Warriors: Prophecy of the Stars

Chapter Five-

*Following Willowswipe*

"I'm expecting kits!" Spottedflame announced. Willowswipe stared at her friend.

"Really? Who's are they?" Willowswipe questioned, excited.

"Ashcoat's." Spottedflame ducked her head in embarrassment.

"I'm so happy! Does Echoherb know? How many? What'll their names be?" Willowswipe bombarded her friend with questions.

"No, I don't know, I don't know. I wanted you to know after Ashcoat." Spottedflame stopped walking, and turned to Willowswipe.

"You can't tell anyone." Spottedflame got serious. She opened her mouth again when the bushes rustled. Ashcoat padded next to Spottedflame, and they intertwined their tails.

"Come on, let's get you a nest in the nursery." Ashcoat murmured, and Spottedflame pulled back, pelt bristling.

"I'm not moving. I want to continue with my warrior duties. I can continue." Spottedflame sniffed. Her pelt started to flatten, but she was still mad.

"No. If something happened to you, just no. You are moving to the nursery." Ashcoat argued. Spottedflame turned towards the lake, and stormed off.

"You should know better than to command her." Willowswipe scolded. "She wants to do something, she will. You should know that. Now she left."

"Just because she has duties doesn't mean I can't be concer-" Ashcoat broke off as a shriek filled the air. Spottedflame.

"Spottedflame!" Willowswipe toward as she charged towards the noise. Another shriek echoed through the trees. Willowswipe felt a pelt by her side and looked to see Ashcoat. They pelted through the forest, and burst through the bushes to see Spottedflame pinned to the ground with Heatherheart on top of her. Spottedflame had a bite on her neck, and her ear was torn. Heatherheart was digging her claws in Spottedflame's shoulders, and her lips were drawn back in a snarl.

"One of your warriors killed Hawktalon! I was expecting his kits! You left kits fatherless! You worthless pieces of foxdung!" Heatherheart spat every word. She hadn't even noticed us yet.

"Get off Spottedflame!" Ashcoat yowled, and hurled himself at Heatherheart. She was barreled off of Spottedflame, and this time, she was pinned. Ashcoat didn't dig his claws in, He didn't bite her, He didn't scratch her.

"Since you're expecting kits, I won't kill you. Spottedflame is expecting kits also, so excuse me for attacking you. You hurt her though, so you will pay." Ashcoat spoke quietly. He extended the claws on one of his paws, and slashed her face. Her eye was clawed, and she was bleeding a lot. Her ear was split, and Ashcoat let Heatherheart up. She darted away, leaving a blood trail. Ashcoat watched her leave, then turned back to Spottedflame.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Spottedflame snapped. She raced away, leaving Willowswipe and Ashcoat confused.

~Time lapse: about 10 minutes~

"No. You're not getting out of this den until you tell me why you ran away from us after Heatherheart." Willowswipe blocked the entrance to the warriors den.

"None of your business." Spottedflame hissed at Willowswipe. Spottedflame was crouching in her nest, tail lashing furiously.

"It certainly is my business." Willowswipe argued. "Tell me."

"Never." Spottedflame growled. Willowswipe felt pain. She tells me everything....well....told. What made her act that way? Willowswipe shook her head.

"Please. If something is bothering you, let me help you." Willowswipe pleaded. Spottedflame's ear twitched.

"I ran away because I couldn't protect myself and my kits. What kind of mother can't protect her own kits, when they aren't even born yet? I don't want to go to the nursery, but now Ashcoat will make me. I could have died, Willowswipe! And all because I didn't want to sit in a nursery for a few seasons. My kits would have died." Spottedflame's voice dropped to a whisper. She laid her head on her moss bed, and let her eyes close. Willowswipe backed away. Ashcoat came in, and curled up next to Spottedflame.

"I won't make you move. I just think you should." He murmured. Willowswipe left the den, and padded over to the medicine cat's den.

Willowswipe sniffed the air, Echoherb was gone. Her sweet scent lingered in the air, so she couldn't have been gone for long. Willowswipe slowly crawled inside, and found Nightswipe sitting in his nest. His face didn't have cobwebs anymore, and held three clawmark scars that ran down his face, just missing his eye. His side was still bandaged though.

"You look much better." Willowswipe purred. Nightswipe looked up from where he was spacing out.

"And you look beautiful as always." Nightswipe replied, making Willowswipe flush a deep red. Thankfully, her fur hid it.

"Ready to go for a walk?" Willowswipe meowed, bouncing on her paws. Nightswipe nodded, stood up, and stretched. He yelped as He stretched his side.

"Foxdung!" He cursed, making Willowswipe nose him up.

"Mousebrain. You're gonna rip open your wound, and then where'll you be?" Willowswipe sighed. She let Nightswipe lean on her as they padded out of camp.

"Where do you wanna go?" Willowswipe asked when they got to the training hollow.

"Here's fine. I mean, you can decide if you want." He panted.

"Nah. It's your first time out of camp in fine sunrises, you get to decide." Willowswipe purred. Nightswipe stumbled to the boulder on the far end, and flopped next to it.

"Longest walk I've had in ages." Nightswipe complained.

"I wouldn't classify five sunrises as ages." Willowswipe padded over to him, and sat next to him.

"Says you. You weren't stuck in the medicine cat den for those five sunrises." He grunted. Willowswipe flicked her ear, a feeling of being watched settled on her, making her fur prick.

"I visited every day. I stayed for long periods of time." Willowswipe mewed, keeping alert. Nightswipe perked his ears as a twig cracked in the bushes. Willowswipe stood up, and took a step.

"Willowswipe, stay still. Show yourself!" Nightswipe called into the bushes. Green eyes appeared, and a red she-cat padded out of the bushes. Stars seemed to litter her glossy pelt. Her eyes were a bright emerald green, and her tail held a black tip. Her ears were black tipped too.

"Who are you?" Willowswipe settled into a crouch and pulled her ears back.

"Worry not, little one. I am Darkstar, once leader of Stormclan, at the time, Thunderclan. I have brought a gift." Darkstar stayed standing, her tail swishing low to the ground.

"A....gift?" Nightswipe asked, eyes narrowed.

"I understand your mistrust, but I assure you I am a member of Starclan. Here is the gift:

"'The great willow sways in the wind with the swipe,
although the gold may smite,
all shall go well in truth and love,
even with a hate stronger than dove. One shall sink, the other blossom, and one will, be forgotten.' Take heed the warning, and do not forget. It is your destiny, make it count." Darkstar began to fade, the stars glowing brighter.

"What? Tell me more!" Willowswipe pleaded the fading cat.

"You shall learn more when you are ready." She had disappeared, and her voice seemed to drift in the wind, becoming the rustling of the leaves.

"A....a message? An omen? A prophecy?" Willowswipe paced back and forth, curiosity growing, along with dread. Nightswipe was staring at Willowswipe, confused.

"Echoherb must know. Nightswipe, we need to go." Willowswipe nudged the protesting Nightswipe to his paws, and they hurried back to camp.