Chapter 4: Come Together

Skirting pools of meltwater, Duskpaw couldn't help feeling that things were looking up, despite the corpse of the monster laying on the outskirts of the Clan camp.

Railweed would be able to hunt with his Clan again, soon, the monsters hadn't chased away as much prey as Lightfoot had feared, testified by the pile of fresh-kill (conspicuously devoid of squirrels) that Duskpaw had buried earlier that hunt, and the snow was finally beginning to melt, turning the forest floor muddy; a sure sign of approaching new-leaf.

Nearing the peeling birch tree, and one of the only dry spots of ground in the whole forest, under which his prey was buried, Duskpaw could scent the mouth-watering smell of fresh-kill.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

I shouldn't be able to smell anything! thought Duskpaw, I didn't kill that prey anywhere near here!

Duskpaw dropped into a crouch, his belly brushing the muddy leaf-litter, and silently stalked up to the top of a ridge, overlooking the birch and his buried prey.

Only, it wasn't buried anymore.

An unfamiliar small tom with matted-down, unkempt brown fur was hungrily tearing into Duskpaw's hard-earned catch, disregarding the mud covering the prey. Duskpaw let out a furious yowl, his heart pumping his veins full of rage, and flung himself down the slope towards the tom and the remains of his ill-begotten meal.

Clearly startled, the mangy tom whipped around and, taking one good look at eight pounds or so of claws and malice pounding towards him, gave his unfinished meal a last sad look and turned tail and sprinted away into the woods, Duskpaw close behind.

Enraged that this excuse for a cat could be such a coward as to steal prey and then not even face the cat who caught it, Duskpaw urged his paws to move faster, so that he could catch the small rogue and teach him never to steal prey from BrackenClan again.

Duskpaw didn't need that extra spurt of speed, though, because at that moment the fleeing tom attempted a sharp turn away from Duskpaw and slipped in the mud, falling into a sizable puddle, his limbs askew.

Yowling triumphantly, Duskpaw leapt onto the tom, slamming him down into the muck. The tom scrabbled in the mud for a pawhold, but was powerless under Duskpaw's weight. Groaning, the mud-covered cat plopped his head down into the mud, signifying defeat.

Stepping off of the motionless lump of fur and into the mud, Duskpaw unsheathed his claws and gripped the forepaws splayed in the mud, flipping the defeated tom over onto his belly.

Duskpaw looked at his adversary's face for the first time. He was shocked; the tom was young, younger than he, probably, and his eyes were filled with terror. Duskpaw could imagine the fear-scent that the young tom would be exuding if he wasn't covered in foul-smelling mud, and he couldn't help feeling a stab of pity for the unlucky tom. Duskpaw's rage evaporated.

Shaking his head to clear his doubts, Duskpaw turned back to the tom and glared.

"What are you doing in BrackenClan territory?" Duskpaw demanded.

The tom gulped. "BrackenClan? I-I didn't know this was your hunting grounds...", the tom trailed off, looking even more miserable than before. He continued under Duskpaw's questioning glare, "I was just passing through...really... I usually hunt around here...".

Duskpaw bristled. "Well, why were you stealing the prey I worked so hard to catch for my Clan? You ate food that would go to nursing queens and elders in a harsh leaf-bare!" That wasn't entirely true, thought Duskpaw, since the season was now more mild than harsh, and prey was beginning to run again, but the tom didn't know that.

"Who are you, anyways?", Duskpaw continued, snarling, his anger beginning to return that the tom wouldn't give a definitive answer. The tom, looking relieved at a question he could finally answer, replied, "I'm Thumper."

That's a weirder name than Needlefur, Duskpaw thought to himself.

Thumper continued. "What's your name, anyways?"

"Duskpaw."

"Huh," replied Thumper, "That's a weirder name than Gutter, my littermate." Duskpaw realized that this cat might not be so foreign, after all. "Well, if I had named you, Duskpaw, it would have been something with claws, rage, or malice in it, the way you charged at me earlier," joked Thumper.

Duskpaw suddenly felt a strong, warm affection towards Thumper, and he couldn't describe why.

"You'd better get up and come back to BrackenClan camp, Thumper, so we can decide what to do with you."

Thumper looked aghast.

"Just to introduce you," Duskpaw hastily amended, "And to see if we can't work out somewhere for you to hunt far away from Clan territory."

Thumper still seemed hesitant, so Duskpaw finally let him up and went so far as to give him a friendly lick on the shoulder. "Get up," Duskpaw repeated, "Going to meet the Clan will help you! We can work out a place for you to hunt, and no Clan cat will ever disturb you again, wherever that place is."

Thumper finally rose to his paws. "Well, it looks like I've got little choice." He shook out his coat, sending mud flying into thick in the air. The move was so Granitepaw-esque that Duskpaw had to laugh, but he stopped abruptly when he realized that his own pelt was now covered in flecks of mud. The move had been more like one of Granitepaw's own than Duskpaw had thought.

***

When Duskpaw and Thumper reached the edge of the sandy hollow, Duskpaw realized how undefended his camp really was. A malignant cat, or even a fox, could enter the axis of BrackenClan life unmolested. Isn't Duskpaw made up of the right stuff for deputy?

Thumper gave a gasp as he saw the interior of the sandy, muddy dish. "That's way more cats than I've ever seen together!" he exclaimed. "How do you all get along?"

Half-walking, half-sliding down into the camp along the muddy slope, Duskpaw remembered the incident with Rosepaw and a pawful of sorrel just a few days ago. He smirked. "It's funny you should mention that, really..."

Leaving Thumper with a questioning light in his eyes, Duskpaw yowled to the clan, announcing the arrival of Thumper. Every cat turned, staring at Thumper with a mix of curiosity and, Duskpaw could tell, restless, clenching paws; his Clan hadn't met any other cats since their arrival in the new forest, and Duskpaw guessed that some of the older cats were itching for a good tussle, like they used to have back ? Were there other Clans with BrackenClan back 'home'?

Brightstar padded over, his bright eyes; his namesake, probing Thumper.

Duskpaw bristled that Brightstar had completely ignored him, and spoke rather louder than he needed to when he addressed Brightstar.

"This is Thumper, a rogue who hunted in BrackenClan territory before we arrived here. I caught him eating prey I had buried in our territory, and I brought him back here, so that you could work out an agreement, Brightstar."

Duskpaw tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice while he spoke. Brightstar seemed distant to his Clan, lately, Duskpaw mused, perhaps that was why he felt Brightstar was giving him the cold shoulder.

Brightstar simply continued to stare penetratingly at Thumper, who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. After several moments, Brightstar appeared to make up his mind. He opened his mouth to speak, and Duskpaw saw Thumper tense.

"BrackenClan," Brightstar began, "I will decide what to do with Thumper tomorrow." Thumper let out a deep breath. Brightstar continued, " For tonight, he will sleep in the apprentices' den, while I mull this over."

Brightstar turned and padded towards his den, and slowly, muttering to themselves, the Clan cats dispersed, shooting glances at Thumper, and Duskpaw realized, himself. Duskpaw glowed inside; he sure would have a story to tell the other apprentices tonight!

***

After retelling his story more times than he could count, Duskpaw led Thumper into the apprentices' den. Overhead, the moon shone brightly, casting harsh shadows over the camp. Night had fallen long ago, and Duskpaw was eager to curl up for a long slumber.

Duskpaw motioned Thumper into the apprentice's den. Thumper cautiously stepped inside. It was darker inside the den, and Duskpaw was already feeling drowsy as he stepped into the den. Thus, he had no warning when he quite suddenly collided with Thumper.

"Hey! Try not to pretend that you're a rock less often, okay, Thumper?", Duskpaw hissed to him.

Thumper took no notice. He was gazing unashamedly at a far corner of the den. "Who's that?", he whispered breathlessly to Duskpaw.

Duskpaw followed his gaze, and couldn't help letting out a snicker of laughter. "You mean Rosepaw?"

"She's gorgeous!", replied Thumper, his voice soppier than the forest outside. Duskpaw snorted. "Well, you should see her when he's awake," meowed Duskpaw, thinking of her pompous manner and meticulous eating habits.

"I can't wait!", whispered back Thumper.

Duskpaw thought that Thumper was going to be in for a surprise when he woke up the next morning.

Yawning, Duskpaw curled up in his nest, shifting his weight from side to side. There was something in his nest poking him. Duskpaw got up, and pulled a cold, shiny rock-looking thing from underneath the moss lining his nest.

He grinned sleepily to himself. Granitepaw had 'visited' the dead Twolegs monster, and he had taken something to remember it by, too.

***

Duskpaw really had slept well, and was woken only by sunlight lazily slanting onto him. Stretching out his forelimbs, Duskpaw looked around and saw the apprentices den empty.

Mouse dung! he thought, I can't afford to sleep late! Granitepaw and Foxpaw him already gotten him into enough trouble as it was, and Duskpaw didn't want to give Brightstar yet another reason to delay his warrior ceremony for.

Padding out of the den and squinting against the bright light, Duskpaw blinked. He couldn't possibly be seeing what had thought the was seeing.

Thumper was lying down next to Rosepaw, sharing tongues with her.

As Duskpaw watched, Thumper murmured something into her ear, and she laughed enthusiastically.

Granitepaw walked up to Duskpaw and meowed, "Isn't it just repulsive? I thought he was a real cat, before this." Duskpaw could only nod his head in dumb astonishment.

"It makes Rosepaw seem almost...nah. Anyways, Brightstar will be calling a Clan meeting before too long. Let's grab something from the fresh-kill pile." Granitepaw padded away, and Duskpaw tore his gaze away from the two cats before following Granitepaw to the fresh-kill pile.

Before Duskpaw could take a bite of the plump mouse he had chosen, though, Goldentail, Granitepaw's mother, came angrily over to where Granitepaw was gorging himself an enormous squirrel.

Oblivious, Granitepaw continued ripping out the innards of his meal with gusto, until Goldentail dropped a shiny, heavy rock onto the squirrel. Granitepaw finally looked up, incensed, but his eyes widened with surprise when he saw what his mother had been carrying.

"Lilypaw found this when she was cleaning out your nest, Granitepaw. You're coming straight to Brightstar. No doubt he's tired of looking at your face, lately."

Her eyes burning, Goldentail beckoned Granitepaw to follow, and he gave a pleading look towards Duskpaw, but Duskpaw just shrugged.

It's his own fault, thought Duskpaw, and then, poor Lilypaw. She's always been so nice, and now Granitepaw will hate her.

Duskpaw watched Goldentail and Granitepaw approach Brightstar, but he looked distracted and waved them down, instead leaping up to the Highledge, jutting out from the side of the sloping hollow. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here, beneath the Highledge!", Brightstar yowled out.

Thumper looked up, alarmed, from where he was laying next to Rosepaw, but she meowed something to him and he calmed down and walked over to where Duskpaw was standing, Rosepaw close behind.

"You were so right about Rosepaw," Thumper whispered to Duskpaw, "She's the greatest cat I've ever met."

Duskpaw snorted. He couldn't bring himself to look Thumper in the eye just now.

Brightstar began speaking as the Clan consolidated beneath the Highledge. "Cats of BrackenClan," he started, "Thumper is a rogue who had hunted in this forest before we arrived. To be fairest, I have decided to give him, and any other rogue who might have hunted here before us, a piece of our territory."

Cats around Duskpaw began yowling in protest.

"You can't give away Clan territory!" objected Lightfoot, his hackles raising. BrackenClan cats were shooting hostile looks at Thumper, who was shifting from paw to paw uneasily. Duskpaw wasn't sure what he felt, but he could see that Rosepaw had made up her mind. She was hissing, her fur fluffed out, at any cat that so much as turned an angry whisker Thumper's way.

Brightstar continued, "I have decided to give to Thumper the abandoned Twolegs nest in the field, at the edge of our territory."

The cats were shocked into silence. Every cat knew that the nest was infested with rats, as Railweed could testify to. Had Brightstar forgotten that crucial detail?

The truth struck Duskpaw like a lightning bolt. Brightstar was trying to get rid of Thumper!

Turning to him, Duskpaw opened his maw, but was interrupted by Thumper, who spoke to him. "Is that nest full of prey? I'll bet it is!"

"You're right," Duskpaw meowed grimly, "but that's not all there is in it. Railweed-" Duskpaw was cut off short by Brightstar.

"Rainwhisker, Wreneye, you two will escort Thumper to his territory. Make sure to set scent markers along the field, so that we don't have any more incidents like this." With that, Brightstar leapt off the Highledge and padded towards his den.

"Well, bye, Duskpaw, bye, Rosepaw. Maybe I'll see you two another time?" Thumper suggested timidly as Rainwhisker and Wreneye, both looking very imposing, came up and flanked him. The trio began walking out of the camp.

Duskpaw turned to Rosepaw, a plea to help Thumper on his lips, but Rosepaw simply turned away and stalked over to the other side of the clearing.

Just when Duskpaw thought she was having a breakthrough.

A wave of anxiety rose over Duskpaw. He had to warn Thumper about the rats in the nest, but Rosepaw wasn't going to be any help, and Granitepaw was obviously up to his nose in fox dung again for taking away parts of the monster's carcass.

Duskpaw glanced across the clearing worriedly, and spotted Railweed making his way out of the medicine cat's den for the first time since his injury. Duskpaw rushed over to him.

"Railweed!" he exclaimed, "Brightstar just sent Thumper, the rogue, into the old Twoleg nest! You've got to help me warn him before the rats eat him alive!"

Railweed looked horrified. "Great StarClan, has Brightstar lost his mind?" Upon seeing Duskpaw's anxious glance, he added, "Of course I'll go with you. But let's wait till dark, when no cat will notice us missing. Maybe the rats will be asleep, too." Railweed shivered.

Duskpaw felt relieved, in spite of Railweed's fears. Thumper, I'm coming!

Damn that's long. No wonder it took me forever to write this, eh? Well, you can probably guess what happens next chapter.

But what's up with Brightstar? He's not acting his usual, wise self. And Rosepaw and Thumper? You'll all just have to wait until next week, won't you? =]

I 3 my reviewers! You guys really inspire me to write more!! *hint hint* ; )