Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter

What will Brambleclaw say to Ivyflight?

Thank you Flamestreak64 for correcting me. Briarclaw has been changed to the correct gender now.

Chapter 37

Ivyflight thought about taking the words back and asking for forgiveness. She didn't want to bring back hard, hurtful feelings or memories. However, Brambleclaw was the only cat in camp that could be compared to Dewstep. He was a killer's son. Tigerstar, like Hollyleaf, had tried to take over the Clans. Ivyflight had to know how Squirrelflight had known to trust the dark tabby and to become mates. What made the ginger know Brambleclaw wouldn't take after his father?

"It took her a long time," Brambleclaw finally meowed. "She didn't like it when I tried to be friendly with my half-brother. She was right, but at the time I didn't know it. She finally did accept it, though."

"But how did she know she could trust you?" she asked desperately. Maybe she should have been asking Squirrelflight these questions.

"I don't know," Brambleclaw answered. "But at one point she stopped thinking about it and just did. Cats make mistakes, Ivyflight. You might think you can trust a cat one moment, but then they seem to betray you and you don't ever want to trust them again. Sometimes it's right not to, but others, that cat really is sorry."

It was odd, but Ivyflight had a feeling he was talking from experience. She felt her fur prickle uncomfortably. She didn't want to bring up a bad memory he might be having.

"Forgive, Dewstep," Brambleclaw finally meowed. "If he truly isn't meant to be here or doesn't love you, he will leave. It isn't likely he'd ever further Hollyleaf's plan. More than likely another cat will." The deputy sighed.

Ivyflight suddenly remembered that Hollyleaf had been considered his daughter for so long. Maybe Brambleclaw felt like she still was. It must have been a disappointment that Hollyleaf was willing to do what she had. Ivyflight couldn't imagine one of her kits doing that. She twitched her ears suddenly. She'd been imagining a small little gray with green eyes. The kit looked just like its father.

"Did you need to know anything else?" Brambleclaw asked.

"No," Ivyflight meowed. "I'm sorry if I offended you."

"You didn't," Brambleclaw meowed. "I think you were right to ask. Just give Dewstep another chance. I don't think he knew any better until he came here. Hollyleaf could have told him anything when he was a kit and he'd have never known the truth. Now that he's lived as one of us, he's grown attached to us and learned her lies. I'm sure he won't turn out like her."

"Thank you," Ivyflight murmured as the deputy walked away to hunt some more.

Ivyflight sighed. Now she had to go back to camp. She had to speak with Dewstep. She was still a bit uneasy that Dewstep perhaps was just like Hollyleaf, but she was willing to give him a chance. She wasn't sure she could live a life without him.

-Line-

She didn't get a chance to see him until that night. She entered the medicine cat's den. Everyone else was waiting for her.

"Here," Jayfeather meowed.

She looked down. A pile of herbs touched the tips of her toes.

"What are they?"

"Herbs for strength," Jayfeather meowed. "You don't know where you could go."

"Aren't we returning in the morning?" she asked.

Lionblaze shook his head, "No, we aren't stopping until we find him."

"If any cat asks, I'll say StarClan told you to go," Jayfeather meowed.

"Wait," Ivyflight noticed something in his words, "aren't you coming too?"

"I'm blind," Jayfeather shook his head. "I could go with you, but you'd be watching out for me all the time, not looking for Sol. I'm going to have to stay."

"Toadheart is going to stay as well," Dovetooth meowed. The black and white apprentice was sleeping. Ivyflight wondered how he could. She was too tense to do anything other than pace.

"Poppy seeds," Jayfeather meowed as if reading her mind. "We can't have him interfering. Now eat your herbs."

Ivyflight obeyed.

Dewstep opened his eyes. Ivyflight was surprised. She'd thought he was sleeping. He watched her for a bit then closed them again with a sigh. Ivyflight suddenly worried what he thought of her. How she'd acted toward him. She was going to assure him she hadn't given up on him, but just then Lionblaze meowed, "Let's go before the guard gets suspicious."

Dovetooth was in Ivyflight's way. She couldn't get to Dewstep to lick his head or give him any sign she still loved him. Lionblaze, too, was crowding her out.

Ivyflight turned and led the way outside. Tonight, Briarclaw was the guard. Ivyflight wasn't certain they could get around her, but Dovetooth strolled up to her and started a conversation. Lionblaze quickly made for the tunnel. Ivyflight hurried after. She didn't know if they'd gotten away.

Lionblaze led her into the forest until they got far away from the camp. There they waited for Dovetooth.

"Does she know where we are?" Ivyflight asked.

Lionblaze nodded.

They waited in silence after that. The cold leaf-fall air was starting to show their breath.

Finally Dovetooth showed. She looked like a warrior of StarClan. Her fur glowed under the large moon. Ivyflight suddenly worried their group would be spotted by Sol or other cats.

"Now we need to find Sol," Lionblaze meowed. "Any ideas?"

Ivyflight did wonder how they'd find him. The land around the lakes was a big area and it would be dangerous to trespass into another Clan's territory. Sol could be anywhere. Why had they thought they could do this?

Dovetooth thought about Lionblaze's question. She thought of Sol and what he'd like to do after he entered the territory. He probably would contact a cat first to see what was going on. With the picture of Sol firmly in her head, Dovetooth felt the tugging. It was deep inside her and it almost startled her, but she could remember feeling this way before. When she went hunting. She'd usually find prey when other cats couldn't. She trusted this feeling now.

"This way," Dovetooth meowed and turned to face the lake.

Lionblaze and Ivyflight shared a look. How could Dovetooth know where to go? But the two followed her anyway. They didn't have any ideas.

Thanks to the voters who had Dovetooth's power be to find anything she wants how ever far away it is.

2015 edit (sorry for spoilers): Until I read Omen of the Stars I didn't realize Squirrelfight and Brambleclaw had stopped being mates. Obviously Brambleclaw felt betrayed that his kits weren't his, but I never thought they'd break up over it. By rereading the first part of this chapter, I could suddenly see how Brambleclaw saying cats should forgive each other might be his own feelings for when Squirrelflight lied to him about 'their children'. So both had to get over trust issues.

Dovetooth's powers. Well, they were chosen by my readers. Granted, I randomly chose for one of the she-cats to have the powers, but it's still funny that Dovewing from the actual series is the one who got the power. Another oddity is that both of their powers are so similar. To clarify, in this story, Dovetooth's power is to find anything she wants to find, no matter how far away it is. So hunting isn't too big of a problem for her, she'll find prey no matter what. It may not be super-senses, but it is still very awesome.