The Prophecy Foretold: Testing Alliances

Chapter Sixteen

Puddlepaw stared in surprise, frozen in place as she watched the she-cat stare at her expectantly. For a moment she thought about running away, but she didn't think that would do her any good

"Do you know who I am?" The she-cat spoke, tilting her head curiously. Puddlepaw hesitated before she nodded, swallowing past the dryness in her throat.

"You're Stoneheart, aren't you?" She nodded, purring loudly.

"So you've heard of me." Stoneheart watched as Puddlepaw slowly sat before her, looking her up and down suspiciously.

"I've heard what you've done. You're an evil cat, Greenthistle said you created the Dark Forest, where evil cats go when they die." Puddlepaw jumped some as Stoneheart let out a laugh, and the she-cat stood.

"You've been told one side of the story, Puddlepaw. Come, take a walk with me, and I'll tell you the real story." Puddlepaw sat still, before she pushed herself up, and followed after Stoneheart as they began to walk through the high meadow. The grass seemed to part for them as they walked along, following an invisible path.

"I won't lie, I've killed cats. It's against the warrior code, but plenty of cats have killed other cats, it's our nature. To protect what we love to our deaths." Stoneheart glanced down at Puddlepaw before she continued.

"I was an apprentice when Reedstar approached me. My mentor was a she-cat named Lilythrush, and she'd fallen out of a tree and hurt her back leg. Reedstar offered to take over the last of my apprenticeship, and I was ecstatic. Being the leaders apprentice, even for a short time, was such an honor. Reedstar took great care of me, showed me all the best moves, and he never made me do the nasty apprentice chores. I couldn't help but fall for him. And he told me he'd fallen for me too, and wanted to be my mate."

Puddlepaw looked surprised, staring up at Stoneheart. "But you're not allowed to take a mate until you're a warrior." Stoneheart nodded, pushing through some fern fronds, and out into a small clearing with a babbling brook before them. She went and sat on a warm rock by the waters edge, inviting Puddlepaw over with a swish of her tail.

"I'm aware. But I was a naive apprentice, and Reedstar told me to keep our relationship secret. So I did. I became a warrior, and he gave me the name Stoneheart. Everything was going so well- and then I became pregnant." Stoneheart stared down into the water, reaching a paw out to touch the waters edge.

"I was excited, I was a young warrior in love. But when I told Reedstar, he was angry. He took me to Fallowthistle, our medicine cat, and told her to give me an herb that would end my pregnancy. He cut me off completely, and told the clan I'd eaten a bad crow when they asked why I spent so long in the medicine cats den. I'd lost my kits, my one love, and the respect of my leader. All I had was Fallowthistle, and she was not much help." Stoneheart sighed, looking over at Puddlepaw. "And then there was Amberdawn. I was naive so I hadn't ever noticed, but she was Reedstar's mate, even when we had been together. It explained everything- and it made me mad. I was betrayed, I threw myself into my warrior duties, wearing myself out so I wouldn't have to be awake long and see that wretched she-cat. And then she announced she was expecting kits. I wanted to warn her about what Reedstar had done to me, what he would do to her. But he was so excited when she told him. That was the last straw. I needed my revenge."

Puddlepaw shifted her paws, feeling her stomach in turmoil. "You killed her kits."

Stoneheart watched her for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "I did. They were just kits, but I was blinded by hatred. If I couldn't have kits, then she didn't deserve to have them either. And you know what she did? She grieved, and then she wanted more. She hadn't learned her lesson. But it wasn't her lesson to learn. So, I killed Reedstar. I took his last three lives, and then I killed Amberdawn. It was over. And then I was killed by my own clanmates. I rid them of their pathetic leader, and that's the thanks I got." Stoneheart hissed, lashing her tail. After a moment she calmed down, taking a deep breath.