#bayclan

Blazestar sat to the back of the nursery while the two newest members of the clan acclimated to living. The proud father, Darkheart, sat next to his mate while she finally got a little rest.

The cleric turned. “Everything’s good here. Come get me if there’s any issues!”

With that, she left the nursery

Blazestar smiled. “It’s always great to have new kits in the clan.”

“Oh, so you do just watch every kit be born. I thought you made a special appearance for my kits.”

Blazestar turned to see her son, Swanjaw.

“Well, I didn’t lie to you.”

“I’m hurt. I thought I had some special privilege.” he sighed.

She ducked out of the nursery, beckoning him.

“If I made special exceptions, I wouldn’t be a very good leader.” she explained. “I treat every cat in this clan as equal for that reason.”

“Mom, how did you become a leader?” he asked.

Blazestar stopped, lost in thought.

“That’s a good question.”

—

“What do you want to do after you become a warrior?”

Blazepaw had been hard at work, practicing her hunting crouch, when her two littermates had come up to her. The youngest of them all, Firepaw, had brought the question to them.

“What brought that question to mind?” Blazepaw asked.

“Well, Thistletail wants me to think about that while training. I had no idea, so I wanted to ask you two.”

“It’s easy, isn’t it? Obviously, become deputy!” Redpaw, their last littermate, said.

Blazepaw retorted. “Not if I become deputy first!”

“No way! You’d have to work on your horrible hunting skills first.”

Blazepaw, Firepaw, and Redpaw were as close as a pack of dogs. Ever since they were kits, they’d had each other. Younger and older denmates came and went, but they were always together.

Blazepaw looked a lot different to her brothers— while they were both ginger, she was a mostly white cat with gray splotches. She wasn’t sure what gray had to do with blazes. Blazepaw guessed her parents were in a theming mood.

“Ok, well then… if you became leader, who would your deputy be?” Firepaw asked. “I think I would choose Timbershade.”

A safe pick, she thought. Of course, she wouldn’t go for something so uninspired! This was why Firepaw wouldn’t make a good leader.

“I’d go with Darkpaw.” Redpaw said, his green eyes glittering. “He’s younger than us, but I think he’d make a good deputy. He’s got a good attention to detail.”

“Darkpaw?!” Blazepaw laughed. “He’s scared of his own shadow! He’d be way too soft for deputy.”

“Fine, then who would you pick?”

Blazepaw thought for a while. “I would pick Graypaw. He’s smart, loyal, and good at hunting. That would make him a good deputy.”

Redpaw stuck out his tongue. “I think that’s only because you have a crush on him.”

“I do not!”

Firepaw laughed. “I think we’ve gotten off topic.”

Redpaw laughed too, before stopping.

“What’s wrong, Redpaw?” Blazepaw asked.

“Do you think…” he started, before pausing. Then, he continued. “Do you think we’ll stop being so close in the future?”

His green eyes showed fear, and a bit of sorrow.

Blazepaw was confused. “What prompted this?”

“My mentor… apparently she used to be so close with her sister. But yesterday, I saw Eaglestripe and Blackleaf fighting in the middle of camp.”

Blazepaw nodded. Everyone knew about Eaglestripe and Blackleaf’s strained relationship. She was lucky she didn’t get either of them as mentor— her mentor was Wheatstem, the deputy. Redpaw wasn’t so lucky though. His mentor was Eaglestripe.

“Let’s promise to never become like that.” Firepaw said, putting his paw forward.

Redpaw put his paw on top of Firepaw’s “I promise.”

Blazepaw joined the pile as well.

“I promise.”

—

“Blazefeather! Firestorm! Redclaw!”

Applestar smiled from her perch down at the three new warriors.

“I hope the three of you will do great things.”

With that, she dismissed the new warriors for their vigil.

“Good job, Blazefeather.” Wheatstem smiled, before doubling over.

“Wheatstem, are you ok?!” Blazefeather gasped, trying to help up her mentor.

“Don’t worry, Blazefeather… it’s just my stomach acting up again. You need to stay silent— it’s time for your vigil.”

Blazefeather wanted to protest— he did not look good. But, he was right. It was time for her vigil. So she let him go as he limped off to the cleric den.

“This is the fourth time in four moons.” someone whispered from behind Blazefeather.

“It’s a shame. He’ll probably step down soon.”

“I give him about another twelve moons at most!”

The voices danced around in her head. Wheatstem was probably stepping down soon? That would mean… the spot for deputy was opening up.

As she sat through her vigil, all she could think about was that glimmer of hope. She could become deputy!

—

“Your mentor will be Blazefeather.”

She touched noses with Blossompaw.

It had been a few moons since she became a warrior. Amazingly, both she and her brother had been chosen to take new apprentices.

Everyone knew the importance of this litter. As Applestar’s children, all of the mentors chosen were in the running for deputy. That was the only explanation for how young the two mentors were, Blazefeather rationalized.

Redclaw smiled at his apprentice, Dawnpaw. “You’re doing great, don’t worry.”

That sight filled Blazefeather with a strange feeling. Was it… jealousy? She turned to her own apprentice.

“I promise, you’ll be the greatest apprentice there will ever be!” she proclaimed.

Blossompaw shrunk away. “Oh… um… yeah.”

With that, Redclaw shot her a dirt-eating grin. He’s mocking me! she realized.

She dug her claws into the ground.

—

“Dawnpaw’s a fantastic apprentice. I’m certain she’ll graduate early!” Redclaw boasted to his siblings.

“Really? I haven’t actually met your apprentices. It must be weird training them when they’re so close to our age.” Firestorm mentioned.

“Honestly, I was a bit worried about my experience at first.” Redclaw admitted. “But Dawnpaw has been a great learner.”

Blazefeather grumbled. “Blossompaw is pretty good too…”

“She is. She can outhunt even me.” Redclaw said. “Which is crazy, since I’m still a better hunter than you.” he shot Blazefeather a smug grin.

Blazefeather grit her teeth.

For the past few months, Redclaw had been taunting her. She was certain of it. Always talking about how good Dawnpaw was and how close she was to being a warrior. He was aiming for deputy. She could see it!

“Excuse me.” she got up, and left. She heard a faint “what’s her problem?” from Firestorm before they were behind her.

Applestar was in her usual spot, perched out in the sunlight.

“Oh, hello Blazefeather.” Applestar mewed when she noticed her.

“Applestar… I want to ask. Who do you plan on having replace Wheatstem as deputy?”

Applestar was flabbergasted at her directness.

“I’m… worried about him.” she lied. “He’s my former mentor, after all. He keeps getting sicker and sicker… he needs to retire so that he can get some of the stress away and recover.”

Applestar’s face softened. “Yes… I forget your closeness.” she stood up, beckoning Blazefeather.

“Let’s go on a walk.”

—

“To be truthful… I have been considering you or your brother as deputy.” Applestar admitted.

They had found themselves out in the territory, by the edges of the lake. It was winter, and the water of the smaller pools had started to freeze. The lake itself, however, never froze over. That was except for a small bay near the camp. It would freeze thick enough for games in the deepest parts of winter. However, it was not nearly late enough in the season yet. It had a deceptively thin layer now; Blazefeather knew that with enough pressure, it would give way.

Applestar sighed. “I hope this does not cause friction between you two. I value both of your inputs. I hope… that whichever one of you becomes leader, allows the other to say as your deputy.”

“But why us? Why choose such a young deputy?” Blazefeather feigned interest.

“I am old, Blazefeather.” Applestar replied. “I have very few lives left. It’s time for me to choose a deputy who will take over after me. And I think this clan needs young blood in its leadership.”

Blazefeather nodded. “I promise, I won’t let you down.”

Applestar chuckled. “Ah, I haven’t made my choice yet. Wait a few moons, alright?”

She looked up at the sky. “My joints have been aching. There’ll be a big blizzard soon, I can feel it.”

Blazefeather looked out at the smaller, frozen section of the lake.

“We should head back to camp.” Blazefeather said. “I’ll go warn everyone else.”

—

Redclaw had curled up in his nest. Blazefeather gently rocked him awake.

“Hey, want to go play on the ice?” she said.

He grumbled. “Ah, you’ve stopped being in one of your moods. Sure, let’s go.”

Blazefeather’s heart quickened with every step. But as she went, she felt more and more resolved. She needed to do this.

There they were, before the bay. The ice was dull; the clouds had blocked out the sky, ready to release their snow on the land. She needed to hurry.

“It looks like it’s going to snow.” Redclaw mentioned.

“Ah, it’ll be alright. Nobody said it would snow.” she lied. “Let’s go!”

He eyed the ice suspiciously. “Are you sure it’s alright?”

She nodded, stepping on the ice. “See? It’s fine.”

Redclaw walked out onto the ice. Blazefeather grabbed a rock from the shore.

Together, they went out a bit into the bay. He readied himself. “Alright, put the rock down!”

She pounced on him, pinning his head down. It smacked against the ice, cracking it beneath him. But he was still awake.

Crack

This time, the ice splintered and his body slipped into the bay.

His blood had soaked the ice around them, and coated her paws. She washed both her paws and the ice around her, then threw the rock down into the water after him.

Flurries had begun to fall around her as she stepped onto land. She made sure to roll herself around in the grass until its scent had completely masked her brothers’. Then, she made her way back to camp.

—

The blizzard had truly started by the time she arrived.

“Where’s Redclaw?!” Her mother, Sparksky, ran up to her.

“I don’t know!” Blazefeather lied. “I looked everywhere for him— we were supposed to train together!”

“We have to get back out there!” Sparksky cried.

Blazefeather nodded. “I’ll go with you!”

“Enough!”

Everyone turned to see Applestar on the leader’s rock.

“It’s not safe. We need to hunker down in our dens until the storm has passed. Redclaw is smart— I’m certain he’s found himself somewhere to shelter. I will not lose cats to look for him.”

Sparksky was distraught, but Blazefeather ushered her into the warrior’s den.

—

Moons passed, and Redclaw was never discovered. Blossomtail had become a warrior, along with her sister Dawnclaw. Dawnclaw had chosen her own suffix, in memory of her lost mentor. Everyone had assumed he died of exposure during the blizzard after going out to hunt.

Nobody had ever known Blazefeather’s crime.

And then she was deputy.

Wheatstem had passed away in the elder’s den after retiring. That led Applestar to appoint her in his place.

Applestar passed many moons later. Blazefeather had wondered if she was ever going to go.

None in Starclan knew her crime as she became leader. None knew as she appointed Timbershade as deputy to help her out.

None had known even now, when Redclaw had faded from memory.

She faced her son and knew now that she could reveal everything to him.

“There were many hardships on my path to becoming leader, but… in the end, it was because the leader before me saw the potential for me to become a great leader.”

Swanjaw never needed to know. Nobody did. After all, Redclaw was dead. And he was never coming back.

—

“Nightkit, run!”

Blazestar whirled around to see her attacker. She gasped.

Standing in front of her was an impossible sight.

“Redclaw…?”

“Surprised?” he said, his red eyes glittering. He didn’t have red eyes before. “It’s not Redclaw anymore. I’m Redstar now.”

“What are you doing here?! You would break our promise!?” she choked.

“I’m doing what I have to do.”

“You’re dead. Go back to the Depths where you belong.” she spat.

He chuckled. “Oh, so where you put me? No, I don’t think so. I have so much I want to do now.”

Blazestar’s mind raced. It would be fine. She had nine lives still. She could waste a few.

She lunged at her brother, slicing at his throat. She tore into him with frenzied, wild slashes. He went limp.

She laughed. But he got up again.

“I’m a leader now, remember?” he wiped the blood off his coat. He jumped at her, aiming for her throat.

One life gone.

When she had woken up again, he was still attacking. She went to do the same.

Two lives gone.

Again and again, the two killed each other. Their pelts were unrecognizable with blood.

Eight lives gone.

Redstar had slipped. The liquid made keeping his footing hard. He hadn’t been practicing on ice like she had— probably because he had been dead. She pounced, and killed him one last time.

Blazestar gasped, and that was the last breath she ever took.

Redstar sighed. “What a mess…”

Bergamotfur ran up to him. “Redstar! The black tom and his mate escaped! I managed to kill the kit… but he slipped away.”

Redstar laughed. “Darkpaw? Let him. He’s a kittypet. He won’t apply for the prophecy. As long as the two kits are dead, it’ll be alright.”

“Two kits? There was only one.”

Redstar grit his teeth. “Then find the other one. Now!”

Redstar looked over at the row of bodies, then at his sister.