𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐰'𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐠𝐞 - seasons of revenge - book three

Chapter 43

"Actually, I was looking for someone." Francesca responded back, her words just as quick as the other she cat. His mother stood up, slowly walking back towards Raven and his littermates.

"Who were you looking for?" The cream she-cat tilted her head in questioning, clearly curious.

"Well my mother died when I was younger. All I know is that I was brought here when I was a kit and then she was murdered." Francesca said quickly. "She was killed by that brown tabby cat, Dustblaze, I believe his name is."

"Oh him." Her eyes instantly turned into slits and looked back towards Francesca. Francesca hesitantly took a step back, protectively standing in front of her kits. It was clear that these cats knew who Dustblaze was, but they needed to understand that he was not the cat that she was seeking out for.

"He's a bad one to be around." The muddy cat responded, flattening her ears. Francesca figured she must be reminiscing of past memories, that weren't good ones. "Lost a daughter to him. As well as my sister and brother, and mother."

A pool of sympathy instantly gathered in Francesca's chest. Forget her kithood tragedy of loosing her parents and littermates, this cat had lost more than her! She couldn't imagine loosing one of her kits, the queen gave a glance over at her three daughters and son, shuddering with horror.

"I'm sorry." Francesca dipped her head, which was responded with a shake of the other cats head.

"No need. There's been worse than me. Sable, lost half a litter to him. Rice, the neighbourhood lookout for this group, him and his two sons found dead. Then there was Cal. We know she was his sister. She's suffered the worst out of all of us. Her and her mate Finch, three litters of kits, the latter somehow managing to survive past ten moons. The rest, zilch. Three daughters, found dead by his paws."

Francesca could barely stifle a horrified gasp stepping back into Rook, who ran behind her quickly, placing a reassuring paw on her shoulder.

"Haven't you tried fighting back?" Rook meowed feistily, casting a quick glance to Xander and Wanda. The bedraggled she cat shook her head, indenting the concrete floor with a single scratch of her claws.

"We tried. So so many-"

Crash!! With a massive bang, all the cats heads turned instantly to a towering piles of boxes which had now crumpled and dismally squashed up on the floor.

"Bluebell reporting for duty! I report a battle down the Clamber Wall! I repeat, a battle near Clamber Wall!" A young silver tabby tom emerged from the ruckus of boxes, thin tail waving wildly and he scattered down the side of the alleyway, watching Wanda with a kittish keenness.

"Bluebell this better not be another false alarm or drill!" Xander called after him, following in a more dignified run. Meanwhile, Francesca and her kits were shocked in a stupor of confusion.

"We go and join them!" Rook shouted loudly, lashing her tail from side to side, before gliding after the disappearing figure of Xander and Wanda, who'd now run off in a flounder.

Raven nodded his head towards his mother, who looked awfully pale with nausea at the thought of her daughter and son going into battle.

"Just go!" She yelped, turning around instantly to Ridge and Riley, who nodded them on furiously.

"I wonder what we're even fighting!" Rook inputted as the two siblings ran through a dash of alleyways, slowly but steadily catching up with the flurrying figures infront of them.

"Probably Dustblaze and some of his Clan causing a scene again." Wanda inputted quickly,  suggesting she'd seen it enough times to know.

"I never meant for that to happen!" A cold yell filled the alleyway, making Xander and Wanda glance at each other with somber stares.

"Well you did. It's too late now, isn't it?" A voice barked back, making Xander and Wanda freeze instantly, holding their tails up to slow Raven and Rook. They did accordingly.

"It was a mistake, and you know it was. I didn't want to kill him, but you made me go into that den to get them herbs. And you knew that it would end that way."

"Maybe I did. But now nothing can be said because you are the one who killed him. Not me. You."

A curious glance round the corner allowed Wanda to see the two cats arguing. Just two, was surprising. Normally it was a group of them, coming to attack the rogues. This time, it was the recognisable figure of Duststar, and a slender and muscular bright ginger and white she-cat.

"That's Rowanface, isn't it?" Xander murmured to her, and Wanda nodded back. She had seen the deputy a couple of times before, even battled her.

"Wonder who she killed." Raven murmured behind her cautiously.

"Whoever it was, Duststar was the cause of it." Wanda hissed under her breath, creeping in the shadows, closer to the two cats as she watched the conversation intently.

"You know I never meant to do it. I can't believe I was so oblivious to you." Rowanface held up a paw, spitting furiously. "This whole time, you planned everything out. Planned me getting those deathberries, planned me making that herb wrap which you told me he was too ill to make for himself, snuck deathberries in them, which I gave to him. Of course, he was ill, so how was he able to scent the deathberries?"

"He knew everything. It would be too risky keeping him alive much longer." Duststar responded back, eyes glaring right at Rowanface. But the stubborn cat stood her ground.

"Coincidentally ill at the same time you killed him? I think not." Rowanface narrowed her eyes suspiciously back. Wanda crept further behind, preparing to pounce on the brown tabby leader.

"You killed him." Duststar corrected stoically, sitting up straight on his paws. "Simple. Some yarrow in the fresh kill he ate. All times in nicely with the "killed by a kits infected wound" myth."

"He didn't deserve that. As much as I had a dislike for him, you shouldn't have killed him." The deputy hung her head, curling her mouth into a snarl.

"I thought you would've been happy, seeing Hareleap grieving. Made you satisfied that the one who stole your love was going through pain." The leader retorted, shrugging casually.

Wanda had decided. She would attack. Readying her pounce, she flexed her claws, prepared to jump.

"He's dead because of you. Pigeonfrost is dead because of you."

Wanda froze.

A/N: Well.. hehe. That solves the mystery behind his death. I was thinking of this for a long time, how did Pigeonfrost really die? I knew I wanted Rowanface involved for a bit of a twist, and our local neighbourhood murderer.. Duststar. Also, what's your thoughts on Francesca and her kits reappearing again? Bluebell will make a reappearance, I can confirm.
Sorry I've been gone a month, motivation has been down the drain. I can't be certain, but I will try and publish chapters every two weeks.

See ya!
-Ember <3