Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 6
The plot thickens. What does Lionblaze know about the ThunderClan scent? Will Firestar regret his decision to make Bramblestar leader? What will StarClan have to say to Jayfeather at the Moonpool in Chapter 8? What will Briarlight do? What are Dawnpelt and Tigerheart up to? Is Dovewing a traitor? When will I stop asking these ridiculous, teasing questions and write the next chapter? Who knows.
I don't own Warriors. Erin Hunter does.
I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed this story. You are all awesome and I love you. No Warriors story have mine has ever done as good, so thank you for making this possible! :D
Chapter 6
"I could be mean
I could be angry
You know I could be just like you
I could be fake
I could be stupid
You know I could be just like you
You thought you were standing beside me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
-"Just Like You" by Three Days Grace
Jayfeather
The angry yowls of his Clan-mates rose up around Jayfeather as they challenged the ShadowClan warriors. Even Bramblestar and Blackstar who perched upon the oak tree were hissing and spitting at one another. Jayfeather heard Lilystem, another medicine cat hissing while her apprentice, Fogpaw, was snarling in outrage at Bramblestar's words.
"Enough!" Mistystar's yowl split the air, bringing an eerie silence to the clearing. Her blue eyes narrowed at the two tomcats, her own lips curled back in a snarl. "Stop this now, both of you! We are warriors not rogues! What Blackstar and his Clan did was wrong, Bramblestar. I agree with you there, but that gives you no right to say such things about his Clan, or have your forgotten your own family roots? Isn't your own sister a member of ShadowClan? Show them respect for her sake at least. Firestar is probably shaking his head in StarClan seeing what you are making his Clan out to be! You all might accuse ShadowClan of returning to their old ways, but there are such things to be said of ThunderClan as well."
"Yes," Onestar chimed in. "How can we be sure that you are not following in your father's paw-steps, Bramblestar?"
No one said anything at this point. Everyone sat rigid, holding their breath and awaiting Bramblestar's reaction. Jayfeather knew that his foster father hated being compared to his father Tigerstar. All his life, he's tried to get away from his father's reputation… He's spent his entire life trying to prove to the Clans that he is not father… but he's not doing such a good job anymore… Will Bramblestar become obsessed with power like Tigerstar had? He knew the answer before he even thought the question. No. Bramblestar hates his father too much to ever resort to his ways.
Bramblestar's fur bristled in fury and disbelief, but he took a deep breath and allowed it to lie flat. "I am not my father," he replied simply.
Jayfeather wished he could see his surrogate father's expression, but at the same time, was glad he couldn't. He hoped that it wasn't betraying pain.
"Good," Mistystar answered. "Now will you please get along with your Clan's news?"
Bramblestar let out a sigh and proceeded to tell the four Clans ThunderClan's news, and then Onestar did the same. Mistystar finished up the Gathering and they were then dismissed. Lionblaze bounded over to Jayfeather just as he was leaving the cluster of medicine cats.
"I need to talk to you when we get back to camp. Can we meet somewhere in the forest tonight?" he inquired, his voice barely above a whisper.
Jayfeather shrugged. "If you want to," he answered, feeling wary. What could Lionblaze want? "How about at the Ancient Oak?"
"Sounds good," his brother murmured. "I'll see you there. And try to get there as soon as possible." With that, he bounded off to pad along beside Birchfall. Jayfeather listened to his brother as he began speaking with the light brown tomcat. Something wasn't right about Lionblaze and his behavior. Ever since the Great Battle, he hadn't called a meeting with his brother such as this. Jayfeather could also sense that his entire body was tense, and the gracefulness that he normally contained in his gate was gone.
What is going on with Lionblaze? Is he just mad that ShadowClan dare say such things about ThunderClan, or is he worried about Bramblestar?
The first thing Jayfeather did when they returned to camp was go to the medicine cat den to check on Briarlight. To his relief, his favorite patient was safe and sound, asleep in her nest. Resisting the urge to curl up beside her, he just allowed his tail to ghost over her flank, enjoying her delicious scent.
Someone cleared their throat, nearly making Jayfeather jump out of her fur. Leafpool's scent washed over him as he instinctively looked at the entrance. "What do you want?" he demanded, his voice coming out harsher than he had meant for it to.
Leafpool let out a sigh. "Jayfeather," she began and then let out another sigh. "Please, do not make the same mistakes I made. Please. I couldn't bear it to see you in my situation."
His biological mother's words hit him hard as if someone had set a heavy rock on his chest. He knew that she must have seen his sensual exchange with the sleeping Briarlight. "It won't get that far," he said, but he didn't believe his own words. He could no longer deny the feelings that burned in his heart.
"That's what I told myself," Leafpool murmured. "And look what happened."
Biting back a growl, Jayfeather shoved past her and broke into a run. He left the camp, ignoring the guards' questions. So many thoughts were rushing around in his brain; so many feelings were shooting through him, some making his heart grow and others making his stomach twist. After a while, he came upon the scent of his brother and followed it to the Ancient Oak.
"There you are!" he heard Lionblaze exclaim as he approached. "I thought you weren't coming for a while." Lionblaze met him halfway, but Jayfeather could feel the tension in the air.
"Why have you summoned me here, Lionblaze? What is going on?" Jayfeather asked, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice.
Lionblaze heaved a sigh of almost sadness and sat down on his haunches. "ShadowClan is stirring up trouble. Dawnpelt and Tigerheart blame you for Flametail's death, that's evident… but why attack Briarlight? That's what I don't understand."
"You called me here to exchange theories about why a Clan with a blood-soaked history tried to kill an innocent she-cat?" Jayfeather snapped, his fur bristling with irritation.
"Blackstar is right though," Lionblaze went on as if Jayfeather hadn't spoken. "ThunderClan scent was on their territory. Just about a week before they attacked, Birchfall and I went on a border patrol and were stopped by a group of ShadowClan warriors. They warned us that if they scented ThunderClan on their territory that they would attack. I took a whiff myself, and I recognized the scent. It was Dovewing."
Jayfeather's blind eyes widened in disbelief at his brother's words. "Dovewing?!" he nearly yowled. "Are you saying that Dovewing caused the battle?"
"Maybe," Lionblaze mewed. "I don't know… why would she go on their territory though? Unless she was meeting up with a ShadowClan cat. Maybe she met one and told them about Briarlight and that she would be an easy target."
Jayfeather was shaking his head before Lionblaze had finished. "Brother, think about what you're saying! This is Dovewing we're talking about. She is loyal to ThunderClan and StarClan. She's one of the Three! She would never break the warrior code!"
But you're one of the Three, a sickening voice sneered in his head. You're breaking the warrior code. You are no better.
"Perhaps," Lionblaze murmured, rising to his paws once more. "All I'm saying as that we need to keep an eye on her, and our friends across the border… I don't trust them, Jayfeather, I don't think you should either."
Taking a deep breath, Jayfeather looked away from his brother's direction and considered something carefully in his mind before speaking. "When Tigerheart came into the medicine cat den and tried to kill Briarlight, he said that it was for Flametail… Why would he want to hurt her if I was the one who supposedly killed him?"
Lionblaze watched him for a long moment before sighing. "I don't know Jayfeather. I don't know about that… but I do know this: Bramblestar did nothing when we told him about the warning. He didn't believe that any ThunderClan warrior would cross the border. He didn't even organize extra patrols. Jayfeather… I don't think that Bramblestar can be leader of ThunderClan."
Jayfeather said nothing in response and turned to leave. Lionblaze shared Jayfeather's fears of their "father's" capability to lead the Clan. Oh StarClan, Jayfeather prayed silently as he began the trek back to camp. Please do not let Firestar regret his decision to make Bramblestar leader.
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