Frostmask shivered as the icy winter breeze cut through the clearing like a claw. She cast a glance up at the dark sky. She hoped that once the sun rose above the horizon, its weak rays would help warm the forest up a bit.
Frostmask didn't like leaf-bare. The cold stirred up dark, half-forgotten memories in her mind. The pang of a hollow belly. The sting of icy crystals forming in her fur around her nose and eyes. The wailing mewls of her brothers in her ears as they starved to death around her. The frigid trek through a forest of white and ice, her tiny paws cracked and bleeding, leaving a trail of crimson through the snow behind her, but she continued to stumble along because her mother said she must…
Frostmask jerked, giving her head a hard shake like she was trying to dislodge her memories. She shuddered and blinked hard, bringing herself back to the present.
Think about what's happening now. How lucky we are.
Prey was getting harder to find, but Frostmask's belly wasn't empty. ShadowClan wasn't starving. There wasn't even snow on the ground yet. It was cold out, and the ground was hard and frozen under her feet instead of the damp, flexible and sometimes outright boggy texture that she had gotten used to for the past several moons. But, at least she wasn't walking through knee-high snow, slush, and ice.
Frostmask's ears pricked, and she was pulled out of her thoughts.
She listened closely, but she couldn't consciously make out any suspicious noises, just the sound of the wind through the trees. Still… she felt the fur on her shoulders prickle anyway. She sensed something was nearby. Her gaze flittered around the dark woods that surrounded her, encircling the mossy clearing she stood in. She blinked as she saw Lizardpaw's bright white pelt appear out of the corner of her eye. He stood out starkly in the darkness as he came prowling around the trunk of the Burnt Sycamore to stand at her side, the Burnt Sycamore at their backs.
Frostmask's ears twitched, and they angled in the direction of another sound in the woods. She identified the noise this time. A snapping twig. Someone was definitely there. Frostmask turned to meander around the clearing, and she glanced over at Lizardpaw. His eyes were trained in the same direction that her ears had pointed in, tracing a path out into the woods.
Then Lizardpaw was slinking off, his body pressed as low as possible to the frozen ground. Despite the black night that the forest was cloaked in, his white color actually blended in well to the grey-white of the icy moss that coated the clearing floor. Frostmask continued to patrol around the Burnt Sycamore, keeping her eyes away from Lizardpaw to not give away his position.
By the time Frostmask made a full circuit around the tree, Lizardpaw was gone, having vanished into the forest. Frostmask was halfway around the clearing again when she heard a yelp.
"Snake-dung!" Featherpaw's annoyed voice called out through the forest.
Frostmask's tail lifted, and she couldn't stop a soft purr from rumbling in her throat. She headed over in the direction of the cry, waiting by the edge of the clearing where it came from. She heard the sound of paw-steps rushing over. Lizardpaw came bounding out of the dark woods first, his blue eyes shining and his tail held high in triumph. His sister, Featherpaw, emerged a moment later, looking sulky. And, finally came Redclaw, who just shook her head in amusement when she took in the very different expressions on the siblings faces.
"It's not fair," Featherpaw complained to Lizardpaw. "How'd you find me? I disguised my scent and everything."
You made a noise, Lizardpaw signed. Then I saw you.
Featherpaw scowled at him.
"How did you know I made a noise?" she asked. "Redclaw and Frostmask were just supposed to give advice about planning the attack or defense of the Burnt Sycamore, not help us find each other. Were you cheating?!"
"Frostmask didn't tell him anything, but I think her twitching ears gave you away," Sedgestar's voice cut in as their leader padded over from where he had been observing the exercise at the edge of the clearing.
Frostmask flattened her ears to her head.
"Sorry," she meowed. "I didn't even think about that."
Sedgestar rumbled a brief purr.
"It's alright. You and Lizardpaw didn't break any rules. I told you not to talk to your apprentices to help them find each other, and you didn't. Even I didn't anticipate twitching ears betraying someone's position," Sedgestar said before turning to Lizardpaw.
"You are more observant than I expected," he said with a purr.
Lizardpaw puffed up his chest. Frostmask gazed at him proudly, happy with how well he did at this test. He'd won two of the four rounds, one for the offensive and one for the defensive of the tree. Frostmask had feared that Featherpaw's hearing would've given her a large edge over him, but Lizardpaw had managed to hold his own against his sister. They had been training together for about a moon now, and Frostmask felt like she and Lizardpaw were finally establishing a good rhythm as a team.
Sedgestar glanced up at the sky. The horizon hadn't lightened yet, but Frostmask suspected dawn couldn't be too far off.
"But, that's enough of 'Sycamore Defense' for the night. Let's head back to camp," Sedgestar meowed before glancing at both Lizardpaw and Featherpaw. "You both did well."
Featherpaw's annoyance at being beaten this last round had already faded, and she and Lizardpaw nudged and wrestled together good-naturedly as the five cats headed back towards camp.
"The energy of those kits!" Redclaw purred to Frostmask as they walked. "I don't know how they do it. I'm definitely ready to collapse in my nest and take a nice long nap until after sunrise."
Frostmask purred in agreement, casting a glance over at Lizardpaw, who was now bounding ahead of the group. He had gone through a brief growth spurt in the past moon, and he was taller than Frostmask now, but thin and gangly— all legs and tail. Frostmask glanced at Sedgestar. He, Lizardpaw, and Rowanheart all shared the same long-legged, lanky form.
They reached the dense thorn barrier that encircled the camp, and they ducked through the tunnel. Frostmask's ears pricked at the sound of coughing echoing through the camp as she emerged into the clearing. An outbreak of whitecough had appeared in the elders' den, and she knew Clearstream and Elmclaw were working hard to contain it before it could spread and turn into its much more deadly brother— greencough. Anyone that had so much as a sniffle was confined to the medicine cat's den for a few days for monitoring. So far, whitecough had marked Greytail and Flymask, as well as Buzzardkit, and just yesterday Frostmask thought she saw little Cricketkit coughing too.
Frostmask's tail twitched as she thought of those kittens' family. Poor Dawntail was a mess. The medicine cats had gently forbade her from entering the den as to not spread the cough to her healthy kits, but for the past few days, she'd seen the queen often staring longingly into the cave from the outside, as Elmclaw carried the fresh-kill she brought for the kits in for her.
Frostmask shook her head to try to shake off the grim thoughts. The medicine cats' plan of containment seemed to be working at least, and so far the cough hadn't spread into the apprentices' or warriors' den.
Frostmask turned to Lizardpaw.
"You should go get something to eat," she said. "Then you can nap a bit if you want, and we'll resume training after sunrise. You did very well tonight."
Are the elders and queens fed? Lizardpaw asked.
"They should've been by Yewpaw," Frostmask replied, giving a tail flick. "Go on now, I can hear your stomach growling."
Well, I can't. Lizardpaw responded with a cheeky look, but he trotted over to the fresh-kill pile as Frostmask sent him off with a good-natured swat at his tail.
After Lizardpaw padded off, Sedgestar turned to Frostmask.
"Frostmask, can I talk to you for a moment?" he meowed.
She nodded, curiosity pricking at her as her leader took a seat next to her while Redclaw and Featherpaw padded away.
"I was wondering if you would allow me to train with Lizardpaw for the rest of the day," he said. "I'm glad I got to observe the exercise, but I would like to assess firsthand how his progress is coming along."
Frostmask felt her stomach clench with unease.
Does he not trust me to train him well?
"It has nothing to with you," Sedgestar continued as if he could read her thoughts on her face. "You know Lizardpaw's training is a unique case. I just want to make sure he's on track."
"Well… he's a great hunter," Frostmask meowed. "Sometimes it seems like he can pick out a single mouse scent from halfway across the forest. Although, you might have to remind him sometimes to put his paws down more lightly when he's stalking prey. And, he can also get distracted a bit at times from scents and lose focus on what you're saying to him…"
Sedgestar nodded, his expression thoughtful.
"Do you want me to come with you two?" Frostmask asked.
"I'd like to take him alone, if that's alright with you," Sedgestar meowed.
Frostmask's whiskers drooped slightly, but Sedgestar touched his tail to her side.
"I want to see how he does without your help," he explained. "I've heard from Emberflower how well you two work together, and if tonight's exercise is any indication, he must often read your body language for cues to help him locate things when he can't hear them himself. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, but there will be times when he won't have you in sight to help him. He will have to rely on other cats, or on just himself."
Frostmask nodded.
"Alright," she meowed. "What should I do today then?"
Sedgestar's whiskers twitched.
"Go hunting or patrolling with your friends?" he suggested. "You've been spending a lot of time with Lizardpaw; I'm sure Autumnleap, Pineshade, and Poolcloud miss having you around more often."
Her ears twitched as her paws prickled at the mention of Pineshade. She wondered if Sedgestar knew about the falling out she had with her at Lizardpaw's apprentice ceremony. They had hardly talked since. Or, at least, Frostmask had hardly talked to her. Pineshade has made a few attempts, but Frostmask always found an excuse to get away.
"Yes, Sedgestar," she murmured, dipping her head.
With a nod of farewell, Sedgestar got to his paws and padded over to Lizardpaw to tell him about his training for the day.
Frostmask rose to her paws to head to her nest for a nap, and her gaze flickered around camp. Her eyes settled on Pineshade's dark pelt as Frostmask spotted her eating a mouse by Clanrock, and she hesitated.
Maybe this would be a good time for Frostmask to try to extend a branch of peace by inviting her to hunt with her today. Frostmask's ears twitched. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't miss spending time with Pineshade. Even though Frostmask still had other friends, losing both Pineshade's company and Swoopstrike's so close together left an aching hollow in her chest. It was a profound sense of loneliness that she hadn't experienced since she was a misfit, outcasted kit.
Was she being too harsh on Pineshade? She had said that she would leave Dampfang if he was mean to Frostmask. And, to her and Dampfang's credit, for the past moon, he had been completely tolerable to Frostmask. Not that either Frostmask or Dampfang were going out of their way to be friendly or chatty, but the few times that Frostmask and him had been forced on patrol together, he just chose not to speak to her. But, he didn't spend the whole time sneering or glowering at her either. He simply acted like she and Lizardpaw didn't exist, but that was fine with Frostmask. Maybe the best she could ask for.
Frostmask sighed softly, her heart twisting.
She knew Pineshade thought she was being unfair and pushing her away. But, Frostmask knew it was the opposite. It was Pineshade's fault. She was the one that chose to drive Frostmask away by picking him. She left her. Just when they were finally real friends.
Frostmask blinked, gripping the cold ground under her paws.
Could she accept that? Could she still be friends with Pineshade, knowing that Pineshade chose someone that hurt Frostmask, over choosing her?
Pineshade's eyes lifted from her meal as if she could feel the heat of Frostmask's gaze on her pelt. Her amber gaze met Frostmask's blue one. For a heartbeat, Frostmask thought about walking over to her. But, her legs didn't move. Pineshade slowly lowered her gaze back down to her food, her head bowed in what looked like dejection. Frostmask's tail twitched guiltily, but she turned away from her.
Frostmask ducked into the warriors' den, padding slowly over to her nest. Her gaze flitted over where Pineshade's new nest was— away from hers and next to Dampfang's. But, she shook her head slightly, telling herself not to think about that as she turned her gaze onto Autumnleap's fluffy auburn and white pelt instead.
Frostmask flopped into her nest next to Autumnleap, and he rumbled a sleepy purr as her flank brushed his as she settled in. But, he quickly nodded off, back into a deeper sleep. Frostmask washed her face briefly before closing her eyes and drifting in an uneasy sleep.
Frostmask woke up around midmorning, judging by the light streaming into the den entrance. She yawned and then rolled over to face Autumnleap's board back. He was still curled up, sleeping peacefully.
She gave his side a light touch with a paw, but he just shrugged it off, muttering something unintelligible. A quiet purr started to build in Frostmask's throat, and she felt some playful energy chase away the rest of her sleepiness. Frostmask kneaded her paws into Autumnleap's shoulders, trying to wake him.
Autumnleap twitched, but didn't rouse. Frostmask let a hint of her claws slip out, not enough to hurt him, just enough to prick a little.
"I— huh— wha'?" Autumnleap jerked, and Frostmask pulled her paws back, purring louder.
His gaze blinked open blearily, and he yawned, stretching his paws out in front of him. He rolled over to face her, his cheek still pressed against the moss.
"Hey Frostmask, wha's up?" he mumbled, blinking up at her sleepily.
She tilted her head as she looked down at him.
"Want to come hunting with me?" Frostmask meowed. "Sedgestar is training Lizardpaw today to evaluate his progress, so I'm looking for something to do."
"I'm honored you've chosen me to be the cat you waste your day with," Autumnleap meowed in a very solemn voice, lifting himself into a sitting position and giving his pelt a shake as if to dislodge his grogginess.
Frostmask purred.
"I pick only the finest when it comes to squandering time," Frostmask said, her voice just as serious.
Autumnleap yawned again and slipped into another stretch. Frostmask rose to her paws, and flicked his flank with her tail.
"Let's get going." Her paws itched to start the day, and she turned, heading to the den's exit.
"You're doing this wrong," Autumnleap said with a purr, trotting behind her to catch up. "There's no rush when you're wasting time."
They ate a quick meal, then headed out into the territory, heading through the pine forest at a brisk trot to keep their muscles warm. They caught a couple of mice each as they chatted with each other about nothing in particular. The sun was creeping higher in the sky as they passed through the marsh in the direction of the WindClan border.
Frostmask couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest as she glanced at what leaf-bare had done to the marsh. What had been almost overflowing with life and bursting with color in green-leaf was now totally still and desaturated. The sycamores had lost their leaves, and the grasses and flowers had all dried up and died, so only brown skeletons of them remained. The icy ground was grey and hard under her paws, and the reeds didn't stir with water birds, frogs, salamanders, and insects.
As Frostmask and Autumnleap entered back into the evergreen pine forest, Frostmask glanced up at the trees, grateful that they still looked just the same as ever.
"How's training Lizardpaw going?" Autumnleap meowed as they padded along.
"Great!" Frostmask said with a purr. "I just hope I'm doing a good job at mentoring him."
"I'm sure you are," Autumnleap said with a reassuring blink. "What's it been like?"
"Well he's very clever and a fast learner," Frostmask meowed. "Just as long as he's paying attention. He gets distracted pretty easily by sights or scents. Then he acts like 'oh I didn't know you were telling me something because I'm deaf' but I know he's lying, the little snake-heart."
"He sounds like a pawful," Autumnleap said with a soft purr.
"Aw, he's really not," Frostmask said, laughing. "He just thinks it's fun to get a rise out of me sometimes."
Frostmask flicked Autumnleap's flank with her tail.
"Reminds me of someone else I know, actually," she meowed drily, shooting him a look out of the corner of her eyes.
She expected Autumnleap to retort back then, but he just gave a soft, almost forced purr. Frostmask's brow furrowed, and she turned her head to study him a bit more closely. He seemed like he was nervous for some reason, his ears twitching uncomfortably every few heartbeats.
"Hey, are you okay?" Frostmask meowed. "Something bothering you?"
Autumnleap kept his eyes staring forward for a heartbeat longer before his gaze flickered to hers, and he looked at her intently for a long moment. Frostmask returned his gaze curiously, tilting her head at him.
"Um, kinda," he admitted quietly, his gaze breaking from hers again. "It's just something that I've been wanting to talk to you about."
"What is it?" she asked, her mind filtering through the events of the past moon as she tried to pick out the possibilities.
Her ears twitched back. Was it because she was fighting with Pineshade? Did Autumnleap want them to make up? Or, was it something else entirely? Had something happened to Autumnleap that she missed while she'd been training Lizardpaw?
Autumnleap's eyes made contact with hers again, and he studied her.
"Do you really not know?" he murmured in a low voice.
Frostmask's brow furrowed deeper. Her first instinct was to say 'no,' but as she looked into his steady gaze, she felt a shiver run up her spine. It was the same weird feeling that Frostmask had gotten about a moon ago when she and Autumnleap had been on SkyClan territory together.
It was a strange, frightening, and breathless emotion—a fusion between excitement and trepidation.
A current of unease dragged at Frostmask's paws, and she noticed her pads becoming damp with anxious moisture. She felt much more comfortable with pushing the feeling away and ignoring it, than having to peer more closely at what was inside.
"I- uh…" Frostmask said awkwardly, her tail twitching. "Oh look, squirrel scent! Let's find it."
Frostmask felt a strong rush of gratitude for the distraction, and she veered away from Autumnleap, putting her nose to the ground to follow the scent.
"Frostmask, wait! Wait!" Autumnleap yowled, bounding up to her and touching his tail tip to her shoulder. "Stop it. I really do need to talk to you."
His voice was insistent. Frostmask's tail twitched with unease, but she allowed him to slow her to a stop.
"Does it have to be now?" she protested lamely. "That squirrel seems close."
Autumnleap looked completely bewildered as he gazed at her.
"What are you doing? Why are you being like this?" he meowed.
"Being like… what?" Frostmask attempted.
She knew she couldn't keep the facade of ignorance up much longer. Autumnleap let out a huff that sounded half amused and half exasperated.
"Nice try, but I know you're smarter than that," Autumnleap said.
Frostmask stilled. Silence fell over her, and her ears twisted back as the rest of her protests dried up in her mouth. Autumnleap was always a stubborn cat when he had something locked in his mind, and it was clear she wouldn't be able to so easily steer him away from this conversation.
"I really need to talk to you," Autumnleap repeated, his voice becoming low and quiet. "Needed to for a while. But, it's been hard…"
"Autumnleap," Frostmask said, but Autumnleap gave his head a sharp shake, holding up a paw.
"Let me finish. Please."
His gaze was serious when it met hers.
Frostmask nodded, feeling a rush of guilt about how much she really didn't want him to continue, when it was so clear that it meant so much to him that he did. Autumnleap paused for a moment just to let his gaze search hers, and she saw nervousness wash over his expression again.
"It's- uh- It's been hard because there's been just so much going on with SkyClan. Swoopstrike… And, now Lizardpaw. And, I've been just nervous about it myself, which makes it easy to put off. Like, until 'the time is right.'"
He shuffled his paws.
"But, I realized that I can't keep waiting for the perfect time to talk about it because there will never be a perfect time to…"
"But, does that time have to be now?" Frostmask burst out, unable to stop herself from speaking again. "Can't it be some other day?"
Frostmask's stomach swirled as if she had swallowed a whole flock of moths, and her pads felt clammy. Autumnleap studied her, his expression becoming a bit confused and hurt.
"Why do you keep trying to stop or distract me?" he meowed as he drew away from her slightly, his brow furrowed.
Frostmask felt a sharp jolt in her chest at the look of pain in his eyes.
Snake-dung! I didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"I'm sorry." Frostmask's ears flattened against her head. "I just—"
"Don't you care about what I have to say?" His voice was hot with accusation as his tail twitched. "You're supposed to be my friend."
Frostmask's eyes widened.
"I am your friend!" she said, giving a soft gasp at the insinuation otherwise.
She stared at Autumnleap. He was still glaring at her with hurt eyes, his auburn and white form stiff. His chin jutted out in a stubborn way as he sulked, not satisfied with her response.
"You're my best friend," she emphasized, digging her claws into the ground. "And, that's just it! I can't… We don't need to talk about anything. Why can't we just, you know, keep things normal?"
"I don't want to keep going on like this," Autumnleap muttered, his voice low.
"What? What's wrong with normal? Why not?" Frostmask pressed, taking a step towards him.
He dug his feet into the ground, the fur down his back rippling.
"Because I love you!" Autumnleap snapped, fire burning in his amber eyes. "I always have!"
Frostmask froze.
Someone could've dumped a whole river of icy water on her head at then, and she wouldn't have even twitched a whisker. Her heart hammered underneath her rib cage like it was a trapped bird, frantically flapping its wings to escape. She couldn't make sense of the maelstrom of emotions that swirled inside her stomach, or the jumbled thoughts in her head. But, she did recognize the feeling of mounting panic building in her muscles.
She tried in vain to swallow several times, but her mouth had suddenly gone as dry as sand.
Autumnleap stared at her rigid form as the moments stretched on.
"StarClan, Frostmask! Say something!" he exclaimed, his tail lashing in agitation.
In his eyes, Frostmask could make out a mixture of fear, worry, and a dash of hope. Frostmask's jaw clenched.
The emotions inside her were too overwhelming.
"I- I can't." Frostmask's voice rasped in the back of her throat, her eyes as wide as an owl's.
The confusion was palpable on Autumnleap's face as he blinked at her rapidly.
"You… can't?" he echoed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Her lip quavered.
"I can't!" she wailed. "I'm sorry!"
Frostmask suddenly found herself able to move again as she whipped around. Her paws took off, carrying her away from him without thinking about where she wanted to go. Running just felt right. Like if she went fast enough, she'd be able to outstrip the new, frightening, overwhelming feelings, the hurt look on Autumnleap's face, and the rest of this entire situation.
"Frostmask! Stop! Wait!" Autumnleap cried from behind her, but Frostmask just doubled down on her speed.
She felt her heart breaking when she thought about how this must be hurting him, but she couldn't face him. Not right now.
Frostmask was able to out-sprint Autumnleap enough that she could no longer see him behind her in the woods, but she knew him well enough to know that he was surely still following her. Frostmask leapt onto the trunk of a nearby pine tree, scrambling far enough up the tree to hide herself in the dense pine needles. Her paws trembled as she crouched there, panting. Soon enough she heard Autumnleap's paw-steps as he ran over, searching for her in the woods.
"Frostmask!" he was still calling, his voice full of sorrow. "Frostmask, please come back!"
Frostmask screwed her eyes shut, shaking harder. A part of her wanted nothing more than to leap out of the tree, run over to him, apologize, and bury her face in his familiar pelt. But, the other part of her kept her hidden in the tree because it knew that desire was exactly the problem. She dug her claws into the branch, feeling a sudden jolt of anger.
Why did he have to say those things! Now things between us will be changed forever! I've lost my best friend!
But, the other part of her mind rallied against those thoughts.
That's not true! He's still the same cat! If there's anyone ruining the friendship, it's me by being horrible and hiding from him!
...
And, besides… I am really sure that I don't love him back?
Frostmask felt another rush of panic at the thought, which almost sent her fleeing again, but she dug her claws into the bark to keep herself in place.
I can't! I can't! He's my best friend, so I already love him. But, I can't really love him!
But, against her will, an image started to form in her mind of her and Autumnleap lounging around the camp together, sharing tongues. On the surface it wasn't an unusual scene; really, it was something they did all the time. But, this time there was something different about it. There was a different note to Frostmask's purr as she bumped her head against Autumnleap's, and she felt a thrill in her chest when he rubbed his muzzle under her chin before resting his cheek on her paws with a contented sigh.
Frostmask jerked, coming back to herself as her mind shifted suddenly to much darker thoughts. She remembered the icy dread and gut-wrenching pain she felt both when she woke up to May's stiff and cold body at her side and saw Swoopstrike's corpse lying in the center of camp.
She started to feel ill to her stomach as she imagined Autumnleap dead instead. It wasn't hard to picture. She had already seen him torn open, limp and bleeding. But, this time, when her gaze frantically searched him for signs of life, his flanks would be still instead of rising and falling.
Frostmask clenched her jaw, shaking like a leaf. She'd already told Autumnleap how she couldn't lose him too, and that was when she just thought of him as her best friend. So, she can't really love him… because if she did, then losing him might actually destroy her completely.
Frostmask flattened her ears, trying to block out the sounds of Autumnleap's repeated calls for her as she did her best to curl up in a tiny ball on the branch. She didn't know what to do. She just knew this was all too much for her.
Author's Note:
Okay, I feel a bit bad that Frostmask and Autumnleap are in these bad positions right now, but guys, writing angsty love-drama is so much fun. No wonder the Erins do forbidden romance plots every other book lol.
Also just a heads up that it'll probably be over a week before the next chapter goes up. I've just gotten more busy with work, and also I've been wanted to write a few short stories or one-shots for canon characters. So, I'm going to spend a little bit of time working on those in addition to working on Frosted Heart. (I've got a new one up that's about Ashfur's StarClan trial, if you want to check that out!) Don't worry though, Frosted Heart is still my number 1 writing priority.
Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Reviews:
Brian.H.H: Aw that makes me really happy that you think that about Frostmask and Autumnleap! And, now I feel a bit bad about the drama they're in even if was fun for me to write it lol. I think that is a fair point about Lizardpaw not being able to fail for story/plot reasons. Although, beyond him even having the plot protection because he's Frostmask's apprentice, I am already biased in his favor lol. Like, it's probably not realistic for him to do everything a non-disabled warrior can do (like he might have to stay and guard the camp instead of fighting in certain battles if he can't see what's going on) and he arguably may be more vulnerable to predators than other cats are (RIP Snowkit.) But, as long as he is aware that he's more at risk than other cats are, and is okay with it, then there are still a ton of things he can do as a warrior to help his Clan, like hunt, patrol, or guard the camp. So, I think he can still be a productive member of Clan society in that way.
And, about Frostmask and Pineshade: Yeah Frostmask is being kinda harsh on her, but it's really like all of her abandonment issues flaring up, because she sort of feels like Pineshade "left her" like her mom and Swoopstrike did. (Healthy attachments? Frostmask doesn't know her lol.)
Pandere: Thank you! Yeah, Frostmask still needs to gain some confidence in her abilities. Haha that's so true about Autumnleap being her "better half" in many ways. I do really like writing their cute scenes together, but I hope you don't mind this new drama as Autumnleap pushes a bit too hard by being a bit too impulsive, and Frostmask realizes she can't deal with her abandonment issues… Also yeah, no Dampfang in this chapter again either lol. He just scampered off to avoid the hate.
Simitria: "Oh honey no" is exactly how Pineshade is acting right now haha. Haha yeah, Lizardpaw is a handful, but I think he'll start to mellow out a bit once he trains for a little longer.
Avalanche: Thank you, I'm glad you like it! That's the big question about Dampfang, isn't it?! SkyClan doesn't seem to know about ShadowClan yet, but I'm sure it won't be good once they find out… And, Frostmask will definitely find out about her father, but not quite yet.
SavvySpirit: Haha I know about Pineshade. But, sometimes people (and cats lol) have blinders up when they love someone. I think Pineshade believes Dampfang when he says he's going to be better. And, yeah I haven't had much time for Dewleaf right now. She hasn't had an apprentice yet, but I don't think she particularly cares to. (Unlike her brother, she's very laidback and chill, and not very ambitious. So, she doesn't really care about getting an apprentice in order to become deputy in the future or anything like that.)