"Any scent of Rabbitfur over there?" Heathercloud called out to Russetstripe as she lifted her head and tasted the scent near the ThunderClan border. But the only thing that wafted from the gnarled tree was the scent of oak and mice. There was no sign of Rabbitfur.
"Just ThunderClan!" Russetstripe replied, frustration making her fur fluff out. "Why can't we track his scent? Where did he go?"
"I think a better question is, why did he go?" Aspenstep asked, bounding over to the two cats. "Does any cat remember where Swiftstar sent him this morning on patrol?"
"I don't think he was on patrol," Blackdove meowed, approaching the rest of the patrol. Her green eyes were furrowed. "I thought I saw him leaving camp, but I assumed he was going to hunt solo."
"This isn't worth it, guys," Heathercloud said, clicking her tongue in irritation. "It faded immediately after we left camp, and none of the patrols have picked it up. Plus, it's getting dark now. I think we're just going to have to accept that he's gone."
"We can't go to Swiftstar with that!" Aspenstep exclaimed. "How can we waltz in and tell him we can't find him and that we assume he's gone?"
"I'll tell him," Heathercloud told Aspenstep. "So you can keep your tail."
"And you'll lose yours?" Russetstripe inquired.
"I know how to deal with him," Heathercloud told Russetstripe. "Don't worry about me. But for now, let's get back home. This is just going to be a hunt for a rabbit that doesn't exist." The gray she-cat trekked away from the ThunderClan border, crossing the stream and landing on the moorland. Russetstripe followed her, surprised at how easy crossing the stream was now that the border had been changed so long ago. Aspenstep and Blackdove were on their heels as the cats marched away.
Anxiety dwindled in Russetstripe's heart. What had happened to Rabbitfur? Had he been kidnapped or killed? I hope he's okay, she thought. He was a strict mentor, but all he wanted was to help me succeed. Maybe he decided to leave the Clan. It wouldn't surprise Russetstripe, with the number of times Rabbitfur had challenged Swiftstar but then had his concerns completely brushed aside. Maybe he finally had enough.
As the patrol approached camp, Russetstripe could sense the grim atmosphere from even above the hollow. The four cats slipped down into camp, and the moment their paws hit the ground, each one of them let out a horrified gasp. In the middle of the clearing laid the bruised, tattered body of Petalspring, curled up in a ball, her pelt streaked with chamomile and rosemary. Even though it was clear that cats tried to hide the scent of death, the ragged wound on her throat was visible to Russetstripe the moment she took a step closer. Swiftstar hovered over Petalspring, his nose buried in his fur, and Adderstripe sat a few ways away, grief misting in his eyes.
Wha…? Russetstripe bounded over to Scorchclaw, who was watching the scene with a tormented expression on his face. "What happened?" she asked.
"Petalspring was killed by a fox," Scorchclaw told her, his voice broken. "Brambledusk brought her back to camp."
"No…" Russetstripe whispered, taking another glance at Petalspring's body. The ginger she-cat lowered her head. May you find peace in StarClan, Petalspring. "Do you think that might have happened to Rabbitfur, too?"
"I have no idea." Scorchclaw shrugged his broad shoulders. "But Father said that we shouldn't care about Rabbitfur anymore, and that tonight, we grieve for Petalspring."
Not care for Rabbitfur? Russetstripe's fur bristled. Of course that was something Swiftstar would say. But there was no time to rebuke that, because all the cats in the clearing watched Petalspring's body with sorrow and grief. There was a deathly silence in camp, and not one cat dared to break it, seemingly taboo to speak during a vigil. Russetstripe took her spot at the farthest edge of the camp, being one of the newest warriors and not having known Petalspring that well. The senior warriors sat closest to her, their heads hung, and Swiftstar and Adderstripe were right near her.
Sunleaf settled next to Russetstripe, and the ginger warrior saw her mother observe the scent awkwardly, shifting her paws nervously. Oh, right. Russetstripe could see how clearly devastated Swiftstar was over the death of Petalspring, and it was obvious to even the blindest cat that, even if Swiftstar and Petalspring were no longer mates, he clearly still loved the she-cat. Russetstripe touched her mother's shoulder with her nose, and Sunleaf blinked gratefully at her.
Only a single star shone in the night sky, and Russetstripe wondered if it was Petalspring, watching her vigil go on without her. Russetstripe swallowed the lump in her throat, just aware of how fleeting life really was. One moment, Petalspring had been here, hunting prey for her Clan, and now here she was, a bundle of fur in the middle of camp, never to breathe again. I can't believe this.
At the nursery, Harekit, Briarkit, and Seedkit scampered out, watching the vigil with horrified eyes. Patchshine raced to hurry them away back into the gorse bush, but as she left, Russetstripe caught her eye, and she could see sadness shadowing her gaze. Petalspring was loved. She's going to be missed.
No cat dared to move, even as the moon rose to its highest peak, and then the sun started to rise over the horizon. It was only when the faintest shaft of sunlight crept up on camp that Swiftstar rose to his paws, stretching out his limbs. He gave a small nod to Smokebelly and Tinybird, and the two elders padded over to Petalspring, propping the dead she-cat up on their shoulders and leaving the camp to bury her.
Swiftstar leaped onto the Tall Branch weakly, his entire body shaking as he turned to address his Clan. There was no need for the ceremonial greeting – every cat was watching him. Swiftstar cleared his throat. "I have an announcement. Berrysplash is stepping down as deputy as of today. She is ill and fears she can no longer perform her duties as she used to."
Russetstripe gasped. Berrysplash was stepping down? She had seen Berrysplash going in and out of the medicine den, but was she really that ill that she felt she could no longer become deputy? Russetstripe glanced at the former deputy, who looked at the ground. Her fur was dull and ragged, and her face was gaunt and shadowed. Oh. It came to her. Oh, no.
"I will appoint a new deputy in her stead," Swiftstar meowed, looking at the pale sun that was slowly making its way into the sky, greeting a new day. But nothing would erase Petalspring's tragic death or Berrysplash's life-changing decision. "I say these words before StarClan, that the spirit of our warrior ancestors – especially Petalspring – may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of WindClan is Adderstripe."
Russetstripe clicked her tongue. It wasn't exactly a surprise. She, like the rest of the Clan, knew that the first-born son of the Clan leader was considered the heir, and would always become leader once his father passed away. So, even as Adderstripe stood, underneath the Tall Branch with determined, hard amber eyes, Russetstripe assumed it didn't surprise him in the least. The cheers were half-hearted, and Russetstripe chose not to cheer at all. She had never liked Adderstripe in the first place. Swiftstar's claws unsheathed and dug into the branch.
"You will accept my decision and serve Adderstripe just as you serve me," Swiftstar growled. "Anyone who will not obey this decision… leave now. I will not stop you."
Not a single cat moved. Russetstripe's shoulders tensed, and she couldn't help but look at Scorchclaw. Scorchclaw's jaw was clenched, but Russetstripe knew her brother would never challenge an order his father gave him.
"So, you all accept?" Swiftstar asked.
There was a wave of nods that swept through the camp. Hawkfeather and Grayflight lowered their heads to Adderstripe, and then, slowly, the rest of the cats did as well. Russetstripe clenched her teeth, and then, thanks to a warning glance from Sunleaf, she lowered her head, staring at the ground with a set jaw. I don't like it. I don't think Adderstripe will make a good leader. In my heart, I've got a bad feeling about all of this.
"Then, you're excused." Swiftstar leaped down from the Tall Branch, heading back into his den. Russetstripe watched her father go, and for the first time in her life, she felt a pang of sympathy for him. Although it irritated Russetstripe that Swiftstar clearly still had feelings for Petalspring, despite being Sunleaf's mate, the way he had dug his nose into Petalspring's fur like she was the thing that kept him alive and he couldn't live without her had grabbed Russetstripe's heart and wrenched it into two. He must be grieving more than I could ever imagine. Russetstripe took a step forward, wondering if she should speak to her father, but then thought better of it. Not now.
The cats gathered around Adderstripe, looking to him for their duties now. Adderstripe lifted his head. "Life must go on," the ginger-and-white tabby said. "I will miss my mother until the end of my days, but the dead do not come back to life. We can make her proud by continuing life as usual and making WindClan great. Scorchclaw, I want you to lead the border patrol to ThunderClan. Take Gorseflight and Blackdove with you. Heathercloud, lead the patrol to RiverClan with Sandfall and Aspenstep. Hawkfeather, take a hunting patrol out. Brambledusk and Waspberry, train your apprentices, and bring Lightningpaw as well. The rest of you, guard the camp. We don't know what Clan has heard about Petalspring and wants to attack."
Murmurs of agreement flooded through camp, and Adderstripe's named cats got together to prepare to leave. Scorchclaw cast his brother an unreadable glance before meowing something to Gorseflight and Blackdove, and the three cats disappeared. The rest of the patrols melted away from camp, and Russetstripe watched them go, wishing she could go after them. Why should I have to take orders from Adderstripe? Russetstripe asked herself sullenly as she settled into a heap on the ground, keeping her eyes peeled on the camp entrance.
Russetstripe twitched her ears to hear gossip running through the warriors that had stayed behind. Grayflight murmured to Driftberry, "I think Adderstripe will do an excellent job as deputy. Don't you?"
Driftberry frowned. "Isn't the deputy supposed to be Swiftstar's son?"
"Adderstripe is Swiftstar's son," Dovewillow growled. "I was there when he was a kit. Swiftstar was there when Petalspring was giving birth. Plus, they look alike."
"Rabbitfur has always treated Adderstripe like a son," Cloverwhisker argued. "When Adderstripe became an apprentice, Swiftstar paid him no mind. It seemed that Rabbitfur was more of a father to him than Swiftstar was."
What? Russetstripe leaped to her paws. Rabbitfur is Adderstripe's father? How is that possible? It's not! I've never heard of that in my life!
"We all agreed to serve Adderstripe," Thrushwing growled, raising his hackles. "You dare tell me you lied to Swiftstar's face?"
"But…" Driftberry's face twisted as her words trailed off.
"I will hear no more of this!" Thrushwing leaped to his paws, his tail lashing side-to-side. "If any of you say you will not support Adderstripe because you think he is an illegitimate son, I will tell Swiftstar, and you will be killed! Do I make myself clear?"
Russetstripe craned her ears, trying to pick up more of the conversation, when Driftberry suddenly stood up. The she-cat's eyes were focused on the sides of camp, and every muscle of hers was on alert, her tail sticking up, her ears pricked. What's going on? What does she see? The other WindClan warriors seemed to notice her rapid change in demeanor, for they were exchanging puzzled glances. Russetstripe followed her gaze and gasped. There was a shadowy figure, slipping through the rocks in camps, heading straight towards the Tall Branch.
"Swiftstar!" Driftberry screamed at the top of her lungs, using her superior WindClan speed to shoot across the camp like a rabbit. At Driftberry's voice, Swiftstar leaped out of his den, his eyes wide with shock. The shadowy figure turned, ready to slice at Swiftstar, but Driftberry was having none of it. She threw herself on top of the shadowy figure, wrestling it to the ground, and Russetstripe raced over to help her. She recognized the shadowy figure as a cat, and in seconds, the cat lashed its claws out against Driftberry's throat. Swiftstar stared in horror as Driftberry hit the ground with a sickening thud.
The cat turned, and Russetstripe couldn't recognize it through its mud-stained and dusty pelt. It disguised itself on purpose, Russetstripe thought. The cat stepped back as the WindClan cats approached it, snarling and hissing. Swiftstar lashed his claws at the cat, but the cat darted out of the way, kicking up dust to blind the WindClan cats, and it disappeared out of camp.
"Go after him!" Swiftstar barked. Hawkfeather and Grayflight turned on their heels to follow the assassin, but Russetstripe was frozen to her spot as she stared at Driftberry's unmoving body. Her lifeless eyes stared at the sky, and blood pumped endlessly from her throat. No... Russetstripe touched Driftberry's stomach with her paw, but the she-cat did not move, and her sides ceased to rise. How did we lose another warrior tonight?
The remaining cats stared at Driftberry's body in shock. A horrified silence spread through the clearing – her death had happened so fast that none of the cats had time to process it. In seconds, Driftberry had been calling out Swiftstar's name, and moments later, she laid dead on the ground. What… what happened…?
"Mother!" Waspberry cried out, bounding to her mother's side as she tried to shake the limp corpse of Driftberry. Lilystream's eyes were wide with horror as she stood next to her sister, trying to help her rouse Driftberry. But the she-cat did not move.
Swiftstar shoved Driftberry's body repeatedly. "Driftberry!" he exclaimed. "Wake up! Wake up!"
Still, Driftberry didn't move. Adderstripe raced over to the commotion, his amber eyes wide as he looked at Driftberry's dead body. Russetstripe studied Adderstripe with narrowed eyes, wondering if he was possibly behind this. No, he's been in camp all day, although I still wouldn't put it past him.
"Damn it." Swiftstar paced around the dead she-cat. "Damn it!" He rose his voice to a piercing snarl. "Why? Why should I have to die? Damn you, Rabbitfur! You sent this assassin!" The WindClan leader swung his head wildly to stare at his warriors. "By my old friend, who has served me so faithfully, and I him! I have dedicated my life to WindClan! I have settled the internal discord within my Clan, I have fought ThunderClan and RiverClan numerous times from our borders, and I have kept my warriors fed through the coldest leaf-bares! I extended our territory! Having done all of that, why should I have to die?"
"Another death," Cloverwhisker whispered, hanging her head in sorrow as the warriors listened to Swiftstar rage. "Perhaps it is an omen."
"How do you know Rabbitfur did this?" Larchcloud asked Swiftstar.
"He is the only cat who would," Swiftstar hissed at Larchcloud through clenched teeth. "Damn him! I will kill Rabbitfur with my own claws! He is no warrior of mine. We cannot let someone like him run free in WindClan territory! So, I'll take the fight to him. Will we let the life of a young warrior go in vain?"
Russetstripe stared at her father, the wrath and outrage spilling from his pelt and blazing in his eyes was nothing like Russetstripe had ever seen before, even when Reedstar and his warriors had attacked WindClan's camp and taken him completely by surprise. Even the senior warriors seemed taken aback by the intensity of Swiftstar's rage, for they all took a step back and exchanged uncertain glances. Swiftstar grabbed Driftberry's body by her scruff and dragged her into the clearing, his eyes clouding over with grief as he collapsed next to her.
"Any cat who objects to considering Rabbitfur as our enemy," Swiftstar rasped, "leave my Clan. Now." When no cat moved, Swiftstar yowled, "Now!"
Still, there was not a muscle in the clearing that tensed. Swiftstar cleared his throat, his burning amber gaze resting on every single one of his warriors. Russetstripe met his gaze, and Swiftstar turned his head away from her. He spoke again. "Very well. We are all of the same mind. From this day forth… anyone who goes near Rabbitfur will be dealt as a traitor. War is at hand. Prepare yourselves!"
"You are the cat who was last seen with Rabbitfur," Adderstripe said, choosing his words evenly as he stood up to his father. "What did you do to him?"
"I chased him out of WindClan," Swiftstar growled, his head buried in Driftberry's fur. "But I didn't kill him. I should've."
Adderstripe flinched, and Russetstripe clenched her teeth in frustration. She couldn't believe Rabbitfur would do such a thing. Sure, Rabbitfur butted heads with Swiftstar nearly every day, but he would send a killer after him? If Swiftstar really did drive Rabbitfur out… then… it makes sense… but why did he drive Rabbitfur out?
"Why did you drive Rabbitfur out?" Russetstripe dared to ask her father.
Swiftstar swung his head to glare at Russetstripe. "It had to be done," he snarled at her. "It doesn't matter. He was a traitor, and no cat will miss him. Now he sends an assassin after me! I must get rid of him, once and for all." Swiftstar rose to his paws and yowled to the sky. "Do you hear me, Rabbitfur? I will track you down and I will slay you! This must end!"
Russetstripe stared at her father in shock. What was his feud with Rabbitfur about? What was the matter? She stepped back and glanced at Dovewillow, searching for an explanation. Dovewillow nodded to her and the two she-cats walked away from Swiftstar into a corner of the camp where they would not be disturbed.
Dovewillow sat down and wrapped her pale brown tail around her dark paws. Russetstripe sat across from her, meeting the older warrior's gaze. "Have you not heard of the rumors of Rabbitfur being Adderstripe's true father?" she asked, a frown on her face.
Russetstripe frowned. "Just today," she replied. "But… I don't believe it. Not at all."
Dovewillow met Russetstripe's gaze steadily. "The rumors have been rampant when Rabbitfur once said he saw Adderstripe as a son, when Adderstripe was just a kit. Adderstripe took it to heart, and said to any cat in ear sight that Rabbitfur was his true father. The rumors spread… and they only got stronger when Swiftstar treated Adderstripe like he was just a mere inconvenience."
So, it seems like Adderstripe and I have more in common than we think, Russetstripe thought wryly. She gazed at Dovewillow, waiting for the she-cat to go on.
"So cats believed that Adderstripe was an illegitimate child – not the true son of Swiftstar. When you and your brother were born, many of the Clan believed that Scorchclaw was destined to be the next Clan leader. But many of the Clan also believed that Adderstripe was Swiftstar's son. It is the one thing that has divided WindClan for many seasons." Dovewillow's yellow eyes were dark.
"I see," Russetstripe mused. Things were staring to come into place, with Dovewillow's explanation. They made more sense, but it didn't mean they were rational or logical. Just because Rabbitfur had been kinder to Adderstripe than Swiftstar did not make Rabbitfur his father. "Thank you for telling me, Dovewillow. But that doesn't explain why Swiftstar hates Rabbitfur so much."
"Because of the rumors," Dovewillow explained. "Rabbitfur never denied them. When some cat asked him point blank, he would shrug and tell them that some things are never clear. Swiftstar always denied that rumor and firmly stated that Adderstripe was his son. Swiftstar must've gotten rid of Rabbitfur to stop it, once and for all, because it would've definitely made things more complicated since Adderstripe was deputy. He must have been afraid Rabbitfur would start a rebellion himself to overthrow Swiftstar."
Russetstripe shook out her thick ginger fur, the new knowledge hanging over her like a dark, heavy cloud. How could she have been so blind to this? Didn't she deserve to know, as Swiftstar's daughter and Adderstripe's half-sister? Am I his half-sister? What if I'm not? What if Adderstripe is right, and Rabbitfur is his father? Russetstripe shook her head. That's ridiculous. Swiftstar is his father, just as he's mine.
Fear flooded Russetstripe's body and turned her blood cold. Swiftstar still had his war on Rabbitfur declared. What would happen next? Did cats side with Rabbitfur, and if that was the case, would they turn against Swiftstar? Would there be a civil war within WindClan?
Oh, gods, if you can hear my prayers, please make sure that WindClan is okay, Russetstripe prayed, looking up to the sky. We've already lost Petalspring and Driftberry. We can't lose another warrior.
A/N: Going to take a break from this site for a while. The story isn't discontinued, I'll be publishing it on Archive of Our Own (just search up the title, it'll show up) and when the troll nonsense here stops I'll continue posting regularly. For now it's going to be erratic updates. It'll be updated regularly on AO3, though.