Warriors: Nightstar's End (COMPLETED)

Chapter Nineteen

Emberburn twitched his ear in irritation as Acornpaw glared at him, her tail curled in annoyance. Her chestnut fur was bristling, her fluffy tail bushed out to twice its' size. "I've told you," he repeated, trying hard to keep his temper in check. "Patchsnow is too tired to take you out training today. She was on the dawn and night patrol yesterday, remember? She deserves her rest."

Acornpaw scoffed, her claws plucking at the ground. "But it's not fair!" She protested, her tail lashing to and fro. "I wanna go hunting!" Emberburn let out an exasperated sigh. In the two days since NightClan attacked and he'd been named DawnClan's new deputy, he'd spent every free heartbeat resting in Splashnose's den. Along with being named deputy, Splashnose was given her full name by Pebblestar.

Emberburn wanted to claw the apprentice's ears off. Control yourself, deputy. He hissed to himself and forced his fur to lie flat. "If you want to get out of camp that badly," he meowed at last as he saw Mistflight and Stemfang leaving the warrior's den. "Then go hunting with Mistflight and Stemfang." Raising his voice, he called to the two warriors. "Mistfilght! Stemfang!"

Stemfang's ears pricked as the pair approached the deputy and apprentice, their fur brushing. "What's up?" The ginger-and-white pointed tabby tom prompted.

"Could you two take this mousebrain hunting?" He flicked his ears to Acornpaw, who was washing her claws. "She's chattered my ears off."

Mistflight gave a stern look to the apprentice, who shrank under her stare. "You know better than pester the new deputy," she meowed, her voice firm. Turning her head to Emberburn, she added. "Of course we can take her hunting. With newleaf in the air, we need all the prey we can get."

Stemfang nodded and Emberburn felt a grateful purr rise in his throat. "I'll show you how to catch a bird in mid-air," he meowed, winking at Acornpaw. The apprentice's ears pricked with interest and Mistflight glared at Stemfang, amusement glimmering in her eyes.

Emberburn touched the tom's shoulder with his forepaw and nodded to the two she-cats. "You two go ahead," he told them. "I want a word with Stemfang." When the two she-cats headed for the camp entrance, his former apprentice looked at him questioningly.

"What's the matter?" Stemfang queried. "Is there something wrong?" His tail tip twitched back and forth and Emberburn shook his broad head.

"Of course not," he rumbled and sent a glance after Mistflight. "Are you two mates yet?" He prompted and Stemfang's eyes widened. Hastily, he added. "It's not a bad thing, but you're very young. Just out of the apprentice's den."

Stemfang's ear twitched. "Of course we aren't mates," he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I know Mistflight likes me, but I don't like her in that way." His ears lowered as his eyes strayed away from Emberburn's.

Emberburn followed his gaze and was shocked when they rested on Berrystream, who was talking with Bumblefall. He likes toms, he thought, head whirling as he looked back to Stemfang. His former apprentice was staring at his paws, shame radiating off his pelt. "Hey," he touched his tail to his shoulder comfortingly. "It's alright. Tell Mistflight you'd be better off as friends."

Stemfang's eyes lit up with relief as he pushed himself to his paws. "Thank you, Emberburn!" He meowed, eyes shining with admiration. "I will!" Spinning around, he bounded out of the camp after Mistflight and Acornpaw.

Emberburn chuckled, his eyes following the tom until his tail disappeared out of sight. His paws tingled as he thought of Lilyrose, and meeting her as soon as the Gathering came next moon. Then, his mind drifted to Swiftsoul and the OakClan patrol that had crossed the border before Emberburn became deputy. His paws suddenly felt rooted to the ground as he remembered the horrible wounds Swiftsoul had gotten during the battle. I hope he's okay, he thought with a shaky sigh.