Epilogue
Two years later
~Wolfstar~
"I caught this for you!"
Wolfstar glanced up to see Flickerpaw bolting towards her across the rolling hills of StarClan. A few warriors the dark grey and silver she-cat didn't know looked up in amusement at the young apprentice's eagerness to deliver her catch. Wolfstar was simply surprised.
"Here-" Flickerpaw was gasping for breath, the stars in her ginger and black pelt shimmering around her. "I-caught it. Thought you'd-like-to-share-it."
Wolfstar blinked several moments before responding. She hadn't seen the former ShoreClan apprentice in a long time. Part of her was confused about why Flickerpaw suddenly wanted to talk to her. Has she decided that I am a monster and deserve the dark forest?
Two years later, and the scars Dewstar's had inflicted on her were still taking their time to heal. Some days were worse than others. While most of StarClan seemed to have welcomed her, there were several cats (Sunpaw among them) who refused to talk to her.
But Flickerpaw's eyes were shining as she dropped her prey, a brown speckled trout, at Wolfstar's paws. She grinned.
"I remembered trout was your favourite!"
"You're a very good hunter," Wolfstar commented on the size of the fish. But she glanced up at Flickerpaw doubtfully. "What did you really come to talk to me about?"
Flickerpaw sat down beside her. For a moment, the apprentice didn't speak, merely stared off into the distance. Then, she gave her shoulders a little shake and turned back to Wolfstar.
"I just wanted to chat," she explained in a mild tone. "You know, since we haven't...in a while."
Wolfstar blinked. "Okay," she meowed, still confused. "What did you want to talk about."
Flickerpaw once again fiddled with her paws, as though she wasn't entirely sure what to say. At last, she meowed, "what was it like for you, to be a warrior and then a leader in ShoreClan? I mean," she added hurriedly, "did you feel like other cats respected you and stuff?"
Wolfstar saw a hint of longing and then guilt flash across Flickerpaw's expression. She wondered what it must have been like for the apprentice, to never fully grow up, while cats who hadn't even been born yet were Senior Warriors, with kits of their own.
Flickerpaw took a bite of trout, waiting for Wolfstar to respond.
"It was...complicated," Wolfstar admitted, instinctively unsheathing her claws and digging them into the earth. "Cats feared me, and in some ways that can be seen as respect, but they never liked me. Not until the end, anyway."
Flickerpaw gagged on her trout.
"You think you deserve the friendship of other cats?" A taunting voice broke through Wolfstar's thoughts. Suddenly, she was in ShoreClan, a little cave off the coast of ShoreClan.
A cream she-cat sat beside her, eyes brimming with cold amusement as Wolfstar stared blankly out to sea. Very slowly, she brought her paws into the stream to her left, allowing the blood which coated her paws to run away.
"They think I killed him!" Wolfwhisper meowed coldly, not looking up even as Dewocean brushed her fluffy cream tail along her back. "And you're encouraging it. Our friendship is over."
"You are a monster, you know," Dewocean laughed. "You don't even know where the blood on your paws came from, do you? What will ShoreClan think when they realise poor little baby Flickerpaw is missing?"
Wolfwhisper's throat closed over. "No," she meowed thickly. "I-I couldn't have..."
Dewstar just laughed.
"Wolfstar?"
Wolfstar gave a little jump of surprise. She wheeled around, half-expecting to see the cream warrior of her nightmares, but instead, it was a black and ginger she-cat. Flickerpaw.
The StarClan apprentice was on her paws, and her eyes had a vaguely guilty expression, almost as though she had been caught eavesdropping on a private conversation. Wolfstar flicked her tail, and at the same time, Flickerpaw murmured softly.
"She's gone, you know."
"Who?" Wolfstar's throat seemed to close over.
Flickerpaw gazed at her ruefully. "Dewtrash," she meowed gently, as though Wolfstar were a kit. "She's gone. We can move on now, right?"
Wolfstar exhaled slowly, staring off at the field which stretched into the distance. Starry warriors were lazing about, running like the wind, and chatting contentedly. The whole clearing was full of light and bright, cheery colours of green and gold.
"It's complicated," she responded at last. "And there's a lot she did and said that I've been holding in, never telling others. After all, who cares, right?"
Flickerpaw nudged the trout closer. "I've got time," she offered. "If you want to chat."
Wolfstar stared up into the wide amber eyes of the ginger and black she-cat. Then, she took a bite of the trout. The warm, succulent, fishy flavour washed over her scent glands, and she let out a gentle purr.
"Thanks for the offer." She paused to swallow, glancing up at Flickerpaw, a sudden idea flashing into her mind.
"You are a warrior, you know that?"
Now it was Flickerpaw's turn to look bewildered. "I'm an apprentice," she meowed, a tinge of bitterness in her voice.
"But you're certainly ready to be a warrior, and well...StarClan did make me a leader..." Wolfstar meowed, feeling suddenly uncertain. What right do I have to offer this? "If you don't want to, I totally get it," she hurried on, worried that she'd upset the cat she was trying to befriend. "It's not really my place-"
"You'd really do it, Wolfstar? For me?" Flickerpaw's eyes were round with hope.
Wolfstar got to her paws, and realised that Flickerpaw had done the same. It was one thing for the StarClan cat to reach out to her, but it was another thing entirely to accept something so...special...from the cat she could easily have blamed for her premature death.
But Flickerpaw was racing forward. Their noses collided before Wolfstar even had the chance to say a word. The feeling of contact with another cat sent a shiver of warmth down Wolfstar's spine.
If Flickerpaw could move on, even after everything, then, perhaps she could too. Perhaps it was time, not to start again, but to move forward, and let the hurt go.
"Flickerpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Flickershine. StarClan honours your resilience and kindness, and- I have the privilege of- making you a full warrior."
"Flickershine," the ginger and black she-cat repeated. "I'm Flickershine."
Thank you Ferretfang, Wolfstar thought of her daughter as Flickershine purred happily. You showed me how to live again, even after She brought me to depths I didn't even know existed.
I'm finally ready to move on.
~Shadestar~
Shadestar inhaled deeply, relishing the ocean breeze and the salty tang on the air. In front of him, the ocean stretched far off into the horizon. He dug his claws into the warm sand, and turned to his new deputy.
"Can you believe how long it's been since- everything?"
"Not really," Ferretfang admitted, giving him a confused glance.
The dying sunlight shone down on the dark grey and silver she-cat's face. Her scars were always more visible in the shadows, pale pink flesh instead of fur. Ferretfang twitched her tattered ears, narrowing her ice-blue eyes at Shadestar.
He looked away quickly.
"I still can't believe that Ripplebreeze is a mother now, to little Wolfkit and Bubblekit," Shadestar commented, glancing once more into the horizon. "And Puddle and Bubble adopting a litter too. It feels like not that long ago we were just a bunch of scrappy, young cats fighting against the world. Now with Ketchupshine and the rest of that generation being our age at that time..."
A faint smile flickered at the corners of Ferretfang's mouth. "Being reminiscent and feeling old, are we?"
"No," Shadestar muttered under his sharp-tongued deputy's bemused gaze. He sighed. "Okay, maybe just a little bit."
The battle that had forever changed their lives had occurred on a brisk, slightly overcast day similar to this one. We lost so many cats, Shadestar thought ruefully.
He'd told every cat that they should try their best to move on, and tried to take his own advice, but on some days it was hard. He'd been spending so much time over the past couple of years with his head down, working. Being productive had lessened the pain, making him feel as though he was genuinely helping ShoreClan recover.
Ferretfang had always been there for him. Perhaps only she knew of the horrors that plagued him in the dark of night, from when he slept in the leader's den, which had been inhabited by so many legends and...terrors. It had naturally made sense that she would become deputy after Stormwing retired.
"Honeyshade, Bushfern and I were wondering if you wanted to share freshkill with us," Ferretfang was getting to her paws. "If you want to rest, though, I get it."
She blinked at him in concern. Shadestar busied himself with grooming his shoulder fur to avoid meeting her stare. He ran his tongue along his coarse black pelt several times before responding.
"Sure. I'll be there in a bit, okay?"
He glanced up at Ferretfang just as she was rolling her eyes.
"What?"
"You're the leader," she purred. "Even after all these moons, you still phrase so many responses to me in questions! I don't care if you don't want to join my dining party! You can just say no. Besides, you're leader, Shadestar; doesn't that make your word law?"
My word is the warrior code...A sudden memory split through Shadestar's mind.
"My word is what you follow, foxdunged apprentice," a sharp blow to his head from a cream tabby succeeded her growl. "And don't you forget it, Shadepaw."
Shadepaw cowered below Dewocean, a faint trickle of blood running down his face. In the distance, Goldspike watched her kit being trained with slitted eyes. Shadepaw stumbled to his paws as Dewocean sauntered away, guilt washing over him. I'll try harder, he had promised himself desperately that day. Her word is what I will follow until the day I die-
"Shade?" Ferretfang looked suddenly concerned. "Are you feeling alright? D'you want to go to Silvershine?"
Shadestar got to his paws, shaking the memory away. He glanced up at Ferretpaw with a small smile. "I'm fine," he replied. "Just...thinking."
"If you're sure..." Ferretfang watched him sceptically for several moments.
Shadestar tilted his head upwards at the stars beginning to appear as the sun fell below the horizon. Then, he shook his head, dismissing his thoughts. She's gone, he thought bracingly. She's gone and she's never coming back. Her lies are over.
I'm ShoreClan leader now, Shadestar surveyed his clan.
Ripplebreeze's kits were playing mossball just outside of the nursery den, Ripplebreeze watching her two sons fondly from the entrance. Frogstream was laughing heartily with Streamfeather, while Minnowfern talked animatedly to Silvershine with broad gestures. Puddle and Bubble were nuzzling their vivacious three kits (who were two moons old now), while Ketchupshine drowsily washed his pelt.
And in the centre of the clearing, Bushshine, Honeyshade and Littleshark were sharing a massive fish. They all glanced up as Ferretfang began to pad towards them.
She glanced over her shoulder once more. "You coming?"
Shadestar had one forepaw raised. He grinned at her. "Of course."
Then the black tom raced to his friends.
~Ferretfang~
I raced across the sand, Littleshark and Ripplebreeze at my heels. The salty tang of the ocean bathed my mouth as I gasped for air. The dying light of the sunset gave the sky a bright rose-gold colour.
I narrowed my eyes on my quarry. A little brown tail bobbed up and down in nearby shrubbery. I flicked my tail to Ripplebreeze and Littleshark to spread out, just in case our targets chose to escape.
Instantly, Ripplebreeze launched herself into the sea, transforming into the semi-aquatic creature I had come to know and love these past couple years. Littleshark turned towards the shrubbery, giving me a broad grin.
The wind whipped my face as I bunched my muscles, and sprang forward in a massive leap. My paws slammed down a whisker length from the two cats, who looked up in sudden alarm. I grinned at them.
"Bubblekit and Wolfkit! What were the two of you thinking, leaving camp like that?"
The two toms whirled around. Wolfkit glanced over his shoulder, as though thinking to escape, while Bubblekit bared his fangs. Littleshark and Ripplebreeze had closed in from opposite sides. My littermate looked at the kits in exasperation.
"Honestly! And right before your apprentice ceremony, too!"
A tremor rippled across Wolfkit's back. Bubblekit pressed against his smaller, smoky coloured littermate defiantly. "We weren't doing any harm!"
Littleshark glanced over me at Ripplebreeze. "They're basically six moons now. Surely you remember how you were at that age?" Littleshark smirked slightly. "The singing sensation if I recall you telling me?"
"What?!" Bubblekit, ever eager and enthusiastic, leaped to his paws, gazing up at Ripplebreeze. "I remember dad mentioned something like that before the green cough took him."
Wolfkit buried his muzzle in his paws. The scraggly kit had always been sensitive, even more so after Lichensong's death. He had never grown like Bubblekit had, instead he seemed on par to be even shorter than Littleshark.
"Why don't you two go tell Shadestar that they're coming soon?" I offered to Ripplebreeze and Littleshark. "I'll take them back with me."
Ripplebreeze nodded slowly. She padded up to both her kits, giving them a cuff over the ear, proceeded immediately by an affectionate muzzle on the head. At last, she glanced up at me. I gazed into her imploring blue eyes. Talk to them about it, it was almost as though she said it.
I glanced up at the no-moon sky overhead, then at the gently rolling sea beside me. I exhaled slowly. The times when I had become an apprentice, and later received my power had been- jarring- to say the least. I didn't want Bubblekit or Wolfkit to have to deal with what I had.
Will they get those dreams? I wondered uneasily. The ones Shadestar and Flow and I have all have had. When we run through the dark forest, a cat calling out to us? They are His kin, after all...
"Why don't you step out of the bushes?" I prompted, perhaps a little bit more harshly than I had intended, because Bubblekit blinked in sudden alarm.
I'll admit I have never been good with younger cats. I just don't know the fine line between calling them pet names and talking to them about the violence of battle.
Bubblekit padded out confidently, but Wolfkit paused for several heartbeats before following, blue eyes flashing with unease. Eventually, he got to his small paws, and padded out.
"You came to talk to us about the powers."
I blinked in surprise at the note of resignation in Wolfkit's voice. Bubblekit pressed against his brother, glaring at me, as though daring me to tell them I was wrong.
"I came because I'm the deputy, and kits aren't allowed out of camp," I responded lightly. "But, yes. We can talk about powers. I presume that's what's worrying you, Wolfkit?"
Wolfkit hesitated, turning his gaze towards the vast open sea, before nodding.
"Goldspike said that I'm gonna become a beast," Bubblekit meowed, the first trace of unease in his voice. "She said Wolfkit's gonna go evil and kill cats and stuff. She said it's in his blood."
Of course Goldspike would say that. It was a wonder to me that Shadestar even let his hypocritical mother still live in the clan, but I supposed that showed how good-hearted a cat he was. Literally every warrior in camp loathed the she-cat.
"Many of us have interesting powers," I said cautiously as Wolfkit stared up at me. "But that doesn't make us monsters or evil. We choose our own paths."
"Goldspike said I'm named after a very bad cat," Wolfkit muttered.
"You're not!" I hissed, drawing back my lips in the beginning of a snarl. "Wolfstar was one of the strongest warriors I ever knew. She was one of the influential members of the legendary Sea Wolves. She fought and died so that you would like in a world where cats favour peace over violence. She was your mother's mother. And she was a hero."
Wolfkit seemed to like the sound of that. He cocked his smoky head to one side, while Bubblekit grinned at him. I got to my paws in preparation to depart.
"Will the clan accept me once I get my powers?" Wolfkit asked in a very small voice. "I'm scared...I'm scared I'll turn out like the shadow cat from the stories..."
"There's no reason to think that way!" Bubblekit announced, scampering up to his brother. "We're gonna be the best ShoreClan apprentices ever! Come on!"
Wolfkit glanced up happily as his brother ran circles around him before Bubblekit turned to race away. Wolfkit immediately scampered off after him. I rolled my eyes at the stars.
"Hey, wait!" I exclaimed as the kits kept running further away. "You need to slow down! I'm deputy, you need to respect me! Kits!"
Bubblekit and Wolfkit eventually slowed down, and together, the three of us entered ShoreClan camp.
Shadestar had arranged special floral decorations in honour of the special day. Bright purple and blue flowers glowed in the starlight, woven throughout the dens, and nestled in among shells. Puddle and Bubble grinned up at me from where their three kits tussled. Minnowfern, Dijonshine and Stonedapple poked their heads out of the warrior's den. And in the centre of the clearing, Shadestar turned to look at me from beside Ripplebreeze and Littleshark.
The happiness in his expression was reflected on my own as I followed the kits towards the clan meeting. Warriors turned their heads to nod at me as I passed. Never had I ever expected to be so accepted, so loved. I felt at home, in this sandy clearing, with the waves of the sea flowing in and out nearby, and friends all around me.
I was not a beast like Dewstar had tried to make me believe.
I was Ferretfang, deputy of ShoreClan.
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End