Chapter 6

(Author's note: here's a quick extra upload for New Year's Eve. I'm writing ahead by a few chapters so I hope to output a new chapter every day or so until I catch up. Basically I'm trying to upload as frequently as I can.)

Thorncloud left Tallfeather in his den to put away all of the herbs and berries they had collected. The rest of their trip had been quiet. Thorncloud cared for Tallfeather, and had always valued his opinion in the past, but she knew she couldn't rely on him to interpret her dream anymore, not when he had dismissed it as being unimportant to the clan.

But now, at least, she had a starting place.

She caught Tigerfang sharing tongues with Windheart by the warriors' den and approached them cautiously. The blue-and-cream warrior had her white paws tucked underneath her as Tigerfang told her all about her hunting patrol from earlier.

Windheart saw Thorncloud before Tigerfang did, and she blinked in greeting. Tigerfang paused, mid-sentence, to look up at her sister. "Hi, Thorncloud! I was just telling Windheart about how much we caught this afternoon," she boasted.

Thorncloud shook her head; Tigerfang always had a thirst to prove herself. To whom, she wasn't sure. "Between you and the apprentices, the forest will be empty soon. How did their assessment go, Windheart?" she asked.

The she-cat purred. "Very well. Berryleaf was very impressed," she said.

"I can't wait to have an apprentice of my own," Tigerfang said. "I'm going to make her the best warrior in the clan! Besides me, of course."

"Her?" Thorncloud said.

"Well, I asked Berryleaf about mentoring one of Barktail's kits," Tigerfang said. "He didn't necessarily say yes, but my bet is on Leafkit."

Thorncloud's fur bristled. They were barely warriors themselves, and Berryleaf was barely deputy, and he was already promising an apprentice to Tigerfang? Between the two new warriors, surely Thorncloud was the more mature than her sister?

Tigerfang seemed to notice Thorncloud's change in mood. "What's got your tail in a twist?" she asked.

"Don't worry, Thorncloud," Windheart said, "I'm sure you'll get an apprentice soon. Rosewhisker's kits will be coming soon."

Thorncloud looked at her appreciatively, but something was nagging at her. As she turned her head to see Copperfur returning through the gorse tunnel, Berryleaf at his side, she realized what it was. She mewed a brisk goodbye to the two she-cats and then made her way over to him.

Twigpaw and Owlpaw came stumbling in after them, and immediately made for the fresh-kill pile. Thorncloud marched up to Copperfur, who was chatting with Berryleaf. "Copperfur, may I speak with you?" she said sharply.

He turned to look at her, his eyes full of surprise for a moment before turning to disdain. "I suppose," he said. He dipped his head at Berryleaf, and the deputy nodded, padding off towards Rainstar's den.

Thorncloud flicked her tail and walked towards the exit. She heard Copperfur sigh, and feared he might not follow, but moments later she heard his pawsteps behind her as she climbed up the ravine and into the open air.

She led him away from camp, wanting some privacy. Coming to a stop under a large oak tree, she turned to him with fire in her eyes. "Did you tell Berryleaf not to give me an apprentice?" she demanded.

Copperfur's muzzle twitched. Thorncloud knew he was holding back a snarl. "All I said was that I didn't think you were ready to take on an apprentice yet," he said.

"And Tigerfang is?" Thorncloud asked, bewildered. "If you can say I'm not ready, how can you say she is? She acts like a kit!"

"Lately, so do you!" Copperfur bit back. "Obsessed with this dream of yours, and talking to enemy warriors! Not to mention trailing after cats like Tallfeather and Blizzardpelt." He shook his head in disgust.

The fur on Thorncloud's neck stood up straight. "This is about what happened at Fourtrees, isn't it?" she said. "When you said you care about me?"

"So what if it is?"

"Well you clearly don't care about me that much if you're getting mad at me for no reason!" Thorncloud shouted. She was barely aware of how her voice echoed through the trees loud enough to scare away the surrounding prey.

"You basically you told me you didn't care about me," Copperfur accused.

"Excuse me? I believe I told you that you were my closest friend!" Thorncloud couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Just because I don't feel more than friendship for you doesn't mean I don't care about you!"

"I waited for you, all this time," Copperfur said. He stared at her with narrowed eyes. "I mentored you, and I kept my emotions back because I knew it wasn't wise. But now we can be together – and you refused me!"

"I can't help how I feel," Thorncloud said. She swallowed her surprise that Copperfur's feelings were long-term. Her entire time as an apprentice, she had only ever seen him as a mentor and friend. "I value your friendship, but I don't owe you anything else, Copperfur."

The older warrior was staring at her as if he didn't recognize her anymore. "You're so selfish," he said.

Thorncloud grit her teeth. "I'm selfish?" She unsheathed and sheathed her claws. "You know what, Copperfur? Don't talk to me. Unless it's to do with warrior duties, I don't want to even look at you anymore."

She turned and started walking back to camp. "Fine!" Copperfur called. "See if I care! Say hi to Tallfeather for me!"

It took all of her will not to turn around and claw him from ear to tail. Once she reached the top of the ravine, she stared down towards the gorse tunnel. Suddenly, she couldn't imagine going back down there right now.

Instead, she turned and headed for the river.

Scenting the air, Thorncloud knew that a patrol had passed through here recently. The scent markers were fresh on the border of SnowClan's territory, and as she lifted her nose, she could also smell RainClan's scent wafting over from the river.

Dusk was approaching now. Thorncloud's belly rumbled; she hadn't eaten in hours. But now was not the time to go hunting. She slunk through the underbrush and circled around Sunningrocks, taking refuge under an overhanging rock. The river trickled past.

She waited. The sun set over the moorland in the distance – far past CloudClan's territory – and a gentle pattering of rain began to fall around her. Thorncloud huddled under the rock. The smells of the forest around her were dampened by the rainfall, and suddenly she felt very small, like a kit again.

Copperfur's words echoed in her mind over and over. You're so selfish. A tear pricked at the corner of her eye. She had always tried to put her clan first, had never broken the warrior code. For Copperfur to call her selfish… Perhaps he wasn't the noble cat she had looked up to.

Her belly twisted as she thought of Tigerfang, too. Her own sister seemed to find no problem in taking on an apprentice despite being so inexperienced. Would Rainstar accept Berryleaf's recommendation? She hoped not – of all the cats in the clan, Thorncloud respected Rainstar most of all.

A splash jogged her out of her thoughts. Her eyes widened as she saw a pair of dark-coloured ears emerge from the river – an enemy cat was headed right towards her! If it was a hostile RainClan warrior like Brookpelt….

Thorncloud prepared herself for a fight. She pressed herself against the rocks, praying the cat hadn't seen her yet. Then the cat's head lifted out of the river, and Thorncloud exhaled with relief. It was Cloudstorm.

The grey tips of her ears faded into a dirty white as she emerged. She pulled herself up onto the shore and shook her fur, which did little to dry it in the downpour. She padded straight towards the overhang, her blue eyes flashing at Thorncloud.

"You again," she said, shivering.

"I thought you might be Brookpelt," Thorncloud said, surprised at how willing Cloudstorm was t speak civilly with her.

"You're lucky I'm not," Cloudstorm snapped. She started furiously grooming herself, trying to make her disheveled fur lay down flat. "You'd be crowfood if I was. I'm with a patrol right now. I ran ahead when I saw you and said I'd check the markers by the river."

Thorncloud dipped her head thankfully. "I appreciate that, Cloudstorm."

"If you're looking for Bumblestripe, he's not with me," the she-cat continued, as if not hearing her.

"Cloudstorm, I need to speak with him." Thorncloud didn't disguise her desperation. "It's urgent."

"You promised to speak at the next Gathering – that's all."

"This can't wait," Thorncloud pressed. "Please. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

Cloudstorm eyed her. Thorncloud tried not to flinch under her scrutiny. Finally, the warrior nodded. "Come tomorrow at sunhigh. I'll bring Bumblestripe here to meet you. And you better be alone."

Thorncloud sighed. "Trust me, I will be."

"Not going to bring that friend of yours?" Cloudstorm looked surprised.

"No," Thorncloud said somberly, her eyes on the ground.

Cloudstorm nodded. "Listen. Thorncloud, is it? I don't approve of this nonsense, but Bumblestripe is my closest friend. We trained together, so… I'd do anything to help him. But once this dream thing is sorted out, I don't want you to have anything to do with him. Is that clear?"

Thorncloud lifted her head, looking Cloudstorm in her bright blue eyes, and nodded. "I understand, Cloudstorm. I promise you that all of us will remain loyal to our clans."

"Good." Cloudstorm stood again, and padded towards the river's edge. "See you tomorrow, then."

Without another word, she lunged into the freezing river and swam to the other side. Once on the shore, she looked back once, nodded, and then plunged into the shelter of the reeds.