Warriors: Beetlestar's Path

Chapter Twenty-One

     Dustfoot's green eyes glared daggers at Beetlestar from behind the broken queen, silently urging him to choose mercy. But how could he? Acornpelt had betrayed her Clan, giving valuable information to the enemy's own deputy and having his kits! Was there any other slap in the face to the Clan? And she had dragged another Clanmate into it, both choosing to lie to hide their irresponsibility. 

     She betrayed WaterClan! Regardless of the kits, she put our cats in danger by warning Rippletail about the invasion!  

     Yet he looked at her again, and for a moment saw himself sitting before Splashstar, leader before Brookstar, asking for mercy as well. 

     Dustfoot's gaze did not falter. Beetlestar resigned. "I couldn't hurt the kits," he answered. "It'd be irresponsible and wrong to exile them along with you. They're just kits." As he thought of Ripplekit and Flutterkit tumbling about in the nursery, the images shifted into a scene of Sorrelkit. If Splashstar had denied him . . . 

     "I don't think it's the right choice to exile anyone right now," Dustfoot insisted. "Acornpelt came clean, and what good would it do anyways? Would you deprive those kits of their mother?" 

     As she glowered at him, he could almost hear her hiss in his ear: "Just as you did with Sorrelkit?"  

     "Of course not!" He snapped, narrowing his eyes at his littermate. Would she always hold Bean and Sorrelkit over his head?  

     Would the Clan hold Rippletail and his kits over Acornpelt's? 

     The tortoiseshell queen was peering up at Beetlestar was a glint of startled hope in her eyes. "We can stay?" She whispered, voice hoarse from her sobs. Dustfoot rubbed her cheek to her shoulder. 

     "Of course." 

     "Can Yellowfoot come back? He didn't do anything wrong!"  

     Back to Yellowfoot! Beetlestar was grateful for the change in topic, although he didn't quite agree. He still put her and her kits over the safety of the Clan! Still . . . "I'll have Swiftcreek take Poppywings and Kinkedtail to look around the borders. If they can find him, they can bring him back." 

     "The Clan will have to know the truth, though," Dustfoot suggested. "TreeClan may already know, and the rest of WaterClan will be furious if he comes back without a good explanation." 

     "I- I'll tell the Clan," Acornpelt offered, but Beetlestar shook his head. "No, not yet. Not yet." He could picture it now, the kind of chaos this might bring. Half-Clan kits were one thing, but from a TreeClan father? Not yet. "We'll tell Swiftcreek, she'll take Poppy and Kinked, and when he's back, we'll sort it out then." 

     Acornpelt deflated with relief. "Thank you. Thank you so, so much. You- You have no idea what this means to me!" 

     I know better than you think. 

     Dustfoot nudged Acornpelt. "Go lie down, get some rest. We'll get that patrol set up." Acornpelt dipped her head gratefully and scurried out of the den, stopping to glance back at the leader and his medicine cat. Her amber eyes showed not just gratitude, but a clarity that hadn't been there for moons. A weight had been lifted from her shoulders at last, even if only for a while. 

     With Acornpelt gone, Dustfoot stepped in front of her brother. "Were you thinking of exiling her?" She questioned accusingly. "I saw the disgust in your face." 

     Beetlestar, taken aback, jerked his head away and scoffed. "She betrayed her Clan, Dustfoot, and in more ways than one. She has TreeClan kits! But no," he paused, turning on Dustfoot once more, "I won't exile her."