This will be the only other time the allegiances will be updated despite this fic spanning over half a year. You'll figure out why eventually. The only real differences to note here are the removal of the cats set to leave on the journey upriver, and a few kits have been born, other kits have upgraded to apprentices, and a couple changes in mentorship. Chapter 7 picks up with Stormpaw again after the allegiances update. This is more just here for reference as I'm aware that there are many, many characters in my fic, and POVs bounce between all four clans which can easily get confusing.
UPDATED ALLEGIANCES
RiverClan
Leader: Fallowstar-large dark gray tom with faint tabby stripes, a white chest, and light yellow eyes.
Deputy: Rainstep-white she-cat with blue gray patches and blue eyes.
Medicine Cat: Echosky-soft silver tabby she-cat with white paws and blue eyes.
Warriors:
Prickleclaw-large ginger tabby tom with white muzzle, chest, and paws, and yellow-green eyes. Apprentice: Deltapaw.
Pale-eye-large golden-brown spotted tabby tom with dark legs, one bright yellow eye and one scarred, blind gray eye.
Mottlednose-dark golden brown spotted tabby with white paws and yellow-amber eyes. Apprentice: Leafpaw.
Clovershade-black she-cat with white chest blaze and vibrant green eyes. Apprentice: Frogpaw.
Lynxfur-very large brown-gray tabby tom with pale yellow eyes.
Goldenpatch-white and orange splotched tom with amber eyes. Apprentice: Hailpaw.
Dovewhisper-pale gray mackerel tabby she-cat with mottled darker patches and light blue eyes.
Ibiswing-white she-cat with amber eyes.
Jadesong-white and ginger tabby splotched she-cat with yellow-amber eyes. Apprentice: Oatpaw.
Acornwhisker-brown tabby tom with white chest and green eyes.
Reedpool-white and brown tabby splotched she-cat with vibrant green eyes. Apprentice: Mistpaw.
Swallowstorm-black and white patched tom with blue eyes. Apprentice: Mosspaw.
Frostpetal-light gray tabby she-cat with white paws, a white-tipped tail, and amber eyes.
Piketail-gray tabby tom with copper eyes.
Apprentices:
Deltapaw-large dark gray tom with a white chest and green eyes.
Hailpaw-light silver spotted tabby tom with white chest and blue eyes.
Mistpaw-white she-cat with light green eyes.
Oatpaw-white and ginger tabby patched she-cat with green eyes.
Frogpaw-brown mackerel tabby tom with dark feet and yellow eyes.
Leafpaw-light brown tabby she-cat with white patches and pale yellow eyes.
Mosspaw/dapple-tortoiseshell tabby she-cat with amber eyes.
Queens:
Roseflower-all black she-cat with light green eyes. Mate: Mottlednose. Kits: Shadowkit (black she-kit with amber eyes), Bark-kit (golden brown tabby tom with light green eyes).
Baybreeze-pale blue-gray she-cat with white forehead blaze and light blue eyes. Mate: Lynxfur. Kits: Pebblekit (blue-gray tabby she-kit with yellow eyes), Firkit (gray-brown tabby she-kit with pale blue eyes), Graykit (gray she-kit with white chest and yellow eyes).
Sandystream-pale cream tabby she-cat with a white-tipped tail and dark amber eyes. Mate: Acornwhisker. Expecting.
Elders:
Dustnose-gray tabby tom with a white muzzle and green eyes.
Molefoot-chocolate brown tom with amber eyes.
Ripplescar-old black tom with scarred pelt and amber eyes.
Sleekstorm-silver tabby she-cat with dark stripes and pale yellow eyes, retired early due to chronic illness.
ShadowClan
Leader: Amberstar-dark tortoiseshell she-cat with brilliant amber eyes.
Deputy: Rubbleheart-dark gray and white splotched tom with yellow eyes. Apprentice: Skypaw.
Medicine Cat: Wolfeye-jet black tom with a white forehead blaze and odd eyes (one amber, one blue). Apprentice: Mousepaw.
Warriors:
Juncoclaw-gray tom with white underbelly and paws and green eyes. Apprentice: Beechpaw.
Granitestrike-large light gray tabby tom with white muzzle, chest, belly, paws, and tail-tip, and yellow eyes.
Dewsong-white she-cat with light green-yellow eyes.
Screewhisker-dark brown tabby tom with a white chest and amber eyes. Apprentice: Lavenderpaw.
Chervilheart-tortoiseshell she-cat with white chest and yellow eyes.
Batfang-jet black tom with green eyes.
Patchbelly-ginger and white patched tom with golden eyes. Apprentice: Fennelpaw.
Antspots-light caramel brown spotted tabby tom with yellow eyes.
Mudtalon-dark gray-brown tabby tom with long claws and copper eyes. Apprentice: Larchpaw.
Timberfoot-large, chocolate brown tom with amber eyes. Apprentice: Squirrelpaw.
Volestripe-caramel brown tabby tom with white paws and amber eyes.
Redfire-ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. Apprentice: Hawkpaw.
Seedshine-pale cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes.
Snaketooth-light brown tabby tom with dark stripes and yellow eyes.
Falconfall-dusty brown tabby tom with dark stripes, a white chest and paws, and green eyes.
Apprentices:
Beechpaw-black tom with bright amber eyes.
Fennelpaw-pale brown tabby she-cat with white paws and green eyes.
Larchpaw-black and ginger tortoiseshell she-cat with copper eyes.
Hawkpaw-brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.
Mousepaw-light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Lavenderpaw-light gray and white patched she-cat with green eyes.
Skypaw-white she-cat with one blue eye and one yellow eye, deaf in one ear.
Squirrelpaw-fluffy gray tabby tom with a white-tipped tail and yellow eyes.
Queens:
Lilypool-silver tabby she-cat with white paws and blue eyes. Mate: Slicktail. Kits: Waspkit (light silver tabby tom with dark stripes and amber eyes), Ashenkit (all silver she-kit with blue eyes).
Fernberry-white she-cat with green eyes. Mate: Mudtalon. Kits: Shinekit (white she-kit with golden eyes), Blackkit (very dark gray-brown tabby she-kit with green eyes), Dapplekit (white and brown tabby splotched tom with copper eyes), Molekit (brown tabby tom with amber eyes), Cloudkit (white tom with brown spots, forehead marking, and tail, and bright green eyes)
Whitestream-ginger tabby and white patched she-cat with yellow eyes. Mate: Volestripe. Kits: Raykit (ginger tabby she-kit with white paws and amber eyes), Bramblekit (brown tabby tom with yellow eyes), Eaglekit (brown tabby and white patched tom with yellow eyes).
Elders:
Furledleaf-old ginger tabby she-cat with a white chest and green eyes.
Raggedfur-shaggy brown tom with tattered ears and amber eyes.
ThunderClan
Leader: Maplestar-Caramel brown tabby tom with a white chest and paws and warm amber eyes.
Deputy: Quickleap-lithe gray tabby tom with pale blue eyes. Apprentice: Sunpaw.
Medicine Cat: Sorrelheart-dark ginger tabby tom with yellow eyes. Apprentice: Fawnpaw.
Warriors:
Cedarstorm-large dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Apprentice: Stormpaw.
Leopardcloud-large golden spotted tabby she-cat with dark stripes/spots, white paws, and pale yellow eyes.
Tanglewhisker-ginger tabby tom with a white chest blaze and green eyes. Apprentice: Olivepaw.
Birchtooth-silver tabby tom with blue eyes.
Applepool-dark ginger she-cat with bright blue eyes.
Weaselclaw-gray-brown tabby tom with pale green eyes. Apprentice: Duskpaw.
Crowstep-lithe black tom with golden eyes.
Ivyshadow-silver tabby she-cat with dark stripes and golden eyes. Apprentice: Berrypaw.
Tawnyfeather-blue and cream tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes. Apprentice: Laurelpaw.
Darkfoot-dark smoky gray ticked tom with copper eyes.
Nightwind-sleek black tom with long legs and vibrant green eyes.
Rowanstripe-ginger tabby tom with green eyes.
Apprentices:
Stormpaw-dark gray tabby she-cat with white chest and golden eyes.
Duskpaw-ginger tabby tom with dark stripes and pale yellow eyes.
Laurelpaw-black and ginger tortoiseshell she-cat with golden eyes.
Olivepaw-black tom with icy green eyes.
Berrypaw-dark tortoiseshell she-cat with golden eyes.
Sunpaw-ginger tabby tom with golden eyes.
Fawnpaw-pale ginger tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes.
Queens:
Grasseye-gray and white patched she-cat with emerald green eyes. Mate: Cedarstorm. Kits: Swankit (mostly white tom with a few splotches of dark brown and amber eyes), Quartzkit (gray tabby tom with a white chest and green eyes), Jasminekit (tortoiseshell tabby and white patched she-kit with green eyes), Thimblekit (all white tom with amber eyes).
Sparrowflight-blue-gray tabby and white patched she-cat with green eyes. Mate: Tanglewhisker. Kits: Slatekit (blue-gray tabby tom with green eyes), Galekit (white and gray splotched she-kit with green eyes).
Tansypool-tortoiseshell tabby and white she-cat with green eyes. Mate: Darkfoot. Expecting.
Elders:
Speedwell-dark brown tabby tom with white chest and yellow eyes. Formerly a loner.
Trefoilfur-old tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes.
Bucktail-dusty brown tom with white chest and amber eyes.
WindClan
Leader: Hickorystar-huge, old, pale gray tabby tom with green eyes.
Deputy: Blackberrywing-jet black she-cat with bright green eyes.
Medicine Cat: Heatherstep-lean gray mackerel tabby she-cat with golden eyes.
Warriors:
Martenstorm-muscular dark, chocolate brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Apprentice: Silverpaw.
Gooseshadow-dusky brown spotted tabby tom with yellow eyes.
Marblespots-pale silver spotted tabby tom with dark stripes and light green eyes. Apprentice: Talonpaw.
Skyheart-gray tabby and white splotched tom with blue eyes. Apprentice: Clovepaw.
Pollenwind-ginger tabby she-cat with golden eyes. Apprentice: Erminepaw.
Ilexfang-black and white spotted tom with yellow eyes.
Nimbleshade-blue-gray tabby tom with green eyes.
Flittersong-blue and cream tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes.
Wormwhisker-cream tabby tom with long tail and copper eyes. Apprentice: Dianthuspaw.
Runningbreeze-lilac mackerel tabby tom with green eyes.
Stagtail-brown ticked tom with a white muzzle and bright golden eyes. Apprentice: Asterpaw.
Waxwillow-pale cream ticked she-cat with dark orange eyes.
Duscleclaw-black and white splotched tom with yellow eyes.
Apprentices:
Talonpaw-dark brown shaded tom with golden eyes.
Silverpaw-gray tabby tom with light green eyes.
Clovepaw-black and ginger tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes.
Asterpaw-pale blue tabby tom with white paws and yellow eyes.
Erminepaw-white she-cat with amber eyes.
Dianthuspaw-white she-cat with one blue eye and one amber eye, deaf in one ear.
Queens:
Wheatcloud-dust brown and cream tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. Mate: Marblespots. Kits: Tasselkit (silver tabby tom with green eyes), Rainykit (blue and cream tortoiseshell she-kit with green eyes), Marigoldkit (ginger tabby she-kit with pale green eyes), Daffodilkit (cream she-kit with dark amber eyes).
Cottonpool-fluffy white she-cat with one green eye and one blue eye, deaf in one ear. Mate: Wormwhisker. Expecting.
Pansyfeather-brown tabby she-cat with white chest, paws, and tail tip, and green eyes. Mate: Ilexfang. Expecting.
Violapetal-black and ginger tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. Mate: Nimbleshade. Expecting.
Elders:
Quinceleaf-very dark gray tabby she-cat with icy blue eyes.
Rabbitstripe-cream tabby tom with copper eyes.
Cats Outside of Clans
Ormica-huge jet black tom with one white paw, shredded ears, and yellow eyes. Rogue.
Axel-muscular brown tabby tom with one green eye. Rogue.
Hakana-lithe ginger tabby she-cat with a white chest and golden eyes. Rogue.
Viletta-pretty seal point she-cat with bright blue eyes. Rogue.
Arius-large golden tabby tom with darker rosettes and brilliant copper eyes. Kittypet.
Saran-dainty silver tabby she-cat with green eyes. Rogue.
Kidd-plump ginger tabby tom with a white chest, paws, and tail tip, and green eyes. Kittypet.
Ramsee-gray and white splotched she-cat with yellow eyes. Kittypet.
Straus-chocolate brown tom with a white forehead blaze and gold eyes. Loner.
CHAPTER 7
ThunderClan had returned to camp after the Gathering with a clamor and excitement unlike anything in many moons. Starvation had left them ragged, slow, and depressed, but the happenings at this Gathering, and the cooperation of all four clans towards a mutual solution offered them at least a little more hope than they'd grown accustomed to.
Stormpaw, who'd been invited to attend this time, now felt her mind swimming with what it would mean to lose two of the clan's hunters when ThunderClan was still desperate for recovery from the brutal leaf-bare. But maybe if there really was something blocking the river, this expedition would be the solution to their problem. Nevertheless, the hunger she felt near constantly made her more worried than eager for Browndapple and Shrewtuft to depart. If Shrewtuft is leaving though, something else had just occurred to her, that means that Duskpaw will be assigned a new mentor. Maybe he'll get one that will hold him more accountable for being an arrogant mouse-brain.
As if he'd read her very thoughts, Maplestar bounded up the Highledge and called together the entirety of the clan, both those who were already wide awake with excitement from what had taken place at the Gathering, and those who tottered drowsily from their dens to hear the news.
"ThunderClan," the tabby leader addressed, only the whites of his paws and chest and the glowing of his amber eyes visible in the darkness preceding dawn of the new day, "I know many of you were resting so I will keep this brief and get straight to the point: at this Gathering, Fallowstar suggested that each clan send two warriors upriver to see if there is a blockage that is causing the draining of the lake and the shortage of prey."
The murmur of Stormpaw's surrounding clan mates now rose to a concerned chatter, some even crying out questions above the ever-loudening din. Maplestar didn't make any move to answer them though, and Stormpaw could tell from his half-hearted stance up on the Highledge that he was very tired. He continued on doggedly with his announcements, doing his best to maintain the confidence in his voice.
"I, along with WindClan and ShadowClan, agreed to Fallowstar's suggestion, and at sun-high, Browndapple and Shrewtuft will head to the ShadowClan border to meet with those chosen from the other clans to travel upriver. Fallowstar says they should return to us within a quarter-moon's time. That said, both Browndapple and Shrewtuft currently have apprentices that will need mentors while they are away. With the approval of both current mentors, I would like to appoint Tanglewhisker as temporary mentor to Olivepaw, and Weaselclaw as temporary mentor to Duskpaw. Browndapple? Shrewtuft? Are these choices satisfactory in continuing the training of your apprentices while you make your journey?"
Neither mentor responded audibly, and Stormpaw couldn't pick them out amongst the crowd of cats sitting around her in the shadows of the ThunderClan camp, but both must have nodded their heads because it wasn't long before Maplestar meowed out, "Good. I order both of you to get some rest immediately and I will make sure someone wakes you with plenty of time to get traveling herbs from Sorrelheart and make it to the border. You are doing your clan proud, and we will be praying to StarClan for your safe return to us, whether something is discovered upriver or not. Everyone is now dismissed."
The ThunderClan cats, a mix of exhausted and keen quiet chattering, all dispersed and Stormpaw started heading towards the apprentice's den to get some rest after all of the excitement. Since she was young, the clan had generally tried to focus its efforts on keeping her, along with the other youngest and oldest members of the clan, the most fed during the shortage of food, but she was nearly full-grown and quickly approaching her warrior ceremony now, and prey seemed to be becoming ever scarcer as time went on; she knew her ribs had been showing for some time, but it wasn't until after this Gathering for some reason that she really felt the affects of the long-term lack of necessary calories. Her paws dragged across the stones of the quarry despite her best efforts.
Even though she was the oldest apprentice, Stormpaw kept her nest on the outskirts of the apprentice's den, closest to the entrance. There were two reasons for this: the first being if ThunderClan were ever attacked at night, she could be the first of the apprentices to join the fray both for her love of battling and to protect the younger apprentices, and sometimes, when she had trouble sleeping, she could easily slip out into the camp clearing without disturbing anyone else and watch the stars, internally murmuring to her ancestors up in Silverpelt. Right now, though, she knew she wouldn't have any issue falling asleep. She flopped gracelessly into her nest, not even bothering to try figure out a comfortable position for all her weariness.
Just as she was about to tread her way down into the deeper strata of sleep, the sound of thundering paw steps disturbed her from her rest, pulling her attention back to her immediate environment. Naturally, the paws belonged to the bumbling mouse-brain, Duskpaw, as he shoved his way through the bramble screen, talking at a volume that was far from conducive for achieving sleep. Following him was a parade of all of his siblings, including the recently-apprenticed Berrypaw, Sunpaw, and Fawnpaw. Stormpaw swallowed hard as she suddenly realized that, though the apprentice's den had new additions, every other apprentice right now was still closely related to Duskpaw, and with the obnoxious tom's arrogant charisma, she feared that at least a few of the more impressionable of his siblings would become his clones; that would be positively insufferable. At the very least, Laurelpaw and Olivepaw were pretty nice, and it wasn't like she didn't have other friends in ThunderClan, she just couldn't stand to imagine a den full of Duskpaws. Thank StarClan her warrior ceremony would be soon.
As much as she really didn't want to hear any of what Duskpaw had to say, the closed walls of the apprentice's den combined with the loudness of the ginger tabby's voice made it impossible not to listen.
"I can't believe mine and Olivepaw's mentors got chosen for the quest!" he meowed pridefully, "Maplestar obviously has a ton of faith in them. Like, you have to be super brave and strong to get to go on special missions like that. I bet you it won't be long before I get to do that too, considering the cat mentoring me got picked this time."
Stormpaw rolled her eyes so hard she thought she could almost hear them turning in their sockets. Duskpaw was so full of mouse-dung she almost felt bad for him. More than anything though, his noise level was quickly driving her to anger. She hissed softly in the direction of the group of siblings to get their attention and tried to keep her cool.
"Psst, hey, could you please maybe either hold off on the loud conversation or go chat elsewhere?"
Six pairs of eyes turned to look at her, some apologetically, others embarrassed, and one pair blazing with irritation. Though four of the six all had similar golden-yellow eyes, Stormpaw didn't need to make any guess as to which of them was blatantly annoyed with her. Sure enough, a heavy, and recognizably Duskpaw, sigh came from the cat staring at her with displeasure.
"Didn't think you'd be one to need beauty rest, battle-brain," he snarked, "Envious that my mentor got picked over yours?"
"I don't want to fight with you right now, but I will if I have to."
"That reminds me, did you all know that Weaselclaw is really good at battling?" he meowed, completely ignoring Stormpaw's response, "While Shrewtuft is off doing super important mission stuff to save all the clans, I'm gonna have his brother teaching me a bunch of advanced fighting techniques. By the time Shrewtuft gets back, I'll probably have gotten so strong he'll think I should be the one sent out on a special mission next. He's gonna be so impressed."
Though there was a lot problematic and personally detestable about what Duskpaw was saying, Stormpaw couldn't deny the touch of genuine hope and determination she heard in his voice. Unfortunately, her patience had already worn thin, and she prepared another hostile remark to be rapid-fired at the ginger tabby and his pack of loyal followers. Surprisingly though, a different voice interjected before she had the chance to speak up.
"Um, hey Duskpaw?" Stormpaw heard Olivepaw shuffling his paws on the den floor shyly as he spoke, "I'm super excited and proud that both of our mentors got picked for the special mission too, but it's also been a really long night with the Gathering and all. Do you mind if we go to bed now?"
"Oh, right," Duskpaw answered almost immediately, his tail flicking audibly against the wall of the den, though Stormpaw could no longer tell with what emotion, "I should probably get some rest before battle training, huh? Great thinking as always Olivepaw. Goodnight everyone!"
Stormpaw snorted quietly, curling tighter into her nest as the six other apprentices shuffled around to find their own sleeping spaces. She could smell Olivepaw's scent growing closer as he lay down in the bed of moss next to hers. While the rest were making themselves comfortable, the skinny black tom leaned in close to Stormpaw's ear to whisper as softly as he could.
"I'm sorry he's an excitable mouse-brain. He really just wants to be the best warrior he can be…like all of us do, and I don't think he really actually hates you. Goodnight Stormpaw."
Somewhat soothed by her den mate's words, she reached over her shoulder to silently touch her nose to his ear in gratitude. She thought back to their mess of a training session that Duskpaw had interrupted a few days ago. Maybe there were some kinds of battles that Olivepaw was better equipped to win than she was. As soon as that thought had left her mind, she was asleep.
It didn't feel like she had slept until sun-high, but when Stormpaw woke up and left the apprentice's den, the brilliant ball of light was balanced directly above her in the middle of the sky. She stretched quickly, glancing around to see what her clan mates were up to. It looked like Shrewtuft and Browndapple had left already, and there wasn't anyone pacing around in camp. Suddenly a flash of ginger caught her attention in her periphery and she braced herself for the cat's approach, only to relax when she recognized the scent as her good friend Rowanstripe.
"What's up Stormpaw?!" he greeted, nudging her with his shoulder, "You free right now? Wanna come hunting with me?"
"I'd love to, but I'm not sure what Cedarstorm has planned for me today."
"Oh, he went with a small patrol taking his sister and Shrewtuft to the ShadowClan border. He won't be back for a while I don't think. If you're worried, I can talk to Quickleap, I believe he's guarding camp right now."
Rowanstripe never seemed to lack good cheer, and with the looming fears of all the clans causing so much tension, Stormpaw was more than grateful to spend time in the company of someone that would lift her sullen spirits.
"Alright," she conceded, "I reckon no one would argue with more cats out hunting."
The lean ginger tom's ears perked up with enthusiasm, "Awesome! Let's go!"
They stopped to briefly to let Quickleap know where they were headed as they pushed out of the camp entrance and into the deeper forest. They moved at an angle across the territory at a leisurely pace, towards the lake and the border with WindClan, stopping every once in a while to sniff the air for prey scents. Finding nothing close to camp, it was alright for them to small talk with there being nothing and no cat around to accidentally alert.
"It's been a while since we've gone hunting together, just you and me, huh?" Rowanstripe said.
"Too long," Stormpaw returned, thinking back to when Rowanstripe had still been an apprentice and they had trained together, "Though sometimes it feels like it wasn't long ago when you were still sleeping in the apprentice's den too."
"Well," her friend laughed softly, "It's been long enough that Tansypool has found herself a mate and is expecting kits, eh?"
"That's super exciting! I'm sure they'll grow up to be super strong. Maybe you'll get to mentor one even!"
"And can you even believe Darkfoot is the father?" Rowanstripe nearly snorted with amusement, "I thought my sister and him would never stop fighting with each other. They had such a rivalry as apprentices; I had a feeling there was some sort of unresolved romantic tension behind it all."
For the first time in days Stormpaw found herself so full of laughter she almost walked into a tree from being too lost in mirth to pay attention to her surroundings. This only made the both of them laugh even more though. It was the best she had felt in quite some time.
"You know, what's even more awkward about my sister and Darkfoot being mates is that, well, you know how Browndapple is mine and Tansypool's mother, yeah? Well, Browndapple is also Darkfoot's older sister. So like, it's almost like my silly sister is mates with our mum, but slightly less gross. In all seriousness though, I'm really happy that Tansypool and Darkfoot are together now. I totally agree that I think their kits will be really strong."
Stormpaw smiled at her friend, "ThunderClan needs all the able-bodied warriors it can get right now. We'll have to work super hard to make sure all the queens and kits are staying fed."
"Yeah…," this was the first time she ever heard a touch of sadness in the normally optimistic tom's voice and it added a bit of fuel to the worry she already felt. Rowanstripe was even skinnier than she was. He bounced back to his usual self quickly though.
"Having Berrypaw, Sunpaw, and Fawnpaw as apprentices now though will help a lot I bet. I know Fawnpaw is training as a medicine cat, but she'll still need to learn how to hunt and protect herself, and all three seem really eager in general, I'm sure they'll pick up on things quickly. How have things been between you and Duskpaw, by the way? I hear you two have a rivalry even fiercer than Tansypool and Darkfoot's was."
Stormpaw felt a twinge of annoyance run down her spine and she squinted at Rowanstripe suspiciously, "If you're implying that Duskpaw and I will be mates someday, I really hope you value having whiskers, because I won't hesitate to claw them out, mouse-brain."
She had intended for it to sound teasing, but the hint of a legitimate threat crept its way into her voice. The ginger warrior beside her flattened his ears in appeasement.
"I'm only joking with you Stormpaw. I take it things aren't going that great, then?"
"He's so arrogant! StarClan, I just want to cuff him over the ears so hard sometimes! Maybe it'd knock some sense into him. The other day, he showed up at the training hollow while Olivepaw and I were working on battle practice, and he tackled me for the sole reason of me pinning down his brother. In battle practice. Like, how is Olivepaw supposed to learn anything if I'm going easy on him? Ugh, he just makes me so angry! He doesn't think about any other cat than himself."
"I mean, I think you'd have to go easy on just about any cat in battle practice these days, Stormpaw. Even when you were just starting out in your apprenticeship you were able to beat me, who'd already been training for moons. You're just that talented, my friend."
Stormpaw flushed beneath her fur at the compliment, "Thanks. I know I'm pretty good at fighting, it just is so frustrating because I was sincerely trying to help Olivepaw and his stupid brother had to interrupt and talk down to me like I'm some horrible cat for doing what I know to do."
"He's probably envious of you," Rowanstripe suggested.
"Probably. He doesn't need to be a brat about it though."
"Fair enough. Well, that's one troublesome cat in ThunderClan discussed, what about your parents?"
Here Stormpaw stopped walking altogether, her tail suddenly drooping. Rowanstripe turned to look at her, apology in his green eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Stormpaw. We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to. I just figured…you must not get a lot of opportunities to vent about things considering the apprentice's den is full of Duskpaw's siblings, and the warriors are usually pretty busy. We can totally focus on hunting—"
"No, it's fine. My parents are the same as always. They stare at me when they think I'm not looking, and if I ever try to talk to them, they either ignore me or just nod their head. Everyone else, all my clan mates except Duskpaw, don't seem to have a chip on their shoulder regarding me, but my parents always have. I know you know about it already; they've just always been this way with me. My very first memories of Leopardcloud in the nursery even—she only ever spoke to me to tell me not to do something, and if I asked her why, she just didn't answer me. As soon as I was old enough to eat fresh-kill, she left the nursery, only coming back to sleep there at night-time and leaving the other queens to raise me. I think your mum even helped a bit, though I don't remember much from that time. I know Applepool was there to help, and Sparrowflight. Those two, along with Cedarstorm, have been better parents to me than the two whose blood I share," she paused here, "I don't know what I did wrong. I don't know why they hate me."
Rowanstripe sat down next to her, wrapping his tail around her and reaching over to groom behind her ears.
"I'm sorry," he repeated, "You haven't done anything wrong as far as I know. I-I learned a fair bit, once I moved to the warrior's den…would you like me to tell you? If it's too much right now, we can get back to hunting…I, uh, I know we should get back to hunting rather, but this is important enough that I can take the time to help care for my friend, but only if that would be helpful for you."
Stormpaw's eyes turned to him, glowing with a fierce, yet far-off curiosity, "Please tell me."
Rowanstripe nodded, heaving a deep breath before beginning, "I may not have all the details right, but I spoke to Grasseye once, before she moved to the nursery, and I asked her why Birchtooth and Leopardcloud ignored you all the time. She told me not to tell you because she thought you wouldn't understand, but I think you're plenty old enough to know at this point. StarClan knows you've probably only got about a moon left of training, if that.
"It's a bit of a long story, but she said that, before even she, or Sparrowflight, or Quickleap, or your father were ever born, one day three strange-smelling cats just showed up in the ThunderClan camp. One was Speedwell, another was your mother, only about a moon and a half old at the time, and the third cat was your mother's father. Your mother's father told a very young Maplestar that he had been a kittypet once, and had become a loner and stolen Leopardcloud away from her mother—his mate—because she was allegedly a very abusive parent, and wasn't caring for her kit properly. At that time, Maplestar had a mate himself, and they very much wanted to have kits together, naturally he pitied this tom trying to save his kin from a bad situation. Leopardcloud's father said that his friend, Speedwell, had helped him get away, and that they both wanted to join ThunderClan and raise Leopardcloud as a warrior. Of course, Maplestar agreed. Leopardcloud, who hadn't been named yet, became Leopardkit, and was looked after by her father and the queens collectively.
"Leopardkit was apparently a bit shy at first, but quick to come out of her shell, surrounded by cats who were supportive and loving to her, despite her kittypet blood. Everyone viewed her father as a hero, and he seemed an excellent parent to his daughter. That was until, not even a moon after the three outsiders had showed up, he disappeared without a trace. ThunderClan searched everywhere for him, even going so far as to ask the other clans for help. No one had seen him. ThunderClan then turned to Speedwell, who apologized, saying that he should have told Maplestar sooner, sometimes his friend, Leopardkit's father, had hallucinations that he called 'vision calls'. He'd seem fine for days and then suddenly collapse out of the blue, start convulsing like he was having a seizure, and then get up and start walking in a random direction. Whenever Speedwell would ask him what he was doing or where he was going, he'd just say something like 'I'm being called, I must go'. He would do really bizarre things, sometimes hurting himself in the process, sometimes speaking so garbled that no one could understand him. Speedwell felt so bad, when his friend had come to him with Leopardkit originally, he had seemed perfectly lucid, albeit frightened and desperate to get away."
Stormpaw's eyes widened in increasing awe as she listened to the story, her heart a mix of pity and utter shock. Still, this wasn't explaining much about her parents' treatment of her, and the ever-passing time was making her impatient, so she started to ask:
"But what does this have to do with m—?"
"Just hold on Stormpaw, I'm getting to that," Rowanstripe reassured, "With Leopardkit's father gone without a trace, Maplestar and the rest of ThunderClan didn't know what should be done about the kit and turned to Speedwell with a mix of anger and confusion, asking why he had kept such important information from them. Some cats demanded that Speedwell take Leopardkit back to Two-legplace, whether it was to the mother that was supposedly abusive, or not, they didn't care. They didn't trust Speedwell anymore. But Speedwell had been a loner before coming to ThunderClan with his friend and Leopardkit, not a kittypet. He told Maplestar that he had no idea where Leopardkit's father actually lived, nor if he legitimately had a mate and kits, though he supposed at least that the latter bit was true considering Leopardkit looked similar to the missing tom. Speedwell said that he had meant to speak to Maplestar about his friend sooner or later, but was afraid to do so after just recently joining ThunderClan. He felt like his trust needed to be gained first, fearful that if Maplestar knew about his friend's condition, they would be driven out. He wasn't familiar enough with clan traditions to be sure that they would be safe there when his friend's condition inevitably reared its ugly head again, and he had hoped that, being in ThunderClan, his friend would have been looked after enough by the clan that he wouldn't cause any issues anyways. Speedwell himself had personally vowed to care for Leopardkit when her father was unable to due to his condition. He begged and pleaded with Maplestar to let him and Leopardkit stay. He didn't know if Leopardkit's mother was actually an abusive cat, but either way he didn't know where exactly she came from, and he knew that Leopardkit would be well cared for in ThunderClan. Furthermore, in just the short amount of time Speedwell had spent with the clan, he had also found a she-cat that he cared for desperately, and he didn't want to leave her. She stood up while Maplestar was deliberating what to do next and she made a promise in front of the whole clan that she wanted Speedwell to stay, and that she would help raise this kit as her own. Maplestar agreed to these terms, Speedwell was allowed to stay, and from that time on, Leopardkit was led to believe that this she-cat was her kin.
"Every day, little Leopardkit would ask for her father, and Speedwell and his now-mate continued to answer her with 'he had to go on a special mission, he'll be back soon'. But the tom truly was never seen again.
"It didn't take long for Speedwell's mate to get pregnant with his kits and join the nursery. Leopardkit was very excited because she thought that meant that her dad was back, or that her 'mother' had seen her father at some point and that he would be home soon to meet his new kits. Speedwell and his mate decided to keep it a secret that the kits were the kin of Speedwell himself, and not Leopardkit's real father. They continued to lie to her, even after she became an apprentice and their kits were born. Shortly after Speedwell's mate gave birth, your father and his siblings were also born. Leopardkit was Leopardpaw by then, and doing well in training. Even though she had kittypet blood, she responded well to being trained as a warrior and was often praised and admired for it. When she got the chance, she would go and visit her adoptive mother and all the nursery kits, which is how she got to be so close to Birchtooth from the very beginning. Things were going well until she was nearing the end of her apprenticeship. By then, Speedwell's kits, along with your father and his siblings, were apprentices too, all pretty close friends as well—at least, according to Grasseye. Then one day Leopardpaw happened to overhear conversation between a few of the young warriors. They were talking about her, wondering if she would be made a warrior even though she was a kittypet by birth.
"Obviously this came as a huge shock to her. She went to her 'mother', who was pregnant again with another litter of Speedwell's kits, to question her. Her 'mother' felt like she could no longer keep secrets with this poor apprentice who wasn't hers by blood, and she couldn't keep hiding her relationship with Speedwell. Both her and Speedwell took the time to explain to Leopardpaw about her heritage and about how her kittypet father had left ThunderClan and was probably never coming back. Leopardpaw's world came crashing down around her. She rarely spoke to Speedwell or his mate after that day, and she didn't talk about her heritage to any other cat, except one.
"Of all of the apprentices at the same time as her, she was closest with your father, Stormpaw. He was the only cat she trusted enough to talk to him about it. Grasseye said it's because she had a crush on him, but he listened anyways, and was there for her. That being said, Grasseye also said that her and her siblings were raised by parents that believed in, and taught their children, that there was superiority in being a tom because toms cannot get pregnant, and therefore never have to take breaks from serving their clan. Birchtooth, especially, took this message to heart. If asked, he would behave as though he thought she-cats were wonderful, and equal to toms in strength, but he felt they could be so much better if they didn't waste time being waited on in the nursery, even if the continuation of the clan meant kits needed to be born. He would say things like 'she-cats are excellent and full of limitless potential, their only down-fall is losing their edge to kits' and 'the most noble and respectable she-cats never had kits and have been able to protect and defend their clan for the entirety of their lives without needing a break or being drained of their prowess from giving birth'."
In hearing these horrifying things about her father, Stormpaw felt like she was going to be sick, but she also thought that the pieces were starting to come together. She kept listening, her mind careening through dozens of different emotions, trying to make sense of everything she was learning today.
Rowanstripe felt the tension in his friend's body ever-increasing, and he asked tentatively, "Do you need me to stop now?"
Stormpaw just stared straight ahead, unblinking, "No. I need to hear the rest."
The ginger tom nodded solemnly, his tail beginning to stroke her side in comfort as he braced himself to finish telling the parts of the story he knew.
"Once Leopardcloud had been made fully aware of where she came from, she grew quiet and somber. She still participated in her apprentice training and served ThunderClan to the best of her physical ability, but for the longest time she refused to speak to Speedwell and his mate altogether, and to this day, still really only has any lengthy conversations with Birchtooth. I'm sure you've noticed that they do almost everything together. They patrol together, they hunt together, they share tongues every night in their own separate corner of camp. Grasseye said that she'd even witnessed Leopardcloud remain dead silent when challenged by a different clan during border spats. She'd fight as hard as everyone else, but other cats had to do the talking. Supposedly, Leopardcloud was the one who asked Birchtooth to be her mate, and though he agreed, he made her promise to never lower the value of her body by having kits. At least, that's the story Grasseye told me, I don't know how she would have ever heard the details of such a personal conversation.
"But I digress, either way, when Leopardcloud found out she was pregnant with you, she was completely horrified. She was visibly distressed, and everyone in the clan could tell that she was. No one knew what was wrong. That was until they overheard a rather loud conversation between her and Birchtooth one night at sun-down. Leopardcloud has always trusted your father with everything, and she couldn't hide her pregnancy from him. So, one night, she finally told him, and that's when the whole clan knew what was 'wrong' with Leopardcloud. See, up until then, no one had ever treated her unkindly or thought any less of her for being so quiet. New warriors were briefed on how they should behave around her because she'd been through a lot. She has never mentored an apprentice before. She lives pretty solely for Birchtooth alone; her loyalty to ThunderClan is his loyalty to ThunderClan that she adopts for herself. Also, apparently, all of ThunderClan eventually gets to know about her backstory, or at least most of it, but no one ever spoke to her about the details, and no one ever asked about her personal life, so they really had no clue about her pregnancy until that night either. I should also mention that, nobody who'd heard would tell me any of what Birchtooth said to her the night she revealed she was pregnant, so I can't tell you that I'm afraid. Anyways, Birchtooth never once visited her in the nursery, and if you think hard enough, I'm sure you won't remember a time he ever visited you there either, because he didn't. Leopardcloud did her best to stay active throughout her pregnancy, far beyond the time when Sorrelheart was telling her she needed to move to the nursery. Still, Birchtooth would not speak to her, and whenever he looked at her, it was with disappointment obvious in his eyes.
"As soon as Leopardcloud was able to leave the nursery she hurried back to Birchtooth's side. He'd allow her to be next to him for a short while every day before he'd leave, saying he couldn't stand her being by him any more for that day, and this continued over and over and over until you were finally apprenticed and she didn't have to go to the nursery ever again. She's been glued to his hip since then, even I noticed that. More than one cat talked to Birchtooth while he was angry over Leopardcloud's pregnancy. Grasseye said that she, herself, was especially furious with her brother because he was equally as cold to their sister, Sparrowflight, when she was pregnant with her first litter. Grasseye said it was one thing to be angry with his sibling, but another thing entirely to shut out his own mate while she was in the process of giving birth to his own flesh and blood. Still, Birchtooth was nonchalant and said Leopardcloud would be fine, and once she returned to her warrior duties, he would make sure that she kept up on her exercise to rebuild her strength after giving birth, and then everything could go back to normal. Until that time though, he could not bear to speak to her because he was so let down by her."
While Stormpaw took all of this in, her eyes began to harden with a ferocious resolve. She couldn't stop herself from spitting out her next question.
"Does my father hate kits as much as he hates queens?"
Rowanstripe subconsciously pressed himself a little closer to her, feeling the trembling of her muscles beneath her skin.
"I don't think he hates kits, and I don't think he, nor your mother, hates you, either. Grasseye said she thinks Birchtooth disassociates you as his kin, and he sees you as just another clanmate, not a cat that he has to take extra care to show affection to. With Leopardcloud, it's harder to tell. My personal theory is that she was so traumatized by the knowledge of her father abandoning her, that she developed her own mental condition; a condition that latches itself onto someone else, someone she trusts, and her fear of that someone abandoning her is probably greater than her fear of death itself. I think Leopardcloud is ignorant about you, because she's afraid that acknowledging you as her child is embracing the fact that she was pregnant and gave birth to you, and she thinks that doing so would mean that Birchtooth, the thing most important to her, would disown her, and then she'd feel like she had nothing left to live for. That's just my guess though…I can't say for sure what your mother and father really feel, I just know it isn't something personal that you did to them."
Stormpaw leaned her head onto the ginger tom's shoulder, "Thanks for taking the time to tell me all that. It should have been them…you shouldn't have had to be the one who told me all this, and I'm sorry for that. But I'm really grateful too, that I finally know. I swear by StarClan, I'm going to keep working my hardest as an apprentice, and then as a warrior of ThunderClan. I don't care how long it takes for them to snap out of it, and I genuinely feel for my mother, who definitely deserves better. Nevertheless, no matter what it takes, I will make them proud of me!"
Rowanstripe let out a soft chuckle beside her, getting to his paws and trailing his tail across her shoulder as he turned to face her, a challenge sparkling in his green eyes.
"Awesome! Let's start now by hunting and bringing back the most prey ThunderClan has seen in a season!"
"You're on!"
For all the enthusiasm Stormpaw had felt once she set off to hunt though, the yield was still pitiful, and she headed back to camp beside Rowanstripe just as the sun was beginning to set, with barely anything to show for all their scouring of the territory for prey. Bitterness curled tightly in the pit of her stomach, adding to the hunger. Most cats were back in camp by the time they both returned, and neither Stormpaw nor Rowanstripe said anything as they set their paltry catch on the fresh-kill pile. They both wished they could turn invisible to their clan mates so as to not advertise their combined shame.
Just as Stormpaw was placing a mouse on the pile, another cat approached. To her great surprise, it was none other than Leopardcloud, a mix of bitterness and anxiety apparent in the tall, golden-pelted she-cat's eyes.
Stormpaw tried to sound confident, and offered her estranged mother a "hello", but Leopardcloud just grabbed a bony sparrow from the bottom of the pile and retreated quickly back across camp, looking shocked that her only kit would even acknowledge her presence. Stormpaw hung her head, letting out a sigh and feeling Rowanstripe's tail rest across her shoulders in an act of comfort.
"Prey still running poorly, eh?"
A deep voice stirred Stormpaw from her gloom, and she turned around to meet her mentor's gaze. His amber eyes didn't exude any sternness, just a hollow disappointment mingling with despair. He shook his broad head as if to clear his thoughts.
"Well, no matter. Either way, this is probably the most I've seen two cats manage to catch in quite some time. You did your best."
Rowanstripe managed his signature smile, though on a smaller scale than what was typical for him, "Thanks Cedarstorm. Yeah, prey still seems pretty scarce, but like you said, our catch today is bigger than what patrols have been bringing back lately. That's gotta be a good sign!"
The large senior warrior nodded sagely before addressing his apprentice directly, "You've done well today. I apologize for my absence. I'd like you to head to the lake and bring back some moss soaked with water for the queens and elders. I heard Sorrelheart's supply in the medicine den is running pretty dry at the moment. Best to have some backup. Then you can rest for the day."
Stormpaw dipped her head and headed back out into the forest, trotting hurriedly towards the lake as the red dying rays of sunlight stained the tree-tops crimson and cast dusky shadows around the forest floor. The air temperature was starting to drop, making the brush crackle wherever she placed her paws or when her fur brushed against it. As the scent of the lake grew stronger in her nostrils, she stopped to search the surrounding trees for moss, finding small amounts of it scattered across different trunks. Most of it was old and dead, still not growing at a very rapid rate as New-leaf struggled to take hold, but it would do for now.
Once Stormpaw had collected as much of the little buds of moss as she could carry beneath her chin, she continued her stroll to the lake, her pace slowed by a combination of tiredness, hunger, and the awkwardness of trying to hold onto the moss without losing any along the way.
She got close enough to the lake that she could hear the wet lapping of the water against its shrunken, muddy shores, but that wasn't all she heard. Voices caught her attention, and they sounded pretty close. Normally Stormpaw wasn't one to snoop, but she recognized the voice of Maplestar, and despite her morals insisting that she continue on with her assignment, curiosity overwhelmed everything else. She quietly dropped the clump of moss in the cradle of some tree roots and sank into a crouch, working her way nimbly through the undergrowth, staying upwind of Maplestar and whoever else he was with. It didn't take long to work out where her leader was sitting, based on the direction his voice was coming from. She found him seated on the dry part of the lake shore beside Sorrelheart. Neither of them were talking in whispers, so either it wasn't something particularly secretive being discussed, or they were both confident that there would be no other cat around to overhear.
"All I'm saying is that ThunderClan can't take much more of this food shortage," that was Maplestar speaking.
"Yes, you've said that," came Sorrelheart's calm response, "and I've told you I've seen no sign from StarClan. Every time I've visited with them in the past four moons, they've only kept me company, taken me hunting with them, or discussed herbs with me. I've even asked them for guidance over Leaf-bare, and about the food shortages, and they only told me that these things happen. 'They have happened for countless moons before you or I ever existed, and they will happen again. You can only serve your clan to the best of your ability and trust that things will work themselves out. StarClan will always be here watching over you.' Then they would speak no further on the matter. They have not shown me any omens, and they have not told me any prophecies. Last night, they did not even appear to me."
"Perhaps it was too close to the Gathering," Maplestar muttered, seemingly half to himself, "You're sure you haven't missed anything?"
Stormpaw couldn't believe she was hearing her own leader questioning the medicine cat, but she didn't have time to dwell on it because Sorrelheart's answer came back swiftly, frustration thinly veiled in his voice, "With all due respect, Maplestar, we have been talking in circles for some time now. I assure you, if there was anything at all, even the tiniest hint of an answer, I would inform you immediately. The strangest thing I have encountered during my visits with StarClan is that our ancestors seem only to blow off our concerns and pretend as if things carry on in complete normality in the waking world. Even the other medicine cats have experienced this. It is not my place to reveal the struggles of the other clans, but I know they have also been asking StarClan for solutions with no success. If something truly must be done, then I assume you have something in mind? I see no other reason as to why you would have us speak so far from camp…"
Stormpaw saw, rather than heard, the heavy sigh that wracked Maplestar's body. It was then that she truly noticed how thin he was. She normally only saw the tabby leader from the front when he was addressing the clan, but from behind, and seated as he was, she could count his vertebrae, and his hip bones jutted out from beneath his skin in a way that looked painful. She could see the ridges of his ribs down either side, and the sheer tuck of flesh beneath his ribcage dipped in so far that she figured she could nearly wrap the entire length of her tail around the ThunderClan leader's mid-section if she tried. Things are far worse than I could possibly have imagined, she realized, I wonder when Maplestar ate last. I thought every cat in camp was hungry, but even they ration out the little fresh-kill that gets caught. I never would have guessed that Maplestar hasn't been eating anything at all…that seems to be the case.
It took a moment before Maplestar finally addressed the question he'd been asked, and when he did, his voice took on a quality Stormpaw had never heard from the normally confident tom. The sound was somewhere between a whine and a hiss—a desolate whimpering, as if the leader of ThunderClan were a kit mewling for his parents.
"I…I have been considering an invasion…of ShadowClan's territory," the words tumbled out like they were a combination of guilty confession and tentative inquiry for permission, "I know Amberstar would never willingly give up a slice of territory when every clan is struggling…but ThunderClan needs to be fed, and there is not enough prey on our territory to feed everyone."
Stormpaw watched as Maplestar trailed off into silence, Sorrelheart staring him down with an expression that was unreadable from her position tucked behind a clump of ferns. It was as if the medicine cat was waiting for the honey brown tabby to continue his thoughts. This was a dynamic Stormpaw had never seen before, and she didn't quite understand it. Still, she crouched from her vantage point, completely enraptured by the tense conversation that was happening right before her eyes.
Maplestar started speaking again, his voice creeping ever higher, hackles raising as he shifted in agitation in the sand, "I'm so hungry Sorrelheart! I can't take the agony of living every day with this starvation. I haven't eaten in over a quarter moon! I wish I'd never been made leader of ThunderClan…"
Those words crashed into Stormpaw as if they were a monster running her down on the Thunderpath. What does Maplestar mean? I've never seen him act like this before.
The tabby leader spun in an anxious circle once, straining to regain some composure. Sorrelheart waited for him to settle down somewhat before replying, "I empathize with you Maplestar. I cannot imagine the pain you are in. However, I also cannot allow you to take fresh-kill before your clan mates. You have StarClan's blessing of nine lives, your clan mates only have one. You must be considerate of the rest of ThunderClan."
What?! Stormpaw's mind was reeling beneath a tempest of different emotions. This was insane! Sorrelheart was telling his own leader that he could not eat, and Maplestar was behaving like a petulant kit. This was all so confusing. She was beginning to regret creeping up on this conversation, yet still she could not turn away.
"Six!" Maplestar hissed, swaggering clumsily to his paws, "I have six lives left. How much longer until that is five?! And then four?! How many times do I have to starve to death before I stay dead?! I don't want to do that! I don't want to live out the rest of my life like that! You can't make me!"
Sorrelheart remained calm, the twitching of his tail tip being the only sign that he was distressed despite Maplestar squaring off against him. Stormpaw prepared herself to join the fray if the need arose. But whose side am I on? Maplestar should make sure his clan is fed first, but he also doesn't deserve to starve. What an incredibly painful and drawn out way to die.
"We are all hungry, Maplestar. Many moons ago, ThunderClan fell into a pattern of appointing deputies amongst a certain bloodline; fathers and mothers passing down leadership to their sons and daughters, sometimes even to their nieces or nephews. I don't pretend to understand it, or the hierarchy of 'noble bloodlines' that developed over time, when any cat is capable of becoming a good leader. You were chosen by your father's brother to be the deputy of ThunderClan as his youngest remaining kin, and when Cragstar died, leadership of ThunderClan was left to you," here the dark ginger tom leaned in close to his leader, and his next words were the coldest thing Stormpaw had ever heard come from the mouth of her medicine cat, "Truly, I empathize with your pain, it's not fair, but if I catch you laying a claw on any prey that is not overtly offered to you, I will expose you to the rest of ThunderClan faster than you can say 'mouse-dung'.
"We are all hungry, and not only am I also hungry—I am but a medicine cat; I live a life vastly removed from battle. But I wouldn't hesitate to fight you should you selfishly take what your clan mates need far more—if I didn't do such a thing, I would be breaking the vow I made to StarClan when I became a full medicine cat, to protect all cats equally. I will continue to give you herbs to stave off the hunger, but the rest of ThunderClan comes first. Should I have to expose you in front of the clan, certainly your death at the fangs of the clan mates you betrayed would be far swifter than starvation, but that comes with the expense of knowing Bucktail would be watching his only, allegedly 'gallant', son die before he, himself can even enter the ranks of our ancestors. Your elderly father would witness the traitorousness of his last remaining kin, the leader of ThunderClan.
"Maplestar, I beg your forgiveness for all that I'm saying to you now, but you will die a thousand cowards' deaths before I let you deprive the rest of your clan of the food it needs to survive. I don't care the legitimacy of your nobility, you'd better make sure your clan believes in it."
Stormpaw expected Maplestar to tear open the medicine cat's throat at his threats, but instead the tawny tabby leader just seemed to sink back into the shore, his hackles lowering and his tail curling softly into a small hill of sand.
"…You're right," he meowed plainly, "I'm scared. I can feel that I'm close to losing another life. When I sleep, I hear Specklestream calling out to me. It's been getting harder to wake up every day. I know…I know ThunderClan doesn't have the strength or numbers right now to pick a fight with any of the other clans, especially not ShadowClan. We may all be suffering, but Amberstar's warriors looked the most well-off by far. I will hold off on attacking, and pray to StarClan harder than I ever have before for a different solution. If nothing changes soon, I will have no choice but to resort to desperate measures."
After he'd said his piece, Maplestar lay down on the cooling turf, Sorrelheart leaning over to groom the emaciated tom's thinning fur. The first stars were just beginning to twinkle into sight over the lake beyond them. Stormpaw stayed only to see Maplestar burying his muzzle into the medicine cat's flank. The raw anguish she felt rolling off of her leader churned through her with great discomfort. This wasn't something she was meant to see. She backed silently away, finding her clump of moss where she left it, and then skirted around a fair patch of forest for an entry point to the lake shore. Her heart felt like a stone in her chest, nausea creeping in quickly. Even the chill of twilight could not ease the hot shame and wretchedness she felt itching beneath her pelt. She hurriedly slogged across muddy ground that had once been covered by the lake, the slime seeping between her claws and making her sink a bit with each step as she trudged ever-forward towards the receding waters. Thoughts and realizations entered her mind, keeping her distanced from her task as she subconsciously wet the moss to be carried back to camp; her meditations were a weave of disturbing and bleak.
Though Sorrelheart had pressed Maplestar for his reasons behind speaking so far away from camp, Stormpaw felt she now understood better than even her medicine cat. He couldn't risk anyone hearing about his suffering. Whether he is truly noble is not for me to decide, but I know other ThunderClan cats have immense expectations for him, and if they knew…StarClan, if they knew how much pain he's in, well that would cause another paw-full of problems. Some would try to give up their prey for him, others would be blatantly disappointed in his weakness. I get it. I wish there was something I could do without giving up that I overheard a conversation I should not have stayed to eavesdrop on.
Still, even if I wouldn't get in trouble…there really is…nothing I can do. StarClan, if you're listening, please do something to save us.
Fun Fact #1: Ironically enough, though Stormpaw's mother, Leopardcloud, has some kittypet blood, Stormpaw's father, Birchtooth, is not discriminatory about that in the slightest. He's just a misogynist.
Fun Fact #2: Maplestar had a mate named Specklestream, who died not long after Speedwell and Leopardcloud permanently joined ThunderClan. She got stuck in a rabbit trap set by Two-legs and lost too much blood to survive. When Maplestar mentions that he's been hearing Specklestream calling to him in his dreams, he's therefore referring to his dead mate.