It had been a few days more since the incident at the river. Mousefur had finally left the little den and hunted in the surrounding forest, though she seemed rusty, like she simply didn't care about hunting, or anything for that matter. Normally I'd come back along the riverside to see her laying near the edge, watching Thunderclan off in the distance. She seemed so distraught that she simply stopped cleaning her fur which now was ruffled and dirty, compared to how it had been before, smooth and glossy.
Whenever I try to talk to her she simply stares off into space, like I'm not even there. But on the rare occasion she does look at me it's almost too painful for me to bare; her eyes seem to have lost their happy light and instead were filled with a pain I still can't comprehend. I'm not sure what to do, I've never had to deal with a situation like this before..
In the cold early morning light, I soared across the surface of the river, my eyes bright as I glanced above to the massive cloud bank that had moved in practically overnight. I stopped moving my wings, slowly gliding down until I touched down onto the small pebbles of the riverbank and closed my wings. Quickly padding on towards the Stepping Stones, after a few minutes finally saw the small grey shapes barely managing to break the surface, but at the same time I noticed a lightish grey shape pull itself up from the cold river waters, its tabby fur dripping as it slowly padded away from the bank until it caught sight of me.
Quick as a flash the tabby broke into a sprint as I turned to retreat, only to be slammed by a ball of wet fur. The tabby pounced, its blue eyes shining in victory before widening slightly and stepping off of me. "O-oh, Oak. Sorry about that I.." The tabby started, her blue eyes drifting away from me. 'Hang on, it cant be.' I thought as I looked the tabby over. "Silverpaw?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
Slowly she shook her head, her eyes bright. "Heh, not anymore. I was made a warrior a night after I helped you." She said with a smile before she tilted her head slightly. "Uh, what are you doing in Riverclan, aren't you supposed to be in Thunderclan helping them?" She asked calmly. I slowly shook my head. "We didn't really have a choice in staying, Tigerclaw chased us across the border." I growled slightly over his name while Silverpaw narrowed her eyes and glanced over her shoulder.
"Uh, what do you mean by 'We' Oak?" She asked while I mentally smacked myself. "Right, sorry. Its only me and Mousefur.." I started, stopping for a moment before continuing. "A eh.. Thunderclan warrior." I finished, as she narrowed her eyes. "So let me get this straight, you brought a warrior from another clan into Riverclan territory, and you've been here this whole time?" She finished as I slowly nodded my head.
"You'd better have a good reason for it." She said with a frown. I lowered my gaze and shuddered slightly as the thought of Tigerclaw flashed through my head. 'A better reason then anyone needs.' I thought before looking up at her again. "Its, hard to explain." I started as she sat on the bank and wrapped her tail around her paws. "I've got time." She said, a flicker of distrust in her eye.
I cast a glance to the far bank for a moment before shaking my head. "Silverpaw, d-" I began. "My names not Silverpaw, its Silverstream." She hissed quietly. "Right, sorry. Silverstream, you know how Oakeart died, right?" I asked as she tilted her head in confusion. "Y-yes, he died from a rockfall, why?" She said as I lowered my head. "Because one of the cats in Thunderclan, Tigerclaw, tried to pin the death of their deputy on me. He tried to kill me, just like Redtail." I lowered my voice to a near whisper for the last words, but it was obvious Silverstream had heard.
"Tigerclaw tried to kill you, but why?" She asked, the distrust vanishing from her gaze. "Because I know to much, and now Mousefur does too." I muttered, lowering my head. 'Damn you Tigerclaw' I thought as Silverstream rose to her paws and padded to my side, laying her tail lightly no my shoulder. "Oak, its not your fault." She muttered as I raised my head to look at her.
"It really doesn't feel like it." I muttered sadly before looking up at her, her bright blue eyes shone with concern. "Oak I'm sur-" She started before cutting herself off and glancing up the riverbank to a line of tall reeds as a dark figure pushed its way through into the open, and slowly approached us, flicking its thick brown tail slightly as its twisted jaw morphed into a deep toned snarl.
As it drew closer the large tom stopped snarling and glared at me for a moment before looking at Silverstream. "What is this rogue doing here Silverstream, why haven't you run him off yet?" He hissed before I stepped forward and dipped my head respectively before looking up at the toms bright green eyes as they shown with uncertainty. "I apologize for my intrusion, I meant no disrespect in coming here. But.." I started before the tom signaled with his tail, and I immediately held my tongue as his eyes looked me over.
For a moment he stopped and glanced back at Silverstream before looking back at me. "Rogue, explain." He said in a loud, athoritive tone that sent a shiver down my spine. 'He must be Riverclans leader.' I thought before glancing over at Silverstream. She glanced back for a moment before averting her eyes as I looked back at the large toned took a breath. "We were betrayed, we didn-" I began before the toms voice sounded again. "We, you mean theres more of you around here?" He asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as I lowered my head and bit my tongue.
"Answer me rogue, are there more of you!" He hissed as I shrunk back slightly. "Y-yes, its only me and Mousef-" I managed before stopping myself from finishing Mousefurs name. The tom seemed to notice my trip up as he took a step forward. "Mouse-what?" He asked, his eyes searching mine. "Mousefur." I finished before averting my gaze. 'I'm dead, i'm so dead.' I thought as I waited.
"Now tell me this rogue, what is your name?" He asked as I looked up in confusion. "M-my name?" I asked as he gave a brief nod. "Oak, my name is Oak." I said as the toms gaze lightened. "So your the cat who fought Loudbelly, your lucky he didn't find you first. Now, why are you on Riverclans territory?" He asked before slowly sitting himself next to Silverstream. "I-its.. Its very hard to explain. But please, I mean no ill to your clan, I simply have no-where else to go." I muttered the last bit as the tom gazed at me.
"Well, tell me what forced you here." He said, slightly impatient as I nodded. "You know of what happened at the battle of Sunning Rocks, correct?" I asked as he nodded. "Well, after the battle, one of Thunderclans warriors, Tigerclaw" I spat slightly at the tabby's name, much to the surprise of the tom. "He, He jumped on Redtail and broke his neck." I muttered before lowering my head and continuing. "Then he tried to end me, he almost drowned me when, eh." I paused to glance over at Silverstream, who was hiding her shock.
"She pulled me out of the river and helped me to the camp, but.." I stopped as the memories of Tigerclaw jumping on me, my banishment and the look in Bluestars eyes. Slowly I shook my head and raised my gaze to meet the tom. "Tigerclaw made lies to make me seem like the killer, he is.. A monster." I finished before glancing back across the river at Thunderclan as the tom slowly rose from his spot and padded to my side, watching the forest as well. "I see, but what does it matter to you. Your a rogue." He spoke as I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"I may be a rogue, but even a rogue can want to help. I simply wish to help Thunderclan stay at peace, but if Tigerclaw achieves his ambition." I stopped as an image of Bluestars noble form lying in a pool of her own blood as Tigerclaw leads the clan to destruction. Slowly I shook my head to clear the image and lowered my head. "If he gets what he wants, many cats will die from unnecessary violence." I muttered before rising to my paws and padding a few feet from the two Riverclan warriors and glancing back.
The tom's eyes no longer held a look of hostility, but were now more of a.. Curiosity, while Silverstream dipped her head slightly. "I'm going to return to my friend, even though we're in Riverclan. I cant trust that we're safe." I said before dipping my head in respect to the tom, who coolly replied. "And I'll overlook this small trespass, this time. Farewell Oak" before I unfurled my wings, earing a small gasp of shock from the tom before I lifted myself into the sky in the direction of the den.
But as I flew I noticed movement from the Thunderclan side of the river, a pelt moving among the rocks near the cliff and a flash of tortoiseshell was enough for me to slowly make my decent before silently landing, skidding slightly on the small pebbles by the rocks before noticing a form digging through the roots of a tree, dirt flying wildly from her paws as she carefully uncovered the root and removed it before noticing my approach.
The moment her eyes fell on me she seemed on edge and slowly backed away from me as I tilted my head in confusion. "Spottedleaf, is something wrong?" I asked glancing over my shoulder to see if it might be something behind me, only to feel a chill at the sight of nothing. 'Whatever's bothering her has to do with me, great.' I thought as she stopped backing away and watched me with wary eyes.
"Why did you kill her Oak?" She hissed as I took a step back in shock and confusion. "What are you talking about, I haven't killed anyone." I said, unsure who she thought I killed. "Mousefur you fox-hearted murderer, she saved your sorry life and you took hers!" She yowled, a growl forming in her throat while I simply stared at her, eyes wide and my mouth ajar but no words forming. 'Sh-she thinks I killed Mousefur?!, but ho- Tigerclaw.' I shook my head and locked eyes with her, the anger and betrayal burning deep in her amber gaze.
"Who told you she's dead." I asked with a slight choking sound in my voice. "Tigerclaw, he told us that you'd fled with her chasing you into Riverclan then you killed her and left her in a bush!" She growled as she lowered her head. I lowered my head slightly and winced at the thought of Mousefur's death, but even I cant think of myself Killing her. "Spottedleaf, Mousefu-" I began only to have her hiss cut me off. "Don't lie to me Oak, why did you kill her?" She asked, her claws digging into the earth around her paws.
"Spottedleaf, she's not dead!" I yowled to which she simply froze while I tried to compose myself again. "W-what, she cant be alive, Tigercl-" She started before I hissed. "Tigerclaw is a liar, he's the one who tried to kill Mousefur, not me." She shrunk back slightly as confusion swam in her eyes, until a deep voice echoed from around the tree. "He's right." I crouched down slightly and dug my claws into the ground as the newcomer rounded the tree.
His orange pelt shown in the moonlight as he came into view, he looked strong yet none of his muscles were tensed up. but the most noticeable thing were his eyes, which shown with a golden fire. 'It cant be, I swear to who-ever if its him.' I thought as Spottedleaf relaxed slightly. "Flametalon, I was afraid you weren't going to make it." She muttered before moving behind him, casting a wary glance at me.
'Flametalon, it has to be him.' I though before smiling slightly. "So Flametalon, do you happen to know someone named Hunter?" I asked as a glint of surprise sparked in his golden gaze. "So it is you." He said as he padded forward with a small smile. "Yeah, we really have a lot to catch up on." I asked as he tilted his head, to which I pointed to Spottedleaf with my tail. "Right, maybe we should talk about that later." He said with a small grin. "Fine, but only because your my little brother." I said with a grin before Spottedleaf gasped in disbelief. "Your his brother?" To which he nodded.
"Yeah, it just took awhile for us to find each other again." He finished before padding back to her and give her ear a quick lick. "You should get back to camp, me and Oak need to talk, alright?" He asked as she nodded and quickly sped off into the tree's, leaving the root behind. Slowly Flametalon turned back to me and grinned again as I shook my head in disbelief. "Where were you this whole time Jon, and what was that all about?" I asked as he padded to the Cliffside and laid down on the flat rock, beckoning me to do the same.
Slowly I padded over and laid next to him as he stared off across the river. "You know what happened at Sunning Rocks, and as for that little 'performance' you saw, well.." He petered off while I put two and two together. 'He didn't, did he?' I thought in confusion before looking back at him. "What did you do?" I asked, to which he smiled and slowly began explaining what had happened after he'd 'arrived'.
(Sorry this took so long, had a lot of things going in real life here. But yeah, bet you cant guess who the Riverclan tom is, or well.. Its probably not that hard to figure out who he is actually.)
