Chapter 46: The Wider Picture

It wasn't long after my warning that I spotted Whitestorm, Lionheart, and Bluestar conversing. Those three were bright enough cats. I was sure they'd find out the truth eventually with the breadcrumbs I left for them, but even with those clues, I didn't know if it would be enough to convict Tigerclaw. They didn't paint Tigerclaw in a positive light, but without the account of a witness, the final range of interpretations was too broad. At the same time, I didn't want to risk Ravenfeather. We were close, mates even. If he got involved, Tigerclaw might take notice. Tigerclaw also wasn't above bumping off a threat or trying to unnaturally hasten a promotion.

My best option was for Tigerclaw to make a mistake. Ravenfeather was too dear to me. I couldn't use him to beat Tigerclaw. I needed Tigerclaw to slip. Given that he wasn't receiving my advice anymore and was acting hastily, I believed I'd receive something useful enough soon. In the meantime, I needed to work on Tigerclaw's support base. Darkstripe was already in a much better position than if I had never interacted with him. I did openly brag about him being a good teacher, so he had a much better reputation in the clan, not entirely dependent on Tigerclaw anymore. On top of that, he was a rather trustworthy can, if not a little gullible and easily flustered by praise.

There was one cat I hadn't spent any good amount of time with despite his proximity to Tigerclaw. I'm talking Longtail. I really didn't know him besides he's a bit hotheaded, but he's extremely gentle to those under his care. Making that first connection would be difficult. I actually sat to ponder it for a little while before Darkstripe caught my attention.

"You know, we haven't been out together in a while. I'm helping Longtail with Swiftpaw. Swiftpaw's got a bit of a tunnel vision problem in spars. You want to help out?" He asked.

Almost by providence, a solution was presented. Whether fate or Starclan, I wouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth.

"Sure. I've been meaning to get to know Longtail anyways." I answered in a semi-cheerful tone.

The camp was still busy recovering from the epidemic, so Ravenfeather was busy aiding the camp. It was a little odd to leave without him, but after our confession, leaving each other's sides didn't feel as terrifying. I just instinctively knew he'd be fine, and I'd see him again.

The forest was quiet as snow began to fall. After the cold snap, it was curious why we hadn't had snow up until now. The white flakes lazily drifted through the air as we approached the clearing where Longtail and Swiftpaw would meet us. We spotted them as we emerged from the tree line. Longtail seemed to be watching, amused, as Swiftpaw batted and leapt at the falling snowflakes.

"Longtail. We're here." Darkstripe announced.

Longtail's eyes drifted to Darkstripe, letting the moment play on a little longer before they did a double take at the sight of me. Like that, Longtail snapped into a more authoritative pose. His look was sharp like he had something to prove.

"What's he doing here?" Longtail asked with a measure of annoyance.

"Ah come on Longtail. You know he's a friend of mine. I know you're still sore about what Fireheart did to your ear, but Smudgefoot isn't Fireheart. I'm not asking you to like him. Just give him a chance. He said he wanted to get to know you." Darkstripe asked in a surprisingly kind tone. These two were much closer than I thought.

"Fine. He can help out, but I'm kicking him out if he messes with what I'm teaching." Longtail conceded.

Meanwhile, Swiftpaw looked at us with something between reverence and childish disobedience. He'd be looking for a reason to respect or contempt me. I knew intrinsically that this relation would mirror back to Longtail as time went on.

Longtail started things simply by having Swiftpaw engage on one-on-one spars. The apprentice was still young, so he didn't have many advanced techniques. Longtail and Darkstripe were both able to handle the apprentice easily using practiced skill while only using techniques Swiftpaw would know. Their careful feedback was honestly well tailored. Then it was my turn.

I entered the proverbial ring with Swiftpaw eyeing me up. We began with circling each other. Most of my usual moves were banned, and given my reaction speed, this would be far closer that one would think. Darkstripe actually yowled out encouragement at Swiftpaw.

"Smudgefoot is a slow and heavy cat. You're small and quick. Use that to your advantage."

Swiftpaw must have misunderstood what Darkstripe was encouraging because he rushed me. I decided to handle the problem like it was a test. As Swiftpaw closed in, I decided to use my larger staying power to push him back. I had slightly longer reach and superior straight on striking power. I sent the apprentice tumbling before I mewed out my first piece of advice.

"You aren't going to beat a cat like me straight on. Listen to what Darkstripe said. I'm slow. Get around me or beside me. I have tricks to handle those tactics, but none are legal right now." I mewed.

Swiftpaw took a moment to shake off his daze before briefly glancing at Longtail. Longtail gave a small nod, and Swiftpaw turned to face me again. He came dashing in. At first, I thought he was making the same mistake. I got low to push into his attack only for him to leap over me, getting a useful flanking position. I felt a bite on my tail as I spun to face the apprentice. He wisely moved with my spin to stay against my side as he got in a few light strikes. Try as I might, with how the rules were limited, I couldn't get a hit in further on Swiftpaw. I decided to concede.

"You got me. You used your agility well and got into my blind spots. There were a few things I could have done in an actual battle, but most of those just stun. Congrats. You beat me. Next time I won't go so easy."

Swiftpaw was starry eyed as he raced back to Longtail's side. "Did you hear?! I beat him! I beat a warrior! Does that mean can be a warrior now?" The excitable kit babbled.

Longtail chuckled affectionately before replying. "Don't get ahead of yourself kit. Like Smudgefoot said, he wasn't allowed to do everything he could do. You've still got a ways to go, but for today, you did well. You kept your eyes on the target and kept the flow of the fight in your favor. We've still got to work on you keeping track of others as you fight, but once we're done, I'll let you have first pick of the freshkill pile."

Longtail had Darkstripe give Swiftpaw another round so he could speak to me. "Look Smudgefoot. I misjudged you. I thought you came out here to one up me, but you let Swiftpaw win. You could have flattened him if you wanted to, but instead you stuck to the rules. I'll try to put my grievances with your friend aside. How about we spar a bit? Maybe Swiftpaw will be able to notice what we're doing."

Longtail was just like Swiftpaw in build. He knew how to handle cats like me, but this time I wasn't bound the same way. I'd put him through his paces.

Our spar ended in a draw since Darkstripe finished up with Swiftpaw. Longtail had hit me more, but I'd hit him harder. There was no way we'd know who'd actually have fled in an actual battle. Likely we would have had a stalemate until another cat upset the balance. My combos developed with Darkstripe had paid off.