Vol. 1/6 ✅️
"Your future - it is a path entwined with thorns. They try to grab you, to pull you into the deepest thicket - and they will succeed. You don't have the power to change your destiny completely, Larkpaw. The only thing you can do is not t...
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"Heatherpaw, even though you will not fulfil your warrior duties, do you promise to honour and protect your Clanmates, both living and dead?"
"I promise," Heatherpaw murmured with trembling paws, moving her head as she could still see.
"Then from this moment on, you will be called Heatherleap, as a reminder of the great progress you have made and how you never let it get you down, despite your accident. We thank you for your service. May you find peace in StarClan as a full MoonClan warrior."
Silence followed as soon as Hailstar had stopped talking. Normally they should be calling her name now, Larkkit thought worriedly.
Willowpaw had half risen and looked around the crowd, but he too dared not congratulate Heatherleap.
The newly appointed warrior seemed to realise what the problem was. "I'm going to die," she declared dryly and without further explanation.
Whispers spreaded across the camp.
"What does she mean?"
"Has she already been made a warrior because of that?"
"That's right," Heatherleap confirmed. "I have decided that it's time for me to go."
Mapleblossom pushed forward to join her. "You didn't tell me that," she mewed reproachfully and sadly at the same time.
Embarrassed, Heatherleap turned her head away. "I didn't want to stress you unnecessarily."
Suddenly a challenging yelp sounded. Junipertail had jumped up and was glaring angrily at Hailstar. "What are you doing?" she demanded to know. "Just because a cat - an apprentice! - wants to die doesn't mean you can just give her a warrior name. What has she done, anyway?"
She had become quite irascible, which was why the others had moved a bit away from her. Stormpaw and Firpaw shook their heads. "This is really embarrassing," Stormpaw commented.
Hailstar just looked at Junipertail with a blank expression. "More than enough. Heatherleap worked harder then any other cat. Would it be fair in this case to let her die with an apprentice name? We're not cruel cats."
Junipertail hissed. "Yes, but we should follow the code strictly." Then she turned around and disappeared into the warriors' den.
Slowly, the gathering dispersed. Larkkit looked around in confusion. Would no cat congratulate Heatherleap now? Only Willowpaw and Mapleblossom spoke to the young warrior with their tails raised high in the air, most of the other cats acted as if nothing had happened.
