Warrior cats | Forbidden Secrets

Chapter 13

"Rosepaw, wake up"

Rosepaw dragged open her eyes to see Thistlepaw shifting excitedly in front of her.

"What In StarClans name?" She grumbled.

"I have to show you something" he whispered, giving her one last look before sliding out the den.

Rosepaw considered falling back asleep, but pushed her exhaustion away, and got to her paws.

She weaved slowly around the nests, trying not to wake the sleeping cats.

She thought she heard a cat stirring and backed into the shadows.

Just as she was about the leave the den, she stumbled on a twig, and fell into a nest.

She braved herself to land on a soft pelt, but instead felt moss and brambles beneath her.

She looked up in confusion, realising that this was her sisters nest.

Her scent was stale, Brightpaw hadn't even slept in it.

Her ears prickling with confusion, she left the den.

Rosepaw followed Thistlepaw out the camp.

She picked up a slight scent of Brightpaw, and prayed that Thistlepaw couldn't smell it.

He stopped by the training hollow, and sat on a rock at the edge.

He beckoned her over with his tail, and she padded over cautiously, settling next to him.

"What are we doing here?" She muttered uneasily, she didn't like being so close to the Shadowclan border.

"Just watch"

Rosepaw looked out into the horizon, just in time to see a wondrous white light creeping across the night sky.

"The sunrise" she whispered in awe.

The red light followed soon after, bleeding into the sky, sending shoots of yellow, orange, red and white across the blackened sky.

The water on the lake reflected the sky, but it moved with the waves, swirling around, as if it was dancing.

Rosepaw lay by Thistlepaw happily, watching the sun come up.

"That was beautiful" she whispered, nuzzling her head into his shoulder.

She tumbled off the rock as he stood bolt upright, his ears straight.

He tasted the air and stiffened, his eyes widening.

"What was that for, you stupid furball" she hissed, licking the dirt off her pelt.

"Be quiet" he hissed, jumping off the rock.

Rosepaw let her mouth open slightly, and the scent of Shadowclan made her stumble backwards.

Thistlepaw pushed her into the shelter of the brambles and they crouched.

Rosepaw fidgeted as the sharp thorns of the brambles scraped her.

The murmur of voices came into ear shot and Rosepaw stood rigid with horror.

"Thistlepaw go back to camp" she growled.

"What?!" He hissed, looking at her with confusion and surprise.

"Please" she begged, "go back to camp, and tell no one"

"I'm not leaving you to deal with Shadowclan" he snarled.

"I won't, I'll be safe" she could see he wasn't going to listen to her, but the voices were getting closer.

She looked at him with as much desperation as she could.

"I'll get help"

"No!" She cried out, slapping her tail over her muzzle, "Thistlepaw, I need you to go back to the camp, nothing will happen, just trust me"

He gave her a look, before backing away, "I'm going to be back for you, and I'll bring warriors"

Before she could say anything else, he disappeared into the forest.

Rosepaw crept out of her hiding spot and stood in front of the trespassers.

"Rosepaw!" One of them cried out in shock.

"Hello Brightpaw" she said stiffly, although she was addressing her sister, she had her eyes narrowed at the cat sitting next to her.

"What is this Shadowclan cat doing on our territory" she demanded.

"Well" Brightpaw stuttered, working her paw into the dirt.

"Spit it out"

"I wanted to show Shadowpaw the training area, and show him my battle moves"

"What?!" She snarled, "why would you show the enemy our battle techniques"

"He's not the enemy!" Brightpaw snarled.

Shadowpaw still hadn't spoken, but was looking at the She cats with a blank stare.

"Lets go somewhere more private to talk about this"

Rosepaw started to object, by saw logic in his idea, and nodded reluctantly.

They walked closer to the Shadowclan border, and settled under a sorrel bush.

"What are you thinking" Rosepaw growled, disgusted that her sister would even think about letting a Shadowclan warrior put one paw on their territory.

"Please Rosepaw, you have to understand, Shadowpaw has done no wrong"

"That's not the point! He's from an enemy clan!"

"He's not my enemy!" She protested.

"He's from another clan" she hissed.

"So what!" Brightpaw exclaimed desperately, "that doesn't matter! He saved me"

"When" Rosepaw scoffed.

"In the battle against the dogs"

Rosepaw stayed in a shocked silence, not knowing what to say.

"That doesn't mean you owe him" she got out at last, "it was his decision"

"And this is mine! Can't you see that Rosepaw" Brightpaw asked desperately.

Rosepaw shook her head, "no I can't"

She cast one last sad look at her sister, before walking away.

She walked back to camp slowly, not knowing what to do.

How could her sister, her own sister do this?!

What about the warrior code, did that mean nothing to her.

What if they had another battle against Shadowclan, how could her sister fight against him.

Her paws felt heavy with sadness.

Her eyes clouded at she walked, she shook her head to try and clear them but the only got foggier.

Her vision was almost gone when she stumbled on something, slipping into cold and icy water.

She fought to keep her head above water.

She had fallen in the lake!

Her head ducked under, but she felt the presence of another cat around her.

"Be wary the shadows the cloud the light of the three, and the coming of the stars"

It felt like the waves were talking to her, but through her cloudy vision, she could see the faint outline of a cat, before it disappeared.

Rosepaw felt jaws wrap around her scruff and saw a cat lift her out the water, dragging her back to shore.

"Rosepaw you mousebrain, did you think you were Riverclan"

Rosepaw looked up to see Fawnpaw staring down at her, worry spinning round her eyes.

"I'm fine" she whispered.

She looked out onto the lake and saw the starry cat looking at her across it, its eyes stared right through her, before it turned and vanished into Riverclan territory.

"I'm fine"