Distant Sun: Flashing Lights - Shimmering Stars

Chapter 12

The days following Jadepaw's trip to the Forest were tense between her and Rocktooth. Rocktooth refused to talk about it at all, especially with all the cats in the den, and told Jadepaw that it wouldn't be happening again. But, in the end, Jadepaw really needs to tell someone about what she saw. So one day, Jadepaw corners Rocktooth while they are gathering herbs by the river.

"Rocktooth, about what happened at the halfmoon meeting," Jadepaw meows. "Something happened that I want to–"

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to bring that up?" Rocktooth interrupts. "It won't be happening again."

"I need you to listen to me!" Jadepaw snaps. "I know it freaked you out, but something big happened! Rocktooth, I went to the Forest of Lost Souls!"

Rocktooth halts and her blue eyes grow wide. She snaps her head to look at Jadepaw and she looks angrier than Jadepaw had ever seen her. "You what?"

"I went to the Forest of Lost Souls..." Jadepaw meows, a little quieter than she would like.

"Jadepaw, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?!" Rocktooth demands. "Those cats have killed! They could have hurt you or worse! They could have corrupted your connection to SpiritClan!"

"But they didn't! I spoke to three of them and they–"

"You spoke to them?! Jadepaw, have you forgotten everything Lilytail and Blackwing have taught you?!" Rocktooth rounds on Jadepaw, eyes blazing.

"They spoke to me first and Ambereyes was there anyway! She would've protected me and–" Jadepaw begins, only to be cut off by Rocktooth again.

"You are not going back there! This is final!" Rocktooth growls. "I am not going to be hearing anymore of this. Go back to camp, leave the herbs you gathered. You are to deal with the elders' ticks for the rest of the day. If I hear anymore about this, it'll be for the next two moons."

Jadepaw thrashes her tail and hisses as she turns back to camp, leaving her mentor behind. She had just wanted to discuss what had been said, not get a lecture! Rocktooth hadn't even listened to what Jadepaw was trying to say anyways!

***

Back in camp, Jadepaw sat by Ashpelt as she placed mouse bile on the ticks left on the elder's shoulders where she couldn't reach. Jadepaw pulls another one off and Ashpelt sighs in relief.

"Thank you so much, Jadepaw," Ashpelt meows. "That one has been a pain in my tail all moon!"

Jadepaw gives a grunt in response and picks up the moss again.

"I could have helped you plenty, Ashpelt," Emberwing purrs while Pebblekit bats at his grandfather's paws. "She's been much too proud to ask me for help."

"You're older than I am, old man," Ashpelt retorts as Jadepaw presses the wad of moss onto another tick. "Your eyesight is getting so bad you couldn't tell a tick from my fur!"

"Well your fur is getting so thin it would be easy to spot ticks!" Emberwing gives a raspy laugh.

"I could help you find ticks!" Pebblekit announces. "When I'm an apprentice, I'll come look for your ticks all the time, Ashpelt!" Then he pauses and looks up at his grandfather. "And you too, Pop Pop!"

"Well, we'll be the most tick-free elders in the whole of the Clans with your help!" Emberwing purrs. "Maybe Jadepaw can show you how it's done?"

"This stuff stinks, I don't think the queens'll want Pebblekit smelling like this," Jadepaw replies, nipping another tick off of Ashpelt. "I think that's the last one. Are there any other places bothering you?"

"There's a big one at the base of my tail, if you would please," Ashpelt replies, rolling onto her side and giving a grunt. "Oh, that's much better."

"I'll look for it," Jadepaw sighs.

She walks over to the other side of the elder and starts searching Ashpelt's thinning fur for the tick. As she does so, Jadepaw catches a glimpse of a spirit out of the corner of her eye. She glances up and sees Orchidflight, Ashpelt's daughter who died as a kit, enter the den. Orchidflight acknowledges Jadepaw with a smile and settles down next to her parent.

"Goodness, this den is feeling quite drafty, isn't it?" Emberwing asks with a shiver. "It's getting right down to my bones! I wonder if those warriors are back with the supplies to warm up this den?"

"I can go ask Amberheart for you, Pop Pop!" Pebblekit cries. He dashes past the vines that separate the elder's den from the nursery and disappears, though Jadepaw can hear Pebblekit's voice asking Amberheart loudly about the supplies.

Jadepaw wishes she were still a kit and didn't have to worry about elders' ticks or her mentor being mad at her. As if on cue, Jadepaw finds the tick and presses the mouse bile against it.