Warriors: Skytail's Reckoning (COMPLETED)

Chapter 19

"Absolutely not!" Skytail burst out before Redstar could say anything. Cherry's brown eyes narrowed slightly and unsheathed her claws, digging them into the earth. Skytail felt her fur bristle and she widened her stance in case her mother sprung an attack. "You're not joining WindClan." She growled.

"Why not?" Redstar slipped to Skytail's side, his yellow eyes confused. Skytail bit her tongue. She didn't want to make a scene, but she knew her mother did. She glared at Cherry, but her mother didn't seem phased. His gaze flitted over the loners and his eyes turned thoughtful. "I think it'd be beneficial to have these cats in our Clan."

"Redstar." Skytail hissed, her teeth grinding together as she fought to urge to claw at his face. If her mother joined the Clan, she'd stir up trouble and that was something Skytail did not want.

Sparkheart rested her tail across Skytail's back, trying to comfort her clearly antagonized mate. "We do not know these cats," she pointed out to the leader. Her voice was much calmer than her mate's as she looked at Redstar. "Should we trust them? We don't know why they've come."

"I can answer that," Cherry meowed, her eyes smug as she looked at her daughter. "I want to be here with my kits." Her voice turned coaxing and slick, and Skytail felt her fur prickle suspiciously. "Since my mate died, I've wanted nothing more than to spend more time with my kits. Can you deny a mother's wish to be with her kits?"

"You're lying." Meowed the bold voice of Juniperblaze as he stepped forward, his ginger tabby fur fluffed up with indignation. Marshfrost was at his side, his three kits not far away with their mother. "You killed Maple and we came here to stay away from you."

Marshfrost lashed his tail. "I don't want a murderer in the Clan when I have kits in the nursery." He hissed, narrowing his brown eyes at Cherry.

Their mother's eyes flickered with surprise but she masked it quickly. "How could you accuse me of such a thing?" She faked offense and her eyes gleamed with hurt. Skytail curled her lip. "I loved Maple, why would I want to kill him?"

"Because you're a cold, heartless piece of mouse-dung." Snarled Skytail, taking a stride toward her mother threateningly. Beside her, Blackthorne, Ziggy, and Tiki narrowed their eyes and unsheathed their claws.

Cherry met her eyes calmly. "Sky, I know you're young and you think you know so much about the world because you joined this Clan." She meowed, her tone somewhat mocking. "But I know more than you ever will."

"Oh, really?" Skytail snorted, raising her head as her tail bushed out and lashed back and forth. Cherry nodded, a cocky jerk of her head that infuriated Skytail. "I know how to raise kits properly with a fantastic mate by my side."

"I loved your father." Cherry retorted, her ears flattening to her head. The collar around her neck caught Skytail's eye and hot anger flooded her once more.

"No, you didn't." She spat back. "You used him! You never loved him, or us! You let me run off to a Clan who I was told was bloodthirsty and ate bones!" Sparkheart let out a small gasp and Skytail looked over at her.

Cherry huffed. "You're young," she repeated. "You can't possibly have kits." She looked over at Marshfrost, who looked about ready to burst with anger. "Your brothers are far more capable to raise kits."

"You're wrong," Sparkheart spoke up and Skytail blinked at her mate. The tabby she-cat strode forward and stood over Cherry, her voice calm. "She knows how to raise kits the right way. From what I've heard, you don't."

"And who are you?" Cherry snorted with a dramatic roll of her eyes. "Some little friend of Sky's who defends her when she's proven wrong?"

Sparkheart raised her chin. "No." She growled. "My name is Sparkheart. And I'm your daughter's mate." Cherry's eyes flashed with surprise as she went on. "We have six lovely kits who are raised with nothing but love and affection." She turned away from Cherry and raised her voice. "Featherkit!" She called.