✧ Devious Fates ✧ | COMPLETE WARRIOR CATS FANFICTION STORY |

// Chapter Seven

Thistlepaw felt panic and fury charge through him. Dawn was approaching. WindClan would be storming into their camp any heartbeat. The ShadowClan camp was churning with fear and uneasiness. Mosspelt was darting around camp, transporting variants of herbs towards her den ready for the injured. Warriors were being sent on patrols to defend the borders from WindClan.

"Rabbitear doesn't know about the attack!" Mousefang yowled. "She took Duskpaw out during the Gathering!"

"What?" Sparrowfeather gasped. "We need to get a rescue patrol to fetch them!"

"We can't waste warriors," Eaglefeather growled in response. Thistlepaw's neck fur bristled as camp became an endless quarrel.

"We're not wasting warriors!" Mousefang hissed. "Rabbitear and Duskpaw need to be brought back to camp!"

"Why is Pinewhisker sending out border patrols?" Weedtail inquired. "We need to keep all warriors in camp!"

"If we send out patrols we might be able to flank the warriors that come in," Robinfeather suggested. "They're likely trying to ambush us."

Thistlepaw narrowed his eyes. Useless! Stop mewling around like newborn kits and prepare for battle, mouse-brains! He dashed around camp. He heard many warriors giving him alarmed calls, but he ignored them. He had one objective. Win this war.

Thistlepaw bounded towards the corner of camp. Where in StarClan is Goldenheart? He peered inside the warriors den. It was empty. He glimpsed inside of the apprentice's den. It was also empty, except for a small leak in the ceiling. We're fixing to be in battle! The least you can do is actually help.

He neared towards the nursery, glancing inside. He saw his mother fearfully shuffling the moss and directing her kits into small hiding spots. Of course! She's in the nursery. Thistlepaw padded inside. Maplekit was trembling with terror. "WindClan is going to attack!" he squealed. His brother, Shadekit, trailed up beside him. Bluekit, Stormkit, Smokekit, and Rainkit cowered in a corner.

Shimmerkit and Brinekit squealed in distress. Their eyes were still shut. But Thistlepaw noticed something even more peculiar. Where is Moonkit?

"Goldenheart!" Thistlepaw demanded. Goldenheart winced in surprise and turned her head to face Thistlepaw. "Where is Moonkit?"

Goldenheart froze and her eyes lit up in fear. Thistlepaw lashed his tail in fury for his sister. "Well?"

"S-she drowned," Goldenheart eventually squeaked. Thistlepaw felt his heart lurch. "She opened her eyes before her siblings and heard about the coming battle. She searched for the river in panic to escape, and she was swept away.."

Moonkit's dead? Thistlepaw felt sorrow blast through him. He sucked in a breath, and a slight suspicion struck his mind. How could she of opened her eyes so early? And walk? He shook his head. No! I can't believe her. No cat would. That's a mouse-brained story!

Thistlepaw struggled to convince himself that Goldenheart was lying, but his gut told him she was. There were many things Goldenheart had toiled to keep secret from Thistlepaw, but it had eventually become uncovered. Like her prior relationship with Jayheart. Goldenheart had fallen in love with Jayheart, the deputy of WindClan. They had given birth to Thistlepaw, Pigeonpaw, and Raccoonpaw. Goldenheart claimed it was Eaglefeather's kits, and surprisingly, Eaglefeather seemed thrilled. But it seemed there was a bigger secret Goldenheart tried to hide, but it was finally revealed. She had, again, become mates with a cat from another Clan. Every cat seemed to know it, but had no response due to the upcoming turmoil.

Thistlepaw jumped out of his daze. Battle. Battle. Battle. The words repeated in his head, until he got back into his defensive notion. Right. Protect the camp. Thistlepaw nodded in response to Goldenheart, forcing himself to have a sorrowful look in his eyes. I shouldn't mourn until I know the whole story.