Rising Smoke

Rising

        Smoke

Prologue ~ Smokewhisker & Talonfang's P.O.V's

Smokewhisker sniffed the scent marks along the SoulClan/FrostClan border, his gaze narrowing as he saw a dark grey form approaching. "Talonfang!" Talonfang's ears pricked and joy, like a warm breeze after a long leafbare, made her feel as light as feathers as she bounded towards her mate.
She stopped a few tail-lengths away, her happiness vanishing and a mix of a million different emotions took over her. She stared coolly at Smokewhisker.
"The kits will be coming soon. I'm pretty sure the entire Clan knows, thanks to that stupid, mangy, piece of fox-dung, know-it-all, RAT-FACED...!" she went on, coming up with ways to insult Aspenwhisker. Anger towards the she-cat boiled in her throat and she felt like shredded the tough bark of a tree to relieve it.
She stopped suddenly and gazed at Smokewhisker coolly again, like nothing happened a moment ago, her anger wilting to a dim glow inside. Talonfang didn't know how to feel; it felt like the whole world was about to fall around her, and then there was that terrible anger, great sadness, and a horrible overwhelming sense of guilt.

Smokewhisker closed his eyes in thought. What had maddened his love this much? "Talonfang," he murmured, his eyes flickering open. "It's okay. As long as they don't know who the father is. You'll be a great mother, you wait." He risked stepping over the border and touched his muzzle to her's.

"It'll all work out in the end."

"You don't understand, Smokewhisker! I *can't*take care of them! I don't know if you can even help me with this." Guilt made Talonfang's head throb as images from the past came back to her; hearing her mothers dying cries becoming weaker in the distance as she and Creekkit hid, when her life changed forever, joining SoulClan, protecting Creekkit, having great hopes to lead her clan in the future, wanting to be the best, jealous that Creekpaw was getting more attention, pacing everyday and panic attacking her, plotting, killing cats, framing Creekpaw, killing more... killing, killing, killing... It was as if her life was flashing before her eyes.

"Look, Talonfang." Smokewhisker glared at his mate. "If you don't want them, I'll raise them in FrostClan. Or I can take them far away, where they will never hear of the Clans." He looked at his paws, annoyed with his sharp tone. He loved Talonfang, but how could she do this?

"If you want me to raise them, let me know. Okay? I love you."

Talonfang took a step back from Smokewhisker, feeling hurt and offended at his tone and words. "It's not like I don't *want*to take care of them. There's something in my head telling me I *can't..."*she trailed off. Guilt flooded back to her and she realized something. That good part of her that was left was telling her to not raise these kits. *I don't want them to end up like me...*

What if they found who she really was and used her as an example? What if they started to do the horrible things she'd done? Talonfang was suddenly in Smokewhisker's face, staring desperately at him, her eyes bordering crazy. "Smokewhisker, I've done terrible things. Horrible things, worse than any cat who has ever lived! I can't be a mother, I can't let them turn into me!"

Smokewhisker tilted his head, confused. "What have you done?" He asked in a curious voice, although curiousity wasn't a good thing at the moment. "You're a good cat, Talonfang. I love you and I *know*that we can raise these kits together. I *know*it. Love has no boundaries."

Talonfang shook her head. "I've *hurt*cats, before, Smokewhisker. *I've killed them. I've killed my Clanmates."*Talonfang started laughing with anxiety, then controlled herself, staring at Smokewhisker. "I've killed my Clanmates, Smokewhisker!"

*Wha-what?! She couldn't have! I must have heard incorrectly...*"You-you *killed*your Clanmates?! That's not you, Talonfang." He was shaking his head violently, backing away. *I thought I chose right with my mate... She's my everything...*

*"Please,*tell me you're lying..."

Talonfang stood tall, gritting her teeth while she tried to control her emotions. It kind of terrified her to see Smokewhisker like this, but didn't he have a good reason? "They had to die. Their deaths changed the outcome of the future." She began to pace as she went on.

"Their deaths are what keeps everything balanced! If they hadn't died, the world would be doomed in the future! They had to die! I'm the one who had to do it, I'm the one who needs to set things right," she trailed, off, slightly confused by her own words.

"You have changed," Smokewhisker whispered dreadfully, actual tears splattering on the ground. He hadn't cried in a long time, not since his older brother was murdered. Talonfang was all he had left: his precious love. But he had lost her. "You're not the one I fell for when we were young." He shook his head, choking on his own words. He had to get away, before he spilled anything out.

"I'm going. And I can't promise anything. I'm sorry, Talonfang. We had something beautiful and special, and now the kits... And now your betrayal." He began to back away. "Meet me at the border at moonhigh if you want me to take the kits. If you don't turn up or if I'm not there, it means I'm either waiting outside of SoulClan camp or I've left the Clans. What I've done..." He shivered.

"Is unforgivable. I'll always love you, my precious mate. But we're done." He turned around to go back to camp.

"No, don't leave!" Talonfang begged, panic rising in her throat. She knew she made a horrible mistake. She should have never told Smokewhisker. Talonfang had ruined their relationship, and now he knew her biggest secret - the secret that could tear her whole world down. She felt betrayed thinking it, but she was nearly certain he would tell his Clan, then SoulClan. *I can't let him! I can't let him get away!*She didn't hear the other cat calling her name as she began to pad after her mate... was he even her mate anymore? Former mate?

Smokewhisker halted and hissed, "please don't follow me. You heard, we're done. I'll never stop loving you, I'll admit, but please let me go. This is... such a big secret for me to keep. I don't know if I can do it..." He turned around to face his mate, and pleaded, "help me, Talonfang. Help me, please."

"You have to keep the secret Smokewhisker!" Talonfang screeched. Her heart thunder with terror and before she knew it, was had leaped at him, pinning him to the ground, her large paw over his throat. "Keep the secret! Keep the secret! Keep the secret! KEEP IT!" she wailed over and over again, not aware that her claws were unsheathing and digging into his neck. *What will I do if he doesn't keep it? What happens then!?*

*(I'm going to be mean and to find out if he lives or dies, read on >:D)*

## Chapter 1

"Look! We can't stay here. The kits are in danger. Do you *want*to risk them?"

"It may be our only choice, Ratwhisker. It's safer here than with the Clans."

"Then how come we've almost died of starvation six times, Hareleap?"

"That doesn't matter! It's not our safety we're doing this for, is it? It's for the kits!"

Smokekit hated it when his parents fought, especially now, in the middle of the night while he and his two sisters were curled up in the nest, trying to grasp some desperate hours of sleep. He felt a sharp tug on his ear and turned around, lips drawn back. He softened when he realized it was his youngest sister, Sweetkit.

"Hey, you," he purred.

"Right back at ya," Sweetkit responded in her tiny, squeaky voice. Smokekit favoured Sweetkit over Leafkit, his other sister, who liked to resolve things on her own and would treat both of her siblings aggressively.

"Why are mum and dad fighting?" Sweetkit asked emotionlessly. She was so young she didn't understand the concept of fighting and Smokekit wasn't eager to explain it to her.

"They are unsure of what to do with us," he told the little she-kit, who tilted her head slightly, a frown crossing over her face. Sweetkit didn't like the way Smokekit spoke about their parents, as though the kits were expendable. Smokekit had stopped trusting his father when he had taken them away from the Clans two moons ago and he had brushed off his mother since then, for not trying to stop their father.

"Why are they unsure?" Sweetkit asked. She asked so many questions and some of them Smokekit refused to answer, afraid he would scare her.

"Because... Because we stuck them in a rut."

"What's a rut?"

"Never you mind."

"Ugh, will you two *ever*stop talking? I was trying to sleep, brainless." Leafkit had woken up and Smokekit immediately rolled his eyes. "Please. You were never asleep, *brainless*." He smirked and Sweetkit gave a high pitched laugh that Leafkit stopped by slapping her tail over Sweetkit's mouth. "Shut up, stupid."

"Mum and dad are fighting again," Smokekit told Leafkit. "Sweetkit and I couldn't sleep." He nipped Leafkit's tail and she recoiled, snarling. "Don't ever touch me again, brother." Leafkit's gaze softened a little as she glanced at Sweetkit's cowering body as their parents' voices grew louder. Even if she hated admitting it, if Leafkit had to choose a favourite sibling, it would be Sweetkit. Her gaze grew hard again as she glared at Smokekit, who glared right back at her.

*Why does she hate me so much? Ugh, I should ask, but I won't... I can't.*The yelling from outside the den grew softer until it silenced and Smokekit wrapped his tail around Sweetkit. Leafkit nodded to him; she didn't need to be told they'd get in trouble for eavsdropping. Sweetkit probably didn't even know what eavsdropping was or meant.

Their mother slipped into the den and Smokekit tried to control his breathing as Sweetkit whimpered. Their mother glanced at him and she whispered, her voice soft, "I see you all had a nice sleep." She obviously knew we had been awake. Why else would Leafkit be cornering herself away from Smokekit at the opposite side of the den?

Sweetkit seemed to fly out of Smokekit's paws and into her mother's. "Mama! We heard dad yelling before." Their mother's face grew fearful and Leafkit spoke up. "Pinefeather. She's clueless. She doesn't understand what happened." Leafkit never referred to Pinefeather as 'mum'.

TBC