Turtleheart's Path

Chapter 25

Turtleheart peeked from the den, looking into the screeching and snarling clearing. She spotted the brown fur of Brackentail under Bramblestar. "Brackentail, come here!" She yelped. Bramblestar let him go, looking into her eyes. Brackentail limped into the den. "What? This better be good. Raventuft will have my tail." Turtleheart nodded. "Think of our kits." She said quickly. His face lit up. "Kits?" He echoed. "Turtleheart, that's amazing!" He purred. "Bramblestar will raise them for me. Now go, and be safe." She rubbed her muzzle on his and watched as he leapt onto Lionoak, who was cruelly holding Branchfur to the ground. Dark forest moves. Turtleheart thought. She reared up, catching Brackentail in her paws and shoving him back into the clearing. "Be safe." She whispered before she pushed him. Briarfang leapt onto Raventuft, pulling him off Lionoak. Sheepfur and Whiteclaw leapt onto the Riverclan deputy along with Graytooth.
Turtleheart rushed around, checking the various wounds of her companions. She walked past Lionoak as he tried to get her attention. "Hey I need-" He began to say. Turtleheart stretched and looked around. She grabbed some of the scattered prey and piled it back up. Graytooth laid next to her kits, cleaning their fur. "Do they have injuries?" She asked, approaching the queen. "Not that I have found. They are shaken up though. Littlekit said that Raventuft grabbed him and yanked him from the den. Rabbitkit and Ratkit went after them and Dovekit stayed behind but she was also taken from the den. I think it was a blue tom that had her." Turtleheart hissed. "Blueash. I bet it was Whistlepaw too!" She added with a sneer. "Ill tell Bramblestar who it was." She padded towards her mother but called over her shoulder, "I'll bring them some thyme leaves." Turtleheart halted in front of Bramblestar. "Can I speak to you in the medicine den?" She mewed. As they entered the den she turned. "I told Brackentail today. He was happy. But I had another question… can they, my kits, know I'm their mother?" Bramblestar shrugged. "That is your choice, Turtleheart." Sparrowfeather padded in. "What is her choice?" He asked. "Telling the kits I am their mother while Bramblestar raises them." She mewed. Sparrowfeather yawned. "Of course, but we must tell the clan somehow." He said. Turtleheart shook her head. "That was the next thing after this…" She sighed. "Lionoak said something to me a few moons ago, he said that "Cedarstar was right" Bramblestar, what do we do?" Turtleheart saw her mother flinch and narrow her eyes. "I'll speak to him. Do you know if Briarfang is there too?" Turtleheart shrugged. "If Lionoak is there, Briarfang will want to be in on it." Bramblestar shrugged. "I will tell the clan if you'd like. Although you'll need to stand with me and answer questions. Ill protect you from the bash the clan will give." She said and padded out, asking Mumblejaw to send her on a patrol with him, Lionoak, and Briarfang. Sparrowfeather growled. "Those two are as good as dead."
Turtleheart followed her mother onto Tall rock. The Windclan leader was bleeding from two wounds she'd gotten while teaching her siblings a lesson. Lionoak and Briarfang were both in the medicine den and as far as the clan knew, a fox had been driven away from camp. "Let all cats gather for a clan meeting." Bramblestar yowled into the clearing.