✧ Devious Fates ✧ | COMPLETE WARRIOR CATS FANFICTION STORY |

// Chapter Four

Whitestar stood at the front of the arrangement of ShadowClan cats. Thistlepaw trailed beside Splashpaw; a slightly younger apprentice with a white and ginger coat and green eyes. Goldenheart fell in behind her. The full moon's bulky body illuminated in the sky.

"Are you excited?" Splashpaw asked, shifting her eager gaze to Thistlepaw.

"It depends on what excited means," Thistlepaw retorted. After a few moments of awkward silence, he added, "I'm excited to hear about the other Clans' secrets, yes."

Splashpaw couldn't think of anything else to say, so she padded up to her brother, Thrushpaw. The crack of pine straw then indicated Goldenheart's quickened pace that emerged closer to Thistlepaw.

"You're going to become a warrior soon," Goldenheart meowed. "One of these days. Aren't you glad all of your training is going to pay off?"

Not all of it. I don't understand how getting moss for the elders what feels like every other sunrise is classified as training. And there's my goal. I have to achieve it. Maybe if I do, StarClan will reward me. Maybe I will receive more visions. "Mhm," Thistlepaw lied. Goldenheart nodded and smiled proudly. The warriors seemed to have started treating him more like a true warrior than a whiney kit that just left the nursery.

"How's Brinekit doing?" Thistlepaw asked, his paws shifting uneasily in the straw beneath him as the group ventured on. He could imagine the tom blankly sleeping and felt guilt as his empty destiny seemed to unfold before her.

"Alright," Goldenheart replied grimly. "For a kit who's lost two of its senses."

Thistlepaw felt like a paw jabbed him in the ribs at Goldenheart's response. Brinekit's pitiful life was still plastered in his mind. It was stronger than before. He shook her head, blinking and adjusting his perception to the moment he stood in.

Authors note: i apologize for the ableist way Brinekit is portrayed. Warriors was not that good of an example for disabled characters so I got the mindset of a cat's life being blind and deaf simply a "pitiful life" from that. I wrote this many years ago and my stories are not like that anymore! People who are *completely* deaf and blind are very rare, and I'm unsure on how they particularly would communicate, even with research I'm not sure for completely deaf blind people how that would work. I'm sure there's some way though with the tech age we're in (found some research where people can feel sign language, it's really cool!). However, with cats, many of their senses are stronger and therefore it would be easier to live with the condition Brinekit is in (specifically smell).

He recognized the border he and his mentor often patrolled. He felt a bit of relief that Squirrelchase didn't come to the Gathering with him. Recently he's felt quite awkward around him. He wanted to become a warrior for so many reasons; but he couldn't if she didn't do what StarClan wanted, and what he knew would make her Clan better. But why should I want to satisfy ancestors that gave Brinekit barely a life? But maybe StarClan didn't have control over it. He sighed, continuing on.

He ducked under large branches and WindClan scent stung his nostrils. An abandoned Thunderpath that had cracks traced into it stretched a few whisker-lengths away from his paws. Its repulsive stench burned Thistlepaw's nostrils. His muzzle wrinkled up in an effort to stop the fragrant from growing stronger. The path stood as a scent marker and border between the two Clans, ending towards RiverClan territory.

"What are we waiting for?" Whitestar coaxed. "Come on."

Thistlepaw reluctantly followed Whitestar's orders. He bolted over the Thunderpath, placing his paws on the unusual texture. Goldenheart came next, followed by Thrushpaw and Splashpaw. Whitestar, Robinfeather, Dusttail, and Mousefang had already arrived on the opposite side of the path.