Brambledusk opened his eyes to hear a furious howl that echoed through the camp. It ran through his eardrums and made him wince. Oh, no… He looked up, feeling a freezing snowflake land on his nose and melt into his skin. The current of snow continued to fall in the camp, and combined with the anger of Scorchstar, the cat he was sure was yowling, it couldn't be good news. Brambledusk got to his paws and walked over to the ginger-and-white leader, who was pacing in circles, his tail lashing furiously. Wildheart was at his side, her yellow eyes shadowed with worry.
"Where are they?" Scorchstar was yowling in fury. "Who here knows where the young warriors have gone?"
"Scorchstar, there's no need to frighten the entire Clan," Wildheart was saying, but her voice was quivering with terror.
"What happened?" Brambledusk asked, walking over to Scorchstar. He glanced over his shoulder to see Harewhisker, a heap of brown fur on the ground while Mallowleaf urged him to his paws. Brambledusk looked back over at Scorchstar.
"Hawkfire and Redmoon are missing," Scorchstar snarled.
"So are Iceheart and Frostpetal," Heathercloud added darkly, her blue eyes shadowed as she joined Scorchstar's side. Brambledusk gasped in horror.
Scorchstar flattened his ears. "I'm going to go search for them. Heathercloud, come with me. Wildheart, stay here."
"But I—"
"They're probably off, doing something stupid that will get them killed!" Scorchstar snarled, whirling on his mate. "We have to stop them before it's too late!" He nodded to Heathercloud and bolted away, towards the exit of camp. The two cats disappeared into the moorland, while Brambledusk let out a frustrated sigh. He glanced over to see Lightningtalon in the shadows of the camp, staring at his paws. Waspberry let out a mournful cry as she stared at the sky.
I have an inkling suspicion… Brambledusk walked over to Harewhisker, who was rubbing his head with his paw. "Are you all right?" Brambledusk asked.
"I think I saw the ghost of my mother," Harewhisker grumbled. "Ow…"
"Who did that?" Brambledusk asked.
"I think it was Redmoon," Harewhisker said. "I swore I saw Frostpetal, Iceheart, and Hawkfire with him. I wanted to ask them a question, but then Redmoon hit me, and the next thing I knew, Mallowleaf was bringing me to my paws."
"Harewhisker…" Brambledusk's voice trailed off. "Remember when I asked you to organize a search patrol, to find Hotaru?"
"Yeah, of course." Harewhisker shook out his thin, brown fur. "Why?"
"What did you find?" Brambledusk asked.
"Nothing." Harewhisker shook his head. "No scent, no trace. I told Iceheart, and she didn't take it well. Wait, do you think…"
Brambledusk nodded. "I'm absolutely sure they went off to look for him."
"But if she did… why would Hawkfire and Redmoon go with her?" Harewhisker asked, baffled.
"I bet they were the ones who encouraged her to go in the first place," Brambledusk sighed. "When Scorchstar comes back, I'll tell him of my suspicions."
"Good idea," Harewhisker said.
It was hours until Scorchstar returned with Heathercloud to camp. Defeat shadowed their eyes and their shoulders sagged, and it didn't take much for Brambledusk to know that they hadn't been able to find the four cats. Brambledusk let out a sigh when Scorchstar entered the center of camp. Wildheart bounded over to him, and the tortoiseshell she-cat flattened her ears.
"We lost their scent," Scorchstar confessed.
"That's it?" Wildheart snapped. "You're giving up? I'd search until the ends of the earth to find them!" Her voice rose with hysteria.
"Then do it," Scorchstar growled. "Maybe you'll have better luck than I did." When Wildheart flinched as if she had been struck physically, Scorchstar hung his head. "I'm sorry, I'm worried about them, too. But we searched for hours." He pressed his forehead to Wildheart's as the tortoiseshell she-cat took hysterical, ragged breaths. "We won't give up on them, though. I swear."
"Scorchstar." Brambledusk's voice was quiet but firm as he walked over to leader. "I think I know where they are."
"Where?" Wildheart demanded as she swung to stare at Brambledusk. Brambledusk ignored the she-cat's threatening glare and fixed his gaze on Scorchstar.
Scorchstar narrowed his amber eyes. "What?"
"A few moons ago, Iceheart asked me to search for Hotaru," Brambledusk explained. "I told Harewhisker, and Harewhisker reported they found nothing. Since Iceheart is gone, I have a feeling she went to search for Hotaru by herself, and that her friends went with her."
Scorchstar's tail lashed. "We all thought Hotaru went to his original home. But you could be right," he said. "It definitely sounds like something that they'd do."
"I guess they thought they could succeed where we failed," Brambledusk remarked.
"Does any cat know where Hotaru is from?" Waspberry demanded when she walked over to them, her fur on edge with worry for her kits. Brambledusk nodded.
"Far away," Brambledusk replied, "in the mountains where a group of cats named Iga lives." He glanced over his shoulder to see Nick limping over to them. "Nick?"
Nick cleared his throat. "The shelter where we were all held... it was full of cats from every background, crippled or abled, lost or found, but all of the cats came from a broken home. Hotaru was one of the most powerful cats in his village, but he was sheltered at birth when his parents were killed and was used for a tool at their biding. When he ran away, the shelter caught him, and the cats from Iga have been looking for him ever since. He kills for them because it is all he knows. They are located past the Twolegplace and nestled deep into the mountains." The old elder shut his eyes. "It is very far."
Tell me about it, Brambledusk thought, recalling his mission to retrieve Iceheart and Hotaru with Russetstripe.
"Oh, great StarClan," Scorchstar whispered.
"No innocent cat who goes in lives to tell the tale," Nick murmured.
Brambledusk felt the blood in his veins chill. Not if I can help it. "I'll go to find them," he offered.
"Are you out of your mind?" Scorchstar whirled on Brambledusk. "Why you?"
"Russetstripe and I went after to find them once," Brambledusk offered. "I can do it again."
"But that was with Russetstripe," Scorchstar said. "And she still isn't back at full strength, I don't want her going on a search patrol."
"Then I'll take another cat," Brambledusk said. "I know the direction towards the mountains, and I can track their scent from there. I can do this, Scorchstar. I've brought back several of your cats, and I won't let any cat hurt them."
"You may come across Iga," Nick murmured.
"Then the time to fight is now." Brambledusk unsheathed his claws. "I'll stop them before they come to WindClan."
"Brambledusk…" Scorchstar bit his lip. "You need to take another cat."
"I'll go," Lightningtalon offered, padding up towards Brambledusk and Scorchstar. Waspberry's eyes were wide with shock at Lightningtalon's offer, and even Scorchstar gaped, but Brambledusk didn't want anyone challenging his brother's will to help.
Brambledusk dipped his head gratefully towards his brother. "All right. It's Lightningtalon and I. We don't need any more cats, we still need cats at camp to defend against Peartuft and maybe even Dapplestar. I know the route and I have my brother with me. I'll be fine, Scorchstar."
"Come back to me," Scorchstar said tightly. "With my children. And your kin."
"I will." Brambledusk lowered his head. And, with that, he took Lightningtalon out of camp and into the moorland. The atmosphere between them was tense as Brambledusk remembered the route Runningflame had led him and Russetstripe through the moorland and towards the mountains.
"Why did you offer to come?" Brambledusk asked as the two brothers skimmed through the moorland, snowflakes landing on their pelts and melting into their short fur. "Surely it wasn't to keep your big brother company." His voice was light, a teasing tone to it, but he still wanted to know.
"Because Iceheart and Frostpetal are my daughters," Lightningtalon said, "and whether I like it or not, Hotaru is my son-in-law."
"But you didn't feel like that when they were born," Brambledusk pointed out. There was no trace of anger or an accusation in his voice – just a cat stating the obvious.
"I was young," Lightningtalon said. "I was still barely a warrior when the kits were born. I didn't know what to do or how to be a good parent. Waspberry did, so that's why I figured the kits were better off without me. But I'm older now, and even though I missed the chance when they were kits, I want to make up for it. I want to do what I can to show them that I'm sorry, and that I do want to be in their lives."
Huh. Brambledusk gazed at his brother, clicking his tongue. I wonder… "Is this because of Lilystream, when she found out Buzzardwing died?"
"It helped me realize a few things," Lightningtalon confessed. "I'm blessed to have two beautiful daughters, while Lilystream lost the cat she loved and couldn't raise a family with him. So, I want to make do of what gifts I was given. And I think Buzzardwing would like that, too."
"Yeah." Brambledusk nodded. "Yeah, he would." And, with that, the two cats crossed the moor, kicking up frozen grass until eventually enough snow piled down that they created pawsteps in the ground. When the moon hit its highest peak, the two cats decided to rest for the night. Searching for the cats in the middle of the night wouldn't render a good result. The two cats curled up in the grassland, shutting their eyes even as their heart beat with apprehension.
In the morning, when Brambledusk got up, he recalled the trail Runningflame used to get towards the base of the mountains. He glanced at Lightningtalon, who was already on his feet. The two toms caught a rabbit before Lightningtalon followed Brambledusk as the pale tabby tom continued their journey towards the base of the mountains. When the two cats approached the base, they skidded to a halt.
Brambledusk tasted the air. Disappointment hung over his shoulders as he realized he couldn't scent any of the cats' scent. But I know they're going here. I have to keep moving. He looked up, gazing up at the pure white peak of the mountain. We have to go all the way up there. He scanned the base of the mountain, where the rocks slowly started to elevate from the flattened ground. Brambledusk placed his paws on the rocks and glanced over at Lightningtalon.
"Ready?" he called out.
"Yeah." Lightningtalon followed Brambledusk as he climbed up the elevated path of rocks. Stones clattered with Brambledusk's every movement as he pulled himself up the trail. His muscles began to tense as the mound of rocks grew higher and higher. He could hear Lightningtalon panting slightly besides him, and Brambledusk lifted his paws until he reached a spot where the rock level was steady. Around him, he could see patches of foreign plants he had never seen grown before in WindClan territory. On the other side of him was a mound of more rocks, some large, some the size of pebbles. He winced at the idea of tripping on one of them. That was sure to lead to a fall down the rocks and with a battered body afterwards.
Brambledusk looked down over him to see just how far they had climbed. The wind was colder up here, and the leaf-bare sting was intense compared to how it had been on the moorland. His ears rang slightly, and his head swum at the elevation. We're not even that high yet, he thought miserably. I hope to all the gods that they haven't gone too high. Brambledusk allowed himself and Lightningtalon to rest for a few moments, but he knew that they were racing against time. When Brambledusk looked up, he could see that there was another rocky trail that climbed up the face of the mountain. They had no choice but to scramble up it.
The two cats continued their climb up the mountain as the frigid air buffeted their fur and stopped them from seeing in a few instances. Brambledusk found another spot where the rocks had flattened, and when he looked north, he could see another path that seemed to lead deep into the heart of the mountains. Brambledusk gazed down at the trail. "We need to go down there."
"Can we rest?" Lightningtalon asked, collapsing to the ground. "I'm exhausted."
"Uh, sure, I guess." Brambledusk felt sympathy for putting Lightningtalon through such a long and hard journey without even thinking about how he must've felt scaling the mountain. He wasn't sure how protected they were out here. He looked up to see the clouds thinning and snow continuing to fall. Couldn't they fall victim to eagles or hawks out here? "Let's find some safe place."
The ground where they were following now was hard earth, with a few bushes of hard grass popping up between pointy rocks that dotted the edges of the trail. The snow was piling harder, and it seemed to be even more frozen than it was when he and Lightningtalon had been on level terrain. Brambledusk blinked the snow out of his eyes as he carefully picked his way down the trail.
"There's a cleft in the wall," Brambledusk said, skidding to a halt as he gazed at one of the rock walls. "Might be a cave."
"Let's see if it is." Lightningtalon leaped over a few loose stones and forced his way into the cleft that Brambledusk had seen. Brambledusk followed his brother, slightly surprised as the cleft opened wide into a massive cave that stretched as far as the eye could see. Wow… Brambledusk examined the cave, tasting the air. There was a faint scent of cats, but from how old it was, he didn't think any cat had been here in moons.
"Is it safe to stay for a while?" Lightningtalon asked Brambledusk.
"Yeah, sure, it's fine." Brambledusk curled up onto the stone-cold floor. At least there was no snow in here – the cave was protected from the falling snow. He hadn't seen anything in the mountain that would work as a nest, so this would have to do for now. Brambledusk let out a low sigh before shutting his eyes and lulling himself into a deep sleep.
The next day, Brambledusk opened his eyes to the gray rock wall. A jolt of surprise cut through his body, and then he realized that he was in the mountains with his brother, searching for his Clanmates. To think I was at home, he thought, shaking out his cold brown fur before looking over his shoulder to see Lightningtalon, still asleep.
Brambledusk walked over to Lightningtalon, pawing him gently. "Lightningtalon," Brambledusk said.
Lightningtalon blinked the sleep out of his amber eyes. "Huh…?"
"It's time to go," Brambledusk pressed the black-and-white tom. "We need to find our Clanmates."
"Oh, right." Lightningtalon got to his paws. "Okay, let's go."
Brambledusk led Lightningtalon away from the den, and the black-and-white tom looked into the distance as they left. "Hm… what's that?" He bounded away before Brambledusk could chase after him.
"Lightningtalon!" Brambledusk gasped as his brother walked over to a ledge. His paw tripped on a sole rock, and he was seconds away from lunging overboard before Brambledusk leaned over and grabbed his scruff, stopping him from falling to a grisly death. Brambledusk's heart pounded with terror as he dragged Lightningtalon towards his paws. Lightningtalon was shaking in fear and terror as he got to his paws, staring at Brambledusk.
"T-thank you," Lightningtalon gasped, his words ragged.
"Don't do it again!" Brambledusk spat at him before turning around and starting the search again. How can we stay in these mountains longer? he thought, fear making him want to wail. Lightningtalon nearly fell off!
Three days passed as the two cats spent their time searching the mountains. Brambledusk found himself hissing with frustration – he felt as if they'd searched the entire mountains, yet he couldn't seem to find a single trace of his Clanmates. Where were they? Brambledusk sank his claws into the ground as he came across a rocky trail where the two cats had to be careful where they placed their paws. Even though a mountain of snow covered the rocks, it didn't mean that it wouldn't stop them from slipping.
As Brambledusk and Lightningtalon continued their journey, Brambledusk could hear a loud, churning sound, followed by hissing. What? Is that our Clanmates? Brambledusk leaped over a rock that was blocking their view from the sound, and he let out a gasp at what he saw. Lightningtalon scrambled over the rock to stand next to him, and even the black-and-white tom, who usually wasn't fazed, let out a gasp. In front of them, a massive waterfall poured down from an opening in the rock wall, landing into a rippling pool and spraying the earth around it with splattering drops of water. The thundering water ached Brambledusk's ears and made him dig his claws into the snowy earth. By now, he realized just how frozen his paws felt.
"Brambledusk!" cried out a voice – one that Brambledusk would recognize anywhere. Brambledusk stepped back as Iceheart's silver-and-white tabby figure appeared behind the sheen of water. She bounded over to Brambledusk, pressing her head against his chest fur, and a small strained sob escaped her mouth. Behind Iceheart appeared Frostpetal, Hawkfire, and Redmoon. Frostpetal gasped as she raced over to Brambledusk.
"You came!" Frostpetal exclaimed.
Hawkfire and Redmoon exchanged uneasy glances. They know just how much trouble they're in, Brambledusk thought. Iceheart lifted her head to gaze at Brambledusk, and for the first time, Brambledusk examined her fully, his piercing gaze looking her up and down. His heart stopped in his chest as he realized just how swollen Iceheart's stomach was. Oh…
"Are they…?" Brambledusk's voice trailed off.
Iceheart nodded. "They're Hotaru's," she rasped.
Lightningtalon's tail lashed in fury. "And you've been traveling while you're expecting kits?" he snarled at her. "Do you know how dangerous that is?"
Brambledusk touched his brother's shoulder with his nose. "Lightningtalon, please. Remember what you told me a few days ago."
Iceheart fixed her steady gaze on her father. Frostpetal interfered by snapping at the black-and-white tom. "Why do you care?" the she-cat snarled.
"I do…!" Lightningtalon protested.
"Stop," Brambledusk interrupted. "Hawkfire, Redmoon, come here." His voice was commanding as the two warriors walked over to the older cats, glancing at the ground. "I need you four to tell me everything. Don't leave a single piece out."
"Well…" Hawkfire gazed up and met Brambledusk's gaze. "A few days ago, I told Iceheart that we had to search for Hotaru. We all agreed, and then we left camp that evening. We traveled through the moorland and spent the night at some Twolegplace. After that, we came into the mountains. This is only our second day here."
"So we got up here before you did," Brambledusk remarked dryly. "Great."
"What are you here for?" Lightningtalon asked.
"We need to find Hotaru!" Redmoon declared. "And apparently this is where Iga lives. So, that Momochi guy is somewhere around here!"
"I think I know where," Iceheart said. "Gah…!" Suddenly the silver-and-white tabby she-cat doubled down, pain glazed in her eyes as she let out heavy breaths.
"Iceheart!" Lightningtalon bounded over to her and helped her before she could hit the ground. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah… they're just hurting." Iceheart took a deep breath. "I… need to find Hotaru. I think I know where he is."
"Where?" Brambledusk asked. Worry for Iceheart made his heart race. Her face was void of any color, and she didn't look good. How could she continue a dangerous journey such as this?
"The mountain splits in three paths near the waterfall," Iceheart said. "The middle path is the one that leads to the Momochi village."
Brambledusk examined the four cats flatly. "Are you all right to continue further?"
"Yes," Iceheart replied firmly.
"Iceheart…" Frostpetal murmured.
"I'm going, whether you like it or not!" Iceheart snapped, whirling on her sister with an uncharacteristic anger blazing in her eyes that made Brambledusk flinch. Frostpetal's green eyes flared, but when Iceheart backed down from the high of her anger, she finally nodded. Hawkfire walked over to them.
"Let's keep going," the ginger tabby she-cat said.
"I appreciate your leadership, Hawkfire, but I'll take over from here," Brambledusk told the ginger-and-white tabby she-cat. He had an inkling of suspicion that Scorchstar's daughter had been the one leading them to the mountains, but now it was up to Brambledusk. Hawkfire's tail-tip lashed irritably, but she seemed to know better than to argue with Brambledusk. Brambledusk led them away from the waterfall and saw the path in the mountains spread out. Taking a deep breath, he chose the middle one and started to walk towards it.
It was time to end this feud with Iga, once and for all.