IMPORTANT: Rereading chapters from before this one (*cough* like half a year ago I'm sorry *cough*), I realised the inconsistencies and the general bad writing, and yeah, there was some good stuff but let me promise you I was not half the writer I became in these last few months and I'm not saying I'm perfect now or anything, just better. As you can see, I haven't stopped the run-on sentences though.

Thirty-twooooooooooo, also, I failed to realise when we hit 50k words but we did and we're at 53k!

Mintflight0245 - Y'all seem to like the last chapter! And yep, Scar was completely mad.

Moonwater - Thank you so much, this means a lot! And that's a cool name!

succulentsofa - Scar being mad and not having incredible resources of patience is important, he won't support her if she decides to leave because he's a Blood cat. Thanks! I thought the chase might be slightly boring, or sort of bad; but since you like it. EXACTLY a twig and a branch, it's basically the same thing (call her TWIGLEAF), get a dictionary Bramblestar. You don't need to hide from smirky Hawkfrost, you reviewed!

sunflower42101 (1) - You have a guess but no, Holly was un mistake.

sunflower42101 (2) - If she doesn't like Heronpaw and he's in the prophecy it means he's important...

DawnFrostofThunderClan74 - No worries! And you don't need to feel any certain way because Ivy is not into Heronpaw it is NOT happening ok - or maybe I'm lying, I've been known to do that. And yeah! I'm so glad I don't live there.

ivystormrandomness - Wow, you broken? You need help?

Mist21 (1) - Oh no, you really should not give Hades reason to summon his army of skeletons...

Mist21 (2) - You do love to risk your life annoying Hades. *turns to readers* Don't do this at home, kids. Or anywhere else for that matter.

And oop- spot on guess. Thanks!

Mist21 (3) - Thank you so so so so much *hugs*

Mist21 (4) - Worst of all, those who don't review at all! *pretend-shudders*

WyldClaw (1) - Slick is my awesome teacher boi! If you want to know, he'd probably have glasses in a human AU, somehow they'd stay on his nose while he fights -\_('-')_/-

WyldClaw (2) - Afraid the link with the Clans comes much later than that review, and it's not Slick, but good guess.

WyldClaw (3) - Thanks! It means a lot when people say they like what I write.

WyldClaw (4) - Crystal's definitely shady ha.

WyldClaw (5) - I know right? And the worst hasn't even happened at that point. People often call me rude words after they read what happens to Jay.

Nightsong of MoonClan (Guest) (1) - HA well I have supreme author powers so I DARE

Nightsong of MoonClan (Guest) (2) - Yeeee

Nightsong of MoonClan (Guest) (3) - AUTHOR POWERS TIGERSTAR IS 100% BACK FROM THE DEAD

Nightsong of MoonClan (4) - Thank so much and here is chapter!

Someone explain how I got so many reviews - oh wait, it's possibly because I didn't update for months? No, it can't be. Seriously though, I remember when 14 reviews felt amazing, and 81 is... wow.

Also, in response to what succulentsofa aka Lucy said, HeronpawXIvy can be shipped! Ship anything you want, I'm just not promising anything.

On to the chapter, the next night! I have something that you won't be expecting.

Chapter 32

Ivy sat in the clearing, bathed in starlight from the clear sky. It was the same clearing that she'd found the night before, after witnessing Cloud's death - which the Blood had dismissed as an accident when Flame reported her disappearance - was a good place to think. Moonlit and too far away from the river to hear the trickle of water through the gorge. She'd shuddered every time she heard any running stream since she'd seen… that.

She'd told Slick about Cloud and Flame. He'd wanted to tell everyone, of course. He was Slick. But she didn't want to. She'd argued against it, but realised she didn't know why. Maybe because she didn't want Flame hating her even more. She didn't know what happened to Blood cats who watched as other Blood cats died, probably pretty much nothing. But she did know that Flame was perfectly capable of killing her, and already had come within a hair-breadth of doing it.

Ivy was beginning to see now that she should have gone to ThunderClan while she had the chance. It wasn't like Heronpaw was going to show up again now after... whatever that utter mess had been. A bit too late to realise, she knew. She couldn't find her way there, almost definitely. And she could still feel the eyes burning into her back every time she went out without permission at night, and now she was too scared to look behind her.

It seemed stupid now that she'd been so afraid of being alone when she was younger, seeking safety in company. She could see, now, that the real danger was that there was someone with her... someone hiding in the shadows cast by starlight.

But wait - she turned suddenly around to look behind her, midnight blue optics scanning the darkness they could hardly penetrate. She'd done that many time over the last few moons, only she should know by now that she would never catch a glimpse of the Observer, as she'd begun to think of them. But she missed their presence, their searing gaze boring into her back. They weren't there.

There was nothing.

How hadn't she noticed? If she would ever have an opportunity to go, it would be now. But what about Slick? She didn't want to go without thanking, yet another time, the cat who had saved her life multiple times. Maybe he'd want to go too, he'd achieved full member status a while back but she knew he wasn't happy with the Blood's way of life.

But Slick, however nice and friendly he was, didn't like living in a large group. He enjoyed being alone and revelled in his own company, relying on himself. He wouldn't like ThunderClan either - but at least ThunderClan cats wouldn't nearly murder each other, or watch each other die.

"Who're you?" A growly voice with an unfamiliar accent questioned from behind Ivy. She gave a start, then grew still. And, cautiously, she turned around.

"And who are you?" In front of her stood an unusually large she-cat, at least as big as Slick, with fluffy fur that she thought was pale ginger, but Ivy couldn't tell in the silver-lit clearing She looked about middle-aged. Her narrow green eyes glared suspiciously.

"I asked first." The stranger flattened her ears, fur spiking ever so slightly - but in aggression, not fear.

Ivy complied readily. "I'm just a cat from the group over there," she told her. She gestured vaguely with her tail towards the place in the thin forest where the Blood camp lay.

"You mean you're from that place?" The she-cat hissed, bristling. Ivy nodded. The stranger took a deep breath. "I'm Molly, I live here, I don't like your kind of cats, and you're kind of on my land." Beneath the blunt words lay barely veiled distrust.

Molly was a really strange name, after all, 'molly' was another name for a female cat, but Ivy shook it off as a Twoleg-given name. Cesar had had a weird name, too. Anyway, she didn't have any special desire to be rude to or irritate this large, rather dangerous-looking cat, especially not when she was alone.

"I'm called Ivy," she dipped her head, trying to recollect some of her good manners from her already half-forgotten time as a citypet.

"I asked first," the stranger flattened her ears.

With a small sigh, Ivy complied. "I'm just a cat from the group of cats over there." She gestured vaguely with her tail towards the Blood camp.

"You mean you're from that place?" The she-cat bristled. Ivy nodded. She took a deep breath, seeming to calm down. "I'm Molly, I live here, and you're kind of on my land." Beneath the words lay thinly masked distrust.

Molly was a really strange name - after all, a molly was another way to call a female cat - but she shook it off as a Twoleg-given name. Either way, she didn't have any particular desire to be rude to this large, rather dangerous-looking cat, especially not when she was alone.

"I'm Ivy. Nice to meet you," she dipped her head, trying to bring up good manners from her half-forgotten time as a citypet.

Molly snorted derisively. "Yeah, right," she said, sarcastic. "If you could get out of my territory? Would appreciate." Her tone invited no discussion. The pale ginger she-cat spoke in a short, quiet growl. Instead of obeying, like she probably should have, Ivy decided to change the subject.

"What is in your territory, though?" She asked, trying to sound as interested as she could. "I've never been much farther in than this spot."

"Great for you that you didn't," the older she-cat's face twisted momentarily into a snarl that narrowed her green eyes to mere slits of fury. "If Moth caught you... The idiot would've shredded a small cat like you."

Ivy was genuinely curious now. "Who's Moth?" He sounds like a Blood kind of cat.

"My brother," Molly growled, an unusually deep sound for a she-cat. "That bastard."

Ivy went on, trying to draw Molly deeper into a conversation. "You don't like him?" She asked.

"Well, how d'you guess that?" Molly's accented voice dripped with sarcasm. "He helped me build the shelter, but we disagree on pretty much everythin'."

"Shelter?"

Molly's pale green eyes widened. "Shouldn't've said that." She muttered, before going on normally. "Just a place where we take in the likes of wanderers, injured cats, queens, and kits. We give 'em a place to live until they can be on their way."

The younger she-cat nodded, dark blue eyes rounded with curiosity. "And you and Moth disagree over this shelter, right?"

"Yeah," Molly let out a growl. "He keeps insisting we should drop it. Don't think he likes helping out all that much, or the feeling of being useless when it comes to things he has no experience in. Like, I dunno, kittings."

"Must be a pain to have around all the time." Agreeing with someone would make them friendlier, everyone knew that. And Moth actually sounded annoying. Ivy wanted to gain Molly's trust so she was allowed to come back; she did like that spot. "I never spent much time with my siblings myself, since most citypet litters are separated as soon as they're weaned to go into different dens."

"You were a citypet?" Molly's attention seemed piqued, precisely what Ivy was going for. Now Molly was asking the questions.

"Yup," Ivy said. "I couldn't stand it though, I ran away from my den as fast as I could." That was a lie of epic proportions, but Molly would never know. White lies she could easily do, especially when she had no emotional link to Molly. She wouldn't tell anything too big, though, to anyone - she didn't think she could anyway.

"Didn't your mother tell you about the big, scary, dangerous cats that live in the forest?" Molly crouched into an attack position, spiking up her fur and lashing her tail, narrow green eyes gleaming.

"Sure she did," Ivy lifted her head. "But I didn't care. What if I wanted to be all big and scary and dangerous?"

Molly purred, a low rumble that came from deep in her throat and sounded surprisingly like a growl. "I like you, kit."

"Not a kit, but thanks." Ivy felt slightly insulted. She wasn't that small, was she? Either way, she wanted to know more about Molly, she was different from any cat she'd met before, from the accent in her deep voice to the way she acted. "Could I maybe see that shelter thing that you have? I don't have much time though." That last part was true. She needed to get back soon, or cats would see she was missing.

The other she-cat stiffened, then looked her up and down carefully. She relaxed, probably having concluded that Ivy, at least alone, wasn't a threat to her. "I supposed it can't do any harm." She paused. "This way."

They went out of the clearing, and Ivy followed Molly through a field of tall grass and wildflowers lit silver by moonlight. It made a quiet rustling noise when they walked through it, completely different from the Blood, which was just forest with sparse undergrowth. She looked around curiously, the stars bathing the scene in a soft glow. "It's pretty here," she said, half to herself.

Molly gave a grunt that might have meant thanks - though it was most likely agreement - and carried on in silence.

Some time later, the she-cat pointed with her thick tail to a large barn. "It's here. I wouldn't go sauntering around anywhere though." Molly warned.

"Why?" Ivy queried.

"Some maniacs live over there, not too far from the barn, call 'emselves BreezeClan or something. If we cross their borders, they go ballistic." The ginger she-cat's face soured.

That sounded like those insane cats, Moonflight and Oakpaw, that she'd met when she'd first gotten lost in the forest and that she now knew to be from ThunderClan. From what Heronpaw - Ivy cringed slightly at the thought of him, what would she say to him? - had told her, Molly meant WindClan.

"Oh, right," Ivy said. "Thanks, I'll be sure to avoid it."

They went on until they reached the entrance of the barn, and Ivy followed Molly through the entrance. They had to flatten themselves to the floor, fur pressed against the ground, the bottom of the door scraping their backs. For one heart-stopping moment, she thought she was stuck. She relaxed her spine a little and slid through.

Done, finally. Once again, I apologise for the long wait.

To be clear, this is Ravenpaw and Barley's barn, just a looooong, long time before they were born.

AND I apologise for the Molly/molly thing, especially since the Tom/tom thing from DotC, but I just thought Molly was a fitting name and I wasn't gonna change it for that.

Also, I would use human swear words but that wouldn't be consistent and some people will 100% get all offended so yeah.

Disclaimer timeeee:

Crystal: Disclaimer timeeee who's the next victim?

Crystal: *checks list*

Crystal: Guys, gals, and nonbinary pals give it up for... MOLLY!

Molly: Nah.

Crystal: *British accent* Excuse me?

Molly: see ya *disappears*

Crystal: I hate literally all of you why do you exist

I don't own Warriors

B

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~you know who I am by now, Crystalllllllllllllllllll