A/N - I'm back again! For the record, this chapter could've been out like 2 weeks ago, but the holidays and new classes sure put a damper on my proofreading plans...

I only have this one special thing I'd like to point out, and it's that this chapter was split up into two separate parts (evident by the "Part One" in the title). Honestly, this move was such a good thing to do in hindsight. When I look at both chapters as a whole, I realize just how vastly different they actually are, and how keeping all of that in a single chapter would've definitely been too much.

Anyway, with this, the Forest of Secrets prelude is nearly complete! We will soon be in true AU-divergence territory!

Disclaimer: Warriors is owned by Erin Hunter/HarperCollins Publishers LLC

...

Cloudpaw's Tale: Part One

…

"Wake up."

…

"Wake up…"

…

"GRAYSTRIPE!"

…

As he lay in his bed of moss, a certain gray-pelted warrior began to awake at the sound of his name being called.

Graystripe stirred, his fur tousling his makeshift nest of moss and roots as he blinked his eyes open. His gaze eventually landed upon the one who was calling him, although he wished he could simply ignore them and continue snoozing.

Leopardfur watched with little amusement as Graystripe lazily rolled onto his stomach, stretching his limbs. She gave a small cough.

"So, now's the time you're gonna wake up today, huh? After I've called your name five times?"

Graystripe was hardly listening to her, as poor of an idea as that was. He had never been much of a morning cat, and Leopardfur being the one to wake him certainly didn't help any.

He gave a yawn, and choosing to ignore Leopardfur for the time being, took a look around the warrior's den. As was the custom with the newest warriors in a clan, Graystripe's nest had been placed as far as possible in the back of the warrior's den. He couldn't complain, however, since it was currently newleaf. Without the warmth of other cats, sleeping during seasons like leaf-bare would be unfathomable. Luckily, he still had a while before the snow season came.

Leopardfur, meanwhile, had just been staring at him blankly. She already had a low opinion of him, but this aloofness wasn't doing any favors. Seeing for the first time how she could only assume Graystripe acted every morning, she couldn't but snicker.

"Very gauche, ThunderClanner. Your old clanmates would be proud," she noted with a teasing look.

Graystripe turned to her, unamused, before rubbing an eye with his paw.

"Ugh… are we going to explore the territory now? Before sunhigh?" he asked sleepily. Leopardfur frowned.

"Dawn patrol is out; It's now time to deal with you," she grumbled. "Fortunately, with all of your clan-hopping experience, that'll be a breeze, since it's likely you've seen at least some of our territory already."

Graystripe looked annoyed for a moment, before turning away. "Maybe a little, but not much. I don't know my way around here, to be honest."

"Oh, I can tell. Having Mistyfoot throw your bed together is enough proof of that," Leopardfur snarked before rising herself from her haunches. "I would highly suggest you rise and shine a lot quicker because I don't feel like waiting today."

You never wait for anyone. Graystripe thought to say but smartly held his tongue.

Leopardfur turned to make her way out of the den after that - a den that was pretty much empty save for a few of the younger warriors. Graystripe normally would have been eager to follow, but his nest was much more comfortable than he'd been expecting.

He watched as the spotted she-cat suddenly stopped in her tracks at the mouth of the den, before glancing back at him.

"Five minutes at most," she told him, before turning to stalk away.

The gray tom simply blinked, still somewhat delirious. If he didn't know any better, he would've assumed Leopardfur hated her job as a deputy. Though, seeing how much she likes ordering others around, it all made sense. It was the sign of an efficient deputy - he supposed, since Tigerclaw was the same way - though that didn't mean he liked being barked at all the time.

Graystripe released a sigh as he balanced himself onto his four paws. This was definitely going to be a rough day - it was just a matter of how rough. Shaking his fur out, though only to promptly give it a few licks afterward, the warrior trudged out of the den.

He took a good look around, noting the camp was mostly empty, each cat having been sent out for hunting, patrolling, mentoring, and whatnot.

While taking in the sights, Graystripe couldn't help but smile, realizing today would be the first day of many he would be exiting the den as a RiverClan cat. He was officially no longer a part of ThunderClan - that was his old life.

He was a RiverClan cat now. No amount of sour looks or jokes could change that.

The forest air had certainly been more humid than what Graystripe was used to. RiverClan as a whole was surrounded by water, so on hot days such as this one, the humidity was bound to get irritating. Nevertheless, it hardly put much of a damper on Graystripe's mood compared to the other things he had to deal with.

Though he wasn't exactly keeping track, Graystripe could've sworn that Leopardfur came to retrieve him a little before his 5 minutes were up. Nevertheless, she had given him just enough time to eat something small and to visit his kits in the nursery. He was greeted kindly by Mosspelt and Mistyfoot, both of whom appeared to be the only queens in the clan.

Though he'd hardly developed much of a relationship with anyone currently inside RiverClan, he knew the queens would be a great start - minus the clan leader, of course.

Being friends with the queens could mean being friends with their kits, and perhaps even their mates. Graystripe had his own kits to care for as well, so any cat interested in them would probably acknowledge him as well, and from the looks of it, his kits were already quite popular amongst their clanmates, both old and young.

He certainly had high hopes for his future here, though, it was not without its concerns. One such concern currently stalked next to him, looking rather uninterested in merely acknowledging his existence except for when she had to.

Graystripe made a great effort to keep up with Leopardfur as they scouted the entire territory of RiverClan. She never seemed to take things slow, at one point stating that he "probably knew most of the territory anyway" and that "this was a waste of time".

She wasn't wrong - Silverstream had shown him several areas in RIverClan, but nothing too far from ThunderClan's borders. Although, whenever Graystripe would bring this up with Leopardfur, he knew the deputy would just stop listening.

Despite what she believed, there were many landmarks Leopardfur had shown him that he'd merely heard in anecdotes from Silverstream. RiverClan's territory was huge, and despite his multiple trips through it - journeying to find WindClan and seeing Silverstream - there were still things he had never seen.

The beech copse was one such landmark. Hearing of the trees' awesome size and shady training spots had fascinated him, and upon seeing it for himself, he couldn't help but be filled with awe. The large trees were similar to the oaks that every cat knew as Fourtrees, but in comparison, they were much skinner - though not by much - and sprouted branches that stretched further than any other tree Graystripe had ever seen. Of course, these were just regular old beech trees - trees nowhere near as important as the oaks chosen to host the Gathering - but that didn't make them any less grand.

But then, of course, Leopardfur soon had come up to him to shoo him away, eager to get a move on with the tour.

The she-cat had yet to allow Graystripe to explore on his own, instead, she would just let him catch a glimpse of anything worthwhile for a few seconds before hassling him on his way.

Graystripe knew there would be many, many more opportunities to see the whole territory, but that didn't make Leopardfur's attitude any less exhausting. Whether the deputy thought Silverstream had fully betrayed her clan and shown him all of RiverClan's territory or she just simply wanted to get this tour over and done with, Graystripe couldn't tell. However, so far, her attitude was certainly weighing down his day.

A day, he thought, that involved a tour with only him and the RiverClan deputy. He already wasn't a fan of such an idea when Crookedstar suggested it, but now having actively participated, Graystripe could confirm it was just as bad as he imagined.

Leopardfur had decided the first place they'd go to would be the lands located deepest within RiverClan, furthest from their borders with other clans. There were a few Twoleg nests located along the only border they had that didn't interact with another clan. This was where Leopardfur mentioned that Twoleg cubs would like to roam, and would then promptly give him a story about how terrifying it would be for him to clumsily land himself in their clutches.

After a while, they stopped by the aforementioned beech copse, and after some more walking was when they finally had gotten to their first border with another clan.

The gorge that served as their border with WindClan was a place Graystripe was all too familiar with. The place had given Graystripe a horrible feeling, one that he no doubt believed had stemmed from his accidental murder of the RiverClan warrior Whiteclaw. To his surprise, Leopardfur never brought up that particular event. He felt thankful as he still wasn't over it.

Whiteclaw never deserved to die… he thought. It was just an accident, is all.

Graystripe quickly shook his head.

There was no point in thinking about that. What's done is done, and he can only move on from it.

By now, they had finally traveled beyond the gorge, past a waterfall where the river began. Leopardfur's voice suddenly brought him back to reality after a previous bit of silence.

"We've made it to the river… finally," she grumbled. "It's common knowledge, but this is RiverClan's main source of food - as we only eat whatever creatures we find in it."

She then peered at him.

"Though I'm sure that prey you ate earlier wasn't your first meal from this river."

Graystripe had to stifle a growl, just like he'd done many times on this tour already. Leopardfur would frequently remind Graystripe of his questionable history with their clan. The worst part was when she looked to him for a reaction, that would always be what irked him.

Did she truly enjoy bothering him that much?

Graystripe decided to look away, instead choosing to peer into the river beside them. It seemed a lot calmer than usual, so he could easily spot a few small fish under the water's surface. The calm current certainly made hunting easier, but a larger current usually helped increase the amount of prey you could find in the first place.

That was one of the many things Silverstream had taught him, but he never said anything since he didn't think Leopardfur would take it all too well.

He looked across the river to where he knew ThunderClan territory began. He was taught how the entire border with ThunderClan was made up by the river, just like the Thunderpath made up the border between ThunderClan and ShadowClan.

Graystripe grew worried as he stared across. He wondered if Fireheart had also been banished like he was, and Cloudpaw too. Both of them were born kittypets, but the clan had been starting to warm up Fireheart in particular after their quest to bring WindClan home was a success. However, they then helped RiverClan recover from the floods at the start of this newleaf, and after that, Fireheart brought his nephew to the clan. ThunderClan was having mixed feelings after that - it was pretty obvious. And then of course there was that awful battle from last night...

Graystripe still had trouble processing it all. He remembered the sense of bewilderment he'd felt after bursting into the leader's den, and seeing Fireheart and Tigerclaw in the middle of a fight as Bluestar lay dead beside them.

... Bluestar... was dead.

That was something he just couldn't believe was true. Seeing her body was almost as horrifying as the fighting itself. That particular moment just seemed to replay in his mind from time to time, just like Whiteclaw's death…

Graystripe shook his head again. He didn't need to keep thinking like this. After all, none of that was his fault. He never meant any harm, and everyone had to know that by now.

"Are you sick or something?"

The voice of Leopardfur caused Graystripe to jump. He turned to look at the spotted she-cat, and she gave him an annoyed huff in return.

"You've been shaking your head like you've got fleas. What's the matter? Don't like the rays of sun on your fur?"

Graystripe stared at her for a moment, before looking away towards the ground.

"No. I've been just… thinking about everything that's happened lately. It's a lot to take in."

"Oh, so you haven't been listening to me?" Leopardfur said, rolling her eyes.

Graystripe turned to look at her, offended.

"No, no! I've been listening!" he exclaimed, before cringing to himself. As much as I'd rather not.

The she-cat gave him a knowing look, before breaking her gaze to take a look at the river.

"Urgh, never mind... let's just stop here for a moment - right by the river."

Graystripe looked at her cautiously. "Uh, for a rest?"

"Yes, frog brain," Leopardfur said tiredly. "What? Do you think I'd try to drown you?"

She shook her head, sitting down. Graystripe would've felt embarrassed to admit that it was exactly what he had been thinking. '

"Believe me, I would like to, but not while Crookedstar's breathing down my neck."

In response, Graystripe simply shrugged it off. It never hurts to be cautious' was what he told himself.

He gave a tired huff, plopping down next to the riverside. Not far away, but not too close either, Leopardfur sat - staring into ThunderClan territory. With her distracted, Graystripe finally thought he'd have a moment to reflect on his past - even if that only meant it would stop bugging him.

However, Leopardfur would soon turn her head to see Graystripe staring off into nothingness, earning a scowl from her. The gray tom seemed to be ignoring her; her glare probably was quite distracting.

Eventually, the she-cat opened her mouth to speak.

"What did she tell you about our clan?"

Graystripe perked his ears at this, looking towards her with a confused expression.

"Who-?" he raised a brow. "Who said what to me about your clan?"

"Silverstream, of course." Leopardfur glowered. "You appear hardly interested in our territory, almost like you've seen it before."

Graystripe looked at her nervously, unable to think of an answer right away.

After a bit of silence, Leopardfur huffed, inspecting one of her claws with a bored expression.

"Well, like it or not, we're going to sit here until you tell me," she said. "And I'm only listening to the truth."

Graystripe gave her a troubled look, unable to register whether she'd been serious or not. However, after several seconds had passed, he grew worried.

Gulping, he opened his mouth, "Listen… Leopardfur. I don't know what kind of relationship you had with Silverstream, but…" He slowed, tensing himself up before continuing, "But believe me, she never told me anything about RiverClan that could be considered private."

Leopardfur didn't look at him, still peering at her claws.

"Hmm, that sounds an awful lot like a lie to me," she responded, shaking her head.

"Wuh- but it's not!" Graystripe exclaimed, his fur on end. "I don't know how to prove this to you, but trust me it's not!"

Leopardfur raised her brow, still refusing to look at him. Graystripe sighed.

"I mean, yes she told me a few things about RiverClan, and in return, I told her a few things about ThunderClan. But, we promised each other not to tell anything too private - nothing that would hurt our clans at least!"

As if he wasn't already unsettled enough, Graystripe grew even more so when Leopardfur unexpectantly guffawed - something that took him by surprise.

"Now isn't that cute? So after all this time, you two just went about philandering with each other, and only occasionally swapped secrets, huh?"

Graystripe couldn't help but feel flustered. "Y-yes! Of course, we were curious about each other's clan, but nothing she told me was really important, and likewise with my information," he said, hoping she would believe him. Although, he could only frown since Leopardfur suddenly appeared to quickly lose interest, checking her claws again.

"I don't care if it was 'important' or not - I want to know what she told you!" she said, unamused. "And if it's soo unimportant then it wouldn't hurt to tell your deputy will it?"

Leopardfur emphasized the word deputy which had bothered Graystripe more than he wanted to admit. He felt stumped as he looked towards her.

"Well, she told me her… favorite food was carp?" he said, unsure if that was the best bit of information he could share in this situation.

To his dismay, he watched as Leopardfur stopped examining her claws, turning to stare at him blankly. Graystripe shuffled his paws, trying his best to look innocent. Leopardfur simply sneered at him, turning away.

"This is just a waste of time." She got up onto her paws, stretching as she continued. "Perhaps I'll just have to find a more effective method of getting what I want from you."

Graystripe eyed her warily. He thought he saw an evil glint in her pupils for a second there but soon dismissed it with a huff, lifting himself onto his paws.

"Leopardfur, I swear to you that I'm telling the truth. I-" he stopped.

Graystripe's nose twitched as a strange smell suddenly made itself known to him. He instinctively opened his maw to get a better taste of the odd scent.

Leopardfur - after hearing him stop mid-sentence - glanced at him curiously, before growling.

"If you have something to say, then-"

"Wait," Graystripe cut her off. "I think I smell something!"

Leopardfur choked for a moment, appalled, before sneering.

"Don't you go cutting me off!"

Graystripe turned to her slightly annoyed, as she'd completely ignored his claim

"I'm being serious! I think I smell…" he took a moment to catch another whiff before widening his eyes in alarm. "ShadowClan!"

"What?" Leopardfur's eyes shot open as well, before quickly turning into a suspicious glare. "How do you-"

Before she could finish, Graystripe was already in a jog, trying to follow the scent.

"Hey!" Leopardfur was heard shouting after him. Graystripe knew he would have to deal with her later, but he couldn't ignore the scent he was picking up.

It was ShadowClan, he was sure of it.

Graystripe could tell the scent was growing stronger as he followed the river. He wasn't sure how a ShadowClan scent could exist in this part of the forest, but he'd scented their territory more times than he wanted to remember. He knew what they smelt like - something he'd deemed to be rather unfortunate.

Very soon, Graystripe found himself approaching a large Twoleg bridge, one he'd seen many times before and what was more than likely the next destination on the tour.

He focused his attention on the structure, the scent reaching its strongest point yet.

Did ShadowClan use this bridge recently? He asked himself as he approached. His fur stood on end as he came near the bridge, and the sound of the river was currently distracting him from thinking about the situation any further.

The river currents always picked up in speed and ferocity during newleaf, Silverstream had also once told him.

He found that to be true, as the loud flow of the water barely allowed him to think clearly. It probably was also blocking out any calls Leopardfur was giving him.

Graystripe reluctantly decided to tread closer, peering underneath the bridge. For some reason, the scent of ShadowClan seemed stronger below the structure. Upon inspecting the small collections of reeds and rocks, Graystripe thought he saw a dash of pure white among them. Careful not to fall into the river, Graystripe slowly navigated underneath the bridge.

Parting the reeds, he was suddenly greeted with a sight that made his jaw drop.

That flash of pure white he saw… was a cat!

Graystripe bristled his fur in alarm. The cat reeked of ShadowClan, but luckily, he appeared to be sleeping. That alone wasn't enough to make his fur settle, however. Upon closer inspection, Graystripe quickly came to a shocking realization.

"Cloudpaw?" he said, eyes wide in disbelief.

Graystripe could hardly believe what he was seeing.

His best friend's apprentice was here! And he smelt of… ShadowClan?

Although, Graystripe must have said the young cat's name a lot louder than he wanted because all of the sudden, Cloudpaw flicked his eyes open as he jumped in surprise. Graystripe reared his head back as Cloudpaw suddenly began flailing his claws mindlessly towards him.

"No, stay back! S-stay back I said!"

Graystripe sat back, stunned, before deciding he would take a step closer.

"Wait Cloudpaw! It's me, Graystripe!"

The young apprentice seemed to perk his ears at this, before looking up worriedly.

"G-Graystripe?" His voice was hardly a whisper.

Graystripe looked at him, confused but also sympathetic. The young tom looked to be writhing in dirt and mud, a bizarre sight given how his white coat had always been so clean before. A few streaks of dried blood could also be seen around his shoulders and legs, suggesting he'd been in a fight.

Last he'd seen Cloudpaw, his pelt had been such a pure white. Yet here he was now, tarsal-deep in mud and grime. Had it not been for the scent of ShadowClan, Graystripe probably wouldn't have been able to find him amongst the reeds from a distance.

"Cloudpaw…" Graystripe muttered his name as he took another step closer. "What are you doing here?"

The young apprentice looked at him fearfully, his deep blue eyes starting to come out of their slits. However, before he could say anything, a startlingly loud voice could be heard.

"GRAYSTRIPE!"

Both toms whipped their heads towards the new cat. Graystripe frowned, seeing that the she-cat had followed him.

Leopardfur stalked towards the gray tom, growling loudly. She didn't appear to be tired from chasing him downriver at all.

"Do I have to keep you on a leash so you stop running away from everything?!"

Graystripe looked at her with a guilty expression, knowing full well how he had abandoned her. Although she had been seething with anger, this at least meant she had actually cared if he ran away.

Leopardfur seemed to be waiting for a response, causing Graystripe to panic. He quickly tried thinking of a way to explain how he'd just found an apprentice from his former clan under a bridge. His mind quickly stopped, however, as he remembered Cloudpaw was right there with them.

He turned away from Leopardfur, trying to spot Cloudpaw again.

The apprentice was still there, though he was currently watching the scene before him with a look of pure fright. The young tom flinched as Leopardfur followed her companion's gaze and onto him. Her eyes sharpened into a glare, and her nose flicked - certainly from catching the foreign scent emanating from him.

"Intruder!" she yelled. Cloudpaw greeted his teeth, cowering away.

"S-stay back!" Cloudpaw said. His fur was fully puffed out in alarm, ready to fight if necessary - though he looked more ready to run than anything.

Graystripe realized with a jolt that Leopardfur was quickly advancing on him. Without a second thought, the warrior quickly moved in between them, giving Leopardfur a pleading look before turning towards Cloudpaw.

"Don't be scared, Cloudpaw! She's, uh…" He glanced towards the molly, whose eyes were currently burning into his pelt.

"My… friend?"

"Shut up," she commanded, before stalking forward again. Graystripe grunted in as the deputy shoved her way past him.

"You there…" Leopardfur observed the young tom, while he sat frozen with fear. "I've never seen you around before, but you smell of ShadowClan!" She curled her lip as if it offended her to state that. "So tell me: Who are you, and why are you on RiverClan territory?"

Cloudpaw hardly seemed to give any indication he'd heard, but upon hearing that last part, his ears suddenly perked towards her.

He stared at her curiously as Graystripe quickly took this opportunity to speak up.

"Leopardfur, this is Cloudpaw! You saw him yesterday in ThunderClan, remember?"

He looked hopeful towards the deputy, but she just growled at him.

"I can't be bothered to remember the names of some filthy apprentice from another clan," she stated, keeping her stern gaze on Cloudpaw. "Besides, this one smells of ShadowClan."

Graystripe couldn't think of an answer for that, but before Leopardfur could continue, however, the voice of Cloudpaw suddenly grabbed their attention.

"Hey… did you say... RiverClan?" he squeaked, sounding eager all of a sudden. Leopardfur frowned, squinting at him.

"Yes, I did, and I'd recommend you don't make said clan's deputy repeat herself," she said full of bitterness. Cloudpaw, however, seemed to perk up excitedly at her words.

"So that means I…" he paused. Suddenly, his mouth grew into a smile and he gave a sigh of relief. "I made it!"

Graystripe flashed him a confused look. "What are you talking about Cloudpaw?"

The young tom looked at him, almost with a sense of awe.

"You!" he exclaimed with wide eyes, although seemingly ignoring the question. "I need your help! Please, you must take me to your camp!"

Graystripe stood still for a moment, too surprised to think of a response at first. Seeing Leopardfur's glare sharpen, however, he quickly thought of one.

"But, why Cloudpaw? We can't just take a cat from another clan back with us. Besides, aren't you supposed to be with Fireheart?"

This question was also something Graystripe had been wondering to himself this entire time, so he felt worried when it had caused the apprentice to flinch. Cloudpaw ducked his head slightly, evading the warriors' gazes.

"Uhm, Fireheart…" Cloudpaw began before stopping abruptly. Graystripe could tell something was bothering him. Something bad must have happened after he left the clan.

"Is Fireheart the reason you're out here?" Graystripe asked.

"N-no!" Cloudpaw suddenly shot his head up. "But he's in big trouble, Graystripe! Fireheart's in soo much trouble!"

The gray-pelted warrior just stared at him confused, now truly at a loss for words. Leopardfur could soon be heard making a low growling noise.

"I'd imagine someone who killed their own clan leader would be in trouble," she stated, keeping a suspicious glare on Cloudpaw. The young tom shot her a defiant look.

"And... you!" he shouted, albeit with a little hesitation. "I remember you now! You're the one who agreed to take Graystripe away!"

"Don't remind me," Leopardfur sneered. "Now answer, apprentice! Just what are you doing here? Not enough squirrels in the forest to chase?"

Cloudpaw stood his ground as she spoke, holding on to his bold glare. However, after that last sentence, he'd suddenly gone from mildly on edge to downright terrified.

"C-chase?…" he whimpered fearfully as he started limping away. "N-no! Are you going to chase me away too?!"

Alarmed, Graystripe quickly took a few steps closer to Cloudpaw, aiming to keep in front of Leopardfur who seemed to have been inadvertently creeping towards him.

"Cloudpaw, calm down!" he tried telling him, although without much of a result. Leopardfur, meanwhile, seemed rather amused by the apprentice's deduction.

"Well, he catches on quickly, doesn't he?" she mused, before continuing to stalk forward. "If you don't answer me soon, little kit, then I may just eat you!"

"Leopardfur, stop!" Graystripe quickly stood in between her and Cloudpaw. "He… he looks hurt, and he smells like ShadowClan for some reason."

"So?" Leopardfur raised her brow, annoyed at his interference. Graystripe looked at her dumbfounded.

"So, something bad must have happened to him!"

"Well then, he can join the club," she said, rolling her eyes. "Meh, you've just ruined the mood. Let's just chase him back to ThunderClan - he's not worth any more of my time."

Graystripe was about to argue, but his ears winced at the sound of a piercing cry from behind him.

"N-NO! I can't go back! I-I…" Cloudpaw stuttered, eyes wide with fear. "I was… banished."

His voice was barely above a whimper. Graystripe whipped his head back towards him in surprise, while Leopardfur only softened her glare a little.

"Banished?" Graystripe echoed. Like me?!

Cloudpaw suddenly regained that eager look in his eyes again, but this time it was joined by a hint of remorse.

"Y-yes! I… I was chased out of the clan because I tried telling everyone how Tigerclaw was lying! Fireheart isn't a murderer! I know he isn't!

Graystripe sat there stunned as this news was suddenly dumped onto him.

"Really?" was all he could manage to respond with.

Cloudpaw sheepishly lowered his ears.

"Well that, and because I'm a kittypet."

Graystripe looked at him with sympathy and opened his mouth to say something before a snort from Leopardfur beat him to it.

"You can't be serious, ThunderClan took in another one?" the she-cat suddenly spoke. "Hah! I guess that explains why Tigerclaw's had a stick in him lately."

Graystripe ignored her remark, intending to question Cloudpaw further.

"Cloudpaw, what do you mean you were chased?" he asked, displaying a similar look of eagerness as that of the apprentice. After all, this was something he never expected from Tigerclaw, despite how much the tabby had openly despised a few cats in his clan. Graystripe needed to hear everything Cloudpaw had to tell.

"I…" the young tom started before a sneeze cut him off. He shivered slightly before giving Graystripe a weary look.

"Uhm, hey, can we talk about this while not under a bridge?"

Graystripe blinked and then quickly nodded, wanting suddenly to get back to camp as soon as possible.

"Oh… sure! We-"

"No."

Graystripe choked for a moment, before turning to face Leopardfur with a look of protest.

"Leopardfur, you can't be serious! Cloudpaw needs help - just look at him!" Graystripe gestured towards the mild scratches and filthy pelt that Cloudpaw possessed, but Leopardfur simply curled her lip.

"I am, and I wish to no longer. Now then, let's get rid of him," she said coldly before stalking forward. Graystripe's eyes widened in alarm, and without a second thought, pushed himself in front of the spotted she-cat.

"Leopardfur… I-" he stammered, nearly faltering under her venomous glare. "I… I won't let you."

If there was ever a time when looks could kill, Graystripe knew he would be halfway up to StarClan right now. Leopardfur had been frozen for a moment, as Graystripe stood in her path terrified yet unfazed. After a while - and to his surprise - she just gave him an aggravated huff.

"Of course, you would go and stick up for your real clanmates wouldn't you?"

Graystripe quickly shook his head. "It's not that! He… he's been banished Leopardfur. Banished!"

Leopardfur didn't look swayed, so Graystripe continued. "Look, Cloudpaw is nothing like me, Leopardfur. He hasn't done anything bad to you or RiverClan - he's just an apprentice!"

The deputy simply responded with a growl. "RiverClan has enough of ThunderClan's scent poisoning its camp. We do not need more!"

"But he has ShadowClan scent on him," Graystripe corrected. "That should be the real concern here!"

Cloudpaw, albeit in a meek voice, decided to join in. "I-I can explain everything! I can tell you everything I know!"

Leopardfur glanced away from Graystripe, her ears perking in interest. "Oh?"

That one sentence had been enough to catch Leopardfur's attention.

Oh Cloudpaw, don't tell her that! Graystripe thought, wishing he could go over and cuff the tom's ear.

"Everything, you say?" Leopardfur continued with a small gleam in her eyes.

Graystripe caught that glint. He'd seen it on her before - she was getting an idea, and it was one he probably wouldn't like.

"Leopardfur-" he started, but Cloudpaw interrupted, looking bravely towards the she-cat as he repeated.

"Everything."

Graystripe shot him a disapproving look, but the apprentice didn't acknowledge it.

Cloudpaw...

Leopardfur looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well then," she finally said. "Perhaps, this particular piece of ThunderClan filth could actually be of some use, unlike a few I know."

Brilliant. Graystripe sighed to himself. Although, he couldn't help but feel relieved. After ignoring Leopardfur's remark, as per usual, the warrior obtained a sense of hope that'd been absent since their first encounter with the apprentice.

"So… we'll take him with us?" He looked towards Leopardfur, his tail perking up. Cloudpaw's tail did the same, eager for her answer.

"Yeah, fine, whatever," she grunted, looking away from them to avoid seeing the kit-like grin that had spread across his face. "But he looks hurt, so you're gonna carry him…" she eyed Graystripe before looking between the two of them. "And both of you are going to stay behind me the whole time as well. I don't want neither ShadowClan nor ThunderClan scents near me, much less together!"

Graystripe nodded eagerly, before making his way towards Cloudpaw - the young apprentice now also adorning a wide smile. Once he noticed Graystripe approaching, he tried getting to his paws.

"H-hey! I can walk!" he said as he tried taking a step through the mud, before promptly stumbling over himself. "Ugh, maybe not.."

"Here, I got you."

Graystripe leaned over through the reeds, using his powerful muscles to grasp tightly onto Cloudpaw's scruff and heave him off the ground. The kit was indeed the size of a young apprentice, but Graystripe was still large enough to carry him without much issue.

Cloudpaw purred happily as the warrior brought him out from underneath the bridge.

"Thanks, Graystripe!" he meowed, undoubtedly in a good mood now being out of the mud. The gray-pelted warrior simply purred in response, before quickly bounding away to catch up with Leopardfur, who he noticed had taken a rather large lead ahead of them.

Upon his approach, Graystripe thought he heard the spotted she-cat mutter something. He could've sworn it was along the lines of "I knew this tour had to be worth something."

"You found him where?!"

Crookedstar's yowl of astonishment had promptly been followed by a wave of flinching warriors. Graystripe, Leopardfur, and Cloudpaw had just arrived in RiverClan camp, where Crookedstar thankfully hadn't left his den for the day yet.

"It's true," Leopardfur told him, unpinning her ears and letting her tensed muscles relax. "He was wallowing in the mud underneath the Twoleg bridge. He was dirty and smelt faintly of ShadowClan, but we quickly decided that was an issue, and cleaned him up before coming back."

"I see," Crookedstar mumbled, scanning the white-pelted apprentice before him. Cloudpaw ducked slightly behind the warriors next to him as he evaded the RiverClan leader's gaze. "I suppose that's how he managed to evade our patrols, but if that's the case, how did Graystripe find him all by himself?"

The warrior just shrugged. "I guess I'm just a lot more familiar with ShadowClan scent than you all," he figured simply.

Crookedstar nodded. "Yes, we don't interact with ShadowClan much."

Leopardfur soon added, "That's also why none of us could pick up on the scent, but it makes sense Graystripe could, considering he lived next to the stinkin' things, after all."

She shot both him and Cloudpaw a look.

"He also claimed this apprentice had smelt faintly of the Thunderpath as well..."

Crookedstar said nothing as he processed their report. Graystripe assumed the leader very rarely dealt with situations involving more than two enemy clans at once.

He kept a curious gaze on Cloudpaw as he opened his mouth to speak.

"So, what you're telling me - is that Tigerclaw banished this young apprentice for being related to a kittypet, and then proceeded to have one of his warriors chase him across the Thunderpath and into ShadowClan?"

Yes. That's exactly what happened from the sound of it, or at least, from what Graystripe could tell. Both him and Leopardfur seemed to agree in that regard, as they both gave their leader a nod.

Crookedstar stared at them for a moment, seemingly puzzled.

"But… that just doesn't sound like something Tigerclaw would do…"

Upon hearing the doubts of the RiverClan leader, Cloudpaw took a step out from behind Graystripe.

"But he did!" he whined, before quickly being silenced by Leopardfur's hiss.

"Quiet pipsqueak!" she ordered in as quiet of a voice as she could muster, which to Graystripe, could not be quiet enough. "This report isn't for the entire clan to hear, got it? From now on, you will only speak when prompted!"

Cloudpaw looked intimidated by her but didn't seem like he would heed her order anytime soon. He bristled, seemingly preparing some kind of retort. The both of them broke away from each other as Crookedstar waved his large tail.

"Enough now," he said in a low but authoritative voice. "Graystripe, tell me. Do you know this ThunderClan apprentice?"

With this question directed towards him, Graystripe finally believed he could start to explain everything to his leader, and hopefully, receive his support.

"Yes, I do. His name is Cloudpaw, and he's my friend's… I mean, Fireheart's apprentice."

Graystripe suddenly felt his confidence dwindle, as he was reminded of his friend who was still stuck in ThunderClan. Cloudpaw mentioned he was in danger - what exactly did he mean by that?

Crookedstar looked a little surprised after Graystripe mentioned the flame-pelted tom.

"So the kittypet warrior became a mentor?" he asked, sounding unconvinced. Yet Cloudpaw was soon puffing up his chest, a proud grin making its way across his face.

"He sure did! And he's my uncle too!" he stated, this pride in his mentor on full display.

From what Graystripe could tell, Leopardfur seemed to hide a snicker. He frowned a little since she probably would've mocked the young apprentice had Crookedstar not been in their presence. Meanwhile, the RiverClan leader actually widened his eyes as Cloudpaw revealed this to him.

"Kin?" he mused. "So you're saying that you are related to the only other clan-kittypet as well?" Crookedstar looked at him curiously. "Interesting. However, it sounds to me like you're more kittypet than a warrior, or am I wrong?"

"I…" Cloudpaw paused. His prideful grin seemed to fade a bit quickly upon hearing that question, but it was soon replaced by a deep frown.

"Actually…No. I'm not a kittypet, since ThunderClan is all I've ever known! I have never once slept in a soft bed or eaten that brown slop!" he declared.

Graystripe looked at him with a hint of compassion meanwhile Crookedstar just seemed to give a slow, thoughtful nod. However, though Leopardfur had been amused by how upset the young tom had gotten over simply being called a kittypet, by now she seemed to have about just enough of him

"That doesn't mean anything, kittypet," she told him. "You were banished because of your roots, and you shouldn't try to deny it! Kittypets simply aren't capable of learning how to become a true warrior, even if they live within a clan!"

Cloudpaw lashed his tail at her. "That's not true at all! There are great warriors who-"

The young tom quickly shut his mouth, now seeming apprehensive.

"Who…"

The cats around him waited for him to speak, but Cloudpaw seemed unwilling. Leopardfur growled, having reached the end of her patience.

"Oh, spit it out already! What are you, an owl?" she glared at him. Cloudpaw shuffled nervously in response and shrank away from her. Crookedstar watched with a look of concern, before glancing towards his deputy.

"Leopardfur, you're scaring the poor kit," he said with a soft voice. Although Cloudpaw suddenly perked his head up, seeming offended.

"Hey! I am not a kit!" he challenged, only to take a step back once he saw the much larger tom shoot him a look.

"Oh, but you are as impulsive and ignorant as they come, young one. I heard all about your little spat with ThunderClan's new leader, so I suggest you don't try the same with me, understand?" Crookedstar declared coldly.

Graystripe looked anxiously between them. Cloudpaw's hot-headed personality wasn't doing him any favors when it came to gaining Crookedstar's support.

Luckily for them both, Cloudpaw had backed down, simply giving Crookedstar a nod.

"Fine…"

At this point, Graystripe thought it'd be best if he took over.

"Crookedstar, sir, we brought Cloudpaw here for more than just to receive help. We wanted to find out what happened to him after he was chased out, and he said he would tell us if we brought him to RiverClan," the warrior informed his leader, before turning to Cloudpaw. "Isn't that right?"

Cloudpaw seemed oddly aloof before Graystripe mentioned his name. He quickly snapped out of it, however, and looked towards the group of cats staring at him.

"Oh, well, I… I dunno if I wanna talk about it right now honestly," he muttered. Graystripe winced a little hearing his words and shot him a look of worry at the same time Leopardfur released a growl.

"Oh no, you better! I didn't agree to bring you here just for you to mope around!" she snarled, but Crookedstar simply shook his head, waving his tail towards her.

"Leopardfur, I can handle this," he said. The RiverClan deputy looked towards him for a moment, before simply grunting as she looked away, a sign most cats knew was basically her way of saying 'Alright then, just get it over with'.

"Tell me, Cloudpaw," the RiverClan leader turned his head, directing his attention towards the young apprentice. "You were chased into ShadowClan territory correct?"

Cloudpaw hesitated for a moment, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Y-yes."

Crookedstar nodded. "Well, ShadowClan is very far away from here, so you must have escaped from your pursuer at some point and found your way towards the river, correct?"

Cloudpaw seemed to be battling the urge to look away from him.

"Well, yeah I guess so…" he muttered.

"You don't sound very convincing," Crookedstar stated. "Be honest with me, Cloudpaw. How did you escape from your pursuer?"

Cloudpaw sat still for a moment, shuffling his paws for a second time.

"I… got help from someone."

Graystripe perked his ears at this. How come Cloudpaw never mentioned that before?

Crookedstar simply nodded again, as if he was expecting that answer.

"Were they from your clan?"

Cloudpaw didn't say anything for a moment, before eventually sighing.

"Okay, look… they were a cat from ShadowClan," he said. Graystripe's fur pricked a little at this, and so did the two RiverClan authorities in the den. So was that why Cloudpaw smelt so strongly of ShadowClan?

"But hold on!" Cloudpaw began, noting the alarm on their faces. "I know that probably sounds bad, but it's not what you think!"

Crookedstar hummed as he considered the apprentice's words. Leopardfur meanwhile simply rolled her eyes, her face appearing tentative.

"Doubt it," she said, sounding uninterested. Graystripe could tell she was hardly paying attention anymore but chose to frown nonetheless. Crookedstar, on the other paw, looked towards Cloudpaw with a warm smile.

"I don't doubt there are at least a few kind-hearted ShadowClan cats," he said, earning a snort of disagreement from Leopardfur, which he ignored. "Regardless, I think it would be best if you told us your tale from start to finish, yes?"

Graystripe could agree to that. He was just as eager as Crookedstar to know what happened to the former ThunderClan apprentice after he had been banished and chased away.

Cloudpaw looked at him, hesitation clear in his eyes, before finally letting out a sigh of defeat.

"Okay, fine... I guess I can tell you."

The young tom shifted uncomfortably, preparing to regale his experience with the cats around who'd he deemed trustworthy enough.

Graystripe looked at him eagerly. He was ready to learn just what happened with his friend's former apprentice after the events of the prior day.

…