A Rogue's Tail(A Warrior Cat Fan-Fic)

Chapter 9 The Betrayal

          It had been exactly one moon since Watersplash's and Willowwhisper's secret was revealed at the gathering. The whole of Rustclan waited anxiously for the attack from Bloodclan and Shatteredclan. Some cats had started to let their guard down, and Watersplash knew that soon Blood and Icestar would make their move. Yet, it was strange how normal everything seemed... even though the shadow of death loomed over all of them..

           "Watersplash?" Bluepaw's voice interrupted her thoughts. Watersplash looked at Bluepaw pointedly. Her apprentice had whisked through her training, and was steadily nearing her first assessment. "Yes, Bluepaw?" Watersplash asked. "I..... I was wondering if I could go to the gathering tonight?" Bluepaw asked hopefully. "Of course," mewed Watersplash. If there is a gathering... Watersplash thought. Bluepaw perked up and gave a swift nod, hurrying over to her denmates. There were only Goldpaw, Nightpaw, Mistpaw, Jaypaw, and Bluepaw in the apprentice den now since Amberfeather, Tigerfrost, and Rockstripe had moved to the warriors den.

Watersplash was jolted out of her thoughts (again!) as Beyrlstar leapt upon the Highrock and called a summon to the clan.

          Watersplash sighed and padded over to the Highrock. She gave a quick nod to her friends and sat down, still thinking. Beylrstar stood with Fogmask at his side, looking down at his clan. "Rustclan will not be going to the gathering this evening," Beyrlstar said. All the cats gasped and started murmuring hurridly among themselves. "Silence!" Fogmask yowled, and all the cats fell silent.

          But, Beyrlstar, we can't break the warrior code!" one of the elders hissed. "We can and we must. Snowclan and Duskclan will not help us, and Shatteredclan and Bloodclan wait for us in the shadows. We would be setting ourselves up," Beyrlstar mewed calmly. Watersplash nodded. It was logical, and apparently she wasn't the only one who felt the evil cats' presence.

          Beyrlstar spoke again. "Meeting dismissed! Fogmask will set up boundary patrols and hunting patrols." As he finished, Beyrlstar leapt down from the Highrock and Fogmask called out patrols. "Nightclaw, Mistpaw, and Jaypaw, patrol the Duskclan and Snowclan borders, Watersplash and Bluepaw patrol the Shatteredclan border," Fogmask called out.

          Watersplash nodded and gestured at Bluepaw to follow. As they were about to walk out of the entrance tunnel, Fogmask bounded up to her. "Be careful, ok?" he said. "I... I don't want anything bad to happen to you," he finished. She purred and gave him a friendly flick with her tail. "I'll be fine mousebrain!" Fogmask nodded, still looking uncertain, but he padded off to Beyrlstar.

          As the two she-cats walked out of the tunnel, Watersplash saw Bluepaw looking at her. "What?" Watersplash asked. Bluepaw looked up and said, "Just trying to figure out toms," she said. Watersplash purred and the two she-cats walked farther out into the forest. 

          As they neared the end of their patrol, Watersplash heard Bluepaw sigh. "What is it?" Watersplash asked her apprentice. "Its just...." Bluepaw began. "It's about Shatteredclan and Bloodclan isn't it?" Watersplash said gently. Bluepaw nodded and Watersplash felt her throat tighten. Cats shouldn't live this way, always watching their backs in fear. "It'll be ok, Bluepaw. We'll ta-" Watersplash broke off as she caught a weird scent.

          Watersplash crouched down, and gestured for Bluepaw to do the same. The apprentice looked at her, confused, but followed without argument. Watersplash crept gently closer to the scent, making sure not to make a sound. She was about to round the corner of a bush when she saw a cat. She froze and backed up, stopping Bluepaw with her tail.

          There were five cats, all smelled of Bloodclan and Shatteredclan. Two were the ones from Bloodclan who had attacked Watersplash when she was a rogue, the red she-cat and brown tom. The other three were from Shatteredclan, and with a surprise, she noticed Stripepaw. Watersplash let out a subtle hiss and began to watch their conversation with Bluepaw.

          "Icestar and Blood said we're going to attack next blood moon," one of the Shatteredclan cats hissed.

           The red Bloodclan she-cat snorted. "Makes sense," she muttered.

          "I think we should attack sooner!" Stripepaw growled, and the brown Bloodclan tom nodded in agreement.

          "Ya, well we're doing what they tell us!" the first Shatteredclan she-cat hissed. "We're going to check out the place that tom showed us.... what was his name?" mewed the Shatteredclan she-cat.

          "Blackshadow, wasn't it?" the Shatteredclan tom mewed.

          "Ya, that's the name," Stripepaw said. He sneered. "Maybe we'll kill him after we're done with him!" 

          Watersplash widened her eyes. Blackshadow was helping them! She and Bluepaw had to stop him!  Watersplash turned to Bluepaw, whose eyes were wide and was quivering in fear. "Go warn Beyrlstar about Blackshadow and get help! NOW!" Watersplash hissed as Bluepaw was about to protest. Bluepaw nodded and shuffled away, then started to run when she was out of hearing range.

         Watersplash turned back to the five cats, but gasped when they weren't there. She heard a yowl behind her and turned to see all five cats bearing down on her. She swerved, barely avoiding all of them. She crouched down, claws unsheathed and teeth bared in a snarl.

          The cats were in front of her and the Shatteredclan tom leapt at her, yowling. Watersplash let his momentum carry her, and they rolled until she was on top of him. She tore at his stomach fur, and a loud yowl escaped his maw. She heard air whistling behind her and she grabbed the tom by the shoulders and threw him into the path of the brown Bloodclan tom. They screeched in surprise and fell to the ground. The Bloodclan she-cat came running at her so Watersplash jumped over her and spun, scratching her flank and turning to the Shatteredclan she-cat, matching her blow-for-blow.

          She sent the Shatteredclan she-cat moaning in pain onto the ground. Watersplash bolted towards camp, but felt a large weight fall on top of her shoulders. She screeched and threw the tom off, recognizing Stripepaw. But he'd given the others enough time to scramble to their feet. As she started to run, they lunged on top of her, pinning her. The Shatteredclan she-cat who seemed to be in charge walked up to Watersplash.

          "Who is this spy?" she growled. "Spy!? You're in my territory!!" Watersplash yowled as she thrashed and tried to throw off the others cats. She heard Stripepaw give a gasp. "Maplefang! It's her! It's one of the sisters!" he yowled. "Long time no see apprentice!" Watersplash hissed. Stripepaw growled. "I'm Stripeclaw now!"

          The Shatteredclan tom(who was still pinning Watersplash) spoke. "Maplefang, we should kill her now!" Watersplash, hearing that, thrashed even more violently. "Yes, lets!" the Bloodclan tom yowled. Maplefang was slowly nodding and so was Stripepaw, sorry, Stripeclaw. "No!" the Bloodclan she-cat hissed. All of them looked at her quizzically, and Watersplash had the same confused expression. "Bloodfang, Claw, Stripeclaw, Maplefang, don't you see?? If we kill her now, it'll make breeching their security even harder! But if we capture her, it'll make them desperate and we can lure the other sister in!" the Bloodclan she-cat mewed.  

          Maplefang nodded, but Stripeclaw and Bloodfang growled in discontent. "Great idea Tawn!" Maplefang hissed. Then Maplefang turned her attention back to Watersplash. "But we can't give you the tour to camp now, can we?" she growled. Maplefang flicked her tail and all of the cats sunk their claws into her, until the pain she felt subsided as she faded into blackness.