Chapter 30

Shadeheart's POV:

"There!" NoName shrieked as a little white bunny burst from one of the burrows. Their prey made a dash for a hole further away, but Shadeheart lunged in its path and caught it in his claws.

As the bunny let out a cry of terror, NoName smothered it with her body, her paws wrapping tightly around the struggling creature. "You hurt it!" She gaped at Shadeheart. "You monster!"

Shadeheart rolled his eyes, biting back a sharp reply about how she was the monster, not him. Instead he murmured. "Keep it still, I'll go get Zephyr."

"Already here." The grey tom replied, stepping from the cover of some thick grass.

NoName muttered at him. "I don't need you stalking me, I've got Shadeheart as protection."

Zephyr snorted and gave Shadeheart a glance. "He'll serve only as a bonus kill if Zeye attacks."

Shadeheart hissed. "I have Silvershy's lightning powers."

"You've never once used them." Zephyr countered, advancing on him suddenly with a low growl. "Believe me, kit, your mother needs my protection against other Prometheans." Then he turned away and with a single flick of his paw he had the snow white bunny in a gleaming red bubble.

Shadeheart swallowed thickly, glancing at NoName. Her face revealed nothing; it had returned to its usual cold stare.

"Onwards." Zephyr mewed, leading the way back to the patrol's decided meeting point.

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They returned to camp by sundown.

NoName and Zephyr disappeared into the leader's den to set up a cage for the red she cat's new prisoner. Shadeheart wondered why his mother wanted the bunny in the first place. What was she going to do to it?

"She finally got the bunny she's been wishing about." Tyler muttered as he stalked past Shadeheart. "Be prepared to see her take it for walks around camp."

Shadeheart sighed and rolled his eyes. "Sometimes it's hard to believe she's a murderous Dark Forest leader."

Tyler nodded his head in agreement before disappearing into the warriors den; probably for a nap. Shadeheart looked up at the sky, at the rising full moon. He wasn't tired, so instead he headed into NoName's den to see the progress with the bunny.

Zephyr was gone, leaving just NoName and her new friend. Shadeheart stepped inside and mewed. "Hello."

"Shadeheart." His mother nodded at him, keeping her full attention focused on the bunny. The creature's dark eyes were terrified as it clawed at the cage Zephyr had put together for it.

"So, uh, what do you plan to do with this bunny?" Shadeheart asked, leaning closer to the little white furball. It was hard to resist drooling at the trapped prey right before him.

"Stop that!" NoName's claws cut into his cheek, making the dark tom reel backwards with a hiss. "Don't stare at Velvet like she's prey!"

"Velvet?" Shadeheart shook his head and looked at his mother in bewilderment. "You've named it?"

"Of course, she is my new friend. She is precious to me." NoName replied, reaching into the cage to pat the bunny's head. Velvet nipped her paw, causing the red she cat to squeal in surprise and quickly retract her paw.

Shadeheart forced back a snort of amusement, his nose only giving a slight twitch instead. "How will you feed it?"

"I'm going to feed her what all bunnies eat." NoName replied as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

"And that is...?"

There was a long pause. "Zephyr is finding that out for me."

"How?"

His mother shrugged. "He's to spend a few days with the rabbits and find out all about them."

"Why- how would he do that?" Shadeheart rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"He can change into a rabbit and sneak into the burrows or something." She replied, once again with that sharp tone. "Now get out. I'm tired."

Shadeheart dipped his head to his mother before turning away and leaving the den.

As he stepped outside, he muttered to himself. "She's crazy." He shook his head in despair, but then his gaze caught sight of the nursery. All of NoName's craziness had successfully distracted him from Blossomfur. At least that was one positive outcome for the day.

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