Warriors AU: Into the Wild

Chapter 25

Buoyed up with relief at being home again, Sandpaw and Silverpaw sprinted ahead of the patrol into the Thunderclan camp. Lionheart was lying in the middle of the clearing, her head resting sadly on her paws. As the two apprentices bounded in she lifted her nose and sniffed the air. "My kits!" she cried. She leaped up and raced past Sandpaw and Silverpaw to meet the rest of the party as they emerged from the tunnel.

The kits rushed over to Lionheart and nuzzled into her side. She curled her soft body around them and licked them each in turn, purring loudly.

Raggedpelt hung back at the camp entrance and looked on silently.

Oakstar strode up to the returning patrol. She glanced fondly at Lionheart and her kits and then turned her eyes to Brindleface. "Are they all right?" she asked.

"They're fine," meowed Brindleface.

"Well done, Brindleface. Thunderclan honors you."

Brindleface bent his head to accept her praise, and added, "But it was thanks to this apprentice that we found them."

Sandpaw lifted his head and tail proudly, about to speak, but Goldenflower's accusing snarl sounded from across the clearing.

"Why did you bring back the traitor?" The pale warrior stalked up to the patrol and stood beside his leader.

"She is no traitor," Sandpaw insisted. He looked around the camp. The rest of the cats had quickly gathered in the clearing to see the kits and congratulate the hunting party. Some of them had spotted Raggedpelt and were eyeing her with looks of pure hatred.

"She killed Spottedleaf," spat Longtail.

"Look between Spottedleaf's claws," Silverpaw suggested. "You will find the cream and brown fur of Rowanberry, not Raggedpelt's dark brown tabby fur!"

Oakstar nodded at Mousefur, who darted away from the crowd, toward the spot where Spottedleaf's body lay, waiting for its dawn burial. The Clan waited in tense silence till he returned.

"Silverpaw is right," Mousefur panted, rushing back to the clearing. "Spottedleaf was not attacked by a dark brown tabby cat."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.

"But that doesn't mean she didn't help to take the kits!" hissed Goldenflower.

"Without Raggedpelt we never would have recovered the kits!" Sandpaw spat, his exhaustion making him impatient. "She knew that a Shadowclan warrior had taken them. She was hunting for them when I found her. She risked her life returning to the Shadowclan camp. It was Raggedpelt who thought up the battle plan that got us into the Shadowclan camp and gave us a chance to defeat Brokenstar!"

The cats listened to Sandpaw's words, astonished.

"He's right," Brindleface meowed. "Raggedpelt is a friend."

"I'm glad to hear it," murmured Oakstar, catching Sandpaw's eye.

Lionheart's anxious meow sounded from the crowd. "Is Brokenstar dead?" she asked.

"No, she escaped," Brindleface told her. "But she will never lead Shadowclan again."

Lionheart sighed in relief and returned to nuzzling her kits.

Brindleface looked at Oakstar. "I promised Shadowclan we would leave them in peace until next full moon," he explained. "Brokenstar's leadership has left their Clan in chaos."

Oakstar nodded. "That was a wise and generous offer," she meowed approvingly. The Thunderclan leader walked past Brindleface and the rest of the patrol and approached Raggedpelt. Raggedpelt lowered her eyes as Oakstar touched the dark brown tabby cat's rough coat with her nose.