(Book 1) Warriors: Separations - Six Stars

Chapter 5

Skystar padded around camp nervously. "Speckledstones? Where did you go?" He said he was just going to get some fresh air! What's taking him so long? Worried, he ran out of camp.

Skystar called after Speckledstones for a while, but he heard no response. He was nervous that something may have happened.

Just then, he heard someone calling his name. He looked around and spotted Speckledstones running towards him across the moor.

"Skystar! I have something for you!" Skystar looked at him, confused. What could Speckledstones be offering Skystar?

Speckledstones was out of breath, but he kept talking. "I've got something for you!" he repeated. "Yes, what is it, Speckledstones?" "This!" Speckledstones replied happily, scooting a blue bandana towards Skystar,

"What do you want me to do with this?"

"Put it on." Speckledstones replied.

"Why?" Skystar asked. He was confused more than anything.

"Because, our dead father gave it to us!" Speckledstones shoved it closer to Skystar. He then gestured to the bow around his own neck. "See? He gave me this, too. These are the last things our father gave us, okay? It's supposed to be special."

Skystar scoffed. "I don't want anything to do with my father. He was a rogue. I'm the leader of Windclan. I can't wear proof that I used to be a dirty, no-good vicious rogue." he growled at Speckledstones.

Speckledstones stepped back, hurt. "But... it came from our fa–"

"Your father." Skystar growled.

Speckledstones' eyes widened. "No, our father. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine, but I'm just stating the facts." Skystar stepped closer to Speckledstones threateningly. "We're only half-brothers. Didn't our mother ever tell you? We have different fathers. I don't have as much of a sentimental attachment to your father as you do. As far as I'm concerned, I never had a father."

Speckledstones gasped. "No!" he yowled.

Speckledstones threw himself at Skystar, claws unsheathed. Skystar, stunned, jumped back and glared at him. "Don't you dare!" Skystar lunged at Speckledstones, his claws outstretched. As Speckledstones braced himself for impact, Skystar darted to the side and rammed into Speckledstones' side. He pinned his half-brother down and threw his face right in front of Speckledstones'.

"Leave Windclan and never come back." He snarled. Still furious, he slashed Speckledstones' nose and ran back to the Windclan camp. Not looking back to see what Speckledstones had done, Skystar stopped in a bush in front of the Windclan camp. He groomed himself of Speckledstones' blood before walking back into camp. Emberheart padded up to Skystar. She sniffed the Windclan leader for a second and looked at him questioningly. "Where's Speckledstones?" she asked him. Skystar stiffened. "He's... no longer in Windclan." he decided it wouldn't be worth it to hide the truth. "He attacked me." Emberheart's eyes widened. "Are you joking? It's not very funny." she sighed. Skystar shook his head. "I wish I was. Emberheart, can I talk to you? This is something you and only you can know." Emberheart's ears perked up curiously. "Sure."

The two walked out of camp and sat on a rock near the barn.

"There's something you need to know about me and Speckledstones. We're actually..." he hesitated. He was wondering if he should've just kept his mouth shut, but he was too far gone at this point to go back. "...my half-brother."

Emberheart's eyes widened. "You two are... related? Which means that you're half-rogue?"

Skystar snarled. "I wish I wasn't. I hate that I'm half-rogue." he mewed, defeated.

"I can't imagine how that feels, knowing that despite being clan leader, you're still half part of the most hated group of cats by the clans. You're constantly fighting with the rogue side of you and the clan side of you." Emberheart mewed empathically.

Skystar's eyes widened. "You're so understanding. Has this happened to you?" Emberheart shook her head. "No. But you're my leader, and I need to be there for you." Skystar smiled. "Thank you so much, Emberheart."

Then, something caught in his nose. A cat's scent.

Speckledstones!

He sniffed around a little bit, following his half-brother's scent trail.

"Speckledstones! Where are you?" Emberheart called. She seemed to also have caught the scent.

Just then, a bush rustled behind Skystar, and after turning around, he discovered Speckledstones was indeed still on Windclan territory.

"I told you to leave, Speckledstones." Skystar snarled. Emberheart frowned. "Why did you attack Skystar, Speckledstones?" she queried. Speckledstones licked his chest fur, clearly ashamed. "I acted really irrationally, normally I'm not that violent." he mewed. "Our–sorry, my father, right before he died, had given me a little bow to remember him by. He also gave me this bandana, and told me to give it to Dann–Skystar." Emberheart's eyes showed sympathy. Speckledstones continued. "And then I learned that this bandana can't really mean anything to Skystar... we have two different fathers. He never met his own father, and he'd known all along that my father wasn't his real father, so I suppose he just had no sentimental attachment to mine." Speckledstones mewed despairingly.

Skystsar scowled. He didn't like how accepting Emberheart was of the whole situation.

"Skystar, can Speckledstones come back to Windclan?" Emberheart pleaded.

"What?" Skystar turned on her. "Are you kidding me? I want nothing to do with him. He attacked me." he reminded her. Emberheart shook her head. "But, you heard his reasoning. He had very strong emotions about that, and you so heartlessly turned on him like that. It may not have been the most logical course of action, however you had no right to act like that to any cat either." She criticized him. Skystar scoffed. "I suppose... fine. Speckledstones can come back to Windclan. But..." he looked back at Speckledstones. "Pull anything like that again and I'll force you out of Windclan forever. Got it?"

Speckledstones nodded excitedly. His eyes gleamed with excitement, and he hurriedly sprinted off back to camp.

Emberheart's eyes shone with happiness, and... something else as she looked after Speckledstones running back to Windclan camp and announce his return. Skystar narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Emberheart seemed to notice her mistake, and looked back at Skystar. "Thank you, Skystar." she dipped her head.

Skystar watched her run after Speckledstones, his mind whirling. Did Emberheart like Speckledstones? Did he return her feelings? Medicine cats weren't allowed to have mates, he wondered what would happen if he allowed the two to constantly be together.

They're probably just good friends, I mean, Speckledstones literally just joined a day or two ago, there's no way they're in love. He thought reassuringly.

He hurried off to camp after them, there was no way they could be mates. But he had to be sure...