"Ravenwhisp."
The tom pricked his ears, hearing his name uttered. The voice was familiar, but shouldn't have been anywhere near him.
Ravenwhisp had left RabbitClan six moons ago to live with his mate, Wish. The two now had two kits, Northkit and Cryokit. They'd been named as if they lived in the Clan, even though that life was mostly behind Ravenwhisp.
RabbitClan had made the tom miserable. He'd had a mate before Wish named Bluewhisker, but the two had spent so much time arguing that the only reason they even spoke anymore was because of Coldkit, Ravenwhisp's son.
Meeting Wish was everything that being with Bluewhisker had lacked. Wish was kind, patient, and didn't care if Ravenwhisp wasn't the perfect tom all of the time. While his abandonment of his Clan had been the true end of his relationship with Bluewhisker, he knew it wasn't the original reason for it. The end had always been near, Ravenwhisp had simply ensured that he wouldn't be anywhere near the fallout.
Yet when he opened his eyes, it was Bluewhisker he saw. Her gaze held a fury like no other, and her eyes were narrowed to slits. "Is this where you've been the whole time? Your Clan needs you!"
Ravenwhisp rose uneasily to his paws. "My Clan will be just fine without me. I have cats to take care of here."
"You have cats to take care of there, too!" Bluewhisker hissed. "What about Coldkit? Is he supposed to grow up without a father?"
Ravenwhisp dipped his head guiltily. "I'm sorry for Coldkit. But I had to leave for my happiness, and though you aren't the best mate, I trust you to be a good mother."
"Not the best mate?" Bluewhisker dug her claws into the ground. "What's that supposed to be?"
"Can we talk elsewhere?" Ravenwhisp glanced over his shoulder to where Wish, Northkit, and Cryokit laid.
"You have other kits?" Bluewhisket bristled. "How long?"
"Northkit's only three moons old."
"Three moons?!" Bluewhisker snarled and took a step closer to him. "Not only are you a coward, but a traitor as well. You're dead to me, Ravenwhisp."
"Then why did you look for me?" He snapped. "Why talk to me at all?"
Bluewhisker narrowed her eyes. "Fallenstar has greencough and WildClan is about to declare war. Whistletail thought that you were what RabbitClan needed, but I doubt it now."
Ravenwhisp pinned his ears and glanced over his shoulder at his kits. "What about them?"
"What about them?" Bluewhisker retorted, huffing. "Where are your loyalties, Ravenwhisp? To RabbitClan and your family, or this rogue and her kits?"
"She's not some rogue. And those kits are mine." Ravenwhisp bristled.
"Oh, well." Bluewhisker turned away. "I suppose I'll tell Fallenstar that you're too busy caring for her to help your Clan. I'm sure it'll make his final moments rather joyful."
Ravenwhisp winced. Fallenstar was his father, and the thought if him learning of Ravenwhisp's disloyalty gave him a pang of uncertainty. "Listen. Bluewhisker. I'll come back to the Clan, but...promise me. Promise me you won't tell a soul."
"I don't care whether you return or not." Bluewhisker huffed.
"So what if I do come back? What do you think it'd say about you, if your mate left you for a rogue? Who'd want to be with a cat who drove their former lover out of the Clan?"
Bluewhisker glanced over her shoulder, furious, but Ravenwhisp had backed her into a corner. She let out a huff. "Do what you want. I have no reason to tell any cat of what you did here."
Ravenwhisp let out a soft sigh of relief and glanced over his shoulder. Wish and the kits were still curled up together, asleep.
"I'm so sorry." The tom turned away and raced up the hill.
(A/N: let's see if i can post 2 chapters a day)
