Warrior Cats: A Shameful Secret

Prologue

Sageberry was curled up in her nest, her mate, Donhart sitting next to her. Playful squeals had filled up the inside of the Nursery as the two watched their three kits tackle and tumble playfully.

"Watch out Hollykit!" Snowkit challenged, shrinking down into a crouch, ready to pounce onto her sister. Hollykit prepared from her sister's warning, keeping her ears perked up ready for her next move. Snowkit leaped, her beautiful snowy coat glistening in the sunlight as she faltered. Hollykit eyed her carefully, swiftly leaping out of the way from her sister's reach. Snowkit let out a small squeak of alarm, hitting the ground with her tiny paws.

"Owch!" she cried, getting up and shaking off the dirt that had collected onto her pelt from her landing. "Nice try! but you can't catch me!" Hollykit giggled, circling Snowkit cheerfully. Snowkit in return stuck out her light-pink tongue.

"I can see that Hollykit is already becoming a strong warrior, can't you dear?" Sageberry asked proudly to her mate, leaning close to him with her tail brushing against his back.

 "It does seem that Hollykit holds lots of strength," Donhart observed, admiring Hollykit's movements as she did her best to get away from Snowkit repeatedly trying to beat her on the rear. "She will be a great benefit to Thunderclan someday."

Donhart was one of Thunderclan's strongest cats, which meant at least one of his three daughters would someday carry his robustness.

His other two kits, Snowkit and Brownkit seemed to be much softer, having more of their mother inside of them. "I imagine Snowkit to grow up and become a lovely queen with her own kits to take care of, I'm sure many toms in the nearby future will fall head over hindlegs for her," Sageberry remarked, slightly boasting. "It's thanks to me that she has such beauty."

Donhart frowned, lashing his tail anxiously, he never liked hearing his mate go on about herself, to him, it was unnecessary. She had always viewed herself over the clan for her vanity, but deep down she was still a very loving cat. Donhart simply decided to ignore her words. He couldn't let Sageberry sour his mood, not at this time. He had an important question on his mind, and at this perfect moment, now was the time to get it off his chest.

"Sageberry." Donhart meowed flatly, catching her attention. She looked back, her face full of oblivion.

"Yes?" she replied, confused at the toms sudden change in tone.

"There is something about our final kit, Brownkit. There is something I can't shake out of my fur about her."

Sageberry looked back at her last kit, Brownkit. She had not been playing with the others, rather she was sitting in the corner with her eyes in awe. Not getting the point, she flattened her ears. "Well? go on."

Donhart looked away from her, taking a small breath, before gathering his words and looking back to meet her gaze, his eyes cold. "Sageberry, I'm a black tabby, you're a white tabby, you know very well with our genetics we would never produce a brown tabby with such sparkling gray eyes. There is only one tom here in Thunderclan that shares Brownkit's appearance, and that cat is Northfur. Has there been something you have not been telling me about? I must know."

Fear flashed through Sageberry's eyes. Donhart had known she had been hiding something, and he may have just found out what.

Standing up, Sageberry faced her mate. "Are you accusing me!? I'll have you know that my mother was brown!" 

Donhart stared back at her, usually, he was used to it. Cats in the clan grew uninterested in him for his blunt behavior, but his own mate? disappointed, he hardened. "I believe that is a lie." 

Sageberry bristled, her body growing shaky from the adrenaline. "Must you always find a way to quarrel with me Dawnheart!?" 

Donhart flinched, taken aback. Nobody ever called him Dawnheart, it was the most disrespectful thing a cat could ever do to him. The only time he'd let himself get heated, was when a cat called him Dawnheart. Trying to sound reasonable, he shook his head in disapproval. 

"Sageberry, you know very well I do not like being called Dawnheart, it is Donhart." he scolded, "Please, be fair with this. Have you been meeting up with Northfur while I've been on patrol these past few moons?" 

Sageberry clenched her mouth shut, lost for words.  She had nothing else left to say, she felt exposed to the truth.

"Even if you have, I shall still love our kits equally, they are kits, Sageberry. They don't know anything, what I want to know is why you would do that to me, you know my Warrior Duties are important, I can't be here all the time. But you know I still care for you." 

"You don't need to know everything I do! get out! get out of here! before we startle the kits again! every time you come in here to visit them you just cause trouble!" Sageberry yowled, batting him harshly on the nose.

To Donhart, he had gotten used to his mate's attitude. She had lost her temper and grew sensitive much more often ever since she had started carrying kits. For a heartbeat, Donhart looked up, thinking quietly. It was best to follow her words, the next day everything would be resolved. Letting her cool down, he sighed, before nodding. "Very well," he whispered, padding slowly out of the Nursery with his tail low. He fought the urge to look back, to see if Sageberry showed any sign of regret, but he ignored the feeling and kept walking. 

"Why did Donhart leave?" Snowkit asked, slightly disappointed. Hollykit lashed her tail. "Did you get into a fight with him again mama?"

Brownkits face filled up with concern. looking up at her mother, whose face was still stained with uncomfort.

"It's alright kits, it was nothing bad. Just usual talk. Say, why don't you play with this mossball, I made it for you three earlier, but you all got so caught up in playing I almost forgot to give it to you."

Ears perked, Snowkit scrabbled to her paws happily. "Okay!" 

Sageberry batted the ball lightly, watching Hollykit and Snowkit dash after it. However, Brownkit stayed with her mother. "I'm not good at games mama, I wanna stay with you."

"I need to be alone right now Brownkit. Just for a little bit." Sageberry meowed, pushing the kit away from sitting next to her with her paws.

"But I'm not good at their games, I get pushed around too much!"

Sageberry felt frustration prickle at her pelt. "This game is easy, look, you bat the ball around like this, and then, you pass it back to them." She demonstrated as Snowkit passed the ball to her, quickly, she batted the ball to Brownkit.

Hesitating, the young she-kit pushed the ball, a slight spark of enjoyment lighting her up. Giggling, she batted it harder, running up to her sisters to play.

Sageberry frowned, turning away from the three bundles of fur. "I knew Northfur would have made a better father." she hissed under her breath.