Warriors #3: Shifting Shadows

Chapter 16

Goldenshine's POV

Last moonhigh was probably the most overwhelming and upsetting night of my life. Since then, regret and remorse had been tugging at me, so roughly as if I were running at the fastest speed I could, yet my fur was caught on a branch and was forcing me back towards it. I knew that this regret and remorse probably would have emerged at some point in the future, but the blow of it all was rougher then I had ever imagined it being.

How could I have been so stupid? That Goldenshine - the one that had been watching my from the outside - telling me that everything I was doing was wrong, I was betraying my Clan by meeting with Breezepelt, you are losing a part of you by doing this, what happened to your dedication to your Clan? Had been there with me throughout the entire time I had made these stupid choices, but I had ignored the Goldenshine that I knew. And unfortunately, it wasn't until I had learned that I had been expecting kits, not any time earlier, that I realized how dumb and flighty I had been.

But now, that was going to change. That dumb and flighty Goldenshine was gone. For good.

Ever since I had run back to camp with my kit in my jaws, I had practically been hiding in the nursery. Even though ThunderClan didn't know my full secret, or any of it really, thanks to Mousewhisker, I didn't want to show my face in front of Firestar at all. He will never trust me again! I thought to myself. I knew that that probably wasn't true, but it sure did in the moment. He caught me with a cat from another Clan twice!

Now, it was the sunhigh after the happenings of last night. I was staring lovingly down at Swiftkit as he suckled at my belly. Being the big and strong kit that he was, he had already opened his eyes. I had been surprised to see that his eyes were a dark bluish-gray, similar to mine. He was so perfect, and I knew that I was going to give him all of the love and care that I had in me. I didn't care that he had come out of such a terrible situation. It wasn't his fault, and just as Snowflight had told me, he was a light in all of the darkness.

Just as Snowflight happened to cross my mind, I was surprised to see my sister poke her head into the nursery, her pale blue eyes full of worry.

"Hey, Goldenshine?" She meowed in a low voice. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" I then watched as Snowflight then quickly glanced over at the other queens, Daisy and Whitewing, sitting in the den. "Sorry... in private, please?"

Private isn't really something I can do at the moment, I thought as I looked down at Swiftkit. And for six more moons at that...

"We'll watch over Swiftkit, Goldenshine."

I turned my head around at the kind voice that I heard to see Daisy standing up and walking over to Swiftkit. She gently picked him up in her mouth by the scruff.

Thank StarClan for Daisy, I thought as I briefly touched my nose to her's. "Thank you," I murmured to her, putting the tip of my tail on her shoulder.

"Goldenshine, let's go!" Snowflight hissed, seeming eager to get out of camp all of the sudden. Snowflight was never usually so demanding. I wonder what's up?

Now feeling very concerned and eager to know what was going on, I quickly stood up and ran after my sister.

I trotted just behind Snowflight for a while as we traveled through ThunderClan territory. Eventually, we found ourselves just beside the abandoned Twoleg nest where I knew Snowflight went to collect herbs often.

I let out a huff, a bit exhausted from the travel, as I settled down in front of Snowflight. "Okay, so, what's wrong?" I asked her worriedly. "Did something happen?"

I watched as Snowflight sighed and then looked down at the ground, shaking her head slowly. "I don't even know how to tell you this..." she murmured.