Warriors: Quailsong's Path [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 7

⠀⠀Briarpaw had regained her consciousness shortly after Nightwhisker had convinced WindClan to come home with them. The light brown apprentice had to be supported by Leafpaw, the medicine cat apprentice, as they trekked across the moorland in the direction of RiverClan territory.
⠀⠀Quailpaw kept close to Rubblepaw and Otterpaw as usual, her gaze never swaying from the WindClan warriors padding in front of them. They had chosen to bring up the rear of the large patrol so they could watch everything.
⠀⠀Turtlepaw was padding off to the side, not too far from where Quailpaw and her friends were. The Siamese she-cat blinked her eyes in surprise to see how shaken the small black apprentice appeared to be.
⠀⠀Not caring what Otterpaw and Rubblepaw would say, Quailpaw broke away from them to catch up with Turtlepaw. They'd only spoken once at the last Gathering, so she anticipated for this conversation to be a little awkward.
⠀⠀"Hey! Turtlepaw!" Quailpaw whispered. She came up to the other she-cat's side.
⠀⠀Turtlepaw flashed her a surprised glance, frowning slightly. There was a deep cut on her muzzle, and the sight caused Quailpaw to flinch a little.
⠀⠀"Can I help you?" Turtlepaw asked. Her voice shook slightly.
⠀⠀"Are you okay?" Quailpaw mewed.
⠀⠀Turtlepaw's whiskers twitched with laughter. "What's it to you?" she replied. "We're supposed to hate each other, remember?"
⠀⠀Quailpaw swallowed. "I guess," she murmured. "What happened to your muzzle? That cut looks...bad."
⠀⠀Turtlepaw narrowed her eyes to stare at the dark red wound sliced over her mouth, swiping her tongue over it carefully. "I hit it on a rock when I was running from the fire."
⠀⠀"That sounds painful," Quailpaw mewed. "Does it hurt?"
⠀⠀Turtlepaw's green gaze was full of suspicion all of a sudden. "Honestly, why do you care, Quailpaw? I'm technically not supposed to be speaking to you..."
⠀⠀Quailpaw twitched her tail. "Sorry, you just looked upset," she mewed.
⠀⠀Turtlepaw huffed a sigh.
⠀⠀"What's going on here?"
⠀⠀Quailpaw looked up quickly as a harsh voice reached her ears. She spotted the intense amber gaze of Rabbitstar glaring at her from close by. The WindClan leader bared her teeth. "Get away from Turtlepaw! I don't need any nasty RiverClan cat blowing her fish-breath onto the next generation of WindClan!"
⠀⠀"Hey, leave her alone!" Troutpelt pushed his way through the group of cats to face Rabbitstar. The entire patrol camp to a halt to watch. "She's just an apprentice!"
⠀⠀Rabbitstar hissed at the gray tabby warrior. "So was Icepaw! Yet you felt the need to kill him."
⠀⠀"So are you're saying you're going to kill Quailpaw?" Troutpelt scoffed, unsheathing his claws. "I'd like to see you try."
⠀⠀Quailpaw felt her heart pounding like crazy in her chest. She backed away from Rabbitstar and Turtlepaw, bounding back over to Otterpaw and Rubblepaw.
⠀⠀The group began moving again and Quailpaw couldn't tear her gaze from the ground.
⠀⠀"What was that about?" Rubblepaw asked.
⠀⠀"I...just felt bad, okay?" Quailpaw told him. "Icepaw was Turtlepaw's brother. I'm sure she's still grieving over that and she just lost her home. Things can't be good right now for her."
⠀⠀"Who cares?" Otterpaw meowed. "That's a WindClan cat. We can't trust them right now."
⠀⠀The three were quiet for a few heartbeats until Quailpaw said, "Funny. Why are we letting them stay in our camp?"

⠀⠀The entirety of WindClan and the escorting RiverClan patrol finally made it to the RiverClan camp. The whole Clan was gathered in the clearing, awaiting the return of Cloverheart.
⠀⠀The brown and white deputy led Nightwhisker, Troutpelt, Brokenwing, Thornstep, Frostfoot, Quailpaw, Rubblepaw, and Otterpaw into the camp. His green gaze fell onto Sagestar who was in the center. He rose to his paws and crossed the clearing to greet his deputy.
⠀⠀"What's happened?" the leader asked.
⠀⠀"WindClan is outside our camp. We have brought them here because they have nowhere else to stay," Cloverheart explained.
⠀⠀Understanding flooded Sagestar's eyes, although he looked a bit hesitant.
⠀⠀Rabbitstar emerged from the group of WindClan cats to face the black tom. Her head was held high and she looked strong despite the singes in her pelt. "Your warriors were able to convince me to allow my Clan to stay with yours," the elderly she-cat meowed flatly. "But just know, we will be leaving the minute our camp has been repaired."
⠀⠀Sagestar nodded. "I understand, Rabbitstar," he meowed to her. "Please do not be afraid around us. Make yourself at home, don't be afraid to talk to my cats. Let this be a time of truce for us."
⠀⠀"This isn't the Gathering," Rabbitstar hissed. "I can ignore your cats and disrespect them all I want. You deserve it—"
⠀⠀"We offer you shelter and you speak to us like that?" Alliumspark called out.
⠀⠀"Yeah, be grateful we swallowed down our bitterness towards you just to be kind for a second," Eeltail hissed, coming to stand at the speckled she-cat's side.
⠀⠀"We could send you away now," Wolfsong spoke up. "You should be thanking us. Your cats would suffer if you weren't given a place to stay."
⠀⠀"I thought my words had burned through your thick head," Nightwhisker growled.
⠀⠀Sagestar didn't silence the cats who had spoken up against the WindClan leader. Instead, pride filled his yellow gaze and he stared at Rabbitstar. "Disrespect us, and we will chase you off our territory and you will be forced to rebuild a destroyed camp when all of your warriors are injured and exhausted. Do you understand that, Rabbitstar?"
⠀⠀Rabbitstar glared at Sagestar viciously. The fur along her spine was bristling and her ears were flat against her head. Quailpaw expected her to leap onto Sagestar and claw his muzzle.
⠀⠀But she gave in, sighing loudly. "Fine," she spat. "I appreciate the help RiverClan has offered, but this doesn't change my opinions on every single one of you." Under her breath she added, "I'll find out which one of you killed Icepaw if it's the last thing I do."
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