Warriors: Rise of the Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter Forty-Two

In the days following the Gathering, Moonswirl avoided Shredfrost and Shadestar at all costs. A few cats had come into her den, complaining about little things that bothered them.

One of the two most serious injuries that Moonswirl treated was a deep, nasty gash on Darkwhisker's right hind leg. She did her best to heal and seal the wound to be a scar, but the senior warrior had to retire to the elders' den due to the injury.

Another alarming factor was that Hollytiger and Goldenfall's bodies were found near the DuskClan border passed the Sinking Grounds.

The Clan was shocked that two warriors had been killed but Moonswirl knew who their killer was. Shredfrost. The murderous she-cat always came back to camp when everyone besides the guards and Moonswirl herself was sleeping.

As the medicine cat pawed at some juniper berries, a thought crossed her mind. What if she caught Shredfrost in the act of killing a cat?

Surely Shadestar would be furious and exile her, right? 'That's mouse brained,' she scolded herself, trying to focus on the herbs in front of her.

But as she thought about it further, it could work. After all, Moonswirl had accused her of murder at the Gathering and even attacked the she-cat despite being a medicine cat and inexperienced in the way of battle.

A cough from one of the nests made her know Frostmask needed more honey and tansy soon. Deciding against searching for more herbs in the morning, Moonswirl gathered some tansy and growled in annoyance as she realized they were out of honey.

She padded towards the sickly she-cat and gave her the herbs. After making sure she ate them, Moonswirl padded out of her den and looked around the camp.

Shredfrost was gone, like normal and Hickorysnow was talking with Hollowhazel and Fleetfur. Sighing, Moonswirl headed for the camp exit and shouldered her way through the barrier.

The smell of the forest slapped her in the face as she took a deep breath. After being in the medicine cat role for so long, all she could pick up out of the thousands of smells was the scent of marigold, horsetail, and honeycomb.

She padded deeper into the forest wonderland and got lost in her thoughts as she began to gather some horsetail. Her right ear flicked at the sound of chirping and she sighed, gathering the rest of the plant.

Raising her head, Moonswirl looked around for a moment before spotting a patch of marigold and a hive of bees not far from where she gathered the horsetail.

After taking the tangy-smelling herbs in her jaws with delicacy, Moonswirl soon gathered enough herbs to last the rest of the half-moon and set off back to the camp.

"-yes, Goldenfall and Hollytiger have been killed." Moonswirl froze at the sound of an awfully familiar voice. Shredfrost! She hid behind a tree as her rival and another cat padded by.

"Are you able to go after another cat?" Asked the other cat, a voice that made Moonswirl shiver.

Shredfrost nodded and flicked her tail, her eyes hard and emotionless. "We have to be careful when we do this, you know." The she-cat pointed out, her eyes flashing. "Moonswirl is on to us."

Reedfall, DuskClan's noble and loyal deputy, nodded and twitched his ear. "I think I heard something," he warned in a low growl.

Shredfrost rolled her eyes and cuffed him over the ear with a paw. "Get back to your Clan and try taking out a few cats yourself," she ordered as the tom scampered off.

Moonswirl's heart pounded as Shredfrost snorted and stalked away, her claws leaving grass in her wake. She slid out of her hiding spot and flicked her tail in worry. If Shredfrost and Reedfall were working together, who else was at risk of being killed?