Ah, I knew an update on time was too good to last. Sorry this is, what, a month late? I've been busy and also my motivation's been a bit... dead. I forgot to send out sneak peaks too, I'm sorry! I'd reply to all the reviews here, but I want to make this a quick post because I'm exhausted aaand I've got a bunch of stuff to do! I hope you guys don't mind. ^^' I do read every single review and I'm immensely grateful for them! I promise I'll reply next time. I know a few of you were a bit uncertain about the Divisions and I'm going to attempt to clarify that in the next chapter's A/N. ^^ I don't have the energy now, honestly.
Disclaimer - I don't own Warriors
Redflower
The first place Redflower checked was the warriors' den.
By the time she looked behind the waterfall, the pressure was starting to mount in her chest. Still, she distanced herself from the flurry of anxiousness in her head and moved onto the next likely hiding place.
It was only when she found the secret cave empty that the claws of panic really started to sink in. Only a single feather remained, a remnant from the last day of play spent down there.
Moments later, and her paws had carried her to the medicine cats' den, shrouded in morning shadow. A lump in her throat, Redflower peered into the darkness. "Um, is Whitefern here?"
In answer to her question, a sleepy head lifted from the moss. Whitefern blinked groggily several times before recognition finally dawned on her face and she dropped back into her nest. "No, I'm sorry, Whitefern's sleeping right now. Please try again later."
Redflower inched closer, biting her lip. "Whitefern…"
This time, Whitefern detected the note of urgency in her voice. No matter how much Redflower tried to hide her anxiety, her sister always saw right through her.
Sitting up suddenly, Whitefern fixed her with an attentive stare. "What is it?"
"I know you need to rest, but..." She trailed off and her eyes skirted to the pink scars that cut across her sister's face. "Dewclaw's out hunting and I don't know where Brightwing is or-"
"Just tell me what's happened." Whitefern's voice was steady, but it did little to ease the pounding in Redflower's chest.
"Turtlekit's gone missing."
The instant the words left her maw, that crushing anxiety tightened its grip around her. Something about speaking the words aloud made it real, painfully real. She had to fight to her breathing even, to keep from sobbing, to keep from falling apart entirely.
Gone. Gone. Gone.
The words repeated again and again in her head, chipping away at her hope.
Whitefern stilled. Her jaws parted to breathe only three syllables. "Turtlekit."
In barely a heartbeat, her sister was on her feet. The same spark of fear that Redflower carried had been kindled in her too, expressing itself in the way her fur spiked and the tense, repetitive twitching of her tail. "When did she go missing? Where did you last see her?"
"Last night, in the Nursery. She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the moss. But then this morning, when I woke up, she… she…"
Whitefern didn't wait for her to finish the sentence. "Okay… She must be around somewhere. She's probably just playing hide-and-seek or something." The corners of her lips twitched into an unconvincing smile.
"Yeah," Redflower agreed, kneading the ground anxiously. "P-Probably. That's her favourite game."
Whitefern nudged her side gently as she passed. "Well, we'd better go find her, right?"
"Right."
There were plenty of places for a small kit to get lost in the Sandstone Gorge, particularly at dawn, when the camp was a hive of activity.
"Where have you checked so far?" Whitefern asked over her shoulder. Guilt unfurled in Redflower's stomach when she spotted the slight wince shadowing her sister's every step. She'd never admit it, but she knew her well enough to know that she was in a lot of pain.
"The warriors' den, the apprentices' den, the elders' den, behind the waterfall, their secret cave..."
Whitefern's frown sunk a little lower. Without a word, she lifted her head to scan camp. Only then did she at last reply, her voice taking on a measured tone. "Okay, you ask around camp, see if anyone's seen her. I'm going to speak to Rabbitstar."
Whitefern didn't even hesitate a moment before striding off in the direction of the leader's den. Redflower stared after her. Then, with a steadying breath, she forced her paws into motion.
"Nettlesplash?"
The pale brown tom started at her words, though his posture relaxed visibly when he identified her. "Oh, Redflower. Is everything okay?"
No. Nothing's okay.
She fought to keep the panic from spilling out of her, instead asking in a tight voice, "Have you seen Turtlekit around?"
The senior warrior bit his lip thoughtfully. After a hesitant pause, he reluctantly shook his head. "I don't think so, I'm really sorry."
Redflower forced herself to ignore the cold tide of emotion rising within her. "Okay… Okay, thank you anyway." She went to move away, but the concern that had become etched on Nettlesplash's features stopped her short.
"I'll tell the other to keep an eye out for her." He coaxed out a faint smile, his voice gentle. "I'm sure she's around somewhere. Brackenstep was just the same, always disappearing off. But… But he always came back."
The words had been meant to be comforting, but Redflower saw the shadows flickering behind his eyes. She got the sense he was trying to convince himself as much as her; Brackenstep had left in search of the cure a quarter-moon ago and still there hasn't been a single whisker of him.
Redflower tried to smile back, though she could feel herself straining. "Thank you."
With a quick dip of the head, she padded away, her movements harried.
She asked the next cat who crossed her path, then the next, then the next. She got a similar string of answers.
No, I haven't seen her, I'm a really sorry.
Not today, I'm afraid.
I don't think so.
With each answer, she could feel her fear rising closer and closer to the surface. She couldn't let it break out, couldn't let it take over her. She'll be fine. She'll be fine.
Expelling a deep breath, Redflower started to make her way towards the rock-path. There were a few empty caves near the top of the cliff faces, too small to be used as dens for warriors, but the perfect size for a kit. The trek up there involved a precarious route across narrow ledges, but if any kit dared cross it, it would be Turtlekit. A fall from that height…
Redflower shut out the thought immediately, casting it to the dark, hidden recesses of her mind.
I can't lose her… I'm losing Starlingkit, I can't lose Turtlekit, I can't, I can't, I can't, I-
"Little Red?"
Redflower didn't notice her brother's approach. All of a sudden he was at her side, the sight of him a flicker of hope amongst the morning shadows. Her heart ached at the familiar nickname he used; off of Flintclaw's tongue, it had sounded almost like her father's voice. Almost.
"Flintclaw, she breathed. "Turtlekit's-"
"I know."
It was only then that she realised he was out of breath, that his flanks were still heaving from physical exertion. The knot in her chest grew tighter. "I… I think I saw her climbing the rock-path."
Redflower's heart gave a jolt.
"Did you go after her?" she demanded, fixing him with wild eyes. "Where was she going? Did you-"
His brow puckered, guilt clinging to him like the scent of carrion. "I wasn't thinking; I saw Larkpaw with her, so I thought it was okay, I-"
"An apprentice?" Redflower repeated, her words taking on heat. She could feel her control starting to slip, each word a spark from the growing flame within her. "You let her go because there was an apprentice with her? What were you thinking?! It's not safe out there!"
"I know that," he replied curtly, though he managed to keep his words from thickening into a growl. "I didn't think they were leaving camp. It looked like they were checking out some of the caves, but then when I'd finished my breakfast, I went to look for them and they… they were gone."
Gone. Gone. Gone.
The word played on repeat on the inside of her skull, stinging a little more each time.
They'd gone into the forest. Of course they had. A small part of her had known that all along, even though she'd tried to deny it, tried to put down her disappearance to other reasons.
But it was the only explanation. Turtlekit lived with her head floating in the clouds; the concept of danger didn't seem to exist in her mind. Redflower had heard her fantasising about what the world was like beyond SkyClan's camp. She should have read the warning signs, should have kept a closer eye on her.
She'd probably convinced Larkpaw into taking her out. With eyes as bright and wide as the moon, it was hard to say no to anything Turtlekit said. The little kit used her cuteness as a weapon, luring cats into getting her way. Redflower was just as susceptible to it as anyone.
"Oh StarClan. Oh StarClan, oh StarClan, oh StarClan."
It took several moments for her to realise she'd been repeating the words. For a moment, the world around her had faded into insignificance, drowned out by her thoughts.
Flintclaw's pelt brushed past her, a tug back to reality. "She can't have gone that far," he murmured gently. "We'll send some patrols out, they'll find her in no time."
Redflower swallowed thickly. "Whitefern went to go see Rabbitstar, she-"
As if on cue, a white pelt appeared in her peripheral vision. Padding after her was Rabbitstar, his expression creased with worry.
"Any sign of her?" Redflower asked weakly, but she'd already seen the answer in their expressions.
Rabbitstar shook his head, his jaw clenched. "No… Not yet."
"I saw her," Flintclaw interjected, urgency ingrained in his expression. He quickly repeated what he'd told Redflower and, at the end, lowered his head meekly.
The SkyClan leader sighed deeply. "I guessed as much," he admitted. "Bouncefire's taking out a search party with Plumwillow and Ebonyclaw. Which means you're on my patrol." He nodded in turn to Whitefern and Flintclaw, though his gaze was hesitant when it reached Redflower. "But if you'd rather stay here with your kits, Redflower…"
"Of course I'm coming," she snapped. "I'm not going to just sit here and do nothing!"
She immediately regretted being so blunt, but her sharp tone seemed to glance off Rabbitstar. He flashed her a sympathetic smile. "Of course. With luck we'll run into the dawn patrol. The more eyes searching, the sooner we'll find her."
Redflower's heart faltered. The dawn patrol. Dewclaw. How was she going to tell him what had happened? Her chest clenched at the thought. I'm supposed to be looking after them. This is my fault, if I'd paid more attention then maybe…
"Redflower? You coming?"
She blinked rapidly, the world coming back into focus. Rabbitstar and Flintclaw were already making their way towards the rock-path, but Whitefern waited for her a few tail-lengths away.
With a nod, Redflower hushed her thoughts and padded after her.
On the path ahead, Flintclaw walked with his nose practically pressed to the ground, no doubt trying to pick up Turtlekit's scent. In any other situation, Redflower would have laughed at the sight.
Whitefern didn't utter so much as a single complaint as they ascended the rock-path out of camp, but Redflower's eyes kept coming back to her injuries, wincing. "Are you sure you're okay to be leaving camp? You might reopen your wounds…"
Whitefern snorted. "What, and just sit around waiting for news?" She shook her head vigorously. "StarClan no. Finding that little furball is more important than a few scratches. Anyway, they're not that painful."
Redflower wasn't convinced, but she let the matter drop anyway. For her own selfish reasons, she wanted Whitefern with her; she couldn't do this alone.
"I think they went that way," Flintclaw meowed when they reached the top of the cliff. He gestured to the right, where trees began.
Redflower lifted her nose to the air. After a deep breath, she caught Larkpaw's scent and, sure enough, it seemed to lead towards the forest. The scent of Turtlekit was difficult to detect by comparison, drowned out by the vivid aromas of the forest.
"Well, let's get going then," Rabbitstar replied, pacing forward. "We haven't got time to waste."
They travelled at a brisk pace. Flintclaw led the way through the undergrowth, concentration tracing deep lines across his face. He had the best sense of smell of all of them so it seemed natural that he assume the lead. If it hadn't been for Larkpaw's slightly stronger scent, she doubted they would have been able to follow the trail at all; as they walked, Redflower could barely catch a whisper of her daughter's scent. But her brother always seemed to know the way to go, his strides long and purposeful.
But the further they ventured into the tall trees, the fainter the scent seemed to get.
Redflower kept all of her senses intently focused on their surroundings, desperately searching for a sign: a flicker of movement, a twig snapping, a thud of tiny pawsteps.
But in all directions she found nothing but empty forest. Perhaps it was her mind playing tricks on her, but the birds seemed quieter than usual, leaving the forest shrouded in an eerie hush. It only made her more afraid.
She kept tasting the air in the hope of finding some sort of clue. Instead, all she got was the musty scent of leaf litter and damp earth.
Eventually, after walking in silence for some time, Flintclaw lifted his head. "I've lost the scent trail," he whispered, as if afraid to disturb the silence. "The wind's changed."
There was a sinking feeling in Redflower's belly.
"Mouse-dung," Whitefern hissed.
Rabbitstar lifted his head to the sky. It was impossible to read his expression; he was too deep in his thoughts.
And so Redflower waited for him to speak. She needed some leadership, someone to tell her where to go, what to do, how to cope with the fear that threatened to devour her. Otherwise, she'd fall apart completely.
But Rabbitstar was silent.
"Well, are we just going to stand here?" Whitefern demanded, her eyes narrowed. "We're not going to find her by doing nothing, let's go."
"No."
A look of annoyance passed over her features, but not even Whitefern dared argue with that tone.
Eventually, the pale brown tom granted them with another word, a simple command, "Listen."
And so they listened.
Redflower sat up tall, her ears keenly angled forwards.
At first, the same silence came rushing to greet her. But after several moments, she started to pick up tiny nuances amidst the stillness: the lilting song of a blackbird, the tapping of a distant woodpecker and… the rustling of undergrowth.
Redflower knew instantly that it wasn't the wind that had created that sound.
She exchanged a glance with Whitefern, finding the same wide-eyed hope reflected in her sister's features.
But she still didn't dare utter a word. She hardly even breathed. She just focused in on that sound, the stirring of leaves, gradually growing louder and louder until-
Two cats stepped from the ferns.
For one blissful moment, her heart soared.
But then her vision finally aligned with her thoughts. The sight staring back at her wasn't the one she'd been desperately counting on.
"Redflower?"
In an instant, she rushed towards him. Dewclaw snorted. "Wow, I didn't realise you missed me that much. I haven't been gone long."
Her whole body wilted against his and before she could stop it, a sob broke free of her.
Dewclaw's face immediately changed. It might not have been obvious to their Clanmates, but Redflower saw the flare of fear in his eyes. "What happened?"
"Turtlekit…. Turtlekit…" Each word was a strain to fit between breaths. "She…"
The words seemed to become embedded in her throat like thorns, she couldn't get them out.
The panic grew on Dewclaw's features. "Redflower?"
Berrystep padded out from behind the grey tom. "Wh-What's h-happened?" he whispered, his stammer quaking more than usual. Rockshade and Greywhisper appeared at his side a moment later, the rest of the dawn patrol.
Whitefern saved Redflower from the pain of trying to deliver the words.
"Turtlekit's gone missing."
Redflower immediately glanced away from Dewclaw. She didn't want to see the way his face changed when the words sunk in. But she felt him stiffen against her. A moment later, he croaked out a "What?"
"We think Larkpaw took her out to see the forest."
Dewclaw's throat bobbed. "Turtlekit…"
"How long has she been gone?" Rockshade pressed.
"Since just after dawn."
Dewclaw took a tremulous breath. Redflower allowed him to look up at him at last. He was doing his best impression of bravery, but she knew his face too intimately to miss the fractures in his façade. "She's always begging to visit the forest, isn't she?" He glanced at Redflower. The faint smile that he'd donned looked almost painful. "I'm sure she isn't far. Probably just playing hide-and-seek or something." He tried to laugh, but it sounded more like choking.
Redflower wasn't in the least bit convinced, but his presence loosened the knot in her chest slightly, letting her at last breathe a little easier.
"We can't follow the trail any further," Rabbitstar explained, glancing between the cats. "The wind's changed direction."
Pressed up against him, Redflower felt Dewclaw's heart quicken.
After a moment's thought, Rockshade suggested, "Why don't we split up? Head in different directions? Someone's bound to find her."
The SkyClan leader nodded. "Good idea." He turned to the other cats, his brow furrowing in thought. "Okay, Flintclaw and Greywhisper, why don't you head towards the WindClan border? Whitefern and Berrystep, you can check the other side of the thunder-path. Redflower and Dewclaw, are you okay to check the horseplace? Then Rockshade and I will head deeper into the forest."
The assured tone to his voice allowed Redflower to nod without trembling. Everyone else signalled their agreement, but Dewclaw remained perfectly still, rooted in his thoughts. After a few moments, he turned to Redflower with a frown. "Who's looking after Thrushkit and Sharpkit?"
"Honeysplash and Tinycloud are both keeping an eye on them, don't worry." She managed to summon a wan smile, despite the panic that brewed beneath the surface.
Dewclaw's brow puckered. "You should be with them," he muttered. "They must be terrified about their sister, I-"
"Dewclaw, there's no way I'm staying in camp while our daughter is missing," Redflower meowed sharply, a frown settling over her face like a dark cloud. "They'll be fine-"
"It's not just them I'm worried about," he meowed sternly. "It was only yesterday that the Divisions attacked. They could be hanging around, waiting for their next chance to-"
Redflower gawked at him incredulously. "Are you worried about me?"
"Of course I'm worried about you," he replied sharply. But he quickly swallowed the flash of temper and his voice dropped back down to a whisper. "If something happened to you-"
Her eyes darkened. "I'm perfectly capable of defending myself," she retorted, surprising herself with the amount of venom in her voice. In the corner of her eye, she saw Berrystep inch away. "I know I'm a queen right now, but that doesn't mean I'm not a warrior anymore."
Dewclaw flinched. "I know, I didn't mean that. I just… want to know that you're safe."
"I'll never be safe. Life isn't safe. So don't even try and coddle me like some sort of kit-"
"Okay, okay, fine. I'm sorry," he muttered, heaving a sigh of resignation. "Just forget I ever said that, okay? I'm just worried about Turtlekit."
Redflower forced her neck fur to lie flat. "Fine." But despite his request, she wasn't able to just throw away the memory of what he'd said. It lingered, retreating to the dark corners of her mind. "Let's just find her."
Rabbitstar heaved a sigh of relief, shaking off the awkwardness. "Okay, good, let's get going."
Heat rushed to Redflower's cheeks. She'd almost forgotten the others were there, she'd become too caught up in the argument. Lowering her head sheepishly, she mumbled. "Yeah, okay."
"Turtlekit!"
"It's okay, you're not in trouble! You can come out!"
Their voices were swallowed up by the frigid evening air. With each cry that went unanswered, Redflower felt a cold numbness seep through her.
"Turtlekit!"
The cry grated at her throat, husky from a day of searching. Yet still she parted her jaws to call again, worn down by desperation.
But before the words could take form, she felt a touch graze her side.
"Redflower."
Dewclaw was looking at her with an empty expression, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. His earlier words had been crawling under her skin since the moment he'd said them and they hurt more than she cared to admit. He thought she wasn't capable of looking out for herself.
"What?" she replied tersely.
Dewclaw bit his lip, anxiety and some other emotion clashing for dominance within him. "It's nearly nightfall," he whispered. "We… We should head back to camp soon."
"No." Her voice came out more fiercely than intended.
Dewclaw flinched. "I know," he choked out. "I know you're terrified about her. I'm so scared for her too. But they might have found her, she might be waiting for us." He tried to squeeze out a smile, but it never reached his eyes.
Redflower glanced away, searching the shadows once more. "But… But she's still out there," she whispered. "We can't just give up."
"We're not giving up," he muttered fiercely. "Believe me, I want to stay out until we find her too… But… We have the kits to think about. We need to be there for them."
Redflower's breath hitched.
Somewhere in the undergrowth, a twig snapped. She sat bolt upright, her pupils dilating. But the undergrowth didn't part to reveal Turtlekit. Instead, a crow let out a squawk and took flight. Redflower watched it circling, higher and higher, until it was little more than a speck against the sky.
"Fine," she sighed softly. "But if she's not back at camp-"
"Then Rabbitstar will send out another search party," Dewclaw mewed gently. "You're no use to Turtlekit like this, you look dead on your paws."
Redflower couldn't help it – the words came storming out. "Because I'm such a frail, delicate she-cat, is that it?" she snapped. "I might just collapse from exhaustion any second – you'll have to carry me back to camp!"
The words reeked of sarcasm and venom. Redflower could still taste the heat of them on her tongue and her whole body quivered with bitter fervour.
Dewclaw's face slowly changed from concern to frustration. "Great StarClan, Redflower, I didn't mean it that way!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "Would you just drop it?"
"No, I won't just drop it," she huffed. "You've been treating me like a helpless kit all day!"
"I don't think you're helpless," he growled, his exasperation growing. "I just worry about you! Is that so bad?"
Redflower frowned at him.
"Look, I don't want to argue with you right now." He sighed deeply, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "StarClan knows we've got enough to worry about already."
Redflower tried to keep her expression drawn but eventually she felt it crumbling. "Okay," she muttered. "Fine."
He was right; now wasn't the time. But it didn't silence the buzz of discomfort beneath her skin.
The light had finally died by the time the Gorge loomed up ahead.
Hardly a word had passed between Redflower and Dewclaw in the journey home. She'd resigned herself to exhaustion, unable to muster the energy to speak. Instead she just focused on moving each paw forward, her gaze fixed upon the ground.
"Redflower."
She kept staring.
"Redflower!"
Reluctantly, she lifted her head. "What?"
But Dewclaw didn't answer her question. In fact, he wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were fixed directly in front of him. Redflower followed his gaze.
There was a figure stood at the top of the rock-path that led down into the camp. And they were waiting, staring right back at them.
It took a moment for Redflower to realise there was something strange about this cat. Their pelt was bathed in luminescent moonlight and the sweet, floral scent of bluebells clung to them.
The moon was hidden tonight. And it was Leaf-fall. There would be no bluebells until late new-leaf.
In her peripheral vision, Dewclaw stiffened.
But it wasn't fear bolting through Redflower's veins.
It was joy.
With a sob, she burst forward. "Daddy!"
Sharpclaw was colder than she remembered, but the smile that lit up his features was familiar as her own reflection. She buried her head in his shoulder, starlight blinking at the corners of her vision.
"Little Red."
Oh StarClan.
Hearing those words of off his tongue was like a trigger. Whatever had been holding her together before seemed to completely fall apart in then. At once she was choking for breath between sobs, her eyes wet with tears and her whole body quaking.
"D-Dad," she mumbled into his fur. "I've m-missed you… so m-much."
At once, she was back in that moment. The air was thick with dust. She could feel the rock beneath her paws, jagged and cold. And there was Sharpclaw, sprawled out in the rubble. She could taste the blood, his blood-
"Redflower."
His voice pulled her back from that dark place. Redflower swallowed hard and gazed up into the eyes of her father. There was new-found wisdom there, but that spark of stubbornness was still there; not even StarClan could take that away from him.
"Sh-Sharpclaw?"
Dewclaw's stuttering voice reminded her with a jolt that he was still there. The dark grey tom's eyes were wide with disbelief and he kept blinking, as if expecting the scene to dissipate any second. Then he suddenly bowed his head in respect.
The starry warrior snorted. "I'm dead, not some kind of god."
The blunt humour caught even Redflower off guard.
Her father rolled his eyes. "Don't look so surprised. It was meant to make you smile."
The corners of her lips twitched, but the smile never fully bloomed. "T-Turtlekit's missing." The words carried barely as much weight as a breath, but she knew Sharpclaw could hear her. "She's missing. We've been looking for all day and-" Another sob rose from within her but she forced it down. "I… I…" The words seemed to stick to her tongue. She lifted her head to meet her father's eyes and only then did she find the courage to whisper, "I can't lose her. I c-can't. I'm already losing Starlingkit, I can't lose Turtlekit too, I can't, I can't, I-"
"Shhhh."
Sharpclaw pulled her closer, his familiar scent enveloping her. Redflower felt something brush her left side.
Dewclaw.
Tears rimmed his round eyes, fear carving deep marks into his face. He rested her head on her shoulder, his body warm. The silliness of their earlier argument struck her then.
At last, she was able to release the breath that had been building inside of her. Her shoulders wilted, her whole body drooping in the relief.
It was Sharpclaw who eventually pulled away. The starry-furred warrior gaze back at her, his eyes soft. He didn't utter a word, but when he began to pad down into camp, she knew what he wanted.
With a steadying breath, she followed after him. Dewclaw didn't question it, he didn't even look at her. He kept his attention raptly focused on Sharpclaw, on the beacon of light leading them through this sea of darkness.
It was unnaturally quiet in the gorge. Most cats had retreated to their nests, but a scattered few sat around, waiting. They sent nods in their directions, but their eyes were blind to the StarClan warrior in their midst.
Sharpclaw walked slowly, but there was a strength and ease to his movements. He was leading them towards the waterfall, Redflower realised.
That bud of hope started to wither, overpowered by the frosty touch of fear. But when Sharpclaw glanced back at them, his expression was perfectly serene.
He had drawn to a halt outside a small opening in the cliff face, just a few tail-lengths away from the waterfall. Redflower had never stopped to notice it before, it was barely big enough for a full grown cat.
But perfect for a kit.
Breathlessly, she rushed forward. "Turtlekit? Turtlekit!"
Movement stirred in the shadows.
Redflower dropped to a crouch and wriggled into that tiny nook. Her heartbeat was loud as thunder, pounding in her ears. It was a wonder it hadn't awoken the whole camp.
"Mama?"
An almighty sob escaped Redflower's maw. In less than a heartbeat, she scooped up the tiny kitten, curling her whole body around her. Every word that she'd been meaning to say flew out of her mind in that moment: all of that existed was her and Turtlekit. Alive, safe and… shivering.
Redflower pulled her closer.
"Is she there? Redflower?"
Dewclaw's agitated voice cut through her little cocoon. She bit her lip, trying to stop the tears from falling. "She's here," she whispered back.
She swallowed hard, her attention dropping back to her daughter. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she could see the way her downy kitten pelt was fluffed up against the cold. But other than being dusty, her pelt was unmarred. There were no visible injuries that Redflower could see. She was just cold. A mercy.
"Great StarClan, we've been so worried about you!"
Turtlekit blinked drowsily. "I heard you calling."
Redflower's eyes widened. "Why did you run off? Why didn't you come back?"
The little kit's brow knitted together. "I wanted to see Starlingkit."
Redflower squinted at her. "What?"
"I wanted t-to go see her," the little kit repeated indignantly, her teeth chattering. "I went to see Frecklewish but she w-wouldn't let me! So I'm n-not coming out until I can see her."
The words made Redflower's heart ache. "Oh, honey," she whispered softly. "Of course you can see her. But we need to get you warm."
She hoped desperately that the little kit didn't see through her lie. She hated lying to her, more than anything, but it was necessary to get her out of here.
Turtlekit's brow furrowed. "Do you promise?"
Redflower swallowed. "I promise."
The little she-kit thought on this for a moment. Then she finally nodded, the stiffness leaving her body. "Okay."
A breath came rushing out of Redflower's maw. Before Turtlekit could change her mind, she scooped her by the scruff of her neck and carried her gently outside.
At the sight of her, Dewclaw's whole body wilted.
"Oh, thank StarClan!"
He lurched forwards, pressing his muzzle to hers. After mumbling a few soft words into her fur, he finally lifted his head to gaze back at Redflower. "Has she been here this whole time? I thought Flintclaw said he saw her with Larkpaw?"
A frown formed an imprint on her features. That didn't make sense… "I don't know," she murmured, shaking her head. She let the questions float around her head a while longer before shaking them away. "But that doesn't matter right now. We should take her to Frecklewish to check she's all okay."
Turtlekit looked fine, other than a slight chill, but Redflower wasn't going to take any chances.
There was a gleam of starlight in the corner of her eye.
With a sudden jolt of memory, she whirled around. "Dad-"
But where Sharpclaw had stood moments before was now just empty space.
He was gone.
Redflower swallowed hard and tried to quell that crushing sadness. It wasn't like she'd expected him to stay, she understood that this wasn't his world any more.
But she never got to say goodbye.
"Mama?"
She blinked the blurriness from her eyes. Turtlekit was gazing up at her, her tiny face screwed up with concern. Redflower squeezed out a smile. "Come on, then," she whispered. "Let's get you warm."
"She's asleep."
At long last, Dewclaw let down his steely façade and leaned back against the cave wall. "Thank StarClan for that. I'm could sleep for a moon!"
Silvery moonlight slanted in through the nursery entrance. It had taken until past moon-high to get Turtlekit to settle down enough to sleep. She kept repeatedly asking to see Starlingkit. It had broken Redflower's heart to say no.
She glanced down at the sleeping kittens. Normally she would take comfort in the sight of them so peaceful and still. Tonight, it only reminded her of who was missing. She couldn't tear her eyes away from that empty place at her belly.
"Redflower?"
She lifted her head slowly. "Yeah?"
Dewclaw didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he stared down at his shuffling paws. "Uh, look, about what I said earlier…" His voice had taken on that slightly strained quality that always resurfaced whenever he opened up.
Anticipating what was coming, she began, "I'm sorry, I was overreacting. I was just worried about Turtlekit-"
But he didn't finish. "No, you weren't overreacting," he meowed bluntly in a tone that didn't invite disagreement. "I was being a mouse-brain, I wasn't thinking." He heaved a sigh. "You know that's not true. I don't think you're weak. I just worry about you a lot, okay?" He gave a wry smile. "StarClan knows I'd keep you and the kits wrapped up in cobwebs if I thought it'd protect you."
Redflower bit her tongue, but found herself nodding. She felt the same way. "We were both being mouse-brains," she whispered.
"Yeah…"
Dewclaw went silent for a moment. She could practically see his mind fumbling about for the right words to say. "I can't stop thinking about what could have happened if she'd gone wandering to the WindClan border or something," he murmured, gazing down at Turtlekit.
Redflower swallowed. "I know…"
"I want to teach them to fight."
She stared. "What?"
Dewclaw smoothed out the wariness from his expression, repeating more boldly, "I want to teach the kits to fight."
Redflower tensed. "That is not happening. They're far too young!"
His eyes darkened. "I know they're young, but they need to be able to protect themselves."
"They're only a moon and a half!" she exclaimed, her voice sharpening.
"Do you think the Divisions are going to just stop and ask their age before they kill them?" Dewclaw snapped. "What if Turtlekit had been found by a Division cat today? She would have been defenceless!"
Redflower recoiled at his tone. But it wasn't anger – it was desperation. The look in his eye was wild, terrified.
Her jaws parted to speak, but she forced herself to stop. She cleared her lungs, letting her thoughts settle. He's just worried about her, she told herself.
"Even if they could fight," she began, keeping her voice steady. "They'd still be…" she swallowed. "They'd still be killed in a heartbeat."
"But at least we could teach them what to do if something happens," Dewclaw countered, urgency thickening his voice. "We can give them the best possible chance."
Redflower shot a glance over her shoulder, suddenly aware that their conversation was being projected throughout the Nursery. Fortunately, the other Queens were all soundly asleep. Or at least they had the courtesy to pretend they were.
"Nothing's going to happen," she murmured. "I'm not letting them out of my sight again."
A ragged sigh escaped Dewclaw's maw. She could see the fire in his eyes fading now. "That's not physically possible. We're not always going to be there to watch out for them."
Redflower snorted. "Well, that's not going to stop me from trying."
"And it won't stop me either… But they need to know what's out there. They need to know what to do. We have to be honest with them."
Redflower's breath hitched. She couldn't deny there was an element of truth to Dewclaw's words. But it didn't stop her from feeling physically repelled by the idea. "Can't we just wait until they're a little older?"
Dewclaw's jaw tightened. "That might be too late."
Invisible claws seemed to sink into her chest. She could feel them tightening around her, squeezing the air from her lungs. "Okay," she eventually whispered, her voice was barely audible. "I don't like it… But okay..."
A faint smile tugged at Dewclaw's lips. "Thank you."
"But only if you let me teach them," she added.
Dewclaw's brow creased. "What? Why can't I help?"
The pressure in her chest hadn't eased, but she was able to manage a wan smile. "Dewclaw, you'll terrify them."
He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Fine."
Cloudysky
Cloudysky woke before dawn.
The sky was still a spread of inky blackness as she stood on the threshold of the warriors' den, drinking in the fresh air. She let the murmur of the river envelop her and as it did so she felt the pressure in her chest ease. She breathed out.
It was blissfully still at this time. It was the most peaceful Cloudysky had felt in days. I should wake up this early more often.
Moving quickly and quietly, she began to make her way towards the camp entrance. She had just reached the river encircling camp when a voice cut through the silence.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Mouse-dung.
Cloudysky froze. She didn't need to turn around to know who the words belonged to.
Rushtail strode up to her, his movement easy and languid. "Well?" he pressed. "Are you going to answer me or what?"
Cloudysky could feel the fur along her neck start to bristle but she forced it to lie flat. Schooling her expression into neutrality, she turned to meet his gaze. "I'm going for a walk." With a second thought, she added, "Alone."
A faint smile twitched at the corners of his lips, but it wasn't the well-polished one he usually wore. "Sorry, but you know the rules: I have to keep an eye on you." A yawn punctuated his words. "Though I'd appreciate it if you waited until after dawn next time."
It took all of Cloudysky's strength to keep from rolling her eyes. Oh, she knew the rules alright. In the three days since Ratscar's death, she'd never been able to get out of Rushtail's sight. His presence was suffocating: he was there when she woke up, when she ate her breakfast, when she went hunting and even when she slept.
But can I really complain? After what she'd done, she deserved worse.
"Look, I just want some time to think without your mouse-brained comments interrupting me, okay?" She could feel her voice starting to strain. She didn't have the energy to argue with him, not right now.
For a moment, it looked like Rushtail was genuinely considering it. But then he shrugged it off. "Nah."
Cloudysky sighed through gritted teeth. "Fine. But don't expect me to talk to you."
"Oh please, you don't talk to me anyway."
Cloudysky nearly snorted. True.
Without a further word, she waded out into the river. The water was icily cold, chilled by the shadows, but she didn't so much as shiver. Despite the cold, there was something wonderfully soothing about the water. She could have happily stood there just letting it wash over her, but the splashing from Rushtail behind her kept her grounded in reality.
When she reached the opposite bank, she paused only to shake the water from her pelt, getting a sly sense of pleasure when she 'accidentally' sprayed it all over Rushtail, before she started moving again.
"I thought-" Rushtail meowed between breaths "-that this was a walk."
"This is a walk."
"I would call it a brisk march."
"Well, if you want to go back to your nest then that's fine by me."
Unfortunately, Rushtail didn't take the bait. "No thanks."
Cloudysky heaved a sigh of exasperation, but kept her eyes fixed upon the forest ahead. Her plan was starting to slot together in her mind. She just needed to shake off Rushtail and then she could do what she'd actually set out to do when she left camp that morning.
"So, where are we going?"
Cloudysky clenched her jaw. "Does it matter?"
The light brown tabby shrugged. "So long as we're not gone too long. I don't have the energy for a long trek."
She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Well, it's not going to be a long trek."
"Good."
They travelled in silence for a while. If she dulled her ears to the sounds of his pawsteps, she could almost pretend she was alone.
Around them, the forest was just starting to wake up. The birds were starting to sing their lilting melodies, in anticipation of the approaching dawn. It drowned out her thoughts, granting her a blissful relief from the darkness of her mind.
It had only been a few days since Ratscar's death, but the memory of it stained her every moment. Sometimes when she glanced down at her paws, she thought she could still see the blood. Rainsplash and Littlestream had assured her she'd done the right thing, but Cloudysky didn't miss the way her Clanmates looked at her now, with suspicion.
It was the same way she looked at her own reflection now.
"Are we walking in circles?"
Cloudysky glanced back at Rushtail, trying to mask her irritation. "What?"
The warrior had halted and was studying the clearing around them. "I swear we've passed through here already."
Mouse-dung.
Cloudysky glanced around. Had she been walking in circles? She hadn't meant to. Then again, she hadn't exactly been thinking about where they were going.
She concealed her embarrassment with a roll of her eyes. "We're not going anywhere in particular," she replied.
A brief pause ensued. Something felt strange about this morning. It took her a while to realise what it was. She held Rushtail's gaze, her expression calculating. "Are you ill or something?"
His brow furrowed. "What?"
"Well, you haven't insulted me once today. It feels weird."
The tom blinked several times. "And that's a problem because...?"
"You usually take any opportunity to insult me."
Rushtail shrugged. "Maybe once upon a time. I've grown up now."
Cloudysky couldn't help it – she choked on a laugh. "You? Grown up!"
Rushtail's expression hardened. "Look, I'll be honest: I don't like you. I think you're a whining, miserable she-cat who always feels sorry for herself. I'm not going to pretend to be your best friend; but I'm not going to call you names like some kit either."
Cloudysky was taken aback. Whatever she'd been expecting, it had not been that.
"I know I used to treat you terribly," he continued, levelling her gaze. "But to be fair, you weren't that nice to me either."
Even after a long pause, Cloudysky was still at a loss for what to say. Eventually, she clamped her maw shut and just kept walking.
Neither of them breathed a word for a while. Cloudysky kept her head down, her mind foggy with thoughts. She tried to silence them, but they only seemed to grow louder. Perhaps it was true that she'd never been very nice towards Rushtail, but it was only because he'd been horrible to her. And despite what he'd said about having "grown up", he still made snarky comments about her. Perhaps less often than before, but he wasn't as mature as he claimed to be.
Don't let him get to you, she told herself.
Her thoughts were soon hushed by the passing forest. They were getting closer. Cloudysky steadied her breathing, fighting against the invisible vines that had started to coil around her chest. But each time she closed her eyes she saw red and every breath was tainted by blood.
She hadn't been back here since…. since…
"Are we going where I think we're going?" Rushtail asked, incredulously.
She didn't answer him.
The silence lasted a little longer until the willow trees finally opened up, exposing the sky above. Had she looked up, she might have seen the amber glow of dawn on the horizon, but her eyes were fixed on the clearing before them.
On the small thunderpath separating RiverClan from ShadowClan.
"Why are we here?" Rushtail asked bluntly. "You really think hanging around the ShadowClan border is a good idea after what you did?"
At any other time, she might have winced at his words. But a growing sense of numbness had been creeping through her ever since they'd started approaching the border. She didn't even glance in his direction; her eyes were fixed on the pine trees ahead. With any luck the dawn patrol would be along soon.
"Okay, so you're just going to ignore me - Fine." The other warrior slumped against a willow tree and stared blankly across the border. "I'll just wait here for a patrol to come and attack us then."
Cloudysky wasn't really listening. She knew Rushtail was right; coming here was asking for trouble, but there was no other way to do this. Hopefully she'll come…
She didn't realise she'd spoken the words aloud until she saw the look Rushtail gave her. "She?" he echoed. "Who's 'she'?"
Cloudysky thought about not answering for a moment, but it didn't really matter – he'd find out eventually. "Nightfrost."
Rushtail's eyes looked like they might pop out of his head. "Wait. A ShadowClan warrior? Are you insane?! You-" He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his expression shifting. When he next spoke, it was barely a whisper. "This is why you wanted to go alone, isn't it? Did you ask her to meet you? Have you been exchanging information or something?"
Cloudysky shot the other warrior a glare. "Of course not! Nightfrost is just a friend; we used to talk at gatherings. I haven't seen in her in a while though…"
Rushtail relaxed, although he didn't look completely convinced. "Okay..." There was a pause. "Why are you meeting her then?"
"Well, I don't know if I'll actually get to meet her. I figured I'd just wait here and hope she's on a patrol."
"First of all, that sounds like a mouse-brained idea. We could be here for days. Second of all, you didn't answer my question."
She rolled her eyes. "I wanted to talk to her about Ratscar."
Rushtail practically groaned. "Okay, that's the worst idea ever."
She glared at him. "She's my friend! If anyone in ShadowClan will believe me, it's her!"
"I think you're forgetting something. This is a ShadowClan cat we're talking about; once they've decided they're right, you can never convince them of anything, even if it's right in front of them! Hollowstar told them what happened, telling them again isn't going to make them suddenly change their minds."
Cloudysky gritted her teeth. "Well, I'm not going to just do nothing. StarClan knows we've got enough to deal with without a war between our Clans."
Rushtail opened his jaws to argue, but after a second thought he just shook his head. "Fine. I'm not even going to try and argue with you anymore. You'll just have to learn the hard way."
She just shrugged.
Time seemed to stretch out whilst they waited. The sun appeared to hesitate in its rising and lingered warily just below the horizon. It allowed Cloudysky's mind to wander to cold places. When she glanced over at the border, she saw Ratscar there, the life bleeding out of him. She saw herself make that killing blow, watched his head roll and hit the ground.
Murderer, they'd called her. Cold-hearted murderer.
The rain might have washed away the blood, but it could never wash away the invisible stain left by that day. No matter how much she tried to console herself that she'd saved him from unnecessary pain, that same question still festered in her mind: if she'd run for a medicine cat, would he have lived?
The crushing reality was that she'd never know.
What's done is done, Hollowstar had told her the day after his death. Don't torment yourself over it.
She was buried so deep in her thoughts that it took three tries for Rushtail to rouse her. "Cloudysky!"
She nearly jumped out of her pelt. "What was-"
But Rushtail slapped his tail to her mouth. Cloudysky was preparing to bite it when she finally saw what he was looking at – or rather, who.
Now she understood his urgency.
Because Rapidstream was hurriedly making his way towards the ShadowClan border, and he wasn't showing any sign of slowing down.
Cloudysky stared at him and then back at Rushtail.
What in StarClan's name is he doing?
If Rapidstream knew they were there, he showed no sign of it. They were hidden by a thick tree trunk, but had he looked carefully Cloudysky was sure he would have spotted them. But his attention wasn't on this side of the border, it was on ShadowClan.
A million different questions bombarded her at once. What's he doing? Where is he going? Is he going to try and talk to ShadowClan? Then one single horrible thought leapt out at her. Is he… a spy?
Rapidstream hesitated on the border. Cloudysky silently willed him to turn around, to stop, to do something – anything – to prove her wrong.
But Rapidstream stepped over the border.
Cloudysky's heart sunk.
Rapidstream kept walking. She watched him, unable to believe her own eyes. Even when he melted into the shadows, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the place he'd disappeared.
It became clear after several long moments that he wasn't coming back. It took several moments more before either Rushtail or Cloudysky dared breathe a word.
"I… He…" She fumbled for words, unable to think straight.
"Where's he going?" Rushtail whispered, his eyes wide as moons.
Cloudysky stared blankly over the border. "I have no idea."
Silence ensued. Neither cat seemed able to process what they'd just witnessed.
Eventually, Rushtail slowly turned his head to gaze at her. "What if he's meeting the Divisions?"
"No."
The word came rushing out of her before she could even stop it. Trying to calm the spark that had kindled inside of her, she added in a softer voice, "No, he would never."
She'd grown up alongside Rapidstream. As one of Duskfur's biological kits, he'd practically been a brother to her. They may have drifted apart in recent moons, but she would always feel an element of kinship to him.
"How do you know that?" Rushtail pressed. "Sometimes it's the cat you're least expecting."
"He just wouldn't, okay?!" she snapped. "He's a good cat."
His lips pressed into a firm line, but he didn't press the matter further.
A sudden thought struck her. "Maybe he's going to ThunderClan," she whispered.
His features creased. "What?"
"When he was an apprentice, he used to have this huge crush on a ThunderClan apprentice. He always denied it, but even if you were blind you could see it. Maybe… Maybe he's gone to meet her?"
Rushtail's expression was pensive. "I guess… But that was a long time ago…"
"Well, it's more likely than him being a spy," she replied icily.
"Do you think we should tell someone?" he asked quietly.
Cloudysky bit her lip, staring out across the border. "No," she whispered eventually. "I want to talk to ask him about it first. There's probably some good reason for it. Maybe he's on a secret mission from Hollowstar or something…"
Rushtail snorted. "You think he's just going to tell you the truth? Clearly he didn't want to be seen."
She kneaded the ground, channelling her restless thoughts into something physical. "Well, he's a terrible liar. I'll know if he's not telling the truth."
"Well, that still doesn't help us if he doesn't tell the truth."
Cloudysky paused, her mind churning with thoughts. "There's only one way we'll really know… if we go after him."
Rushtail shook his head despairingly. "That's the worst idea you've come up with all morning! ShadowClan will literally murder us."
She gave him a withering look. "I know we can't actually go after him. I'm just saying that's probably the only way we'd know for certain."
"Good. Because I would definitely not be joining you if you decided to go frolicking into ShadowClan territory."
Cloudysky gave a dry laugh. "Well, now I know how to get away from you if you ever get too unbearable."
A silence lapsed over them for a little while. At long last dawn broke on the horizon, basking the forest in a rich golden glow. Cloudysky relished the warmth on her pelt, allowing it to chase away the numbing cold that had been creeping through her.
"So, what now?"
"Huh?"
"Do you still want to sit here and wait for a ShadowClan patrol?"
She frowned. Her thoughts were swimming around her, making her head dizzy. She couldn't concentrate on ShadowClan anymore, not after what she'd just seen. Where had Rapidstream been going? She didn't care what Rushtail had said about it being the last cat you'd expect – Rapidstream would never betray them to the Divisions. He was far too upbeat to get tangled up in such darkness. Besides, he had no reason to betray them; he was always goofing around with his friends and, despite his kit-like sense of humour, he was well-liked and respected in the Clan.
ShadowClan could wait. She needed to find out what was going on with Rapidstream.
"Let's head back to camp. Maybe someone will know where he's gone."
They reached camp just as the Dawn patrol were setting off. Apparently there had been some issue dragging Pikefang out of his nest, delaying the entire patrol.
When they'd left, the camp had been almost empty. Now, it was humming with life. Cloudysky clung to the edges of camp, scanning the clearing for any of Rapidstream's friends. Rushtail trailed after her, keeping mercifully quiet.
Rainsplash offered up a friendly smile as she passed by. A few other cats acknowledged her with dips of the head, but there was a definite wariness to their movements. She tried to pretend she hadn't noticed it.
Eventually, her eyes latched onto a dark grey pelt. Shadewing was talking animatedly to Splashpaw, who looked like she might fall asleep any minute. Then again, the apprentice always had that look about her. Sometimes, she would fall asleep mid-conversation, wake up and then keep talking like she'd never stopped.
Mothwing said it was a genuine medical condition. Cloudysky wasn't so sure.
Anyway, it was Shadewing she was more interested in. The young warrior could often be found trailing after Rapidstream - if anyone knew where he was it would be her.
"Hi, Shadewing."
The young warrior blinked as if seen only just spotted them and abruptly stopped talking. But after a moment, a youthful grin split her features. "Oh. Hey!"
The outburst of enthusiasm was a little overwhelming to say the least. But it was reassuring, in a way, that she wasn't treating her any differently than before what had happened with Ratscar. Cloudysky tried her best to smile back, but it paled in comparison to Shadewing's expression. "Uh, I just wanted to ask if you know where Rapidstream is?"
The grey she-cat continued to beam at her. It was actually starting to get a little unnerving. "Oh, Rapidstream! Yeah, I saw him earlier. He's just gone to find some bees."
The words were delivered so casually that for a moment Cloudysky almost didn't notice how ridiculous they were.
"I'm sorry, what?" Rushtail spluttered out.
Cloudysky just gawked at her. "He's gone… to find bees…" she repeated slowly, as if it might somehow change the meaning of the words. It didn't.
Even Splashpaw choked on a laugh, though she quickly smothered it.
Shadewing frowned at their bewildered expressions. "Yeah, bees."
"I'm sorry, this is Rapidstream we're talking about, right?" Rushtail asked, his words dripping with disbelief.
"Yeah…" It was Shadewing's turn to look confused. "And?"
He stared. "Okay, so you mean to tell us that Rapidstream, the cat who would sleep until sun-high if someone didn't drag him out of his nest, left his nest before dawn to find bees."
"Why in StarClan's name is he looking for bees?!" Cloudysky asked, finally able to form a coherent sentence from the mess of her thoughts.
"For honey, of course." Shadewing rolled her eyes.
Rushtail let out a short gasp of laughter. "For honey! Of course! Mystery solved!"
But there wasn't a trace of laughter on Shadewing's features. Either Rapidstream had told her a lie and she'd been gullible enough to believe it or she was a really good liar. One way or another, what she'd told them obviously wasn't true. Why would Rapidstream venture into ShadowClan territory to collect honey? It made no sense.
"I was hoping to talk to him," she told Shadewing. "Do you know whereabouts he went? We could help him collect the honey."
Had Cloudysky blinked she might have missed it – a slight stiffening in Shadewing's shoulders. The grey she-cat was quick to correct herself, but not quick enough. It had told Cloudysky all she needed to know. She's lying.
"Oh, I don't know, wherever the bees are. I've never collected honey so I don't know." She pulled off the act of nonchalance masterfully, but that small slip before had cost her.
Cloudysky nodded. "Ah, okay. Well, thanks anyway." She cast a sidelong glance at Rushtail. There wasn't much point pressing Shadewing further, at least not now. The she-cat was devoutly loyal to Rapidstream, getting the truth out of her would be like getting blood from a stone.
"I'll tell him you were looking for him when he gets back," Shadewing meowed as she dipped her head.
The grey-and-white she-cat smiled politely. "Thanks."
Cloudysky waited until they had travelled well out of earshot until she suddenly turned to Rushtail. "She was lying," she hissed under her breath.
Rushtail's eyes widened. "No way!"
She had to contain the impulse to give him a shove.
"Clearly, he's up to something," he remarked. "We've got to tell Hollowstar."
"What? No!"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "It doesn't matter if he's your friend," he muttered sharply. "He's endangering RiverClan. Hollowstar has to know."
"We don't know he's endangering RiverClan," she replied curtly. "He could just be…"
"Just be what?" Rushtail snapped. "Go on. Finish that sentence."
Sparks flared inside of her. "I don't know, okay?!" She exhaled heavily, visualising her anger diffusing into the air. It helped calm the tingling in her paws and she added more softly, "I just know he wouldn't betray RiverClan."
"Well, you're wrong. Even if he just visited ShadowClan territory for a change of scenery, he's still breaking the warrior code by being on their territory. That's bad enough at any time, but today? After what you did to Ratscar?"
She recoiled at his sharp tone. "I didn't…" But she couldn't finish the sentence… I did… I did…
"Try talking to him if you want," he meowed bitterly. "But after that, I'm reporting him to Hollowstar."
Cloudysky could already tell there was no persuading him, but that didn't stop the anger from welling up inside her. "No, you're not!" she spat. "He's like my brother, we're not just turning him in!"
"Oh my StarClan, you're unbelievable," Rushtail exclaimed, shaking his head in exasperation. "I don't care. I really don't care. He's betraying us by snooping around, of course we're telling Hollowstar."
"Well, maybe there's a reason he's not told anyone what he's doing," she challenged.
"Yeah, like not wanting us to know that he's a spy?" Rushtail retorted.
Cloudysky lashed her tail, her eyes like fire. "Like maybe that he's trying to protect us!" she snapped. "Has that ever crossed your mind?"
Rushtail's eyes were icy cold. "I don't even have the energy to argue with you anymore. I'm still going to tell Hollowstar."
Cloudysky didn't even reply. She drew herself up as tall as she could and fixed him with a flinty stare. Then, with a dramatic flourish of her tail, she strode off.
Mercifully, Rushtail didn't follow her.
So, Redflower and Dewclaw went searching for Turtlekit and Rapidstream went searching for "bees"! Or supposedly. xD I hope you enjoyed that chapter!
Anyway, I'm actually going away (again) tomorrow, this time to France! I have a trip with college, so that should be fun! I'm going to be away over my birthday though, so that's going to be weird. Anyway, I've got to go double check I've got everything packed, so I'll make this quick!
Question 1 ~ What are your thoughts on Rushtail?
Question 2 ~ Do you think Dewclaw's right to want the kits taught to fight, given they're only a moon and a half?
Sorry, these are kind of boring questions, but my brain's given up, so... xD Oh, and to anyone curious about Splashpaw falling asleep all the time, she has narcolepsy. Yes. A narcoleptic cat.
Live, Love, Read and Review!
~Leafy