The Dawn of Night | A Warriors Fanfiction ✔

Chapter 23

Moonwhisper shifted restlessly in her nest.

"How can you prove where your loyalties lie, Moonwhisper? Or should I call you Moontraitor?" Maplestar challenged. Moonwhisper shrunk under her leader's gaze. A gurgling river flowed around them, threatening to flood the ground around their paws. Wind blowed and screeched as thunder boomed in their ears, flaming yellow scratches of lighting scoring the sky. Ravenfrost appeared beside Maplestar.

"Don't give in, Moonwhisper. Follow your heart," she heard him whisper over the bellowing storm. He stepped forward and Drizzlekit wove through his father's paws.

"How could you, Moonwhisper?" the tiny silver mottled kit spat. "How could you leave me to be half-Clan? To have this idiot as a father?" Drizzlekit glanced up at Ravenfrost, a disgusted look on his face. "Moonwhisper, I hate you!" Moonwhisper stepped back, shocked. Blood roared in her ears, and she stood with her jaw gaped open as Maplestar was swept away in the storm. Soon the swirling wind swept Drizzlekit off his paws, and before it carried Ravenfrost away, he stepped forward, rubbing his cheek against hers. He looked at her lovingly one last time with his icy blue eyes before he, too, was carried away in the storm.

Moonwhisper woke with a gasp. She stared around the warriors' den, her heart pounding. She took in a deep breath and settled her nose on her paws, her eyes wide open. Sleep was a long ways away. She shuddered, remembering her dream. She screwed her eyes shut, steadying her breath. Then her eyes flew open.

She stalked out of the den, wobbly after just giving birth the day before. Her belly was still heavy with milk, but with no kit to feed, Emberfur had given her parsley to slowly stop the flow. Moonwhisper glanced around the empty camp, making sure no one was awake. Everyone was in their nests, sleeping soundly. She quietly made her way to the nursery and poked her head in. Bluestripe and Willowtuft were curled up beside their kits, their flanks slowly rising and falling with rhythmic breaths. Moonwhisper stifled a purr as she spotted what she was looking for. Her silver mottled son was curled up next to Bluestripe, snoring softly. Moonwhisper settled down at the nursery entrance, watching Drizzlekit with more love than she had ever felt. More love than she had felt even towards Ravenfrost.

"What are you doing out here?" The rough meow made Moonwhisper turn. Beecloud was standing behind her, his orange tabby fur glowing elegantly in the bright moonlight. His dark yellow eyes stared at her with both sadness and hatred.

"I-I wanted to see my kit," she murmured, avoiding his gaze. He sat down in front of her, his fur ruffling in the light breeze.

"Do you realize how much pain you caused me, Moonwhisper?" Beecloud whispered. His eyes glowed with rage as he went on. "When I saw you with that WindClan cat, I was shocked. For the longest time I thought we had something, Moonwhisper. But clearly I was wrong. I can't believe you would do that to me!"

Moonwhisper glanced inside the nursery, breathing a silent sigh of relief when she found the queens and kits still sleeping soundly. She boldly met Beecloud's gaze.

"I'm sorry, Beecloud," she meowed quietly, but boldly. "We did have something, but when I was captured by a WindClan patrol, Ravenfrost said he would only help me escape if I met with him the next night. I didn't think anything of it at first, but after that second meeting, I knew I had to keep seeing him. He loves me more than you ever did! And why did you tell Maplestar? That means you don't love me at all!"

Beecloud's fur bristled with fury. "How can you say that?" He choked out the words. "How could you ever say that? I truly loved you, and I thought we could be mates. I loved you more than any other cat, but instead you betrayed me and met with this other tom, and he was WindClan! I just don't understand why you love him more... I had to tell Maplestar, otherwise you would have just kept meeting Ravenfrost, and hurting me more and more with each passing day." He dropped his gaze and settled down, laying his nose on his paws.