Midnights

Chapter 3

Near moonhigh, Willowstar gathered all of the cats together.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here below the Highrock," he called, mew heavy with grief. Midnightpaw moved to stand with her sisters beside their mother, Goldrush. Teardrop had been Goldrush's sister, and Midnightpaw remembered when the deputy had played with them in the nursery. Goldrush smiled down at her and licked her ear. 

"It'll be okay," Goldrush murmured.

"Today, we lost Teardrop," he began. "She was a brave and loyal deputy, and she shall be missed by all. Let it be a comfort to her sister, Goldrush, that she rests now in StarClan. Let us sing the Song of Mourning in remembrance for our Clanmate."

A/N: I KNOW cats don't sing, but this is SwiftClan and they're all named after TAYLOR SWIFT songs, so they sing now.

Midnightpaw lifted her muzzle. Even the kits knew this ritual by heart.

At dusk on the day a cat died, the Song of Mourning was sung by the Clan. Just a little bit of it, though- the whole song was reserved for tragic occasions where many cats died. Then the cat was buried and the vigil held. At dawn, a new song was sung- the Song of Morning. (This had confused everyone when they first learned about it) and this song was supposed to release the dead cat's spirit to StarClan.

Willowstar took a deep breath and began the song. The other cats followed along, voices creating a sad, haunting harmony.

"Just close your eyes
The sun is going down.
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now.
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound."

The song finished. Midnightpaw hung her head in grief.

"And now," Willowstar mewed. "I must choose a new deputy."

To Midnightpaw, he sounded tired and sad. Why shouldn't he? This was the second deputy to die in the last moon, not to mention the fourth cat to die. Midnightpaw was struck by a terrifying thought- what if all of SwiftClan dies? What happened then? Would they all just exist in StarClan, or when no cat was left to remember them, would their warrior ancestors drift away?

She shook her head to rid herself of the thought. We'll be fine, she thought, turning her attention to Willowstar.

"Goldrush," Willowstar called. "You shall be the new...the new..." he trailed off in a bout of coughing. When he recovered, he wheezed, "The new deputy of SwiftClan."

Goldrush looked shocked. Everyone else looked disturbed.

It took Midnightpaw a few moments to realize why. Is Willowstar getting so old that he can't remember the words for a deputy ceremony?

Goldrush stepped forward, shaking off the surprise quickly. "Thank you, Willowstar."

"Go...back to your dens," Willowstar ordered. "Or stay for the vigil."

Everyone except Midnightpaw, Lavenderpaw, Foxpaw, Goldrush, Willowstar, and Redheart retreated back to their dens. Midnightpaw caught sympathetic glances from a few cats. Sunpaw padded past her, but not before pausing to lick her shoulder in sympathy.

Redheart took Teardrop's body out of the camp. She returned a few moments later, brushing earth from her paws.

Midnightpaw wasn't really aware of time passing that night. She paced around camp sometimes, but mostly she sat in one place.

Finally, the sun broke the horizon. Willowstar padded out of his den. "Let all cats old enough to..." he coughed. "Catch their own prey gather here below the Highrock for the Song of Morning. While Teardrop will be missed, we must not dwell on this..." he trailed off in a fit of coughing. "On this loss."

Once again, every cat lifted their muzzle.

I've been spending the last eight months
Thinking all love ever does is break
And burn
And end.
But on a Wednesday
In a cafe

I watched it begin again.

The song ended. This song was much, much older, with a few words no cat understood, but everyone agreed it was just as beautiful as the other song.

"Meeting dismissed," Willowstar announced.

Midnightpaw saw Lavenderpaw trot up to Diamondring and whisper in her ear. Diamondring turned to Midnightpaw.

"Midnightpaw! Sunpaw! Foxpaw!" She called. "Over here."

Obediently, the apprentices hurried over.

"Now, I know we're all still grieving," Diamondring said. "But training must continue. Lavenderpaw is joining us for today's lesson; we're all going to learn to swim."