viperfoot

~~~

TO SAY VIPERFOOT was shocked was an understatement. To say that Snakestrike was shocked was an understatement. To say that the entire Clan was shocked was an understatement.

The only cat who seemed calm and at ease was Ivorystar, who lifted her chin, giving Viperfoot's brother a pointed look. "So, Snakestrike? Do you accept?"

Snakestrike glanced sideways, and, following his eyes, Viperfoot found that he was looking at Foxstorm. The ginger tom was staring back at Snakestrike with a wild gaze, seemingly in utter disbelief. 

Snakestrike opened his jaws, and Viperfoot saw him beginning to shake his head. He was going to decline. He wasn't going to accept. 

Then, Snakestrike looked at Viperfoot. And just by meeting his brother's eyes, it seemed that Viperfoot triggered something in Snakestrike, for when Snakestrike faced Ivorystar again, he nodded. "I accept."

"Hold on a moment!" Tigerstrike exploded from where he sat at the entrance of the elders den. "You can't do that!"

Ivorystar looked at the elder coolly. "Would you care to elaborate, Tigerstrike?"

"He hasn't trained an apprentice yet!" Tigerstrike meowed angrily. "It's against the Warrior Code, you can't appoint him as your deputy!"

"Easy fix," Ivorystar mumbled. Raising her voice, she let out a yowl, "Let every cat of ShadowClan gather around the Clanrock for an Apprentice Ceremony!"

There was really no need for the call, everyone was outside of their dens, anyway. As cats bent toward each other, murmuring in confusion, Ivorystar spoke again.

"Whitekit, Dewkit, could you step forward, please?"

Mistyfrost frowned at that, looking to her two kits. "Ivorystar?"

"They're six moons, yes?" Ivorystar asked flatly.

"Yes, but - but I haven't had time to prepare them-" The gray-and-white queen was now rapidly drawing her tongue across her kits' pelts, trying to clean them up a bit.

"It's okay, Mom," Dewkit meowed, shaking his mother off, his brown-and-white fur ruffled with excitement. "We're ready."

"Yeah!" Whitekit agreed with his brother, and the two eagerly ran to the Clanrock, where Ivorystar went through the Apprentice Ceremony.

Snakestrike ended up getting Whitepaw as an apprentice, and Dewpaw was assigned to Birdfrost. The apprentices' names were cheered half-heartedly, the cats of ShadowClan primarily confused, lost, and upset about the situation. What was meant to be a happy ceremony was turned into an ugly mess.

As soon as Ivorystar dismissed everyone to bed, Viperfoot approached Snakestrike, not caring about their argument. "Snakestrike, we need to talk."

"No, we don't," Snakestrike replied curtly, dodging around Viperfoot, only to be met by Clearfrost. A sneer rose on his face at the sight of the ragdoll. "I suppose you're not here to congratulate me, you never do, after all."

Clearfrost ignored his bitterness. "You can't be the deputy."

"Well, it seems like I am," Snakestrike snapped.

"Tell Ivorystar you resign," Clearfrost insisted. "You're not experienced enough, you haven't mentored a single apprentice. You'll be fit for the role of deputy someday, but not today."

Snakestrike scoffed. "Funny. First thing you say to me in moons, and it's for me to give up an opportunity. Well, no can do."

"Snakestrike, this isn't a joke." Clearfrost's voice was agitated. "You're agreeing to advise my sister in a war! What do you know about wars? You're not right for deputy!"

"Ivorystar thinks I'm right," Snakestrike retorted.

"StarClan won't approve of this."

"Who cares what StarClan approves of?" Snakestrike lashed his tail. "There are leaders and followers in the world, don't you understand? And leaders don't become leaders by backing away from golden opportunities like this! I'm not a kit anymore, Clearfrost! You can't boss me around, or scold me, or punish me by making me collect herbs! I'm the deputy, in fact, your deputy." His eyes sharpened.

Clearfrost sighed tiredly. "Resign, Snakestrike. I don't have time for you and my sister's immaturity - StarClan knows why she picked you. I've got things to do."

Snakestrike's face twisted into an ugly snarl. "Don't you always? You've always got things to do. Never a spare moment for Viperfoot and I, huh? Always focused on precious little Mintberry."

Clearfrost tilted her head, her voice back to its normal coldness when she spoke. "If this entire thing is some sibling rivalry, and you've accepted the role of deputy just to prove something... then you are perhaps the most mousebrained cat I've ever met. You're right, you're not a kit anymore, but consider everything carefully. You've just sacrificed the fate of ShadowClan."

Lashing her tail, the ragdoll whipped around and stalked away, disappearing into the medicine den.

Facing Viperfoot, Snakestrike made a noise of annoyance. "Can you believe her?"

Viperfoot frowned. "Yes, I agree with her, in fact."

"Great," Snakestrike muttered. "What a supportive family I've got."

"You know I'd support you in anything!" Viperfoot protested. "Even this, if you really want to, I'll support you. But I just don't know if it's right."

Snakestrike shook out his pelt. "So you're saying if Ivorystar would've picked you instead, you wouldn't have said yes?"

"I wouldn't have, because I know I'm not ready," Viperfoot replied. "We've only just become warriors yesterday. It's way too early to help lead a Clan."

Snakestrike rolled his eyes. "And that's why you'll only ever be a follower." 

Viperfoot took a step back, stung, and didn't speak as Snakestrike moved around him once more to duck into the warriors den. He'd just seen Foxstorm and Brooklight go in there, so Viperfoot could only imagine how awkward it was right now. But despite the promised tension, the warriors den meant his nest, and nest meant sleep.

And all Viperfoot wanted to do right now was sleep.

However, before he could retreat into the den, low murmurs caught his attention.

"If only Lilylight and Icestrike were still here. They'd slap some sense into Snakestrike." The voice belonged to Pinefrost.

Viperfoot froze, as he always did when he heard his parents' names. He'd never been one to pass up a story about them, and this time wouldn't be any different.

Briarlight, a tortoiseshell she-cat, scoffed. "Don't talk about my sister."

Viperfoot felt as though his veins were turning into ice. He knew, roughly, that his mother had kin in ShadowClan, but they'd never stepped up to introduce themselves as such. He could feel himself begin to tremble as Briarlight continued.

"She's only caused trouble for ShadowClan, and her kits don't seem to be straying from that path." Briarlight's voice was laden with hatred. "Snakestrike, deputy of ShadowClan. Pathetic."

"Oh, come on now, don't say that," Pinefrost protested. "He's a very bright cat. He may be a bit young, but I'm sure he'll do well."

"Not with my sister's genes, he won't," Briarlight mewed flatly.

"Lilylight wasn't that bad," Pinefrost tried defending. "Sure, she caused some trouble with Icestrike, but everything turned out alright."

Briarlight scoffed. "My poor mother, going to the Burnt Sycamore almost every night to catch the two. I thought her head was going to explode, and I guess eventually, it did."

"What?" Pinefrost sounded confused. "I thought she died from a fever?"

"No, she died from complete stress over the fact that her precious daughter is breaking the Warrior Code," Briarlight sneered. "You'd think Lilylight would feel a bit remorseful about killing our mother rather than inviting that stupid tom to join ShadowClan and having kits with him."

Viperfoot thought his head would explode. His father... wasn't ShadowClan? What Clan was Icestrike from, then?

"Anyway, I've done fine pretending my sister doesn't exist for the last two years." Briarlight sounded tired. "I don't see the need to change it now. I'm going to bed. Goodnight." She pushed herself to her paws and padded to the warriors den, eyes meeting Viperfoot's for a brief moment.

Viperfoot had never paid much attention to the tortoiseshell she-cat before. Had she always had that angry glow in her eyes whenever she looked at him? He wasn't sure, but she certainly had it now as she breezed past, ducking into the warriors den.

Viperfoot shivered, the speed Briarlight went as she trotted past him creating a small flutter of wind which ruffled his fur. He sat there for who knows how long, staring up at the night sky, pondering the information he'd just received.