Dark Shadows by Chocolatemeerkat (epub e ink reader .TXT) 📕

eaten much since they had left the mountain, just a small rabbit. He could smell the clan, along with some other strange scents that he knew but couldn't remember. Duckfoot padded up to her friend. "Homesick?"
"No, just nervous." Lizardeye admitted. "What will Snowstar say when we return with a DarkClan queen and 4 half-blood kits?" Duckfoot just sighed. "Come on, she let Foxrunner into the clan, didn't she? And let you keep those RainClan kits?" Suddenly, Streampaw shouted loudly. "We are back and all here!" Moonsky nudged him and then he dipped his head. "Oh yeah." A small patrol came out, consisting of Fernwhisker, Squirrelfall, Wildheart and Blankpaw. Fernwhisker rushed straight up to her brother, licking his face. "Thank StarClan you're all back!"
"What do you mean?" Falconsong asked. Blankpaw sat down and dipped his head sadly. "A patrol got ambushed yesterday by BloodClan warriors. Only Moletooth was injured, but he's fine now. Also we had a badger attack. LeafClan helped us drive them off, but Nightflame was killed and Snowstar lost several lives. She's down to her last 2. We also we attacked by bloodthirsty rogues. Foxrunner's neck was split open and... she died early today. I'm very sorry, Swiftlegs, she was a good, honest cat." Swiftlegs yowled in grief for his dead mother and went over to Wildheart, pressing his muzzle against hers. His sister comforted him and looked at the kits. "Who's are they?" She asked.
"We'll talk later." Lizardeye said quickly. Squirrelfall looked behind Duckfoot curiously. "Where is Deerleap?" She asked in her quiet voice. Duckfoot gulped. She couldn't tell her daughter what her brother had been up to. Sighing, she turned to her. "We got caught in a huge flood and Deerleap drowned saving a little kit." She lied. Squirrelfall's ears drooped. "Oh. She was my friend." She said sadly. "I will grief her loss, but treasure her friendship forever."
"What about Owlpaw's training?" A familar voice questioned from the shadows. It was Shadowstep. "I mean, Deerleap was his mentor. Speaking of which, can everyone please resume training tomorrow or the day after? Streampaw, you will have to play the catch-up game with Squirrelfall because your brother has nearly finshed training. Blazestrike, Duckfoot and Lizardeye, your apprentices have been training with temporary mentors and with me, seeing as I mentor Leopardpaw. Blazestrike, I believe you only need to teach Cloudpaw hunting and then she has finshed training, but remember her hunting assesment. Owlpaw, I will assign you a new mentor because of Deerleap's death." Fernwhisker sighed. "Shadowstep, give them a break. They've just returned from a long journey." She turned to the cats. "Sorry. Shadowstep's been stressing about training since you left. Oh, Snowstar's kits will become apprentices tonight by the way." Ember shivered a bit and then turned to Fernwhisker. "Can we get something to eat?"
"Of course you can!" Fernwhisker laughed. "It's not against the warrior code to eat prey."
"Or is it?" Shadowstep teased. "Now come on, we shouldn't be standing out here in the cold. All of you need to eat and rest." "Moonsky, I want you and Ember to return to the nursery. You both have kits." Lizardeye ordered. "We will get something to eat."
"Not just that!" A voice shouted from camp. Ivyfur came rushing towards them. "After you eat, all of you are paying a visit to the medicine cat. You might have caught something while being out from other clans. Which territories did you pass on your way? Also, some of you, like Blazestrike, are injured and need treatment." The cats groaned loudly, mainly Streampaw. Fernwhisker and Shadowstep laughed.
"We passed SkyClan, FlowerClan, FoxClan and obviously DarkClan." Owlpaw replied.
"Did you make any contact with them?" Ivyfur asked.
"Well, we only helped FoxClan rebuild their camp and we attacked DarkClan." The apprentice meowed, shaking. He was frozen stiff.
"You better get some sleep, little one." Fernwhisker meowed softly, nudging the apprentice away. The others followed back into their territory. They were home.

At moonhigh, Ember crept out of the nursery and looked around. Clawedear, Leafdew and Bearpelt had returned from a boarder patrol, Shadowstep was eating a rabbit and Badgerstripe was telling Snowstar's kits a story. The queen curiously padded over and smiled. "Mind if I listen?"
"Sure, no problem. It's just a story about OwlClan" Badgerstripe meowed. He turned to the kits. "Because of her weakness, Owlstar knew she would die soon. So she asked her deputy, Foxclaw, to kill her. Obviously, he refused. He did say that he would breed her so the kits came quicker. The ill leader had no choice but to agree, so it was done. She gave up her ninth life giving birth to 3 kits. They were called Sparrowkit, Robinkit and Pigeonkit, after birds in her honur. One became leader, one betrayed the clan and another one lived as a very wise warrior. Guess who was who."
"I think Robinkit became leader, Sparrowkit betrayed the clan and Pigeonkit became a wise warrior." Dovekit suggested.
"Yay! I'm a wise warrior!" Pigeonkit squealed excitedly. Badgerstripe laughed. "You are correct. Sparrowkit was exiled as a apprentice, Robinkit became Robinstar and had many litters of kits and Pigeonkit was named Pigeoneyes, because she had great sight and was very wise. I will now tell you another story." Ember walked away and yawned. She deicided to be nosey and peek in the warrior den.
"What do you think about that Ember cat?" Riverstripe asked. Bearpelt yawned and licked her paws. "She seems a little suspicious if you ask me."
"Yes, but you only think that because she is DarkClan." Hawkeyes pointed out. "You never know, she might be friendly."
"We've had things like this before!" Bearpelt challenged.
"No we haven't!" Flightheart meowed from the corner. "You are only thinking about that story with the GhostClan cat who joined BeachClan, only to lead his clan to send BeachClan to their doom! It's a nursery tale!" Bearpelt growled quietly. "Maybe you are right. I'm just tired, being one of the oldest senior warriors." She mumbled, grooming her fur. "Always been fierce, like a bear." Duststorm then padded in with Couragefur, Wildheart and Falconsong. "Hello everyone. There's a beautiful sky out there, just the moon and some clouds circling it. Doesn't seem much, but it's pretty." He meowed.
"It's too late to go stargazing," Riverstripe mewed. "get some sleep." Some of ther other warriors padded in and Ember knew she had to return to the nursery. She started walking back, until Shadowstep stopped her. "What in the name of StarClan are you doing out of the nursery at this time?" He questioned. Ember shivered. "I-I was looking a-around." She shuddered. "W-why?"
"We didn't know where you were, that's all." The deputy replied. "Now, go back to the nursery and get some sleep, you've had a long few days." Ember nodded and went back to the nursery. She curled up in her nest and for the first time in moons, she fell asleep, feeling safe. New apprentices and mates

The next day, it was raining. The kits were bored silly, because they had nothing to do. Badgerstripe dashed in with a squirrel in his jaws. "Someone told me that Shadowstep's kits are ready to be apprenticed." He mewed. Spottedflower nodded her head. "Yes. They have turned 6 moons old." The 3 kits were sleeping at the moment, while Moonsky's 4 kits were looking at the nursery walls. Badgerstripe dropped the squirrel and looked at Ember. "What have you called your adopted kits?" He asked.
"The little black she-cat is Nightkit and the ginger tom with a white muzzle is called Sparkkit." Ember replied, licking them both. "They are both the same age as Moonsky's little kits, 4 moons old." Badgerstripe smiled and left. Ember then left the nursery to have another look around. While doing so, she bumped into Couragefur. "Sorry!" She apolgised. Couragefur just laughed and shook his head. "It's ok, just be careful next time." He replied.
"Thanks." The queen padded off towards Badgerstripe, who was talking to Lizardeye and Owlpaw. She went up to him and smiled. "Hi, Badgerstripe."
"Hello. Can I help you?" Badgerstripe asked. Owlpaw jumped up and then smiled. "Hi Ember!" He chirped. Ember laughed warmly and turned to Badgerstripe. "Can I speak to you in private please? It won't take long." The tom nodded and mumbled somthing to Lizardeye, which Ember didn't hear. They both ran up towards a grassy hill, taking care of giant puddles. SnowClan cats could swim, but they weren't the best. Ember laid down on the wet but grassy hill, streching her legs out. "Swiftlegs told me that you are Blazestrike's and Fernwhisker's father." She meowed.
"Yes, I am." Badgerstripe replied.
"Who is their mother?" The she-cat asked.
"I wish not to speak of their mother." Badgerstripe mumbled. "She mated another tom."
"Who?" Ember groomed her fur.
"Have you heard of our neighbouring clans? BloodClan, LeafClan, RainClan and SkyClan?" Badgerstripe asked, looking up at the sky.
"Yes. Blazestrike told me it's a circle of clans and BloodClan have always been your bitter enemies since the start, when you came."
"Well, Bloodstar, the leader of BloodClan, was visited by Snowstar. Featherkink, who is deputy and sometimes a friend to the clan, was told to wait outisde. When she returned, they were sharing tongues and purring. She was told by Bloodstar himself that they had mated. I didn't know until the gathering, when Bloodstar annonced it. I was shocked and furious. Snowstar had gone along with it like a mouse-brain." Badgerstripe was nearly crying, but he didn't want to show it. "She has had his kits a few moons ago." Just then, Snowstar herself appeared with her new 5 kits. "Please help me, I can't stop coughing." She begged.
"What am I, the medicine cat?" Badgerstripe hissed. "Cure your own cold."
"Please Badgerstripe." Snowstar begged, coughing. Badgerstripe muttered something to Ember and then she purred. She groomed his fur while Snowstar was still coughing. Her eyes then narrowed. "I am sorry Ember, but Badgerstripe is my mate and I love him dearly. There are other toms around you can have as a mate." She said in a kind but stern tone. "Right, Badgerstripe?" The tom snorted loudly. "No you don't. You just care for your precious, half-blood kits. I have no control over them, just my real kits."
"What do you mean?" Snowstar asked, trying to lick him. Badgerstripe edged away from her and snarled. "Fernwhisker, Blazestrike and some others on the way." Snowstar remained silent until Ember rubbed her muzzle against Badgerstripe's cheek. "What in the name of StarClan do you mean?"
"I have found a new love. You treat me like dirt, but this newer and younger she-cat cares for me more than you ever have. She means the world to me, along with my kits. She is fast, loyal, kind, a good mother and beautiful. I will now say that I am no longer your mate."
"Please, Badgerstripe! Stop playing around! You're scaring me!"
"This is the truth. Hurts, doesn't it?"
"Badgerstripe! Please! Listen to me!"
"There is no point in listening to you, as you never listen to my concerns. We are going seperate paths, so I have found a