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Description
Frozenfire and her miniature clan streaked towards the Rainclan border as fast as the sandy ground would allow. Beachclan had been kind to them, had healed their wounds and given them food and bedding for two days, but it had been time to leave.
Within minutes, they leapt over the boulder that marked the border, and were home. The river was close by, but none of them stopped to fish. They just wanted to go home.
They were running along the cliff then, and out of the corner of her eye, Frozenfire saw something shimmer in its shadow, and she skidded to a stop. The others stopped too, and Snakesteps shot her a confused glance.
"Go on ahead," meowed Frozenfire, and she proceeded to the shadow after watching her friends leave. There was starlight there, she knew it!
But there were no stars, only a bush. Frozenfire gasped in surprise when she saw it. It was half her size, and the leaves were dark, glossy green. Clinging onto the branches were bright silver berries.
Then she knew.
It was the cure.
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"Heartsong!" Frozenfire wailed, entering the medicine cat den.
"You're home!" purred the she-cat, but there was sadness in her eyes. "The others came not too long ago. They said you were on your way." Her gaze fixed on the bundle of leaves Frozenfire held in her claws. "What is that?"
Without a word, Frozenfire unwrapped the bundle, revealing the silver berries. She exchanged a single glance with Heartsong, and they both nodded.
Together they walked to Icedrop. The silver and white she-cat was writing in pain. Her belly was swollen with Dreamstar's kits, but her spine showed through her skin. Without a word, Heartsong popped a crushed berry into the queen's mouth, and she swallowed. Her writhing stopped, and she fell into a peaceful, natural sleep.
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"Would all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet for a clan meeting!" Dreamstar's voice rang out, and Frozenfire remembered her first clan meeting with a pang. She was already under the highstone, sharing tongues with the clanmates that she had left behind and eating a fish. It was the night she'd returned.
"Our young warriors are back!" Dreamstar cried in triumph, and the others in the clan started wailing, too. One angry voice rang out.
"Surely you aren't going to reward them from wandering!" The voice came from Snowstorm, a large white warrior.
"Of course I am," meowed Dreamstar. "Without them, we'd have but three clans in this forest, and don't forget they found the cure when you were ill. Without them, where would you be?"
Snowstorm fell silent.
"And now," mewed Dreamstar, "Icedrop has decided to give up her position as deputy to take care of her unborn kits." He glanced fondly at his mate, who was sitting outside Heartsong's den. "I speak now before the spirits of Starclan so that they may hear and approve of my choice. Fozenfire will be our deputy."
Frozenfire nearly choked on the fish in surprise, and she gave it a glare. She was deputy? She was the youngest of the warriors, and she hadn't had an apprentice! She felt herself driving rapidly towards hyperventilation.
"Go on," meowed a voice, and Frozenfire saw Snakesteps pushing her from behind. She looked proud of her friend, but there was something else in her eyes. Jealousy?
Frozenfire walked forward, trying to keep her head high, but her fur bristled. She jumped easily onto the highstone and looked at the cats that meant so much to her.
"I never expected this position," she began. "I mean... when I was a kit, I'd always dreamt about being a deputy, and then maybe leader..." She was not ready to be leader, and she cast a sideways glance at Dreamstar. She didn't have to be for a long while. Dreamstar was very young.
"But I learned," she continued. "When I became an apprentice I only wanted to do good things for my clan, and now I will. Thank you."
Wails of approval rose up, and Frozenfire felt dizzy. Was it just her, or was the voice cheering, too? She remembered her prophecy.
The flame of the forest must ignite in the starlit shadows....
Had it been fulfilled? Surely it meant the shadow by the cliff with the starry bush? Then her fur rose as she remembered the dream she had the night after the great battle.
Everything the forest has ever known shall burn like a tree in a fire...
Was she the right cat to be the deputy of Rainclan, or would her future reign destroy the clans?

Description
Frozenfire and her miniature clan streaked towards the Rainclan border as fast as the sandy ground would allow. Beachclan had been kind to them, had healed their wounds and given them food and bedding for two days, but it had been time to leave.
Within minutes, they leapt over the boulder that marked the border, and were home. The river was close by, but none of them stopped to fish. They just wanted to go home.
They were running along the cliff then, and out of the corner of her eye, Frozenfire saw something shimmer in its shadow, and she skidded to a stop. The others stopped too, and Snakesteps shot her a confused glance.
"Go on ahead," meowed Frozenfire, and she proceeded to the shadow after watching her friends leave. There was starlight there, she knew it!
But there were no stars, only a bush. Frozenfire gasped in surprise when she saw it. It was half her size, and the leaves were dark, glossy green. Clinging onto the branches were bright silver berries.
Then she knew.
It was the cure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Heartsong!" Frozenfire wailed, entering the medicine cat den.
"You're home!" purred the she-cat, but there was sadness in her eyes. "The others came not too long ago. They said you were on your way." Her gaze fixed on the bundle of leaves Frozenfire held in her claws. "What is that?"
Without a word, Frozenfire unwrapped the bundle, revealing the silver berries. She exchanged a single glance with Heartsong, and they both nodded.
Together they walked to Icedrop. The silver and white she-cat was writing in pain. Her belly was swollen with Dreamstar's kits, but her spine showed through her skin. Without a word, Heartsong popped a crushed berry into the queen's mouth, and she swallowed. Her writhing stopped, and she fell into a peaceful, natural sleep.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Would all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet for a clan meeting!" Dreamstar's voice rang out, and Frozenfire remembered her first clan meeting with a pang. She was already under the highstone, sharing tongues with the clanmates that she had left behind and eating a fish. It was the night she'd returned.
"Our young warriors are back!" Dreamstar cried in triumph, and the others in the clan started wailing, too. One angry voice rang out.
"Surely you aren't going to reward them from wandering!" The voice came from Snowstorm, a large white warrior.
"Of course I am," meowed Dreamstar. "Without them, we'd have but three clans in this forest, and don't forget they found the cure when you were ill. Without them, where would you be?"
Snowstorm fell silent.
"And now," mewed Dreamstar, "Icedrop has decided to give up her position as deputy to take care of her unborn kits." He glanced fondly at his mate, who was sitting outside Heartsong's den. "I speak now before the spirits of Starclan so that they may hear and approve of my choice. Fozenfire will be our deputy."
Frozenfire nearly choked on the fish in surprise, and she gave it a glare. She was deputy? She was the youngest of the warriors, and she hadn't had an apprentice! She felt herself driving rapidly towards hyperventilation.
"Go on," meowed a voice, and Frozenfire saw Snakesteps pushing her from behind. She looked proud of her friend, but there was something else in her eyes. Jealousy?
Frozenfire walked forward, trying to keep her head high, but her fur bristled. She jumped easily onto the highstone and looked at the cats that meant so much to her.
"I never expected this position," she began. "I mean... when I was a kit, I'd always dreamt about being a deputy, and then maybe leader..." She was not ready to be leader, and she cast a sideways glance at Dreamstar. She didn't have to be for a long while. Dreamstar was very young.
"But I learned," she continued. "When I became an apprentice I only wanted to do good things for my clan, and now I will. Thank you."
Wails of approval rose up, and Frozenfire felt dizzy. Was it just her, or was the voice cheering, too? She remembered her prophecy.
The flame of the forest must ignite in the starlit shadows....
Had it been fulfilled? Surely it meant the shadow by the cliff with the starry bush? Then her fur rose as she remembered the dream she had the night after the great battle.
Everything the forest has ever known shall burn like a tree in a fire...
Was she the right cat to be the deputy of Rainclan, or would her future reign destroy the clans?