Warriors: Rise of the Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter Two

"Lilypaw, I need you to clean out the elders' den for today." Meowed her mentor, Podheart with a sympathetic gleam in his eyes.

The apprentice groaned and stalked away, not replying to her mentor. 'It's not fair!' She thought crossly as she entered the den. 'Why do Blossompaw and Leopardpaw get to go hunting and I don't?' With a sigh of defeat, Lilypaw padded over to Cloverbud's nest and prodded the she-cat awake.

"Eh?" Grunted the elderly sister of Sweetstar. "Is that my son Barkslip or Birchrunner?"

"No, Cloverbud," Lilypaw meowed, annoyed. "Barkslip and Birchrunner are training Driftpaw and Archpaw right now."

"I never see them around anymore," she mumbled. She sat up and licked her paw, drawing it over her ear.

"You can't see anymore anyway, Cloverbud." Teased Honeypelt from beside Pearpelt. "No doubt in my mind that you won't see them around here anymore."

Cloverbud huffed in annoyance and turned her sightless green gaze to Lilypaw. "What can I do for you?" She asked, tail flicking behind her.

"I was wondering if you could tell me a story," replied the apprentice. 'Primrosepaw and Wasppaw can clean the den when they come back from Towering Pines.' She thought slyly.

Cloverbud yawned and shifted down so her paws were folded underneath her. "Which one would you like to hear, Lilypaw?" She asked, whiskers twitching.

"Who is the father of Barkslip and Birchrunner?" Blurted the apprentice, startling the elder.

"Well, it all started when I was an apprentice," began the she-cat. "I had fallen in love with a DawnClan apprentice named Spiderpaw. We met every other night, returning to our nests just before everyone woke up."

Lilypaw's jaw gaped open, but she quickly shut it so she wouldn't look like a kit. She settled down in front of the she-cat and listened intensely.

"When I received my warrior name and so did he, I realized that I was expecting his kits." Cloverbud paused, took a breath, and went on. "When the kits were born, I raised them in secret for about a moon or two and took them to the border." Pain washed over the elder's face but didn't let it show. "I begged him to take the kits, but he refused, saying they meant nothing to him."

"That's horrible!" Cried Lilypaw, eager to hear the rest of the story from Cloverbud's past. "What cat refuses to take his own kits?"

"He did," came the quiet reply of Cloverbud before going on. "Sweetstar, Sweetscent at the time, caught me after he left and we took Barkkit and Birchkit home. We raised them ever since."

"Lilypaw!" Called Podheart from outside. "I need you for a hunting patrol!"

"Finally!" Sighed the apprentice and raced out of the den with a quiet thanks to Cloverbud as she raced away.