Warriors: a path by the stars #1

CHAPTER FOUR

As the six cats made their way back from the borders, navigating the rocky terrain with caution, they could feel the weight of the recent events pressing down upon them. Ivykit glanced back at the dark expanse of the forest, shivering at the memory of the unknown creature that had threatened them.
As Ivykit, Owlkit, and Hyenakit climbed the rocky, smooth stones leading back to camp, they finally saw the familiar entrance. Quietshine stood guard, her eyes scanning the darkness with a sharp, protective gaze. Relief washed over her as the kits appeared, her posture visibly relaxing.
"Oh, thank StarClan, you're back!" Quietshine exclaimed, her voice a blend of relief and concern. "We were all worried sick about you three."
Cloudstreak, who stood beside Quietshine, nodded solemnly. "You were fortunate to escape unharmed," he said, his voice carrying an undertone of worry. "The situation could have been much worse."
"What does he mean by that?" Owlkit asked, her voice quivering slightly as she looked up at Cloudstreak, uncertainty etched on her face.
Before Cloudstreak could respond, Hareshade stepped forward, his face set in a serious expression. "Cloudstreak, go tell the others to cancel the search party," he instructed firmly, a note of relief evident in his voice. "They'll them that we've found them."
Cloudstreak gave a curt nod, his gaze shifting briefly to the kits before he bounded off over the rocks to deliver Hareshade's orders.
Silverpaw, who had been waiting nearby, started to follow Cloudstreak but was halted by Hareshade. "You should go rest with Shimmerpaw," he said, his tone a mix of authority and gentleness.
Silverpaw hesitated for a moment, her eyes filled with concern as she glanced at the kits. "But—"
"No buts," Hareshade interrupted. "You've done more than enough for tonight. Go and rest."
With a reluctant nod, Silverpaw turned and slipped into the camp entrance, her gaze lingering on the kits before she disappeared into the camp.
Hareshade then turned back to the kits, his expression softening slightly but still serious. " you need to realise that you've put yourselves in grave danger," he said, his tone sombre. "We'll talk more about this in the morning
Suddenly a familiar voice echoed through the entrance, MorningSun's scolding continued, her words were filled with a mix of anger and overwhelming relief. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it was out there? You could have been hurt—or worse!"
Ivykit stood silently, her ears flattened against her head, while Owlkit tried to offer a weak smile in an attempt to ease their mother's worry. But it was clear that MorningSun was far from calming down.
Sleekwish reached Hyenakit, her gaze briefly flicking to the slight limp in his step. "Hyenakit, are you alright?" she asked, her voice soft with concern.
"I'm fine," Hyenakit grumbled, brushing off her concern. His eyes flicked to Ivykit, who avoided his gaze, her own guilt buried beneath her pride.
MorningSun, still flustered, finally drew back, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "We're going to have a long talk about this later," she muttered, her voice thick with emotion as she nudged her kits toward the camp entrance.
Ivykit followed obediently, her thoughts a whirlwind of what had just happened. She could feel Hyenakit's eyes on her back, but she refused to look at him. There was no way she was going to admit she might have made a mistake. Not now. Not after everything they'd been through.
As they re-entered the camp, their clanmates gathered around, murmuring with relief and curiosity. But Ivykit felt none of the usual thrill of being the centre of attention. Instead, she just wanted to curl up in the nursery and forget about the whole night.
But she knew deep down, that wasn't going to be easy

╍╍╍╍╍╍

Ivykit lay curled in her nest, her body tense and her mind restless. The murmur of the nursery was a gentle lullaby against her frayed nerves. But sleep was elusive, her thoughts tangled with unease from the day's earlier adventure.

A shadow fell over her, and she jolted awake. Hareshade stood above her, his stern eyes cutting through the dimness of the den.

"Ivykit," Hareshade's voice was a low growl, echoing softly in the quiet. "Your father wants to see you."