Sup.

Recap: Brightheart, Ferncloud, Firestar, and Squirrelflight talk about something they did because they were desperate to keep the legacy of the Clans alive. They look down at the Earth and watch as Ross ascends the mountain. Later, Nightfall wakes up, sore from her fight. Ross comes over with breakfast, and she asks him what happened. He says that Vivi and Ruby took Tawnypelt back to the band and that he stayed there with her to make sure she'd be alright. Nightfall tells him that WindClan is nearby and they make their way to their camp. The two are greeted with suspicion, but Nightfall tells them what happened to Tawnypelt, and she introduces Ross as a loner who's been living in the mountains his whole life. Onestar believes that they need to go rescue Tawnypelt, as WindClan owes its life to her, but everyone protests and says it's too dangerous. Irritated, Onestar stalks off, only to be found missing later in the night.

Chapter 35

Scared

Within two minutes, everyone had been startled awake, their eyes wide with fear and anxiety as they all wildly looked about, conversing with each other in disbelief. I remember that I'd been curled up beside Ross, sleeping beneath a tree when the deputy's yowl had suddenly awoke us.

Exchanging a quick glance with the tom, I leapt to my paws, shaking my fur. It was dark and cloudy and hard to make out any specific shapes, but eyes were flashing all around me as the air filled with confusion.

I ran over to Ashfoot, wincing slightly from my wounds, Ross right behind me. Nightcloud was already talking with her, the black she-cat's eyes narrowed to slits and her fur puffed out.

"What's going on?" she demanded. "Are you sure he's gone? Maybe he went to go make dirt?"

"I told you, he's gone," Ashfoot hissed, apparently having lost patience with the warrior. "About an hour ago, I saw him leave. I didn't think it was strange, but when he didn't come back, I began to worry. I followed his scent for quite a ways until I realized that he was heading down the mountain, straight towards the lake."

"Oh, StarClan," breathed the old elder, Morningflower, her thin, frail body trembling slightly. "Onestar went back to challenge the rogues!"

"Idiot," murmured Tornear, shaking his head. "What does he think he's doing? He's going to be killed!"

"How dare you talk about your leader like that," snapped Ashfoot, irritated. She quickly turned away, looking about as everyone began to crowd around, confused and scared.

"What are we going to do?" called out Whitetail.

"We can't possibly go back!"

"What if-"

"Silence!" ordered the deputy, lashing her tail. "We all need to calm down-"

"Says the one who just shrieked as if she was being murdered," muttered Tornear, obviously not completely to himself. Ashfoot pulled back her lips.

"I was in a shock," she hissed, eyes flashing. "Now keep quiet." She looked about, brow furrowed in concentration. "We can't all go after him," she said. "We're not prepared. I will arrange a small group to lead down towards the lake. The purpose of this is to catch up with Onestar before he gets to the band, not to initiate a fight with the rogues. We need to move quickly, because he could very well be on his way as we speak." She scanned the crowd, which was beginning to quiet down, a bit. She held up her head and lashed her tail; "Crowfeather, you will come with me, and-"

"Me and Nightfall will go," a low voice beside me suddenly said; Ross. I looked at him quickly; what was he doing? He caught my gaze, and his eyes gleamed.

Ashfoot turned to him, obviously hesitant. "Why should you two go?" she challenged. "The matter is hardly any concern of yours."

"...In case we do get to the band," I murmured, "I want to be there for Tawnypelt. She's shown me this place and convinced Onestar to take me in. I'm grateful to her for what she's done and I will be prepared to fight for her if I need to." I wasn't exactly sure what I was saying when it suddenly hit me. We were going to the band. And it was Ross's intention all along. I felt my heart skip a beat before pricking my ears, looking at the deputy and partially hoping that she'd refuse.

She didn't.

"Very well," she murmured. "In that case, Crowfeather, Nightfall, and Ross will accompany me. While I'd prefer it that Barkface come with me, he needs to stay here in case of an emergency, being our only medicine cat." The medicine cat bowed his head a bit, flicking his stubby tail. "Webfoot, I trust you to take care of the Clan until we're back. If all goes well, then we won't have to even step foot into the territory of that accursed band." A few cats nodded, murmuring in agreement. I glanced over at Crowfeather, who was standing several taillengths away; his eyes were suddenly gleaming intensely, and it occurred to me that this might end up being a chance that he'd see the she-cat he was in love with. The ThunderClan prisoner.

"Now, then," called Ashfoot. "We have to go, now. And we must move quickly if we hope to catch up with Onestar." She spoke a few words to Webfoot and Barkface, and after a moment, she flicked her tail; "Let's go."

Without another the word, the deputy swiftly turned and began briskly trotting out of camp. Me and Ross glanced at each other, and I looked over at Crowfeather. He had a small frown on his face as he stared at me, and I could tell just what it was he was thinking. I smiled faintly.

We began chasing after Ashfoot down the rocky path, darkness all around us. The clouds had actually begun to thin and float away, and the moon was now shining brightly, providing us with a dull silver glow. When I looked out into the distance, I could faintly see the lands beyond this mountain- I could even see a tiny glimpse of the lake, I thought.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" came a soft voice beside me; I turned to see Ross. He came up right against me, our pelts brushing together and our faces close as I looked at him. "Are you still sore?"

I snorted lightly. "You were the one who signed me up for this," I pointed out. "Why are you so eager to go back to the band?"

"I'm doing it for you," he murmured, looking in front of him as we quickly trotted down the jagged stones. "You were bound to go back to the band at some point. Maybe it will be a bit easier if I'm here."

"Don't flatter yourself," I muttered, but I quickly grinned to let him know I was joking. "You're right, though. As much part of me never wants to go back again, I know I have to. I need to set things straight with Dire."

Ross didn't reply. He had a small frown on his face, now, and he wasn't looking at me. I blinked, nudging him lightly.

"Ross?"

"Nothing," he quickly muttered. "And anyway, I need to go back, too. I... need to take care of the prisoners."

I looked at him curiously. "The ThunderClan prisoners? And Tawnypelt? Why are you suddenly so interested in protecting them?"

He seemed hesitant to answer the question, but finally mumbled, "I know how important they all are to you. I felt that I should help them." I looked at him, honestly not able to tell if he was telling the truth. But I didn't question him. He glanced at me and smiled slightly. I smiled back, licking his cheek before dashing off in front of him to catch up with Crowfeather. Ross followed close behind.

.r.o.s.s.

In the midst of the forest, in the darkness and through the trees, was a cat. Standing tall, dark brown fur groomed neatly, his narrowed amber eyes blinked slowly as he contemplated. He was alone in a clearing, small patches of dirt surrounding him and little bundles of flowers laying here and there.

The burial grounds.

He was standing at the foot of one particular grave, and the cat laying beneath the dirt here had certainly caused an uproar recently. The tom flicked his tail as he thought about this cat, and this cat's death. The death that had led to the exile of one that had once been his own. Not anymore, though. No, not anymore.

He hadn't been wrong in his decision. She hadn't been loyal to the band. Not the cat that was resting in the ground, but the one that had been exiled. Night... No. He didn't even want to say her name. What good was it, uttering that word? She was gone now. And just as well. She'd turned into one of them. One of the invaders who had taken over the lake.

No, perhaps she hadn't been the one that had killed the cat laying beneath his very paws. But she could have very well been, after everything that had happened as of late. She had protected the survivors of the battle, the ones that he had intended to dispose of. What good were they, anyway? And why were they still here? Their little savior was long since gone.

But anyway, everyone had believed him when he'd announced that it had been her who had sliced that poor she-cat's throat. If they were that ready and willing to jump on a cat like that, even without any definite proof that it had been her, then that really said something about their attitude towards her, didn't it? She was never the most... popular in the group. Or perhaps it had just been his own influence that made them agree with him so readily? Either way, it didn't matter.

And what about Ross? His very own brother, so near and dear to him as brothers always should be? He'd been acting quite stupid that day as to speak out against him like that. "Nightfall didn't kill Scarlet." That's what he said. It was only when the dark brown tabby had asked him who did kill her that he shut up. Just like a good deputy. He was about to spill the leader's secret, and that wouldn't do. Though the band probably wouldn't have believed him anyway, it still would have been rather annoying.

The tabby tom lashed his tail, lifting his head and looking straight out into the darkness. With a flick of his ear, he said loudly, "I know you're there in the bushes. Come out."

After a few moments, there was a rustle in the undergrowth behind him, and out of the bracken stepped a white tom with a long tail and one black paw. He was hanging his head and looking down, his amber eyes blinking slowly.

The leader turned around to face him, whiskers twitching in slight irritation. "What are you doing out here, Mourn?" he demanded. "Are you by yourself?"

"I was taking a walk, Dire," Mourn replied, his voice rather empty and emotionless. His shoulders and tail were drooping tiredly. He lifted his head to look at the other tom.

Dire had certainly noticed a change in this tom ever since his sister had been banished. He never smiled anymore, and not even his pretty mate could do much to make him feel better. Dire had noticed something else about him, too- he wasn't as scared and timid as he used to be. He would stand up for himself and wouldn't be intimidated by others, anymore- even him. It was as if he just didn't care at all.

The white tom flicked his tail, glancing around. "What are you doing in the burial grounds?"

"That's none of your concern," Dire replied swiftly, not moving an inch.

"That's Scarlet's grave you're standing at."

"So it is," muttered the leader, and he added sarcastically, "I commend you for your observation skills."

"You may have the rest of the band fooled," began Mourn, narrowing his eyes, "but not me. I know that it wasn't Nightfall who killed Scarlet. I know the truth."

"Do you, now?" challenged the other, growing annoyed.

"Yes," replied the tom. "And so does Ross. I can't believe you would exile an innocent cat for your own crime-"

"My crime?" echoed Dire, raising an eyebrow. A small smirk formed on his face, intrigued. In a slightly mocking tone, he cooed, "You don't think the one responsible for poor Scarlet's death is me, do you? Ah, you're quite wrong."

Mourn was glaring at him, pulling his lips back, slightly- something that he never used to do to anyone. But he didn't do anything. He didn't even say anything. He just turned around, stalking off into the darkness, tail lashing until he disappeared.

Dire watched him go with little interest. He knew that the tom didn't believe him when he said he wasn't responsible for Scarlet's death, but he didn't really care.

And anyway, he was really only half lying.

.d.i.r.e.

"We're still on his trail," Ashfoot called back to us. "I can detect his scent."

"Why haven't we found him yet?" demanded Crowfeather uneasily. "We've been out here for hours."

Indeed, hours had passed since we had begun our descend down the mountain, and we were now trekking through the dense forest that I'd been through with Tawnypelt days earlier. The night had carried on, and it would only be an hour or two before the very first signs of sunrise. We still hadn't found Onestar, which obviously was upsetting Ashfoot, who didn't think it would take this long. There was a strange mixture of fear and excitement in the pit of my stomach, and just knowing of the possibility that we were going back to the band made my heart beat wildly. I had no idea what was going to happen with Dire, and I had no idea how well or badly it would all end. I'd just have to wait and find out.

I'd noticed that Ross had been unusually quiet- well, actually, maybe quiet was normal for him, but he was being even more quiet than normal. He had a small frown on his face, a strange look in his eyes. He kept looking at me, as if he wanted to tell me something, but he never did, and whenever I asked him if anything was wrong, he insisted he was fine. I tried not to think about it too much.

"StarClan, I can't believe Onestar actually took off like that," Crowfeather muttered. "He could be killed-"

"Which is why we need to hurry up," Ashfoot quickly cut in. "Come on, everyone, let's move faster." She raised her speed, and we followed after, dashing through the undergrowth and past the trees, owls hooting around us. It was hard to see, and I almost tripped several times. I prayed that Ashfoot knew where she was going, because though I'd been here before, it was still difficult to navigate in the darkness.

I ran alongside Ross, and the WindClan tom was beside him. He kept looking at the rogue curiously, and finally said, "So, you've lived in the mountain your whole life?" I could sense some doubt in his voice, and I glanced over at them, saying nothing.

"Yes," he murmured. "I lived with my mother, but she became ill. I cared for her until she passed away."

I raised an eyebrow, but he avoided my gaze.

"I've lived alone ever since," he continued. "I've been doing fine."

"I see," Crowfeather said, tilting his head slightly. "You and Nightfall seem to know each other..."

"We only just met last night," I said nonchalantly as we ran after the frenzied deputy. I began to recognize the area, and I realized that we would be out of the woods soon and in the fields. "He helped me after the rogues attacked me and Tawnypelt. I... I owe him a lot."

Ross glanced over at me with these words, and I smiled, slightly shy before looking ahead.

Only a few moments passed until we suddenly broke out into the open, and all of us paused for a moment, panting and trying to catch our breaths. We were standing at the top of a hill. The moors stretched out before us, a marvelous silver light glowing in the air as we spotted the season's last fireflies buzzing around. It was beautiful. Not terribly far off I could finally see the lake, the moon reflecting brightly off of it, and the forests nearby. Looking far over to the right, I recognized the small hollow where the Moonpool was, and when I looked to the left, I saw that there was a barn in the distance.

"StarClan," Crowfeather panted. "Did Onestar sprint here?"

"He did have an hour head start," Ashfoot pointed out quietly. She a strange facial expression- she looked completely depressed, but also incredibly happy at the same time. I blinked, and it then occurred to me that this was the first time she'd been to the moors since they left. "There could be rogues around here," she murmured beneath her breath. "We're entering WindClan territory. We need to be careful, because none of us know what's ahead."

I swallowed before nodding briskly. This was it. We were almost there.

"You two go ahead," Ross muttered suddenly. "I need to talk to Nightfall about something. We'll catch up in just a minute." All three of us looked at him with curious faces, but the WindClanners nodded.

"Fine," Ashfoot meowed. "But we have to hurry. So make it quick." Flicking her tail to Crowfeather, she started bounding off into the tall grass. Crowfeather shot me a confused look before following after her.

I watched them go before hesitantly turning to my companion.

"Ross?" I asked quietly. "What is it? Is there something wrong?"

He turned his back to me, slowly taking a few steps away. He bent his head slightly. I looked at him, growing concerned.

"Ross-"

"I just wanted to tell you something," he murmured, so quietly I could barely hear him. I blinked softly and bounded up beside him, nudging him lightly on the shoulder. He looked down at me, a delicate frown on his face, his amber eyes glowing.

"What is it?" I asked.

He let out a quick sigh before looking up at the sky. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. You deserved better than the way I treated you for most of the time we've known each other."

"Ross, it's fine," I murmured, looking at my paws, for some reason feeling a twinge of disappointment.

But he continued.

"You're important to me. And honestly, during the last few days before you left, you were the only thing keeping me there at all. I used to be so obsessed about being like Dire and following his orders and making sure that the band was prosperous and that we got back at the Clans that took the lake from us. It's ironic," he muttered, closing his eyes and lowering his head. "You know, our band originated from the Clans. Back when they had just been formed."

"StarClan told me the same thing," I whispered. I shook my head, looking at him. "Ross, don't be so hard on yourself. You've changed."

"I wouldn't have if you hadn't been there," he muttered. "I was heading towards a place that I wouldn't have been able to get out of." Finally he lifted his head to look at me. I smiled a bit. Then, he said, "I just want you to know, that if anything happens, I won't forget you. Or what you've done for me. ...Thank you."

"You're saying that as if you're about to die," I said quietly, moving in closer beside him. I flicked my tail, and when I felt it on top of his, I kept it there.

He looked out into the distance, eyes half-closed as he twined his tail with mine. I felt my ears burn just a little. I looked at him, waiting for his response.

"I..." he began before breaking off. He let out a sigh before he got to his paws, pulling his tail away and taking a step forward. I frowned, but I stayed where I was, growing almost scared by the way he was acting. There was something wrong, but he was afraid to tell me. "...There's... There's something that I did," he muttered, ear flicking. He kept looking straight ahead, not turning back to look at me. "Something I haven't told you about." He hesitated. "Something horrible. And... and the guilt has been eating me alive ever since, because I know it's something that I can never fix."

"Ross," I breathed, running up to him. "What's going on? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I can't," he said, his voice close to a growl- though I know that he didn't mean to be aggressive. "Not right now. But... I can almost guarantee that you'll find out about it soon. And when you do, you'll probably hate me."

He turned around to face me, his eyes shining with intense emotion and sorrow. "But before you do, just know that you mean so much to me."

I stared at him, not even realizing that my legs were actually trembling. I didn't know what to do. Part of me felt happy by his words. I knew that he cared about me. But what he said also scared me. It scared me because he was scared to tell me what happened.

"Ross," I murmured, shaking my head softly. "I could never hate you. So don't say that." I walked up to him, burying my face against his fur. He nuzzled his nose against my cheek, but I could still feel that he was in pain. And I didn't know what I could do about it. So we just stayed that way for a minute, pulling ourselves closer to each other as we uttered not a word.

Soon, we were running side by side, calling out to Crowfeather and Ashfoot, who weren't too far ahead of us. They stopped, and they flicked their tails impatiently.

And a few minutes later, we took our first steps into ThunderClan territory. All of us were silent; none of us even wanted to talk. Though it had only been a little over a week since I'd been here, it felt like months. Ashfoot swallowed nervously, but she narrowed her eyes and tried to look confident. Crowfeather and I exchanged glances, and I nodded to him. He nodded back.

We saw no one as we wove our way through the trees. My heart was pounding with each step I took, but soon, I felt as Ross comfortingly twined his tail with mine, saying nothing. I managed a tiny grin.

And when we were finally standing in front of the bramble entrance of the stony camp, I briefly leaned against him, clenching my eyes shut for just a second before we walked inside.

Hoooo, so, lots to say! First of all, uh, I know I promised that this chapter would be intense, and uh, maybe it was a teeeny bit BUT, the next episode will pretty much just be an explosion of drama. I double-promise this time. (;

Yeah, at the end there they basically just teleported through ThunderClan's woods in like three seconds, but honestly I don't think anyone would have wanted to read about their whole ordeal of silently walking through the woods until they get to the camp. So yeah.

Dire's bit was really fun to write, here, by the way. (: I sort of love him in a detestable I-hate-your-guts way? But only kind of.

So, guys, guess what? There are only two chapters left of the story. Deux. Chapitres. Or, that's the plan, anyway. Things may or may not turn out that way.

Reviewers uh, get a uh, Nightcloud plushie?

One more thing, I have a new Warriors multi-chapter story up called The Sound of Snow, I would lovelovelove it if you were to check it out. :)

I love you all so much. Hang in there, because we're so close to being done.

Till next time,

Pearly (: