Chapter 4:
Goldenpelt's Betrayal

The next morning, when Goldenpelt woke up, the den was empty. "OK, today…Today is the day when I come clean." Goldenpelt said to himself. But sighing, he thought as he padded out into the camp, But how do you tell the one you love you were planning to kill someone they love?

When he came into the open, he saw Angelwing grooming herself.

"Angelwing…" Goldenpelt said nervously.

"Goldenpelt!" Bearstar said sternly, appearing behind Goldenpelt, startling them both.

He softened and said, "Iwant to talk with you."

Angelwing smiled. It looked like her father was starting to accept Goldenpelt.

Bearstar winked at her and led Goldenpelt out of the camp. As soon as they were out of sight, Angelwing went into the den and curled up to take a little nap.

"…and in the end, Riverstar, then Riversplash, went mad with grief and anger." Bearstar said, finishing the story of their rivalry. He and Goldenpelt were walking through the newly burnt part of MoonClan's territory.

"Wow…I've never heard my father's story that way." Goldenpelt said sadly.

Bearstar looked at him, then at their surroundings. "Sometimes what's left behind can grow better then the generation before…"

He pulled his paw in and there, amid the dust and ashes, was a small plant. He and Goldenpelt leaned down, head-to-head.

"…if given the chance." Bearstar finished.

Just then, they heard a deep, evil chuckle. Bearstar smelled him. Riverstar. Bearstar quickly turned around and saw Riverstar. He and Goldenpelt looked around them and saw the rest of WaterClan circling them.

"Oh, no…no…no!" Goldenpelt said in a panic.

"Well done, Goldenpelt. You got this traitor alone…just like we'd always planed." Riverstar said.

"YOU!" Bearstar turned to Goldenpelt with an angry glare in his amber eyes.

"NO!" Goldenpelt meowed, frightened as the WaterClan warriors ganged up on Bearstar.

"Attack." Riverstar said with deadly force.

The warriors lunged at Bearstar. He was badly outnumbered.

Goldenpelt did nothing but watch in pure horror. Suddenly, the MoonClan warriors, except Angelwing, Northwind, and their mother, appeared and attacked WaterClan.

Horribly outnumbered, the WaterClan warriors, Goldenpelt included, were forced to return to their own territory.

Angelwing had since woken up and went to find Goldenpelt. She knew nothing about the invasion of WaterClan.

Just then, the warriors returned, Flowershine and Spottedpelt supporting a badly wounded Bearstar. He had a deep gash along his right side, several deep claw-marks all over his body and a severe bite to his neck that was still badly bleeding.

"Bearstar!" Runningrain yowled in shock at the sight of her mate.

Angelwing meowed in worry, "Father, what happened?"

"Goldenpelt…ambush," was all Bearstar could say before he collapsed from loss of blood, groaning in pain.

"SNOWPELT!" Runningrain yowled as she rushed to her mate. Angelwing was in a panic. Northwind padded to her side and brushed his tail over her back in a soothing manner. But inwardly, he was in a panic as well. Something was terribly amiss.

In WaterClan, Riverstar was verbally attacking his son.

"Why didn't you attack when you had the chance?" Riverstar demanded, "You could have killed Bearstar and gained WaterClan new territory! What is wrong with you? You've betrayed your Clan and me!"

"I want nothing more to do with either of you!" Goldenpelt hissed, his back arched, fur bristling.

Everyone was shocked. Goldenpelt had never stood up to Riverstar before in his life.

"I'm sick of always being pushed around. I deserved better! I deserved to be loved!" He spat at his father.

"You rotten little ingrate!" Riverstar growled with anger and scratched Goldenpelt.

"AHHH!" Goldenpelt yowled. He lifted his face up to reveal a scar over his right eye that was identical to Riverstar's scar.

"You are no longer my son. Leave here. If you should ever return, you will die." Riverstar spat.

"Fine!" Goldenpelt hissed and ran off. Sunmark chased her brother off, a look of sympathy in her eyes. No one from the other Clans saw it.

Sometime later, Bearstar came to. He had lost his first life. After Snowpelt had finished treating him, Angelwing had come up to him.

"Father, please, it can't be true!" Angelwing said desperately. "Goldenpelt wouldn't do something like that!"

"Yes he would. He's a WaterClan Warrior, Angelwing. They're nothing more than heartless murderers." Bearstar said. He was mentally scolding himself for being tricked by the little fox-heart.

A rustle of the bracken announced Goldenpelt's return.

"Goldenpelt!" Angelwing meowed and tried to run to him. Bearstar snarled and somehow, despite his weakened state, managed to leap in front of her, blocking her. Her mother and oldest sister, Petalflight, came up and held her back as Bearstar began to pace around Goldenpelt.

"Why have you come back?" Bearstar hissed.

"Bearstar, I-"

"You don't belong here!" Bearstar hissed.

"Please, I ask your forgiveness." Goldenpelt said quietly.

"Father, please." Angelwing begged.

"SILENCE!" Bearstar snapped at her. She drew back, stunned.

He turned to Goldenpelt. "There is only one sentence worthy of such a crime…Exile. And if any of my warriors see you, they have my express permission to kill you."

"NO!" Angelwing shrieked. Her mother shot her an empathetic look, having nearly been in this same situation…

With a last look of longing, love, and pain at Angelwing, Goldenpelt left MoonClan's territory. He couldn't join DarkClan or FireClan. Somehow, word of his so-called 'plot' had reached them. No one would allow Goldenpelt into their Clan. Goldenpelt would have to become a loner.

Somewhere between MoonClan's territory and WaterClan's territory, Sunmark and Northwind met and discussed Goldenpelt's lack of involvement in what was really Riverstar's plot.

"Father, please reconsider!" Angelwing said, hurt was the only thing to be heard in her once-sweet voice.

"NO." Bearstar hissed.

"No, that's not—" Angelwing started as her father cut her off.

"He used you to get to me!" He hissed.

"NO! He loves me! For me!" Angelwing shot back.

"Because you are my daughter! You will stay where I can keep an eye on you." Bearstar said firmly.

"You don't even know him!" The black she-cat sobbed.

"Know him?" Bearstar echoed. "I don't have to 'know him'. That little piece of crow-food is just like his father. Brackenstar would—"

"That's all you care about! Not about me!" Angelwing spat.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" Bearstar hissed back.

"You will never be Brackenstar!" Angelwing hissed, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. Bearstar looked at her, his eyes full of shock and pain. Angelwing ignored it and ran sobbing into the den.

Northwind and Runningrain were both very sad for Angelwing, but Northwind was especially worried. The job was only half finished. The two had fallen in love, but he'd failed to get them together. What was to become of the Clans now?

Angelwing just lay in the den sobbing, pining for Goldenpelt. She'd finally admitted to herself that she'd fallen deeply in love with Goldenpelt.

She knew where it was she truly belonged. Not in MoonClan, but with Goldenpelt, wherever he was. She needed to find him.

That night, Angelwing snuck around her family as they slept. Passing her father, she paused for a moment. Sadly, she pawed her flower off her ear and placed it next to him. "Good-bye. May StarClan light your path until we meet again." She whispered to him.

Padding out of the den, she paused, trying to get her beloved's scent. Once she had it, she waited until the guards, Flowershine and Lionfall, were out of sight, then dashed out of the camp.

She looked both ways. The scent came from the left. She veered left and disappeared into the night.

Bearstar, muttering sleepily, woke up. The first thing he saw were his mate's distressed green eyes.

"She's gone! Angelwing is gone!" Runningrain said. Bearstar leaped to his feet. Looking between his mate's paws' he saw the red flower his youngest usually wore.

"No…" He whispered. This is all my fault…

He immediately ordered search parties. All of them were frantic. Angelwing was a popular cat in the Clan. No one wanted to think she was hurt…or worse. One particular warrior, however, wasn't as worried. Northwind knew all too well were Angelwing was, but he dare not tell Bearstar, who was already frantic. 'Good luck, little sister. And be strong.' He thought as he headed out with a search patrol.