"You came back" Tallstar breathed, eyes wide as he remained frozen in place. Runningpaw was unrepentantly staring between the two toms, curious, and even Tornear looked surprised.
"You know this cat?" He asked, tail flicking towards Jake, who just ignored him and stepped past.
"I did" he said, voice rumbling with a barely-suppressed purr. "I need to- I need to ask for a favour."
Tornear let out a scoff of disbelief, but it was drowned out by Tallstar's immediate "anything." The two clan cats blinked at their leader, surprised, but he was already pushing on "what do you need?"
"Well . ." Jake hesitated "it would only be a favour if he agreed to it as well, but I brought this one" his large tail swished towards the forgotten Tiny on the edge of the little group "because he needs somewhere to go. I was wondering if you would be able to-"
"Jake." Tallstar had been staring at Jake for the entirety of this conversation, but when Tiny had been pointed out, he had briefly glanced towards him-only to immediately double back and gape at the young cat. He scanned Tiny, from head to tail, staring extra hard at the markings on his chest and muzzle, before glancing away. "Can I have a word with you?" He asked tightly. "In private?"
Tiny shot Jake an alarmed look, but to his credit, Jake shook off his surprise very quickly, bending down to run his tongue over Tiny's head with a murmured "I'll be right back" before lumbering away with the lanky cat a safe distance away.
"Wait!" Tiny cried, almost scampering after his friend, but Tornear just shook his head at him.
"We won't hurt you" he said, correctly guessing Tiny's worries. "We don't attack scraps with legs."
Tiny looked down at his small paws, then back up at them, ears flat with annoyance. "So. ." Runningpaw dragged out the word "what's this about you and a dog?"
"I know how this sounds, but your Clan let rogues pass through it all the time, and he has nowhere else to go, Tall, and-"
"He's your son."
Jake blinked, jaw hanging open. Tallstar was still staring at Tiny, who seemed to be in the middle of telling Tornear and Runningpaw a story, though he couldn't hear it from here. "He has your markings" Tallstar continued on when it was clear that Jake wasn't going to contribute anytime soon, casting a sharp amber eye towards him. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"No!" Jake blurted, caught between terror of having been found out, and delight because even after all this time, Tallstar still recognised his markings. "I, uh, had a brief 'thing' with his mother Quince" he explained, embarrassed.
Tallstar's expression didn't change, remaining flat and stoic. "I see" he said blankly.
"It wasn't like that!" Jake groaned, ears pinned flat against his head. "Look-after you left I started to miss you, alright?" He said, staring down at his paws. "Like, a lot. I was wandering around a lot, feeling sorry for myself, when I met Quince. She wanted kits, I was lonely-" he broke off, drawing shapes in the sandy dirt with one claw. "I didn't even know I had a son until last night."
When he glanced up, Tallstar's expression had melted, into something softer. "You missed me?" He whispered.
Why am I in love with this idiot? "Yes, I missed you!" Jake declared. "How could I not? I kept expecting you to show up one day around my house. Actually, when I saw him" he nodded towards his son "I thought he was you."
Tallstar tilted his head at the black and white short furred cat. "He does bear a striking resemblance, I suppose" he said at last.
Jake nodded enthusiastically "I know, right! For a brief second, after I got a good look at him and realised it wasn't you I thought-" he cut himself off, clearing his throat, but Tallstar's expectant look didn't go away. "You said same-sex mates can have kits in the Clans" he blurted out, and immediately wanted to smash his head in with the nearest rock.
Tallstar's eyes widened, and he whipped around fully to stare at the kit. The little black cat was suddenly aware of eyes on him, and he turned to regard the leader. He kept talking, but his ice-blue gaze was fixed firmly on the older tom. The same eyes were the things that gave him away as not being Tallstar's son. "Why would my kit be a Kittypet?" Is what he asks at last, voice strangled.
Jake shrugs. "You told me that sometimes Clan cats leave to become Kittypets. I –briefly- assumed that was what happened."
" . . Why did you bring him here, Jake?"
"The short answer? He has nowhere else to go; there's no guarantee he'll get owners, and I'm not letting him be a street cat " his lip curls back in disgust "and even if he does get owners, I don't trust some random stranger with my son."
"And you trust Windclan?" Tallstar asked quietly. "I know the stories they spread about clan cats in the Twolegplace, you know. Do you trust my clan to raise your son?"
Jake winced. "That's actually Tiny's decision, we made a deal that I would take him here, but if he doesn't want to stay, he doesn't have to. He had a, uh, bad run in with a Clan cat-don't ask" he rushed to add on when his kind-of sort-of mate narrowed his eyes in confusion "it's not worth it, and you'll just be mad at one of the Clans for a while." Though it would be nice to see the little rat hearts punished. "Point is that he's a little scared of you lot right now."
"But if he agrees? Of course I trust Windclan to raise my son. They raised you, didn't they?"
Tallstar looked lost for words for a moment, eyes wide. "Starclan, I have missed you" is what he says at last, closing the space between them to shove himself under Jake's chin. Jake breathed in Tallstar's scent, sharp and open in ways the Housefolk place never was.
Tiny had just gotten to the part where they had run into Bone when Tallstar and Jake approached the group once more. To his surprise, instead of addressing his fellow wild cats, he had turned his attention onto Tiny. "May I speak to you?" He asked, voice low and soft. Tiny hesitated for a moment, but, remembering how Jake had canoodled up to the scarred cat, decided he couldn't be all that bad and nodded.
A part of him noticed how disappointed Runningpaw and Tornear seemed to be when he had to cut his story short, and the younger cat all but pounced on Jake, either for him to finish the story, or explain what exactly is going on between him and Tallstar.
Tiny thought it was kind of obvious.
The grass was shorter when they stopped, not like back at Mama's house, but he could actually see a couple of whisker-lengths in front of him. Tallstar sat down, perfectly still as Tiny choose to remain standing with a distance between them.
Tallstar didn't say anything about it, instead choosing to eye Tiny thoughtfully for a moment, before asking "what's your name?"
Tiny lifted his chin, bristling. "I don't have a name" he said, narrowing his eyes at the tom.
To his surprise, Tallstar didn't seem to find anything wrong with that, just nodding his thoughtfully before he curled his tail-and I can see why he was called Talltail- around his paws. "Do you want to join my clan?"
It was a question Tiny had been expecting, yet it still managed to surprise him. I didn't think he would actually go for it. Then again, I didn't think he had Jake were dating. The power of seduction goes a long way.
Tallstar tilted his head at him, awaiting an answer, and Tiny realised he had no idea what to say.
Do I want to go back home? He shivered at the thought. He tried to imagine coming back home, and living out his days as a . . what had they called it? A Kittypet? Spending the rest of his life in one place. He would say this about his journey here; it had been eye-opening. He got to see so many things, things he never would have had the chance to had he not left home that day. One good thing to come out of all of this.
And going back home and becoming a Housecat is the lesser of two evils, he reminded himself. The idea of becoming a street cat, starving and hungry . . He swallowed, shifting nervously. No, that wouldn't do at all.
"What-" he paused, faltering as he tried to think "what would joining your Clan mean?"
Tallstar's eyes brightened, pleased. "Ah, a thinker. Good. Starclan knows we need some of those these days" that last part seemed to be directed at Runningpaw, who was too far away to hear them. He sighed and turned back to Tiny "if you join my Clan, it would not be easy" he warned "most Clan cats look down on Kittypets. You would have to prove yourself to them, more than once. You would be trained how to fight and hunt, to provide for your fellow cat. It's not exactly the safest thing you could do."
Tiny squinted at him. "Are you trying to talk me out of it?" He demanded, and Tallstar let out a purr of amusement.
"It is not exactly the safest thing you could do" he repeated "but it will be the most freeing. It will be hard at first, but they-my clan I mean- they will come to trust you, and care for you. You will learn all about our world. And, if I know Jake, you will be" he stared at him for such a long time that Tiny felt uncomfortable "amazing" he said at last. "You will be amazing. I'm sure of it."
Freeing. Amazing. Tiny felt a thrill run through his body, making his fur stand on end. If he joined Windclan, cats would be suspicious of him due to his heritage, he would have to learn how to kill things, he would probably be hurt and yet-
He remembers how he felt when he faced down Bone, a feeling of determination and anger and focus. I will never be that scared again.
He could have cats, not his kin, to look out for and to look out for him. To trust him and play with him. They're going to harass you when they find out where you're from , a part of him pointed out.
So what? Another shot back. We know how to deal with that. Plenty of practice.
He thought of warmth, of familiarity over time. Of gaining cat's respect through his actions. Of Tigerpaw, somewhere in this forest right now, forgetting the cat that he almost killed. Of 'you'll never forget me'. Of becoming something unforgettable himself.
"I'll do it" he told him.
The kit had seemed almost proud of his decision to join Windclan. He swaggered back to the group, Tallstar just a little bit behind him. Tornear shot him a confused look, but Tallstar just shook his head.
Starclan, how was he going to explain this to the Clan?
One step at a time, he reminded himself, turning to Jake(!). "I believe you two will want to say goodbye to each other" he acknowledged with a tipped head. Jake (Jake! He came back!) blinked once and turned to regard his son (son. Woah.), who had frozen, one paw raised above the ground.
"Goodbye?" He asked, tilting his head. "What for? Isn't he coming too?"
(Oh please ohpleaseohpleaseohplease-)
Jake dashed both of their hopes when he shook his heavy head. "I love my owners" he said sombrely "and I don't think I would ever really be happy there, not like you could be."
(You wouldn't be happy with me?)
He bit down on the hurt; the moon long pain that had been there since he was a warrior. That, more than anything, is why we could never be mates, he thought, both of us are too loyal to our homes.
The black kit made no such attempts to hide his distress, and when Jake took a tiny step towards him, he dissolved completely. "Don't go!" He shouted, his words ruined by how he buried himself into Jake's thick fur. No, I will not be jealous of a kit. "Don't go Jake, please don't go!" Jake shot an alarmed look over his shoulder at Tallstar, who made no moves to help him.
You're decision. You comfort him.
In the end, Jake had to bodily push his son away, and he stared up at his father, his eyes wide and expression absolutely betrayed. "You'll like it there, you'll make all kinds of friends" Jake whispered, ignoring the audience "Tallstar will look after you. He looked after me once too."
Well. Now Tallstar felt bad about just watching this.
"I-if you leave, I-I'll never forgive you ever" he threatened, voice wobbling. Tallstar winced, taking in Jake's shattered expression. Oh Starclan, I should have left them do this in private.
"That's okay" he murmured, licking the top of his son's head. "Because I'm not sorry." He took a step back, away from his kin who flattened their ears and let out a pathetic mewl.
"Tornear" Tallstar said, not looking away from the crestfallen tom and his son who would not look at him "would you please take the kit to our camp? I need to talk to Jake here."
Runningpaw, who looked extremely awkward, immediately shot off in a burst of speed, while Tornear quietly picked up the stiff kit, who struggled a bit when his paws left the ground. "Jake!" He yowled, front paws batting uselessly at the air as he was dragged further and further away.
He made his way over to the fluffy cat, who was still staring after his son with wide pale eyes. "Promise me" he croaked, claws sinking into the sandy soil "promise me you'll care for him."
Tallstar nodded. "As if he were my own" he swore solemnly. The ' I wish he was ' was unspoken, but there all the same. Jake's cold nose snuffled just behind his ear, and their tails twined together. When he thought they may one day reunite, this was not what he had in mind.
Tiny had long since stopped scrambling to get back to Jake, instead hanging limply in Tornear's grip as he skipped across the moor, his long legs eating the ground beneath him. Jake and Tallstar were long since blurs in the distance, so close together it was hard to tell them apart.
If he wasn't going to stay for me, why wouldn't he stay for Tallstar ? He asked desperately.
Had he made a mistake? He remembered Jake saying he needed to get home to his Owners, but he hadn't really thought about it. If I had chosen to go back to the Housefolk Place, I would be able to see him, he realised.
(Jake or freedom? Freedom or Jake?)
He said that he would make all sorts of new friends here, but how did he know? He was the only friend Tiny had ever had, and look what happened there!
Something funny in the fact that I fled my old life because I was afraid of abandonment, and look where that got me, he thought, before Tornear skidded to a halt, kicking up dirt as he stopped before two other cats.
One of them, a ginger tom, looked between Tiny and Tornear for a moment before asking "what is that?"
The other, a brown tabby she-cat just gave him a look. "I think-now this is just a guess , mind you, but I think it may be a kit."
The tom scowled at her. "Yes, thank you Mistmouse. What I meant is why do you have a Kittypet kit in your mouth?"
"Where else am I going to put him?" Tornear tried to say, but the effect was ruined since he was still holding Tiny, who remained silent in the face of these battle-scarred cat.
The two seemed alarmed when Tornear shoved past the both of them, racing after him as the ground underpaw turned to sand. "What are you doing?" Mistmouse meowed, alarmed "why are you bringing a Kittypet to camp?!"
"Tallstar's orders!" Runningpaw, who had appeared from seemingly nowhere, chirped.
"What?!"
There was a small hollow in the earth, hidden away by gorse bushes and covered in sand. Cats of all ages were laying about, grooming each other or eating. At the sound of Tornear's voice, several looked up and stared at Tiny, surprised.
"Is that a Kittypet?" One asked, incredulous. More cats came out of dens, gaping at Tiny and Tornear.
"Where did he-"
"Are you sure he's-"
"Look at his collar-"
"Why was he-"
Tornear ignored all of this, weaving his way through the crowd and stopping before the biggest rock Tiny had ever seen, dumping him down on the dusty sand with a squeak. Seeing more cats edge closer, Tiny took a step back, between Tornear's front paws.
The older cat frowned down at him, but made no move to stop him, or to comfort him. Tiny felt a pang. I miss Jake already, he realised, miserable.
"Why is he here-"
"Did you steal-"
"Quiet!" Tallstar had returned. Tiny poked his head out to see him. His gaze was sad and his whiskers were drooping but he stood tall, tail raised high importantly. The cats quieted down, watching him as he made his way towards the boulder.
Leaping up onto the tall rock, Tallstar called down "Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather around the Tall Rock for a clan meeting!" Another cat, this one a black tom, leaped onto a different part of the rock, a halfway point between the top and the ground below. Tiny let out a squeak upon seeing his twisted back leg.
Is that what'll happen to me?
He snuck a brief glance around the camp, to the other cats, but while they were battle scarred, none had the sort of injuries the black tom did. He glanced up to meet Tornear's angry gaze, guessing what he was thinking, and he refocused on Tallstar. His pale amber eyes seemed to scan the huge crowd of cats, before settling back on Tiny once more. "Windclan" he said "will be taking in an outsider as one of it's own."
Tiny expected there to be an outcry of sorts, but instead only the wind itself seemed to howl it's disagreement. The surrounding cats just gaped up at their leader, uncomprehending. Even the cat on the rock seemed stunned, staring at Tallstar, then following his gaze back to Tiny, where his green eyes narrowed slightly.
Tallstar beckoned him forwards with his tail, and Tiny left the safety of Tornear's front legs, stepping out into the open for all to see. Hushed whispers ran through the cats at the sight of his collar, but he tried to ignore them as he made his way towards the base of the rock, stepping awkwardly around cats who refused to move for him. Tallstar crouched down, peering over the top once he reached his location. "He will be a Windclan Warrior" he meowed firmly, tone brokering no argument.
But just because he didn't want the others to argue with him didn't mean they didn't. A sudden outpour from the cats standing behind Tiny, but he didn't turn around, instead focusing in on the leader on the rock.
"-a Kittypet! Spoiled, pampered little-"
"-don't want him here-"
"-run at the first sight of trouble-"
"Won't even face us!"
A grey she-cat, dappled with blue eyes, shouldered her way to the front of the crowd, rounding on them almost immediately. "Shut up!" She roared. "All of you, he's a kit for Starclan's sake!" Before she took her place beside Tiny, a tail on his back. "It's okay" she encouraged "they're just being dumb" she took a deep breath before glaring at her Clanmates "honestly, you lot" she scolded "acting like Shadowclan, scaring this poor kit."
Tallstar, who was glaring at the assembled cats, turned to Tiny "you told me you didn't have a name" he said, and judging by the whispering which one more picked up, this was in fact uncommon.
"I don't" Tiny said, pressing himself closer to the grey she-cat.
"Well, you can't be a Clan cat without a name, now can you?" Tallstar's look turned contemplative. "Step forwards."
Tiny did so, letting out a muted squeal when Tallstar threw up sand upon landing just in front of him. Crouching down in front of Tiny, Tallstar tilted his head . . . and bit down on his neck.
There were gasps of shock through the crowd, and the she-cat made a sudden move forwards, alarmed, but Tiny just stayed completely still, not daring to do anything more than tremble in place, nerves still shot. Jake trusts him and I trust Jake, he chanted to himself. Then, with an audible click, his collar fell off, landing at his paws.
It's off!
I'm free!
No more Owners or Ruby or Socks or Mama- he had no more ties to his old life any more. Even, he realised, Jake was no longer here. The thought made him very sad. It also made him very happy.
Tallstar touched noses with Tiny apologetically, before backing away, giving him space. "From now on" he vowed "your name shall be Smokekit. May Starclan guide your path-and your paws" he added.
A muted chorus of "Smokekit! Smokekit!" rebounded through the hollow and Tiny felt a tingle in his paws that wasn't from leftover nerves. Smokekit! He looked down at his coat. Fair enough, I suppose.
"Ashfoot" the grey she-cat, who was loudly and cheerfully calling Smokekit's name as she made her way towards him, stopped to turn and look at her leader "I suppose you'll want this one then?"
Ashfoot let out a deep purr. "Our names are very alike" she pointed out "that practically makes him mine." Tallstar let out a purr of amusement, before turning to Smokekit.
"I hope you know" he told him sincerely "that I for one, am very happy that you are here." Confused, Smokekit bowed his head towards him, grateful that one cat at least wanted him here. "Give him the tour then Ashfoot" he said, bounding away, sand kicking up in his wake.
"C'mon Smokekit" she said "Morningflower's gonna love you." She paused, staring at Smokekit's collar for a moment, before scooping the dog's tooth up. "Here you go" she said, dropping it in front of him "you went on quite the journey to get here. This is your reward." She watched Smokekit grip it carefully in his mouth for a moment, before skittering off. "Let's go meet the terrors."
The terrors turned out to be Ashfoot's three kits; Waspkit, Rapidkit and Eaglekit. They haven't even opened their eyes, but already they're flopping around, trying to navigate this strange world. Smokekit, who had never seen any kit other than himself or his siblings, is fascinated by them.
Morningflower did, in fact, love him. The heavily pregnant Queen lit up when he entered the den, wasting no time asking all about him and giving Smokekit her full attention.
Both Clan cats seemed horrified when he told them what happened in the forest, and later the dog. "That Jake sounds like a really great cat!" Morningflower meowed approvingly. "Very brave of him!"
Smokekit's eyes narrowed. "No. He's a coward!" He hissed, tail lashing. Both the Queens had stared at him, perplexed, but said nothing more, changing the subject to whatever dumb thing Rapidkit had done that day.
The floor of the den, soft and covered in moss and feathers, had more than enough space for Smokekit, so, after watching Morningflower carefully, he constructed his own nest in one of the corners, away from the two Queens. It felt cold and empty without anyone to share it with.
His dog's tooth was carefully placed so that he wouldn't roll on it in his sleep as he clambered in. Despite the late hour, he could hear the hustle and bustle of the Clan cats outside, and the idea of going outside to face them was terrifying.
Ignoring the two she-cats, he wrapped his tail over his muzzle and tried to sleep.
He was back under the Tall Rock once more, cats surrounding him, glaring at him as he cowered under their gaze, distant hissing and snarling in his ears. Above him, Tallstar and Jake both stood, the expressions on their faces nothing short of disgust. "Won't you take him?" Jake asked, but with Sock's voice. "Nobody else wants him."
Tallstar snorted "well, we sure don't." He said with Ruby's voice. "We have no need for weak cats."
The hissing and snarling grew louder still, and the cats melted away, leaving only a brown tabby and a huge, hulking dog. Panicked, he tried to climb the Tall Rock, but his paws kept slipping down it as the two predators neared. "Jake!" He cried. "Help me!"
Jake, who was now alone at the top of the rock, looked down at him, then shook his head, melting away like all the others had.
"Smokekit!"
Smokekit's eyes snapped open, to see his mother standing in front of him. Mama? Then his eyes adjusted.
"You were dreaming" Ashfoot told him, voice low so as not to awaken the sleeping Morningflower. "Are you alright?" Smokekit's breathing was tense and broken, chest heaving as he tried to suck in more air. Not really. Ashfoot seemed to be aware of this as she just said "copy me, alright?" Before sucking in a huge breath. He tried to copy, and got a very shaky inhale. She just nodded encouragingly. "That's okay. And out" she watched as he did so.
He started to feel a little better at least, with the concerned blue eyes watching over him, yet he still half expected Jake to step through the entrance, bright green eyes focused on nothing else but him. Jake's gone, remember? He told himself bitterly, he left you.
Smokekit's ears flattened, as if to try and shut those thoughts out, before curling up into a ball once more. "Uh, no" Ashfoot said, no longer even trying to whisper. Morningflower twitched but otherwise did nothing. "You're sleeping in my nest tonight. Come on."
She turned and marched away, as if expecting Smokekit to just follow her. Instead, he just sat up in his nest, annoyed "why would I do that?" He hissed, making no effort to move beyond that.
"Because you're my responsibility, you're a kit, you had a nightmare, you're in a new environment, you no longer have your mother and I am a mother" Ashfoot rattled off, not even pausing for breath.
Smokekit stared at her for a moment before huffing "I do not miss my Mama."
Ashfoot just looked over her shoulder as she settled back into her nest. "Get in here. Now." Something in her tone-similar to the one Mama had used on him when he was being particularly stupid- had him up and moving towards her nest before his brain had even registered it. He was careful not to crush the three younger kits when settling in, and pointedly ignored Ashfoot's smug purr as he did so.
"Not a word" he warned her.
"Of course. Goodnight, Smokekit."