"I name you deputy of Marshclan." The ginger tabby tom looked down at the other tom below him. The tom smiled, his dark calico pelt rippled.

Edge scoffed at his brother from the shadows from behind the warriors den. He trained one apprentice, a she-cat called Rose. She had been taking food from humans during winter. Once her mentor found out, he nearly killed her. After that she ran away to become a house cat.

Once Thorn reported her actions, the leader said he was proud, very proud. He promised Thorn great power. Another reason for Thorn's sad excuse of a brother to be left in his shadow.

Another reason for his gay, depressed, insomniac, abused brother to be left in shadows. The words buzzed in Edge's mind. Abused. The word stung, but it was true. He'd accepted the other things about himself.

Their leader sent out patrols of two cats. Most times he'd send out Edge and Thorn together. And they'd try to make small conversation. The patrol was something to make sure house cats and Cliffclan cats stayed off their territory. Every so often, Edge would say something to piss his brother off, usually something about being homosexual, like taking a male mate.

He'd retaliate, saying something homophobic. Edge would defend his sexuality. Thorn would extend his strangely long claws and scored his brother down his side, or back, or shoulder, leg, belly… anyplace he could reach.

No cat asked about the wounds, he'd just silently padded to the medicine den, head hung in shame.

The medicine cat, Spice, had a massive crush on him… she always tried and failed to seduce him. She'd always ask to check the part of his 'belly' between his hind legs. To which Edge threatened to blind her, which made Sweet silently come over to push her aside.

He didn't deserve this. Thorn didn't deserve that. Fuck him. Those were the only words his brain could muster before he slunk silently out of camp as the other cats called out his brothers' name.

He let his paws and heart guide him, his brain was too full of insults and thoughts about his brother. The unfairness that his life was filled with. He soon felt himself running, claws extended, the fur under his eyes damp. But he didn't pay attention to where he was going. His eyes filled with tears and images of Thorn leaping at him, clawing his fur.

Something hard hit his nose and he let out a yowl of frustration. He could finally see again, and he sat on his haunches. Looking up at the human fence he'd run into. He ran his claws down the soft wood, letting out hisses of frustration.

"H-hey!" The soft yowl of a cat almost scared him. He angrily looked up at the top of the fence. Edge felt his mouth fall open a bit and his eyes widen as he saw a tom sitting on the top of the fence.

His was a white tom, with a silver tabby back. Sunlight turned his fur tips amber, and his blue eyes sparkled with distress. He seemed to not have a collar on.

Well, he's the most handsome tom I've ever seen. That was the only thing he could think. He saw the tom smile down at him, maybe he'd had the same thought.

"A-are you alright?" He asked, smile fading. Edge felt his heart melt at his soft voice. The tom jumped down, landing behind Edge. He quickly turned around, he couldn't keep his eyes off the tom.

"Oh… er- y-yeah… I'm fine." He smiled, it felt real. Strange.

The tom returned the smile, "I'm Sci, you?"

"E-Edge…" He stammered. He couldn't help it. He had a massive crush on this tom already.

"Where're you from?" Edge could already tell this tom had a lot of questions.

"Marshclan." He quickly answered, then caught himself as Sci tilted his head, "The forest." He flicked his tail to the line of trees behind them.

Sci nodded, smiling. "Could you show me around? I'd love to see it. It fact, I'm debating leaving my housefolk to become a forest cat."

Edge blinked, clearing his head. Should he warn Sci of the hardships of living in the forest or be glad his crush-if you could call it that-would be living with him?

"U-um… sure… why not? I'll have to warn you, though, we might run into a patrol from my clan." Edge spat out the last part, remembering the clans' new deputy. Not that the other tom would care. Edge stood, walking past him at not noticing that he'd brushed his tail under Sci's chin until he made a distressed noise.

He quickly pressed his tail against his flank, face heating up as he quickly turned to look at the tabby. Sci's face reflected his.

"S-sorry… ehm… f-force of habit?" Edge couldn't think of a better response.

Sci just stared at him, then he blinked and looked away. "I… I have a mate… sorry…"

Edge felt his heart sink. The one chance he had to get to know a tom was ruined by some rouge.

"He's in Dawnclan?" Sci asked him, "You know it?"

"…fuck." Edge breathed. "That's not a good cat to mate with. You shouldn't be mates with a Dawnclan warrior."

"…I don't want to be mates with him anymore…"

Edge's heart fluttered for a moment as Sci called his mate a tom, then sank again as he said he couldn't get out of their relationship. Sci took a place beside Edge, and the two padded off into the trees. Edge could smell himself, his scent trail of the territory, now a house cat was tracing that trail.

He smiled to himself. "What would Swap think of this?" He whispered. "A house cat. His closest friend training an unofficial apprentice of a house cat."

"Swap?"

"Swap." Edge nodded. "Swap, Berry, Sweet… they were just welcomed into Marshclan from being rouges. By… Thorn… no less."

"Thorn? God, clan cats have strange names."

"Yeah? Well… Sci is a pretty weird name too."

"I have a sister called Percy and a brother called Rush."

"Good for you."