Warriors: Back to the Wild Book#3

Chapter 8

"Mousepelt, where have you been?" Mousepelt blinked to see Stoneheart at the entrance to the ShadowClan camp. She had a rat in her jaws and had no memory of how she got it. All she could remember was that she was angry with Amberheart and wanted her blood on her paws.

"Well," Stoneheart interrupted her thoughts, "you caught prey, so I'll give you a break, but don't go running off on your own during a border patrol, go give that to Blackclaw, I need to go on another hunting patrol, the fresh-kill pile is getting low." the deputy walked out with Frightwing, Goldenpelt, and Smoothpelt.

Mousepelt went to the nursery to see Blackclaw with her tail wrapped around Rainkit and Nightkit. Nightkit's dark grey tabby pelt was sticking up and her green eyes were wide. Rainkit's teeth were chattering and her sandy pelt was ruffled.

When Mousepelt neared her head was filled with dead kits, lying under her paws. She shook at the thought of killing Blackclaw's kits. Their eyes were innocent  and Mousepelt was dreaming of murdering them. In this harshness of leaf-bare. She dropped her catch and ran off, ignoring Blackclaw's concerned call.

She needed to get out camp. She didn't feel safe here. She was getting closer to killing killing Nightkit and Rainkit. She could smell a weak and dying Snaketooth in the medicine cat den, with Ashface and Turtlefur.

"Mousepelt," she turned to see Ravenclaw near her, "Stripeback and Silversun have decided to go on their own hunting patrol, I decided to go with them, would you like to come with?"

"Yes, I'd love to go!" Mousepelt brushed past him. She was terrified. She was going to kill kits and the tom next to her was using her to avenge his mate's death.

As they padded through the forest, Mousepelt opened her mouth and scented ThunderClan. The others must have smelt it as well; their pelts were bristling. They pelted off and saw Skyleaf's son, Thistleclaw taking an adder off ShadowClan's border. Mousepelt bred her teeth as she pushed past her Clanmates to confront the young warrior.

"What are you doing?" She snarled.

"Getting prey," Thistleclaw answered flatly, "what does it look like I'm doing?"

"Stealing ShadowClan prey!" Silversun hissed.

"ThunderClan needs more prey!" Snowsong spat.

"That's ShadowClan property!" Stripeback yowled.

"Our kits are freezing!" Ravencall spat.

"Our kits need to survive!" Ravenclaw pointed out.

Mousepelt couldn't take it anymore. Talking wasn't going to solve this. She pounced at Thistleclaw and began clawing at his neck. The surprised tom didn't have time to react. Mousepelt bit at him and clawed at him. She feel the shocked and terrified eyes from her Clanmates and the ThunderClan warriors watching. She didn't care. They should fear her. This was her forest. She risked her life to save their kits and it was time she got the respect she deserved. The Dark Forest cats were right. This was her prophecy.

"Mousepelt!" A shriek made Mousepelt look to see Amberheart and Foxtail had shown up and saw the scene before them. Ravenclaw grabbed Mousepelt's scruff and pried her off Thistleclaw, who quickly bolted away to hide behind his Clanmates.

"What's gotten in to you?" Ravenclaw hissed.

"Me? What's gotten in to you?" Mousepelt retorted. "He was stealing prey!"

"You were trying to kill him!" Ravenclaw pointed out.

"Then I'd be doing ThunderClan a favor! It'd be one less mouth to feed!"

"Mousepelt!" She looked to see Stoneheart had shown up. "We will discuss this at camp!" he snarled. "Get back to camp!"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Mousepelt snarled back.

"Get back to camp!" Ravenclaw ordered.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Mousepelt turned on the warrior.

"Now!" Stoneheart shoved her to camp. The ShadowClan warriors stormed off, leaving terrified ThunderClan cats. And Mousepelt was pleased.

When they had arrived to camp, Stoneheart stormed to the leader's den to retrieve Jumbledstar. Ravenclaw was pacing back and forth in front of Mousepelt and she was starting to get irritated.

"Would you cut that out?" Mousepelt bristled.

"What do you expect me to do?" Ravenclaw stopped and bared his teeth at the brown warrior. "You almost killed a cat!"

"A ThunderClan cat!" Mousepelt spat.

"That doesn't give you the right to kill him!" Ravenclaw retorted. The whole Clan started coming out from their dens to see the quarreling cats. Mousepelt didn't care. All these cats were abusive traitors to her.

"You're pathetic, Ravenclaw!" Mousepelt shouted. "You're always holding me back! You want me to kill Silversol, but all you've done is use me as a replacement for your precious Hollyforest!"

"Mousepelt!" Docilepaw gasped.

"Stay out if this!" Mousepelt shrieked at the medicine cat apprentice.

"Mousepelt..." Ravenclaw stopped for a moment, his eyes full of hurt. "Why would you...?"

"Admit it!" Mousepelt demanded. "Well, guess what, Ravenclaw, me killing Silversol isn't going to bring her back, but you knew that didn't you, so once I'm done, you're just going to cast me out, not caring where I end up!"

"Mousepelt... I..." Ravenclaw shook.

"I don't want to hear anymore of your lies!" Mousepelt wailed. "I hate you!" Mousepelt then shot away. She ignored all the shocked looks on her Clanmates. Ignored the ThunderClan cats she saw. WindClan patrols and SkyClan passed her as she almost tumbled in to the Moonpool. The stars and paws of long dead cats staring up at her.

"Is this worth it?" She sobbed to StarClan. "Please, tell me, was any of this worth it!" as she cried out, she could hear a painful wail not far away. Mousepelt could only guess it was Ravenclaw, suffering from his heart being shattered.