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Bearpaw stayed curled in his nest throughout the noon. It hadn't been more than a few hours before a sudden call from Valleystar made his eyelids flit open. The words were unclear, but he knew what they were about. He wrapped his tail tighter around his body and stretched out a paw over his nose, frowning.

"Get up, you lazy lump," someone meowed teasingly and a paw prodded Bearpaw's side. He grumbled under his breath but unraveled himself from the nest with an annoyed snort.

Pumpkinpaw's earnest face hovered jovially above his. The ginger tomcat reached out a paw and poked him again, his eyes hard with determination. "Sablepaw is going to get her warrior name. I know you just want to sulk all day, but she'd be really upset if you weren't here to see it. Come on."

"Fine." Bearpaw pushed himself grudgingly to his paws and followed Pumpkinpaw out into the clearing. There was a murmur of excitement dashing across the gathered cats. They were in a mutated half-circle, with Valleystar and Sablepaw in the center.

Sablepaw's eyes were bright and she looked ready to screech with excitement as Bearpaw situated himself in the back of the group. His sister clawed they ground nervously and gazed up at Valleystar, waiting. Valleystar waved his tail for silence, and the clearing swooped into a still quiet.

"Today, we gather here to make this apprentice a warrior. If Fawnpath agrees with me, she has trained and mastered the skills an apprentice needs. If this is true we wi -" Valleystar broke off and whipped his head around to the camp entrance. The Clan followed his gaze, bristling slightly.

The thump of pawsteps filled the silent clearing. A long-legged oriental tomcat ducked under the entrance and rose to his full height as a creamy she-cat followed suit. The tomcat was a rich brown with violently yellow eyes. The she-cat's muscles pulsed underneath her pelt, and she looked grim.

"Who are you?" Valleystar snarled, bunching his muscles and leaping across the gathered cats. He sailed easily over their heads, and the dark brown tomcat's eyes widened slightly.

He mastered his expression immediately. "My name is Houndstar," he responded smoothly, his face devoid of any emotion. The she-cat besides him looked the same. Her eyes flicked around the camp with mild interest. "I was visited by StarClan to make a Clan to -"

The she-cat nudged him and shook her head slightly. Houndstar blinked but continued on warily. "They made me a leader and I will make a Clan called SmokeClan. This is my deputy - Softmint. We'll make a Clan greater than you battered cats." A spark of smugness lit his gaze as he waved his tail towards them and out of camp, towards the FallowClan territory.

Anger shoved every other emotion aside in Bearpaw. He raised his hackles and bushed out his fur angrily. Sablepaw glared at Softmint from inside the circle of bristling cats.

Valleystar came nose-to-nose with Houndstar, but the other tomcat didn't flinch. "I don't care if StarClan asked personally for you," he spat, his lip curling, "I wouldn't care if you were part of some kind of noble prophecy." He panted slightly. Houndstar and Softmint exchanged a surprised look at the word prophecy. Not noticing, the ValleyClan leader continued. "If I catch any one of your 'SmokeClan' cats on my territory, I'll shred them personally. There was never supposed to be but one Clan in this valley."

Bearpaw lashed his tail. They can't just come and make a Clan! he thought furiously. How could StarClan ever let them?! It's not fair. Valleystar's right. There was only ever supposed to be one Clan in the valley. Not three. . . .

"Get out." Valleystar's voice had changed abruptly. It was low and dangerous all of a sudden. His ears were pressed against his head but he took a step backwards and waited for Houndstar to do the same.

Houndstar dipped his head in farewell and retreated out of the camp, his deputy trailing behind him. They watched him, not a sound uttered. When they were long gone, protests and hisses rang around the clearing. A stiff tension hung in the air.

Valleystar exchanged a meaningful glance with Acornrustle before stepping back towards the middle of the circle. Cats parted in his wake and soon the Clan leader was standing in back of Sablepaw again. The outcries quieted to whispers, and even the whispers quieted to nothing.

Bearpaw watched his sister, jealously and frustration clenching his stomach. She looked happy . . . happier than he had ever seen her before.

"Before we were rudely interrupted," Valleystar started icily, his ears pricked towards the camp entrance though his head was turned towards the Clan. "We were about to make Sablepaw a warrior. Fawnpath, is she ready?"

Bearpaw lifted his muzzle towards Fawnpath. Her eyes were shining with pride. Doetrail sulked next to her, face shaded. "I'm certain she is," Sablepaw's mentor called, blinking warmly at her apprentice. Sablepaw beamed back.

"Then by the powers of -" Valleystar paused and shut his eyes for a heartbeat, "- StarClan, Sablepaw will hereby be known as Sablefire. She is a spark of hope in a other seemingly hopeless situation, and she always tries her best to be the best cat she can be. She turns into a blazing fire that inspires everyone around her. I now welcome her as a full warrior of ValleyClan." He leaned forward and placed his muzzle on Sablefire's head. She licked his shoulder and stepped back.

"Sablefire! Sablefire! Sablefire!" When the Clan starting cheering, Bearpaw yowled along with them. He pushed away his burning jealousy. He should be happy for Sablepa- Sablefire. It was his fault he failed thes assessment, not hers.

The Clan immediately crowded around Sablefire, congratulating her and tossing piteous looks over at Bearpaw. He narrowed his eyes, tired of the sappy looks and murmurs of apology.

He bobbed anxiously around the cats, hoping to say a word of congratulations to Sablefire himself. Another call from Valleystar made everyone freeze. "Please, just a few more moments of your time, ValleyClan." Every head turned towards Valleystar. Bearpaw realized how old and tired he looked all of a sudden.

They bustled to sit back down in a bunch, and when Bearpaw was nudged besides Sablefire, the fluffy brown-and-white tabby leader sighed deeply. "Last night, I was visited in a dream by StarClan."

Bearpaw stared at Valleystar. StarClan?! His heart throbbed as he remembered getting visited by the cat who had sent out orders to kill him that had been the first dead cat he'd ever seen. The cat who he had trusted. Martineye. He tossed his head angrily at the thought of the fox-heart, and felt a fury in him that he had rarely felt before.

Sablefire stiffened slightly next to him, her bengal pelt spiking, but her eyes transfixed on Valleystar. The older tomcat looked at his fluffy paws. "They explained of the demons had been weakening the bond from them to us. And of how us not believing in them made it hard for them to get to us. I told them they still let my kit die, as well as all those other cats." His face became taut with guilt. "They told me what I already knew - they couldn't control deaths. But I was blinded. I shall lift the ban on having faith in StarClan, but they also told me something concerning. It's under control, so there's no need to worry."

"They told me there were still evil spirits and ghosts and demons on the loose." Bristleburn's voice sounded from next to Battlewish. Snailpaw lingered by the group of new apprentices, and the new and old kits watched from the nursery. Valleystar's emerald-forest green eyes narrowed at his medicine cat.

He kneaded the ground anxiously as he glared at the golden tabby. "There is no need at all to say that." He spat out each word. "Clan dismissed."

"The Clan needs to be alert," Bristleburn retorted, her eyes becoming slits more narrow than Valleystar's. "You can't keep on hiding things from them and banning the exact cats we need." The Clan watched eagerly.

Bearpaw felt a mix of jumbled emotions he knew too well and had experienced in himself before all at once. He felt a mix of white-hot anger, powerlessness, and fear. He wanted to kill something, anything. If there were still spirits on the loose, would the apprentices be able to train? It could be too dangerous. The Clan started to mill around the clearing, still gazing intently at the medicine cat and leader.

"In any case," Bristleburn growled, making an obvious effort to calm herself. She smoothed down her fur and straightened. "I would like a patrol to be sent at once to clear the fallen tree from the Starfall's path. I would like to converse with StarClan at last."

Acornrustle nodded and stepped lightly next to his leader. "Sablefire, Cranewing, Grasshopperpaw, Rootwhisker, and Doetrail - you guys go and clear the tree. Get ready to be wet." He dipped his head to Bristleburn before turning to Valleystar. "Is that enough?"

"Take Bearpaw," Valleystar muttered.

"He's a disappointment and a shameful addition to this Clan," Acornrustle hurled at Valleystar, turning his back on Bearpaw. Bearpaw felt the words slice through his heart like ice. He flinched.

The cats around him widened their eyes and padded quickly away. A pale ginger-hued she-cat took a pace forward. "May I go?" she asked boldly. "Rootwhisker and me are good at working together." Valleystar tilted his head backward for a second, then inclined his head slightly to her. She bounced off to join the rest of the patrol.

"Take Bearpaw," Valleystar repeated coldly.

Bearpaw blinked. Why is Valleystar having me come? Doesn't he know Acornrustle is mad at me? The wild craze of agitation was rolling off the bengal tomcat like thunder. He felt Sablefire's tail over his shoulders but shrugged her off. If only he was as perfect as her. . .

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Sablefire's POV:
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Sablefire had always nurtured a fondness for forest paths. The air was rich with scents of life. Leaves drifted across the way, and as her paws thrummed a rhythm across the trail, she watched a leaf do a sweeping dance across the air.

They were already nearing the waterfall. Bearpaw puffed along besides her, a scowl etched across his face. Sablefire flicked her ear angrily. Couldn't he just be happy for her? All he did was feel sorry for himself and mope around. It wasn't her fault he failed.

"Come on, Sablefire. You too, Bearpaw - you guys are falling behind!" Acornrustle shot a glare back at them, though it was mostly angled towards Bearpaw. The brown tabby tomcat flicked his tufted ears in irritation but said nothing.

The patrol continued on in silence, and Sablefire was wrapped in memories as the path grooved and dipped. The scent of dewdrops drew her attention and droplets of water that had gathered in a curved leap and dripped down onto the ground. Dainty flowers grew there, stretching out their fragile petals to catch water.

The droplets encased her completely in memory, and her paws started to work unconsciously. . . .

"I want you to come with me, please."

The rogue tomcat was a snowy white with not a trace of other colour. His blue eyes were soft, but his claws slid out a bit. Sablepaw stepped backward, feeling the prick of thorns against her pelt. Her eyes darted around the clearing, for it she needed for run from this maniac, she might be stuck.

"I-I don't know who y-you are!" Sablepaw stammered, her eyes wide. Her paws caught on something crumbly and dry. She sank her claws into it, feeling it break apart. It seemed to be a rotting branch.

"You will come with me! You aren't safe here! I tried to keep her away but she always finds a way!" the white tomcat screeched all of a sudden, baring his teeth and hurrying forward. Shouts sounded from the edge of the clearing as a muscled bengal tomcat slipped in.

Acornrustle glared with such spite at the white tomcat, Sablepaw was surprised it didn't hurt the white cat. He glanced at Sablepaw. "Go!" Then he turned back to the rogue, eyes wild with rage. "How dare you!" he spat, and Sablepaw raced out of the clearing, her vision blurred and heart pounding.

Who was that?

Sablefire was startled out of her memories by a sudden hiss from Acornrustle, who seemed to have shouldered through them to the front. "Hey!" He let out a loud growl, and the rest of the patrol started to bristle.

Sablefire furrowed her brow and shoved past Bearpaw to the front. She mouthed an hasty apology and swiftly whipped her head towards where they were glaring.

Another patrol, of well-muscled cats with ragged pelts, was standing guard in front of the fallen willow tree. Or was it an oak tree? Sablefire's mind felt groggy and unbalanced after the memory had snatched her mind's attention.

The cats smelled familiar . . . "SmokeClan!" Hisses rang through the ValleyClan patrol as Acornrustle spat the name like a curse and bounded forward to come nose-to-nose with the SmokeClan patrol. Sablefire ran besides him, her tail streaming behind her. After a slight hesitation, the rest of the patrol followed.

Bearpaw gazed anxiously at the SmokeClan cats; Cranewing seemed bitter still because of Acornrustle, who had ignored him all the patrol; Rootwhisker looked apprehensive; Doetrail was bristling and looked furious; Grasshopperpaw's expression was distant; Sablefire felt the same as Doetrail.

She raised her hackles as the large tomcat facing her father opened his jaws to speak and bushed out her fur as much as possible, showing the tips of her claws. One she-cat glanced at Sablefire for a split second then looked back away fearfully.

The biggest tomcat stared evenly at Acornrustle. "Starfalls is now SmokeClan's." He slid out his claws and let out a cry of battle before deftly clawing the bengal-patterned ears of Acornrustle. Sablefire watched in horror as the whole SmokeClan patrol sprang on top of them.

There were many . . . too many.