Chapter 9
The moon shined down on Stormflower's pelt, making the white in it a ghostly silver tone. The cats from the Gathering crept quietly into camp; Swifteagle stayed by the entrance, his vigil beginning. The silence was cut off by a wail from the direction of the nursery. "Stormflower's back!", yowled Briarkit.
"Seems like you have a little friend waiting for you," Vixenstar chuckled. Stormflower nodded to her Clanmates, and padded towards the nursery. Inside it, Evesong slept soundly, as did Dustpetal. All of the kits were wide awake, though.
Evesong murmured something indistinct, and her ears flicked up. "Hello, mother, it's me, Stormflower."
"Oh, it's just you, Stormflower," Evesong replied. "Just….you." The black she-cat went back to sleep in her moss bed.
"You kits need to be quieter than that, or your mother will wake," Stormflower said.
"Alright. So, how'd the Gathering go?", inquired Volekit.
"It was the usual, except for when Vixenstar had to tell the Clans about those rogues."
"If I saw a rogue in SpringClan territory, I'd rip it to shreds!", Briarkit boasted.
"Yeah, well I would do that and then eat it!", Volekit said, in an attempt to top Briarkit's 'threat'.
"Ew, you two are just unbelievable!", Mousekit said in disgust.
"Oh, is the little wittle she-cat afraid to fight and be mean? Awwwww," Briarkit teased
"That's enough!", Stormflower announced. "You three need to go to sleep. Now. Or I'll tell your mother." This was the equivalent of a threat to the kits, so they obeyed Stormflower. Stormflower then walked to the warriors' den, where she belonged.
Great, thought Stormflower. The last beds left open were by Silverfeather and Talonstorm. Ugh. Stormflower settled down and curled up. "Finally, you're back," Talonstorm whispered. "Have you changed your mind about…..you know?"
"Talonstorm, I like you, I really do, but…"
"But what, Stormflower? Why don't you like me?"
Stormflower considered the fact. Why didn't she like Talonstorm? She didn't have a reason to not like him. "Okay, I'll give it a try."
"Thank you…," Talonstorm whispered back. Stormflower went to sleep. Darkness surrounded her, but then she thought she heard noise. It sounds like fighting cats, thought Stormflower. She padded over to where the noise was.
Oh no, thought Stormflower. It's the camp, there are cats there…..hey, that one looks familiar, like a rogue my patrol fought. But if that's one of the same rogues that we attacked, then that means…oh!"
A dark grayish black pelt was in the middle of the fighting. The tom crept off, towards the dens. The enemy tom yowled for the fighting to cease, and said some indistinct words. Then, the rogues and the tom exited camp- with one extra cat. That cat had a dark ginger pelt. And it wasn't the ginger tom from when Stormflower fought.
It…..was…..Vixenstar! Then the dark grayish black tom must be none other than Stonefeather. That does it, Stormflower thought angrily. I knew something was up with Stonefeather, and I was right. But, this vision, it looks like the future. Tawnyrose ran to Stonefeather.
"Don't do this, love, please! He's our leader, don't take him from us!"
"I only loved you to get into the Clan. I never truly loved you."
"I'm carrying your kits, you mangy furball!", hissed Tawnyrose. "What shall I tell them of their father? That he was a rogue who used SpringClan to get to its leader? That's he a no good traitor? Is that what you want them to know?"
"I don't care. I'll be a legend among the Clans. All will fear me, all will," Stonefeather coldly said.
"Where am I in this?", thought Stormflower. A black and white she-cat lay on the ground, blood gushing from wounds on her sides and haunches. "No, that can't be me!" thought Stormflower. But it was.
The future could change, though. It always does. Stormflower knew she had to tell Mistyleaf, and more importantly, Vixenstar. It could- and would- not end this way.