Warriors: Darkness In The Clans 3: Melt

Chapter Five

Berryfrost sat at the edge of the clearing, the Winterclan and Seaclan cats chattering their heads off. Hollystar raised her tail for silence. "May I begin?" She asked the other leaders, but before they could respond she cleared her throat and yowled, "Snaketooth has been exiled from Gloomclan!"

"What happened?"

"Who?"

"He was my friend!"

The confused meows of cats echoed across the clearing. Hollystar raised her voice. "He killed one of our warriors, Swarmflight, in cold blood. He and Foxtuft are not welcome in our clan anymore." She said the last bit as though she was longing to say that for a long time. Berryfrost puffed his chest fur out. Snaketooth was gone. The cats below mewed in shock, before transforming into yowls of anger. Berryfrost's heart lifted as he heard their support. "Our medicine cat Berryfrost helped us put an end to him once and for all. By exiling him." Hollystar added quickly. Berryfrost looked down as cats from all clans cheered his name. For a brief moment he saw Batwing's starry outline, joining in with the others proudly.

"That is wonderful news." Cypressstar mewed happily. Hollystar rolled her eyes at him.

"I know."

Cypressstar frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing." She snapped, "Someone else needs to share."

Cypressstar cast her a worried glance before stepping up and meowing, "We haven't had news as good as Hollystar's, but we have new kits in the nursery and new apprentices being made. We saw a fox on our territory, but we quickly sent it running back to where it came from." Cypressstar's whiskers twitched. Berryfrost barely heard his mew. The other cats sided with him. They had no idea! He had killed a cat as well, but of course nobody would pick up on that.

After all, he's just a weak, small, medicine cat. His whiskers quivered with excitement. Could he convince Hollystar to kill Snaketooth?

The gathering began to break up after Gorsestar told the cats about a twoleg intruding their territory. Berryfrost had to lean forward to hear her. She was so quiet! He followed his clanmates out of the clearing before being tackled by a flash of gray fur. Some of the cats at the back of the group noticed, and hissed at the cat, unsheathing their claws. The cat was a tom, and a cat Berryfrost didn't recognize. A rogue! A black cat pushed their companion off. "What are you doing?" They hissed. Berryfrost remembered that they were the same cat that was part of the small group from last moon. Berryfrost blinked at them gratefully. "We are so sorry. I don't know why Rain attacked you." The cat dipped their head, forcing Rain to do the same.

"It's alright." Berryfrost shook his fur. "Haven't I seen you around here before?" He added in a whisper, though the other cats were already leaving him.

The black cat thought for a moment before nodding vigorously. "Yeah. You're Berryfrost right? I'm Holly."

Berryfrost tipped his head. "Hi Holly. What are you doing here?"

"I want to ask you a few questions." Holly glared at Rain. "Is that alright?" Berryfrost nodded, and they continued. "So, Snaketooth- he's the bad cat, right? What did he do, exactly?"

Berryfrost hesitated. Should he tell them? But they were gazing at him with such determination, as though they had a good reason to ask these questions. "He killed multiple cats out of cold blood. He killed them for no reason, and harmed many other cats, mentally and physically. Including me. But he never apologized. He kept hurting." A fresh wave of anger and grief washed over him, tainting his thoughts. "Did you know he led a group of foxes to camp? Did you know he's responsible for my mate's death?" He took a breath. "He's an awful cat, and you should stay away from him."

Holly stared at him, wide-eyed. Even Rain looked shocked. "I'm so sorry." Holly murmured. Berryfrost could barely hear them. He killed Batwing. His claws pierced the ground as his mind filled itself with awful images of Batwing's bloody corpse at his paws. His body trembled. I should have died with him!

"You need to stay away from him." He repeated, his voice cracking. "He will kill the cats you love, over something as small as your blood. I was born half-kittypet, and he hated me for it. That's why he hurt so many cats."

"That's awful! I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve that." Holly mewed sympathetically, reaching their muzzle out to touch Berryfrost shoulder. He instantly stepped back.

"You need to leave." Berryfrost turned away. "Now."