Book 1: Stormstar's Promise

Chapter 12

At first everyone assumed she had just left. Everyone knew she had been uneasy about choosing the path of a warrior, reluctant was an understatement. She had only stayed for her kits...

It was completely plausible that now that Honeydawn and Autumnpath were grown she would return to the city.

But to leave without a word? Without a goodbye?

Suspicions lingered around Stormhearts mind. Scarletpool wasn't a coward. If she was truly going to leave she would tell everyone. She wouldn't just vanish.

Then her body turned up four days after she went missing. Claw marks were scored along her throat which has clotted over with blood, the marks were unmistakable. Scarletpool had been murdered by a warrior.

But why? Who would anyone want to kill Scarletpool? As far as I know no one had a grudge against her, Stormheart thought to herself.

It was disconcerting, to say the least. Stormheart couldn't help but feel that this act had been some kind of twisted warning. And Pebblestep was acting awfully jumpy lately. Stormhearts ears lay flat against her silver head.

"I shouldn't be accusing my own clan mates of murder. Especially not after all that I've done. It must have been a Seaclan warrior, looking for revenge." she muttered to herself. Satisfied that that must have been the reason for Scarletpools murder, Stormheart went to Nightstars den to inform him of her thoughts. Hushed and angry voices inside made her freeze in her tracks. It sounded like Pebblestep and Nightstar were having an argument. Stormheart hid outside of the den and perked her ears to listen.

"How dare you say I'm not qualified to be deputy!" Pebblestep hissed in a quiet tone, trying to keep anyone from over hearing.

"Ever since you've been deputy things have gotten worse for Ravenclan. Seaclan and our clan are practically at war, Lilytail went missing, and now Scarletpool has been murdered. I wouldn't call that 'handling the situation'." Nightstar rasped.

"Are you actually blaming me for those incidents? Perhaps you should look at yourself, you're practically withering away. You don't even lead the clan anymore!"

"And now I can see that when I die who's paws I will have left my clan in. Pebblestep you are a loyal warrior, but leadership is too much for you. I fear you will run our clan into ruins." Nightstar growled, ending the discussion. Pebblestep however wasn't ready to give up her position yet.

"You know who's fault it really is? Its Stormheart! She's the reason all this has been happening!" Pebblestep almost shouted. Stormheart glanced around to see if any of her clan mates could hear Pebblestep and Nightstar but no one looked up. Stormheart focused her attention back to the matter at hand.

"Don't speak about my daughter that way!" Nightstar snapped. Stormhearts blue eyes widened, her heart stopped moving. All she heard was silence in the den.

"...Da...daughter?" Pebblestep repeated incredulously.

"I didn't mean, it, that didn't come out right." Nightstar stammered, realizing he had just given away his secret to a cat that suddenly hated him. Stormheart could almost feel Pebblesteps smile from outside the den.

"How, interesting." Pebblestep drawled. Stormheart felt anger churning through her body, there was no way she would become deputy now. Pebblestep would make sure of that.

"You know, I knew it was only a matter of time before you replaced me with Stormheart. You were always soft on her, and she always seemed to have some grudge against you. I didn't get it, but now I do. That Seaclan cat, was she her mother?" Pebblestep laughed. Stormheart felt her blood boil at the mention of her long lost mother.