The sun rose above the trees, Waspeye squinting into it. A few tail-lengths away sat Brownfur. Both toms were silent, though Waspeye could see his friend shivering ever so slightly. The larger tom frowned, wanting to press against the brown tom and help him warm up but resisting the urge. They hadn't been released from their vigil yet.
The sound of the tunnel entrance rustling made them both turn their heads slightly, blinking in surprise when Jaystar stepped out. She looked between the two toms, humming curiously.
"Congratulations, the two of you," she said after a moment, Waspeye smiling excitedly. "You've completed your vigil, and are now warriors of Thunderclan." Jaystar looked to Waspeye, returning the smile, then added, "Now go get some rest. Eat something, if you can muster the energy. The Gathering is tonight, and I want you both there. And yes, you may speak now."
Waspeye and Brownfur both blinked in shock, having completely forgotten about the Gathering. Jaystar turned and padded back through the tunnel, the two toms following.
"Oh, I'm so excited!" Waspeye exclaimed, tail twitching eagerly.
"I know, me too," Brownfur replied, sounding much less enthused. Waspeye glanced at him in confusion, then realized his friend looked like he could have just lay down right in the middle of camp and gone to sleep. The brown tom yawned. "You think she'll let us eat when we wake up instead?"
"Probably," Waspeye answered with a nod. "Come on. You look like you're about to fall asleep walking."
"I probably could," his friend replied with a tired, half-hearted chuckle. Waspeye chuckled as well, the two toms heading to the warrior's den and ducking inside. They found two fresh, unoccupied nests on the edge of the den, wordlessly laying down in them. Waspeye shuffled closer and pressed against Brownfur, the other tom purring softly in thanks. That familiar, strange warmth flowed through the large, tri-colored tom, and he quickly drifted off to sleep.
The sun was setting as Waspeye padded back into camp, shaking his pelt with a huff. He'd been on patrol with Sagepatch and Echofoot, along with their apprentices. Vinepaw and Bluepaw had oh so bravely decided to prank the fresh warrior. One moment he'd been padding along with the others, and the next thing he knew he was upside down and tangled in a patch of briar. He still hadn't shaken all the little thorns out of his pelt, and they had taken their time coming back, too.
Brownfur sat by the medicine cat den, making conversation with Ivytail. Waspeye approached, catching Ivytail say something about Starclan before they both noticed him.
"Ah, Waspeye, how was your first day as a warrior?" their medicine cat asked with a small, almost teasing smile.
"Something tells me you know," he replied simply. The two younger 'paws had been very quick to admit they'd checked with Ivytail to make sure they wouldn't hurt him with their prank once he'd gotten untangled and glared at them.
"Why, I have no idea what you could possibly mean," Ivytail said, then chuckled. "How bad is it?"
"Just a couple leftovers I can't quite shake out," Waspeye said.
"Oh, where at?" Brownfur asked, standing up to help.
"Just behind my shoulders and next to my scruff," the larger tom said, wordlessly lowering himself down to let his friend reach. Brownfur hummed, nosing through his fur as Ivytail watched with an amused grin. Waspeye tried to ignore the tingle that ran through his body when he felt Brownfur move on to his scruff, not recognizing the feeling but trying to ignore it. It reminded him of the warm feeling he got when helping out the smaller tom, though it was different.
"You alright?" his friend asked suddenly, telling him it hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, just, uh…tickled, a little," he lied. Ivytail glanced at Waspeye, though didn't say anything. Brownfur hummed, then wordlessly went back to picking the briars out. When his friend had finished, Waspeye stood and shook himself.
"Feeling better?" Ivytail asked.
"So much better," the red and black tom answered with a sigh of relief.
"That's good to hear," the medicine cat said. "May I speak with you a moment, Waspeye?"
Waspeye was silent a moment, head tilting in confusion. He glanced at Brownfur, who seemed to be equally confused. Eventually the brown tom padded away to let them talk.
"Is something wrong, Ivytail?" Waspeye asked, worried by the randomness of his request.
"No, I just wanted to talk," the medicine cat answered placatingly. "Do you mind if we walk?"
"Of course not," the red and black tom replied, still confused and worried by what was happening. "We should be back soon, though. We wouldn't want to be left behind."
Ivytail chuckled softly. "No. No, we would not." The two toms padded out of the camp, silence falling over them that just made Waspeye's nerves compound the longer it lasted.
Eventually he couldn't take it any longer, asking, "Why are we out here instead of at camp?" as they came to a fallen tree halfway to the Shadowclan border. Ivytail didn't answer immediately, simply looking inside a hole in the log curiously. "Ivytail."
"Hm? Oh, yes, apologies." The smaller tom paused, then sighed. "I know it isn't exactly my place, but…is there anyone, anyone at all, around the lake that you like?"
Waspeye blinked, even more confused than he was before. "What do you mean?" he questioned, head tilting. "Like…friends? I guess I have Moorwind. Most of my other friends are here in Thunderclan, though."
"And how do you feel about Moorwind?" Ivytail replied, which left Waspeye somehow even more confused.
"Uh…she's fine, I guess?" he answered in confusion. "You know. Friendly. Makes nice conversation. Showed me a cool spot on the Gathering island where these really pretty fish come close to shore."
"Is that all?" Ivytail pressed, and it finally clicked why he was asking.
"Starclan above, Ivytail, how many moons am I going to have to spend convincing you I don't like her that way?" Waspeye huffed angrily. For Starclan's sake, how many times was he going to have this stupid conversation?
"Do you like Brownfur that way?" Ivytail asked, the question not registering at first. Once it did Waspeye let out a small noise of shock and confusion, subconsciously taking a step back.
"What? No, of course not," he answered with a scoff, feeling weirdly nervous and uncomfortable. "He's a tom, in case you haven't noticed. I'd have thought a medicine cat of all cats would know that doesn't work."
Ivytail was silent a moment, then hummed.
"I suppose you're right," he finally replied. "My apologies. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Waspeye waved it off with a flick of his tail, hesitating briefly before he turned and began walking back to camp. He was vaguely aware of Ivytail following, though he drowned it out by focusing solely on where he stepped.
As they were getting close to camp, Waspeye was snapped out of his focus by the sound of something running frantically through the forest behind him. He turned, pelt standing on end as a hiss built in his throat. It choked back down when an unfamiliar cat burst into view, a young she-cat by the scent of them, breathing heavily.
"Ratpelt?" Ivytail questioned, and Waspeye blinked. The she-cat's fur was disheveled from running through the forest, seemingly as hard and fast as she could.
"Ivy…Ivy…" The she-cat took a deep breath, then coughed. She almost seemed to be in pain from her run. "Ivytail, it…it's Snakepelt…"
Waspeye inhaled sharply in alarm, looking to the medicine cat. To his shock, the tom's expression hardened.
"Waspeye, go back to camp. Tell Jaystar I won't be making it to the Gathering," he said.
"No, I'm not letting you go to their camp alone," Waspeye argued.
"We are not arguing over this-"
"I know we aren't," Waspeye interrupted, then looked to Ratpelt. "Lead the way." Ivytail sighed, realizing he wasn't going to convince him, then nodded. The three set off, arriving at the Shadowclan camp to find most of the clan sitting in the clearing, murmuring amongst themselves. Rosestar, worry more than obvious, visibly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ivytail.
"Ivytail, in-"
"I know," the medicine cat said quickly, rushing into the medicine cat den. Waspeye, breathing heavily, slowly moved to enter as well only to be stopped by a warrior he didn't know.
"Come, sit over here, Wasppaw," they said, and he realized it was a she-cat. He opened his mouth to argue, hesitated, then sighed and let her lead him to the edge of the camp to sit down.
"How'd you know my name?" he asked after a moment, the she-cat chuckling. "And it's Waspeye, now. Brownfur and I finished our vigil this morning."
"Oh, congratulations, "she said witha smile, then added, "but, friend, look at the size of you." A small, teasing smile touched her muzzle. "Closest cat to you I know is Lakesplash, and he isn't those colors."
Her answer made Waspeye laugh softly. "You make a good point," he said. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"I'm Ferretclaw," she said with a warm smile. "You won't remember me, but I was at your first Gathering. The joke you told, about making your eyes match…oh, I think about it all the time."
"Really?" Waspeye asked, caught off guard. "I don't even remember saying that."
"You don't?" Ferretclaw replied, visibly surprised. "It was funny. I really liked it."
"Oh, well, thank you," the red and black tom said, shuffling awkwardly. "I appreciate that."
"Of course," the she-cat said, smiling. He returned it. The tom knew she was probably just distracting him so he didn't worry, but he welcomed it. "So, I don't want to be rude or cause any offense, but…" The she-cat fell silent, thinking over what she was trying to say. "Do you…ever think about how different you might be if you'd ben born in a different clan?"
Waspeye was silent, not expecting such a topic to be broached on a first meeting like this but also somewhat confused. "How is that supposed to be rude or offensive?" he eventually asked. Ferretclaw blinked, clearly not expecting that response.
"A lot of cats I've asked have been," she answered after a moment. "I mean, I get that it's a weird thing to ask, obviously, but I think it's interesting."
Waspeye hummed, thinking it over. "I think a lot of cats confuse something unexpected or uncomfortable for offensive," he finally said. "I think most cats don't like to imagine their lives being so drastically different from how they know it, you know? So, when posed with the idea, they lash out because it makes them realize that sometimes how your life goes is down to luck more than anything else. Luck in where you're born, luck in when you're born, luck in the weather, luck in how other animals might act, those kinds of things. And it's daunting and confusing and uncomfortable."
There was a long stretch of silence, Waspeye looking to Ferretclaw to see a shocked look in her eyes.
"I…don't think I've ever heard somebody put it into words before," she eventually said, blinking a couple times. "But…yeah, that's…that's exactly it."
Waspeye gave a small, awkward smile. "Well, Lakesplash always said I was a thoughtful cat," he said nervously. "I've always thought about these kinds of things. Or at least similar things. I like to think about things I don't hear others talk about, you know?"
"I know exactly what you mean," Ferretclaw replied, a smile on her muzzle. The she-cat chuckled. "We're going to be great friends."
"I hope so," Waspeye said, returning the smile excitedly.
The two cats fell into a comfortable silence. After a few moments Rosestar approached them, dipping her head in greeting.
"Ferretclaw, thank you for looking after our guest," she said, the other she-cat dipping her head. "Wasppaw, we will be leaving for the Gathering soon. You are welcome to walk with us until we arrive at the island."
Waspeye blinked, looking towards the medicine cat den worriedly.
"Ivytail will be fine," Ferretclaw said reassuringly, resting her tail on his back in a placating gesture. "And he's Waspeye now, Rosestar. Just finished his vigil this morning."
"Congratulations, young warrior. And Ferretclaw tells the truth," Rosestar said. "On my remaining lives, and on my honor as leader of Shadowclan." A small, bemused smile appeared on her muzzle. "What little we Shadowclan cats have, that is."
It took Waspeye a little longer than it should have to realize that last part was meant as a joke. Now he understood the stories about Rosestar's sense of humor.
"Thank you, Rosestar, but you don't need to swear on that," he said with a shake of his head. "I know he will be, I just…"
"It is only natural to worry about those you care for," Rosestar said, nodding in understanding. "Ivytail has done a lot for Shadowclan, more than you probably know. I can promise you there is not a cat in this clan who would dream of harming him."
Waspeye nodded, a moment passing. "Thank you, Rosestar," he finally said. "I'll let Ivytail know I'll be walking with you."
Rosestar dipped her head, Ferretclaw padding away to rejoin her clanmates as Waspeye approached the medicine cat den. The large tom moved to duck inside, only to pause as he heard whispering. His ears perked up, the tom hesitating a moment before he silently stepped into the den.
Ivytail crouched over Snakepelt, the Shadowclan medicine cat looking perfectly asleep. A cold, familiar feeling settled in Waspeye's heart, the same feeling as when he'd found Ravenpelt in the elder's den. He was so distracted he almost wasn't able to make out what Ivytail was saying, but when he focused, he felt shock and realization course through him.
"I'll see you again in Starclan, Snakepelt," Ivytail whispered, licking Snakepelt's cheek. "Perhaps there we can be the cats we couldn't in life."
Waspeye remained frozen in place for a long moment before he finally regained control over himself. The tom slowly snuck back out of the den, silent a moment before clearing his throat.
"Hey, um, Ivytail?" he said into the den, the Thunderclan medicine cat poking his head out after a few heartbeats.
"Yes, Waspeye?" the smaller tom asked, doing his best to mask the grief and heartache in his eyes. They both knew he wasn't doing as good a job as he pretended, but both pretended it wasn't there.
"Rosestar and the others are leaving for the Gathering," he said. "I'm going with them. Will you be coming once you're finished here?"
Ivytail was silent a moment, and Waspeye saw the tom's grief almost break free at his words. Eventually the tom simply shook his head, unable to speak, and ducked back into the den. Waspeye hesitated, then nodded to himself.
"I'll…see you back at camp, then," he said awkwardly, then turned and padded to join the others. Ferretclaw fell into step beside him as they walked, the two making idle conversation along the way. She could tell there was something off with him, but she refrained from asking. The tom was beyond thankful. How was he supposed to explain what he'd overheard and seen, let alone how it had sent his own thoughts and feelings into disarray like he hadn't thought possible?
As the group crossed the Windclan border, Waspeye cleared his throat, getting Ferretclaw's attention.
"Did…Snakepelt have any family?" he asked, the she-cat blinking.
"No," she answered simply. "No, it was just him. I mean, I know he loved Ivytail like a brother, that's always been more than obvious to everyone, but he was the only kit his parents ever had, and they joined Starclan moons before I was born. I think my mentor, Ravenwing, was still a 'paw when they died."
Waspeye hummed. "At least he'll get to see them again," he said. Ferretclaw nodded in agreement. "I didn't think to ask, but…what happened?"
"Ratpelt went to wake him up from a nap, and the next thing we knew she was sprinting out of camp like her life depended on it. Brindlestripe went to check on him, and he…he was complaining about chest pain. Said it was really bad. Bad like he'd only ever heard about from his mentor. The last thing he said to Brindlestripe was that he didn't want to die without telling Ivytail goodbye. After that he started shaking. He was still alive when you came into camp, but only just."
"That sounds like it was awful," Waspeye said, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry for your clan's loss. Snakepelt will be missed greatly."
"Thank you," Ferretclaw said softly. After a moment she chuckled. "My father died when I was young. Before I can even remember. Snakepelt was there, though. He made sure to bring my mother something to eat with every hunting patrol, even in leaf-bare when everything was too skinny to feed a 'paw, let alone a queen and her kit. He was my father, as far as I was concerned. Maybe not really, but…"
"I know what you mean," Waspeye said with a smile. His tail rested on her back reassuringly, and the she-cat smiled. "Lakesplash is the closest thing I have to a father. I owe him so much, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to live up to it."
"Well, I don't know much about how he trained you, but even then, I'd say you're well on your way," Ferretclaw said, smiling warmly at Waspeye. He returned it thankfully.
The two fell silent once more, and Waspeye found he quite enjoyed the she-cat's company. She was a lot like him in ways most of Thunderclan wasn't. The red and black tom smiled warmly, and the Gathering patrol came to the fallen tree bridge that let them access the island not long after. He parted ways from Ferretclaw and joined his clanmates as Rosestar jumped up onto the tree stump. Waspeye sat down beside Brownfur, glancing at his friend briefly. A thought nagged at the back of his head, brought on by what he'd witnessed at the Shadowclan camp.
Was it possible that it could work like that?