The silver she-cat stalked, unseen, through the scarce undergrowth. Her paws felt not the chill of the stones, nor did her fur rustle in the breeze. She didn't sense much, though she did enjoy what she was feeling at the moment.
Triumph.
Crowfrost was hers. There was no doubt. He had let the cat he loved be dragged away at her word. AlderClan would break at any moment. Cougarstar was on the brink.
And all the while, there had been no sign of him.
Yes, things were going splendidly. Despite the fair amount of improvisation she had had to do. She congratulated herself on her cleverness.
She let her paws skim the ground as she made her way to where her prize would be waiting. Finally, that which she had worked so hard to get would be hers.
She rounded a young pine tree and practically skipped down a small slope. At the base lay the open mouth of a den-like cave between the stones of an ancient rockfall. She made herself seen.
There was a moment of quiet as she waited.
He emerged slowly. Fearfully.
She suppressed a hiss of annoyance. Didn't any of these Clan cats have a spine? She would-
She blinked as she took in his sorry state. His fur was torn and bloody and he was limping heavily. He avoided looking at her through one swollen eye.
"What. Happened." She hissed through gritted teeth.
Snakefeather continued staring at the ground. "A cat came-"
"Stop mumbling." She snapped.
Snakefeather looked up. A dribble of blood from his nose ran down his muzzle. Disgusting.
"A cat came. CedarClan, I think. He took her-"
Fury. Such an annoying emotion, and yet she couldn't get herself to stop feeling the damn thing. Ah, well. At least it made more distasteful things easier to do.
She left Snakefeather where he lay, blood pooling around the split in his neck, eyes staring sightlessly at his false gods.
She forced herself to be calm as she retraced her steps across the mountainside. This was but a delay. She had other pieces yet to play.
She would get that little medicine cat before the night was out.
. . .
There was silence as the cats of CedarClan waited for Blizzardstar's side to move again. After a few agonizing moments, Blizzardstar's flank twitched and he choked out a ragged breath.
Heronflight's legs shook with relief.
The gathered warriors exchanged glances.
"What do we do now?" Cherrynose asked in a small voice.
Heronflight looked to Whiteshade. The deputy's amber eyes were wide with horror. Shadowgrove gave the younger tom a nudge that seemed to bring Whiteshade back to himself.
"Falconstorm, Shadowgrove. Make sure they've gone." He ordered. The two warriors obeyed without hesitation. Whiteshade turned back to Blizzardstar. His gaze lingered on the bloody slashes in the leader's pelt.
"Where is Petalpaw?" Whiteshade demanded.
Morningsong looked up from where she had been gently grooming her father's bloodied head. "Yes, someone get her please." Her voice sounded strained and her eyes were wide with desperation.
Heronflight looked around for Crowfrost. The black tom was standing a little way away from the rest of the Clan. He was staring at Blizzardstar's body with wide eyes. He was alone.
Heronflight's heart skipped a beat. He pushed past Hawkstrike and ran to Crowfrost. He paused a fox-length away.
"Why isn't she with you?" Heronflight said.
Crowfrost met Heronflight's eyes for a heartbeat then looked away.
Anger clenched Heronflight's tired muscles. He shouldn't have trusted Crowfrost. He had been so stupid to. He surged forward and came muzzle-to-muzzle with Crowfrost.
"Where is she?" Heronflight said through gritted teeth. He had meant to say it with force and fury, but the words came out soft and calm.
Crowfrost glanced up. "She's gone."
Morningsong's voice shook. "What?"
Whiteshade stepped between the brothers. He gave each a pointed look.
"Explain." He said.
Heronflight spat. "I saw Petalpaw being dragged away. Crowfrost chased after her." He shot a glare over Whiteshade's shoulder at Crowfrost. "He came back without her."
"There was nothing I could do." Crowfrost hissed. The look in his eyes showed his shaken confidence.
Heronflight made to step forward but Whiteshade blocked him. It took Heronflight everything he had not to strike out against the deputy.
"Crowfrost." A soft voice said.
The three toms looked around to see Morningsong getting to her paws. She fixed Crowfrost with an intense green gaze.
"You look me in the eye and you tell me you did everything you could to bring her back."
Crowfrost faltered. "I-"
"Petalpaw!" Hawkstrike cried.
Heronflight whipped around and followed Hawkstrike's gaze to where Petalpaw was emerging from behind one of the large granite boulders. Her mouth was full of herbs. She moved slowly, cautious.
Her eyes fell on Blizzardstar. Without a moment of hesitation, she rushed across the stony ground to her father's side and began tending to him.
Heronflight's moment of shock fell away and he sprang into action. He ran to Petalpaw's side. He was vaguely aware of his other Clanmates doing the same.
"What's wrong with him? Why isn't he waking up?" Morningsong asked, seemingly unphased by Petalpaw's sudden return.
Petalpaw drew close to Blizzardstar's flank and pressed her ear close to his fur. She closed her eyes in concentration for a moment before leaning back and examining his deeper cuts.
"I don't know." She said just loud enough for Morningsong and Heronflight to hear. "But I won't let him lose another life."
"What happened?" Whiteshade said. "Crowfrost said he lost sight of you."
Petalpaw glanced up as she worked. Her gaze flicked from the deputy to where Crowfrost was standing away from the rest of them.
"I was rescued." she said. She bit off a clump of leaves and began chewing furiously.
Whiteshade flattened an ear. "By who?"
Suddenly, Cherrynose made a high-pitched sound of shock and horror. She jumped to her paws and shot away from the group. Heronflight swung his head around and watched her run towards the boulders to intercept a very bloody cat.
It was Slatefang.
"You're injured!" Cherrynose fretted. She fell into step beside Slatefang as he made his way to the rest of the group. Cherrynose tried to nose him over as they walked but Slatefang gently shook her off.
"We're not hurt." he said quietly.
Cherrynose looked confused. "We?"
"He means me." Another unexpected voice joined the stream of surprises.
Dawnheart emerged from behind the boulders. He was unhurt, but he was staring at Slatefang as if he had just seen something terrifying.
Without thinking, Heronflight moved himself in between Petalpaw and Slatefang. Slatefang glanced at him but said nothing.
"He fought off the cats that took me." Petalpaw explained. She began plastering Blizzardstar's coat with a pungent smelling mixture.
"I got there just as he finished them off." Dawnheart said. He gave himself a small shake.
Whiteshade shot Slatefang a glance. "I would say that you shouldn't be here," he said, "but it seems we were lucky you came."
The other cats murmured their agreement. They pulled in around Slatefang and gave him nods of approval and meows of thanks.
Heronflight watched the silver and black warrior for any sign that he was unstable. He had been the one to attack Dawnheart, but even the cream warrior didn't seem entirely convinced that Slatefang wasn't to be trusted.
Slatefang took the praise without much reaction. His still-prickled shoulder fur and his restless gaze made Heronflight nervous.
Dawnheart shuffled over to Heronflight as the Clan pulled away from Slatefang. Heronflight waited for Dawnheart to speak first.
"I've never seen any cat do what he just did." Dawnheart said in a quiet voice. "He killed four cats and seriously injured a fifth. By himself."
Heronflight's eyes widened. His mouth ran dry. He looked over at where Slatefang was sitting close to Cherrynose. The warrior's stare was blank of emotion as he was groomed by his denmate. He was completely soaked in blood.
"Is he on our side?" Heronflight asked slowly.
Dawnheart paused for a moment before nodding.
The affirmation wasn't that relieving.
The CedarClan cats sat in relative silence as Petalpaw worked for the time it took to eat a mouse. Eventually Falconstorm and Shadowgrove returned.
"They retreated, but they're regrouping. WillowClan is with them." Shadowgrove reported.
All eyes turned to Whiteshade.
He looked down at Petalpaw. "What do you need?"
She glanced up. "I need someone else who knows what they're doing. Soon."
Whiteshade looked around at his warriors. His shoulders stiffened and his amber gaze steeled.
"Then I suppose we are freeing AlderClan."
. . .
Slatefang felt the warmth of Cherrynose's pelt beside him. The Other wanted to go, to move, to hunt down the witch and stop her, but Slatefang relished the quiet moment. He watched twice as the others helped Petalpaw move Blizzardstar to a safer place.
The Other noted that Crowfrost had purposefully requested to scout ahead.
So he doesn't know where she is this time.
He understands that she can take what she wants from him now.
Slatefang focused on the feeling of Cherrynose's fur brushing his.
You need to focus. Let me have this moment.
It's been a while since I've felt this way.
Slatefang blinked. The constant conversation in his head was becoming harder to parse. The constant flow of thoughts that might not be his own had left him muddled.
I'm sorry.
I don't think you meant to.
Slatefang looked down at Cherrynose. Her brown eyes gleamed with the anticipation of what was to come. She glanced up at him and purred.
"I'm glad you're here," she said. "but you're going to be in so much trouble when we get back."
Slatefang purred back. It had been a while since he had done that.
Cherrynose shuffled her paws. "You're okay, right? You've been," she paused, uncertain, "strange."
Slatefang looked into her eyes. He wanted to tell her he was fine, that everything was going to go back to normal after this. He couldn't bring himself to lie to her. So, the Other did it.
"I'm alright."
Cherrynose nodded and leaned into him.
Slatefang closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.
I'm sorry, they thought, Please forgive me.
. . .
Heronflight helped Whiteshade settle Blizzardstar's limp body into the safety of a crack in the rocks.
Petalpaw stood beside them, directing their movements with Plumleaf's briskness. Once the leader was tucked into a make-shift nest of pine needles and a few stray feathers, Whiteshade ducked out and padded away to give the rest of the patrol more instructions.
Heronflight hesitated at the mouth of the small cave. Blizzardstar had been cleaned of much of the blood, but the rank stench of it still filled Heronflight's nose. He shivered.
"You're sure he'll be alright?" He asked quietly.
Petalpaw looked up from where she was wrapping Blizzardstar's forepaw in fuzzy leaves with careful precision. She met Heronflight's gaze for a heartbeat before turning back to her work.
"I'll make sure of it." she said. Her eyes hardened.
Heronflight watched her for a few more moments. Guilt welled up inside of him as his eyes drifted over the red marks on her shoulders and neck.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"For what?" she didn't look at him.
"I didn't come after you." Heronflight flexed his claws in the pebbly dirt.
"Blizzardstar needed you." Petalpaw's voice was understanding.
Heronflight shook his head. "Thank StarClan Slatefang found you." Heronflight muttered half to himself.
Petalpaw, who was now patting a strong-smelling paste onto Blizzardstar's side, faltered.
"What's wrong?" Heronflight said.
Petalpaw hesitated. "I've never seen any cat fight like he did." she said. Her eyes went out of focus. "It was like he was fighting a den of mice. He just," she closed her eyes and shivered, "tore through them."
Heronflight's blood ran cold despite himself. Dawnheart said Slatefang could be trusted. He would have to believe that.
"There's something else, too." Petalpaw said. "One of the cats who was guarding me was AlderClan."
"AlderClan?" Heronflight blinked, confused.
Petalpaw nodded. "The others seemed to trust him, but I don't know. Everything is so complicated." She trailed off and looked up at Heronflight. "Just be careful, please."
Heronflight held her gaze for a moment. He didn't want to leave her alone again. Never again. The fight that lay before his paws was full of uncertainty, but he knew one thing for sure.
"Petalpaw, I-" He started, but Petalpaw silenced him by coming close to him in one swift movement.
She stopped just short of touching him. She was looking at the ground. Heronflight felt the ends of her fur flutter against his. His heart beat faster.
"Don't say it." She said quietly. Her mew shook.
Heronflight drew in her scent and found that it was nearly impossible to do as she asked. He took a tentative step forward. She hesitated for a breath before burying her muzzle into his chest.
"Please." she said. There was grief in her voice. "I love this Clan. I love what I do."
Heronflight stared up at the cave ceiling, unseeing. The things Petalpaw left unsaid rang in his head.
"I can't love you, too."
Heronflight closed his eyes. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to make sure she knew so that if he didn't come back from the battle, she would never wonder.
But he couldn't.
He left the cave with his paws heavy with silent words.
. . .
Crowfrost sat in the shadow of a granite boulder, waiting. His breaths came shallow and his heart was beating quickly in his chest. Unbidden thoughts kept creeping through his certainty that he was doing the right thing.
How had the enemy known where to find Petalpaw? Why had Cranewing stopped him from going after her? How could it be StarClan's will for Blizzardstar to be lying there, blood-soaked and mangled-
He shook himself forcefully. No. He couldn't question now, not when everything was happening so fast.
A soft noise announced the arrival of another cat. Crowfrost recognized the scent as Hawkstrike's.
"Whiteshade sent me up to tell you we'll be moving out soon." Hawkstrike said as he drew level with Crowfrost's shoulder.
Crowfrost avoided looking at Hawkstrike. He nodded and kept his eyes fixed on the dark, scraggly bushes just ahead.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. A burr of a question was itching at Crowfrost's muzzle. Dare he ask? Was there a way he could make sure she was safe without putting her at risk again? He swallowed.
"Are Blizzardstar and Petalpaw safe?" He tried to sound casual.
Hawkstrike shot his brother a sideways glance. Crowfrost did not meet his eyes.
"Yeah." said Hawkstrike eventually. "They found a-"
Terror flooded through Crowfrost. He knew with sudden, desperate certainty that if he heard where she was, Petalpaw would be in danger once again.
"So, you and Morningsong, huh?" Crowfrost said loudly, running over the end of Hawkstrike's sentence. He had spoken the first thought that had come readily to his mind. Once the words were out of his mouth he felt supremely awkward.
Hawkstrike stared at Crowfrost. His mouth was hanging open slightly.
"Oh, uh, yeah." he stumbled over his words. His ears flattened a little. He dropped his gaze down to his paws. Crowfrost let himself look at his brother properly.
"We got close while you weren't speaking to me." Hawkstrike said flatly.
Crowfrost was taken aback by the bluntness. He didn't answer. Hawkstrike raised his head and looked Crowfrost in the eye. There was an air of challenge in his posture.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Hawkstrike said.
Crowfrost froze. What could Hawkstrike know?
They stared at each other for a few heartbeats.
A soft scrape-and-click of claws on stone met Crowfrost's ears. Whiteshade was calling them back.
"Come on." Crowfrost growled. He turned to go.
For a moment he wasn't sure if Hawkstrike was going to let him leave. His brother was watching him with narrowed gray eyes. Crowfrost was seized with a fierce urge to swipe at that judgmental stare. Why was every cat looking at him like he was about to start killing Clanmates?
Angry, Crowfrost revealed his fangs. "What's it to you what I'm doing, halfwit?"
Hawkstrike flinched slightly at the insult. Crowfrost felt immediately regretful.
"I may not be as smart as you or Heronflight," Hawkstrike said quietly, "but I know when my brothers need my help."
The words hit Crowfrost like a blow to the chest. "I-" He didn't get to say any more for, just then, the rest of the CedarClan patrol arrived from behind the great mound of boulders.
"There you are." Whiteshade reprimanded in a low hiss. "Fall in. Now."
Crowfrost and Hawkstrike obeyed silently. Crowfrost slid into place beside a silent and stern-looking Shadowgrove. Hawkstrike was shuffled in between Morningsong and Kestrelfeather just behind him. Crowfrost could feel his gaze burning into the back of his head.
"CedarClan, move out!"