From on top of the wooden overcrop, jutting out like a cliff ledge, a curious head popped over the edge. Nose twitching like a rabbit, Floss effortlessly leapt down and circled her guest, sniffing warily. "So What brings you out here, Leafpool?", she asked, tail twitching.
Before Leafpool's lips could even open, Smokey randomly slipped in from behind them, abruptly answering for her, "Apparently some Clan cats forbid her having kits, so needs a safe place to secretly give birth. I guess she choose here.". Briefly shooing Smokey a narrowed glare to silently tell him, she could handle herself, Leafpool turned her attention to Floss. However the female loner only shrugged, "Nowhere truly safe to raise kits.", she muttered, the deeper meaning behind the seemingly throwaway comment.
Don't remind me! Leafpool secretly wailed out, the boiling stress threatening to burst from her pelt. "But is this the safest place?". she asked shakily, "Or it there somewhere better?"
With a pulse, Floss nodded, "As far I'm aware, this is the best place. Plenty of shelter and food and most untamed creatures stay away. The biggest danger is the Nofurs themselves.", after she finished speaking, Floss arched her ears towards the split in the Barn entrance.
Beside the barn, was a stone structure and within its reddish walls, were flickers of movements. Twolegs were lurking inside, waiting to snatch Leafpool or her kits up if they discovered her. The dark thought made the Medicine cat violently shudder.
Her politeness would usually act as a barrier to prevent Leafpool asking such personal questions. However this situation had already forced her to lie to her whole Clan, so making a stranger feel temporarily uncountable was nothing to her now. "They took your kits away-", Leafpool quietly reminded Floss, "Would they do the same to mine?".
Of course, Floss and Smokey stared at Leafpool in silence, reminded of their lost litter. Though Floss rapidly answered to get it out the way, "You have a major advantage I didn't. Our Nofurs don't know you're here.", she awkwardly explained.
Brushing his tail against Floss as he passed, Smokey hastily checked the outside for Twolegs, "It's easier than you think.", he mewed, signalling was all clear, " As long as you're only active at night and stick to the unused parts of their territory, you'll be fine.".
Leafpool blinked in confusion, "Unused?", she echoed, "Why would Twolegs even bother marking land they don't use? That's mousebrained!".
As Smokey steadily rejoined them near a hay stack, the two loners lazily settled down, taking their time before answering Leafpool's question. Pausing from washing her back, Floss snorted with amusement, "Trust me, we've lived with them all our lives and we still don't understand them.".
While Leafpool remained standing there stiffly, Smokey ungracefully flopped down onto the hay, his legs dangling in midair. "The Barn isn't that safest when you think about it", the grey tom yawned, "The Nofurs visit here every few days to collect their tools. We'll need somewhere more obscure.". Just before Floss could curl into Smokey's side, a bright idea flashed into her mind, springing to her paws. "The abandoned shed!", she exclaimed.
"Genius!", Smokey remarked, rolling onto his stomach. With a proud spark in his eye, he wrapped his tail round Floss, "And that my friend is why I love this cat.". With Floss letting off an embarrassed purr, Leafpool couldn't help but stare at them. Was this she-cat actually impressed by Smokey? At least Crowfeather wasn't patronising.
Finished snuggling, Floss finally left Smokey's side and headed for the exit, gesturing for Leafpool to follow, "I'll show her that shed.", she mewed, "Get the bedding ready for tonight, Smokey.".
Sleepily raising his head, Smokey called out, "Got it!", starting to knead at the hay with his paws. As Leafpool slipped between the Barn walls, Floss let out a sigh, half playful, half exhaustion.
Keeping to the fences while they wandered across the farm, an unmoving quietness fell between the two she-cats. All the could be heard was their paws crunching the crispy snow or distant thumping of hooves. Yet it might as well been dead silence. All those sounds did nothing to confront Leafpool. She needed to hear words. A familiar voice to tell her what she was doing was right: Squirrelflight's, Sandstorm's, Firestar's- Anyone of her clanmates. Yet, the nothingness.
The only cats Leafpool had for possibly the loneliest part of her life were Smokey and Floss, total strangers. Since it was she had, Leafpool had to make the best of it. She had to get to know those loners. After all, they knew her deepest secret, the existence of her kits. They invited her into their home and were lying on her behalf if any of clanmates came this way. She owed them that much.
But surprisingly, it wasn't Leafpool to break the silence, it was Floss, "If it helps at all, you don't need to worry about the Nofurs killing your kits if you are caught.", she muttered, ducking into a thick tuft of grass, "I've never known a Nofur to harm a cat. They probably just took my kits to another farm. It's probably for the best anyway. I don't think I could handle being a mother.".
Leafpool could have all the time in the world and still wouldn't be able to find a response to Floss's words. Even though she didn't know what Floss truly felt, she knew exactly what she wanted. Her kits simply being allowed to live past their birth wasn't good enough, she was determined for them to have fulfilling lives.
There was a reason her father had left the kittypet life all those seasons ago. So much Clan blood pulsed through her kits veins, it would be unfair for them to be raised anywhere else. And anyway, the Clans needed her litter, as much as they needed them. They will hold the fate of the stars in their paws. Yellowfang's mysterious words echoed in Leafpool's head, shaking her to her core.
Meanwhile, Floss was lost in her own thoughts as well, not even noticing Leafpool flinching as she vacantly wandering the sandy path. By now, they must have been nearing the border of the Horse Place, as nothing but woodland lay in the distance. Abruptly, Floss made a sharp turn into an overhanging sheet of ivy, suffocating the fence, more rotten than the others.
As they emerged from the ivy wall, Leafpool's ear twitches nervously from the sight. True to its name, the twoleg shed was obviously abandoned. It was nothing but a skeleton of the other Twolegs structures, only having the stone walls. Besides from that, everything else was missing. The usual ice sheets embedded into the walls were just gaping holes. Then, the wooden barrier covering the entrance laid at an awkward angle tinted green with decay.
Unlike its surroundings, the Twolegs hadn't bothered to keep down the overgrown plant life, Ivy covering whole sides of the shed and weeds creeping up from under it. "So- this is the place.", Floss muttered awkwardly, aware it wasn't very impressive. Though admittedly, neither was Thunderclan's dens of bushes and caves.
Ducking under the wooden barrier, they crawled into the pale gloom. Inside, the stone was a pale cream, with dead leaves scarcely scattered across the floor. On the far side, Twolegs cones were stacked up against the wall in tall towers like tree trunks. Yet besides that, it was barren, free for Leafpool to style to her liking.
The thick stone provided a strong barrier against the cold wind. Only a few snowflakes could slip through the cracks in the ivy. so even if it wasn't warm, it certainly did its job in sheltering her from the Leafbare weather.
Vaguely being a reminder of the Medicine cave back home. Though unclear if that would be a future confront or not. Sweeping her tail in a long arc, Floss welcomed Leafpool to her new den, "Make yourself comfortable. And we'll see you in the morning, I guess.".
Sitting face to face with Leafpool, the loner gasped as she finally realised her exposed ribs, "You're awfully thin, ain't you? Even for a Clan cat. I'll see if I can fetch you some prey. ", she offered, briskly getting to her paws. As Floss passed, she pointed out the stacked cones, "And a quick warning- Keep away from those pots. Toppling those over isn't a good idea.".
Dipping her head low, Leafpool purred gratefully, "Thank you for all of this.". Just snorting a reply, Floss vanished into the darkening twilight, leaving Leafpool alone. It was almost too much to believe. Squirrelflight choice the perfect place. Still free from her Clanmate's spying gaze, but not sacrificing the necessary shelter and food.
Now the only question was, had she come here early enough? Her thin frame proved her kits' development had been risked in order to keep them hidden. Now their mother could be allowed to eat normally, could they still be the healthy littermates they deserved to be? Only time could tell.
For now, all Leafpool could do was keep safe and healthy. Scraping together the dead leaves and loose ivy roots, she started making a tough nest in the corner. Glancing around the wide open space, her head began flowing with ideas of how to make this feel like home. Though that was a long way away.
The scuttling shrew slipped through Leafpool's claws like water, leaving her nose to be crushed by the packed snow. Sneezing as she accidentally breathed in the frosty flakes, she hurriedly got back onto all four, fur rippling with embarrassment. Since Twolegs weren't driving prey from Thunderclan's territory anymore, Leafpool's hunting skills hadn't been needed in a long time.
While straining her hearing to locate possible fresh-kill, she accidentally overheard a conversation before nearby ferns. The two loners sheltered under the bushes, fidgeting on the bare earth. Smokey whispered to Floss, "Feel like going back yet?". Though Floss was on Leafpool's side, cuffing the grey tom over the ear, "Honestly Smokey, you have the manners of a kit. Just wait.", she ordered, struggling to hide her own boredom. With an annoyed grunt, Smokey obeyed.
Even loners were able to outclass Leafpool's hunting, the two mates having caught a respectful two mice and one sparrow. Unlike Leafpool's pitiful stock of nothing. Just going to prove, a Medicine cat like her would borderline useless in exile. With the air now absent of prey scent, Leafpool waddled back to Floss and Smokey with numb paws. Suddenly feeling guilty about the loners.
She'd dragged the loners to the overgrown outskirts of the Horse Place to hunt, when they could have easily done in the comfort of their barn. Even worse, she hadn't even caught any prey for their extra effect. What guest she was turning out to be.
"It's no good.", Leafpool admitted, joining Smokey and Floss, "We can head back now. Sorry about all this.". Painfully casual, Smokey just shrugged and gripped the scaley mouse tails in his teeth, flinging them towards her. "We're always been curious what sparrow tastes like. So have all the mice you want.", Smokey mewed.
Resultantly, Leafpool grasped the two mice while others eagerly strolled back to the Barn without a farewell. Sighing, Leafpool went in the opposite direction to the abandoned shed. It was certainly going to take more than a day to connect with those cats.
Sticking to the cover of the dead shrubbery, Leafpool made sure to stay away from the sharp eyesight of the Twolegs. Between the cracks of the leaves, she noticed the shuffling of distant creatures. A dormant Monster was hooked up to a shiny green box, it's side hanging wide open. Horses, strangely calm, allowed Twolegs to grips their heads and drag them inside the green box.
Tension tinged in her pads as she quickly slipped away, deeper into the brush shelter. What were those Twolegs doing with those Horses? If they weren't going to eat them, why keep anyone alive? Could her kits share the same unknown fate as those farm animals?
Growling to herself, Leafpool forced herself not to think like that. It wasn't going to happen. She wouldn't let it. After Floss's kits disappearance had allowed Leafpool the gift of hindsight to protect her own litter, she wasn't going to let it go to waste.
Drifting blindly around in her fury, Leafpool was surprised that she'd already arrived at the Abandoned shed. Entering inside, the towering walls looming over Leafpool like she was a tiny ant. Dropping the two mice as the start of a fresh-kill pile, Leafpool got to work rearranging the surroundings. Slopping her few more leaves in her jaw, she paced them firmly into the green tendrils of ivy. It wasn't her usual nest materials of cosy moss and feathers, but it would have to do.
With the dim light of sunset filtering through overhanging vines, Leafpool would of normally be thinking about wrapping it up for the day. However, she'd only been awake since Sunhigh. Desperately needing to switch her waking hours to nighttime, anything to avoid the forever threat of Twolegs.
Pacing round her new den, Leafpool felt lost. She had no duties. She had no purpose. Though Squirrelflight told her, she needed to just relax before giving birth, it still didn't feel like it. There was so much more to life than just eating and sleeping. No, wander Queens put off going to the Nursery for so long.
Suddenly the ideas of other lifestyles like Horse Place Cats felt completely unimaginable. How could they live like this? Without guidance, orders or duties? What was Leafpool going to do for a whole moon? It was unfair. While her clanmates slaved around their duties with unchecked wounds, Leafpool lazied around.
As she gridded her claws in frustration, shadowy figures blocked the narrow entrance, plunging the shed into darkness. "Leafpool!", Smokey's voice cried out, "It's a Thunderclan patrol. I think they've come looking for you!".
A flood of terror and relief washed Leafpool, too dazed to know what to do. This was her chance to go home. To unit with her kin and friends. Barely noticing that her paws had already taken her, past the panicked loners and into the open air. As she swerved the corner of the Shed, she finally got a grip on her body, pinning herself against the stone wall. Don't be a fool!
Squirrelflight's disappointed face flashed in front of her eyes. If Leafpool revealed herself, all their plans and sacrifices would be for nothing. How could she forget why she was doing this in the first place? Her kits. She had to protect them no matter the cost.
The heart was roaring in her chest as she instantly reconceived the distance dots of cat pelts: The flaming ginger of Firestar, the snowy white of Cloudtail and the Tortoiseshell of Sorreltail.
Her heart threatening to shatter at the sight of her father and best friend working so hard to bring her home. But what made her problems worse was Cloudtail, Thunderclan's best tracker. If anyone could find her, it was him.
How did they know to come here? Leafpool had disguise her scent trail before coming to the Horse Place. And no patrols were around the area where she'd left. Sticking to her narrow chance while she was still undetected, she swirled round to face Smokey and Floss.
"Please, you need to listen to me.", she sternly told them, "This is the whole reason I came here. If they discover my kits, we could be exiled or worse.". Luckily, she noticed the patrol behind her heading towards the Barn. At least that would buy her more precious time. But how long?
Turning her attention back to the loners, Leafpool was alarmed to be greeted with Floss's snarling teeth. "Then why would you want to be a part of this group?", she demanded, filled with righteous fury. In the deepest depths of Leafpool's brain, she wondered if any of Floss's words were valid. But seasons of memories instantly flooded over her. Though the Clans could be cruel sometimes, it was still Leafpool's home and nothing could ever change that.
"It complicated.", Leafpool weakly countered, "Whatever they ask, can you claim you don't know and just get them to leave?". Sighing, Smokey reluctantly dipped his head and started heading towards the distant Barn.
Flattening his tail onto Floss's shoulders, he attempted to convince his mate on, "Hey, she wants to keep the family matter private, we should respect that Floss.", he spoke steadily, "It won't even be that difficult. We'll get it done in a jiffy.".
Hurrying his pace, he veered onto the dirt track, too well worn for the snow to settle on. With some hesitation, Floss followed after him with a grunt. "If you pick up any of my scents, cover it up!", Leafpool called after them. Twitching their ears to signal they heard it loud and clear, they got to work. Sniffing every passing object, they buried any trace of her with snow and loose earth.
Getting busy herself, Leafpool scraped her whole body over the Fern tendrils, it's sharp scent blocking out her Thunderclan one. Heading to the borders of the Horse Place, she backtracked to the spot of their earlier hunt. For once not catching any prey was a good thing, not leaving any prey blood marked by her.
Hastily upturning as much snow as possible onto her faint scent trials, Leafpool's nose was being stung by the overpowering freshness. However, her work was cut short, as she noticed three small shapes slipping out from the Barn. Time to move! Ducking before she could get spotted, she picked her through the hills of white powder, eventually reaching the Abandoned shed.
Even inside the gloomy structure, she didn't feel safe. Just begging to Starclan that they'd done enough for Cloudtail not to smell anything. Whatever they do Starclan, don't let them look in the abandoned shed. Pressing her stomach against the stone, Leafpool somehow expected that to protect her unborn kits. Then there was a shift in the icy air as a breeze rippled inside, traced back to a narrow crack. Shuffling towards it, Leafpool nervously peeked through it, unable to breathe.
By now, Firestar and his warriors were only a few tree-lengths away, strolling down a grassy bank. Putting their acting skills to the test, Smokey and Floss confidently sat in the open as if they had nothing to hide. The way both Sorreltail and her father's tails drooped, they'd had both taken an emotional hit. It was the tortoiseshell Queen she felt most sorry for. She was just recovering from the sudden death of her brother and son, then she suddenly had Leafpool disappearing on her.
Meeting them at the bottom of the slope, Firestar's muffled words barely meet Leafpool's ears, "Greeting, Smokey. It's certainly been awhile.".
"It definitely has, Firestar.", Smokey warmly purred, genuinely pleased to see his old clan associates. While Floss only a managed a crude nod, obviously uncomfortable. Please pull through! Leafpool silently cried out to the white she-cat.
Though neither Cloudtail or Sorreltail gave the restrained reaction match notice, used to outsiders being nervous around them. Smokey hurried on the conversation before Firestar could react, "So- To what I owe the pleasure?", he asked calmly.
Firestar began to inform the Horse Place cats of the situation, "I'm afraid to say, our Medicine cat, Leafpool was captured by twolegs two sunsets ago.", he explained, "And we were hoping your connection with Twolegs could help. Have you seen a brown tabby being taken through here recently? Or do you have any idea where they might have taken her?".
Sharing a glance, Floss answered in a dry tone, "No. Not another cat in sight.", she answered simply. In the background, Sorreltail and Cloudtail were busy tasting the surrounding's odours. Smokey added on more useful details to Floss's comment, "There's a lot of Nofurs out there. So it specially being our folks- Those are some pretty low chances we're talking about.", he muttered.
The three Clan cats' shuffled their paws uneasily, their only possible leads apparently knowing nothing. The pain flashing in Firestar's bright green eyes made Leafpool want to burst out of hiding and run over to them. Yet to remain frozen like stone, nothing able to stop her from protecting her kits.
"Well, that's unfortunate but there's nothing you can do about that.", Firestar admitted softly, bowing low to the Loners grateful, "Thank you for your assistance regardless.". Just when it seemed the patrol was about to leave, Sorreltail stood in front of her Leader, more persistent. "If you do learn anything in the future, don't hesitate to come to Thunderclan territory, if it's not too much trouble.".
With Sorreltail's suggestion, Firestar's ears pricked with a new sense of hope, "I'll let my patrols know, you're to be respected if you ever visit.", he mewed. Eagerly awaiting their response, Floss flatten her ears in embarrassment, "We'll keep an eye out.", she confirmed.
Since that was the best they going to get, Firestar gathered his clanmates behind him and started to make the day's journey back to Thunderclan camp. Waving in his tail in farwell, Firestar called back to them, "We'll be praying for Leafpool's safety. May Starclan light your path!".
Smokey and Floss shared a confused glance, not understanding the Clans' ancestors, yet said nothing out of politeness. Instead, Smokey yowled out, "Good luck in your search!". Hearing the grey tom's voice triggered Cloudtail's memory at the very last heart, swinging his head over his shoulder, "Daisy says she wants to visit soon!".
Flinching away from the wall gap, Leafpool blinked thoughtfully with the new information. The cream she-cay had a reputation for struggling with Clan life. So much, Daisy occasionally visited her old home, the Horse Place every few moons. Not that Leafpool could blame her.
However, Dasiy's visits lasted no more than a day or two at most. So Leafpool was still confident she could remain in hiding here, only needing to stay within the nearby woodland during her visit. Thinking so much of her clanmates, put a massive gaping hole inside Leafpool.
For a search patrol to appear so soon, they must be desperate to find their Medicine cat, even those outside her social circle. Annoyed now that Firestar hadn't mentioned anything about Brightheart or Sandstorm. Had they taken up Leafpool's role yet and how they were they managing? Hopefully, the freshly stocked Herb store was enough to last Thunderclan for awhile.
Sighing, Leafpool settled down with one of her fresh-kill, trying to calm down. After the algae treatment had caused her to lose weight, she had to focus on now was getting healthy again.
Before it affects the development of her unborn litter. Maybe there were herbs around here that could help her with that.
Shadows flickered across the floor as Smokey and Floss hovered around the crooked wooden entrance. "They're gone now!", Smokey shouted, "Are you alright?". Without waiting for Leafpool's permission, he poked his board head inside. Sensing Leafpool's distance before Smokey, Floss lead him away with her fluffy tail, "Let's leave her alone for a while.", she mewed gently.
Leafpool was grateful for Floss understanding as she heard the crunching pawsteps soon faded into nothingness. For a while at least, all Leafpool wanted to do, was be alone.
