Flamepaw's Destination

Chapter 38

Many moons had passed since the birth of Goldnose's kits. Flameclaw had watched them grow with such love for them. They would be warriors very shortly, making her feel even older. It seemed like she had given birth eons ago.

Goldnose had gotten over the loss of Rosekit within a few moons, though he and Hazelstream never seemed to forget her. Flameclaw, meanwhile, had enjoyed visiting the kits and telling them stories about her and Barkfern's adventures. They seemed to take a liking to them and grew close to their grandmother and grandfather.

But the kits soon grew older, as did Flameclaw. They were soon apprentices and off training, becoming far too busy to listen to stories. Goldnose would often tell her of their new-forming crushes, making Flameclaw and Barkfern laugh. And feel older.

Her daughters did not have kits, but Flameclaw still had hope maybe one day they'd have kits of their own. She knew that she, herself, would no longer have kits, and she doubted Goldnose would have another litter. Still, she continued to watch her own kits excel at their warrior duties and enjoyed seeing her grandkits take on the same task.

Change had come to SnowClan. Seasons had come and gone, and with it brought new cats and the loss of others. Their medicine cat, Spottedmask, had finally retired and had passed away shortly after. Her apprentice, Sandheart, had taken the new position of medicine cat while Sandheart took on a former warrior, Spiritheart, as her apprentice.

Meanwhile, Flameclaw watched as more queens moved into the nursery, and more cats around her age moved to the elders' den. She and Barkfern were quickly becoming some of the eldest warriors.

Flameclaw didn't want to admit it, but she had been slowing down too. Her muscles began to ache in the morning, which she hadn't noticed before. She completed tasks much slower, and she wasn't bringing in as much prey as normal. She had noticed some of these things in Barkfern too, though she wasn't sure if he had observed the same things.

It was when Flameclaw's back ached too much to go on a hunting patrol one day that she knew her time as a warrior was quickly ending. She didn't want to acknowledge the white hairs growing around her muzzle and face or her slowed pace, but she was becoming older, and soon, it would be time to become an elder.

Becoming an elder was the last thing the flame-colored she-cat wanted to do. She had enjoyed her time as a warrior so much and wanted to die as one, but she knew this could not be. She would start slowing down the clan. Besides, she knew many cats in the elders' den. They were all kind too. It wouldn't be a bad thing...

One morning, while she and Barkfern were sharing a squirrel before patrol, Flameclaw let out a sigh.

"Is everything all right?" the tom asked his mate.

"You've got some gray on your muzzle," she pointed out.

Barkfern chuckled. "Don't want to see me age, huh?"

"You know it isn't that," she responded.

"You don't want to grow old," he teased.

Flameclaw nodded, taking another bite of her squirrel.

"I-I think it's time we retire to the elders' den soon. We've both been slowing down, me more so than you, I suppose. But my muscles have been aching more, I'm not as swift as I've been, and napping sounds so pleasant now," she admitted. "I'm tired."

"Me too," Barkfern admitted. "And I know you say that I don't act as tired, but I think lots of times I hide it to protect you. My back legs have been bothering me for a while now. Sometimes I visit Sandheart."

Flameclaw's eyes widened. "Oh, do you? And what does she say?"

"She says I should retire soon," Barkfern explained.