Chapter 23

"Itchy." Mottleddusk mewed, scratching behind his ear.

Buzzardpaw dipped a thin stick in the mouse bile Speckledlight gave him earlier, smearing the putrid pulp behind the tom's ear. Buzzardpaw wrinkled his nose at the smell, closing his eyes. Russetprowl wasn't kidding when he said I would be tending to the elders for the rest of my days, I've been in here every day for the past moon! Plucking the dislodged tick from behind Mottledsusk's ear, Buzzardpaw crushed it under his paw, thinking about his training earlier. Russetprowl was still upset with him for running away that night, but was slowly getting over it. He grabbed the stick again, dabbing o more bile to tend to Elkpool.

"It's fine, Buzzardpaw, you removed all my ticks yesterday." Buzzardpaw nodded, preparing to leave, but stopped when the she-cat kept talking. "Come, why don't you sit with us for a while? How was training today?"

"It was alright." Buzzardpaw mewed, pausing for a moment. "I think Russetprowl is still mad at me for running away."

"What?" Elkpool mewed.

"I think Russetprowl is still upset that I ran away." Buzzardpaw said, louder this time.

The brown she-cat blinked sympathetically, her whiskers twitching. "Oh, I'm sure he's gotten over that. He just wants you to make up with your father."

Buzzardpaw grunted, rolling his eyes. He still refused to forgive Goldenstar, turning his head away or ignoring his father whenever he tried to make small talk. Goldenstar would always greet him after training, complimenting his catches or praising his fighting skills, but Buzzardpaw was still unmoved. Fawnleap tried scolding him about it, and he simply ignored her as well. "I don't want to forgive him."

"Well why not?" Elkpool mewed, her head tilting. "His relationship with Mousestar was a surprise to ThunderClan as well, and we've forgiven him."

"It's not the same. He didn't hide kin from you, just a secret. If he would have just told me before, I wouldn't be mad at him right now."

Elkpool purred, a small, raspy sound. "You know who you remind me of? Your grandfather, Antlerstar. He was stubborn too, you know."

"What?" Mottleddusk mewed, rather loudly.

"I said, he reminds me of Antlerstar!"

Mottleddusk scoffed next to her, shaking his head. "No, he's more like his great uncle, Moosestar. Now that was a stubborn cat."

Elkpool hummed. "I wouldn't really call Moosestar stubborn, he was just very persistent. If that Moosestar had an idea, you bet StarClan he would stick with it." She flashed an amused look at Buzzardpaw. "Now that I think about it, you are very much like that. You just happen to be persistent with not forgiving your parents." The two elders grew silent, a wistful look in their eyes.

Buzzardpaw looked down at his paws. Moosestar was rarely talked about in the clan, for reasons Buzzardpaw didn't know about. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. "What happened to Moosestar, anyways? All I know is that he died young, but why does no cat talk about him?"

The two elders were quiet for a heartbeat longer, seeming hesitant. After a while, finally Mottleddusk began to speak. "You know about The Great Crack, the deep chasm that wraps around ThunderClan and ShadowClan, right?" Buzzardpaw nodded. "Well, it wasn't always there. The Great Crack used to be a lush forest, so thick that no cat could claim it as territory." The gray tom paused, his voice quieter. "One day, only a quarter moon after Moosestar received his nine lives, Moosestar decided that he wanted to investigate the area, to see if ThunderClan could claim some of it. He brought a small patrol along with him; himself, Elkpool, Antlerstar - who was Antlerstrike at the time - and I. I thought it would be a good idea if we split into two groups, with Elkpool and I exploring one part, and he and Antlerstar exploring another." Mottleddusk's eyes clouded, and Elkpool ran her tail along his spine comfortingly. "It happened so quickly, the ground started to shake violently and the Earth itself began to break apart. Deep cracks formed in the ground, the sound was deafening… that's why Elkpool and I are hard of hearing now. Antlerstar almost lost his hearing completely, thank StarClan he didn't. After the world stopped trembling, Elkpool and I ran through the debris in search of Moosestar and Antlerstar. We were too late. The Great Crack swallowed Moosestar whole, and killed him way before his time. The trench is so deep, he couldn't find his way to StarClan for seasons." Mottleddusk's voice cracked, and his eyes welled with tears. "If we hadnt split up, if I hadnt suggested it like a stupid mouse brain, I could have saved him. Moosestar would be here today. He died so young…"

Elkpool blinked at him, her eyes cloudy as well. "Don't blame yourself, Mottleddusk. You know what blame did to Antlerstar, how it infected his mind. There was nothing we could do, not even StarClan could have predicted The Great Crack happening." The she-cat sighed, turning her gaze to Buzzardpaw. "Moosestar's death is a touchy subject for many cats in the clan, especially those that were alive during his short leadership. His death greatly affected his brother, and Antlerstar descended into a deep depression, losing faith in StarClan, his family, himself. Moosestar's death brought suffering and sadness to every cat in the clan, especially to Antlerstar and his son." She paused, a wise look in her eyes. "Goldenstar has brought better times to ThunderClan, he rebuilt us from dust and made us strong again. We were quick to forgive him because we know he's been through a lot, he's going through a lot. What I'm saying, Buzzardpaw, is that life is short. Goldenstar is still relatively young - StarClan forbid he dies anytime soon - and you two have many, many, many season's to spend together, but you don't want to look back when you're a warrior and regret the moons you spent ignoring him. Goldenstar was neglected by his father, so family and clanship are one of the most important things to him, which is why he lied so long to protect us. He may put on a brave face now, but trust me Buzzardpaw, you're really hurting him." She sighed. "What he did wasn't right, I know, and I'm not blaming you for it at all, I just think that you need to see things from his perspective. He only wants the best for us, for you."

Buzzardpaw remained quiet, looking down at his bile stained paws. I didn't know that about Moosestar, about dad. Our clan has been through a lot, and Goldenstar's treason has only added to our suffering, yet they still forgave him. He lifted his head to gaze into Mottleddusk's sad amber eyes. Am I wrong for not doing so as well? He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to come face to face with Speckledlight, her jaws stuffed with herbs. "Have you finished removing the elder's ticks?" She mumbled around the leaves.

Buzzardpaw nodded, standing to his paws. "Mottleddusk and Elkpool were telling me a story."

The medine cat smiled, placing the herbs down. "Well, isn't that nice! I brought your herbs for your cough, but you can just eat them later."

Buzzardpaw looked down at the leaves, recognizing catmint, tansy, chickweed and a thick poultice spread on a leaf. Bright eye and lovage, with honey smeared on top. Buzzardpaw was given this mixture of herbs every other sunrise, usually right before he started training. Speckledlight had made up this concoction herself in an attempt to soothe his athema. 'It won't cure your cough completely, my mentor has dealt with this before, but taking it every other sunrise will help with your wheezing and short breath. Just make sure you eat it!' She had said a quarter moon ago, after Buzzardpaw experienced another coughing fit outside of her den. He remembered Goldenstar and Fawnleap bursting in, their eyes filled with worry, and turning his head away to ignore them. Buzzardpaw felt a twinge of regret in his chest. They were just worried about me… StarClan I'm such a jerk. Grabbing his herbs, Buzzardpaw mewed a farewell to the elders, heading to a secluded corner of camp to eat his medicine. Gulping down the icky plants, Buzzardpaw licked his jaws, and looked around the busy camp.

The clan had rebuilt after the heavy rains half a moon ago, only a few dens needing to be patched up or replaced with new materials. It's a wonder how our camp didn't flood, Buzzardpaw thought, seeing that we live in a gorge and all. I know that ShadowClan isn't doing too well. ShadowClan's thick, pine and moss floor didn't do a good job with absorbing the rainwater, leading to the marsh flooding and devastating their camp. Goldenstar offered to help, but was promptly sent away by their new leader, Flamestar. Buzzardpaw hummed, licking up his herb poultice. I can't blame them for chasing him away, he's already done enough to their clan. As the setting sun began to fill the camp with an orange light, Buzzardpaw rolled onto his back, closing his eyes to soak in the last rays. He opened them as he heard a rustling coming from the thorn barrier.

Dragonflywing emerged through moments later, poking his head in and out of the camp. Buzzardpaw narrowed his eyes, rolling back onto his belly. The warrior was more cautious around him after their "game" with Darkendstreak, his teasing only a few snide remarks or an "accidental" bump on the shoulder. Buzzardpaw grunted, his tail lashing back and forth. He remembered Dragonflywing's comment about Pitch, and even caught the warrior visiting the barn once. Buzzardpaw remembered hiding behind a bush with Orion, who commented that Dragonflywing visited the barn quite often. I don't know what he's up to, but I don't like it. Dragonflywing caught his eye and glared, ducking back out of the camp. Shrugging, Buzzardpaw rolled back onto his back, exposing his belly to the dying sun.

Suddenly feeling something touching his tail, Buzzardpaw opened his eyes to see Springkit prodding him with her paw, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. Realizing that he saw her, the she-kit leapt onto the apprentice's belly, knocking the wind out of him. Gunting, Buzzardpaw lightly pushed her off, shaking the dust from his pelt. "You're getting heavier. Soon enough, you'll be bigger than me!"

Springkit stood on her back legs, batting at his nose playfully. "You wish! You're not even big, you're just fat!" Buzzardpaw feigned hurt, and the cream she-kit giggled. "Why were you lying like that anyways? You looked like a dead bug!"

Buzzardpaw shrugged. "The warm sun feels good on my belly, You should try it sometimes."

"And look silly? No way!" She began to bat at his leg, her small claws unsheathed. Buzzardpaw was unaffected, her claws too tiny to penetrate through his thick pelt. Springkit noticed this quickly, looking dejected. "See what I mean? You're fat!"

Buzzardpaw rolled his eyes. "It's not fat, its fluff."

"It's fat!"

"It's not."

"It is!" She poked at his belly, her paw sinking into the fur. "See! Fat!" She began to prance around, her tail high in the air. "Buzzardpaw is faaat, Buzzardpaw is faaaat, fat fat fat!"

Buzzardpaw cuffed her over the ears, making her giggle and squeal. She scampered away, dashing back to tackle him, but Buzzardpaw dodged. As she picked herself up from the ground, Buzzardpaw shook his head. "Where are your siblings?"

Springkit shook the sand from her pelt, her whiskers twitching. "Brindlekit is asleep, and Softkit is being boring, like always. That's all they ever do, sleep or just sit around and do nothing!"

"Well, you don't have to worry when Koipatch and Quailblink's kits arrive. Then you'll have more friends to play with." The two she-cats had moved to the nursery right before the storm had come, their bellies growing bigger and heavier with kits.

"Yeah, but mama says I have to wait until they're at least a moon old before I can play with them! I'll be four moons by then, almost a whole apprentice! I don't want to play with kittens!"

Buzzardpaw hummed, understanding. "Well, are you hungry? I was about to grab some freshkill."

Springkit shook her head. "I'm not hungry, and I don't want to eat with you! You have that stinky stuff on your paws!" Buzzardpaw looked down at his paws, realizing that they were still green with mouse bile. He sighed, knowing that he would have to wash it off if he wanted to taste his food at all. "Besides, I came out here looking for papa. Have you seen him around?"

Buzzardpaw shook his head, not knowing where the tom was either. "Sorry kit, I haven't seen him either." Just as he said this, Palecloud padded through the thorn barrier, his jaws filled with prey. Dropping his catch onto the freshkill pile, the ThunderClan deputy ran over to the two, scooping Springkit onto his back. The two bounded away, Springkit's squeals filling the camp. Watching them leave, Buzzardpaw smiled, closing his eyes.

When Buzzardpaw woke it was moonhigh, the silver moon masking the camp with a pale silver glow. Buzzardpaw lifted his head from his paws, groaning as he realized that some of the mouse bile had stuck to his face. Mouse dung! He began to scratch the clumps off with his back paw, pausing as the thorn barrier began to rustle.

Goldenstar padded through the barrier, his eyes flashing as he looked around the empty camp. Once he noticed Buzzardpaw, the ThunderClan leader paused, looking hesitant. After a few tense heartbeats Goldenstar finally approached, his whiskers twitching.

"Hello, Buzzardpaw." The massive tom mewed, his voice uncertain. Buzzardpaw gave his father a small nod, and Goldenstar, looking defeated for a heartbeat, continued. "What are you doing outside? It's late."

Buzzardpaw stared at his father, reading him. Goldenstar looked as strong and healthy as ever, but Buzzardpaw could sense a deep sadness within him. He thought back to what Elkpool said, her voice echoing in his head. 'He only wants what's best for us, for you.' I have to make up with him, but something's holding me back. Shaking his head, Buzzardpaw winced inwardly at his father's dejected expression. Stop being a jerk, Buzzardpaw. Just talk to him. Forcing the words to come out, Buzzardpaw mewed quietly, "I fell asleep by accident."

Goldenstar's eyes widened to the size of moons, as if he was surprised that he wasn't being ignored. He probably is. His mouth gaping, the ThunderClan leader began to smile, his eyes lighting up. "Oh, I'm so happy you're talking to me again. How was training today? How have you been doing? Are you hungry? Do you want some prey? We can eat together if you're hungry."

Buzzardpaw listened to his father excitedly ramble on, his mind wandering. He's so happy, I didn't realize how sad he was before. His belly began to rumble, answering his father's last question. "I am hungry, actually."

"That's great! I mean, it's not great, but I'm glad you want to eat with me."

Goldenstar stood and padded to the freshkill pile with Buzzardpaw in tow. The two toms grabbed a plump finch to share, sitting side by side. Opening his mouth to take a bite, Buzzardpaw paused as a foreign but at the same time familiar scent washed over his gland. He looked at his father, realizing the scent was coming from him. Is that…? No, it can't be. Why would he-

"Something wrong, Buzzardpaw?" Buzzardpaw was broken from his thoughts by his father's gentle mew. "You haven't taken a bite yet."

Staring at his father for a second, Buzzardpaw shook his head, taking a big bite from the juicy prey. That can't be it, I'm just confused. Rolling the meat around on his tongue, Buzzardpaw savored the taste and scooted closer to his father. I should treasure moments like these, especially since our family has a history of bad luck. He looked at Goldenstar, whose eyes were warm as he gazed back. Not saying that anything bad will happen to him, I'll protect dad with my life! Taking another bite of the prey, Buzzardpaw realized that he had not yet apologized to his father. I've been a jerk lately, and I feel bad. Letting out a long sigh, Buzzardpaw let his thoughts flow. "Goldenstar I-"

Buzzardpaw was cut off by the bramble barrier rustling violently, Dragonflywing bursting through carrying a small, furry mass in his jaws. Dropping the body, the tom's eyes flashed wildly as he yowled, "Bluebubble is dead!"

Goldenstar raced towards the warrior with Buzzardpaw hot on his heels. The apprentice's eyes widened as he looked at the gray tom, his body stiff, cold and covered in deep wounds. Goldenstar shifted the tom's head, revealing a clean cut on his throat. Lifting his head, the ThunderClan leader turned his darkened eyes towards Dragonflywing. "What happened?"

The black and white tom flattened his ears to his head. "Rogues attacked him! I heard a commotion by the WindClan border and came to see him fighting two cats… I was too late, and they roughed me up too!" Peering closer, Buzzardpaw could see a few scratches on the tom's pelt, but they definitely weren't as gruesome as Bluebubble's wounds. Looking at the warrior, Buzzardpaw felt his pelt prickle with alarm. Something's not right here…

Goldenstar's eyes flashed and his pelt began to bristle. "Rogues? But I thought they lived by WindClan! Why would they come all the way over here, just to attack my warriors?"

"I don't know!" Dragonflywing yowled, his voice lifted to the sky. "We have to do something about this Goldenstar, we cant let them get away with this!"

Buzzardpaw looked around as cats began to emerge from their dens, roused from the warrior's shouting. The bleary eyed warriors gathered around the body, their confused faces quickly turning to horrified ones. He watched as a cat pushed their way through the crowd, revealing themselves to be Cherrystrike.

"What's all of this shouting for-" The tom stopped mid-sentence as he recognized the body, immediately dropping to the ground. "Bluebubble? Bluebubble, NO!" Cherrystrike began to sob loudly, his muzzle pressed to his mate's flank. "Who did this to him?"

"Rogues!" Dragonflywing answered, his tail high in the air. "Rogues did it!"

"I'll kill them all!" Cherrystrike growled, rising to his paws. The tom's eyes were red and puffy as he whipped his head to his leader. "Goldenstar, we're going to do something about this, right?"

Goldenstar remained silent for a moment, flexing his claws. He lifted his head to address the cats around him. "The Gathering is tomorrow, I'd like to discuss with the other clans to figure out what we should do. These rogues are dangerous, and I don't want to put any of you in harm's way."

"Why can't we just attack them ourselves?" Dragonflywing growled. "They're just a group of heartless rogues, there's no way they can defeat us!" A few cats murmured their agreement, causing the warrior to puff out his chest in pride. He's too casual about this. There's something else here… Dragonflywing turned his head to lock eyes with Buzzardpaw for a moment, smirking, then turned his head away. Buzzardpaw furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"You see how brutally they've murdered Bluebubble." Goldenstar hummed, shaking his head. The ThunderClan leader looked upset, and Buzzardpaw could see that he was struggling to keep his composure in front of the clan. Poor dad, he doesnt deserve this. "This wasn't an ordinary skirmish, Dragonflywing, no, this attack seems coordinated and organized." He turned to Cherrystrike, whose tail was lashing. "Bluebubble would normally take walks alone around this time of night, yes?"

The red tom nodded, too distraught to speak.

"Then the rogues have been spying on us, somehow. How else would they know when Bluebubble would be alone, unless they've been observing the clan? They've also been terrorizing WindClan, an entire clan! These rogues are tactful and cunning, they aren't some ordinary bunch. We'll have to deal with them with caution." Buzzardpaw listened to his father speak, his eyes wide in awe. He's handling this with so much confidence… I can only wish to be like that in the future. The cats within the group began to nod, agreeing with their leader. He can change a cat's mind, just like that! Elkpool's right, Goldenstar is a great leader!

"What do you advise we do next, then?" Dragonflywing mewed lowly, seeming irritated. "Just wait for some other cat to be ambushed and killed? We'll seem weak!"

Goldenstar shook his head, locking eyes with his son. "No. We'll discuss with the other clans at the Gathering. I don't think these rogues are anything like the clans have seen before, StarClan knows what else they've done to the other clans. We should not take this lightly, we need to organize and unite." Turning his head to Dragonflywing, Goldenstar gave the warrior a stern look. "As for your original question, we'll send out extra patrols. I expect every cat to be alert. No cat - and I mean this - is allowed to go outside of camp alone." Goldenstar swept his gaze around the crowd, locking eyes with Buzzardpaw once more. "None."

Buzzardpaw blinked, taken aback. Was that last comment meant for me? He shook his head, meeting his father's gaze. Well too bad! I'm going to the barn tomorrow to get answers! Hopefully Orion will know something about this…

Goldenstar lowered his head to Bluebubble's, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Now, we sit vigil for Bluebubble and honor his life. It's tragic how it was cut short, but now he gets to hunt with his family in StarClan." The leader touched his nose to Bluebubble's head, his tail drooping. "Bluebubble was a loyal warrior, and it is only fair that we find justice for his unnecessary death. Those that wish to remain with him, feel free to do so. We will not let these rogues tear down ThunderClan!"

Palecloud nodded at his leader, stepping forward. "You've heard him, times are going to be different now. Remember, no cat is allowed out of camp without another accompanying them. I'll be sending out two dawn parols in the morning, so get some rest so we can be prepared."

The crowd began to disperse, a few cats lingering to spend a few more moments with Bluebubble. Cherrystrike sat by the tom's body, his shoulder's hunched and his eyes vacant. Buzzardpaw felt his heart swell with pity for the tom, and turned his head to his father. Goldenstar was walking besides Dragonflywing towards the leader's den, their voices too low to be deciphered, though Buzzardpaw could see the tension between them from where he stood. Buzzardpaw stared at the black and white warrior, his cocky demeanor filling Buzzardpaw with suspicion. Stalking to his den, Buzzardpaw curled into his nest, his eyes focused on Bluebubble's lifeless body. Don't worry, Bluebubble, I'll get to the bottom of this! Your death will not be in vain!

Author's Note:

Two chapters in one day! Poor Bluebubble has been killed as well! Do you think Dragonflywing had something to do with his death, or do you think he was telling the truth? Let me know in a review!

Thanks for reading!

~MeltingPopsicles