Fall of the Panther || Chapter 6

Instructions

Shimmersnow padded into the leader’s den nervously. Pantherstar lifted her head, looking surprised. “Hey, Shimmersnow. I wasn't expecting you so early in the morning. Is something wrong?” she asked. Shimmersnow blinked. “W-wuh? No, nothing’s wrong! Except…” she hesitated. Pantherstar motioned for her to sit down with her tail. She looked at the deputy with concern. “What is it?” she asked. Shimmersnow took a deep breath. “It's just… I don't think I'm fit to be a deputy. I wanted to ask… why? Why did you choose me?” Shimmersnow already knew the answer to this, but she just had to hear Pantherstar say it out loud. To confirm her fears that she wasn't good enough to be deputy, and the only reason she was chosen was because– “I love you,” Pantherstar said. “Wait, what?” “No, not like– ugh, never mind. It's just,” she sighed, “I wanted someone as deputy who I could trust. Some cat that I've known my whole life. What better candidate than you?” “But–” Shimmersnow started, “--I'm not fit to be deputy. I'm forgetful, and I'm too overconfident sometimes, and impatient, and Brownflash is so much better than–” Surprisingly, Pantherstar moved closer to her, curling up beside her. “I don't care,” she said. “I want you as my deputy, and that's final. Brownflash is amazing, yes, but her skills are needed as an example for other warriors. Y-you don't understand, Shimmersnow,” Pantherstar took a deep breath, twining her tail with Shimmersnow’s. “I need you as deputy. I don't… I can't do this alone. I know I was never meant to be leader, but now I have this burden on me to keep all the cats of CraneClan safe. I swore to StarClan that I’d do this right, but… I need you. Please, stay.” Shimmersnow was speechless. “You… want me to stay? As… as deputy? I-I mean– if you really want me to, I guess I could try…” Pantherstar blinked at her gratefully. “Yes. Thank you.” She shuffled her paws, and Shimmersnow smiled, letting herself relax. Pantherstar’s soft fur brushed against hers, and she felt herself slipping into a peaceful sleep. “There is… something I need to tell you, though.” Pantherstar's voice woke her up. “Huh? What is it?” Shimmersnow forced herself up, remembering that it probably wasn't proper for the deputy and leader to be sharing a nest. Even though Pantherstar was brave, and beautiful, and just– wait, focus, Shimmersnow. Pantherstar hesitated, also getting up. She looked at her paws. “Uh… well… I-I found this nice rock…” she said, picking up a beautiful red rock from the edge of her nest and dropping it at Shimmersnow’s paws. It was shiny, and flat, and surprisingly lightweight. There were small white patterns on it, almost like patterns you would see in the water. “Oh, Pantherstar. This is beautiful,” she said, looking up at Pantherstar. To her surprise, she was avoiding eye contact, nervously flicking her ears. Shimmersnow placed a paw on Pantherstar’s, feeling like she knew what was about to come out of the leader’s mouth. “Well?” Pantherstar froze, then twined her tail around Shimmersnow’s. “W-well… I'm… I was going to say that this rock. I-I found it, and… I wanted to give it to you because–” The vines that covered the entrance to the leader’s den suddenly separated, making both she-cats jump away from each other in alarm. Chasingpaw trotted in. Quite politely, Shimmersnow thought. She watched in annoyance as the apprentice began to try and creep in, oblivious to the fact that they both had already spotted her. “Chasingpaw, you're not supposed to be in here!” Shimmersnow chided. Chasingpaw blinked, and Shimmersnow remembered what she had promised the apprentice the day before. Mouse-dung! “Well, I thought you told me to come find you if you didn’t come see me by sunhigh. To mentor me. And… it’s sunhigh, so—” she broke off, her eyes darting to the rock between Pantherstar and Shimmersnow. “OOOOO A ROCK!” she grinned, pouncing. Panicked, Shimmersnow stuck out a paw, and Chasingpaw struck against it with a soft ‘oof.’ Shimmersnow felt a sudden burst of anger at Chasingpaw’s ignorance. “Hey! What was that for!?”