I'm sorry I haven't been updating don't kill me please

Chapter 4

Ash frowned as she watched Whitefoot and Hana murmuring to each other quietly. Almond had his back turned to Shade, who crouched over his half-eaten mouse unhappily. A moon had passed since she had had the dream of the voices and her dreams had been disturbed every night since. Shade seemed grumpier every day, and Whitefoot was visiting less and less. Tension had risen in the family faster than the number of foxes in the area.

Whitefoot nodded and turned around to face his kits, standing up. "Kits," he mewed quietly, "Hana and I have something to tell you."

Hana turned, her blue eyes dark. "The time for secrets is past," she agreed. "The time has come for you to learn about the Clans."

Shade scowled. "It doesn't matter what you tell us," he muttered, loud enough for his parents to hear. "You'll always be keeping secrets from us."

Ash flinched and turned around, avoiding Whitefoot's enraged amber gaze. Almond whirled around to face his brother.

When Ash dared to look back at her father, he had calmed. Ignoring Shade, he went on. "There are four Clans in the forest," he mewed, closing his eyes. "ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan. Those who live in the Clans are known as warriors." Opening his eyes, he stared straight at Ash and Almond. "Listen to me, you two. You will hear many rumors about loners and rogues from the Clans, but please promise me you will not listen to them." Ash and Almond nodded solemnly, and Whitefoot breathed a small sigh of relief before continuing.

"Warriors like me help those too weak to survive on their own. Every warrior is taught to be merciful and kind. One will never leave another to fight alone." His eyes shone, and he sounded happier than he had been in days. "Some warriors train apprentices- young cats in training to become warriors. When the apprentices are fully trained, they become warriors."

He looked down at the two kits. "Now, I shouldn't waste the whole day." He glanced at Hana. "You see… The reason I told you about the Clans is because…" He paused. "You're going to join ThunderClan. They're going on an important journey and I want to bring you to them before they leave."

Ash stared at her father incredulously. Almond stood up, his amber eyes determined. "When are we leaving?" he mewed.

Shade hissed. "You can't possibly want to join these… These Clans! Life is good enough as it is!"

Almond's attitude immediately changed. "I don't know what's gotten into you!" he spat. "You used to be fun, Shade!" He turned away from his brother. Ash flinched and avoided her brother's gaze. Whitefoot gave Almond a quick lick between the ears. "We must leave now," he mewed grimly. "There's someone waiting for me. None of your Clanmates know about you, and there's someone I want to know before anyone else." He rose to his paws and nudged the kits to their paws. "Come on," he mewed. Before the kits could protest, he turned around and began padding away from the kits, Hana by his side. Almond and Ash ran after them, Shade following reluctantly.

After what seemed like forever, they arrived in a clearing, where a tabby and white she-cat sat patiently. "Whitefoot," she greeted Ash's father quietly. "Who are these?"

Whitefoot paused. "Thornflight, please forgive me," he began quietly. "I… I loved you, I truly did. But I… I met Hana." He flicked his tail to the cream-furred she-cat beside him and looked at his paws. "I fell in love with her," he said weakly. "These three are our kits."

For a moment, Thornflight stiffened. Then she relaxed and stepped forward to touch noses with Whitefoot. "Just like you to break the warrior code," she whispered softly. Ash could see Hana was bristling. A low growl rose in her throat, making Thornflight look at the smaller she-cat sharply. "Don't set a bad example for your kits," she growled. "You're lucky to have them."

Whitefoot suddenly looked up at the two she-cats. "We need to get going," he mewed. "Foxes-"

He was interrupted by a growl from behind him. He stiffened. "Thornflight, Hana," he said softly, "we need to leave. Now." But the two she-cats were too busy bickering to listen to him. He opened his mouth to snap at them, but another growl caught their attention. Two foxes burst out of a bush behind him, snapping their jaws. Thornflight pushed past Whitefoot and grabbed Shade, ignoring his protests and placing him beside her. "Stay there," she hissed before leaping at the foxes with a loud, ear-piercing yowl. Whitefoot shoved Ash beside Shade and turned to grab Almond, but the tabby tom yowled, "I can fight! Let me help Hana!" He rushed away to face a fox and leaped onto its muzzle, ignoring Ash's cries of protest.

"Stay away from my kits!" Hana suddenly shrieked, raking her claws across the second fox's eyes while Thornflight bit down hard on its ear. They were injured, but the fox eventually fainted.

Suddenly, a wail of grief caught Ash's attention. She and Shade turned to see Whitefoot standing over a small brown tabby body, glaring at a fox. He yowled in rage and leaped onto the remaining fox, biting down on its neck. It opened its jaws once, then fell to the ground. Whitefoot stood over it, panting, then collapsed over the dead fox. Hana and Thornflight immediately rushed over to the dying tom. "Whitefoot!" Thornflight shrieked.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," she whispered, tears choking her voice.

Suddenly, Hana crumpled to the ground next to her mate. "Whitefoot…" she gasped through painful breaths. "Whitefoot, please… Stay alive… for the kits…"

"I can't." And then the full reality of what was happening hit Ash. Her mother and father were dying.

"Almond!" Shade's mournful yowl caught all of their attention. "I'm sorry!" Shade wailed. "I'm sorry!" He pressed his muzzle into Almond's bloody fur. "Please..." His voice cracked. "Please, come back."

"Thornflight." Ash's head turned sharply to look at her father, who was looking up at the tabby she-cat. "Take Ash and Shade back to ThunderClan. They must… become apprentices…" His head fell to the ground, his muzzle touching Hana's unmoving one.

"Whitefoot!" the three remaining cats shrieked at the same time. Ash rushed forward, collapsing onto her father's unmoving body. Thornflight nosed Ash gently. "We need to leave," she said quietly.

"Don't want to," Ash murmured through quiet sniffles.

Thornflight grabbed Whitefoot's unmoving body and pulled it away from Ash. The gray she-cat reluctantly stood up and cautiously padded up to Shade, who crouched beside Almond's body.

"Shade?" she mewed softly. "Thornflight says we need to leave." The black tom looked up at his sister and sighed. He stood up with one final glance at his brother before trudging after Thornflight, who was dragging Whitefoot across the ground Ash following close behind.

Thornflight slowed so that she was beside the kits. "You must miss him," she mewed through the mouthful of fur she had.

"Of course we do," Ash agreed. There was a pause before Ash decided to speak again. "Didn't ThunderClan know he was meeting Hana?"

Thornflight shook her head. "Because your mother wasn't part of the Clans, her relationship with Whitefoot was against the rules," she explained gently. "They weren't supposed to be together."

There was another pause.

"He was a great father," Ash mewed softly.

Thornflight nodded sadly. "He must have been," she agreed.