Warriors; Shadows of the Forest

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Emberkit gasped in horror and stepped with one foot out of the nursery, but Mintfoot gripped her scruff and pulled her back inside.

"Let me defend my leader!" She squealed.

"You're only a kit! Besides, Goldenshade has his back." Mintfoot scolded.

Emberkit ripped away from the she-cat and looked into the clearing.

Goldenshade was the deputy, a beautiful white she-cat with a golden tint on her fur that looked much like her name. She had deep blue eyes that Emberkit longed for. She had one silver eye and one pale blue eye, which was unlike any other ShadowClan cat.

The she-cat was busy ripping the leader from hers, while another cat leapt at her. They crashed over into a pile, while Goldenshade wriggled out from under a cat and pinned him down.

Darkstar had the other cat on the ground, his flanks heaving, his eyes blazing in anger. "Minnowstar, why have you come?"

One of the cats of the group began to approach, but Goldenshade snarled, and the cat stepped back.

"You must excuse my behavior. I come in peace." The cat grunted as Darkstar put his paw down on his neck.

"That's your idea of peaceful?" Goldenshade hissed. "Our patrol just returned with a fallen warrior and plenty of injuries!" Goldenshade dug her claws into the cat she had pinned.

The cat began to explain in a hoarse voice. Emberkit turned to Mintfoot. "Who are those cats?"

"RiverClan cats, by that fishy smell." Mintfoot stood beside Emberkit, eyes narrowed.

Emberkit turned her head and strained her ears again to listen.

"You have plenty of territory. Why would you need more, especially in Greenleaf?"

"None of your business!" Minnowstar snapped.

A gray she-cat with green eyes snorted and stepped forward, dipping her head to Goldenshade. "He thinks we might sound weak. We need more land because the river is shallow. No fish. I mean, we can manage for now in the land we have, but there's just not enough prey."

"Attacking our cats isn't the answer. Have you talked to WindClan?"

"We aren't going to chase rabbits over the moor, Darkstar." Minnowstar hissed.

"Okay. Then, you aren't going to find food here, either. Might as well cross our borders and go plead ThunderClan to help you." The black tom unsheathed his claws.

He leapt off of Minnowstar, and Goldenshade did the same.

"Why are you so cruel?"

"This is why." He beckoned at the limp body of a warrior that Emberkit didn't know. "You killed Pinetail, and for what?"

Minnowstar narrowed his eyes. "Darkstar, this isn't over." He bounded from the clearing, leading his group away into the pines.

Emberkit crept from the nursery and searched for her father. She finally spotted him, helping a tabby she-cat to the medicine cat den. She was limping, but still smiling.

Emberkit raced over to her dad and waited outside the medicine cat den for him. She heard the voice of Tigerlily, their medicine cat.

Dusktide reappeared, appearing unharmed. "Emberkit, get back to the nursery." He scolded.

"I don't wanna!" She wailed.

Dusktide lashed his tail. "We don't have time to worry about kits in the nursery." He hissed. "Tigerlily had a dream from StarClan last night, about a danger. I love you, Emberkit, but we have to get rid of the danger."

"What danger?" She mewed. "What's wrong?"

Dusktide shook his head. "I don't have time to explain to you." He turned and padded over a group of warriors.

"He never has time to do anything with us." Emberkit heard Shadekit and Blackkit's pawsteps as they approached.

"Yeah." Emberkit sighed.

There was a yowl from Darkstar. Emberkit wanted to hear the meeting, but Mintfoot grasped her scruff and pulled her back into the nursery. Shadekit and Blackkit followed obediently.

Emberkit didn't have to leave the nursery to hear the leader's words. "StarClan has already given us a fair warning about some sort of danger. I think that danger is RiverClan. They're a threat to us, demanding more territory. I know many of you want to go after them, but until we're sure of the danger, we shouldn't do anything."

There were a few yowls of protest, but Darkstar simply silenced the crowd with a flick of his tail. "If the problem continues, we'll fight. But bloodshed, right now, isn't the answer."

More yowls of anger. Emberkit knew that most of her Clanmates had no problem killing other cats, if there was a reason to or not.

Darkstar dipped his head and leapt down from the branch hanging over his den.

Emberkit stared out into the camp before curling up in her nest to nap.