Wooo another quick Pearly update!

Recap: Willowfall goes to the Gathering with ShadowClan. WindClan is there already, but there aren't many with them and they all look scared and weak. Forestiwind, WindClan's medicine cat, tells Willowfall that RiverClan captured their medicine cat apprentice and that WindClan has to do what they say or they'll kill him. RiverClan arrives next, and then ThunderClan. Blossomstar announces that WindClan is joining RiverClan, and asks if anyone from ThunderClan would like to join as well. A few do, including Russetpaw and her brother, Flamepaw. Onespot cries out that StarClan is furious, but Blossomstar says that it's too late, that Leafbare is about survival, and that anyone who doesn't join RiverClan will be dead by the end of the season.

YEeeeeeeeeee

Chapter 17

Snowfall

[Russetpaw]

She shivered as she stayed low to the ground, almost completely silent as she walked through the snow, ears flattened. Her heart beat loudly against her chest, and she tried to ignore the anxiety that threatened to completely take hold of her. She'd done this before. She wouldn't be caught.

...She wouldn't be caught? How could she say that when she barely knew the territory?

It had been three days since the Gathering, and three days since she had joined RiverClan with her brother, Flamepaw. Three days since her life had suddenly changed forever.

She missed ThunderClan. She missed the oaks and maples and waiting on that dirt path for Ratpaw. But she couldn't leave Flamepaw. He was the only family she had left.

She shut her eyes for a moment, trying not to think about her parents.

It was the middle of the night; the waning moon hung high in the sky, sending a silver reflection over the quiet lake. It wasn't snowing, but dark clouds were slowly rolling in; it wouldn't be long.

She opened her eyes, a frown on her face. She was nearing the ShadowClan forest; trees loomed ahead, dark shapes silhouetted against the sky. She looked down, hoping her pawprints would soon be covered up.

When she reached the border, she uncomfortably sat down, waiting. When she had lived in the forest, it had been easier for her to hide whenever she came to meet Ratpaw. But now, she couldn't remain in her own territory without being out in the open.

Her own territory... She frowned. It was hardly her own at all. It was so different and intimidating and for the past few days she'd always wake up in the morning expecting to be in ThunderClan's camp with the other apprentices beside her.

She looked at her paws; all the apprentices had joined RiverClan except for one.

Grasspaw.

Russetpaw had never had many friends besides her brother, but Grasspaw was an exception. They'd been inseparable as kits, and even though they'd grown apart a bit over the past couple of moons, she'd still always think of him as a good friend. Being the only she-cat apprentice, she'd often feel left out, but Grasspaw would always make her feel better. There'd been a time when she even thought she'd fallen in love with him. Russetpaw blinked softly, lost in thoughts. What had happened? She couldn't quite remember. She'd always been too shy to admit her feelings to anyone, and Grasspaw had always been so dense that he probably hadn't had the slightest idea.

And one day, he'd told her that he had feelings for a young she-cat who'd somewhat recently become a warrior- Vixenfur. Russetpaw had, of course, felt heart-broken, but she'd smiled and encouraged him nonetheless. Vixenfur was one of the ones who hadn't left ThunderClan to join RiverClan.

...Was that why Grasspaw had stayed?

She shook her head. Whatever feelings she'd had for him were gone. Now she had Ratpaw- and Ratpaw had her. At least, she hoped they had each other. They had to.

...Right?

Her ears pricked when she heard the soft sound of pawsteps; she tensed, but relaxed when she scented Ratpaw. A small smile came to her face as he appeared from the trees, amber eyes glowing happily.

"Ratpaw, you're here," she breathed, getting to her paws.

"Of course," he purred, stepping forward to press his muzzle to hers. Russetpaw flattened her ears in a bit of embarrassment, but she smiled regardless.

"Thank you for meeting me," she murmured, stepping back. She lowered her gaze to the ground. "I was looking forward to seeing you..."

"I know a lot has happened," Ratpaw said quietly, sitting down. "What's going on with RiverClan...?"

Russetpaw looked away, not sure if she should tell him the truth. What it was really like.

"Are you okay?" he mewed anxiously, frowning. "Are they treating-"

"They're treating me fine," she quickly lied, glancing up at him after a moment with a crooked smile. "I'm fine..."

Ratpaw nodded, swallowing. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but after a second of hesitation, he asked, "Is... Is Blossomstar planning on attacking ShadowClan...?"

Russetpaw looked at him, and a small corner of her mind wondered if he only wanted to see her to gain information. But she quickly pushed that silly thought aside.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Blossomstar usually keeps to herself..."

Ratpaw looked at her, his expression a bit hard to read before he nodded.

"That's alright," he mewed quietly. "I was just wondering."

There was a bit of an awkward silence between them, and Russetpaw wondered why that was.

"Are... Are things going alright with you and ShadowClan?" she mewed.

He tilted his head, as if contemplating the answer.

"We're running out of food," he murmured. "It's getting serious." He hesitated and let out a long sigh before looking at her with something like regret in his eyes. "There's something I have to tell you," he murmured. Russetpaw stiffened, feeling anxious, but she simply nodded.

"What is it...?"

"Minnowstar was planning on attacking ThunderClan," he said quietly. "...Before the Gathering. Before you joined RiverClan. And the last time we met, I... I didn't tell you. I could have, but..." He shook his head, looking desperate and confused. "I didn't want to put you in danger," he tried to explain. "But for some reason the words couldn't come out... Russetpaw, I care about you so much, but I care about my Clan, too, and if you..." He broke off and looked up at her.

"You mean you thought I'd tell my Clan," she said quietly. "And you didn't want me to, so you kept it from me." She paused, biting her lip. "But you're still planning on attacking...?"

"I know I don't have to worry anymore," he said quietly, a small smile appearing on his face. "Now that you're a part of RiverClan, I won't have to worry about facing you in battle."

Russetpaw flinched a bit, for a few reasons. Even though Blossomstar hadn't announced any official plans yet, she knew that at some point, she would attempt to take over ShadowClan. She wanted to rule over every cat she could.

But that wasn't all. "Ratpaw, if ShadowClan attacks ThunderClan, then they'll all die," she breathed. "ThunderClan is tiny now. If you attack..." She shook her head softly, staring at him.

Ratpaw looked surprised.

"We're running out of food," he said, as if confused. "Russetpaw, if we don't make a move, our whole Clan will die out."

"But I still care about them!" Russetpaw breathed. "They wouldn't stand a chance against ShadowClan! Minnowstar would end up wiping out the entire Clan!"

Ratpaw stared at her, nonplussed for a moment before he said, his voice rising, "Well, what do you want me to do, Russetpaw? Let my Clan die because you still care about the ones you left behind?"

The she-cat flattened her ears, looking away.

"You don't understand," she muttered. "I had no choice to leave. But I would still die for those cats-"

"If you would die for them, then you should have stayed with them," Ratpaw shot back, his voice near a growl.

Russetpaw narrowed her eyes slightly. "I couldn't leave my brother."

"Well, he looked pretty ready to leave you at the Gathering."

Russetpaw stared at him in horror, eyes wide. Ratpaw met her gaze, letting out a quick sigh.

"Russetpaw, I'm sorry-"

"No," she said, taking a step back. "You don't know what it's like. Flamepaw is the only family I have left. My parents..." She swallowed, shaking her head as she looked at the ground. She let out a deep breath before lifting her head, their eyes locking. "My parents died when we were just a few weeks old. They both starved." She bit her lip, ears flattened as she looked away.

Ratpaw stared at her, a frown on his face. He let out another sigh.

"I'm sorry, Russetpaw..."

"No, don't," she muttered. "It was a long time ago. I barely remember them." She glanced up at him. "And... I'm sorry for yelling at you about attacking ThunderClan. It's just... my best friend still lives there, and..."

"Your best friend?" he echoed, tail twitching in curiosity. "She didn't join RiverClan?"

"It's 'he,'" Russetpaw muttered. "Grasspaw." Ratpaw looked curious, but for some reason, Russetpaw had no desire to talk about Grasspaw with him. "It doesn't matter," she murmured. "It's like what Blossomstar said; survival. Leafbare is about survival."

Ratpaw let out another long sigh, looking up at the cloudy sky. He didn't talk for a few moments. Russetpaw didn't either.

"Just be careful," he said softly, looking at her with concern.

She nodded stiffly, a bit lost in thoughts. "You too."

He nodded, frowning. But he stepped forward and tenderly licked Russetpaw's ear. "You should go," he said. "I don't want you to get in trouble..."

"I'll be fine," Russetpaw cut in, voice hard. But she smiled slightly and looked up at him. "...Thanks."

The tom nodded, looking a bit concerned, but he didn't question her. "I'll see you soon," he said, smiling a bit before he turned and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

Russetpaw sat there for a few minutes, ears flattened as she thought about and tried to process everything that had been said. She sighed, and when she finally got up, she realized it had begun to snow.

Shaking her pelt, she swallowed and let out a shiver as she slowly began to walk back through her territory, ears flattened as she stared at the ground.

She lifted her head, looking out at the lake as she walked alongside the shore. She paused for a moment; the water really was beautiful. She didn't usually get such a clear view, but she could almost see the appeal of living in RiverClan, if only for that.

She wondered how the other ThunderClanners were doing, and what kind of view they had right now. She wondered if they were alright. She wondered if Grasspaw was alright.

She sighed, clenching her eyes shut before opening them again and continuing on through the snow. It fell softly and soundlessly, yet it was growing harder and colder each second that passed. At least it'd cover up her pawprints.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks, one paw still hanging in the air, her heart nearly stopping. Several foxlengths ahead of her, in the blurry, snowy haze, she could faintly see the outline of a cat, standing tall and still, looking directly at her.

She let out a shaky breath, slowly lowering herself to the ground and praying that she was either seeing things or that this cat would go away.

It didn't.

She watched as slowly, but surely, the shape came forward, the quickening snowfall making it hard to see. She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out who it was as she meanwhile tried to keep herself and her breathing under control.

Then, she saw two glowing eyes- one blue and one amber.

Russetpaw kept still, unable to move. It was Blossomstar.

"I see you there, you know," the older cat purred, coming closer, now close enough for Russetpaw to see the odd smile on her face. She stopped when they were finally just a couple of foxlengths apart.

Russetpaw slowly straightened up, a frown on her face as she looked steadily at her new leader and trying not to show her fear.

"Tanpaw told me you were gone," she purred, sitting down and wrapping her tail around her legs. "I'm glad I found you. Would you like to tell me why you were out here by yourself...?" She was grinning widely, cocking her head to the side as she eyed the apprentice in a way that made Russetpaw shiver.

"I-I was just taking a walk," she said, praying she'd believe her.

"Really?" purred Blossomstar, licking a paw and drawing it over her ear. "And were you not listening when I told the Clan that apprentices are not to leave camp by themselves...?" She glanced at her, mismatching eyes flashing. "Especially apprentices who just joined us...?"

"I'm sorry," Russetpaw murmured, looking at her paws.

Blossomstar's smile suddenly disappeared, her eyes darkening as she got to her paws.

"Sorry isn't good enough," she hissed, lips now drawn back, eyes narrowed to slits as she took a step forward. Russetpaw stumbled backwards, eyes wide. "You've been here what, three days, and already you go against my orders? That's how you repay my kindness to you...?"

"I'm sorry, Blossomstar," breathed Russetpaw. "It was wrong. I shouldn't have gone. I... I didn't know what I was thinking."

Blossomstar softened, fur flattening, a small smile slowly creeping onto her face as she gazed at the apprentice.

"Me neither," she whispered.

A moment of silence passed before Blossomstar suddenly came forward, lifting a paw and striking it across Russetpaw's face.

The impact of the blow knocked her to the ground; the apprentice yelped in pain as she felt warm blood oozing from her cheek, dripping down her fur and staining the white snow.

But before she had time to get up, Blossomstar had pinned her down, one paw at her shoulder, claws digging into her skin, and the other at her throat. Russetpaw gasped, her vision blurred; she didn't know what to do. She could only feel pain.

"This is what you get," Blossomstar whispered into her ear, causing another shiver to travel down Russetpaw's spine. "You're just a little ThunderClan apprentice who doesn't even know how to follow orders." She suddenly raised her paw, lashing it across Russetpaw's face again, this time across her forehead. The apprentice gasped in pain, clenching her eyes shut as she felt blood drip down her face.

Desperately, she tried kicking out her back legs, but Blossomstar was bigger and stronger and she kept her held down to the hard ground.

Coming even closer to the apprentice's ear, the leader bent down and whispered, "You, Russetpaw...? You're nothing. You were nothing before, and being in RiverClan won't change it. I don't pity your parents one bit for starving to death and leaving you alone. If anything, it should've been you, not them. At least they could follow their orders." Without giving the apprentice any time to speak, Blossomstar lifted her paw again, this time bringing her claws down Russetpaw's side, leaving a long gash that fresh blood welled from.

Russetpaw yowled out, thrashing about as she tried to escape. Blossomstar was smiling softly, eyes glowing as she watched. She struck again at the apprentice's shoulder before she brought her face so close to Russetpaw's that they were almost touching.

"This is your first warning, do you understand me, Russetpaw?" she cooed softly, smiling as her mismatching gleamed in the moonlight, which had, by now, almost completely been covered up by clouds.

Russetpaw lay in the snow, eyes clenched shut, pain coursing through her body as she struggled to breathe. She opened her eyes, swallowing as she stared right at her leader, trying her hardest not to look away.

Blossomstar smiled and finally got up, taking a few steps back. She turned, as if to leave, but she paused and glanced over her shoulder.

"Oh, and Russetpaw?" she mewed. "In the future, I'd take better care to get rid of the ShadowClan scent on you."

The apprentice closed her eyes again at this, listening as Blossomstar began to pad away, disappearing into the snowy darkness.

Russetpaw clenched her jaws together, trying to move, but when she did, pain shot through her entire body. She let out a gasp of air and lay her head back down, eyes wide as she panted.

She shut her eyes again and tried desperately to think about something else. An image of Grasspaw kept entering her mind, and she wondered what he'd do if he were there.

...She wondered what Ratpaw would do if he were there.

She lay there or a long time, eyes half-closed, the image of the lake ahead of her growing hazy. Everything around her seemed to have been completely silenced.

Eventually, she finally staggered to her paws, hissing at the pain but managing to stay on her feet. She slowly made her way back towards RiverClan's camp, leaving a trail of blood behind her. The snow kept falling.

So, yeah. Surprise, Russetpaw has a POV.

Can't say I really like her all that much, heh. Well, think of her as you will! I'm not sure if her POV will be as regular as the other characters yet; we shall see.

Review and get... Uh. An Oakkit plushie just because. And some of my delicious rice pudding!

Love y'all.

TNT,

Pearlywhirl