warriors: the travel. Book 2

chapter 17

"W-what do you mean by my kin? I have kin in my clan" Shadowclaw exclaimed. Leaf nodded.
"Indeed you have. Even a cat you havent noticed were your kin" Leaf mewed.
"Who?" Shadowclaw snarled. Her green eyes blazing with annoyence.
"Flamewing. He is son of one of my lost daughter; Rough" Leaf mewed. Shadowclaw saw pain flash in her eyes, but ignored it.
"Yay i have kin. Can i go now?" Shadowclaw sarcasticly asked. Leaf shook her head.
"Wild, Savage and Licht are also your kin" Leaf mewed. Shadowclaw's widened her eyes. You have got to be kidding!
"Licht is the father of Flamewing. While Savage and Wild are my daughters" Leaf mewed. Shadowclaw glanced away with narrowed eyes.
"Are there other useless things i should know?" She aasked with a growl. Leaf sat down and straightened her whiskers.

"Deathcloud's father" Leaf mewed. Shadowclaw looked at Leaf.
"Is he still around?" Shadowclaw asked. Leaf gently shook her head.
"Your clan mates killed him before your mother was born" Leaf explained. Shadowclaw lifted her ears in surprise.
"They... killed him?" Shadowclaw repeated. Leaf maked a slow nod.
"He had done terrible things. But still, he was my one and only love" Leaf mewed. Shadowclaw couldnt help but feel a but discusted. Just the word love. Shadowclaw shifted her paws.
"What did he do?" Shadowclaw asked curiusly.
"Made two other she-cats pregnant. Killed the deputy. Broke that warrior code countless times" Leaf explained with a hint of amesement.
"And you still lo-, i mean fell for him?" Shadowclaw asked. She did not dare to say the word 'love'.
"We are rogues. Those are the kind of things that happen here" Leaf explained. Shadowclaw gave a nod.

"How did Deathcloud take it?" Shadowclaw asked. Concerned for her father. Leaaf thought for a heartbeat.
"As a kit Darkheart meant the world to him. But as he grew older, he became more aware of how terrible Darkheart were" Leaf mewed. Shadowclaw sat down so her belly touched the hard ground.
"You said something about where i should stay? What does that mean?" Shadowclaw asked. Leaf turned around, sorrow in her gaze.
"You can either go live with your clan and please Starclan. Or stay here, and please your kin and family" Leaf offered. Thats an easy one.
"Why would i want to stay in this... this place" Shadowclaw let out a mrrow of amusement.
"You are the closest to the kin tradition" Leaf explained. Kin tradition? Shadowclaw twitched her whiskers.

"It is said, when a son is born he will take over the family's leadership. And your father had that leadership. But as he is gone, and you are his daughter, you are heir to the leadership" as Leaf spoke those words, Shadowclaw's eyes widened more and more.
"But i cant. My loyalty is to my clan! And... Blaze wanted to go there!" Shadowclaw exclaimed. Leaf had kept her stoic look.
"No, he didnt" Leaf mewed. Shadowclaw twitched her ears in confusion. And slashed her tail in annoyence.
"Of course he did! Thats why he's here!" Shadowclaw spat. Leaf shook her head.
"He wanted to be where you were. Nothing else. He was never really interested in the clans" Leaf explained. Shadowclaw narrowed her eyes and looked away. He... lied to me?
"That doesnt matter! I still have kin in my clan!" Shadowclaw hissed. This time, Leaf didnt give her a stoic look. She narrowed her blue eyes and snarled.
"Is that all you care about? You care so deeply for those cats that lied to you. Never told you about your kin! And yet you still refuse to stay with the pary of your kin that needs you most?!" Leaf spat. Shadowclaw got on her paws and unsheated her claws.

"Why should i care! I just met you and you're holding my friend prisoner! You mean nothing to me!" Shadowclaw hissed. Leaf widened her eyes and took a pace back in surprise. Did i go to far? No, thats her fault. But Leaf didnt stoop at one pace. She continued padding away and into a wooden fence.
"Shadows are weak but will blaze brighter than the Moon" Leaf murmurred. That sounds like the words Amethystscar told me. Could it mean something?
Suddenly Leaf colapsed. Shadowclaw raced over to the white she-cat and bend down.
"Whats wrong!?" Shadowclaw rushed. Leaf took heavy breathings, staring in panic.
"Shadows... blaze... brighter... moon..." Leaf whispered. Suddenly the she-cat's eyes closed and her breathing stopped. Where will you stay? Leaf's words rang in her head. He will be needed on your journey. It rang again. Shadowclaw placed her paws on yop of her ears to shut the voices out. She hissed in annoyence. Suddenly it stopped. Shadowclaw grabbed Leaf by the scruff and swung her up on her shoulders.

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Shadowclaw padded back to Blaze and the rogues, finding them surounding Blaze. Who's fur was on end, claws unsheated and eyes blazing in fury.
"I thought she said no harm?!" Shadowclaw spat. The cats didnt take notice, except Blaze. He raced out from the group of cats and raced over to meet Shadowclaw.
"Thank Pennywise you're back" Blaze mewed and pressed his chin the Shadowclaw's. What's a Pennywise? The cats turned around and stumbled over to Shadowclaw with wide eyes filled with fear and sorrow.
"What will we do now?" Licht murmurred. Savage padded forward.
"Get Sky, Milk, Cream and Mint. They need to be here" Savage ordered. Licht nodded and turned around. He raced away from the cats to find the others.
"Who're they?" Shadowclaw asked. Laying Leaf's body gently on the ground. Savage looked up.
"Other of Leaf's kits" Savage explained. Great Starclan. How many kits does this she-cat have?! Shadowclaw thought in disbelief.

"Leaf must have told you everything?" Savage guessed. Shadowclaw nodded and Savage looked away.
"I guess you havent made your mind up?" She guessed. Shadowclaw nodded. Savage glanced away and looked up at the sky.
"You'll stay the night, and we will wait for an answer tomorrow"