Chapter Fifteen

Distress and anger boiled inside Talonclaw.

She spat furiously. "These are your kits?"

"Yes." Snowowl rose to his paws and stood facing her. "And I'm not ashamed of it."

"Then you are more mousebrained than I thought! You aught to be ashamed! You and that," She glared at the queen. "cat, have broken one of the most important aspects of the warrior code! You think it's there for no reason? It's there to prevent all the problems having a mate outside your Clan arouses!" A horrible thought struck her. "You were the one they kept finding scents of. You were the one stealing prey!" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You were the one responsible for the battle, the destruction of the camp, and..." She couldn't bring herself to speak of Mossflower's death and Pinestar's fatal wounds. "Who is this she-cat anyway?"

It wasn't Snowowl who answered. "Her name is Sunstripe. She is from my Clan." The WindClan warrior growled.

"You keep your mangy paws away from her!" Snowowl snarled, crouching down.

Talonclaw flicked him with her tail. "Don't." She ordered.

He ignored her. "She doesn't love you! She told you over and over! So stop loving her! If you can even call it love!"

The rival cat's fur bristled even more. "You, took her from me. And you will pay for it!"

"I never took her from you. She never loved you. So why don't you just leave her to herself?" His tail began lashing.

"I wanted to keep her from betraying her Clan! But she thought she knew better than every one else. She thought there was nothing wrong with being your mate, and having your kits! Look at what you turned her into!" He looked at the queen. Talonclaw saw so much love in his eyes. She felt a pang of unexpected pity for him.

He turned on Snowowl again. "All of WindClan will know of your treachery!" He turned and raced into his territory.

Snowowl shivered, whether from fear or the cool night air, Talonclaw didn't know. He looked at his sister.

"I can't stay here." He gazed sadly into ThunderClan territory.

"Pinestar won't banish you, Snowowl."

"You don't know that. But I am certain I can't stay. I could never leave Sunstripe now. I can't leave her to care for the kits alone."

"What will you do?" Talonclaw nearly wailed.

"Join WindClan?" He looked frightened. He lay down next to Sunstripe. "I tried to stay away, Talonclaw. But I loved her too much." He licked the queen's golden pelt.

Thrushpelt padded up to Talonclaw. She pressed herself against him, wishing she could escape all this terrible truth.

Why, Snowowl? Why were you so foolish?

A yowl jolted her out of her thoughts. Heatherstar, the tom who had fought Snowowl, and the WindClan deputy, Reedfeather, stood on a rise a small distance off. As they raced down towards the border, Talonclaw could see Heatherstar's face was contorted with rage.

Snowowl stood up bravely to face the WindClan leader as she came to a halt in front of him. Sunstripe wrapped her tail around the kits, as if to protect them from the furious leader.

"What," Heatherstar flicked her tail at the kits. "are those?"

"My kits." Snowowl replied. "Mine and Sunstripe's."

"Well, at least you are honest." Heatherstar's voice was mocking. "Tell me why I should show any compassion or justice towards a ThunderClan cat?"

"You were the one who attacked our camp!"

"How dare you speak to me that way. You, prey stealer and trespasser!"

Reedfeather stepped forward. He had pity in his eyes. Talonclaw couldn't imagine why, so soon after a battle. She thought all of WindClan would be hostile. "Perhaps we should let Sunstripe speak?"

The golden warrior hung her head. "There is nothing to say." She murmured. "I have broken the warrior code and betrayed my Clan."

"Then you are banished from WindClan."

Sunstripe looked up, shocked. "Heatherstar-"

"If we find you or your kits, on our territory again, you will be treated as an intruder." Heatherstar whirled around and raced away.

Reedfeather and the tom stood rooted to the spot, in utter surprise. The tom padded up to Sunstripe, ignoring Snowowl's angry hiss. He touched his nose gently to her's, and nosed each of the kits.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, so quietly Talonclaw could barely hear him. "I'll... I'll come with you, if you want."

Sunstripe shook her head. "No, Webfoot. Thank you, but it would break your heart to be away from WindClan. As it will break mine. Take care of my sister. Tell my family I love them, and I'm sorry."

Webfoot nodded and stepped back. Reedfeather stepped forward and whispered something in Sunstripe's ear. Her eyes grew wide and she glanced up at him.

"What are their names?" She asked.

"Willowbreeze and Graypool." His eyes were sad. He turned with Webfoot and headed back to his camp.

Willowbreeze and Graypool? RiverClan warriors?Talonclaw wondered why Reedfeather would mention them.

Snowowl picked up one of the kits. It mewled and squirmed, blind. Sunstripe picked up the other and Talonclaw picked up the last kit.

"I'm going with her." Snowowl said to his sister. "ThunderClan won't accept us either."

"Where will you go? To be rogues, loners?"

"We'll find a place." Snowowl looked confident, but his voice quavered.

Sunstripe pressed herself against him. "Come on. We have to get the kits out of the night air."