A Cloudy Rift

"Do you think Risingsun hates me?"

Larkpaw pricked her ears at the question. "What?"

"Do you think Risingsun hates me, Larkpaw?" her brother asked, rolling over on his side in the apprentices' den. "I've been asking him for moons if I could be a medicine cat apprentice instead of you, but he doesn't give me a straight answer."

Larkpaw shrugged. "He's a medicine cat. Medicine cats are always vague. Sounds pretty normal to me. And he's also busy nagging me to chase the path of a medicine cat. Besides, there's no way he can hate you." The russet she-cat leaned over to poke her brother's side. "You're too perfect for your own darned good, Heatherpaw. Can't you just let me win a sparring session for once?"

Heatherpaw grinned. "Afraid not. You're just going to have to find a better way to best me."

Larkpaw scowled, albeit a bit playfully. "No fair! Then you're going to find out a way to beat me on whatever that is, too!"

"That's the plan!"

Larkpaw let out a mock growl before launching herself at the pale gray tabby tom. "Stupid mouse-heart!"

Heatherpaw reared up from his nest to parry his sister's blows. "Nah, you're the mouse-brain around here, Larkpaw," he countered with amusement.

Larkpaw let out a low purr as she batted at Heatherpaw's muzzle. "Am not," she announced as she cuffed him around his ears.

Heatherpaw suddenly let out a strangled gasp and his posture went stiff. Larkpaw's blood froze. "Uhh… Heatherpaw?" she prompted hesitantly.

Heatherpaw let out another strangled cry before declaring, "You have killed me, Lark-bee-brain. But we will meet again!" He slumped to the floor, splaying his limbs in different directions.

Larkpaw snorted. "Lark-bee-brain? That's the best insult you can think of?"

Heatherpaw twisted his head to stare at his sister. "Well, you asked me to go easy on you, and so I did," he mewed. "And a defeat in a sparring session always deserves a dramatic flourish to go with it."

"You didn't even try to defend yourself," Larkpaw pointed out. "That's stupid. Try to make an effort, at least!"

"Hey!" The two apprentices moved their gazes to the entrance of the stone den. A pale ginger tabby tom was standing there, a scowl etched on his features. "Did you seriously mess up the entire den?" he demanded.

"Sure did," Heatherpaw yawned. "It's up to you to save the den from further destruction. Good luck, Adderpaw and Meadowpaw."

Adderpaw hissed. "I swear, if you weren't my brother, I'd claw your smug face off."

A pale ginger tabby padded up behind Adderpaw, flicking her tail. "Leave it, Adderpaw," she advised. "You're only going to exhaust yourself trying to reason with these fools. Come on, let's clean up the nests and settle in for the night." As she passed Larkpaw, Larkpaw felt a sudden jolt of pain shooting up on her tail.

"Yow!" she screeched, leaping out of her nest. She whipped around to carefully scrutinize her tail. Thankfully, nothing seemed to be broken. Larkpaw bared her teeth at the ginger tabby apprentice. "What was that for, Meadowpaw?"

"For messing up my nests," Meadowpaw replied primly. "Teaches you to not lay a hair on my bed next time."

Adderpaw snickered next to his ginger sister as he tried to piece the moss back together.

Heatherpaw blinked at Larkpaw. "Ignore them, he advised, then added, "You're only going to exhaust yourself trying to reason with these fools."

Larkpaw had to suppress a bubble of laughter as she glanced at Meadowpaw's outraged face.

A CLOUDY RIFT

Risingsun inhaled the cold afternoon air and let the soft breeze ruffle his fur.

StarClan doesn't give straight answers, he thought angrily. Why does it have to be Larkpaw, out of all cats?

He didn't know his daughter as well as Mintstalk had been, but he knew fairly well – due to Mist-tail's complaints – that Larkpaw was clearly meant to be a warrior, and she would never choose to become a cat who lived in an herb-infested den.

Risingsun growled in annoyance, raking down at the grass at his paws. If only Mintstalk were here, I would be able to talk to Larkpaw and at least have some form of chance, the ginger tabby medicine cat thought, bitterness tinging the edge of his mind. He padded back into the medicine den.

It was musty, dark, and pretty damp due to a sudden rainfall that happened a couple of days ago. The ceiling of the medicine den was yet to be patched up and as a result, there was a large hole on top of the den. Risingsun had, unfortunately, not been able to save the herbs from the rain in time. Now he had to collect them again. Risingsun heaved a sigh before slinking into the shadows of the boulders.

There was a slight rustle as he padded inside. Instinctively, Risingsun looked at his paws. And there it was – a sign from the spirits above.

A dried plant, although it still had its long, slender stem and purple flowers on it. Preserved well in the prime of its youth. Risingsun poked at the plant, and one of the delicate flowers crumbled at the touch.

Almost immediately, the tendrils of a plan snaked its way into the medicine cat's head. A way to convince Larkpaw. Risingsun's eyes widened and he shook himself.

But you must, a tiny voice whispered. Or maybe that was just his imagination. It had to be his imagination. Right? He couldn't just –

Do it, the voice boomed. Or your clan will fall into ashes.

Risingsun looked around at the small cave as if it held another way – an alternative. But in his mind, he knew very well that there would be none.

A CLOUDY RIFT

"Another rainfall?" Larkpaw grumbled. "We've had enough of that recently." Adderpaw and Meadowpaw gave small mews of agreement.

Heatherpaw shook himself. "Say what you will, but I love rain," he announced. "And I'm going to have to help Risingsun today. He asked me to go herb-hunting with him!"

Larkpaw scrunched her nose. "Herb-hunting? Bleugh. Count me out. I'll be sure to beat you in the next sparring session, since you're missing this one."

"I'm not going to miss any sparring session!" Heatherpaw purred. "I'll be back soon. Besides, it's only a few leaves. And with the best medicine cat in the clan with me, we'll be finished in no time."

"Yeah, you have fun," Larkpaw replied with a mrrow of laughter. "I'll still beat you this time. No going easy on me, you hear?"

"Yeah, sure!" Heatherpaw grinned. "Oh, and," he added as he stood up, "you were right."

Larkpaw cocked her head. "Right? Right about what?"

"Right about Risingsun not hating me," Heatherpaw meowed. "If he hated me, he wouldn't be asking me out on this trip, right?"

Larkpaw snorted. "What is with you and your desire to look good in front of our dad? Anyway, good luck."

"Good luck trying to beat me during the sparring session!" Heatherpaw yowled back as he sprung away.

Larkpaw shook her head, trying to mask her laughter. Sometimes it seemed like her brother wasn't the model apprentice every cat talked about and was just a little kit out of the nursery.

A CLOUDY RIFT

"Risingsun, what's this herb?"

"It's called 'moss', Heatherpaw. It's most certainly not a herb, but it might be useful for the elders. Now follow me up this ledge, will you? There's a lot of yarrow growing on the other side."

"Risingsun?"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say… thanks for picking me to go with you on this herb-hunting trip. It means a lot."

"…Why do you say that?"

"Because you don't pay much attention to me or Adderpaw or Meadowpaw. It's always been Larkpaw for you. And I really hope that we, as a family, will grow closer. Grieve for Mintstalk. Maybe more herb-hunting missions?"

"I'm sorry, Heatherpaw. That's not going to be very possible."

"But it's not impossible, isn't it?"

There was a brief moment of silence. Then:

"I'm sorry."

The silence resumed. But it was broken by a choked screech, like the one of a crow's, which faded as quickly as it had come. A face peered over the narrow ledge.

"I hope you understand in StarClan."

A CLOUDY RIFT

Larkpaw laid down in her nest. Stupid Heatherpaw, she grumbled. He didn't even come to the training session! At least I beat Adderpaw and Meadowpaw…

The brown she-cat stretched with leisure. The rain had stopped, so that was good. When Heatherpaw came back, she would be sure to take him on a real hunting trip. The kind where you hunt for actual prey and bring it back to camp to eat. Maybe they'd have a good old hunting competition. Maybe they'd invite Adderpaw and Meadowpaw, too.

Larkpaw nodded, a content feeling blooming from her chest. Yes, she would definitely beat him at hunting. It had been a good talk between her and Heatherpaw last night. Perhaps she would talk to him about dealing with Mist-tail.

There was a loud wail from outside. Larkpaw pricked her ears and turned her head to stare outside. Had one of the kits in the nursery died? Sure, Creek-kit was pretty skinny, but he seemed to have been pretty energetic today. Rosekit as well…

Curiosity overtook her and led her paws outside.

"What do you even mean that you couldn't find his body?!"

Larkpaw stiffened. Her pace turned from walk into a stride. What?

"You hate him!" That was definitely Adderpaw. "You sent him to die!"

Larkpaw froze. No. No, no, no….

"I never hated Heatherpaw. For your information, I tried to save him." Risingsun!

"Liar!" Adderpaw howled, launching himself at his father. Risingsun's eyes widened, and he crouched into a more defensive form.

Quick as a snake, the gray form of Ashfrost slipped between the two. Adderpaw ended up landing on the deputy instead of his father, and immediately jumped off, looking horrified.

"Fighting won't bring Heatherpaw back," Ashfrost hissed. "As your mentor, I order you to go grieve with your siblings, Adderpaw. I will organize a patrol to find your brother's body. And don't attack your father again."

Adderpaw hissed, but turned tail and ran up to the apprentices' den, rushing past Larkpaw as he did. Larkpaw was still frozen to her paws. Disbelieving. He couldn't be dead. He had talked to her at dawn. It was barely sun-high, and, and…

Heatherpaw couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be.

At the edge of her senses, she could hear Meadowpaw trying to talk to Adderpaw. She saw the clan milling about, shocked whispers being exchanged. Risingsun heading back to his den…

Risingsun. Risingsun.

A growl emerged from her throat. She charged towards the medicine den, an unearthly howl tearing itself out of her lungs. She burst into the shadows of the stones. Risingsun spun around, his mouth full of herbs.

"You killed him," she snarled. "You killed Heatherpaw. You hate him, don't you? Admit it!"

Risingsun hissed back, spitting out the leaves in his mouth. "I tried to save him, Larkpaw. He slipped from my grasp. I would have slipped too, you know!"

Larkpaw bared her fangs, fluffing her fur up. "You think I believe what you say?"

"I say that you should believe what I'm saying for your own good," Risingsun countered. "I'm sorry for what happened today."

"You…" Larkpaw shuddered. "I can't believe you."

"Why?"

"You sound ingenuine."

"Do you think you're the only one who's hurting?" Risingsun lowered his voice. "I hurt too. He was my son, Larkpaw. I wish things could have been different. I didn't want to lose him, especially so soon after Mintstalk… Do I look like someone who would voluntarily kill his own son for no reason?"

Larkpaw stared up at the ginger tabby medicine cat. He most certainly didn't seem genuine most of the time. But this time, Larkpaw felt like he was actually telling the truth. Gut instinct told her not to trust him. The brown she-cat pushed it down.

"No," she answered at last.

Risingsun nodded, a calm look in his eyes. He bent his head to lick Larkpaw's ear as the young apprentice buried her head into his chest, racking with sobs. "I'm sorry that you had to lose your brother, Larkpaw. I wish it could have been - different." His voice cracked at the end. I wish it so, so much. "Go to your siblings," he meowed at last. "And wait until Heatherpaw's body comes in."

Larkpaw bowed her head, stepping towards the light. But before she left, she hesitated. "Risingsun… I will consider your offer to be a medicine cat," she murmured.

The medicine cat flattened his ears. "What?"

"I'll consider your offer as a medicine cat," Larkpaw repeated. "For Heatherpaw."

Risingsun paused for a moment before dipping his head. "For Heatherpaw," he echoed.

I'm sorry.