Disclaimer If I own Warriors then tell me why I'm writing this.
A/N: Okay listen. I need to clear this up. It's obvious that the only fic that I'm currently updating is this one and that DOES NOT mean that I'm not gonna continue the rest of 'em. I will. Just chill. Please stop asking me when I'm gonna update my others fics, don't you think that's annoying? Well I'm sorry but it really is.
Rabbitstorm: Nah that would be way too obvious.
hyper.much911: LOL okkk? Yeah Tawnypelt's awesome and LMAO that comment about Thornclaw being perverted made me laugh. It would be so much funnier if the cats were a bit more perverted. YES! It's Steve McQueen omg how did you know?
Softkit: Er yeah. -points to A/N- If you destroy me I won't be able to write any more fics. :) And thank youuu.
Frostpaw: Oh that's okay, at least I know you're still reading it. :) No, this takes place after Sunset and before The Sight. Jaypaw hasn't been born yet but Squirrelflight is pregnant.
Saf Dawnheart: LMAOO yeah, that's the perfect script! XD Nope, like I told Rabbitstorm, that would be way too obvious. Ha. Aha. Ahaha. :D And IK RIGHT! Those are probably the most retarded names I've ever read in any Warriors book! -.-
Flamespirit: I'm still reading it and now I like it a little better. I really love Jaypaw and yeah, you mentioned the Vicky Holmes thing, I'm not surprised he's her mate. Everyone was expecting it, sorta. I would find it odd if Rowanclaw had ThunderClan's scent, wouldn't you?
Sword of the Twili: I was working as a waitress at a cocktail bar...That much is trueee. :D That was my old myspace song. Cliffhangers are loveee mwahaha. Well, it's obviously a ThunderClan cat cuz I mentioned that but anyway...You'll see.
HawkDancer: You finally reviewed ilyyyy:D LOL, if you petted wittle Thownclaw and wittle Tawnypelt they would claw your wittle face off and weave wotsa blood evewywhere. :) I dunno why I'm talking like this, I'm scaring myself. Lmao.
Atrasoul: Nah-ah.
The Crazy Things We Do
Chapter 6—Dirty Little Secret
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Thornclaw's POVGreat StarClan, out of all the cats in the forest...This was going to be...
"Honeykit!?" I yowl.
...awkward.
My niece looks at me with wide, scared eyes. I swallow the lump in my throat and grit my teeth. I'm too stiff to even glance at you now.
What am I going to do? If Honeykit tells her siblings, or worse, Sorreltail and Brackenfur...
No. No, she isn't going to tell anyone. She can't. I'll be a...a disgrace to the Clan! Firestar will be so disappointed if he finds out that this happened to a ThunderClan cat not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times...
Even I admit it, no matter how many times I get ecstatic from your scent, it's getting a bit old that everyone wants to get it on with cats from rival Clans.
Bluestar and Graystripe digged RiverClan cats, Leafpool wanted a WindClan cat and I sleep with a ShadowClan cat!
Nice.
"Honeykit," I take a deep breath, "Tell me what you are doing here."
She stares at her tiny paws, as if ashamed that she caught us.
"I'm not going to be mad, I promise." I meow, softening my tone.
"I wanted to catch a mouse!" She mews, her voice cracking. She looks so afraid—it makes me feel terrible, what should I do? "And I picked up your scent and I just...I just came."
I close my eyes, my head spinning. Thank StarClan it was only Honeykit. If it had been an apprentice, or a warrior or Firestar...Or a ShadowClan warrior! Holy foxdung, I don't even want to think about that.
"You need to work on your stalking skills." I meow casually, slowly opening my eyes, "And you shouldn't even be out of the camp! What were you thinking? Your mother will be worried sick—it's getting dark."
Honeykit cringes. I risk glancing at you and see a hint of sympathy in your eyes.
"When I was a kit, I left the nursery by myself, too." You tell her, your voice low, "But when I was an apprentice, I ran away for good. It might seem brave to sneak out of camp but there are some decisions you're going to make in life and you won't be able to go back. You're lucky that all you did was follow Thornclaw to the lake."
Honeykit stares at you in disbelief, as if she can't believe that you're talking to her. I stare at you, too—I can't believe you mentioned your escape from ThunderClan without looking like you want to murder someone. It almost sounded like you regretted leaving ThunderClan.
I blinked. That's not how it was this morning.
"Um, who are you?" Honeykit asks timidly.
You give her a mysterious smile. "I think it's up to Thornclaw if he wants you to know my name, to be honest. I don't want to put a burden on you."
"Burden? What burden?" She pesters, her scared expression disappearing.
"Enough questions!" I interrupt, padding up to Honeykit and blocking her view of you. "We should go home. I'll tell you everything on the way."
I glance at you over my shoulder to blink at you reassuringly. Honeykit tries to peer behind my forelegs but I give her a small nudge.
"We need to go." I meow to you. For some reason, I don't really want to leave. I wouldn't mind just sitting with you in the silence for a few more heartbeats.
But we've been together for far too long.
You dip your head in a friendly way, hiding your expression. "Yes, I agree. Goodnight, Thornclaw."
"Goodnight." I murmur. Honeykit echoes me quietly. You smile one last time at her before turning around and making your way back to your territory.
Weak, red sunlight leaks through the canopy of leaves and shines on your dappled back. Your muscles work smoothly beneath your pelt as you climb the rocky cliff—I suddenly catch myself staring.
"C'mon." I nose Honeykit forward and she scrambles in the other direction, towards our camp. As I help her up the boulders, she bombards me with questions.
"Thornclaw, who was that pretty cat?"
"What pretty cat? I didn't see any pretty cat."
She looks at me, puzzled. "The one you were talking to! She had this icky scent."
Honeykit obviously didn't get my joke. "Ew, her? She's really ugly, that's why she smells weird."
"You're pulling my tail!" She squeaks, laughing now.
I smile for a moment, and then sigh. "Honeykit, do you know why it's hard for cats from different Clans to be friends?"
"Because the warrior code says that we have to be loyal to our Clan." She recites, puffing her chest out, and then gripping the rocky surface of the boulder as she almost falls backward.
"Yes." I nod. "That's why it's hard for me to see Tawnypelt. I don't want ThunderClan to think that I'm disloyal by seeing my...my friend."
Friend. Right.
"So her name's Tawnypelt? That name sounds familiar." Honeykit looks back at me but I give her a nudge. She pulls herself up the last boulder and leaps down onto the soft undergrowth. I do the same, keeping her in front of me, as we head back towards camp.
"That's not really fair." She mews. "Since she's your friend and all."
"Yeah, exactly." I respond, my shoulders sagging. Suddenly, I circle Honeykit and halt right in front of her. She stops, surprised, and I crouch down to her level. I fix her with a serious gaze.
"This is what Tawnypelt meant by not wanting you to keep a burden upon you." I tell her, "Honeykit, I'm so sorry but you can't tell anyone—NO ONE—that I'm meeting Tawnypelt. Please. It'll be our little secret, okay?"
"Okay, Thornclaw." Honeykit nods but she still looks confused, as if wondering why this was such a big deal. "I promise I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. Isn't that what the warrior code is about? Keeping Clan secrets?"
I flinch. Great, now I'm teaching her the wrong things! What if I end up being her mentor? Of course, it would be easier to keep an eye on her but I can't breath down her neck forever.
Thanks to you I feel even worse. My heart's sinking with every heartbeat while Honeykit stares up at me with innocent eyes. To make this poor kit carry this secret—imagine what she'll think when she's an apprentice and she really finds out the danger that she's hiding.
But I have to trust her. I just have to.
"Yes and no. There are some secrets that are best kept hidden but if the secret can threaten the Clan, then it must be told right away." I go on, as we continue padding, "Thankfully, my secret isn't too dangerous. Plus, I trust you, Honeykit."
The little kit's eyes shine and she bounces up and down. "I won't tell a soul! You're too much of a great warrior for me to betray."
Me? A great warrior? Is she kidding me? After all that I've done, I'm probably one of the lowest warriors in the Clan. But she doesn't understand that.
One day she will. And she will realize the kind of burden she's carrying, and the kind of secret she's going to hide from her leader and Clanmates, just for me.
An image of your mottled face flashes in my mind's eye, and I feel guilt weigh me down like a huge stone. What am I supposed to do? We can't keep playing this game forever.
There must be some sort of prize at the end of it. And whatever it might be, I want it really bad.
--
A/N: Okay I seriously gotta say something. Power Of Three is REALLY ducked up. How tf can Swallowtail and Stonestream be ELDERS already, while Mosspelt is STILL a warrior? She's been alive FOREVER. So has Blackclaw. Stonestream just turned into a Warrior in Starlight! And Swallowtail was as young as Rainwhisker. And Leopardstar is just freakin ancient.
K I'm done.
--;Kewix