Chapter 6 - Cycle 12, March of the Third Year
"Nightwing should have been back by now." Tawnystar's tail lashed, her eyes narrow, staring at the wall of the leader's hollow. "I'm terrified, something must have happened to them. The journey should not take this long, even if they took generous breaks. No to mention the kits should have arrived…"
"Last week." Meowed Tornfeather. "I know. It's… it's strange."
The den grew silent, only for the subtle sound of Tawnystar's curt, anxious breathing.
"I don't know what to do, Tornfeather. I want to send a search party, but I can't tell if that's irrational. Part of me wants to go by myself. Find them myself. I was the one who… did all of this."
She wanted to weep but she had done so much of it in the last week her body could hardly muster another tear. She wanted to collapse into her den, while simultaneously wanting to run as far as her body could take her, perhaps as far as the alliance, where her mate was supposed to be. Then she wanted to run even farther, farther and farther from the prides, from her leadership, from Tornfeather and all of her other pridemates. She wanted to be anywhere but here, in this turmoil. She sent the most important companion she'd ever had off to die… and along with her, an innocent, devoted member of the pride.
"Oh Ridgewhisper…" She wailed. "Oh Nightwing, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry."
She felt Tornfeather behind her. "Tawnystar, breath." She meowed, pulling up close beside her, her pelt brushing against the leader. She began to purr, not in an amused or content sort of way, but in a way that was desperate to comfort her. A way that was the last attempt and bringing any softness back to the tortured leader's body. "You need to breathe. We can figure this out."
The leader grew stiff, turning away from her Second Claw.
"How?" She spat, bitter… angry, even. She's never loved, she's not a mother, what the hell would she know?
Tawnystar instantly washed over with guilt for thinking this about the she-cat who had only been gracious and helpful towards her since this all began. She widened her eyes, blinked, still not looking over at the pair of wide blue eyes that lurked just beside her.
Tornfeather exhaled audibly. "If he's not back in a few days, I think it would be reasonable to send a patrol. Perhaps after the gathering. We can ask the other prides if they know anything about the situation. Does that sound like a decent plan?" She ran her tail along Tawnystar's spin, purring desperately now.
"I just… my mind keeps leading me to the worst possible scenarios… my kits…" She panted, hanging her head. "This is destroying me, Tornfeather. I thought I could manage when Wrenstar commanded me to do this. Now… I regret it so much. I did this out of blind trust for my leader and now, look where it's gotten me."
"It hasn't been that long, you know." The pale brown she-cat meowed. "Listen, listen to me…" She pushed her head forward, trying to make eye contact with the leader. "I have as much knowledge as you, about what happened to them out there, and whether or not they are okay but…" She blinked. "You need to know it's not your fault. It's not Wrenstar's fault, and it's certainly not Ridgewhisper's fault."
Tawnystar grimaced even at the sound of her mates name.
"This whole situation… It's born from fear. We are afraid of the cycle. We are afraid of its powers. Hell, we're all terrified of getting sick, let alone watching our children get sick. The White Whiskers, in all of their wisdom, are afraid too. That's why they told Wrenstar to do this… to enact this strange… prophecy… or whatever you want to call it." The second claw continued. "But what we shouldn't do is try to fix our fear by finding more things to be afraid of. You need to believe that thing will be okay. If they're not, we can't change that, but you need to recognize that there is a strong possibility that there has been an innocent delay in their journey."
"It's true." She muttered. "It's so hard to remember that… when I have no way to know…" She was exhausted, she leaned onto Tornfeather lightly. "I probably sound crazy to you, I don't feel like myself these days."
"I don't think you're crazy, I think you're in pain, but you don't have the luxury of curling into a ball and dying, you have to…" She motioned with her tail at the exit of the den, towards the settlement. "You have to deal with all of that. You have to be a leader, and god… that's horrible."
"It's a lot." She breathed. "I'm afraid my pride thinks less of me now."
"I think they are either lost in their own lives, or would certainly understand." She replied.
"Perhaps."
"I don't think any less of you, for what it's worth." Tornfeather stated, bluntly.
Tawnystar looked at her. How could you not? You see me in my weakest moments, wailing about my kits and my mate and my dead leader. She felt inclined to wrap her tail around the she-cat's flank, to purr softly, to touch her nose to her cheek… but she couldn't. She was too tired, and it would be wrong. Even a casual act of affection towards the Second Claw would feel unfair.
"It's worth a lot." She replied, looking down at her paws again. "It's… it just, means a lot."
"I'm being truthful." Tornfeather added. "I mean what I say, and I'd tell you the truth, even if it meant something negative. There is no room for lies between leaders and second claws."
"Very well said." Tawnystar meowed. "I… would like some fresh air. I'm going to walk around, you are welcome to join, but don't feel inclined."
The second claw thought for a moment. "I think I will go hunt something, I'm ravenous. Do you want me to bring you back something to eat as well?"
"You don't need to."
"I'd like to."
"Okay, well, maybe."
Tornfeather smiled, just the tiniest bit, at the leader's reluctance to accept her gesture. Then she was gone. It was just Tawnystar then, alone in the den, watching the hempen barrier sway where the Second Claw left.
"Tawnystar, thank goodness, we need to speak to you!" A loud, serious meow sounded across the clearing outside of her den. "Something strange is going on. There's a… a Maple Valley cat, Eastern, we reckon'… he's absolutely mad. Lost his mind. Just outside of the marsh." It was Goldentooth, a large, blonde tabby Tom with green eyes. He was bristling with fear, his long, well groomed fur practically standing on end. He was a member of the council, making him one of the five highest ranking cats in the pride aside from the Leader and the Second Claw.
"You need to see this, I've never seen anything like it…" Shouted Robinfall, bounding towards her. "He won't tell us his name, Greyspecks has him trapped. He's pretty young, not old enough to have dementia or anything… he's violent, so violent…"
Tawnystar looked both of the cats up and down, sniffing the air. They both smelled like blood, and Goldentooth wore a large set of claw marks across his chest. He was bleeding down his chest, the blood from the wound running down his legs.
"Hell, Goldentooth, go to the infirmary. Robinfall, are you hurt?" She meowed quickly. She surveyed the dark brown she-cat, but it was hard to see any blood on such a dark pelt. She did notice she wasn't putting a lot of weight on her front left paw while she stood.
Robinfall shook her head. "I twisted a claw climbing up a tree to run from him, but it's minor. One of us will need to show you to the clearing where Grayspecks is, anyways."
"I'd like to take one more cat, for backup." She ordered. "Robinfall, can you fetch another scout, perhaps Leafdapple if he's in his nest."
"I'll go find someone." She ran off, and Goldentooth remained standing before her. He was a massive Tom, breathing loudly in his discomfort, but not moving.
"If you're going to stand there instead of going and getting that wound checked out, you should at least give me some more information. What did this cat look like? What happened when you came across him?"
Goldentooth breathed in, then sighed. "He's a larger Tom, maybe my size, but a little thin. Ginger fur, green eyes, he was an adult but not a senior. I'd never seen him before, but he could have easily blended in with a bunch of East Maple Valley scouts." He began. "The three of us were out hunting, and we saw him, just his shadow, lurking at the base of that patch of cedars by the marsh. We called out to him, not recognizing his scent. You don't think much of it… just one cat, doesn't seem like much of a threat."
"I understand." She replied. "Then what happened, he attacked you?"
"Basically. He approached us, was threatening us, then started wailing something about the "bad cats". Then he lunged at me, I swiped him across the face, he was disoriented and then he chased Robinfall up that tree. When he realized he couldn't get at her anymore, he started relentlessly clawing at Grayspecks. We pinned him down, but he didn't give in. Just clawed and clawed and clawed until he couldn't anymore. We didn't want to kill him. He's exhausted now, weak enough to be guarded by just one cat, but still muttering nonsense… it's scary, never seen anything like it."
When Robinfall returned with Leafdapple behind her, a lanky gray Tom with a long tail gray rosetted fur and amber eyes, the leader turned once more to Goldentooth.
"Go get Dunewhisker or Loonclaw to look at that, I'm serious." She said sternly, and then addressed the two other scouts.
"Robinfall, lead us to the clearing." She ordered.
The three of them ran east out of the settlement, Tawnystar's chest heavy with fear.
The cat was limp beneath Grayspecks' large paws. Ginger fur stained with blood, matted and unkept. Little bits of moss and dirt clung to the toms fur, around his face, even near his glazed over eyes.
Grayspecks stared solumnley at the body, then up at the arriving patrol. They were in a small clearing, frequently trafficked by pride cats; the remaining snow was pressed flat into the earth by many footsteps. As the snowmelt continued, it began to smell in this area like the nearby marsh. Loamy, organic, and a little like the amphibians, frogs and salamanders alike that would soon emerge for them to hunt.
Tawnystar panted, focusing on the scene in front of her. The limp stranger and powerful Copperwood cat standing above him, heaving.
"You killed him!" Shouted Robinfall, her voice a judgmental hiss, venom building up in her tone towards the large dappled Tom, his white and dark grey fur messy, presumably from this incident.
Grayspecks heaved. "I didn't want to!" He wailed, staring at the body. "He recovered from his exhaustion and got so strong… he threatened to kill me over and over. He pinned me down, bit into my neck." He padded towards the group, lifting up his chin to reveal a substantial bite mark. "The whole time he was working me up, screeching at me about my mate, my dead mate… I don't know how he even knew about that. He kept saying 'your kits are next'… laughing at me… I was full of rage. I was afraid. I flung him off of me and tried to wound him bad enough he couldn't make any more advances, but he seemed to have this strange, incredible strength, he wouldn't give in."
Tawnystar was shocked to see the strong headed Tom start to cry. She was overcome with disbelief at everything in front of her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it." He heaved again, choking on his own grief. "I was so angry. So afraid."