Chapter 24
"Fallen Whispers."
2/18/17 - 2/19/17
Just when the snow melts, more snow falls and blankets the forest in white. In early November, ThunderClan hasn't had any difficulties with WindClan since Maplepaw returned. Littlefalcon suspects that they didn't want to admit their mistake of leaving their prisoner unguarded.
Her brothers were pleased to have their sister back with them. Littlefalcon noticed that Finchblaze was more than pleased to have her back, and whatever tension between them was slowly melting away.
"More snow!"
Petalkit scoops up a paw full of snow and smashes it on the back of Mistkit's neck. Mistkit yowls and shudders at the cold sensation on her neck.
"You're gonna pay for that!"
Mistkit chases Petalkit around the camp while avoiding the warriors' paws. Snowkit hangs back and watches them play.
"Snowkit?"
The white she cat looks at Rosefoot searching the camp for her, her paws touching the snow with uncertainty.
"I'm here, mom." She says quietly. Rosefoot looks in her direction.
"Thank StarClan. This snow is not doing me any justice, I can barely see my paws in this stuff."
Snowkit knows of her mother's powers to see using the vibrations from the ground, every paw step she can see, but apparently it has its limits.
"Why're you sticking around? You should play with Berrykit or Featherkit, maybe you can keep Petalkit out of trouble."
"...I don't want to."
"Why not?"
Snowkit lowers her gaze. "I just don't want to."
Rosefoot's green eyes bore into her pelt. Snowkit feels her fur crawl. "... I'm too small. I don't…"
Snowkit expected Rosefoot to reprimand her, but Rosefoot gently touches her nose on Snowkit's small head.
"I get it, snowball. I was the smallest kit in the nursery, too."
Rosefoot licks Snowkit's ears and goes back inside the nursery.
"Snowpelt!"
Snowkit sees Featherkit and Berrykit holding Petalkit down with her back on the snow covered ground.
"Help me, Snowpelt!" She cries out.
The white she cat rolls her eyes and pads toward the group to help her sister.
Pinekit wakes up from her evening nap and exits the nursery, she sees Hawkpaw and Lionfang pushing through the thorn barrier.
Lionfang is carrying a chaffinch and Hawkpaw carries a vole. Pinekit made sure Mistkit was nowhere in sight, and makes her way to Hawkpaw.
"That's a nice vole, Hawkpaw."
The dark brown tabby tom places the vole on the fresh kill pile.
"Lionfang said it's the best we can do."
Pinekit touches Hawkpaw's shoulder with her nose.
"You'll find a nice, big rabbit like last time. I know you will."
"Thanks, Pinekit. But with all the snow and the rogues stealing our prey, we're in big trouble."
Hawkpaw lightly touches Pinekit's shoulder with his tail tip and pads away. Pinekit frowns, sensing Hawkpaw's disappointment. The red brown she cat' ear twitches and glances toward the thorn barrier intently.
Littlefalcon watches Thistlepaw through the ferns two fox lengths behind him. Thistlepaw is growing into a big, well muscled tom with broad shoulders. Hawkpaw and him were almost identical if not for their eyes.
Thistlepaw slowly stalks forward with quiet grace, as he approaches the unsuspecting white rabbit.
Just a little closer. You're doing great.
Thistlepaw crouches low, and leaps from his spot and pins the rabbit down. He delivers a fierce bite to its neck, killing it. Littlefalcon steps out of the ferns as Thistlepaw grasps his jaws on the rabbit's neck.
"That was a clean catch, Thistlepaw. Good job!"
"Mrrph mrrrmrrph!"
Littlefalcon frowns. "Didn't Daisyleaf tell you not to talk with your mouth full?"
Thistlepaw places the rabbit down. "You think this will help the elders and queens?"
"Yes. Even though some of the prey are refusing to cooperate, we need all the food we can get."
Thistlepaw grabs his rabbit and follows Littlefalcon back to camp when Oakstorm almost barrels him down. Lightstripe and Whisperclaw hastily left the barrier, Oakstorm dips his head to Littlefalcon.
"S-Sorry." He stammers. "Have you seen Pinekit anywhere?"
"Isn't she playing with Mistkit?" Littlefalcon suggests.
"Mistkit hasn't seen Pinekit." Oakstorm replies. "Graystream already told Darkstar, I don't want to think that she left camp, but-."
"Oakstorm!"
The reddish brown tom looks at Whisperclaw and twitches his tail.
"I have to go - please keep an eye out for Pinekit!"
Oakstorm races after the two she cats. Thistlepaw looks at Littlefalcon with concern.
"Put the rabbit in the pile and we'll look for Pinekit." He instructs him.
Little Pinekit unknowingly made her way to the stream separating her territory from ShadowClan. Pinekit turns around and returns to the Ancient Oak when she comes sees a large group of ragged, skinny cats placing dead mice and shrews in their own fresh kill pile.
"Good job, everyone." Ringo addresses the cats. "Take what you've caught and head back to the barn."
Each of the cats grab a piece of prey and move out. Pinekit wrinkles her nose at the stench radiating off of the strangers, she flicks her tail and pads around the tree to avoid detection.
Ringo's nose picks up a strong whiff of milk and looks in the direction of the bushes. Ringo pads into the bushes and sees two pairs of tiny ears many fox lengths away. The ring tailed tom narrows his yellow eyes and slowly stalks the kit.
Littlefalcon and Thistlepaw group with Oakstorm, Whisperclaw and Lightstripe to find the missing Pinekit. He hears rustling from the bushes and sees Pinekit stepping out.
"Pinekit!" Oakstorm rushes to her and cuffs her ears before nuzzling her head.
"You're in a lot of trouble! Half of ThunderClan is searching for you!"
Pinekit blinks as if she has trouble believing it.
"Really? I couldn't smell anything except for those stinky cats."
"What stinky cats?" Asks Lightstripe.
"The ones near the big tree. They took a lot of prey with them, which explains why I couldn't find a thing!"
Lightstripe growls. "The rogues."
The bushes rustle again as Ringo strides out and looks at the patrol. He zeroes in on Littlefalcon, and curls his lip into a cruel smile.
"Hello, runt. How nice to see you again."
Oakstorm bristles with fury and pushes Pinekit behind him. Lightstripe stands by Littlefalcon as he becomes overwhelmed with fear.
Ringo purrs. "It seems as though we have company… I was hoping we could be alone, and have a chat. Tom to...kit."
Whisperclaw nudges Oakstorm. "Take Pinekit and go back home, and bring reinforcements."
Oakstorm nods before picking up Pinekit and racing back to camp. Ringo strides toward Littlefalcon with a waving tail.
"I heard that you invited two rogues to your little group not too long ago."
Ringo's eyes became unnaturally venomous. "They wouldn't happen to be Moon and Raccoon, would it?"
"What makes you think we have rogues with us?" Lightstripe growls.
"I wasn't talking to you." Ringo is barely near Littlefalcon's face, but he can still smell his breath from a fox length away.
"Bring Moon and Raccoon to me. Bring me my kits!"
Littlefalcon feels his fear sneaking out into his fur and bristling himself to look twice his size.
"If they left you, then you have no authority over them." He said quietly.
It happened quick. Ringo lunges forward with his claws out, and Whisperclaw pushes Littlefalcon out of the way as Ringo's claws sink into her neck.
"No! Mother!" Littlefalcon shrieks. Ringo smirks and starts tearing his claws into Whisperclaws neck and sides before Lightstripe dives into him and meets with with claws and teeth.
Littlefalcon rushes to Whisperclaw and licks the blood off her fur.
"Mom. Mom, please stay with me!"
The dark grey she cat's blood pour out into the white snow. Her green eyes glazed over and her paws stop twitching.
"This is the beginning!"
Littlefalcon sees Ringo pinning down Lightstripe with two paws, his eyes maliciously gleaming.
"First it's your mom, then it's your kits, if you have any! All of your kin will suffer for crossing with me!"
Reinforcements arrive in the form of Cloudwind, Windstorm, Blazefrost and Finchblaze. Windstorm lunged at Ringo, Lightstripe lies on the ground, unmoving. Windstorm scores his claws on Ringo's side before sending him running.
Darkstar looks at Littlefalcon as the black and white tom continues to lick the blood from Whisperclaw's fur. Finchblaze stares at Whisperclaw in horror.
"Littlefalcon." Cloudwind nudged him away. "She's gone."
"No, she's not!" Finchblaze snarls. He looks at his mother's body as tears swell in his green eyes. "She's...not…"
Darkstar remains stone faced as he looks at Windstorm and Cloudwind.
"Take Whisperclaw to camp, Finchblaze-."
"No!" Finchblaze hisses. "I'll carry her - alone if I have to!"
The ThunderClan leader doesn't reprimand his nephew for his attitude, he nods and goes to Lightstripe to carry him. Littlefalcon pads to Finchblaze and edges his nose underneath Whisperclaw's body and lifts her on his back.
Finchblaze stares at Littlefalcon and nods before carrying Whisperclaw's haunches to help Littlefalcon support her.
Littlefalcon and Finchblaze carry Whisperclaw's body back to camp with Darkstar, Cloudwind and Windstorm carrying Lightstripe.
Ivyheart was talking to Tigerflame when she sees Littlefalcon and Finchblaze. Tigerflame follows her gaze and sees them placing Whisperclaw down on the ground.
"Oh, Tigerflame-." Ivyheart watches Tigerflame race toward his two sons and looks down on Whisperclaw.
"What…happened?"
"Ringo killed her." Littlefalcon says softly. "I'm sorry, Dad, I-."
Littlefalcon cuts himself off seeing Tigerflame crouch down to Whisperclaw and press his muzzle into her side, muffling his cries. Littlefalcon feels shame, but it is replaced by anger he feels towards Ringo.
A monster like that doesn't deserve to live.
A vigil was held for Whisperclaw. Flameclaw, her former mentor, watches Gingershine and Volefang carry her out with sorrow. Tigerflame was but a statue of his former self, no one approached him without being sent back by his seething, amber gaze.
Ivyheart brushes muzzles with Littlefalcon to comfort him.
Finchblaze left the camp during Whisperclaw's vigil and rakes his claws into a tree bark, his claws were bleeding slightly from the blunt force he deals with each blow.
"Finchblaze?"
The dark ginger tom froze in mid swipe, and looks over his shoulder to see Maplepaw slowly padding towards him, her golden eyes gleaming in the night.
"What are you doing out of camp?" He ask her, growling.
"What about you - your claws are bleeding!"
Finchblaze licks his claws to clean the blood off.
"It's nothing."
Maplepaw snorts. "Yeah, right. You're going to get your claws infected."
Finchblaze bristles his fur. "My mother died today! Infected claws is hardly worth caring about!"
"I mean, your mother is still breathing - mine is just buried underground! So don't tell me you understand how I feel! I didn't speak to her since I was made an apprentice and a warrior!"
Maplepaw briefly touches her nose on cheek as tears pour from Finchblaze's eyes.
"Even so, you still need someone to talk to."
Finchblaze blinks the tears away, and bows his head. Maplepaw sits next to him as he slowly crouches down and cries on the ground.
"Littlefalcon?"
The black and white tom glances over to Ivyheart after the vigil is over.
"Are you okay?" Ivyheart blinks scoffs at herself. "That was a mouse brained question…"
"... It's okay, Ivyheart."
The brown she cat scoots closer to Littlefalcon.
"I lost Jaystripe when I was just a kit. I barely remember her, but you lost Whisperclaw."
Ivyheart entwines her tail with Littlefalcon's. "I'm right here for you."
"I know." Littlefalcon says.
Darkstar stalks around his den as Hailstone pads in.
"Darkstar, you need to rest."
"Yes, rest is what I need." Darkstar said sarcastically. "I mean, I just buried my sister who was murdered by a stupid rogue - who cares about that?!"
Hailstone deliberately steps in Darkstar's way. "Seriously. As your medicine cat, you need to get some sleep before you make a rut in the ground."
Darkstar bares his fangs and glares at Hailstone.
"I want retribution! That rogue - Ringo - is a menace to my Clan! My sister is dead! My brother is unconscious and he's laughing in my face!"
"It's not just you. Ringo is going after Littlefalcon."
Darkstar stares at the grey speckled tom. "How?"
Hailstone makes Darkstar lay in his nest before explaining to him.
"Moon told me everything after she saw Lightstripe. She's his daughter as well as Raccoon's, both of them are from different litters. Moon said that back in the city, the last cat to humiliate Ringo ended up with him and his entire family dead. His mother, brothers, and ultimately the cat died under Ringo's claws."
"... You're saying that Ringo is trying to kill us off? Just because his pride is wounded?"
Hailstone nods. "Moon even said he made her watch him, as he forced the cat to watch his youngest brother die while his gang held the poor tom back. He's not stopping until all of Littlefalcon's kin are dead before finishing him off himself."
Darkstar narrows his eyes. "If he thinks he can kill us, he's never been up against a Clan before. From now on, I want two guards for Littlefalcon and Finchblaze just in case. Everyone needs to stay alert and away from the Ancient Oak if they can help it."
"What about Ivyheart? She's expecting Littlefalcon's kits."
"Does Ringo know that?"
Hailstone shook his head.
"Good." Darkstar grunts. "When is she due?"
"Duskpaw and I concluded that she will deliver her kits in a couple of weeks. Maybe two or three weeks."
Darkstar nods. "Tell her she might have to move into the nursery as she gets closer to giving birth. I don't want to have another Rosefoot incident as long as that psycho cat is loose."
Hailstone is secretly relieved that Darkstar cooled down to think straight. He dips his head to Darkstar.
"Very well, Darkstar."
Hailstone turns to leave when Darkstar calls his name.
"Could you check on Tigerflame and bring him to me?"
Hailstone nods and leaves the den. Darkstar feels whiskers touch his cheek, and a familiar scent that sends him back to his nursery days.
"Please tell me she's with you." He glances to see Stealthfire herself. The golden she cat's fur coat is covered in stars and is transparent.
"Whisperclaw is safe now. She's frightened, but she'll adjust."
Darkstar looks at Stealthfire with sadness in his eyes. "What is going on, Mom? How did we get to this?"
Stealthfire crouches down near his nest.
"I don't know. The StarClan cats won't tell me, I don't think they ever will tell me anything."
"Please tell me you're joking."
"You need to remember that I was a human - Twoleg in a previous life. Twolegs have caused so much trouble for the Clans before we were even thought of, so I kind of understand their unwillingness to trust me."
Darkstar remains silent. Stealthfire blinks her sunset yellow eyes on the stray tear on Darkstar's face.
"I'm scared… My kin is being threatened by this mad cat and I don't know if I can protect them. I already failed Whisperclaw…"
Stealthfire presses her nose on Darkstar's forehead. "You can't protect everyone, Darkstar. Nobody is asking you to be perfect, all you can do is do your best."
"... Besides. I certainly don't blame you for my death."
Darkstar instantly wishes he was a kit again. Resting on Stealthfire's belly and playing with his littermates - and yes, even dealing with the once stuck up Goldheart.
"... Tell Whisperclaw that I'm sorry. And look after Littlefalcon."
"I already am." Stealthfire told him, smiling at the surprise on his face. "I'm always watching over my grandchildren, you're just not paying attention at the small details."
Stealthfire slowly vanishes from Darkstar's den. He looks at the entrance and sees Tigerflame approaching him. The dark brown tabby tom looks disheveled, his pelt is ungroomed and his eyes were stone cold.
"You wanted to see me?"
Darkstar beckons Tigerflame closer. Tigerflame's cold eyes became soft and sad.
"I know. I miss her, too." Darkstar said to his deputy. Tigerflame leans on his nest and quietly cries his grief. Darkstar could only trust that Ringo will be killed and that his Clan will feel safe once more.
Or at least until another prophecy comes up.