Breezepelt's Vow

Chapter 2

Back in camp, the cats of Windclan were padding out of their dens to greet the cats who went to the Gathering. Breezepelt's ears twitched as he heard the whispers and hisses all around him, but for once they were not aimed at him.
Crowfeather always blamed me for any little mistake I made, yet he broke the warrior code beyond repair! Let him feel what he made me feel every day of my life.

He narrowed his eyes at his father as the lean tom padded out to the clearing and lifted his head to glare at the cats surrounding him.

"If you all think this changes my loyalty to Windclan, you are wrong. I have never fathered those kits and Leafpool is not my mate. Whatever past mistake I made has long been overlooked by all of you," said Crowfeather, his skinny tail lashing out behind him. "Nightcloud is my mate and he is my only son."

He nodded his head towards Breezepelt without looking at him, causing Breezepelt to growl low in his throat.

"Cut that out," Whitetail murmured quietly to her former apprentice, her eyes shining with pity. But for who?

Turning his attention back to the clearing, Breezepelt watched Nightcloud pad up to Crowfeather and gaze into his eyes for a long moment. She lifted a paw with unsheathed claws as if she might strike him, and Breezepelt's tail lashed in anticipation.
Let him lose everything. It's not like I was ever a son to him, he fumed on th inside, pain flashing through his chest.

But the she-cat lowered her paw over his instead and thrusted her head under his to nuzzle his neck. She then turned to the clan and spoke in a clear voice.

"What's done has been done. That Thunderclan she-cat stole him once but we have Crowfeather back, a brave and loyal warrior," she narrowed her eyes when she spoke of loyalty before turning to lick over her mate's muzzle.

The clan seemed to hesitate before murmuring agreement, although a few cats exchanged uneasy glances.

Crowfeather stared at his mate with an unreadable expression before he padded off to the warriors den without speaking to her. She followed him, her fur bristling with irritation at his indifference. The rest of the cats seemed to settle into their dens until only Ashfoot and Heathertail were in the clearing with Breezepelt, Ashfoot keeping watch by the entrance with her head bowed in sorrow.

Breezepelt felt comforted beside the tabby she-cat, Heathertail, leaning in to press his side to hers. But he was dismayed when she pulled away and gave him a hard stare.

"You're just another reminder of what I've lost," she whispered, seemingly to herself.

Breezepelt parted his jaws to ask what she meant but she quickly whisked away to the warriors den, her eyes filled with some distant memory.

Snarling at how rotten the night had gone, Breezepelt raked his claws over the bare ground, his hooked claws scoring deep marks into it. He imagined it as the pelt of all those who had betrayed him and made him an outcast in his own clan.

"Dear Breezepelt, don't blame yourself for all of this," a gentle, familiar voice murmured close by.

The young tom swung around and immediately straightened up when he saw Ashfoot gazing down at him, her sweet scent soothing his anger a bit. But then she spoke again.

"Your father did what he thought was right at the time. He never would have wanted this for you."

As her soft tail brushed over his shoulders, he hissed and shrugged it off to face her, his voice a low, menacing growl.

"That is where you are wrong. I don't blame myself. He broke the code, not me! He ruined all of our lives and it's all his fault!"

He felt both satisfied and guilty at the look of shock and grief on her face, his tail curled over his back as he padded to the warriors den. Crowfeather was curled up in the furthest nest while Nightcloud slept by the entrance, right beside Breezepelt's nest. He felt a stab of pain when he saw that Heathertail had moved her nest away from his.

Kneading down the heather and sheep wool in his nest, he curled up beside his mother and curled his tail over his nose.
Who needs her anyway? She's not loyal like I am. I've seen the way she used to look at Lionblaze. This whole clan is full of traitors and they will soon be weeded out.

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Hey, I wasn't sure whether to make this part of chapter 1 or just make this chapter 2. They seem a bit shorter than I had thought they would be x.x

Anyway, comments, favorites, suggestions, and especially views are appreciated!