#aldertail

Lilykit was born to Brightpelt and Elmbreeze alongside her sister, Oatkit(fern), and her brother, Applekit. Unfortunately, Applekit did not live past two sunrises and Lilykit and Oatkit were the only two remaining of Brightpelt’s litter. When apprenticed, Lilypaw was given to Aldertail, a respected warrior and Lilypaw’s uncle. Lilypaw surpassed her peers in training, proving to be a prodigy at battle skills; with only wit and speed, Lilystar can disorient an opponent and throw them off balance. She is a stern she-cat, but not impolite, though when the fire of her temper is lit, she lashes out with a sharp tongue. She is an incredibly loyal member of BogClan and commands respect from her Clanmates without being tyrannical. She is thought of as wise and not likely to jump quickly into battle, preferring instead to use logic and conversation before she puts her cats in danger.

Lilycall, after receiving her warrior name, went on to mentor Otterheart, and then Slugstrike, training them to be two of the most elite warriors of BogClan. During her career as a warrior, Lilycall fell in love with Scorchtalon, a brave and ambitious warrior that surprisingly, was much unlike Lilycall herself and was characterized by impulsiveness and a willingness to attack quickly. Scorchtalon was charismatic and alluring, leading Lilycall to love her as a mate. When Lilycall discovered that she was expecting kits, she was excited to start a family with Scorchtalon. Bearclaw, Scorchtalon’s brother, fathered their kits as a donor. Lilycall’s litter was very weak when they were born, two kits perishing without names and one remaining -- Ryefang. When Foxstar’s deputy perished in a rockfall, Lilycall was named deputy. Scorchtalon trained Ryefang after requesting to do so. It was then that Lilycall started to realize Scorchtalon was not entirely who she thought she was. Ryefang had begun to share ideas that were very disturbing, but when confronting Scorchtalon about this, Scorchtalon simply told Lilycall that she was only preparing him in extremes so that he could protect his Clan. Doubt hung at the edge of Lilycall’s mind, but she still loved and trusted Scorchtalon to do what was right.

Moons into Lilycall’s deputyship, Foxstar succumbed to pancreatic cancer and Lilycall was given nine lives. Lilystar named Scorchtalon as her deputy, naturally. As the moons went by, Lilystar began to notice that Scorchtalon was speaking to other warriors of BogClan, sharing ideas of exterminating half-Clan cats and cats with kittypet or rogue blood. This frightened Lilystar, who dwelled for moons as her Clanmates began to get increasingly bloodthirsty with Scorchtalon’s encouragement. Lilystar found herself out of touch with her Clan. 

Lilystar followed Scorchtalon into the wetland late at night and confronted her, challenging her terrible ideas and revoking Scorchtalon’s deputy status under the light of StarClan. Infuriated, Scorchtalon attacked Lilystar, attempting to murder her. Lilystar found herself ripping the throat out of her former beloved mate, her lifelong deception so crippling to Lilystar that she would never heal from it. Lilystar gathered fox dung that had been left recently on the edge of the wetland territory and covered Scorchtalon in its scent, even picking up a few orange hairs to plant on her body, found in a dusty fox den that was abandoned long ago.

“But I don’t know anything about teaching an apprentice!” cried Aldertail, pelt poofing up around her shoulders. 

“Neither do I,” said Barleybee with a shrug. “It’s supposed to be a learning experience, that’s what Goldenstar said. We learn how to teach as we do it.” 

“But what if I mess it up? What if I mess him up?! Oh, Russetfrond will be furious!” 

“You’re not going to mess him up,” Oddstripe said calmly. “Especially not if you ask for help whenever you need it.”

“But-”

“Sure, you’ll make mistakes,” he continued, “but everyone does. You’re not going to make any mistakes you can’t come back from.” 

“How do you know that?” she whined, dancing in place like a petulant child. She hated how out of control and needy she felt right now. It was embarrassing!

“Because I have faith in you,” he smiled, focused on her entirely for a long beat. Her face went hot and a different, heart-fluttering discomfort mixed with the panicked one she had been overwhelmed by. Why did he have to look at her like that and say those kinds of things with his earnest face and his big, compassionate eyes? Why did he act like there was something in her worth having faith in? 

She pursed her lips and whined anxiously as she turned away from his gaze. “I still don’t understand faith at all. I’m going to be a disaster, I just know it!”

“Aldertail, it’s gonna be okay,” Barleybee said with what Aldertail thought sounded like pity. “Remember, you can ask me for help with anything. We can train together until you feel comfortable doing it on your own.” Aldertail was pretty sure that was never going to happen but she didn’t want to insist on being a burden for the entire mentorship. 

Instead, she searched for a different objection. “How am I even going to teach him? I mean, look at him! They’re both practically as big as I am already!” 

“It’s gonna be fine,” Barleybee said again, more firmly this time. “Just take some deep breaths, okay?” 

“Okay,” she nodded, realizing she was quite breathless. “Okay. It’s fine, it’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be-” 

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Stoneperch for a Clan meeting!” The call cut through the quiet of camp, reaching them even down inside the burrow of the Healer’s den.

“Oh, no, oh, jeez,” Aldertail wheezed under her breath, panicking again. 

Barleybee got up and came to press her side into Aldertail’s. “You’ve got this. Deep breaths.” 

“Okay,” Aldertail’s voice wobbled pathetically but she tried her best to comply. 

It wasn’t long until everyone had gathered under the noonday sun for the meeting. Near the front of the crowd sat Bluekit and Yellowkit. They were massive for kittens, almost as tall as their father already and twice as fluffy. Bluekit, despite his coloring, looked quite like his father, if his father were pleasant, especially in the stripes on his face. It was Yellowkit who looked surprisingly like Mystique, with his slouched posture and pale chest fluff. It wasn’t enough to startle or scare Aldertail but it was enough to make her think about Mystique, which was never a necessarily calming experience for her. 

As she watched, Russetfrond gave a warning mrrp to Yellowkit who straightened his posture and stopped watching the clouds. They seemed well behaved at least. That was good. 

Goldenstar cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention and smiled. “Alright, everyone! It’s with great pleasure that I get to announce that Bluekit and Yellowkit have finally reached the age of six moons and it is time for them to be apprenticed.” 

“About time!” Ospreymask jeered playfully, half on her side with her pregnant belly sitting at an awkward angle that must have been comfortable somehow. “They were too big for the nursery moons ago!” Several cats laughed although Aldertail noticed that Russetfrond’s ear twitched in irritation. The kits themselves just seemed a bit sheepish. 

Goldenstar chuckled and said, “Yes, I’m sure you’ll enjoy having the space all to yourself now. If I could have the two of you step into the center please?” 

Bluekit hopped immediately forward and stepped into the center, checking the placement of his feet before he looked up dutifully at his leader. Yellowkit was distracted by something and Russetfrond had to flick his tail against the kit’s side to get him to follow his brother to the middle. 

Goldenstar said, “Bluekit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Bluepaw. Your mentor will be Barleybee. I know she has a lot to teach you and I trust you both to learn from each other.” 

Beside Aldertail, Barleybee stepped forward to join Bluepaw in the middle of the clearing and touched her nose to his. She barely had to lean down and he dipped his head politely when they were done, looking excited but restrained. Yellowkit was starting to shuffle anxiously. Aldertail braced herself for the look of disappointment he was surely about to give her. 

“Yellowkit,” Goldenstar continued, once the first pair stepped off to the side, “from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Yellowpaw. Your mentor will be Aldertail. She has learned a lot since she joined our ranks and I’m confident she’ll be able to pass that knowledge on to you.” 

Aldertail hesitated and Yellowpaw cast his head about looking for her. When he found her, she smiled nervously and a bit of concern furrowed his brow but he stood up straight to meet her and she was able to force herself to walk out into the middle of the clearing. Her cheeks burned when he had to bend down slightly to touch noses with her and there was a slight electric shock between their noses that left them both rubbing their muzzles with a paw. A couple cats laughed quietly under their breath and Aldertail wanted to explode. 

“And with that, our meeting is concluded!” purred Goldenstar. “Congratulations, all of you!” The crowd cheered, some cats chanting out the apprentices' new names, and Aldertail felt small and ugly. 

A few cats came in to wish the boys good luck. 

Branchbark stepped close to Aldertail and said, “Hey, congrats on an apprentice! I’m still waiting on my first one.” 

“They should have given him to you,” she blushed, making sure she lowered her voice enough that Yellowpaw didn’t hear over his conversation with Ospreymask. “I have no idea what I’m doing!” 

“You’re gonna do great,” he said, but she swore she caught a trace of jealousy in his smile. That sent her brain spiralling out of control. She hadn’t considered that getting an apprentice would alienate her from her friends! This was terrible! By the time she realized she ought to say something, she looked up and he was gone, helping Ospreymask back to her sunning spot. 

Instead, Russetfrond had approached her. She swallowed and straightened her posture, shrinking subconsciously in submission. He had a stern expression on, but that was his usual expression. Seeing her nervousness, he forced a bit of a sympathetic smile through his features, which looked a bit odd when mixed with his furrowed brow and squinted eyes. 

“Aldertail,” he said and he didn’t sound disappointed. “I wanted to thank you for agreeing to mentor Yellowpaw. I suggested you specifically for the role and I’m confident you’ll be just what he needs.”

“Y-you did?” Aldertail gawked. She couldn’t believe her ears. 

“Mhm,” he nodded. “If you ever need help, I’m happy to step in and give you some pointers. Mentoring is a balancing act and I’ll gladly help you stay on course.” 

She was quiet for a beat too long before she remembered to speak. “Uh, th-thank you! I-I’ll be sure to take you up on that.” 

“Good,” he said, seeming satisfied. “He’s a bit distractable, but you just have to keep him focused. Good luck.” 

 “Thank you,” she started, but another voice interrupted her stumbling appreciation. 

“Goldenstar!” cried a young brown cat with white on their chest and tail as they bounded down the slope into camp. All heads turned towards the stranger and Russetfrond stepped away from Aldertail without a word. Goldenstar had been talking with Yarrowshade and Scorchplume near the Stoneperch and she slipped between them to approach the cat as well. 

“Erminepaw,” she greeted them with warmth despite her caution. “What brings you to RisingClan?” 

“It’s coyotes!” the apprentice said and several cats in camp gasped. “There’s a pair of them trying to nest in our territory. Orangestar sent me to get your mediator. She can talk to them, right?” 

“Well, anyone can talk to them,” called Fogstalker, bounding over from the prey pile, “But I’m happy to help! Is it just two?” 

“Yeah,” nodded Erminepaw. “They’re setting up a den in the deep woods, south of the river. Can you come right away?” 

“Of course,” grinned Fogstalker.

“I wanna go!” Aldertail jumped as Yellowpaw spoke up beside her, not loud enough to interrupt the others but not exactly quietly. It was with horror that she realized he was telling her. “Can we go see the coyotes?” 

“W-Uh-” How was she supposed to respond to this?

“No, you don’t have any battle training,” said Barleybee, stepping close with Bluepaw in tow. “You’re not going to see coyotes for a long while if we can help it.”

“Aww…” the big yellow apprentice sighed. 

Back with the others, Goldenstar was putting together a patrol. “Alright, Fogstalker, Pantherhaze, and Sparrowsway, you go to EarthClan. Help them however you can, alright?” 

“Yes, Goldenstar,” nodded Sparrowsway. 

“Gladly,” smiled Pantherhaze. 

“Come on,” Fogstalker was already walking. “Let’s hurry so we can finish up before sunset.” Aldertail thought that was very optimistic for dealing with a group of coyotes, but that wasn’t her problem right now. 

“Can we go on some kind of patrol instead?” asked Bluepaw, bringing her back to the conversation she was actually a part of. Barleybee looked at her as if she had some say in the decision which made her realize that she did, in fact, have some say in it. 

“Um, sure,” she said, shrugging nervously, and the boys brightened. 

“Thank you,” smiled Bluepaw, nudging Yellowpaw gently. 

He started and said, “Oh, yeah, thank you.” 

Barleybee chuckled and said, “Do you guys want a tour of the territory or should we go do some hunting?” 

“Hunting!” both the boys said immediately, Yellowpaw more excitedly than his brother. 

“Hunting it is!” laughed Barleybee. “Does that sound good to you, Aldertail?” 

“Y-yeah,” she nodded. “I’m not sure I’ll be very good at teaching, though, so sorry in advance.”

“You’ll do fine,” Barleybee purred confidently. “Come on, let’s head out towards the river and see if there’s anything to catch.” 

“Ooh, can we go swimming?” gasped Yellowpaw. 

“Not unless you want to freeze solid,” Barleybee said, starting to lead them away. “Once the weather gets warmer we can do some swimming practice.” That sounded like hell to Aldertail but she kept quiet. Absently, she wondered if the desire to swim was genetic. 

The four of them headed out of camp, the boys asking Barleybee questions every so often, but Aldertail was struggling to stay present. She watched her pawsteps as they went and tried to tell herself that her worries were unfounded but it was hard to believe herself. 

It shocked her when Barleybee leaned in to press their pelts together and offer her a smile. She blushed in embarrassment and smiled back. 

“You’ve got this,” Barleybee whispered. 

“Yeah,” breathed Aldertail bashfully. She desperately hoped so.

“I can’t believe they’re gonna share catnip with everybody!” Aldertail said for the third time. 

“I know,” he laughed. “It’s surreal to think about.”

“Have you ever tried it before?” asked Aldertail. 

“No, I’ve always saved it for treating the sick,” said Oddstripe, shaking his head. “Have you?”

“Once,” she nodded. “My brother and I snuck into a garden with some of his friends and rolled around until the owner chased us off. It’s the best feeling in the world, honestly.”

“Really?” he asked, his curiosity piqued. 

“Oh, yeah,” she nodded. “It’s like you’re floating and all your worries just kind of fade away for a while.” She gave a dreamy sigh and closed her eyes, imagining it. Oddstripe purred at the sight of her looking so peaceful. 

“Well, I’m excited to try it,” he said. “It will be interesting to explore a new side of the herb.” 

The bushes at the edge of the clearing shook softly and both of them perked their ears and stared at the noise. After a moment, Songdust emerged, a ginger ticked kittypet close behind her. Another cat that looked almost exactly like him but a darker, ruddy color followed, along with a pretty chocolate tortoiseshell. All three city cats had fat bundles of catmint in their jaws and Oddstripe marveled as even more cats emerged carrying bundles of their own. He counted at least ten different kittypets once they had all stepped out of the undergrowth. 

“Oh, wow!” Oddstripe gasped. “That’s a lot of catmint!” The cats on the edge of the clearing could smell it and one by one they started to look for the source of the scent. Excited murmurs spread through the crowd and every eye turned expectantly towards their guests. 

“Howdy, y’all,” smiled the ginger cat at the front, projecting his voice confidently, “the catnip has arrived!” A SkyClan cat cheered and the cheer spread throughout the crowd until most everyone was whooping and hollering. The noise alone was enough to make Oddstripe feel intoxicated and he raised his voice along with them. 

When the noise had died down, Songdust shouted, “Everybody will get some so let’s not push or shove, alright?” 

Goldenstar emerged from the sea of cats and said, “Wow! I didn’t expect you to bring so much!” 

The tortoiseshell smiled prettily and said, “My garden will be a bit bare for a while but I think it’s worth it.” 

Oddstripe stepped up beside Goldenstar and said, “Thank you so much! To donate such a valuable herb-! I’m blown away by your generosity!” 

“You’re a healer?” the tortoiseshell’s face brightened. 

“I am,” he purred, glancing back at Aldertail as she pressed shyly against his flank. 

“I dabble myself!” purred the kittypet. 

“Really?” he gasped. “I thought that kittypets left medicine to their twolegs.”

“We do, for the most part,” she purred, “but a few of us try to take care of the cats without Folk as well. I’m Fawn, by the way.” 

“Oddstripe,” he beamed. “And this is Aldertail.” Behind him, Aldertail squeaked softly. 

“A pleasure to meet you both,” grinned Fawn. “Please, have some catnip.” Around them, other cats had already started to partake. The smell was suddenly overwhelming to Oddstripe and the restraint that Sagetooth had drilled into him was slipping away very quickly. 

“Oh, alright,” he said, bending down to rub his cheeks through the buds. Once he started, it was hard to stop and only his awareness of Aldertail managed to pull him away.

“Your turn, dear,” he said, stepping to the side, his head already starting to buzz. 

“You’re sure it’s okay?” she asked meekly. 

“Yes, of course,” purred Fawn. “Help yourself.” Aldertail swallowed and nodded, diving eagerly down into the bed of catmint and rolling until her cheeks were speckled with the stuff. Oddstripe laughed when she stood up, wobbling, and he pressed forward to rub his cheeks against hers. The purr she gave rumbled through him in a way that overwhelmed him with fondness. 

“Easy there,” he said, catching her as she wobbled towards him. “Let’s step back so everybody else can get some.”

“Oh,” she blinked. “Okay. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he laughed, “it’s okay.” Pressed closely side by side, they skirted the edge of the crowd until they found a good space to settle down. Once they had, Aldertail flopped over onto him and nuzzled up under his chin with a boldness he’d never seen in her before. 

“It’s so nice to see you so relaxed,” he purred, starting to run his tongue over her head. She purred loudly and looked up at him with the fondest expression. 

“You’re so nice to me,” she sighed. “Nobody’s ever been as nice to me as you are.”

“I’m sorry,” Oddstripe frowned sympathetically. 

“It’s okay,” she said, closing her eyes. “I just… I really like you.”

“I like you too,” he purred, rubbing his head against hers. She surged up to meet the touch, nearly pushing him flat onto his side, and they both devolved into laughter. 

“There you are!” cried Ospreymask, out of the crowd with Branchbark and Pebblefall on her tail. Judging by their wide blown pupils, they had just come from the catmint. 

“Ospreymask!” Oddstripe purred, reaching for her with his front paws. Aldertail giggled and burrowed down into his side to watch the others with one eye, the other buried in his fur. Ospreymask headbutted him firmly and rubbed herself all the way down his side before looping back to slam into Branchbark in a similar manner. 

“Stars!” she cried, looping her paws around Branchbark’s neck and sinking to the ground, taking him down clumsily with her. “Catmint is the best! Why aren’t we doing this all the time?!”

“Because we need to save it for the sick,” laughed Oddstripe. 

“Ugh!” Ospreymask groaned performatively and the whole group laughed. “The sick can go suck frogs!” 

“How dare you,” laughed Branchbark, swatting her over the face and she lunged with sudden velocity at him. They wrestled and writhed on the ground in a frantic tangle of limbs then stopped for a beat before resuming their struggle with vigor. Pebblefall bounced up on their toes and swatted at them from the sidelines. Oddstripe fell apart laughing at them all and Aldertail squeezed her paws around him, purring so loudly it rumbled through his chest. 

When the wrestling broke apart, Ospreymask flopped on her side and hummed to herself, eyes closed. Branchbark slumped against her and chuckled to himself while Pebblefall fell on her other side. She reached up with a paw and pulled their face over to her and gave them a few long licks under their chin. They purred and shifted closer and she worked her way down their chest, nuzzling as she went. 

“Aw, man, right now?” Branchbark groaned, shoving Ospreymask away from him and she laughed as she was smushed up against Pebblefall’s chest. 

“We’re not gonna do anything crazy,” she protested, undercut a bit by Pebblefall nuzzling into her scruff and breathing deeply of her scent. Oddstripe realized suddenly what was going on and his face flushed brightly. 

“Are you two going to-” he cut himself off, not wanting to say the words out loud for fear that he might get them in trouble. Aldertail stopped purring and held very still against him. 

To his surprise, Ospreymask glanced over and said, “Maybe,” with a suggestive grin. “You should join us.” Oddstripe’s cheeks were burning. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What was worse, he didn’t hate the idea. 

“I- I shouldn’t,” he laughed. “You know healers aren’t supposed to do that kind of thing.” 

“They’re not?” Aldertail whispered in surprise. 

“Besides,” her continued, “I didn’t even really enjoy… that the one time I… when I tried it.” He looked away, lips pursed, his face hot with the scandalous nature of the entire conversation. 

“Yeah, but you weren’t a tom back then,” Ospreymask argued casually, rolling to press her back up against Pebblefall’s belly. “Maybe it would be different now.” Oddstripe hadn’t considered that and he wasn’t going to let himself consider it, at least not right now. Pebblefall wrapped their paws around Ospreymask’s torso and ran their tongue over her ear which was enough to spur Oddstripe to his feet. 

“I’m gonna go,” he said, looking askance. 

Aldertail scrambled to her feet and went to follow him. “Me too.”

“Aww, come on,” Ospreymask whined, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I meant it completely platona- platona- pluh-ton-ic-ally. Stars, why is that so hard to say?” Pebblefall whispered something in her ear and she laughed, craning her neck back to lean into their shoulder in a way that was terribly intimate. 

“I’m coming too,” Branchbark said as he heaved himself to his feet. 

“Noooo!” Ospreymask suddenly looked remorseful. “We’ll stop, I promise.”

“It’s fine,” Branchbark said, “do what you want. We’re gonna head out though.” 

“How ‘bout we go to the river?” Oddstripe suggested, already leading Aldertail into the trees. 

“That sounds good,” Branchbark said. After a short pause, he said, “I’m sorry about her. She’s just… like this.” 

“It’s fine,” Aldertail said softly. “That’s just what people on catnip do.” 

“Really?” Oddstripe raised his brow. “I’ve never noticed any patients getting… worked up like that.” He shook his pelt, still feeling scandalized, although the catnip buzz was starting to wash that feeling away. “They’re mostly drowsy

“I think it’s different if you eat it than if you just smell it,” said Aldertail. 

“Huh,” said Oddstripe. “Good to know.” 

The three of them walked in silence, the noise of the celebration fading as more and more leaves came between them and the Cornerstones. After a while, Oddstripe closed his eyes and hummed a little song and Aldertail joined in as best she could, leaning on his shoulder. He smiled and started to sway back and forth with every step like he used to when playing with his kittens.

Aldertail laughed as he wobbled underneath her and said, “cut it out!”

“Cut what out?” he feigned innocence, “I’m just walking.” 

“No you’re not,” she giggled, still trying to lean on him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Aldertail,” said Branchbark who had started walking with the same wide, swaying gait. “You’re the one walking weird.”

Aldertail laughed again and jumped into the air to swat at him although she pulled each paw back before it got anywhere near his head. Branchbark snorted and took off running towards the river. 

“Don’t let him get away!” Oddstripe cried and they bolted after him. Oddstripe felt as light as a feather, like the weight of his duties had lifted off of his shoulders for the moment. When they finally caught Branchbark, the three of them collapsed in a tangle of paws on the river bank and laughed far longer than they ought to have. Oddstripe’s face hurt from smiling by the time they picked themselves up and went to camp. 

“I love you guys,” he sighed fondly, sandwiched between his friends.

“What a terrible way to die,” he said, voicing her thoughts. 

“No kidding.” She swallowed, eyes drifting back upward. “I think that was harder to watch than Razor’s death. The way he was screaming…” She shuddered and let out a slow breath between her teeth. 

Russetfrond leaned in to press his bloodied flank against hers. “But we did it. It’s over now.”

“I guess it is,” she said in disbelief. “Thank StarClan. I’m so sick of war.” She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder and he grunted which meant he agreed but didn’t want to say so. 

“Well fought,” Rudy’s voice pulled her back to attention as he approached. “I have to admit, it was a lot easier with you lot around.”

“We were happy to uphold our end of the agreement,” she said, subtly reminding him of his own half. “Now the city is free from tyranny and our peoples can be at peace.”

“Mm,” Rudy seemed unimpressed but didn’t disagree. “We’re going to go back and spread the news. You wanna come?” 

“I’m honored,” she said, “but I think we’ll have to pass. The paths of your city are still strange and confusing to us.” 

Rudy laughed and said, “Right. Well, we’ll see you, then. Don’t get any ideas about encroaching on our territories though, we’re allies, not buddies.”

“Understood,” Goldenstar said seriously. Russetfrond grunted as well. 

With that, Rudy turned and said, “Alright, boys, let’s head out! Take the bodies to be buried but leave Sardine for the Folk.” A rowdy cheer of agreement went up from his supporters and soon they had vacated the barn with their prisoners. 

“We should go too,” said Orangestar, crossing the barn towards her. 

“Agreed,” Goldenstar nodded, raising her tail and her voice, “Let’s head back to the Cornerstones to celebrate before the twolegs can find us.” 

“Here, here!” cheered Snowstar, her fur a streaky pink mess. “Prey is on SkyClan tonight. I’ll send Fernspeckle and Robinswoop to fetch something for everybody.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Orangestar said, eyes wide at the offer. 

“I want to,” Snowstar said. “We fought hard. We deserve a fitting celebration.” There were several cheers among the crowd. Goldenstar swallowed, unable to fully agree with Sardine still hanging above her like an omen of death. She turned and headed for the door with Orangestar and Russetfrond close on either side. 

“If it’s alright with y’all,” Wes said, stepping out of the crowd with a polite dip of his head, “I’d love t’join you in the celebration. I could even bring somethin’ as a thank you for the invitation.” His smile was so earnest that Goldenstar couldn’t bear to turn him down. 

“I suppose that’s alright,” she said, glancing at her friends. “We won’t have any interest in kittypet food, though.” Russetfrond grunted in firm agreement. 

“Not food then,” Wes nodded. “I could bring toys? Or catnip perhaps.”

“Catnip?” Orangestar’s brows shot upward. “Like, the herb?!” 

“Yeah,” Wes nodded. “I think my friend Fawn has a patch in her garden. I don’t care much for the stuff but I know lots of cats use it when they’re lookin’ for a good time.” 

“Recreationally?” Goldenstar stared in confusion. “You don’t need it for coughs?” 

“For coughs?” Wes frowned, seemingly daunted by their reactions. “Nah, we’ve got our Folk for that. ‘Sides, there’s plenty to go around.” 

Goldenstar couldn’t believe her ears. “Um, yeah, sure,” she laughed. “Why not?” Russetfrond scowled but didn’t protest. 

“Great,” Wes smiled in relief. “Is it alright if I invite Fawn as well? I’d hate t’take her catnip and run.”

“Yeah, of course,” nodded Goldenstar. “If she’s a friend of yours, she’s a friend of mine.” 

“Sounds good,” said Wes with a polite little dip of his head to each of them. “Where’s this ‘Cornerstones’ at?” Goldenstar paused, unsure how to explain, but Songdust inserted herself into the conversation and came to her rescue. 

“I’ll show him the way,” she said. 

“Thanks,” nodded Goldenstar. “Stay safe.”

“Will do,” said Songdust. 

“I’ll make sure nothin’ happens to her, Miss Goldenstar,” Wes said seriously. 

Goldenstar laughed and shared an amused glance with Orangestar. “I know. We’ll see you there.” Songdust nodded and flicked her tail against Wes’s leg and together they headed off towards the city. 

Russetfrond growled uneasily. “I don’t like it. We shouldn’t be showing kittypets to the Cornerstones.”

“It’ll be fine,” Goldenstar said, bumping reassuringly against him. “And besides, if there really is enough catmint to go around, we can keep some for our herb stores. Just imagine! Fully stocked catmint for leafbare!”

“Maybe we can trade for some every leafbare!” Orangestar purred in excitement. “Think of how many lives we could save!” 

Russetfrond grumbled in reluctant agreement. “I guess this Wes cat seems trustworthy enough.”

“He is,” Goldenstar nodded. Then, knowing a task would put him more at ease, she said, “Could you make sure everyone gets to Cornerstones safely? I don’t want anyone getting left behind.” 

“‘Course,” he grunted with a serious nod.

“Thanks,” she purred, butting up against his shoulder. “I’m gonna stop at camp and meet you all at the Cornerstones.” 

“Sounds good,” Orangestar nodded. “StarClan light your path!” 

“You too,” grinned Goldenstar and then she took off trotting through the grass towards home. The chilly night seemed lighter than before, the wind gentler. As she neared the camp, she ran into Barleybee and Sparrowsway who were strolling home with tails intertwined. 

She kicked up her pace to close the distance with them and called out, “You two not going to the festivities?” 

Barleybee smiled with embarrassment as they both turned to face her, saying, “Not tonight. It honestly just sounds tiring.” 

“As long as you’re sure,” Goldenstar said, looking them over. Barleybee was missing several of her cardinal feathers and Sparrowsway had a slight limp on his left side but neither one was particularly injured, which was a relief. Her mind made a few quick jumps from that thought to the next and she added, “How’s Floodstrike doing?” 

The siblings exchanged a worried glance. 

“I’m not sure,” said Sparrowsway grimly. “He’s still all worked up.”

“I told him revenge wouldn’t make him feel any better,” Barleybee sighed, her frown deepening. 

“Yeah, but you know he doesn’t listen,” said Sparrowsway. Barleybee chewed her lip, gaze drifting into the middle distance. 

“I’ll have to check in with him,” hummed Goldenstar. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“Of course, Goldenstar,” Sparrowsway said with a slight smile. “Have fun at the Cornerstones tonight.”

“Oh, I’m sure I will,” she said, realizing they didn’t know the news. “Wes says he’s going to bring enough catmint for everyone to use some.”

“What?” Sparrowsway’s brow furrowed at the absurdity of the statement. “Like, just for fun?” 

“Mhm,” she grinned. “Apparently the kittypets are practically swimming in the stuff.”

“Weird,” Barleybee laughed, rolling her shoulders as if an uncomfortable prickle had run down her spine. “Kittypets are so strange.” 

At this point, they had reached the crest of the hill and descended into camp together. Pantherhaze, Oddstripe, and Alderrtail sat together in the entrance to the nursery, sharing tongues while Slatepaw and the kittens slept within. When Oddstripe spotted them, he perked his ears and leapt up to meet them, eyes wide. 

“Is everyone alright?” he asked, looking his kits up and down. “Do they need me at the barn?” 

“Everyone’s fine,” Goldenstar assured him. “No casualties and only one serious injury in EarthClan. We’re going to the Cornerstones to celebrate if you’d like to come.”

“The kittypets are bringing a bunch of catmint,” Barleybee whispered in amazement. 

“They are?” Just behind Oddstripe, Aldertail brightened. “Just for anybody to use?”

“Apparently,” Goldenstar laughed. 

“Oh, that’s amazing!” Oddstripe gasped. “Will there be any left over? I’d love to have some for the herb stores!” 

“We’ll have to see,” shrugged Goldenstar. 

Aldertail shuffled her paws and asked, “Um, would it be okay if I came to the Cornerstones?” 

“Of course,” Goldenstar nodded. “Everyone is welcome.”

“Okay,” she sighed in relief. “I just didn’t know since I wasn’t at the battle or anything.” 

“We’ll go together,” Oddstripe smiled and she blushed profusely. 

Across camp, Scorchplume emerged from Goldenstar’s den -- from their den -- and padded quickly to meet them. 

“How did it go?” she asked with bated breath. 

“Perfectly,” Goldenstar smiled, pressing a few licks to the crown of her beloved's head. “Sardine is dead and we didn’t lose a single cat. We’re going to the Cornerstones to celebrate and the kittypets are bringing catmint for everyone.” 

“Really?” Ospreymask popped out of the warrior’s den with a bright smile on her face. “Is everybody going?”

“Seems like it,” Goldenstar said. “You’re welcome to come.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” purred the queen. “You coming, Pantherhaze?” 

He shook his head, still sitting near the nursery. “I think I’ll stay with Slatepaw. Catmint doesn’t really affect me anyways.”

“Oh yeah,” Goldenstar frowned, remembering the time they had gone herb gathering as apprentices and everyone but him had been sent home for getting too carried away. “Well, let me know if you guys need anything here, okay?”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Barleybee smiled. “You guys go have fun.”

“You’re not coming?” Oddstripe asked. 

“We’re too tired,” Sparrowsway said. “I’m sure Floodstrike will be there though.” 

Scorchplume pressed close against Goldenstar’s side and said, “We should start going if we want to get there before the catnip runs out.”

“Oh, yeah?” chuckled Goldenstar, twining her tail with Scorch’s. “I didn’t take you for the type.”

“Well, it seems you don’t know everything about me,” smirked Scorch. “I used to be quite the party girl.” Goldenstar couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement in her belly at the thought. 

“Ooh,” she purred, “I think I’d like to see that.”

“Let’s grab the rest and go back,” he said, butting his head against her shoulder which he could do now that she was almost taller than he was. They collected a few more rodents from their cache and returned to camp as the morning sun started to peek over the mountains. 

“Nice catch!” Barleybee congratulated as they passed her and Aldertail on their way out. 

“She caught it herself,” Pantherhaze boasted for her. Slatepaw blushed at the look of amazement on Aldertail’s face. 

“Wow,” she breathed. “I could never do that. That’s amazing.”

“Oh, don’t sell yourself short,” Barleybee said, touching her nose to Aldertail’s ear. To Slatepaw, she added, “I bet you Ospreymask would really appreciate that right now.”

“Her specifically?” Pantherhaze tilted his head in confusion. 

“You’ll understand in a bit,” laughed Barleybee. “She’s been telling everybody.” 

Slatepaw’s stomach fluttered in excitement. Could it be what she was thinking it was? She and Pantherhaze said goodbye to Barleybee and Aldertail and she began her search for Ospreymask. 

It wasn’t hard to find her. 

She sat outside the Healers’ den with Oddstripe and Songdust, saying loudly, “I don’t think I’ll be moving my nest quite yet. Might as well give the boys a bit more time to themselves.” 

“Osprehmahsk!” Slatepaw called around her catch and she bounded over. 

“Slatepaw!” Ospreymask beamed and lifted her tail in greeting. 

Slatepaw dropped the rabbit at her feet and asked, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?!” She felt like her paws were full of bees the way they were vibrating. 

“Depends,” smirked Ospreymask, starting out slow but increasing in speed and volume as she neared the end of her sentence, “do you think I’m saying that I’m going to have kits?!” 

“Yes!” squealed Slatepaw, ecstatic.

“Then I am!” Ospreymask cheered in kind, rubbing her head all down Slatepaw’s side and looping around to lean against her other side. “I’m gonna be a mama!” 

“That’s so exciting!” Slatepaw felt on the verge of happy tears. “Who with?” 

“You’ll just have to guess, won’t you,” Ospreymask laughed. 

“Lots of queens don’t feel the need to tell people who the sire is,” Songdust explained. “I know that hasn’t really been your experience but it was a lot more common when I was your age.” 

“Oh, okay,” said Slatepaw, a bit confused. She didn’t understand why you wouldn’t want to shout your mate’s name from the mountain tops but she supposed everyone was different. Fogpaw would probably think she was stupid for feeling that way, for one. 

She brushed the thought away with a twitch of her tail and said, “Here, you should have the rabbit I caught! You need to eat up to help the kits grow, right?” 

“That’s right,” winked Ospreymask and Oddstripe nodded in agreement. 

“Congratulations,” Pantherhaze said more calmly, butting heads with Ospreymask. 

“Thanks, buddy,” she purred. “I’m absolutely thrilled.”

“It’s a shame on the timing though,” he said. “You’ll have to miss out on mentoring Yellowkit and Bluekit.” 

Ospreymask’s face fell suddenly. “Aw, man! I didn’t even think about that!” She plopped down into a pouty loaf and pulled the rabbit closer, sourly starting on her meal. Slatepaw giggled and Oddstripe laid his tail over Ospreymask’s shoulder. 

“There will be more chances in the future, I’m sure,” he said. 

“I know,” sighed Ospreymask. “I guess waiting a moon or two to recover is better than having to wait six moons to have kits or having to stop training halfway through.” 

“Yeah, exactly,” agreed Pantherhaze. “StarClan knows when to send us our blessings. I’m sure the timing will feel perfect when you look back on everything.”

“Slatepaw, guess what?!” Fogpaw’s voice called and Slatepaw turned around to see her sister loping in from the southern edge of camp. 

“Ospreymask is having kits? I know!” she squealed, bounding over to meet her sister. “It’s so exciting, I can’t wait!”

“She is?” Fogpaw gaped. “Wow, that’s awesome!”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Slatepaw blinked. “What was your ‘guess what’ then?” 

“Ghost is on his way!” grinned Fogpaw.

“Really?” Slatepaw lit up before confusion made her frown again. “Wait, I thought you hated him.” 

“I don’t hate him anymore,” Fogpaw rolled her eyes as if that had been common knowledge. “But yeah, he’s coming to talk to Goldenstar about battle plans! Isn’t that great?” 

Slatepaw felt her insides shrivel up in fear. “I guess,” she lied. That meant there was going to be a fight. That meant people were going to die. She didn’t want people to die! 

“I hope we get to go!” Fogpaw chattered, tail curling back and forth. “I barely got to fight in the last battle.” Slatepaw swallowed. The last battle had killed Lakepaw and Sagetooth. She looked around the clearing at the smiling faces of her Clanmates and wondered who of them wouldn’t make it. She felt like she was going to cry. 

“Hey,” Fogpaw frowned, “are you okay? You look sad.” 

Slatepaw was surprised her sister had noticed, although she was pretty terrible at hiding her emotions to be fair. “Um, I’m just nervous,” she said. 

“Of what?” Fogpaw wound her tail with Slatepaw’s.

“I- I don’t know,” she balked. Suddenly she was struggling to put her words together. “That people will die?” Was that so unreasonable?

Fogpaw hummed thoughtfully and said, “I’m sure it’ll be okay, Slatepaw. This time we’re gonna be prepared so it’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” she relented, not wanting to make a fight out of it. 

“Slatepaw!” called the friendly voice of Jagg from the top of the hill. Beside her was Ghost, wearing an uneasy half smile that made her heart soar in hope. Scorchplume followed up behind them, tail twitching, and headed down into Goldenstar’s den without a word. Fogpaw smiled at Slatepaw and then started over to meet them so she followed. 

Ghost cleared his throat and said, “Hey, kiddo.” 

“Hi dad, hi Jagg,” she responded shyly. “How are you?”

“Pretty good,” said Jagg with a friendly arch to her tail. “How’s your training coming?”

“Good,” smiled Slatepaw. “I caught a rabbit today.”

“Wow! A whole rabbit? That’s amazing,” said Jagg brightly. Slatepaw blushed under her praise and leaned closer to Fogpaw. 

“She’s ready for you,” Scorchplume called from across the camp, and Ghost’s ear stumps twitched in her direction. 

“Well, looks like we’ve got to go,” he said, clearing his throat. 

“Will you share tongues with us after your meeting?” Slatepaw asked as loudly as she could muster. 

“We’ll have to see,” he said, not looking at her. 

“It depends on how long the meeting takes,” added Jagg. “We’ll come say goodbye at the very least.”

“Okay,” Slatepaw nodded meekly. With that, the two adults joined Scorchplume at the entrance to Goldenstar’s den and slank inside. Scorchplume scowled in Slatepaw and Fogpaw’s direction before following them with a twitching tail tip. 

Slatepaw pursed her lips angrily. “Why is she so mean?”

“Who, Jagg?” Fogpaw asked incredulously. “She’s super nice, what are you talking about?” 

“Not Jagg,” Slatepaw’s ears pressed back in frustration at her sister’s density, “Scorchplume! She’s such a bully!”

“No she’s not!” Fogpaw puffed up furiously which made Slatepaw flinch. “She’s just doing her best! Being nice is hard for her!”

“Hah!” crowed Slatepaw in victory. “So you admit that she’s mean!”

“Nuh-uh!” bristled Fogpaw. “I said being nice is hard for her, that’s not the same!”

“How is it not the same? That’s stupid!” 

“You’re stupid!” Fogpaw snapped. “I mean- no, I didn’t mean that.”

“Then why did you say it?” Slatepaw said, starting to tear up but determined to stay strong. 

“Because I’m angry,” Fogpaw said. “Look, I-” She took a deep breath and pushed it out sternly through her nose. “I’m sorry, okay? I just care a lot about Scorchplume. She’s really nice to me. I wish you would try and get to know her like I do.” 

Slatepaw swished her tail defensively around her paws. “What if she’s nice to you ‘cause she’s a liar?” 

“What would she get from lying to me? What does that do for her?” 

“Maybe she gets a cat who will swear she’s good and kind,” accused Slatepaw. The idea solidified in her head as she said it and it scared her. “Maybe she’s using you to trick everyone into trusting her so she can take over the Clan!”

“Slatepaw, that’s crazy, you sound like FallenClan,” Fogpaw rolled her eyes. 

“I’m not crazy!” Slatepaw sat up straight. “I’m not.” With that, she turned and stormed off. 

“Slatepaw, wait, come back!” Fogpaw said, chasing after her.

Luckily, Pantherhaze swooped in between them and said, “Why don’t you let her get some space, okay, Fogpaw?” Slatepaw paused to look over her shoulder. She kept a scowl on her face but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to scare Fogpaw off or make her stay. 

Fogpaw swallowed, looked at her, and then nodded. “Okay. Sorry, Slatepaw. I’ll give you space.”

“Good,” she huffed and twitched an ear. Fogpaw stepped away and went to sit near the leader’s den. Slatepaw decided to go into the apprentices’ den and lay down in her nest. 

After a moment, Pantherhaze poked his head inside. “Hey, do you need anything, Slatepaw?” 

“I don’t know,” she mumbled sullenly into the moss. 

“Okay,” he said. “If you can think of anything just tell me, okay? I’m here for you.”

“I know,” she sniffled. “Thanks, Pantherhaze.”

Another kittypet lunged in to fill the other’s space, lashing out with both claws, and she barely avoided losing an eye with a corkscrew twist. There were so many of them, jostling around each other claustrophobically. She danced backwards, using her long reach to her advantage as she skirted claws and teeth and threw in a strike here or there. 

One of the kittypets struck hard in the elbow and she limped backwards only for another to lunge in and topple her onto her back again. She hissed and kicked out but this one didn’t give. He sank his teeth into her shoulder and she cried out in pain. The other cat was snapping at her tail. The number of cats was overwhelming, threatening to shut her brain down entirely which was terrifying. She could feel her thoughts spiraling out of control, wondering where Slatepaw was or if Songdust would be able to keep up with the amount of enemies. 

“Barley!” Yarrowshade’s voice snapped her back into the here and now. With a painful tug on her shoulder, the cat on top of her was tackled to the side and she managed to focus long enough to kick the other kittypet hard in the face. She stood and found herself back to back with Yarrowshade, relief flooding through her from every inch of him that pressed up against her. 

“You okay?” he asked. 

“Fine,” she said without looking at him. The kittypet prowled in front of her, looking for a gap in her defense. 

“Get off me!” Yellowkit’s voice screamed above the din and it took all of her restraint not to turn her head towards the sound. 

“The kits,” she gasped.

“Go,” Yarrowshade said, “They need you.” She didn’t wait. Darting sideways, she wove around the thronging combatants, Yarrowshade snarling behind her. She moved as quickly as she could to the nursery, managing to leap and spring past any attacks that came her way until she came upon a smoky tabby hoisting Yellowkit by his scruff, another cat’s tail twitching in the entryway to the nursery as Bluekit screamed inside. 

“Back off!” Barleybee roared, smacking the tabby as hard as she could across the face. There was a righteous satisfaction in the resistance of his flesh against her claws. He reeled and Yellowkit managed to pull out of his grasp. 

“Help!” he wailed, trying to crawl underneath her, which wasn’t exactly helpful. 

“Get in the nursery!” she ordered, landing another sharp blow on the tabby’s head. Yellowkit nodded and rushed past her into the den. Barleybee turned quickly, hoping the tabby stayed down, and latched her teeth into the other rogue’s leg, yanking him backwards until his hindquarters were out of the den. Bluekit screamed even louder and Barleybee gave another frantic tug. 

“What the-” The kittypet wheeled around and swiped at her but she tumbled under the blow and into the nursery. Twisting onto her feet, she slashed at his eyes driving him backwards into the clearing. The two kittypets loomed close, glaring at her but she arched her back and did her best to block the entryway with her body. 

“Bluekit, are you hurt?” she asked over her shoulder.

“No, ma’am,” the kit said, voice trembling. 

“Good,” she nodded. “Both of you stay at the back of the den.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” cried Bluekit.

“Okay,” Yellowkit sniffled. 

“Out of the way, girl,” growled the second rogue, a burly, fawn-colored tom in a green collar.

“No way,” hissed Barleybee. 

“We’re just here for the kits,” said the smoke tabby, much calmer, as if they weren’t in the middle of a bloodbath. “They belong in the city with their mother. It’s wrong to keep them separated like this, surely you can see that.” 

“They’re happy where they are,” she said. “Touch them again and I’ll make you pay for it.” The tabby’s eyes darkened with thought. The fawn tom lunged. 

Barleybee had been waiting and she braced herself against his weight as he tried to shove her backwards into the den, paws skidding in the dirt. She wrapped her paws around his neck and sank her teeth into his cheek, twisting her head with her jaw clamped firmly around his flesh. He hissed in pain, twisted his head with hers to avoid the worst of the pain, and ended up losing his balance, forced to fall back. Barleybee gave him a few more claw wounds to send him on his way. 

The tabby moved in and reared up to swipe at her. Barleybee could tell by his stance that he would be easy to tackle but she ignored the temptation, instead swatting his paws out of the air before they could reach her face. He dropped back down, scowling, and she smirked in return. 

“Nice try,” she said. “I’m not moving.” 

“You’re smart,” said the tabby, “I’ll give you that.” Barleybee couldn’t help but be flattered, even if the cat complimenting her was despicable. When she realized it, her chest seized with panic. Was that a trick? Was he trying to get her to drop her guard with flattery? Had she already made a fatal mistake? She squared her stance, ears pressed back against her head, and bared her teeth. The smoky tabby’s tail twitched irritably. 

“London!” a voice hissed, “What’s the hold up?” Slinking in from the edge of the clearing came a small brown tabby with a dark mask and a silver collar. He glared at the smoky tabby for a beat before turning his cruel green gaze on Barleybee. 

“They’re big kits,” London said. “It’s not so easy to drag them off.” 

“Besides,” growled the fawn cat, “this bitch is blocking the door.” 

“She’s one girl!” the new tabby snapped, tail bristling. “Do your jobs already! Casper and I have already finished ours.” 

“If you’re so competent, do it yourself,” the fawn cat’s lip curled. The masked tabby’s gaze turned venomous. Barleybee took the chance to catch her breath, ears and eyes alert for any sign that one of them was about to move. She had to anticipate their attacks, had to be ready for anything. Yellowkit and Bluekit were counting on her.

Suddenly a new chorus of yowls broke out from the north-west. The movement of the battle shifted, turning towards the flood of cats that was pouring into the clearing. Barleybee’s eyes widened as she saw Snowstar and Orangestar clawing their way side by side into the heart of the fighting. 

“Reinforcements,” London hissed under his breath, his thick fur brushing up. 

“Quickly!” spat the masked tabby. “Let’s grab the kits and leave already!” 

The fawn cat lunged for Barleybee again and this time he took her to the ground. Yellowkit and Bluekit screamed in chorus as he slammed her onto her back. She kicked as hard as she could, trying to tear up his belly, and he twisted off of her, leaving claw marks on her shoulders. 

The nursery had been breached. London darted in over her, moving straight for the kits, only to be suddenly pulled backward by his tail. He yowled in pain, twisted around and slashed at Russetfrond but the deputy held fast to his tail. With another yank, he dragged London back out, stripping a section of his tail of fur. 

“You again,” the masked tabby grumbled, dropping low into a crouch. Russetfrond growled around the tail in his mouth. 

Barleybee quickly rolled to her feet and lunged for the rogue inside the nursery, tearing his fawn pelt in her claws as she chased him up against one of the walls. He kicked her hard in the belly and she stumbled back, trying to make her body as big of a barrier between him and the kittens as she could, but, to her surprise, he took the opportunity to slip through the entrance and take off into the night.

“Coward!” shouted the masked tabby. 

London had finally managed to get Russetfrond to let go of his tail and now he backed up next to the smaller cat. “I think it’s time to go.” Barleybee quickly moved to block the entrance again. Outside, the battlefield had changed dramatically. Now outnumbered, the city cats were starting to fall back one by one, only making the remaining rogues more outnumbered with every second. 

“Sardine, right?” Russetfrond growled, prowling forward. “You’re not going anywhere this time.” Appearing from the crowd, Sparrowsway hissed his agreement and moved to cut off the rear. The masked tabby -- Sardine, it seemed -- glanced warily at both of them, shifting into a smaller, defensive stance. London growled and turned to keep an eye on Sparrowsway, his tail twitching threateningly back and forth. 

A white shape slammed into Russetfrond’s side, pushing him off his feet. The deputy swayed, caught himself, and lurched back at the snub-nosed kittypet who had attacked him. The rogue’s face was drenched in blood, a crimson streak stark against his glossy white fur. Barleybee shuddered at the sight. Whose blood had he spilt? Was it someone she knew? 

“Just in time, Casper,” Sardine purred smugly. He sprang towards Barleybee and she braced herself only to realize he was leaping up over her head to escape. Sparrowsway lunged after him but London tackled him out of the air and they rolled away, hissing violently as they clawed at each other. Barleybee bunched her legs to go after Sardine but froze. She glanced over her shoulder at the kittens huddled frightfully against the wall of the nursery. They stared at her with matching pairs of wide, glistening copper eyes. 

What if she left and they were kitnapped because of her? But wasn’t catching the leader of the city cats a top priority? Her ears fell back against her head as she realized that in her indecision she had made her choice. Swallowing, she braced herself in the entryway again. London and Casper had detached themselves from their opponents in the time she’d spent waffling and fled after their leader. Russetfrond snarled after them for a moment, then his gaze fell on her and he hurried over. 

“Are they alright?” he asked, peering over her shoulder.

“Yes, they’re safe,” she stepped to the side and pressed herself up against the wall to let him in.

“Father!” Bluekit wailed and rushed to press his face into Russetfrond’s fur. Yellowkit was close behind and Barleybee’s chest swelled with emotion as Russetfrond crouched down over his kits and ran his tongue over their pelts. 

“Did they hurt you?” he growled, checking their bellies and sides for wounds.

“They didn’t hurt us,” Bluekit shook his head.

“They were trying to take us away!” Yellowkit sobbed. 

“Those foxhearts,” Russetfrond snarled, curling tightly around his sons. “I’ll make them pay for that.” 

“That’s the last one!” Branchbark’s voice called out. Things had quieted somewhat but the camp was still noisy with the sound of EarthClan and SkyClan’s warriors. 

Stormwhisper leapt up on the Stoneperch and called, “Everyone with a serious injury, please gather over on the big flat stone there! Everyone else, please disperse so that we can tend to the wounded.” The crowd slowly began to separate and drift away from each other. 

Coyotechaser barked, “Someone help me take this kittypet out of camp and bury him.” Beneath her paws lay a tabby and white kittypet with glazed over expression. 

“I’ll help,” said Pantherhaze, limping over to her. Together, they started dragging the body out of camp, thank StarClan. Barleybee sighed, stepped away from the nursery, content that the kittens were safe, and padded over to Sparrowsway. 

He looked her over and asked, “You alright?” 

“Yeah,” she nodded. She had her fair share of claw marks and a bite or two but nothing that needed immediate attention. “You?” 

“I’m fine,” he nodded. “I can’t believe they attacked during the gathering. Mystique must have told them about it.” He glared at the dirt, kneading his claws in frustration. Barleybee frowned worriedly. 

“I guess so…” she mumbled. Self-consciously, she straightened out a few of her feathers that had been knocked askew in the fight. She was certain that a few had fallen out. She’d have to find another cardinal to replace them…

A sudden scream cut through the air. Barleybee’s hackles shot up and her eyes darted across the camp to where Fogpaw was quickly backing out of the healers’ den. The apprentice’s fur stood on end, making her a white puff ball, and her tail arched sharply down behind her, ears pressed against her head. 

“What is it?” Scorchplume bounded over to her and searched her face. Fogpaw shook her head, staring unfocused into the mouth of the den. “Fogpaw, what’s wrong?” Fogpaw shook her head some more, this time meeting Scorch’s gaze, and burst into tears, flinging herself into her mentor’s chest. Scorchplume stiffened and very gingerly pulled the apprentice close, staring at Goldenstar for help. Goldenstar, standing by her den with Orangestar and Snowstar, looked just as lost and extremely concerned. 

After a moment, Floodstrike stepped out of the healer’s den, his paws drenched in thick, dark blood. He looked angrier than Barleybee had ever seen him and his eyes were red with tears. Dread gripped her chest tightly in its claws as the whole clearing held its breath. 

“Sagetooth and Lakepaw are dead,” he said hoarsely. “The herb stores are destroyed.” 

“Oh, stars,” Barleybee breathed. They’d been sick. Undefended. An overwhelming wave of crushing guilt fell over her. She should have known. She should have gone to help them. Someone else would have saved the kittens, she should have rescued Lakepaw. She started to cry as well, paws shaking as the adrenaline crash consumed her. 

“No,” Branchbark sobbed. Quickly, he hurried past Floodstrike into the healers’ den, jostling Floodstrike who failed to step out of the way. 

“Bogmist!” Stormwhisper stood up from where he had been inspecting Ospreymask’s wounds. “I need cobwebs and sorrel right now.” The EarthClan deputy nodded and took off towards the woods. Stormwhisper looked at the nearest non-RisingClan warrior and said, “You! I need fresh moss and water from the river. Go!” Nodding dutifully, Pebblefall leapt to their feet and dashed off into the fields. 

“Floodstrike,” Sparrowsway started towards his brother but Floodstrike turned his head away and stalked out of camp. Sparrowsway paused and looked back at Barleybee. 

She swallowed, sniffed, and said, “I’ll talk to him.” Quickly, she strode across camp to follow him. She caught up with him at the bottom of the hill on the southern side of camp, calling, “Floodstrike, wait!”

“I’m going to kill them,” he spat through tears, still walking. “I’m going to kill every single one of those monsters.”

“Wh- Now?” Barleybee asked, following his gaze towards the glowing orange of the distant city lights. “Floodstrike, that’s impossible! You’re going to get yourself killed!” 

“So what?” he rounded on her, tears streaking down his cheeks. “I have to do something! She needed me and I let her die! I failed her!” 

“You couldn’t have known!” Barleybee pleaded. “It’s not your fault, Floodstrike.” 

“She was my apprentice,” he sniffed harshly. “She looked up to me -- stars, she was so young! She was my little girl and they killed her!”

“I know,” Barleybee’s tears were flowing freely now. “I know, Floodstrike. But trying to take revenge isn’t going to make you feel any better. It will only make you a killer too.” 

“I’m not doing this for me!” he hissed, tail arching, “I’m doing this for her! She’s watching! She deserves to know I’m not just going to accept what they did to her!” 

“She wouldn’t want you to do this,” Barleybee stepped closer. “She was so sweet and kind. She would want you to move on and heal, Floodstrike. Please, come back to camp with me.” She watched his face for a good, long moment. His eyes were blazing with fury and red with grief. His throat rippled with effort. Eventually, he grit his teeth and looked down at his paws, chest shuddering with sobs, and sat down. Barleybee sat down next to him and pressed her head against his. 

“I… I can’t believe she’s gone,” he whispered between breaths. 

“I’m so sorry,” Barleybee pressed firm licks to his cheeks. “I’m sorry. It shouldn’t have to be this way.” Something about that caused him to break down even harder and he collapsed into her side. Barleybee wrapped her arms around his neck and eased him down to the ground. The two of them lay there, holding each other, and Barleybee tried to convince herself that, at the very least, if she couldn’t be there for Lakepaw it was good that she could be there for Floodstrike. 

The thought rang hollow and she spent the rest of the night thinking of what she could have done differently -- what she should have done differently. When they went back for the vigil, she whispered an apology to Lakepaw’s body. When they found white and dark tabby fur under Lakepaw’s claws, Barleybee knew exactly who was responsible but held off on telling Floodstrike. When they went to bed, she, Sparrowsway, and Oddstripe curled tightly around Floodstrike in a single nest, weary eyed and worn.