Secrets of the Clans

Rosethorn's Nine

AN: This oneshot features a character from my first story, Stormstar's Promise. A warrior of Ravenclan, Rosethorn must face her old leader Silverstar in Starclan and obtain her nine lives.

Mist lay heavily on the ground and Silverpelt glittered overhead. Rosethorn shuffled her paws awkwardly as she walked beside the medicine cat Pebblesplash. The tension in the air was almost tangible. Rosethorns' skinny reddish brown tail swayed over the damp grasses that lead to high stones. Her cream colored chest rose and fell with each shaggy and nervous breath. Her black ears flicked at every rustle and whimper of small forest creatures.

Pebblesplash trotted confidently beside the deputy. Her own blue gray pelt rippled in the moonlight.

"Why are you so nervous? I assume most deputy's would be excited to become leader," Pebblesplash mewed loudly, shattering the still silence around then. Rosethorn bristled.

"Are you suggesting that I don't want to be leader?" she hissed with accusation. Pebblesplash cast her a side long glance as they crossed Seaclan's beaches to reach the glowing cave.

"I suggested nothing. Your own words revealed your hidden fears," the medicine cat replied evenly. Rosethorn sighed and stopped walking to stare at her black paws. Her sharp claws unsheathed in frustration and she tore at the ground.

"I never asked to be deputy. I never asked for this responsibility," she spat.

"Then why did you accept?" Pebblesplash asked plainly.

"Because at the same time being leader is all I ever dreamed of. But if I gain my nine lives...the part of my life as a warrior will be over. I wouldn't be able to have kits or mingle with other warriors at gatherings. I would become separated."

"But you would be leader," Pebblesplash countered. Rosethorn sighed again, knowing she couldn't explain her true feelings, and they continued the trek towards the glowing cave. The herbs they had eaten before kept Rosethorns hunger at bay, but that could just be because she felt like vomiting. Then suddenly the waterfall loomed before them. Behind the heavy spray was dark caves beckoning them forward into the chasm of emptiness.

"Perhaps you are nervous because you feel Silverstar did not wish for you to be her successor," Pebblesplash wondered aloud. Rosethorn opened her mouth to protest but closed it.

"Silverstar and Shadelight are the closest sisters I've ever met. I've never had the kind of relationship they possess, with anyone. When Silverstar became leader after Crowstar everyone knew Shadelight would be her deputy. It was so obvious Shadelight was meant to be deputy. But then her and Larkflight had kits..." Rosethorn trailed off. Pebblesplash was aware of the rest of the story.

"Ivorykit and Ebonykit," Pebblesplash continued with a fondness in her voice. Ivorykit had become her apprentice in the ways of herbs and healing. Rosethorn herself had mentored Ebonykit when at six moons she became a 'paw. Ebonykit and Ivorykit seemed to resemble Shadelight and the Silver furred leader immensely. Not appearance wise, Ivorykit was whiteish silver and Ebonykit was as black as her father Larkflight. But Ebonykit had the same ambitions as Silverstar and the same dedication to Ravenclan. And Ivorykit harbored Shadelight's old desire to become a medicine cat. Shadelight never went down the path of healing because she couldn't bare the separation from Silverstar.

Shadelight stepped down from the position of deputy temporarily to become a queen. Silverstar didn't take another deputy in that time period, breaking the code. But she was never much of a rule follower anyways. No one was surprised. But no one ever guessed that once Ivorykit and Ebonykit were off as apprentices that Shadelight would decide not to become deputy again. Her words struck a chord with everyone in the clan as she rejected her sister's offer to reinstate her as deputy.