Chapter 19

~Six moons later~

Spottedfoot closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath of the pine-scented breeze. Since Appleshade's death, the ShadowClan tom had been labeled crazy but his Clan. His Clanmates gave up on visiting him for injuries and illness and instead going straight to his apprentice, Honeypaw. The bright young she-cat was quite popular and had a natural gift for healing. She was the daughter of Poppymask, though Beefur and Pineclaw raised her and her two littermates, Slatepaw and Nutpaw.

The new warriors, Whisperstep, Nightstorm, Lilacbreeze, and Bearheart, paraded into camp, their jaws laden with prey. The young warriors had proudly declared that they were going to be ShadowClan's best warriors and defend their Clan with tooth and claw.

Pebbleheart laid in the nursery, her bulging belly rising and falling as she slept peacefully. No one knew who the father of her kits was, thought the elders never ran out of ideas. As for the elders, Raggedscar joined StarClan days after the Gathering. Mistyeye and Wolfheart had joined the elders to keep Hollyfur company, complaining they felt age tug at their graying paws.

Duskspots had also joined StarClan. An infection from a rat bite left untreated had resulted in the pretty she-cat's final fate. That was when they stopped believing in me," Spottedfoot thought. I let her die… I didn't want to help her. Honeypaw tried her best, though not thanks to my training. I speculate that she's being trained in StarClan- maybe be Clovernose.

Clovernose's body had been found a week after the RiverClan tom's death. A WindClan patrol had scented death and assuming it had been the fox that strayed across their borders, brought the tom's mutilated body to his home Clan. Ottersplash had been forced out of retirement to train an apprentice so that RiverClan could have a healer.

Shaking his head, Spottedfoot turned to see why his Clanmates were gathering before Dewstar. The black she-cat fur was bushing with excitement. "I have two pieces of good news!" She summoned her mate and deputy, Redsnow, forward happily. "Thanks to Nettlefoot agreeing to father our kits, Redsnow is expecting! We're going to be mothers!" she cried excitedly.

Once the Clan had calmed down from the kit excitement, Dewstar beckoned Poppymask and Snowpaw forward. She's becoming a warrior. It's what she's always wanted. I should be there with her… no. She's better off without me. He swallowed roughly and watched as Dewstar made the young she-cat swear an oath before naming her Snowfoot. Spottedfoot felt a tear slip out of his eye as he repeated her new warrior name in his head. Snowfoot…

Before he understood what was happening, Snowfoot padded up the medicine cat. Her pale gray fur had grown long and sleek, and her dark blue eyes shone with courage and twinkle of fear. He sat up straighter, though his heart beat against his chest and his claws tingled.

"Congratulations," he mewed, his voice barely shaking. She dipped her head respectfully.

"I chose it- my name. I asked Dewstar to be named after you…"

"Why?" Spottedfoot asked, his tone laced with tension.

The pale gray she-cat flinched slightly, but she squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Because you are my papa- whether you accept it or not. You raised me— "

"Stop it. I'm not your father. I just found you and made sure you didn't die of malnutrition," he whispered heavily. Spottedfoot's fur started to bush up. Voices swam around his head. "You're no better than your own father! You'll ruin the poor mite! GET HER AWAY FROM US!"

Trembling, the medicine cat started to back up slowly, but Snowfoot persisted, fresh tears swimming in her large eyes. "You are my papa. You raised me. You cared for me. You are my papa!" she started to cry, her voice tight with emotion.

"I'm not," he snapped, the voices starting to pound against his skull.

"You're my papa!" Snowfoot cried, leaping in front of him and thrusting her muzzle into his face. "Admit it! Tell me that you love me and that I am your daughter! Please- don't leave me! Please, Papa!"

By now, all of ShadowClan sat huddled near each other, watching the young warrior and medicine cat face each other.

"ENOUGH!" Spottedfoot yowled, his voices screeching along with him. He stood towering over Snowfoot, the misery and terror in his eyes bulging out. Then, out of spite and under the coaxing of the tiny voice in his head most like his mother's, he raised an unsheathed paw.

Swift as an adder, he tore his claws across her pretty face from her left ear to her right eye. Shock pulsed through Snowfoot's face as droplets of blood fell from the open gashes on her face. "Again," the motherly voice whispered.

Sobbing, Spottedfoot stuck her again, this time on her left eye and cheek. Before he could claw her again, Dewstar slammed into the medicine cat and pressed her paw onto his throat. "Get out!" she spat, amber eyes wild with terror and revulsion. "Leave my Clan-NOW!" she roared, shoving Spottedfoot away from her and claws at his heels as he scrambled out of camp.

Flintbelly, Mothleap, Rockjaw, and Beetlefang raced after him, clawing at the ex-ShadowClan cat and forcing him towards the twolegplace he came from. As the violent patrol shoved him into a nearby Thunderpath, Mothleap nosed herself towards the front of the group.

"How could you?" she whispered, her eyes shining with pain.

"I regret nothing," he whispered back at her. Standing tall, Spottedfoot padded towards the other side of the Thunderpath, only a single, thin strip of black tar separating him and his Clanmates. "Ravenstep was killed by my ex-campmate. His son, Birdpaw was killed by Poolstar. As was Berrypelt. Shadepaw, Darkear, Emberwing, and their kits were killed by a disease I probably brought in. I killed Clovernose! I killed Poolstar! And you'll never find me!" Spottedfoot roared, his eyes flashing wildly.

Just as the ShadowClan cats were about to pounce on him and tear him to shreds, a monster roared past them on the Thunderpath. When it passed, Spottedfoot was gone…