Moon Of Warning - Warrior Cat Fanfiction

Chapter Fifteen

Moonshade coughed again and again, and eventually the clan leaders told her to leave and get some rest. She dipped her head respectfully, and left the meeting. She hid in the bushes, and watched them talk. They did not talk for long. Eventually, the leaders left Thunderclan territory and bid Slightshadow a farewell. Slightshadow turned, and entered the bushes that Moonshade was hiding in. He whispered, "That's why Riverclan was scented by the river. They were scouting for a meeting place." Slightshadow licked a paw. Moonshade nodded, realizing that the Riverclan had meant no harm. Moonshade led Slightshadow back home, all the time thinking of how the other leaders might take her territory for themselves. They could be saying Orangestar was trying to take territory to mask the fact that they were trying to take it instead. Moonshade pondered that thought as she reached the Great Oak. She sniffed around, and not scenting any prey, she continued to pad toward the camp. She jumped over a bramble, Slightshadow not far behind. She felt more free than she had in a long time. As she pushed her way through the thorn tunnel, Treeclaw rushed forward. He was panting, and his face was thoroughly panicked. Moonshade's free feeling died abruptly at his next words. "Your kit... Is gone." He gasped. Moonshade shot a panicked look at Slightshadow. "Which one?" She whispered. "My ... apprentice. Meadowpaw."

***

Moonshade leapt onto the Highledge, and rushed into Laurelstar's den. "Laurelstar! Meadowpaw is gone and I know who took her!" Laurelstar looked up wearily. "You may do whatever you wish to get your daughter back." She said in a flat tone. She let her head fall onto her paws again. Moonshade did not stick around to to comprehend her leader's strange answer. She pelted out of the leader's den, and called all cats beneath her. "Cats of Thunderclan! Join me here beneath the Highledge! Slightshadow, fetch the patrols that are out right now. Get them here as fast as you can!" The black tom ran back out of camp to fetch the patrols. Moonshade looked down. Most of the cats were here in the camp, seeing as only one patrol was out. "My daughter has been abducted by Windclan!" Moonshade yowled. "Who will come with me to rescue her?" Very few cats answered her call. Moonshade, being irrational with worry, brought nearly all of her clanmates to the Windclan border. She even allowed apprentices to come and fight. Moonshade did not utter a battle cry. Her clanmates silently rushed the camp, and looked for Meadowpaw. The Windclan cats did not see them coming. Moonshade bit and scratched and tore fur and flesh. Moonshade came into contact with the warrior Creeksplash, and his black and white fur was ruffled, as if he had been in his nest. Moonshade clawed and bit at him, oblivious to his cries of "what is going on" and "thunderclan mange-pelt". Moonshade saw a small bramble den, and it looked like it could only accommodate one cat. Moonshade broke off from her battle, and rushed toward it. Inside was her daughter, hurt and bleeding and looking as if she had been scratched at non-stop. Moonshade did not hesitate to pick up her daughter, and screech, "Thunderclan! We have what we came for! Retreat!" The Thunderclan cats streamed out of the camp. They all arrived home, no cat with serious injuries, but all of them looking extremely sorry for themselves. Moonshade set Meadowpaw down in the medicine den, and promptly collapsed beside her unmoving kit. She licked and licked her, but she did not move. Moonshade wailed, not comprehending that her daughter was not awake. She screeched when Stonewhisker and Greyleaf came in and tried to help Meadowpaw. Moonshade was dragged out by Sharpstone, and he tried to comfort her. She saw the moisture and worry in his eyes. Moonshade stopped fighting, and waited. Eventually her other kits came and curled themselves around her, all of them worried about their littermate. The medicine cats worked, and then they told her it was up to Starclan. Moonshade tried so very hard to keep her cool. She stood, and dipped her head, her whole body shaking. Then she lost whatever small bit of resolve she had left. She bolted out of camp, and curled up in a hollow tree. She let the moon make its course before she got up again. She walked her whole territory, stopping at the Windcan border to swear that her daughter would be avenged, and did not think of anything but her sworn vengeance the entire day.

***

When Sharpstone found her, she was curled up, asleep in a bunch of bracken. She was twitching and murmuring, and she was dreaming that her daughter had died. She called out, oblivious to Sharpstone's face a few tail-lengths from her face. He prodded her, and she swiftly sat upright, thinking she was still in her dream. She spotted Sharpstone. "Any news?" Sharpstone's eyes fell from hers. "They don't think she's going to make it." He whispered. Moonshade shoved her nose into her mate's fur, and pretended that the entire event was as unreal as the horrible dream she just had. She prayed over and over to Starclan, and hoped against hope that they would not take her sweet, gentle daughter from her.