Warriors Forbidden Kits

Chapter 7

Smokepaw quietly padded across the stony ground. Overhead the moon shone brightly. Her pelt felt like it was crawling with ants. She was on her way to meet with Bluepaw.

Smokepaw reached the border with Waterclan and looked around. The air was still and silent. No sign of Bluepaw. She started to get nervous. A cat could show up at any moment. Smokepaw tried to reassure herself that she wasn't doing anything wrong, but she still was worried.

"Smokepaw?" A voice whispered. Smokepaw jumped. Bluepaw stepped out of the shadows and into view, on his own territory.

"Hi Bluepaw. Yeah, it's me." Smokepaw said. Bluepaw smiled and sat down. Smokepaw sat as near to the border as she dared.

"I was worried you weren't going to come, or that you would send warriors to kill me or something." Bluepaw admitted.

"Why would I do that? I told you I would come, and I always keep my word."

"Well, I'm just glad you came."

So what did you want to ask me? You said you had questions."

"What? Oh, right! Um... How's the prey running?" He asked. The question was so ordinary and sudden, Smokepaw burst out laughing. Bluepaw tilted his head, then started laughing too. The two of them laughed for a long time, neither really sure why the other was laughing.

---

Snowpaw sighed as she looked at the roof of the apprentice den. The scar on her face was healing slowly, but Paleberry had said that it was too early to see if she would have a scar forever. Cloudpaw and Shadowpaw were sleeping nearby, as well as the other apprentices. All except Bluepaw. Snowpaw lifted her head and glanced around. No sign of him. Hadn't he returned from the gathering with everyone else? Yes, Snowpaw remembered him entering the camp with everyone else. But where was he now?

Then he stepped into the den quietly. He looked around quickly, then padded slowly and silently to his nest and laid down. Snowpaw narrowed her eyes, but it wasn't her business to know what he was up to. Instead, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

The next morning, Snowpaw had forgotten about Bluepaw. She stood up and made her way out of the apprentice den. Most of the other apprentices were already gone. In the clearing, a few cars were sitting together. Shadowpaw and Cloudpaw were sitting on opposite sides of the prey pile, while Thornfur and Sunglow sat together by the Warriors den. Jaggedstar was sitting in front of his den, watching everyone. As Snowpaw watched, Bramblespike left the Warriors den and padded to the prey pile.

Suddenly Thornfur and Sunglow stood up together. Both were smiling widely.

"We have an announcement to make." Thornfur said proudly. Snowpaw had a sneaking suspicion what it was. Even though they weren't mates, Sunglow was getting fat with kits.

"Everyone, me and Thornfur are officially mates!" Sunglow said happily. Snowpaw wouldn't look at her ex mom. She couldn't look at her brothers. She couldn't look at anyone. She knew all of he cats would be looking at her and her brothers now. Then she heard something unexpected. A furious yowl. She looked up.

Jaggedstar was stalking slowly towards Sunglow and Thornfur. His eyes were blazing and his claws were unsheathed.

"You traitor! Traitor to the clan! Traitor to Twistedstar's wishes! Traitor!" Jaggedstar spat at Sunglow. Sunglow shrank back, but Thornfur stepped forward.

"Twistedstar's never asked Sunglow's opinion! She never had a choice! It was raise the three squealing kits or die by your claw!" Thornfur yowled. He unsheathed his claws. Snowpaw looked at her brothers. What were they talking about?

"It was a honor to raise Silvermoon's kits!" Jaggedstar said.

"Silvermoon was mates with an Earthclan cat! She was an outlaw!" Thornfur said.

"She was still a Waterclan cat, and those are Waterclan kits!" Jaggedstar hissed.

"But my Sunglow's kits! If she doesn't want them, she doesn't have to raise them!" Thornfur yowled.

"She cannot abandon her duties!"

"You cannot force her to love kits that are not hers!" The two toms glared furiously at each other, then finally Jaggedstar furiously turned around and stalked to Cloudpaw.

"Get up." He hissed. Cloudpaw shakily scrambled to his paws.

"We're going to practice." Jaggedstar said, leaving camp with Cloudpaw at his heels. Thornfur said something comforting to Sunglow, then the two of them went together into the Warriors den. Snowpaw walked to Shadowpaw.

"What were they talking about? Do you have any idea?" She asked him. Shadowpaw shook his head, but Bramblespike didn't say anything.

"What about you Bramblespike?" Snowpaw asked. Bramblespike looked at his paws.

"Please tell us. We have to know." Shadowpaw said. Bramblespike sighed.

"Your mother isn't Sunglow. Your mother was a Waterclan cat named Silvermoon. Your father was an Earthclan cat named Stormstone." Bramblespike began.

"You mean the deputy?" Shadowpaw asked. Bramblespike nodded.

"When Silvermoon was still in Waterclan, she heard a prophecy. No one who is alive knows the prophecy, except maybe Stormstone. Whatever was on the prophecy made Twistedstar panic, and he ordered a guard for the kits. Silvermoon stole one of the kits and killed it. Jaggedstar, Jaggedclaw back then, subdued her and brought her to the clan, where she was banished. She wandered to Earthclan territory, where we lost track of her. Eventually, she and Stormstone fell in love and had kits. You three. There was a battle, and Jaggedstar found out about the kits. Silvermoon was killed in the process, and then you three were brought safely to Earthclan. Stormstone took a new mate, Featherfur, and had three kits." Bramblespike finished. Snowpaw and Shadowpaw looked at each other.

"W... We're half-clans?" Shadowpaw finally asked. Bramblespike nodded.

"That's why Sunglow never loved us!" Snowpaw realized.

"We have siblings in another clan! Half brothers and sisters!" Shadowpaw exclaimed.

"Do you think that Stormstone knows about us? Or that he even remembers us? Or loves us?" Snowpaw asked. Bramblespike shrugged.

"He probably forgot about you three and Silvermoon. After all, he did take a new mate." Bramblespike said.

"I wonder what Silvermoon was like..." Snowpaw said softly.

"Don't go doing anything stupid. Stay in the clan borders. Leave Stormstone alone." Bramblespike said.

"Sure." Shadowpaw said. Bramblespike nodded once, then turned and left. Snowpaw turned to Shadowpaw.

"We've got to talk to Stormstone." She said.

"Why?" Shadowpaw asked.

"Don't you want to meet our real dad? If he still wants us, we can leave Waterclan and go live in Earthclan!" Snowpaw exclaimed.

"I don't know..." Shadowpaw said.

"Please?" Snowpaw begged.

"Ok, fine. But only for a few minutes." Shadowpaw agreed.