Turtleheart's Path

Chapter 17

Turtlepaw sat down in the hollow of fourtrees. Her paws felt like they were freezing but she continued to look around for Brackenpaw. It was fully dark now, making it even colder. Her eyes landed on another pair of eyes looking at her from the bushes. Her pelt bristled and her claws extended. "Come on out." She growled. Panic flooded through her as Lionpaw crept from the bushes. "What are you doing here, Lionpaw!" She exclaimed. Turtlepaw heard bushes rattle and Briarpaw crept out too. "Guys! You followed me?" She demanded. They nodded slowly, looking at her paws as if they were kits being lectured by their mother. "But you can't be here, who are you meeting?" Briarpaw shot her head up and glared at her. "I bet it's that brown tabby from Riverclan." Lionpaw snarled. "Hawkgrowl was right. She is a traitor." Briarpaw hissed. Turtlepaw felt a stab in her belly, her own siblings couldn't trust her. "I'm waiting here so I can tear his pelt off." Lionpaw growled. "There he is now." Briarpaw whispered, the two cats crouched down, ready to attack. Turtlepaw turned, her eyes flashing at the tom. Brackenpaw must have seen Lionpaw and Briarpaw's eyes too. His pelt bristled and his claws extended.
Horror set in as Lionpaw and Briarpaw leapt at Brackenpaw together. The tom disappeared under their pelts. Turtlepaw leapt into action, grabbing onto Briarpaw's scruff and throwing her backwards. Brackenpaw exploded upwards from under Lionpaw and sent him flying. Turtlepaw flicked her ear as a whisper sounded. You chose this path. Brackenflight sneered. Then she heard another. Briarpaw leans left too much. Unbalance her! Flutterpaw's voice encouraged her. Lionpaw and Briarpaw leapt again and Turtlepaw was faster. Brairpaw was above her when Turtlepaw reared up, tossing her sister to the left and into Lionpaw. They both yelped as they tumbled on the ground together. "Let's just go tell Bramblestar." Briarpaw growled. Lionpaw halted. "Fine. We'll go and we won't talk about this but be careful." Brairpaw looked at him in shock before the two padded from the hollow. Turtlepaw turned, an apologetic look in her eyes. "No need to be sorry. You can't control your siblings. That was good fighting, where'd you learn?" Brackenpaw sat down, licking the small wound Lionpaw had laid on him. "Sparrowfeather is a good fighter. Saved my mother from Cedarstar and Thistleear one time." She looked at the wound, squinting in the darkness of Fourtrees. "I'll be fine, i'll just tell Berryspots i was hunting and walked into a thorn bush." Brackenpaw reassured her. Turtlepaw nodded, her siblings hadn't given any wounds to her physically but she was still hurt by their words.
The two cats finished talking by moonhigh and parted ways. Turtlepaw sprinted down the moor to warm her paws. She climbed into camp and laid down in her nest after checking that no cat had seen her come back in. She sighed, her siblings were angry with her. She'd lost their trust. Turtlepaw felt her eyes getting heavier, and soon she fell asleep.