Ghosts of the Clans (COMPLETED)

Chapter 23

"It is weird that Ratscar defeated Lionblaze so easily," Olivenose pointed out. "Yeah. Why do you think it's normal?" Shrewfoot tipped her head to one side to stare at him. "Oh, nothing. I just think ShadowClan warriors are already better than ThunderClan's." Redwillow swallowed the squirrel meat and got up. "Well, I'm done." He announced abruptly and left.

Blackstar, Stoatpaw, Ratscar and Tigerheart were already on their way to ThunderClan to talk to Firestar about Lionblaze provoking a fight on ShadowClan territory and losing so easily. Redwillow huffed. What's the point? That happens all the time.

"They didn't deny that Lionblaze crossed the border. But they avoided the fact that there was another scent." The patrol had returned, and Ratscar sat down beside Redwillow outside the warriors' den, curling his tail over his paws. "Yeah, and they actually thought that we'd scented rabbits!" Stoatpaw, his apprentice, sounded indignant.

Redwillow let out a mmrow of amusement and cuffed Stoatpaw over the ear good-naturedly. "Well, seems like Lionblaze is a rabbit!" "That's what Blackstar said!" Ratscar purred. But then Redwillow noticed something. "Where's Tigerheart?"

"Oh, he told Blackstar that he was going to check the border to see if any scents matched." Ratscar told him. When Stoatpaw went to join his siblings, Spikepaw, Wasppaw and Stonepaw at the fresh-kill pile, Redwillow lowered his voice. "Did you realise that Tigerheart has been missing quite some meetings lately?"

"Oh, yeah. Tigerstar asked me about that like, two nights ago." Applefur confirmed his suspicion. Ratscar frowned. "What could he have been up to?" "We should find out and report it." Redwillow's voice was grim, and harsh in his loyalty to the Dark Forest.

"Yeah..." Applefur and Ratscar exchanged a glance that Redwillow caught. "What?" he demanded, neck fur rising. "It's just... don't you think that the Dark Forest might punish Tigerheart a bit violently?" Applefur started hesitantly. "Yeah. The Dark Forest is kinda... I don't know, merciless that way." Ratscar nodded in agreement.

Redwillow stared at the two of them, yellow eyes wide. "If Brokenstar heard you breathe a single word of that, you two would be slaughtered." He stated matter-of-factly, and Applefur flinched. "Yeah. I didn't mean any disloyalty..." Ratscar fumbled with his words. "Better not." Redwillow lashed his tail once, then strode out of camp. I need to go for a walk.

He found his paws leading him to the path of the abandoned Twolegplace, and by the time he realised where he was, it was too late before the memories came rushing back, from the time he was an apprentice...

The meeting with Penny. His own mother wounding him. Meeting her with Pouncetail and Olivenose. Penny's wish for them to be together, but rejected by Pouncetail. The fight Redwillow had as an apprentice against his own mother. The sickness she had, and Pouncetail's refusal to help her, despite Redwillow and Olivenose's pleading. All because of one stupid warrior code. If we were with Penny right now, maybe she wouldn't have died. Perhaps we would really be happy.

He thought he could still smell her scent, and the dried spots of blood. This is the place where we fought. The body was already gone, but he could still picture Penny. Her sleek tortoise-and-white fur. The haunted look in her yellow eyes. The rasp in her voice.

"Redwillow. What are you doing here?" Redwillow froze, then slowly turned around... it was Pouncetail.

"What are you doing here?" Redwillow spat at his father, hackles rising. Pouncetail blinked his yellow eyes slowly, fur flat. "I saw you going out alone, and followed your scent. I just didn't now that it would be... here." His tail-tip twitched.

"Go away, Pouncetail. You left her to die when she could have survived. Littlecloud could have healed her no matter if she was a rogue or not. You didn't even have to say that she was your mate! And we- Olivenose and I- would have defended you. But even though all that... you left her to die. Your former mate. My mother!" Redwillow screeched.

Pouncetail flinched, glancing from side to side uncomfortably. "She was a rogue, Redwillow. Nothing else- to me. And if Blackstar found out? I could have been exiled or worse. You and Olivenose won't be able to help me then." "No, but at least I would know that you made an effort to save her!" Fury was blinding Redwillow's thoughts, blotting out everything else. He unsheathed his claws, digging them into the rough soil.

"Redwillow, listen-" "No! I'm tired of listening to you, listening to your excuses about Penny. I hate you, Pouncetail. And I have no father; you're dead to me." Redwillow growled, but Pouncetail didn't budge.

That was it. The final straw.

Hissing, Redwillow leaped at the dark brown tabby tom, slashing his claws across his chest and biting down hard on Pouncetail's shoulder. 

Seeing the hurt and shocked look in his father's eyes, he spat in his face, "Go back to ShadowClan and rot there!"