Chapter 16


FearClan/Willow

Things should have gotten better, but they hadn't. Tensions were still high in the rogue camp. Willow was lending a helping paw in rebuilding the camp as the long day began it's close. The sun was descending and the hunting parties were returning. Glancing over from his position with Timber and Hawk, he could see the black and brown tom padding into the camp with a scrawny mouse in his jaws. Close behind was Juniper, limping with fresh new gashes upon his body. He felt Hawk stiffen beside him, no doubt holding back her medicine cat training against her instincts.

Juniper didn't look good at all. He was panting as he lurched into camp on unsteady paws before falling over limply. Blood oozed from his wounds, many of which hadn't been seen to at all from the looks of it. His black tabby fur was marred with dried blood, making Willow's chest ache for him. With a rough paw, Pounce forced the younger tom to his paws, red puddles left behind as he went back to walking. Soon, Reed walked in with Nettle close beside him. She, too, bore the marks of impatient claws on her pelt. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as it was for Juniper.

Ant brought over reeds she helped chew from their places to help entwine them into the dens. Her emerald green eyes flashing with concern. "Is Juniper okay?" she called.

Pounce sent her a glare. "He's fine."

Timber blinked, her whiskers twitching uneasily. "The poor scrap doesn't look like he will survive much longer."

Hawk nodded stiffly. "He needs herbs, but I don't think Heather would approve of trying to care for him."

Willow glanced to them, feeling out of sorts. Would it really be so bad to use Clan-cat knowledge? The herbs could save them from further unnecessary deaths. Couldn't Heather at least see that? Although, he shook the thoughts from his head with a rough shake. Anything that Clan-cats do could be seen as a challenge to her leadership. Flicking his tail, he wondered just what he could do to help. Even for a little while.

Despite his concerns, Heather rose back to her post, watching over the hardworking group with Shadow. His father's pale green gaze was locked onto them, cold and dark even from a distance. Willow wasn't even sure if that look was because of Juniper's and Nettle's wounds or because of Pounce and Reed having caused said wounds. Yet, when their eyes locked, the black tabby bounded down, fury glittering in his pale newleaf-colored eyes.

"Is this what you wanted?" he snapped viciously. "Your siblings to suffer?"

"What I wanted was for them to be trained like I was, not treated like prisoners." He pointed out as calmly as he could.

"It's because you listened to this she-cat's cloud-fluff." he hissed.

Willow stood his ground, his shoulder fur rising. "Hawk is the best advisor I could ask for. She at least looks after me and makes sure I understand what it means to be a leader."

"And how would she know anything about that?" he sneered, looking to Hawk, whose tail was twitching in agitation. "She was a kittypet turned loner."

"And so were you." Willow growled, earning his father's surprised expression. "She tells me more about our history than you ever had, oh wait you don't even visit anymore."

"I would have visited!" he insisted.

"And what was stopping you? You sit around with Heather up there, at least she has a reason to be. She watches over FearClan, what do you do?"

"I keep watch over the prey-pile."

"So does Pounce." Willow pointed out, "That's nothing special. Even Timber could do it. Right now you're not even watching the prey-pile. You're watching us work while Heather keeps an eye out for danger."

"I'm supervising!"

"Or are you just avoiding Hawk because she's your sister and you know I appreciate her words more than you?"

Silence met his words, his father looked stunned as Heather blinked down at them with her one good eye. Her expression was blank, void of feeling as she watched hollowly. Almost as though her eye was what had been left of her will to lead properly. Her tail swished in the silence before rising to her paws.

"Well said, Willow." she meowed, leaping down elegantly. "I suppose even old cats need to learn new tricks. Reed, Pounce; you should be gentler on them for they are just learning to put their skills into proper use. Nettle and Juniper; you two need to be just as patient for them as this has never been done before. Usually the mother would train their kits."

Timber blinked warmly, "Well, Cedar didn't teach me or Frost, but we weren't her kits either. Heather taught us though. It was very nice, back then at least."

Heather nodded. "Exactly, I was gentle to them as though they were my own kits. Reed and Pounce, you need to do the same, as though you are their father. We have to make do as there is not enough she-cats to look after them after Dusk's death, not that she would have been much help."

"How can you be fine with what they're doing to us?" Shadow asked, his pale green eyes sharp.

The rogue leader flicked her ears. "If you haven't noticed I'm missing an eye because that rat of a son was fighting our future leader. Besides, if it's working for the Clan-cats then we should at least try before another incident happens. If it prevents jealousy then it would be worth letting them have a cat teach them properly."

Shadow backed away a step. "You can't be serious, this isn't the FearClan I joined."

Heather ruffled her fur, her honey-colored eye sharpening with fury. "And FearClan once had many cats before it was split many, many moons ago. The Traitors left us and Cedar made it her goal to make the traitors regret leaving us. BushClan are deserters. The lot of them left FearClan for dead. They all deserve to suffer in every way possible."

Willow perked up his ears, watching as their leader strode up to them, her gaze level and filled with a fierce clarity that he had never seen before. The creamy brown she-cat held her head high, her tail curved towards the tip. Each step seeming to be just as calculated as the thoughts that could be swarming within her skull.

She continued her speech: "I have thought long and hard about this, by the twelfth moon of Willow's life I will step down to second-in-command. He will lead with the advisor's help. Her knowledge will be important to take them down."

Hawk twitched her whiskers, nodding, "Then, if I may, could I gather herbs?"

"No." Heather replied firmly. "I would rather you focus on your advising duties. Perhaps another time."

Hawk opened her jaws as though to argue before closing them and dipping her head. "As you wish, Heather." she mewed respectfully.

Willow blinked, knowing that Hawk had been obsessed with the strange plants she called "herbs" for quite some time. Her gaze would wander and when she spoke of them, he knew they could save lives. Perhaps, if they could last until next leaf-fall he could make it different, if only so Hawk could do everything she wished. His heart lifted at the thought of it. It would be the only kind gesture he could make if he lived to his twelfth moon.

Feeling energy fill him again, he turned to the others. "Come on, let's get back to work. The sooner we fix Reed's den the sooner we can be to having something to eat before hunting again, if Heather would allow us."

"Gladly," she meowed warmly, padding up to the returning hunters. "As for you four, you should relax. Your prey will be used well for them when they have to go out and their prey will do the same for you."

"Are you expecting us to eat when it's dark out?" Pounce gaped in shock. "What about the high-rank members eating first?"

"We must do all we can to save food. We may be a small group, but we have growing kits to feed this time around." Heather reminded him, "If you wanted to eat so badly, you should have been more patient with Juniper and Nettle."

Reed looked away, his icy-blue eyes glittering with both shame and anger. "They're incompetent. They think it's all just a game. What was that flea-brain Dusk teaching them?"

"Nothing useful." Pounce muttered, flicking his tail. "Come on, you can rest in my den until these freeloaders are done."

Timber twitched her ears, before looking to Heather, "May I be excused to watch over Nettle and Juniper?"

"Go on ahead, Shadow can take your place."

"I am not helping them!" Shadow exclaimed.

Hawk rolled her eyes, "Get over it fur ball, everyone has to pull their weight around here. Besides Timber's job is important, we need you to make sure the den is looking even as we path it up and if there is any gaps before you shove fallen leaves in there for insulation."

"Another Clan-cat trick?" He snarled unhappily.

"No, common sense." she replied coolly, finishing a woven strand of reeds and branches in the bushes. "Now hurry, I want to get Willow out hunting sooner."

"Agreed." Heather mewed, "I still need to take Ant hunting, so get to it, Shadow."

With a disgruntled hiss, Shadow stalked over and began his work, sulking the entire time. Willow ignored him as he went back to work to finish the den. The foxes had ravaged the camp, but they were still standing. Whether they were any stronger, the silver and white tabby tom didn't know. All he did know was Clan-cat life was slowly infiltrating their ways and Heather seems to be slowly accepting the changes herself. Which was more than what Willow ever thought was possible.

Ever so slowly, their camp was beginning to look normal again. The stink of foxes still clung to the air, the dirt and snow churned to hide any traces of blood. It was almost as though Dusk and Thistle never existed. Almost as they were still dearly missed. Not a moment goes by where Willow wished he could have saved his sister, or even Dusk who had been so motherly to him and his siblings. He had been so busy with his new duties that he felt he hardly knew them as well. Just like Cedar's presence in his life.

Heather wants him to be just like her, yet, he knew nothing but two countering stories. Stories where Heather spoke of Cedar as though she was the best of the best. While Hawk admitted there was a darkness inside of Cedar that blinded her in battle. A darkness he never quite could understand or even begin to. His paws worked without him noticing, before he knew it Reed's den was finished and Shadow was pushing in the last of the leaves and moss to keep it warm until leafbare was over.

Willow stared blankly, his amber eyes trailing up to see the snow-white she-cat peering through the shadows. Frost seemed to glimmer among her pelt and paws, her blue eyes glittering like strange stars. He blinked, focusing more as the she-cat stared at him, her bright pink nose standing out as she backed into the shadows with wide eyes. The fur rose along his spine as he realized something that the she-cat also did. He knew her and he wasn't supposed to see her.

Why have you come to me in the waking world, Frostfur? he questioned silently, before smelling the familiar scent. A powerful urge filled him, one that he knew he had to obey, even as his paws struggled to stay put. With each beat of his thrashing heart, he knew. He had to find Frostfur to understand what it was she wanted from him. After all, there had to be a reason she was visiting him, right?


Author Note:

After two months of not knowing what to do for Willow's chapter,
I finally have it sorted out! May you all enjoy this one. ^-^

Thank you for reading, have a nice day/night and stay safe out there! - NightSky