Chapter 2

"Upfront."


7/14/21 - 7/15/21 - 7/30/21 - 7/31/21 - 8/1/21 - 8/2/21 - 8/3/21 - 8/4/21 - 8/5/21 - 8/10/21 - 8/12/21 - 8/14/21 - 8/15/21


~ Wrenpaw ~

The first thing she hears is some cat breathing directly in her face. The pale brown she-cat wakes up, amber eyes flash at the sight of her eyes opening.

Wrenpaw's not amused by this. Wrenpaw's not amused by the invasion of her personal bubble and obnoxious grin on Sablekit's face. "It's about time you woke-."

Fogpaw jumps from her nest and stretches her front paw under Sablekit to flip him on his back. The thud alerts the other apprentices as Fogpaw pins Sablekit down with both paws on his shoulders in a not so gentle manner.

Shadepaw stirs from the noises. When he sees his sister contemplating whether or not she should strangle the five-and-a-half moon old beneath her paws and Wrenpaw glaring at the tom, it clicks together for him.

"Can you not maul him in here? The last thing we need is Bumbletail getting us for retribution."

Sablekit is already pushing her off and stands tall and proud. "You're gonna have to treat me with respect when I become a 'paw."

Fogpaw's fur bristles at the arrogance of this furball.

"Sablekit," Wrenpaw groans with her paw over her head. "It's way too early for this. Good back to Bumbletail."

"She left to hunt. She said I should hang out with my friends until she gets back."

"Slatekit's not here." Sparrowpaw says without turning his back.

"She said you guys by name."

Wrenpaw nearly gags. Friends?! Does Bumbletail still believe in that delusion?

"Sablekit, go back to the nursery." Fogpaw says, making it clear where Sablekit stands and it's up to him to accept the boundary.

"I'm staying." Sablekit said, plopping his hindquarters on the floor. "And you can't make me leave."

Or not.

Wrenpaw narrows her eyes. "What makes you think we can't still throw you out?"

"Because I'll tell Mom that you put your claws on me."

Fogpaw gives Shadepaw a look of exasperation. He gets the message and stands up from his nest. "I should find Ravenmask."

Wrenpaw suddenly leaps from her nest, surprising Fallowpaw. "Me, too!"

"Fogpaw?" Stormfall pokes his head through the entrance. The blue-grey she-cat pushes Sablekit to reach her mentor. "I'm ready."

Stormfall looks over to Sablekit. "You should go to the nursery…"

The white and grey tabby tom snorts. "I don't have to listen to you!"

"Yes," Brightwater peers over Stormfall's shoulder, her copper-brown eyes piercing. "You do."

Sablekit prepares to protest when Brightwater adds. "Until Mudstar holds your apprentice ceremony, you're still a kitten and you have to listen to cats older than you."

Sablekit wrinkles his nose and stomps while slapping his tail across Stormfall's muzzle. A passing Sparrowpaw stares in shock while Fogpaw prepares to jump on the tom until Stormfall's fore-paw stops her.

Brightwater growls at the action. "I'll be sure to let them know about your behavior!"

The dappled she-cat waits for Sablekit to enter the nursery before turning to Stormfall.

"Telling Bumbletail and Swallowflight won't change anything." Stormfall said.

"Said who? I was referring to Mudstar and Whiteflame." Brightwater gives him a sympathetic look. "I know it's difficult, but you need to be more assertive. Especially with Sablekit and Slatekit."

"I am. Just ask Fogpaw."

The blue-grey she-cat glances at Stormfall and nods to Brightwater.

"Oh, yes. No matter how many times I ask, he's still not telling me what my assessment will be."

"Are you still hung up on that?" Wrenpaw asks. Brightwater brushes her tail on Stormfall's back before leaving with Sparrowpaw.

Fallowpaw nearly skips to Wrenpaw. "Guess what, bird?"

"Mudstar is giving us warrior names?"

Fallowpaw's tail drops. "Again, no. Rabbitear needs two apprentices with him and picked us!"

Wrenpaw blinks in realization. "We're going to ThunderClan?"

Scoping out an enemy camp! It's the very thing that Wrenkit used to dream of.

"... How did Icefall take it?"

"He agreed to it. And, no, it doesn't sound like he's letting up on the punishment anytime soon."

Of course he's not.

Rabbitear, Applepaw and Shadepaw are waiting by the steep pathway for the two she-cats, along with Icefall and Palesky when Wrenpaw picks up Icefall's voice a couple fox-lengths away.

"... I don't know if she's ready to see ThunderClan. What if she sees him? What if he approaches her?"

"She's going to see her father eventually, Icefall," Palesky whispers to the white tom. "You just need to trust her."

Oh, right. Her dad's a ThunderClan cat - somehow it didn't register.

Wrenpaw isn't entirely surprised that Icefall is questioning her loyalty, considering he's one of the cats who wanted her mother to be exiled. To be frank, she shouldn't care since she's (arguably) done a good job dismissing those cats who were against her family, but her own mentor left a bad taste in her mouth.

Maybe it's because - Oh, I don't know, he should be TRUSTING his own apprentice?

But Icefall rarely backs down from anything, including his faith in the warrior code. Wrenpaw's existence just happens to go against what he and the Clans believe in.

Fallowpaw's bushy tail touches her flank as she approaches Palesky. "We're ready!"

Shadepaw whispers hurriedly to Applepaw and pads away from him.

Palesky gives Fallowpaw a nod - with eye contact. Icefall's gaze briefly looks over to her and back to the entrance. "Go on, Wrenpaw."

The pale brown she-cat bites her lip as she follows Rabbitear and Applepaw out of camp.


The four SkyClan cats cross the stream to a dense forest, keeping the harsh heat off their backs. The skyscraping trees weren't anything new, but their camp has an open view of the skies while having a few trees here and there. But ThunderClan has trees everywhere - morning sunlight barely peeking through the canopy.

How can they live without feeling the sun on their ears?

Rabbitear pauses and raises his tail as two sturdy cats rush over to them.

"Wheatfur! Scorchwing!"

A sand-colored tom with unkempt fur stops in front of Rabbitear.

"We come in peace." Rabbitear says.

"You shouldn't be here, especially with these two." Wheatfur nods to Fallowpaw and Wrenpaw. "You need to turn back."

The SkyClan medicine cat taps his tail tip on Fallowpaw's shoulder.

"Wrenpaw and Fallowpaw are still new. You won't have to worry about them causing any problems, but we're actually here to see Brindlesplash, if Larkstar will allow us."

Scorchwing and Wheatfur look at each other before turning to Rabbitear.

"Larkstar is out, but she's already left the decision up to Bristlefur when she's not there."

The light grey tom nods in agreement. Wheatfur and Scorchwing leave the group and disappear inside a tunnel. Rabbitear trails after them while Wrenpaw and Fallowpaw hang back.

Wrenpaw nudges her denmate. "That felt too easy." Applepaw bumps her hip to Wrenpaw, rolling his eyes. "It's fine! You warriors are so suspicious - watch."

Applepaw vanishes in the same tunnel. The cream tom pokes his head out to them, egging them forward. Fallowpaw follows her brother's lead, cautiously stepping in before backing out and nodding to Wrenpaw.

If Fallowpaw's fine with it…


Cats of the empty ravine stop at the sight of the long legged visitors. Wheatfur enters the medicine den while Scorchwing sticks with the SkyClan group. Wrenpaw couldn't help but look around the camp.

Light or dark pelts with tabby and spotted markings on different cats. In the midst of cats, a tom is trying to get a glimpse at their visitors. He has a very plain ginger fur, but his eyes - they were hazel-green, and look so much like -

Like Sparrowpaw.

Wrenpaw didn't have time to look at the tom further as a large golden tom with thick fur exits the medicine den with Wheatfur. "Rabbitear. I hear that you want to see Brindlesplash?"

"Mudstar and Brindlesplash's mothers are concerned about her. I'm not implying anything nefarious, but she left SkyClan without a word a couple of moons ago…"

"I suspected as much." Bristlefur said, dismissing Wheatfur and Scorchwing with a nod. He looks at her Clan with a sympathetic eye. "Everything is fine - go back to what you were doing."

Though reluctant to believe it, most of the forest-dwellers return to their chores while the plain looking tom hangs back, as he just noticed Wrenpaw.


~ Applepaw ~

The low rising bramble bush is much different from the rock crevice nursery back home. A calico she-cat lays in her nest, protectively wrapping her tail around two sleeping kits.

"They look healthy," Rabbitear said. Applepaw finally gets to see the cat his mentor was worried about. The memories were faint, but her scent brought his days in the nursery, talking to Fogpaw, Shadepaw and Swiftbird.

The calico who looked like the world was against her, untidy fur and dull eyes, has a shy but happy face with bright green eyes.

"They're names are Sproutkit and Stripekit." Brindlesplash says softly.

Silence falls over the nursery, Applepaw's claws nervously scratches the floor.

"Um, Shadepaw said…"

Brindlesplash looks up from her kits to Applepaw.

"Shadepaw wanted to know if you were fine."

The calico she-cat smiles. "You can tell him, Fogpaw and Patchcloud that I'm alive."

Brindlesplash pauses when she looks at Rabbitear. "I know about the fight by the border. Larkstar told me what happened afterward."

"I want to know why you ran away to begin with; were you unhappy in SkyClan?" Rabbitear questions.

"No, it's… complicated."

"Does it involve the father?"

The fur on Brindlesplash's spine rises, and Rabbitear continues.

"Bristlefur mentioned that you were kept a secret for this long because he believed that you were trying to escape from an abusive situation."

Brindlesplash frowns, looking upset. "It's a long story."

Pity for the she-cat rises in Applepaw.

"I have all sunhigh." Rabbitear replies kindly.


~ Wrenpaw ~

"Hey, why is that tom staring at you?"

Wrenpaw glances at the hazel-eyed tom and shrugs. "I dunno… But doesn't his eyes remind you of Sparrowpaw?"

Fallowpaw looks over her head. "Too far to tell, but some cats have hazel eyes."

Rabbitear and Applepaw exit the nursery and the former dips his head to Bristlefur. "Thank you for caring for Brindlesplash. I hope she's happy here."

"She'll be treated like any ThunderClan cat." Bristlefur promises.

"Bristlefur." A muscular silver tom approaches the golden tom. "Buzzardclaw and I would like to escort the SkyClan visitors back to their territory."

Bristlefur and Rabbitear glance at each other, one in resignation and the other in annoyance.

"If it makes you feel comfortable." Bristlefur waves his tail to his fellow medicine cats. "I'll see you at the half-moon."

Rabbitear nods as two ThunderClan toms approach them; the plain ginger tom stops next to Wrenpaw while the silver one flanks Fallowpaw and Applepaw. Rabbitear leads the small group out of the tunnel and into the forest. Wrenpaw cautiously glances at the tom, his hazel-green eyes have small yellow tints when he looks at her.

Wrenpaw snaps her head away with a beating heart - They look just like his eyes!

"... Do you know Dapplesky?"

Hesitating for a heartbeat, Wrenpaw whispers. "She's my mom."

"I thought so." The plain looking tom murmurs, a small smile cracks on his muzzle. "Your eyes remind me of her, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions."

"... Who are you?"

"My name is Buzzardclaw, I'm your father."

Wrenpaw's whiskers buzz in excitement - My father! He doesn't look like the heathen that her Clanmates made him out to be. "I'm Wrenpaw."

"Oh, I know. Mudstar mentioned your names at the Gathering long ago. Did your sister make it?"

"He's fine." Wrenpaw confirms, more sternly out of habit for Sparrowpaw. Buzzardclaw blinks but doesn't miss a beat.

"I'm glad he's okay. It was a hard leaf-bare for WindClan and I heard he was sick from the medicine cats, so I wasn't entirely sure if SkyClan had prey shortage from the snow."

Wrenpaw hears a cough as the silver tom gives Buzzardclaw a disapproving look on the other side, Fallowpaw is watching with interest. Buzzardclaw's tail pats her shoulder.

"Don't mind Featherclaw. He's like that with anyone outside of ThunderClan."

Wrenpaw feels her paw touch water, Rabbitear crosses the stream with Applepaw for the meadows. Now? It feels so short.

"We have plenty of time to talk at the Gathering." Buzzardclaw said.

Wrenpaw looks at Buzzardclaw with wide eyes, and scurries after Fallowpaw and Applepaw with a smile of excitement.

Featherclaw glowers at Buzzardclaw. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I won't repeat my mother's mistakes."

"You already did one half of that when taking a mate in a different Clan." Featherclaw retorts.

Buzzardclaw flicks his tail, turning away from the stream.

"Just… keep it neutral." Featherclaw said carefully. "Cats won't like it when they find out they're apprentices now and they will be watching you."


~ Rabbitear ~

"How was she?"

Rabbitear looks up from his catmint counting as his leader steps into the medicine den. "Healthy. Her kits looked well fed and normal size for three-moon-olds."

Relief is in Mudstar's eyes for a brief moment. "But as far as returning to SkyClan?"

"She's staying in ThunderClan." Rabbitear responds. "Apparently she was having relationship issues with the father and rumors were spread behind her back."

The ruddy brown tom frowns. "What kind?"

Rabbitear curls his tail uncomfortably. "Questions about the kits' paternity. It got to the point where she felt isolated and left for their sake."

Mudstar's eyes narrow. "Why is this the first time I'm hearing it? Better yet, who started that rumor and why didn't Quailspot do anything about it?"

"According to Brindlesplash, his brother was filling his head with this for a while, he brought up the drama surrounding her mothers decision to have kits, and Quailspot started to believe it and wanted nothing to do with Brindlesplash or his kits."

It pains him to recount this, as he can still see the sadness and anger on Brindlesplash's face.

"Just like that!" Brindlesplash growled, tears pricking her eyes. "A year of commitment just gone - all because of Swallowflight!"

"Why is it always him? Then again, I shouldn't even be surprised." Mudstar's anger shifts to guilt. "Is Brindlesplash happy?"

"It looked as though the weight on her shoulders were lifted, just a little, but content."

Mudstar nods, still looking troubled. It's the kind of expression Rabbitear sees too many times in a young Mudpaw.

"... It's okay to be upset, Mudstar."

The rust-brown tom gives Rabbitear a look, but the light grey tom stays firm.

"Nobody is expecting you to be perfect, or anything like Jaystar."

"It still won't be enough, though, at least not to them."

"It'll have to be enough." Rabbitear replies.

"Because there's no such thing as a 'right decision'. You made a decision to protect a family. Brindlesplash made hers because she wanted a fresh start, not because you're a bad leader."

"A leader is supposed to ensure the safety of his or her Clan, and I failed Brindlesplash, her kits, her mothers and her littermates."

Mudstar shakes his head before turning around. "I'll make an announcement about this."

"Are you going to bring up Brindlesplash's choice?"

Mudstar nods. "It'll be referenced in it. Everyone will know why she won't come back, and I'll let them know that it won't be repeated."


~ Wrenpaw ~

"How was ThunderClan?" Icefall is the first to approach his apprentice, searching her face. Out of annoyance, Wrenpaw sidesteps her mentor with a curling tail.

"Fine."

"Really? Did any t - cats try to talk to you?" Icefall asks.

Wrenpaw whips her tail, looking over her shoulder. "So what if I did?"

Icefall looks as though he wants to say something when Palesky rests her paw on his back, shaking her head as Wrenpaw runs up to Sparrowpaw cleaning his paw from prey.

"I just talked to Dad!"

Sparrowpaw glances at Wrenpaw with an unreadable expression. "Really?"

Wrenpaw nods. "His name is Buzzardclaw -."

"I know his name."

"He asked about us and looked excited to see me. Well, he asked about you, since you were sick and all."

For some reason, Sparrowpaw doesn't look equally excited. "That's nice."

Wrenpaw's tail drops. "What's with the attitude? Our Dad asked about-!"

"Shh!" Sparrowpaw nods over her head, Wrenpaw sees Rubblefall, Ashheart and Quailspot close together, looking over at the littermates.

Wrenpaw gives her brother a glare, but lowers her voice. "Are you still worried about them?"

"I'm not-!"

"They wanted mom kicked out, and us by extension! You shouldn't even care-."

"Wrenpaw, tone down the heat, will you?" Sparrowpaw murmurs. "Do you remember the last time we tried bringing up Dad?"

She didn't until he said it.

Wrenpaw flattens her ears at the memory. "Bumbletail is Swallowflight's echo, she'll follow what he says to the end of time."

"You know how fast it travels in the Clans. I hear what you're saying, but it's not the right time."

"Then when is it the right time?"

Wrenpaw curls her tail around Sparrowpaw's back, but her ginger-brown brother leaves for the apprentice den. The pale brown she-cat watches him go with a heavy heart before shaking it off.

She'll wait until the Gathering. Maybe Sparrowpaw will be ready by then.