Chapter 25

Buzzardpaw rose from his nest, stretching his limbs as pale dawn light streamed through the den's entrance. Shaking the clumps of moss from his pelt, the brown apprentice padded out of the den, immediately greeted by Palecloud.

"Good morning, Buzzardpaw." The cream colored tom mewed. "I'm glad that you're awake. Russetprowl requested that you join the dawn patrol today. You'll be leaving shortly, just make sure you take your medicine first."

Nodding, Buzzardpaw sauntered towards the empty medicine den. Speckledlight had left to help WindClan right after the patrol returned from the gathering, leaving behind only a few common herbs. Buzzardpaw remembered how the patrol entered the camp, their eyes flashing fervently and their tails high in the air. It's hard to believe that the rogues attacked an entire clan, let alone actually did some damage. That just gives me more of a reason to visit the barn, I need answers. Plucking his daily concoction from the back of Speckledlight's storage, Buzzardpaw quickly gulped down the bitter herbs, then dashed out of the den. Outside he spotted Jackdawtalon, Dingomuzzle, Aloefang and Foxgrowl waiting near the entrance. Rushing towards them, Buzzardpaw fell in line behind the warriors as they walked out of camp.

The vibrant forest was abundant with wildlife, a gentle breeze carrying sweet birdsong through the trees. Buzzardpaw took in a deep breath, his nose filling with the smell of prey and shrubbery.

Aloefang had stopped next to him, taking in the scenery as well. "Greenleaf is just around the corner. Trying times are coming towards the clans, so we need to cherish little moments like these."

Jackdawtalon nodded to the she-cat, her tail-tip curling. "Maybe it's a sign from StarClan. They dont want us to give up hope."

"Yes, and they dont want us to drop our guard either." Dingomuzzle growled, continuing to walk forward. "Let's hurry and finish this patrol."

The patrol slowly made their way around the territory, remarking faded borders and keeping their ears pricked for suspicious activity. As they began to return to camp, Aloefang let out a sudden growl in frustration.

"I just don't get it! We've searched the territory high and low and havent found a single trace of rogue scent. How could they have gotten Bluebubble without leaving a scent?"

Buzzardpaw hummed, realizing how suspicious that was as well. Jackdawtalon's whiskers twitched at the she-cat's outburst. "Well…" She started, " There is one place we haven't checked."

"Where?"

"The Great Crack."

Buzzardpaw gasped at the warrior, his eyes wide. The Great Crack? Why would the rogues be around there? Dingomuzzle seemed to be asking the same thing, his eyebrows furrowed. "That's mouse brained. I'm sure the rogues are smart enough to stay away from The Great Crack."

The black she-cat stared back at the tom, her eyes bright with confidence. "They're still rogues. I'm sure they'll do anything and hide anywhere if it meant they could cause trouble."

"Do you really think the rogues would hide around The Great Crack?" Buzzardpaw questioned.

Jackdawtalon opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Dingomuzzle. "No, they wouldn't. We aren't searching near The Great Crack."

"But-"

"No! Our clan has already lost two cats to that wretched crevice and I will not be responsible for leading a patrol to their deaths." Buzzardpaw's ears perked at the tom's words. Two? Who else fell?

The two warriors were standing nose to nose now, their hackles raised as they glared at each other. Jackdawtalon bared her teeth, her eyes flashing angrily. "This patrol was ordered to search every part of the territory, not just areas that you want, Dingomuzzle. I'm not suggesting that we stick our noses right into it, I just think we should at least check the area."

"And what you think we should do is wrong."

"Our clanmate died, Dingomuzzle. Don't you care about that? Why are you so-"

"You will not accuse me of not caring!" Dingomuzzle's loud yowl startled Buzzardpaw, making him flinch back. "I am the leader of this patrol, not you. We're going back to camp and that's final."

The she-cat's mouth opened and closed a few times in shock. Unable to speak, Jackdawtalon finally stormed off, leaving the rest of the patrol behind. Buzzardpaw followed the warriors to camp silently, his ears flattened to his head. Dingomuzzle was really upset, but why? Jackdawtalon only suggested that we search around, she didnt demand it! He looked at the ruddy colored tom in front of him, who was speaking quietly with Foxgrowl. Buzzardpaw eyes Foxgrowl suspiciously, his whiskers twitching. Foxgrowl was strangely quiet throughout the whole patrol, and now he's whispering? What could they be talking about? Before he could find out, the patrol pushed through the camp's entrance, immediately greeted with the scent of fresh prey. A few warriors were dropping catches onto the freshkill pile, making Buzzardpaw's belly rumble.

Before he could reach the pile, Buzzardpaw was intercepted by his mentor. Russetprowl motioned for him to come out of camp, which Buzzardpaw obliged to. The two toms walked through the forest in silence, their pelts brushing slightly. Finally, Russetprowl stopped, his eyes gazing forwards.

Buzzardpaw looked at his mentor in confusion. "Russetprowl, why did we come here? Am I learning something new today?"

Russetprowl continued to stare, his eyes glazing slightly. After a few heartbeats of silence, the red tom spoke. "In a way, I guess you can say that." He went quiet again, turning to face his apprentice. "I'm worried, Buzzardpaw, I really am."

"What are you worried about? The clans can handle the rogues if we work together, I know we can!"

Russetprowl shook his head, his amber eyes darkening. "Naw, these rogues, they truly somethin' else. I… I think I know who they are."

Buzzardpaw stared at his mentor in shock. "What? You know who the rogues are?"

"Well, I have a hunch, that is." Russetprowl sighed, flopping to the ground. "As I'm sure you already know, I wasn't born a clan cat. I was a rogue myself, tryna survive with my brothers. One day, we came across a huge barn filled with cats like us, starvin', lonely, no purpose in life. My brother…" Russetprowl paused, his eyebrows furrowing. "He was always the ambitious type. He figured that we could lead these cats, like a big ole family. When that tom had an idea, he stuck to it, I'll tell ya that. The barn became more organized, cats viewed us like we were a godsend, mainly him. After a while, I don't know what got into him, but he started mistreatin' his cats, callin' them names, refusin' to feed 'em... Those rogues didn't like that and eventually exiled him, me and my other brother left as well because we didn't want him alone. We stumbled in and out of clan territory, chased out by all kinds of patrols, but eventually one clan took us in: ThunderClan. We settled in nicely, your grandpaw Antlerstar welcomed us. But somethin' changed in my brother… he jus' wasn't the same." Russetprowl blinked a few times and sniffed. Is he crying?! "He changed. He wasn't the cat I knew before. He became angry with everythin', vowed to destroy every cat that wronged him… He wasn't a good cat. Extremely power hungry. He wanted to take over the clans and attack the barn for revenge." A lone tear fell from the red tom's eye. "I jus' wished I realized in time, I could've guided him in the right direction… He's dead now, an' I still don't know if I'm relieved or sorry." Russetprowl sniffled again, lifting his head slightly. "Even though my brother didn't have no morals, he was definitely charmin'. She-cats flocked 'round him like flies to manure, I'll tell ya that. As a result, he had lots of kits, and I mean a bunch. A few of them live in the clans today."

Buzzardpaw perked in surprise. "There's kin of this cat in the clans today? But who?"

Russetprowl blinked at his apprentice,his whiskers drooping. As Buzzardpaw regarded at the tom, he suddenly realized how old he looked. This is really stressing him out, I feel bad for him. "I'm not too worried about the others, but there is one. Dragonflywing. I don't wanna accuse him of nothin', but the boy is so much like his father, an' not in a good way. Sometimes he comes into camp late at night, smellin' like the barn. I'll never forget that scent."

Buzzardpaw blinked in surprise. Dragonflywing is related to this evil tom? No wonder he's so suspicious! What could he be doing at the barn? "So you think he's up to something?"

Russetprowl shrugged, sighing loudly. "I don't know what goes through that tom's mind. I'm not sure if my brother told his sons about the barn, but if he did, I wouldn't be surprised if they got the wrong idea."

Buzzardpaw wondered who the other sons could be, but had another question brewing in his mind. "But if your brother hated the cats at the barn so much, who would Dragonflywing work with the rogues, instead of against them? I mean, he seems so cordial with the cats there, wouldn't he-" Buzzardpaw's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. I just told on myself! I'm such a mouse brain!

The red tom stared at his apprentice silently, his eyes dark and knowing. "So you finally admit it. To be honest with ya, I already knew that you visit the barn. I told you, I'll never forget that scent." Russsetprowl's face became stern. "Those cats are ruthless, Buzzardpaw, you know what they've done to WindClan. You're riskin' your life, an' for what?"

"To save the clans!"

"The time to save the clans will come eventually, an' everyone will come together then, not jus' one cat. We don't need spies, Buzzardpaw, we need you alive."

Buzzardpaw stared at his mentor, his eyebrows furrowing. "I will be alive! There's a cat that I'm really good friends with, he's giving me information that-"

"That we'll find out soon enough. We don't need spies," Russetprowl repeated, his eyes flashing. "We need you alive. You're too young to be throwin' your life away like this Buzzardpaw. Trust me on this one, you do not need to get involved wit' these rogues."

"But Dragonflywing-"

"Dragonflywing is a grown warrior, he makes his own decisions and he'll suffer his own concequences. You're still young, you still have hope!"

Buzzardpaw gasped in surprise. "You think... you think I'll become one of them?"

Russetprowl shook his head and sighed. "No, your heart's too pure for that. I just want you to be safe, Buzzardpaw. You don't need to carry the weight of the clans on your shoulders, we'll all share the weight equally."

"But that's the point! It won't be equal, because the rogues will keep attacking until we're dead! Why should we lie down and let them pick us off, when we can strike now and finish this?" Buzzardpaw was standing now, his pelt beginning to bristle.

"We need a strategy, Buzzardpaw. We can't just rush in there like mouse brains!"

"It doesn't take this long to create a strategy! If no cat will make a move, I will! I'll protect the clans with my life!"

"The leaders only just agreed to work together last night, what are y-"

"But-"

Russetprowl glared at his apprentice, standing to his own paws. "No, Buzzardpaw. You'll stay in camp and do your duties. You'll be made a warrior soon, you don't no distractions."

"But-"

"Ain't no buts! You'll do as I say, cus' I'm your mentor!" The red tom's eyes flashed in anger. "I aint lettin' you put yourself in danger!"

Buzzardpaw let out a loud growl in frustration and raced away from his mentor, ignoring his calls for him to come back. Too angry to focus, Buzzardpaw found himself near the tunnel that led to the barn. He paused, somewhat hesitant. Am I really being foolish? Should I just wait for the leaders to make a plan? Buzzardpaw thought about Bluebubble's lifeless body and the horrified expression on his face, filling the apprentice with newfound determination. Shaking his head to clear his doubts, Buzzardpaw raced through the dark tunnel, finally emerging from the ground.

The large barn towered in front of him, its bright red color strikingly bright as the burning sun beamed on it. Buzzardpaw stalked forward, leaping over the fence that divided him from the other cats. He was immediately greeted with a loud hiss, but the owner soon stopped as they realized who it was.

"Buzzardpaw! Hey, guys, Buzzardpaw is here!" Tom mewed. Icy immediately popped her head out of the barn, her eyes wide.

"Buzzardpaw?" As the she-cats eyes fell on him, she dashed forward, flinging herself at him. Buzzardpaw fell to the ground with a loud 'uff'. "Oh, I've missed you!" She pressed her nose to his cheek, which Buzzardpaw batted away.

"It's only been a quarter moon." He mewed, pushing her off of him. "Where's Orion?"

Icy's face immediately fell, but Tom spoke before she could. "Oh, he just went out somewhere with Flurry. They should be back soon." She began to walk towards the barn and beckoned him with her tail. "Come on! Have something to eat."

Buzzardpaw followed behind the she-cat, his whiskers twitching. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until the warm scent of mouse filled his nostrils. Leaping into a haystack, he quickly fished two plump rodents for himself, which he quickly ate. He lifted his head from the remains as a shadow fell over him.

The owner of the shadow belonged to Icy, who looked down at him with a strange look. Buzzardpaw felt his pelt prickle in unease as the she-cat continued to stare at him, her pupils narrowed to slits. After a few heartbeats of silence, Icy opened her mouth to speak. "Buzzardpaw, we have to talk."

"About?"

"Our relationship."

Buzzardpaw's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What relationship? "What do you mean?"

The she-cat's eyes flashed. "We obviously have chemistry, you can't deny that." Icy bore her teeth as she spoke, her white fangs glinting in the sun. "We're made for each other! I'm just waiting for you to finally step up."

"Step up and do what?"

"Ask me to be your mate!"

Buzzardpaw blinked, nervousness itching in his paws. Where is she getting all of this from? We're just friends! He let out a nervous laugh, which Icy didn't receive well. The she-cat unsheathed her claws, making Buzzardpaw gulp in apprehension. "I don't think-"

"Hellooooooo!" A voice called. Buzzardpaw felt himself relax as he realized who it was. Orion! "We're backkkkkkk!" The mottled tom stepped into the barn, Flurry in tow behind him. Orion noticed Buzzardpaw immediately, his yellow eyes glowing as he dashed over. "Icy! I didn't know you brought me a gift. And he's exactly my type, how'd you know?" Buzzardpaw pressed his nose to Orion's as he got close enough, ignoring the angry look he received from Icy. "Hi Buzzardpaw!"

"Hi Orion." Buzzardpaw smiled at his friend, immediately forgetting the conversation he had just had with Icy. "Where were you?"

"Oh, we were just-"

"None of your business." Flurry cut Orion off, stepping forward to stand beside him. The she-cat's single blue eye glared angrily at Buzzardpaw, which made his eyebrows furrow in confusion. What did I do? "We were out, that's all you need to know."

Orion seemed to notice his sister's curt attitude, his whiskers twitching. "Anyways, what brings you here, Buzzy? You haven't visited us in a quarter moon!"

Buzzardpaw perked, suddenly remembering why he had come. How could I forget? I came here to ask questions! "I'm here-"

"Orion? Is that you?" Buzzardpaw jumped as he heard Snowball's voice come from behind him, as he hadn't realized the tom was there the entire time. I hope he didn't hear my conversation with Icy, that's embarrassing! The snow white tom padded forwards, rubbing his head against Orion's.

Orion returned the gesture, purring. "Hello, gorgeous! Did you miss me?" Buzzardpaw felt something stir inside of him as he watched the two toms each nuzzle other, something he couldn't completely comprehend. Am I… am I jealous? Trying his hardest to push away the feeling, Buzzardpaw blinked as Orion turned to face him. "Did you say hi to Buzzardpaw?"

"Oh, hi, Buzzardpaw." Snowball gave him a sheepish smile, stepping closer to Orion.

Buzzardpaw noticed the motion but tried his hardest to ignore it, giving the tom a curt nod. "Hello."

Orion grinned, obviously not noting the tension between the two. "Anyways Buzzardpaw, you were saying?"

Buzzardpaw hummed, suddenly unsure. Should I really let all of them know what the rogues are doing? I really only came to question Orion, what if they don't receive it well? "Actually, I wanted to speak with you, Orion. Alone."

Orion perked with interest. "Oh? Well I'm sure you know that I'd never protest alone time with you, Buzzardpaw." The tom winked, which Buzzardpaw laughed at. "Lets go ahead-"

"No," Flurry growled. "Whatever he has to say, he can say in front of all of us."

"He just wants to talk, Flurry." Orion mewed, nudging her shoulder. The she-cat winced from the action, and Buzzardpaw noticed a small but gaping wound on her flank. She's hurt! But from what? He got a better look at the rest of his friends, realizing that Flurry was the only one wounded. That's very odd. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to hit your shoulder."

"How'd you get that wound?" Buzzardpaw questioned.

"None of your business!" The russet colored she-cat hissed, her teeth baring. Buzzardpaw blinked in shock at the she-cat's hostility. "You come here nearly every sunrise, thrusting yourself into our business like you own the place. Can't you see that you don't belong?" The two were nose to nose now, her single eye glaring into his. "You need to leave."

"Now Flurry, I think you're being unfair-"

"I agree with Flurry!" Icy was speaking now, her glare focused on Orion. "I mean, I do like you around Buzzardpaw, don't get me wrong, but you spend more time with Orion than with me! I'm starting to think you like him more!"

"He does, mouse brain!" Orion joked, sticking his tongue out. Icy hissed at him, but Orion ignored it, his chin lifted. "He has taste, he's only going for the better option!"

"I'll show you a better option!" Icy flung herself at the tom but Flurry jumped in the way, flinging her backwards. Buzzardpaw gasped as Icy struggled to stand, obviously winded. Snowball rushed to her side, his blue eyes wide.

Flurry then rounded on the apprentice, her eye blazing in anger. "See what you've done? You're causing a ruckus!"

"I didn't do that, you-"

"Get. Out. NOW!" The she-cat unsheathed her claws, ready to strike at him. Before she could, Orion yanked his tail, pulling him backwards.

"Come on, Buzzardpaw, let's get out of here." Orion glared at his sister and turned to the entrance of the barn. "This is getting out of hand."

The two toms walked in silence, slipping under the fence and stopping in an open area. Buzzardpaw looked around, the moor that belonged to WindClan within view. He sat down, Orion sitting next to him. The two sat in silence for a bit until Orion let out a loud sigh. "I'm sorry about Flurry."

"Why was she so upset with me? And what happened to her shoulder?"

"She fell out of a tree and cut herself on a branch. I told her it wasn't a good idea, but alas, I'm just her 'little brother'. As for why she was upset, I dunno. Maybe she's just trying to protect me." What is that supposed to mean? Orion continued before he could ask. "Well, you wanted to talk?"

Buzzardpaw looked at the smaller tom, nodding. "I wanted to ask about the other rogues."

"Oh?" Orion's yellow eyes flashed in interest. "What about them?"

Buzzardpaw sighed, realizing he didn't know what to say. How can I word this? "Last night, WindClan was attacked by the rogues. From what I can tell, the attack was pretty bad and now WindClan is in a critical state. Do you know anything about this?"

Orion stared at Buzzardpaw for a moment, his pale yellow eyes blank. "No, I don't know anything about that. Sorry."

"You haven't seen any hurt cats or anything?"

Orion shook his head. "No, I tend to stay within our part of the barn. I don't ever get to see the other barn cats, they seem… shady."

Buzzardpaw's head dropped in defeat. So Orion doesn't know anything either. But what did he mean about that last comment? "Shady how?"

The mottled tom shrugged, his whiskers twitching. "I dunno, it's just the vibe they give. I've noticed some of the mean barn cats going over to the General-Section, I don't know what they're doing over there, but it can't be good."

"How many are there? The mean cats, I mean."

Orion shrugged again, turning his head. "I'm not sure, maybe about a dozen of them."

That's not very many, definitely not enough to attack and cripple an entire clan. There must be cats from the General-Section helping them! "And the cats from the general section?"

"Oh, there's so many, I couldn't count if I tried. Definitely more than a dozen,."

Buzzardpaw nodded, feeling like he was getting somewhere. That confirms it, there's cats from the General-Section helping the mean cats. But wouldn't that mean the General-Section is mean as well? "How would you describe the cat's in the General-Section's temperament? Are they territorial? Prone to fighting? Organized?"

Orion turned back to Buzzardpaw, a confused look on his face. "Definitely not. They're a sorry bunch; many of the cats over there are just skin and bone. They tend to just stick with their families, I dont think they're organized in any way. There may be a few cats that feel like they have authority over the others, but the Renaissance puts them back in place."

"The Renaissance?"

Orion hesitated for a moment, his eyes darkening. Letting out a reluctant sigh, he finally spoke. "The Renaissance is what the mean cats call themselves. I know that a renaissance is a new start to something, but I'm not sure what exactly they're planning to start anew."

Buzzardpaw looked at the tom, his eyebrow raising. That's new information! Orion knows more than I thought. "So the Renaissance is organized." Orion nodded. "Do they have a leader?"

"I'm sure they do have one, I just don't know who it could be." Orion paused, thinking. "Actually, there's one cat that I think might be it. His name is Maggot, he's a completely hairless cat with black eyes. Rumors say that he never speaks."

How could a cat lead a group without speaking? Buzzardpaw furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Then again, they're rogues. They probably have a secret code or something. He looked up to the sky, realizing that the sun was beginning to set. "Are-"

"Look!" Orion interrupted. "The sun is setting." The small tom threw a coy glance at Buzzardpaw, fluttering his eyes. "This is so romantic."

Buzzardpaw rolled his eyes at his friend, shaking his head. He's so silly. The sun began to set further, filling the area with a dark orange glow. Buzzardpaw glanced at Orion, who had his eyes closed. The evening light danced upon the mottled tom's glossy pelt, his orange spots shimmering brightly as a soft breeze drifted over him. A pleasant scent wafted from Orion's pelt, making Buzzardpaw's nose tingle. Buzzardpaw continued to stare at the tom, almost in a trance. Orion's very… nice to be around. I'll always enjoy moments like these.

Orion suddenly opened his eyes, blinking at the apprentice. A small smirk formed on his face. "Like what you see? You're staring very hard."

Buzzardpaw shook his head in embarrassment. "Sorry! I didn't mean to stare."

Orion giggled, batting the brown tom's nose with his paw. "Awe, you're flustered! You're so cute."

Buzzardpaw looked down at his paws, trying to hide the warmth that flushed to his cheeks. The two toms continued to watch the sunset together, the orange light getting darker and darker as the moon peeked over the horizon. As the sky turned black, Buzzardpaw attempted to rise to his paws, but stopped once he realized that Orion was leaning on his shoulder. The smaller tom was fast asleep, his tail draped over himself. Not wanting to wake him, Buzzardpaw sighed, settling back down. He too began to close his eyes, but opened them as he heard a noise from behind him. What was that? Whipping his head around, Buzzardpaw saw nothing, but couldn't shake away the sinking feeling of being watched. Rattled, he hoisted Orion onto his shoulders, heading back to the barn.

Slipping under the fence, Buzzardpaw placed Orion onto a haystack, relieved to see that the tom was still asleep. The barn was completely empty but he shrugged it off, casting a final glance at his friend. Crawling back under the fence, Buzzardpaw prepared to head to the tunnel that connected to his territory, but stopped as a sharp scent hit his nostrils. Is that - blood? The scent was coming from the General-Section, getting stronger as he slunk closer. Once he was close enough to see what was going on, Buzzardpaw's eyes widened in shock.

Dozens of cats were clustered together, many of them sporting gruesome wounds. Countless scratches and gashes littered their bodies, a majority of them gushing crimson blood. A sturdy looking brown tom passed by the fence Buzzardpaw hid by, a gross yellow pus seeping from his engorged eye. A few bodies lay strewn here and there, some of them barely breathing, others completely lifeless. Flinching back from the unbearable smell, Buzzardpaw's mouth gaped in shock. These cats were most definitely in a fight! How could Orion not have known about it? The smell is so strong! Ducking back as anotther cat passed by his hiding place, Buzzardpaw raced into the tunnels, his heart racing.

This is more serious than I thought!

Author's note:

Chapter 25 is here after almost too weeks! I've started a new job recently, so my schedule has made it harder for me to write, but fear not, I'll continue to post! Things just wont be as consistent as they were before, until I get everything under control at least.

Tensions are rising in ThunderClan and the barn! Was Orion lying about not knowing about the battle with WindClan, or were the cats hurt from something else? Who is Russetprowl's mysterious brother, are the barn cats carrying out his legacy? How many clan cats are working with the barn cats, and is Dragonflywing truly one of them? Things will start making sense pretty soon, so stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!

~MeltingPopsicles