, and bringing them prey!" Hickorypaw bounded over gleefully. Despite their starting anger at each other, Frostwind and Hickorypaw had grown quite close. Frostwind never forgot that Hickorypaw was Stonestar's niece, though, and it was hard to be extremely kind to her when she had a psychopath for an uncle.

"Good job! Did I promise you something?" Frostwind asked casually when Hickorypaw gave her a sly grin.

"Yeah, you did. Hunting, remember?"

Right. Why had she forgotten? She'd been promising to take Hickorypaw hunting all week, but it had been raining and raining. It was autumn and slippery drenched leaves on the ground didn't help with hunting. Hickorypaw had slipped on several occasions. Her brother Smallpaw had sprained his ankle recently. His warrior ceremony was pushed back, and the tom was anything but happy. Still, he never argued, and stayed in the medicine den under Hawkfeather's watchful eye without complaint. The Clan was still morning Honeyleaf, and Frostwind had to admit, she missed the grumpy golden she-cat. She could be annoying at times, but she had her heart in the right place. At least now nobody was pressuring Cloudbeam to become a medicine cat; he had even become jittery around Hawkfeather, who had never once mentioned the idea.

Windecho and Cloudbeam had been growing apart for a while. Cloudbeam mainly locked onto Twilightmoon nowadays, and Frostwind was glad for him. Being away from Windecho's negative influence might do her kindhearted brother some good. She knew why he'd mated with Twilightmoon; Cloudbeam was a softie at heart and he needed true love in his life, didn't he. And of course that true love had to be a she-cat about twice his age. But Frostwind hadn't meowed a word, since that might offend him. She was on thin ice already.

But today was the apprentice ceremony for Cloudbeam's kits after a while of waiting. "I'll take you hunting later, Hicky," Frostwind meowed casually. Her apprentice glared daggers at her.

"What did I tell you about Hicky?" the brown she-cat grumbled unhappily.

"I wasn't paying attention, did you tell me anything?" Frostwind said indifferently. Hickorypaw pouted but she had long given up on telling Frostwind to stop calling her names.