Lightstar's Life by Crystal Chen (beach books TXT) 📕

“Let all cats old enough to hunt their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting.”

Everyone raced out of their dens, pelts bushed up with excitement. The moon was rising; the new deputy would be chosen!

I sat beside Frostfur and licked down my ruffled chest fur. “Who do you think it’ll be?” She meowed, giving my ears a little lick.

“Don’t know.” I mewed back, wondering who it would be myself, “Probably one of the older warriors. You know, Sunfang, Thrushthorn.” The light gray she cat nodded just as Flamestar spoke again: “I have thought over my decision all night long.” He meowed, his voice echoing through the clearing, “And StarClan finally gave me an answer.” The cats all held their breath, waiting. My heart beat quickened as our leader opened his jaws:

“Lightfoot.” He meowed, “That’s who StarClan told me to choose.”

The shocked silence that followed felt long and agonizing. Great StarClan, what was going on? Out of all cats, why would Flamestar choose me?

“But she’s too young!” Darkcliff’s protesting meow broke the silence. Angry yowls agreed with the dark warrior.

“She’s experienced!” Frostfur insisted loudly, “she can be the best deputy ever!”

Sunfang shouldered his way to the front of the crowd, “she can’t, Flamestar. Lightfoot’s only been a warrior for, what, two moons!”

“But she already mentored an apprentice.” The tiger tom replied calmly. “The warrior code says nothing to contradict that. It was StarClan’s choice.”

“Plus!” Lightningstrike piped up, “her father was the deputy! She deserves it!”

As the cats argued back and forth, it all suddenly made sense. A great destiny awaits you. Willowsong’s words echoed in my mind. My whiskers quivered and my tail tip trembled. I was going to be leader after Flamestar. A jolt went up my spine. Flamestar! That meant…he had to die in order to have me become leader. Be patient, mouse brain. I told myself sternly. Flamestar will go to StarClan when he’s ready. And that won’t be any time soon.

“Stop!” The MoonClan leader yowled, causing all the cats to freeze. Then, in a calmer meow, “StarClan has made their choice.” And he spun around and disappeared back into his den, tossing over his shoulder, “Lightfoot, get to work right away.”

I was frozen with overwhelming responsibility as all the cats turned to me. Some looked worried, some looked excited. Other’s snarled and hissed among one another. I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak.

“Sunfang, Thrushthorn, Thorntail, Splashnose.” I ordered haltingly, “We need more prey in the fresh kill pile. Please go on a hunting patrol.” The cats dipped their heads and obediently turned and padded out of camp.

“Swifttail, Darkcliff, Sparrowpath, and Pepperpaw,” I found more courage in my meow, “go on a border patrol, and make sure those SunClan mouse-brains aren’t setting their filthy paws on our territory!”

Cats mewed agreement and seemed to brighten up a bit. I took a deep breath. Leading this Clan was not as hard as I thought.

“Congratulations!” Frostfur mewed cheerfully, resting her tail on my shoulder after I’d sent out all the patrols. Lightningstrike added in his own encouragement. I felt proud that most of my Clanmates finally accepted me.

Suddenly a scent I had wanted to forget for so long hit my nose. Shadeblaze’s paw steps thumped behind me. I felt my shoulder fur begin to rise. Spinning around, I hissed, “What do you want?”

The broad-shouldered tom twitched his whiskers and meowed, “Congratulations, my daughter.” Then he padded away.

I stared after him, lost in thought. “Miss Deputy?” Frostfur prodded me in the side. “Hello? Earth to Lightfoot!”

“Oh, sorry!” I meowed apologetically. “I was just thinking.”

“Well, you have a job to do, so do it!”

“Ok, ok.” I muttered. “Uh—wait, what am I supposed to do now?”

Frostfur rolled her eyes. “StarClan, help her. Lightfoot, you are supposed to talk to Flamestar about what happened and what you did.” She nudged me toward the leader’s den. “Go on, don’t be scared.” I sighed and flicked her playfully on the cheek, starting up the mound of rocks to his den.

“Flamestar?” I mewed softly, peering in. The tiger tom sat alone in his bed of moss, breath sharp and shaky. “Are you okay?” I asked, panic creeping into my heart. Flamestar coughed and took a shuddering breath.

“I-I’m getting old.” He rasped. “I’m going to hunt with StarClan soon.”

“No! You can’t!” I cried, renewed energy and alarm racing through me like a wave. “Don’t leave this Clan to me; I need your guidance. I’m still young and inexperienced. Oh, StarClan, you should have picked a different deputy!”

Flamestar turned to me, his eyes dull and glassy. “I’ll be watching over you, Lightfoot. And I know I have made the right decision. After all, it was StarClan’s will, not my own. Don’t worry yet, I’ll live another good half-a-moon before I die.” He took another painful breath. “A great destiny awaits you. Don’t give up when loved ones pass away. Keep your eyes ahead and things will work out right.”

I shivered; Willowsong’s exact words! I opened my mouth to reply, but the MoonClan leader had laid down again, breath shallow. Grief pierced my heart like a thorn. I couldn’t lose him! He was my leader, as well as my best friend now…

“Lightfoot?” Sorrelsky’s mew sounded from the entrance to the den. “Is Flamestar alright?”

I forced myself to breathe. “Y-yes. He’s fine now.” But I’m not.

“Well, if you say so.” The she-cat’s meow sounded worried. “I’ll check on him later, then.” The medicine cat left, and I was alone with Flamestar again.

“Please hold on,” I croaked, tears starting to blur my vision, “Don’t leave me…” Then I backed out of the den, eyes fixed on him, willing StarClan not to take him away.

 I blinked sun light out of my eyes. Frostfur groaned from beside me and started grooming her sleep-ruffled pelt. I yawned and stretched, peering around the den. Most of the warriors were still asleep…but where was Darkcliff?

“Darkcliff?” I mewed softly, careful not to wake the others. I picked my way through the cats, all sprawled out in their moss nests. Frostfur got to her paws and looked around. “Yeah, I don’t see him.”

Worry made my spirits sink down as I searched for him. “Maybe he just went out to make dirt.” I mewed hopefully. His scent lingered around the den entrance.

“Yeah, maybe.” Frostfur agreed. Anxiety clouded her eyes. “I think we should go look, just in case.”

I shivered, from cold or from worry. “Okay.” I agreed, and followed her out of the den.

The leaf-fall sir was chilly and the breeze ruffled our bushed-up fur. The moon shone brightly up in the sky, thin as a silver claw. Stars twinkled coldly, as if the whole of StarClan was watching us now with their piercing eyes.

I shivered again and mewed quickly, “Maybe we should go back in. We can look for him in the morning.” Frostfur turned to look at me, mock-shock in her eyes. “Are you a scaredy-mouse?” she teased, “Does the dark scare you that much?”

I bristled defensively. “No, of course not!” I meowed hotly, tail flicking in frustration. “The stars just looked extra—cold, tonight.” My littermate nuzzled my cheek affectionately. “It’s okay. We’re both worried about him. C’mon, let’s go look.” I followed her out of camp to the dirt place, but he wasn’t there. Frostfur sniffed the sheltered place and mewed, “No scent of him, either. Not even a stale trace.”

Uneasiness seeped into my heart like water into moss. “Where do you think he went?” I stammered. But the white she-cat wasn’t listening. “Ah ha!” she mewed triumphantly. “I found a trace of him here!” I bounded over excitedly. “Where?” I demanded. Frostfur pointed her tail at the mark. “Why do you think he would go there?” I wondered aloud, “He almost seems like he’s heading away from camp—” Then it hit me. I stared at Frostfur and she stared at me. “To SunClan camp!” We exclaimed in unison. “But why would he go there?” I questioned again. At the same time Frostfur had meowed, “We should tell Flamestar at once!”

“Let’s first try to figure this out.” I pleaded. “First let’s follow his scent trail.”

“Okay.” Frostfur sighed. “But it’ll be your fault if we get into trouble.” I nodded and bounded off, the white warrior hot on my heels. “Wait!” I stopped, spraying dirt and leaves everywhere. “His scent stops here!” Frostfur stepped over.

“What the?” she wondered, sniffing the ground around a maple tree. "He couldn't have just, lifted into the air, could he?”

“Maybe he climbed up a tree!” I exclaimed, “This tree!” We stared up the maple. A dark shape stirred the branches just above our heads. “C’mon!” I hissed to Frostfur, leaping up easily to the first branch. The figure shifted and seemed to move up higher into the tree. Then it was still. The slivery moon showed little light and I couldn’t exactly see where Darkcliff had gone. Clenching my jaws, I hoisted myself up into the maple and flexed my claws. Frostfur started up just below me. “Hurry up!” she mewed impatiently. I bounded up to another branch. “Darkcliff?” I meowed, “are you there? Don’t be scared; it’s just Lightfoot and Frostfur.”

“Get away from me, you stupid mouse-brained deputy!” He hissed “deputy” like it was a mound of smelly crowfood. “I don’t want to be led by a fox-hearted kittypet. You don’t deserve to be deputy, much less leader!”

I ignored the insults hurled at me and attempted to climb higher. A claw flashed out and just missed my muzzle. “Watch it!” I hissed, “We’re just trying to help!”

“Well, I don’t want your stupid help!” Darkcliff snarled, lashing his tail. “Just get away from me, and I won’t have to shred your ears!” Impatience rose in me like an active volcano, about to erupt. “Just shut up!” I growled, glaring at his unsheathed claws, glinting in the dim moonlight. “Stop thrashing and get back to camp,” The dark tom bristled and curled his lip. “You don’t give me orders, badger-breath.”

“I’m the deputy!” I cried, exasperated. “You have to listen to me!” Darkcliff’s eyes flashed with contempt and scorn. “Not if I’m in another Clan,” he hissed. “In SunClan I’ll follow Shimmerstar and Rainfeather’s orders, not yours.”

I opened my jaws to protest, but my words got caught in my throat. He’s leaving? I thought in panic, but he’s from MoonClan! How could he just run away?

“Mouse got your tongue?” the dark warrior smirked, “you’re such a poor deputy, why don’t you just go live with the Twolegs? That would make us allreally happy.” Rage exploded from within me. I yowled in fury and leapt at him, shoving him out of the tree and crashing through a canopy of branches before hitting the ground with a loud thud.

“Lightfoot!” Frostfur hissed. “Darkcliff? What’s going on, you two?” Stars danced in my eyes. I blinked and shook my head. A dark shape was running away, stumbling and tripping on thorns and brambles.

“There he is!” I screeched, renewed anger fueling my strength. Frostfur leapt out of the tree and raced after him. I bounded after her in hot pursuit.

Darkcliff staggered over a fallen log and lay sprawled on the forest floor, struggling desperately to get away. I pounded ahead of Frostfur and pounced squarely onto the warrior, claws digging into his shoulder blades. “Get off me!” he snarled, lashing his tail and thrashing like crazy.

“Help me, Frostfur!” I yowled,