Warriors: Mothwing's Belief

Prologue

It was a warm greenleaf day, and everything seemed just perfect. Nothing was out if place, and prey seemed to be everywhere. The warmth of the sun began to slowly fade as the sun began to slowly dip behind the trees in the distance.  A lake rippled, it's waves gently lapping at the shore. The undergrowth swished from the wind, and birds began to fly back into their nests.

A patch of undergrowth began to rustle and shake, as if something was moving through it. A golden tabby ermerged from the undergrowth, her pelt brushing against the undergrowth. Her beautiful golden eyes were as bright as the sun, and they gleamed in the sunset. The cat scanned the shore for a nice spot to lay, a grassy patch almost immediately caught her attention. She laid down, her body splayed out as she enjoyed the sun until it dissapeared.
Her golden gaze was fixed on the lake, she began to grow sleepy, the ripples of the gentle water soothing her.

She was at peace, no tasks to do, no herbs, and no Hawkfrost. She savoured the moment of peace and relaxation, and she wanted it to last forever. "Mothwing!" The call jolted her awake, she pricked her ears, trying to figure out who disturbed, and ruined, her silence. "Mothwing!" The voice called again, but this time she could hear the thumping of pawsteps as the cat ran towards her. Mothwing already had an idea of who it was. A fluffy grey tabby pelt ran out of the undergrowth, her pale green eyes looking around the lake.

Her pelt was fluffy and she was small. She looked more like a fluffy kit then an apprentice. Mothwing stretched and got up, looking directly at the grey apprentice. "What do you need, Willowpaw?" Mothwing asked, though she only expected for the response to be about being low on tansy, or that Heavystep's bones are aching again. But she was surprised when Willowpaw responded, it was a question that a medicine cat wouldn't usually ask to a fellow medicine cat. "Do you know where Hawkfrost is?"

Mothwing felt her fur begin to bristle, and her spine tingled in regret. "What about Hawkfrost?" She asked deffensively, he was her brother after all. But if he was her brother, why did she feel such fear around him? "Well no one has seen him around in awhile...and I was just wondering..." Willowpaw stammered shyly, shocked by her mentor's response. Mothwing shook her head, "I have no control over my brother, but Mistyfoot and Leopardstar do. Go ask them..." Mothwing trailed off, concentrating her attention to the lake. She thought she could see a red pool begin to form on the ThunderClan side of the lake, and she saw two cat shapes as well. She could make out the bright ginger pelt of Firestar, and a darker tabby pelt. Hawkfrost? She shook her head, it couldn't be Hawkfrost...it just couldn't! Hawkfrost was loyal to RiverClan, he wouldn't go on ThunderClan territory!

Mothwing felt relief as she saw her apprentice leave, she laid down and tried to be a peace again. But she couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad happened to Hawkfrost, and she felt horrible for feeling relief that something could've happened to him. He pretty much controlled her life, he would choose what she would say, he would tell her what to do. He was like a hawk and she was like a scared mouse, and if she took one mistep, he would strike. It was Hawkfrost who got you here... Though she knew that she would be in big trouble if the Clan found out about the 'sign' from StarClan. She decided that it was no use, and she headed back to camp.

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Mothwing was sorting herbs in her den, still worried about her brother. She hadn't seen him for a day, and she was starting to wonder where he was. She knew that leaf fall was almost here, so she had sent Willowpaw out to collect tansy so they could stock up on the herb. Mothwing's hackles began to rise as a new scent filled the air. ThunderClan. Mothwing headed outside of her den to see what was going on. She noticed Dawnflower shooing her two kits back into the nursery, and Leopardstar had come out of her den. The warriors watched curiously to see what was going on, then the reeds rustled. Mothwing recgonized that pelt color, that muscular form. Hawkfrost! But something seemed different about him, his eyes were amber. Mouse brain! Mothwing scolded herself, she had been so anxious about Hawkfrost, that she had mistaken Brambleclaw for her brother.

Leopardstar hissed in anger as she saw the ThunderClan warriors. "What are you doing here!?" Leopardstar hissed angrily. Brambleclaw dipped his head respectfully to Leopardstar, then responded, "Leopardstar, I am not going to hurt you or your Clanmates. I come to share news." Mothwing surpressed a sigh of relief as she saw the spotted leader's fur smoothen. "What news?" Leopardstar asked, her voice in a thick and icy tone.

Mothwing pricked her ears, she wanted to hear this. She waited anxiously to see how Brambleclaw was going to respond. The Clan was gathered around now, the warriors were muttering to each other, while the apprentices were squealing with excitement.

"Hawkfrost is dead. We found him on our side of the lake, a deep gash in his throat, and his body reeking of fox." Brambleclaw reported grimly, though Mothwing could detect something else hidden in the dark tabby's eyes. Leopardstar's eyes flashed with grief and she muttered half to herself, "He was so young." Mothwing felt a fresh wave of guilt. She saw Hawkfrost on ThunderClan territory, but she shook it off and thought that it was a different warrior. I could've helped him. She hung her head with shame.

Leopardstar lifted her head, then asked, "Where is his body. We need to pay our last respects to him." Grief seemed to spread through the Clan like wildfire, and Mothwing couldn't blame them. She was guilty and sad that he was gone, but also secretly felt a small bit of relief, no matter how much she hatedto admit it. In their eyes, Hawkfrost was a brave, and honourable warrior. But in Mothwing's eyes, he was a shell of his former self. A once respectable cat, driven by greed and power.

Brambleclaw dipped his head, then flicked his tail tip towards the entrance of the camp. Ashfur and Brackenfur entered the camp, carrying the large body of Hawkfrost in their jaws. Mothwing watched as the two warriors gently laid him down in the center of the camp, afterwards stepping back respectively.

Leopardstar sat for a few more moments, eying the tom sadly, "Thank you, Brambleclaw. But you must be going now. Mistyfoot, take these ThunderClan cats back to the border." Mistyfoot stood up, then rounded up the ThunderClan toms and left.

A few heartbeats after they were gone, RiverClan began to gather around Hawkfrost's body. Mothwing gingerly stepped forwards, but gasped in horror as she saw the huge gash in his neck. Mothwing tried to get closer to the body, hoping to at least smooth down his fur so it wasn't as noticeable. But she couldn't getast the grieving warriors.

She sighed in relief as she heard Willowpaw shout, "Hey, make some room! Mothwing and I are coming to prepare the body!" After that, the Clan filed back, letting the two medicine cats through. Willowpaw handed Mothwing rosemary, and together, they began rubbing the herb on the tom.

Hawkfrost seemed so different when he was dead. His muscles no longer seemed as strong, and his fur seemed dull and matted, not sleek and shiny like it used to be. Once she was finished applying the rosemary, Mothwing bent down and licked her brother's ear, but it flopped down almost imediately afterwards. "Farewell, Hawkfrost. I know that Sasha would have been proud of you." She whispered softly to him, not expecting a response.

She looked up at the blue sky that was dotted with fluffy, white clouds. She knew that StarClan roamed the skies, though she never saw them. They're fake! You're fake! Mothwing tensed as she remembered the words her brother had used before telling her that she was not a real medicine cat. Mothwing sighed and whispered softly one last time, "I know that you don't believe in them. But I hope that you walk the skies beside them."