Seven
It wasn't easy setting new borders for the territory. With the Clan properly established, Dovestar worked on ensuring that the borders were secure enough to keep trespassers off their territory. She, Hollyleaf and Tigerheart would work separately in marking the border. Since the Clans collapsed, rogues and loners had begun moving into the surrounding area. A couple of loners had already been chased out, though the rogues were bold enough to fight back. Dovestar had seen a couple of them look at the Clan with renewed interest, while the majority were strictly there for themselves.
Smoketuft had become an efficient part of the Clan, much to Dovestar's relief. The dark gray tom worked hard to provide mostly for Flosspelt, but he also brought enough prey to feed Minnowtail and Mothwing as well. He seemed to understand how important medicine cats were to the Clan. There was a deep respect that went on between Mothwing and the former kittypet. Dovestar suspected it had to do with the fact that Mothwing was looking after Flosspelt, who moved into the nursery once it was finished.
She hadn't realized until watching them how much she envied their carefree relationship. Smoketuft made it no secret how much he loved Flosspelt, and the feelings were mutual. Even Minnowtail had Mothwing to look after her, as annoying as she could be at times. Hollyleaf was perfectly content being on her own. According to her, she preferred being the only molly who hadn't found a mate.
That left Dovestar feeling even more confused and frustrated than ever.
Tigerheart had been going out of his way to avoid her ever since their talk a couple of nights ago. Since then it felt as if someone clawed at her chest. Even when they saw each other, it was usually so quick that she hardly had the chance to catch his eye. Whenever she finally did make eye contact, he was usually so ashamed that he wouldn't spend much time lingering around.
Her claws sheathed and unsheathed with frustration as she made her way to the newest scent marker. It took some time for them to officially establish the border. Once it became clear that they were there to stay, the loners finally started respecting that notion. The rogues were a different story. She and Smoketuft had already fought off a couple of rogues with minor injuries as a result.
So the last thing she expected was to find a young tom standing at the edge of the border with a kit sitting between his paws. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion when she noticed this cat was different from the other rogues they chased off days ago. He wasn't sleek or well-built like those rogues. In fact, it looked as if he was struggling just to survive with the pitiful scrap of fur between his paws.
"Who are you?" she demanded when the tom made no move to attack.
The tawny-colored tom merely bowed his head, almost as if to show that he wasn't a threat.
"I'm not here to fight," he replied. Dovestar didn't miss the wariness in his voice or the tension in his muscles. One twitch of his tail gave away to how nervous he was. "I only want a safe place for my kit to grow up. She's the only family I have left after Lightning and his group moved in."
Dovestar's ears pricked forward in alarm. She remembered the rogues that fought them a couple days ago. There had been a fierceness about them that she hadn't seen since the Dark Forest battle. One of the cats had a scar along his shoulder blade that reminded her of a streak of lightning. She knew that must be the cat the tom spoke of.
"What makes you different from those cats?" she asked warily. "For all I know, they could have sent you and that kit here to spy on us."
What sort of a kit would spy on anyone? she wondered.
"Please… if you won't take me in then take Olive," he pleaded. Dovestar blinked in surprise when he nudged the kit forward, earning a mewl of protest. "She lost her mother and her siblings when Lightning ambushed us. I don't want her to meet the same fate."
A knot formed in the pit of her stomach when Dovestar looked down at the small kit. She couldn't be more than a few moons old at best, with forest green eyes and a tortoiseshell pelt with tabby markings. Dovestar looked between the kit and the tom, suddenly aware that this kit was likely his offspring. She let out a heavy sigh when she realized that this could be an opportunity to gain more warriors.
"Alright, fine," she muttered after debating whether it was worth waiting for Hollyleaf or Mothwing. Lately she had been going to the two of them for any advice she needed to lead the Clan. She was grateful for their constant support, especially since Minnowtail constantly berated her for whatever choices she made. "But only if you can promise to prove yourself once you've received proper treatment… it's obvious you've been hurt as well."
Relief swept across the tom's face when he realized she was letting him join her. She watched with narrowed eyes when he carefully picked the kit up. It was obvious the kit was large enough and old enough to walk on her own, but he wasn't giving her that chance. The kit continued wailing in protest until they left the border, though not without Dovestar marking it first.
"Thank you," he whispered once they put enough distance between themselves and the border. "I know I haven't given you any reason to trust me, but I'll try and make up for it."
She didn't bother responding. Instead, she acknowledged his gesture with a flick of her ear before leading the way into camp. The tom followed after some hesitation, realizing that the barrier of thorns was a form of protection for the Clan. Mothwing was the first to emerge from her newly formed den when she heard the sound of a kit wailing.
"What in StarClan's name is that?" Minnowtail demanded.
She was sunning herself in the small patch of sunlight that filtered into the clearing. Dovestar nearly rolled her eyes when she noticed how the kits were tumbling around her, pretending not to notice the new arrival.
"That happens to be a kit and her father, Minnowtail," Mothwing scolded her with a knowing look. The newcomer's ears flattened with wariness when she approached them. Her blue eyes were soft with concern as she inspected the both of them carefully. "Thankfully it's just a minor scratch, though the kit will need more attention. She's nothing but skin and bones."
"We tried finding a suitable territory for them, but we couldn't find any," the tom admitted guiltily.
Mothwing ignored him and went over to the fresh-kill pile, which looked as if it had been recently restocked. Once she found suitable prey for the kit to eat, she went to work picking off the fur that the kit would struggle with. Dovestar had seen other queens do this for kits that were learning to eat fresh-kill for the first time. Her own mother had used this technique when Ivypool first refused to eat fresh-kill. She still had fond memories of her time in the nursery, as fleeting as those days were.
"Normally I would avoid weaning kits too early, but she's old enough to feed herself," the dappled molly explained. "Mouse is a good way to start them off before moving on to bigger fresh-kill."
Dovestar watched in amazement as the kit sniffed at the mouse cautiously before taking a tentative bite from it. The tom looked equally amazed when the kit started eating the mouse quickly after the first bite. It was obvious that the kit hadn't eaten in days from the way she happily finished it off. Mothwing went on to do the same with the rest of the fresh-kill, and the kit was quick to devour that as well.
"I didn't think of doing that," he meowed in disbelief.
"That's because toms rarely think of how to raise kits properly," Minnowtail rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Dovestar threw her a withering look before glancing at the tom, "What's your name?"
The newcomer blinked in confusion until he realized he hadn't properly introduced himself.
"Forest," he replied with some hesitation. "My daughter's name is Olive."
Fitting name for his eyes, Dovestar noted after seeing the glow in those forest-green eyes. She doubted that was what he had been named for though. She tried pushing those thoughts aside as she caught the warning look Mothwing was giving her. The medicine cat seemed to know exactly what was going through her mind at that moment. The Clan needs more capable warriors. He can be trained to fight and defend our borders.
"I know Minnowtail hasn't exactly been your biggest fan recently, but she does make a good point in being suspicious of him," she whispered once they went to the side for privacy. "We shouldn't be so quick to let every stranger we see into the Clan, especially after these recent rogue attacks."
She knew Mothwing made a valid point. As much as she hated to admit it, trusting the newcomer was a mistake. She decided to go against her better judgement and called for a Clan meeting. Fortunately it didn't take long for the others to gather. She didn't miss the way Tigerheart's eyes swept over her, or the way Forest was looking at her with renewed admiration.
"From this moment on, you will be known as Forestpelt," she announced before glancing down at Olive. The kit was no longer trembling from starvation, though she still looked around the clearing warily. It was unnerving to be surrounded by so many strange looking cats. Dovestar couldn't necessarily blame her for reacting in such a way, especially if all she knew were rogues that kept driving her family from their home. "Olive will now be known as Olivekit, until she reaches six moons—"
"I'm not a kit!" Everyone was taken aback by the kit's sudden outburst, even her father. Forestpelt looked down at her in disbelief as she curled her tail indignantly. "I'm old enough to eat fresh-kill and fight for myself, but you won't let me!"
Dovestar forced back a purr when she noticed the bewilderment sweeping across Forestpelt's face.
It appears as though we have ourselves a rebel, she thought. She would be our first apprentice.
"Traditionally we would wait until she has reached her sixth moon to name her as an apprentice," Dovestar spoke up before the kit could continue arguing. "But, given how few cats we have in this Clan right now, we can use all the able-bodied cats we can get." She paused as the kit's eyes widened in surprise, while Forestpelt looked less than enthusiastic towards the idea of letting his only make her own decisions. "With that thought in mind, from this moment on, you will be known as Olivepaw. Since it is traditional for a leader and a deputy to need an apprentice before they reach such a rank, I will be your mentor."
The young kit didn't look any happier having Dovestar as her mentor, if she knew what that meant.
"Figures she'd make the kit her apprentice."
She hardly acknowledged Minnowtail's complaint as she leaned forward and touched her nose with the newcomers. Olivepaw's tail curled when she realized she was part of something bigger. This would be her chance to prove that she was capable of defending herself to her father, even if that meant being around Clan cats.
"What do we do now?" Forestpelt asked curiously.
"Now I need to treat your wounds," Mothwing cut in. Dovestar blinked in amusement when Forestpelt tilted his head to one side in confusion. The medicine cat didn't give him the chance to argue as she guided him to where she built her den. Olivepaw sat at the center of the clearing, haunches taught with anxiety as she waited to be told what to do. "You too, Olivepaw. We need to make sure that neither of you were too badly hurt before you get into anything serious."
She shook her head in amusement as the three cats disappeared into Mothwing's den. It was only when they were gone that the small Clan dispersed once again. She let out a heavy sigh once the initial meeting was over, and when the ceremony was finished.
I'm messing up ceremonies left and right, she thought guiltily. Minnowtail makes a fair point in arguing over why I assigned myself an apprentice first.
She had no idea what she was doing aside from the advice Mothwing gave her. Occasionally Hollyleaf had an idea or two, but Mothwing was the cat with the most experience. The dappled molly had been incredibly helpful when it came to some of the more ordain traditions. Ceremonies were still a struggle though. She had to memorize the words properly to ensure that she didn't make another mistake, otherwise they held no meaning.
"It isn't a bad idea to start looking for new recruits," Hollyleaf meowed once Mothwing was out of hearing range. Dovestar looked at the black molly in surprise when Hollyleaf flicked her tail thoughtfully. "There's only seven of us if we don't include the newcomers and Minnowtail's kits. If we keep getting into conflict with the rogues, there's a good chance one of us could return badly injured and out of commission."
Hollyleaf's warning sent a shiver down Dovestar's spine. Forestpelt had been terrified of running into Lightning and his gang again. She knew the odds of running into those aggressive rogues were high, especially since they seemed to have control of the area beyond the old lake territories. Hollyleaf made a valid point in wanting to keep the Clan safe… that was something Dovestar happily agreed with.
"Flosspelt's kits will add to our numbers, but you're right," she let out a quiet sigh. "There might be cats like Forestpelt who are terrified of Lightning and his followers. Maybe we can convince them to join us."
"Perhaps… though it means having to wander into unknown territory with the hope of not getting attacked in the process," the deputy deadpanned.
"You're not wrong." Dovestar glared at nothing in particular as she thought of how to handle the situation. She knew she couldn't leave the Clan without making some kind of excuse. It would mean proving that Minnowtail was right about her, and she wasn't about to give the queen that kind of satisfaction. "But we have to do something. Lightning isn't going to stop until he proves his point… whatever that point might be."
"Forestpelt knows the area beyond the lake better than any of us if my hunch is right," Hollyleaf suddenly put in.
Dovestar wasn't entirely sure if sending out one of the newcomers was a good idea. Yet Hollyleaf made a good point. Forestpelt would be familiar with the surrounding area, and he would hopefully have some valuable insight on the cats that lived beyond the lake territories as well. She knew it was a foolish idea to let someone so new leave the Clan without so much as a warning, but they had little choice.
"Tigerheart can go with him," she decided. It was Hollyleaf's turn to look surprised when Dovestar made that suggestion. "He's sensible enough not to attack on sight, and he knows how to defend himself if anyone decides to attack them."
Plus it means getting him out of my fur, she added silently.
She wasn't in any hurry to explain the fact that they had been avoiding each other. Thankfully, there were few cats if any that knew what happened between them. If they did, they gave no indication that there was tension surrounding them.
"We'll have to wait a couple of days until Forestpelt is healthy enough to travel." Hollyleaf looked at Dovestar once more, and Dovestar's fur crawled with unease when she saw something flicker across those green eyes. "What exactly has been going on between the two of you? You've been acting different ever since your leadership ceremony."
A knot formed in the pit of her stomach when Tigerheart's words came rushing back. He thought he was doing her a favor by avoiding her. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what to make of his avoidance. The only thing she did know was how much it hurt to think he wanted nothing to do with her. A dull ache had begun to form within her whenever she thought of his warm amber gaze, and the way he always seemed so concerned about her.
"I'd rather not talk about that," she muttered crossly. "Whatever goes on between us stays between us."
Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes suspiciously, though she didn't bother arguing, much to Dovestar's relief.
Once they dropped the subject, Dovestar let out another tired sigh and retreated back to her den. She hardly noticed a pair of amber eyes watching the pair of mollies solemnly, almost as if he felt guilty for being the cause of her newest form of regret and exhaustion. With night quickly creeping around the forest, she curled up into her nest and tried to let sleep overcome her. She knew she would suffer another bout of nightmares, but at least now she knew that she could face them alone. After all, a leader was meant to face their hardest decisions alone, without the burden of a mate or a companion.