Warriors AU: Skyclan's Destiny

Chapter 21

Poppystar woke as a paw prodded her in the side. "Poppystar! Poppystar, wake up!"

It was Cherrytail's voice. Poppystar opened her eyes and blinked at him as he stood over her, one paw raised to prod her again.

"What's the matter?" she muttered, scrambling out of her nest. "Are we being attacked?"

"No, but we have to go now," Cherrytail hissed. When Poppystar stared at him, puzzled, he added. "To the Twoleg's nest, to give him a fright he won't forget."

"No." Poppystar shook her head. "We agreed to attack tomorrow night, as long as the weather was better."

"But the clouds have cleared. Look!" Cherrytail backed away to the entrance to the den, and stood on the trail outside, his shape outlined against an almost full moon. He waved his tail at a sky glittering with the warriors of Silverpelt. "You couldn't hope for a better night than this."

"But the kittypets have gone home," Poppystar argued. "They promised to stay tomorrow night and help with the attack. We can't leave them out again, not when they were so upset about the fight against the rats."

Cherrytail twitched his tail impatiently. "That's their problem. This is the best night for attacking. We need as much light as possible."

Poppystar twitched her nose. "I suppose you're right," she admitted reluctantly.

But as she shook moss out of her fur and headed down the trail into the gorge, she couldn't shake off a nagging sense of guilt. She could imagine the shock and disappointment on the faces of the daylight warriors when they heard that the attack had taken place without them. What am I going to say to them? And will Leafdapple think that I lied to him?

Cherrytail ran nimbly across the face of the cliff to rouse the warriors in their den, then led the way down to the river. Poppystar joined them near the foot of the Rockpile. The moon cast black shadows across the cliffs and turned the surface of the river to bubbling silver; every rock and tree stood out sharply against the wash of pale light. Cherrytail was right. This is a good night to attack. But deep inside, she still knew that this wasn't right.

Though no cat had called them, Birdpaw and Nettlepaw burst out of their den and raced down to join the warriors.

"Are you going now?" Nettlepaw panted, her eyes gleaming. "I want to come, too!"

"And me," Birdpaw added. "I want to teach that Twoleg a lesson, after what he did to our mother."

"Nettlepaw, you can certainly come," Poppystar replied. "But I'm not sure about you, Birdpaw. It's a long way. Will your leg hold out?"

"My leg is fine now!" the apprentice insisted.

"Echosong, what do you think?" Poppystar asked the medicine cat, who had padded up in time to hear the discussion.

Echosong twitched his ears. "I know how much this means to Birdpaw..." he began hesitantly. "I suppose he can go," he mewed at last. "But keep an eye on him, Poppystar, and if he starts limping, then take him out of the action."

Poppystar nodded. "I'll do that. And Birdpaw," she added sternly, "if I tell you to back off, you do it. No arguments, okay?"

"I'll keep an eye on him, too," Rainfur promised, shouldering her way through the throng of cats to stand beside her kits.

"You're sure you want to come?" Poppystar meowed, faintly surprised that the she-cat would be willing to return to the den where she had been a prisoner for so long.

"You need me," Rainfur replied steadily. "I know that Twoleg and his nest better than any cat."

"True." Poppystar dipped her head in approval.