#willowbranch

[proteinmom]

frost and holidays pls :)

anything i'm looking forward to? literally so many things! baby's first halloween, moving into our new house, baby's first other epic holidays!

do i prefer halloween, thanksgiving, or christmas? i really really like all them but for the interest of not phoning it in i'll actually pick one and say christmas

[talonslockau]

Forest of Secrets - Chapter 36

Chapter 35 || Index || Chapter 37

Fireheart blinked awake to a darkened den, feeling rested even as his wounds stung bitterly beneath the cobwebs. He sat up with a yawn, glancing outside to see the sunlight had long since faded. Peppermask hadn’t come to get him, so it couldn’t yet be moonhigh. Part of him was tempted to remain in his nest, but Yellowfang had ordered him to return to her den by sunset for fresh bandages; he didn’t dare keep her any longer now that he was awake.

He stumbled to his paws, his head momentarily spinning as he did so. He would likely be feeling the effects of his fight with Tigerclaw for at least a half-moon, he reasoned, and so he would have to get used to moving slowly for the time being. With a gentle shake of his head, he made his way out of the den and into the camp clearing.

The ginger tom paused in the entrance as he heard loud murmuring all around him. He glanced around briefly, confused as to why his presence would have caused such a stir, but no cat seemed to be looking at him; instead, they were all staring at the empty Highrock.

Peppermask came out of the shadows near the den to stand by his side. “Fireheart. I was going to wake you at moonhigh, but…” She cast her eyes away, and he followed his friend’s gaze to where Lionheart and Whitestorm were sitting outside the nursery, discussing something with each other. “Bluestar is refusing to move. Whitestorm went in to tell her it was time to name a new deputy, and she sent him away!”

He bristled in shock as he glanced up to the sky above. The moon had well passed the highest point of its arc in the sky, and was now reaching towards the edges of the treeline. “But the code says-”

“I know. We all do.” The gray tabby shook her head in bewilderment. “No one knows what to do. Everyone’s listening to Whitestorm, at least for now, but he can’t succeed Bluestar if- if something else-”

She broke off with a shiver, and Fireheart quickly pressed comfortingly into her side. Even though they both had known that Tigerclaw was a code-breaker and killer, never would they have expected him to boldly allow a pack of bloodthirsty rogues into the heart of their camp so he could kill Bluestar. He couldn’t fault her for feeling the same loss of security that they all were. “Has this ever happened before? Perhaps there’s something in the code…” He trailed off, not sure what he was hoping for her to answer. Surely a deputy betraying their own leader was unprecedented.

They sat there in silence for a moment as she considered it. “Sometimes Starclan sends a sign for who the next deputy should be.” Peppermask mewed slowly, her eyes narrowed in heavy concentration. “It would be a healer that interprets their will, of course. If something were to happen to Bluestar with no deputy announced, then it’s possible Yellowfang or Dewpaw could appoint a deputy in her stead. Whether the Clan would accept that…”

He knew what she meant, even though neither said it aloud. Yellowfang was an outsider, a former Shadowclanner, and though no cat knew it besides him and Dewpaw she could no longer speak to Starclan. If she announced the new deputy - the new leader, if Bluestar died without a replacement - then there would be those that saw it as Shadowclan interference, even though he doubted it would mean a revolt. Meanwhile, Dewpaw was still only an apprentice, and while she had trained faithfully the elders would likely claim she was too young to be interpreting such an important sign, and their word held great weight within the Clan. 

He glanced at the healer’s den, wondering if either were inside, or if they were in the nursery trying to coax out Bluestar. He couldn’t see inside the dark rocky entrance to tell if any cats were moving within the den, and instead turned his gaze back to camp. He could see and hear cats all around camp discussing the same thing he and Peppermask were; the elders, in particular, looked nearly mutinous as they glared angrily at Lionheart and Whitestorm guarding the nursery entrance.

Even as they talked, no cat moved to try and challenge the two toms to access Bluestar. Every cat knew that she trusted the weight of Whitestorm’s word the most; if he hadn’t been able to get her to name a deputy, no cat could. As much as it pained Fireheart to sit by and watch, he knew there was nothing he could do but speculate. He didn’t control Bluestar; only Starclan could do that, now.

“What about Tigerclaw?” He asked at last, turning his attention to things he could control. “I know every cat did their best to teach the rogues a lesson, but if they come back now, while we’re still recovering…”

“Whitestorm already sent a patrol after him, a little while before sunset. He left across the Thunderpath with the rest of the rogues.” She curled her lip and looked away into the bramble wall surrounding camp, as though she could see all the way to the dark stone border. “We didn’t try to follow him beyond that.”

Though it troubled him to hear that they had so readily absorbed the traitor, he was glad to hear that they had at least departed the territory. Hopefully Tigerclaw wouldn’t return until they’d had a chance to strengthen their defenses. “I hope they stay gone.” He muttered as he surveyed the camp, taking stock of each cat. His eyes narrowed as he realized that one warrior in particular was missing. “I don’t see your brother.” He hissed quietly.

The molly’s green eyes narrowed and her nose wrinkled at the mention of the gray tom. “I haven’t seen him since sunhigh. He told Tigerclaw he was going ‘hunting’.” They shared a glance, knowing full well what Graystripe had really meant by that. “I doubt he even knows that-”

There was a flurry of commotion by the nursery, and Peppermask cut herself off as the two of them turned to see Bluestar emerge from the well-defended brambles. The silver leader looked thin and gaunt, like a frail skeleton of a cat, as she shambled over to the Highrock. Around the clearing, cats slowly padded out to sit beneath its shadow, all eyes on their leader. There was no need to call them together, and she made no attempt to as she turned to face them.

Her eyes briefly swept over the crowd, but she seemed almost as though she was looking through everyone, like they were mere shadows in her path. “I will only say this once, so listen well.” Bluestar rasped, her voice barely audible even as a chilling hush had fallen over the clearing.

“I say these words before Starclan, so they may hear and approve of my choice.” Fireheart briefly glanced to the sky; though he could not see the stars through the foliage concealing camp, he knew that they were looking down on Thunderclan at that very moment. He looked back at Bluestar as she paused, wondering if he had missed her next words, but she was looking at her paws as though lost in thought. Had she forgotten who she was going to name?

The crowd began glancing uneasily at each other, the silence growing painfully tense as they waited for her to speak. Just as Whitestorm was stepping forward to stand by her side, she raised her head and he stilled.

“Fireheart will be the new deputy of Thunderclan.”

He blinked in confusion at the sound of his name. That couldn’t be right. He knew the code just as well as any warrior here; a warrior had to have at least one apprentice before becoming deputy. That automatically exempted him, as well as Willowbranch and her kits. “Bluestar, I-”

As he raised his head to meet the leader’s gaze, he realized that she was already gone, stumbling across camp with Whitestorm gently guiding her. He realized with a jolt that most of the cats were staring at him, and a great cacophony had started up while he was in his thoughts.

“Don’t lead her away!” It was Patchpelt snarling after Whitestorm, who didn’t seem to be listening to what was going on behind them. “Make her come back here and name a real deputy!”

“Fireheart is a real deputy!” Cinderspark snapped at the elder, her thick fur bristling angrily. “I’m sure he’ll do better than Tigerclaw!”

“But the code says that a deputy must have had at least one apprentice. Fireheart hasn’t mentored any cat before.” Willowbranch fretted, turning her eyes up to the sky. “And that a deputy must be named before moonhigh. Bluestar has broken the code today; Starclan will be angry with us now.”

“Willowbranch is right.” One-eye pointed out softly, even as her good eye turned on the ginger tom in question. “It doesn’t matter if Fireheart would do a fine job. In Starclan’s eyes, he is not deputy.”

“Would you drag her back out here?” Mistspring spoke up from beside her former apprentice, her voice raspy and straining from her injury only moons prior. “You all saw the state that she was in. She doesn’t have the strength to do a proper ceremony. Whether we like it or not, Fireheart’s the deputy we have right now. We can worry about what Starclan thinks later, when she’s recovered.”

“Starclan was supposed to give her the strength to recover when they brought her back to life!” Smallear yowled from the other side of the crowd. “How do we know that her condition isn’t a punishment for being late with the ceremony?”

Fireheart flinched as he felt a cat come up on his other side, looking to see that Lionheart had approached him. “Do you remember when you first came here?” The golden tabby asked him softly, only loud enough for him and Peppermask to hear.

He blinked, and suddenly it felt as though he was transported back to that early newleaf day. The crowd had hissed and jeered at him then, with Dustleap being the loudest of all. “Do you back down from a challenge?” He wasn’t sure if it was the memory speaking, or Lionheart beside him now.

“Everyone.” Fireheart stepped forward to stand where Bluestar had been, turning to face the angry crowd. They quieted instinctually as he stood there. He felt small and weak under their eyes, like he was once again a scrawny kittypet asking for their acceptance. He glanced at Lionheart, who seemed to be almost smiling as he watched. Had he been smiling that day as well?

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves jittering in the pit of his stomach. “I know the warrior code just as well as each of you. I know I’m not the deputy that any of you wanted, or even that Starclan wanted.” He glanced down at his paws, his mouth suddenly feeling as though he had just licked the dirt beneath them. “I didn’t ask Bluestar for this, either. There are- Thunderclan deserves a much better deputy than me.”

He raised his gaze to look out at the crowd, several brimming with hostility as they glared at him. He tried not to let them get to him as he took another deep breath. “But fighting about what Starclan would want and what Bluestar should do is pointless. This fighting - this is what Tigerclaw wants us to do. He wants us to turn against each other, to turn our backs on the code just like he did. If he can’t lead this Clan, then he’ll do his best to tear it down.” He met each gaze in the crowd as he spoke. “Are we going to let him do that?”

Several heartbeats passed in silence, and he worried that for some, the answer might very well be yes. Then Cinderspark stepped forward, her long tail lashing as she raised her head high. “Fireheart’s right. We’re not gonna back down just because that foxheart thinks he’s better than us. We’re Thunderclan, the best Clan in the forest, and Tigerclaw can eat our dirt!” She yowled, loud enough that Starclan above could hear her words.

“Fireheart is a good cat.” He blinked in surprise as Dappleshine stepped forward next, her green eyes soft as she looked upon him. “He’s the one that saved Bluestar from Tigerclaw, after all. He knew more than many of us ever did, walking alongside that-” She paused, her lip curling as she considered many choice words for the exiled deputy, “adder-tongue for many moons. He may be young, but we should trust in his judgement, at least for now.”

“We’ve always trusted Bluestar before. That shouldn’t change now.” Rosetail pointed out from near the back. “We don’t know her reasoning for picking him as deputy. Perhaps she was waiting for Starclan to show her a sign, and they did. It’s not up to us to decide what Starclan’s will is or isn’t.”

Several elders grumbled beside her, but they didn’t seem interested in voicing their complaints. “Thank you. All of you.” He did his best to bow to them without pulling apart his bandages. “I - I will do my best to be worthy of your trust.”

“Now that that’s settled, deputy.” He blinked as he realized Whitestorm had come up beside him while the others had been speaking. “What would you like me to do now?”

He felt himself freezing up in fear at the thought of actually leading these cats. He had only been a warrior for two seasons! He tried to stay on his paws as he thought of what a deputy should do. “Dawn patrols.” He said slowly to himself. “Tigerclaw and his rogues escaped across the Shadowclan border, so we’ll want to guard that one well. Lionheart - you’ll be in charge of that patrol, along with-” He glanced out among the crowd, trying to find warriors he knew would fight Tigerclaw with all their fury. “Tinyfrost, Cinderspark, and Dappleshine.”

Lionheart nodded readily, sweeping his large golden tail towards the other three. “We’ll start along the Twolegplace border, then, since that’s where he was last scented.” The great warrior replied steadily. “Come then, all of you. Dawn isn’t that far away, and we’ll want to get some rest before going out.”

He watched the warriors depart, taking a deep breath and trying to steady himself. He could do this. “That leaves the Riverclan border. Mousefur, why don’t you take Cherrypaw, along with Willowbranch and Mistspring?”

The dusky brown molly stared at him as though he’d asked her to grow wings. “Tigerclaw didn’t want us taking apprentices along the Riverclan border with their recent aggression.” She pointed out to him.

“That was because they’d just been apprenticed and had no battle training. It’s been a moon now - surely they’ve had enough practice to handle themselves in a small skirmish?” He asked in response, even as panic welled up within him. In truth, he’d forgotten about it. He hadn’t heard of anything from Riverclan during the last Gathering, aside from their typical posturing over land rights. “Besides, you should try to avoid a fight, anyways. Yellowfang’s herbs are stretched thin as it is. Not that you should let them get away with hunting on our land if it comes to that, but-”

“I understand.” He was grateful for her interruption as she laid her tail on Cherrypaw beside her. “Besides, it will do her good to see the other border. I’ve heard enough complaining about the Thunderpath and Monsters for a lifetime!”

There were a few chuckles as she nudged her apprentice off, the other two warriors following her. “Peppermask, I hope you don’t mind being on hunting duty again. Take Longtail and Cedarpaw with you; try to stay somewhere close to camp, just in case.” He glanced at Whitestorm, considering the tom, but he had been one of the first defenders during the rogue attack. He could see that while the white warrior had not been wounded as badly as him, there were still several long patches of cobweb that hid a surely painful wound beneath. “Whitestorm and I will guard the camp.” He finished with a nod. That would at least get them through to sunhigh, he hoped.

“What about us?” He blinked and turned his head to see Sandstorm limp forward, Dustleap and their apprentices behind her. “Surely you haven’t forgotten us?” She added with narrowed eyes.

The thought of Tigerclaw’s children briefly sent a bolt of panic striking at his heart, but he did his best to conceal it. “You both have an apprentice, don’t you? Surely you can take them to the training hollow and figure something out.” He snapped back at her, refraining from lashing his tail as he spoke. He didn’t need to get into a fight with her, not now.

She shrank back as though he’d attacked her. “Er… right. Yeah, we can do that.” He stared at her in shock as she turned away, her tail low. He glanced at Whitestorm beside him, who was only looking at his former apprentice in worry. “We’ll see you at sunhigh, then.”

He watched them begin to walk away, guilt suddenly filling his mind. He wasn’t sure what he’d said to provoke such a reaction, but as he thought about it, he wondered if perhaps his face had shown the anger he’d tried to hide. After all, Tinyfrost had always said he showed his emotions too easily. “Er, Sandstorm, Dustleap, wait!” He called, the two tabbies turning to meet his gaze. “Can you take Thornpaw as well? He was Tigerclaw’s apprentice, and until Bluestar can assign him a new mentor, perhaps he’d do best training with his siblings.”

The cream molly studied him warily, as though suspecting some sort of trick from the change in attitude. At last, she dipped her head. “Of course we can.” She replied flatly, but he could see her head lift a little higher as she turned back to her den.

Now that the camp was devoid of warriors, everyone departing back to their dens, he heaved a sigh of relief. “You did well.” He looked up to Whitestorm, still standing next to him. “The Clan is skittish, like a frightened rabbit staring into a coyote’s gaze. They will find it difficult to trust, after everything that has happened. Do not take it to heart; it would be the same for any cat in your position, Starclan-appointed or not.” 

“Thank you, Whitestorm.” From all the warriors in camp, it meant the most to hear it from him. “I feel like they can all see that I have no idea what I’m doing. Quickflash and Tigerclaw took to it so easily, and-”

“They also had many moons of experience raising kits and training apprentices that you don’t.” The mighty warrior pointed out evenly, his golden eyes seeming almost amused as he looked down on the new deputy. “Though I am sure the Clan will silently measure you to him, do not feel you have to follow Tigerclaw’s paws. After all,” He muttered darkly, casting a glance towards the tunnel entrance, “that is how we got into this mess in the first place.”

Fireheart tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean?” He asked curiously. Whitestorm, having been apprenticed alongside Tigerclaw, was perhaps the only remaining cat that knew him best. Had he reason to suspect the exiled deputy’s motive?

His heart sank as Whitestorm shook his head. “Nevermind that. I hope you don’t mind if I continue to guard the nursery? My aunt…” The great warrior looked away with a sigh. “You saw how she is.”

“She will recover. If not thanks to Starclan, then thanks to Yellowfang.” Fireheart replied gently, doing his best to comfort the older warrior. For a moment, Whitestorm seemed weak and vulnerable, rather than the mighty and wise warrior he had always known. “But of course you can guard her, at least until your wounds heal. If you can, ask Frostfur and Goldenflower to rotate with you. If you trust them, of course.”

Whitestorm nodded once at his last words. “Frostfur may be vicious at times, but she has a good heart. I’m told you’ve seen that yourself.” Fireheart glanced up at the larger tom, trying to read what he meant, but he’d already looked away towards the nursery. “As for Goldenflower, she wouldn’t hurt a flea - unless it was threatening the nursery, that is. I don’t envy Tigerclaw if he tries to find that out.” He glanced at the leader’s den behind him. “If it’s alright, I’ll have Speckleflight and Snowkit do their best to clean that out when dawn comes, so that Bluestar can return to it.”

He winced slightly as he realized the bloody trails out of it were still there, a painfully visible reminder of the treachery that had transpired earlier that day. “Of course. When Cherrypaw returns from patrol, have her help, too.” 

“I will.” With that, Whitestorm departed, gently padding across camp and nosing into the nursery to check on Bluestar. Upon making sure that the leader was resting, he took a seat in front of the entrance, eyes flicking around camp for any sign of movement.

Fireheart was just about to take a seat near the elders’ den when he saw another cat approach out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see it was Peppermask, having remained while every other cat had left. “If it’s alright, I’d like to join you on guard duty tonight.” She mewed softly to him, her green gaze indecipherable.

He hesitated to agree. “Shouldn’t you be resting for your hunting patrol?” Fireheart asked gently in return. He knew she wasn’t challenging his authority; she was the only one he would expect to support him, given everything that had happened. Still, it did feel strange that she wasn’t taking the opportunity to sleep before the patrol.

“I’m not tired.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked away from him briefly, before taking a seat next to him. “Besides, you’re injured. If Tigerclaw comes back tonight, you won’t exactly be able to take him on.”

“I suppose that’s true.” He glanced up at the sky, imagining for a brief moment the stars above. “Fine, then. We can sit guard together - at least until it’s time for your patrol.”

“That’s all I ask.” She purred, settling in next to him. He had to admit he didn’t mind the extra warmth in the chilly leafbare night - and, in any case, it would help to quell his anxieties to have an extra cat beside him tonight. Fireheart turned his gaze out onto the shadows, fur prickling as he remembered Tigerclaw’s dire warning. 

It would take a long time for him to feel comfortable in Thunderclan’s camp again.

[oneoffoddities]

Made this custom wand for a lovely from Salmon Arm, who is just starting to embrace her witchy side. 🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️ The wand is made from a piece of Willow from my yard; Willows represent Personal Empowerment and helps to direct energy. 🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️ The wand was adorned with nine stone; 10 including the Quartz point. 🖤🖤🖤 Garnet - energy and manifestation; Rhodonite - love and healing; Tigers Eye - clarity and personal power; Citrine - happiness and abundance; Howlite - connection and removal of negative energy; Rainbow Jasper - calm and spirituality; Amethyst - calm and intuition; Lapis Lazuli - clarity and compassion; and Green Adventurine - luck and prosperity. 🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️ The quartz point is meant to help guide her spirituality and aid in healing. 🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️ The custom sigil that is inscribed below the stones says “I am open to my truth”. 🖤🖤🖤 For custom inquiries please DM me; I love working with individuals to make personal pieces. 🖤🖤🖤 #customwand #wand #witcheswand #handcrafted #handmade #willowbranch #garnet #rhodonite #tigerseye #citrine #howlite #rainbowjasper #amethyst #quartz #lapislazuli #greenadventurine #customsigil #sigil #sigilmagick #willowwand #witchyvibes #witchyjewelry #healingjewelry #ethicallysourced #witchblr #instawitch #witchbiz #witchlife #witchesofinstagram #witchythings (at One Off Oddities) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-AzFQspUQt/?igshid=11sxgq96dfuil

[violetdelavegatattoos]

Sketch and line drawing. #willowbranch #sketch #sketchaday #art #artporn #prismacolor #prisma #micron #brightideastattoo #brightideastattoomurfreesboro (at Bright Ideas Tattoo & Piercing)

[talonslockau]

Forest of Secrets - Chapter 32

Chapter 31 || Index || Chapter 33

Fireheart settled comfortably into the frozen grass beside the warriors’ den, watching the camp around him settle down for the night. He had just finished visiting his sister and her five kits, which were quickly growing bigger as the days passed. Their eyes and ears were just starting to open, though it would be another half-moon before they could see beyond their own nest and begin to understand words. 

He had no responsibilities for the night or the morning after - Tigerclaw had either granted him a small reprieve from the constant barrage of duties or forgotten to punish him thanks to the night’s Gathering. The Gathering patrol had left for Fourtrees just as the moon was beginning to rise, and it looked to be a quiet night in camp until their return.

The thought nagged at something in the back of his head, and he sat up quickly with a frown. It wasn’t just quiet, he realized - it was too quiet. Only a pawful of warriors had stayed behind tonight, Fireheart and Cinderspark among them. Back when they were apprentices, that would have meant that she would stay up to chatter everyone’s ears off about what might be happening at the Gathering. But now, she was nowhere to be seen.

A quick glance around camp confirmed his suspicions - the dark gray molly had vanished. Tinyfrost and Willowbranch were on guard duty for the night, not that guard duty had ever stopped Cinderspark from being loud and obnoxious. He glanced into the warriors’ den, wondering if perhaps she had decided to get an early night’s sleep, but her nest beside his was empty. The more he thought, the more worried he became.

Where in Starclan’s name could she be? He looked around camp once more, anxiety beginning to gnaw at him, before his sights finally settled on the elders’ den, where Speckleflight and One-eye were casually talking to each other. Perhaps she was with Snowkit, given that she had often played with the young tom even before he had joined the elders’ den - not to mention he didn’t see the familiar white form next to his mother. 

He stood up, stretching out his limbs before padding over to the two elders, trying not to seem concerned. “Good evening, One-eye, Speckleflight.” He purred politely, giving them each a respectful nod. “Is Snowkit around?”

Speckleflight’s golden gaze narrowed slightly, and she looked away with a flick of her tail. “He just went off to the dirtplace.” She replied coldly, her voice devoid of the warmth she normally spoke about her son with. 

“I see.” He frowned, trying not to let his nerves overwhelm him. He somehow doubted that even Cinderspark would follow a friend to make dirt. “Well, have you seen Cinderspark anywhere, then? I noticed she’s not in her den, and-”

THUD!

He startled slightly as the fallen tree of the elders’ den shook from the force of some unseen impact. “What was that?” He growled, suddenly on high alert. Had a fox or badger gotten into camp without anyone noticing?

“What was what?” Even as she spoke, Speckleflight seemed almost as unnerved as he was. “I didn’t hear anything, and I haven’t seen Cinderspark, either. Now go away; we hardly need any nosy toms interrupting us.”

“I know I heard something.” He squinted, trying to peer into the darkness of the elders’ den, but he didn’t see anything inside. “You two stay here - I’ll take a look.”

“No!” He blinked as Speckleflight sharply rose to her paws to block him. “I mean - no, it’s fine. If you’re really so worried, I’ll go check it out myself.” She tried to play it off as nonchalance, but he could see a growing desperation in her eyes.

He stared at her, trying to parse her strange behavior. It felt familiar, and though he hesitated to push the queen, he felt he’d come to regret walking away now. “Is everything alright, Speckleflight? Nothing’s threatening Snowkit?” Normally, if her kit was in danger, Speckleflight would be the first to ask for a patrol to go looking for him. Why was that not the case now?

“No! Of course not. Snowkit is- he’s fine.” Her desperation and bluster were replaced by a sudden certainty, and he relaxed slightly. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon. There’s no need to bother him.”

“Oh, give it a rest, Speckleflight.” One-eye huffed from where she was lounging beside the other elder. “He’s basically figured it out. You might as well tell him.”

“Tell me what?” He squinted at the white elder, who was staring patiently at her companion. As he did, that nagging in his subconscious grew stronger, and it slowly dawned on him why the newest elder was acting this way. She was acting just like he had when Tinyfrost had confronted him about Ravenspirit. He turned to her, his gaze softening. “Speckleflight, I - I promise you, as long as it doesn’t break the code, I won’t tell a soul if something is going on with Snowkit. I didn’t tell anyone he was deaf, did I? You know a secret will be safe with me.”

The dappled golden queen paused, surveying him with a narrow gaze. At last, she sighed and looked down at her paws. “Cinderspark is training him, in the space behind our den.” She mewed wearily, all of the fight leaving her as she spoke. 

“Training him?” Fireheart blinked at her in confusion.

“Teaching him to hunt, how to fight. Things a mentor would teach him if he were an apprentice.” Speckleflight snapped, her eyes narrowing to thin slits. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”

“No! No, I-” He paused, trying to compose his thoughts. “I just didn’t expect Cinderspark to be doing something like that for him. I’m glad she is, though. What Bluestar did to him… it’s not right.” His whiskers curled slightly at the memory. He didn’t know what place in the Clan there was for a deaf cat, but he was certain that Snowkit didn’t belong in the nursery or the elders’ den. “I’ll keep this a secret, Speckleflight. Snowkit deserves the chance to prove himself. Does anyone else know?”

The two elders visibly relaxed as he spoke. “All the elders do. Some are less favorable to it than others… but they’ve all kept quiet.” Speckleflight answered, her tail tip still twitching from the tension.

“I imagine Patchpelt can’t be pleased with having his snoozing interrupted.” Fireheart purred in response, even as he admired the dedication of the small group of retired warriors. They were some of the most gossip-prone cats in the Clan - asking them to keep a secret as big as this one wasn’t a simple favor, and that they were complying showed a sense of loyalty to the former queen and her young kit he hadn’t expected. “May I go see them? I’d like to see what Cinderspark is teaching him - and who knows, perhaps I can give them a few tips, myself.”

Speckleflight regarded him with a guarded curiosity. “I suppose so.” She relented at last, sweeping her tail towards a small gap beneath the tree that he hadn’t given notice to before. “If you go under there you’ll find them. Just be careful - they can get a bit rough sometimes.”

The two elders waved farewell to him and went back to talking as he ducked under the fallen log. He had just looked up to see a large white blur flying at him.

He rolled out of the way, watching as Snowkit slammed into the spot where he’d been with a wheeze. Cinderspark stood in the middle of the small space behind the elders’ den, which was not quite as big as the training hollow, but still much larger than he had anticipated.

“Fireheart?” The dark gray molly gasped as the two toms got to their feet. “What are you doing back here? Where’s Speckleflight and One-eye?”

He blinked at her, suddenly realizing why the two elders had been sitting outside the den rather than napping inside - they’d been keeping guard. It also occurred to him that it had been quite some time since he’d seen the space outside the elders’ den empty. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized what had been happening sooner. “They told me what you’ve been up to lately. I came back here to see how it was going.” He looked over Snowkit, who looked surprisingly upbeat given he had just been thrown across the clearing. “And it seems to be going very well.”

Cinderspark chuffed happily. “We’re practicing using an opponent’s momentum against them! I guess you must’ve heard it even in camp, though.” She frowned and looked down at her paws as she thought about it for a moment. “I suppose the training hollow must be empty with the Gathering. We can probably move up there instead, before someone else catches us.”

“Well, I actually came looking for you. I got worried when I noticed nobody talking my ear off.” He teased, whiskers twitching in amusement as the young molly pouted at him. “But if you keep throwing each other around like that, someone will probably notice eventually.”

“Yeah. The elders keep quiet, but if some cat like Dustleap found out…” Her nose wrinkled in disgust. “Hey, Fireheart! Now that you know, would you be willing to help me teach Snowkit a little? Speckleflight tries, but she’s too soft on him. But with your help, we could really teach him how to deal with tag-teaming, and stuff like that!”

He considered the proposition for a moment. He was tempted to say no - he was busy with so many other things these days, between hunting for Princess and keeping up with patrols. Still, he had come back here under the intention of doing that very thing - and he also felt guilty thinking of Snowkit, bored out of his mind in the elders’ den instead of getting to do normal apprentice things. “I’m pretty busy with hunting fresh-kill for my sister and her kits these days, but if I happen to have free time, I’ll see if I can’t stop by.” He mewed at last.

“Thank you Fireheart!” She almost collided with him as she raced over to give him thanks, causing him to wince in pain. “Hey, lemme just tell Snowkit what’s going on, and then we can get right over to the training hollow!”

He watched her launch into a series of movements, some he vaguely recognized from her explaining when he’d first found out the tom was deaf. He was glad that she had found something to direct all her energy into, and that thing was something that could truly make a difference in the Clan. He hoped, one day, that Snowkit might be able to get a proper apprenticeship, and with Cinderspark’s help he imagined one day the white tom might get that chance.

“C’mon, Fireheart! We’re off to the training hollow!” He blinked out of his thoughts at Cinderspark’s yowl, seeing that Snowkit had already ducked under the tree barrier and that the gray molly was about to follow behind. With a smile, he did the same. It felt good to be able to help another cat with their problems, simple as they were, for a change. It was certainly a welcome distraction from everything else happening.

[talonslockau]

howd u decide on mates

By taking canon and punting it into the trash.

But for real, I'll start by saying this: When I first started writing this AU, I kept a lot of my notes in my head. I've written a lot down now, but a lot of the 'whys' and 'hows' are lost to time. So when I write explanations now, they may or may not be my original reasoning. I'm also a 'veteran' of the Warriors series - when I first started reading, Power of Three hadn't yet come out - so I remember back when the family tree didn't include Darkstripe, and Sandstorm's dad was Redtail, and Graystripe's parents were... unfortunate. So for a lot of reasons, I've kind of cherry-picked what is canon from canon and what isn't.

Second, since it's pride month; I'm not beholden to making straight pairings like canon is. You'll probably notice that given that there's only 2 cishet appearing mated pairs so far - Graystripe/Silverstream and Willowbranch/Quickflash. In fact, in terms of 'normal' (my base assumption) for characters, most start in my head as Aromantic/Asexual, like me! This is part of why Fireheart himself is aroace in my story - that, and I have plenty of canon evidence for him being aro, at least in my head. I also wanted to make sure that I gave as much rep as possible for everyone to attach to - there's Lionheart and Whitestorm being big gays (Ravenspirit and Barley will eventually show up there as well), Goldenflower and Frostfur being lovely lesbians (plus another lesbian pairing later I think fans will adore), and there's a few prominent bisexual characters that haven't yet shown their bisexuality off but may eventually. (Tigerclaw probably counts as bi rep too, I suppose, but rest assured he's not the only one.)

Pairings from there generally go off of what I need for the story - which I'll explain in depth below the cut for each pairing ;)

Redtail x Tigerclaw - A long time ago, at least a couple of years, I read a Tumblr post that said something like 'The warriors series is just the result of Redtail and Tigerclaw breaking up' and that stuck with me. Unfortunately, I don't remember who posted it, though I'll gladly credit if anyone finds it. That post ended up being the foundation for my entire rewrite - 'Embrace of the Locked Talons' refers specifically to Redtail and Tigerclaw! I've learned since that there are a few rewrites that use this premise, so it's not necessarily an uncommon one, but there you go.

As for their kits! I chose Sandstorm to be one because, as I said earlier, she was always a Redtail kit to me (though she isn't any longer - sadge). Dustleap was the other because, honestly, I always thought they were siblings with how close they generally were and how they were always referred to as older than the rest. They also have similar names (Sand and Dust). Dustleap is also, if not a Tiger-ally, then Tiger-adjacent, and his similar description to Tigerclaw always made me think they were related. Them being Redtail and Tigerclaw kids made perfect sense to me!

Tigerclaw x Nightwish - I wanted Ravenpaw to still be Dustleap's brother, but it didn't really fit to shove him in with them to be a third of their litter (Sand, Dust, and... Raven?). Plus, even though he's obviously traumatized from watching Redtail die, I think that if any other cat had been deputy and died in front of him he'd still have the same reaction - so it didn't make sense to make him a Redtail kit. I ended up conceptualizing him as a half-brother to Dustleap to explain how they're related but so distant from each other compared to Dustleap and Sandstorm - they're not littermates, and he's only further evidence their parents aren't getting back together.

Still, if he's a Tigerclaw kit, I needed him to have a second parent - Tigerclaw's not the type to be a single parent, really. He'd rather have a mate to throw in his ex's face. Going through the cats of the Clan at that point, I arrived at Nightwish looking similar to him and concluded she'd be a logical mother. Her dying was to explain why there's no one else really able to stand up to Tigerclaw over his son's treatment. Dappleshine does her best, since she ended up raising him, but she doesn't really have a claim to stand up to Tigerclaw - short of if he got physically abusive, at which point she would have absolutely stood up to him, as would most of the other warriors.

Dappleshine x Speckleflight - I'm going to be honest, I don't remember the reason for putting these two together. I had envisioned both as very matronly characters, older nursery queens who looked out for the younger members of the Clan and offered advice to new queens. I suppose at one point I was trying to decide on mates for them and wondered, but what if they kissed? And the rest is history.

Whitestorm x Lionheart - When I first read the books, I always saw Whitestorm and Lionheart as a pair - two strong, wise men that were very close to each other. I'm not entirely sure how I got that off half a book, given Lionheart dies in Into the Wild, but that was always my headcanon. When I got the chance, I leaped to make my headcanon reality.

Frostfur x Goldenflower - This is another one where my brain just smacked two cats together and said they were tied together somehow for life. They're not siblings, obviously, but why can't they be girlfriends in a gay for gay with Whitestorm and Lionheart? I love picturing these two in a giant fluffy cuddle pile, surrounded by their numerous children <3

Willowbranch x Quickflash - I'd already tapped Graystripe to be Willowbranch's son, as per canon, but he needed a new father that wasn't Patchpelt. I went through my list of possible cats around her age that weren't related, and all I could come up with were Longtail, Quickflash, and Mousefur. (And Darkstripe, but Darkstripe being Graystripe's father just didn't compute in my head.) I wanted to leave Longtail and Mousefur available - I hadn't yet decided if they were siblings, mates, or something else - so that just left Quickflash.

I'd already tapped Quickflash for the deputy job, as someone no one would care about when he died. Obviously, with him being Graystripe's father, that last part changed, but I think that was for the better. Given the only bits of him we get in canon are 'Not terribly good with children' and 'Young', and that first part wouldn't apply if he had children, I ended up completely rewriting his character to suit my needs. I like how it turned out, in the end - He'll certainly be missed, but his death ended up complicating the plot in all the right ways.

I won't address the ones that remain from canon, like Graystripe x Silverstream, but in general I didn't mess with characters whose relationship was already important to the original plot - things like Yellowfang and Raggedstar, for example, or Speckleflight and Snowkit. There are certainly changes I made to make relationships important to the plot - things like Brokentail's son, Quickflash being Graystripe's father - and I obviously changed details that were important to later plots (like Thistleclaw being Snowstorm's mate) - but the original plot's original relationships remain intact.

Lastly, I'd like to comment on our aro reps! It's important to me to have characters that don't have mates, and that they're considered just as valuable and respected warriors as those that do have mates and kits. You might notice some omissions from this list that don't currently have mates, or may never get mates, and that's intentional! Not every mateless cat is aro rep, though you can certainly imagine them to be that if it pleases you.

Patchpelt - In my head, he's an old, grumpy war veteran that has never liked children, which ends up showing when he mentors Dewpaw. None of the mollies or toms in the Clan have ever interested him - certainly, he gets along fine with them, but he's never found any cat that interested him in becoming a mate. He's happy with where he is in the elders' den, chatting his days away with his old friends and being waited on by little upstarts.

Spottedleaf - She may be beautiful, if not young, but while Spottedleaf has drawn the gaze of many cats she's never been interested in taking a mate - which is part of why she became a healer. Spottedleaf doesn't need companionship when she has her beautiful self, after all.

Longtail - Longtail is a devoted warrior, and he believes in Tigerclaw, Bluestar, and Thunderclan with his whole heart. He may not like certain members (like Fireheart) but he respects their contributions to the Clan. He follows the code to the letter - knows it inside and out, better than any cat in all the Clans. With all that dedication, it doesn't seem as if he has time for a mate - though the same could have been said for his brother Quickflash, and he and Willowbranch ended up quite happily together. Regardless, even if Longtail can be a little grouchy, he's happy with his current lot in life, and he doesn't need a cat alongside him to change that.

Mistspring - We don't see much of Mistspring outside of her role in mentoring Cinderspark. Needless to say, even though both her sisters settled down with a mate fairly early, she was never interested in the nursery. She loves the Clan, and her friends within it, but she has no need to fill her life with a mate or kits when the world around her is so filled with wonder to explore.

Dewpaw - Dewpaw's never quite understood the desire other cats have to find a mate. Kits are a different story - being able to watch them grow and help nurture them fascinates her - but needing to have someone alongside you for every pawstep in life seems like a hassle. Luckily, her love of knowledge and herbs, as well as her aversion to fighting, lead her to a life as a healer. Now she helps the Clan grow and thrive, and she couldn't be happier.

Fireheart - Simply put, Fireheart doesn't understand love. At all. How could it possibly drive Graystripe to abandon the family he loves and ignore all rational sense that something, eventually, will lead to him getting caught? Why would it lead Redtail to ignore the danger Tigerclaw poses to Thunderclan until it was too late? He understands anger very well, and grief (even if he's never personally experienced it), but love? It just doesn't make any sense.

As always, thank you for the question, anon. Sorry if you weren't expecting something so thorough, but it *is* pride month and I felt like celebrating :)

[talonslockau]

Forest of Secrets - Chapter 1

Prologue || Index || Chapter 2

Fireheart’s paws felt like stone as he carried Quickflash’s body into Thunderclan camp. In the tunnel behind him were Graystripe, Longtail, Dustleap, and Tinyfrost - all mourning the loss of yet another deputy in only two seasons.

And he knew exactly why.

His blood boiled as he saw Tigerclaw across camp, chatting nonchalantly with Bluestar. As they turned to see the returning patrol, the dark tabby’s face turned into a perfect expression of shock - one, he could imagine, the cold-hearted murderer had been practicing for ages. But he kept quiet, partially because he had no proof and partially because he was still carrying Quickflash.

He gently laid the deputy’s body in the center of camp as the Clan began to congregate around him. “What happened?” Bluestar was the first to ask, grief filling her eyes even as she stood tall in front of them.

He glanced at those that had actually been on the Shadowclan border patrol to answer. Graystripe had buried his face into his father’s fur, blind and deaf to the outside world, while Dustleap stared empty-eyed into the distance. It was Longtail that finally responded. “He was laying in the middle of the Thunderpath. A Monster must have hit him.”

“What was he doing out there?” Patchpelt, the newest elder, asked as he gazed down at the too young deputy’s body.

“I don’t know. He must’ve seen something - maybe a Shadowclanner-” Longtail’s voice was rising rapidly, and he blinked gratefully to Bluestar when she raised her tail to quiet him.

“This is a horrible accident. Quickflash was a fine warrior, full of energy and courage. He dedicated himself to his Clan wholeheartedly.” She shook her head mournfully as she stood above him. “I was certain he would have led Thunderclan to a great and prosperous era.” 

Unspoken words hung in the air as she crouched down, murmuring her own thanks to her fallen deputy for serving her. One by one, Thunderclanners came up and paid their respects to Quickflash. Just as Fireheart was approaching, he heard a burst of noise from nearby.

“Quickflash! No!” A silver blur rushed by him, and he realized after a moment it was Willowbranch, the deputy’s mate. She nosed under his chin, as though trying to wake him up, but it was already too late. His body had grown cold in the late leaffall breeze. “Oh, my darling…” She whispered softly as she blinked back tears. “What am I going to do without you?”

He found it hard to breathe as he watched the grieving queen whisper words only meant for her mate’s spirit to hear. He could have prevented this. He should have prevented this. He raised his head to see Peppermask and Dewpaw approaching their father as well, their expressions horrified. So much unnecessary grief, all for Tigerclaw to get his way.

Fireheart dipped his nose down into the pale tabby’s short fur. The tom still stank of the Thunderpath; the elders had had no time to put the mourning herbs into his pelt. “I promise I’ll make sure this never happens again.” He whispered, hoping that like Redtail, Quickflash’s spirit could hear him. He glanced up, wondering if he might see either of them, but there were no spirits lurking at the edges of camp.

At last he moved away, padding over to the healer’s den where Yellowfang was watching. “We need to talk.”

She flicked one torn gray ear. “I know.” She dipped her broad, flat face towards where Tigerclaw and Darkstripe were conversing, staring at the corpse in camp. “I’m sure all of us that know are having the same thoughts. But the children will need time to grieve, as well.” She nodded to someone behind him, and he turned to see his old mentor approaching. “Tinyfrost. Do you need something?”

“It’s Fireheart I’m here for.” The little tom’s icy blue eyes were burning with barely contained fury, and he could see on his white paw that his claws were partially unsheathed. “We need to speak. In private.”

“Yellowfang’s seen Redtail’s spirit.” Fireheart murmured quietly, careful to keep Tigerclaw from overhearing. “She knows.”

“Ah.” The two regarded each other for a moment, gauging intentions, before Tinyfrost sat down beside him. “Then you know we must do something. Now, before Bluestar names the next deputy.”

Yellowfang shook her head. “We have no proof. As far as anyone knows, Quickflash had a tragic accident.” She nodded to the littermates sharing tongues for the last time with their father. “And we should include them. It’s their father; they’ll be furious if they’re not allowed to avenge him.”

“But there’s a chance-”

“No.” The grizzled healer gave him a hard glare, one he reflected back. “I will talk to Bluestar. She will likely want to see me anyway, for Starclan’s guidance.” She looked around camp, slowly appraising each warrior. “Believe me, I have no desire to see Thunderclan fall to the reign of a cat all too like Broken- Brokentail.” She swallowed hard at the thought of the tyrannical tabby’s reign. “But we must not act rashly, or we will fall right into his trap.”

“Just like Quickflash did?” Tinyfrost growled. From near the warriors’ den, he could see Tigerclaw flick an ear towards them.

“Tinyfrost.” Fireheart hushed him quickly. He nodded towards Tigerclaw, who was now slyly listening to them with one back turned ear. “You’re right, Quickflash would want us to go hunting while the Clan mourns. The freshkill pile is far too low.”

His old mentor was still glowering at the giant tabby from across camp. “Fine.” He spat out, his claws flexing in and out of the dirt as though he were imagining the ground beneath him to be Tigerclaw’s neck.

“I’ll go tell Whitestorm, then.” He mewed quickly, bounding off before the little warrior could change his mind. Normally, he would tell Bluestar, or the deputy, but neither were in a position to listen to him, and everyone knew that Whitestorm was essentially third in command within the clan.

The snowy tom was sitting next to his mate under the Highrock, his yellow eyes sorrowful as he gazed at the body in camp. He slowly raised his gaze to see the other warrior approaching. “Fireheart. Did you have need of us?”

He shook his head quickly. “I- I just wanted to say that Tinyfrost and I are going hunting. The Clan will need freshkill tonight, and with so many cats grieving…”

Surprise flashed in the senior warrior’s gaze, which quickly turned to gratitude. “That is an excellent idea. I am sure Bluestar and the Clan will appreciate your initiative.” Lionheart nodded slowly beside him in agreement, though his own green eyes were listless. As he bounded away, Fireheart felt guilty for not feeling the same; but already, the grief he had felt had turned to determination to make sure this never happened again.

Tinyfrost was already waiting for him at the entrance, and together the two padded through the bracken and into the greater territory. Wordlessly, they headed back towards the Thunderpath; none would be willing to go near the scene of the crime so soon.

“We can’t let him get away with this.” The older warrior interrupted his thoughts as they moved through the forest. “Not again. If he succeeds in becoming deputy-”

“Do you think Bluestar would choose him?” Fireheart asked, tilting an ear towards his former mentor. “Yellowfang said she would try to dissuade her, but surely there are better choices. Dappleshine, Whitestorm… You, even.”

He glanced to see what the other tom thought of that, but his mentor didn’t show any emotion on his face. “You’re only saying that because we’re not murderers like he is. To the rest of the Clan, Tigerclaw is a strong, formidable warrior; many in the Clan would support him becoming deputy.”

The ginger tom wrinkled his nose in disgust. “And they wouldn’t support you?”

Tinyfrost glared at him, though he could tell the warrior’s anger wasn’t directed at him. “Do you really think the Clan would support a former kittypet potentially becoming leader?” 

The new warrior hesitated. “They’ve been accepting of me…” Mostly, he thought bitterly, thinking of Tigerclaw’s two warrior children back at camp. 

“They’ve accepted you because Starclan supposedly gave a sign to accept you.” Tinyfrost growled. “And as you told me yourself when we first began training, not everyone did so. What do you think they think of me, the runty kittypet that was only accepted on a technicality?”

Fireheart wanted to deny that, but he knew Tinyfrost spoke the truth, or close enough to it. “What about Lionheart? He’s just as strong as Tigerclaw.” In a battle to the death, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pick which mighty warrior would survive such a confrontation.

The little tom twitched his whiskers. “Most of the Clan still thinks of Lionheart as reckless and hot-headed. Besides, his apprentice only just became a warrior, like mine; I’m not sure Bluestar wants to choose an inexperienced deputy again, especially not one with his reputation.” 

This was the first he’d heard of the golden-furred warrior being considered so negatively. “Really? He’s always been so level-headed around me. Especially compared to you.” The ruddy warrior paused, not sure if his old mentor would take offense to it, but thankfully his companion just chuffed in amusement.

“Back when we were apprentices, he thought himself invincible. Redtail couldn’t keep him out of trouble.” He paused, glancing out into the forest. “I think his mentor’s death came as a shock to him. It reminded him that we’re all mortal.”

Fireheart slowly nodded at that. He understood; he couldn’t imagine what state he’d be in if Tinyfrost was killed so unexpectedly. “There are options, though.” He pointed out after several moments of silence. “We have to have faith that Yellowfang will guide Bluestar into making a good choice.”

Tinyfrost wrinkled his nose, but didn’t reply. It didn’t matter if he did; the roaring of the Monsters announced that they had reached their destination. The giant creatures raced by, oblivious to the two Thunderclanners lurking on the side of the road. He could see smears of blood and fur on the Thunderpath even from here. This was the scene of Tigerclaw’s treachery.

“I can’t smell anything with this stench.” Fireheart muttered to Tinyfrost, who grimaced and nodded agreement. “And I doubt any of that fur is Tigerclaw’s, either.” He grumbled. If only it could be so easy.

“The verge here is so thin.” Tinyfrost growled. He was right; from where the forest concealed them, it was only a tail-length at best until the thick, dark stone of the Thunderpath. “It wouldn’t take much to shove a cat out there, even if they were struggling.”

“And any claw marks that he might have would be hidden by the Monsters’ tracks.” Fireheart responded, heart sinking. He wasn’t sure what either of them had expected from coming out here. He glanced around, hoping to find pawprints, fur, anything that would link the dark tabby to the scene, but there was nothing. Tigerclaw had been careful, and they both knew it.

They were silent, gazing out at the bloody mess, before finally Fireheart forced himself to turn away. “Come on. We should at least try to bring something back for the Clan.” He tapped his former mentor on the shoulder, and after a long pause the senior warrior turned and followed him back into their territory.

Their tails were low as they returned to camp, Tinyfrost with a robin and Fireheart with a mouse. It was a pitiful catch, even for late leaffall, but none challenged them as they deposited their kills on the freshkill pile. 

He turned to see Quickflash surrounded by mourners - Willowbranch, his children, his siblings, One-eye, and even Dustleap. Even with only those closest to him sharing tongues for the last time, it was still nearly half the Clan that was gathered around him now. The impact of the deputy’s death would be felt by all in the Clan for many moons.

Only a few cats were watching now. None of the queens were in the clearing; most, he imagined, would be in the nursery, making sure the kits didn’t interrupt the vigil. His eyes narrowed as he saw Tigerclaw and Darkstripe talking with the elders, but he did his best to hide his disgust and anger as he followed Tinyfrost over to where Lionheart and Sandstorm were sitting.

“Tinyfrost. Fireheart.” Lionheart nodded to each of them, and even though Sandstorm’s gaze lingered disapprovingly on Fireheart, she didn’t say anything as they sat opposite her.

“Has Bluestar announced the new deputy?” Tinyfrost wasted no time in asking as he sat down beside Lionheart. Compared to the giant warrior, he was comically small, looking almost like a kit. Still, he didn’t seem intimidated as he gazed up at the other warrior - his nurserymate, Fireheart remembered.

“No. She’s talking with Whitestorm and Yellowfang now.” His green eyes were hard as he stared at the gathering of cats in the clearing. “She had a tough time deciding last time. And there are even fewer candidates now, with Patchpelt’s retirement.”

“Did Whitestorm say why she chose Quickflash last time?” Fireheart asked, his ears perked. As his mate, Lionheart would be the most likely to know what Whitestorm had discussed with her.

The golden tabby stiffened for a moment, before sighing and relaxing himself. “You are new to the ways of the Clan. I suppose you must not know much about how a deputy is chosen, beyond what the Code teaches you.”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “I know they’ll be leader one day, if Bluestar passes on to Starclan. And that they have to have first mentored an apprentice.” He bowed his head. “I’m sorry if my question was too forward. I- I was just curious, is all.”

The giant warrior nodded. “I understand. I cannot say what Whitestorm has told me in confidence, but I can tell you what I would say to any inquisitive apprentice.” He gazed up at the sky, where the moon was starting to rise. “In choosing a new deputy, Bluestar is looking for a worthy successor to her legacy. She is wise, and just; she knows when to fight, and when to seek peace. Her deputy must be willing to consider each in equal measure, for the good of the Clan she has stewarded for so many seasons.”

They were silent as the youngest warrior mulled that over. “Not someone like Dustleap, then.” He finally said, remembering the fight he’d had with the brown tabby his very first day in Thunderclan.

Sandstorm growled at the mention of her brother, but Lionheart twitched his whiskers in amusement. “Yes, precisely. Nor someone that would seek peace above all else, even to the detriment of our Clan.” He gazed across the clearing. “There is nothing wrong with either, in moderation; but learning when to stand your ground and when to flee is a skill that only time can give. But we have lost so many of our greatest warriors in recent seasons…”

He bowed his head, and Fireheart knew that he was thinking of his lost mentor, Redtail. If only he knew that the culprit for this murder was the one and the same as his mentor’s. How might he react? Still, he didn’t dare say anything negative about Tigerclaw; not in front of his daughter, anyways. “Who would you pick, then?” 

Lionheart paused, finally looking back up to the ginger tom. “I don’t know. That is why this decision is so hard for her.” He shook his head bitterly. “While inexperienced, Quickflash had all of the qualities that make the greatest warriors, just like Redtail before him. Who could replace them now?”

Silence hung in the air for a few moments. “What about you?” Fireheart ventured, ears perked for the other warrior’s answer. “You’re one of the greatest warriors of all the Clans.”

The golden tom chuffed as though amused, but the way his brows furrowed suggested otherwise. “Bluestar would never choose me.”

“Why not?” The youngest warrior tilted his head in confusion. “Surely-”

Bluestar suddenly burst forth from her den, Whitestorm and Yellowfang on her heels. Though their leader’s tail was bushed as though in fear, her eyes were bright and her ears were forward as she jumped onto the Highrock. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!”

“It’s rather early for a decision.” Sandstorm murmured to Lionheart as they all padded towards Bluestar. “The moon has only just begun to rise.”

Fireheart turned his attention towards the other two that had been in Bluestar’s den. Whitestorm looked troubled, but sat down to the side and wrapped his tail over his paws nonetheless. Yellowfang, however, looked furious, her eyes almost vanishing in her scowl. His heart dropped at the sight. That couldn’t mean-

“I had hoped that I would never have to do this again.” Bluestar’s mew was solemn as she looked down on the body of her fallen deputy. “I saw in Quickflash a great warrior, and a greater leader - one, I know, would have led Thunderclan to a new era of prosperity.” 

She bowed her head, and the rest of the Clan joined her. “But it is Starclan’s will that a new deputy be chosen. It is through their guidance that I choose Quickflash’s successor, and perhaps one day the cat that will lead Thunderclan in my stead.” The silver queen raised her head to the sky, where the stars were just beginning to shine. “I say these words before Quickflash and Starclan, so that they may hear and approve of my choice.”

A long, agonizing moment of silence hung in the air as every cat waited for Bluestar to speak with bated breath. “Tigerclaw will be the new deputy of Thunderclan.”

“NO!”

Fireheart’s yowl was drowned out by the cheers of cats around him. Sandstorm and Darkstripe were among the loudest, though nearly every cat looked on approvingly. He glanced over to Graystripe and Peppermask, who were staring up at Bluestar in abject horror. Tinyfrost’s spine was bristling, and for a moment he was sure his former mentor would throw himself at the new deputy as he stood up.

“Bluestar, I am truly honored.” The scarred tabby’s amber eyes were glistening with dark satisfaction as he spoke, and Fireheart’s stomach churned to imagine what the tom was thinking. “I had never dared to hope that I would be allowed to reach such a high rank. And yet, if it is Starclan’s will, I of course must accept.” 

Starclan’s will? Fireheart snarled at the thought. There was no way that Starclan had chosen Tigerclaw! He looked to Yellowfang, whose own tail was lashing in anger. It was clear she hadn’t wanted this either. Yet, without her input, how could Bluestar believe that Tigerclaw was Starclan’s choice?

“By the spirit of Quickflash, I promise to serve you - and Thunderclan - in any way that I can.” Tigerclaw continued on, interrupting his thoughts. “May I be worthy of Starclan’s eternal gaze.”

“May Starclan light your path.” Bluestar sounded proud as she leaped down from the rock, briefly touching noses with the new deputy before going to say her final goodbyes with Quickflash. She nestled in close to Willowbranch and Mousefur, her murmurs impossible to hear over the celebrations surrounding Tigerclaw.

Fireheart didn’t feel like joining them, instead padding over to Yellowfang. “What in Starclan’s name happened in there?” He hissed at her. “You promised-”

She shook her broad head, quickly silencing him. “Tomorrow.” She replied quietly to him. “I’ll tell you all everything that happened - tomorrow.” With that, she stalked back to her den, disappearing into the rocky crevice before he could call after her.

As he turned back to Tinyfrost, whose tail was rattling in pent-up frustration, part of him felt hopeless. What could they do now that Tigerclaw was one step away from leading the Clan? At the same time, however, he knew that none of them would allow this to stand. The murderous warrior would not be allowed to lead Thunderclan into darkness; not as long as he was around.

[talonslockau]

Forest of Secrets - Chapter 8

Chapter 7 (TW) || Index || Chapter 9

Fireheart’s paws felt numb as he stared out across camp, keeping watch as the morning sun rose. He didn’t know whether to be grateful to Tigerclaw for giving him the chance to rest, or angry that the deputy had given him the chilly morning watch. At least if he were on patrol, he would be moving, which would help him stay a little warmer. Instead, he was forced to fluff up his fur and do his best to keep the cold away from him.

Truthfully, there wasn’t much to watch in the time before sunhigh. Not even Goldenflower and Frostfur’s kits were out playing, preferring instead to stay in the warmth of the nursery. Most of the elders were curled up together in their den, waiting for the heat of the sun to warm the ground up for them before they came out. The only movement in camp was the occasional gust of wind tossing a few leaves from the camp ceiling onto the ground below.

Still, he patiently scanned camp for any sign of an intruder. He was just beginning to yawn when he heard a rustling in the bramble entrance, and quickly stifled it to see who it was. To his surprise, Longtail bounded through and headed straight for him. “There’s a kittypet howling for you on the border.” The striped tom snapped as he approached, his tail flicking impatiently as he glared at Fireheart.

A kittypet? His mind instantly raced to his sister, but he had warned her several times not to enter the forest, and he had just visited her a few days ago. Surely she would wait for his return rather than try to visit him? “What does this kittypet look like?” He mewed as he heard more rustling, glancing to see Bluestar sliding out of her den. If she found out he was talking with his sister…

“It’s a black and white tom. Fat, too.” Longtail sniffed dismissively. “A typical Twoleg plaything, if you ask me.”

A black and white tom…? It couldn’t be Princess then, he thought with a small sigh of relief. Not unless it was one of her friends, anyways. “Are you sure they were looking for me?” He asked hesitantly after a moment.

“Well, he said he was looking for Dusty, or something like that, but you’re the only kittypet I know of around here.” The other warrior sneered, even as Bluestar came over to stand by his side. “Unless you’re trying to say he was looking for a different kittypet?”

Rusty. He hadn’t heard that name in ages, and as much as he longed to correct Longtail, he knew it was better to leave it in the past. Still, as his mind raced back to when he was a kittypet, it suddenly snapped into place. “Did he say his name was Smudge?” Fireheart finally asked, thinking of the kittypet he had left behind long ago when he had entered the forest.

“You know about the kittypet Longtail is talking about?” Bluestar questioned, and he shrank a bit as he once again remembered Lionheart’s warning. But he had nothing to hide: he hadn’t seen Smudge since the first moon he had been apprenticed!

“Smudge lived in the Twoleg nest next to mine, when I was a kittypet.” The ginger tom mewed to her quickly. “But I haven’t seen him in seasons. Not since- since I joined Thunderclan. I don’t know why he would be looking for me after all this time.” He wasn’t sure if she would admonish him for letting Smudge go without a fight, all those moons ago, and he wasn’t about to find out.

His leader regarded him carefully for a moment, and he wondered briefly if she had picked up on his hesitation. Finally, she turned to Longtail. “Show us where this kittypet is.” She mewed at last.

“Us?” Fireheart questioned quickly, wincing a bit as she glanced back at him. Did she not trust him? Was she accompanying them because she had caught on to his lie?

“An intruder trespassing so flagrantly is unusual. I would be remiss as a leader if I didn’t investigate it further.” She replied evenly, giving nothing away in her gaze as she turned back to Longtail. The tom sniffed in slight disapproval, but said nothing as he led them through the bramble and towards the Twolegplace - towards Fireheart’s old home.

His ears perked as they neared the border, catching the faintest fragments of an argument. The three slowed down, finally coming to a halt at the edge of a clearing where Smudge was arguing with Darkstripe as Willowbranch looked on.

“He’ll understand as soon as I explain! Please! If I don’t see him, then all the housecats will-” The kittypet tom cut off as the three emerged from the bushes, his yellow eyes wide as he caught sight of Fireheart. “Rusty! I knew you’d come!” He rushed up and all but slammed into the warrior’s side in a hearty greeting. “I told them you would!”

“It’s Fireheart now.” He corrected his kittypet friend, doing his best not to appear fazed by the overwhelming greeting. “What are you doing here, Smudge? I thought I told you not to come into the forest. It’s dangerous here.”

“Well, yea, but-” Smudge seemed surprised at his cold indifference, taking a few steps back to take in his kithood friend. “You don’t understand! All the housecats are in danger now!” 

He glanced at Longtail, who just shrugged and rolled his eyes in annoyance. “What do you mean, all housecats? Have the Twolegs done something?” He couldn’t imagine why Smudge would come to him for help with Twolegs, but maybe he imagined that a strong cat like him could defeat anything.

“What? No, no - the housefolk are fine. Mine’s been giving me lots of ham from the table lately, and-” He shook his head. “But that’s not the point! This huge band of wild cats has started attacking us in our own gardens, Rusty! They’ve threatened to kill all of us if they see us! We can’t even sunbathe anymore without risking a clawing by those thugs, it’s just terrible! Poor Hattie was attacked just yesterday!”

He stared at the young kittypet for a few moments, trying to process everything he was saying. “It’s Fireheart now.” He repeated after a few moments, before slowly shaking his head. “What do you mean, wild cats? None of the Clans would attack kittypets without provocation, it’s too risky.” As he said it, he side-eyed Darkstripe, wondering if Tigerclaw and his followers would do such a thing. But even then, they would probably just have attacked Smudge for trespassing if they were responsible, not gone to fetch a sympathetic ear. “And who’s Hattie?”

“Oh! You never met Hattie, she’s the cat your housefolk got to replace you. She was in her own garden when she was savaged!” The kittypet’s spine bristled angrily, real fury burning in his yellow eyes. “I don’t know who those wild cats are, but some of them are as big as you! Bigger, even!” He eyed Bluestar and Fireheart as he said it, as though they were the biggest cats he had ever seen. Part of him wondered how the kittypet would react to the sight of Lionheart, though the golden warrior was busy patrolling the Riverclan border. “Please, Rusty, you have to help us! Can’t you fight them off?”

He glanced at Bluestar, but he could already see the disapproval in her eyes. “Look, Smudge, it doesn’t work like that. I can’t just leave the Clan to go fight for you. It’s leafbare, and we have our own problems to worry about.” Some of them more than others, he thought to himself as he eyed Darkstripe standing there.

“Please!” Smudge’s giant yellow eyes anxiously pleaded with him. “We’re friends, aren’t we? We grew up together! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

He sighed heavily at that. He wanted to help, truly, but he knew the Clan would never approve. “Can’t your Twolegs help you? After all, I doubt these cats are as big as a Twoleg.” He mewed patiently, glancing towards the Twolegplace fence. 

“The wild cats do run away when they hear our housefolk coming, but the housefolk can’t be there all the time. They do their best to heal our wounds, but what about when a housecat gets killed?” At the thought of a dead kittypet, Fireheart shuddered. Twolegs cared deeply for their pets, albeit some more than others. What would they do if they thought the cats in the forest were responsible? “Please, Rusty. I know you can chase them away! You’re so big and strong now!”

He turned to Bluestar with a sigh. “Bluestar.” He mewed at last, already seeing her ears dip. “I know these are kittypets. But if you’ll remember, my old garden is right on our border.” He glanced at the rest of the patrol hesitantly. “If these rogues are attacking kittypets for territory, then they could start attacking us next. Maybe we should investigate, at least to make sure they aren’t a threat to us.”

He caught sight of a spark of surprise in her eyes as she considered his words. “Not to mention that if the Twolegs think that we’re the ones attacking their kittypets, they might try to attack us. The whole Clan could be in trouble if we don’t act.”

Darkstripe snorted in amusement. “You’re just saying that because you’re soft for kittypets.” The spiteful warrior growled. “Let’s just send him on his way. This doesn’t concern us.”

“Fireheart has a point.” Bluestar said thoughtfully before he could snap a retort. “The Twolegs don’t seem aware of our presence, but if they think wild cats are attacking their kittypets, the best place to hide is the forest. They could bring their tree-cutting Monsters here, to try and drive out whatever is attacking them. All of the Clans will be in danger then.”

All of the warriors shivered at the thought. He had seen the Monsters of the Treecutplace yesterday, on the way back from a Riverclan patrol: he had little doubt they could eat their way through a large swathe of forest. “You said the kittypet in Fireheart’s old nest was attacked?” She asked Smudge, who nodded mutely. “Fireheart. Why don’t you talk to her? You can examine her wounds, and decide how dangerous these rogues really are.” She nodded decisively and flicked her tail towards the border patrol. “Take Longtail with you.”

“Why do I have to go with him?” Longtail spat, saying the words on the tip of Fireheart’s tongue. “Surely he can face one little kittypet on his own.”

The leader’s blue gaze narrowed. “Because if these rogues return, I would prefer the chances of two warriors over one.” She snapped back, before rising to her paws. “You may report back to me and Tigerclaw when you have reached a decision.” With that, she flicked her tail for Darkstripe and Willowbranch to follow her, leaving for camp before either could protest.

Smudge was staring at them with wide, saucer-like eyes. “Thank you, Rusty!” He mewed happily, pressing into the former kittypet’s side once more. “I knew you would help us!”

“It’s Fireheart! Not Rusty!” He snarled at the kittypet, tail raising in anger, before sighing and lowering it as the tom shrank back. “I left that name behind me when I joined the Clan. Can you please at least try to remember that?”

The black and white tom slowly nodded. “I-I will.” He glanced hesitantly at Longtail. “So, uhm, I can show you-”

“I remember the way.” Fireheart mewed, tapping his old friend’s shoulder with his tail. “Come on. Let’s get this done quickly.”

He led the other two cats back through the trees, trying not to let the path dredge up old memories. He had been so young and foolish when he entered Clan territory, three seasons ago now; though he didn’t regret it in the slightest, the memories he had of sleeping next to his old Twolegs still felt far too comforting for the warrior he had become. He didn’t want any cat accusing him of wanting to be a kittypet again, or that he was too comfortable around Twolegs.

He paused at the edge of the fence, gazing up at the bare wood. He had only seen this side of the fence once, when he had returned from his fight with Graypaw. Now it seemed daunting, a barrier between him and the place he had once called home. 

Smudge jumped up beside him, and with some hesitation he and Longtail followed. He gestured with his tail to an evergreen bush in the corner as they landed. “We can hide under there from the Twolegs. Smudge, why don’t you call Hattie out?”

“Of course!” The kittypet tom mewed, trotting over to the Twoleg nest and jumping on the windowsill. He immediately began pawing at the glass as Longtail and Fireheart found hiding spaces under the bush, keeping as far apart as they could while still hiding in the shadows. “Hattie! I brought that friend I told you about! He wants to talk to you!”

There was silence for a few moments, and then he watched as a young tabby molly - all too similar in color to his sister - jumped up on the other side. “Can’t he come in here?” He heard her say, though it was muffled by the window in the way. “Surely he can visit his old home for a bit!”

Smudge glanced back at them hopefully, though immediately winced when he saw the wild cats’ angry glares. “He brought another friend with him, to help protect us.” Fireheart looked at Longtail. Friend was hardly the word he’d used to describe one of Tigerclaw’s most loyal followers, but he wasn’t about to contradict the kittypet. “They’re not big fans of housefolk anymore. They’ll keep us safe if any wild cats attack us, I promise!”

She looked doubtfully at him, then past him to the bush where they were hiding. Though her green eyes searched, it was clear she couldn’t see them through the window. “Alright, Smudge.” She mewed after a moment. “But if they come back-”

“Then we can stay in your house together, I promise!” Smudge mewed, headbutting the window as though it would reach her. “This is just part of getting rid of those wild cats for good, alright?”

She disappeared, and after a few heartbeats the cat flap opened as she slid out. Smudge jumped down to greet her, and moved protectively alongside her as she trotted over to the bush. It was almost cute, though Fireheart dismissed the thought as he looked over the kittypet molly now that she was close. 

He could see now that she was missing chunks of fur, though most had likely floated away on the wind by now. Her face had several long, painful looking scratches across her cheek, and there were only more down her flanks. Even the tip of her tail looked as though it had been mauled, perhaps chewed on by a rogue. “She looks worse than I did driving out Brokentail.” Fireheart hissed to Longtail, who only twitched an ear in acknowledgement.

“So you’re Rusty, then?” The dark tawny molly mewed as she looked down at him with blazing green eyes. “Smudge told me you ran away from my housefolk to become a wild cat.”

“It’s Fireheart.” He was surprised to hear Smudge chime in at the same time he did, and looked gratefully to the young tom before looking back to Hattie. “And yes, I did. My Twolegs were good to me, but I belong in the forest now.”

She huffed at that. “If you say so.” The tabby sat down and began cleaning at one of her paws. “So. What do you want to know?” She finally asked between licks.

“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Fireheart mewed kindly, ignoring Longtail’s derisive huff. “Smudge said you were attacked in this garden.”

“I was.” Her ears flattened at the memory, though she pretended it was only because she was cleaning them as she drew a paw over her ear. “It was yesterday, while the housefolk were out. We’ve heard rumors of a band of savages attacking cats, but I thought it was just a story, and that I’d be safe in my own garden!” She sighed dramatically. “It was a bit chilly, but I was enjoying the scent of the catmint before leafbare frost took it. Henry says that there’ll be snow any day now-”

“Get to the point!” Longtail hissed at her, causing her to jump and give an anxious glance towards Smudge beside her.

Though the kittypet tom looked worriedly at the two warriors, he nodded for his friend to continue her story. “Well, like I said, I was enjoying the catmint when these three huge cats jumped over my fence like it was made of twigs! They were between me and the cat flap over there - I had no chance to get away.” She shivered at the memory. “I’ve never seen cats so big! Not even wild cats like you two were as giant as they were.”

Though Longtail let out a low growl at that, Fireheart had to agree with her. Even amongst the Clan, he and the tabby warrior beside him weren’t the biggest warriors. He wondered if she would say the same if it had been a cat like Lionheart accompanying him. “Did you fight back?”

“I tried! But I was like nothing compared to them.” She despaired out loud, Smudge pressing comfortingly into her side. “They pinned me down and mauled me like I was a toy! I only managed to get away when the tabby with the short tail let go of me for a moment. I raced for the cat door and under my housefolks’ favorite chair until I heard their Monsters return!”

His ears perked at the description of the rogue that had attacked her. Hadn’t he met a cat like that before? “Hang on. What did these rogues look like, besides the short-tailed tabby?”

“Oh, I don’t know. It all happened so fast.” Still, her brows furrowed as she thought about it. “Two of them were tabbies, I think. They kind of blended together.” Then she gasped as she remembered. “But their leader! Oh, he was the biggest of them all, I’d never seen a cat like him. He was nearly all white, except for his feet!”

As he glanced at Longtail in shock, he could see the glimmer of recognition in the tabby warrior’s eyes. “And his feet?” Fireheart prompted her quickly, his heart racing.

“They were very dark, like the wood shreds that the housefolk use in the garden. And huge! It was like he had ten claws on each paw!” She stared at her own paw as she remembered. “And those claws… they were so sharp! It was clear he’d never had housefolk to trim them like mine do.”

“That’s Spiderfoot. It has to be.” The ginger tom hissed to his Thunderclan companion. “Brokentail must have moved on to easier prey.”

Longtail flicked his ear in acknowledgement, but he still seemed doubtful. “But why would Brokentail go after kittypets? It’s not as though he’s stealing their food.” The tabby warrior replied as he stared at the two kittypets in front of them distrustfully.

“Did they say anything to you? Before or during the attack?” Fireheart asked as he turned his attention back to Hattie. Longtail was right; he didn’t see Brokentail stooping so low as to eat kittypet food, not when there were other options like stealing from Thunderclan.

“I… I’m not sure.” She mewed, her head dipping as she searched her memory. “It’s all such a blur. They were yowling a lot; Why, even Henry could hear it from his garden!” Then she sat upright, a flash of remembrance in her green gaze. “I did hear one of them say something clearly while they were attacking me! I don’t know which one it was, though; I didn’t see.”

“That’s alright.” Fireheart encouraged gently, keeping his own green eyes locked on her. “What did the wild cat say?”

“He said something… something like ‘getting that kittypet band.’ It wasn’t very clear through the other two yowling.” She considered that for a moment. “Maybe they wanted their own collars? I don’t know why they think attacking kittypets will get them one, though.”

The Thunderclan warriors squinted in confusion at her. “No, these cats would have called collars chokers. If they’re the ones we’re thinking of, that is.” As he thought back to his battle with Brokentail, trying to puzzle it out, his blood suddenly chilled as a sickening realization hit him. “Are you sure they said band, and not Clan?”

“What? Why-” She glanced at Smudge for support, but after a moment shook her head. “I- I guess I’m not. What’s a Clan?”

“Brokentail swore he’d get back at me one day.” Fireheart hissed at Longtail, his tail bushed as he remembered. “Surely they know I’m a kittypet, and that I came from the Twolegplace. What if they think they’re getting revenge on me by attacking my ‘kin’?” His heart raced as he remembered Princess. Had he put her in danger too? Her Twoleg nest was many nests away, but they had no idea what Brokentail’s new ‘territory’ was. “Maybe they said, ‘We’re finally getting back at that kittypet Clan’!”

Longtail’s face screwed up in a grimace. “We’re not all kittypets, you know!” He spat back at the ginger tom angrily. “I’m a forest-born warrior, through and through!”

“Well, of course I know that.” The former kittypet snapped, ignoring the other two kittypets sitting there for a moment. “But do you think Brokentail’s rogues are going to really make that distinction? We have to tell Bluestar - they could be planning an attack, and they know where our camp is!”

He could see the tabby tom’s spine beginning to bristle in fear at the thought of another attack on camp, but he stubbornly shook his head. “We don’t know for sure these are Brokentail’s rogues.”

“Have you ever met another cat like Spiderfoot?” Fireheart snapped, his patience running thin with the other Thunderclanner. “It’s got to be them. The tabby with the short tail is probably Stumpytail. And the other tabby-'' He paused. There had been a few tabbies in Shadowclan - it could have been any of them. “It doesn’t really matter.”

“You expect me to return to Tigerclaw advocating an attack on behalf of these kittypets based on hearsay?” Longtail retorted with a condescending sniff. “He’ll want more proof than a kittypet’s word.”

“Oh, for-” He rolled his eyes and looked back to Hattie and Smudge. “You said you were attacked by the catmint bush, right? If it was only yesterday, there are probably still scents lingering. Maybe even blood. There hasn’t been any rain to wash it away.”

“You want to investigate a Twoleg’s territory in the open, in broad daylight? Are you mad?” The tabby beside him hissed furiously. “I’m not going out there! If you want to return to your Twolegs so badly, be my guest.”

Fireheart resisted the urge to raise his hackles as he glared at the other tom. “The Twolegs always leave their nests during the day. None of them are here right now. We’ll be fine.” He glanced at Hattie quickly. “Right?”

She stared at them with wide eyes, silent until he addressed her. “Oh! Uhm- yea. They take their Monsters and leave. You’ll hear their Monsters coming before they return, and that won’t be until near sunset.” She gave him a pleading glance. “You’ll help us, then?”

“These rogues are a danger to us as well. They’ve killed a member of our Clan, and taken our kits from their mothers. If they are bothering you, we will stop them.” He glared at Longtail beside him, then slowly emerged from the bush. “Just stay with your housefolk the next few days, alright? I’ll come back when they’ve been taken care of.”

“Killed?” Smudge squeaked from beside Hattie, who was shivering and seemed paralyzed by fear. “You don’t think they would have killed Hattie?”

He glanced back at her briefly. “No. They only kill cats that are actually a threat.” He turned his gaze to Longtail, who was still hiding under the bush. “Now come on! Do you want proof or not?”

Longtail gave him a sneer, but slowly emerged from the bush as well. Fireheart left the two kittypets on their own as he led the way across the garden to the catmint bush he remembered from his youth. He could see where Hattie had been attacked, the earth churned up and scattered by claw gouges. There were still remnants of the kittypet molly’s light fur, though most of it had drifted away by now, and the too-familiar tang of blood.

As he opened his mouth to draw the scents across his tongue, he was nearly overwhelmed by the tangle of scents. Hattie’s fear-scent, and the blood, but a stink that he remembered all too well lingered; the acrid stench of crowfood, the steamy scent of the marsh, and the heavy smell of pine trees.

“Shadowclan.” He didn’t have to confirm it for Longtail, whose ears were flat as he scented the air himself. “It’s only been a couple of moons since Brokentail’s exile. He wouldn’t have lost the Clan-scent yet.” 

“Bluestar has to know.” Fireheart mewed, and for once the other tom didn’t disagree with him. The two headed for the fence, the ginger tom nodding to the two kittypets as they passed by. “Stay safe, you two.”

“We will!” Smudge replied, pressing into Hattie’s side. As the two warriors jumped the fence, he thought he heard his kithood friend say something to the other kittypet- his replacement- but he pushed it out of his mind as he bounded into the forest. Without even a glance at each other, the two warriors raced back to camp, their newest findings at the forefront of their mind.

Brokentail could not be allowed to return.