Seppuku

Chapter 4

Twistedpaw was scratching behind his ear with a hind paw when the GrassClan warriors slipped into the hollow. He glanced up. Finally! He thought with glee. The GrassClan cats have arrived!

Twistedpaw's heart seemed to suddenly drop from his chest like a heavy stone.

"Motheyes!" Duskpelt shrieked, his eyes wild with terror. "NO!" He raced up to the limp body as a GrassClan cat dropped it and touched noses with it. "Oh, sister...." His eyes were somber and filled with grief. "How did this happen?" Twistedpaw noticed a tear slipping from his huge, amber eyes.

"Ohh, she ran into a little trouble on the way to our camp!" The GrassClan tom began, ending with a harsh tone. "She put up quite a fight for a PineClan cat!"

Sprucestar in front of the brown tom. "That's enough, Barkpelt," he hissed. "Lets let these cats cry it out until their eyes fall out." He tilted his head. "Miststar," he yowled. "Why not learn to control your dumb warriors? Have you no sense at all?"

Miststar's gaze was panicked though her voice was mostly calm; just a bit shaky. "My warriors are strong, however you've not the right to kill them! Has your clan no honour? The warrior code doesn't say you can kill cats for fun."

Sprucestar's eyes narrowed to slits. "It doesn't say you can pad into clans' territories and steal prey, either!" He challenged.

Twistedpaw unsheathed his claws. How dare he? Nettlepaw's pelt was fluffing up.

"Sprucestar, can you explain, please?" The CreekClan leader, Fallenstar, yowled to the GrassClan leader.

Sprucestar dipped his head. "As you wish, Fallenstar," he meowed thoughtfully. "So! We smelled PineClan inside our borders! Fresh two dawns ago! So we needed payback, and we've got it! They starved Applestem; it's your fault our elder is dead, Miststar!"

Was that guilt flashing in Nettlepaw's eyes?

"No, our warriors haven't been on your territory, and for StarClan's sake, it's greenleaf, Sprucestar! It was probably old age that killed her."

Even the GrassClan medicine cat, Junipertail, looked like he was going to agree with Miststar when Duskpelt yowled: "That also doesn't give you the right to kill my sister and steal Badgerpaw!"

"But Badgerpaw likes it in GrassClan," Barkpelt snarled. "You can't forcd him to stay in a weak, dumb clan like yours if he doesn't want to!"

His eyes were blazing; Duskpelt fell to the ground, his eyes dazed.

Twistedpaw turned to Nettlepaw. "It's true!" He whispered. "GrassClan stole Badgerpaw!"

"Yeah, and I'm sure he despises it," Nettlepaw hissed. "We have to get him back! Like, now!"

Twistedpaw nodded his agreement. What would I do without Badgerpaw? Kill myself? I don't know!

Twistedpaw's mind raced. They had to get Badgerpaw back. Yes, he thought, I will kill as many cats as possible, even give up my own life, to save Badgerpaw! Yes!