#eaglestorm

Squirrelwhisker’s heart twisted at the memory of Eaglestorm’s raspy moorlander mew. But she knew better than to question her leader now.

"I understand fully." Her mouth felt dry as sand. "I honor your mercy, Oakstar."

"I know you do," Oakstar said. "You’re smart, Squirrelwhisker, and I believe you will learn from this. But…" His piercing amber eyes fixed on her. "I have one last condition."

Squirrelwhisker swallowed. After a heartbeat, she nodded.

“A long time ago,” Oakstar began, “one of my warriors decided to lie to me. She let me and her clanmates believe that the kits she had born were pure ThunderClan.”

Oakstar squared his jaw, and his muzzle wrinkled. He growled the next words. “She even told me that the kits were my son’s.”

Squirrelwhisker knew perfectly well which cat Oakstar was talking about, but she feigned surprise as he told his story. Even speaking the name Mapleshade was enough to send the leader into a rage no cat could soothe. She shrank into her nest and waited.

“Well…” Oakstar sighed deeply, obviously fighting to keep calm. “It turns out her kits were half RiverClan.” After a tense moment, his fur smoothed, and he locked eyes with Squirrelwhisker again. “And I never want to be lied to again.”

Her heart thundered rabbit-quick in her chest. She nodded.