Warriors: What Is There To Do?

Chapter 34- You're Done

It was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea. Splitrain was cringing on the inside. Starclan, no! Here she is, freezing her romp off under the Fourtrees with Sharpstar. All is well as she explains every detail of how her days had been with Riverclan. The black pelted leader asked for entrances, patrol times. How many warriors, what was the time when they were all asleep?

And then the leader drops the news.

"Splitrain, with the valuable information you have given Shadowclan, we can wage war before the next Gathering. Your spying has come to a close. You can escape in the next two sunrises or three sunrises, I'll post warriors along the shared border. I'm proud of you for your abilities to get the facts."

Already? Done? No more lying to cats, no more secrets? She couldn't believe it. Could she?

Sharpstar winked her eye at Splitrain. "Besides, Moongaze is practically clawing at the entrance because I wouldn't let him go. He really misses you."

Cold leaf-bare air filled her stinging nose as she took a deep breath. The wounds on her body protested, but she got up and paced, trying to stay warm. Sharpstar sat regal and still with her tail wrapped around her paws.

"I apologize about Blackrose and Oakcloud," the Shadowclan leader started, "They were not informed about your current... job, as neither was the rest of the clan. I only told Moongaze because he looked about ready to jump into a monster's path!"

Rolling her shoulders uncomfortably at the mention of the grey furred warrior's distress, Splitrain continued to pace around the leader.

"Anything else?" she snapped, trying not to sound as stressed as she actually was. Not that she wasn't elated to go back to Shadowclan, but escaping without getting killed was really bothering her.

"A couple of kits ready to become 'paws, but that's about it," Sharpstar said, a sly look in her eyes as Splitrain whirled, determined.

She would make sure that she got compensation for her hard work. There were three little kits, Blackrose's bunch, actually: Pinekit, Seedkit, and Coldkit. Splitrain didn't know much about them because they were the kind to stay inside their warm den as the days grew colder, and before this moment she hadn't really given much thought to an apprentice. But now...

"I want one of them to become my apprentice. I don't mind which."

"Why, of course," came the leader's slow reply.

Sharpstar's amber eyes seemed to follow Splitrain all the way back to Riverclan's camp.

...

The medicine den was still dark, the sun just yet to rise. The camp was quiet, and Splitrain refused the dark images of a night like this being shattered; Shadowclan warriors leaping out from all sides, ripping from the reeds and tall grasses. Blood soaking the ground. Cats shrieking in terror and fury. And knowing any death, if not her own, would have been because of her and her choices.

She rested pitifully for a while before Rapidflame came in, eyes as bright as she had ever seen them. He waited with a barely contained excitement as her wounds were redressed with webbing and the proper herbs, before practically yowling in her ear:

"You're looking at Riverclan's new deputy!"

Shocked, she sputtered something about the current deputy before being interrupted.

"She was old, and Glowstar's not gonna die anytime soon. She needs a newer, younger cat to take her place. I cant wait until I can see my 'paw! He'll be so excited, knowing his final moons of training will be with the deputy!"

Off in search for his apprentice with a warm goodbye lick to the ears, he was gone, and Splitrain knew today was the day she could be leaving. Any longer and... well... nothing could really get worse, but definitely not better. How she was going to get away from all the cats in this bustling clearing and slip through either the entrance or from the thorn bushes in the dirtplace?

Either way, by dark Splitrain would be with Shadowclan once more.