Bloodflower

Chapter 35

"What in StarClan's name are you doing?" Adderstar stared at Minnowtail with poorly disguised horror. Rosethorn dug her claws into the earth, feeling a chilling sense of realization. She had been right; Minnowtail was a traitor after all. But she wasn't with MoonClan. She was with the rogues!

Now Minnowtail met Adderstar's eyes defiantly. "I think you know what I'm doing," she growled.

"Minnowtail!" A stunned Shadowpool leaped from the SunClan ranks to stand in the center of the clearing. "You can't be serious! Do you realize what you're doing?"

Minnowtail's eyes were cold with resolve. "I'm sorry for leaving you, Shadowpool, but I can't stay in SunClan anymore."

"You're a traitor!" Hazelfrost snarled. She was stiff with fury; Rosethorn could tell how hard it was for her not to spring at Minnowtail.

"You betrayed us!" Forestfire hissed.

"You're no better than a rogue yourself!" Harefoot yowled.

Shadowpool glanced between the two battle lines, eyes wide with distress. At last he met Rosethorn's eyes. She shook her head sadly. I don't think he ever truly thought his sister was a traitor, she thought. But now he's watched her switch sides right in front of him. I could never imagine how that feels. Her heart ached with sympathy, and with fury that Minnowtail had done this.

Hazelfrost glared furiously at Shadowpool. "Well?" she demanded. "Are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to join your traitor sister?"

"Back off, Hazelfrost!" Rosethorn growled. "He's done nothing wrong."

Hazelfrost looked as if she was about to respond scathingly, but then thought better of it.

Shadowpool glanced at Rosethorn gratefully, then looked back at Minnowtail. "Why are you doing this?" he rasped.

"You were my apprentice," Thumpstep added, staring at Minnowtail with icy disapproval. "I did not train a traitor."

"You're right, Thumpstep." Minnowtail's tone was scathing; Rosethorn had never seen her this angry before. "You didn't train a traitor. You trained a cat who you expected would blindly follow a stupid, useless warrior code just because some other cats did too."

"That code has saved countless cats from dying pointless deaths!" Thumpstep retorted. "You should be glad I taught it to you. The Clans would be dead if not for the warrior code."

"Oh, please," Minnowtail sniffed with obvious disdain. "You mouse-brains could be starving, and you wouldn't eat a fat pigeon if it wasn't killed neatly and blessed by StarClan. But luckily enough, the rest of the Clan cats are dumb enough to follow that rule."

Thumpstep's eyes clouded over, while Minnowtail's narrowed with satisfaction. "Yeah," she hissed. "Yeah, I remember what you said that day. I never forgot."

Rosethorn realized Minnowtail must have stirred some old memory that was shared between the two of them. Is Thumpstep part of the reason she left SunClan?

She noticed that the rogue cats were watching the Clan cats with undisguised amusement. They're enjoying watching this. I wouldn't be surprised if Minnowtail had planned this with them so SunClan would be distracted during the battle.

Her claws flexed instinctively. Well, they won't distract me, she told herself. I still know exactly why I'm here.

Thumpstep's eyes hardened moments later. "If you can't understand the value of the warrior code, then maybe you should be a rogue."

His tone faltered ever-so-slightly as he spoke. Rosethorn couldn't even begin to imagine what he must be going through, watching his own former apprentice betray her Clan. He was clearly trying not to show it.