Chapter 19: Tall Pine
"What?" Tall Pine gasped. "What do you mean?"
Holly Blossom lowered her voice and leaned closer to them, "You didn't hear this from me, but my Clan is angry. Furious, even. Flame Moon wants answers, and many of my Clan are calling for action to be taken to get justice. If we don't get answers, we will get justice, one way or another."
"But don't you think-" Fern Dapple started, but Holly Blossom shook her head, cutting her off.
"I'm sorry, but I can't talk any longer. I have to go," Holly Blossom meowed. "It was nice to see you again, Tall Pine." She nodded to the black and white tom. "And to meet you, Fern Dapple. Good hunting and may the Clan of the Bright Stars light your path and keep your Clan safe."
"May the Clan of the Bright Stars light your path as well," Fern Dapple echoed.
With one last nod to the pair of Clan of the Morning Sun trainees, Holly Blossom hurried off down the slope, moving further into her territory. Soon, her glossy black coat vanished among the shadows cast from the pines standing tall on the opposite bank of the stream.
Tall Pine stared at the place the black she-cat had been, his mind reeling with what she had just told him. The Clan of the Flowing Waters has lost a cat now as well, he mused. And not long after Mellow Storm of the Clan of the High Peaks was found on our territory. I wonder if it's true, that the Clan of the Dark Caves killed Holly Blossom's Clanmate. I wouldn't put it past them. They are the most mysterious and hostile cats in all of the Clans. It's strange, though, that two cats were killed not long after each other and were found on another Clan's territory. My Clan knows we didn't kill Mellow Storm, but it seems like there is no debating that the Clan of the Dark Caves is responsible for the most recent death. I hope the Clans can work these problems out. We've been at peace for many moons now, and it would be devastating for a war to start.
"Hey," Fern Dapple's paw poked him in the shoulder. "We should get moving. The sun is starting to set, and we need to get the hare and find Quick Clouds and Scattered Leaves."
"Oh, yeah," Tall Pine said quickly, snapping out of deep thought. "Right."
As the sun slowly sunk behind the Dusk Mountain and twilight settled on the valley, the two trainees started their long trek back up the mountain. They first stopped at the place where they had buried their hare and then headed to an old twisted pine tree where their instructors had told them to meet.
It was almost dark by the time Tall Pine and Fern Dapple reached the appointed meeting place. They had long since picked up their pace, knowing that their instructors would be disappointed with them for being late as well as not catching a lot of prey. But, now that they were close, they approached hesitantly, wanting to prolong the scolding for as long as possible.
Quick Clouds and Scattered Leaves waited at the base of the twisted oak tree, the white part of their pelts contrasting sharply with the lengthening shadows. Even in the half-light of the dim forest, Tall Pine could see Scattered Leaves' tail twitching impatiently and the worried expression on Quick Clouds' face.
"Tall Pine! Fern Dapple!" Scattered Leaves called, sounding relieved as he and Quick Clouds spotted their trainees and hurried forward to greet them. "Thank the ancestors you're finally here. We were just about to send out a search party."
"Are you two all right?" Quick Clouds asked worriedly, halting in front of the trainees. "What took you so long? We told you to meet us here at dusk; it's almost dark."
"Yes, we're fine," Tall Pine replied.
"We're sorry we took awhile. We traveled pretty far to hunt and didn't think it would take us this long to come back." Fern Dapple added.
"Is that all you caught?" Scattered Leaves inquired, gazing at the hare Fern Dapple had set down next to her.
"Yes," Fern Dapple answered quietly. The two young cats stared at their paws, waiting for a reprimand.
"Why? Did you two run into trouble?" Was all Scattered Leaves said, looking concerned.
"No, we didn't run into any trouble," His trainee answered.
"Then please, enlighten us as to why you were late and why you only caught one hare between you two when you had the full day to hunt." Quick Clouds said sternly.
"It's my fault, Quick Clouds," Tall Pine spoke up, meeting his instructor's gaze. "I was very distracted, so I messed up a lot and made us lose all of the prey we found."
"You were distracted for the entire day?" Quick Clouds asked skeptically.
"Yes." Tall Pine stared at his paws, ashamed.
"It's not just his fault!" Fern Dapple protested. "I lost a piece of prey as well."
"Yeah, but a crow scared that squirrel off," Tall Pine reminded her bitterly. "I stupidly stepped on a twig and alerted the vole. It's really my fault."
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Trainees!" Scattered Leaves shouted. Fern Dapple and Tall Pine quieted down immediately. "That's enough. I appreciate you both owning up to what happened, but there is no need to fight about it. Now, since you both have assumed responsibility for it, you can both bring the elders their food when you get back to camp. And, in the future, we hope you will be less distracted and more focused on feeding your Clan."
As Scattered Leaves and Fern Dapple organized the prey the instructors had caught, Quick Clouds shifted closer to Tall Pine. "Is everything okay with you?" The pale gray and white tom asked softly. "You said you were distracted today and that's why you didn't catch a lot of prey. Do you want to tell me what that was about?"
"Uh," Tall Pine started, not looking at his instructor. His wandering gaze caught Fern Dapple's and the silver tabby she-cat looked at him questioningly. He shook his head, silently pleading with her not to say anything.
"Well?" Quick Clouds prompted.
"I'm fine, I've just been distracted lately." Tall Pine replied hurriedly.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
The black and white tom shook his head and was relieved when Quick Clouds didn't press him further.
"Okay, let's get back to camp." Scattered Leaves said, as the four cats collected the prey and started off.
The waning moon, peeking out from between thick billowing clouds, filtered through the dense foliage, offering just enough light for the cats to see by. Led by Quick Clouds, the small patrol trekked through the dark forest. Even with the promise of warm nests back at camp, the four cats moved slowly and deliberately, watching where they put their paws as it was hard to navigate in darkness. They vigilantly kept their ears open for any sign of predators and made sure they didn't drop their catches.
Finally, the familiar bulky shape of the bramble thicket came into view, and the hunting patrol moved through it and into the pitch-black passageway.
On the other side, a quiet and serene camp welcomed them. By this time, most of the other cats had already retired to their nests, but a few still clustered around the fresh-kill pile, talking in low tones. Sharp Wind nodded to them as he passed them, heading for the entrance on his way to the guard post. Soaring Hawk and Maple Sky mewed a greeting as they dropped the prey in the fresh-kill pile.
Setting down his blackbird on top of the pile, Quick Clouds turned to Fern Dapple and Tall Pine. "Now, since it is late and the elders are sleeping, you both may go to bed. In the morning, you will bring them their meal. Tall Pine, you should also remember that it is your turn to clean their den as the moon of your punishment isn't up yet. As for you, Fern Dapple, you can help him. Finish as quickly as you can, and we'll meet at the passageway at sunhigh for training."
Tall Pine nodded and turned, following Fern Dapple to the trainees' den. The pair slipped inside and quietly padded to their nests, careful to not wake the other young cats.
"Goodnight, Tall Pine," Fern Dapple said softly as she curled up in her nest beside Jagged Path.
"Goodnight," Tall Pine muttered, stumbling to his nest as his exhaustion caught up with him. He flopped down in the moss next to Blossom Dust and fell asleep almost immediately.
. . .
Tall Pine woke with a shock, and bolted upright, breathing heavily. He had been dreaming, but couldn't quite remember what it was about. He could remember, however, the mess of feelings that he was left with; frustration and fear, helplessness and confusion, much like the emotions he'd had after talking with Holly Blossom.
With a sigh, Tall Pine flopped back down on his nest, staring the dawn light seeping in the entrance of the cave. Around him, the other trainees began to stir. It was almost time to get up and tend to the elders with Fern Dapple.
The black and white tom sighed again. I wish I could stay in my nest forever and not face Fern Dapple. What if she says something or pressures me to tell her more? I can't involve her any more than I already have. I told her too much, and now she could do something stupid and put herself in danger.
"Tall Pine," A sleepy voice murmured.
"Morning, Blossom Dust," Tall Pine said, raising his head to look at his sister who blinked in the dawn light, still bleary from slumber.
"Are you okay?" The golden and brown she-cat asked. "You must've got back to camp late last night; I didn't hear you come in. Why aren't you still asleep?"
"I'm fine," Tall Pine replied smoothly, rolling over to face her. "I had a dream and woke myself up, that's all."
"Was it a bad dream? You look kinda worried and stressed and you fur's all messed up."
Tall Pine flattened down his chest fur with a few licks and then licked his sister's nose. "Nothing you need to be concerned about."
Blossom Dust said nothing but leaned over to smooth down the clumped hair on her brother's neck. She turned her attention to her pelt, grooming her light brown fur patched with pale gold like flower petals. Tall Pine sat up and copied her, preening his own black and white fur.
"I'd better get going," Blossom Dust said once she finished grooming her pelt. "Rabbit Nose and I are patrolling the borders this morning and also practicing identifying scents."
By this time, the weak dawn light seeping in the entrance had turned to the golden-yellow sunbeams of early morning. The small she-cat touched her nose to Tall Pine's ear, a fond gesture of farewell, and padded toward the entry. She paused there and looked back at the young tom. "Are you sure you're okay? It seems like something's bothering you. You can tell me, you know, whatever it is."
The golden and brown she-cat's words, so much like what Fern Dapple had said the day before, tugged on Tall Pine's heart, but he shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Really."
"Okay," Blossom Dust's mew sounded a little hurt. "Have a good day." She padded out of the entrance, vanishing into the stone gorge beyond the trainee's den.
Tall Pine sighed. He hated to lie to his sister whom he loved dearly, but his desire to protect her trumped that. There was absolutely no way he could share his concerns with her. Firstly, that would involve her in a potentially dangerous issue and go against the promise he made to himself many moons ago now; to always keep her safe. And secondly, he knew how Blossom Dust still looked up to and admired Spotted Owl, and he didn't want to ruin what remained of his sisters' relationship.
All right, Tall Pine, the young tom told himself. You can't stay in this cave all day. You have duties to attend to. Get to it!
With that, Tall Pine stood and jogged out of the den, remembering Quick Clouds' instructions as he headed toward the fresh-kill pile. Ignoring the grumbling of his belly as he had been too tired to eat the night before, he selected a fat bird off the top of the pile and made his way to the elder's den.
Tall Pine dropped the bird just inside the cave. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed that Fern Dapple was already there, rolling the old nests into a pile as she chatted with the elders who lay to one side, eating their morning meal; two voles, a mouse, and a finch.
"Oh, hey, Tall Pine," Fern Dapple greeted him, looking up from her work. "I woke up early, and you were still sleeping, so I hope it's okay I started."
"Yeah, it's fine," Tall Pine said, with a prick of frustration. He had hoped to be the first one here and bring the elders their food. But, he wasn't going to argue with Fern Dapple taking some of the work even though it was supposed to be his punishment for sneaking out of camp.
Silently, the young tom got to work, carrying bundles of crumbling moss from the elders' den to outside the passageway and back. He moved quickly, so the elders could have their new nests, as well as to avoid talking with Fern Dapple.
Fern Dapple worked busily as well, and the two trainees cleared the old nests from the den in hardly any time, but Tall Pine could feel her inquisitive blue gaze on him every time his back was turned.
After all of the old moss was disposed of, Tall Pine and Fern Dapple fetched some new moss and ferns and began to weave the elders' new nests. As they continued to work in silence, the tension grew until Tall Pine felt like he could slice it with a claw.
After a while, Tall Pine noticed that the scuffling of Fern Dapple's paws as she worked on Tumbling Stone's nest had ceased. He could feel her looking at him, but ignored her and kept working.
"Tall Pine," Fern Dapple said, almost pleadingly.
Silence.
"Tall Pine, look at me."
Slowly, the black and white tom turned to look at her. "What?" He asked annoyedly.
The silver tabby she-cat sat next to the half-finished nest; her tired round eyes fixed on him. "I've been thinking about what you told me yesterday, about how our Clan could be in danger. You said that it was nothing to worry about, but you look very anxious. You're also distracted and careless and not yourself. I want you to tell me what it is. What is going on?!"
Tall Pine shook his head, turned away. "No, no, I can't tell you. You should just forget about it."
"I am not going to just forget about it," Fern Dapple shot back, stalking forward until they were nose to nose, their gazes glued to each other's. "Allow me to rephrase," she growled. "Tell me what is going on. Now."
Tall Pine stepped backward, swallowing nervously. "Okay, okay, if you insist."
"Good," The silver tabby she-cat smiled and sat down, looking like herself again, not the powerful, intimidating cat that reminded him a lot of her grandmother, Mossy Moon she had been a moment before. "Well?"
The young tom sat as well, gazing thoughtfully at the cave wall behind her, stalling. A few moments slipped by before he sighed and looked directly at Fern Dapple, his yellow eyes deadly serious. "I'm warning you, that if tell you this, it could put you in severe danger. You can just walk away now."
The older trainee shook her head. "I'm staying right here."
The black and white tom stayed quiet for another moment before taking a deep breath and beginning, "For a while now; I've had some concerns about the rogues. At first, I was merely suspicious, but I've noticed something that could validate my theory that the rogues lied about coming here with good intentions. In fact, I think they want to do just the opposite. I think they mean us harm."
Fern Dapple sucked in a breath, her eyes large. "That's a serious accusation, Tall Pine."
"I know, but I have evidence to back it up," Tall Pine assured her. "At the gathering before last, all of the Clans reported finding suspicious scents on their territories and not long after the rogues appeared on our territory. I'm almost certain that Sharp and his companions left those scents, but if they have come with good intentions as they've told us, why did they lie about the time that they arrived here? And why did the rogues scout out the valley before showing themselves? Don't you think that is all very strange?"
"I don't know," Fern Dapple shook her head. "That's all just speculation, have you actually confirmed any of it?"
"No," Tall Pine replied. "But what about the deaths? The Clans have been at peace for moons, and suddenly the Clan of the Dark Caves kills a cat from the Clan of the Flowing Waters?"
"We're not from the Clan of the Dark Caves. We don't know what's going on with them. They could have any reason to do that, horrible as it is."
"But what about Mellow Storm? We know we didn't kill him, but the Clan of the High Peaks thinks we did."
"That's a good point," Fern Dapple admitted. "I'm still not sure if I believe you, but Tall Pine, you have to tell someone, just in case that you are right. There is no time to waste."
"But if I can't even convince you, how in the stars am I going to convince Mossy Moon?" The young tom wailed.
"You don't have to convince her. You just have to tell her. It's the right thing to do. And there's a chance that you are right and you could save us all just by informing her."
"But what if I'm not right? I could make a huge fool of myself and ruin my relationship with Spotted Owl for good." Tall Pine said miserably.
"Tall Pine, there is no time to think about making fools of ourselves." Fern Dapple urged. "And if you won't tell her, I will." The silver tabby she-cat rose to leave, their task forgotten in the face of what the other trainee had just told her.
"Wait!" Tall Pine called, standing as well. "Fine. I will tell Mossy Moon."
"Good. That's the right decision."
"But let me talk to Spotted Owl first," He pleaded. "I need to try to make her see reason. I need to make sure she doesn't get hurt."
"Okay," Fern Dapple agreed, padding back toward him. Her eyes were gentle. "Tall Pine, thank you for telling me. I think you're doing the right thing by telling Mossy Moon, even if there is a chance you're wrong. For our Clan's sake, I do hope you're wrong."
"Me too," Tall Pine said grimly. "For all of the Clans' sake."
Oooh, and the plot thickens. I have admit that I wasn't originally planning to write this chapter because I didn't plan to have Fern Dapple as such a big character, but I like the way the story is going. Surprises for me as well as you! Thank you for reading and see you at the next chapter with Spotted Owl!
The Unnamed Guest - Thank you for reviewing again! Your reviews mean a lot to me. I like where you're going with the theories, but I can neither confirm or deny any of them. (One of them is so to being correct, though.) I ship Fern Dapple and Tall Pine as well. I am planning for them to be a couple (way) in the future. I feel really bad for Tall Pine, he is so protective of his sisters, and just wants to look out for Spotted Owl, but she pushes him away. The cat on the cover is actually not Sharp, it is just my profile pic.
- A Warrior At Heart