Tadpoledrift's Mistakes

Chapter Eight

Her paws led her there like always, down the lakebed, crossing over the stone steps. She saw it there, stars reflected on the surface of the Moonpool calmly. She had a smile on her face as she got to it, it felt like it had been so long since she had seen Cherrydrop and Ivystalk.

She walked down the stone path and through the tunnels, following the pawsteps that had formed on the stone floor over so many moons of use.

Tadpoledrift quietly sighed as she got to it, laying onto her side as her paws were too sore to sit on them any longer.

Dipping her head to the surface she took in a lick of the cold water, a shiver went down her spine as she closed her eyes.

The sounds of a stream echoed nearby her as she slowly woke up into a dream, a star-covered meadow all around her with lichen growing in between rocks. A familiar pink-ish she-cat stood in the distance and quickly padded up to her.

"Cherrydrop! Where's Ivystalk?" She looked all around her.

The pinkish she-cat quietly sighed. "She'll be coming soon enough, but I came here ahead of her to warn you. No matter how harsh her words are going to be, I know deep down she still cares about you and your kits, she's just a bit disappointed that you've broken the code."

Tadpoledrift dipped her head and tried to give a small smile.

"And your father feels the same, I'm sure of it. They both care for you, it's just..."

"They don't want a codebreaker as a kit." Tadpoledrift looked at her paws.

"N-No Tad it's not that!" Cherrydrop leaped up and padded up to her, starting to groom the top of her head.

"It's not that truly, they'd have a codebreaker any day over someone who murders, I promise you that."

"It's okay Cherrydrop." Tadpoledrift lifted her head, she could easily make out the appearance of her parents, their starry fur glistening so beautifully.

Ivystalk sat in front of her daughter, her mate, Snowrain, sitting up against her, both cats had a fiery glare in their eyes.

"Mom, Dad." Tadpoledrift dipped her head to both of them.

"Tadpoledrift, it never occurred to me as I watched you as a kit that'd you'd be the type to keep your enemies so close that you were blind to their actions." Ivystalk's voice was laced with frustration.

"Mom I didn't know-" She tried to explain her side.

"Daughter you have no need to talk! I am a Starclan warrior and as a Starclan warrior I watch over my kin and make sure that don't make any dumb mistakes, and you've made the most featherbrained mistake of all!" Her mother's voice began to rise.

"Mom please I-" Tadpoledrift tried to speak up again.

"You allied yourself with the leader who killed your own parents! What kind of foxheart does something like that? The answer to that is no kit I have ever raised."

Tadpoledrift looked at her mother confused, tears began to well up. "Mother please-"

"Ivystalk, allow her to talk at least once, I know you are angry at her but that doesn't give an excuse to yowl at the top of her lungs." Cherrydrop looked to her friend then back to the kit she had raised, nuzzling the top of her head.

Ivystalk snorted in annoyance but stepped back, a glare burning into her daughter.

"I-I never knew of the things they had down...i-if I had known...I wouldn't have stayed so close to Muddystar." She wiped a paw across her face. "I only came here to ask what I should do next..I-I don't want my kits to be raised like their father...I want to raise them myself.."

Ivystalk seemed to calm down a bit and looked to Snowrain, looking back to Tadpoledrift.

"Listen to your mentor and leave the clan, you have a few kin in both Thunderclan and Windclan but Windclan's leader is more welcoming to cats who have lost their homes. You're older siblings and a few nephews and nieces will be there as well" Snowrain spoke up finally, but still had a partial glare.

Tadpoledrift lifted her head up, giving her parents a small smile. "Thank you.."

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Paw steps came from outside of the cave and she quickly lifted her head, expecting a rogue to pop out. Instead, she saw a familiar-looking grey and white she-cat who wore a nervous expression on her face as she padded up to her.

"Ma'am, why are you so far away from camp in such a state?"