𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝑨 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒕 𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄

CHAPTER 28

"What was that?" Maplethorn asked Silentpaw as she was the one to escort her out of MistClan's territory. It was close to sun-up, but Briarwish's second kit was stuck and refused to come out, thus, it died from suffocation. The third kit, a grey tabby tom and fourth, a golden and grey tabby-calico she-kit with a white pelt, were all smooth on their entry into the world.

"I think that both Waspstar and Shadepool fathered her kits," Silentpaw mused, Maplethorn watched as her sister's mind ticked furiously.

"That's possible?" Maplethorn asked, yet didn't say anything more.

"I think so," Silentpaw replied. "It's happened in the past, but that was usually with rogues and loners, however, it could merely be due to the randomness of colouration within her pelts. Regardless, Briarwish is a MistClan cat and you know our values. She was mateless and wanted two cats at once, now she's going to be coveted by no one."

She was a stinking, filthy, mangy liar and rogue, Maplethorn responded internally.

"What do you think will happen to her now?" Maplethorn asked, breaking her promise to herself.

"I'm a medicine cat, I stay neutral on matters like these," Silentpaw said as she stopped walking. They were at the MistClan border that was close to WillowClan.

"When do you think you'll get your medicine cat name?" Maplethorn asked as she stepped over the border, a feeling of liberation flooding over her.

"Soon," Silentpaw replied. "Ghostwhisper's arranging a test for me tomorrow, in fact."

"Well," Maplethorn said after an awkward silence between them. "Goodbye then, I guess. Congratulations on getting your medicine cat name soon, Silentpaw."

"Farewell, and safe travels, Maplethorn," Silentpaw dipped her head.

Maplethorn turned around, fearing she might cry and sprinted into the moors, with only one destination in mind. She felt the flowers tickle her limbs and grace her with their fragrances.

"Speckledpatch!" Maplethorn called, when the familiar clearing came into view, halting as she paused, waiting for a response.

None came and Maplethorn feared the worst, but was calmed after seeing a stack of fresh prey and flower crowns in her habitation, or so she called it. Two nests, instead of one lay there and as she took a cautious sniff, she realised it was her nest from moons ago. Taken by happiness and joy, she was surprised that the she-cat hadn't thrown it away after all those moons when she left.

She lay down on it, not sure if she'd be welcomed, but the soft swaying of flowers and the perfumed air sent her to sleep.

"Good job, Maplethorn," Scorchflame meowed, as Maplethorn blinked her eyes open, but she couldn't tell if her mother was sarcastic or truly meant it; most likely a combination of both.

"Thank you, mother," she replied, disturbing the thin layer of pastel purple-pink mist that coated some portions of the ground.

"Are you going to throw me into the river again?" Maplethorn asked, her body taught.

"Well, I wasn't planning to do so, but since you kindly brought the matter up, perhaps we shall do that, before we spar with another apprentice or warrior."

"I didn't mean it though," Maplethorn whined, flattening her ears, but her mother paid no heed to her panicking and she felt herself falling into ice-cold water.

This time, the dark pond didn't seem to have a ground which she could push off. It truly seemed that Scorchflame was telling her to swim or drown, so swim she did. At first, she was just paddling uselessly in a fixed position, but as her lungs burned, it prompted her to put energy into it, to ignore the taunting beast behind her that had robbed her of her ability to hiss.