The Better Choice

Conspiring Apprentices

"HELP!"

Gemlight was barely hanging on the tree as the fox lashed its fangs and attempted to climb and kill Gemlight. As she was hanging on tight, still screaming for help. She saw a tortoiseshell pelt flash through the trees.

Sorrelpaw.

What? I thought Tigerheart had her?

Sorrelpaw ran and Hollypaw appeared to her side, their eager eyes looking at Gemlight.

She realized she had been tricked, Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw had tried to kill her by bringing her to a fox while she was pregnant.

"YOU GET BACK HERE!" Gemlight roared. They snickered and ran off presumably back to camp.

"Gemlight!" a tom's voice cried. Stormcloud came into view and hissed at the fox.

Stormcloud leaped and slammed his paws down on the fox, the fox lashed and sliced Stormcloud's paw open with it's teeth and smacked him across the forest floor.

"STORMCLOUD!" Gemlight screeched.

Stormcloud got up and jumped on the fox's shoulders, tearing the fox's fur apart before the fox shook him off and ran away.

Gemlight dropped from the tree and slowly limped back with Stormcloud.

When they came back, Dovewing had a dark brown she-kit and a light gray tom with black stripes at her belly. She looked at them with love.

She wouldn't do that if they were Bumblestripe's. Heck no, she'd think they were mistakes.

"Petalkit and Ripplekit." Bumblestripe purred. "Welcome to ThunderClan, where you will be raised as warriors."

Dovewing looked at Bumblestripe with hatred and back down to her kits, Bumblestripe didn't notice.

"Gemlight!" Bramblestar gasped. "Are you alright?!"

"She was attacked by a fox!" Stormcloud gasped.

"He saved me." Gemlight added. "Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw set it up to try and kill me!"

"HOLLYPAW! SORRELPAW!" Bramblestar roared. Gemlight immediately regretted saying that, knowing how Bramblestar punished Squirrelflight just for getting Gemlight into trouble.

Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw looked shocked that Gemlight had survived the encounter.

"Attention ThunderClan!" Bramblestar growled. "Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw have done a great crime and lead Gemlight to a fox in an attempt. They shall be banished!"

"DON'T BANISH US!" Sorrelpaw pleaded. "Gemlight lead us to the fox and we ran, leaving her behind!"

"Wait, Bramblestar!" Thornclaw meowed, then he smirked. "Let me take them out of camp, I have a better punishment."

"Very well." Bramblestar meowed. "You two, go with him and do what he says. I trust you have a proper punishment for these two."

"Oh, yes." Thornclaw's smile seemed more malicious. "You will be very content."

Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw looked confused and followed Thornclaw.

Gemlight was concerned, the moon was rising and Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw still haven't showed up.

What punishment lasts all day? He didn't kill them, did he?

She laid warily inside the Nursery. Millie, Dovewing, and their five kits were surprisingly asleep.

Hopefully more queens will expect kits soon, the other Clans seem to be getting bigger fast. Gemlight thought. Mistystar even had FIVE kits last moon, and they were Bluekit, Stormkit, Firekit, Streamkit, and Mosskit. Two toms and three she-kits! Furzepelt had Toadkit and Ryekit! Two moons ago, Onestar revealed that Heathertail had Lionkit, Goldenkit, and Blazekit two moons ago. No doubt she was thinking of Lionblaze, StarClan knows who the father is. Turtlepaw, Softpaw, and Frogpaw have been apprenticed. And so have Flamepaw and Pinepaw! Grassfeather of ShadowClan is expecting Snaketail's kits, which is creepy because he's an elder.

Gemlight's train of thought was interrupted by Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw appearing with a smirking Thornclaw behind them, they look torn and sweaty.

She didn't know what happened, but the way the two she-cats looked made her blood run cold.

Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw have been basically silent and have looked at Gemlight shyly ever since the night they came back. Gemlight apologized to them for, well nothing really, but there had to be some reason why they constantly looked traumatized.

They have been ignoring the fresh-kill pile even. Their sister Fernpaw even looked worried.

Bramblestar did not know either what had happened, whenever he suggested for them to see Jayfeather, they gasped and pleaded not to see him.

Gemlight was truly terrified, she even demanded Thornclaw tell her what he did.

"Something that'll keep them in line next time." Thornclaw smirked. "I'll have to say, it made me feel real good."

"Stop that." Gemlight shook. "Stop talking like that."

She retreated to the Nursery.

"Why do those two look scared?" Beetlekit asked his mother.

"That big tom took them to the forest!" Icekit replied.

"That doesn't mean anything though." Silverkit's eyes looked solemn. "Poor she-cats."

Gemlight got up and ran off, she couldn't listen to kits ponder about what she was trying to ignore. She left camp and spotted Tigerheart in the distance.

"Tigerheart." Gemlight growled softly. "Leave Dovewing and her kits alone."

"They're mine too." Tigerheart gave an angry look. "You already know they'll be raised to be ShadowClan cats."

"Not if I can't help it." Gemlight snarled. "Bumblestripe shouldn't lose his kits."

"THEY'RE MINE!" Tigerheart lashed her tail.

"Bumblestripe will be heartbroken!" Gemlight cried. "He left Rosepetal to be a proper father to someone else's kits!"

"That's his fault." Tigerheart said casually. "They'll be Eaglekit and Stripekit. Not pathetic names like Petalkit and Sappykit."

"IT'S RIPPLEKIT!" Gemlight snapped.

"Whatever." Tigerheart flicked his tail. "I don't care."

"I'm warning you." Gemlight turned around to walk away.

"Your warnings are as dangerous as mouse squeaks." Tigerheart scoffed. "Stay out of my else or else."

A quarter-moon later

Bramblestar called forward the Clan as they were preparing for the Gathering. Hollypaw and Sorrelpaw crawled slowly and looked at the whole crowd with teary eyes. Hollypaw sobbed on Sorrelpaw's shoulder and Sorrelpaw looked up at the whole Clan.

No, Thornclaw couldn't have. Gemlight's fur ruffled. He could only have-

"We're both expecting kits." Sorrelpaw choked.