A New Beginning: Book 1 Flamestar's Promise

Chapter 20

    My mind blazed at a hundred miles a second. Had I killed Waspclaw? Was I a killer? Will the Clan banish me? These were my only worries, until the prophecy raced back into my mind.
    "Flame will spark, but let it shine as bright as a star, for darkness and destruction will descend..."
I needed to become leader to save my Clan, but how could I do that when I was killing my own clanmates? But, Waspclaw had made the first move, and I was just defending myself. Why had he been so quick to turn on me?
    "...darkness and destruction will descend..."
Was Waspclaw that darkness? He had always said that he would become leader and destroy the other Clans. He had bullied us as kits, and he seemed quite viscous when he was angry. But, did he attack my sister?

There was only one way to find out.
I hurried back to camp, and slowed down when I came to the hill. I took a deep breath. I wasn't quite ready to say that I we had fought, so I would blame the wounds on the fox. I continued down the hill, and quiet gasps filled the clearing. I noticed my litter mates looking at me suspiciously. No cats came to help. I didn't even see Oakfoot, who was usually outside her den waiting for sick or injured cats. The cats just sat at the edge of the clearing, staring at us with blank expressions. I set down Waspclaw in the middle of the clearing, and looked around. They just continued to stare. I looked down at Waspclaw, who was losing blood, fast. I cried out, and Oakfoot came rushing out of her den. She stopped dead wen she saw us. She turned and ran back into her den, coming back out shortly with herbs in her jaws. She laid her ear against his pelt, and started feeding him herbs. I sent a silent prayer to StarClan. Oakfoot then began putting cobwebs on his wounds, not taking a moment to rest. She was determined to save him.
At least she hasn't completely turned on him. I thought
I walked next to her.
    "So, you aren't mad at him?" I asked.
She didn't look at me.
    "I am only serving my Clan. My duty has nothing to do with how I feel about it." She meowed dryly.
I flinched. Oakfoot was one of the kindness cats that I knew. But, even she had a dark side. When she was done, Waspclaw was patched up, and his belly was full of herbs. I helped her carry him back to her den, and we layed him down in one of the moss nests.
    "Will he be OK?" I asked concerned.
She looked me in the eyes, and shook her head.
    "I have done my best, he is in the hands of StarClan now." She said, her tone blank.
I looked away and closed my eyes. I could not stand to see him like this. I turned and padded out of the den. I avoided the Clan's stare, and made my way inside the Warriors den. I curled up in my nest, and forced sleep apron myself.

    "Come with me. I need to show you something." A voice said.
I followed the voice with a strange determination. The ground felt different under my paws, the grass was softer, but yet, still firm. I followed the voice until I came to a cliff. I squinted at the sudden bright sunlight. But, once my eyes adjusted, I yowled at the horror before my eyes.
There, dangling over the edge, was Timberstar, with Waspclaw standing in front of him.