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malkumtend · 5 years ago

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I Like Your Laugh (A CrowSquirrel AU - Chapter 15)

The shadows of the approaching night scattered around the mountain. Light faded from the hollow, as sunlight sank under the mask of clouds. In the distance, a faint sound of thunder roared over the mountain’s peak, growling like a rabid cat.

It was time.

Crowpaw would have felt more tense if he wasn’t so overcome with disgust. His pelt was wet and slimy with mud from the stream, it oozed over his short fur and caked on his skin. He could have retched at the sour scent of wet earth, especially when it was being rubbed over his face.

“Any more great ideas from you Thunderclan cats?” Crowpaw said sullenly. He was suddenly muffled as the strong paw covered his face with a slab of dirt.

“Yeah, don’t get it in your eyes.” Brambleclaw shot back, it was clear he was smirking even if Crowpaw couldn’t see. “I never expected you to be such a cleanpaw.”

Crowpaw rubbed the dirt from his eyes, careful not to take away too much. He glared at the larger cat, also streaked from head to tail in mud. “What, is this how you typically wash yourself?”

Brambleclaw snorted, “Just shut up and have another roll around.” He did the same himself, laying down by the pool’s edge and twisting his body in the mud. He wandered by Tawnypelt, checking that she was covered as well.

Crowpaw cringed, but he obeyed. It was better to be safe than sorry, and he had to admit, it was an extremely clever idea. With this, it would be much harder for the Tribe cats to spot them or recognise their scents.

Once covered by the thick sludge, Crowpaw darted an impressed look at the she-cat who’d given them this idea. He couldn’t help but smirk as her usually bright ginger fur dripped with wet brown darkness. Just the kind of idea she would make up.

He climbed up to solid ground again, wincing as he felt the clods of dirt slide down his wind-flattened coat. At least it will come off easier for me than the others. He didn’t want to think how long it would take Squirrelpaw to get all this stuff out of her fluffy body.

“You alright?” A soft voice mewed. Crowpaw tensed, meeting Feathertail’s eyes gently. It was impossible to ignore the affection when he knew what he knew. She looked over him carefully, as if worried.

Crowpaw shrugged, “It’s just a bit of mud. It’ll wash out.”

She blinked at him graciously. Her silver fur was now very much dark and faded into the shadows well. “It’s not ideal though.”

“No, but no point complaining about it. It has to be done.” He sneered, “At least your fur is used to getting wet.” He needed to act normal, he’d told her they’d still be friends no matter what he decided to do, he couldn’t let her think he was suddenly uncomfortable around her.

Feathertail’s tail curled in amusement, “Water usually doesn’t leave me looking like my father.”

Through their laughter, Tawnypelt’s voice cut in, “We better get going soon. It looks like rain’s coming and we can’t let the mud get washed away.”

Crowpaw’s eyes widened. She was right, the clouds did look like they would start spilling water soon. They needed to get back to the Tribe, quickly. Feathertail nodded at the she-cat, jumping up; her tail curled around Crowpaw’s back, maybe keeping him steady as he pulled his paws out of the mud.

She really was keeping a close eye on him.

He thanked her with a flush.

At least she still seemed comfortable around him.

Now soaked in mud, the cats began their journey back to the cave. At the front, Brambleclaw sniffed the air cautiously every few moments before pressing his nose down to the path in order to catch their scent trail again. At the top of the ridge, he paused to take another hesitant sniff at their surroundings before relaxing. He turned back to the group with a heavy nod. “Let’s go.”

They stepped down, padding down the slope again. They were now back in the Tribe’s territory. Crowpaw, like the rest, kept his senses fixed at every moment he could. Even if Squirrelpaw’s plan kept their pelts hidden in the growing darkness, they couldn’t underestimate the persistence of the Tribe cats who knew this land as their own home. One wrong move could mean incredible danger for the group. Crowpaw could still feel a sting on his neck, where a Tribe cat had struck him before.

He shook his head, silently growling. I’ll pay them back for that. He knew that they wanted to get away without any injuries, but if he needed to fight, he would fight with no mercy. These cats had taken their friend hostage, they had delayed their journey, they deserved nothing but the sting of Crowpaw’s claws.

He had to be patient though. First thing’s first they had to get their way back. And that was harder than he’d hoped. With the gathering night and the dull grey of the mountain, it was hard to identify any sights that might signal they were following the right direction. All they had were their own noses, with Brambleclaw pressing his nose practically against the stone floor to follow the trail. The Windclan cat sighed, they just had to hope for the best at this point.

He was suddenly aware of the warmth at his side; he did not cast a look there for fear of losing focus. His face still heated up though.

He wondered how she was coping, what she was prepared for. Was she preparing for a fight or a quick escape? It was her brother they were rescuing after all. It was probably a silly thought. Feathertail wasn’t the type of cat who would lay a claw on anyone, she hadn’t even moved in the arms of a twoleg for fear of hurting the kit.

She was just that kind.

And she wanted him.

Crowpaw still couldn’t grasp that. A cat had feelings for him. A cat he held as one of his best friends. She’s confessed that she wanted them to be something more. Mates. Crowpaw gulped as the word entered his mind.

So, did he want the same thing?

By all accounts he felt he should. He felt comfortable around Feathertail, she was one of the most blissful cats he’d ever known, he trusted her with all his heart, and she was incredibly beautiful. Crowpaw was sure any Riverclan cat in his position would immediately see stars if they had this kind of luck.

But Crowpaw wasn’t a Riverclan cat.

And it wasn’t that fact that put him off.

Sure, it went against the Warrior code, it was a blatant spit in the face to years of clan boundaries, years of culture, and if any cat in Windclan knew about this they would more than definitely want to rip him limb from limb for even considering such an idea.

But it wasn’t that.

It was the fact that even though he considered every positive aspect of the cat he held so dearly, he felt nothing different. He just felt the same. The same way he had felt about her whenever they went hunted, talked or laughed together. She was precious to him, but…

If he loved her as well, surely he would feel something different. Something more.

Or was that just some stupid kit fantasy? Was love meant to be like this? Just having someone you felt you could trust enough to spend the rest of your life with. Was it really nothing else?

Maybe… should he give her the chance? Maybe something else could grow from it if they tried? But what would happen if he did and it turned out he didn’t like her like that? That would just add to her pain.

He didn’t want to hurt her.

But how could he not?

She was hurting enough as it was. If he was going to give her an answer, he’d have to do it after they rescued her brother. Crowpaw cringed. Her brother who had been right in his suspicions. He dreaded thinking how that cat would react if he found out about this.

Crowpaw bit the inside of his cheek, hard, feeling vindicated by the pain. He shouldn’t be thinking about things like that! For all he knew, the Tribe were still waiting for the group to return with a full army of guards.

For all he knew, they were walking straight to their graves.

He groaned silently. Sometimes he wished he could have a shred of optimism.

The path became steep, littered with sharp, crooked rocks that Crowpaw vaguely remembered from earlier. They were on the right track then. He felt a flashing, grudging, respect for the brown tom at the front. He was leading them well.

Though not well enough that he didn’t hear what Crowpaw heard.

Low, muffled voices. About a tree-length behind them. Crowpaw’s pelt prickled with alarm. The Tribe.

Thinking quick, Crowpaw whirled on his heckles, feeling a cat beside him. Feathertail. He dragged her with him behind a large rock at the side of the path, surprised by how light she was. The others turned to him, and he waved his tail towards the other rocks, hoping they would understand his signal to hide.

Thankfully they did, their shadowed forms crouching beside the other rocks, hidden in the darkness. A few moments later, Crowpaw heard the voices become clearer, passing by their hiding places. He peered out cautiously, keeping himself concealed, and saw a patrol of Tribe cats pass by, their mouths full of freshly caught prey. Around them, the hulking forms of the guards stood around them, tensely protecting their tribe-mates.

Crowpaw held his breath, expecting any one of their enemy to suddenly turn and see where he and his friends were hiding. His claws unsheathed in preparation. But there was a moment of hesitation between the cats and they passed on without so much of a sniff.

The mud really had masked their scents. Crowpaw let out a silent breath of relief. Thank Starclan he wasn’t sagging with dirt for nothing.

He stepped away, realising he was still holding Feathertail behind the rock. He let out an awkward laugh as she turned to him. And he realised just how small she’d become, as well as the two green eyes looking up to him.

“Oh.” Crowpaw sighed, half-relieved that he hadn’t put Feathertail into an embarrassing position. He smiled at Squirrelpaw teasingly, “That’s twice I’ve saved you these past few days.” He chirped.

Briskly, Squirrelpaw shoved him away, her eyes glazing past him with a clear glint of annoyance. Crowpaw’s back fur lined down in surprise. “Don’t expect any favours from me.” The ginger molly shot back, a little more bite in her tone than usual. “I would have heard them.”

Crowpaw felt his eyes narrow, his neck fur spiking with a wounded anger. What was up with her? “Well you didn’t, thanks to me.” He hissed. Immediately, he regretted it. He sighed, they couldn’t afford to start fights right now. “But,” His tone smoothed over, “They would have found us if it wasn’t for your mud plan.” He mewed gently, “That was really brilliant, you know.”

He smiled at her. Truly.

She didn’t return it. Her face twisted away from him, padding away with her tail raised high. “Thank you, but now isn’t the time for compliments.” She meowed dryly, it was hard to see her expressions under the darkness and the mud. “Come on, we can’t let Stormfur wait on us.” She waved her way back into the group as they went back onto the path.

Crowpaw stared after her for a moment, his mouth hanging. His breathing became slow and cold. W-What did I do? Why was she acting so strange? She’d been ignoring him all day, but she’d never been so openly dismissive.

Had he actually upset her somehow? His heart sank. If he had, he hadn’t meant to.

“Crowpaw,” Brambleclaw’s hushed, but urgent, voice broke in. “Come on.”

Gradually, Crowpaw stepped out, his brow knotted in frustration as he looked ahead at his friend. She never looked back. He felt Brambleclaw give him a light press on the pelt with his tail. “Thanks for warning us. That could have gone bad.” He mewed lightly.

Crowpaw gave the cat a wave of his tail, but he didn’t say anything. Brambleclaw shrugged and padded towards the front again. Feathertail wavered at the back until she was beside Crowpaw. She kept next to him, her ears more alert than before, gazing around in case any more of the Tribe were behind them. “Can’t be that far now.” She mused.

Crowpaw nodded, trying to give her as much time as he could. But his mind was torn on two things already. One on making sure they wouldn’t have another close call with the Tribe, the other focused on wondering what it was that had gone wrong between him and the cat he’d bonded with so closely.

Crowpaw felt he could cope if she didn’t want to hunt with him or travel with him, but the turn of her head and the sight of her back, never flinching away from forward, even if it was just her focus on the mission, that hurt astonishingly so.

“Quiet now.” Brambleclaw whispered, “We’re getting close.” The florescent glow of the moon began to glimmer in the sky, banishing shadows from the mountain. It began to sparkle on the sight of the river, casting tiny stars in the ripples. The cats followed the sound of the water, noticing it grow into the growl of the waterfall.

Crowpaw shook his head until his senses were now pure on their goal. It wouldn’t be long now. They all stepped up the steep path until they reached the edge of rock where the water flailed over in a hissing white shower. They had reached the top of the falls. Crowpaw’s lip curled. Just below them was where Stormfur was being held.

A fresh dampness came over Crowpaw’s head, he looked up to the white clouds. If he listened close enough, he could hear the rain pattering heavily, growing near, as well the grumble and crash of thunder, maybe even lightning.

“Storm’s coming.” He observed. Maybe if the storm became loud enough it would help distract the tribe, giving the cats enough time to rescue Stormfur. Still, it wouldn’t help the fact that there was more than certainly a horde of guards around where Stormfur was being held.

“Let’s go!” Squirrelpaw hissed, her tail lashing indignantly.

Crowpaw couldn’t help but agree with her, they needed to get Stormfur out quickly. Whatver as awaiting them wouldn’t go away if they stood there waiting to grow roots.

He peered over the lip of the waterfall, trying to find a clear way down to the cave. He could see the deep shadow of the path, leading to their destination. He tensed when he saw another shadow, the one of a cat padding sluggishly towards the entrance. Another cave guard?

Wait… no? This shape was huge! Far too big, even for the tribe cats! It was bigger than any cat he’d ever seen, maybe even bigger than some dogs!

“What’s that?” He meowed cautiously, leading the group’s attention to the shape.

A flash of lightning answered his question.

He wished it hadn’t.

The group let out a collective gasp of horror as the lightning gave them a full look at the huge, tawny coloured ‘cat’ advancing to the cave. It’s eyes burned with orange desire, a hunger. It’s teeth were open in a hissing maw, a large tongue tracing a set of fangs larger than Crowpaw’s own paws.

So this was what the Tribe were so afraid of…

Sharptooth!

The creature slunk behind the waterfall. And then the screaming started.

A cry of terror erupted from what seemed like a hundred terrified throats. Beside the strong beating of the rain, the shriek of the tribe and the hungry growl of their predator sliced through the night.

Crowpaw couldn’t close his mouth. The creature was worse than he’d ever thought. How could they get past such a menace?

“Come on!” Brambleclaw cried.

Crowpaw turned on him, his eyes wide with disbelief. Is he crazy?! “Down there?” He was glad the rest of the cats looked just as horrified. “Are you mouse-brained?” They would be slaughtered!

Brambleclaw ignored the judging eyes, bounding down to the entrance. “Think! With Sharptooth in the cave, they won’t notice us! This is our best chance to rescue Stormfur!”

He didn’t wait for another retort as he slipped over to the entrance.

Yeah, he’s off the deep end. Crowpaw mused to himself. But still… there was a point to his madness. The cats wouldn’t notice them through all their screaming, but it still lingered that that beast could see them!

Crowpaw groaned. What choice did they have? He followed where the brown tom led. He heard the others behind him as he kept his balance on the wet rocks, just about holding himself steady on the slippery surface. With a grunt, he bounded down to the entrance, where Brambleclaw was looking around desperately for a way through.

The sight was awful.

In the pale glow of the moon, Sharptooth cast a terrible shadow along every wall of the cave, towering over everything. He sprang around the cave, growling like a twoleg monster, its claws already dripping with dark blood, and its jaws wide it a brutal snarl. Crowpaw felt his stomach twist with a terrified sickness; how could the tribe believe any cat could defeat this thing?

The Tribe cats were scrambling around in a mass of panic, crying and shrieking as they raced away from the danger. Crowpaw felt some jostle past him, not seeming to care about the cats who had returned. Brambleclaw had been right.

Crowpaw twisted towards the tunnel where Stormfur had been herded to. Just by the entrance, a cave-guard was desperately clamping himself to the lion-cat’s neck. The beast roared in savage fury, moving its paw to the cat and tearing through his fur with claws larger than a cat’s teeth. The fur parted like the claws were running through snow. Then it flung its huge neck to the side, whipping the guard away from it, the cat smashed against the wall with a horrible crunch, sliding motionlessly to the ground, leaving a dark smear stroking down the stone.

The huge cat licked its lips, satisfied, before springing to the other side of the cave where it stretched up clawing at the wall, where a white cat trembled, hoping to avoid the vicious weapons reaching for her.

Crowpaw could tell it was a molly from the weeping and the pleading.

He felt the need to retch. If he didn’t know better, he might have felt some kind of sympathy for why the Tribe had been so desperate.

The entrance was clear though.

Brambleclaw sprinted forward, “This way, we have to do this for Stormfur!”

Crowpaw didn’t argue. Holding his breath, he followed to the entrance to the cave of pointed stones, the others not far behind him. He grimaced as he passed by several cats, some screaming for their Tribe to save them, some simply limp in silent terror, some dragging their wounded tribe-mates along, ignoring the blood leaking out of their wounds. The smell of blood was now ripe in the air, it sent a wave of panic down Crowpaw! They needed to get Stormfur out of here now, before they ended up on the end of the creature’s wrath.

At the actual entrance, two huge guards still kept watch, their eyes wide in fear. Their pelts prickled with realisation as they saw the cats bounding towards them, crouching down into a fighting stance. Crowpaw’s mouth opened in shock. They were still going to keep Stormfur prisoner with all that was currently happening? Either they were stupid or brave.

Crowpaw settled on the former as he realised whatever they were, they were going to fight the clan cats. His eyes narrowed, and his paws pulsed. Bring it on.

Brambleclaw looked similarly ready for action. “Now!” He roared, leaping onto one cave-guard. The cat let out a cry of astonishment as he was pushed back by the large brown paws. Brambleclaw struck out, catching the guard with a heavy paw, sending him to the ground. He didn’t wait for the cat to jump up as he pounced onto the cat, tearing into him with a flurry of blows to his exposed chest.

The other guard looked on stunned, and Crowpaw recognised him as Crag, but not caring as he leapt by the huge tom, raking him against the ears as he did so. Crowpaw landed with a snarl, hissing with pleasure as he saw Crag wince at his bleeding head. Then the guard growled, pouncing forward with a furious leap. That’s right, come and get me.

Now the entrance was clear.

Tawnypelt and Feathertail wasted no time as they burst through to where their captive friend was. Crag seemed to notice, his fur rising in alarm. “No!” He cried, beginning to turn back.

“No you don’t!” Crowpaw hissed, leaping in front of the tom. The guard stared with fiery eyes at the apprentice. The cat towered over Crowpaw, but the Windclan cat didn’t move. He wouldn’t give this flea-pelt any time to halt their rescue.

“Do you see now?!” Crag demanded, his voice strained with fury and terror. He craned his head, indicating to where the screams were erupting. “Do you hear them?! Do you see why we need the silver pelted cat? This has to end!” He cried, as if casting one last plea.

Maybe Crowpaw could see, but he didn’t really care. He growled, advancing forward. “We are not part of your prophecy!” He puffed his fur out in an attempt to look bigger.

Crag let out a snarl of frustration, his stare widening as something seemed to break inside him. “You fool!” He erupted. He pounced forward, his large paws moments from catching Crowpaw’s fur. The apprentice swiftly dodged it, slamming his paw into the cat’s side. It would have been a direct hit to his ribs.

But Crag only muttered a small grunt before turning back.

Crowpaw’s stomach sank, his blows wouldn’t do much damage to the large cat. Crag pounded forward again, and Crowpaw swiftly dodged back, he needed to rely on his speed here. Hopefully he could tire the guard out before landing some decent strikes to him. Unfortunately, Crag was faster than Crowpaw had anticipated.

With a spasm, the guard burst forth with a heavy strike that hit Crowpaw on his back. A pounding agony immediately took hold that made Crowpaw stagger, how could any cat be that strong. He let out a breath, leaping out of the way as Crag struck out again.

“You little insect!” Crag screeched, using his large tail to swat the leaping tom. Crowpaw hit the stone floor with a moan, glaring at the guard as he approached him, pure white fury on his muzzle. Crowpaw grit his teeth as he tried to rise up again, but it wouldn’t be easy with the stinging tremors on his back. He needed to think of something fast.

The apprentice tried to get to his feet, but another blow came thundering across his muzzle. Crowpaw’s cheek panged with agony, but he was just able to find his footing before his face hit the stone. He spat, trying to regain his sight from the swirling vision. He exhaled weakly, turning to see the dazed shape of Crag approach again, his pawsteps heavy and menacing. It looked like he was growing tired of this fight.

Worry tightened Crowpaw’s throat, he was quickly realising that he was losing this battle, badly. He needed to do something soon, but with his head spinning like this, his advantage in speed wouldn’t do him much good. It seemed all he could do was wait for more hits to come.

Then Crag buckled back in pain, turning as Crowpaw saw a glimmer of dark ginger fall away from behind the guard, her paw wet with blood. Crowpaw’s eyes widened. Crag turned to the new challenge, his back lined with deep cuts down his flank.

“Come on then, lion-chow!” Squirrelpaw seethed, her fangs on open display as she stared unflinchingly up at the reeling guard. New worry seized Crowpaw. What was she doing? Surely, she knew that she didn’t stand a chance against this threat.

Something flashed in Crowpaw’s mind. Something familiar. The sight of Squirrelpaw staring down two massive kittypets. The sight of her taking on an impossible fight.

For the group.

For…

Crowpaw found his vision was beginning to focus again.

Squirrelpaw ducked under the swinging paw coming at her, rolling swiftly to her feet and landing a scratch on Crag’s left back-leg. The tom hissed, kicking out with the leg. Squirrelpaw threw her neck back just in time, quicker than Crowpaw had ever seen her, before she burst forward again to sink her fangs into Crag��s tail.

Now the Tribe cat yowled as he viciously lashed his tail to shake the apprentice off, but Squirrelpaw held on, tugging, drawing blood and ripping fur and flesh. With a flame of ire, Crag kicked out again, his claws curved and glinting. This time he hit his target, just on the cheek. Squirrelpaw was torn away from the tail, but not without tearing away a bloody chunk that made Crag scream.

Crowpaw watched, as if it was slow motion, as Squirrelpaw landed with a thud against the floor. She got up quickly, hissing, her teeth clenched. She didn’t look too hurt. But Crowpaw saw it. The scratch marks along her cheek, bleeding, a deep horrible crimson that didn’t belong on her ginger fur.

Now, Crowpaw felt something black and foul boiling in his blood. His sight set on the guard, red with fury. Biting back any pain wracking in his limbs, Crowpaw burst to his feet, just as Crag began to stalk towards his friend again.

He couldn’t take on this cat face on without getting another set of blows, so Crowpaw did the only other thing he could think of.

He sprang, landing on Crag’s back and ferociously pierced the back of Crag’s neck with his teeth, while latching his claws deep into the tom’s chest. Crag howled, shaking fiercely to throw the smaller cat off. But Crowpaw only tightened his grip and bit harder, only edged on by the painful groans the Tribe cat made.

How’s this feel? Crowpaw thought bitterly, moving his paws down, scratching raw lines into the cat’s fur. His answer came with a choking gasp. Crowpaw saw something move, looking down to see Squirrelpaw burst forward again, striking the guard’s legs with a series of hard swipes.

Now, his legs becoming torn, Crag began to stagger, still shaking himself with the last of his strength. But both apprentices’ did not give up in their assault. They dug and they struck the same vital points over and over again, until finally Crag’s feet collapsed, bringing him down with a dull bang.

Crowpaw held on for a moment, until Crag’s last weak struggles faded, leaving him gasping in agonised terror on the floor. Crowpaw rose up, leaving the tom to groan miserably, a puff of triumph escaping his mouth.

They’d made the guard pay.

Crowpaw quickly looked up to where Squirrelpaw stood panting, hoping she wasn’t too hurt. He relaxed as he saw her keep her footing, scratched and scraped, but nonetheless better than their opponent.

There might have been a word said between the two if, at that moment, Tawnypelt and Feathertail didn’t coming racing out of the cave of pointed stones entrance. Another purr of relief escaped Crowpaw as he saw Stormfur behind them. His eyes were wide with fear and confusion but he looked unharmed.

The reunion was short lived though as another crash of lighting cracked the cave with light. Crowpaw twisted round, and his heart surged with horror. Sharptooth was slowly padding away from the cave, not at all fazed by the scratches across its large body. From its mouth, it carried the white molly Crowpaw had seen earlier. From the permanent gape on her muzzle, a thin line of blood bubbled down her jaw, and her paws weakly struggled in a fruitless attempt to escape her fate. Then the light went black, and the dark shadow of Sharptooth disappeared behind the waterfall, carrying away the smell of blood and fear with it.

For a moment, nothing but a horrible silence filled the cave. Crowpaw joined in. He had just seen a cat be carried away like prey. No…as prey.

The silence broke as the Tribe began to wail together, loss and pain raw in their voices. None of them looked to care about their intruders anymore.

“Out-now!” Brambleclaw exclaimed. No cat disobeyed. Crowpaw bounded after him, Squirrelpaw by his side, watching as the Tribe didn’t move at all. They all just sat, their heartbroken eyes to the floor, frozen with fear, still with the memory of another loss.

Outside, where the rain was now battering the ground and thunder boomed from every cloud, the cats could smell Sharptooth’s scent growing faint as it stalked away with its prey. The rain covered Crowpaw’s whole body, washing away the mud, but he didn’t shiver from that.

Not after everything that had just happened.

Brambleclaw sniffed the air, nodded towards the other cats and began to lead up the rocks where they had come from. They could finally leave this terrible place behind. Crowpaw limped slightly from the sting of his fight, but he kept straight. Not stopping until the wailing of the Tribe and the crash of the waterfall had grown silent under the crash of the weather and the mist of the night.

Crowpaw swayed his eyes over to their rescued friend. Stormfur was curled beside Feathertail, his eyes glassy in shock and sadness. Crowpaw remembered how he had been the one to originally grow so close to the Tribe, it was only natural that he was the most betrayed by their intent. At least, they hadn’t hurt him.

It seemed every cat was aware of Stormfur’s expression, all silent by the horror of what they’d seen. Hesistantly, Brambleclaw turned to where the grey tom was slowly padding, his amber eyes brimming with pity and a small bit of relief. “It’s good to have you back, Stormfur.”

Stormfur lethargically rose his head to where the brown tom stood. His eyes blinked, as if he was just realising that he was safe. Crowpaw saw his tail curl more tightly around his sister’s. “Thank you all for coming back for me.”

Crowpaw let out a surprised mew. “Of course we came back. We weren’t going to leave you there.” Was that not obvious? He was one of them.

Stormfur turned to the apprentice and for a moment Crowpaw wondered if he’d accidentally sounded too harsh. But the Riverclan tom just looked gently at him, his eyes seeming to give another thanks before he curled back into his sister’s pelt. Feathertail looked desperate to hold him nearby, to never lose his scent again.

The siblings were together again, like they belonged. Crowpaw felt his muzzle warm.

A pinching feeling made him cringe however. How would Stormfur react when he found out what Feathertail felt for another clan’s cat?

He swung his tail. It wouldn’t help to think on that, the two were united and didn’t look like they were going to part again any time soon. Feathertail had that on her mind now, and that would give Crowpaw plenty of time to think this through.

First things first, they needed to get out of this rain.

Crowpaw screwed his eyes a little at the rain belted his short pelt, it almost stung when it hit the spots where Crag had wounded him. But it wasn’t enough to slow him down. Brambleclaw had taken on a guard on his own and he was doing just fine, Crowpaw felt a begrudging urge to do the same. And Squirrelpaw had…

Squirrelpaw!

Crowpaw whirled to his side where the ginger cat walked next to him. She looked steady enough, the mud washing away to reveal her bright fur again. She seemed to feel the eyes on her as she met Crowpaw’s gaze.

Really met his eyes.

For the first time in a while.

The awkwardness seemed to spread over her as well as she sniffed, her eyes casting away, low. “Is there something on my face?” She quipped, craning her head to where the scratch mark ran across her cheek like red riverlines.

She may have seen it like a joke. But Crowpaw wasn’t laughing. If she hadn’t intervened, Crag could have done him some real damage, but she had gotten herself hurt as well. He moved himself closer to her, examining the wound. “Are you okay?”

“Better than him, I guess.”

Crowpaw chuckled dryly, “Moss-brain.” His tone lightened as he remembered how they had been earlier. How she’d avoided him, pulled away from any contact he attempted? His gaze dropped.

“What’s the matter?” Squirrelpaw spoke up, making Crowpaw shift. She looked over him worriedly, “Is your back hurting too much? I can ask the others to stop if we need to.”

“No.” Crowpaw meowed, he didn’t want the group to stop know, they weren’t out of the dark yet. “No, I’m alright.”

She looked again, pointedly, at his scraped and bruised pelt.

“Well, alright enough.” Crowpaw said. His paws seemed to slip a little as he walked, his lips went thin. He needed an answer, but his stomach still twisted with worry for the answer. Gently, he met her eyes again. “Squirrelpaw… did I do something wrong?”

The ginger cat let out a mrrow of confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well… to you?”

“To me?” Squirrelpaw mewed, her brow raising, but her eyes still flashing with concern. “No. Why?”

“It’s just that you don’t seem like you want me to talk to you.”

Squirrelpaw’s eyes widened crazily, her jaw hanging. A quick breath escaped her, her tail fluffing up in embarrassment. “O-Oh.” She coughed, “Um, no, you haven’t done anything wrong, Crowpaw.”

The Windclan cat’s whiskers curled with alleviation at that. She didn’t sound like she was lying. He hadn’t upset her, at least, thank Starclan. But his muzzle still curled with wonder at why she had been like she had.

Squirrelpaw could see the question in his eyes. She turned, looking at her paws. Something glazed in her eyes. “You honestly haven’t done anything.” She cast him a fiery glimpse. “You’d know if you had, believe me.” The she returned to her paws, now wet and dripping with rainwater. “I-I’ve had a lot of things on my mind recently.”

Crowpaw’s tail curled, “About the clans?”

Squirrelpaw’s lips only thinned further, like she was sucking them against her teeth. Her lid dropped halfway, unreadable. “Yeah… stuff like that.”

Crowpaw felt his chest swell. She didn’t need to worry about that kind of stuff alone. Heck, she’d been the one who’d comforted him about their home’s safety days ago. Still, it wasn’t outlandish that she’d have those kind of thoughts still in her mind.

But Crowpaw still sighed in a small relief that it was just her needing some space to think. He grimaced, he needed the same thing himself if he was being honest.

He had to say something to help though. “If you need to talk, we can, you know?” He grinned cheekily, “Just because you usually talk nonsense doesn’t mean I won’t listen when you have something worth talking about?”

Squirrelpaw’s mouth kept thin, but it curled up a little. “Oh, be quiet. Maybe I just grow tired of hearing your voice every hour?”

Crowpaw rose his nose up playfully, “See, that’s the nonsense I love to hear out of your mouth.” That was only half-sarcastic.

Squirrelpaw shoved him away with her paw, laughing. Crowpaw was about to join her, happy that things were really coming back to normal, when he saw a fresh line of red leak out of her cuts. “You’re bleeding!” Crowpaw mewed, closing the distance between their pelts. He felt Squirrelpaw flinch, but she didn’t pull away.

“Y-Yeah. That’s what happens when you get cut.” She quipped, something was off about it but Crowpaw didn’t notice. Concern pounded all over him as he saw the blood begin to ooze, not even stopping as the rain soaked Squirrelpaw’s fur.

Crowpaw sighed, “You shouldn’t have gotten hurt.” He scowled, anger towards himself, at his weakness. “I should have been able to take down that river-rat!”

Squirrelpaw darted a look at him, pressing. “Don’t be a rabbit-brain! Of course, I was going to help you!” She cried, her tail batting him. Her face heated up. “I told you I wasn’t going to owe you any favours, remember.” Crowpaw was about to roll his eyes when she softly added on, almost silent by the rain, he might not have heard it if she wasn’t so near. “Besides, I couldn’t just watch while you got hurt. I had to do something.”

For a second, Crowpaw didn’t know what to say. He looked down, gaping, at the she-cat. She didn’t look like she would look up, her mouth twisted in some kind of humiliation. But she did. Her green eyes peered up, honestly finding his. Honestly showing that she truly wasn’t against him, even when they weren’t speaking. Crowpaw felt like a fool now for even thinking it.

But he saw the blood again, and the mutual care he held with her swelled over him again.

His tongue tenderly licked the wound before either could picture it.

He shivered at the taste of blood, but he felt a larger terror at the idea that Squirrelpaw would pull away again. Her face seemed motionless, wide eyed and open mouthed, mixed in so many ways that Crowpaw couldn’t imagine. Her face looked forwards again, fixed and direct on the path ahead, not making a single sound.

But she didn’t pull away.

That was enough for Crowpaw.

He looked to see if the blood would come back, and found it didn’t, yet he kept by her, sharing their small warmth. Honestly, her fur was so fluffy that the fur was soaked and sodden, actually making Crowpaw a little colder as he curled beside her.

But he didn’t complain. And neither did she.

Despite the pouring rain, and though neither cat could realise it, neither cat felt a little bit cold.

They were at ease.

#crowfeather #squirrelflight #Feathertail #brambleclaw #tawnypelt #Stormfur #the new prophecy #Warrior Cats #warrior au #warriors fic #Thunderclan #WindClan #crowsquirrel #squirrelcrow

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bookclubtime · 4 years ago

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Foxclaw’s Fight (P3,Ch 1)

Foxkit's eyes flew open, the confusion from her dream threatening to overwhelm her. She had finally met her father!

Foxkit crawled out of her mother's nest, the warm, milky scents of the nursery flooding her nostrils. She stretched the sore feeling from her legs and blinked away sleep. Emberkit slept nearby with his littermates, Frostkit, Twigkit, and Darkkit snoring loudly around him. Emberkit was younger than Foxkit and she was determined to wake before him at dawn only for the satisfaction of his stumbling when she awoke him to go out and play. She scrambled over her sister, Briarkit, who their mother Mistclaw, had named for the odd darker patterns on her rosey red tail. Briarkit let out a squeal of shock as Foxkit used thorn-sharp claws to grip her tail.

"What are you doing?" She mewed. "You should be sleeping!"

"Shhhhh!" Frustration pricked at Foxkit's pelt. "You'll wake everyone."

"Where are you going?" Briarkit's eyes were round and pleading. She began to knead her mother's nest with her forepaws, tossing up scraps of moss and bramble from the bedding and into Mistclaw's fur. Luckily, she didn't stirr and her breathing remained steady, her muffled snores echoing around the nursery. With so many kits in Leaf-bare, the bramble bush was crowded and there was no point in even trying to sleep in.

"Just... er..." Foxkit stuttered as a sparrow let out a call from a tree in the clearing, jerking her mind back into her sister's conversation. I'm too young to say I'm going to make dirt, and getting something from the fresh-kill pile at this time would sound crazy. "I was only going out to drink from Sandpuddle." Her fur grew hot, hoping she had sounded more certain than she thought. Emberkit had spoken to the elders about a puddle in the sandy clearing that supposedly never dried up, and Rainburr and Dovesplash had decided to name it the Sandpuddle. Foxkit let out a sigh of relief as Briarkit curled her little tail over her nose and closed her eyes. Foxkit stalked over the other kits and queens, until she reached the tiny scrap of brown fur -and the runt of the litter- Emberpaw. He was deep in sleep.

"Psst," Foxkit whispered, dangling her fluffy red tail in front of Emberkit's nose. "Emberkit!" After a few heartbeats, Emberkit let out a tiny sneeze and wearily lifted his head to face Foxkit, his green and yellow eyes glazed with sleep.

"What is it?" For a moment, he stared ignorantly into Foxkit's eyes, apprehension clouding his.

Kits are so stupid.

"Oh!" Emberkit exclaimed after what felt like seasons. "Sandpuddle or Stonefern's den?" Foxkit hadn't thought about where they were going to go.

I am stupid, aren't I?

She had told Briarkit she would go to the Sandpuddle for a drink. "Both!" She mewed triumphantly. Foxkit wasn't very good at making decisions and she knew it. "Sandpuddle first." Emberkit rose warily to his paws and Foxkit leaned closer to him to smooth a rogue tuft of fur from the top of his head. She could barely remember when she was younger than two moons old, but there were blurry images of Emberkit and his littermates being born. Foxkit had made a vow to StarClan that she would protect the youngest of Oakfur's kits. He didn't grow like Frostkit, Twigkit, or Darkkit. Darkkit was such an arrogant furrball. Once he had stolen a clump of moss from the elder's den and lied to poor Twigkit and Briarkit that it was a shrew he had caught. Twigkit was born blind, it seemed to be that way for every birth -That one kit would be born blind- but there was no explanation to why it happened. Foxkit was lucky she wasn't stuck with a sister who couldn't even see her own paws. Emberkit nudged her.

"Come on," He mewed. "Twigkit is waking up!" So what? Foxkit thought bitterly, It's not like she'll see us. But it would be mouse-brained to mention the blind she-kit to her superior brother. Foxkit would be soaked to the roots of her fur in water from Sandpuddle if she meowed her thoughts about Twigkit's unseeing ignorance.

When they had reached Sandpuddle, Foxkit's paws ached from the long walk across the camp. Her legs were still short and her body stumpy as every other kit in the nursery, though they were all growing too big for it. The sand around the little puddle was damp, and the musty water rippled as Foxkit's whiskers skimmed over it. While her face was less than a mouse-length away from the trembling puddle, Emberkit slammed his clumsy paws into it, splashing Foxkit's face. As she turned to face him, wanting to cuff him over the ears, she saw the young tom's face completely soaked along with hers, so instead she just peered into her reflection while he twitched his whiskers in amusement.

"Stupid furrball." She muttered, staring into her own gaze -which stared back at her- in the puddle. Foxkit looked just like her mother and somewhat like her sister. She had longer fur than Briarkit, though. Her long red fur was flowy and ran past her flank and stretched into belly fur that could nearly touch the sandy earth. She had light tannish white patches on her pelt above her muzzle, on her belly, and at the tip of her tail. Her tail was bushy, like a squirrel's, her back paws spattered with what looked rosey, almost like her sister's pelt. The splotches and patterns of her hind paws were also like the ones along her ears. Foxkit leaned further over the puddle, glancing at her bright green eyes, glad that Mistclaw was her mother. Mistclaw was a beautiful she-cat with reddish fur and a rosey belly with a long, bushy tail.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!" Lionstar's familiar call rang around the clearing, sound bouncing off the rock walls of the hollow.

"Let's go!" Foxkit called over her shoulder to Emberkit, who began shifting his paws.

"But he said only cats old enough to catch their own prey." Emberkit pointed out. "We're not even allowed to leave the camp until we're apprentices." Foxkit rolled her eyes.

"Cleanpaw." She teased. Why did he always need to follow the rules? Mistclaw padded up to the two kits.

"Foxkit," She expected Mistclaw to give her a lecture about leaving the nursery so early, but instead, she looked up to the milky gray sky, the warriors of Silverpelt disappearing behind the horizon, and went on more firmly. "It is time." There was a hint of sadness in her mother's tone. "Let me groom your pelt."

Foxkit knew what was going to happen now. They were going to be apprenticed.

This wasn't the time to worry about a dream- or anything for that matter.

She pushed her meeting with Rockfoot to the back of her mind.

"Come on Emberkit!" She shouted as her mother lapped at the sandy water hanging off her ear fur. "We're going to be apprentices!" Foxkit had waited so long for her to be assigned a mentor. She was one step closer to being a warrior!

"Oh, my dear," Mistclaw soothed. "You're older than Emberkit by nearly two moons! He has a while to wait yet." Emberkit's tail drooped and he bowed his head. When her mother finally moved her paw, Foxkit scurried over to the foot of the highledge, feeling as if the sun shone brighter because of the fire that surged inside of her. Briarkit was trembling. What's she so afraid of? Foxkit wondered. This is the best day ever!

"Foxkit," Lionstar meowed. He didn't bother to beckon her forward because she had already raced in front of her sister. Foxkit couldn't help it, she was going to be a 'paw at last! "You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this moment, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as-" Briarkit shifted her paws. She clearly wanted to go first, but instead of calling out, she stepped up to her sister so their pelts brushed. "Foxpaw. Your mentor will be Ravengaze. Briarkit, you have also reached your time to be apprenticed, and from this moment you will be known as Briarpaw. Your mentor will be Sunmask."

Ravengaze?! Why does Briarpaw get Sunmask and I get Ravengaze? He's so grumpy!

"Foxpaw! Briarpaw! Foxpaw! Briarpaw!" Mistclaw yowled loudly and the rest of the clan joined in, but Foxpaw could tell Emberkit had meowed her name first.

The newly named apprentices went to touch noses with their mentors as the clan cheered their new names. Ravengaze's eyes were filled with warmth. Surprised to find joy in the senior warrior, Foxpaw happily touched noses with him and rushed off to meet Emberkit, while Briarpaw went to see their mother.

"Emberkit!" Foxpaw called, running so fast she nearly barreled into him. "Isn't this great? When you're an apprentice, I'll cheer so loud StarClan will need to cover their ears!"

Emberkit frowned. "I want you and Briarki- Briarpaw back in the nursery!" He wailed. Foxpaw needed to think fast. She had never seen Emberkit so upset... He was just a kit afterall. So am I, Foxpaw felt a pang of guilt. I haven't even been an apprentice for a day and I'm already acting like I'm better than Emberkit!

"Don't worry!" Foxpaw mewed, her tail bushing up with exitement. "You'll be an apprentice soon enough, and then we can sleep in the same den again!"

"Really?" Emberkit's gaze softened, and he wiped his face with a feeble paw.

"Really!" Foxpaw let out an exasperated sigh. "I should go speak with my mother." As she padded away, she could feel Emberkit looking at her until she reached Mistclaw. Briarpaw was meowing on about their father.

"We're apprentices now! Can you tell us what happened to Rockfoot?" Briarpaw's tail curled up and her eyes widened pleadingly. Foxpaw was hit with her own stupidity. I forgot to ask! That wasn't the only reason Foxpaw was upset with Briarpaw's pleading. Foxpaw hated when she changed her face to look like the most desperate kit in the forest. She could wrap almost any cat in the clan around her tail.

"Can't you enjoy your first day as apprentices?"

Foxpaw was sick of this conversation. Mistclaw was right; they should just enjoy the day and not worry about dead cats. Deliberately, she changed the subject. "Will you come with us, Mistclaw? We're going to see the forest, aren't we?"

"Of course!" A deep meow came from behind her. Foxpaw spun around to see Ravengaze, his sleek black fur well-groomed and his eyes shining. Before Foxpaw could think, she flinched away. If he had noticed, he showed no sign of it. Instead, he flicked his tail towards the thorn barrier.

"Where will we go first?" The new understanding warmth in Ravengaze's eyes made a surge of pride shoot through Foxpaw. She was glad she got such an experienced warrior as a mentor.

"We'll be touring the territory." Ravengaze announced, dipping his head so that his eyes met Foxpaw's.

"Mind if me and Briarpaw tag along?" The voice of Sunmask made Foxpaw spin around in surprise. Briarpaw had her ears pricked now, her tail fluffed out.

"Sure." Ravengaze's level mew made Foxpaw keep herself calm instead of bursting with excitement like she wanted to.

Briarpaw turned to Foxpaw, her eyes wide. "We're going to leave camp together! For the first time!" Foxpaw's excitement faded. Her sister was too eager. She would be pulling her tail and meowing on the whole time.

"Are we both going the same way?" Foxpaw asked carefully, trying not to offend her littermate. "I mean, surely all of us going the same way will scare the prey back into their holes."

"We aren't hunting prey!" Ravengaze mewed. Turning to Mistclaw he added with a twitch of his whiskers. "I remember when I was this excited for being an apprentice..." His voice trailed off, as if looking at memories play out before him.

"Do you now?" Sunmask purred. "I doubt you know your way around the territory you old cat!" Ravengaze let out a rasping purr and gestured for the apprentices to follow them to the thorn barrier. Foxpaw's disappointment was washed away by a flood of joy. I'm an apprentice. She thought happily. I'm going to leave camp... I'll be the best warrior ever!

"I'll make you a nest while you're out." Came a peppy distracted mew. Why did everyone want to talk to Briarpaw and not Foxpaw? "If- if that's okay with you." Foxpaw turned to see Brightpaw, not talking to Briarpaw, but to her.

"Er, yeah, thanks." Foxpaw scurried out of camp to get away from any more questions and padded alongside her mentor through the forest.

"Can we hunt?" Briarpaw had been nagging just as Foxpaw had expected.

"Not today." Ravengaze would reply. Sunmask would just pad on, tasting the air every few steps, as if she didn't even have an apprentice.

"Can you smell that?" Sunmask mewed. It had been so long since she'd spoken, Foxpaw had forgotten what her meow sounded like.

"Prey?" Briarpaw whispered. Ravengaze frowned.

"So no?" He meowed. "This is ShadowClan territory."

"Oh."

"It's fine," Ravengaze mewed. "Just remember the scent. Foul isn't it?"

"ShadowClan smells yucky!" Foxpaw hissed.

"I'm sure they don't like our scent either." Sunmask tasted the air again. This time Foxpaw smelled it too.... Mouse! She had smelled it on the fresh-kill pile before. Foxpaw instinctively dropped into hunter's crouch. She knew it by heart from when Poppyspots had taught her and Emberkit. She shuffled her paws, moving forward as lightly and silently as she could, keeping her tail still and her ears pricked. She was only a couple of tail-lengths away when... Snap! A twig had crackled under her weight, and the mouse was back into its burrow.

"That crouch was perfect!" Ravengaze purred. "I'll make a warrior out of you yet."

"But she didn't catch it!" Sunmask protested. "If it were perfect, she would have a mouse in her jaws." She snorted and padded off.

"There was nothing wrong with your crouch." Ravengaze turned to Foxpaw, dipping his head. "Tempers are short in leaf-bare, and I think she wishes her apprentice had tried to catch it." Foxpaw's spirits lifted. I'll catch you next time! She vowed. The trees soon thinned out, leaving a giant stretch of grassy hills of coarse dirt and springy grass.

"Is this WindClan?" Briarpaw mewed, her eyes wide with astonishment. "Where do they sleep if they don't have any trees or brambles?"

"StarClan knows!" Sunmask rolled her eyes. "Those rabbit chasers probably live in badger sets."

"We sleep under our warrior ancestors." A deep voice rasped on the other side of Sunmask.

Ravengaze swung his head around. "What are you doing?" He demanded, turning his head to protect his apprentice. Foxpaw peeked around his dark gray fur. A slender brown tom stood behind him, his ears twitching and his expression unreadable.

"Defending my territory." The tom replied coolly. "You have, after all, crossed our border." Foxpaw searched where her patrol had put their paws. When she looked down at her own, she saw them in the middle of the ice that had frozen the stream. Foxpaw was surprised she hadn't learned her lesson of watching where she put her paws.

"Actually, we haven't." Foxpaw ventured, fluffing out her tail indignantly. "My paws aren't anywhere near the other side of the stream." She looked back down at her paws. Was that true? Did WindClan have a claim over the stream?

"Brave little one." The tom stepped forward on the ice so he was nose to nose with Foxpaw. His breath was rank on her muzzle but she tried not to flinch away. "First time out, eh?"

"Leave my apprentice alone and get back to that heather klump you call a nest." Ravengaze stepped between the tom and his apprentice, digging his claws into the ice. The WindClan tom backed away, his fur bristling.

"You step one paw over the border and I'll shred you." He turned tail and pelted across the moor. Foxpaw stepped away from the stream, her mind whirling. Why were the clans so mean to each other? Wouldn't it be better if they could all share territory in leaf-bare so they could all have enough prey?

"If he's so defensive and strong, why didn't he fight us? I'd've shred him!" Ravengaze lashed his tail.

"Let's get back to camp." Sunmask drew in a deep breath. "Maybe we can catch some prey on the way back."

"I'm going to get that mouse!" Foxpaw yowled, turning back to the forest.

"Not if I catch it first!" Briarpaw leaped in front of her and padded away toward a bramble bush. "What's that smell?"

"I know it!" Foxpaw was sure she had scented this on the fresh-kill pile. "Thrush!" She paused, glancing back at her mentor. "How do we catch a thrush?"

Ravengaze dropped into a crouch, putting his weight back on his haunches. Instinctively, Foxpaw dropped down beside him, trying to copy his form. Her mentor stretched forward, moving stiffly as though not to let the leaves and twigs crackle beneath his jet-black paws. Foxpaw stared up at him, her eyes wide and pleading. She had to catch this one. At last, Ravengaze nodded, and Foxpaw crept toward her prey. Briarpaw was crouching nearby, practicing for hunting shrews. Foxpaw already knew it, so she didn't bother listening to Sunmask meowing on about how to get something out of its burrow. The thrush was closer now, on the other side of a short juniper bush, pecking at the round blue berries. Foxpaw was only a tail-length away now. She could leap. She could catch it!

#Warrior Cats #Foxclaw #Cats #Fanfiction #Books #Reading #Storytime #Booklover #Book Club #Bookworm

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blue23cub · 6 years ago

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So Kuma cleans his paws for like 5 minutes before each nap - #CleanPaws 🐾 #IGuess 🤷🏻‍♂️ #KumaBear 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/BtyoBA4gtsWj3XPZ70_8VTlVS8fcf7yD0LZ4Xc0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=13xgjlb5qsu90

#cleanpaws #iguess #kumabear

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osiristheleo · 7 years ago

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Pawcure on the best place 😉🐾 #Osiris #Osi #cleanpaws #bestplace #leopuppy #leonberger #puppy #heavybreathing #hardwork #shinynails https://www.instagram.com/p/BqgNcyAhV-2/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=im95gdmohvye

#osiris #osi #cleanpaws #bestplace #leopuppy #leonberger #puppy #heavybreathing #hardwork #shinynails

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pesky-kittypets · 7 years ago

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Sanctimonious cleanpaw is a God tier warrior cat insult prove me wrong

#warrior cats #crowfeather’s trial #crowfeather #windclan #warriors swears #breezepelt

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need1etail · 6 years ago

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07 Chapter Seven

Violetkit gazed across the den. Moonlight showed through the gaps in the brambles and dappled the fluffy pelts of Grassheart’s kits. Snakekit, Flowerkit, and Whorlkit—still too tiny to play—were snuggled together, a tangle of paws and tails, beside Grassheart’s belly. Wasptail was there too, curled up next to her mate. Violetkit sighed, her heart aching. She and Twigkit used to sleep like that. Now she was alone, beside Pinenose, who was snoring. Am I the only one awake? She’d heard the night patrol come in not long ago and whispering a report to Rowanclaw before retiring to their dens.

She wondered if they’d found any sign of the rogues. In the days since the battle against the rogues visit, rumors had spread through the Clan. Dawnpelt had declared that they were just a pack of kittypets looking for trouble. “They’ll get bored and go back to their cozy Twoleg dens before long,” she predicted. Violetkit hoped she was right. The thought of strange cats roaming the forest made her nervous.

Something else Violetkit had heard was that Russetstar had been acting differently since the rogues arrived. She stayed in her den, and Wasptail and Grassheart were gossiping about her strange attitude, saying that she always looked as if she was deep in thought.

Not a cat had stirred since the patrol had gone to their nests. A fox screeched in the distance and Whorlkit had lifted his head sleepily, but he’d only yawned and tucked himself deeper among his littermates before falling asleep again.

Violetkit longed to cross the den and curl up beside them, but she didn’t want to upset Pinenose. Pinenose had been a great mother for a long time, but now that her kits were apprentices, it seemed as though she itched to be out in the forest again, hunting with the other warriors.

Why can’t I move to the apprentices’ den? She guessed the other cats wouldn't approve. She was barely three moons old. But Needlepaw, her only real friend, was in the apprentices’ den. She imagined with a purr how much fun it would be to curl up in the nest beside Needlepaw. They could talk all night if they wanted or play mossball or share a mouse while everyone else slept. It will be great.

A pair of eyes shone through the nursery entrance. Violetkit lifted her head sharply, her hackles lifting. Then she smelled the familiar scent of Needlepaw. Had her friend been thinking about her too? Excitement tingled in her paws, and she wriggled forward and slithered, quiet as a snake, out of her nest.

“Needlepaw?” she hissed.

“Quick! Come outside,” Needlepaw whispered back.

Violetkit pricked her ears happily. Were they going on another nighttime adventure? Her breath caught in her throat. Were they going to meet Twigkit?

She nosed her way through the entrance, the well-trodden brambles smooth between her paws, and dropped onto the ground outside. Stars sparkled in the wide black sky like dew on a black pelt. The moon shone, blanching the clearing with crisp light. A chill cut through Violetkit’s fur, but she hardly felt it.

“Are we going out of the camp?” she whispered to Needlepaw.

Needlepaw swished her tail along Violetkit’s spine. “Yes.”

Violetkit watched Needlepaw’s green gaze flick past her. She followed it stiffening as she saw another she-cat standing in the shadows. Her fur shimmered, ghost-like, in the gloom.

“I don’t see why we have to take her.”

Sleekpaw! Violetkit shivered as she recognized the apprentice’s mew. There was scorn in it.

Sleekpaw had never even looked at Violetkit before, stalking past her as though walking past stale fresh-kill when she passed her in camp. Sleekpaw scared the kitten. Her eyes were always dark with what Violetkit could only guess was anger, and every time they past by each other, she felt cold shivers run down her spine. She stared at her now, and Violetkit fought the urge to back away. Spite glittered in the older cat’s gaze. Confused, Violetkit looked back at Needlepaw. “I don’t understand. Is Sleekpaw coming to meet Twigkit too?”

Sleekpaw tipped her head sideways. “Is that what you usually do?” She stared questioningly at Needlepaw.

Needlepaw flicked her tail. “Maybe.”

“Really?”

A shiver of unease ran down Violetkit’s spine as Sleekpaw spoke. The tortie apprentice made the word sounded like a threat.

Needlepaw lashed her tail. “Don’t be such a foxheart, Sleekpaw. I asked you to come with me tonight because I trusted you.”

Sleekpaw’s expression changed, like dawn breaking through darkness. She pressed against Needlepaw, running her tail down her spine. “Of course you can trust me, Pine Needle. I love sharing secrets.” Her purr was sweet as honey. “But can you trust her?”

Violetkit lifted her head indignantly. “Of course she can! I’m her friend!”

Sleekpaw’s whiskers twitched with amusement. She thrust her muzzle close to Violetkit’s. “Then you’d better keep your mew quiet. Unless you’re trying to wake up the whole camp.”

“Come on!” Needlepaw padded toward the narrow tunnel that led to the dirtplace.

Violetkit scampered after her. She wanted to ask again why Sleekpaw was coming with them, but Sleekpaw was too close behind her. Needlepaw knows best, she reckoned. Perhaps it’s in case we run into those rogues. She felt reassured at the thought. Of course! Sleekpaw was coming to protect them.

She ducked through the tunnel after Needlepaw, her nose wrinkling as she smelled the dirtplace. Outside, they veered away from it, following the track they’d used last time.

Excitement twitched through Violetkit’s pelt. She was going to meet Twigkit again. They could play cat and mouse again. And she could show Twigkit how much she’d grown. Perhaps she’s grown too.

Needlepaw padded past a bramble and kept going straight.

Violetkit frowned. They’d traced the curve of the brambles last time and crossed the ditches. “Are we going the right way?” she ventured uneasily.

“‘Are we going the right way?’” Sleekpaw mimicked her, squeaking like a kit.

Embarrassment flashed hot through Violetkit’s fur.

Needlepaw glanced over her shoulder, exchanging a look with Sleekpaw.

Worry twisted in Violetkit’s belly. Was this a safer route to the ThunderClan border? She didn’t dare ask in case Sleekpaw made fun of her again.

They trekked on, Violetkit’s paws growing tired. She half hoped that Needlepaw would offer her another lift on her shoulders, but pushed the hope away. Sleekpaw would mock her if she let Needlepaw carry her like a weak kit.

Before long the needles began to grow squishy beneath her paws, turning to mud as they headed farther from the camp. Bramble turned to bracken behind the trail. The trees crowded closer, blocking out the moonlight so that Violetkit had to open her eyes wide to see where she was going. Had Alderpaw suggested a new meeting place?

Tiny paws skittered over the path ahead. Needlepaw pricked her ears, her tail twitching. She bounded forward, and the bracken swished as she dived through it.

Violetkit halted, her nose twitching as she smelled mouse.

Sleekpaw stopped beside her, licking her lips as she stared at the bracken.

Needlepaw nosed her way out, a dead mouse dangling from her jaws.

“Nice catch.” Sleekpaw padded toward her. She sniffed the mouse.

Needlepaw dropped it. “Do you want first bite?” she asked the tortie.

Violetkit blinked at them in surprise. “I thought apprentices were meant to hunt for the Clan first.”

Sleekpaw snorted. “Don’t be such a cleanpaw.”

“The rest of the Clan is asleep,” Needlepaw pointed out. “I don’t think they’d want us to wake them up for a morsel of fresh-kill.

Sleekpaw batted the mouse toward Violetkit. “Let’s pretend Needlepaw caught it for you. You’re Clan aren’t you?” Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, no. I forgot. You weren’t even born here.” She hooked the mouse back with her claw and took a bite. “I guess I should eat it.”

Needlepaw bristled. “Don’t be mean.” She grabbed the mouse from Sleekpaw. “Are you hungry?” she asked, dangling the mouse from her claw.

“No, thank you.” Violetkit shook her head. Her throat was too tight to swallow. She just wanted to get to Twigkit and Alderpaw. Sleekpaw’s scorching glare was making her nervous. “Are we nearly there?”

Needlepaw glanced around. “Nearly.”

Violetkit opened her mouth to taste the air. “I can’t smell Alderpaw or Twigkit.”

Sleekpaw padded across a stretch of muddy earth and peered between the shadowy trees. The fur rippled along her spine. “I can smell them.”

Needlepaw pricked her ears. As she turned her head to follow Sleekpaw’s gaze, the bracken rustled and a long-furred gray she-cat leaped out.

Fear shrilled through Violetkit. Rogues! She backed away, her heart pounding in her ears. Pawsteps sounded behind her. She jerked around and saw a she-cat slide from the bracken. Her dirty ginger pelt glowed in the dim moonlight. Beside her walked a long-furred black she-cat, their tails brushing against each other. They were under attack!

A silver cat emerged and stopped beside the gray she-cat. “I thought she wouldn’t come.” They eyed Needlepaw, distrust in their gaze.

“Of course she did.” The gray she-cat brushed past the silver cat and stopped in front of Needlepaw. Her voice was monotone. “She’s brave.”

Violetkit froze. Panic gripped her chest. She glanced at Sleekpaw. Was there going to be a fight? But Sleekpaw watched the rogue calmly, her pelt smooth.

“Needlepaw.” The gray she-cat’s eyes sparkled as she spoke. A bit of emotion sparked in her mew.

How does she know her name?

Needlepaw met her gaze. “Hello Rain.”

Shock washed over Violetkit like cold water; needles showered from the pine above. She looked up. A shape moved along a branch, then slithered down the trunk and landed on the ground.

It was a black-and-white tom.

“Hi Darktail.” Needlepaw nodded to him.

Violetkit saw the muscles rippling beneath his pelt. She began to tremble. Why have Needlepaw and Sleekpaw come here? How does Needlepaw know these cats? “Are these the rogues who attacked ShadowClan and WindClan?” The words tumbled out before she could stop them.

Behind her, the tom purred with amusement.

“They attacked us,” Darktail growled.

Violetkit wanted to race to Needlepaw’s side, but her paws felt rooted to the earth. She gazed at Darktail, fighting back terror.

“Of course they did.” Needlepaw swished her tail. “Clan cats are so defensive.”

Needlepaw was acting like they were friends. Suddenly Violetkit understood, and disappointment swamped her. We didn’t come here to meet Twigkit! We came to meet them!

Sleekpaw hooked up a leaf idly. “Clan cats don’t like to share with anyone.”

“They want all the prey for themselves,” the black she-cat sneered.

Violetkit realized that all the cats were staring at her. Did they expect her to say something bad about the Clans too?

“Is this the kit you told us about?” The silver cat padded toward Violetkit, their eyes flashing with curiosity.

“Yes.” Needlepaw strode past them and stood beside Violetkit, her chin high. “This is Violetkit.”

The silver cat sniffed at Violetkit. “She smells like a Clan cat. I thought you said she wasn’t one of you.”

The words hit Violetkit like a monster and the world swayed beneath her paws. She stared at Needlepaw in disbelief. Did she really say that? She wanted to wail.

“She’s been living with us.” Needlepaw glanced at Violetkit. “This is Roach,” she meowed, nodding to the silver cat. “That’s Rain and Darktail.”

Violetkit followed her gaze to the gray she-cat and the black-and-white tom.

“And that’s Flame and Raven.” Needlepaw introduced the she-cats.

Violetkit swallowed. “Why are they here?”

Darktail sat down. “We have to live somewhere.”

“Pinenose says you don’t belong by the lake,” Violetkit whispered.

Darktail snorted. “Pinenose sounds like a greedy cat who wants all the prey to themself.”

“She’s not!” Violetkit defended her mother, her tail fluffing up.

Darktail ignored her and looked at Needlepaw. “You were right. There is a lot of prey here. We’re going to grow fat.”

“Are you going to stay here?”

Roach narrowed their eyes. “Is there any reason we shouldn’t?”

Violetkit’s fur prickled with fear. The cat was staring at her as though she were prey. “This is Clan territory,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Needlepaw flicked her tail in irritation. “Why shouldn’t we share it? Why do Clan cats behave like they’re so special? They’re just cats, like these cats.”

Violetkit looked at the dark-eyed rogues. You’re nothing like Clan cats.

Sleekpaw stepped forward. “No kit can help where she’s born. Why should the Clans deprive other cats of good hunting just because they weren’t born in a Clan?”

Violetkit sent the tortoiseshell she-cat a sharp glare. You were just mocking me for not being Clan-born. Why are you defending these rogues now?

Darktail’s gaze flicked over to Sleekpaw. “Who’s this?”

Needlepaw dipped her head. “Sleekpaw. I told her about you and she wanted to meet you.”

“Can we trust her?” Rain padded closer, her pelt prickling.

Sleekpaw raised her muzzle. “Of course you can!” she declared. “I think the Clans are wrong too. All their borders and rules just make more battles.”

Violetkit stared at her, surprised.

“You weren’t born in a Clan,” Sleekpaw told her, her tail suddenly slipping around the kit. Her eyes shone and she ran her tail down her spine. “Don’t you think it’s weird having so many rules?”

Violetkit blinked at her. “I don’t know.” The sleek she-cat’s tail made her feel strange. She had to turn away from her sparkling green eyes.

Darktail stared at her. His blue eyes were like ice. She shivered. “What’s it like living with Clan cats when you know you’re an outsider?”

Unease tugged at Violetkit’s belly. She wanted to be loyal to ShadowClan. She thought of Tawnypelt and Pinenose. Her mother was half loner, too, what did she think about the rogues? What would Russetstar say if she knew she was here? She was stern and distant, but Violetkit wanted to earn her respect. “I guess it’s okay.” She tried not to remember how lonely she felt in the Clan. How Pinenose’s kits ignored her. How she wasn’t allowed near Grassheart’s kits in case she passed an infection. “They try to make me feel welcome.” Her breath caught in her throat. Don’t they?

Darktail leaned closer. “And yet they don’t.”

Violetkit backed away. His ice blue eyes pierced her, making her fur feel cold. She shuddered. How does he know?

Needlepaw passed around Darktail, her chest puffed out. “Russetstar makes rules about who’s allowed in the Clan and who isn't. But she’s old and set in her ways. She needs to learn that we’re all just cats. We all want the same thing—to hunt and live in peace. But she’s so busy defending her borders, she’s forgotten that.”

Violetkit’s thoughts whirled. Needlepaw sounded so certain. Was she right? They were all just cats. Perhaps the Clans were wrong.They acted like rogues were no better than foxes, just because they came from outside the Clan.

Darktail suddenly stood, making Violetkit flinch. Her heart was racing. His eyes were haunting her. She wanted to look away but she couldn’t. “I like you, Violetkit,” he meowed. “I want to see more of you around here.” He turned to Needlepaw and nodded to her. “Bring her more often, won’t you? And more cats like Sleekpaw over there.” Sleekpaw blinked at him, her tail swishing against the earth. The rogues disappeared one by one, the only one left being Rain, who gave Needlepaw one last nuzzle before she left.

But she’s not really one of us, is she? As she remembered Ratscar’s words, a thought flashed through her mind, chilling her to the bone. Is that how they all see me? She stared at where the rogues had disappeared, her heart pounding so loud, she’d be surprised they couldn’t hear it. Does ShadowClan think I’m like them?

I’m back baby.

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