Hurt by WyldClaw

Plot: Post River of Fire. Yarrowleaf thinks about Sleekwhisker's true nature. Short one shot. I own nothing. Hopkit speaks like a baby since she is very young.

AAAA

Yarrowleaf couldn't seem to fall asleep in the nursery in SkyClan's camp. The ginger yellow eyed she cat lay on her mossy bed with her head on her paws her tail wrapped around her sleeping kits Flaxkit and Hopkit unable to get back to her dreams. She sighed- she knew the cause of her sleeplessness: the betrayal of her so-called friend' Sleekwhisker.

The two she-cats had been close as apprentices as both were stubborn and didn't really believe in StarClan. But after Needletail- Yarrowleaf's own niece- had sparked the rebellion and left to join The Kin, the yellow she cat and her brothers had joined them without a second thought about her family, friends or Clan. Then after ShadowClan had started to splinter apart like an old tree branch on a dead tree, Yarrowleaf herself had left to join The Kin. And that's where things went downhill. She recalled the look of gleefulness on the look on her face when The Kin took over ShadowClan and kicked out Tawnypelt and Rowanclaw- then Rowanstar –Sleekwhisker's very own grandparents. It was only after Darktail's death that she realized where her loyalties lay. Yet it was in The Kin where she met Nettle and saw slightly past the harsh exterior.

She shuddered thinking of the brown tabby tom with the long spiky fur. Her obnoxious former mate had been nearly as cruel as Darktail drugging her with poppyseeds and stealing their kits threatening that the two little ones would never see her again. The thought that innocent little Flaxkit and Hopkit had nearly been used in an evil plan concocted by Sleekwhisker to destroy ShadowClan by killing Tanwypelt almost made her claws unsheathe and score the earth more than once. My poor little kits and poor, poor Rowanclaw. I don't blame Tawnypelt for being devastated about his death. He was so true and brave to the end. She choked back a sob as she heard her brave former leader Rowanclaw's yowls as he sacrificed himself to save his beloved mate echo in her mind.

Yarrowleaf- like her dearly missed sister Beenose-was not really a believer in StarClan but she gazed up at the glittering stars of Silverpelt and mewed, "Why did I ever trust that malicious cruel Sleekwhisker? Why StarClan did I consider her a friend? How in the named of Shadowstar could I have trusted her? I thought she was my friend and she- she betrayed me, the pain she caused the Clan and even me is immense. And Nettle-"

She felt a rustling at her tail in the darkness for a few heartbeats and then heard Hopkit's squeaky little voice. "Y-Yarwoleaf? " The tiny kitten's blue eyes looked up at her. "who you talkin' tos ?"

The queen licked her daughter's head. "just myself sweetheart. I thought you were asleep."

"I w-was. But I gotta bad dweam 'bout that meanie she cat ." she sniffled . "I'm scared she's gonna come backs."

" oh sweetie…" the ginger she cat nuzzled her daughter . "She wouldn't dare come back again. " she'd better not or she's going to answer to all of ShadowClan and my claws….

"Yarwoleaf…. Sh-she said that you was her fwend." The kitten whispered.

Yarrowleaf sighed. "no Hopkit… she wasn't . I .. thought she was. She used me. I'm sorry she took you and Flaxkit, baby girl. But I'm gonna make sure she doesn't hurt you two again. "

"same with- " the kitten yawned again. "with gwampa an' gwamma an' my aunties and uncles an' tanwypelt an' Tigystar ?"

Yarrowleaf chuckled at her kit's pronunciation of her leader's name. Kits will be kits. " That's right my dear. And the rest of your Clanmates too. Get some sleep sweetheart . Dream of some thing happy . " she purred .

"'Kay." The kitten yawned again and soon closed her eyes. Yarrowleaf yawned herself- she was glad the kitten had not realized that Nettle had been her father, the pain Nettle nearly caused her was but a claw mark scratch compared to the heartbreaking agonizing hurt that Sleekwhisker had caused. Sleekwhisker may have hurt me deeply and totally broken my trust but next time she comes near me she'll pay for the pain she caused. She rested her head back on her paws and soon was back asleep herself.

The End