Chapter 57: Secrets Unveiled
It was finally time to fulfil my obligations to Brokentail. We couldn't just depart with him without thought. Tigerclaw needed to be out of camp for the plan to work. We also needed to leave as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, it also needed to be done during daylight hours since I'd need to get in contact with some cats in the Twoleg Place. In an almost ironic twist, Windclan, a clan we'd thought likely to raid us, ended up being raided by both Shadowclan and Riverclan. Tigerclaw took off with most of our able warriors, but Bluestar managed to convince him to leave herself, Whitestorm, Lionheart, and I behind. With all the clans congregated around Windclan, it would be the safest time to leave the camp on a skeleton crew.
As soon as the counter raid patrol was out of sight, Bluestar gave us a nod. We all moved towards the medicine den. Yellowfang must have sensed the opportunity as well since she already had gotten Brokentail up.
"It's time, isn't it? Be careful with him. His sense of balance is still off. He also skews left if you aren't actively guiding him. Otherwise, he is docile. He shouldn't give you too hard of a time." Yellowfang mewed. Her voice carried a near imperceptible undertone of regret.
"I'll guide him. With this bad leg, I'm already the slow one of us. Smudgefoot will have to take point since he's the most familiar with the territory, and Bluestar and Whitestorm are our best fighters, so it'd probably be best to keep them close to the middle where they can move up or back if we're ambushed." Lionheart volunteered.
"I have no issue with the arrangement. Before we take off, is there anything we need to know?" Bluestar asked me.
"There are just some general rules. Generally, ignore a cat unless you need something from them. Don't stare or raise your fur. Most cats there operate by the rule of you don't bug me and I don't claw you. I do know some cats, but they are largely skittish to forest cats. Let me do the talking. Also, we are guaranteed to have to double back once or twice. Twoleg traffic is too risky to walk through, especially with a blind cat." I replied.
Bluestar begrudgingly nodded. I knew the rest of the cats were largely prideful, but I hoped their sense of duty would out weight the issue while we were there. We took out positions, me in front, Bluestar and Whitestorm flanking me, and Lionheart and Brokentail taking up the middle and the rear.
As we approached the fence line of my old home, a wave of nostalgia came over me. As I leapt up onto the fence, I couldn't help glancing into Fireheart's old yard. It was just as I remembered it, simple with no noteworthy features, but that was what made it special. Each little claw mark on the wooden fence or bare patch of dirt told a story. I could remember every one of them. On the west corner was where we practiced climbing. In the middle, there was a small mound from when I stole and buried a toy. Unfortunately, not all of the tell-tale signs remained. The fence had been partially repainted, burying some of our memories behind some cheap whitewash. My nostalgia trip was ended early by the appearance of a cat about four months my junior.
A small brown tabby made her way up to me. "Who are you?" She asked.
"My name's Smudge. I used to live in the house next door. Say, do you know if Henry is still around? I have some business in the city." I answered and inquired.
"Henry? He's starting to get up there in age, but you'll find him where he always is. I'm not supposed to talk about it, but I'm his protégé. He's teaching me all about how to get in the know of the city. By the way, my name's Hattie." Mewed the excitable cat. She was barely even an adult, likely still apprentice aged.
I let out a soft chuckle. "I'm glad Henry isn't letting my legacy die. Anyways, I need Henry's help to move a cat. They need to go where Mr. Tinkles went."
Hattie scrunched her face in disgust. "Ugh. Mr. Tinkles? You know the stories cats tell about him. Why would you want to find him? He wrong you somehow?" Hattie asked.
"Nah. It has nothing to do with him. Rather, it has to do with the cat we're moving. This cat has done a lot of bad, but we promised him his life, so that's where he has to go." I answered.
"Gotcha. Tell you what. I know the streets pretty well now, but Henry doesn't let me go too far without an escort. Something about a molly wandering alone being unsafe. Let me tag along after meeting Henry, and I'll guide you where you need to go." She mewed excitedly.
Hattie took off, leaving us to follow. Whitestorm voiced his discontent. "Are we really going to let her guide us? Can we even trust her?"
"Trust me. If Henry vouches for her, she's alright. Just don't encourage her to follow us home. Henry would have a heart attack if another cat was 'stolen' by the forest cats." I replied.
Soon we were in a familiar yard with a familiar but greying obese tom. He must have recognized me with how his eyes flashed in astonishment.
"Smudge! I thought I'd never see you again. You finally realize those forest cats are nothing but trouble?" He asked.
"Nah. I'm here on business. Got a cat here that needs taken to the cat lady's house. Hattie here offered to guide us. You ok with that?" I answered.
"Really? He must have done something to twist your tail to get taken there. Hattie can go. Just make sure she's back before sundown and avoid the cats with teeth in their collars. They're bad news." He replied.
With that, we set off once again. Hattie was a mostly reliable guide, only getting turned around once and us having to double back twice since of Twolegs and the cats with teeth in their collars. When we got close, a certain white cat recognized me. His ear still bore the notch I gave him. His fur was slightly patchy due to how his scars messed with his fur growth. He trembled and sunk low to look as submissive as possible.
"Smudge! I didn't do anything! Please don't run me off again! I'm good now! Please, don't hurt me." He begged.
"Relax. We aren't here for you. We've got a drop off. This here is Brokentail. As you can probably tell, he's blind. Think you can get the CCL (Crazy Cat Lady) to take him in? If you do, I promise you all will be forgiven. I'll never interact with you again." I mewed.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'll make it happen. I finally have a real life, and I don't want to leave it. I profusely apologize for who I was. When I was a show cat, all I had was my looks. I lived day by day in a monotonous routine. I wasn't allowed to do anything that could mar my looks. Now, I can actually do what I want. In a way, what you did to me was a blessing. I don't mind how I look now." He mewed with extreme gratitude.
"Yeah. Yeah. I'm glad you're a better cat. Anyways, go get your owner. I have a final bit of business with Brokentail here." I replied.
Mr. Tinkles took off, leaving us with Brokentail to finally reveal his source. "I upheld my end of the deal. Now you've got to give yours. Who helped you during the raid?"
Brokentail let off a malicious chuckle, likely believing we hadn't the slightest idea who was the traitor. "You aren't going to like my answer, but since you've done such a good job, I'll answer. It was Tigerclaw, your deputy. He met my rogues as we wandered the border and promised he'd restore my leadership of Shadowclan. Now, I've got a cushy new life to get to." He mewed before turning away, Mr. Tinkles guiding him along.
Most of the patrol just looked on with unhappy acceptance, but Whitestorm looked worse. I believe there were actual tears in his eyes. He was quiet the whole way back. He never wanted to believe Tigerclaw would do such a thing, but there was no denying the facts. We managed to beat the counter raid patrol back to camp.