Warriors: Back to the Wild Book#3

Chapter 22

Mousepelt had to help hold Amberheart up as she staggered on her paws. Foxtail ran over to the golden she-cat's other side and helped hold his mate up as well.

Mousepelt looked away from Amberheart and to Ravenclaw. Her ears lowered, uncertainty clawing at her heart. Now that it was over, Mousepelt wanted to return to her home of ShadowClan. Spend season upon season with her loving mate. But would ShadowClan accept her? Would any Clan forgive her for her treason? She wouldn't expect them to. There was too much blood on her paws.

"It's finally over." Amberheart's happy mew interrupted Mousepelt's fearful thoughts.

Mousepelt shook her head. "Deathmask is still out there..." She remembered when her old apprentice was just a lonely kit. Only his sisters to give him love. Silversol took him in when Limptail and Viperfang practically disowned the poor thing.

"That comes later," Amberheart meowed, "right now, let's focus on the present."

Mousepelt looked at her paws. She was still worried. What would become of the future? Would her kits be okay? Would the Clans be safe?

Her fretting ceased when warm fur pressed against hers. Mousepelt looked up into the glorious blue eyes of Ravenclaw. His tail twined around hers and he pressed his nose against her muzzle.

"If we just explain to Stonestar that you didn't mean to hurt anyone," he whispered, "maybe you'll be welcomed back. If not... Then we'll leave. Just you and me. We'll raise our kits somewhere far away from Deathmask and the Dark Forest."

Before Mousepelt could speak, the sound of Tumblestar's coughing filled the island clearing.

"I, myself, believe Mousepelt has shown herself worthy to come back to the Clans!" The ThunderClan leader announced, looking to Stonestar.

Mousepelt felt Ravenclaw tense up next to her. Her heart beat as Stonestar looked to the brown she-cat. He narrowed his eyes and most of the the warriors whispered their disagreements.

She lowered her ears as she untwined her tail from Ravenclaw's and walked up to stand in the middle of the clearing. She looked to each leader individually and gathered her courage to speak before the cats she harmed.

"From the moment I stepped into ShadowClan," she began, "I knew the wild was my place. The thing I wasn't sure of was whether the Clans were the wild I needed. Not many of my Clanmates accepted me, my... Mentor wasn't too thrilled of having to train a kittypet, and the worst of it... I left and received training from the Dark Forest. I killed cats because I was under the influence of Silversol. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially cats in my Clan, or kits... I... I love my Clan, my mate, and I'll love my kits dearly till the end of my life, whether my fate is in the stars, or the the Place of No Stars. And I can promise you, with every breath in my lungs, with all the blood of warriors in me, I will fight and defend my Clan." Mousepelt lowered herself to a bow before Stonestar and waited for her fate.

"Mousepelt! Mousepelt!" She twitched her ear at the sound of Frightwing's call.

"Mousepelt! Mousepelt!" Ravenclaw joined his Clanmate. Amberheart followed along with Coldeyes, Flowerstem, Foxtail, until all the island was filled with calls of the Clans, calling out Mousepelt's name.

"I guess the choice has been made," Stonestar spoke, silencing the clearing, "Mousepelt will return to ShadowClan as a full fledged and welcomed warrior!"

Cheers overtook Mousepelt. Ravenclaw ran over and covered Mousepelt with licks until she was soaked. Mousepelt thought she'd burst joy. Now her kits would be safe in their blood Clan with their father and many of her Clanmates for seasons.