After His Father (short story)
Stormstarâs steps were hard and his legs rigid all through his walk to Fourtrees. His anger only flared up more like a lost ember meeting a dry log when he spotted Tunastream sitting calmly in the center of the clearing, her tail wrapped neatly around her paws.
âAre you an idiot?â He demanded her, before leaping down the slope and snarling a whisker from her face.Â
Tunastream rolled her eyes. âItâs been seven moons since we met up together, and thatâs how you say hi to me?â
âDo you want me to get caught?â Stormstar pressed, pacing to and fro, shoulder blades itchy with the heat of rage. He thought of the gathering the night before, when that new Riverclan apprentice was introduced to the Clans. Stormstar tried then not to let his rage show, now he allowed it to burst forth.
âWhatever do you mean?â Tunastream tilted her head innocently.Â
Stormstar lunged forth, stopping mere inches short of sinking his teeth into her muzzle. Tunastreamâs only reaction was to give Stormstar a hard stare as she said, âforgive me for wanting to name my son after his father.â
âHeâs not my son!â
âReally?â Tunastream pulled back. âCould have had me fooled, considering I birthed him and all. Oh, and the fact that heâs the spitting image of you.â
âWhich brings me to conclude you as a complete idiot!â Stormstarâs voice was low, growing to a shout as he spoke. âHe already looks like me, and now youâre naming him âStormâpaw? The way the other leaders looked at me! You completely undermined my authority.â
Tunastream bared her teeth. âYou heartlessââ
Stormstar swung his claws at her, smacking her face so hard her whole body followed, laying on the ground with the air knocked out of her. âI will not have my leadership questioned because of your pettiness!â He sunk his claws deeper into her cheek.
Tunastreamâs head twisted with a snap. In an instant, her teeth were wrapped around Stormstarâs leg and pulling him to the ground. She was on him before he could realize what was happening, glaring slits right through him. âIf thatâs all you can care to think about after seeing your son for the first time,â she hissed, trembling, before whirling and padding away, âthen Iâm glad we broke this off. Stay away from me, and stay away from Stormpaw. Youâre right, youâre no father of his.â
Stormstar growled a response, but couldnât formulate one through words before Tunastream disappeared among the undergrowth. He had half the mind to chase her down and teach her what it meant to toss him around. But rumours were already spreading because of her stunt, he couldnât risk being seen hurting her the night after it all started. He was a leader, too. His priority was his Clan.Â
But the red remained tickling his vision and sliding across his mind. It sparked up when he noticed his Clanmates watching him and whispering, when he heard them talk about âStormpaw,â and it sparked when Maplefall told him that his sonâactual sonâAldereyes, had conversed with some Thunderclan apprentices, whos mentors happened to be other mistakes of his.
He would have to have a talk with his kit, and make sure no interaction between him and that Clanâor any Clanâwould continue.
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