Warriors: Back to the Wild Book#3

Chapter 15

The screams of the apprentice were still ringing in Mousepelt's ears. The snarling of the dogs as they reached her. Mousepelt tried to shake the thought from her head, her nightmares filled with blood and screams of innocent cats. She only wanted Amberheart to know what it was like to not get her way, she never wanted to kill anyone. Especially apprentices.

Silversol told her it was the best way to make Amberheart suffer. Mousepelt could care less about revenge. This was about being left in the shadows while your friend was the center of attention for everything.

Mousepelt snatched at a rock, her claws making marks. One of these days, she was going to kill all the Dark Forest cats. Just like she killed Thistleclaw. His blood running in to her mouth. Her claws digging in to her shoulder to stop her. His body going limp in her jaws. She looked to Clawface and Snowtuft, who were speaking quietly to one another. Snowtuft didn't do anything to her yet, he'd probably vanish last. Clawface, however, brought her here. She'd kill him slowly and painfully.

Silversol would die first, of course. She's the whole reason this all started in the first place. Mousepelt would've been fine if she and Amberheart stayed in the Twoleg nest. She still might have enjoyed Amberheart's company, but at least Mousepelt wouldn't have killed for at least a little attention.

Her ears then twitched with curiosity. She turned to the sound she heard. The scent was all too familiar to her.

"What are you doing here?" Clawface hissed as Ravenclaw walked in through a tunnel.

"Don't you dare lay a claw on him!" Mousepelt shrieked, making both Clawface and Snowtuft jump. They looked at her before moving aside for Ravenclaw to walk up to her.

"Mousepelt..." Ravenclaw meowed. Mousepelt tried her best not to show how much she had missed him. His warm fur against hers was enough to break her. "I'm not here to ask you to come back, I just want to speak to you." he then turned his blue gaze to Clawface. "Alone."

"You heard him." Mousepelt hissed at the two Dark Forest cats. "Get lost!"

Clawface flicked his tail before storming off with Snowtuft. Mousepelt flicked her tail to another tunnel, leading Ravenclaw toward it. She followed the stream in the caves and stopped when they were beginning to get cramped. She sat and prayed that Ravenclaw would wrap his tail around hers, just like they used to do. To her dismay, he only looked at himself in the stream.

"Mousepelt," Ravenclaw started, "I want you to leave the lake."

"What?" Mousepelt's fur raised and her eyes widened as she looked at the tom she loved.

"I want you and Navi to leave the lake," Ravenclaw looked to her, his eyes serious, "only until I clear this all up, there are cats out there talking about finding you and killing you! I don't want that to happen! The only way to keep you safe is if you leave, only until I find you to bring you back!"

Mousepelt opened her mouth to speak, but stopped. If she left with Navi, who would kill Silversol? Amberheart would be too caught up in Foxtail and having kits. Silversol would be free to do what she wanted. She'd kill all the queens and kits again. And if Ravenclaw was left to try and clear her name, he'd be all alone. Amberheart probably wouldn't forgive her for allowing the dogs to hurt the apprentice.

Mousepelt shook her head. The last thing she could do was leave. Especially with Navi. Her mother was the last cat she ever wanted to face again.

"No." Mousepelt lowered her ears and looked away. "I can't go, I want to stay and kill every last one of these Dark Forest cats for good. After that, I'm staying down here to rot. Just the way I should go."

"Mousepelt-!" Ravenclaw stood, urgency in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Ravenclaw," Mousepelt looked to him, "but I just can't, not anymore, Amberheart knows what it's like to never get anything she wants now, the time us drawing near for me to end all of this, and I've gone beyond cleaning myself of my sins. I'm trapped here now..."

Ravenclaw lowered his head, his voice choking up as he tried to speak. He shivered like he had caught green cough. The black tom then stepped up and buried his face in her fur. Mousepelt just lowered her head and twined her tail with his. This was all they had. After this, Ravenclaw would never see her again.

Ravenclaw had left reluctantly after a while. Mousepelt was all alone with these dead cats once again. Deathmask and Silversol glared after him and almost clawed Mousepelt's ears off for allowing an old Clanmate into their own territory. Mousepelt didn't care. Whatever feeling she had, it was only replaced with hate.

After eating a rat, Mousepelt heard the sound of paws bolting down a tunnel. Amberheart's scent filled her mouth as she snuffed around. With a sigh, Mousepelt pushed what was left of her prey away and headed to the sound of running. Clawface and Snowtuft joined her, their expressions unreadable.

When they came to the stream, Mousepelt saw Amberheart standing and glaring into the water. The golden warrior then clawed at the water, splashing it in the air.

"Does that make you feel any better?" Mousepelt flicked her tail, unscathed by her old friend's anger.

The ThunderClan she-cat spun and glared at Mousepelt, her green eyes blazing with hatred. "Because of you my apprentice is blind!"

"My fault?" Mousepelt shot back. "Why would I order a bunch of stupid dogs to attack a simple minded apprentice?"

"I know exactly why you're here! And I'm not going to let you get away with it!" Amberheart hissed. "You can't kill everyone around me, just to get revenge! It's not my fault the Twolegs liked me better than you! It's not my fault I'm more respected than you!"

"You fox heart!" Mousepelt shrieked, running over to get face to face with that golden warrior. "How dare you? The only reason anyone respects you, is because they don't know the real you!" she spat as she shoved Amberheart away from her. "Do you know what I had to get respect from ShadowClan? I almost got myself killed! I chased a dog away, saved a bunch of kits from drowning, swam in the freezing lake for cat mint for cats who meant nothing to me! What do I get? Nothing!"

Amberheart stood, shaking her head of the water. She turned and faced Mousepelt again, but this time she looked hurt. Good. This is what Mousepelt wanted. Amberheart needed to learn the hard way about what it was like to be cast aside from the world around you.

"I have done nothing but sacrifice and sacrifice for everything in my life!" Mousepelt went on. "What have you sacrificed? Nothing! All you've done is get pampered by everyone who sees you! Meanwhile, I'm forced to work for a sideways glance! Now look who's being pampered, look who's getting respect for nothing, and who's the one not getting her perfect little way! I'll finish this stupid prophecy by myself and I'm staying down here! You'll never see me again!"

Amberheart's gaze began to soften, but she still looked angry and ready to kill Mousepelt.

Good! Do it! Then see what happens! Mousepelt thought bitterly.

"Now get lost! I'm not going to kill anyone just to take more from you, oh- no, Amberheart, I'm not like these cats!" she pointed to the Dark Forest warriors behind her. "No. I'm going to stay here and never return, meanwhile, you can face the world alone, just like me! Go! Have kits with Foxtail, train your blind apprentice, she can still hear and smell, be respected by the Clans, but you can have everything you ever wanted, except me!" with that, Mousepelt stormed off, walking past Clawface and Snowtuft.

"You can't just-" Clawface began before Mousepelt turned on him.

"We're leaving!" She spat. The dark warrior looked at her for a moment, then at Amberheart, then huffed as he stormed away. Mousepelt and Snowtuft followed. Mousepelt could hear Amberheart stand in the water for a few more minutes and then bolt away. At least now no cat will get hurt because of Mousepelt. She'd kill every last one of these cats and get on with her life in the caves. She'd go the way she came. Alone.