Poisoned Fangs, Scenes 15-16: A threat to a clan

Summary:
Violet rested on her owner’s back porch. She got up and began walking around in circles, swaying her tail impatiently back and forth.

“I haven’t seen Pigeonpaw in a while, I wonder what happened to her” she grumbled as she stomped the ground. She stopped, looked up to the fence blocking her way to the forest

“Tch”

She jumped onto the fence, perfectly maintaining her balance.

“If she isn’t going to visit me, then i’ll have to pay her visit then” she muttered.

From next door, Violet caught a brown she-cat glaring at her curiously. Violet faced the she-cat her nose wrinkling with disgust. The she-cat shrinked back with embarrassment that she was caught glaring.

“Good for nothing she-cat” she snarled.

She leaped down the fence, she shook out her pelt and then approached the looming forest. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a large sparrow- no. She looked to her left where she spotted the figure, she was mistaken, it wasn’t a sparrow but a sparrow looking-like cat. She grinned, she approached the tom from behind. The tom was oblivious of her presence.

“Oh my! Looks like a little sparrow flew into my claws!” mewed the she-cat

The tom spun around instinctively unsheathing his claws the moment she spoke. As soon as he faced her, his hostile eyes quickly turned to fear.

“It’s been a while hasn’t it, Sparrowstar?” she purred.

The she-cat’s eyes glinted with pleasure as the tom was shaking in fear. After a few seconds, he shook out his pelt, then in a growl he said:

“What do you think you’re doing here?” He buried his claws into the ground, snarling at the unwelcomed cat. Violet tilted her head with satisfaction.

“Why, that’s not a very friendly way to greet an old friend!” exclaimed the she-cat. She smirked, “you shouldn’t get so defensive either, especially in the state you’re in” she said as she examined his scars. Sparrowstar flinched and then took a step back.

“Why are you here anyways?” he growled

“I’m just passing through to meet someone”

Sparrowstar shivered, she’s meeting someone! What could she be planning?! She already managed to drive out iceclan all those moons ago, what is going to happen now?! He could feel the cold sweat rising on his back. The she-cat stared at him, she began to looked annoyed. Violet tried to walk around sparrowstar, seeing that he won't move. But, sparrowstar just stood in her way. Her gaze darken.

"is this a challenge?" Her claws unsheathed "after all, I still have five lives left!" She flatten her ears "and what about you? How many lives do you have left, all mighty Sparrowstar? I bet starclan only gave you another life because they pitied you!" she lashed

Sparrowstar flinched, it was true, he only has two lives left.

"so are you going to move or do I have to rip out your other eye before you let me?" her tail lashed impatiently. Her words stabbed him as unwanted memories come flooding in. He finally stood aside to let the she-cat through.

"thanks what i thought," as she walked past him, she slowed down only to snarl in his ear "one-eyed roach, don't even think about getting cocky again"

He prodded one paw over his left eye, the scar and hollow eye socket remains. He clenched his jaw, raked the ground, leaving a deep noticable mark. Sparrowstar still hasn't recovered from the incident 12 moons ago, that nearly killed him. He shook off the memories. From a bush, a cream she cat popped out, Lavenderberry. She had been looking for him. Lavenderberry stepped out of the bushes, her eyes worried.

"H-hello, Sparrowstar. I was wondering where you had gone, who was that she-cat?"

Sparrowstar looked at her, his pelt soften. "just some troublesome kittypet" he growled.

Lavenderberry shook out her pelt, "O-of course." Something about that kittypet seemed strangely familiar to her, but she dismissed the thought. "I was wondering if we are sending out another search party for the missing cats, many of the warriors are very worried about the missing cats." She thought of Ripplewish, who was in the nursery and was extremely distraught due to the news of his mate's disappearance. Lavenderberry continued. "I can't help but think of the worst scenarios, Sparrowstar. But I'm not sure that anyone would do something quite as awful as what my mind suggests."

"We have lost a lot of cats already, I don't to want to risk losing anymore" Sparrowstar stared into the direction where violet went off too. Is it possible that she is linked to the missing cats?

"we will not be sending any of our warriors to look for them, let's just head back to camp" he grumbled.

Lavenderberry nodded. "Yes, Sparrowstar." There was a knot in her belly as they walked into camp. The camp was somber and full of worry, the sadness was so thick she could almost touch it. A grey tom rushed toward them, his eyes wide. "Who is leading the search party?" Lavenderberry cringed, not wanting to disappoint the worried tom. Ripplewish stared at her desperately, "Well?" Lavenderberry shook her head and padded over to the medicine den, leaving Ripplewish to stand disappointed and shocked in the center of the clearing.

"there will not be any search party! That is, unless you want more cats to go missing!" he snarled. "Who knows? what if the entire search party goes missing too? We already lost too many cats!"

Ripplewish flinched at the leader's harsh words. And flattened his ears with anger. The usually laidback tom let out a sharp hiss. "If we do not send out a search party and atleast TRY to get him back I WILL!"

Haverystep, an elder, stood between the two cats, his ears were ripped off so he couldn't hear anything. But it was obvious that a fight was going to break out, he looked at the angered tom and shook his head. Ripplewish looked away with an angry snort.

"No one in this whole clan has an ounce of sense in their bodies!" He stalked away to the nursery, where three pairs of eyes were staring at him with curiosity.

Turtleflower a pregnant queen looked at the tom pitifully. "I am sure Sparrowstar knows what he's doing, he is our clan leader after all,"

Ripplewish turned to her, knowing she was right. "I know he wants the best for us, but I don't think he really knows what that is!" He flopped down into his nest, tired from his recent kitting a few days before. "I'm just worried, that's all.”

Turtleflower sighed, "we are all, these disappearances must be driving Sparrowstar crazy"

Bullkit started climbing on top of Ripplewish then began running around playing with their tail. Primkit leapt onto bullkit playfully and tumbled onto the moss beside Ripplewish. She giggled and started swatting at her father's tail. Ripplewish stared at his kits warmly, noting how similar Bullkit and looked and acted their father. A small mew called for his attention and he turned to see Sandykit, her large eyes staring up at him. "Ripplewish, when can we meet dad?" Ripplewish cringed, fighting back tears. "I'm not sure yet, sweetheart. Sandfoot's a very busy warrior."

Turtleflower looked at the tom, he was lucky Sparrowstar had allowed him to have a mate from another clan. Turtleflower prodded a paw over her belly, her mate had died moons ago.

Sandykit looked down at her tiny paws. " I want to see him. You always talk about him." Ripplewish lapped at the young she-cat's head. "In time, my little blossom." Sandykit curled up to her father, relishing his soft warm fur. "Tell me how you met again." Ripplewish felt a tug at his heart as he looked at the desperate look in his daughter's eyes. "Well, we met as apprentices at a gathering full of different cats. I was very nervous, but he came up to me and made me feel better. We fell in love and met eachother every night until I had you and your siblings." Sandykit yawned. "Tell me more about him." The corner of Ripplewish's eyes were holding back tears as he continued. " He is kind, brave, and strong. He is the sweetest cat I ever knew, but he isn't afraid of a fight. He can be stubborn sometimes, but I love him. And even though you haven't met him yet, I know that he loves you more than anything else in the whole world." Sandykit drifted off to sleep and a single tear fell from Ripplewish's eyes, followed by many more. Oh, Sandfoot. Please come back to me

Sparrowstar looked around the camp, senior warriors were covered in scars. In the nursery he saw ripplewish and sandykit, holding back tears. Violet must’ve done this, she brought terror among our clan once, she probably back for more. He thought. He buried his claws into the ground trying hold back his anger. Younger warriors watched him with uneasiness.