Chapter 29

So yeah. :3 A very quick update, no? Yes. I just couldn't wait. :P Enjoy! And keep in mind that next chapter could be the last one...?

Bubblestar's tail curled around her paws, her heart beating faster than before. What was it that Coyotefur wanted to talk about...? They were sitting alone in her den, and Coyotefur looked troubled.

"What...what is it, Coyotefur? What's wrong?" she asked.

He met her gaze. "It's about you and I."

Her heart turned to ice. Did he not love her anymore—

But before she could worry any longer about his reason, he spoke again. "How will this work out? We can't keep seeing each other while we're in different Clans."

Bubblestar blinked sadly. "I know..."

Coyotefur opened his mouth to say something else, but Honeyclaw's voice cut him off. "And so the question arises."

The RiverClan leader looked over at the medicine cat curiously. "Honeyclaw? What is it? What question?"

Honeyclaw stepped further into the den and sat down beside Coyotefur. "Do you remember what Riverstar said to you in your dream?"

Bubblestar was taken aback. "My dream?" she asked dazedly.

The medicine cat tilted her head. "About the bloodlines."

Bubblestar's eyes widened. "'The bloodline will once again be pure soon enough,'" she recited, remembering the old RiverClan leader's words.

Honeyclaw nodded. "I have been in contact with Cheetahspots. She has also had a dream about the matter."

Coyotefur stood. "About what matter? About me? About Bubblestar?"

Honeyclaw's ears twitched irritably. "Sit down, child."

The WindClan warrior hesitated, and then sat again, grumbling.

"The leaders and their servants were derived from the same Clan. But somewhere along the line, the RiverClan servant kin got moved to WindClan," Honeyclaw continued.

Silence hung in the air as the information sunk in.

"So...Coyotefur doesn't belong in WindClan?" Bubblestar asked, confused and worried. "That's not fair. It's no surprise that after all those years, the line switched over to WindClan."

Honeyclaw looked Bubblestar directly in the eye. "Except it wasn't. Not until Barkfang, as a kit, was switched to a WindClan litter."

Bubblestar closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Why did her life have to be complicated because of things that had happened before she was even born—rather, sent?

"Another conspiracy?" she muttered.

Coyotefur was frowning. "What?"

Honeyclaw yawned. She was noticeably tired and irritable, as she had been since the attack. Only now was her load lightening up. "I shan't beat around the bush. I'm going to give you a straight answer."

"Thank StarClan," Bubblestar mewed dryly. "Those have been non-existent lately."

"Sapphirestone had a litter of kittens long ago. Two of the three died of greencough. The one that remained was the late Barkfang. His father was the Phantom Cat, and at the time he had started to scout around the whole forest, looking for his master, instead of just in RiverClan. Just after Barkfang was born, his father got into a spat with a warrior in another Clan as he was crossing from RiverClan. He was caught off guard because he had been caught, and he was killed. Brutally."

A chill settled in the den. Bubblestar shifted, suddenly extremely uncomfortable. Coyotefur sat completely still.

Before Honeyclaw could start again, Coyotefur asked, "Who was it? Which cat killed my father's father?"

"Chipmunkstripe."

The chill got colder, and Bubblestar's fur was standing on end. It was as if the frightening she-cat's spirit was in the room with them.

Coyotefur barked out a laugh with no humour. "Too bad she's already dead. I never got my proper revenge on her." Bubblestar was surprised at the coldness in his voice.

"Sapphirestone understood that Chipmunkstripe was insane. She knew that she might come after her and her kits, and that was the last thing she wanted. So she pretended all three of her kits had died of greencough and sent Barkfang to a litter in WindClan so he would be safe. Not long after that, she became leader; and not long after that, Chipmunkstripe was exiled."

Bubblestar swallowed before she spoke. "Why didn't Barkfang come back to RiverClan after Chipmunkstripe was exiled?"

"He had fallen in love. With WindClan, and with Coyotefur's mother." She shook her head. "He didn't want to leave WindClan, and put all his hope for the Phantom Cat job on his father's theory; that the Riverstar line had eventually moved to another Clan."

Bubblestar frowned as she mulled this over. "So then...what did happen to the real Riverstar line? Why—why was I necessary?"

"Because the last of the Riverstar line died long, long ago in battle," Honeyclaw explained. She suddenly looked over at Coyotefur, who was staring at the ground with a lost look in his eyes. His mouth hung open slightly. "You belong in RiverClan. Cranestar knows that. Some of the cats in WindClan know that. And some of the cats in RiverClan know that." She cocked her head to the side. "And after the battle, the RiverClan cats respect you. I wonder if they'd react so strongly if you—"

"I'm not moving." Coyotefur's stern voice echoed around the cave as he cut the medicine cat off. She looked stunned.

"Coyotefur?" Bubblestar tried not to sound hurt by the hard certainty in his voice. Hadn't he at least considered leaving his Clan for her before?

But the silver warrior stood and swept coldly out of the den without another word. Honeyclaw still looked stunned, and turned slowly to watch him leave.

It took Bubblestar a moment to collect herself again before she jumped up and went after Coyotefur.

He was already out of the camp. He must have stormed out, because Feathersong and the two other warriors that had met him when he came in were frozen, with wide and confused eyes. The friendly Coyotefur that had come in was not the one that had left.

The RiverClan leader dashed into the forest after him, following his scent and her heart. Coyotefur! she yelled angrily in her mind. But she knew he wouldn't come at her call this time.

Finally, she caught a glimpse of his shining pelt. She sped up. "Coyotefur!" she called out. He ignored her. "Coyotefur!" she yowled again, anger rising in her. What reason did he have to be angry at her?

She ran around in front of him and barrelled into him, knocking both of them over. "Coyotefur, don't ignore me when I'm trying to talk to you!"

"What are you doing, you mouse-brain!" he hissed, and she winced at his acid tone. "Why shouldn't I ignore you? Because you're my master?"

Bubblestar was completely bewildered. She had never seen him act like this in all the moons she had known him. "Because you're my friend," she whispered, pain evident in her voice. "And I love you. And I'm trying to help you."

"Well you're not doing a very good job!" he spat, his voice rising. He tried to shoulder past her, but the anger she had felt building up earlier boiled over and came gushing out.

"Why are you being such an idiot?" she yelled. "You're attitude right now is like mouse-bile! You don't need to act like this after hearing something like that!"

He wheeled around on her, baring his teeth in a fierce snarl. "'Something like that?'" he repeated furiously. "You can't pass off finding out you grew up in a lie as 'something like that!'"

She snarled back. "Well you don't have to take your anger out on me! Or Honeyclaw, or anyone! We didn't do anything wrong, Chipmunkstripe did! And now she's dead! So please, just calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" he roared, his claws sinking into the earth beneath him. "You have no idea what this feels like, so just shut up!"

Her eyes widened as far as they'd ever gone and her nostrils flared. She could've sworn smoke was coming out of them, she was so enraged. She spoke through teeth grit together so hard she was surprised at how clear her voice was. "No idea what this feels like?" she echoed dangerously, speaking slowly. "No idea? WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM?" she exploded. "You grew up in a lie? Your father was placed in a different litter when he was a kit because his mother was protecting him. And then you both grew up in WindClan. Oh, NO! Your life is OVER! At least YOU had real parents! At least YOU'RE REAL, and not some ghost cat sent from StarClan! You think YOU were lied to? WHY DON'T YOU GROW UP AND QUIT ACTING LIKE A KIT!"

The tension and ferocity crackled in the air for a moment before Coyotefur's lip curled into a deeper snarl and he turned his back on her.

Oh dear. Another short chapter. Oh, I mean, a fight. :3 How will this be resolved? What do you think of Coyotefur's reaction? Tell me in a review!