Frostmask found herself wishing for the new-moon or an overcast sky as she slunk towards Fourtrees. The half-moon night made the forest too bright, and that made what she was doing feel worse, as if the light had ways of illuminating the wrongness of her, the deputy of ShadowClan, meeting with the deputy of a rival clan. The darkness was better— easier to hide not only from others, but also from her own guilt.
Frostmask gave her ears a shake, trying to clear her head as she reached the lip of the slope that ran down to Fourtrees. Moving swiftly but silently, she descended the hill, but when she reached the gathering clearing, she didn't enter it. Instead, she stuck to the areas of dense undergrowth that ringed it, eventually settling in under a holly bush where she was sheltered by the thickly netted branches.
She didn't have to wait long until some nearby undergrowth gently rustled. Frostmask held stock-still, waiting to see what would emerge. Thankfully, it was only Paledusk, his green eyes glowing softly in the moonlight as he glanced around.
Frostmask silently poked her head out from under the bush. The motion caught his attention, and Paledusk's eyes quickly flashed to her. Recognition flickered in his gaze, and Paledusk relaxed, turning and padding over to her while Frostmask retracted back into the safety of the branches.
"Worried about someone seeing us?" Paledusk asked in a hushed voice as he slipped under the bush beside her.
"A bit," Frostmask admitted, her twitching tail-tip betraying her unease. "It is pretty bright out tonight. Why did you ask to meet at the half-moon instead of the new-moon?"
"It's best to change things up," Paledusk said, crouching down and wrapping his thick-furred tail around his body as he settled in. "Lest someone notice a pattern."
One of Frostmask's ears twitched.
Well… he's not wrong.
She nodded in understanding. For a beat, Paledusk just gazed at her, and his eyes narrowed slightly as some sort of unpleasant emotion crept into them.
"I wasn't sure if you'd meet me here tonight. I didn't even know if you heard me at the gathering, since things were so chaotic," he said. "How are you holding up after that? The other clans weren't exactly kind to say the least."
Frostmask huffed softly, flicking her tail.
"I've heard worse," she said.
If something like that had happened to her when she'd been younger; if the other leaders protested her being an apprentice or even becoming a warrior, Frostmask knew their words would have stuck more in her mind— burying themselves in like stubborn thorns and painfully nettling her everyday. Of course the entire disaster of a gathering was still horribly embarrassing, but, with the perspective Frostmask had gained in the past few seasons, she couldn't find it in herself to truly care what the other clans whispered behind her back.
Despite the slight increase in hostility at the WindClan border, Sedgestar still believed that the other leaders wouldn't act on their threats. As long as that remained true, then no harm should come to ShadowClan for her appointment to deputy, and their words were nothing more than the howling of the wind. Unpleasant, mortifying howling… but ultimately toothless.
Paledusk shook his head.
"Still, you didn't deserve any of that. I'm continuously aggravated by Fennelstar's reaction." His ears angled back as his expression darkened. "I can't believe he'd call my kit vermin."
Frostmask arched a brow.
"Why wouldn't he? He doesn't know that I'm your kit," Frostmask pointed out matter-of-factly before she froze, struck by a sudden, fearful thought.
Her eyes flew to Paledusk's.
"Wait. You didn't tell him, right? He doesn't know?" she asked, her chest clenching with anxiety.
"No. No one knows," Paledusk assured with a blink, and Frostmask immediately relaxed.
Paledusk gave his head a small shake.
"And, yes. You're right, of course," he muttered. "But, it still wasn't pleasant for me to listen to. I'm sorry that you had to go through that."
Frostmask's ears flicked again. She couldn't exactly pin down why, but hearing Paledusk expressing his sympathy made her a bit uncomfortable. She wished that he wouldn't dwell on the embarrassing event.
Can't we just pretend like it didn't happen?
"Hopefully the worse is behind us now though," Frostmask murmured, trying to turn the conversation away from the topic. "Obviously it came as a surprise to all the clans. But, by next gathering, everyone will have had a moon to adjust to the idea."
"Yes," Paledusk said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Speaking of adjusting, how are things for you in ShadowClan? Improving? I remember that at the gathering, you were having trouble with some of your clan-mates respecting your authority."
Frostmask hummed noncommittally, flicking her ears.
Paledusk had turned his focus away from the gathering, but he still apparently wanted to talk about her being deputy.
Although, it's only natural that he's curious. Frostmask mused. It is a big event, after all.
"It's a work in progress," she said, answering him. "Dampfang is still difficult. Everyone else, though, is getting a bit better."
Although, for the past couple of days, even Dampfang had been pacified somewhat since Sedgestar had finally given into his request to make his apprentice, the newly named Cedarfur, a warrior, even though his littermates hadn't yet completed their assessments. When Frostmask had asked him why he'd done it, Sedgestar had simply said that Cedarfur was ready, but privately Frostmask wondered if Sedgestar had noticed Dampfang's increasing displeasure towards his leadership and decided that the best course of action was to appease him to smooth things over.
"Hm, yes, that's good," Paledusk said.
He blinked thoughtfully, a distant look in his eyes as if his mind was on something else. After a heartbeat, his green gaze sharpened and focused on her again.
"I have been wondering about something though. Would you be willing to indulge my curiosity?" he asked.
Frostmask's ears angled back slightly as a bit of wariness stirred in her chest, brought on by the intensity in his gaze.
"It depends… what are you curious about?" she asked.
Paledusk purred suddenly, some of the intensity in his eyes fading.
"Ah, there's the classic ShadowClan secrecy," he teased lightly, arching a brow. "I'd thought we'd moved past that."
"You brought it to my attention, but that doesn't mean that I've moved past it," Frostmask corrected, twitching her whiskers in a hint of dry humor.
Paledusk tilted his head to the side, amusement still glimmering in his eyes at her evasiveness.
"So I shall ask it, and you'll tell me if you cannot answer?" Paledusk asked.
Frostmask's brow furrowed as she grew serious.
"You must understand that I need to watch my words now more than ever before," she pointed out. "After all, I'm ShadowClan's deputy."
Paledusk nodded, turning serious again as well.
"Yes, that's just it— you being deputy. Why are you deputy?" he asked, his gaze very intent. "Of course, I'm not doubting your merits; those are obvious. But, what I'm wondering is, why did Sedgestar choose you? Last time we met, you talked about your relationship with him as if it was quite strained— that he did not trust you, and you did not trust him. For good reason. It just seems surprising to me that if what you said was true, that he'd want to pick you."
Frostmask shifted slightly, glancing down at her paws as she hesitated.
Paledusk's insight had cut right to the heart of the matter of her deputyship; the part of it that brought her the most unease. On one paw, she wasn't sure if she should discuss such sensitive, ShadowClan matters with a rival Clan's deputy. But, on the other paw, it was relieving in a way to hear him echo her own worries, to reassure her that her anxieties weren't just all in her head. Would it be wrong to talk about it with him? Admit that there was division in ShadowClan's leadership? What if Paledusk accidentally let that slip to Fennelstar, making the SkyClan leader think that ShadowClan was weak?
But, that can't truly be notable because anytime a Clan gains a new deputy, there must be some destabilization, right? Since any new leader and deputy combination need to get used to working together.
It might even be helpful to hear Paledusk's perspective… after all, he was the only one besides Frostmask herself who understood the full extent of her situation. Of course Autumnleap knew that Sedgestar had accused her of betraying ShadowClan, but he didn't know the truth of why. He thought it was because her mother was a rogue, not because her father was a SkyClan cat. Paledusk was the only cat who knew the full picture, and so he was the one who could offer the best advice and insights… If he could help give clarity to Frostmask about her relationship with Sedgestar, then that must be better for ShadowClan in the long run, right?
"I don't know. It came as just as much a surprise to me then as it does to you now," Frostmask finally admitted. "I didn't know that Grovepelt was retiring, and I certainly didn't know that Sedgestar would choose me to replace him. I don't… I hadn't thought that Sedgestar would've trusted me enough with the position."
Paledusk rotated his head to the side like an owl, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Do you think that could be the reason he made you deputy?" he asked. "Because he didn't trust you? 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer?' That sort of thing?"
Frostmask huffed, sliding her gaze over to stare at Paledusk from out of the corner of her eyes.
"How frog-brained would a cat have to be to make their enemy their successor to the Clan?" she pointed out. "Sedgestar is many things, but stupid isn't one of them."
Paledusk's whiskers twitched with amusement, and he bowed his head slightly in concession.
"Quite right, good point," he meowed. "…Then what could be the reason?"
Frostmask shrugged.
"I wish I knew," she muttered, turning her gaze back to her paws.
When Paledusk didn't respond, she glanced over at him again. But, it seemed like Paledusk had hardly heard her. His gaze had grown foggy as he'd lost himself in his thoughts.
"He must also see your merits," Paledusk said in a quiet murmur. "He must see your merits and believe you can be rehabilitated."
Frostmask blinked, her brow furrowing with equal parts confusion and unease.
"Rehabilitated? What do you mean by that?" she asked, trying to stop her shoulder fur from bristling.
Paledusk blinked, his gaze coming back into focus as he steadily met his eyes to hers.
"Perhaps he believes you could be a good deputy and a good leader, if only your 'flaws' are reworked or removed," he said in a calm voice. "I mean… there must have been something that led him to assume that you'd betrayed ShadowClan those moons ago, right?"
Frostmask stiffened as icy uncertainty wormed its way into her gut, and she just blinked instead of replying.
Is that what all of Sedgestar's training is really for? Is Sedgestar really trying to help me, or is he trying to "fix" me?
"…What do you think these 'flaws' are?" Frostmask asked warily.
Paledusk blinked and gave his head a small shake.
"I don't know since they are not obvious to me. They may not even be anything real at all, but just aspects of you that Sedgestar has constructed in his head from prejudice… Illusions," he said.
Frostmask shifted, glancing back out at the harsh moonlight again as that same pinprick of guilt from earlier returned.
"Have I done something which makes me seem untrustworthy?" Frostmask murmured, speaking half to herself.
"I doubt it, based on the irrationality of Sedgestar's basis for accusing you originally," Paledusk said simply. "But, when it comes down to it, I think you're the only one who could answer that."
Frostmask blinked and looked over at him.
"I mean, I don't think I have… Unless Sedgestar somehow found out that we were meeting," she said in a quiet voice. "I don't think that's likely, but if he did, he would…"
Frostmask's voice trailed off, unable to even finish the idea in her mind.
She wasn't sure if she truly knew what Sedgestar was capable of if he found out she'd 'betrayed' ShadowClan again, but this time actually had a justifiable reason to think so.
Although it's not like I'm actually doing any harm by meeting with Paledusk. She argued with herself. I haven't given away ShadowClan secrets, right? I just want to get to know my kin. But, how could Sedgestar ever understand that? His family is all in ShadowClan.
"Would you like us to put an end to our meetings?" Paledusk asked, pulling her from her thoughts.
Frostmask met his eyes to find his gaze unreadable, and his expression carefully neutral. She shook her head, digging her toes into the damp earth beneath her as her resolve hardened.
"We aren't doing any harm," she reiterated to herself. "It feels like Sedgestar already controls so many aspects of my life back at camp. Why can't I just have this one thing for myself?"
Paledusk's impassive look melted away as his expression softened, and he dipped his head.
"I would understand if you didn't, but I am glad that you want to continue to meet," he said. "And, I don't know if this means anything coming from me…"
Hesitantly, Paledusk uncurled his tail from around his body to instead brush it lightly against her side in a sort of comforting gesture.
"But, I think that you will be an excellent deputy for ShadowClan, regardless of Sedgestar's reasoning or what the other clans think," he said. "You deserve the role."
Frostmask's brow furrowed.
'Deserve?' Do I really?
She opened her jaws to protest, but Paledusk quickly shook his head to quiet her before she could say anything, continuing.
"You deserve it because you are the most loyal cat in ShadowClan," he said, his tone deep and earnest. "Because you chose ShadowClan. It's easy for the others— your clan-mates who were born there, who have their kin there. They've just been buoyed down the river, pulled along by the current, while you've had to swim upstream. And, yet… you've proven yourself to be one of best at it, despite the disadvantages they've placed on you."
Frostmask met Paledusk's eyes and blinked with surprise to see his gaze glowed with gentle affection. She'd seen Paledusk angry and cold, and curious and charming, but she couldn't recall him ever looking at her with such warmth before. She bowed her head, suddenly a bit embarrassed by it, but at the same time, her emotions felt more at ease.
"Thank you," Frostmask murmured, still looking down at her paws. "I do appreciate you saying so… Although maybe for tonight, can we talk about something else, besides me becoming deputy?"
Paledusk blinked in surprise.
"Do you think it's not significant enough to warrant discussion?" he asked, although a slight teasing tone edged his words. "If that's the case, then I'm sure I'd be shocked to know what you do deem important enough to talk about."
"It's not that," Frostmask said with a soft huff of amusement. "It's just… we have so little time to meet, I'd rather not just spend it all talking about myself."
Paledusk nodded in understanding.
"Then what would you like to talk about?" he asked, tucking his tail closer to himself again.
"Perhaps you could tell me more about May?" Frostmask asked, blinking at him hopefully. "You did promise you would last time."
"I suppose I did," Paledusk said good-naturedly, a purr rumbling to life in his throat. "I know that your mother would be proud of you, if she could see you now."
Frostmask's ears jutted up eagerly, his words igniting an idea in her mind.
"Do you think she can?" she asked. "I mean… can she see me now?"
Paledusk blinked, his brow furrowing slightly with confusion as his purr quieted. Frostmask glanced away from him, her ears warming as she suddenly felt a bit like a foolish little kit, wishing for the impossible.
"I was just… What happened to May, after she died I mean, is just something that I wonder about sometimes…" she muttered to her paws. "And, especially after the last gathering, when the leaders were talking about StarClan, it's just been on my mind more. I know she couldn't have gone to StarClan since she didn't have a proper death ceremony. But, could her spirit still be around, maybe on earth? Willowstar and Rabbitstar did say that during the solstices and equinoxes, the connection between us and the spirits is most strong… So could she, at least, on those days see me… Maybe?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure what it's like in ShadowClan, but unlike RiverClan and WindClan, in SkyClan, normal warriors don't concern themselves with the matters of StarClan and spirits," Paledusk said, his voice firm but not unkind. "I tend to leave that to the medicine cats… I don't think on it all that much."
"Oh, okay. That makes sense," Frostmask said, but she still couldn't stop her stomach from dropping in disappointment.
A beat of silence stretched between them.
"…But let's talk about something more pleasant," Paledusk continued, his tone coaxing as he seemed to try to pull her out of her melancholy. "How about I tell you a story about her?"
He paused for a moment in thought.
"How about I tell you how Slatewhisker and May first met?"
Frostmask's ears pricked up, and she glanced over at him again.
"I think that sounds interesting," she said, doing her best to put thoughts about the fate of her mother's spirit out of her mind.
Paledusk purred.
"Alright then," he began. "Many seasons ago, some rogues joined forces with each other in the two-leg place, forming a group which rivaled a clan in size, and they started causing trouble for SkyClan. Not only did they make patrolling the two-leg place near impossible, but they also harried us on our border there, trespassing, stealing prey, attacking border patrols. Fennelstar was irate. He didn't just want the rogues to stop harassing us on our borders, he wanted them eradicated."
Frostmask swallowed, her stomach swirling with sudden nervousness.
Does Fennelstar really want to wipe out rogues so badly? Maybe his declaration at the gathering about me wasn't all for show…
Paledusk opened is jaws to continue his story, but Frostmask broke in before he could.
"Does Fennelstar hate all rogues like that?" she asked in a soft voice. "Or just those ones?"
Paledusk's green eyes softened, and Frostmask knew that he had guessed that she was talking about herself.
"All of them," he said quietly. "It's part of the reason that it would have been impossible for May to join SkyClan, assuming that she'd wanted to, of course. But, don't worry."
Paledusk lightly touched his tail-tip to her shoulder again.
"You're right to be concerned about Fennelstar, but as long as I'm deputy, I'll ensure that he does no harm to you because of your rogue heritage," Paledusk promised.
Frostmask twisted her ears back uncertainly.
"…You'd go against your leader for me?" she asked after a moment of hesitation.
Paledusk lifted his brows.
"Not all of SkyClan feels the way Fennelstar does," he pointed out. "Should a clan follow a leader who is not acting in accordance with the majority of the Clan's wishes?"
Frostmask's tail flicked as she mulled his question over.
"I don't know…" she murmured.
"Well it's something that you should start thinking about," Paledusk said with a gentle blink of encouragement. "Now that you're deputy."
"Yeah, I guess," Frostmask muttered, her brow furrowing. "But, why does Fennelstar hate all rogues? It's not like May did anything to him, right?"
"His reasoning is not really because of anything a particular rogue has done," Paledusk explained. "He more hates rogues for what they represent— their connection to two-legs specifically."
"Two-legs?" Frostmask echoed, the furrow in her brow deepening with confusion. "But, what do rogues have to do with two-legs? They aren't kitty-pets; they live away from two-legs."
Paledusk angled an ear towards her.
"But, nine times out of ten, where do rogues come from? The two-leg place. Rogues, kitty-pets, loners— anything the two-legs touch, Fennelstar despises."
"But, then why does he hate the two-legs?" Frostmask insisted. "What have they ever done to him?"
A soft purr of amusement vibrated in Paledusk's chest.
"I'm sure you've heard stories about them, but have you ever seen a two-leg, Frostmask?" he asked suddenly. "With your own eyes?"
"I've caught glimpses of them inside monsters," Frostmask said, blinking in thought. "And, I saw one once from a distance at the Carrionplace."
Paledusk nodded.
"You've seen a two-leg outside of a monster exactly once in your life," Paledusk said. "Do you know how often a SkyClan cat sees two-legs, once they become an apprentice and leave the camp? Daily."
"Daily?" Frostmask echoed, her eyes widening with surprise. "I know you've said that SkyClan sometimes patrols the two-leg place. But, even outside it?"
"Yes," Paledusk said, his face creasing seriously. "Even from the edges of the woods. And, two-legs are bothersome creatures. They make lots of noise. They bring dogs. Start fires. Everywhere two-legs go, destruction follows."
"…They can even tear down trees, right?" Frostmask murmured, her mind drifting back to a lesson she learned a long time ago, when she first became an apprentice. "Grovepelt told me that when he was young, two-legs made the thunderpath between ThunderClan and ShadowClan, and their destruction scared off prey for a season."
Something flashed in Paledusk's gaze too quickly for Frostmask to identity.
"Yes," he said a bit curtly, and Frostmask blinked, suddenly reminded of another memory— this one from when she was a newly made warrior.
When she'd gone on a hunt in SkyClan territory, she'd overheard a private meeting between Paledusk and the RiverClan deputy, Perchpelt. At the time, the alliance between SkyClan and RiverClan was what stuck in her head as the most important aspect of that conversation. But, the evasive look that had just flashed in Paledusk's eyes as she talked about two-legs tearing down trees had reminded her of something else she'd overheard then— something about two-legs destroying parts of SkyClan's forest.
Frostmask's brow furrowed as these pieces of information clicked together in her mind.
Have the two-legs destroyed a part of SkyClan's territory and scared off their prey, like they did all those seasons ago when they made the thunderpath in ShadowClan's territory? Is that why SkyClan was so desperate to claim part of ThunderClan's territory before the worst of leaf-bare set in?
Frostmask blinked.
Isn't it strange that Paledusk has never mentioned it to me before, though? I mean, I doubt I would have, if I was in his paws, but he is always saying that I'm unnecessarily secretive— that SkyClan does not care to hide things like ShadowClan…
Frostmask gave her head a tiny shake.
All cats mustkeep some secrets though, especially when it comes to protecting their clan. It'd be foolish to think that Paledusk is always telling me the truth about everything.
Frostmask's shoulders loosened slightly. Even though she hadn't felt particularly bad about omitting information when speaking to him before, it still was oddly reassuring to know that Paledusk was keeping things from her too. At least she knew that they were on equal footing now.
"All of these are unfortunate side-effects of two-legs," Paledusk continued, pulling her out of her thoughts. "And, to Fennelstar at least, rogues are another one of them. Anyway though, we are getting off track from the tale. Where was I…"
"You were just saying that Fennelstar wanted something done about the rogues," Frostmask chimed in.
"Right," Paledusk said with a grateful blink to her. "But, we didn't know anything about how these rogues worked. Did they patrol regularly? Did they camp together like a clan? If so where was their camp? We needed more information before we could plan any large-scale attack. Fennelstar decided he would send cats out into the two-leg place in order to retrieve reconnaissance. But, these cats would have to go out alone. With the rogues causing such trouble, we didn't have enough cats to afford full patrols in the two-leg place while defending our own borders, and a single cat would be much easier for the rogues to miss than a large group."
Frostmask paws prickled. If the rogues were really as concerning as Paledusk made them sound, these solo patrols into their territory must have been quite dangerous.
"Did you ever go on one of those missions?" Frostmask asked.
"Of course. Once or twice," Paledusk said, flicking his ears disinterestedly. "But, this story is about the time Slatewhisker went on the mission."
Frostmask's brow furrowed.
"But, didn't you once tell me that Slatewhisker wanted peace between the rogues and SkyClan? Isn't that why he died, when he went to talk with them and they ambushed him?" she asked. "Why would he go on a mission to help eradicate them if he didn't want the groups to fight?"
"Yes, he did, and it was. But, this story happened moons before that," Paledusk meowed patiently, answering each of her questions in turn. "Slatewhisker changed his mind. At this point, though, he believed the rogues to be as bloodthirsty as the rest of us did. Although, no one in SkyClan really knew much about them at all; that's why we needed these missions."
"Right…" Frostmask said, but her brow remained furrowed. "But, why did Slatewhisker change his mind? I mean, clearly the rogues were pretty bad since they killed him, but if they also seemed that bloodthirsty in the beginning then why would he—"
"Would you like to hear that story or this one?" Paledusk interrupted, his voice still calm, but a slight edge entered his tone. "As you said, we only have so much time together, and the night is wearing on. I can tell you that one, but if you'd like to hear the end of this story about him and May, we don't have time to waste on more tangents."
Frostmask's ears warmed at Paledusk's reprimand, and she bowed her head to rasp her tongue through her chest fur to hide her embarrassment.
"Sorry, you're right," she said. "I'd like to keep hearing the one about May."
After a heartbeat, Paledusk purred quietly, softening his somewhat sharp words.
"I don't mind your curiosity," he said. "But, now just isn't the time."
Frostmask nodded, blinking at Paledusk expectantly as she waited for him to continue. Paledusk cleared his throat and flicked his ears as he reorientated himself.
"Yes, so Slatewhisker was on one of these missions into the two-leg place," Paledusk said, easily picking up the story again. "He went far deeper into the two-leg place than most other warriors had ventured before, on the trail of the rogues. But, little did he know that the rogues were also on the trail of him… As he rounded a corner of the thunderpath, he found himself at a dead-end. On either side of him were two-leg dens, and in front of him, a wall made up of smooth stone."
Paledusk's body stiffened as he paused for effect, completely still except for his tail-tip snapping back and forth in tense little flicks.
Frostmask swallowed back a sudden purr at Paledusk's theatrics.
He's even more dramatic than most elders are when telling a story!
"And, then what happened?" Frostmask prodded before the pause could go on too long, guessing that Paledusk must be waiting for some sign of encouragement from her.
That seemed to be enough, since Paledusk quickly leaned towards her, unable to restrain his eagerness.
"Slatewhisker turned around, only to find his exit blocked by a patrol of rogues!" he growled.
Frostmask indulged Paledusk with a dramatic gasp at the reveal, prompting Paledusk to blink in surprise for a moment before his gaze narrowed.
"Do I detect facetiousness?" he asked, his voice stern but amusement briefly flashed in his eyes.
Frostmask shook her head.
"Oh no, I'm taking the story very seriously," she responded sincerely.
After all, it was true. It wasn't the story she found amusing, but rather Paledusk's way of telling it.
"If you don't like it, I can stop," Paledusk threatened, arching a brow.
"I do like it, and I'm very invested in your story-telling. Please continue," Frostmask said with a purr, meeting his eyes with a gaze as earnest as she could manage.
Paledusk treated her to one final skeptical look, before he sighed in exasperation.
"StarClan, it's like you're turning into your mother," he muttered under his breath.
Frostmask's ears pricked with delight at this new piece of information, her purr vibrating louder in her throat.
Paledusk finally acquiesced to her request to continue, but the faint amusement in his expression faded as he begun speaking again.
"The rogues cornered Slatewhisker," Paledusk said, his lip curling up in a snarl and his eyes darkening as if he could see the cats in front of him now, threatening his brother. "He would have to fight his way through six cats, an impossible task, or risk being taken prisoner… Or worse. First he tried to run though, of course. He turned away from them and fled down the thunderpath as far as he could, hoping he could get over the wall, but as he feared, the stone was too smooth. There were no paw-holds to be found, and the wall was too high for him to jump onto.
"Slatewhisker wouldn't be taken without a fight, though. So he turned to face the rogues, but just when it seemed like they were going to pounce on him and tear him to shreds, someone called down to Slatewhisker from the top of the wall. 'Over here! Climb this!' the voice said. Slatewhisker glanced over and saw in one of the shadowy corners between the wall and the side of the two-leg den, a long structure spanning the length from the ground to the top of the two-leg den. It was roughly the height and width of a sapling, but instead of wood, it was made from one of the two-legs' strange metallic substances."
Paledusk leaned back slightly, satisfaction flickering in his eyes.
"It was a long climb and totally vertical. A cat can't dig into this metallic material like wood, but this structure did have ridges, which could offer holds if one was careful enough with hooking their claws in. Still, it would be a difficult for most cats. But, of course, it would be of no consequence for Slatewhisker, since we move as easily through the trees and others move on the ground," Paledusk said.
Frostmask blinked, wondering if he was including her in that 'we,' but she couldn't think on it much because Paledusk was already continuing the story.
"Slatewhisker sprung and ducked and dodged past the attacking rouges, reaching the structure. Then he scurried up to the top of the den, leaving the rogues on the ground beneath him," Paledusk said. "And, there on the roof, he was greeted by the cat who had called out to him, aiding him in escaping."
"May," Frostmask guessed, her fur prickling with excitement.
Her mother may not have been a clan-cat, but from the sound of it, she was a brave, noble, and clever as any warrior, maybe even moreso. After all, even though Slatewhisker had been a complete stranger to her at the time, she'd still helped him to safety, probably saving his life!
Paledusk nodded, confirming her guess.
"Yes. It was, of course, May. Although she did not yet tell Slatewhisker her name. In fact, he barely had time to thank her before she warned him that they should leave this place before the rogues managed to figure out a way after them. After Slatewhisker told May that he was from the forest, she agreed to help him return there. So, she navigated them back to the edge of the two-leg place while keeping them high up to avoid the rogues. They would leap or run from roof to roof, wall to wall, their paws barely touching the ground the entire time."
Frostmask blinked, trying to imagine her mother soaring from the top of one two-leg den to the other. But, it was hard to conjure a clear mental image— truthfully, she'd only seen glimpses of the two-leg place from far off. Still though, the way Paledusk described May climbing and jumping made it seem like it was a sight to behold.
Maybe I get my climbing abilities not just from my SkyClan blood, but from May too.
A wistful look clouded Paledusk's eyes for a heartbeat.
"Slatewhisker would later tell me that May should've been born a SkyClan cat," he muttered, as if echoing her thoughts. "She was suited for it."
Frostmask was pulled in by Paledusk's brooding, and her mind drifted to how different her life would have been if May had actually been born in SkyClan. Would she have grown up respect by the clan for being the kit of the deputy, rather than looked down upon as the kit of a rogue? Would Larchtail and Mottledflame have been her closest friends rather than Autumnleap, Pineshade, and Poolcloud? …But, it'd be terrible to leave Autumnleap and her friends behind.
Although, I suppose, if I'd been born in SkyClan, I wouldn't have known what I was missing.
"Anyway though," Paledusk said, refocusing her attention. "That's the end of that story. When they reached the edge of the two-leg place, they parted, and Slatewhisker returned back to camp, and May to the two-leg place."
Frostmask blinked, disappointment stirring in her belly that the tale was already over.
"If they parted so quickly, how did they get to become friends?" Frostmask asked, her mew edged with hope that she'd get at least a few more pieces of information from Paledusk tonight.
Paledusk's whiskers twitched with faint amusement, and Frostmask got the sense that he knew exactly what she wanted.
"Well that wasn't the only time Slatewhisker went into the two-leg place. He and May ended up running into each other a few more times. But, that's a story for another night," Paledusk meowed before casting a pointed glance up towards the sky.
Frostmask followed his gaze, peering up between the branches above her head, and she sighed as she saw the night was wearing on. She would have to leave soon to be back in camp before dawn. Ducking her head low, she crawled her way out of the bush and turned to gaze back at Paledusk.
"Okay," she conceded. "But, next time I want to hear that story, in addition to the one about why Slatewhisker changed his mind on the rogues. Oh, and how you and May met, and also what happened to that group of rogues in the end..."
Even as Frostmask rattled off her list, she knew that they realistically wouldn't have the time to talk about all of those things in just one meeting, and she expected Paledusk to say so. But, as Paledusk slipped from the bush as well, carefully weaving around the thorny holly leaves as to not snag his pelt, he didn't point out the obvious impossibility of her requests. Instead, he just bowed his head in a flourish of exaggerated obedience.
"As you wish. I shall begin practicing my orating at once," he said with the upmost solemnity, before glancing back up at her to reveal humor shining in his eyes.
Frostmask purred, her tail curling with amusement.
"Good," she said, responding to his show with a tone equally as serious. "Should we meet here again in a moon?"
Paledusk straightened but dipped his head slightly to her in his much more typical, regal manner.
"Sounds perfect," he purred. "Take care, Frostmask."
Frostmask nodded back at him.
"You too," she said, surprising herself with the bit of warmth that kindled in her chest.
Her meetings with Paledusk had started with the strictly utilitarian goal of gaining knowledge about her mother and her past, but at some point, she must have actually started to care for him. Although it was a bit tricky to pin down when or how that could have happened, given their complicated history...
Frostmask's twitched her ears, trying to sort out her sudden influx of contradictory feelings without letting the emotions show in her face. Paledusk hadn't yet turned away, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to share this revelation with him.
But, Paledusk was just too good at reading others. Paledusk's green eyes brightened as his attention sharpened towards her. Frostmask clenched her jaw, biting back a curse at her bad luck while he studied her, some bemusement creeping into his expression.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Uh. No, er..." Frostmask said, shifting from paw to paw uncomfortably beneath his inquisitive eyes. "It's just... It was good to see you."
Paledusk's curious gaze flitted over her for another heartbeat, as if he sensed her holding back, but then he just gave her one final blink before angling himself back towards SkyClan territory and bounding up the slope, away from Fourtrees.
Frostmask sighed softly, her shoulders loosening. Even though she had enjoyed their conversation, it was still a relief to be freed from his scrutiny. As Paledusk trotted off, Frostmask twisted her head to rasp her tongue through her fur absentmindedly, instead focusing on turning thoughts of Paledusk over and over in her head, searching them for insight.
It still felt wrong to think of Paledusk as "a father," that at least she was sure of. But, perhaps she could finally reach an answer for his proposal for them to at least be allies... or maybe even friends.
Frostmask gave her ears a small shake, pulling her thoughts back to her body. She carefully groomed any trace of SkyClan scent from her pelt, waiting until Paledusk's white pelt was finally, completely swallowed by the darkness before she turned and faded into the shadows herself.
Author's Note:
Ngl it felt kinda weird to write about Frostmask and Paledusk actually having a good time together for once.
Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you all are staying safe and well, and thank you for reading.
Reviews: Brian.H.H: Aww your sister's kittens sound so cute! Yeah imo I think Dampfang is doing it partly out of pride (if his apprentice becomes a warrior early then that should reflect well on his own abilities as a mentor) but also he does care for his apprentice and thinks he deserves it. But, I'm sure in his head he tells himself his motivations are more the latter than the former, since that's what seems the most noble. I absolutely loved writing that confrontation between Frostmask and Dampfang though! They spend so much time trying to tolerate each other because they have to, but after all that time a lot of emotions have gotten pent up so it was so much fun for to have them finally just lay all their grievances out for once. Also, I know I already sent you a PM a while back about your suggestions, but thanks again for bringing that up! I think that the additions I made based on that really helped flesh out that chapter more.
Mistflame54: Oh yes, "Doesn't know when to quit" is like Dampfang's definition lol. Aw I'm glad you enjoyed the kits! I'm not sure who's my favorite yet, I think I need to develop their personalities a bit more first. But I am also a bit biased towards Lichenkit because she's got my favorite name of the bunch haha.
Avalanche: Thank you so much! I really enjoyed writing the kits. They're so cute and I really want to get back to them, but alas I also need to move the plot along haha. Also no need to apologize for the delayed review. I mean, this chapter took quite a while for me to get through since the last one, so I definitely understand that everyone gets busy. So, anyway, I never expect reviews, but I'm always grateful to get them! :)