|
he was restless and had decided the best way to expend extra energy was to walk to Fourtrees. Once there, he sat, gazing into the stars, unaware of the massive dark brown tabby tom lurking in the shadows nearby. Deciding Mousestep must have been sent to spy and gain information on Shadowclan, Tigerstar is hostile towards the Riverclan tom. An altercation ensues, Tigerstar easily overpowering Mousestep before offering the Riverclan warrior a deal. If Mousestep comes with him and does everything he says, Tigerstar will let Mousestep live. Seeing no other way out, Mousestep agrees and follows Tigerstar back to Shadowclan camp, where he is forced into Tigerstar's den and forced to become Tigerstar's mate. Soon Mousestep gives birth to Duskkit, Sootkit, and Otterkit, and despite everything, Mousestep instantly falls in love with his kits, vowing to do anything necessary to protect them. He asked Tigerstar to be let out of his den to ask the queens in the nursery about how to raise kits, this was his first litter after all. Tigerstar allowed him to go, and in the nursery, Mousestep asked the queens to help him get his kits safe. During the next gathering, one of the queens told one of their Thunderclan friends, Fireheart, about Mousestep's plight, and the Thunderclan warrior vowed to help. He and Graystripe would sneak into Shadowclan territory, masking their scent by rolling in wild garlic, while a Shadowclan queen would ask the medicine cat for poppy seeds. She would lace a piece of prey with the seeds and Mousestep would give it to Tigerstar under the guise of wanting to share a meal with the father of his kits. Once Tigerstar was unconscious, Mousestep would meet the Thunderclan warriors outside of the camp with his kits. Together, Fireheart, Graystripe, and Mousestep would carry his kits out of Shadowclan territory so that once Tigerstar was conscious, he would think Mousestep had left the clans altogether. They would loop around to Thunderclan territory, cutting through before finally traveling to Riverclan territory, where Mousestep would lead the others to the Riverclan camp and explain to Leopardstar why he had been gone, why he now bore the heavy scent of Shadowclan, and why he had come back with two Thunderclan cats and three kits in tow. He was welcomed back into the clan and thought his life would remain relatively peaceful. Time passed and Leopardstar agreed to merge Riverclan with Shadowclan, becoming Tigerclan, and Tigerstar marched into Riverclan camp, claiming Mousestep once again as his mate. |