Darkstorm's Code✔️

Chapter Twenty-Three

Darkstorm watched as Shadeflight stumbled after the fresh-kill pile. She sighed. Is this all he's going to be good for? She scowled, catching Heatpelt's mocking gaze as Orangetail nudged him. "Use your scent," she suggested. Shadeflight's fur bristled.

"I know," he snapped. "I don't need help." He's embarrassed, Darkstorm realized. But it's not his fault!

"Shadeflight, come share with me," she suggested. I'm lying, she thought sadly as she continued. "Don't worry, your eyes will be better soon." Her guilt vanished as he nodded, smiling slightly.

"Just until then," he murmured. "I can hang on until then." The wave came rushing back. I'm tricking him. He thinks he'll be better, but... I'm tricking my own kin! He won't be better! He'll never see again!

"Shadeflight..." Darkstorm began. Shadeflight raised his tail.

"I've got to go." He scampered towards Amberflight, saying something. She responded cheerfully. Darkstorm watched them. Huh. Cross-cl- why do I think that whenever two cats from different clans speak it's a cross-clan relationship? No, they're probably friends. Lots of cats are getting friends from other clans now, with this journey.

"Cats of all clans!" Coralstar yowled. "We will move on, towards the brightest star, now."

"But this is a great camp!" a tabby screeched angrily. "We should live here!"

"Boltfur died here, and Shadeflight was blinded. This is dangerous. It might seem that there is lots of prey, but we are all skinny. And soon, the Twolegs will come here," Stonestar explained, licking her paw. "We have to find a new camp, somewhere far."

"Hmmph," the tabby growled, followed by several others. Darkstorm bared her teeth.

"Maybe you don't want to listen to a half-clan cat, but that was a message! And from StarClan! So we will follow the brightest star until we reach the moon. And if you think the leaders shuldn't listen to me," she added, catching scornful glances, "they have their reasons, and they don't have to tell us all of them!" Treestar nodded. He's not so mad at me anymore, Darkstorm thought, anger showing in her snarl. He feels sorry for me!

"Whatever," a grey cat snapped. 

"Slatepaw," Snarlfang mewed. A shiver ran down Darkstorm's spine. Is she dead? "Strikestar," he called. The ginger tom padded over to them, and they exchanged some mutters. Strikestar sighed, looking at Mousesong and Heatpelt.

"She's dead." Heatpelt's eyes widened as Mousesong's narrowed. The scarred-nose tom leaped at Snarlfang, his claws outstretched, and swiped.

"You killed her!" he roared. "You don't deserve to be a m-" As he reached in to scratch, Snarlfang struck out with his forepaw, twisting around, and then again, to pummel his opponent's muzzle. Mousesong growled, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Stop!" Strikestar yowled, his fur bristling. Mousesong rolled on his belly, surrendering, while Snarlfang stood his ground and flattened his ears. Strikestar's tail twitched. "You are ThunderClan cats, and there will be no fighting among ourselves. This is the last thing that we need. Coralstar, you must have been right to send Arrowheart away. Mousesong and Heatpelt, we will walk on, but you will bring Slatepaw's body with you and we will bury her at night, so that we can keep a vigil." His gaze softened.

"I know how you feel. You lost your kit, and I lost my sister." Mousesong bowed his head, while Heatpelt closed her eyes sadly. 

"Arrowheart isn't evil!" Darkstorm snapped. She shrunk back a bit as angry gazes faced her determined one, but she didn't stop. "You may think he is, just because he loved me, but I loved him too!" she spat, drawing back her lips in a furious snarl. "Maybe you don't want to admit, but Arrowheart isn't the only one that has broken the code." Treestar glared at her, hissing.