CotS #1: The Dark Path (currently being rewritten)

Chapter Five

"Dawnstream?" Iceflame choked. "You heard everything?" Her eyes had widened when I had attacked Dawnstream rather unceremoniously. She obviously thought that what I had done was wrong, but her eyes were also narrowed suspiciously, like she wasn't sure what to think of the medicine cat anymore.

Dawnstream's eyes immediately narrowed at Amberfire. "You promised, my daughter. You promised not to say anything!" She spoke accusingly, and Amberfire quailed under her angry gaze.

"Forgive me, mother!" Amberfire cried, anguished. "Spiketail just died, and I didn't know what to do, in... In my grieving, I couldn't help but say..."

"What? Spiketail!" Dawnstream didn't even let her daughter finish before charging over to her mate's limp body. She buried her nose in his fur, sobbing quietly. "Why? Why, StarClan? He never did anything wrong..." she whimpered softly.

"You're going to have to stop being a medicine cat, Dawnstream." Iceflame's eyes narrowed. She looked extremely unhappily and unsympathetic.

"I'm actually fine with that," Dawnstream bit back tears, and I felt some sympathy for her. This cat had just lost a loved one, her mate that she'd never got to live with due to her position in life. "A life without Spiketail is not worth living." And, despite the fact that her sole child, her only daughter, was standing right in front of her, Dawnstream ripped open her own throat and collapsed, writhing in pain, to the ground. But then she stopped, her eyes glazed, and everyone knew she was dead.

"My mother," Amberfire choked. "Why? I lost my father today. I didn't want to lose her too!" She crouched beside her mother's body, weeping uncontrollably. "She never cared much for her life," the orangey-red she-cat choked out. "It was all about Spiketail, everything. Without him, Dawnstream would have let herself go a long time ago."

I watched Amberfire cry, but my sympathy had gone. At least her father had not been a rogue, killed by her aunt. She had never suffered like I had. Spiketail had died a real death and Dawnstream had chosen what death she wanted. They had had the choice! And her parents had loved her. They hadn't abandoned her like my mother had.

Then again, that wasn't strictly true. Peacewind had tried to apologize, only I'd turned her down, not wanting anything to do with the mother who had been absent for most of my life.

Not that I had wanted to hear her apologies anyway.

"Let's get back to camp," I meowed. "Shouldn't we, Iceflame?" I added, suddenly remembering I had no authority here. But, despite that, I added, "And toughen up, Amberfire. You're a warrior."

Amberfire glared straight at me. "What do you know?" she hissed angrily, spitting. "Your father didn't – I mean, your mother didn't die!"

"Oh, really?" I curled my lip. "What do you think's better, a dead mother or a mother who doesn't care at all about you?" I spoke so bitterly, I even felt the bitterness in my heart.

Amberfire's eyes widened as my words registered to her. "I'm sure that's not – I mean, I'm sure Peacewind loves you in her own"

But suddenly, I felt so remorseful. Amberfire was blinded by sadness, she couldn't think straight.

"I'm sorry, Amberfire," I meowed, my heart aching for the orangey-red she-cat. "I know you're grieving, and I'm sorry I don't understand. Sorry for telling you to toughen up."

Amberfire looked at me. "But you're right, you know," she meowed softly. "You're totally right."

I shook my head. "It isn't my place to judge you," I responded, my head low.