This is for the April Monthly competition for the FallenClan forum.
AND yes, I DO plan on continuing this fic (which is why it's not marked as complete). But I can't promise speedy updates or anything, especially due to exams a full-month event coming in May for another fandom I'm involved in, and ANOTHER story I'm planning. So treat this as a demo version of a story that will come one day! It will come! Eventually...
Anyways I hope you enjoy!
- Misty
Apparently there was a new saying going around, something about how one could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Tawny Clawflor had never heard a more accurate saying, since it basically described her entire life. Bramble would butt in and tell her to be more optimistic, if he were around to hear. Then she'd get mad, they'd argue, maybe not talk for a few hours, then they'd reconcile, not only due to their bond but also out of necessity. Besides their mother, the disgraced Lady Golden Clawflor, they were all one another had in the world.
After all, Tawny thought bitterly, they were the spawn of Sir Tigerclaw the Betrayer.
He may be dead, struck down after murdering Queen Bluestar Tailflor by the then young knight Fireheart Jakeson, but his legacy stayed with his children. That young red-haired man, he was now King Firestar Stormheart of the Thunder Kingdom. His disdain and suspicion of Tigerclaw prompted him to strip the Betrayer's entire family of their standing. Tawny and Bramble may have not been able to walk let alone speak at the time, but their chances of training as squires under a noble knight were squashed.
The lovely Lady Goldenflower lost her title as well, due to her marriage to Sir Tigerclaw. A shell of what she once was, she hid away in the rundown cottage that the disgraced family had managed to acquire by some miracle.
That was where their luck ended. Tawny had been born into the wrong family, at the wrong time. As much as she obviously wasn't a traitor, her father's bloody footsteps were laid out before her, for all to see.
She slammed her hands down on the counter, trying to hold back her frustration as the old store owner regarded her with a pained expression.
"I'm sorry Tawny. But I just can't hire you nor your brother, as much as I'd like to." Patch Petail sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with a wrinkled hand. The short, balding, dark skinned man and his wife Speckle Petail had always been kind to Tawny and Bramble, letting them buy necessities from his craft shop, but occasionally he'd even gift them with something extra. Bramble used to come into the back all the time when he was younger, building many of the children's toys that decorated the shelves.
The wooden boats and ducks crafted so carefully by her brother's hands were only fuel to Tawny's rage.
"You're just like the rest of 'em! All you see when you look at my brother or I…" Tawny broke off, fuming. "All you see is him."
Patch looked very guilty, and rightfully so. "Tawny, I promise. I have never seen you nor your brother in that way. Not at all. I just have a reputation. If I were to hire you or your brother, I'd go out of business. The folk here may be letting you stay at the edge of town, but that's all they'll let for your poor mother. We're barely making ends meet as it is."
"There are plenty of people who'd still come!" Tawny exclaimed. "Hiring us would prove that we're not like what everyone thinks." She winced, her throat closing up with the rush of emotion.
"Please," Her voice wobbled. "If not me, at least Bramble. You know how much he-"
"How much he loves helping me build toys, yes." Patch agreed sadly. "He really is a talented lad, isn't he? Such a gentle soul."
The complete opposite of his father, Tawny finished in her thoughts. Right. Too bad he looks so much like him.
Tawny realized that there was no convincing the old shopkeeper. She leaned back away from the counter, turning to leave, when Patch's voice cried out behind her.
"Wait a moment, Tawny! Don't leave yet."
Tawny looked over her shoulder skeptically. Did he really deserve her time after this? She continued walking, but then stopped when she saw what Patch was holding.
"Is that-" She said, rushing back over. Fiercely she pushed the bag of coins away. "No. I don't want your pity."
Patch chuckled. "I thought you might say that." Speckle came out from the back, smiling as Snow, her grandson, carried a loaf of warm bread.
"At least take the bread. Money hasn't just been tight for us, I'm sure." Speckle said apologetically. She nodded at Snow, who held the bread out for Tawny to take with such an earnest look on his face that Tawny couldn't refuse.
Tawny brought her hand to her mouth, then gestured it toward Snow, signing 'thank you.'
After handing her the bread, Snow returned the gesture with a shy smile, signing 'you're welcome.'
Tawny looked at the family. She still burned with anger, but she didn't want to upset the kid.
"Thanks." She relented gruffly, and turning on her heel, she left the store, with the family's gazes burning into her back.
She would not feel bad for them. They were the ones who short-changed her and her brother. She thought she could trust them. But once again, it looked like she and Bramble were alone in the world.
—
Bramble and Tawny shared some of the bread as an early lunch between them beneath the cherry sapling that grew near their cottage. Its pink flowers were just beginning to bloom, and soon the smell of spring would permeate the air.
"He said that he wasn't looking for any help," Tawny told him through a slice of bread. She kept her tone light, but Bramble narrowed his brown eyes at her.
"I can tell when you're not telling the entire truth." Bramble accused. He looked down at his untouched piece of bread. "It's because of Tigerclaw, isn't it."
"Obviously." Tawny responded with a scowl. "I just don't get it. We've lived here for years now, and people still can't get over their stupid prejudices. When will they understand we're not going to murder them in their beds? Idiots."
"They'll come around one day." Bramble said, staring up at the gray sky. It was making like it was going to rain. "We'll prove ourselves, then they'll see."
"But why do we have to prove anything?" Tawny snapped, turning on her younger brother with murderous green eyes. "We never did anything wrong!"
"Except for being born." Bramble muttered.
Tawny gaped at him. She seized his face in both hands, horrified. "Don't say that. Promise me you'll never say that again." They regarded one another briefly, one with resignation, one with desperation.
Bramble pulled away.
"Fine," He relented. But he avoided her gaze. Then Tawny stood up, scowling down at him.
"Come on." She seized his hand, pulling him to his feet.
"What's going on?" Bramble asked.
"Let's go somewhere." Tawny responded, scrunching up her face in a way she thought was cute, but Bramble always said it made her look like she was constipated. "Forget about our problems for a little while."
"Okay…" Bramble looked hesitant, but he didn't object as Tawny began to tug him away. "Where are we going?"
"I'll know it when we find it." Tawny responded with determination. She'd already shoved her worries to the back of her mind. With a yelp of surprise from Bramble, she started to run through the trees, still bare of leaves, but full of the promise of spring.
They stayed near the outskirts of town, but as they ran further, the line of the village grew darker and more prominent through the trees. The smell of nature vanished, and the smell of livestock and squalor hit her nose.
"We're kind of close to the-" Bramble gasped. "Tawny! We shouldn't be here! This is right by the castle for star's sake!"
Tawny stopped in her tracks. The castle? Aw shucks.
"S-sorry." She stammered. "Didn't realize I was heading in this direction." She took in her surroundings. The din of the daily crowds, haggling over prices, going about their daily business. A routine that Tawny had never been a part of, and frankly, she wasn't too keen on doing so. She much preferred nature over civilization, though it could be lonely at times.
But why had her feet led her to the castle of all places? To the crown, she was literally the scum of the earth, the enemy. It was dangerous.
But today, she felt like paying danger a visit.
"Let's get a little closer." Tawny whispered, walking in the direction of the castle.
"What?! Tawny, no! It's literally swarming with guards! And knights! Lots of knights who knew him…" Bramble whispered hysterically, trying to break free of Tawny's iron grip. "This is a horrible idea!"
Tawny ignored him, spying the castle walls through the trees. Bramble managed to free himself, but she could hear his frantic footsteps behind her, crunching on the dead leaves that still littered the earth.
"Tawny! Tawny, please…" Bramble huffed. "Wait…"
Tawny held up a finger to her lips, crossed her hands, then uncrossed them in a sweeping motion. The sign for complete silence in the ranks. Well, if two scrawny commoners counted as a squadron. There was rustling up ahead. Bramble froze behind her, while Tawny stared at the bushes intently. Moments later, a ginger head emerged, followed by a girl who was so freckled it looked like she had been sprinkled with paprika. She looked around, apparently searching for pursuers. Before her gaze could sweep in their direction, Tawny tugged Bramble noiselessly behind a tree, glaring at him to make sure he wouldn't even make a peep.
Satisfied that she was alone, the ginger-haired girl began tiptoeing through the forest, a mix between a wary deer and a stalking cat. Tawny watched her in awe.
Then the moment was ruined by a less-than discrete gasp from Bramble.
"What?" She hissed, giving him a venomous glare.
He frantically pointed in the girl's direction. "I think I recognize her! She's…" He paled with realization. "She's the Princess! Princess Squirrel Stormheart. The King's Daughter."
"Seriously?" Tawny did a double take at the ginger girl. Wasn't the king ginger too… she did look familiar.
"Shit!" Tawny spat. "What is she doing out here? Aren't princesses supposed to be protected behind palace walls or something? Surrounded by at least a dozen guards at all times?"
"Probably, I dunno." Bramble responded, wringing his hands. "But if she's out here, then the guards must be looking for her. This situation just became about a thousand times more dangerous."
"Bah! Nothing we can't handle." Tawny said with false confidence. Internally, she was terrified, but also, intrigued. What was so terrible about a privileged life that made Squirrel want to run? Was it stifling, being stuck there for all your life, as if you were trapped in a small village where your father's reputation preceded you-
"I can hear you both very clearly, in case you weren't aware." Came a sharp but sweet voice, and Tawny nearly clutched her heart because suddenly it felt like it was going to leap out of her chest.
"Oh my stars!" Bramble exclaimed, eyes round with shock. The princess stood right in front of them, hands on her hips. She raised one eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. They were really red, and fit on her face perfectly. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief, and-
Tawny shook her head. "What are you doing?" She asked Squirrel fiercely, forgetting who exactly she was talking to for a moment.
"What are you doing?" Squirrel shot back, leaning into Tawny's face with a grin. Her breath smelled like chicken. "Two scruffy commoners, wandering so close to the palace? I can't help but be suspicious of all your whispering."
"I promise we mean no harm!" Bramble stammered. "We were just leaving. Going for a wander."
"Sure you were." Squirrel sniffed haughtily, then she focused back on Tawny. Something in her gaze really irked Tawny. She couldn't put a finger on it, but… she was irritating. Vexing. Kind of cu-
"Yeah! What he said!" Tawny barked. "None of your business anyway, princess."
"Oh! So you remembered!" Squirrel teased. "I am supposed to be addressed like I'm a royal member of the palace."
"Well, you're not in the palace right now." Tawny said slowly, letting a malicious grin come onto her face. To her pleasure, Squirrel seemed to lose a little bit of that confidence. The princess frowned and looked away, freckles moving with every expression.
"Not so invincible as you thought, eh?" Tawny continued, ignoring the frantic waving of Bramble's arms. "Maybe you should think about who exactly you're talking to. We aren't just some ordinary commoners. In fact-"
"Tawny!"
"Maybe your daddy didn't want to tell you until you're older, but treachery can come from the more unexpected of places-"
"Tawny we need to run!"
"What?" Tawny snapped, looking away from Squirrel, who let out an audible sigh of relief. She lowered her voice. "What are you talking about?"
"Guards. Coming this way." Bramble hissed. "Let's ditch the princess and get out of here." He grabbed Tawny's arm, tugging her in the direction of escape.
"No way! I'm not going back yet!" Squirrel protested. "I only just got out of there!"
"We're not risking our necks giving you an adventure." Tawny retorted, stopped to turn back and address Squirrel. "Go back to your palace, princess."
"Tawny…" Bramble sighed.
"I told you, I'm not going back!" Squirrel snapped.
"Why don't you actually listen to your bossy baroness, or whoever babysits you?" Tawny retorted. "Hell, I'm sure I'm years older than you-"
"I'm eighteen next month-"
"Oh, I'm twenty one, actually-"
"TAWNY!" Bramble yelled, then covered his mouth with a hand. "Shit."
The guards immediately looked up in the direction of Bramble's yell. They spotted the trio, and started running over with yells.
"Stop! In the name of the King we command you to release the princess!"
Tawny and Bramble began to flee, but the footfalls of the guards came closer and closer, until Bramble let out a yelp behind her. She turned back to see what had happened, when she was seized by the collar of her tunic.
"Gotcha, you wench!" The guard snarled, while Bramble struggled in the grip of another guard. Squirrel stared at the guards in shock, looking frozen. Tawny frowned at the princess, surprised at the sudden thoughts that came to her.
Why would Squirrel have helped? They literally just met a moment ago.
And, Tawny thought sheepishly. I kind of just threatened her. Good thing she didn't actually get to finish though. Thanks to Bramble. He may be her younger brother, but he looked out for her just as much as she did him. Too bad that there was one thing neither of them could look out for.
Bad luck. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But as Tawny and Bramble were dragged toward the castle, she couldn't help that it may have not so much been bad luck, but her own foolish doing.
—
Tawny didn't know how long she was locked in the cell when she heard a noise. She sat up in the hay, straining her hearing.
It came again, a soft whistling at first, then a sweet song. Was it… a bird? It reminded Tawny of a vague memory- or was it a dream? Either way, she had been very young, standing over a stone circle surrounding a deep hole. Her mother had told her that it was a wishing well. When you threw a coin in, a fairy at the bottom would catch them, and turn them into the fulfillment of a wish. But you could only do one wish at a time, or the fairy would get angry and you'd have to find a different well to wish upon. And you'd lose your coin.
That day, when Tawny walked up to the well, she could hear a sad, echoey song coming from the well. It seemed that a small bird had gotten trapped in the well. As Tawny watched, the song grew louder, and that's when it happened. An entire flock of birds came from the trees, squawking and screeching, flying around the well. The wind of their wings stirred Tawny's then long curly hair, and all she could do was stand still and watch as the bird's circling grew more frenzied.
The first one of them to dive into the well let out a burst of song, and one after the other, the other birds followed suit. Their song died, and there was silence. Scarcely a breeze blew as Tawny held her breath.
Then the birds came out in a whirlwind, singing loudly with joy. At the end of the flock came a small, dull gray-brown bird, singing the sweetest song of them all. A nightingale. A nightingale had gotten trapped in the well, and all the birds of the forest had come to rescue the most talented yet humble singer.
Tawny couldn't remember if she'd ever told anyone about this, not even Bramble. She had no idea why the memory had surfaced now, but she closed her eyes, listening to the whistle for a little longer. The song ended, but Tawny continued to sit with her eyes closed, enjoying the sudden peace she was feeling.
She sat like that for a while, until she heard several pairs of metal footsteps pounding on the stone floor. The guards stopped in front of her cell.
"Get up." A voice snarled.
Tawny looked up at the ugly face of the guard, returning his scowl. "Where's my brother?"
Instead of answering, the guard unlocked the door, unceremoniously yanking Tawny to her feet by an arm. "Let's go."
Tawny was flanked by two other guards, so she knew there was absolutely no point in putting up a fight. She was guided up stairs, down a narrow hall lit by a few torches, then taken down too many twists and turns to keep track of.
Some traveling later, Bramble, also flanked by guards, came out from a separate hallway.
"Tawny!" He exclaimed happily. "You're alright!"
"Of course I'm alright you buffoon." Tawny responded with more of a grimace than a smile, but it was the best she could do given the circumstances. "Just being sent by express mail at the moment. How are you?"
"Could be worse." Bramble muttered sarcastically. "I could be about to be tried for my crimes, never to see the light of day again."
"Quiet!" One of Tawny's guards barked. "Not a word out of the two of you. You're about to have an audience with the King."
The King?! Tawny and Bramble shared alarmed glances.
—
The throne room was large and spacious, hardly the place for an intimidating interrogation. Late afternoon sunlight filtered in through the stained glass windows that extended from the ceiling the bottoms ending high above Tawny's head.
Part of her wanted to stick her hand in one of the colored lights from the window, like red or blue, but these windows were sparsely spread out between the colorless ones, and the guards would probably interpret any movement in the wrong direction as an escape attempt.
Pillars lined the long room, and at the very end sat the thrones. King Firestar sat in the center, with Queen Sandstorm to his left. Both matriarchs wore serious frowns, with no friendliness in their faces. The King strongly resembled his daughter Squirrel, but his face was more densely freckled and his green eyes were stern instead of defiant. The Queen had dirty blond hair that was ornately styled on top of her head. Her brown eyes were sharp and assessing, making Tawny want to shrink under her gaze. Tawny recalled that she had been a knight previously before she married Firestar.
Squirrel, surprisingly, was present as well, but she actively avoided looking at the imprisoned siblings. She played with a lock of her curly ginger hair, a mix between a look of guilt and a look of boredom on her face. Though Tawny was sure that she was imagining the guilt. Why would the Princess Squirrel Stormheart feel guilty about two commoners she barely knew getting tried before her father the king? Anyways, she had no right. Anger surged through Tawny. That princess didn't deserve to feel guilty, she deserved to feel her sins crawling on her back, like it was her father whose crimes she'd be forced to carry.
"Bramble and Tawny Clawflor," A man standing some ways in front of the throne announced, staring at them suspiciously. Tawny must have been too distracted by the royal family to notice the burly man before; he must be one of the king's advisors. "You are being held accountable for high treason against the king: not only the attempted kidnap of Princess Squirrel Stormheart…"
Squirrel gave a little sniff, while her parents stiffened with rage and grief.
"But also the kidnapping of Princess Leaf Stormheart, heir to the throne."
Tawny and Bramble exchanged confused and astonished glances. Tawny tried to keep her tone as polite as possible.
"My lord, we never-"
"You will be silent!" King Firestar practically snarled, jabbing a gloved finger in the Clawflor siblings' direction. "Divulge the location of the princess, my daughter, now, and I may consider giving you a quick and painless death."
Tawny drew herself up to her full height in the best way she could manage, while the guards tried to hold her back.
"I told you already! We never kidnapped her! We didn't even know she had been kidnapped!" Tawny managed to spit before she was forced painfully to her knees on the stone floor. Panting, she stole a glance toward Bramble as he was also thrown to the ground with a grunt.
"You're lying." Queen Sandstorm whispered, while the king was too enraged to speak. "You scum. We should have never shown mercy to the children of that traitor. You exactly like him." Her brown eyes held such deep malice in them that a shock ran through Tawny, as if she could see right down to her bones.
They really hate us that much, huh? Her face scrunched up, and Tawny begged herself not to let the tears fall. Not here. She couldn't let it get to her. Someone had faith in her, someone knew that they weren't like him. Stars, who cared what the literal king and queen and princess thought about them?
"Wait."
Eyes burning, Tawny glanced up in shock, and Bramble let out a small gasp.
Squirrel looked a little uneasy, but Tawny couldn't blame her. In fact, she was surprised she wasn't more intimidated by her parents' anger. But they were her parents, so.
"They didn't kidnap my sister." Squirrel said, her voice steady as she looked at her parents. Tawny couldn't see her face, and hated that she couldn't predict what the princess's plan was. "And they didn't try to kidnap me either."
"What are you saying, Squirrel?" Queen Sandstorm murmured, still angry, but willing to listen. Firestar breathed heavily through his nose, closing his eyes.
"Squirrel, you don't have to defend these traitors. They may be young, but that doesn't excuse what they did-" Firestar started.
"LISTEN TO ME!" Squirrel shouted, earning silence from the entire room as her voice echoed throughout the cavernous space. She took a breath, clenching her fists. "For once. Let me explain. I wasn't kidnapped. I left the palace grounds of my own accord. And yes-"
Firestar had opened his mouth to say something, an angry frown on his features.
"-I know, that's forbidden, but that's not the point. The reason I was sneaking out-"
Finally, finally Squirrel looked back at Tawny and her brother. And there was the slyest smirk in her face, temporarily hidden from her parents' view. The glittering in her green eyes was mirthful as if the devil himself had come to the mortal realm to wreak havoc.
"-was because I was going to see my lover, Tawny Clawflor."
What?!
It took all of Tawny's self-control not to let her mouth drop open, but it didn't stop her face from burning red as a beet, hot as the sun. Of all the things Squirrel could have said, this was not at all what she'd been expecting.
Beside her, Bramble had more trouble concealing his reaction. His exclamation of surprise was quickly concealed by a fit of coughing, but not before it was echoing throughout the entire hall.
On the throne, King Firestar had paled so much that Tawny could finally see his freckles.
"My daughter likes women?!"
"Firestar!" Sandstorm scolded, shoving the king's shoulder. It looked so out of place for royalty to playfully shove one another like that, but given the circumstances, Tawny supposed anything could go for normal at that point. Sandstorm was the only one who seemed to be calm, while even the burly advisor was losing control- was he chuckling?
"Is that seriously the first thing out of your foolish mouth?" Sandstorm exclaimed. She turned to her daughter. "And you! You know better than to sneak off of the palace grounds. Sneaking off to see your lover may remind me of my youthful days-" The queen trailed off, perhaps a little dreamily, "-but that's no excuse! You are confined to your chambers until I say so!"
"But mother-" Squirrel whined.
"Don't 'but mother' me! Off you go!" Sandstorm made a shooing motion with her hands, and more guards seemed to materialize from the shadows, escorting Squirrel away, but not before she sent one last wink in Tawny's direction, nearly driving Tawny mad with the amount of flirtatiousness embedded in that single action.
"Alright then." Now that Squirrel had left the room, Sandstorm stood up on the throne, rubbing her hands together thoughtfully. "Your majesty-?" She glanced toward Firestar, who still sat in his throne, frozen and numb to the world. "Oh, get over yourself!" Roughly she shook the king's shoulder, and he blinked, shaking his head.
"Um what? Oh, yes. That's right." Firestar swiftly rose, his robes swooshing behind him. "Guards, release these two at once."
Reluctantly, the guards released Tawny and Bramble, shuffling backward to stand behind them. Tawny rubbed her sore wrists, slowly standing back up, Bramble doing the same.
Tawny somehow still had the audacity to glare at the monarchs. "Aren't you afraid we might try to escape?"
"It's obvious that you aren't idiots." Sandstorm replied coolly. "Not with guards on nearly every square foot of the palace and surrounding grounds."
So you're still threatening us, eh?
"Why aren't you sentencing us to, you know, death or something?" Bramble said slowly. "And, you know, having an overall less menacing tone?"
Firestar sighed. "Though Squirrel is many things, a liar included, she'd never lie to us if it was important."
Tawny nearly wheezed.
"So, we have thus concluded…" He and Sandstorm exchanged a glance. "...that you are not responsible for kidnapping our oldest daughter, Leaf. Like you two even could, anyway."
You didn't seem to think that a few minutes ago, your majesty.
"So we can go then?" Bramble asked hopefully.
Then the King laughed. He actually laughed. At her brother of all people. Horrifying.
"Not quite." Firestar responded. Tawny immediately realized where Squirrel had gotten not only her looks, but also her expressions. Those sly green glares were nearly identical.
Firestar rubbed his ginger beard, looking Tawny and Bramble over, assessing. Sandstorm frowned.
"Don't tell me this another one of your wild ideas…"
"Of course it is!" The burly guard finally piped up from across the room, grinning. "We all know that look too well."
"You two may be the children of a traitor and a murderer, but despite not inheriting his less… desirable tendencies, you have clearly inherited his intelligence, resourcefulness…" Firestar's eyes narrowed. "And his roguish charms to capture the heart of my youngest daughter. Therefore!"
Firestar clapped his hands together in decision. "I believe we've found two loyal members of the Thunder Kingdom to go on an undercover mission to the Wind Kingdom and rescue Princess Leaf."
For the second time that day, Tawny was nonplussed, absolutely flummoxed.
"Let me explain." Firestar said patiently. "You both lost your reputations when- ahem- your father committed treason. We've kept a close eye on that rundown little cottage of yours."
Tawny wanted to punch him in the face.
"So, I've- we've taken it upon ourselves to give you a second chance, per say, a new beginning."
What the actual hell-
"You will go on an undercover journey to the Wind Kingdom, whom we suspect have kidnapped Princess Leaf. Sir Graystripe!"
The burly man snapped to attention.
"How would you like your daughter Dame Feathertail to lead her first mission as a knight?" Firestar asked enthusiastically.
Graystripe frowned. "Are you asking, or is that an order?"
Firestar laughed. "I don't know what you're implying, but I'll just take that as a yes." He turned back toward Tawny and Bramble.
"You'll go with one of our newest- yet one of our best knights and her brother, Sir Stormfur. The son and daughter of my greatest friend and advisor, Sir Graystripe Stream." Firestar looked proud of his plan, and Tawny gritted her teeth to keep from screaming at him. She could tell Bramble was thinking faster than a horse in full gallop, mind whirling. Hers was as well.
Firestar stared at them, evidently expecting some sort of response.
"Ha." Tawny laughed finally. Her voice was anything but humorous, it was dry as stale bread. "That's funny. No offense your majesty, but I'm not sure if I actually want my brother nor I to be involved in this… plan."
Firestar looked disheartened, looking to Sandstorm for support.
"I think she's telling you your plan's shit." Sandstorm whispered.
"No way! Tis not… that." Graystripe amended. He gave Tawny a knowing glance. "She wants to know what's in it for her."
That was not what Tawny wanted to know, Sandstorm had been much more accurate. But she was standing before the literal king, and she feared losing her head if she spoke even slightly out of line.
"Alright. I see." Firestar sighed. "Tawny and Bramble Clawflor, this journey is not optional. The Thunder Kingdom needs someone who the Wind Kingdom would never suspect of spying on them, and it seems that the stars have delivered you right into my hands. In return for your… cooperation, and resulting success of course, I'll see to it that you earn your reputation back, including…" Graystripe nodded eagerly, while Firestar looked reluctant. "Your chance to become knights."
"Really?" Tawny and Bramble said at the same time. Tawny frowned at Bramble. He had sounded a little too enthusiastic.
"Yeah, really, Tawny. This is the opportunity we've been waiting for!" Bramble told her fiercely.
"But how can we trust- how can we trust that you're telling the truth?" Tawny finally had the gall to address Firestar directly. "Why would you trust us enough to send us on a journey then make us squires and eventually knights? Aren't we unsavory scum who you thought only a short time ago were trying to kidnap your daughters?"
"Opinions can change." Firestar responded cooly, "And be careful how you address your king. I have made my decision." He waved his hand dismissively, summoning yet some more guards that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. "Prepare them for the journey ahead! And Graystripe, don't forget to inform your children of their mission."
"Yes your majesty!"
Tawny sat on the bed within the room she and Bramble had been given, mashing her face into the fancy cushions. After a few moments, there was a bounce on the mattress as Bramble landed next to her with a loud sigh.
"Am I really the only one who thinks this is completely insane?" Tawny asked, her voice muffled from the pillows. "Or am I crazy and everyone is being completely reasonable?"
"You're not crazy." Bramble reassured her. "You're asking all the right questions. And yeah, it is going to be pretty dangerous. We're going to the damn Wind Kingdom for stars' sake. My guess is, the king is probably sending us so he doesn't have to lose valuable knights."
"Ugh, and isn't he sending his advisor's kids? That's a little screwy." She punched a pillow for emphasis.
"Yeah yeah, there's that. But-" Bramble gave an excited bounce, and Tawny rolled over to look at him in annoyance. "-the benefits clearly outweigh the dangers here. Sure, we could die, become prisoners, or suffer any other various consequences from our journey, but if we do survive, if we do rescue the princess, and make it back, we could become knights! Or at least start training as squires." He struck a noble pose. "How do Squires Bramblelow and Tawnylow sound to you?"
"Really dumb." Tawny responded, making Bramble frown. Then her eyes started to water a little bit. "What if the king doesn't keep his promise though? What if we did it all for nothing?" She bit her lip to keep it from trembling, feeling irritated at her emotions. "What then?"
Bramble smiled gently at his sister. "Well, look at it this way. At that point, we'd have gone through such a treacherous journey- if the king isn't convinced now, he will be. Journeys change people and-" His eyes shone with determination. "And he'll have to make us knights then! Maybe Sir Graystripe's kids could vouch for us, maybe even Princess Leaf."
Tawny sighed, giving her brother a grateful glance. His determination, his hope- it was always infectious. She couldn't help but feel better after a rousing speech like that one. She sat up. Fine. If he was going to be determined, so would she.
She rubbed the back of her neck, then met Bramble's eyes. "Okay then. It's agreed, then. What have we got to lose, anyway?"
It could spell out a new beginning. Tawny had lived with so little hope until now, and if there was even going to be a glimmer, she'd reach out and grab it without hesitation.
The spring breeze stirred the curtains at the window.
She breathed in damp fresh air; relishing its sweet flower-laced scent.
Birdsong filtered into the room.
It had stopped raining, and the sun was shining. Maybe things really could spring forth anew.
Also some clarification: Last names are combined suffixes of the parents/couple, combined in no particular way except what sounds prettiest. Instead of "Paw" squire suffixes are "low" until I think of something better and to show their lower status. Knights will get full warrior names like in the books.
Feel free to ask any questions you have regarding this story I'd be happy to answer!