#barleybee

“Nothing,” Scorchplume said with a dismissive wave of her tail. 

“Nuh-uh!” Fogpaw insisted. “You just admitted you were being careful about what you say!”

“No I didn’t,” said Scorchplume in her performatively offended voice. “Those words never came out of my mouth.”

“But-! You basically said that!”

“Did not.”

“What are you hiding!?” Fogpaw groaned. She could tell that Scorchplume was being deliberately obtuse to avoid answering her question. Determined to get answers, she decided to start throwing out explanations and seeing what got the biggest reaction out of Scorch. 

“Is it… bad news?”

“Mm.” Scorch didn’t even glance at her. It probably wasn’t that.

“Okay, it’s good news,” nodded Fogpaw.

“Who said that?”

Fogpaw growled in playful annoyance but otherwise ignored the comment. “Okay, good news, good news… Are you pregnant?”

Scorchplume spluttered and stopped walking immediately. “B-gh-What?!” 

Fogpaw was startled by the intensity of her reaction. “Well, you’re mates with Yarrowshade now, I thought maybe-”

“First of all,” blustered Scorch, “we are not mates-” (“Oh, okay.”) “-and second of all, I can’t have kittens. I’ve been caught by the twolegs, remember?”

“Oh, yeahhh,” Fogpaw frowned. “Okay, so it’s not that.”

“It’s not anything, Fogpaw,” insisted Scorch, resuming the walk back to camp. “You should really just drop it.” 

“But it’s clearly something or you wouldn’t be trying so hard to make me drop it.”

“Fine,” Scorch gave in, and for a split second Fogpaw’s stomach fluttered in triumph, “think what you want! But I’m telling you, there’s nothing important going on today.”

“Wait, so it’s an event?” Fogpaw gasped and Scorch laughed and rolled her eyes. 

“You’re reading too much into things,” she said. 

Just then, they crested the hill into camp and Goldenstar’s voice called out, “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Stoneperch for a Clan meeting!” 

Fogpaw gasped again and her eyes snapped towards the Stoneperch where Goldenstar was smiling at them. Beneath it sat Slatepaw, her fur brushed up in excitement, and Fogpaw realized very suddenly what Scorch had been hiding. She looked back at her mentor and found a smug grin across her face.

“Well, we certainly don’t want to miss that, now do we?” she said.

“Oh my stars,” Fogpaw shouted, “I can’t believe it!”

“Volume,” winced Scorch and Fogpaw blushed shyly. 

“Whoops. Sorry.” 

“Fogpaw, come on!” called Slatepaw. Scorch gave her a shoulder shove and sent Fogpaw scrambling down to sit with her sister in the front of the crowd. A few of the cats gathering around chuckled and she couldn’t tell if they were laughing at her but she chose to believe they weren’t. These were her Clanmates, her friends. They wouldn’t do that.

“Can you believe it?” she asked Slatepaw.

“I know, right?” grinned her sister. “We’re going to be warriors!”

“Yeah,” Fogpaw’s smile fell a little bit. She had been thinking about that lately, about what she wanted to be in life, and she had been planning for this moment. She hoped that Slatepaw wouldn’t be upset by what she was going to do. 

She didn’t have much time to dwell on it, however, as Goldenstar began the ceremony proper.

“Well, I think we all know why we’re gathered here today,” she said, smiling down at the apprentices. “Slatepaw and Fogpaw have trained long and hard and their mentors have both reported that they are more than ready to receive their warrior names.” 

Behind them, trying to be quiet but not going unnoticed, someone said, “Careful, careful. You alright?” 

“I’m fine,” grunted a voice that Fogpaw instantly recognized as Ghost’s. She whipped around to see Jagg guiding him down the slope into camp. He winced with every step, leaning heavily on her shoulder as they walked. 

“Dad!” Fogpaw beamed, her tail shooting up to greet him and he gave a pained smile and nod. 

“Focus,” whispered Slatepaw self-consciously, looking sidelong at her as she stayed focused on Goldenstar. Fogpaw laughed nervously and turned to sit upright like her sister. She would have to say hello to Ghost later. 

Goldenstar, at least, didn’t seem upset and continued without issue. “Today, we honor you both and how far you’ve come. I, Goldenstar, leader of RisingClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two resilient apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.” 

She hopped down from the Stoneperch to join them in front of the crowd, her head raised nobly, and said, “Fogpaw, Slatepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do,” they both said, exchanging an excited glance. 

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Slatepaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Slateheart. StarClan honors your kindness and devotion to your Clan and we welcome you as a full warrior.” 

Goldenstar stepped forward and rested her chin on Slateheart’s head and Slateheart licked her shoulder as the warriors cheered her name. Fogpaw joined them, hoping to cheer the loudest of all. Slateheart blushed and preened under the praise as she stood back, tail swishing demurely over her paws. Fogpaw opened her mouth to congratulate her sister but Goldenstar turned to face her and continued the ceremony.

“Fogpaw,” she said, “from this moment on, you shall be known as Fogstalker. StarClan honors your bravery and conviction and we welcome you as a full warrior of RisingClan.” Purring, she dipped to lick Goldenstar’s shoulder and the crowd cheered again. Floodstrike in particular calling out her new name with enthusiasm. 

Fogstalker turned in a circle to see the crowd’s faces, to smile at her Clanmates. Scorchplume had a warm smile on her face that made her heart soar. Floodstrike, Barleybee, and Sparrowsway were all sitting side by side and Floodstrike grinned toothily as she looked at him. Near the back of the crowd, she could see Jagg and Ghost sitting together and Ghost was even smiling a little, although it looked almost like he was wincing. 

She turned to smile at Slateheart and her sister smiled back and that was when she realized that someone very important was missing. She looked at an empty space near the front of the crowd and tried to imagine her mother sitting there and smiling too but she couldn’t get the shapes to stay in place or look right. 

What did her mom look like again? Surely her face wasn’t exactly like Slatehearts, right? She frowned slightly and Slateheart seemed to realize what she was thinking, laying her tail over Fogstalker’s flank quietly. 

“Well!” Goldenstar’s voice pulled their attention back up to the front, “I know you just got back from training so why don’t you both get something to eat, take a bit of time to talk with your loved ones, and then you’ll start your silent vigil.”

“Wait,” Fogstalker blurted. Goldenstar blinked in surprise.

“Fogpaw!” Slateheart hissed quietly, only catching herself after she had said it. 

Fogstalker wasn’t deterred. “Goldenstar, I’ve been thinking and…” She glanced back over her shoulder at Scorchplume whose brow was furrowed uneasily. “I think I want to be a mediator. Like my mom.” The words felt right as she said them and she nodded confidently as she turned back to face Goldenstar. 

“You’re sure?” Goldenstar asked. “You don’t have to make that decision now, you know.”

“I know,” Fogstalker nodded, standing straighter. “I’m sure. I want to help people like she did. I want to be a mediator.”

“Well, in that case,” said the leader, straightening her own posture, “Fogstalker, you have chosen to take up the duties of a mediator. Do you swear to stand apart from the rivalry between Clans and cats and to strive to resolve disputes peacefully, even at the cost of your life?” 

Fogstalker took a deep breath and nodded. “I do.” The air was scintillating with magic and she could feel it prickling through her pelt. 

“Then by the powers of StarClan,” said Goldenstar, “I place this responsibility on your shoulders and welcome you as a mediator of RisingClan.” 

There was more cheering. Fogstalker couldn’t help but feel like this round of cheers was quieter. She looked around to find Scorchplume and Russetfrond both silent. Even Floodstrike was more subdued this time around. To her dismay, she realized that Slateheart wasn’t cheering either. She met her sister’s gaze in confusion and Slateheart looked away. 

“With that, our meeting is adjourned,” said Goldenstar to the crowd. “You two get something to eat, I’ll come grab you when it’s time for your vigil.” 

“Goldenstar,” Russetfrond grunted, stepping forward. “A word?”

Goldenstar sighed slightly but nodded, beckoning him towards her den with a curl of her tail. As they left, the crowd moved to congratulate the sisters but Fogstalker couldn’t help but lean in to Slateheart.

“Hey,” she whispered, “what’s wrong? Why weren’t you cheering for me? Are you angry?”

“No,” Slateheart whispered back. “I mean… why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know,” Fogstalker shrugged, “I didn’t tell anybody, I was just thinking it.”

“But we’re sisters,” said Slateheart, turning to study her face. “You should have-”

“Congrats you cuties!” Ospreymask interrupted cheerily, butting her head up against Fogstalker’s shoulder, causing her to bristle in surprise. “Your warrior names are so beautiful! I love them!”

“Thank you,” demurred Slateheart, leaning in to touch noses with the pregnant warrior. 

“Yeah…” Fogstalker hummed distractedly. She wasn’t done talking with Slateheart but, already, more people were swarming closer to try and get their attention, pulling them in different directions.

“Wow, a mediator!” Songdust said, “Your mother would be so proud, kiddo.” 

“Yeah?” Fogstalker smiled a little  as she turned to face the elder.

“Yeah,” nodded Songdust. “You’re gonna do amazing.”

Floodstrike stepped in to lay his tail over Fogstalker’s back. “You did it, Foggy. You managed to get a half decent warrior name.”

“Half decent!?” she exclaimed. “My name rules!”

“Agree to disagree,” Floodstrike said, winking to assure her it was a joke. She laughed and rubbed up against his chin. 

“You two should hurry up and eat,” she heard Sparrowsway saying. 

“Oh, right,” blushed Slateheart. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“Maybe we can share with dad!” Fogstalker gasped, turning to try and locate him through the crowd.

“I’ll grab you something,” said Barleybee, “go get settled.” 

Fogstalker didn’t need to be told twice. She slipped through the crowd, smiling and nodding as people gave her passing congratulations, and eventually broke away from the throng and bounded the last few tail lengths to meet him.

“Dad!” she purred, moving to rub her cheeks against his “I’m so glad you came! How did you know it was happening?” 

Ghost stiffened under her touch but managed to reciprocate after a moment. “Uh, Scorch told us to come.” 

“Really?” Fogstalker’s chest swelled with excitement. “That’s amazing!” 

“We wanted to be here for your big day,” Jagg smiled. “Congratulations, Fogstalker, a new name is a huge honor.” 

Slateheart padded up to join them then, smiling softly. “Thanks for coming, dad.” 

“Yeah,” Ghost cleared his throat awkwardly and shifted his weight with a wince. “Happy to be here.”

“You’re wincing a lot today,” Fogstalker observed. “Are you feeling alright?” 

“He just has a bit of arthritis,” explained Jagg. “He’ll be okay.”

Slateheart frowned. “Oh, we-” 

“We can have Oddstripe give you some herbs for that!” offered Fogstalker brightly. Slateheart lashed her tail once, gaze sinking.

“Thank you,” Jagg said, “both of you.” That made Slateheart smile a little and Fogstalker gave her a friendly nudge. 

Shortly after, Barleybee brought some prey across camp for them to share. Fogstalker enjoyed the conversation and the food but it was hard not to think about how Slateheart was upset with her. As Ghost and Jagg bid them farewell, sent home with some juniper berries for his joints, and the Clan dispersed for the night, she approached her sister and tried again.

“Hey, can we talk about earlier?” she asked.

“We have to start our silent vigil,” Slateheart said evasively. 

“Right, but we have a second before-”

“Fogstalker, it’s fine,” she said firmly, as if that ended the conversation. “Can we just forget it?”

Fogstalker frowned. “I… I guess, but-”

“Alright, girls,” Goldenstar said as she approached. “Are you ready for your vigil?”

“Yes,” said Slateheart and Fogstalker’s heart sank. 

“Yeah, I guess,” she shrugged.

“Alright,” smiled Goldenstar, although she seemed a bit concerned. “You’ll have to stay silent until the sun touches the Stoneperch, or in the case of emergency. Got it?”

“Got it,” they both said. 

“Good luck,” said Goldenstar. “Your vigil starts now.” She turned and headed back to her den and Fogstalker’s vision was drawn to where Scorchplume was waiting for her. She tilted her head curiously at her mentor as if to say, ‘why weren’t you cheering?’ and Scorch offered her a smile that was hard to read before slipping into the den. 

Fogstalker sighed and began to pace in a wide circle around camp.

“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.

“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.”

After a long period of quiet stillness, a cat appeared on his left - Bluffpaw, Orangestar’s apprentice. 

“Move to the back of the barn, a clearing’s length away,” he whispered, “Stay down wind.” He slipped past Barleybee and repeated the message, proceeding down the frontline until his spotty ginger and white pelt disappeared into the dry grass. 

Floodstrike nodded to Sparrowsway, who returned the look, then twitched his tail for the cat behind him and started off towards the back of the ‘barn’. When they reached about a clearing’s worth of distance from the wooden structure, Floodstrike perked his ears and tasted the air carefully. The barn smelled of hay and old wood and various city cats and other animals. Closer by, he could smell Goldenstar, Orangestar, and one of the city cats he had met before, Schmidt’s brother if he remembered right. 

He glanced around quickly, decided that the barn was providing enough cover, and bounded in their direction. Sparrowsway hissed softly at him but he ignored his brother’s warning. As their scents grew closer, he slowed to a stealthy pace again and ended up coming up between Goldenstar and Orangestar, interrupting the conversation.  

“Floodstrike,” Goldenstar gasped softly. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” he twitched an ear to dismiss her concern. “What’s the plan?” Goldenstar’s brow furrowed darkly.

“We’re just waitin’ on Sardine,” said the ginger kittypet. “Once he enters the barn, the cat up there will give y'all the signal and you’ll swing the trap shut.” He lifted his tail slightly to indicate a framed hole in the wall near the top of the building with a white furred kittypet sitting in it. The cat looked down and twitched their tail slightly in acknowledgement. 

“Floodstrike, go back to your position,” Goldenstar said sternly. 

“I want to be at the front of the push with you,” Floodstrike stated, ignoring her order. 

“Floodstrike, this is not up for debate,” she said more aggressively, her tail starting to arch behind her. “Go back to your position and wait for the signal.” 

“I deserve to get justice for my apprentice,” he snapped back. The kittypet’s gaze softened sympathetically. Orangestar looked deeply uncomfortable.

“You will,” Goldenstar hissed, rising up on her toes in a threatening display she had never used on him before, “but right now you will go back to your position and follow orders. This is not the time for a tantrum.” The words struck him sharply, along with the furious posture she had turned on him, and he wilted under it, all his determination dissipating like scattered leaves. 

“Right.” He swallowed, unsure how to feel. “Sorry, Goldenstar.” He saw a flicker of guilt cross her face but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Floodstrike turned tail and slank back towards the others. 

Softly, Orangestar cleared her throat and said, “Wes, you were saying?” 

When Floodstrike returned to his position, Sparrowsway was glaring at him. “What was that?” He hissed under his breath.

“Something stupid,” Floodstrike grumbled. 

“Yeah, no kidding,” scoffed his brother.

“Leave him alone,” he read Barleybee’s lips more than he heard her voice. “You know this is hard for him.” 

“Can we all just shut up and focus?” he said a bit louder than he meant to. 

The waiting was unbearable. Floodstrike looked up at the waxing moon and tried to catch it moving across the sky. Was it closer to the roof now than it was before? The stars laid muted under the glowing light from the city. He wondered if Lakepaw was watching him. He wondered if she was embarrassed to be his apprentice. 

His paws were cold. His inner ears ached from the dry chill in the air. He shook out his paws and kneaded loose clods of dirt with his claws to try and keep some feeling in his toes. When was that kittypet in the barn going to give them the signal?

After a while, Goldenstar slank out of the grass and approached him. “Floodstrike, we need to talk,” she said in hushed tones. 

“Okay,” he swallowed. 

Goldenstar glanced at the cats on either side of him before stepping in closer. “Look, I’m sorry I was so aggressive earlier. This is serious and I can’t have my warriors undermining me right now. We both know I let you get away with a lot of stuff and I need to stop doing that. You’re not my apprentice anymore, you’re a full warrior, and I need to treat you like one. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah,” he nodded sullenly. “I shouldn’t have come over in the first place. I just wanted to know what was going on.” 

“I know,” sighed Goldenstar. “Wes says Sardine is supposedly on his way so it shouldn’t be long. Just have patience.” And with that, she slipped away, farther along the line. Floodstrike grit his teeth in frustration but held his tongue. 

The time stretched on even longer. Messengers came through and told everyone to watch for the signal: a raised tail from the white cat in the barn window. Then they waited. It felt like forever as the night dragged slowly towards morning, the moon rising even higher above them. 

Then, there it was, a lift of the cat’s tail. Floodstrike leapt into action, darting swiftly but quietly forward and around the side of the barn towards the big entryway on the front. This was it, he thought, his heart starting to pound.

Inside, he could hear voices. The first was mocking but put together. “... really, Rudy, I’m hurt that you didn’t invite me to your little shindig. I had to hear about it through a friend of a friend.”

“Who’s that?” This voice was gruffer and deeper in, more muffled by the straw. 

“Oh, I shouldn’t kiss and tell,” said the first voice. “But they were very eager to sell you out, I’m afraid. It’s a shame, really. I was hoping our little game would be a little more interesting than this but it seems we’ve reached the end.” 

The second voice laughed. “Yeah, I bet you were hoping that.” Floodstrike’s speed had gotten him to the front of the barn faster than the rest of the front lines and he slowed down to wait for the others. 

The first voice said condescendingly, “You don’t seem to be understanding how the end is going to play out, Rudy. What, you think you can win this?” 

“Sure do,” said the second voice - Rudy. “I could beat you and your squad of little girls with my paws in boots.”

“Hah!” the first voice laughed. “I’d genuinely like to see you try, that sounds hilarious.” Russetfrond, Coyotechaser, Songdust, and Bogmist emerged from the grass beside Floodstrike and he nodded to them, letting Russetfrond take the lead as they rounded the corner. He didn’t want to disappoint Goldenstar by rushing things and ruining the ambush. 

Still, he was quick on the deputies’ heels, claws itching to see use. As they came around the corner, he spotted two loose groups of cats, one sitting in different positions around the barn, the other clustered near the entrance as if they had just entered. Near the back of that group were several toms with notched ears, all craning their necks to see what was going on. He recognized one of them by his scarred, sable pelt and his blood started to boil inside his veins. 

One of the chaff cats had his mouth open to scent the barn and he whipped around, suddenly able to taste the Clan cats on the wind. “Oh, shit!” Russetfrond collided with him and chaos broke over the crowd. 

“Savages!” went up the cry. 

“Seal off the exits!” shouted Coyotechaser, “Nobody gets out!” 

Several of the warriors took up positions in the entrance but Floodstrike had his eyes on Van Pelt. He lunged and slammed into the rogue claws first, tearing a nasty wound open over his shoulder. The rogue spat furiously and batted sharply at his head before they broke away and started to circle. The barn was filled with caterwauling and cats shouting to each other. 

Van Pelt laughed and declared, “Damn, kid! You turned into quite the beanpole!” He darted in to give Floodstrike a gash on his nose. “Never grew into your ears though.”

“I’m not some helpless apprentice anymore,” snarled Floodstrike as he tackled the rogue to the ground. 

“You fight like one!” laughed Van Pelt with a series of rabbit kicks. One caught Floodstrike hard in the gut and he tumbled away. Managing to roll to his feet, he just barely managed to leap out of the way of Van Pelt’s claws. He danced backward a few paces, then darted back in to swipe at his opponent's face, then turned to follow as Van Pelt twisted out of the way and went for his hind quarters. Floodstrike ducked low against the straw and waggled his hips before leaping, once again tackling Van Pelt to the ground. 

Together, they tumbled in a hissing, spitting clump of claws and teeth until Floodstrike’s back hit a metal shelf on the edge of the room hard and he cried out in pain. Van Pelt laughed his cruel, grating laugh and pressed his advantage, managing to score a deep cut on his soft belly. Floodstrike snarled and kicked the rogue hard in the face, rattling the metal things on the shelf with the force of it. Van Pelt stumbled back, cursing under his breath, and Floodstrike rolled off of the shelf and into a defensive crouch. 

“You brat!” Van Pelt spat, running a paw over his eye a few times. 

“Told you,” shrugged Floodstrike smugly. 

“You’re right,” Van Pelt’s eyes darted over the room beside them, “it’s just not as fun now that you’re all grown up.” He lunged to the side and Floodstrike braced himself in confusion, waiting for the lunge to turn into a feint but it didn’t. Too late, he saw what Van Pelt had been looking for. The rogue slammed into an unsuspecting Erminepaw, sinking his teeth into the apprentice as he took her to the ground. 

Floodstrike yowled, fear and anger erupting within him, and he dove after Van Pelt. His teeth found the rogue’s tail and he tugged sharply on it, allowing Erminepaw to squirm out of his claws. Van Pelt laughed and turned to swipe at Floodstrike only to spin and slash his claws across the apprentice’s side again as soon as Floodstrike let him go. 

“Leave them alone!” Floodstrike roared, rearing up to smack him roughly about the ears. 

“Touched a nerve, did I?” cackled the rogue, batting his paws out of the way. Erminepaw hesitated in their readied stance, glancing between Floodstrike and his opponent and where Boldmoth was struggling against a pair of her own rogues. 

“Go with her,” Floodstrike told her, “I’ve got this one.”

“Do you?” taunted Van Pelt. Erminepaw nodded regardless and leapt for the other fight. Van Pelt tried to snag her with his claws but Floodstrike swung a paw out and struck him in the front of the throat, stopping him dead in his tracks as he gagged and gasped for air. 

“Yeah, I think I do,” smirked Floodstrike, pressing his advantage to throw the rogue off balance and strike at his underbelly. “You think you’re so tough but you’re just a pathetic little bully!”

“Look who’s talking,” Van Pelt wheezed. Above them, the metal things on the shelf rattled violently as Boldmoth jumped and kicked off of it to land on top of one of her opponents and a set of big cylinders crashed to the ground with a hollow clang, nearly hitting Floodstrike in the head. He managed to twist out of the way, only to look up and see that Van Pelt was on his feet, leaping through the gap in the shelf to press against the wall. 

“You can’t get out that way,” Floodstrike growled, moving to block the edge where the shelf met the wall but Van Pelt just sneered at him. 

“Who says I'm running?” he said, rearing up to give the shelf a shove from behind. It wobbled and tipped, showering more metal cylinders on the cats fighting below. Erminepaw backed up against the shelf to avoid them and Floodstrike’s stomach twisted as an image of her crushed beneath its weight flashed into his mind. He sprang through the shelving and grabbed their scruff in his teeth, barreling out the other side into a bank of straw and dust. Behind him there was a mighty clatter and a cat screamed in pain. 

“Boldmoth!” cried Erminepaw. Floodstrike’s throat tightened. He wheeled around and there was Boldmoth, her back leg pinned beneath a red metal box. Beside her, a kittypet lay wheezing under the bulk of the shelf, his chest deformed from the impact. The other rogue Boldmoth had been fighting was trying to get him out to no success. Van Pelt was gone. 

“Fox dung,” Floodstrike hissed, hopping up over the shelf into the gap where Boldmoth was pinned. “Just hang on, Boldmoth, we’ll get you out.”

“It’s definitely broken,” she said through gritted teeth. 

“Help me push!” said Erminepaw, putting their paws up against the box. Floodstrike joined her and together they heaved against its side. The box was heavier than expected and Boldmoth cried out again, her tail bristling from the pain.

“Maybe we should wait for the healers,” Erminepaw swallowed. “We could mess it up more if we’re not careful!”

“No,” Boldmoth gasped, hunched over with her eyes shut tight. “I’m a sitting duck here. We don’t have time to wait.”

“One more shove should do it,” said Floodstrike. “Three, two, one-!” They heaved again, and with a loud ker-thunk! the box toppled over and off of Boldmoth’s crumpled leg. Floodstrike pressed up against her bad side and heaved her to her feet with his shoulder. “Easy… there we go. Come on.”

“Erminepaw can escort me,” she said, sounding strained, “you get back to the fight.”

“You’re sure?” he asked.