The Better Choice

Silver Beetle on Ice

Squirrelpaw got up out of the warrior's den and flicked her tail to her Clanmates. She left the den and saw Bramblestar stomp towards her.

"What do you want, Bramblestar?" Squirrelpaw growled tiredly. "Me to go on three hunting patrols? Clean out all the dens?"

"Because you have a big mouth, yes." Bramblestar snarled. "You were going to go on two and clean out just the elder's because I'm in a good mood, but you really seem to dampen that. Also, since you've had a nasty attitude a half-moon into your punishment, you're going to go sleep in the apprentice's den till your two moons is up."

"Screw you." Squirrelpaw hissed. "You can't keep me from the warrior's den."

"Brackenfur!" Bramblestar called. Brackenfur trotted over to Bramblestar's side.

"Can I help you, Bramblestar?" Brackenfur asked.

"Yea, after you set up the dawn patrols. Can you tell Bumblestripe, Rosepetal, Blossomfall, and Dewshade to guard the apprentice den at night? Tell them to drag Squirrelpaw in there if she refuses and confine her there." Bramblestar ordered. "Oh, and I don't want Stormpaw to get involved in this, so he can sleep in the warrior's den till her punishment has been lifted."

"Why don't you let him sleep with you in your den?" Squirrelpaw said tauntingly. "Oh, wait. Nevermind, that's Jessy."

"You want to be banished?" Bramblestar snarled at Squirrelpaw. "Her name is Gempaw."

"I'll get to that right away, Bramblestar." Brackenfur turned around and trotted off.

"So how's things with Bramblestar going?"

"Good, thanks!" Gempaw purred to Stormpaw, who seemed eager to listen to her.

"I thought I'd miss Squirrel..paw. But Blossomfall is cutting out to be a really cool mentor!" Stormpaw purred.

Before Gempaw could speak, a certain pale-gray she-cat passed by them both.

Stormpaw tilted his head.

"Did she take a dip in the lake?" Stormpaw whispered. "Her fur looks fluffy like she just got out of the lake recently!"

"And she licked her fur flat." Gempaw added. "And is there a reason why she keeps putting her tail to her belly?"

Dovewing took no heed of their comments and slightly bared her teeth when she saw Bumblestripe and Rosepetal conversing.

"So I ran the other way and caught the squirrel!" Rosepetal purred. "It fed the-"

Dovewing rudely sat down between the two cats.

"Hey, Bumblestripe. How are you?" Gempaw noticed her happy tone was painfully fake.

"Good, I was talking to Rosepetal though..." Bumblestripe muttered.

"Who?" Rosepetal gave a look of shock as if Dovewing had slapped her in the face. "Can we talk in private?"

"Uh, sure?" Bumblestripe walked past Dovewing and touched his nose to Rosepetal's ear. "See you later, Rose."

Dovewing's eyes flashed with anger before she looked away and leaded Bumblestripe out of camp.

"What do you suppose they're talking about?" Stormpaw asked.

"Dovewing has acted very weird lately." Gempaw sighed. "Who knows."

Bramblestar took Gempaw on a border patrol across ShadowClan with Amberdrop and Thornclaw.

"There's a lot of young she-cats." Thornclaw muttered. "I'm a little dismayed that Cinderheart is the only one in the Nursery."

"Well, you know." Bramblestar sighed. "They want to take their relationships slow."

"No kidding." Thornclaw snorted. "I'm this close to telling Blossomfall how it is!"

"You two mates?" Amberdrop asked.

"No, but we will be." Thornclaw growled. "Or if things don't work out, I'm sure Daisy is desperate. No mating since the flood must be driving her nuts."

"Hey now." Bramblestar muttered. "Don't say that about Daisy."

"You kidding?" Thornclaw snapped. "She's mated with Firestar, Graystripe, Smoky till the Great Battle happened, probably some of the Dark Forest toms, Crowfeather, Onestar, Reedwhisker, Purdy, most of the ShadowClan elders, Lionblaze before him and Cinderheart reconciled, and Brackenfur and Dustpelt after their mates died!"

"What with what now?" Bramblestar stammered. "Where did you get that information?!"

"Hawkfrost shared the mating histories of the Clan with me when I used to be in the Dark Forest." Thornclaw explained. "You mated with-"

"Stop while your ahead, son." Bramblestar growled. "But how did Daisy mate with Dark Forest toms? And how Brackenfur and Dustpelt? I thought they loved their mates!"

"Daisy kept crying to Blossomfall that she needed to mate, so she lead her to the Dark Forest." Thornclaw answered. "And for Brackenfur and Dustpelt, she forced them."

"La la la la, I can't hear you!" Amberdrop said loudly.

"Please, stop." Gempaw growled at Thornclaw. "You're grossing us out!"

"Fine, whatever." Thornclaw finally stopped talking the whole patrol.

Night fell over ThunderClan as some of the Clan cats were still up talking and eating.

After Bramblestar shared a thrush with Gempaw. He spotted Graystripe sharing tongues with Millie.

Bramblestar smirked. He had an idea.

"Hey, Graystripe! Can I see you for a minute?" Bramblestar called.

Graystripe padded over to him.

"Yes, what is it?" Graystripe asked.

"Cinderheart is the only she-cat in the Nursery." Bramblestar growled. "You already told me that Millie and your kitting days are over, but we need more cats in the Clan."

"I'm an elder though." Graystripe yawned. "I'm sure a she-cat will come around soon enough."

"I can't rely on that, Graystripe!" Bramblestar snapped. "You and Millie better have kits."

"If you keep harassing me, I'm telling the rest of the Clan!" Graystripe growled.

"Oh, well. A little birdie told me you mated with Daisy." Bramblestar sneered. Graystripe's fur went on end.

"Who?!" Graystripe gasped. "I mean-I didn't!"

"Sure..." Bramblestar growled. "When did you mate with Daisy?"

"I..uh.." Graystripe stammered, than sighed. "While Millie and Briarkit were in the old Twoleg nest with greencough."

"I won't share this with Millie and the rest of the Clan if you convince her to have more kits with you." Bramblestar explained.

"But what if she refuses?!" Graystripe cried.

Bramblestar walked closer to Graystripe till he felt Graystripe's breathing.

"Make her." Bramblestar snarled before walking away.

Before Gempaw went to join Bramblestar in their den, she heard a slight buzz sound. Her ears perked as she turned around and saw a patch of ice.

Ice? But it's not even-

Before Gempaw finished her thought, a silver beetle started walking on the ice.

Gempaw's eyes were stuck on the glittering bug till a gust of wind took it away.

She walked into Bramblestar's den.

What was that? Was that an omen?