Warriors; Roar of the River

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Blackfeather watched the activity in the camp from the foot of the warriors' den, his eyes narrowed. The cats in the clearing weren't chattering like blackbirds or getting a bite to eat, but instead watching each other, not trusting one another. This isn't how a Clan is supposed to work, he thought. Shadefall's plans have already torn us apart!

His blue eyes flicked toward Thistlekit, talking to Darkstar on one side of the clearing. The two seemed to be the only ShadowClan cats that weren't tearing each other's pelts off. There was trust between them, much unlike Blackfeather and his littermates. Blackfeather wished he had a side to take, but it was all too confusing, and although Tigerlily had said StarClan would help them once they understood, he wondered if they every would understand which side to take.

"The last thing we need is for StarClan to take sides," he heard from behind him. Tigerlily approached him, her head hanging. "We need one voice. I'm sure if they were united, they could put someone's paws back on the right path."

"Sure," Blackfeather mewed as the plump she-cat sat beside him. "But that's not realistic." 

Tigerlily let out a growl. "I don't see you making yourself useful," she snapped bitterly. "Why don't you go try to coax something out of your sister?"

"I don't want to hear from her," he snorted. "I want to hear what StarClan has to say. StarClan is watching, they'll know what happened. They'll let us know what we need to. So why haven't you spoken to them?"

Tigerlily turned her gaze to him. "I'm scared," she admitted. "I'm scared that they'll be long seperated on this cause. One side will tell us Shadefall is right in what he's doing, even though I'm not sure what that is, and one will say that Emberleaf is right. But then, there will be a side that tells me there's no hope. All I know is, there are lies being told and a war is coming. The Clans are on the brink of destruction."

Blackfeather rolled his eyes. "Look, even if they don't trust each other enough to guide us as a whole, they've got to know something. I want to go to the Moonpool. And are you sure this is such a big deal? I mean, Shadefall is in love with a cat of another Clan, and so he's trying to get rid of the code so that it’s alright. It’s as simple as that.”

“So he’s actually responsible? He knows what’s at stake, right? He’ll kill for a RiverClan cat?” Tigerlily hissed. “And you know this?”

“He told me what he’s planning, but he actually thinks it’s right to kill so many because that’s what StarClan is telling him,” Blackfeather meowed. “I’m going to ask Darkstar if I can head to the Moonpool. I want answers; I want to know if Shadefall’s forbidden love and hate for Emberleaf can really tear apart the Clans.”

He stalked across the clearing, tail lashing. Darkstar raised his head from his paws as Blackfeather mewed, “I would like to go to the Moonpool.”

Darkstar sat up, his jet black fur gleaming in the sunlight. “I’ve wanted to talk to StarClan as well, but ShadowClan needs me here,” he meowed. “I think it would be great if you could speak with them. But I need you to promise not to keep anything from me.”

Blackfeather nodded, but he had his doubts. He was already keeping the info from Darkstar that his brother was the one trying to discard the warrior code, but it was only because he wasn’t so sure Darkstar would actually believe his brother thought that doing so was right. Darkstar would side with Emberleaf then. And besides, I haven’t taken a side yet myself, he thought. Although, I just told Tigerlily, and she’ll probably tell Darkstar anyway… if she even trusts me. And at this point, no one does.