Thread:Winterwhisper432/@comment-27669385-20160618033502

Copperleaf wailed. This was no ordinary wail, this was a deep, grief-stricken, rage-filled wail. One that might come from someone who's best friend was murdered.

Or a mother who had awoken to find their kit stolen, ripped away from their nest and taken into the night.

Brindlewing touched her tail to Copperleaf's shoulder, suddenly glad her kits hadn't been born yet. "We'll find him." She meowed soothingly. Copperleaf glared at her friend, shivering despite the warm night air. "How do you know? He could be dead!" She spat. Brindlewing shrank back. Copperleaf was normally one of the kindest cats in RiverClan.

A grey tabby she-cat nudged Copperleaf's leg. "Mama? Where's Hollowkit?" She squeaked, eyes glittering curiously. Copperleaf blinked, tail swishing slowly. She sighed softly, green eyes fixed on the ground. Brindlewing glanced down at the kit. "He''s playing a game, Cherrykit." She meowed softly. "Like hide-and-seek."

Cherrykit's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh. Okay." She meowed. Copperleaf sank back into her nest, curling around a tiny black kit. "Don't wake your sister," Brindlewing whispered to Cherrykit. Cherrykit nodded and nuzzled Copperleaf's shoulder. "It's okay, Mama." She squeaked. "We'll find Hollowkit. I always do."

Flamestar scowled, tail curled neatly over his paws. "Cats of all Clans! There is something that needs to be said," he growled. Robinstar, the WindClan leader, looked incredibly offended, seeing as he'd just been interrupted. "I was talki-" he broke off and huffed, ears flicking irritably as Flamestar continued. "One of our kits, Copperleaf's son, has gone missing." He meowed. Ravenstar's eyes widened. "I'm sor-" and she too, was interrupted. Flamestar was known for being rude and interrupting others. "ThunderClan has recently been threatening our borders. I believe ThunderClan is to blame!"

Ravenstar gaped. "Flamestar, we've been threatening your borders, as you say, because, as I recall, RiverClan set their markers inside of our borders." She meowed dryly, eyes glittering angrily. Flamestar opened his mouth and closed it again. "W-well, that. . . That is irrelevant!" He snapped. "Do you have him, or not?"

Copperleaf dropped her gaze, focusing on her paws. She sat at the base of the Highrock next to the other deputies. She felt sadder and sadder with each passing hour. She had almost wished one of the other Clans had kidnapped Hollowkit. Ravenstar blinked at Flamestar. "We don't have your kit," she sniffed. Flamestar sneered. "You had better not be lying." He meowed. Ravenstar flicked her tail, whiskers pinned back. "And you had better not make StarClan angry." She replied cooly.

Flamestar glanced at Robinstar. "And what about you?" He mused. "Have you seen Hollowkit?" Robinstar shook his head quickly. "Froststar? Duskstar?" Flamestar growled. Froststar smirked. "What makes you suspect us?" He meowed, blinking innocently. "What would ShadowClan want with weak RiverClan kits?" He meowed mockingly. Duskstar shook her head. "We have no need fo more kits. We're thriving," she said.

Flamestar scowled, his yellow gaze sweeping across all of the leaders, and then the cats gathered below him. "You had better hope you're telling the truth," he hissed. "Because I swe-" he broke off as a ThunderClan she-cat let out a startled yowl. "StarClan is angry!" The she-cat shrieked. Copperleaf recognised her as Amberfrost. She was nice enough. But now? Every cat was a suspect. All she wanted was her son back.

And she would stop at nothing to achieve that goal.

Flamestar faced Copperleaf, eyeing her. "ThunderClan must be lying. They won't get away with this." He meowed darkly. Search parties had come and gone, and no sign of either Hollowkit's scent or the kidnapper's. "We will attack at dusk." Flamestar growled. "If they're lying, they'll admit it when our teeth are at their throats." He hissed, eyes glittering darkly, filled with anger and. . . Fear? Fear, hiding beneath the anger and the proud, tough outside, was fear. So he does show actual emotions, Copperleaf thought sarcastically. Weird.

Flamestar stood at the head of the battle patrol, standing tall. "Are you ready?" He meowed. The chosen warriors and apprentices murmured agreement. "I can't hear you!" He yowled, ears flicking. "WE ARE READY!" They cheered. Copperleaf thought her ears would burst. The battle patrol began the trek across the river to ThunderClan's territory.

"Wait!" A voice echoed from up ahead. Copperleaf pricked her ear. It was Ripplepool. He had been the first to volunteer for the search party. He had fallen for Copperleaf when they were apprentices, but he had accepted it when she became mates with Newtleap, claiming he wanted nothing more than to be friends. He trotted up to Flamestar, panting, and dropped a tiny, mud-covered shape.

Hollowkit. The shape was Hollowkit.

Copperleaf shrieked and flung herself onto the ground beside the limp shape of Hollowkit. "He's dead." She sobbed, nudging him. He was cold, reeking of death. "My baby," she whispered. "I promised I would protect you." Newtleap jumped up beside Copperleaf and curled around her, holding both her and Hollowkit close. Copperleaf glanced up at Flamestar after what seemed like moons. "I wish to bury him." She rasped. "We can attack another night." She blinked up at him pleadingly. Flamestar nodded after a moment. "Very well," he grunted.

Copperleaf scraped away a last pawful of earth and slowly lowered Hollowkit into the grave. Newtleap stepped forward and dropped a pebble in. "He always loved that rock," he whispered. Copperleaf nodded and dropped her own item in, a white feather. "And he loved that feather." She rasped. With a shudder, she began scraping soil back over the grave, her heart aching. "Walk among the stars, my little warrior." Copperleaf meowed softly, lowering her head.

Copperleaf sat alone - or so she thought - in the center of the camp. Two nights since Hollowkit had been buried. Her dreams were haunted with images of Hollowkit, wailing as claws pierced his throat. Newtleap had been desperate to comfort his mate, but she had been silent and restless, stalking around the camp like a kit made to stay in its nest. "I'm sorry about your son," Ripplepool meowed, stepping out of the shadows near the camp wall. Copperleaf flicked an ear, mumbling something inaudible. Stars glittered above coldly. StarClan, Copperleaf thought. ''Why did you take Hollowkit? ''Ripplepool touched his tail to her shoulder gently. "He'll be safe in StarClan. Waiting for you and Newtleap and Cherrykit and Otterkit." He said, eyes glittering darkly. If only Copperleaf knew what he was thinking.

If only.

Copperleaf shrugged and turned. "I'm going to my nest." She muttered, padding into the nursery and curling around her kits. She lay still, eyes clouded over. It seemed like it had been moons when her eyes finally closed and she drifted into a light sleep.

''Copperleaf stood up with a yawn. She blinked in surprise as Hollowkit bounded out in front of her. "Hi, Mama." He squeaked, nuzzling her leg. Stars glittered in his fur, shining bright silver. "Hollowkit," she mewed, curling her tail around him tightly. "I'm so sorry." She whispered softly. "I promised to always keep you safe." Hollowkit looked up with wide yellow eyes, blinking owlishly. "Mama," he began. "You couldn't have kept me safe. It's not your fault. But tell Flamestar not to attack ThunderClan. They didn't kill me." He meowed softly, leaning into his mother's fur. Copperleaf blinked. "But if they didn't, then who did?" She rasped, eyes glittering thoughtfully. Hollowkit looked up at her, growing translucent. "He's closer than you ever imagined," he mewed, fading faster by the heartbeat. "The one you thought you knew." Copperleaf reached out as Hollowkit faded from view. "Don't go," she rasped, feeling herself waking up. "I'm sorry, Hollowkit."''

Copperleaf sat up, panting. ''The one you thought you knew. ''Hollowkit's warning echoed in her mind. Brindlewing glanced at her curiously. "Everything okay?" She meowed softly. Copperleaf shook her head. "No." She mewed. "It's not okay." She leaped out of her nest and stalked out of the camp, leaving everyone behind her looking confused. She knew Newtleap had planned to go out early and hunt.

But what she didn't know was that he might never return.

"Newtleap?" She called, weaving through the trees. A snarl echoed up ahead, dripping with hate. "Say hello to Hollowkit for me," a dry voice hissed. "Who's there?" Copperleaf called, darting through a bramble thicket, only to spot Newtleap, pinned down and writhing in fear. "Let me go." He hissed. Copperleaf unsheathed her claws, ready to face her mate's attacker.

But she wasn't ready. Not at all.

Ripplepool's dark blue eyes glared back at her. "Fancy seeing you here, Copperleaf," he meowed, voice dripping with sarcasm. "First your son, now your mate. Who's next, I wonder?" He kept a paw on Newtleap's throat, stretching out his neck so that his muzzle was a mouse-length away from Copperleaf's. His sour breath ruffled her fur, sending a shiver down her spine. "You." She hissed. "You killed Hollowkit." Copperleaf spat. She didn't need an explanation. She already knew why. "I knew from the moment I saw you that you were a lying, decieving snake." She meowed. "I never should have let you near my family."

"Mm, no. You really shouldn't." Ripplepool sneered. "I thought you were smarter than that." He flicked his tail and unsheathed his claws. "Oh, well. I planned on letting you live, but I suppose I'll have to kill you too. You know too much." He pouted. "Pity. I wouldn't want to harm such a beautiful cat." He meowed mockingly. Copperleaf snarled and leaped at him, lashing out at his face. He growled as her claws found his ear, tearing into it. Blood ran down his fae, blinding him. He shook his head, scattering droplets of dark, scarlet blood. Newtleap took the advantage and burst up, knocking him away. Copperleaf sank her teeth into his neck, shaking him roughly. "You killed my son." She hissed. She stepped away and glared at him as he sank to the ground weakly. "Kill me then," he rasped hoarsely. Copperleaf took a threatening step forward, tail lashing angrily. "Oh, but I'm not like you." She meowed. She lunged forward and took him by the scruff, beginning to drag him back to the camp. Newtleap joined a moment later, helping her to drag the limp tom.

Copperleaf limped through the camp entrance. A few gasps were heard, which wasn't surprising, seeing as their Clanmate was being dragged, bloodied and bruised. "Flamestar," Copperleaf meowed, dropping Ripplepool and planting a paw on his flank. "There's no need to attack ThunderClan. They didn't kill Hollowkit." Flamestar shot his deputy a quizzical look, ears pricked. "Then who did?"

Copperleaf flicked her tail towards Ripplepool, eyes glittering coldly.

"He did." 