Rivers and Trees: A Warriors Fanfiction

Chapter 8: Secrets

Eaglepaw had just finished talking to Reedfoot, his mother's new mate. He was nice, and he could see how his mother loved him. Though he still couldn't believe he'd have new siblings. Maybe he'd get a sister...! Although they'd be half-siblings... He'd still love them anyway. Kestrelpaw suddenly came bounding to Eaglepaw and nearly ran him over.

"Hey, Kestrelpaw! Feeling better?"

"Yeah, Creampaw talked to me. She's really sweet, the absolute best!" The two siblings stopped and stared at each other.

"You don't..." Eaglepaw stared at Kestrelpaw.

"No, but you do! You like her!" Kestrelpaw jumped up.

"N-no! I..." Eaglepaw also jumped up. "Kestrelpaw!"

"Hey, I won't tell. Although... are you sure about this?" Kestrelpaw looked into Eaglepaw's eyes worriedly.

Eaglepaw didn't say anything.

"Hey, guess what else I figured out?" Kestrelpaw squinted his eyes playfully.

"Better not be about me..." Eaglepaw replied.

"It's not. It's why Woodpaw joined RiverClan!" Kestrelpaw whispered.

"Why?" Eaglepaw asked, intrigued.

"Because she and Ashpaw were meeting up, and Woodpaw decided to make things easier and join RiverClan so that they can be together!" Kestrelpaw bounced.

"What?" Both Eaglepaw and Ashpaw exclaimed at the same time.

"Ashpaw...!" Kestrelpaw turned to him in embarrassment.

"How did you... Don't say anything, please!" Ashpaw begged.

"I won't! Except for Eaglepaw..." Kestrelpaw promised.

"It's not wrong, right? She joined this clan so now it's perfectly fine... right?" Ashpaw murmured anxiously.

"I don't think there's anything wrong at all. It's just like being close friends! Although if you were warriors, I would have a different view on this..." Kestrelpaw thought aloud.

Ashpaw nodded slowly, not making eye contact with anyone. Eaglepaw stared at Ashpaw. Ashpaw likes someone he's not supposed to. Just like me! Then Eaglepaw realized what he had just thought. He really does have feelings for the creamy medicine cat apprentice. This wasn't ok. Woodpaw joined RiverClan, so now the two cats don't have to worry, but anything either Eaglepaw or Creampaw did would never change the fact that Eaglepaw's feelings could get them both exiled. Creampaw could resign from her position, but that would be a terrible idea. All Eaglepaw could do is try to hide and forget his feelings, Creampaw probably didn't feel the same way anyways.

"I'm... going to leave now," Eaglepaw turned to Kestrelpaw, and after a moment, fled to the apprentice den.

"Hey, um, Eaglepaw!" Ashpaw chased Eaglepaw to the apprentice den. Eaglepaw turned around.

"What is it, Ashpaw?" He asked impatiently.

"You... you don't think I'm horrible now, do you?" Ashpaw asked, shuffling his paws.

"No, of course not!" Eaglepaw exclaimed. "You should be thinking I'm horrible..." Eaglepaw muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Eaglepaw replied quickly.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Ashpaw squinted at Eaglepaw.

Eaglepaw shook his head and went to his nest. He fell asleep quickly, but woke up not long afterwards to the four new apprentices playing.

"I'M GOING TO BE THE BEST WARRIOR EVER!" Juniperpaw squealed, pinning down Brownpaw.

"Not for long!" Snakepaw leaped onto Juniperpaw, knocking her right on top of Kestrelpaw who was next to Eaglepaw.

"UGH, what was THAT?" Kestrelpaw grumbled sleepily.

"SORRY!" All of them squeaked. Brownpaw pounced on top of Juniperpaw as soon as she let her guard down.

"I'm on top of th-" Before Brownpaw could finish, Stormpaw, who had been hiding behind Woodpaw, leaped out of the darkness and on top of Brownpaw and Juniperpaw.

"I'M ON TOP OF THE WORLD!" Stormpaw squealed, her tail twitching in excitement. By now every apprentice in the den was awake. Eaglepaw padded out of the den and lay outside of it, and he was about to fall asleep when he saw Dewtail exit the elder's den.

"What's she doing?" Eaglepaw whispered to himself, intrigued, his golden eyes narrowing. She was heading towards camp exit, so Eaglepaw stalked behind her. Before Dewtail reached the exit she turned towards a weak spot in the camp wall, and she exited camp. Eaglepaw kept sneaking until she stopped at the river and sat down. Eaglepaw crouched several foxtails behind her in a honeysuckle bush. Dewtail looked like she was waiting for someone. Eaglepaw started getting sleepy, but he was wide awake when he saw two cats heading towards where Dewtail was from the direction of ThunderClan, jumping over the river.

"Gympieclaw!" Dewtail stood up, looking at the gray tabby affectionately. "Wren," She dipped her head towards the black cat. "Where is Jadeleaf?"

Eaglepaw's fur bristled, and he struggled not to leap out of his hiding place and attack the intruders.

"Here," A gray tabby with green eyes and cream spots appeared, leaping powerfully over the river.

"How are you, Jadeleaf?" Dewtail asked.

Without directly answering the question he replied, "The deputy's getting old, I think he's going to retire soon. I assume that Lionstar is considering me as next deputy." Before Dewtail could reply, Jadeleaf continued, "And the leader is also low on lives. Three, maximum. If I become deputy, I'll likely be leader. You know, I could probably kill the deputy if I don't want to wait. Then, Lionstar will make me deputy and I could kill him!"

"Jadeleaf, why would you think of that?" Dewtail gasped.

"Is it a problem?" Gympieclaw asked. "Don't you want to see your son become a leader? Oh, I nearly forgot, there's two cats I want you to meet," Two cats around the age of new warriors padded out of the bushes, each crossing a narrow part of the water. One was fully black with green eyes and the other was a gray tabby with brown eyes.

"Who are they?" Dewtail's fur bristled.

"My kits," Wren replied.

"I thought your kits... died!" Dewtail backed up.

"My first litter did," Wren slightly flinched.

"But didn't your mate die with them?"

"I have a new one, Dewtail. I've been with him for a while," Wren purred.

"Gympieclaw...?" Dewtail breathed.

He nodded in reply. "I wish I'd told you sooner, Dewtail, but you're old, so old."

Dewtail flinched and her fur bristled even more. "So are you!"

"I'm six moons younger than you, Dewtail. And to be fair, I fell in love with Wren, moons ago, at a time when you weren't showing up to our meetings. We thought you were dead! And I just wasn't in love with you anymore..."

Dewtail turned to Wren. "I trusted you! I trusted you to take care of Jadeleaf and Gympieclaw because I couldn't! Why, Wren, why?" She cried.

"Mother, you've lived a long life, and, honestly, you are not important to anyone anymore..." Jadeleaf sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Dewtail quivered.

Jadeleaf pinned Dewtail down, easily, and slashed his claws through her throat. Blood bubbled out of her throat, then Dewtail went limp. She was dead.