Warriors: The Trail of Centuries

Chapter 19

     "You what?!"

     "Hear us out, Heatherstar," Brightpelt spoke quickly, a pleading tone slipping into her voice.

     "What could your reasoning possibly be?" Heatherstar snapped, her eyes fiery. Spottedpaw glanced wordlessly between the gathered cats, the tension in the air so thick that she could nearly feel it.

     "Put your feelings aside, Heatherstar," Muddapple spoke clearly, stepping forward. "Think about it. Whoever chased her, they saw her flee into your territory. They would have told Deadeye, and he knows that none of the leaders would turn down a chance to gain an upper hand on him. What if they come to finish the job?" Spottedpaw shuddered at the sentence, ignoring the feeling of dread that surfaced with it.

     "Yes!" Brightpelt spoke up next to her apprentice. "We know BlazeClan has been repeatedly targeted, and if Spottedpaw stays, it might only lead to more violence for your Clan. Deadeye is ruthless and relentless, and he's already targeting you for territory expansions."

     "I suppose you have a point . . . ." When Heatherstar hesitated, and then looked thoughtful, panic pushed the apprentice to speak out.

     "You can't send me away!" Spottedpaw burst out, digging her claws into the floor of the den. "I've only just gotten used to being here! I was given my first chance to start proving myself today! I don't know anyone in SwiftClan, but here I had Jayleaf and Swallowclaw to stick by me." She dreaded the idea of starting over again, without knowing anybody or being trusted by them.

     Spottedpaw threw a desperate glance toward Skyfeather and Blueheart, silently begging them to back her up. The two medicine cats gave one another uneasy glances, but when Blueheart looked back to Spottedpaw, his gaze hardened. The bluish-grey tom let out a defeated sigh.

     "Spottedpaw, their logic makes sense. The safest place for you is not BlazeClan—and, in turn, your presence puts us even more at risk." The old medicine cat refused to meet her gaze, and Spottedpaw felt her heart sink at his words.

     "You can't just toss her between Clans like a rotten piece of prey," Skyfeather muttered, lashing her tail. "She's only an apprentice. She's already experienced so much, it would be wrong of us to demand this of her."

     "It isn't our choice to make, Skyfeather," Blueheart snapped, turning on his apprentice. "You know it just as well as I. I'm certain that Brightpelt and Muddapple would not have come had they thought of a better solution." Not their choice? Spottedpaw thought incredulously. Well, it certainly isn't my choice by the sound of things! She struggled to remain silent again, though she desperately wanted to lash out.

     "What—" Heatherstar began speaking with narrowed eyes, but Muddapple cut her off.

     "Heatherstar, there are some things that we need to tell you," the brown tabby murmured, throwing an uneasy glance in Spottedpaw's direction. "Spottedpaw, would you mind giving us a moment of privacy?"

     Spottedpaw opened her mouth to oppose the idea, but quickly thought better of it. Instead, she fixed the medicine cats with a glare before turning on them and retreating from Heatherstar's den. Once outside, she saw that Yellowheart was still perched dutifully outside of the den, his gaze sweeping the clearing below. Without uttering a word to the broad-shouldered deputy, Spottedpaw clambered down the ledge. She silently cursed to herself when she sent a shower of pebbles and dust into the clearing.

     Once she'd made it down, she was relieved to see that she was alone in the clearing. It would have been embarrassing to send all those pebbles over some unsuspecting cat, she thought. Movement on the other side of the clearing caught her eye; upon shifting her gaze, Spottedpaw saw that Firthistle and Bouncepool were sending glances in her direction. The golden-furred apprentice did her best to ignore their stares. Instead, she glanced around the clearing, searching for a spot to wait for Heatherstar and the medicine cats to finish their discussion. Not far off was a sand-filled groove directly underneath the ledge that led to Heatherstar's den.