Riverstone's Betrayal

Thirteen

!CONTENT WARNING!

This chapter contains some triggering features, such as manipulation, assault, exile and death. If you are uncomfortable with any of these topics, please do not read this chapter!

Riverstone tore after Mosspaw as she turned and ran away, smaller legs scrambling to gain speed. Riverstone's longer strides made her faster, her tail streamlined behind her. She caught up to the apprentice quickly, bowling her over with the weight of her broad body.

Riverstone laid one paw on the side of her head, pinning the smaller she-cat to the earth. Mosspaw struggled beneath her, hissing and squirming, Riverstone bent close to her ear, snarling.

"What did you see?"

"I saw... Uh..."

"That's right. You saw nothing. And you will not be telling Snakestar anything at all, understand?"

"A-alright!" Mosspaw cried. "I won't tell! I won't tell! Let me go!"

Riverstone's lip curled. "You best not. I'll be watching you."

Though the ginger and white she-cat knew she was making a mistake, releasing a witness, she stepped off of the smaller tortoiseshell, letting Mosspaw scramble away towards CobraClan camp. Riverstone turned back and padded into Twolegplace, retrieving Mittens' body and carrying it with her. The tom had gone completely limp, only the occasional drop falling onto the path she made towards BoaClan. She would tell them she'd found him; she would present the dead form to their leader. They wouldn't know. They won't know.

Riverstone fought back the wave of grief that threatened to overtake her. Shaking her head, she continued her slow march towards BoaClan camp.

"I found him!"

Riverstone burst through the entrance, emerald eyes wide as she spoke around Mittens' grey ruff. She dropped his body on the ground in the middle of the camp as others startled into seeing her.

"Riverstone! Great StarClan! What happened?!" Sprucebranch rushed towards her, nosing Mittens' still-warm body. Around her, other warriors were gathering, shocked and saddened. The weight of what she'd done pressed on her spine, StarClan's eyes burning holes in her neck.

"A dog attack," she lied, tears surging to her face and running down her nose. "There were two, strong and huge. I tried to fight them back, but... well..." Riverstone's breath caught.

"Oh no... Riverstone, I'm so sorry..."

"You two were so close."

"May StarClan light his path."

BoaClan warriors gathered together around her, a swarm of fur and warmth and coos as Riverstone collapsed over the former warrior turned kittypet.

Riverstone returned to CobraClan under the cover of night, slinking quietly into the warrior's den in an attempt to keep the others asleep. Although she nestled comfortably in the warmth of her nest, Riverstone did not sleep that night.

-

Snakestar leaped to the top of the Leader's Cliff with a different purpose the next day as sunhigh neared. He remembered the past night clearly, how he'd seen Riverstone sneak in. And in the shadows of his den, he had watched her as she licked dark crimson from her jaws.

He would not keep his Clan in danger.

"All cats old enough to streak the woodland on their own, please gather for a Clan meeting." Snakestar's tail flicked behind him.

Every cat in CobraClan gathered under him, expectantly watching, waiting for his leadership. They trusted him, and he knew he had to trust himself now. His paws would not break or trip his words.

"Some important information has been brought to my attention as of late, and it needs to be addressed. Riverstone of CobraClan, please step forward."

He could see the knowing yet startled gaze of Riverstone below as she stepped perfectly into view, surrounded by murmuring Clanmates.

"Riverstone found Nightstripe not long ago, and returned him to BoaClan dead. She told Beechstar that he'd been killed by two dogs. I have received information that this is untrue. Riverstone, I have been told that you murdered Nightstripe with your own claws. Is this true?"

Snakestar remembered the night meeting clearly, sneaking out after receiving this information and meeting with Beechstar. He had told him what he'd heard.

Riverstone gaped below him, but it was not a look of cluelessness. It faded to a cool anger slowly, a small snarl growing on her face.

"Yes, Snakestar. I did kill him." she lowered her head, raised it again rebelliously. "But I had a reason. He betrayed us; he left his Clan and became a kittypet. He did not deserve to be a warrior, and he did not deserve his life."

Snakestar sighed. "Riverstone, you were an honorable warrior. Why would you take the life of a cat you were so close to?"

"He didn't deserve the life he had." Riverstone looked over her shoulder, gaze fixed pointedly at a small she-cat who refused to look at her.

"No warrior deserves to die like that-"

"Nightstripe was no warrior." Riverstone dug into the ground with her claws.

"Riverstone, I'm going to have to exile you from CobraClan. You are a danger to others and yourself. I will be notifying Beechstar of your exile." Snakestar narrowed his eyes.

Riverstone hissed for a moment, standing there, but she didn't argue as she turned to leave. As she walked coolly out of the camp, Snakestar looked down at her, then at the she-cat who'd told her everything.

Below him, Mosspaw noticed his gaze fixed on her, then lowered her head away from Riverstone's disappearing tail.

"Mosspaw, you have acted nobly in what you did. You have done CobraClan a great service. Please step forward, small one."

Mosspaw looked up, surprised, and moved to stand in Riverstone's place.

"I, Snakestar, leader of CobraClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn."

Below him, Mosspaw's eyes lit up as she realized what Snakestar was saying.

"Mosspaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Mosspaw purred eagerly.

Snakestar smiled, a small expression of recollection, before continuing. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Mosspaw, from this moment on you will be known as Mossheart. StarClan honors your courage and responsibility, and we welcome you as a full warrior of CobraClan."

Snakestar leaped down from the Leader's Cliff to greet his new warrior, laying his muzzle on her forehead. He felt Mossheart's head slip as she bent to lick his shoulder in return, and the first movement she made as a warrior was to fall face-first with her tongue sticking out.

Snakestar purred as Mossheart scrambled up, greeted by a flurry of warm chuckles. "Looks like you might take after your leader. Now," he continued as he leaped back up the Leader's Cliff, smiling, making his decision as he spoke. "We have one final ceremony with the leaving of our previous deputy."

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice." Snakestar looked at Rubypelt; the tom simply nodded. "The new deputy of CobraClan is Viperstrike."