Warriors Forbidden Kits

Chapter 12

Snowleap paced back and forth in the woods. Shadowstalker and Cloudrunner stood nearby watching her.

"We've got to teach him a lesson!" Snowleap hissed for the hundredth time. Cloudrunner rolled his eyes.

"We know that. But how?" He asked. Shadowstalker unsheathed his claws.

"We could kill him." He suggested. Snowleap shook her head.

"Too quick. He needs to feel pain. Not just die." She growled. Shadowstalker dug his claws into the earth.

"We could kill one of the others. Smokeflower, or Starpelt, or Stonebite." He suggested. Cloudrunner shifted uncomfortably. Snowleap paused.

"That just might work. That just might work! Shadowstalker, you're a genius!" Snowleap exclaimed. Shadowstalker grinned wickedly.

"I am, aren't I?" He asked. But Snowleap wasn't listening.

"We could kill Smokeflower. She's a weakling. She's puny. Lure her to the border, kill her, and then at night drag her body into the Earthclan camp and leave it by the warrior den." Snowleap said with a grin.

"Uh... Snowleap? You're starting to sound a little psychopathic." Cloudrunner pointed out. Snowleap glared at him.

"Be quiet runt." She growled. Cloudrunner flattened his ears but didn't fight back. Snowleap could be vicious. He had learned that the hard way.

"Actually, there's no need for luring her to the border. Every three days Smokeflower goes to the border herself. She never crosses though. Probably meeting with a Waterclan cat who hides their tracks too well." Shadowstalker explained. Snowleap grinned.

"We strike tonight then." She said.

---

Smokeflower waited nervously at the border. Blueheart was taking longer than normal to show up. Even though Smokeflower came here every three days, she still worried that a cat would spot her there.

Smokeflower saw the bushes on the other side of the border rustle, and she prepared herself to run away. She stared at the bushes. A moment later, two shapes slipped into the moonlight. A black shape and a white shape. Familiar black and white shapes.

"Right on time." Snowleap said. Smokeflower was torn. On the one paw, Snowleap was her sister. They should be able to trust each other. But on the other paw, they had said they hated Smokeflower and her brothers. Snowleap and Shadowstalker began to slowly pad towards Smokeflower, coming at her from both sides. Smokeflower started to get nervous. They had almost reached the border.

"H-hey guys. What's going on?" Smokeflower stuttered. Snowleap and Shadowstalker had crossed the border by now and we're almost within pouncing distance.

"Hmm... let me think... oh yeah. We came here for a bit of revenge. And your death!" Snowleap yowled, sprinting towards Smokeflower. Shadowstalker did the same on Smokeflower's other side. Smokeflower turned to run but was crushed to the ground by a sudden weight. She yowled and squirmed, but claws slashed her face to silence her. Smokeflower whimpered as stars filled her vision.

"Pitiful. Just pitiful. Stormstone should have chosen me." Snowleap hissed, digging her claws into Smokeflower's back.

"Somebody help! He-" Smokeflower yowled, but was silenced again by claws slashing her muzzle. Smokeflower felt on the verge of blacking out. She was slowly being crushed to death. It was getting harder to breathe, and everything hurt.

"Are you ready to die?" Snowleap hissed in Smokeflower's ear. Smokwflower couldn't speak. Suddenly there was a loud yowl, and the weight was pulled from Smokeflower's back. She breathed deeply, but it hurt her chest. She turned her head slightly to see her rescuer.

Blueheart was fighting both Snowleap and Shadowstalker at once. Smokeflower wasn't very surprised that he was on the Earthclan side of the border, since he had crossed before. Several times actually. But now all she crated about was how he was fighting two cats, not what they had done the times they were together. Both cats were larger than him, but he wasn't giving any ground. He made sure he was always between them and Smokeflower. As Smokeflower watched, he clawed Shadowstalker and bowled Snowleap over. Then another cat joined the fight. This one had gray fur with white spots. Starpelt! What was he doing here? He helped Blueheart drive Snowleap and Shadowstalker back over the border, then rushed to Smokeflower's side. Blueheart was there an instant later.

"Smokeflower! Smokeflower, stay with us. Can you hear me?" Blueheart asked. Smokeflower felt herself blacking out. She opened her mouth to speak, then everything went dark.

-

Starpelt checked Smokeflower's breathing. It was even, even if it was ragged. She was a mess. Her face was badly clawed, and she had tiny wounds along her back. The Waterclan cat was watching her worriedly.

"We've got to get her to your medicine cat." The warrior said. Starpelt glanced at him.

"You do realize that you're on Earthclan territory. If you come into camp, you'll be thrown into prison." Starpelt pointed out.

"I don't care. As long as I'm near Smokeflower I'm happy." He said. Starpelt flicked his tail.

"So you're the one she's been sneaking out to see." He said.

"Yeah. Blueheart. And who are you? Why were you following Smokeflower?" Blueheart asked defensively.

"I happen to be her older brother." Starpelt said.

"I wouldn't want to be you."

"Why not?"

"Because then I couldn't be mates with Smokeflower."

"So you claim to be mates with her?"

"In heart, but not in name."

"Whatever. I'm taking her to Herbfall. Do what you will." Starpelt said, gently working his way under Smokeflower until she was laying across his back. He began walking towards camp, and Blueheart followed him.

"You seriously are going to come?" Starpelt finally asked. Blueheart nodded.

"I love Smokeflower. I knew I did the moment I saw her at her first gathering. And plus, if I go back to camp Snowleap and Shadowstalker will find some way to get back at me." Blueheart pointed out. The two cats reached the canyon where Earthclan lived.

"Last chance to back out. I'll even not mention you. Maybe I'll just say you chased the others all the way back to your camp." Starpelt suggested. Blueheart shook his head.

"I'll follow Smokeflower wherever she goes." He pledged. The two cats made their way down to the medicine den, where Starpelt argued in favor of letting the prisoner watch over Smokeflower. So it was decided. Blueheart would be allowed to watch Smokeflower until she got better, then he would be sent to the Earthclan prison.