A/N
Pronunciations for the other language words will be in the end of chapter A/N. The language is Croatian, and since I used google translate, I immensely apologize if I get these wrong. Please correct me at anytime.
The cats who speak it on occasion are Ruse, and formerly Wile.
(Recap)
The kits were coming.
Hawkpool groaned loudly, shivering as the atmosphere grew chilly and yet another spasm shook her body. The Silver Tree! Hawkpool thought, dragging herself forward. There's a hollow in the roots!
Hawkpool yowled, gritting her teeth and sighing briefly as she nestled in the safety of the hollow until her body rippled with pain yet again.
Hawkpool whipped her head around, finding a loose tree root and snapping it, biting down as she knew the first kit was on its way. Hawkpool groaned, exhaling as she saw the blue grey little bundle slid out.
She quickly nipped the kit's sac, guiding it towards her belly. It was a tom kit. Hawkpool was so caught up in her first born she had forgotten she had other kits to deliver, until a wave of agony brought her back.
She recalled Darwin's words- the barn cat that had helped her first litter- that the first kit was always the hardest. Hawkpool remembered Whitepaw was the hardest to birth.
Hawkpool clamped her jaws into the root, spitting as she got soil in her mouth. She yowled, but her cries were lost in the blizzard that was kicking up. It would be near impossible to get back to camp now.
Hawkpool's body rippled and she braced herself for the second kit, her teeth sinking into the root. It still tasted of stale soil and frost.
Hawkpool's vision was blurring and she felt dizzy now. She had no idea if there were more kits. She took this brief moment of clarity to bring the second kit to her stomach next to the tom kit. The second kit was a she kit.
Hawkpool panted, cold from the icy wind outside and hot from the exhaustion of going through labor. Another spasm shook her body, telling her there was still kits to be born.
Hawkpool whimpered from the pain, giving her cheek a quick prick with a claw so she didn't pass out from weariness. Hawkpool gasped in relief as she felt the final kit worm its way out. She quickly groomed it and pushed it to her belly. It was a tom kit as well.
Hawkpool was completely worn out. She peered out from the hollow, darting back in as she felt the nipping cold against her muzzle. She curled her soft, plump tail over her trio of kits, muttering soft words of comfort to them.
The first born kit was a light blue grey with a paler chest and underbelly and light ash-grey stripes. He was the bulkiest of his siblings, looking like a round stone as he curled up between his brother and sister.
"Hm, you're Stonekit," Hawkpool purred, her eyelids heavy. She turned to the she kit. Her fur was a shade lighter than Pebbletail's a perfect light grey with almost white stripes, blaze and ears. Her stripes rippled like a stream.
Hawkpool briefly debated on the name Streamkit, but decided against it, instead naming her after the cat that made her new mate possible. "You shall be Splashkit," Hawkpool declared, giving the she kit a warm lick on her forehead. Pebbletail had desperately wanted to name a she kit Splashkit since without Splashspirit, they wouldn't have been mates.
The third kit was the smallest, holding the same nimble frame as Hawkpool. His fur was a mix between Pebbletail's light grey fur and Hawkpool's black pelt, resulting in a smokey, dark grey. He had chocolate like splotches, and a little chocolate marking on his chest that looked like a flame. His spots reminded her of the tales of LeopardClan.
He'll need a strong name since he's so tiny. "Then you're Leopardkit!" Hawkpool decided easily to the fragile tom. She looked out of the hollow again. Still a raging blizzard. The clan must be worried, especially Pebbletail, who most likely had chewed his claws to nubs by now. Hawkpool couldn't help but purr at the thought.
"It's only going to get worse from here," a voice chuckled. Hawkpool jumped, scaring her kits. She licked their pelts to calm them down.
Hawkpool sighed once she recognized the cat as Hollowstar. "What are you doing here?" Hawkpool asked. "I haven't seen you in a long time. Like, since before I joined RiverClan."
"Someone was in my hollow," Hollowstar purred. "And in a situation just like mine."
Hawkpool scoffed. "Like you were in a this same hollow, during a blizzard with three newborns at your belly. Sure." Hawkpool was clearly being sarcastic.
"Not a blizzard, no," Hollowstar chortled. "You need to get going, now. Or you will die."
"My kits aren't strong enough!" Hawkpool protested. "Will they make it?"
Hollowstar didn't answer the question. "Death doesn't visit yourself for a long time from now, Hawkpool. The entire fate of the clan rests on your decision here."
"Oh, and one more thing," Hollowstar was now face to face with Hawkpool, her yellowy eyes narrow. "Stay alert. There's someone watching you."
Hawkpool reached out to ask Hollowstar what she meant, but the StarClan leader faded away before the words were barely thoughts.
Hawkpool steadied her fretful breathing, scooping Splashkit and Stonekit in her jaws and Leopardkit on her shoulders, his tiny claws digging into her shoulders to stay put.
Hawkpool took a deep breath, instantly bracing herself in the raging, frosty winds. She squinted her eyes and tightened her grip on the kits. She shifted Leopardkit to the safety her maw between his littermates.
Hawkpool could barely make out the territory she knew so well in the midst of the storm, everything coated in snow and billowing viciously in the gusts of wind. Her kits squealed in fright.
Hawkpool tried to soothe them, but Stonekit was already growing weak and cold. Leopardkit was sneezing meekly whilst Splashkit was coughing faintly.
Hawkpool could barely make out to outline of the camp barrier, which was holding back most of the storm except the bursts of wind. Her legs felt weak and heavy.
Hawkpool was already worn out from her kitting, and now the blizzard was taking its toll on her. Hawkpool staggered to the ground, sheltering her kits in her belly fur, using her own warmth to keep her kits alive. Stonekit was barely breathing.
Hawkpool was slipping in and out of consciousness, her body growing numb and her vision fading away. She did her best to stay awake, but she slowly gave in, curling around her kits for their wellbeing.
Hawkpool felt wary, surrounded by dead trees and an eerie grey fog. The air was still, like there was no life. Even the grass beneath her paws was dry and shriveled.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Hawkpool," a voice whispered with a cackle. Hawkpool whirled around, recoiling as she recognized the tom cat before her.
A white tom with a tortoiseshell tail, ears and paws with a black splotch over the left eye. His amber eyes burned into her heather red ones.
"You?" Hawkpool spat. "I haven't seen you since I fell from that tree back in ThunderClan. That was seasons ago! What is with weird cats since forever ago suddenly appearing to me?"
The tom snarled. "That's only because Hollowstar has been guarding your dreams from us."
Hawkpool lashed her tail suspiciously. "Who is us?"
The cat laughed, but it was more threatening of a laugh than one would think. "Why, the Dark Forest of course! I am Liontail," He smirked as Hawkpool's fur bristled in recognition of the name of the Dark Forest.
"I know what the Dark Forest is," Hawkpool snapped her jaws at him. "Why are you here?"
"Because, as I said moons ago, you have been Chosen," Liontail said slowly, circling her. Hawkpool raised her chin in disgust, glaring at him. "You were too young and we couldn't collect you. But we can now."
"Collect me? What in StarClan's name are you talking about?!" Hawkpool hissed, taking a few paw steps away from the cat.
Liontail laughed snootily, as if he was talking to a foolish kit. "You died, my dear."
Hawkpool went cold. "No, I can't be dead. I have kits to take care of!" She pulled her lips back into a snarl, ready to pounce.
"Not now, you're alive," Liontail rolled his eyes. "When you were born. You were stillborn. An empty vessel for us to use."
Hawkpool was silent, staring at him in bewilderment as he continued his story. Her pelt still stood on end.
"I brought your spirit here, to the Dark Forest. We used the remainder of our power to create a cat we could see the living world through," Liontail explained, Hawkpool growing more and more horrified as it became clear.
"To every other cat, it was a miracle you were alive. To us, it was our chance to rise again," Liontail sneered, a sickly grin on his face.
"Those red eyes of yours, are your mark," Liontail unsheathed a paw, lifting her chin so her eyes met his. "The mark of the Dark Forest."
"What if I wasn't stillborn?" Hawkpool spat. "What would I look like?"
Liontail grinned toothily, his sharp fangs fitting like zigzags in his smile. He led her to a murky pool of still water. He stirred it with a paw. "Look," he ordered her.
Hawkpool gazed at him coldly, but dipped her head into the pool of water, gasping as she saw herself. But, it wasn't quite her either.
The cat was a silky black with a fluffy white chest just herself, but instead of her trademark heather red eyes, she was what Hawkpool would call normal, with green-yellow eyes.
"Hollypool!" A voice called from inside what Hawkpool was watching. Hollypool? Hawkpool thought curiously. Is that my name? If I didn't have these eyes?
Hawkpool couldn't help but shriek in joy when she saw the cat approach Hollypool. Thornsnag.
Then, it all came to Hawkpool. Poppywish was happily chatting with her littermates, Whitefog was hoarsely telling stories to the kits, Dovetail was sharing tongues with her mother, Greywillow.
In this reality, the battle with Melody never happened. In this reality- Hawkpool froze when she saw another cat approach Hollypool. Melody.
"Clovertail!" Hollypool purred. "How are your kits with Pebbletail?" Melody- or Clovertail in this universe- smiled warmly. Melody is mates with Pebbletail?! Hawkpool's thoughts exploded with anger.
"They're good! Having two toms is difficult. I can't believe Hazelpaw has survived with Barkpaw and Reedpaw!" Clovertail chuckled. "You ever plan on more kits?"
Barkpaw? Hawkpool wondered. Wait, if the battle never happened… Then Pinewhisker never died and I never named Birchpaw after him. Barkpaw must be Birchpaw!
Hollypool exchanged a humorous look with Thornsnag. "Not at the moment, no. After greencough got to Beechtail and Reedflight, being deputy is real difficult. I wouldn't want to stress the clan. I'm content with just Hazelpaw, Reedpaw, and Barkpaw for now."
What about Whitepaw? And Nightpaw? Hawkpool though curiously. Then realized; they didn't exist in this reality. She must not have chosen both Jaytalon and Thornsnag… Just Thornsnag.
"True," Clovertail muttered, licking her chest fur.
"Plus, ThunderClan and WindClan have been pushing the borders as of late," Thornsnag pointed out. "Hollypool needs to stay as fit as she can. The elders are saying there's going to be a huge battle soon."
Hawkpool was further enticed by this fantasy when she saw the familiar coats of a blue grey mottled tom and a brown tabby mottled tom.
"Birchfang! Stormrain!" Hollypool called out, beckoning them over. "How was the patrol? Any trouble?"
The brothers shook their heads. "Well, WindClan did seem antsy to start a fight," Stormrain admitted, grooming the scarred side of his face. The scars, however, were different. She could tell they weren't from Fallenstar in the universe. Most likely a fox or badger.
"Shadeleap seemed quite concerned about you, Rainstorm," Clovertail teased.
The blue-grey tom sighed heavily. "You know my predicament with Lightfeather. We had to split up our half-clan kits. I don't want to take another mate, especially one that's younger than me. Dovefeather doesn't need any more trouble.
Hawkpool was confused. What predicament? Why is Doveflight- er, feather, in RiverClan? Wait… Hawkpool gasped when she realized it. Her brothers never lived in ThunderClan. It would make sense, as they had their birth names. Rainstorm- um, Stormrain, still fell in love with Lightfeather, though…
"It's too bad Juniperclaw and Streamheart didn't come with us to RiverClan, Hollypool," Clovertail meowed.
"They would come in handy in this upcoming battle," Thornsnag pointed out as he chewed into a carp.
That must be Juniperfur and her dead sister! Streamkit never died in the reality! Hawkpool realized. They must have been the cats who lived with Hollypool and Clovertail instead of Stormrain and Birchfang!
Hawkpool wanted to stay in the reality even more when she laid eyes on her trio of kits. Barkpaw was unharmed. There were no traces of his permanently mangeled leg.
"It's great to finally be walking again!" Barkpaw exclaimed. Hazelpaw butted his shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm still mad that Snowfall pulled me off Flamefoot when he broke your leg against that rock," Hazelpaw snarled, rolling her eyes.
Well, Snowfall is clearly living in RiverClan! That must mean that so do Willowleap and Runningclaw! Hawkpool thought with joy. Everyone is happy here… But this isn't my world.
Hawkpool pulled her head up from the pool of water, glaring at Liontail. "Was all that real?"
He nodded. "It's a different dimension. However, we have no control over that world. Only this one. We can merely look into the ones that sometimes overlap our own. That particular one is quite close to ours, which is why we can see into it."
"All those moons ago, you said I was Chosen. You could have used any cat as a vessel. Why me? Why did you need me?" Hawkpool hissed, glancing back at the pool.
"You were convenient. A quick grab," Liontail huffed, as if it was obvious.
"What else did you do to me?" Hawkpool demanded, bearing her teeth to the Dark Forest tom.
"Your eyes come with a power," Liontail sneered. "A power to lead us Dark Forest cats. You can bring us into the world of living cats by the persuasion of others."
Hawkpool scoffed. "Why would I do that?"
Liontail smirked at her. "Because if you refuse, we'll kill your newborns. Take a look." He motioned to the pool of water again.
Hawkpool dunked her head in water, gasping as she saw her own motionless body, still wrapped around her mewling kits. Except for Stonekit. He lay limp beside Splashkit, his eyes glazed over.
Hawkpool tore her head out from the pool, tackling Liontail to the ground with a roar. "You murdered my son?!" She screamed, claw at his face.
"And we'll kill the other two as well," Liontail jeered, throwing her off of him. Hawkpool coughed as she got the breath knocked out of her.
"No! No! No, don't!" Hawkpool begged, sobbing. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and hung her head. "What do you want me to do?"
Liontail burst into a cackle. "I'll see you in your dreams, my puppet."
Hawkpool snapped her head up in alarm, looking down at her kits. Stonekit's body was chilled and was void of a heartbeat. She nosed Leopardkit and Splashkit. They were alive, but barely.
Hawkpool struggled to her paws, shaking off snow and frost that had clung to her pelt. Hawkpool yelped as she lost feeling in her legs, crumpling to the ground. Her kits cried out pathetically.
Hawkpool stretched out her limbs, scooping up all three kits. Maybe Morningfeather could get Stonekit warm and breathing again. The blizzard was weaker than when she had collapsed.
Hawkpool strained to get up, panting as she reached the camp barrier. She staggered through the entrance, gripping her kits' scruffs tightly.
"Oh, StarClan!"
Hawkpool looked up, shocked to see Pebbletail racing towards her and bowl her over in a hug. "I was so worried!" He suddenly pulled back, patting her now slim again sides. "Did… did you give birth?"
Hawkpool didn't reply, instead she yanked away, staggering into the medicine den. "M-Morningfeather! My son isn't breathing!"
The golden she cat spun around, her face alarmed. "You went into labor in the blizzard? I didn't foresee this!"
"Well it happened, so please!" Hawkpool hissed, dropping the trio of newborns onto the reed and thrush feathered nest. Morningfeather inspected Stonekit. She licked his pelt backwards and pressed his chest with her paws, trying to get the blood flowing again.
Stonekit didn't move. Morningfeather stumbled back in astonishment. "This wasn't supposed to happen… I saw nothing of this…" She panted, staring with dilated eyes at the motionless body of Stonekit.
Hawkpool whimpered, burying her face into the cat closest to her, which turned out to be Pebbletail. He looked at her, surprised, then noticed lifeless Stonekit, and was murmuring comforting words.
"He hadn't even opened his eyes yet!" Hawkpool sobbed, sniffling. She could barely pick up Pebbletail's breezy, musky scent she had grown fond of.
"He was my kit, too. I didn't even get to meet him because of this." Pebbletail whispered softly, looking away from her with a faint growl. Hawkpool pulled back from him with both eyebrows raised and her lips pursed together.
"It's not my fault he died!" Hawkpool protested, looking offended. Pebbletail lashed his tail and the neck on his fur stood up.
"You shouldn't have gone out in the snow anyways!" Pebbletail growled back, pressing nose close to her face.
"Oh, yes, I should have let my siblings and Petalwish's kits starve!" Hawkpool snapped back to him, tears in her eyes. She had never fought with him before.
"You know very well that I didn't say that!" Pebbletail snarled, his nose twisted into a growl. "You're just twisting my words now!"
"I…" Hawkpool gritted her teeth, clenching her claws into the soft soil of the medicine den. "I was trying to help. I just wanted to help!"
"Well you didn't! You could have died!" Pebbletail hissed, his amber eyes wide. He looked down at his paws. "You could have died…"
"Well, clearly I didn't die!" Hawkpool spat, growling and bushing up her fur and standing up on her tiptoes to appear taller than her mate. "It was Stonekit that did! I don't see how you're so torn up! I felt him. We were one. How could you ever understand a bond like that?"
"I do understand a bond like that!" Pebbletail shot back, his ears pricked up and his nose twitching in irritation. "It's our bond! I listened to their tiny heartbeats in sync with yours. I heard them kicking and your beautiful purring. I cared for you to care for them every day. Your bond to the kits, is my bond to you…" Pebbletail's words trailed off, the tom sinking to the ground as he tried to stifle his sobs.
Hawkpool felt guilt stab her. She was fighting with him. Their son had died. It wasn't right to argue. "I-I'm sorry, Pebbletail." Hawkpool whispered hoarsely. Hawkpool collapsed beside him, breaking down in loud wails and tears. She couldn't hold her cries back any longer.
"I wish you hadn't gone out in the snow, Hawkpool," Pebbletail sighed, shaking his head clear and staring up at her with his damp, amber eyes.
Fury sparked inside Hawkpool again like a wildfire. "Pardon?" She hissed, holding a paw to her chest and looking dejected. "You've endangered yourself plenty of times and I haven't badgered you about it. We're warriors. I'm the deputy! It's what we do. I was feeding my clan. Don't you dare tell me what I should and shouldn't do."
Pebbletail's fur bristled again, his eyes now sharp and his ears raised. "I'm looking out for you and our children! You are not deputy right now. You are a queen, nursing kits. When they are weaned, then you're deputy again."
"I'm going to do whatever I need to do to help my clan!" Hawkpool hissed. "My clan. My home. My family. I'm not going to be some puppet or play thing you can toss around and boss around. You're full of badger dung." Hawkpool lashed her tail back and forth, clearly agitated and inflamed.
"I'm the one full of badger dung?!" Pebbletail spat back with a snarl, his teeth sharp as he peeled back his lips. "You're the one who endangered the lives of our children and yourself. You should be sorry!"
"Sorry fills no bellies, you snake-tongued minnow-brain!" Hawkpool screeched back, her voice feeling sore. She ignored it, her hormones still ablaze.
"You're the minnow-brain!" Pebbletail howled, shoving his muzzle to hers. "This isn't even your clan! You weren't raised here! Sure, you may have the blood, but is it in your heart and bones?" Pebbletail pressed his paw to her chest, his eyes glistening with scorn.
Hawkpool stumbled back dumbfoundedly, her face one of indignant surprise. Her eyes were cold and bitter despite their red warmth.
"Once a ThunderClanner, always a ThunderClanner!" Pebbletail jeered with his voice dripping with revilement. "You'll always be a wannabe, tree-climbing Thundercat!"
Hawkpool choked back her sobs, shoving past him and running into back of the nursery, where her nest was in the darkest part of the den.
She curled into a ball, stifling her quiet sniffles and sobs. Her vision wavered, and her senses dulling. Her exhaustion had finally caught up to her now her adrenline from the fight had instantly died out. Morningfeather's gentle scent wafted in the den. Hawkpool wiped her face with the back of her paw and stared up at the young medicine cat. Leopardkit and Splashkit were in her grasp. She flopped back down, too worn out to even lift her head.
"They need a mother," Morningfeather meowed softly, nudging the two towards Hawkpool's belly. "And you are that mother."
Hawkpool let out a shaking sigh, burying her face into her paws and sobbing as softly as she could manage, but all she wanted to do was scream at the top of her lungs. She didn't even look at Leopardkit or Splashkit, keeping her eyes shut.
Hawkpool distantly heard the voices of Creeksplash and Briarfrost, then the chilled, rose like scent of Briarfrost bathed her tongue. Hawkpool didn't budge from her curled up position, even when she could hear Briarfrost's whistley breathing.
Hawkpool pretended her childhood friend wasn't there, continuing to whimper. Her whole body ached. I'll never be a true RiverClan cat, will I? I may be the deputy, but that's only because my father is leader. RiverClan is in my blood, but ThunderClan was where I was raised, and isn't that what defines loyalty?
But I gave up ThunderClan for here! That's gotta count for something, right? No, it probably doesn't… I betrayed the clan by running away with Jaytalon… Hawkpool conflicted within her own mind. Not to mention I'm technically DEAD! I'm just the pawn to the Dark Forest…
Briarfrost said nothing, only listening to Hawkpool's cries with an understanding look. The dark brown she cat groomed her friend's cheek and ears soothingly, lulling Hawkpool further into sleep. Hawkpool suddenly darted up and buried her face into Briarfrost's chest.
And cried as she promptly passed out, nestled in the comforting embrace of her friend.
(POV change; Nightpaw)
Nightpaw breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Reedpaw and Evie return with a dazed Snailpaw from the outskirts of their territory.
"I'm going to go check up on your brothers," Nightpaw meowed to Evie. "They fought really intensely."
Evie nodded, focusing on Reedpaw's wounds now. Moonwing had showed Nightpaw some simple healing tactics, and with Evie's knowledge, Nightpaw could easily heal almost any wound.
Nightpaw swung her head around, spotting Cas first. He was limping and blood gushed down his head on one side and over a half closed eye. She approached him quickly, cobwebs and marigold packed in her jaws.
"Oh, hey, Nightpaw!" Cas called out in relief, then winced as she dabbed marigold onto the side of his head. " Hey! That stings!"
"You're hurt, so it's my job to heal you," Nightpaw meowed, carefully stopping the blood with the cobwebs. "Take it easy on your leg, and you should be fine."
"Thanks, Nightpaw," Cas purred, itching at the cobwebs with a paw. Nightpaw swatted him.
"No scratching," Nightpaw said sternly, looked him up and down for other wounds, then padded away in search of Nicky. A high pitched shriek sounded from the nursery.
Nightpaw whipped around, racing towards the dark brown she cat with black dapples who made the noise. Nightpaw froze when she saw a flame-red tom and a light brown she cat with black swirls lay still as stone before the brown she cat.
"What's your name?" Nightpaw asked quickly, examining the two limp cats.
"T-T-Timber," she stammered, her legs shaking. "The tom is Fox and the she cat is Swirl. They're my brother and sister! Please, clanner, help them!"
"My name is Nightpaw, Timber," Nightpaw meowed in a steady voice. "I will do the best I can."
Nightpaw licked the flank wound on Swirl, blood still forming. She patted it thick with cobwebs, blood oozing through faintly. Nightpaw chewed the marigold into a poultice, spreading over the possible fatal wound.
She quickly turned to Fox, feeling intimidated as his neck was spewing blood and the crimson was pooling from his stomach as well, seeping onto Nightpaw's paws.
She flicked the blood on her paw pads away, turning Fox onto his back. "I need more cobweb!" Nightpaw hissed to herself. She whipped around to Timber. "Hurry and get some from Ruse!"
Timber gulped. She stayed frozen for several heartbeats, then nodded nervously and skidded away. Nightpaw briefly checked on Swirl. The she cat was breathing softly, and her wound hadn't opened again.
Timber dropped the wad of cobwebs in front of Nightpaw. Her deep blue eyes were teary. "Are they going to be okay?" Her voice was breaking and high with worry.
"I think they are," Nightpaw replied calmly. She found keeping a cool demeanor helped the worrying cats keep calm. "I got to them in time." Nightpaw finished, lacing up Fox's gashes with the cobwebs and licking in the marigold.
The black she cat stood, proud of herself. "They need to rest, but you should have Ruse bring them in his den when he's finished with everyone else."
Timber squealed in delight. "You saved them, oh thank you, Nightpaw! You're amazing!"
Nightpaw flushed modestly. "Ah, it was nothing. I'm not all that great, really."
"No, you are!" Timber exclaimed. "They would've died if it wasn't for you!"
Nightpaw looked away timidly. She didn't say anything. Her good eye hastily scanned the camp, spotting Nicky looking around frantically.
"I'm gonna go," Nightpaw murmured, haring away from Timber and skidded to a stop before the lithe, grey tom.
"Nightpaw!" Nicky exclaimed in relief. "Have you seen Cas or Evie anywhere? I haven't seen them since the battle!"
Nightpaw pointed her tail towards the medicine den. "Evie is helping with Ruse and Cas is getting double checked by Ruse since I binded his cuts."
"Thanks!" Nicky replied, beginning to head off, but Nightpaw stopped him.
"Hold up," Nightpaw urged. "Have you seen my father? I haven't seen him at all."
"He's with Lijep, in her den, duh. They're weirdly close," Nicky shrugged, darting towards the medicine den.
Nightpaw was puzzled. What does dad have to do with Lijep? Did he know her when he was a rogue? I don't remember her…
"I'm glad you're safe," came the echo of Jaytalon's voice through the thistle wall of Lijep's den. Nightpaw was hiding behind the back, eavesdropping and peeping through a faint hole in the woven brambles.
"I don't like this," Lijep sighed. "We had to kill every Wrath cat, just so they couldn't tell Dragon about where our base is. Not even this horrid tribe deserve that. I think Nicky, Cas and Evie had the hardest time battling their former tribemates." Lijep's voice was heavy, her sea-green eyes drooping.
"How do you even know them? You say they're from the Wrath Tribe, but you're the leader here," Jaytalon pointed out.
Lijep laughed. "Oh, that's a pretty long story."
Jaytalon shifted, tucking his paws under his smooth black chest. "I have time."
Lijep sighed, a wistful smile on her face. Jaytalon's eyes were round, like a kit's listening to an elder's' tale. "It was about six moons ago…"
(Flashback; six moons ago)
"Pet!" Came the beckoning call of Dragon. There was irritation lacing his tone.
A frail, ragdoll she cat with matted and dirtied fur scrambled out of a den. She couldn't meet Dragon's fierce, yellowy eyes.
"What is this?" Dragon pointed a long claw to a piece of already eaten, rotting prey. The ragdoll cat squirmed in nervousness.
"I-I-" She stammered, but Dragon cut her off with a sheathed blow to the side of her head.
"Master provides for you! You are useless. You don't even have a name! You will never be who you were ever again!" Dragon snarled, his eyes slitted as the ragdoll she cat stayed glued to the ground.
"B-but, I love you, Master!" The she cat protested, sobbing. "I was just so hungry!
"If you loved me, you would not have hunted by your lonesome. Now I suppose you can wait a few days for food now," Dragon drawled, seemingly now unaffected by her disobedience.
The she cat pawed at the mulchy brown tom with desperation. "NO! No, please, Master! I carry your kits! They will die without food!"
"Then their death is your fault, pet," Dragon meowed simply. He threw her against the den wall, her weak body standing no chance against his strength.
The ragdoll queen whimpered as Dragon moved the boulder to block the entrance to the den, shutting out the sunlight she craved so much, despite it being brighter than she recalled.
The she cat almost cried out in joy when she noticed a tiny space in the rock, sunlight peeking through onto the dusty ground. She crouched, staring at it keenly.
It warmed her paw, the rest of the den cold like a winter night. She crawled to the corner that the sunlight reached, her tail over her nose and fell into an uncomfortable.
She was awakened by the sound of the boulder moving away from the den. She pricked her ears, standing despite it making her feel dizzied.
Dragon appeared at the entrance. "Are you sorry, my pet?"
She fell to the ground, practically kissing his paws. "Yes, yes I am!"
Dragon's face split into a ghoulish grin. "Good, good. I was worried Mist would have to replace you."
The ragdoll she cat expected him to strike her, but no such blow came. Sudden realization flared in her. I do as Master says… And he doesn't hit me.
To her starving and dehydrated mind, it was clear; be his pet, as he had been so graciously calling her, and he would never strike her again. Mist wouldn't get her position as Dragon's main mate.
A commotion from beyond her den caught her attention. Dragon seem annoyed immensely when a dark grey tom with a light grey overcoat approached him with his green eyes blazing with anger.
"Dragon, that she cat you gave me cracked!" The grey tom hissed. "She couldn't handle the pressure and now she's dead."
Dragon frowned. "It's your fault, Soot. If you hadn't driven Winter so hard, she would have done as well as her sister."
The ragdoll she cat froze. Winter is dead? My invincible sister? That can't be!
"I want Snowball! I was the one who found them!" Soot- the dark grey tom- growled, not backing down.
Dragon's eyes sparked like electricity. The ragdoll she cat knew that look all too well. He was angry.
"You're making a grave mistake, Soot, to challenge me. Don't you forget that Hickory left me in charge when he left," Dragon licked his chops in malice. "She is mine, my pet."
Who is Snowball? Is that me…? That was my name! I am no one's pet! A tiny flame of rebellion ignited in her chest as she heard Dragon's words. He is not Master! I am not worthless!
The ragdoll she cat's heart skipped a beat when she saw Soot tackle Dragon to the ground. If Soot won, then she would be subjected to the torture he put her sister through that made her die.
Without meaning to, the queen found herself cheering for Master internally. Soot had Dragon pinned the ground, claws to his throat. The ragdoll she cat saw her chance.
She slunk to the ground, creeping out of the den. She breathed in fresh air and basked briefly in the warmth of the sunlight. She caught a glimpse of Mist, her good friend and Dragon's second favorite mate, in passing. Mist was a light silver tabby she cat with green eyes, with a high sense of pride, which came off odd to her.
She heard scuffles from the clearing where Dragon and Soot were fighting that told her Dragon had somehow won. A thud made it clear Soot was dead. She bidded Mist an unspoken farewell, turning away.
"Sway!" Dragon hissed to a grey tabby tom with jagged teeth and yellow eyes. "You're the proxy now."
Sway seemed unfazed by Soot's death, which was strange since it was his brother.
The ragdoll mustered all her strength, and sprinted as fast as she could. Her belly rumbled with hunger and now was sending her spikes in pain.
Blood trickled down her hind legs and she held back a sob when she realized what was happening. She was miscarrying. She bit her tongue to mask her shriek of agony.
The ragdoll she cat staggered through the forest, trailing blood behind her she knew they could follow. She tasted the air, breathing in the scent of water. She could wash it all away there!
She struggled forward, forcing herself to run. She gasped when she recognized the Two-leg place around her. She yelled out as her paw caught on a tree root, tumbling into the river.
She panted for air, the water washing her her face. She paddled her paws, her head bobbing up to the surface. She gracefully climbed out of the river, shaking out her fur and grooming it.
Soon enough, it was back to its luxurious gleam and flow. An amused purr sounded behind her. She spun around, terrified it was Dragon's goonies.
Instead, she faced a trio of brown furred cats. One was a golden-brown tabby tom with round amber eyes and a flat face. A small, four moon old tom kit clung to his foreleg. The kit was a light brown tabby tom, his eyes a green unlike his father's amber.
The third cat was a she cat, a pretty, dark chocolatey tabby with fiery amber eyes. She looked like the older tom's sister.
The ragdoll's legs grew suddenly weary, like leaves shaking in the wind. Ringing filled her ears, and her vision blurred. She staggered slightly, but managed to keep her balance.
"Ti si jako lijepa," the flat-faced tom meowed silkily, his voice soft and in another language The ragdoll she cat cocked her head in puzzlement. (Pronunciation: Tea-see-yako-lee-eppa)
"You know," he said, "lijep. How say in this language?" His voice had a noticeable accent.
The she cat giggled. "He's saying you are very beautiful in our native language." Her accent wasn't as thick as his. "I'm Toffee," she purred politely. "That's my brother, Ruse, and the little kit is his son, Wile. Are you okay?"
The ragdoll she cat nodded absently, Toffee's words almost completely drowned out by the buzzing in her ears. waved a paw at the little kit. He hid further behind his father's leg. Ruse- the flat-faced tom- nodded at his sister, Toffee.
"Yes, yes," he smiled warmly. "You are Beautiful. Lijep. Like lily flower."
Lijep? She liked the ring to it. It sounded enticing, and yet mysterious. I am… lijep. Not a pet. My name, is Lijep.
…
Lijep twitched her tail in greeting to Toffee as the dark chocolatey she cat returned to their small camp with two mice in her mouth. They had been living together for around a moon.
"I know you're still recovering from your incident when we met, but you should really let me teach you how to hunt. To be honest, Lijep, you're not all that great," Toffee chortled, dropping the mice in front of Lijep's paws and passing the second to Ruse and Wile.
"I suppose so," Lijep sighed, rubbing her head sheepishly. She crouched to the ground, wiggling her rump in kit-like excitement. "Where do we begin?"
Toffee laughed. "First, get rid of that silly position. You'll scare all the prey with your tail brushing up every leaf in the forest."
Lijep cleared her throat, sitting up rigidly. "Good," Toffee praised.
"Okay," Toffee began. "You gotta stay svjetlo- light- on your feet for mice. They'll feel the vibrations from your paws before they see or hear you, and rabbits will hear you before they see you."
Lijep nodded slowly, processing the information. She lowered her body to the ground and tucked her tail to her flank and took silent steps forward. Toffee's face broke out into a grin of approval.
"That's fantastic! The only problem is your paws. Don't seem so strained, just let the weight shift into your shoulders," Toffee giggled. Lijep flushed in embarrassment.
"Hm, perhaps a paws-on experience would help," Toffee suggested. "Maybe you should head out into the forest. See what you can bring back."
Lijep felt a burst of anxiety as she felt the greenery consume her the second she stepped away from her camp. She lifted her nose, flinching at the metallic scent that washed her tongue. Blood.
Hesitantly, Lijep crept forward, every sense on edge and her ears perked up. She quickened her pace when she heard cries of pain. Lijep froze when she entered a small clearing, three young cats standing huddled together.
The tallest one, a slim black tom, had a foreleg wedge in the teeth of a foxtrap. The smallest cat, a she cat, was working with a medium sized tom to pry open the trap but it only tightening on the first tom's leg.
The she cat had a beautiful, pale grey coat with silver and black dapples. Her eyes were a blazing amber, damp with anxiousness.
The medium sized tom looked frustrated, still trying to free the black tom. He had grey fur, some shades darker than the she cat's with faint rings around his tail and a light grey chest tuft, underbelly and toe tips.
"Oh my! Do you need help?" Lijep asked in startlement. The trio couldn't have been more than five moons old!
"No!" The black tom hissed defensively, but his nerve racking blue eyes were glassy with pain. Lijep looked at him doubtfully, turning to the other two, who were most likely his brother and sister.
"Cas is an ignorant clam," the she cat huffed, pursing her lips and lashing her tail. The second tom stepped forward.
"Help would be very much appreciated," he timidly asked. His shyness and grey-silvery pelt reminded Lijep of one of Dragon's many mates back at the Wrath Tribe.
Lijep hurried forward, examining the foxtrap. She scooped up the dry dirt with her sharpened claws and yanked out the end of the trap, the silver fangs loosening enough for the black tom to free his foreleg. He didn't place it on the ground.
"Can you walk?" Lijep asked. The black tom glared icicles at her with his startling blue eyes that didn't quite seem right.
He snorted softly. "Yes."
Lijep raised an eyebrow questionally. "Okay then. See you around." She dawdled briefly, peeking out of the corner of her eye to see the black tom tentatively place his paw on the ground.
He shrieked in pain, his leg twisting under him and he fell to the ground. Lijep turned around. The black tom didn't meet her eyes as he stayed helpless on the forest floor.
"I can help, don't fret, young ones," Lijep purred, inspecting the leaves and bushes around them.
"You," Lijep ordered the the nimble she cat. "Can you get cobwebs from the tree up there?" The ragdoll she cat flicked her tail to a gnarled oak tree. The dappled she cat nodded determinedly.
Lijep snatched stray vines from a honeysuckle plant, gripping it with her teeth and tying the tendril tightly above the jagged, gushing cut.
"Ouch!" The black yelped, glaring at her. Lijep was unaffected.
"You need to put pressure on it to help stop the bleeding," she huffed, pressing the cobwebs the she cat had brought her heavily onto the wound He winced softly.
"Feels like you're trying to cut of my paw," the black tom huffed, his breath hitched and coming out in pained pants.
"What's your name?" Lijep asked, ignoring his comment.
"Castiel, but, uh, call me Cas," he breathed, grateful when Lijep lifted the pressure on the gash.
"Well, Cas, be more careful next time," Lijep ordered, gently wrapping the cobwebs around the wound. "You'll have to get fresh cobwebs every other day or so, to prevent infection."
Cas was quiet as he uncertainly stood up. The two other cats raced to his side to help him up, the tom steading him while the she cat made she he didn't topple over again.
"I'm sure your friends will aid you," Lijep purred. The she cat stepped forward, her eyes round in awe.
"I'm Evie," she meowed softly. "How did you know so much about healing my brother?"
"Oh, he's your brother?" Lijep acknowledged. Evie- the dappled she cat- nodded.
The second tom timidly stood beside Evie. "And, I'm Nicky. Thanks for helping Cas." He mewed silently, his voice barely audible. It suddenly struck Lijep of who they reminded her of.
"Mist," Lijep blurted. The trio's faces suddenly changed.
Evie's expression contorted into one of pure hatred. Her eyes ignited like a brush fire and her lips peeled back into a hiss. She flattened her ears and lashing her puffed up tail back and forth.
Cas' face remained mostly calm and cool, but his nose twitched, as if holding back a snarl and his eyes burned like a raging blue fire of flickering flames, revealing his true feelings.
Nicky assumed a defensive stance, raising his hind quarters and tail. His eyes were round and dull, like every emotion had been sucked out from him, except fear.
Lijep felt dread creep in her pelt. "What? Do you know her?"
"You could say that," Evie scowled, snarling softly.
"Evie," Cas warned, looking down at her with a sternness in his eyes. Evie huffed, a low rumbled in her throat, but she said no more.
Lijep frowned to herself. "How old are you three?"
"Five moons," Cas answered. "B-but we're perfectly capable of taking of ourselves! I've been looking after them by myself for a whole moon!"
Lijep scanned over the trio doubtfully. Their ribs were poking out, especially Cas' and his eyes were bloodshot from lack of rest. She figured he was hunting all the time and feeding Nicky and Evie rather than himself or even sleeping often. He probably stood guard while they slept.
Just as Lijep realized Cas was putting his littermates over his own well-being, a low whining noise came from the direction of the trio. Lijep saw Evie and Nicky stare at Cas discreetly. He brushed his tail over his stomach, swallowing down his embarrassment from his rumbling belly.
"Why don't you come to my camp? We have food, dens and even an herbal cat who can take a better look at your leg," Lijep offered sweetly. Cas turned his head away stubbornly, not saying a word, but he was clearly tempted.
Evie remained quietly intrigued as well, but Nicky stepped forward. "W-we'll come with you." He gulped. "It'll be better than the streets and behind dumpsters, right?"
Lijep smiled warmly. "Of course it will."
(End of Flashback)
Jaytalon stayed silent for several moment before speaking. "You were a slave? Where's Ruse's sister, Toffee? Nicky, Cas and Evie were homeless? Who even is Mist?"
Lijep cleared her throat. "Now, that is not my story to tell. If you want to know, you should ask them."
Nightpaw practically jumped out of her fur when she felt a paw tap her shoulder. She spun around, letting out a relieved sigh when she recognized the face of Evie.
"Have you seen Wile- wait," Evie stopped. "Are you spying?" Evie gave Nightpaw a sly smirk.
Nightpaw raised her paws defensively. "No! I'm not! I'm just…. gathering intel."
Evie scoffed, a teasing grin on her face. "You are totally a spy!"
"Shhh!" Nightpaw hushed, slapping a paw over Evie's mouth. "Okay, fine. I'm spying. But shut up or they'll hear you!"
Evie nodded, flicking her tail for Nightpaw to follow her. Nightpaw removed her paw from Evie's mouth, trailing after the dappled she cat.
"Have you seen Wile? Ruse has been looking everywhere for him, but he's nowhere to be found!" Evie exclaimed once they were out of earshot from Lijep and Jaytalon.
Nightpaw shook her head. "No, I didn't really even see him in the battle. Is Ruse sure… that Wile didn't die?"
Evie looked horrified at the suggestion of it. "No way! I've known Wile for half my life! He's just a helpless kit who can barely speak English!"
Nightpaw purred at the thought of Wile's cute accent. Sure, he could speak some English, but there were words he failed to know and replaced them with the Croatian words.
"Is it possible the Wrath Tribe kidnapped him?" Nightpaw asked, searching through the battle, trying to recall if she'd seen Wile.
"No, they mostly only kidnap she cats for forced mating," Evie said with a clear hatred towards their method of obtaining a mate.
"I can search for him from atop a tree," Nightpaw suggested. "It's what ThunderClan cats do after all."
"That would much appreciated!" Evie thanked her, sprinting off towards her brothers.
Nightpaw quickly scanned the trees around her, deciding on a gnarled willow tree a ways into the forest. She gripped the smooth trunk with her claws and hoisted herself up, spotting something light brownish nestled in a small nook in the tree branches up high. She figured it was a bird's nest.
Nightpaw steered clear of the bird's nest, standing on a low tree branch just directly below it. Nightpaw looked around the camp, trying to spot the familiar light brown tabby pelt of Wile.
A creaking sound faintly sounded from above Nightpaw, followed by a series of branches being snapped. Nightpaw looked up, letting out a scream as something fell onto her, knocking her out of the tree.
Nightpaw shrieked as the dead eyes of Wile bored into her, his deceased body lying cold on top of her. She flailed, panting in terror.
Reedpaw quickly raced to his sister's aid, picking up Wile off of Nightpaw. Reedpaw stared sorrowfully a the mangled body of his friend. There were chunks missing from his flank, neck and belly, as if a cat had used Wile as a meal.
Ruse let out a mournful wail, falling to the ground and shaking his son as if he was merely sleeping despite the obvious bite marks in his flesh that were clearly fatal. No one came to comfort Ruse, for he had no other relatives.
"NO!" Ruse sobbed, pressing his forehead to Wile's. "Not you, too! Not you and my sestra!"
"What's sestra?" Nightpaw whispered to Reedpaw.
"Sestra means sister," Reedpaw explained.
"Lukavstvo!" Ruse cried, spinning away in a flurry of distraught. "Karamela! Svi ste me ostavi na miru!"
Nightpaw looked at Reedpaw, her expression asking for a translation. Wile had taught Reedpaw some words in his native language.
"Well, in Croatian, Ruse and Wile share the same name, which is Lukavstvo. Karamela is Croatian for caramel or toffee, which I'm assuming is his sister's name," Reedpaw replied, a lifeless look in his blue-green eyes.
"And the other part he said?" Nightpaw inquired hesitantly, almost afraid to ask.
"He said: everyone has left me alone," Reedpaw choked out, lowering his head and shielding his eyes from Nightpaw. He was trying not to cry over his friend.
Lijep appeared from her den, gasping in horror as she saw her tribe gathered around the maimed body of Wile. She quickly looked around for Ruse, then saw his tail disappearing into his den. Lijep hurried after her friend.
"Ruse, what happened?" Lijep asked in a gentle voice, resting her tail on her back. He jumped around, his face wet with tears.
"Ne znam!" Ruse retorted back, digging his claws into the soil beneath his paws.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Lijep meowed, her tone still calm.
"Noćpaw otišao da ga pronađe i on je pao sa stabla! Neki žao izgovor za mačke od srdžbe plemena jeli sine moj! Moj Lukavstvo!" Ruse shrieked at her, pressing his damp nose to her face.
"Prvo, Karamela je bio otet od strane srdžbe plemena, a sada su ubili mog sina u najgore načine!" Ruse hissed, crumpling down onto the floor, shaking as he sobbed.
"Ruse, you're speaking to quickly for me to understand you," Lijep meowed, slightly puzzled.
Ruse darted up, pushing Lijep back with a shove by the paw. His amber eyes glowed with anguish.
"I said that Nightpaw went looking for him and he fell from that tree! Some sorry excuse for a cat from the Wrath Tribe ate my son! My Lukavstvo!" Ruse snarled, crying and yelling at his friend at the same time.
"First, Toffee is kidnapped by the Wrath Tribe and now they murder my son is the worst way!" Ruse howled, lashing his tail back and forth in fury.
"We'll save your sister, Ruse. I promised you," Lijep assured him, but her words seem to bounce off his ears.
"You won't! You saved that half of a cat, Owl, but not my sister! Who knows what Dragon is doing to her! You've seen how he used to look at her, like a piece of catnip!" Ruse snarled, his eyes red and puffy now.
"You may be jako lijepa on the outside, but your heart is pokvariti!" Ruse jeered, cuffing her ear. Lijep hissed at him, losing her patience.
"I did not chose who to save! My heart is not corrupt! Our patrol did not even see Toffee in their camp! She could have escaped by now!" Lijep retorted, narrowing her sea-green eyes.
"Ja sam sve sama sada!" Ruse wailed, turning away from Lijep and huddling into a ball in the corner of his den and cried.
"You're not all alone, Ruse," Lijep purred, "we're like brother and sister, remember?"
Ruse rubbed his face with paw, sniffling as he looked up at the older she cat with his bloodshot amber eyes. He let out a loud wail, burying his face into her puffy, lush chest. And sobbed.
"Hush, it's okay," Lijep cooed, rubbing her tail along his spine comfortingly.
Jaytalon awkwardly made his way into the den, looking heartbroken as he saw Lijep and Ruse together. He fidgeted awkwardly. "Ahem," he mumbled, clearing his throat. "Do you need to get a den?" He asked slightly sourly, looking down.
Ruse quickly groomed his face, trying to look presentable. "We're not a couple, Jaytalon." Ruse meowed, his ears low.
Jaytalon raised an eyebrow. "You really act like it. Is your love for me just an act, Lijep?" He growled, almost like he was interrogating them.
Lijep frantically shook her head. "No! I love you! Believe me, Ruse and I aren't a couple. It's impossible."
"How?" Jaytalon's voice sounded desperate. "He's a tom and you're a she cat! It's not impossible."
"It is, trust me," Ruse insisted softly, his legs shaking nervously as if he was reluctant to say something.
"How do I know you're not lying? You hiding your relationship because you're a medicine cat?" Jaytalon pressed, his voice laced with fretfulness.
"He had a son! Having kits and being a healer is not against our rules here," Lijep assured him.
"Yeah, speaking of Wile, who was his mother?" Jaytalon huffed, his ears flat against his head. "Is it you, Lijep?"
"No! Wile is not my son. He was like my nephew!" Lijep insisted. Ruse was staring at his paws stiffly.
"How can I trust you?" Jaytalon cried, his blue eyes round and damp. "I've already lost a mate before. How do I know Ruse won't steal you from me?!"
"Because…" Ruse trailed off, his eyes wide and nervous.
"Because what?" Jaytalon pushed, his voice exasperated.
Ruse pressed his forehead to Jaytalon's, his eyes blazing but his heart pounded in apprehension.
"Because I'm gay!"
A/N
Wow, that was action packed. Lemme assess things from in order.
Some of my original readers will be confused as to who Liontail is. Well, I edited the previous chapters and put him there since he was an idea I was going to edit in but I lost to documents. Don't hate me.
Pebbletail isn't a jerk, I swear! It was the heat of the moment, you know how it is. Please love the hurting fluffball.
When Heather/Hawkkit died, her spirit was snatched by the Dark Forest, given her power, and sent back within a matter of a minute. Her eyes are a symbol of being touched by death and sent back.
Lijep started the Tribe to combat Dragon with Toffee as her deputy and Ruse as her healer. Gradually, they gained followers because of the symbol Lijep was for the enslaved cats. If she could be free, then they could too.
Any questions, you can PM me! (If you review asking a question, you will have to wait until the next chapter)
AU story with Hollypool is available! Details will be told when you request it! In order to get it, you must have a title prepared. It is not first come serve. I will have to analyze your writing style if I don't know it.
Pronunciations:
Sestra: just like it looks
Lukavstvo: Loo-kaf-sto-vo
Karamela: just like it looks
Svi su me ostavi na miru: Svee sue meh ostavi nah miru
Ne znam: Neigh znam
Noćpaw otišao da ga pronađe i on je pao sa stabla! Neki žao izgovor za mačke od srdžbe plemena jeli sine moj! Moj Lukavstvo!: Knock paw Oteashao da ga pronade-je e on yay pao sa stabla! Necki zao izgovor za matchkay odd searchbae plemena yelli sin-ay moy. Moy Lookafstovo!
Prvo, Karamela je otet od strane srdžbe plemena, a sada su ubili mog sina u najgore načine: Purrvo, Karamella yay otet odd stran-ay searchbe plemena, a sada sue ubili mok sin-ay na-gore-i na-chi-na
Jako lijepa: yako lee-eppa
Pokvariti: poke-va-ree-tea
Ja sam sve sama sada: Ya sam svay sama sada!