AtlierSky- Honestly, I hate when they do riddles too, so I made their ancestors more caring and helpful. Turtle Tail and the other deceased SkyClan cats are roaming spirits, she just brought Pebble Heart to a random dreamland. They don't have a connection to StarClan until all five medicine cats (DoTC ones) come together to get StarClan to recognize them and then the spirits can get into StarClan.
And yes, Pebble Heart and Tall Shadow are looking to stay in ShC and make them better. One Eye and Fury won't be that easy to get rid of.
As for Fire Heart, he doesn't have superpowers, he's just one of those cats (people) who were really traumatized from losing their loved ones and sees their ghosts, imagining them being there and what they would say. So Hawk Swoop and Jackdaw's Cry are all in his head. Only he can see them.
Thanks for the review, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!
Dappled Pelt led the way away from the river and back towards the Windmill Twoleg Nest. It was the only strip of territory they could use to get to the river and back without crossing ThunderClan territory.
Behind her, Birch and Alder swatted their wet moss at each other, squealing. They were soon-to-be apprenticed, probably tomorrow. Petal brought up the rear to keep a lookout just in case.
"Dappled Pelt! Petal!"
The voice made the tortoiseshell stop dead in her tracks. She gasped when she turned toward the river.
On the other side, Shattered Ice stood, tail waving in the air, his signature half smile pasted on his face. He dived from the shore and into the water.
"Wow, he truly is RiverClan," Petal meowed, smiling.
"Shattered Ice! We haven't seen you in moons!" Dappled Pelt exclaimed, touching noses with her gray-and-white friend as he climbed out of the river. Petal stepped forward to greet him as well, while the kits stayed back, staring with huge eyes.
"I've been busy." Shattered Ice grinned. "How is everything? How is everyone? Yellowfang's still grumpy, I'd guess? And Cloud Spots? What about Skystar and Gray Wing?"
"Yellowfang and Cloud Spots are fine," Petal began. "Skystar and Gray Wing, too. Thunder and Ivy Breeze are warriors. And Lightning Tail and Ash Blaze just today. They'll sit vigil soon. Birch and Alder are gonna be apprenticed soon too."
Shattered Ice nodded at the kits, who padded up to him, sniffing at his paws. "Shattered Ice?" Alder recognized him first.
"We haven't seen you for so long!" Birch meowed. "You won't believe who lives with us now! Two cats with a missing eyeball! They're named One Eye and Fury!"
"That's…interesting. Skystar is really taking in anyone now, huh?" Shattered Ice muttered, twitching his one gray ear.
"There are other new cats," Dappled Pelt added. "Holly, Mouse Ear and Mud Paws."
"Yeah, Jagged Peak is getting a little cozy with Holly," Petal added slyly.
Shattered Ice snorted. "He went from being a daring, adventurous kit to mooning over a she-cat, huh?"
"Yeah, and what about you?" Dappled Pelt asked.
"Huh?"
"Are you crushing on a cat?"
Shattered Ice gagged and the kits giggled. Dappled Pelt rolled her eyes. "Alright, well, we should get back. We were just getting water for Wind Runner and the kits."
"Tell Gorse Fur I said 'hi,'" Shattered Ice called as they left. Dappled Pelt flicked her tail to let him know she'd acknowledged his words.
"Bye Shattered Ice!" Alder yowled.
When they got back to camp they passed Ash Blaze and Lightning Tail settling outside the entrance for their vigil soon.
"Have fun," Petal meowed to the two new warriors as they passed.
After Dappled Pelt dropped her moss off to Wind Runner, she padded into her den. Cloud Spots was asleep, but to her surprise, Acorn Fur calmly sat in the clearing, tail curled around her paws.
"Acorn Fur?"
The apprentice took a deep breath and meowed: "I think I wanna train as a medicine cat."
Graystripe settled down to eat once he'd returned from hunting. It was a gorgeous day, and cooler than it had been previously. The clearing was filled with chatter, everyone hoping for rain.
"At least the apprentices will be more enthusiastic to train now," Mousefur muttered from next to Graystripe. Mossflower lay next to her, smiling as she listened to her denmate, with a wistful gaze.
Cricketpaw, Ashpaw and Fernpaw bounded up to them eagerly. "We're ready."
"Well, see ya," Mousefur sighed as she got up and led the apprentices out of camp.
Graystripe looked around. Most of the other warriors were out on patrol. Tigerclaw had sent Runningwind, Longtail and Brackenfur to check the Thunderpath while Brightpelt was leading her first patrol- consisting of Swiftclaw and Darkstripe- along the river and twolegplace.
Graystripe turned to Mossflower, who was watching the dusky she-cat leave with a moon-like look. "Are you okay?" Graystripe asked.
"What?" She shook herself, embarrassed. "Yes…it's just-" she hesitated.
"You don't have to tell me," Graystripe shrugged even if he was sure he knew what was up. "But if you want to I wouldn't tell anybody."
After a moment, she meowed quietly, "I…like Mousefur. More than a friend," she clarified as if Graystripe wouldn't understand.
"So what's the problem? Just tell her," Graystripe suggested. And yeah, apparently he wasn't as understanding as he thought. Mossflower was giving him an incredulous look.
"I can't do that. There's so many ways it could go wrong. Maybe she doesn't like she-cats, maybe she doesn't just like me. And everyone knows she's not interested in a mate." She dropped her gaze. "Ever."
"Really?" Graystripe asked. He always thought Mousefur was joking around whenever she dramatically gagged at flirting cats or loving couples. Apparently, she was serious.
"Yeah." Mossflower shrugged. "It doesn't matter, I–"
A sudden scream cut off their conversation. He stood up and others jumped to their paws. Thistlestar burst out of his den, looking ready to fight while Tigerclaw stalked up to his side. Longtail and Brackenfur burst into the clearing, both covered in wounds.
"What's happened?" Thistlestar demanded. "Where's Runningwind?"
The other warriors gathered around.
"I don't know," Longtail panted. "We were attacked."
"By who?"
Longtail shook his head. "We couldn't see. They ambushed us."
"Although, when we looked back we saw one eye glinting back at us from the shadows!" Brackenfur added.
"Brokenstar's followers, perhaps?" Tigerclaw growled.
"No," Brackenfur shook his head. "Because Brokenstar's followers were on the other side in ShadowClan territory when it happened. We saw them and they ran."
"They smelled like rubbish like rogues in Twolegplace," Longtail meowed, referring to the attackers.
"You two come back with me and lead the way," Tigerclaw growled after a nod from Thistlestar. "Graystripe, Brindleface, come too."
Graystripe followed the other four warriors out of the camp. "We need to hurry," Tigerclaw growled. "Runningwind was left alone."
"This way!" As Brackenfur took the lead since Longtail's wounds were slowing him down, Graystripe realized they were heading toward the part of the Thunderpath that was part of ShadowClan territory. Their warriors always seemed edgy if any ThunderClan patrol edged too near that area for some reason.
Brackenfur finally stopped between two ash trees. A monster was roaring by. Ahead, Graystripe gasped as he saw Runningwind laying on the ground, ominously still. A small black tom with a white chest and paws stood over him.
Whitethroat?
"Murderer!" Brackenfur yowled.
The ShadowClan warrior's eyes stretched wide when he noticed the patrol. He backed away from Runningwind, stumbling. "He's dead!"
Tigerclaw suddenly flung himself at Whitethroat, who dodged back.
Whitethroat turned and raced along the Thunderpath.
"Whitethroat!"
Graystripe jerked his attention to the pines. There stood Brokenstar's followers with Pebble Heart and Tall Shadow? But there were also some cats still in ShadowClan like Tallpoppy and Darkflower.
"Come back!" Tall Shadow yelled, racing along the path on ShadowClan's side.
But it was too late.
In his panicked frenzy to get away from Tigerclaw, Whitethroat suddenly raced out onto the path and was slammed into by a monster while Tigerclaw jumped away on time.
No! Not again! But this time they'd had a reason, right? After all, he had killed Runningwind! But Graystripe still felt guilty, imagining how Turtle Tail had died in his mind since he hadn't actually witnessed it happening.
Tigerclaw stalked back to them. "He shouldn't have killed one of our warriors! Get Runningwind!"
Longtail and Brackenfur scurried to their clanmate's body and dragged him after the patrol, but Graystripe found himself moving slowly as if in a trance to Whitethroat.
The warrior opened his eyes, still alive for now, but Graystripe knew he would be gone soon and he could do nothing about it.
"Why'd you kill Runningwind?" Graystripe whispered.
"Not me…" Whitethroat rasped and blood trickled out of his mouth. Then his eyes widened at something behind Graystripe. "...him."
And then he lay still.
Graystripe whipped around and swore he saw an eye glinting at him. Before he could do anything it was gone.
What? Breathing heavily, Graystripe stumbled back as the ShadowClan cats crept nearer and he raced back to camp.
Who the hell was that?
"Whitethroat, why didn't you use the tunnel?" Tallpoppy wailed as they dragged him through the pines.
"He probably didn't want to give it away," Russetfur sighed ruefully. "And it cost him his life!"
"He didn't murder Runningwind, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time," Blackfoot sighed.
"Who did murder Runningwind?" Pebble Heart asked, for once the Blazing Star evaded his mind. He had been trying to decipher its petals. He knew it was something important.
"Who knows. Rogues maybe? Or maybe Tigerclaw and he's just acting," Tall Shadow muttered.
"What?" Tangleburr meowed. Tall Shadow started telling them everything they knew of ThunderClan and what Raven Hope had told them of the battle at Sunningrocks.
"Uh–wow. He's–they're like Brokenstar," Boulder finally meowed.
"That's not all," Tall Shadow muttered. She hadn't said anything about the ambush on their Clan at Four Trees, but they'd agreed it would only stay between them and WindClan.
No one would ever know their truce place was a battlefield once.
"So we can't trust ThunderClan," Snag snorted. "Makes sense. Littlecloud said he and Whitethroat went there to get herbs and all and they turned them away!" Even if he said it, there was a gleam in the ginger tom's eyes like he knew something they didn't. And he didn't look all that caring.
"I mean, I knew ThunderClan was rough, but they're worse than I thought," Tangleburr murmured.
"And they got Turtle Tail killed! We saw it!" Tallpoppy said.
Blackfoot shook his head. "I feel even Brokenstar wasn't this bad. When we get better," he turned to the SkyClan cats. "And maybe, if Nightstar lets us stay we would happily ally ourselves with your Clan to take Thistlestar down."
Tall Shadow sighed grimly. "It's about time we got help."
Skystar emerged from the shadows as One Eye and Fury returned to camp. Lightning Tail and Ash Blaze were sitting guard. Other than that, he was the only one awake. The moonlight cast a silver glow over the two cats and Skystar noticed they were both damp.
Did they fall into the river? Or do they like to actually swim? Like Dappled Pelt.
"What's going on?" One Eye asked.
"Nothing," he immediately sighed, managing to seem casual. "I just couldn't sleep. What about you two?"
"We just took a walk," Fury meowed. "I think the forest is beautiful at night."
Skystar narrowed his eyes at a scratch he had spotted on her flank. It looked suspiciously like cat claw marks.
Fury noticed where he was looking and meowed, "what? We got into a little argument, so what?" She paused to glare at One Eye. "You're lucky we came back alive."
"Well, it's not my fault you're unlikable," One Eye muttered, glaring at her.
Skystar watched them, uneasy as they stalked to the warrior's den. He knew they didn't like each other, but they couldn't have any in Clan fighting.
And he had a gut feeling he couldn't trust them.
I don't believe them. They're up to something sketchy. I've got my eye on them.
The black she-cat charged into the alleyway. Behind her came some of her campmates and some of the BloodClan cats.
"We attacked a ThunderClan patrol!" A tortoiseshell tom meowed proudly. "And One Eye killed one of their warriors!"
"Don't lie!" His matching tortoiseshell sister snapped before dipping her head to her leader. "There were literally three cats on a patrol. Of course it was easy."
The leader nodded, looking unhappy, but merely meowed, "next time. Attack a bigger group. It'll be easier to take them out like that."
When will this revenge for this cat be over? The she-cat thought desperately, exchanging a scared look with her sister.