Petalheart's Tragedy

I wrote this for Spottedspirit's fanfic contest, but it basically turned into a novella.

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The she-cat stretched, delicately flexing her claws into the damp earth, and opened her jaws into a massive yawn. She flicked a speck of moss off of her shoulder with one claw, giving a small nod of satisfaction.

A small brown tabby suddenly barreled into the den, her sides heaving. She stopped and scowled as she saw the other cat, rolling her eyes. “You were in here the whole time?” She hissed, annoyed.

“I was getting ready.” The black she-cat sniffed.

“Right,” The brown tabby muttered. "You know, I think you're the only apprentice ever to take her sweet time getting ready before her warrior ceremony.”

“Wait, that's today?” The black she-cat exclaimed.

“Great StarClan—“

“Kidding!” The apprentice chuckled.

The other she-cat scowled, her tail twitching irritably. “Are you coming or not?”

“I think you're the only apprentice ever to be so nervous about her sister missing her naming ceremony when you're not even going to be named.”

“I just…” The brown tabby paused. “I want it to be perfect.”

The black she-cat purred, pressing herself up against her sister. "It will be." She whispered. "Everything is going exactly as we planned from the very beginning of our apprenticeships. I’ll become a warrior.”

“I’ll become a medicine cat.” The other she-cat purred. “Earning my name just a couple of moons after you earn yours.”

“I find a mate!” The black she-cat exclaimed. “Maybe even have a couple of kits.”

The brown tabby’s tail curled over her back. “Applespots retires to the elder’s den, and I become the only medicine cat.”

“My kits grow up,” the black cat continued. “And I go back to being a warrior, taking an apprentice along the way.”

“I find my own apprentice, and begin to train them to become a medicine cat.” The brown tabby meowed.

“Hickorystar makes me his deputy!” The black she-cat squealed, unable to contain her excitement. “And later I become leader.”

The other she-cat's eyes lit up with excitement. “Your mate or one of your kits will be named your deputy, and…” She sighed. “Everything will be perfect.”

“Exactly.” The black she-cat affirmed with a stern nod. Then she began bouncing on her toes, unable to contain her happiness. “Twigpaw, I have something to tell you.”

The brown tabby whipped her head around, her doe-like amber eyes widening. "What is it?”

“Last night—”

“Yes…” Twigpaw interrupted slowly.

The black she-cat shot her sister a glare, but continued. “After patrol—”

“ Yes …”

The she-cat whipped her head around. “Shut up, will you?” She hissed. Then her tone lightened. “Anyway, last night, after patrol, Brackenblaze took me aside.” She paused, waiting for Twigpaw to interrupt, but the brown she-cat only listened with wide eyes. “He told me that... that we would be great together. And he asked me to be his mate!” The she-cat finished excitedly.

Twigpaw gasped. “Petalpaw, that’s amazing !” She suddenly let out a squeal, curling her tail around Petalpaw’s.

The black she-cat’s heart filled up with love for her sister. Finally, after moons of training, waiting, and planning, everything was finally starting to work out the way they had imagined!

Suddenly a yowl from outside of the den broke into her thoughts. “Let all cats old enough to hunt in the snow join beneath the Flatstone for a Clan meeting!”

Petalpaw flattened her black fur, calming her rapid thoughts. Twigpaw looked as if she was doing the same, her amber eyes starting to lose their wild shine. The two sisters looked at each other for a few heartbeats, and Petalpaw gave Twigpaw a small nod. They both padded into the clearing side by side.

The large silhouette of a cat sat on a stone, the flat, gray mass sitting dead center in the clearing. Petalpaw’s heartbeat quickened as she took in her leader's proud gaze boring into her fur, and her paws seemed to move subconsciously, carrying her closer and closer to her future.

Cats were beginning to stream out of their dens, surrounding the Flatstone and making a small circle around Petalpaw, all staring at her with excitement in their gazes. She let out a deep breath, suddenly feeling a pang of sadness in her heart. She wished that her mother and father could be their to watch her become a warrior. The only family she had was Twigpaw. Petalpaw puffed out her chest. If Twigpaw was all she had, then she would do her best to make her sister proud.

“I, Hickorystar, leader of IceClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” Hickorystar began, while Petalpaw’s fur began to quiver with anticipation. "She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.”

It’s finally happening… Petalpaw thought. Her heart felt as if it was about to burst.

Hickorystar continued. “Petalpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do.” Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was filled with determination.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Petalpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Petalheart. StarClan honors your determination and spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of IceClan.”

Suddenly, Petalheart was surrounded by meows of congratulations, the pelts of every cat in IceClan pressing up against her. She bathed in the praise, her head held high. She felt a rough lick on her cheek, and turned her head to see Twigpaw staring at her pridefully. “Petalheart,” Twigpaw breathed. "That's a nice name.”

She nodded confidently. “I'm sure your medicine cat name will be just as nice.”

Twigpaw ducked her head. Before she could respond, however, Petalheart was interrupted by a rumble from behind her.

“Congratulations.”

Petalheart whipped around, but let out a purr when she saw the muscular form of Brackenblaze standing behind her. She tentatively pressed her nose to his, the unfamiliar gesture making her slightly uncomfortable. Brackenblaze purred, obviously pleased at the show of affection.

A cough interrupted Petalheart and her new mate’s exchange. The newly made warrior turned, slightly annoyed, and was surprised to find the IceClan deputy, Dewfrost, standing beside her, the gray she-cat's stance rigid. Dewfrost had rarely acknowledged Petalheart's existence. Maybe the deputy had finally realized Petalheart's potential.

Instead, all the she-cat said was, “Don’t forget that you have your silent vigil tonight.” The deputy walked off, and Petalheart’s pelt spiked angrily. She would prove herself to be a valuable warrior, and her plan would make sure of it.

*****

It had been two moons since Petalheart’s warrior ceremony, and she was lying in the training hollow, sharing tongues with Brackenblaze. A small dark gray cat was tumbling around in the clearing. It looked like he was chasing his tail, but he was, in fact, trying to practice the rather complicated battle move that Brackenblaze had taught him.

“Is this right?” The small tom asked, looking confused. He leapt into the air, attempting to twist mid-jump, but ended up crashing onto the ground in a tangle of limbs.

Brackenblaze, barely paying attention, just mumbled an incoherent, “Good.”

Petalheart rolled her eyes and pushed herself to her paws. Brackenblaze moaned in protest, but Petalheart just sniffed, giving him a quick lick on the ear. “Hickorystar should’ve thought twice before making you a mentor,” she chuckled. “You're lazier than an old badger!”

Without waiting for a reply, she trotted to the middle of the clearing, crouching beside the dark gray tom. “Here, Shadowpaw.” She meowed, gesturing with her tail for him to watch her. "Do it like this.” She bunched her muscles, leaping and twisting with perfect efficiency. “Got it?”

Shadowpaw copied her move, this time, at least, not falling in the middle of it. “Good.” Petalheart meowed. “But try to use your tail for balance.” The apprentice attempted the move a third time, finally doing it correctly. “Great job!” Petalheart exclaimed. “Now keep practicing that.”

Before Petalheart turned to go back to her mate, Shadowpaw whispered, “I wish you were my mentor instead of that lump of fur.”

She chuckled. She knew she should have scolded the apprentice for insulting his mentor, but she slightly agreed with Shadowpaw. “See you around,” She meowed, trotting back to Brackenblaze.

The brown warrior looked at her pridefully. “You’re good with young cats,” He meowed. “You would make a great mother.”

Petalheart giggled, not disagreeing. “I’m gonna go hunt. You train that apprentice of yours.”

Strolling through the trees, she noticed that the leaves were starting to grow back from the past leaf-bare, the sweet scent of flowers overwhelming her senses. She caught one mouse, but decided that it wouldn’t hurt to rest for a little while. Stopping in a clearing, sunlight streaming clearly through branches of the trees, she stopped and rested. She didn’t mean to fall asleep, but once her eyes drifted closed, she started to feel herself slipping away.

When her eyes finally fluttered open, the sunlight didn’t immediately make her shut them again. Everything was dark. Is it nightfall already? She groaned. I am in so much trouble.

Her vision finally focused, and she let out a yelp when she saw that the face of a cat was blocking the sunlight. She scrambled up, letting out a hiss. This cat didn't carry the scent of any Clan. She wrinkled her nose when she saw the collar clasped around his throat. He was a kittypet.

“Get out of our territory!” She hissed.

The tom looked around, not impressed. “Last time I checked, your border was over there,” he meowed, gesturing with his tail in the opposite direction.

Petalheart's pelt burned with embarrassment. I must have crossed the border by mistake. “ Well… ” She meowed. “How would you even know? You’re a kittypet.”

“Because your ‘Clan’s’ stench starts over there, and just because I’m a kittypet, it doesn’t mean that my nose doesn’t work.” He meowed plainly. “And before you ask, I know about the Clans because of what other cats say about you.”

She didn’t answer, just letting her gaze rake over the tom menacingly. He looked strange — like no cat she had ever seen. His pelt was tan, but he had strangely shaped spots all over his fur, with stripes on his legs and face. But he didn’t look scared of her. She let her claws slide out.

“If you want to start a fight,” The tom meowed. “Get on with it.”

Startled, she sheathed her claws. “What's your name?” She asked instead. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be talking to kittypets, but curiosity overtook her. Besides, it wouldn’t do any harm.

Looking at her strangely, as if he thought she was tricking him, he meowed, “Hunter.”

She snorted. Kittypets were a lot of things, but they definetly weren’t hunters. Still, lean muscles showed beneath his sleek pelt, so Petalheart could sense that he was a good fighter, for a kittypet, at least. “You look like a leopard.” She meowed, realizing she had said that out loud. Her whiskers twitched embarrassingly, but Hunter didn’t seem to mind her comment.

His eyes twinkled jokingly. “Yeah, but I like to think that I’m as fast as a cheetah.”

“A… cheetah?” She asked, confused. She had never heard of a cheetah before.

“Oh, come on.” Hunter meowed. “You’ve heard of leopards, but not cheetahs?”

She shrugged, and Hunter sighed. “Cheetahs are like leopards, but smaller, more agile, and way faster.”

Her pelt ruffled with amusement, but then she smoothed it down. “I have a mate, you know.” She blurted out.

Hunter narrowed his eyes. “… Okay?”

She gave a stiff nod. She couldn’t have this cat getting the wrong idea. “Well, bye, Hunter.” She finally meowed, heading back to her border.

The tom waved with his tail, shrugging. Once she was back on IceClan territory, she looked back to see if Hunter had watched her go, but the still-quivering ferns told her that the tom was already gone. She felt a strange twinge of disappointment. She shook out her pelt, pushing thoughts of Hunter from her mind.

She suddenly remembered that Twigpaw would be back from the Mooncrystal by now. Her sister had left for the half-moon meeting of medicine cats the previous day, and Petalheart had promised that she would be waiting for her when she got back. The black she-cat started racing for camp, hoping Twigpaw wasn’t back yet.

Her legs started burning, and the greens of the forest blurred around her. When she finally got back to camp, it was almost nightfall. Petalheart wheezed, about to fall over. She noticed Twigpaw standing in the middle of the camp, surrounded by other warriors. She looked joyful when her gaze found Petalheart’s.

Petalheart trotted up to her sister, ears pricked. “What’s going on, Twigpaw?” She asked. “Did you get a good sign from StarClan or something?”

Her sister chuckled. “It’s Twigleaf now.”

Petalheart gasped, purring. “You’re finally a full medicine cat!”

“Well, I’m still Applespots’s apprentice. But I do have my medicine cat name.” Twigleaf meowed.

Sootpaw and Morningpaw scampered up to Twigleaf, their eyes wide with awe. The brother and sister were the two oldest apprentices, and would be having their warrior ceremonies in less than a moon. Still, they quivered with a kit-like wonder.

“What did you see at the Mooncrystal?” Sootpaw meowed.

Twigleaf's eyes glittered like stars. “Well, I'm not supposed to say, but—”

A growl interrupted the new medicine cat. A large dark ginger tom lumbered up to Twigleaf, his eyes glowing menacingly. His fur was mangled and ragged, hanging off of his bony form in clumps. But Applespots was the most respected cat in the Clan, aside from Hickorystar. Even though he gave the kits nightmares, everyone had to listen to him.

“What was that?” He rumbled. His green eyes glowed with anger.

But Twigleaf didn’t seem ruffled. “I was just telling the apprentices that if they became leader one day, they could see for themselves.”

The medicine couldn't find fault with that, so he lumbered away into the darkness of the den with a last growl directed at them.

“You weren't gonna tell them that, were you?” Petalheart whispered into her sister's ear.

The brown tabby’s whiskers twitched with amusement. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Morningpaw bounced on her toes. “Hey, Petalheart, can you take us on a hunting patrol? We’ve been in camp all day.”

“What about your mentors?” The black warrior asked.

“Leafslide and Daisystep have been in Hickorystar’s den. They said something about assisting with planning or… something.” Sootpaw meowed absently.

Petalheart was curious about what Hickorystar was planning, but she knew it wasn’t her place to ask, considering she had only been made a warrior two moons ago.

“Okay,” meowed Petalheart. “We can go on a patrol. I’ll tell Dewfrost, and you can fetch Redpelt and Rabbitsong to come with us.”

The black warrior watched the apprentices scampering off into the warrior’s den. She gave Twigleaf a quick lick on the ear, still immensely proud of her sister, and trotted over to Hickorystar’s den. She assumed that was where Dewfrost was, considering her scent, along with the scents of a few of the senior warriors, drifted from the cave. She didn’t want to interrupt, so she sat outside. She couldn’t make out the muffled words from inside the cave, but it sounded like there was an argument.

Soon, a light gray she-cat slid out of the cave, the light of victory glittering in her deep blue eyes. She was about to slip off to the fresh-kill pile, but Petalheart interrupted.

“Um, Dewfrost.” She called. The IceClan deputy whipped her head around, annoyed. Petalheart continued. “I was going to take a hunting patrol. That’s okay, right?” She didn’t exactly know how she was supposed to ask, or if she was even supposed to ask, considering she had never led a patrol before.

Dewfrost just twitched an ear. “Sure.” She meowed curtly. “Just don’t get into any trouble.”

Petalheart was about to ask what that meant, but the deputy had slipped away before she got the chance. The black she-cat’s fur ruffled irritably. What was that supposed to mean? Does Dewfrost really think I’ll get into trouble?

Before she could think on it further, Sootpaw called up to her. “Come on!” The dark gray tom meowed. “We're all waiting for you!”

She smoothed out her fur. Whatever Hickorystar was planning, or what Dewfrost meant, she couldn’t do anything about it. “Coming!” She called, slipping off to join the patrol.

******

The camp was swathed in shadow when the patrol got back, the moon already hanging in the sky. Petalheart staggered up to the fresh-kill pile and dropped her rabbit onto the dwindling mound. She was exhausted, and the rest of the patrol didn't seem much better. Sootpaw and Morningpaw quickly deposited their prey before running off to the apprentice’s den and into the comfort of their nests.

Redpelt slipped to her side. "You did well,” The senior warrior meowed. “I could tell you were nervous about leading the patrol, so I thought I should tell you that.”

The black warrior dipped her head gratefully. “Thank you, Redpelt.”

Redpelt had been her mentor, and a good one, at that. She had missed his constant support. She followed the dark ginger tom into the warrior’s den and gratefully sank into her soft nest. Even though she had taken a nap just earlier that day, it felt as if she hadn't slept in moons. As soon as she closed her eyes, ready to drift into the comfort of sleep, a loud screech sliced through her senses.

Now filled with adrenaline, she leapt to her paws. The warriors around her were beginning to wake up, some grumbling and others hissing in preparation for battle. She thundered into the clearing, Brackenblaze at her side. Sunflame and Vixenfang, two of the queens, stopped them in their tracks.

“Sheathe your claws!” Vixenfang hissed. “It’s only Nightsky; she’s begun her kitting.”

A startled gasp rung out from behind Petalheart. A brown tom pushed his way through the warriors. “But… it’s too early!” Spluttered Leafslide. She remembered that Leafslide was Nightsky’s mate, and the father of the kits.

Sunflame nodded somberly. "She isn’t due for another moon.” She murmured.

Petalheart hung her head, but then raised it again, her green eyes blazing with defiance. "Don't worry,” She meowed. "Twigleaf and Applespots are great medicine cats. Nightsky and the kits will be fine.”

Still, her stomach churned with apprehension. Applespots was old, and Twigleaf had just become a medicine cat. But Oakbranch, Nightsky’s brother, seemed reassured by the younger warrior’s words. He nodded and slipped off to the medicine den in search of the healers.

Vixenfang rolled her eyes. “Which means that you all can go back to sleep.” She snarled.

Most of the warriors heeded the aggressive queen’s words, but Petalheart stayed, knowing that her sister would need her support. She had a feeling that Nightsky’s kitting would not be an easy one. Vixenfang gave her a glare, but sat down heavily. The ginger she-cat twitched a black ear. “We don’t need any more kits in the nursery.” Vixenfang finally growled. “But I do hope that Nightsky’s kitting goes well. Her mother died while kitting. I hope it doesn’t run in the family.”

At that moment, Twigleaf and Applespots pounded out of their den, bundles of herbs held in both of their jaws. Applespots shuffled into the nursery without a word, while Twigleaf stopped beside Petalheart, her whiskers twitching nervously.

“I’m staying outside the nursery while you work,” mewed Petalheart. “I’ll be praying to StarClan for Nightsky and you.”

Twigleaf nodded gratefully, finally slipping into the nursery, where Nightsky’s shrieks cut through the night. Petalheart flattened her ears, but it did nothing to dull the noise. She laid her head on her paws, praying to StarClan a thousand times over that Nightsky would be okay.

The kitting lasted all through the night, while Nightsky's yowling grew weaker and weaker. At last, when the screeching descended into a low moaning, and the sun was beginning to rise, Petalheart sorrowfully lifted her eyes to Sunflame’s.

“She’s not going to make it, is she?” Petalheart whispered.

Sunflame silently shook her head, her blue eyes filled with pain.

The ferns outside of the nursery quivered and Applespots shuffled out. He started heading towards his den, but Vixenfang stopped him with a small hiss. The red queen cocked her head. “Well?" She asked.

The old, dark ginger tom shook his head sadly, looking older and more frail than Petalheart had ever seen. “One kit survived.” Before he could explain further, he had disappeared into the cave that was the medicine den.

Vixenfang and Sunflame shuffled into the nursery, Petalheart following close behind. She probably wasn’t allowed to be in there, but she needed to comfort Twigleaf. She found her sister hunched over the lifeless body of Nightsky, the brown tabby shaking her head sadly. Petalheart pressed herself up against Twigleaf, and whispered, “It's not your fault.”

Nightsky was curled up around three tiny kits, but she was unmoving, and her eyes were closed. Her black fur was ruffled and coated in blood, and her kits didn’t look much better. Two small black toms, both the perfect image of their mother, were completely still. At first, Petalheart thought that the tiny yellow tabby she-kit had died too, but then the kitten began mewling in hunger, for milk. Something her mother could now never give.

“Does Leafslide know?” Meadowpetal, another one of the queens, asked.

Petalheart raised her head. “I’ll… I’ll tell him.” “No.” Twigleaf interrupted softly. “It should be me. It's my fault she's gone.”

“It’s not your—“

“Yes it is, Petalheart.” The brown tabby hissed, before padding out of the den.

Sunflame gave the warrior a sympathetic glance. “She’ll stop blaming herself, eventually.”

Poolflower, a pretty silver queen, licked at the squirming bundle at Nightsky’s belly. “This little one needs milk.” She murmured. “I’ll provide it. Juniperkit might like a littermate.” She meowed with a glance at the tiny white kit at her belly, Juniperkit’s eyes not yet open.

She guided the tiny yellow tabby to her belly, where the kit immediately began suckling. At that moment, Twigleaf walked back into the den, her eyes filed with pain. “He… He told me to get out of his sight.”

“He’s just grieving.” Vixenfang meowed.

Twigleaf shook her head. “I asked him if he wanted to see his surviving kit, and he said no. He said he wished that she had died, too.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a yowling from the camp. Petalheart and her sister trotted out to find most of the Clan gathered around the Flatstone, Hickorystar sitting atop of it.

“IceClan,” Hickorystar began, “You may have already heard by now that Nightsky has not survived her kitting.” He paused, but everyone stayed silent. “One of her kits survived—”

“Beekit.” A voice meowed from the back of the crowd. A few cats parted to reveal Leafslide standing somberly behind everyone else. “Her name will be Beekit.”

Hickorystar nodded respectfully to Leafslide before continuing. “But even with this tragedy, our plans for this morning will not be postponed.” “Plans?” Oakbranch growled. “What plans?”

Dewfrost shot him a glare. Clearly, she had no sympathy for the tom that had just lost his sister. “I’ve organized a plan. We’re going to attack TreeClan.”

A collective gasp rang out from among the cats, mingled in with outbursts of anger and excitement. One of them rang out clear above every other cat.

“Why?” Aspenfall asked, her eyes burning with defiance. “We have no need to attack another Clan.”

“We could show them how strong IceClan is!” Firestrike hissed.

Lilylight, a young tortoiseshell warrior, meowed, “But at what cost?”

The clearing rang out in accusations, cats yowling at each other in anger and fear. Dewfrost interrupted. "This isn't up for debate.” She growled. “We've already sorted everything out. Now who’s coming?”

Aspenfall and Lilylight turned their tails on the group immediately and trotted back into the warriors den. Brackenblaze was the first to volunteer himself. “I’ll go!” He meowed. He was soon followed by others, but Petalheart wasn’t paying attention, because she was padding up to her mate. “You’re so brave.” She purred.

His amber eyes twinkled. “I know.”

Petalheart trotted up to Dewfrost to ask if she could fight too, but as soon as the deputy saw her, she snorted. “You can’t come,” Dewfrost meowed before Petalheart could even ask. “You’re practically swaying on your paws! You’ve been up all night.”

It suddenly occurred to her how tired she was, so she nodded to Dewfrost sullenly. This could have been her first battle as a warrior! But it was probably better if she didn’t go; she would be a liability.

The raiding group consisted of Hickorystar, Dewfrost, Brackenblaze, Firestrike, Daisystep, Leafslide, Morningpaw, Sootpaw, Marshpad, Nettlethorn, and Rabbitsong. It seemed like it wasn’t enough cats to be raiding the whole of TreeClan, but it was probably better for stealth if they took fewer cats.

Before Petalheart could say “mouse”, Dewfrost and Hickorystar had rounded up all of the volunteers, and they thundered out of camp. Twigleaf appeared at Petalheart's side. “Didn’t they want to stay a little longer, I don't know, to go over their plan?” She chuckled. “They must have  a lot of confidence.” “They’ll probably go over it on their way there.” Petalheart meowed distractedly. She had noticed that Leafslide had been one of the warriors to leave camp with the fighters. Wouldn’t he want time to grieve for Nightsky? Oakbranch, however, had disappeared into the nursery almost as soon as Dewfrost had asked for volunteers. Petalheart had the feeling that Oakbranch would act more as a father to Beekit than Leafslide would.

She was glad that Twigleaf was acting like her old self, though. Twigleaf was distracted for the time being so she couldn't think about Nightsky. But all Petalheart could think about was the attack. A fight that she would miss.

*****

Her ears were pounding. She staggered, not sure she had heard correctly. It couldn’t be true. Not Brackenblaze. Not… not him.

“No.” She gasped after a moment.

Daisystep’s eyes softened. “Yes. And… And Morningpaw. I wish I could have saved her.”   Daisystep had been Morningpaw’s mentor. The light brown she-cat glanced at Sootpaw, who was collapsed on the ground in mourning for his sister.

Now Petalheart was staggering, the world beginning to spin in a blur of grays, greens, and browns. Her blood was pounding in anger, now. “And you couldn’t even bring his body ?” She hissed. "This is all Dewfrost’s fault! She organized the attack.”

Daisystep backed away. “Don’t blame anyone—”

“Don't tell me what I can and can’t do!” Petalheart growled. Before Daisystep could retort, she had stormed into the warrior’s den, collapsing into her nest in a fit of sobs. She felt words echoing from the clearing, but she ignored the world around her. If Brackenblaze was dead… Then what would happen to her? Everything was falling apart. It… Everything was gone. She was swirling into a dark void, her head spinning and twirling.

She could vaguely sense that Twigleaf was beside her, roughly licking her ear, but she didn't respond. Everything was gone. Brackenblaze was the strongest, most perfect warrior she had ever known. How could she find another mate after him? She couldn’t… But she had to. Her plan. What was the use? Life was death. Everyone she knew was dying around her. Twigleaf was her only family. She was incapable of loving anyone else.

“Petalheart.”

The young warrior snapped her head up. “What?” She hissed. Dewfrost stood above her, the deputy’s eyes cold as always. Petalheart cackled. What would Dewfrost possibly tell her? The light gray she-cat stiffened at the black warrior’s outburst.

“Please accept my condolences.” Dewfrost meowed stiffly.

Petalheart rose up slowly, until she was face-to-face with the IceClan deputy. And she wasn’t afraid. “You’re sorry ?” She hissed. “You’ve ruined my life! You’ve ended Brackenblaze’s! Tell me, where did it go wrong?” Petalheart didn’t wait for Dewfrost to answer. “What was the point? For more favor with the Clan, or with Hickorystar? You risked the entire Clan for your little plot. You underestimated TreeClan, and guess what? They beat you!”

Without thinking, she raked her claws across Dewfrost’s muzzle. The light gray she-cat’s eyes narrowed, but she did not strike back. Instead, she turned tail and left the den without a word. Petalheart was fuming. She almost wanted to chase down the deputy and continue the fight. Before she could, Twigleaf barreled into the den. But her eyes were not sympathetic. “I understand that you’re grieving,” Twigleaf hissed. “But that gives you no right to attack the deputy!”

Petalheart stiffened. “ Our deputy is the reason that Brackenblaze is dead.”

“No, Brackenblaze is that reason that he’s dead.” Twigleaf hissed. “He didn’t fight hard enough, so he died.”

The warrior gasped. “How can you talk like that?” She spluttered. “How could you blame him for his own death? I thought medicine cats were supposed to be noble, humble, and kind.”

Twigleaf narrowed her eyes. “I am. I love you, Petalheart, but you shouldn’t be acting this way. Attacking the deputy? How will you ever become deputy, and then leader after that, if you act like this? You can find another mate. There will be others. This is just a setback.” She then turned tail and trotted out of the den.

Petalheart collapsed back into her nest. This wasn’t Twigleaf! Twigleaf… she was kind, and she would never act like this. Was her ambition really this powerful? She had called Brackenblaze’s death a setback. No cat in their right mind would say something like that! Or… or that his death was his own fault. It was Dewfrost’s fault! It was Dewfrost’s plan, and it failed.

Everything was falling apart. Petalheart and Twigleaf’s plan. Petalheart’s relationship with her sister, Dewfrost, and her Clan. Their whole lives.

*****

It had been five moons. Five moons since Brackenblaze’s death. Five moons since Petalheart’s fight with Twigleaf. Five moons since Petalheart had confronted Dewfrost. Nothing had ended up the same as it had been. Not really. Petalheart could tell that cats were still tip-toeing around her, waiting for her to get back to “normal”. She didn't think she could ever go back to the way she was.

The next phase of her and Twigleaf’s plan had been for Petalheart to get an apprentice. But that hadn’t happened. Hickorystar probably didn’t think she was stable enough to train a future warrior. It wasn’t as if Petalheart cared, anyway. Every time she saw Shadowpaw, Brackenblaze’s old apprentice, she was overwhelmed with guilt. After Brackenblaze's death, the young tom had been given Daisystep as a mentor, who had just lost her own apprentice, Morningpaw. Petalheart could barely face Shadowpaw, or any other apprentice, for that matter.

She pricked her ears, the rumblings of the IceClan camp suddenly growing sharper. She was eating her mouse alone, as usual. Not many cats really spoke to her anymore. They said they needed to give her time to grieve, but she knew they were really just scared that she would snap around them. She took another bite of her mouse. There was only one cat that treated her normally.

“Hey, Petalheart!”

She didn’t really need to look up from her meal to know who it was. “Hi, Sootwing.” She muttered sarcastically.

The sleek, long-furred dark gray tom slid enthusiastically next to her, a chaffinch in his jaws. “How’re you today?” He mumbled through a mouthful of feathers.

“Eh.” She meowed. “Dewfrost still won’t let me go on any patrols.”

“Can you blame her?” Sootwing meowed. “You look like you haven’t slept in a moon.”

If any other cat had said that, she would have clawed them. Not that any other cat would have said that. But Sootwing understood that treating Petalheart like an outsider was not helping. And having his friendship had helped her when she felt like she couldn’t go on, when she felt she didn’t deserve to live. But Sootwing talked her out of it. He understood, considering he had gone through something similar after his sister, Morningpaw’s, death. But he had—

“Rabbitsong.” Sootwing breathed, interrupting her thoughts, his mouth hanging open.

Petalheart rolled her eyes, but nudged the young warrior in the ribs. “Why don't you stop mooning over her and just talk to her?”

Rabbitsong had entered the camp through the rock tunnel, a couple of mice in her jaws. Petalheart figured Rabbitsong had just come back from a hunting patrol. Rabbitsong shook out her pelt, depositing her mice on the fresh-kill pile. Sootwing’s blue eyes widened.

Petalheart narrowed her eyes. “Did you hear me?”

The young warrior didn’t respond, so she nipped him on the ear. “Ouch!” He yelped.

She sighed. "Are you going—”

“All cats old enough to hunt in the snow join beneath the Flatstone for a Clan meeting!” Hickorystar's voice interrupted.

She snapped her head up to see the cream-colored leader sitting atop the Flatstone. Cats were beginning to gather below. Poolflower and Lilylight emerged from the nursery, Juniperkit and Beekit on their heels. The two she-kits weren’t old enough to “hunt in the snow” as the saying went, but their brown eyes were wide with excitement, and it didn’t do any harm. Jayflight walked slowly from the elder’s den, still yawning massively. Oakbranch, Aspenfall, and Larkleap trotted from the warrior’s den, all looking curious, and Oakbranch stopped next to the queens. He bent down and gave Beekit a lick, the little tabby she-kit squealing in delight.

Leafslide and Dewfrost both slid next to the Flatstone, Leafslide not even paying attention to Beekit. Petalheart growled deep in her throat in disgust as Dewfrost twined her tail around Leafslide’s. That snake hadn’t even waited six moons after Nightsky's death before claiming Leafslide as her mate, and the tom wasn’t any better. Petalheart had never even seen him talk to Beekit once.

Now most of the Clan had gathered beneath the Flatstone, and Petalheart still had no idea what was going on. Sootwing pushed himself to his paws. "Are you coming?” The young tom asked.

“No,” She mumbled. This might have been one of her better days, but that didn’t mean she was ready to participate in whatever this was. Sootwing gave her a sympathetic look but then he trotted away into the throng of cats and sat right behind Rabbitsong. No one else seemed to notice that Petalheart hadn’t joined them. She sighed through her nose. She didn’t know why any of them would have.

“Cats of IceClan,” Hickorystar began. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the making of a new warrior.”

Petalheart pricked her ears. Hickorystar beckoned Shadowpaw forward, the young tom looking surprisingly calm under circumstances. Petalheart’s belly began to churn with nervousness and guilt, and she suddenly felt as stiff as stone.

“I, Hickorystar, leader of IceClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” Hickorystar began. Only Shadowpaw’s twitching tail betrayed his excitement. “He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code. He has overcome many trials, one being the death of his first mentor, Brackenblaze, who we honor today.” Hickorystar bowed his head in silence, as did many of the cats in the crowd, but Petalheart only began rocking back and forth, moaning quietly. She shakily got to her paws, stumbling around the Flatstone. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get out of that camp. Some cats began murmuring as they noticed her leaving, but no cat intercepted her.

She started picking up speed, racing through the rock tunnel and then through the forest. Her legs started burning from lack of use, but she kept going. She only stopped when she heard someone call her name.

“Petalheart! Petalheart!”

She skidded to a halt, whipping around. Twigleaf stood across from her, the medicine cat’s eyes pleading. Applespots had died two moons before, along with several of their Clanmates, when a bout of greencough had spread through all four Clans. Twigleaf had been the only medicine cat since, and she seemed to have been excelling. It seemed as if all of Twigleaf’s dreams had come true. Good for her, Petalheart thought angrily. She can have the perfect life, for all I care. While she lives her dreams, she’ll be leaving me in the dust. And I’ll bet she won’t even look back.

“Please, Petalheart.” Twigleaf begged. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

“Doing this to myself ?” Petalheart hissed.

Twigleaf's eyes suddenly hardened. “Yes. You've spiraled into so much self-pity and depression over this, and truthfully, I don’t think that it’s even about Brackenblaze anymore.”

“Why would it not be about Brackenblaze?” The warrior growled.

“You tell me.”

Petalheart turned, racing away from her sister. She didn’t care what Twigleaf said. All that her sister cared about was being important. She didn’t really know where she was going anymore. She just let her paws guide her as far away as possible. When she finally collapsed in the shade of an oak tree in a heap of sobs, she didn’t care what happened to her from then. She could just disappear for all she cared. Her entire life had fallen apart from the moment Brackenblaze had died, and... And maybe Twigleaf was right. Maybe it wasn’t about Brackenblaze anymore. Maybe—

“Hey, I know you!”

She whipped her head up, swiveling her ears in search of the voice. Who had found her? Suddenly, a tan-and-black head popped out from one of the ferns, and Petalheart’s nose twitched when she noticed the scent of kittypet. Under different circumstances, she would have chased the tom away. But she didn't really care.

As the tom picked his way out of the fern, she spoke up. “What do you want?” She hissed.

The tom looked taken aback, but he trotted towards the warrior anyway. "Remember me?” He meowed.

“No.” Petalheart muttered drily.

The kittypet rolled his eyes. “We met a few moons ago. You told me I looked like a leopard, and I said I was as fast as a—“

“Yes, I remember now.” The she-cat interrupted. Truthfully, she had recognized Hunter from the moment he poked his head out of the fern, what with his unique pelt and all, but she wouldn't tell him that.

Hunter frowned. “Why the long face?”

“My life sucks." She meowed plainly.

The tom just laughed. He stretched, laying down next to her. “With that attitude, how could it not?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She hissed.

“It means ,” the kittypet began, “That if you have a bad attitude, your mind will be set on everything being horrible. Then, to you, it will be.”

She twitched her whiskers. She’d never really thought of it like that before. “I’m assuming that's how kittypets think?” She chided.

“Only the smart ones.” Hunter retorted. Petalheart chuckled. The tom continued. “What are you doing over here?"

She took in her surroundings. It seems that she had wandered into kittypet territory again. Petalheart laid her head on her paws. She paused. “My mate died.” She meowed quietly.

Hunter stayed silent. Then, after a moment, he sighed. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She flinched. No one had asked her that since Brackenblaze’s death. No one had really given her a chance to, since they didn’t talk to her much in the first place. “Well…” She started steadily, “Dewfrost, our deputy, planned a raid on TreeClan—”

“Why?” Hunter interrupted.

Petalheart gave him a glare, but then tilted her head. “Well, because TreeClan had been pretty vulnerable lately and—”

“No,” He interrupted again. “I meant, why would your Clan want to attack TreeClan in the first place?”

“Ummm… To show them how strong we are?”

The tom snorted. “You Clan cats cause needless battles and bloodshed for no reason!”

After what had happened to both her parents and Brackenblaze, Petalheart couldn't really argue with that. “Anyway, Brackenblaze was the first to volunteer.” She paused in case Hunter wanted to comment. The tom narrowed his eyes, but stayed silent. So Petalheart continued. “Brackenblaze was my mate, by the way.” Her heart briefly twinged in pain. “I told him that he was brave for volunteering, and he said that he knew.” That was where Hunter interrupted.

“Wait a minute,” He meowed. “You told him that he was brave, and he said 'I know’?” Hunter lowered his voice in a mocking tone on the ‘I know’.

Her pelt ruffled. “Yes?”

Hunter snorted. "Brackenblaze sounded like a jerk.”

Petalheart gasped. “That’s… That’s so… well, rude!” She spluttered.

He blushed. “I'm sorry.” He admitted. “I just… Sometimes I’m kinda… unfiltered?”

“…Unfiltered.”

“Erm… Yes.” Hunter meowed awkwardly.

She started to wonder if confiding in this kittypet was a good idea, but she had already continued talking before she had finished thinking it through. “Then they left.” She meowed. "When they came back, Daisystep, one of the warriors, told me that he didn’t make it.”

“So I’m assuming the raid failed?” Hunter asked.

Petalheart’s pelt itched with embarrassment at what she had done. “I never really got the chance to ask for details. When I confronted Dewfrost, I may have… attacked her?”

“I… don't really know how to respond to that.” Hunter meowed.

“Neither did Dewfrost, it seems." Petalheart meowed. “She just… left. I never really talked to her afterwords, save for when I asked if I could join patrols. She always said no."

“Can you blame her?” He muttered. "You seem emotionally unstable.”

She laughed, her sadness temporarily gone. “What about you?"

He sighed wistfully. “I wish my life could be as exciting as yours. I mostly just hang around the neighborhood and talk to… well, whoever.”

“Well that's obvious.” Petalheart snorted. “You’re talking to me. And it’s clear that I’m mentally unstable.”

It suddenly occurred to her that she was actually laughing. She hadn't really laughed in… well, since Brackenblaze died. She thought it would have made her feel guilty. Instead, it just made her feel… normal. She wanted to feel like this more often. Not in the Clan, where there's always a constant reminder of what she could have had. Hunter had… helped her. How? He was a kittypet. Even her Clanmates couldn’t have done that.

She didn’t want to go back to IceClan and go back to how she had been acting for the past five moons. She didn’t want life to pass her buy. She could try and figure out how to do this on her own. Or… or she could have someone help her.

“Hey, Hunter?” She asked abruptly.

His amber eyes found hers. “Yes?”

“Can you… can you meet me here more often?” She asked awkwardly. “I… you… uh… I like having conversations with you.”

Hunter’s eyes brightened. “Sure!”

Maybe she could still make something of her life.

*****

Petalheart narrowed her eyes, scanning the undergrowth. Her muscles ached from how long she had been in a battle crouch. Finally, she caught a flash of fur behind a juniper bush out of the corner of her eye. She slowly crept forward, her pawsteps light over the leaves. She bunched her hindquarters, keeping her tail above the ground. She pounced.

Her outstretched paws landed squarely on the shoulders of her opponent. He growled, trying to dislodge her, but she held onto him tightly. Suddenly, he threw himself to the ground, and she tumbled off of him with a huff. He put his large paw on her chest, and she let out a laugh.

“I think you’re finally getting it!” She called up to him.

Hunter narrowed his green eyes. “Do you surrender?”

The warrior rolled her eyes. “Yes, I surrender, oh great one.” She slipped out from under his grip. He brightened, but she continued. "But only because I have to get back to camp.”

He moaned. “We never get to spend any time together.”

“I beg to differ." Petalheart snorted. “I've been sneaking out of camp for four moons now just to see you.”

“Exactly,” he meowed. “It's been four moons. Why do you have to sneak out?”

She tilted her head. “I have told you about the warrior code, haven’t I?”

“Yes, but eventually you’ll have to tell your Clan about me.”

“Or we could always run away together.” She meowed wistfully.

Hunter licked her ear. “But we have our responsibilities.”

She sighed. “Yep. Speaking of which, I’ve got to get going.” She turned away, heading back to her border.

Hunter sped up ahead of her, touching his nose to hers. “I love you, Petalheart.”

She purred. “I love you too, but I have to go.” She sped off into IceClan territory, leaving Hunter behind. She caught a pigeon on the way, so it didn’t look suspicious that she had been gone for so long. When she finally trotted into camp, she was almost bowled over. She slid back, claws out, but only saw two kits in front of her. One of them, a tiny tortoiseshell, was splayed out on the ground. A little white she-kit nosed her up, turning to Petalheart. “We’re sorry.” She meowed. “We thought you were an intruder, Petalheart.”

The warrior chuckled. “Why is that, Moonkit?”

The tiny kit wrinkled her nose. “You smell different.”"

Petalheart stiffened. She’d been in kittypet territory. Hunter’s scent was probably all over her. “Um… that was because I chased a squirrel into kittypet territory.

“Really?” The tortoiseshell exclaimed. “Did you catch it?”

“Erm… No.” She meowed.

The tortoiseshell, Deerkit, opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted but Twigleaf, who was padding up to Petalheart. “Where have you been?” She meowed.

“I was just telling the kits that I was hunting.” The black she-cat stammered.

The medicine cat brightened. “I’m so glad that you’re finally out and about.” She meowed. “I thought you’d never get over Brackenblaze.”

Truthfully, Petalheart had rarely thought of Brackenblaze over the last few moons. Of course, she missed him, but Hunter helped her realize that she had never really loved the tom. She just hoped that he could find someone in StarClan that loved him as much as she loved Hunter.

*****

Trotting through the forest with the breeze whispering through her fur and the birds singing in the trees, Petalheart couldn’t help thinking that she was happier than she had ever been. Eight moons with Hunter had helped her become a better cat overall. She had even gotten her own apprentice, Moonpaw.

She slid into a hunting crouch, her mouth agape in search of the scent of prey. She had been in Hunter’s territory longer than she had expected, so she had to catch more prey than usual to keep up her cover of hunting. Her nose twitched at the scent of rabbit. The warrior slowly crept forward, pinpointing the location of the prey on smell rather than sight.

When she finally saw the creature, she licked her lips in anticipation. Just as she was about to pounce, a voice cut through the air.

“Petalheart!”

The rabbit bounded away, and Petalheart hissed in frustration. “What was that for?” She growled, whipping around to see Twigleaf standing behind her. “You ruined my catch!”

“And you ruined my life.” Twigleaf meowed, her eyes blazing with anger.

Petalheart slowly rose up, her eyes narrowing. “What are you talking about?”

“I followed you as soon as you left camp.” Twigleaf growled. “I saw you with that… kittypet .”

The warrior’s fur began to rise. How could she come up with an excuse for that? Instead, she just stated her thoughts. “What’s the harm?”

“What's the harm ?” Twigleaf spluttered. "It's against the warrior code, for one."

“The warrior code says that warriors have to reject kittypet life.” Petalheart sniffed. “It’s not like I’m becoming a kittypet.”

“Yes,” The brown tabby meowed. “But if you’re always thinking about that kittypet, how can you be a loyal warrior of your Clan? Remember when TreeClan attacked us last moon? You were the only cat that wasn’t there to help us fight! Cats died because of you.”

Guilt churned in Petalheart’s belly. She remembered that day. She had come back to camp with a pigeon in her jaws, only to see the bodies of her dead Clanmates riddling the ground. TreeClan had attacked in revenge for the raid where Brackenblaze had died. It seems that Dewfrost’s plan, even all these moons later, was still harming the Clan. Sootwing had died in that battle, along with a few of their other Clanmates. Dewfrost’s own sister, Aspenfall, had died in that battle, leaving her daughter, Robinkit, an orphan.

“I still don’t think my presence would have changed the outcome of the battle. And yes, I feel guilty about that. But that could have happened with any cat, even if they were just hunting.” Petalheart paused. “How does me being with Hunter affect you?” She hissed. “It’s my life, not yours.”

“But Petalheart,” Twigleaf begged, her eyes suddenly becoming frightened. “What about the lives we planned since we became apprentices?”

“I’ve found something better.” She meowed simply.

Twigleaf’s eyes blazed with amber fire. “How could you do this to me?” She hissed. “We could have had perfect lives! And you ruined it all!”

“What about you, Twigleaf?” Petalheart hissed, her blood suddenly boiling with rage. “Have you become so consumed with ambition that all you care about is us having perfect lives, me becoming leader, and you being my medicine cat?” “That’s what it's always been about.” The medicine cat meowed carefully.

“Why?” Petalheart asked. “Why do we have to have the perfect lives? Why can’t we just… See where life takes us?”

“Look what happened to you because of Brackenblaze.” Twigleaf retorted. “He died, and your life was ruined. You want to ‘see where life takes you’? Without a plan, that’s usually where it leads.”

“For a medicine cat,” The warrior growled. “You don’t have any respect for the dead. Brackenblaze gave his life for his Clan. I wish he was still alive, but I’m glad that he’s not my mate anymore. He certainly gave me what I wanted, but we never really loved each other.”

Twigleaf narrowed her eyes. “So now you’re satisfied with what you have? You’ll never be leader. No one will ever remember you exist. You’ll just be an insignificant warrior. Maybe not even that, if you end up with this kittypet.”

“If you think like that, then you don’t even deserve to be a part of IceClan, much less our medicine cat.” Petalheart meowed, turning away from Twigleaf and racing back to camp. She didn’t even care if her sister told everyone about Hunter. IceClan didn’t deserve her. If Dewfrost and Twigleaf were the kind of cats in power, then ambition would overcome the Clan.

When she finally padded through the rock tunnel, Moonpaw was waiting for her near the fresh-kill pile. “Finally!” The white she-cat sighed. “I’ve been waiting for you for ages.”

Shadowpelt stepped from the warriors den, his jaws opening in a massive yawn. “Oh, hey Petalheart.” He meowed. “Deerpaw and Moonpaw wanted to battle train together. If you're not too tired from your hunt, we can leave now.”

Petalheart cocked her head. “My hunt? Oh right,” She meowed, realizing that she had told everyone she was going hunting that morning. "I didn't really catch anything. Also, no, I’m not too tired. Let’s go!"

Shadowpelt gave her a strange look, but shrugged, motioning with his tail for the two apprentices to follow them through the rock tunnel. As they traveled through the forest, on their way to the training clearing, Petalheart couldn’t really think about anything but Twigleaf's words echoing through her head. Her sister was different than she had thought. Maybe Twigleaf had always had this ambition, and Petalheart just had never noticed. Or maybe it had been happening over time, so slowly that no cat could have stopped it from happening.

“Petalheart?” Moonpaw asked, cutting into her thoughts. “Did you hear me?”

She twitched an ear. “Sorry, Moonpaw. What did you say?”

“I asked if you could teach me some hunting moves after battle training.” Her apprentice repeated.

“I’m impressed,” The warrior meowed. “Most apprentices prefer battle training to hunting. Or sleep.”

“Not me!” Moonpaw proclaimed. "I want to learn everything .”

Petalheart shuddered. She recalled that Twigleaf had said that exact same phrase on the day she had become a medicine cat apprentice. No. Moonpaw would not end up like Twigleaf. Not if Petalheart had anything to do with it.

“We’re here!” Deerpaw squeaked. "I can’t wait to start training!”

Moonpaw snorted. “You’ll probably fall into a ditch before you get the chance.”

Shadowpelt hushed them. "If you want to become valuable warriors, you’ll stop squabbling.”

Petalheart was proud of Shadowpelt. She thought that Brackenblaze would be proud of his former apprentice as well. “Okay,” She called to the apprentices. “Shadowpelt will demonstrate—”

“Petalheart!”

The warrior turned to see Twigleaf trotting up to her. Petalheart’s stomach started churning in nervousness. "What are you doing here?” She asked her sister.

“Hickorystar wants you back in camp.” The medicine cat meowed smugly.

“Is Petalheart in trouble?” Deerpaw meowed, her voice quavering.

Ignoring the tortoiseshell, Petalheart turned to Shadowpelt. “Can you take over training?”

“Of course.” The dark gray tom meowed.

She nodded, following her sister out of the training hollow. When she was sure she was out of earshot of Moonpaw, Deerpaw, and Shadowpelt, she turned to her sister, hissing. “What’s going on?”

“I told Dewfrost what was going on with you.” Twigleaf meowed, expressionless.

Petalheart walked on, her blood suddenly going cold. She didn’t say another word to Twigleaf on their way back. She was afraid. Since Aspenfall's death, Dewfrost had somehow become more cold, more stoic, almost as if she could let her whole Clan die around her and wouldn't care. The only cat she seemed to care about was Robinkit, Aspenfall’s kit. And now Dewfrost knew Petalheart's deepest secret. What would she do to her?

When they got to camp, Dewfrost was waiting outside of the leader’s den, her long light gray tail swishing behind her, and her deep blue eyes flitting across the camp, until they landed on Petalheart. They narrowed, and Dewfrost broke into a purr. “I’ve been waiting for you, Petalheart.” She trilled.

The black she-cat shuddered as she slipped into the leader's den, Twigleaf and Dewfrost at her heels. When she entered, she almost gasped at the state of Hickorystar. He was huddled in the corner of the den, his long cream-colored fur matted and dull. His green eyes looked faraway, as if he could see StarClan already. She slowly crept up to him, her ears back. Even though the old leader hardly looked threatening, he still held her future in IceClan between is claws.

“Why are you here?” He croaked.

Dewfrost glanced at Petalheart. “This cat is a traitor."

Petalheart flinched, while Hickorystar barely looked phased. “Oh?” The leader asked.

“She was seen fraternizing with a kittypet." The deputy growled.

Hickorystar pricked his ears. “That’s against the warrior code, Shadowskip.”

Shadowskip? Dewfrost didn't seem surprised that the leader had called her that name. "This is Petalheart,” Dewfrost prodded.

Hickorystar didn’t say anything, only letting his claws slide in and out off the ground. “Dewfrost?” He meowed. “What is the fair punishment for… um… Petalheart ?”

Petalheart shuddered. She braced herself for Dewfrost to say that she should be exiled, or worse. That she should be… killed. Instead, the light gray she-cat only meowed, “She needs to be confined to camp until she can be trusted.”

Petalheart was surprised, but felt relieved that she wouldn't be exiled or worse. Until she remembered that if she was confined to camp… She wouldn't get to see Hunter. What would Hunter think had happened to her?

Hickorystar nodded, flicking his tail as a signal that they should leave. Petalheart numbly staggered out fo the leader's den, about to slip off into the warrior's den, but Twigleaf stopped her. “You brought this upon yourself.” Twigleaf whispered.

“Will… will Dewfrost tell the Clan what I’ve done?” Petalheart asked.

Twigleaf snorted. “Why do you care? You obviously have no more respect for Clan life.” The brown tabby whipped around, trotting towards the medicine den with with her tail swishing behind her.

Petalheart walked slowly to the warrior's den, her tail dragging behind her. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly? She crouched in her nest, digging her nose into the soft moss. The sun was already beginning to set, the orange rays of the sunset beaming down on her sleek black pelt.

She didn’t think she would ever be able to go to sleep again, and her belly writhed in hunger, but she ended up slipping away into the void of dreams.

Petalheart opened her eyes to see that she was in a field riddled with violets and peonies, the faint trickle of a stream flowing near her. She looked around, eyes wide, as she took in the surroundings of her dream world. She tentatively crept up to the silver stream, lapping eagerly at the fast-flowing water. It tasted of starlight, and she giggled at the sensation.

“It’s good to see you again, Petalheart.” A voice rumbled from behind her.

When she turned around, she broke into a purr as she saw a muscular light brown tom, stars sparkling on his fur. “Brackenblaze!” She exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Am I in StarClan?”

“Yes, this is a part of StarClan.”

She gasped. "Does that mean that I’m dead?" He chuckled. “No. I have a message for you.” She sighed. "Brackenblaze, if it's about Hunter—"

“Petalheart," He interrupted. “I came to tell you that you are carrying Hunter's kits ." Her mouth hung open. Her heart suddenly sped up, whether in joy or fear, she didn't know. She instinctively looked at her belly, but it didn't look ay different. “Are you sure?”

“Um, yeah.” Brackenblaze meowed. "I'm pretty sure.”

She sighed, sitting down heavily. “Well.. What do I do?" She spluttered.

Brackenblaze's response was simple. "Leave IceClan." “What?” She exclaimed.

The tom flicked an ear. “Horror and heartbreak await you if you remain. Leave IceClan.”

“Is that, like, a prophecy?” She murmured.

“No,” Brackenblaze meowed “I just made it up. But it is the will of your ancestors that you leave.”

She chuckled, despite of her dire situation. “How did you get so wise?”

He licked his chest. "Hunter was right. I was a jerk. And I’m trying to correct that here.”

“So… you’re not mad about Hunter?”

His eyes softened. "Of course not. I’m just glad you’re happy. I even have my own mate now. Her name is Shadowskip.”

“Wait, Shadowskip?” Petalheart exclaimed. “Hickorystar—“

Brackenblaze interrupted. “Petalheart, I have to go. You're waking up. Remember, horror and heartbreak await you if you remain in IceClan!”

Petalheart looked at her paws to see that they were beginning to fade away. When she looked back up, Brackenblaze was gone. And then the dream ended.

*****

Petalheart had been confined to camp for about a quarter moon, and each day Brackenblaze’s words rung in her ears. How long until this "horror and heartbreak” was supposed to happen? The camp was always guarded, and she always had a shadow, so there was no way that she could escape.

Dewfrost had told everyone about how she had broken the warrior code. No one talked to her anymore, not even Twigleaf. Every time she walked past, she was given icy glares. Some cats, like Shadowpelt, and even Vixenfang, pitied her. But others, including Moonpaw,  who had been given a new mentor, were horrified by her actions. Even the cats sympathetic to her wouldn’t go near her, probably because they were worried that Dewfrost would notice.

She padded towards the fresh-kill pile from the warrior's den, her eyes staring straight ahead. She dragged a pigeon out of the pile, only to find that when she looked up, one of the young warriors of IceClan, Raintail, was laughing at her. He grabbed a mouse from the pile, dropping it on the ground. Petalheart gave him a glare. Suddenly, without warning, he raked his claws across the mouse's neck. “This," He meowed, motioning to the mouse, “Is your kittypet mate if I ever come across him."

Before Petalheart could retort, Beestripe, who was sunning herself on a stone not far from the pile, soaking up the last of the sun's rays before night would fall, hissed at Raintail. “Don’t you have anything better to do than harass Petalheart? Stop being a jerk."

Raintail ducked his head, somehow restrained by the she-cat’s words, and raced away. Beestripe gave Petalheart a sympathetic glance. “Don't listen to that mouse-brain.”

But that was it for Petalheart. She couldn't stay in IceClan any longer. Not if cats were constantly treating her like this. And what Raintail had done was only one of the things that cats had done to harass Petalheart. She was leaving IceClan and going back to Hunter. Tonight.

Sh waited in her nest that night, without sleeping, while every other cat went to sleep. She knew a secret crevice in the back of the medicine den that led out of camp. If she could just sneak through the den and avoid Twigleaf, she could be free.

After the last cat fell asleep, Petalheart slowly rose from her nest, careful not to make any noise. She picked her way around the sleeping bodies, her chest rising and falling slowly. Every breath felt louder than thunder. When she finally made it out of the den and into the clearing, the almost-full moon reflected off of her dark pelt, making her eyes reflect starlight.

The snores of her Clanmates made her think of back when she had been made an apprentice, when she and Twigleaf had snuck out of camp to run through the forest. But those times were behind her. This IceClan was not the same as the one that she had loved. Corruption ran through it's roots. Even in her sister. And Petalheart would not be a part of it anymore.

She turned to sneak into the medicine den, but a loud yowl stopped her in her tracks.

“Intruder!”

Warriors became staggering out of their den, yowling battle cries, Twigleaf and some of the queens poking their heads out of their dens. Hollyfall, who was guarding the camp, and had called the warning, led a tom into the middle of the clearing, the warriors making a small circle around him. Petalheart’s heart stopped. It was Hunter.

Hollyfall bared her teeth at the tom. "What are you doing here," She paused, sniffing at him,“Kittypet?”

“I…I came here to see if Petalheart was okay.” He stammered, seeming to shrink under the gaze of so many cats.

Warriors began turning on her, some laughing, and some hissing. “I’m fine." She meowed stiffly to Hunter. “It isn’t safe for you here. You need to leave.”

Dewfrost suddenly pushed herself to the front of the crowd, licking her lips. “Oh, he doesn’t have a choice.”

Petalheart stiffened. “Dewfrost, please don’t hurt him,” She begged. “He doesn’t mean any harm.”

“Harm?” Twigleaf exclaimed. “He ruins everything he goes near.”

Hunter only had his focus on Petalheart. “Why haven’t you come to see me? Are you in trouble?”

“Um." Petalheart meowed, her heartbeat growing faster. Hunter didn’t know how much trouble he was in. “Hunter, I’m fine. It's just that I'm not allowed to see you anymore.”

He sighed. "Okay, Petalheart.” It was then that she noticed he is eyes were sparkling with fear. He knew how dangerous it was to go looking for her, but he did it anyway.

Dewfrost slid forward, her claws unsheathed. “Hunter is you name?” She snorted. “You don't look like much of a hunter.” Hunter puffed out his chest. "You're Dewfrost, right? Petalheart told me about you. She said that you'd make a horrible leader. Because you don't care about anyone but yourself.”

Hunter, why would you say that?

Dewfrost’s eyes blazed with blue fire. She crept forward, her muscles bunching under her sleek pelt. Without warning, she pounced on Hunter, her claws ripping into his spotted fur. Petalheart yowled and was about to race forward to defend him, but she was held back by a couple of other warriors. She struggled, but she could do nothing as she watched Dewfrost attack Hunter.

The tom flipped Dewfrost off of his back, putting his paw on her throat. A move that Petalheart had taught him. Dewfrost hissed, biting his paw and slipping out from underneath him while he was distracted. They started wrestling each other in a tail of limbs, so it was unclear who was winning. But Dewfrost's warrior training and Hunter's soft kittypet life made it clear who would win the battle. Dewfrost and Hunter broke apart, the IceClan deputy's right paw suspended off of the ground with blood dripping from it, along with a few scratches on her pelt. Hunter's ear was split, and blood was pouring from a scratch above his eye.

Dewfrost struck.

A blow to the neck.

A killing blow.

Everything seemed to slow down as the two warriors released Petalheart and she ran towards the tom, who had fallen to the ground with blood pulsing from his neck. The circle of warriors broke apart, cats backing away from the pool of blood in the clearing. Petalheart skidded to a halt at Hunter's body. He was still breathing. Barely.

“Twigleaf!” Petalheart screeched. Twigleaf walked up to her, the medicine cat's eyes cold. “Please help him,” Petalheart whispered. “He’ll die without a healer.”

Twigleaf only said one word. “No.”

“What are you talking about?” Petalheart begged, tears streaming from her eyes. “You’re my sister.”

“I’m not your sister anymore.” Twigleaf meowed, turning tail and trotting back to her den.

Petalheart crouched next to Hunter, licking his head. “Everything will be okay,” She murmured, pressing her paws onto the wound on his neck in order to stanch the bleeding. “I’m going to save you.”

“Petalheart,” Hunter croaked. “No you’re not.”

“What are you talking about?" She meowed, now pressing her paws on his wound hysterically.

His amber eyes gleamed. "You may be a great warrior, but you're no medicine cat."

She laid her head next to his, her nose almost close enough to touch his. “It’s not fair. I was going to sneak out of camp tonight… Hunter, I'm carrying your kits."

His eyes lit up with joy for a moment, only to be replaced with pain. “You’re right. That isn't fair.” She cast her eyes down, her heart feeling like a stone in her chest. But Hunter continued. “But at least we've loved each other. Life is a lot of ups and downs, but there's always love.”

She sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "I love you, Hunter.”

“I love you too." He choked, his words becoming weaker. "I'll see you in StarClan.”

She buried her head in his shoulder fur. When she felt his breathing stop, she yowled in pain. Brackenblaze was right. This was horror and heartbreak.

“Petalheart."

"What?" She hissed, recognizing Dewfrost's voice.

"I just heard you say that you’re carrying half-clan kits.”

Petalheart stiffened. Dewfrost continued. “Don't think that you can ever leave IceClan now. Your kits will grow up here. And worst of all, they’ll never know their father. They'll be loyal IceClan warriors. Maybe I'll even mentor one of them myself.” She mused. "But you can never tell them about their father. Look what happened to you. You wouldn't want that to happen to them.”

Petalheart didn't respond. Maybe Dewfrost could control Petalheart’s choices now. But Petalheart would never let her kits be corrupted. Not like Dewfrost. Not like Twigleaf. So she stood up, her legs shaky. She touched her nose to Hunter's head. “May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep.”

She would remember Hunter. And Dewfrost would learn her lesson. Someday.

*****

Petalheart purred, staring down at the squirming bundles at her belly. She twitched her whiskers as the tom-kit opened his pink jaws into a massive yawn.

“They're beautiful,” Rabbitsong meowed from the other side of the nursery.

Petalheart licked the top of the black tom’s head. He looked just like Petalheart, but with Hunter's eyes. “This one,” She meowed to Rabbitsong with a glance at the tom. "Is Sootkit.”

Rabbitsong’s eyes misted over in sadness. The tom, of course, was named after Sootwing, Rabbitsong’s mate and Petalheart’s friend. She liked to think that Sootwing was watching her now, from StarClan. And Brackenblaze, her parents, and, most importantly, Hunter. The she-kit was the spitting image of her father.

“What’s the she-kit’s name?" Rabbitsong asked.

“I haven't decided yet.” Petalheart meowed.

At that moment, Dewfrost -- no, Dewstar, now — quietly slid into the nursery. “They’re very… cute.” She meowed, with a look of distain directed at the she-kit.

Petalheart snorted, pushing the kits closer to her belly, her tail curled around them. “What do you want, Dewstar?”

She walked closer to Petalheart, whispering in her ear. “I was just reminding you of our… deal. These kits will grow up not knowing the situation of their birth.”

“It’s not like I would want to tell them, anyway.” Petalheart sniffed. “I don’t want them growing up knowing that their leader is a murderer."

Dewstar growled, but whirled out of the nursery. Petalheart didn’t care what the leader said. Her kits would be loved. They would make amazing warriors. And they wouldn’t end up like Twigleaf, Dewstar, Leafslide, or any of the others. One day, IceClan would be released from the grip of those three. Twigleaf had an apprentice, Riverpaw, with more gentleness and less ambition than the medicine cat. Dewstar had made Leafslide her deputy, Leafslide nothing like the tom he had once been. But his daughter, Beestripe, had all of his warrior skills but none of his coldness. There would be a new generation of IceClan cats.

And Petalheart’s kits would be a part of this new generation. They would make their father proud.