Warriors: A Shadow in the Light - Tainted Honey [Book Three]

Chapter Twenty One

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

ROSELIGHT | WINDCLAN CAMP

"Beestar is opposed to forgive Honeystar, but I already have! I probably would've done the same if I were leader. It's easy to be whisked away by the power in your head." Roselight overheard some of the warriors gossip as she set some herbs out to dry. It was two days after the Gathering and there had been another snowfall. Her tail was cold and dripping snow and water after clearing an area for the herbs, but the earth was still damp. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, so she had seized the moment to let the herbs dry. If they could.

    "I agree with you. Honeystar was anything but cruel before he became leader. Having lots of power can do things to a cat."

    "A weak cat." One of the warriors hissed. Roselight glanced over, noticing Dawnstream's tail lashing. "Honeystar isn't weak. Do you think he'd really be foolish enough to let the power get to his head?"

    Roselight smiled to herself, glad her sister wasn't blind to what Honeystar was - but that may be because she was bitter over Kestrelheart's death and truly didn't see what Honeystar masked over every day. All she knew was that Honeystar was a murderer, but Roselight knew what he was. A murderer, yes, but there was more to him.

    Silence blanketed the group of warriors before Tawnyhawk piped up, switching to a different topic that was uninteresting. She gave up on listening and walked into the medicine cat den, trying to ignore the coldness in her tail.

    "Rowanmask, I set the herbs out to dry."

    Rowanmask looked up from whatever he was doing. It didn't look like sorting. "Good, I need yo-" loud coughing cut Rowanmask off.

    Once the coughing subdued, wide, dark yellow eyes blinked at Roselight and Rowanmask apologetically. "Sorry..."

    "It's not your fault, Olivewish." Roselight assured, trying to hide her shock. Olivewish had come into the den yesterday with a small cough. Now her cough was deep and throaty, and Roselight swore there was a sheen of fever in her dark yellow gaze.

    Olivewish went into another coughing fit. Roselight watched Rowanmask grab some tansy and walk over to Olivewish.

    "Eat this." Rowanmask murmured.

    "She needs feverfew, too." Roselight whispered, voice barely audible.

    Rowanmask glanced at her. "I know, but we have none. I looked yesterday..." he shook his head sadly.

    "Then I'll get her some wet moss to put on her head." Roselight meowed, determined.

    After a minute, she grabbed the moss, satisfied when it dripped ice-cold water down her chin. She went back inside the den, dropping the moss onto Olivewish's head without warning.

    "Oh-!" Olivewish yelped, throwing the moss off immediately. "What was that?"

    "Moss." Roselight replied dryly, setting the moss back on her head. "Keep it on."

    Olivewish shuddered, but this time the moss stayed in place. Roselight hoped this would work and feverfew wasn't needed. While this wasn't the most effective way, Olivewish's fever wasn't too bad. Roselight prayed some cold, wet moss would break Olivewish's fever.

    "This is horrible." Olivewish muttered, snapping Roselight out of her thoughts.

    Roselight opened her jaws, about to say something to Olivewish, but Dawnstream poked her head in, dark amber eyes focusing intensely on Roselight.

    "I want - no, need - to talk with you." Dawnstream meowed, voice leaving no room for opposition.

    Roselight followed Dawnstream, watching her sister's silver tail. Dawnstream was leading her out of camp, aiming for lots of privacy.

    At last, Dawnstream stopped, turning to face Roselight. Roselight idly wondered what she would've wanted to talk about that was so top-secret. Duskface wasn't even accompanying her, and she brought him everywhere with her.

    Dawnstream looked down at her paws hesitantly. "So, um, I'm sure you're wondering why I have brought you out here..." that was what she was going to start with? Roselight stared blankly on. "Duskface and I have been discussing kits and stuff. We're considering waiting a moon. What do you think?"

    "Wait." Roselight simply meowed.

    "Wait? Do you hear something?" Dawnstream looked around, suddenly very alert.

    "No. I meant it as in don't have kits in the coming moons. We have so many threats."

    "Many? If you mean Honeystar, he's just one." Dawnstream pointed out.

    "I'm not referring to him only." Roselight quivered a little, only just remembering Egret then. "He has ThunderClan, and don't forget the rogues." Her voice trembled when she mentioned the rogues, but Dawnstream didn't seem to notice.

    "That brings me to my next... topic." Dawnstream inhaled, tenser than before. "Will you help me assassinate Honeystar?"

    "What?" was all Roselight could manage to say. Then she said "What?" again as an aftershock, trying to wrap her head around Dawnstream's words.

    "Please?" Dawnstream added as though that'd help.

    "You're asking a medicine cat-"

    "-sister-" Dawnstream corrected.

    "-who knows very minimal battle moves to help you kill a cat who has nine lives? Why?"

    Dawnstream sighed. "I knew you'd make me tell you all the reasons. Okay, here goes. As you know, Kestrelheart died because of Honeystar - well, not to Honeystar, but if he didn't start the battle-"

    "I get it." Roselight stated bluntly, intervening Dawnstream's babbling. "Continue."

    "Plus, he killed Kestrelheart's mother. When I asked Duskface, he was confused as to why I would want to kill Honeystar, but this is a kin thing, you know? He told me Honeystar would be brought to justice, no need to put myself at risk. Honeystar has killed our family, so it's up to us to kill him to avenge our Clanmates, not just our kin. I know I can ask Rowanmask... but that's weird and I truthfully don't know him that well. Besides, he'd probably turn us in."

    Roselight was very silent, repeating Dawnstream's speech over and over in her head.

    Dawnstream cleared her throat, adding one last thing.

    "Will you join me?"

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