Warriors: Retribution (Book 2)

Chapter 16

Thistlewhisper was sad, she's never truly been this sad before in her life. Shredflash killed her mentor, and now she also has to take care of her clan by herself. She was afraid that she would use the wrong herb or not even be able to figure out what was wrong with a cat. Thistlewhsiper laid herself down in her nest in the medicine den. Come on... You can do this, right? She thought to herself and teared up. Otterpelt still had the rest of her life to live, and another cat took it. Thistlewhsiper looked up to Otterpelt and saw her as a second mother. Otterpelt was so caring and nice... she thought, Why couldn't it have been me instead? Thistlewhisper put her head into her paws and sobbed silently to herself.

Starclan, why?

Just then she heard pawsteps enter the medicine den, "Hey Thistlewhisper, Is there anymore- Thistlewhisper! Are you okay?" she could recognize that mew anywhere. It was her brother, Dampbreeze.

She looked up at him with tears streaming down from her eyes. Dampbreeze then laid himself down by his sister and nuzzled her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's just that everything feels different without Otterpelt here with me. I won't be able to do this by myself..." She sniffed.

Dampbreeze put his tail on her, "Thistlewhisper, I understand. When I lost Blizzardfluff, I couldn't bear her not being by my side at all, but soon I realized she is in a better place now among the stars, and so is Otterpelt. They are watching over us and they would want us to keep going for our clan. I know you can do it and Otterpelt knows that too," he meowed.

Thistlewhisper looked at Dampbreeze and then smiled, now with few tears falling from out of her eyes. "You're right, thank you, Dampbreeze." she meowed back and licked his cheek.

He got up and gave a smile. "Anytime. Now, is there any more goatweed? I'm a little low on it."

Thistlewhisper got up. "Yep! Let me get some for you." she went over to the neatly sorted herbs and picked up some goatweed for her brother, then turned around and set it in front of him. "There you go!" she mewed happily.

"I appreciate it." the tom meowed and headed out of the den.

"Mhm! Come back anytime!" Thistlewhisper meowed.

She was happy to know that Otterpelt was watching over her and would guide her paws.

*

Dampbreeze needed more goatweed. He wanted to be happier than ever. It took everything in him not to freak out over his sister Thistlewhisper crying. That made his hatred for Shredflash grow more. First, he causes me pain, and then he causes my kin pain? The day I find him, I will end his life. He thought as he padded back to the Warriors' den with the goatweed in his maw. Before he could enter Hailpad, his father stopped him.

"Dampbreeze! It's been a while since we've last spoken. You doing okay?" he meowed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he mewed sternly through the herbs.

Hailpad then noticed how angry his son looked. "You seem upset about something. You sure you're fine?"

Dampbreeze didn't notice that he was crushing the herbs in his jaws until after Hailpad had said that. He then calmed himself.

"O-Oh... Yeah, I'm sure. I just need some rest." he meowed and quickly padded past Hailpad and into the warriors' den.

Once he got to his nest, he set the goatweed down and then sighed as he laid down.

"I will kill Shredflash, even if it's the last thing I do." he whispered to himself as he ate some goatweed he had in front of him.