A tomcat sat frozen at the entrance to a grotto. Sunlight illuminated his marbled brown pelt, making it contrast with his cream colored underbelly. Time slowed as they processed the sight before them. He could do nothing but stare. Stare at the cold, tiny pile of fluff in the middle of the camp. A few cats approached him, hoping to console him. But, their words were drowned out by the growing silence enveloping his mind. The tom's mind was blank. The sky was overcast and the last rays of sunlight trickled into the cliffside hollow. The shadows twisted and lengthened, threatening to swallow the tom whole. Finally, he let out a choked sob. Soon, the tom collapsed onto the ground and let out a broken yowl, as if he had just endured moons of torture.
A cat who's pelt was the color of the sunset approached the despairing tom. They brushed their tail along the tom's back as they stared at the corpse in disbelief. The tom spoke in a crackly voice to the cat beside them.
"Lyrefade, who… why? Why would anyone do such a horrible thing to such a kit? Has StarClan no mercy? Is this a punishment? How could StarClan let this happen!"
"I-.. I'm not sure, Thornfog…"
"He didn't deserve this! He hasn't even started his apprenticeship!"
"He didn't deserve anything like this- but please calm down, love.."
"I just.. I just can't believe this! Who would dare to touch our son? I-I-…"
Thornfog paused. A feeling of unwavering fury swept through every fibre in his body, shaking him to his core.
"It was you, wasn't it!?"
Thornfog raised his hackles. His tail held high, his fur bristled as he turned toward a bright orange cat with burnt orange stripes running through their fur.
"It was you, wasn't it, Hawthornfur? I can't believe I even thought about who did it. I know you absolutely despise me, but did you really have to stoop this low? What am I even saying? Of course you would! Even StarClan knows you would. If you had a problem with me, you should've fought me like a real tom! The only thing you've done is make yourself look like even more of a spineless coward than you already are."
The words spilt out of Thornfog's mouth, the intensity in his voice increasing as he uttered each one. Hawthornfur retreated slowly into a dark crevice between two boulders. He glared at Thornfog with an expression of fright, anger, and confusion. He hissed at the cat and desperately pleaded,
"It wasn't me this time, I promise! Someone's framing me, they know how easy of a target I am. I'm a changed tom, I've already swore that I would never do such a thing again!"
The spectators gathered behind Thornfog as he stalked toward Hawthornfur, his eyes sparkling with insanity. His words dripped with raw, venomous hatred.
"Liar! It's about time you've left CrestClan, you've been nothing but a curse to us! You're the reason the other clans no longer respect us. You have caused an unspeakable amount of grief to your clanmates! It's a mystery why Bellstar keeps letting you call yourself a member of our clan. You're no better than a mangy, rabid, flea-ridden rogue!"
Thornfog's words were filled with abhorrence toward Hawthornfur. With every step he took closer to the cat, his rage only grew more. Finally, he leaped at him with his claws unsheathed. Hawthornfur tensed his body, preparing to retaliate.
But, before any blood could be shed, a stern voice rang throughout the camp.
"Stop this! Though Hawthornfur is very likely the culprit, do you have any actual proof he did it?"
A gray she-cat with a spotted pelt towered above the rest of the cats as she sat on the High Boulder, her paws tucked neatly under her. Her presence immediately drew everyone's attention. She glanced at Thornfog, giving him a disapproving yet sympathetic look. Then, she turned her attention to Hawthornfur. Through gritted teeth, the she-cat hissed,
"We must not jump to any conclusions. We don't have even the slightest clue of what could've happened to Swiftkit as of now."
"Isn't it obvious?!"
Thornfog replied with a sneer on his face.
"You've continued letting this psychopathic serial killer live among us, Bellgleam. What did you expect him to do? Give out kisses and hugs? Why do you keep defending him? Don't tell me it's because of that rancid old medicine cat who died seasons ago."
A shocked gasp spread through the crowd of cats spectating the ordeal.
"I understand that you are angry, but that is no reason to disrespect me and this clan! This is incredibly kit-like behavior! You will refer to me by my proper name and you will respect your ancestors! Now, to answer your question… yes. Hawthornfur used to be a beloved member of this clan and he is making immense efforts to become one once again! I wholeheartedly believe that this tom is changing for the better. Now, we will sit vigil silently and respectfully." She added emphasis to the last three words before continuing.
"We will then begin investigating once we've done the proper rites and are sure Swiftkit's made his way to StarClan. Do you understand?"
Thornfog responded with a scoff and a glare. Now that she was done ridiculing the grief stricken tom, Bellgleam's gaze softened. She sighed and padded down from the High Stone. Her paw steps were soft and graceful. She approached Thornfog, sitting a few tail lengths behind him.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm being harsh, but please, try to calm down for Swiftkit's sake. Besides, what if Hawthornfur is innocent?"
Thornfog gave her an "Are you serious rn?" look. He started speaking.
"Every cat knows of the horrific things he's done. What do you mean innocent? How dare you even imply that there's an ounce of innocence inside that StarClan forsaken tom."
"I meant innocent of this crime, Thornfog."
Bellstar let out a frustrated sigh. Before she could reply, Lyrefade interjected,
"It's obvious who the murderer is. Why do we even have to investigate? We need to have Hawthornfur exiled! He's been given, what, five chances? It's telling how messed up he is if I've lost count. You need to stop covering for him and start thinking about the clan! And, more importantly, the cats affected by his actions. How many more of us will you sacrifice before he becomes a 'better cat'?"
Their clanmates yowled in agreement. Thornfog glanced over at Lyrefade and flashed him a small smile. The yowls grew louder, fueled by the clan's hatred for Hawthornfur. Before the crowd was able to riot, Bellstar suddenly hissed, "Enough! StarClan, can everyone just shut their muzzles? We will sit vigil tonight and there will be no more discussion of this."
"I thought you weren't supposed to use StarClan's name in vain," Lyrefade jeered. Thornfog snickered at the comment. Bellstar gave them a deadly stare, signaling to them to stop. Thornfog huffed at her before turning his attention back to his kit. He felt his anger melting away, slowly replaced by a heavy fog of sadness and desperation. His mind starts to wander. Wander down every possible path that the future could've taken his kit. What would Swiftkit be like if he grew to be a warrior? Would Swiftkit take after me? What would his apprentice ceremony be like? His warrior ceremony? Thornfog let out a heavy sigh. A lone tear rolled down the side of his cheek.
When the last beams of sunlight faded away, Thornfog took a weary glance at Lyrefade. He was staring at the corpse of their son. He wore an unreadable expression. Thornfog's eyes lingered on his face for a while, expecting a much more emotional reaction than he was currently showing. Maybe he's still processing it? Thornfog thought. A chilly breeze swept through the cliffside hollow. Thornfog shivered as he made his way through the camp, seeking the familiar warmth of Lyrefade's side. He settled beside him, the orange tom wrapped his tail around him in a gentle embrace. They found comfort in each other's presence, mourning their son together. That's what it seemed like to Thornfog, at least. That night, Thornfog sat quietly as he grieved his kit. No cat stirred or dared to disturb him. The distant chirps of a cricket and the occasional howl were the only noises that broke the dreary silence hanging over the camp.
Authors note:
Thank you for reading my first fanfic! Sorry if it was low quality, this is my first time writing anything like this outside of my schoolwork. This is heavily based off of what happened to my Lifegen cats so some parts may seem weird or unrealistic. Ty to the Clangen sub for encouraging me to write this 3! Feedback is VERY appreciated. Please let me know of any grammatical errors or mistakes! Also, just to clarify, Hawthornfur and Lyrefade are both orange toms but Hawthornfur has stripes