The chilled air did not help her. She came to a stop when the shaking in her legs was unbearable, crashing into the thin part of a gray-stone path. She pushed some of the snow from her belly and let the frigid stone calm her. She glanced up at the sky. The overcast and snowfall blocked the setting sun, even at the horizon. The sky even kept much of its gray, barely shining orange. The roar of one of the sky-monsters pounded her ears as it flew just above the overcast. She was too tired to keep them folded back. She tried focusing on the churning of the river's ice blocks, hidden from view by a hill she collapsed behind. Ahead of her, running along the river, was a long barrier the height of a twoleg made of thin silver rods bent in perfect diamonds. It was blocking a set of tree-sized rods sticking out of the river and a narrow path leading to the faint stretch of Shadow territory she could see in the distance. Her attention shifted forward, with nothing but a dense stretch of bare trees and stone paths. When her breathing finally slowed down she tried to stand, but let herself fall again. Her claws were out, and she began tapping at the snow. Rye let her tail be slid about by the wind gusts that scrambled the snowfall for a few moments at a time. Then she smelled the fur of fresh-kill. Glancing to her sides, she spotted the silhouette of a cat to her right. It was far out of earshot, but it still looked at her. The scent was behind her. Wolfgang approached with something in his mouth. His ears flopped about as he tossed a mouse a tail-length in front of her. She had to twist her head all the way around to see his face from under his imposing size. Glancing around himself, he sat next to her and pushed the mouse within her reach. She looked into his beady, black eyes while he was fixed on scenting straight ahead.
"Thank you," Rye said, taking a deep breath and sitting upright.
He nodded, keeping his attention forward.
She sniffed the mouse. No foul parts, no bite marks.
"The sun is setting, and I have been running around since this morning," Rye said. "You had the energy to hunt and follow me all day?"
Wolfgang flexed his leg muscles and went back to looking forward.
"Of course."
Rye tore into the mouse's belly and stripped it faster than she thought. Within moments, much of it was already down her throat. She began gnawing at its shoulders when something took her attention. She focused as much as she could, but the blob moved quick. It nearly jumped from tree to tree, as if it was trying to hide. Wolfgang's tail twitched around. He sniffed forward a bit, his face curling. His paws began kneading at the snow, resisting the urge to run after it. Rye looked closer and slid the mouse aside, her heart racing. The vest blocked much of her silhouette, but Heidi was jumping and dashing between the bases of the tree and sniffing at their roots.
Wolfgang crouched. Rye followed.
"Can she detect us?"
Wolfgang sniffed himself, then ran his nose through Rye's fur. He shook his head.
"Then we have the element of surprise… for what that is worth."
Rye flattened the fur on her head. A paw slammed in front of her before she could slide her own forward.
"What?"
Wolfgang kept his eyes on Heidi. She was approaching the river, once even glancing in their direction without noticing them. She dug at something under the snow for a bit, then left it to approach the silverrod barrier. She bit at the diamonds and tried bending them, but they did not. Hitting it repeatedly with her claws, she barked and slammed her head into it. Wolfgang winced when her breathing grew heavy, his ears perking up at each of her feint growls.
Rye stepped forward again, but Wolfgang blocked her.
"She is right there," Rye whispered. "I thought you wanted to find her."
Wolfgang whimpered through his nose.
"What? You do not wish to get her? I thought you all cared about what happens to her."
He growled, keeping his eyes on her.
"Are you afraid of her, too?"
Slamming his paw, Wolfgang held a bark when Heidi briefly poked her head up from digging at the base of the silverrod barrier.
"You are. At least, you look—"
The war dog snatched Rye in his jaw, smacking the mouse away. He leapt behind a hill of snow and ran away from the trees, glancing at Heidi every few heartbeats. She continued trying to dig underneath, but stopped and slammed her head against it again. He slowed when he reached a short stone barrier that bordered the twoleg's path. Rye struggled a bit when she lost vision of the war dog leader. Wolfgang tossed her into it and towered over it, slamming his paw against it and growling at her. The she-kit's tail was pushed between her legs and her fur was on edge. But she stood against him.
"Why? You have been searching for her. I am certain Karin would appreciate finding—"
Wolfgang hit the barrier again, baring his fangs and leaning into the she-kit's face.
"I told Juta I wanted to help, and I got the same look," Rye growled. "I have been running around UnderClan's surface territory all day to prove to her I am useful. And when she finally appears, we just stand here and watch. Do you not want to be helped? What is wrong with you all?"
The war dog stopped growling and stared at her. His breathing eased a bit, along with his brow. He backed off of Rye, letting her see his face in full. A massive scar, hidden by his fur, ran from his right eye to his nose. She studied it, the gash deep from what she could see. The rest of his face was covered in small scars and dents, like the others'. She lingered on his eyes, though, nearly black from corner to corner.
"I should know better than to say that," Rye said. "Incarnates of Rye exist to punish, convert, or subdue those who have the power or motivation to do harm to StarClan's will. If I am here, something is supposed to be wrong, and I am to correct it… I apologize. I should know that helping oneself is not always possible, but I do not. Juta is right. I have not seen anything. I have not done anything."
Wolfgang sniffed her, glanced over the barrier, and leaned in. He brought the scar close to her.
"Karin said Heidi can be a 'devil' when she is like this. Is… Is that scar from her?"
He shook his head, pointing his muzzle to the distant twoleg structures.
"You got it from the twolegs. No, their war. The Great Sky War?"
He nodded.
"My herald taught me of their weapons. One called a 'thunderstick' is capable of killing anything it points at. It supposedly shoots lightning and is very loud. Did one of those do that to you?"
He nodded again, backing off a bit.
"But why do you want me to know this? I have no firsthand account with that war, nor can I understand what it must have felt like to receive that injury. Or what it has done to you… Even if I want to, I do not know what I can do for you."
Wolfgang kneeled, stretching his neck and shaking the snow off. He motioned Rye to move closer. She was just a pawstep away when he nodded, brushing his neck. She parted his fur. Dozens of scars lay beneath the long strands of hair. Some parts had such thin fur that she needed to just look closely. Some ran the length of his neck, while others were indented in his skin. She pushed her paw past her neck and ran it along his shoulder. Even more scars, smaller than those on his neck, covered the skin. Rye felt her belly churn whenever her paw felt a bump from the larger ones. Her eyes could not linger on the countless smaller ones, though. She followed her paw to Wolfgang's leg. He nodded. She reared up and reached the side of his belly when he stood, never taking his eyes from the she-kit. The scars were bigger, but his fur was longer and fuller. It covered many of the small ones from view even when she parted it. She followed one that ran from his shoulder to his thigh. She stopped, letting herself fall back into Wolfgang's sight. His eyes were narrow. His ears seemed lower than usual, folded over most of his cheek. Not a single tooth was exposed, and the fur on his chin was damp from resting his muzzle in the snow. He let out a quiet whimper before poking his nose over the barrier and at Heidi.
"I cannot even begin to imagine where all of those came from," Rye said. "Your life must not have been easy."
Wolfgang shook his head.
"Dare I ask… is there anything I can do to help?"
He nodded, parting the fur on his shoulder.
"I do not understand. I cannot heal scars."
His tail wagged a bit. His ears even came up from his cheek.
"But what have I done?"
He licked her cheek. She brushed it away.
"All I did was look at them."
Wolfgang turned towards her, tail still wagging. He stood straight, just tall enough to keep himself behind the barrier. Parting his fur again, he leaned close.
"Did I do something right?"
He nodded, brushing her fur away with his paws and looking closely.
"What are you doing? I do not have any—"
His large claw carefully ran to her chest, tapping at a small scar.
"You know that was from Heidi when we fought." Rye stepped away. "It is nothing like… the ones you have."
Wolfgang shook his head, tapping her forehead and nodding.
"If you are asking what I think of it, I got it from asking about what I was hinted not to. It is my fault."
He cleared some of the snow beneath him before lying down and nodding.
Rye shook her head. "If I was born to ensure the Clan of False Shadows would be pacified, then I could not do anything else. Heidi told me that I was incapable of wanting to help anyone. That I did not know who Blackleaf was, or why I wanted to keep her out of danger. But I do know why. It is because she has the desire to… Oh. I am going to offend again. After all—"
Wolfgang growled, tapping her forehead with his claws until she pushed it away.
"Okay, fine! It is not just about Blackleaf anymore. When I saw her pray, the way she kept to herself, always searching for something. I will not condemn her. She wants to bring StarClan back, just as I do. Now she appears to be led around like a pet on a leash by her allies. Her clan is punishing her for trying to help them. How is that fair? It is not fair that Karin gets taunted by blackbirds. It is not fair Heidi is breaking down. None of it is! But I can fix it. I have powers. I have a branch. Why does subduing the Shadows have to mean everyone dies in the process?"
The war dog tilted his head to the side.
"Yes. That is why I came here initially. If I could help Clement broker some kind of prisoner exchange, then UnderClan might also have a blackcough infection to balance out the power they are gaining by not losing warriors. The war would continue long enough to allow our allies to arrive and strike at both weakened clans, ensuring neither silverpelt nor ancestral sects spread no further in this twolegplace. But it is not about that. Not for me. Ancestral teachings may make her a heretic, but the way I see it her allies are the heretics and she is at least trying… I want to help her. I can prove that I want to help her! And I cannot do that if I am in captivity."
Wolfgang closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and nodding.
"I… I usually do not become so agitated. I am sorry if I frightened you."
He rolled his eyes.
"And I was truly frightened by what I witnessed with Karin and the blackbirds this morning. I hope you do not think my motivation is selfish."
He tapped her chest, over her heart.
"Helping Blackleaf will be dangerous, physically and spiritually. Just as helping Heidi will be. If I can help you by simply bearing witness, then perhaps it will work for her."
Wolfgang stood, shaking his fur again and peeking over the side. He motioned Rye to do the same. Both watched Heidi dig at the base of the silverrod barrier. She had made several other holes in the process, and dented the barrier over each of them. Wolfgang whimpered to himself before returning to cover. She lingered for a while. The distant war dog appeared to keep digging, even when nothing came to the surface. She occasionally stopped to put her ear to the barrier. Her vest shifted about, never stopping to adjust it or slide it back to her chest. Wolfgang tugged her leg, and she dropped back down.
"I no longer wish to see everyone else as strangers, targets, or likewise. I will be worthy of this sacred life and power. And that starts with Heidi and ends with Blackleaf. I thank you, Wolfgang, for giving me direction."
He nodded, stretching his paws and walking along the barrier, motioning Rye to follow. They kept going until they reached the edge, near a tree. He whimpered when he walked from its cover and looked far behind him. Rye saw it when she left cover as well. Heidi was, again, hitting her head against the silverrod barrier. The links rattled each time she did. Wolfgang shuttered whenever they echoed.