Mothwing's Secret/Chapter 8

==Chapter description==
:Mothwing slowly advises Mosspelt to breathe slowly while the she-cat groans in pain. The medicine cat is wrapping cobwebs around the tortoiseshell's leg when Mosspelt insists weakly that she has to protect the kits. Mothwing reassures her that they would be fine, as any RiverClan cat would protect them with their lives. Mosspelt loses consciousness, but Mothwing finishes treating her wound and quickly picks up another bundle of herbs. The screeches of battle became deafening when she races back into camp, seeing Mistystar grappling with a long-legged tabby, while Duskfur, Pouncetail, and Dapplenose backed up against the nursery, facing off wild-eyed cat with black, brown, and white fur patches. She spots Willowshine wrapping cobwebs around a wound on Troutpaw's leg, while Rosepetal of ThunderClan and some other ThunderClan warriors guard her as she works.
:Then she sees calico land a heavy blow on Duskfur's neck, and wonders if these cats were really from the Dark Forest, and why StarClan wasn't protecting them. A moan of pain makes Mothwing refocus and she sees Minnowtail lying wounded near the warriors' den. When the medicine cat reaches Minnowtail, she whispers soothingly that everything would be all right, as she notices a shallow gash across her forehead. The warrior whimpers that she has to tell Mothwing the truth, but the medicine cat tells her not to worry, cleaning the injured cat's face, relieved to see that her eyes weren't damaged. Minnowtail pushes Mothwing away, continuing to confess that she trained in the Dark Forest and gave away all their battle secrets. She told her that they said they'd kill her if she backed out, finishing that she never should've betrayed RiverClan. Mothwing then hears a roar as a gray Dark Forest cat launches himself at Minnowtail. The medicine cat crouches to protect the injured warrior, but Mallownose barrels at the gray cat, snarling. She quickly stops the bleeding and chews some marigold to help ease the infection.
:Mothwing refuses to believe that the Dark Forest was actually there. She becomes angry at StarClan for doing nothing to prevent the battle but hesitates as a familiar cat dashes through the tunnel. She recognizes Hawkfrost, but stops when she notices that his fur is dull and matted with blood running down his cheek. Hawkfrost swiftly heads for the nursery, where Duskfur and the elders snarl at him defiantly. With one blow he slashes Dapplenose across the throat. Mothwing screeches at him, and her brother's blue eyes fixed on her for a moment. She begs him to stop, but instead, Hawkfrost takes a step towards the nursery. She yowls, and, leaping over an unmoving Minnowtail, was ready to attack, but halts in confusion as cats begin streaming into camp. Amongst the cats, she recognizes Leopardstar, Dawnflower, Voletooth, Blackclaw, Heavystep, and many others. Leopardstar advances toward Hawkfrost, snarling, flanked on either side by starry warriors. Defeated, Hawkfrost flees from RiverClan territory.
:The thought of Hawkfrost attacking RiverClan makes Mothwing feel dizzy. Around her, she spots her Clanmates greeting their lost kin. She hears someone call her name and she lifts her head to see Mudfur. The medicine cat greets him affectionately, as he congratulates her on the work she has done for RiverClan. However, the comment angers Mothwing and she demands to know where he and the rest of StarClan had been earlier. The brown tom asks what she means, and she gestures towards the wounded cats around them and reminds him that the Dark Forest had attacked them. Mudfur tells her that StarClan isn't able to control the future, but that when they could, it has to be the living Clans that need to unite to survive. Mothwing, baffled, angrily questions his reasoning as she turns on him. Her former mentor asks if she is going to turn on StarClan now as she vents her frustrations. Mudfur reminds the golden she-cat that she is a fine medicine cat, causing her to scoff and state that Hawkfrost had planted the moth's wing. Mudfur patiently replies that he is glad he had been tricked and that StarClan makes no mistakes.
:The brown tom steps away and begins to fade, as several other StarClan warriors do as well. Around her, Mothwing notices her Clanmates begin to chatter as she wonders if deaths around them were meant to happen. She reflects on her belief in StarClan, noting that in the past she couldn't understand it. But, she comes to the conclusion that Clanmates can only rely on one another and that StarClan truly doesn't matter to her as she has Clanmates to care for instead.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Mothwing's Secret
Category:Novellas