Ashfur slowly pads back to camp, his mind while cluttered with new questions, calmer than usual. As the grey warrior moves though the cold forest, the first sun-rays barely beginning to poke through the treetops, he contemplates his encounter. He could have died, maybe he should have even. What was he thinking, attacking a Bloodclan warrior alone? His jaw clenches as he remembers their brief fight. Could it be even called that? He failed yet again. And yet he feels not the self-loathing fury he expected to. Why was he spared? Better yet, why did this cat agree to return? Or why did Ashfur offer it to begin with? The tom shakes his head. Thunderclan would not understand, they would see it as treason. Ashfur has fought loyally for his clan since his early days as an apprentice, never has a thought crossed his mind to go against Thunderclan.
The warrior sighs to himself as he drags himself along. His joints ache, the wound the intruder struck still stings, yet he fails to bring up any rage against him. This Talon, who has seen his hurt when his own clan wouldn't. Is this all perhaps just a game to him? Perhaps Ashfur should tell Firestar. If a clan patrol were to ambush him, they would perhaps get some much needed answers from the Bloodclan warrior tonight. Since his own strength didn't suffice yet again. Or… perhaps he still can do it on his own. Perhaps, if he is cautious, he can learn what the clan cares to know from Talon. The tom hesitated, maybe even cares. Maybe he could win Talon's trust, protect his clan by learning what he can from the Bloodclan warrior. He can still serve Thunderclan this way, he can still show his clanmates his worth.
His thoughts are interrupted as he brushes past a bush, the leaves touching the wound on his back, causing him to hiss in pain. He will have to explain this away or the clan will know something does not add up. Maybe his nighttime hunt was interrupted by a large owl swooping down on him, stranger things have happened and large owls do have sharp talons… Ashfur chuckles through the stinging pain. How fitting, yes, a Talon struck this wound. Hopefully Leafpool wouldn't see through the little lie. The idea of lying to such an honest cat does not sit well with Ashfur, but maybe once he is done and learned all there is to know, he'll have the chance to come clean about it.
With a grunt, the grey warrior pushes through the camp entrance, the night guard immediately at his side. Ashfur recognises Dustpelt's amber eyes as they race to him. His former mentor and his sister's mate, father of his nephews, a cat whom Ashfur has great respect for.
„Ashfur, what happened? I smell blood on you!"
The honest concern in his old mentor's voice gladdens Ashfur, not beyond being able to feel the still slowly bleeding wound however.
„An owl chose the same prey as I, it saw me before I saw it. Got away with the prey too"
Ashfur scoffs, shaking his head.
„Shredded my back. I need to see Leafpool…"
The brown furred warrior nods and moves with the blue eyed cat, offering his side to lean on as they make their way to the medicine den. Dustpelt does not bother with keeping his voice down as he calls out for Thunderclan's medicine cat
„Leafpool! Ashfur was wounded, we need you, now!"
After a moment of movement inside the den, the head of the pale brown tabby she-cat pokes out, her amber eyes immediately finding Ashfur
„Bring him inside, I'll do what I can."
Ashfur can hear the tiredness in her voice, a pang of guilt coursing through him. Leafpool is already so busy lately, and now he's taking up some of her much needed sleeping time. As Dustpelt escorts him down into the den, he hears movement and muttering from the other side of the camp. His old mentor's loud voice must have awoken some warriors as well. Ashfur is all but deposited in one of the nests by his old mentor before Dustpelt explains the situation to Leafpool, whom has already begun inspecting the wound.
„An owl descended on him. Tore into his back"
„This wound is deep…and quite long"
Ashfur sighs, digging his claws into the nesting as he feels Leafpool's paws gently tugging on his back to get a thorough impression of the injury.
„It was a very big owl… took off with my prey too"
„If it was that big, you're lucky it didn't take off with you"
Leafpool sounds somewhat concerned and immediately bounds over to her herbs. As she works, Jaypaw's head arises from his nest, even in the dark of the den at such an early hour his discontent being plain.
„I'm sorry for waking you both… maybe this should have waited until morning"
„By morning it could have been infected, mousebrain! Maybe just don't get yourself hunted like some moonstruck rabbit next time."
Ashfur sighs. Even if it's addressed at his cover story, Jaypaw's words are ironically not wrong. At no point had he been the predator in that fight, a fight that didn't have to happen to begin with. He'd not expected to fall so easily. He's a passable fighter, Dustpelt had made sure of that. He considered himself one of the better fighters of Thunderclan even. Was that no longer true? Does his heartache weaken him to such an extend? He will need to become stronger either way, this can not stand like that. Ashfur looks up at Dustpelt, whom has seated himself near him
„You should get back out there, Dustpelt. We shouldn't be without a night guard, not right now."
The older warrior returns his gaze, but after a moment sighs and nods
„Very well. Rest and recuperate, Ashfur. And by Starclan, be cautious. I do not want to sit vigil for you like Longtail did for Swiftpaw."
„I'm not an apprentice anymore. I'll take care, Dustpelt."
The dark brown warrior leans in and touches Ashfur's shoulder with his nose, a gesture Ashfur returns, before Dustpelt turns and leaves. His old mentor is barely away when Leafpool already approaches him again, presenting Ashfur a few bitter smelling herbs
„Chew these, they will soften the pain. I will have to put poultice into your wound, it will burn"
Ashfur silently nods and takes the leaves, chewing them as ordered. Not his first time in the medicine den, he knows this will not be pleasant. His thoughts however have already moved on to another dilemma. How is he to be at the river tonight? Leafpool will certainly not clear him for leaving for a few days and he can't just wander past the night guard while that is so. His thoughts are interrupted as burning pain flashes though him. He growls, sinking his claws once more into the bedding as Leafpool rubs the fresh poultice into the wound. He tries his best to keep his tail from lashing as the medicine cat goes after her work, the awfully bitter juices of the herbs he's been chewing drizzling past his gnashing teeth to the ground.
After a while, it is finally done and the wound is mostly cared for. Leafpool has retreated further back into the medicine den to sort herbs, while Jaypaw applies the leaves and cobwebs to close the injury. Though the sting persists, it becomes slowly more manageable, permitting the injured warrior some calm again.
„Thank you, Jaypaw. How long will you keep me here for it?"
„As long as need be. I'd say six or seven days at least. Leafpool may ask for longer, but you'll have to see for yourself if you're good to return to your duties after that. Try to take it easy for a while either way, if you'll open up the wound again before it's healed you'll only cost us more work"
Ashfur nods, before remembering the futility of that before the blind apprentice
„Very well then."
A bit of disappointment grows in Ashfur at those news. He understands that it'd be a drain on their time and herbs if the wound opens up again, but to remain inactive for that long? He'll be stuck in camp with his thoughts for the whole time, a prospect he downright dreads.
„The time will pass fast enough"
The grey warrior's ear flicks and swivels towards the blind apprentice. Was his disappointment that apparent?
„If you don't wander far, Leafpool might let you out to soak up some sunlight next to the medicine den throughout the day. Might make it more bearable"
Ashfur hums quietly, it might indeed make it more bearable. But then again, all the more risk to see Squirrelflight strutting about or have Brambleclaw come over for unsolicited visits.
„I think I'll just stay here."
„Suit yourself. Either way Lionpaw is gonna gnaw my ear off about missing training, so well done on that"
Ashfur rolls his eyes. For a blessed moment he had managed to banish his golden furred apprentice from his thoughts, alas it is not to be. Lionpaw will be a right bother, but he'll have to deal with that when he gets to that. For now, he has the time to come up with a plan to get back to the river come evening.
Observing soundlessly the frames of Leafpool and Jaypaw deeper in the den as they rise and fall quietly, Ashfur waits patiently until he is absolutely certain that both are soundly asleep. The day passed so very slowly, condemned to lay around and do nothing, nothing but think and sleep and feel useless about it, only to think about it all some more. Now at last, he can at least do something, anything. Taking a deep breath as Leafpool gentle snoring signals her descend into deeper sleep, Ashfur slowly rises to his paws. Giving the two cats one last glance to be certain they won't notice his leaving, he sneaks out of the den. There is a spot in the camp's wall that was thin enough to sneak out through that he sometimes observed apprentices using. He'd told Brambleclaw of course, but since the apprentices kept using the spot, he assumes the tabby deputy never got around to actually seeing it fixed. Moving silently and carefully, he soon arrives at his mark, taking one more cautious look back at the camp. No-one seems to notice a thing. With a small sigh of relief, the grey warrior pushes through the barricade. The passage is narrow and his back moving against the dense plant-life shoots a sharp pain through him several times, but he gets through, greeted by the absolute quiet of a late leaf-fall night. Hoping that he is not wasting his time, the warrior sets out for the river at a firm pace, ignoring the discomfort in his back. His thoughts are constantly racing. What if his disappearance is noticed? What if the Bloodclan cat doesn't show? And if he does, what even is there to talk about? Ashfur can't just straight up ask what he cares to know, how many they are, their reason for attacking… the cryptic dreams he mentioned. Or can he? Just as importantly, what might Talon ask? And how much can Ashfur give in answers without it being a risk to his clan?
His thoughts are pushed back as he finally arrives at the reeds near his spot. He observes the scene quietly for a moment, detecting no movement. Could he be waiting already? Ashfur takes a deep breath, he's come so far now, too late to turn tail. Slowly he strides forward, only to stop in his tracks as he hears a branch move above him, shortly followed by a thud behind him. Turning around, his neckfur standing on end, he is greeted by a familiar pair of red eyes.
„You came. I wasn't certain you would"
As the dark grey warrior slowly moves past Ashfur and through the reeds, the blue eyed Thunderclan cat is left to calm down from his surprise, his fur slowly laying back down, before he follows the tom, meeting him again a heartbeat later at the spot by the river. Talon sits by the waterfront, looking out over the softly flowing water, his tail wound around his paws. With a deep breath, the grey warrior advances. He sits down beside the dark grey Bloodclan cat, eyes rising to Silverpelt, sending a silent prayer to Starclan. Now he's here, now he has to see this through.