Oakheart's Promise - A Warriors AU

Chapter 29

Panting, Oakheart glanced around the den. Darkness surrounded him, and his Clanmates slept peacefully beside him. However, the den may as well have been empty. The cold wind cut into his fur. I killed them with my promise. I killed them all. He felt as though a badger was pressing down on his shoulders, threatening to crush him any second.

I need to tell Crookedjaw. That was all Oakheart could think of. He thinks I'm being trained by StarClan. Standing, he stepped over tails and paws to get to his brother's nest.

"Crookedjaw," Oakheart whispered, prodding his brother with a paw. The tabby blinked his eyes open, his jaw hanging to the side as he glanced at the reddish warrior.

Tilting his head, Crookedjaw asked, "What do you need?"

"Come with me," Oakheart instructed, leading the way out of the warriors' den. The clearing was dark and empty. Cold, dead reeds drifted past the boulder in the center. Crookedjaw followed, confusion plastered across his face.

Leaving the camp, Oakheart sat beside the stream. He gestured for Crookedjaw to sit beside him. When the light brown tom obliged, he waited for Oakheart to speak.

Oakheart took a deep, shaky breath, recalling everything Mapleshade had told him. "You were right," he began. "It's my fault. But I didn't just kill Rainflower. Shellheart and Graypool died because of me too."

"No," Crookedjaw shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong. What do you mean?"

"Mapleshade," Oakheart continued, the words tumbling out of his mouth. "I thought she was from StarClan. But she's from the Dark Forest, and she wants revenge against our family because our distant kin wronged her."

Crookedjaw, still puzzled, asked, "Then why do you say it's your fault?"

"Because I promised to be loyal to my Clan!" Oakheart lowered his head with shame. "I promised to sacrifice everyone I loved to be leader. I didn't know what I was saying."

Reaching out a paw, Crookedjaw pulled Oakheart closer to him. "Mapleshade tricked you. I can't blame you for that."

"But-"

Crookedjaw cut him off. "Do you really think anyone is upset with you? You did nothing wrong."

Oakheart pushed Crookedjaw away. "I heard you a couple sunrises ago when you were with Shellheart and Willowbreeze. You do think I did something wrong!"

Ears lowering, Crookedjaw explained, "You didn't hear everything I said. I can't blame you, no matter how easy it may be."

Glancing at the water, Oakheart saw his own reflection. It grew, changing shape and becoming the cat he hated most. Mapleshade! He reached his paw into the water, causing ripples and disturbing the image. As he blinked, he saw himself once again. The clear, blue water reminded him of a day when he was an apprentice. The Moonstone.

"Crookedjaw, do you remember when we went to the Moonstone as apprentices?" He continued when the tabby nodded. "I only saw Mapleshade and the Dark Forest. I know I'm not meant to ask, but what did you see? What was StarClan like?"

"Well," Crookedjaw stuttered. The tom didn't seem to know where to start. "I saw a big, open field. And there was a river in front of me. The sky was dark and full of stars, and I saw cats around me."

"Who did you see?" Oakheart questioned. He wanted to know as much about StarClan as possible after being lied to for so long.

But Crookedjaw replied honestly, "I don't know. All I know is that some seemed transparent. Others were solid."

Memories of the Dark Forest flooded into Oakheart's mind. "Mapleshade was faded," he recalled. "When she was in brighter light, it looked like I could see right through her."

Oakheart glanced at the stars above. Just as Mapleshade was fading, the night was fading away, light growing on the horizon. The black sky was splashed with orange and yellow. The water of the stream nearby sparkled, shining bright. The reddish tom finally felt that he was able to relax. "I won't forget what I've done," Oakheart concluded, "but I'll remember what you said."

"That's all I ask of you," Crookedjaw responded, standing to his paws and flicking his tail towards the camp. "We should go back. The dawn patrol will be sent out soon."

Without another word, Oakheart followed his brother into the clearing of the camp. A few warriors were already awake, examining the dwindling fresh-kill pile. They didn't seem to notice the two toms slip into the clearing.

As Oakheart settled down near the boulder, he felt as though a weight had been lifted off of his back. He was able to sit without slouching down, and he was sure it was because of Crookedjaw. No matter what happens to the Clan, we will always have each other.