Golden Wings

RiverClan waited on the edge of the bank, waiting anxiously to bound into the clearing below. A strong, fresh scent entered our noses. ShadowClan had arrived. I stood at the head of the group, amber eyes sparkling, waiting to see a familiar shape. A dark tabby pelt entered my sight. I raised my tail in signal, and RiverClan padded swiftly into FourTrees.

Some RiverClan apprentices ran to a cluster of ShadowClan apprentices and I could see Dawnpaw, a RiverClan apprentice, challenge a dark gray ShadowClan cat into a friendly match. Soon, the two gray cats were tussling with the other apprentices cheering their Clanmates on. A muscular dark tabby tom watched the young cats, pride in his amber eyes. I felt my heart swell with admiration. Love flew into my eyes.

When I padded dignifiedly to the tabby, he growled, “Greetings Leopardstar. How has RiverClan been doing?”

I purred, “Well, thank you, Tigerstar. I see that ShadowClan is thriving.” I flicked my ears at the strong ShadowClan cats. “You’ve done a fine job there. Those are strong, young cats, and they’ve learned their fighting moves well.” Pride welled in my heart for the ShadowClan cat.

One of Tigerstar’s rare purrs rumbled in his chest. “We’ve made progress. But there’s a long way to go yet.” He and I moved backward as the apprentices neared them. I purred, and Tigerstar commanded, “Enough Cedarpaw. You have done very well.” The dark gray tom broke away from the RiverClan cats.

“As have you, Dawnpaw,” I praised the young gray cat. I turned to my companion. “Shall we go?” Tigerstar nodded, and led me to the Great Rock. I saw an old, blue-gray she-cat already there. It was Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan. ThunderClan had arrived. I held back a hiss and could see Tigerstar glaring at a particular ThunderClan warrior, a flame-colored tom. I glared at Fireheart too, and the big gray tom who had just betrayed my Clan. Graystripe.
WindClan had arrived also. The Gathering began. I half-heartedly listened to Tallstar of WindClan’s report, and when he stepped back, the love of my life stepped forward. My eyes shown when he told the Clans of ShadowClan’s new strength and when he paused, I tilted her head ever so slightly.

He requested for the return of his kits! I was surprised when he gave Bluestar a moon to return his kits. If I ever had kits, I would demand custody immediately. I shot a glance at Tigerstar. And I had a father in mind…

TigerClan meant the world to me. Now, if we had kits, it would not be against the warrior code, and they would be the two most powerful cats in the forest’s kits, respected before birth. But Firestar, he had to ruin it. Yet, Tigerstar killed my beloved deputy, Stonefur, indirectly, and for that, I tore the Bonehill down, trying to shake off the cold, dead amber gaze upon my fur. ‘No, Leopardstar! Stop!’

I instinctively paused, my paws outstretched over the bones. ‘Why? You’re dead---and you nearly destroyed my Clan.’

‘I may be dead, Leopardstar, but I still shall wait for you. Until it is your time to join me. You can remain leader of TigerClan. Complete my legacy. Our paths are intertwined.’

Aloud, I hissed under my breath, “Goodbye, Tigerstar. You never returned my love. I will not stand unrequited for eternity, Tigerstar, and I will not wait. RiverClan was not destined to stand with ShadowClan.”

I pressed my ears against my head and dug my paws onto the bones with doubled strength, feeling my heart shatter. Now, my Clanmates joined me---not warriors of TigerClan, but of RiverClan. ShadowClan stood behind Blackfoot, who gazed coldly upon my fur coldly. When the bones were scattered across the clearing, I whipped around to my warrior Loudbelly and ordered quietly, “Escort ShadowClan from our camp when these ThunderClan cats leave. We are no longer TigerClan.”
“But Leopardstar,” the brown warrior gasped. “What of Tigerstar? We are TigerClan warriors.”
My eyes blazed. “Do I look as if I have ginger fur and black stripes? I am the size of a horse? We are not TigerClan, and you will follow my orders.” I padded away from Loudbelly, raising my head to Firestar and his companions, some I recognized---Sandstorm, Graystripe, and Tigerstar’s son, Bramblepaw.
I flicked my ears and nodded to the entrance. The flame-colored leader nodded, dipped his head respectfully, and led his cats out of the camp. I watched the orange tom leave carefully, musing, ‘Quite the rumors are passing about him. I hear he has his own prophecy around his paws. Well, I’ll keep an eye on him. StarClan’s favored or not, he is not much younger than I, and I have the sense he has, if not more, of being a leader.’

I padded back to my own Clanmates, keeping my head high and my amber eyes ablaze with pride. “Mosspelt,” I addressed a tortoiseshell she-cat, flicking my tail, signaling she should approach me. Blue eyes wary, Mosspelt padded to my side as I strode through the camp.

“Yes, Leopardstar?” the queen meowed. “What is it?”
“Hold RiverClan under control for a little bit. Organize hunting and border patrols.”
“And you, Leopardstar?” Mosspelt ventured. “Where will you be?”
“I need some time to myself,” I murmured softly. I stood straight and tail, my gold tail resting over my paws. “I trust RiverClan will be safe in your care, Mosspelt.”
The startled tortoiseshell dipped her head and mewed, “O-of course, Leopardstar. Take your time.” I nodded, passing my tail over her shoulder before bounding into the forest. And with every swift paw step I took, pieces of my broken heart fell to the forest floor.

When the last shard fell, I lost will to keeping running. What was I running from anyway? My Clanmates? My friends? Or…was it truly the knowledge that when I returned, there would not be a dark-furred tabby sitting and waiting for me with welcoming amber eyes. I let out a wail and plunged my muzzle into a clump of ferns, feeling hot tears melting into my fur. I laid wretchedly on the moss, sobs erupting from my throat and the only image in my eyes and my head was Tigerstar---and I saw what could have been. A tabby kit and a dark golden kit, the tabby the tom and the gold kit the she-kit. I even sorted names---Stripekit and Sunkit. But now…another muffled shriek slipped through my clenched teeth. That was when a dark pelt caught my eye.

I lifted my head, darkened with tears, and I found myself face-to-face with a smoky black warrior who had crouched down to look me in the eyes.

“Leopardstar?” the black tom meowed softly. “Are you alright?”

“Blackclaw,” I mewed, looking my closest friend in his yellow eyes. Only he would understand my pain. I once had a sister named Oakstripe, but she had died kitting. The beautiful golden-brown tabby was Blackclaw’s old friend as well.

“What’s wrong, Leopardstar?” Blackclaw mewed again. “Are you hurt?”
I scrambled to my paws, trying to hold myself in a commanding appearance, but I couldn’t, and I fell flat of that. “No, Blackclaw. It’s…Tigerstar. I miss him so.”

The dark warrior tilted his head puzzled. “I was not aware of your connection to him.”

“He seemed so brave, so kind,” I poured out. “I could not look past his treachery. I loved him so much, Blackclaw, what do I do?”

Blackclaw sighed, and put his tail over my ears. But he quickly whisked it away. I let out a short purr---both of us were young cats and it was beginning to be time to choose mates. It was no secret Blackclaw was mooning over Dawnpaw, Heavystep’s apprentice. But Dawnpaw was RiverClan through and through---because TigerClan was no more, it was against the warrior code for I to love Tigerstar. Blackclaw’s copper eyes shone sympathetically and I touched noses with him, but soon meowed, “Did you follow me here?”

“Truthfully, yes,” Blackclaw admitted. “I was worried about you; you’ve seemed so distant since Tigerstar’s death. You’re my leader, as well as my friend, and RiverClan needs you now more than ever.” His ears drooped when he said softly, “Let Tigerstar go.”

My heart wrenched of all happiness when I heard Blackclaw say this and I hissed wretchedly, “That is kind of you to say that, Blackclaw. I will be strong for my Clan, but I won’t ever forget Tigerstar. Blood may have been on his paws, but his claws are in my heart.” I looked away from him, and my warrior flicked his tail in the direction of the Clan. “Let’s return to RiverClan, where they need us.”

I narrowed my eyes and held my head high. I was a cat of my pride, and I wouldn’t let any other cats see my pain. My amber eyes smoldered, and I ordered Blackclaw, “You first. I need a moment.” The dark-furred tom closed his eyes to slits and watched me for a moment, but then dipped his head and turned tail to camp. When his pawsteps faded away, I turned my muzzle to the sky and yowled. I yowled louder than I ever had before. I released my pain and fear in one single screech, and when I stopped, I was leader of the RiverClan once more.