I Think I Made a Mistake (CLOSED)

'Daddy, daddy! Over here!' Six tiny kits bounded around happily, looking up at their father with proud eyes. Eagleheart could feel their love and returned it fiercely. Once again, he played with the freedom of a young kit. No thoughts of slaying cats from other clans. All that mattered was his family. From a distance, his mate looked on, purring at the scene before her. But she was blurred. He couldn't see her face clearly. At first, he considered that it could be Hazeflight, but it was Skyclan camp and the pelt coloring seemed off from her familiar grey stripes. Confusion stopped him dead in his tracks and the scene dissolved into darkness.

Once more the light came back. The brown and white tom glanced around taking in his surroundings. This time it was outside of the territory. The marshlands. Blood stained the battlefield and some cats lay with their pelts stilled. None of them were Skyclan though. A sigh of relief escaped him. Looking to each side, he noticed he wasn't alone. Beside him were six grown cats, some grey coats that reflected their mother's. The other's were a variety of other color. 'My kits!' Eagleheart exclaimed as he took in the strong, muscular cats. One thing stood out to him as he looked over his kin. There was blood staining their claws. At first he couldn't figure out why, but something clicked and he realized. They had defeated Shadowclan. His children were all strong Skyclan warriors and they had driven out a clan!

One of them, a she-cat, stepped forward towards him and dipped her head respectfully as she approached him. Based on her markings, he recognized her as a grown Wolfkit. The words seemed to ring as they left her mouth, 'We did it, father. We have taken them down. Thanks to you. All of your training prepared us for this.' Her words made him warm with pride, love, and power. For a moment, he simply took what she said and let it fill his ego. But the growl of many cats broke through his peace and shook him.

'You shouldn't have abandoned us!' They snarled in unison. In horror, he stood motionless as his children tore at him with ferociously sharp claws, their faces contorted in hatred. The warrior couldn't fight back, the pain was overwhelming and a yowl broke from his throat and-

He had woken with a start, claws had been out. The dream played over and over again in Eagleheart's head as he raced towards Highpine. There, he planned on crossing into Shadowclan territory. There he would recover the rest of his kits. He knew he had to see them. It hadn't been that long but by now they were at least able to talk. Now they were probably old enough to understand their father was not around. A hiss escaped his throat as he thought about it. I shouldn't have allowed Hazeflight to take them. Those are my kids! Frustration and anger coursed though him. Most of it was directed at himself for being such a mousebrain. He at least had to see them, if it was the last thing he did, if not take them back to their rightful clan.

"I must say you did an exceptionally poor job of sneaking out of camp." Adderpaw called, slipping from her sheltered hiding place, "A deaf badger could of heard you lumbering through the territory!" She mewed, padding up to Eagleheart to give the tom an unimpressed sniff. Circling around Eagleheart, she narrowed her eyes as a prickle of curiosity worked its way up her spine- why did Eagleheart feel the need to sneak around their Clanmates? "Whatever it is, he definitely didn't want anycat to find out. Well now if he ever does anything to me I can tell Crowstar about this little adventure of his." She reflected with a twitch of her whiskers. Adderpaw had been stuck in camp over the course of a few days due to a few rambunctious escapades, so it had been easy for her to see Eagleheart leave camp. It also had been surprisingly easy for her to slip out of camp to follow him as well. She continued to circle the tom, preventing him from journeying forward, observing the tension on his face with curiosity and excitement. "Well whatever mousebrained adventure you're planning, I want in! You clearly need someone who's at least one cat with brains to help you make it through this entire ordeal." She declared as she halted in front of him, tail curling eagerly.

"Adderpaw..."He growled, flattening his ears. Now was not the time for her antics. But he also couldn't just send her back to camp where she might tell other cats he was sneaking off to Shadowclan territory. A frustrated growl rumbled in his throat. What am I supposed to do with this? His mind raced for some solution. Eventually, he settled on something. It wasn't a good idea, but it was what he had. Eagleheart turned and rounded on the apprentice, getting close to her face.

"If you tell any cat about this, I will make you regret it," The warrior threatened, but for once the words were empty. He knew he couldn't hurt a clanmate. He knew he couldn't hurt her. But he also needed to make sure he could trust her not to tell any cat. With a sigh, Eagleheart launched into a quick explanation, "The rest of my kits are in Shadowclan with their mother. Yes... I had kits with a Shadowclan cat. She means nothing to me now. But it was a mistake to let them go back to Shadowclan, those kits belong with me. They belong to Skyclan. I'm going to find them. At least just to see them."

He was silent for a moment, looking at his paws. For once, the aggressive spirit had faded from Eagleheart and his words were filled with passion instead of aggression. His voice was a whisper when he added, "I need to see them, Adderpaw..."

Adderpaw's eyes narrowed and her jaw ground slightly at his words- why would Eagleheart of all cats betray his Clan for some starry-eyed she-cat? "His behavior towards Rippedsky is completely unjustified then." She reflected with a scowl, before focusing on the tom's words once more. What about kits made cats go so wild? They were nothing but an ungrateful mewing scrap of fur! "I'll never get that way over some wailing kit- whether I give birth to it or not." She reflected with a slight lash of her tail, rolling her eyes at her own thoughts. Normally she would snarled at Eagleheart's lame attempt of a threat, but she was too angry with his admission to take notice.

"What do you think Crowstar will say if you drag more kits into Skyclan- conveniently around the exact same time Shadowclan loses several?" She questioned, tone acidic, "Those kits belong to their mother now and that's that." She mewed briskly, watching the way Eagleheart gazed forlornly at his paws. Tail twitching, she quickly gazed up at the sky- a patrol would definitely be making rounds soon and Eagleheart being all nostalgic and wistful was merely slowing them down. "But there's no harm in you meeting them." Adderpaw gruffly acknowledged- of course there would be harm in meeting his kits! But she knew Eagleheart well enough to know that denying him wouldn't stop him. Roughly nudging the tom with her shoulder, she quickly bounded forward, fur bristling slightly at the fact that they were trespassing. "Well c'mon then! If you sit there drowning in pity any longer then we'll be found out by a patrol, or Starclan forbid Sunblaze!" She called, voice thick with irritation.

Eagleheart let out a discontented growl. No part of him wanted to admit that the apprentice was right, but he knew she was. The kits disappearance would start something. Skyclan didn't need anymore trouble right now.

"Right," The large tom agreed simply as he leapt across the border. His nose wrinkled up at the stench of Shadowclan as it filled his nostrils. The kits better not grow up stinking of their adoptive clan, He thought angrily. Just another reason for them to not live in Shadowclan. Eagleheart consistently scented the air and kept his ears pricked to avoid a patrol. Now was not the time for a fight, he was just here to see his kits. He waited for Adderpaw a few tail lengths into the other clan's territory. From there, he could still see his territory. It made him uncomfortable sitting around in Shadowclan territory, but he had a mission.

***

Wolfkit lead the trio further and further away from the Shadowclan camp. For the most part all she could smell was the familiar scent of her birthclan. Nothing else. Maybe he is a Shadowclan cat? She hoped internally. Finally, she picked up on something else. Something she had never smelled before.

"Puddlekit! Marshkit! Hurry up!" She hissed back to her siblings, waiting for them to join her, closer to the strange scent.

Marshkit could feel the cold sinking into his pelt. His paws felt numb and his little body nearly shivered, but the lure of finding his father was stronger than the cold. He stepped awkwardly over a fallen branch buried in the snow, then turned to survey how far they had gone. Camp was well and truly behind them. The scent of ShadowClan was strong and comforting, but his nose wrinkled at a foreign scent when he caught up to Wolfkit.

"What is that smell?" He asked, looking at Wolfkit as though she would immediately know the answer. He felt hope that it could be their father, but what if it wasn't? What if it was a badger, or an enemy? His dark tabby fur bristled at the thought, his white paws extended their claws into the snow.

Puddlekit stayed close to her brother, shivering as she glanced up at Wolfkit, awaiting her answer. Fear shook through her tiny, beating heart. She gripped her moss tighter, afraid.

"Maybe it's a dog," she whispered, eyes wide. "I heard the elders talking 'bout that once."

She struggled to catch up to her older sister. They had already rested once, and she didn't want to seem like a weakling. The wind buffeted her thin fur again and she shook. Her nose was slowly growing paler. She hoped her father, whoever he was, had a fluffy pelt.

Suddenly the kit paused, too scared to move. "Guys…" she whispered, her voice rising into a frightened squeak. "See 'at?" She stared at a form in the distance, large, muscular, with another shape next to it—smaller, but still so much bigger than Puddle. Her blue eyes wide, she shuffled next to her littermates, teeth chattering with not only cold, but fear.

Fear of the unknown caused Wolfkit's fur to prickle uncomfortably, but she would never let her littermates know she was afraid.

"Who's there?" She attempted a fierce yowl to the figures off in the distance. Hoping to catch their attention.

Adderpaw's head snapped towards the sound of the faltering yowl, ears pricking with interest- the voice had sounded much to high-pitched and insecure to belong to a full grown cat. She could see the faint smudge of cats in the distance; cats who barely looked old enough to be on their paws, let alone be out in the territory."Can Shadowclan not keep track of their cats? That ragtag bunch looks smaller than the youngest kits in Skyclan!" She thought with a deep scowl. "Well looks like those brats you're so fond of have a similar thinking style!" She growled, angling her ears towards the sound of the voice, the reeking scent of Shadowclan growing stronger now. Adderpaw nudged Eagleheart with her shoulder to point the tom in the direction of the voices and shapes, her amber eyes blazing with annoyance; what happens if they were caught on Shadowclan territory with kits? That'd likely start a war! "I think they're talking to us." She grunted, looking at Eagleheart once more.

Marshkit stepped in front of Puddlekit. He looked at Wolfkit admiringly. Her boldness encouraged him to stand as tall as he could over the snow. He would protect Puddlekit from these strange cats if he had to, a tiny growl emitting from his chest as he waited for the two strange cats to see or ignore them. The black stripe of fur on his back raised in threat.

OOC: Aight so you can't just waltz into SC territory and think you wouldn't get noticed, especially if kits are missing from camp cx I figured this was a much easier and more fun way of dealing with things rather than shutting down this topic so let's have some fun 8D

Patrols had been sent out everywhere. It had been Shadowclan's busiest time of the night when the kits snuck out of camp. It hadn't taken long for the queens to notice and within minutes, word had spread and patrols were out in the territory looking for any signs of the kits. Thrushstar had even gotten in on the patrols, taking Leopardfang with him to cover more ground. Not only that, but he had begun to fear the worst and that for some reason, another clan had taken them. It didn't sound reasonable, even in his mind, but there was a deep nagging feeling that wouldn't go away. Keeping his mouth open for any strange scents, he wandered intently around the large marsh, trying to find signs of three missing kits. Of course, they all had to be siblings... and Hazeflight's kits at that. 

A strange but very familiar smell that floated on the breeze quickly alerted the leader to where the kits might have been followed by the sound of voices in the distance. Instantly, the leader darted in the direction of Highpine, expecting his deputy to follow. As he grew closer, the voices grew louder until he broke through a rather tall patch of brush into a little clearing where all three cats and two unfamiliar faces awaited. Immediately both anger and fear erupted from the Shadowclan leader as he jumped in between the kits and the Skyclan cats, blocking any interaction between the two with a hiss, unsheathed claws and raised hackles. "What are you doing in my territory?" Thrushstar yowled, fury burning down the warrior and apprentice duo. "And why... shouldn't I rip your pelts off right now?!"

Occ: they're just over the border so I didn't think it'd be a huge issue sorry! I will edit a full post when I get off mobile again sorry edgy

Leopardfang was deeply alarmed when news of missing kits began to echo around camp. The youngest members of ShadowClan were very important, despite his inability to put up with them and their games, and he had immediately called for several small groups of warriors, apprentices, and even some queens and elders to thoroughly comb the territory for their whereabouts. The spotted tom followed behind Thrushstar, stepping carefully past deep puddles of mud, and swiveled his head frequently. First he was scenting the air, then the rocks and plants, and then the ground and any trace of kit-tracks. He cycled between these positions for the better part of the journey into the territory. A low growl of distress rumbled in his chest when the two toms picked up the trail and followed it until they could hear the noises.

Leopardfang accelerated after Thrushstar and leaped right through the bush after him, moving adjacent to his leader's position. He prowled, claws unsheathed and hackles raised, behind the intruders so that the two were effectively trapped between the sharp claws of the ShadowClan leader and deputy. His green gaze was fierce and accusing, and he glared at the young-looking SkyClan warrior. If this apprentice was his to train, then he was clearly not fit to be mentoring anyone. "Is it now part of SkyClan training procedures to trespass on enemy land?" Leopardfang hissed sharply.

Hazeflight flew through the territory behind the leader and deputy. She was terrified of what had become of her kits, she should never of let them explore the camp. Her heart pounded and her eyes were wide with fear. What if someone has taken them or killed them?! What if... I hate myself, why me? What did I do StarClan first my family, then my friends and now my kits, my precious kits... What did I ever do to deserve this?! Hazeflight jumped over logs and rocks, it was hard to remember that momments ago she was resting in the nursery.

As they followed the scent, Hazeflight heard voices, which she immediately recognised as her kits. They were alive! The silver queen surged forward towards Highpine just behind her leader. Her eyes widened with many mixed expressions as she saw the cat that stood before her.

Eagleheart, her kits' father. What was he doing out here and most importantly what was he doing with her kits? The ones he didn't take with him.

" Eagleheart," Hazeflight meowed firmly, her voice quivering slightly with rage" What are you doing with my kits[ and why are you trespassing on ShadowClan territory? I thought you would be above this and you knew what you were doing when you left me on that night, I guess I was wrong, just like usual." she hissed her ears flickering backwards. Hazeflight turned her icy gaze to Adderpaw. Why was she here? Her kits had nothing to do with her.

The moment that Leopardfang and Thrushstar discovered the pair with the missing kits, Adderpaw wanted nothing more than to curl up into the ground and vanish completely- oh yes they were royally screwed. "Even if by some miracle Shadowclan  let us leave with all of our fur intact, Crowstar will just strip us of it all!" She reflected with a lash of her tail, fur prickling as Leopardfang and Thrushstar circled them, her ears falling flat against her skull at both tom's words. Her jaws had been parted with a ready excuse, but the frantic arrival of Hazeflight interrupted her defense, and she listened to the silver queen's words with a subtle hint of distaste.

Adderpaw returned Hazeflight's glare with an equally frosty scowl of her own- it was understandable that the young mother would be worried and angry in a situation like this but really? It wasn't actually their fault that the kits had managed to wander away from camp as far as they did. "It's only our fault for managing to wander onto Shadowclan's territory at the worst time possible." She reflected with a pang of resentment as she absorbed the severity of the situation. Squaring her shoulders and tilting her chin, she returned the Shadowclan cat's angry glares with a confident look of her own- refusing to display any sort of cowardice or guilty-like behavior in the situation. Flexing her claws nervously as she decided which parts of the story would be best to begin with. "We didn't come here to steal your kits if that's what you're thinking," She began, unable to keep the dryness out of her tone, twitching her ear to gesture towards the kits that were now concealed behind Thrushstar's bristling form.

"We were just.." Adderpaw flashed an uncertain look towards Eagleheart, reluctant to explain why they had truly come without the older tom's consent, "looking for someone?" She mumbled the last words slightly, dropping her gaze to her paws as they shuffled in the soft, muddy soil of the territory, unable to meet Thrushstar's imposing glare. Getting caught by Crowstar would of been much more preferable in this situation- at least she knew her own leader enough to feel less uneasy, whereas Leopardfang and Thrushstar were two enemy authority figures who were not pleased.