Chapter Six- Part Three

Anger rose in Acornpaw until he couldn’t stand it. He didn’t need any half-siblings in the Clan with him! Acornpaw had always been the only kit in his litter..... the only kit Dovecry had. And now this?

Gruffly, without love, Acornpaw snatched up the wiggly pair in his jaws. They were still wet, fresh to the world- how disgusting!
As the other three gazed at Hazelstar, he sneaked to the far side of the moor and threw them out of Clan territory. They’d die in the distance out there after moving further the other way. Then Acornpaw ran away from his terrible actions, away from the little pale ginger tom-kit, away from his whiny gray-and-white sister that looked identical to their mother.

Dovecry always wanted a daughter anyway, Acornpaw thought to himself. They’ll reunite in StarClan.

His lungs were screaming for air by the time he arrived back at the area. Acornpaw tried to hold back his gasps as Pebblefur comforted him. “It must be a terrible loss,” murmured the tabby. “I- I couldn’t imagine how I’d feel if I lost Beesting and Quailflight so... so suddenly like that,” he continued in a stammer.

Acornpaw nodded, sobbing and shuddering with pain and sadness. How come the older cat doesn’t have at least a sick parent yet?

***

Acornpaw’s life was not done being tragic yet. When the patrol came back to camp, ShadowClan was attacking.

Pebblefur released a battle cry just after settling the bodies in a shelter at the side of the bloody clearing.

Acornpaw shivered like a coward. Now he was old enough to fight, but his kit memory of dislocating his shoulder haunted him. ThunderClan blood still stains the packed earth in this expanse, Acornpaw thought. Now ShadowClan must come, too? Then RiverClan, and SkyClan....

“Too scared to battle, youngling?” spat a nasty voice that belonged to a ShadowClan warrior. Acornpaw cringed away from him.

“Who, who.... who are you?” he asked with a shiver.

The stranger’s eyes lit up. “Oakleaf’s mate,” he hissed. “True mate. And if she took on another one....” His voice trailed off as the dark cat walked away.

Acornpaw pushed back farther into the bush he found himself in. Remembrance struck him harshly that Oakleaf had fled from ShadowClan to be with two of her friends, Daisytail and Hawkfoot, in WindClan. She planned to retire very early and become an elder when she fell in love with Webbedpelt and had Morningkit.

As names and faces ran through Acornpaw’s mind, he wondered if this war was only to reclaim Oakleaf. An attack over a cat? Never heard of it.

Just then, a great pain seared his right flank. A ShadowClan cat was advancing on him!

Acornpaw kicked out his back legs, achingly recalling his mother doing just this to a ThunderClan tom.

The ShadowClan cat screeched and choked in surprise. It reared backward; Acornpaw got a chance to lean forward and inspect the cat.

It was small, probably a new apprentice, snarling at him. “Oakleaf belongs in ShadowClan!” the young cat derided fiercely.

“Are you her kit?” Acornpaw questioned only slightly fearfully.