Russetstripe ran over the crown of the hill with Scorchstar at her side. The two cats stopped, their fur buffeting in the wind as they looked down, seeing WindClan's camp in the distance. Russetstripe had said goodbye to her three kits and Runningflame before joining Scorchstar to defeat a fox that had apparently been causing havoc on both ShadowClan and WindClan territory. It was second nature to fight with Scorchstar at her side. She was not lacking in her battle skills – every cat in RiverClan still trained to fight, for exercise and for the fact that although they may not fight other Clans anymore, there would still be other animals and other groups of cats to defend themselves against.
As Russetstripe gazed at the camp that was nestled between the hills, a wave of memories hit her quickly. It had been seasons since she had seen this camp, and she had tried to put it behind her, to live in the moment. But she could not deny that this had once been her home for so long, and she had always wanted to see it again, despite being a RiverClan cat now. I may have found my true home, but I'll always remember living here, with Blackdove, Scorchstar, Sunleaf, and Brambledusk.
"Race you!" Russetstripe called out and sprung down the hills.
"Oh, you think you'll defeat me?" Scorchstar asked, hot on her heels as he ran down. "All you've been eating is fish!"
"But I still was born with the same WindClan speed," Russetstripe meowed, lunging from the hills and sprinting across the plains towards the dip in the ground. Scorchstar was right behind her, and Russetstripe could hear his breath coming in heavy gasps. He doesn't have the stamina he used to have… is he all right? Worry for her brother twinged in her heart. She knew he had gone through a lot lately – that must be taking its toll on him. Russetstripe skidded to a halt as she approached the entrance of camp, before Scorchstar. Scorchstar caught up to her, rolling his eyes.
"Okay, so you beat me once," Scorchstar grumbled.
"Ha." Russetstripe grinned. "Lead the way?"
"I don't think you forgot it," Scorchstar meowed. "But sure, I'll entertain you for this time." He led Russetstripe into the moorland clearing, and Russetstripe looked around, her breath catching in her chest. The last time she had seen this camp, it had been crisp and charred, burnt and dead grass all over the place. But now the grass was green and flourishing, and the fresh-kill pile was plenty. The sun, lowering its peak in the sky, dazzled the camp with its golden rays. But the Clan was so small. Once when there had been bustling activity, there was only a ripple of sound. But they're still there, Russetstripe thought.
"Hey, Russetstripe!" Hawkfire's voice was elated as the ginger-and-white tabby she-cat shot across the clearing and pressed into Russetstripe's chest. Russetstripe purred as she nuzzled the cheek of her niece. "You're here! Are you here to stay?"
"No," Russetstripe chuckled. "That fox you're having trouble with? I'm here to fight it off."
"Oh!" Hawkfire jumped up. "Really?" She looked at Scorchstar. "You were able to get reinforcements?"
"Yeah," Scorchstar replied. "Russetstripe, Emberflame, and Icestorm. They should be here by tonight or tomorrow morning. Nightstar experienced the fox first-hand – he said it killed Hawkflight."
"Oh, no!" Hawkfire gasped.
"You see why I said we shouldn't bring Brightpaw and Rainpaw on the patrol?" Scorchstar asked, flicking his tail.
Hawkfire flattened her ears. "Father, I—"
Russetstripe cleared her throat, glancing at Scorchstar. Scorchstar nodded to her and squared his shoulders, facing Hawkfire. His voice was calm and measured as he spoke.
"Hawkfire, listen," Scorchstar meowed. "You and I have different opinions on how to run a Clan. Which is fine. I don't want a deputy who submissively obeys my every order. But we can't just go at each other when we do have a different opinion. I've yelled at you, and I'm sorry for that."
"Well, I guess I yelled at you, too…" Hawkfire murmured.
"But, whenever we have differing opinions, we need to talk it out," Scorchstar meowed. "We can't just yell at each other. Fighting solves nothing. We've got to hear each other out. I need to hear you out, and you need to hear me out. Once we've listened to each other's opinions, that's when we can come to a solution. We can compromise if we can't decide who's right, or we can find another solution all together. Hawkfire, being a leader doesn't mean you choose what's right. It means that you listen to the cats around you and take their thoughts into consideration before you make a decision."
Hawkfire gazed at Scorchstar, her green eyes round. Russetstripe was amazed as every word seemed to visibly sink into her. Then the bold she-cat nodded. "All right, Father. I understand. You thought that Brightpaw and Rainpaw couldn't go because you wanted to protect them, right?"
"And you wanted them to go because you thought that I was sheltering them," Scorchstar said. "You're right. I did want to keep them safe. I didn't want Iceheart or Hotaru to lose them – or WindClan, in general, to lose them."
"I should've thought about that," Hawkfire admitted. "I was just so caught up in proving that Brightpaw and Rainpaw were good apprentices, that Redmoon and I trained them well, that I didn't think of the dangers they could encounter, just that they could fight well. I'm sorry, Father. I understand what you were trying to say."
"And I understand what you were saying," Scorchstar said. "Now, we have Emberflame, Icestorm, and Russetstripe coming to help us fight the fox. How about we just keep working on training Brightpaw and Rainpaw, maybe focus their training on fox-fighting, and the next time we encounter a fox, we can see if they're able to fight them this time?"
"That sounds like a good idea," Hawkfire agreed. "Okay. I'll get everything ready for Emberflame and Icestorm, and I'll send out a patrol to see if the fox is still lying around."
"Good idea," Scorchstar said.
Russetstripe grinned. "Look at you two. Finally getting along."
"Hey!" Both Scorchstar and Hawkfire were snapping at Russetstripe. Russetstripe chuckled.
Hawkfire grinned. "I am glad that you're here, though." She brushed her pelt against Russetstripe's. "I've missed you."
"I missed you too," Russetstripe told her.
"I saw your kits at the Gathering," Hawkfire meowed. "They're pretty cute."
"Oh, don't let them catch you saying that," Russetstripe purred, knowing that her kits hated being infantilized. She glanced at Scorchstar. "I'm going to go say hi to Redmoon. Is that fine?"
"Yeah," Scorchstar said. "I've got to talk to Hawkfire about a few things." The anger that had been notable on Scorchstar when he had first marched into RiverClan's camp was gone. He rested his tail gently on his daughter's shoulders and led her into his den. Russetstripe watched him go, and then caught a glimpse of Redmoon's dark red fur. He was sitting over the fresh-kill pile, dropping a rabbit down on it.
"Redmoon!" Russetstripe called out, walking over to the big tom.
"Aunt Russetstripe?" Redmoon looked up. "Wow! It's been so long since I've seen you. You look great!"
"You too, Redmoon," Russetstripe meowed, touching her nephew's nose with her own. "Your father told me what you did for your sister. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks," Redmoon meowed, his green eyes glittering. "No offense – you know I love you – but, what exactly are you doing here?"
"I'm here to help you fight off the fox," Russetstripe said.
"Great!" Redmoon's tail shot up. "We could really use that help with that cursed thing. It's been stalking our borders for days now, and it actually got me the first time I came across it." The red tom flexed his shoulder, and Russetstripe saw a barely healing gash running from his shoulder blade to his elbow. Wow, that's going to scar, Russetstripe thought.
"Well, don't worry," Russetstripe meowed. "I'm here, and so are another few Clan cats. We'll help you out with that fox."
Redmoon nodded. "Thanks. I can't wait 'til this thing is dead." He gave a warm nod to Russetstripe before bounding away. Russetstripe glanced over at the nursery. Frostpetal, she thought, recognizing the silver-and-white tabby she-cat, nearly an exact copy of her sister, Iceheart. Her belly was swollen with kits, and she looked as if she was about to give birth any day now. Russetstripe walked over to her, and Frostpetal's green eyes lit up as she saw her former mentor.
"Hey, Frostpetal," Russetstripe meowed. "Long time no see."
"You're kidding!" Frostpetal brushed her muzzle against Russetstripe's cheek. "I missed you, Russetstripe."
"Me too," Russetstripe meowed, looking down at her stomach. "When are you due?"
"Soon," Frostpetal admitted. "I'm afraid to raise these kits without Harewhisker. He's their father. I mean, we were never mates, but we were… united, in a way, I guess. Who's going to help me raise these kits?"
Russetstripe leaned in. "Your Clan," she said. "These are not just your kits anymore. Iceheart and Hotaru will help you, I'm sure, since your sister has experience and loves you very much, but since these are the kits of such a respected warrior, the rest of your Clanmates will help you."
"Can I do it?" Frostpetal whispered.
"Yes." Russetstripe nodded firmly. "Frostpetal, you were my apprentice, and I know you. There's nothing you can't do if you set your mind to it."
Frostpetal beamed. "Thanks, Russetstripe." She lifted her head to touch her nose to Russetstripe's cheek. "It means a lot." She sighed. "Won't you consider coming back to WindClan?"
Russetstripe shook her head. "I can't, Frostpetal. WindClan will always be a part of my heart, and I will always love you all. You will always be my Clanmates. But I have a family in RiverClan, now. I have kits and a mate. I can't leave them." She rested her chin on top of Frostpetal's head. "A day doesn't go by where I don't think about WindClan, though."
Frostpetal nodded. "Okay. I understand. Thanks for at least coming back for a little bit. We do miss you around here, you know."
Russetstripe flicked her tail, unsure of what to say. She brushed her pelt against Frostpetal's side before walking towards the edge of camp, where the warriors usually slept. Some cats had already bunked in for the night – Heathercloud and Seedberry were fast asleep, snoring loudly. Gradually more cats started to join them. Hotaru walked over to Iceheart, and the two cats curled up together as they lulled themselves into sleep. Redmoon plopped down, and Hawkfire was right after him. No other cat joined them, save for the three apprentices that walked into their den. Russetstripe's heart clenched. This was how small WindClan was? No wonder they need the help. She found the spot where she usually slept when she was a WindClan warrior – right near the camp walls. It was still faint with her scent. No other cat slept here. Russetstripe curled up in a ball, shutting her eyes and letting darkness consume her.
The next morning, the scent of ThunderClan and ShadowClan wafted into the WindClan clearing. Russetstripe opened her eyes and got to her paws, stretching her limbs out with a giant yawn. She could recognize Emberflame's dark brown figure at the entrance, and Icestorm's pure white pelt stuck out starkly against the brown grassland. The two warriors looked around the clearing, confused. Russetstripe walked over to them, lowering her head.
"Wait, aren't you in RiverClan?" Emberflame asked, arching an eye whisker as he looked Russetstripe up and down.
"I'm here as one of the cats to help," Russetstripe said.
"Reminds me of when you were constantly shoving your nose in ThunderClan's business." Even though Emberflame's words were sharp, there was no hint of the sting he usually would speak with. Russetstripe met his gaze and was startled by the respect that flashed in them for a split second. Oh… he does remember me… we never really talked when I was in ThunderClan, but now I actually get to look at him for the first time since I saved him as an apprentice.
Icestorm was quiet, and Russetstripe recalled that the white she-cat had been taken from ShadowClan as a young kit, brought to RiverClan under Dapplestar's orders. She had trained under the RiverClan leader, but when Dapplestar died and Nightstar became leader, Icestorm had opted to join ShadowClan. Russetstripe knew that she was a cat of very few words, but an excellent fighter – and the most feared in the Clans. I wonder if she still lives with the trauma, or if she was able to heal. But there was nothing in Icestorm's pure blue eyes that gave away her feelings.
"Good!" Hawkfire's voice was jubilant as she bounded over to the two cats. "You're here! I was waiting for you guys. We all were."
"Yeah yeah, we're here, just tell us what you want us to do so we can go home." Emberflame rolled his eyes. "If I stay here longer than I have to, the headache's just going to turn fatal."
Icestorm pressed her lips tight together, still silent.
Hawkfire scowled at Emberflame. "At least you're not as mean as you were."
"Say that again?" Emberflame tilted his head.
The WindClan deputy ignored him. "Okay, Scorchstar and I already came up with the patrol. We'll be bringing Iceheart, Hotaru, Redmoon, Seedberry, Russetstripe, and of course, you two, Emberflame and Icestorm."
"Is Scorchstar coming?" Russetstripe asked.
Hawkfire nodded. "Yeah. We're due to leave soon. Have you all eaten anything?"
"I don't need to be pampered by the WindClan deputy," Emberflame grumbled. Icestorm still didn't reply.
"Saying things like that will just make you want to eat it more once you can't anymore. Come on, surely you know how to eat without regard to anyone but yourself," Russetstripe recited, surprised at how the words came back to her, so fluidly like the day she had spoken them. Emberflame's amber eyes shot wide, staring at Russetstripe with an open mouth.
"Want me to shove a rabbit back in your mouth again?" Russetstripe asked him.
Emberflame sighed. "This time, I won't need anyone's permission to eat." The tom stalked away from the WindClan cats, heading over to the fresh-kill pile and picking up a rabbit before walking away.
"How about you?" Hawkfire asked Icestorm.
Icestorm shook her head.
"Come on, don't you talk?" Hawkfire pressed.
"Not if I don't have to." Icestorm sat down and licked her paw, drawing it over her ear. Hawkfire watched her, taken aback.
"They sure sent some weird cats to help us," Hawkfire remarked before turning on her heel and walking away from Icestorm. Icestorm watched her with cold blue eyes, and then she turned her gaze onto Russetstripe. Russetstripe shuddered at the frost in Icestorm's eyes. I think Hawkfire is right.
"It's a pleasure to fight with you," Russetstripe told her.
Icestorm narrowed her eyes, completely silent.
"All right, then." Russetstripe gave the she-cat a nod before following Hawkfire. Hawkfire had parked herself in front of Scorchstar's den. There was no sign of the ginger-and-white tabby tom, not for a few heartbeats. Then, just as the pre-dawn's rays melted to be replaced by the pink rays of dawn, Scorchstar appeared from his den. The rising sun illuminated his big ginger-and-white figure, highlighting the determination that blazed like a fire in his amber eyes. Russetstripe gazed at her brother. He's a better leader than Swiftstar ever was. I'm so proud of him.
The WindClan cats started to gather, and Russetstripe couldn't help but wonder why Wildheart or Heathercloud weren't chosen. Russetstripe caught Heathercloud's gaze, and saw just how cloudy they were, and her once shiny gray coat was now dull. Wildheart was sitting at the entrance of the medicine den. So she's ill. That's why. Other than those two, the apprentices, and Frostpetal, the entirety of WindClan was going to fight the fox. Redmoon lashed his tail, while Hawkfire unsheathed her claws and examined each of them separately. Seedberry flicked her tail, while Hotaru brushed against Iceheart protectively. Emberflame licked the rabbit blood from his whiskers, and Icestorm flexed her claws.
"We march now!" Scorchstar yowled. "We will teach this fox that it should have never messed with WindClan – or ShadowClan!"
Yowls of approval came from the cats that gathered around him. Scorchstar bounded through the throng of cats and took his place at the head of the Clan. He looked over his shoulder and nodded, taking off with a speed faster than any hawk or eagle. The WindClan cats were right behind him. Russetstripe pelted towards him so that she was right near his side. Hawkfire was on his other side, and Redmoon was behind them. Russetstripe enjoyed the feeling of the warm breeze against her whiskers as she ran with the WindClan cats through the moorland.
They were a blur of orange, brown, white, and gray pelts as the WindClan patrol – alongside Emberflame and Icestorm – surged through the moorland, climbing up hills and cutting through grass. The stench of fox, rancid and putrid, crawled up their nostrils. Scorchstar skidded to a halt, and Russetstripe stopped right next to him. She crouched down, squinting her eyes to try to make out any sign of the fox. She took a step forward, and she was able to catch a glimpse of its dark red fur. The fox lifted its head, and Russetstripe's breath caught in her chest. The fox was massive – easily twice the size of a cat. When it bared its teeth, Russetstripe saw the razor-sharp long fangs that could easily break a cat's throat if bit down hard enough. The muscles were taught beneath its pelt, and its beady eyes gleamed with malice.
"Just as I remember," Scorchstar murmured. He looked over his shoulder. "Every cat, fan out and surround the fox. Be as quiet as you can. When I give the order, attack. Russetstripe, with me." He flicked his tail towards Russetstripe. "You too, Hawkfire. Redmoon, lead the other cats around."
Redmoon nodded and ushered half of the patrol behind him, slipping through the grassland as he helped the other cats surround the fox. Russetstripe followed Scorchstar and Hawkfire, and behind them were a few other cats. Russetstripe's paws were light, avoiding stepping on any stalks of grass that would make a sound. She didn't want to alert the fox to their presence but considering that their scent had already flooded the clearing, she had a good idea that the fox already knew. Russetstripe crouched down when Scorchstar did, and she peered through the long stalks of grass, focusing her gaze on the big canine. Just as she had predicted, the fox was crouched down, baring its jaws, ready for a fight. There was no avoiding the coming calamity.
"Attack!" Scorchstar yowled after several moments of hesitation. In that second, all the cats from the patrol sprung from their hiding spots, overwhelming the fox viciously. Russetstripe leaped onto the fox's shoulders, sinking her claws into its thin fur. But the fox was strong. It flung off Russetstripe in seconds and slashed at Hotaru and Redmoon. It turned on its heel and sunk its teeth into Icestorm's throat before throwing her away and grabbing Emberflame. Hawkfire sank her fangs into the fox's back leg, and the fox shook her off as if she was a fly.
How is this possible? Russetstripe thought, panic making her heart lurch as she jumped back to attack. She ducked under the fox and raked her claws down its underbelly. The fox let out a cry of pain but was still gaining the upper hand in the fight. It moved, a whirl of ginger fur and white teeth, seeming to attack every single cat at once. Pain seared down Russetstripe's shoulder as the fox bit down on her. Russetstripe squirmed away, blood pouring from her wound. She looked up, seeing the fox kicking Seedberry away with a single back leg.
Icestorm's claws were stained crimson as she slashed her claws across the fox's eyes. The fox yelped, blood streaming from its shut eyelids, but Icestorm's blow seemed to aggravate the fox more than subdue it. The orange canine was on the defense now, making it more dangerous as it sank its teeth in the back of Hotaru's neck, sending him flying. Emberflame climbed onto the fox's spine, holding on for dear life as he clawed tufts of fur from the animal. The fox rose on its hind legs, and at that moment, Scorchstar lunged for the fox's stomach, slashing his claws down its sensitive underbelly. The fox let out a massive yelp of pain, and lunged at Scorchstar, returning the same blow by raking its sharp claws down his throat. Blood gurgled in Scorchstar's throat as he collapsed to the ground.
"No!" Hawkfire screamed at the top of her lungs. Together, she and Icestorm lunged at the fox one more time, who was disorientated by the crucial blow Scorchstar had sent. Icestorm sank her teeth into the fox's throat, and Hawkfire slashed her talons multiple times at the fox's underbelly. The rest of the patrol joined the two she-cats to finish off the fox, a flurry of blood staining the moorland floor. The fox collapsed to the ground, whining in pain, and Icestorm was the cat who delivered the final blow, watching with cold ice blue eyes as the life left the fox's body.
Russetstripe raced over to Scorchstar, who was a bundle of fur on the ground, groaning with pain. "Scorchstar?" she whispered. "Are you all right?"
Scorchstar opened his eyes blearily. "Russetstripe…" he rasped. But with every word, more blood streamed from his mouth.
"Hold on!" Russetstripe pleaded with her brother. Not again! "We'll get you to Sedgefall!"
Scorchstar groaned in agony as Russetstripe hauled Scorchstar's body over Redmoon's back, who had come over and watched with panicked green eyes. Redmoon raced through the moorland, his pelt a flash of red as he disappeared through the hills. Hawkfire gazed after him, worry in her green eyes as she turned to address the patrol.
Emberflame lashed his tail. "Is that cursed cat going to be all right? I didn't risk my life for him to just die on us."
"He'll be fine!" Hawkfire exclaimed. "He's my father. The strongest cat in the Clan."
Icestorm narrowed her eyes.
Hawkfire looked at the ground and cleared her throat. "Thank you, Emberflame, Icestorm, and Russetstripe, for coming." She glanced at the fox's dead corpse. "Hotaru, please dispose of that. Emberflame, Icestorm, Russetstripe, you can go home. Your help was valuable. Without you, we wouldn't have defeated the fox."
Icestorm nodded slowly and turned on her heel, her pure white fur stained with blood. She said nothing as she trotted over the hills and disappeared into the grassland. Emberflame grunted as he watched her go, then turned to Hawkfire, his amber eyes dark.
"Not that I care about Scorchstar, but if I need to bring Frostcloud here, just let me know." Emberflame turned on his heel and walked away, his broad back crusted with crimson as he disappeared into the opposite direction Icestorm had gone. Hawkfire watched them go, and then gazed questioningly at Russetstripe.
"I'm not leaving until I know my brother is okay," Russetstripe told Hawkfire. "I need someone to tell RiverClan that."
"I will," Iceheart meowed. "I'll find some cat on the border and let them know."
"Thanks, Iceheart," Russetstripe meowed as the silver-and-white tabby ran down the grassland. She gazed at Hawkfire. "We need to go."
"Yeah." Hawkfire nodded, her muzzle stained with the fox's blood, and led the remainder of the patrol back to the WindClan camp. Russetstripe ran faster than she ever had before in her life, praying to all the gods that her brother was all right. She didn't know what life he was on – she knew that he had lost quite a few during the reign of Dapplestar and Peartuft, from always having to fight battles, never having a day of rest. Was this Scorchstar's last life? Is it true?
Russetstripe and Hawkfire skidded down the moorland walls and entered the camp, racing over to Sedgefall's den. There was a trail of blood across the clearing, leading to the rock where the medicine cats slept. A lot of it, Russetstripe thought grimly. Oh, Scorchstar. You've survived so much. Please survive this!
The ginger she-cat shoved herself through the rock, skidding to a halt as she saw Scorchstar, laid out on a nest of moss while Sedgefall and Cloudpaw worked desperately to stop the staunch of blood that flowed from his throat. A wave of memories swamped over Russetstripe. It's just like… just like that day…
But this time, it was worse. Scorchstar was much older than he had been, and it had only been a cat that attacked him then. It hadn't been a vicious fox, who had barely been defeated by a patrol of cats. Russetstripe looked at the roof of the medicine den, trying to blink away tears.
Please, StarClan. Please have mercy on my brother.