Eighteenth chapter! Anyway, I thought I would respond to some reviews here, just a few of the most recent ones, though after this chapter it'll just be reviews from the last chapter if that makes sense.
Lightpool- Thank you for your kind words! This story is far from over, so you have much to look forward to!
Brambleflower- Thanks so much for your words of encouragement, and your name ideas. I might use some of your names for Redpaw and Flamepaw. Also, responding to your question… I can't tell you. Yet. Sorry, but this chapter should reveal the answer, though it might not be straight forward! Yes, I agree with you, though, Sunheart is now just being bee-brained!
Kuroimori- Thanks for your encouragement, and I love your name idea for Cinderpaw! I think I might use it, hmm…
Icanwrite13- Maybe it is time to slaughter him, but then he won't be able to play his part later in the story… can he stay alive just a little bit longer? Pretty please?
Anyway, onto the story!
"So why did you want to meet me?" Willowfeather asked Graydust, pawing the floor. She hoped that he hadn't brought her out to an ambush, though she doubted he had the guts.
"Oh, to figure out our deal, you know," He said breezily, but his eyes betrayed his casual voice. "You've been keeping my secret but I need to make sure it stays that way. What do you want? Finchcry to leave Sweetbreeze alone? More food?"
"I want you to stay loyal to the warrior code," Willowfeather said, her voice cracking slightly. "Cats shouldn't have to hide love. I know Finchcry likes Sweetbreeze and Sweetbreeze just might like him back. I won't force them apart- but they feel so threatened by you that they have to hide it."
Graydust nodded slowly, but shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not powerful enough in the group to do that. Sunheart and Dustfoot make all the stupid decisions."
"Then become powerful enough in the group," Willowfeather grouched. "Or join our side," She added hopefully. If Graydust joined them, Redpaw would finally be able to stop hiding.
"No," Graydust shook his head firmly. "What you did to Sunheart was wrong, and you're going to do the same thing to Snowcloud. Then who will be your next victim-"
"What?" Willowfeather blurted. "I am not doing anything like that anytime soon and never have! Sunheart dumped me, not the other way around! Is that what this squabble is about, who started what?"
Graydust looked ashamed.
"Sorry," He mumbled. "But this is the way it is. I can't help it. Like, I said, I'm not the top of the group, and if I don't do what they say, I will be abused like you are."
"Selfishness," Willowfeather spat, anything she might have felt for him disappearing in an instant. "Giving up the greater good for your own gain. If you joined us, you could have helped break this war up. Instead, you break the Warrior Code. you must lay down your life for the good of the clan and that is what has kept my group alive." Finchcry's generosity to Sweetbreeze probably something to do with it, She thought in amusement. That morning, Sweetbreeze had looked a little less annoyed at Finchcry.
"I really am sorry," Graydust mewed wretchedly, padding away in the direction of the camp. "I'll try my best to stop attacking clanmates. I won't, at least. I can't promise anyone else."
"If you were sorry enough, you would join us," Willowfeather said bitterly, curling up to sleep on a soft patch of earth. She was too miserable to go back to camp.
In Willowfeather's dream
Willowfeather woke up in a grassy clearing, somewhere Willowfeather recognized on ThunderClan territory. Only in ThunderClan, leaves were slowly beginning to fall. In the clearing Willowfeather stood in, the grass and leaves were lush as ever.
"StarClan," Willowfeather breathed. "Am I dead?"
"No, Willowfeather," Replied a familiar voice, only lacking its usual scorn. Willowfeather turned to see Darkshadow, but with a sleek pelt and no limp. Her pelt glittered with stars.
"I called you into this dream to apologise," Darkshadow said softly, coming closer. "Now that I am in StarClan, I can see more clearly now. I was so fuelled by jealousy, bitterness and hate that I only saw what I wanted to see. Now, I know that what I did was wrong. I'm sorry."
Willowfeather had never, ever expected Darkshadow to apologise to her, especially in that way. StarClan had dramatically changed the she-cat.
"Thank you," Willowfeather whispered. "It changes things, it really does. But either way, we may be on our way to join you soon. Even with the food Finchcry sneaks Sweetbreeze and our extra little snacks, we are still starving."
Darkshadow nodded sympathetically. "Stoneshade, Brightcloud and I have been trying to reach Dustfoot, Wildwind or Sunheart, but they have closed their minds to StarClan. The only dreams we can reach are your group's and Finchcry's. We have been trying to convince Finchcry to stop such actions, but he will soon close his mind as well."
Willowfeather stopped herself from crying out, desperate for answers.
"Where does Graydust's loyalty truly lie?" She asked quietly, afraid to hear the answer.
"He may be misguided and loyal to the wrong cats, even Breezefur and Sunheart, but he has a chance," Darkshadow murmured, beginning to fade away. "And you also have a chance. What better time to convince him than in the present? Wait a while, and you will be okay."
Aaand… she's woken up
Willowfeather woke with a jolt, and saw a small, dead mouse lying beside her with Graydust's scent on it.
"I won't be poisoned twice," She muttered, checking the mouse, before realizing it was perfectly fine. Perhaps it was Graydust's way of apologising.
As much as she wanted to eat it, it would be disloyal to not take it back. Dawnflower looked like an elder, she was so skinny and frail, while the apprentices were nothing but bony skin. Dawnflower would appreciate it- she would probably retire to the elder's den soon. The only cat older than her was Shadestar herself, and Shadestar saw nobody in the day but Kestrelwing and Spottedbird was left to care for the clan.
Spottedbird said that Shadestar would be dead before the beginning of leaf-bare, leaving Ambereye worrying about how she would feed the clan in leaf-bare and how she would stop the fighting.
Our leader's death would only drive our clan apart more, Willowfeather worried as she began to head back to camp, the juicy blood of the mouse flooding into her mouth. It was freshly caught- definitely something worth sharing. The mouse had plenty of flesh, though some animals had begun to lose weight.
Most cats had even given up long before.
Back at camp…
"What's wrong, Willowfeather?" Snowcloud asked sympathetically. It was the end of the day and they were all still hungry. Come leaf-bare, they would all be dead.
Willowfeather had been acting stiff and depressing all day, and now it was time to share tongues and eat, she was even worse.
"Nothing's wrong," Willowfeather snapped before her gaze drifted to where Redpaw, Graydust and Sunheart sat. Redpaw looked uncomfortable, Graydust looked tired and Sunheart was clearly angry, whispering under his breath.
"You're lonely, aren't you?" Snowcloud barrelled on. "You had Stoneshade, and when he died, you found comfort in Sunheart. Now Sunheart is gone and you don't know who to love."
Willowfeather glared at him, and muttered a few rude words in his direction.
"So you found solace in someone else, met them last night, and it went wrong," Snowcloud persisted. "The question is, who did you meet?"
"You are wrong, dead wrong," Willowfeather glared, before she sighed and sat down. "It is true, I did meet someone, but it wasn't anything about love. I caught Graydust doing something he shouldn't, so we made a deal yesterday and then he started accusing me of things I didn't do."
"Sweetbreeze certainly is the preferable company to her brother," Snowcloud commented, his voice betraying completely nothing. "Is that where the mouse came from too?"
"Why do you need to know?" Willowfeather lashed, her breath coming in short, desperate gasps. "You're nosy, you're a bad hunter, you're good for nothing. Here I thought you were my friend, but you mess it up. Why don't you just join Sunheart?"
She got up and left, choking as she left the camp. Snowcloud got up and looked once more at her retreating form, hurt clouded in his gaze before he entered the Warriors den, not looking back anymore.
Snowcloud's Point of View
I only wanted to help, he thought bitterly. She's one of my only friends left, now that my kits are apprentices and Goldberry is gone. And she accused me of being mouse-brained. She did to me what Graydust did to her.
Though he had every reason to be angry, he felt only sadness. He knew what it was like to be lonely too, though friends had always been enough for him until Goldberry danced into his life, colouring his days.
Forgive her, he heard a familiar voice say, and he whirled around to see a pale, gold and white she-cat looking at him lovingly. She is not the only one to feel pain. But one day, you will all join our ranks, and understand why. She is important to the future of this clan.
"Goldberry," Snowcloud whispered, scrambling up to his paws. "Why did you leave me? How? We had kits, we had love, we had a clan. If you had lived, you could have kept this clan together. You could have watched Lilypaw and Flamepaw grow up with me!"
Goldberry's beautiful, loving eyes darkened. It was never meant to be. But know that one day, we will be together again, you and I. She slowly, sadly faded away, but she gave him one last smile.
I feel a bit sad because of what is happening next chapter. One little hint!
I have two questions for you. One is a prediction and one is about writing style. Firstly, do you like seeing other cats' POVs, or not? The next question is, do you think Graydust will stay in Sunheart's group? Several hints dropped not only in this chapter, but also when I was responding to reviews. Speaking of reviews, don't forget to leave one and I might respond to it in the next chapter.
Thanks for reading!
