Warriors: Escaping Fate

Chapter 2 - A Sign From StarClan

"Oh no, please be careful with those poppy seeds, Finchwing!" Willowbranch interjected, carefully standing between him and her precious stash of tiny seeds. But she was quickly pushed back as Mintpaw budged in between the rest of the clan.

"Wow, that is so cool!" she meowed, her light blue eyes wide in awe. She touched one of the berries with one paw, as if in doubt of it being real.

"Why do you even have holly berries in the first place?" Icebreath asked Willowbranch with a very serious look on her face.

"I don't know." Willowbranch said, "They just appeared in my den."

"Can you interpret it?" Leopardstrike asked.

"Blossomheart, look where you're stepping!" Willowbranch hardly had time to address her as she rushed over to the tortoiseshell and white she-cat, who had just stepped in a batch of goldenrod which had been laid out to dry.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Willowbranch. I didn't mean to ruin anything," Blossomheart carefully picked her way past the herbs, "I'll help you collect some more. I promise."

"It's okay," Willowbranch sighed, her heart had more or less given out. She had been trying to divert her clanmates away, but they kept coming. Originally, she had only meant to tell Flamestar, but the way they all stared at her the moment she stepped out of her den made her feel so awkward that she couldn't prevent the words from slipping out.

"Willowbranch, how is this a sign?"

"It's as clear as day! Don't be a mouse-brain." Finchwing hissed at Leopardstrike. Leopardstrike, not being the type to back down from a fight, unsheathed her claws. "Call me that again, and I'll rip your fur off!"

"ENOUGH!" Every cat turned to see Flamestar standing at the mouth of the den, white fur bristled in fury. "I am very disappointed in all of you. We are only moons away from leaf-bare, and here you are ruining our precious herbs!"

"Flamestar, they didn't mean to--" Willowbranch's voice shook.

"GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!" Flamestar's harsh voice screeched loudly to all the cats who were gathered inside. In response, Mintpaw quickly dashed outside with Blossomheart close on her paws. There was no time to protest, Flamestar was furious. Leopardstrike and Finchwing gave the holly berries one last glance before following them through the fern tunnel, their ears flattened and tails dragging across the ground. Icebreath, meanwhile, showed no signs of being bothered and left with her tail held high.

Flamestar stepped forward. "Willowbranch, I'm sorry, if I had just gotten here sooner--" He looked around: broken stalks of goldenrod laid scattered across the dirt floor, numerous dried leaves of various sizes had been crushed, and poppy seeds were scattered everywhere. Clearly Willowbranch had been sorting through her supplies when the prophecy revealed itself.

She ignored him and tended to the poppyseeds, pushing them back into their proper place and discarding any crushed seeds. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either. Still, Flamestar knew that she was hurting deeply inside. If only he hadn't gotten there sooner.

"You wanted to see the sign, didn't you?" Willowbranch asked. She looked up at him, her green eyes dull.

"Oh, right." Flamestar nodded. He really wasn't interested anymore, but the look she gave him made him move on.

When he saw the holly berries, his mouth fell open in shock. The red berries were in the shape of a kit. He raised his head towards the sky and closed his eyes, asking StarClan why they would do something so horrible. "Redkit no, any cat but Redkit." Holly berries were poisonous to kits. Could this mean that she was going to die?

"It has many interpretations," Willowbranch told him, her gaze still turned to her herbs. "I can't guarantee anything."

"Hey Redkit, hurry up!"

Flamestar stiffened when he heard Hazelkit meow excitedly outside the den entrance, his voice becoming louder as he approached. Redkit trailed behind him; her paws acting as if they were made of lead.

Flamestar turned to Willowbranch. "Should we tell Redkit?"

Willowbranch only shook her head. "She already knows."

Flamestar winced as he heard the ferns rustle behind him, and before long the two had stepped out into the clearing.

"Willow—oh, hi Flamestar!" Hazelkit smiled. He turned back towards her, "Can we see the sign from StarClan?"

Willowbranch nodded, disguising her sadness in a warm meow. "Go ahead."

Flamestar watched as Redkit looked at the sign. She was smiling, but he could tell from her glassy eyes that it was a fake smile.

"Wow, Redkit it looks like you!" Hazelkit meowed. "I bet your warrior name will be Redberry or Redholly."

"Redholly sounds mouse-brained," she mewed weakly.

Hazelkit placed a paw on her shoulder. "But no other cat has Holly in their name!"

"There's a reason why," she muttered dryly.