Warriors #5: Heart of Fire

Chapter 21

Goldenshine's POV

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highledge!"

Just as I stood up and began to convene with the gathering ThunderClan cats, I nearly jumped, startled, as a very audible squeal came from the nursery. I flicked my ears and turned my head to see Cherrykit burst from the den, Molekit following more slowly behind.

I nodded in understanding as I settled down beside Dustystorm. Ah, this must be their apprentice ceremony, I realized. How exciting!

I then began to scan my eyes around the camp, letting them rest just briefly on almost every cat. I wonder who their mentors will be?

I then purred with amusement and exchanged a humored glance with Dustystorm as Cherrykit let out another squeal, pawing at her brother. She's got spirit, I thought. I have to admit, I'll be jealous of whoever gets her as an apprentice. She'd be so much fun!

"Are we late?"

I then whipped my head around towards the camp entrance just as Foxleap and Icecloud burst through the gorse tunnel. "We heard Firestar call the meeting and came as fast as we could!" Icecloud panted, her fur bristled out anxiously.

I shook my head quickly as I beckoned the two warriors into camp. "You're just in time!" I purred.

"Thank StarClan," Foxleap then breathed, settling himself down on my other side. "Luckily we had just finished up our assessment."

"Assessment...?" I asked, not knowing what the dark ginger was talking about. I then was able to answer my own question when I took another glance at the camp entrance to see Snowpaw and Swiftpaw making their way in.

I immediately broke my gaze away as my eyes locked with my son's for just a heartbeat. I even found myself shifting away slightly as he passed by. Because unfortunately, fearing my son was what it had come to. Wanting to cower was my first impulse. It's as if we never had any sort of relationship, I thought. And it's basically hopeless to fix it at this point.

Once Swiftpaw's back was to me, I turned and watched as he settled down next to Blossomfall. And as usual, his face gave away nothing of what he was thinking.

I then nearly gasped as Foxleap's last words processed. "They... they just had their warrior assessment?" I questioned, briefly looking over at Snowpaw and seeing the satisfied gleam in her blue eyes. "How did it go for the two of them?"

Foxleap nodded eagerly in reply. "Very well," he answered as he lashed his tail happily. "I'm hoping that Icecloud and I can have a talk with Firestar after this Clan meeting about making them warriors."

My mouth nearly fell open as it all sunk it. "It" being the fact that my son was going to become a warrior all of the sudden. And I missed it all... I couldn't help but think as I felt my heart sink. I missed my son grow up.

And if that sad reality wasn't enough on its own, not only Swiftpaw, but Snowpaw was in this situation - the reincarnation of my sister - was all grown up again and was becoming a warrior. And I still haven't managed to get Jayfeather to tell me what else is in store for her. It appears she is meant to be a warrior, not a medicine cat... but for StarClan's sake, what else is she meant to do?

I found myself pressing a little closer to Dustystorm as I began to delve into my own little fun internal panic.

It was like all of these pieces of prey were being thrown at me. I was being told to carry them all to dry land at once and bury them, but of course I had to gather myself and gather up all of the prey before I could actually swim to shore and do what I was supposed to.