(Rewrite posted August 16th, 2020.)
The What Ifs keep getting longer and longer... According to Word, this one clocks out just under 6.3k... It's probably my second favorite though, with the next one being the Dark Forest once that comes next.
I finally finished the first new What If yesterday and... I think I bit off too much to chew with that one. It's a whopping 15k words so I just... ugh that was not the intention for the chapter. Most What Ifs really shouldn't be that long, in the beginning I always aimed for just like 3k, but I guess we'll have to see...
A quick handful of review replies:
Snowcrystal of Thunderclan: Yeah it didn't turn out all that great for Fernpaw... although in the series itself she preferred helping to raise kits to serving as a warrior, so maybe she was happy enough?
Little Feathered Flame: XD haha yeah, Graystripe's a special guy.
"Guest": Interesting idea!
Anyways, onto the What If of the day!
What If Thistleclaw Became Deputy Instead of Bluefur?
. . .
Bluefur's POV
"Falling, Failing"
I don't know what was worse, giving up my kits or finding out that I gave up my kits for nothing. I sacrificed my mate – I got my daughter killed – so that I could be available to become deputy. But when the big moment came, Sunstar chose Thistleclaw. My world turned upside down and all I could think of was that all of my loved ones were gone, either dead or across the river. There was nothing left for me in ThunderClan except Whitestorm, and he didn't need me, not like how Mosskit had needed me. When Thistleclaw became deputy… the worst part was knowing that I couldn't change anything. I couldn't just go back in time and keep my kits in ThunderClan, knowing that I wouldn't become deputy. I couldn't save Mosskit. And I definitely couldn't save ThunderClan.
"Thistleclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."
Wait, what?
The words rang and echoed in my head, a chorus that taunted and mocked me. I thought maybe it was a nightmare. I'll wake up and Sunstar will be appointing me deputy, not that power-hungry brute. Sunstar will appoint me deputy because I need to be deputy. That's why I gave up Oakheart – that's why I gave up my kits. If I didn't need to be deputy instead of Thistleclaw, Mosskit wouldn't be dead.
"Thank you, Sunstar," the gray-and-white tom declared, rising to his feet. He gazed around his Clanmates. "I promise I won't let you down."
Rounds of cheering burst from the Clan. Everyone obviously approved of Sunstar's choice. Why wouldn't they? Thistleclaw's young, he's popular, and he's our strongest warrior in battle. Why wouldn't he be the perfect deputy?
But I knew. I knew all too well.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," someone growled from next to me.
I turned. Goosefeather.
At the sight of my uncle, I'm filled with rage so strong that I have to dig my claws into the ground to hold myself in place. "You! You told me to give up my mate and my kits to become deputy, and look where that's gotten me? Mosskit is dead. Thistleclaw is deputy."
"Don't be angry at me," Goosefeather snapped. "Thistleclaw was never supposed to be deputy. You were supposed to get it, not him!" It's more of a wail than a retort.
I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah, well it looks like that didn't happen, did it?"
Goosefeather rolled his own eyes, then stared at me with conviction. "You need to become deputy. Thistleclaw will only bring bloodshed and war to the forest."
I lashed my tail and dug my claws in deeper, turning to sarcasm. "Well, duh. And what do you suggest I do? Go up to Sunstar and politely tell him to change his mind? Or maybe I should go get another kit of mine killed?"
"Of course not, mousebrain!" Goosefeather exclaimed, because apparently the answer is obvious. "You need to kill him."
"What?"
"You need to kill him," the crazed medicine cat repeated. He was entirely serious. "There's no other way. And once Thistleclaw is dead, you'll definitely be the most obvious choice for a replacement. I'll help you set a trap, and then-"
I bristled. "I'm not killing anyone, Goosefeather. I might hate his guts, but I'm not a killer. Isn't that why you wanted me for deputy in the first place?"
Goosefeather didn't say anything after that, so I stalked off to the warriors' den. No one else was inside. I grumbled to myself – they were probably all still swarming around Thistleclaw and offering him their congratulations.
I tried to force Thistleclaw from my mind and focused on Oakheart and my kits – at least, my two remaining ones. Since it wasn't like I was every going to be deputy anymore, maybe I could go to RiverClan to be with my family? Thistleclaw wouldn't care, that was for sure. And while Whitestorm would be upset at first, he would understand in the end. Plus, I wouldn't have to listen to Goosefeather's crazed rambles, so wouldn't it be the perfect solution to all my problems?
My mind was settled. I was going to RiverClan in the morning.
. . .
Thistleclaw's POV
"Satisfaction"
I don't know what was better, becoming deputy instead of Bluefur or Bluefur leaving ThunderClan to join RiverClan. When Sunstar first named me deputy, I'd assumed that Bluefur would try to strip me of my title somehow. But instead of fighting me, she ran. I'd always known she was a coward, but I hadn't ever expected this. Still, the satisfaction at knowing Bluefur ran with her tail between her legs was better than I could have imagined, especially knowing that I was the cause.
I twitched one ear. The fly that insisted on landing on it took off once again, but I knew it would be back. I was crouched in the shadows near the camp entrance, my eyes narrowed as I watched warriors come in and out camp. It was my first full day as deputy and, of course, everything had gone smoothly. I had sent out hunting patrols and border patrols to each section of territory, and tomorrow's dawn patrol and the night guards were already set up. I'd always known that I would do well as deputy but seeing myself actually do it was satisfying.
"Thistleclaw?"
It was Whitestorm, my son.
"Yes?" I asked, turning to him. "Are you looking for another patrol to join?"
He shook his head, and that was when I saw that his eyes glimmered with worry. I stiffened. Even though Bluefur had eradicated much of the strength and ferocity that I had hoped Whitestorm would grow to have, he was still my son and my only connection to Snowfur. I couldn't help but share his worry.
"What is it?" I prompted, my pelt bristling as I rose to my paws. Whitestorm was so clear-headed that I knew that whatever had him so clearly worried had to be something big.
Whitestorm shuffled his paws like a nervous kit before forcing himself to look at me. "Bluefur's missing!" he exclaimed at last. "The rest of her hunting patrol all came back a while ago, but she wasn't with them. Thrushpelt said that they split up, but it's been ages and I can't help but worry that she got hurt or something."
I groaned internally and barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Of course Whitestorm had to be all worked up about Bluefur. It was always Bluefur this! or Bluefur that! and it bugged me. Snowfur was his mother, not that kit-losing coward!
"I'm sure she's fine," I began. Whitestorm opened his mouth and I cut him off. "But I know you care about her, and if it'll make you feel better, grab someone and go look for her."
Whitestorm nodded quickly, looking relieved. He turned and bounded away.
I was honestly pretty curious about this – I mean, my power-hungry nemesis had just dropped off the map. That definitely wasn't something that you saw every day. With a shrug and a sigh, I gave a most luxurious stretch before slipping out of camp. It looked like it was time for me to do some investigating of my own.
In my head, I quickly double-checked all my new responsibilities. Did I have the time to go out searching for Bluefur? Sure enough, I didn't have anything that I needed to do until the next morning.
I had sent Bluefur's hunting patrol out towards the twolegplace border, so that was where I went. It didn't take long before I stumbled upon the trail of the hunting patrol, and I followed it until the scents diverged at a clearing. This must have been where the patrol split up.
Bluefur's scent wasn't as easy to catch as the others. It was almost like she was trying not to be found, but why would she do that? I wasted valuable time weaving around the clearing in an attempt to find her scent, eventually spotting a tuft of blue-gray fur caught on a bramble.
It was Bluefur's, no doubt about it. She was named Bluefur for a reason, after all.
Thanks to the tuft, I was able to find a scent trail. Bluefur had taken a sharp path towards the twolegplace, and as I followed the direct path, I had to wonder if Bluefur had gone into twolegplace.
But why? It just didn't make any sense.
I knew Bluefur had a tolerance for kittypets and invaders that was much greater than mine, but I was also pretty sure that she felt uncomfortable outside of ThunderClan territory. At the very least, she wouldn't spend any more time there than necessary. So, what was I missing?
Luckily, I wasn't left unawares for long. While Bluefur's trail did lead me straight towards twolegplace, it veered to the right at the base of the twoleg fencing. She stayed close to the wood but never actually entered the unfamiliar terrain, staying as far away from ThunderClan territory as she dared.
It was as if she was trying to go somewhere without being noticed…
I hummed, realizing that if that had been Bluefur's goal, then she had definitely been far enough from the border and close enough to the twolegplace for her scent to not be detected. If I hadn't been searching for her so soon after she left, I probably wouldn't have been able to follow her path at all.
And if Bluefur followed this fence as far as possible – I stiffened.
Bluefur was heading to RiverClan territory.
Abandoning my careful process of scenting and tracking, I hared alongside the fence. At one point a silver tabby kittypet saw me and squealed, running for the safety of her twoleg den, but I was on a mission and didn't have time to scare her further.
At last, I slowed beside the river.
Bluefur's scent, though harder to detect on the sandy banks, was definitely present. She had been here, and recently at that. I followed it all the way up to the water's edge and investigated the surrounding bank until I was certain that she had crossed.
Well, if the coward could do it, then so could I. I plunged into the water and flailed my paws until my movements fell into line and I was somewhat keeping my head above the water. It certainly wasn't very dignified, and the river tugged my body downstream as I went, but I managed to cross before Sunningrocks came into view. From the lack of scent trails, it was obvious that either the water had wiped away Bluefur's scent of she had a better understanding of swimming and had made it out closer to my original crossing point.
With a shrug, I sat down in the shelter of some reeds and decided to think things through.
If Bluefur was here on a mission from Sunstar, I would know about it. But I don't, and clearly neither does anyone else – Bluefur doesn't want anyone to know where she went. Is she trying to visit someone? If so, then she would be heading for their camp.
I tasted the air and finally settled on a path with the strongest smell of RiverClan. The fishy scent seemed toxic to my forest-raised nose and I scrunched it up, trying to keep the RiverClan stink out of my nostrils. Each time I got a whiff of it seemed to get worse, so at least I was heading in the right direction, but if I could have just stopped breathing altogether without penalties such as death I would have, because RiverClan smelled terrible.
At least Bluefur was undergoing the same suffering.
A thicker wall of reeds came into view and I knew this had to be the camp. I could see the entrance from my spot, and I stiffened, breaking off the trail and following the reads to a less popular path. I really didn't need RiverClan stumbling onto me right now.
Here, I could shove my face into the reeds and get a tiny snippet of the RiverClan camp in eyesight. The clearing was wider and rounder than ThunderClan's camp, with the dens all made out of woven reeds.
From what I could see, RIverClan was having a meeting of some sort. I twisted my head and shoved my ear into the hole in hopes of listening in.
"-and how do I know you won't betray RiverClan?"
It was Crookedstar.
"Because I have nothing left in ThunderClan now," Bluefur mewed flatly. "And my mate and kits are here."
Wait, what?
Okay, so even though I hated Bluefur, I had always known that she was loyal. At least… I had thought she was. And what was this about a mate and kits? Mistykit, Stonekit, and Mosskit had been taken by a fox, right? I had seen the hole in the nursery with my own eyes, scoured the forest for any sign of the kits with the rest of ThunderClan. Besides, Thrushpelt had been back in camp when I had left to look for Bluefur.
"Your mate and kits?" Crookedstar repeated after a moment, sounding as bewildered as I felt. "I… Oakheart."
It was not a statement, but rather an accusation.
"Yes," the RiverClan warrior declared. "Bluefur is my mate. And the rogue kits I found a few moons ago, the ones that Graypool has been nursing? They are our kits."
Yowls of confusion and shock rang throughout the clearing. If I didn't have the common sense so as not to reveal myself, I probably would have joined in.
"Crookedstar, you would have done the same to be with Willowbreeze had she been a ThunderClan cat," Oakheart mewed. "I know Bluefur will be loyal, and she'll pick up swimming and fishing in no time. Besides, wouldn't it be nice to have a land-trained warrior to help with leaf-bare hunting? She will be a strong asset when ice covers the river."
The RiverClan cats were starting to shift around, and someone walked by my hole.
Realizing that my stay was through, I ran back towards the river. This time, I used the stepping stones to get back, prioritizing speed over stealth. Boy, was ThunderClan going to be shocked when they heard the news…
. . .
Oakheart's POV
"Loyalties"
In the end, I was definitely right. With my beloved Bluefur hunting for land prey, RiverClan had never been better fed during leaf-bare. She taught improved stalking techniques to our apprentices but didn't hesitate to learn fishing and swimming, instead pouring heart and soul into earning RiverClan's trust. I was happy as could be with my mate and kits at my side. Bluefur, who had been fed parsley to stop her milk after bringing Mistykit and Stonekit to ThunderClan, allowed Graypool to continue nursing them to the queen's delight, and they shared the upbringing of the two kits between them. Everything was, well, perfect.
"Come on, Oakheart! Let's go hunting!" Bluefur mewed, nudging me towards the camp entrance.
I rolled my eyes and flopped dramatically onto my side. "But you know the river's frozen over. There's no way you're going to be able to practice your fishing skills – Sedgecreek spent all morning trying to crack the ice with Petaldust but they couldn't get through."
"There's more than just fish in RiverClan territory, you know," Bluefur insisted.
Oh. Oh.
Bluefur's tail tip twitched excitedly. "I can't wait to taste mouse again! I mean, fish isn't that bad anymore, but this is my best chance to show RiverClan I can contribute even though I was raised a ThunderClan cat."
"Okay, okay," I purred, getting to my feet and trotting to the entrance. "I bet you'll catch twice as much as I will."
"What do you mean, twice?" Bluefur exclaimed, following me out of camp. "I'll catch thrice as much!"
"Come on," I said with a laugh. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
Bluefur shoved me aside, darting ahead. "I could have said four times as much," she called back playfully. "I was trying to save you some dignity, but if that's what you want…"
"Thrice is fine!" I yelped.
I followed Bluefur in contented silence until she halted, dropping into a crouch. It was similar to the hunting crouch I had learned as an apprentice, yet it didn't seem quite right. I hadn't seen her hunt land prey yet – she had focused on swimming and fishing to prove to our Clanmates that she was just as good as the rest of them – but I full faith that Bluefur had the better hunter's crouch.
"Mouse," she hissed to me in explanation. "Give me a moment."
Nodding, I watched as Bluefur stalked pawstep by pawstep, silent but fluid. After a little while she paused, waggling her haunches before launching herself forwards. Bluefur landed on what must have been the mouse, easily ducking her head down and delivering the killing bite.
"Great catch!" I purred, padding over.
"Thanks," Bluefur mewed, looking very satisfied with herself. "Let me just bury this for later, and then we should split. We'll catch more that way."
I nodded, since it made sense, and trailed off to the side. Here there were few willow trees, and I had often managed to catch a few voles here before. If I was lucky there would be one just waiting to be caught.
By sunhigh, I had caught a vole from the willow glade and had carried it back to where I had left Bluefur. She was already there with a pile of fresh-kill at her paws and I froze, jaws gaping, as she smirked triumphantly at me.
"Let's see, one vole to two mice, a sparrow, and a shrew?" she laughed, not mockingly. "Maybe I should give you some tips."
"Yes, please," I mewed somewhat enviously.
Don't get me wrong, I was super proud of my mate for catching so much, but the competitive part of me couldn't help but feel ashamed of my meager offerings in comparison. While I was a perfectly good land hunter by RiverClan standards, Bluefur had blown my efforts out of the water. She really had caught quadruple times the prey – not that my poor, wounded ego would remind her of that. Honestly, though, Bluefur had probably already noticed.
Bluefur somehow managed to pick up all of her catches and we headed back to camp side-by-side, our pelts brushing so as to keep warm. It was just our luck that it had to start snowing pretty hard on the way back, so we had to think twice to make sure we were heading in the right direction.
As soon as we got to camp, I dropped my vole on the fresh-kill pile and veered for shelter, wanting to make Bluefur's contributions more obvious.
"Wow, Bluefur! Did you catch all of that yourself?" Sedgecreek was the first to notice.
"I was raised in ThunderClan, remember?" Bluefur purred back. "If I couldn't catch land prey, I would have made a sorry warrior! I never caught this much back in ThunderClan, but I guess there's more prey to catch here since RiverClan mostly fishes."
Sedgecreek nodded. "Yeah… Hey, Petaldust! Come look at this!"
As more and more cats drew close, admiring Bluefur's cache, I spotted Crookedstar coming over to me.
"I guess you were right," Crookedstar shrugged. "Bluefur's really going to help keep our bellies full during leaf-bare. I wonder if she could spend some time with each of the apprentices to teach them some of her land training? I hate to admit it, but ThunderClan's techniques are probably superior to ours."
"I'll ask her that later," I assured him.
Crookedstar nodded. "Good."
We fell silent, watching the swarm of our Clanmates slowly reach its max before dying down again. I knew now, more certain than ever, that Bluefur had earned a place in RiverClan.
. . .
Whitestorm's POV
"Changes"
It took me a long time to get over Bluefur leaving. I was hurt – we all were, especially Thrushpelt and I – to find out that she had been mates with a RiverClan tom, that her kits still lived. I just wished that she had trusted me enough to tell me or to at least say goodbye before leaving. I did understand eventually. I got over my grudge and returned to loving Bluefur as my second mother again, but I still wonder. Why did she give her kits away in the first place? Why did Bluefur feel she had to leave?
"Thistlestar's back!" Frostfur called.
I stiffened and looked at the camp entrance. Sure enough, my father was strutting into camp with Featherwhisker at his heels. Thistlestar held his head high, immediately conquering the highrock and calling the traditional summons for a Clan meeting. I had never seem him so confident, so assertive and sure of himself, and it made me wonder just how well I really knew my father.
"ThunderClan, I am back now with my nine lives and I am more than ready to present to you your new deputy," Thistlestar declared, not even waiting for the last of my Clanmates to take their seats. "I say this to you before the spirit of Sunstar, so that he may hear and approve of my choice. Tigerclaw will be the next deputy of ThunderClan."
I wasn't surprised. Tigerclaw had Thistlestar's apprentice and was the only cat who could possibly rival my father in strength, not to mention loyalty and skill in battle. The massive tabby had always been Thistlestar's ally, so it was no wonder that he had been as my father's heir.
"Thank you, Thistlestar," Tigerclaw said, rising to his paws and gazing out over the crowd with a glint in his amber eyes. "I promise to help make ThunderClan the strongest Clan in the forest."
My Clanmates cheered his name. I joined in, wondering whether Tigerclaw's definition of strength was the same as my own.
I had a feeling that it wasn't.
Tigerclaw and I had grown up together though, so I did consider him a friend despite the fact that we had gone our separate ways. I wove through the crowd to Tigerclaw and gave him a hearty shove, but his steady frame barely shifted.
"Congratulations, Tigerclaw! I always knew you were destined for something great," I told him.
Though it wasn't the exact truth – I had never quite imagined Tigerclaw as leader, considering he seemed to lack the mercy that all the best leaders I knew of had – it was close. With his extreme battle skills and strength, I had always figured it would be impossible for Tigerclaw to be just another average warrior.
Whatever Tigerclaw would end up being, let it be leader or he died as deputy or elder, I knew he was certain to leave his mark on ThunderClan for seasons to come.
. . .
Spottedleaf's POV
"The Fire That Saves the Clan"
Thistlestar wouldn't listen to me when I told him what StarClan said. He's never cared much for StarClan, not that I was very surprised considering our history. As far as Thistleclaw was concerned, he and Tigerclaw would be able to handle any threats to the Clan – not to mention that fire is purely destructive. It couldn't save us, only burn us to ashes. But maybe ThunderClan needed to start over. I certainly didn't feel that Thistlestar's leadership had done us any good.
I looked up from my herbs as Graypaw slipped into my den. The young apprentice's pelt was smattered with cobwebs and poultices, but he didn't seem to mind his injuries and instead made a beeline for Ravenpaw's nest.
"Has he woken up yet?" he asked me, clearly worried for his friend.
I replaced the last of my juniper berries and padded over to stand next to the two apprentices. "Not yet, but he should any moment now. You can sit with him for a little bit while I check your scratches from yesterday."
Graypaw beamed. "Thanks, Spottedleaf!"
Yesterday certainly hadn't been a very good day for ThunderClan. Tigerclaw had led a border patrol to reclaim Sunningrocks, only for Oakheart to kill Whitestorm in the ensuing battle. Ravenpaw had been seriously wounded as well and had now lay unconscious in my den. Meanwhile, Graypaw had apparently been injured in a fight with a kittypet.
Snagging some fresh cobwebs and marigold leaves, I began peeling off the dressings on Graypaw's pelt to see how he was healing. Most of them were looking fine, but I applied more marigold just in case.
"Hey, Spottedleaf, look!" Graypaw suddenly exclaimed, sounded excited. "Ravenpaw's waking up!"
I peered past him to where Ravenpaw lay. Sure enough, the black tom was twitching slightly.
Quickly pushing my herbs to the side, I crouched next to the apprentice. "Ravenpaw? Ravenpaw, can you hear me?"
Green eyes slowly slid open. "Unh?" A pause, then, "Where am I?"
"You're in my den, Ravenpaw, in the ThunderClan camp," I told him gently. "How are you feeling?"
Ravenpaw tensed, starting to stand up, but I pushed him down with one paw. "I've got to- Tigerclaw-"
"Tigerclaw knows you're out of commission," I assured Ravenpaw. "Don't worry about your training. Right now, everyone just wants you to focus on getting better."
"But Whitestorm-"
"Is dead, yes, but none of that was your fault. And Tigerclaw killed Oakheart for it. But you're okay."
Ravenpaw slowly relaxed, but he still seemed tense.
"Can you tell me how you feel? Then you and Graypaw can chat for a little bit," I offered.
The black-furred apprentice nodded slightly. "My belly hurts the worst. But other than that, it's not so bad. Just a little dizzy, maybe."
"That'll be the blood loss," I told him. I slid Ravenpaw a few poppy seeds, satisfied now that I'd gotten to speak with my patient. I would freshen his poultices later. "Now, you and Graypaw can talk until you fall asleep, okay?"
Ravenpaw and Graypaw nodded, the former licking up the proffered poppy seeds dutifully. I retreated to the other side of my den so that they would have more space.
"So," I heard Ravenpaw say with a breathy chuckle. "What happened to you? Quite a first day, huh?"
"Oh, yeah!" Graypaw fluffed out his fur. "I went on a border patrol with Lionheart and Thistlestar, and we ran into this kittypet! Thistlestar had me chase him off our territory, but he put up a little bit of a fight."
Ravenpaw sounded intrigued. "A kittypet fought back? Really?"
"I know, right? I totally wasn't expecting it, but he pushed off the fence and just launched himself at me!" Graypaw said excitedly, mimicking the movements. "And the sun hit him just then, and he looked totally like a ball of fire! It was kind of intimidating until I remembered he was just a kittypet."
A ball of fire? I froze.
"Graypaw, what was that about the kittypet?" I asked.
The gray-furred tom looked confused. "I said that he looked scary if you forgot he was a tame kitty."
"No, before that."
"He looked like a ball of fire?"
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. It seemed crazy, but… a kittypet who looked like fire, who fought back against wildcats?
Graypaw tilted his head. "Spottedleaf, what's going on?"
"Oh, nothing," I heard myself say, but I wasn't entirely sure that I was the one saying the words. "That just reminded me that there's something I need to do, that's all. I'll see you two later."
I quickly departed from my den and headed for the camp entrance, exchanging brief greetings with the guard. I wasn't entirely sure why I was about to do what I was; I just knew that I had to see this fiery kittypet.
My journey across the territory was uninterrupted, and soon I was standing by the border. Remembering what I had learned during my short time as a warrior apprentice, I put my nose to the ground and investigated until I had found Graypaw's scent trail from yesterday. I followed it up to a twoleg wall.
Weighing my options, I jumped.
Instantly, I was bombarded by the whirlwind of scents and sounds and colors that formed the twolegplace. But my vision zeroed in on a patch of vibrant orange in the grass below me.
"Hey, who are you?" the bright ginger tom demanded as he saw me, jumping to his paws. I winced when I noticed that he featured scratches down both flanks.
I leapt down, landing softly in the grass. "My name is Spottedleaf of ThunderClan. Are you the cat who fought with Graypaw yesterday?"
The tom looked confused for a second. "Oh, yeah, Graypaw. I think that's what those older toms called him. What's it to you? And why are you in my yard?"
"I'm just here to talk," I told him. "I'm a medicine cat. I wanted to look at your wounds, if that's okay with you…"
"Rusty," he supplied. "My name's Rusty. And…I guess you can. There's this one scratch on my leg that really hurts."
I nodded and approached slowly, not wanting to seem hostile. Sure enough, the skin around the scratch was red and inflamed. "It looks like this one is infected," I mewed. "I can clean it now, but I don't have any herbs on me to help with the healing."
Rusty thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Go ahead."
Carefully, I started to clean the wound, doing my best not to aggravate the inflamed skin.
"So, if you're with those other cats, why help me?" Rusty asked while I was working. "Those toms didn't seem very friendly."
"That was Thistlestar, the leader of ThunderClan," I explained. "He doesn't like outsiders. Lionheart and Graypaw are much nicer, really, and so am I, but we follow his orders."
"And ThunderClan? What's that?"
I should have figured that he didn't know what the Clans were. "ThunderClan is one of the four Clans in the forest. Warriors, like Lionheart, hunt and patrol their territories to feed their Clans and keep them safe."
Rusty flicked an ear. "And Graypaw?"
"He's an apprentice. That means he's learning to become a warrior," I explained. "Yesterday was his first day. Lionheart is his mentor, so he's in charge of teaching Graypaw."
"Oh. You- you said you're a medicine cat. What are those?"
"A medicine cat is one who heals others. There's one or two per Clan. We're responsible for healing wounds and interpreting messages from StarClan, our warrior ancestors."
Rusty pulled a face. "Warrior ancestors? Like, dead cats? How does that work?"
"It's very real, I promise," I told him, stepping back as I had finished cleaning his wound. "Now, it's my turn to ask questions!"
The ginger tom purred. "Fair enough!"
"What were you doing in ThunderClan?" I asked.
Rusty shrugged. "Just hunting. I wanted to see if I could catch some prey. I didn't know that I'd be attacked like that, though!"
I paused. "Rusty, you shouldn't hunt in the forest."
"Why not?" he retorted defensively. "I almost caught a mouse! I bet I could do better!"
"It's not a matter of skill, Rusty," I told him earnestly. "It's a matter of survival. You don't need to catch prey for food – your twolegs feed you freely. But Clan cats have to earn every bite of food. Everything you catch and everything you scare away means one more belly goes hungry."
Rusty lowered his head. "Oh. I'm sorry, I hadn't thought of it that way. Is it really that bad?"
"Well, not all of the time," I amended. "But we can't afford to lose any prey, especially to someone who doesn't need it."
"I won't hunt there again," Rusty promised. I knew he was telling the truth. "But… will you tell me more about the Clans?"
"What if you joined a Clan?"
The words were out of my mouth before I had thought them through. But Rusty… he was the fire; I was sure of it. With his blazing pelt, surprising bravery, and unique compassion for wildcats he'd never met, he had to be.
"What do you mean? I doubt your leader – Thistlestar? – would be happy to see me again," Rusty questioned, flustered. "He made that really clear."
That was true. There was no place for Rusty in ThunderClan. But maybe if he joined a different Clan? Only StarClan knew how he would save us, after all.
Suddenly, I remembered that ThunderClan blood wasn't only in ThunderClan. Bluefur had born and raised in ThunderClan until she had left to be with her mate and kits in RiverClan. And while she had proven herself to be a loyal RiverClan warrior, surely, she still cared about her birth Clan.
"Maybe not ThunderClan, but I think I might be able to get you into RiverClan," I said slowly.
Rusty looked intrigued. "Are… are you sure? I mean, I'm just a kittypet."
"But you want to hunt. You like the forest. You've got instinct," I told him. "I think you could be a great warrior, if only someone gave you a chance. You could be so much more than a kittypet."
"All my friends are here though," Rusty said uncertainly. "And what if I'm not good at it? What if I don't like it?"
"Just give it a chance," I urged him. "I think you'll like it more than you realize."
At last, Rusty jumped to his paws. "Alright. So how does this work?"
I purred. Now all I need is for Bluefur to agree to convince Crookedstar to let Rusty in.
"Just follow me!" I told him and leapt back onto the wall and over into the forest.
Rusty jumped after me, doing a decent job of keeping pace as I hared along between the ThunderClan border and the twolegplace. I knew it had to hurt his wounds to run so fast, but I didn't dare slow down. I didn't want Thistlestar to find out what I was doing, as I was sure I wouldn't like his response.
We skidded to a halt at the river. Foxdung! How are supposed to get across this? I can't take Rusty into the territory to cross at the stepping stones, or we'll definitely be scented.
But StarClan was on my side. While I contemplated how the merits of attempting to swim across the river, a RiverClan patrol emerged from the bushes on the either side with Bluefur at the helm.
"Bluefur!" I called. "Bluefur, over here!"
The RiverClan cats paused, looking confused, and swung their gazes across the river to where Rusty and I stood. Bluefur's face was tinged with grief – I realized with a jolt that she had lost her mate yesterday when Tigerclaw had avenged Whitestorm. While I was desperate to get Rusty into a Clan, I was sorry to be intruding on her grief.
"Spottedleaf? What do you want?" Bluefur yowled back after sharing confused looks with her Clanmates.
"Bluefur, will you come over here? This is… I really don't want Thistlestar or Tigerclaw to find out about this," I answered, my voice much quieter than hers.
She murmured something to her Clanmates before sliding into the river. I was impressed at her strong, steady strokes – she swum like any RiverClan warrior would, which, I guess, was the point considering that she was one.
Bluefur emerged onto the ThunderClan side of the bank silently, her fur easily shedding the water. "Spottedleaf, what is it? Who is this?"
I hesitated. "This is Rusty. Rusty, do you mind waiting over there, please?"
Rusty looked confused, but he nodded, nevertheless. He padded out of earshot and sat next to the river, his green eyes fixed on the RiverClan cats across the river.
I turned back to Bluefur. "I'm sorry, I realize this is a bad time, but I need you to promise to listen to everything I have to say."
"…Okay. I promise."
"I need you to convince Crookedstar to let Rusty join RiverClan."
Bluefur narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Because I think he's going to save ThunderClan." I took a deep breath. "A moon ago, StarClan showed me a shooting star. It was a sign."
"What did it say?" Bluefur asked.
"That fire alone can save our Clan."
Bluefur was silent for a long moment. Then, uneasily, she mewed, "Goosefeather told me once that I was the fire who would save the Clan. But then Thistlestar became deputy instead of me, and I left."
So that was why Bluefur had given up her kits? To become deputy, only to have Sunstar choose a different cat? I wasn't sure whether that was arrogant or self-sacrificial. But Goosefeather, however he may have been in his old age, had always been right.
"I don't know about the past," I told Bluefur. "What I do know is that I'm convinced that, somehow, Rusty will save ThunderClan. And I can't let him go."
Slowly, Bluefur nodded. "Alright then. I'll stick my neck out for him. Although bringing home a kittypet really doesn't seem like it should be my first act as deputy."
"You're the deputy now?" I winced. Replacing her mate had to sting.
Bluefur sighed, getting to her paws. "Yep. I always thought I would become deputy, but after Tawnyspots, not Oakheart."
I dipped my head to her. "I admire your courage. And I thank you for taking Rusty with you."
Bluefur called out to her patrol across the river; two cats swam over and proceeded to help Rusty make the crossing to RiverClan territory.
The last I saw of Rusty that day was his fiery ginger pelt disappearing into the water, following by the noble ThunderClan warrior-turned-RiverClan deputy.
The reason I like this one so much is all of the possibilities that there are - if I was really motivated, I could jump on into an Into the Wild rewrite building off of this idea and just roll with everything. That said, I don't see that happening, so if you really like the idea of Rusty joining RiverClan, I would suggest Hissing Willows's Fire and Water series, although Bluefur stays in ThunderClan there.
Anyways, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one! Once again, concrit and What If suggestions are also welcome. Thanks for reading and see you in a couple days with the next one!
Syrup / Rain