Web of Lies

iii

"Willowberry!" Robinflight called out, dragging out the syllables. Her voice echoed, ringing through the cave. Willowberry had to have heard her.

"Willowberry? We're here to get my cut checked out!" Quailfern added.

Robinflight's ears perked up as she heard a loud rustling at the back of the cave. She took a few steps into the darkness, stick clamped tight between her teeth.

A silver tabby, tall and lanky, stepped out of the shadows. Her tail whipped bac and forth slowly, dragging among the leaves and herbs scattered along the floor of the cave.

"Didn't I already bandage your cut?" She hissed.

"Yeah, but I'm thinking it might be infe-"

"Where did you find that stick?" Willowberry snapped, cutting off Quailfern.

Robinflight spit the wood out on the floor.

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about."

Willowberry looked Robinflight up and down, her expression hardening.

"Stay there," She commanded, looking at Quailfern. He obeyed as the two she-cats walked to the back of the cave. Robinflight held the wood in her mouth, noticing it had cooled down significantly.

"This is going to sound really weird," Robinflight warned as they sat down at the very back of the cave.

"I'm a medicine cat," Willowberry said flatly. "Weird is what I'm used to."

"Alright. Well, last night, I had this dream-"

"A dream?" Willowberry laughed. "No, no. I'm not listening to your nightmare. Go tell this to Quailfe-"

"I talked to your mom!" Robinflight sputtered, desperate to keep Willowberry with her.

"My mom?" She said slowly, as if she hadn't said the words in a long time. Her face softened. "What did she say?"

"She misses you. A lot. She's really proud of you, you know that, right?"

Willowberry's eyes brimmed with tears. She wiped them away with her paw, sitting down on the stone floor.

"Did she say anything else?" Willowberry asked, her voice just above a whisper.

"She... she wanted me to give you this." Robinflight nudged the stick forward with her paw. "She said it would help you, and 'those cats'. I don't know what 'those cats' meant, but it seemed important."

Willowberry touched the stick with her paw, only to immediately jump back in pain. The stick had become scorching hot again.

"StarClan!" Willowberry hissed. "Why would my mom want to give this to me?"

"I don't know! You're the one with the prophetic dreams!"

"Well you're the one who had the dream." She walked over to the small waterfall in the cave, taking a few sips of cold water before continuing. "Cats like you don't usually talk to dead moms and bring back hot sticks. Then again, you're deputy..."

"Am I interrupting?" A light ginger tabby entered the back, a confused look on her face. It was Daylight, Coralstar's daughter. Robinflight internally groaned. She really did hate her, as did everyone in the camp.

"We're just talking about..." Robinflight glanced at Willowberry, hoping she'd back her up. Willowberry huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Robinflight was feeling a little sick, so she came here for herbs. You know, because that's what medicine cats do," Willowberry said, tipping her head forward.