**OLD** Valley Cats: Of Sky and Stone 1- Daughters and Darkness

Chapter Twenty-Three

 Twisterpaw readjusted her grip on her vole. At her side, Pumpkin was carrying a mockingbird that the apprentice had caught. Even though the kittypet was terrible at hunting, they still want to make a good impression on the Clan, in the form of Pumpkin carrying back some prey.

 The rodent was slippery against her teeth. She bit it tighter to keep it from falling. The black-and-white she-cat had been an apprentice for three moons now. Tasks like hunting and patrolling were getting easier. Now, the Clan was expecting her to provide for them. It was hard having work to do every day, but Twisterpaw didn't mind. Being part of a Clan was all about helping each other.

 But as for the kittypet beside her, things were different. Pumpkin had just returned from her search for a fluffy white warrior, and was now trying to convince the leaders of ForestClan to make her an apprentice. The two she-cats walked into camp, greeted by the sight of Sandystar talking to her new deputy, Mothtail. Twisterpaw shrugged off the looks she was getting from the older members of ForestCan as she circled around the prey-bush before placing her catch neatly on a branch.

 "This is the prey bush. We put our prey here. I showed you, didn't I?" she tried to remember if she had shown the kitten around the camp before yesterday's bloodshed.

 "Oh, yes. Finchpaw showed me around." Pumpkin answered, almost with her usual cheerfulness. She turned towards the apprentice den, where Galepaw was sharing prey with Mosspaw, Amberpaw, and Sparrowpaw. They talked quietly, no doubt gossiping. They all shared a similar sense of nervousness, one that usually involved the exaggeration of possibilities. Twisterpaw watched as the kittypet threw herself into the conversation, whispering and making jokes just like them.

 Twisterpaw tried to think about what she could say about Pumpkin. She was surprisingly strong, as she had pulled the apprentice up from her vertical struggle the first time she had met her. And she was brave, wasn't she? Pumpkin had leaped between her and a charging dog. And she was cheerful, something that Twisterpaw admired. Some might call it stupid, but being cheerful all the time is definitely a sign that a cat is strong and dauntless in the face of negativity.

 "Twisterpaw. A word?" 

 The apprentice whirled around to find the old she-cat Mothtail standing over her. The pale brown tabby beckoned with her soft tail. "Come with me."

 Once inside the deputy's cave between the deputy's boulder and the leader's tree, Twisterpaw sat down on the stone floor. In here, it was even more spacious than the leader's den! She admired the pebbles before Mothtail's voice jarred her back to attention.

 "Did you know who Mango was before you met him?"

 "He told me he's the brother of Poppystar and Pansypool. Marigoldheart, right?" the apprentice recounted.

 "Yes. Did he tell you why he left the Clan?" Mothtail didn't show any clues.

 "Um... he left the night of his warrior's vigil because he knew his sisters were destined for greatness and he wasn't?"

 The deputy shook her head gravely. "I remember when he was exiled. I was a kit then. But Marigoldheart didn't choose to leave. Pumastar forced him to. One day he brought a litter of kits to the camp. Apparently he had a mate from the twoleg dens, and didn't tell anyone because he thought no-one cared. His mate had been slain by a border patrol, and he was left to try to get the kits into ForestClan- or should I say, kittens. They were the offspring of a kittypet." she explained.

 "Oh. But that's not evil, is it?"

 "Let me finish. It was the middle of leaf-bare, and Marigoldheart was forced to leave ForestClan. He tried to climb up the rockiest part of the cliff near GroveClan territory, but one of the two kits fell and hurt its head. It was killed immediately. I think that one was Dandelionkit, and the other was Daffodilkit. But anyways, he tried to attack the deputy Poppypetal when she was returning from a gathering. Of course, she was injured and retired due to combined factors. I guess Mango was waiting for a weak spot to finish her off. That's where you come in." Mothtail narrowed her eyes at the apprentice.

 "How could I have known Mango was going to kill Poppystar? It's just one of the secrets the Clan refuses to talk about. Like how Poppystar was going to lose her mind one day, and we still let her make all of the decisions. Or Snowspirit and Magpeipaw are missing, but everyone just brushed over it because no-one likes them. And I know you guys hate my father for some reason! It's pretty obvious!" Twisterpaw's voice could probably be heard from outside the den, but she didn't care. "No one ever talks about these things!"

 "Even if we don't parade our Clan secrets around," Mothtail's eyes narrowed even more. "You believed every word he said. You gave him sensitive information about our leaders. And above all that, you led him into camp. Cedarspike and Sprucefall have been racked with guilt lately. Parsleyshade and Basilfang are hardly eating. And what about cats like Sandyfur and Sagepool? They care, too. Even if Poppystar was mild and passive and no one liked her, she had her good days."

 Twisterpaw looked down at her paws meekly. "I'm upset about it, too. But it was an accident, really! Does this mean I'm in trouble?"

 "Oh, yes. You are in big trouble. Our leader is dead because of you, Twisterpaw. And for that, you will inform the other Clans of this tragedy, and who caused it." Mothtail growled. "At the next gathering, we'll see how many of the other Clan apprentices think you're cool when you tell them that you led a murderer into camp. Now, get out of my sight. And try not to kill any more leaders until the full moon."

 Twisterpaw nodded sorrowfully. She got to her paws and fled from the cave, tears gathering in her eyes. Pumpkin was still chattering away with the other apprentices when she raced over. Brightpaw was just waking up, yawning hugely in the entrance to the apprentice's den. When he saw her baring her teeth a paw-length away, he jumped back.

 "Hey, what's gotten under your fur?" he joked.

 Twisterpaw yowled in fury, barreling him over as she shoved her way inside. "Shut up! Don't act like you don't hate me. I'm not stupid."

 Brightpaw whirled around, his expression one of pure shock. "What happened to you? You're even more irritable than usual."

 "I killed a cat, Brightpaw. And now everyone in the nine Clans is going to know about it."