- Aug 6, 2022
- 49
- 9
- 8
As the sun set, Ravenpaw drew herself into the growing shadows of the camp. Yellow eyes peered out at her clanmates, watching them retire for the day. She did not join them. The midnight black molly sat on the sideline and just watched them all go about their days, as though she were a stranger to all of them. Her head tilted. How strange they all looked, when observed like this. If she didn't live here, she would think everything was normal, that the world hadn't been shaken at it's foundations.
Bonejaw was gone.
Shadowclan felt less like home to her than it ever had. When her mom died, at least, the whole clan had grieved. They had been united in their dismay. She could have gone to anyone and they would have looked at her with pity and sympathy. They all knew the depth of what they had lost.
Not so now. Her clanmates were not indifferent to Bonejaw's absence, worse, they were angry. All of them blamed her, spat upon her name, cursed her. Her brother most of all. Her hackles rose as she recalled how Pitchstar had spoken of their aunt at the gathering. Daring to tarnish her name in front of the whole of the five clans, to tarnish the family name. She had to take a breath to steady herself at the memory.
Ravenpaw wasn't glad that her aunt had left either, of course. Left her alone, in a clan without her father or mother or, now, aunt. With her idiot brother ruining the whole place more every day. She hadn't even offered to take her along when she went to Riverclan.
Unlike the rest of them though, she had a little thing called trust. They all seemed to have forgotten all that Bonejaw did for them, all the injuries she had mended, all the wisdom she had offered. A cat like that had to have good reason for leaving like she did, surely. If anything, it was probably Pitchstar's fault. She was right for leaving when she did.
Pitchstar it all came back to Pitchstar. It was the one thing her mother had done that came close to a mistake. Not that Ravenpaw would call it such, of course. Briarstar had probably thought she had time to mold him into a proper leader, to sand off his rough edges. There would be no way for her to anticipate her own sudden demise. The stars had told her that she had nine lives. Other leaders had already demonstrated that those lives were real. She had no reason to believe that all her lives would be stolen from her so suddenly that she would never get a chance to teach her son to be a proper leader.
Briarstar had done one thing right in her decision of deputy, she had kept it in the family. Bonejaw had done the same when she appointed Starlingpaw. It was only right. Pitchstar, of course, had broken the tradition, appointing a deputy and an array of lead warriors from outside the family. It was a travesty against their family, another black mark on his record.
It made her uncertain, for once, that she would ever get a chance at real power.
With a start, Ravenpaw realized that a low hiss had risen in her throat. She silenced it. Soothed her raising fur with a few licks. That was unlike her, unbecoming of her. She was better than that.
Then again, she already had real power, in a sense. After all, who was going to tell her what to do now that Bonejaw was gone? There was no way that she was going to let her idiot brother or any of her lackey's boss her around. She was the daughter of Briarstar, the leader who founded Shadowclan. They couldn't tell her what to do.
She could do anything she wanted.
Ravenpaw like that though, it sent a little thrill down her spine. There was more to it though, she decided, it wasn't just that she could don anything she wanted, she should. If only to stick it to her brother and all the others that were ruining her clan. Already she had so many ideas. A sigh of relief left her, a touch of tension left her body. Content, she padded toward the apprentice den, ready to settle in for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.
Bonejaw was gone.
Shadowclan felt less like home to her than it ever had. When her mom died, at least, the whole clan had grieved. They had been united in their dismay. She could have gone to anyone and they would have looked at her with pity and sympathy. They all knew the depth of what they had lost.
Not so now. Her clanmates were not indifferent to Bonejaw's absence, worse, they were angry. All of them blamed her, spat upon her name, cursed her. Her brother most of all. Her hackles rose as she recalled how Pitchstar had spoken of their aunt at the gathering. Daring to tarnish her name in front of the whole of the five clans, to tarnish the family name. She had to take a breath to steady herself at the memory.
Ravenpaw wasn't glad that her aunt had left either, of course. Left her alone, in a clan without her father or mother or, now, aunt. With her idiot brother ruining the whole place more every day. She hadn't even offered to take her along when she went to Riverclan.
Unlike the rest of them though, she had a little thing called trust. They all seemed to have forgotten all that Bonejaw did for them, all the injuries she had mended, all the wisdom she had offered. A cat like that had to have good reason for leaving like she did, surely. If anything, it was probably Pitchstar's fault. She was right for leaving when she did.
Pitchstar it all came back to Pitchstar. It was the one thing her mother had done that came close to a mistake. Not that Ravenpaw would call it such, of course. Briarstar had probably thought she had time to mold him into a proper leader, to sand off his rough edges. There would be no way for her to anticipate her own sudden demise. The stars had told her that she had nine lives. Other leaders had already demonstrated that those lives were real. She had no reason to believe that all her lives would be stolen from her so suddenly that she would never get a chance to teach her son to be a proper leader.
Briarstar had done one thing right in her decision of deputy, she had kept it in the family. Bonejaw had done the same when she appointed Starlingpaw. It was only right. Pitchstar, of course, had broken the tradition, appointing a deputy and an array of lead warriors from outside the family. It was a travesty against their family, another black mark on his record.
It made her uncertain, for once, that she would ever get a chance at real power.
With a start, Ravenpaw realized that a low hiss had risen in her throat. She silenced it. Soothed her raising fur with a few licks. That was unlike her, unbecoming of her. She was better than that.
Then again, she already had real power, in a sense. After all, who was going to tell her what to do now that Bonejaw was gone? There was no way that she was going to let her idiot brother or any of her lackey's boss her around. She was the daughter of Briarstar, the leader who founded Shadowclan. They couldn't tell her what to do.
She could do anything she wanted.
Ravenpaw like that though, it sent a little thrill down her spine. There was more to it though, she decided, it wasn't just that she could don anything she wanted, she should. If only to stick it to her brother and all the others that were ruining her clan. Already she had so many ideas. A sigh of relief left her, a touch of tension left her body. Content, she padded toward the apprentice den, ready to settle in for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.
[ PENNED BY EMPYREAN ]