Tragedy {A Warrior Cats Fanfiction}

» Chapter Thirty-Three «

Kestrelfur made dirt before padding back into camp. She felt exhausted; she hadn't slept all night. She was sure that she was a mess.

When she padded back into camp, everyone was staring at her. For once, she didn't like the attention. She felt her breaths go shaky again, as though she was losing control of herself. She stared at the ground as she padded through camp, just wanting to get away.

She nearly let out a hiss of annoyance when sparks started tingling, signaling that Waspstar was near. She wasn't ready to talk to him yet.

When she heard paw steps behind her, she whirled around and hissed, "What do you want?"

She blinked in surprise as she realized it wasn't Waspstar. It was Badgermask.

"What are you doing here?" she growled.

"I was told to stay at this camp," he said unflinchingly. "And wow, this place is like a pile of dung. I think sleeping in the dirtplace would be better than this." A small smile was pressing the corners of his lips, though his eyes were sullen, not showing the same humor.

"Just get out of here," said Kestrelfur flatly. "Go run around the forest like a blind kit. I'm sure you're not a good runner in this territory."

Kestrelfur started walking away, but she heard him following her. His whiskers were brushing her tail.

"What!" she hissed again, unsheathing her claws and giving him a hard stare.

Once again, Badgermask didn't flinch. "I don't think I'm the one running around the forest like a blind kit. In fact, I don't think blind cats can be as blind as you are. Everything just happens right in front of you and you don't even see it."

Kestrelfur's fur bristled. She shoved him away as hard as she could, which was enough to make him stumble. Then she pushed her face against his so that she could smell his terrible breath.

"Just get out of here and get out of my life." Her lip curled in the beginnings of a snarl. She had never felt such rage before. It clouded her vision, pushing all other emotions out.

A depressed look fell into Badgermask's eyes. "Well, I hope you won't be as blind anymore." Then, he clenched his jaw and said, "I've never met anyone so featherbrained... besides myself."

Usually Kestrelfur wouldn't care what he meant, but she couldn't help it. "What in the name of StarClan is that supposed to mean?"

She met him with a challenging stare. He gave in. "I fell in love with a she-cat named Rosebriar. We became mates. I thought we'd have kits together, but we didn't. Her parents and her littermates died in a battle against rogues. She couldn't handle the grief, so she killed herself." He spat the words out, his fur bristling. "And I couldn't save her. So we're both featherbrains and we're worth nothing more than hare-dung."

He raced away before she could say anything else. He gathered around Waspstar, ready to be assigned to a patrol. She could see Waspstar craning his neck, scanning the camp. Probably looking for her.

Kestrelfur felt a growl rise in her throat. She wouldn't let Waspstar find her. She wasn't ready to face him.

She padded into the nursery, hoping to find shelter there. "Fox-dung," she hissed loudly once she entered. "Fox-dung, fox-dung, fox-dung."

"Keep it down," hissed the queen, Frostfire. Her tail was wrapped around Morningleaf's kits. "I don't want the kits to pick up vile language from you."

Kestrelfur snorted but didn't argue. She plopped herself down on the ground.

Seeing Morningleaf's kits reminded her of the despair she should be feeling. Chestnutkit perfectly mirriored Morningleaf in almost every way. She had the same dark brown dappled fur and the same fine tail; the same eye and nose shape. The only difference was how her whiskers would twitch crookedly every now and then. That came from Crookedtail.

Kestrelfur sighed, feeling tired and depressed. Frostfire studied her for a moment as though trying to find something to say.

"Do you want me to tell you how they died?"

Kestrelfur looked up at her and pursed her lips. "Yes. Please."

Frostfire's blue eyes seemed to go distant as she began. "I assume you know how Firepelt died." Kestrelfur nodded. "Okay, then I'll skip him.

"Waspstar asked for Cindertooth, Rainfoot, and Morningleaf to be gathered in the center of camp. Morningleaf asked me to watch her kits while she was out there. Everyone formed a circle around those three.

"Waspstar turned to Cindertooth and said, 'You have always doubted my loyalty to the clan. You have always been causing nothing but trouble, and FlightClan will be better off without you.'"

Frostfire watched Kestrelfur as though waiting for a reaction, but Kestrelfur just sat there, expressionless. Pikekit sat up and blinked his kit-blue eyes at Frostfire as though urging her to continue the story. He had grown to look even more like Crookedtail since Kestrelfur had left, having his thick black pelt and pointed ears.

"No one stepped up to defend Cindertooth," Frostfire continued. "Waspstar's followers, Sparrowclaw, Nightblaze, and Chervilfang padded forward. Cindertooth fought back against them, but it wasn't enough. Cindertooth stood no chance and he was defeated.

"Then came Rainfoot. Waspstar said, 'I'm really sorry, Rainfoot, but when I asked you to be loyal to me, to support me, you refused. You are a danger to the clan.' Then Violetheart stepped up. She said if they were killing Rainfoot they'd have to kill her too. Waspstar didn't care. The three warriors attacked them, but Violetheart was strong and she kept them away from both of their necks. But then... more warriors stepped up. The younger warriors started fighting against them. They were outnumbered and defeated."

Kestrelfur felt sick. "Who were the ones who fought against them?"

"I can't remember exactly who," said Frostfire, "but I know it included Emberpaw, Mousetail, Doveheart, and... Beechwhisker."

Kestrelfur blinked in surprise. "Emberpaw and Beechwhisker killed Rainfoot?" She couldn't believe that sweet and quiet Redpaw's own littermate had the power to kill, or that talkative and friendly Beechwhisker would side with Waspstar.

"Yes," said Frostfire with sadness. "I know for sure that I had seen them fighting."

Kestrelfur looked down at the kits. Would they learn to have unquenchable loyalty to Waspstar too? Would they someday side with the being who killed their own mother?

Chestnutkit leaned forward and pressed her paws against Kestrelfur's snout. She giggled.

"When's Mommy coming back?" asked Pikekit, looking up at Frostfire. She was about to answer, but Kestrelfur cut her off.

"Morningleaf's never coming back," she said, her voice filled with pain. "She's gone... forever."

A/N::

What do you think Kestrelfur will do now? I'd love to hear predictions in the comments!

//Edited