Chapter Sixteen
Don't forget to R&R!
DISCLAIMER
If I owned warriors, Feathertail would've survived the fall, the three would belong to Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, and Spottedleaf and Firestar would never have loved each other
"Silverdapple, you didn't do anything! You shouldn't have to apologise." Rosepetal was staring at her friend. Though filled with frustration and anger, her eyes were dull with grief. She was still mourning her mother.
"Yes, but Rosepetal, think about it! If you and Toadstep weren't talking to each other, wouldn't you want to make up even if you didn't technically do anything?"
"Ugh. Fine. I guess I can't stop you. But be careful. He's been really grumpy. He even almost snapped at Blossomfall yesterday! His mouth opened, and his eyes were all angry, but then he closed his mouth and his eyes were all gentle for a second."
"Weird. But then again, all toms are weird."
"You would know!"
"What do you mean?"
"You're always with Foxleap now! 'Hey, where's Silverdapple?' 'Oh, she's with Foxleap, of course!' Clearmist agrees with me."
"I am not always with Foxleap!" Silverdapple mewed indignantly. Getting up, she started to walk over to where her brother was eating with Blossomfall.
"Hey, Silverdapple."
"Hi Blossomfall." Silverdapple looked at her brother. Even though he was facing the other direction, she could see that her brother's eyes were glazed with excitement. "Lighteningclaw?"
"What?"
"I'm sorry for yelling at you the other day. We're all pretty tired and tempers are running high. Sorry."
"It's ok." He nodded his head, looking pleased with himself.
"What's got you so cheerful all of a sudden?" She asked, plonking herself down beside Blossomfall. Lighteningclaw looked at her, and seemed to glow with excitement. She felt warmed by her brother's friendliness.
"I went on a patrol with Firestar and Sandstorm yesterday." He said brightly. Silverdapple nodded. Obviously that wasn't why her brother was ready to explode.
"They're going to give me Flamekit as an apprentice!" He blurted out, waving his tail joyfully. Blossomfall gave him a fond look.
"He'll be an apprentice in a moon, won't he?" She asked, and he nodded slowly. "That's a long time to wait." She speculated. Suddenly, Lighteningclaw leapt up, all signs of happiness gone. She fought back a squeak of surprise.
"What's it to you?" He spat. "I'm willing to wait, and you're just jealous because you're too lousy a warrior to ever get your own apprentice." Shock and hurt coursed through her. How dare he!
"As if I'd be jealous! You know, I'm sick and tired of you leaping down my throat, and then I am the one to apologise, when you're the mousebrain who snaps at anyone for no reason at all! I'm surprised that Blossomfall still likes you after all of that!" She spat. Fire flashed in Lighteningclaw's amber eyes, and they were filled with hatred as he leapt at her. He had taken her by surprise, and he got too firm a grip. Desperately, she lashed out with her hind claws, raking his belly. There was a sudden cry, and suddenly Lighteningclaw was off her. She stared at him in shock, where three cats were struggling to hold him down.
"Lighteningclaw!" She heard Firestar's mew and turned around to see him, his emerald eyes were flashing with fury. "My den, now. You never attack a clanmate, let alone one who also happens to be your littermate!" Fury flashed in Lighteningclaw's eyes, before it was replaced with fear as he got up and followed, head and tail drooping. Silverdapple swallowed hard, and Blossomfall looked shocked at what Lighteningclaw had done. All around her, eyes were shocked and suddenly Foxleap was next to her.
"Let's go hunting." He whispered. She nodded numbly, following him out of camp. They stopped in the training clearing.
"Are you ok, Silverdapple?" Foxleap asked, laying his tail on her flank. She pulled away.
"No, I'm not ok. My brother just attacked me, my sister's nowhere to be found, my father's dead, and my best friend's mother just died! Why would I be ok?" She snapped. He looked surprised.
"I'm just being concerned, Silverdapple. There's no need to jump down my throat!" A brief flash of rage ignited within her as she recognised the words she had used on her brother.
"Are you saying I'm like my brother?" She asked. Foxleap looked taken aback.
"I said nothing of the sort, although, you are related, so there has to be some resemblance." He said. Anger coursed through her veins as she glared at him.
"Take that back, Foxdung." She whispered. He shook his head.
"You're just like you're brother."
"TAKE IT BACK NOW!" She yowled. Foxleap looked at her with sad eyes.
"No." He said, stumbling away. "I won't lie to you Silverdapple."
"Clearmist?" She called. She felt sick and cold, as she remembered the sad gaze Foxleap had given her. She wasn't her brother, who had just attacked his sister for no reason. But the more she thought about it, the more she realised that she had attacked Foxleap for no reason. Hadn't that been what her brother had done?
The second she entered the clearing, she knew something was wrong. Cats were gathered round a limp body. She felt her stomach turn as she caught a glimpse of gray fur through the throng of cats.
"Clearmist!" She cried, racing forwards and forcing her way through the crowds. When she reached the centre, she saw Jayfeather sniffing Clearmist, Amberkit holding a mouthful of herbs in her jaws. Nearby, Squirrelflight was sobbing noisily.
"Squirrelflight! What happened?"
"Clearmist is so mouse-brained!" She yowled. As if sympathetic, thunder clouds rolled ominously above them, and fat drops of rain scattered themselves over the clearing. "She was chasing a mouse… And then she fell! Off the edge! Thank StarClan it was the lowest precipice!"
"Clearmist!"
"Silverdapple? Squirrelflight?" She moaned softly and weakly.
"Sorry, Silverdapple and Squirrelflight. You're going to have to leave. We can't afford to have cats catching colds in this weather, and I just have to take Clearmist in." Beside Jayfeather, Amberkit reappeared, obviously putting the herbs back in the den.
"But is she alright?" Squirrelflight sobbed.
"Yes, she's just torn a muscle. Now either help me, or go to the warriors den!" Jayfeather, though an efficient medicine cat, was famous for his short temper. Squirrelflight dipped her head to pick up her kit. Silverdapple walked forward, her paws shaking slightly as she struggled to the medicine den, her sister's fur in her mouth.
"Eeeeurrgghhhh…" Clearmist moaned, rolling onto her side, and gazing up at her sister with her clear, blue eyes.
"Oh Clearmist, I really, really wishthat you would think before you acted!" Silverdapple sighed, though she couldn't keep the relief out of her voice. Clearmist's gaze turned into a glare.
"I think about things!" She retorted, and Silverdapple laughed.
"I should hope so. Jayfeather says you're off warrior duties for a while, because you've torn a leg muscle trying to pull yourself back over the wall before you fell." Silverdapple informed her, trying to tug away a sharp smelling leaf caught between her claws. Clearmist groaned.
"I guess that explains the cobwebs, huh?" She asked. Silverdapple nodded. Clearmist's fluffy gray leg was now a bright white, covered completely in cobwebs. An awkward silence followed.
"How are things with Foxleap?" She teased, unaware of the sudden sick feeling that sprang into Silverdapple's stomach as the memories of the fight winded her. She had no idea why it bothered her as much as it did.
"I don't want to talk about that piece of badger-bile." Silverdapple said sadly.
"I sense trouble in paradise." Clearmist observed wisely.
"Clearmist, stop trying to focus on my love life, and focus on your own!" The dappled she-cat snapped angrily.
"What? Me? In love? Are you sure you're ok, Silverdapple?"
"I'm going to the nursery." Silverdapple sighed in exasperation.
"Wait," she struggled to sit up, "I'm bored!" She whined.
"Go pester Jayfeather." Silverdapple raced out of the den before she could say anything more. She burst into the nursery, purring slightly at the sight of Cinderheart's swollen belly.
"Silverdapple! How are you?"
"Good, how are you?" Silverdapple replied, instantly feeling better.
"Pretty well. I can feel my kits moving inside of me. They are happy." Cinderheart smiled, her eyes softened as she looked at her swollen belly. "Do you miss our training sessions?" She asked unexpectedly after a while.
"Of course, Cinderheart. I learned so much from you."
"Maybe one day, Firestar will let you mentor one of my kits." Cinderheart replied happily.
"Maybe." Silverdapple purred and slowly backed out of the nursery, feeling a lot better then before. Bounding up to the fresh-kill pile, she picked out a freshly killed robin and looked around for a spot to eat it. She settled down in a sunny spot with Blossomfall, Lighteningclaw, Briarlight and Rosepetal.
"… then I pounced and Brackenfur ran up to finish it off!" Lighteningclaw purred. In front of him was a huge crow, nearly the size of three kits. Blossomfall, Briarlight and Rosepetal were each bending down to take a bite, and once they had their fill, Lighteningclaw finished it off. He got up and bumped into Silverdapple.
"Oh, it's you. Well, sorry about before." He mewed quickly before getting up.
"Wait, Lighteningclaw," Silverdapple bounded over to him lightly, suddenly not wanting to be alone. After all, her sister was in the medicine den; her mother was probably still fretting over her kit; Cinderheart was in the stuffy nursery and she just had a huge fight with Foxleap. Besides, it had been a while since she had last hunted with her brother. Perhaps this would set things right between them.
"Yeah, Silverdapple?" Her brother growled impatiently, jolting the tortoiseshell warrior out of her thoughts.
"Let's go hunting." She mewed. For a few seconds, he looked thoughtful.
"Ok then."
Considering how deep the rift between Silverdapple and Lighteningclaw had been before, the hunt went very well. Lighteningclaw even lightened up a bit as Silverdapple caught a particularly speedy rabbit, purring happily as he said it would certainly fill Cinderheart's appetite. Though it felt good to be with her brother again, laughing and joking as though nothing had happened, she still felt an ache in her heart as she remembered the fight with Foxleap. That was when Silverdapple realised it.
She was in love with the russet warrior.
Oolala. Silverdapple loves Foxleap. Could Foxleap possibly feel the same? Oh, I love to keep you guys hanging :P