Warriors: Empire's End ~Book 5 Series 3~

Chapter 15

Cinderkit's POV:

"Take your time." NoName murmured, her sharp voice giving away her impatience.

Cinderkit attempted to settle down on the thin moss layer that blanketed the den floor. She rested her head on her paws and closed her green eyes. She could hear NoName fidgeting barely a tail-length away as she red she cat waited for Cinderkit to magically enter StarClan. I've never done this before! The grey furred she kit let out a hefty sigh as she didn't feel herself growing tired. StarClan, please let me do this. She begged, peeling her eyes back open to stare at the roof of the den, where she could see pieces of the sky through tiny little holes.

"Do it!" NoName hissed, slamming one of her forepaws on the mossy ground with a dull thump.

Cinderkit jumped and looked up at her Grandmother. "I-I can't. I'm sorry..."

A growl of frustration rumbled from the red she cat and she stood up hastily. "You have to! Just keep trying!" There was a hint of desperation in NoName's voice which made Cinderkit immediately obey her leader's orders and continue trying. She could do it, she just needed time...

But NoName wouldn't give her time. The red she cat hissed threateningly. "Cinderkit.. Do it now!"

Cinderkit retaliated. "Maybe if you calmed down and let me concentrate I could get it done!" She stood up tall, glaring at NoName with anger burning in her green eyes.

The small red she cat bared her teeth and lunged for Cinderkit unexpectedly, pinning the kit down on the ground. "Don't ever speak to me like that again!"

Cinderkit's rage immediately melted into terror as she felt NoName's claws prick her skin. "I didn't mean to!"

"Don't give me that excuse." NoName growled, flexing her claws over Cinderkit's soft chest fur. "You're not going to StarClan for me because you're just lazy. You don't want to help me!"

"I do, I do!" Cinderkit cried, kicking at NoName's belly with her hind legs. "Let me go, I'll try again!"

"Not until you've learnt your lesson!" NoName snarled, just as Cinderkit saw the red she cat's shadows slip up out of the moss below them and wind it's way closer to Cinderkit.

Just as the frightening black mist was about to envelope Cinderkit, there was a loud hiss from the den entrance. "Torturing kits to make yourself feel better, sister?"

The shadows sank back into the ground in less than a heartbeat, and both she cats turned their heads to see Flare standing in the archway, her yellow eyes ablaze with anger.

NoName lifted herself off Cinderkit, allowing the grey she kit to scramble away from her Grandmother and towards Flare. "I wasn't torturing her." NoName hissed, scraping at the moss with her claws.

"Then explain to me what that was, because it sure looked like it." The winged she cat muttered, allowing Cinderkit to hide behind her orange forelegs.

"She wasn't listening to me." NoName growled, her gaze glued to the floor. "She was disobeying my orders."

"And what were those orders?"

When NoName didn't answer, Cinderkit mewled. "For me to dream my way to StarClan and uh.. scout the area for her."

Flare's ears flattened. "NoName!"

"What?" The red she cat exclaimed defensively. "There's nothing wrong with that!"

"You can't make Cinderkit go into StarClan, they would never allow that." The orange she cat sighed despairingly. "Don't try to ruin Cinderkit's dream of being a medicine cat."

"I'm not, I'm just.." NoName murmured. "I need her help to get into StarClan myself."

Flare rolled her eyes. "To destroy them? No thanks."

NoName's eyes widened as Flare spoke, and Cinderkit's did too.

"Destroy them?" Cinderkit echoed Flare's words. "Is that what you wanted to do? Destroy StarClan?" She gasped.

"No!" NoName snapped, glaring at her sister. "Flare!"

"I won't let it happen." Flare meowed firmly, glaring back at NoName. "You've taken over the Clans, and taken revenge on LightClan. Isn't that enough? You don't need to wipe out StarClan."

"I will do what I want." NoName snarled, lashing her tail. "And I was just about to get Cinderkit's help, but you ruined it!"

Cinderkit spoke up, her voice trembling with anger. "I won't let you go anywhere near StarClan! They are good cats! They don't deserve to be hurt by you!"

"Hush." Flare ordered softly, ushering Cinderkit out of the den with her tail. "Go back to the nursery now. This isn't your concern anymore."

As Cinderkit stumbled out of the den, she heard NoName let out a final, threatening growl and she quickened her pace, her heart racing.

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