#blavignad

Distant whispers filled her again - no language could possibly filter the feelings that surged through her. Her heart thundered - but not with fear. It beat with a hollow echo, reverberating through her whole chest like a drumbeat. It was akin to endless defiance. The stars burning in the endless void of the cosmos. A stalwart buck refusing to flee at the hounding wolves. The promise of life roiling in stray molecules, softly reaching and shaping the building blocks of life, given enough patience; enough time.

The guarantee of life against the winter storm.

Shiverstep inhaled.

Then listened.

The whispers this time were less coherent, more emotional. They waxed and waned, like a fluid melody, interlaced with short bursts. Certain words broke through the fog.

Eyes. Focus. Back.

"What do we do?" Brackenfreckle hissed, her ears pulled back.

Shiverstep swallowed, still focused on Rootgrove's empty eyes. "Eyes…we keep…we focus our eyes on it," Shiverstep stumbled. Once she made the statement, it felt correct and renewed her confidence. "Back…back away. Slowly."

"Like with a predator." The realization dawned coldly on Brackenfreckle as she said this. Shiverstep's dread did not fade. The beings beyond StarClan imbued with her feelings and thoughts that she barely parsed sensibly. But slowly, they aligned. Echoes of intent were made clear, and Shiverstep bristled. Hurt. Blavignad was hurt. There were kits with them. She did not know how old the kits were. Could Tendrils be hunting?

"Camp," Shiverstep blurted. She glanced at Brackenfreckle nervously. "We have to go to camp. All of us."

Brackenfreckle looked at Shiverstep in protest, only to glance forward again and startle, gasping. Shiverstep only took her eyes away for a split moment, but when she looked back, her fur bristled.

A pair of long, branch-like legs had emerged from Rootgrove's cavity.

Nothing else moved. It must've been only for a minute. But it felt stretched into eons. Shiverstep was afraid to blink. She forced herself to take a deep breath as she felt the foreign energies retreat from her legs and tap at her forehead.

Rootgrove did not move.

Instead, his lower jaw quivered, and wrenched a phrase from his body. His voice was distant, and horrible.

"IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH HER TOO?"

He had heard Blavignad.

The air froze around them. The wind that once blew downwind, masking the monster's scent, now stilled. Shiverstep would have retched in any other situation. She kept her eyes on Rootgrove like her life depended on it.

Maybe it did.

Brackenfreckle's voice stammered. "Okay. Okay. Camp. We'll go there. We…we have to," she whispered.

"I'll stare it down," Shiverstep said. She surprised herself with her willingness. It must've surprised Brackenfreckle as well, as she saw her shift from the corner of her eye. Shiverstep still refused to look away from Rootgrove, knowing that he knew they were there now. A horrific feeling. To be known. To be seen.

It took everything in her to not think about what would happen if he followed them to camp.

"Bracken? What is that?" Blavignad squeaked. She was now staring out into the treeline, trying to find what they were seeing.

Brackenfreckle ignored the question. Or perhaps couldn't answer it to begin with. "...Are they all in there?" She sidled closer to the queen. Blavignad nodded. Brackenfreckle resisted losing sight of Rootgrove, repeatedly glancing at Shiverstep and stretching her neck to see the beast.

Shiverstep bristled as disjointed words were picked out in the chaos again.

No. Movement. Protect.

"Brackenfreckle?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Move…very slowly." Yes. Yes, that made sense. This was a predator. A hunter. With the instincts of one. "Stand your ground. You…you have to focus on protecting the kits. Look forward. Not back. I'll stare at it. Okay?"

"But what about you?"

"I'll...I'll back away. I'll still look at it, but I'll have to back away. Okay?"

Brackenfreckle gritted her teeth, clearly not comfortable with this arrangement, but having no other ideas. She reluctantly nodded, then backed away into the foliage far enough for her mouth to reach the basket handle. Within it, three small kits were huddled together, nesting around the scented herbs with some discomfort. Blavignad limped into the bushes, staring up the hill they planned to go up - towards ForestClan's camp. Something flickered in her eyes before she looked back at Shiverstep.

"Hey," Brackenfreckle hissed from the bushes at Shiverstep. "Hey. Come on."

Shiverstep swallowed as she stared at Rootgrove's black, empty eyes.

She steeled herself as she focused on the feeling of hard rain rapping at her forehead.

Then slowly backed away.

Her paws found stability behind her. She took another step.

And again.

And she kept backing up until she reluctantly broke line of sight with Rootgrove's skull. But she had no choice. She had to stay calm. She had to.

She was going to be okay.

That was a thought made in blind faith. But she had to believe it.

"Keep going," she hissed. She heard Brackenfreckle and Blavignad slowly pad through the ferns, very gently pressing down on the former path. Shiverstep tried to follow as she backed away, but she still snapped a twig and stumbled over a stray stone every now and again. Still, she did not keep her eyes off of where Rootgrove used to be.

Until she saw his shape suddenly bolt over the undergrowth. Shiverstep hissed as she lept back, her back arching and her fur on all ends. Rootgrove froze a few fox-lengths away. His silhouette reflected the shadows of many branching legs against the sunset. She unsheathed her claws, her eyes wide. She snarled her teeth at him.

"S-Shiver!" Brackenfreckle called. The sound of Blavignad stumbling to the ground in horror invaded Shiverstep's ears.

"Don't!" Shiverstep hissed. No, they couldn't look back! The crawling legs of the Woodcrawler dangled pensively in the air. She could see roots shifting like poisoned veins in the woeful desiccated flesh. Her voice trembled in terror. "Keep going. You have to. Please." Rootgrove couldn't have Brackenfreckle or Blavignad in his line of sight. They had to keep moving. They had to. She had to protect them.

The feeling was foreign to her, but she grasped it tightly. She hissed at the towering shadow, swiping her claws at the air in front of her. The posturing felt ludicrous as Rootgrove's jaw trembled again.

"KEEP...GOING."

She heard Brackenfreckle whine, and Blavignad grunt as she stood to her feet. "Come on...come on, hon, we have to move," Blavignad hissed. Shiverstep heard her companions resume their slow, calculated path. Breathe. Breathe. This was a predator, Shiverstep thought. A normal predator. With predator instincts. A fox. A badger. A wolf. A bear. It could be convinced. It could be convinced to leave them alone, if they were willing to fight back.

In his shadow, outlined by the fading sun, she saw the corners of his jaw curve into a horrible grin.

Please.

It had to be. It had to be a predator. An animal. Please.

Something stirred in her core and beat through her again. The feeling of hard rain. The sensation of something metallic against the roof of her mouth. Determination. Love. Shiverstep welcomed its surge. Despite everything, despite staring at death in the face, she felt like others were with her now. Watching. Guiding.

Back still arched, eyes wild with focus, she shuffled backwards again, this time with her side facing him, making herself larger. She heard the sound of panting and the absence of Blavignad's fourth step. Brackenfreckle stuck to the queen's side and whispered for her to lean on her.

Slowly, tensely, the distance between themselves and Rootgrove widened. Shiverstep made certain to navigate the ferns and grasses carefully. She refused to allow even one single leaf block her field of vision. As they grew further and further away, Rootgrove became a red eyesore in the landscape. He was several tree-lengths away. Yet still, as long as she saw him, he did not…

Shiverstep saw a tall tree to her right, threatening to hide him from her. She was so close to the main path. So close. But it wasn't far enough. Somehow, she knew. She had a dreadful feeling that this was not enough.

Her heart raced. "Brackenfreckle?" she meowed. She knew she was likely loud enough for it to hear her. She didn't care. It could mimic her for as long as it wanted, words could not hurt her.

"Shiver?" the young molly called back anxiously. She was further away than she thought. Maybe that was good. Maybe it wasn't.

Shiverstep swallowed. "How…fast can you make it up the ridge?"

The silence was palpable.

"We gonna need to run?" Blavignad asked a little too calmly.

"If I move on the main path...I'll have to break line of sight."

"Does it still want to follow us?" Brackenfreckle asked warily.

Shiverstep remained silent. She realized that she would never have an answer to that. And the sun was almost gone - only leaving a dying flash on the horizon.

Stand your ground. You must protect them.

Your pelt allows you to hide.

Remember what Tree taught you.

These thoughts came to her like lapping waves on a shore. They were brave. They were true. Their sudden clarity brought with them a sense of hope, and resilience. Above all, she wanted to protect those who were hurt.

She thought about Tree, and how they saved her life many moons ago. Their bravery had incapacitated a Woodcrawler for long enough for them to escape. Shiverstep felt her heart swell. She was not a brave cat. She was not a strong one. She didn't know how to fight - not well. She was scared. And yet...

What was…that mantra Redstar told them about again…? Loyalty, bravery…

"Go. Go on ahead."

"...What are you talking about?" Brackenfreckle's voice tightened. Shiverstep couldn't see her, but she could imagine the molly's fur bristling.

"Go up the hill. I'll catch up after you're over it."

"...You're going to start running, then."

"Once you're over the hill, I can try. At least I can hide in a tree."

"But…"

"Please. It's getting dark. You have to," Shiverstep begged.

The sound of protesting kits sounded her reply.

"...She's right, hon. I don't know if I can outrun somethin'," Blavignad meowed. "My kits…I want them to be safe. She's givin' us that chance. Don't waste it."

Brackenfreckle remained quiet for a moment longer, before she nodded, then whispered to Blavignad to hold steady. Shiverstep listened as the sound of crunching leaf litter and mewling kits grew distant. The motionless entity slowly stirred from its position. The skull adorning it shifted. A long neck emerged from its shape, stretching out like a parasitic worm. It slowly turned its head to face Shiverstep, meeting her gaze.

The shadows of tangled legs moved gently. Rootgrove approached ever so slowly, often stopping in his tracks. The Woodcrawler would occasionally comb the air and rub its legs together like a pensive fly, before stepping over an unseen obstacle. It was like a diligent apprentice practicing their stalk, and they had found a bug in a clearing to target, to her horror and disgust.

Shiverstep let out a hiss, then a prolonged caterwaul. Rootgrove stopped. Then placed a leg forward.

Shiverstep snarled and swiped at the air again. To her dismay, Rootgrove retreated slightly behind a tree nearby him. His neck was still outstretched, boring its empty gaze down on her.

It was toying with her. She felt it. She hated it. She felt a surge of anger rush to her paws.

It was strange, she thought, in a moment of unwarranted clarity. It was strange how just a few moons ago, the beast was a source of terror to her. She was so afraid of him. In her youth, she wondered if she had dreamed him up. Seeing him at the Dome. Repeating the words of unknown entities. It would make sense, wouldn't it? For it to never be real.

And yet, when it happened again - when it was apparent that he was real - that wasn't the thing that mattered to her, or even scared her the most. It was the fact that there were beings beyond StarClan that existed, that tried to breach into her world, using her as a medium.

But they came to her. They answered her call. She didn't even know their names. But they were here. They were here, and they gave her courage. The disfigured visage of the monster before her didn't horrify her. It only disgusted her.

The Woodcrawler had no reason to keep a poor old cat alive, deformed and obliterated in every sense except for the freedom of death. No motive, no known purpose for it. But it didn't try to remove him. Or kill him. It kept him here. It used his flesh to taunt and horrify. Like a kit tormenting a still-living mouse out of pure curiosity.

She would not give it the satisfaction of her terror.

She could barely hear the sound of her companions making it to the top of the hill. Shiverstep took a step back. Rootgrove's approach meant that she could still keep an eye on him now. Her ears folded back. Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not afraid of you," she hissed. Her voice still trembled.

The dying light illuminated Rootgrove's face one last time. A wide grin morphed on his face, larger than any she'd ever seen before. Then, Rootgrove's legs receded back into its hide. The neck began to recede. Before it stood still, it repeated:

"I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU."

The light vanished from the horizon.

Then, the instincts of generations of cats who lived and died in these woods howled through her, like the earth bore memory. It chased away the spirits she called forcefully, filling her with dread. Two truths surfaced.

Rootgrove was a distraction.

Woodcrawlers were eusocial.

Shiverstep heard screaming.

******

"I'm going to find them."

"Iciclepool - "

"I'm going to find my daughter, Hopechase. They should be back by now," Iciclepool hissed. Hopechase's expression remained calm, but firm.

"I know, love. I'm not here to object. I'm here to come with you," Hopechase meowed, placing a gentle tail on her mate's shoulder. Her blue eyes were steady. "Let's - "

"I'll go."

Iciclepool and Hopechase turned to the voice of their leader, who padded past them. Redstar's deep blue eyes were filled with layered anger, and her tail was low to the ground, kicking up dried nettles in her wake. The deputy and senior warrior instinctively parted to allow Redstar through, only for their emotions to catch up with them.

Hopechase started. "Redstar - "

"I have lives to spare. You do not. They can't be far," Redstar interjected, already walking out the gate.

Iciclepool tried to stand in Redstar's path and protest.

Redstar wouldn't allow it.

She shouldn't have let them go. She knew, she knew it wasn't wise. She was such a fool. Shiverstep looked so compassionate as she explained to her why she wanted to take Brackenfreckle on a late patrol. Shiverstep was becoming more and more compassionate over time. She kept telling stories with happy endings to the kits, giving them hope. She sat with Tree and Riftpaw, asking them what she could do to make them feel at home. She sat quietly with Morningspot when the nervous warrior was struggling. She listened to Redstar's occasional tangents about ForestClan history when she wasn't thinking straight.

Of course she wanted to make Brackenfreckle feel less isolated. And of course Redstar agreed with it.

She wouldn't let her Clanmates endanger themselves again. Not after Talontooth.

"Redstar." Iciclepool started firmly, but the leader glared at her deputy.

"I will find your daughter, Icicle. I will bring them back. Please trust me. You have to stay here, as deputy." Redstar spoke with finality. Iciclepool scowled and prepared to retort, only for her eyes to widen and her ears to twitch.

Redstar stopped, her ears swiveling immediately. Her fur bristled when she heard what her deputy did.

"WOODCRAWLER!"

Redstar's head darted towards the call. That was Shiverstep.

"HIDE, HIDE, HIDE!"

The call grew louder. Redstar saw the black pelts of Shiverstep and Brackenfreckle suddenly burst into the distance past the treelines. Relief and terror surged through Redstar all at once, her instincts kicking in as she climbed up the camp walls, then yowled for lockdown.

Shiverstep and Brackenfreckle sprinted through the camp gate as the Clan was thrown into organized chaos, the sick and the small already halfway into Redstar's den. Brackenfreckle's pelt stood on end as Shiverstep instinctively guided her up the rocks. Brackenfreckle clutched a basket in her mouth tightly, and Redstar's fur bristled as she smelled milk coming from it.

Redstar's mind feared for the worst as no queen was with them.

The camp gate closed and there were no patrols needed to raise the flag for.

And so her watch began.

Her ears swiveled. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Her heart thundered and her claws burrowed into the wood.

The woods were silent.

She had to force herself to stay focused. To count the minutes and give her deputy the signs. She could feel Iciclepool's eyes at the back of her head as her deputy stood on the High Rock.

Redstar heard the loud whine of a kit. Owlkit making a verbal protest. Cats hissing for silence in response.

Redstar counted the minutes.

The Woodcrawler didn't show itself. It rarely ever did. She knew that. The beasts were ambush predators. Prefering to hide. She mentally berated herself again, as her body automatically sounded the seconds with the stretch of her claws.

Why did she let them go? She was foolish to think that the Woodcrawlers would have their fill hunting Twolegs this greenleaf. She was foolish to think she could breathe, maybe trust the world around her for just one moment. No. Of course she couldn't. Of course the woods threatened to hurt her Clan.

She could not make that mistake again.

By the time the hour was up and there was no sight of the Woodcrawler, Redstar ended the lockdown. She approached her clanmates, who were eerily silent as they gathered in the middle of camp. Brackenfreckle placed the basket down in front of her, staring at its contents despondently. Redstar's heart tightened. She slowly padded up to the young healer, and her eyes glanced to its contents.

Three newborn kits were huddled against each other, sleeping peacefully. A ripped, green ribbon rested on top of them.

Redstar's heart sank. She had a feeling. She had seen this before. It happened far too often. She didn't ask where their mother was. As she saw the empty, hollow eyes of the dark grey molly, she knew.

Redstar glanced at Brackenfreckle's shoulder. A cobweb bandage was applied to a scrape. Riftpaw emerged from the crowd to sit beside his sister, and pressed his head against hers. Redstar glanced at Shiverstep, who was staring at the floor, with Iciclepool gently grooming her with a sympathetic purr.

Shiverstep's pupils were slits. Eerily calm. Yet her tensed jaw said otherwise.

Redstar brought her gaze back to the young kits, and asked quietly, "What happened?"

Brackenfreckle refused to look at the leader. Her gaze was distant. She said nothing.

Riftpaw purred as he pressed his head further into his sister's pelt. His hazel eyes brimmed with sadness and worry, as though he knew something the Clan didn't. His jaw had been healing well; enough for his words to be louder and more coherent. "It's okay, sis. It's…it's not your fault."

"It was." Her voice was low and cracked.

Redstar shook her head. "The blame belongs to the woods. Please. What happened?"

Brackenfreckle looked up at the leader. There was an attempt to seem angry. But it was overridden by numbness.

"...I'm so tired," she whispered almost inaudibly. "That's all. She's dead. It's my fault. And I'm so tired."

Redstar felt her heart sink. She blinked slowly at her, then looked at the kits.

"...I know this is difficult. But I need to know. First - are there any other possible risks we should be aware of? Any Living Tendrils, any Fakes that may have followed?"

Brackenfreckle slowly turned her head to stare at Shiverstep. The black and white tabby still kept her gaze to the floor. Iciclepool gently nudged her daughter and whispered words of encouragement. Finally, Shiverstep blinked, then looked up at Redstar.

Redstar didn't know why, but as she met the young medicine cat's gaze, her pelt prickled.

"...No. But…can I talk to you alone…after?" she asked quietly. Her voice was gentle. Too much so.

Shiverstep had been through too much in one lifetime. To be chased by a Woodcrawler twice…and the burden of keeping StarClan's secret...Redstar merely nodded. Shiverstep brought her gaze back to the floor. 

"...Second," Redstar sighed. "...Did…you manage to get the mother's name?"

"Blavignad." Brackenfreckle's eyes narrowed slightly. "...Why?"

"So we can mark a grave. And conduct the burial ceremony."

"...There's no body to bury."

Redstar's ear flicked. "...When we don't have a body, we bury mementos. Keepsakes, to give to their spirits." She stared at the green bow. "...Was that theirs?"

Brackenfreckle stared at the bow for a while before nodding. Redstar gently removed the green bow. She stared at the three sleeping kits, blissfully unaware of the horrible night they had just experienced.

It was Riversnow who acted first, approaching the basket and looking at the kits with saddened eyes. She blinked, then said with some hesitation, "Windfur?"

The young tom looked up at her. "Yes?"

"...Remember how my milk production struggled to stop?"

"Yes. I gave you parsley for it." Windfur blinked, then seemed fatigued. "Unless."

Riversnow licked her chest fur in embarrassment before looking back at the kits. After an intense moment, she sighed. "Would it be unsafe for them to nurse?"

"No, it shouldn't be." Windfur's eyes softened as he stood up and approached the basket. He looked towards Brackenfreckle sympathetically, then grabbed the basket gently. "I'll look over them for any injuries or health issues."

Daffodilkit looked up to her mother curiously, padding after her. "Are we helping the babies?" she mewed.

"But why do you have to do it? You're our mom, where's - " Owlkit's yowling was cut short by Riversnow giving her a terse stare, her paw raised as if she was going to tap her rump. Owlkit swallowed back the rest of her sentence. Riversnow scowled.

"We help because it's right, Owlkit. I don't want one more complaint out of you. Understood?"

"Sorry," Owlkit mumbled, staring at the floor. Her grey eyes still showed frustration.

Barleywave watched quietly as Riversnow and her kits retreated into the shadow of the nursery. There was an unmistakable look of admiration in his eyes. It faded into longing affection. He blinked slowly, then nudged Cloudthunder quietly before standing.

"...Hey. We should prepare the funerary meal."

Cloudthunder stood up, agreeing solemnly. "I'll help start the fire," she said.

"...Can we help?" Airkit piped up from beside her. His sisters looked up at Cloudthunder hopefully.

Their mother gave them gentle licks on the foreheads, her orange eyes filled with a quiet pride. "Okay. But you have to listen. Alright? We're honoring a brave cat."

Redstar watched and listened as her Clanmates rallied to honor Blavignad and care for the new kits. Only Redstar, Shiverstep and Brackenfreckle remained at the center of camp, their minds elsewhere. Riftpaw tried to coax his sister into joining him. Brackenfreckle just shook her head and gave him empty platitudes that she'd help with the funeral in a bit. Riftpaw wasn't convinced. But he just batted at her ear playfully and told her to take care of herself, before giving her space.

Redstar closed her eyes and felt guilt seep through her.

She knew that outsiders were at risk in the woods. She knew that she couldn't possibly protect them all. She had a duty to her Clan, not to every cat to ever live. Perhaps if she were a leader from ForestClan's past, she would tell herself that at least, her Clanmates were safe for a few more moons, with the woods being fed.

But she wasn't one of those leaders. And the thought that an innocent life was taken when it could have been one of hers, angered her. She felt her jaw tighten around the green bow she had removed from the basket. She closed her eyes as she allowed the scent of the cat who owned it to fill her senses.

Redstar put down the bow, and pressed her nose against it in silent reverence, her thoughts swarming.

I'm sorry. If the woods had taken me sooner…I don't know if they would've left you alone. But maybe they would have. Maybe you'd still be here. I'm sorry.

It was a long, grueling night before the Clan finally found themselves in their dens. Redstar sat down in hers, staring at the wall, her thoughts swarming in melancholy.

Her ear twitched as she heard pawsteps entering her den. Shiverstep entered without permission, her steps quiet and lost in thought.

Redstar blinked slowly at her, remembering the cat's words from before. "You needed to speak to me?"

"...Yes," Shiverstep sat down, her tail covering her paws. She swallowed, took a deep breath, then began. "...Blavignad…she…she could've lived. She could've ran, if her paw wasn't sprained."

Redstar blinked. "...And?"

Shiverstep stared blankly ahead, her blue eyes were swarms of thought. The muscles around her throat tightened, and she was debating with herself internally on what to say. Redstar was reminded of the tiny, frail kit that she and Iciclepool found, abandoned in a bush, and the only thing she could think of now is how much the poor thing had experienced in such a short amount of time.

…She promised. She promised that she wouldn't let her Clan suffer like this.

"...You have experienced much pain in your young age, Shiverstep." Redstar meowed. "I am sorry that you are burdened with it. Please. If it is within my power, let me lift it."

Shiverstep's eyes widened, and for a moment, Redstar felt like her words may have breached the young molly's numbness. She suppressed a sob, closing her eyes and wiping her eyes.

Redstar waited patiently, and after a time that felt like a heartbeat or a thousand seasons, Redstar learned about what happened. Shiverstep told her about Endless. About how she had been injured by something in leafbare, and refused help unless she was kept a secret. How Brackenfreckle wanted to help Blavignad, and bring her borage to help her kits. How Endless and Blavignad confronted each other, and how Endless ran off with an ominous warning. Shiverstep struggled to explain the remainder. She said she was stalked by a Woodcrawler, and stared it down to try and escape it - which surprised Redstar. She felt like something was off - Shiverstep couldn't explain what the Woodcrawler face actually looked like, despite staring it down. She said it was covered in red roots - perhaps different from the rest, somehow. How Blavignad and Brackenfreckle tried to make it up the incline ahead of Shiverstep. How another Woodcrawler disguised as a dead bush leapt out at them. How Blavignad shoved Brackenfreckle aside, saving her life, before being dragged off into the dark.

She said that Brackenfreckle would corroborate the story.

Redstar closed her eyes, feeling bile rise in her throat.

The Woodcrawlers were intelligent. She knew this. They were not like Twolegs, or like cats. But they still brought their catches to their underground nests, and grew their kin.

It was rare that they needed to hunt in groups. But they could.

She thanked Shiverstep for her honesty. She told her to rest, and to take a break from duties tomorrow. Brackenfreckle should do the same.

…She would have to think about what to do about Endless, if anything at all.

She prayed to StarClan that night. Hoping, pleading, that they would grant her the wisdom and strength to protect her Clan.

---

...ForestClan has three new kits in its camp, such as it is. Brackenfreckle wearily gives them names. She doesn't know what to think anymore.

(Brackenfrecke, medicine cat, female, 13 moons. Grumpy.) (Blackkit, kitten, female, 0 moons. Shy.) (Nectarkit, kitten, female, 0 moons. Sweet.) (Shadekit, kitten, male, 0 moons. Unruly.) (Blavignad, ghost resident, female. Shameless.) ---

[FINAL INTERACTION RESULTS]

PATH CHOSEN: BRAVERY [+ 10 RESPECT]

YOUR WORDS BROKE THROUGH TO SHIVERSTEP. SHE TRUSTS THAT WHEN SHE GENUINELY NEEDS HELP, YOU WILL ANSWER. [+ 5 TRUST, +5 LIKE.]

Then she promptly told Redstar that she was a healer, had been since she was young, and she wasn't going to take a no for an answer. Redstar opened her mouth to say something - but Brackenfreckle walked away and inspected Riftpaw's brace.

If it weren't for Windfur pulling Redstar aside and saying something to her calmly, Shiverstep felt like Redstar would have dragged Brackenfreckle out of the den like a kit by the scruff. Keyword being "try", as she wasn't sure if Brackenfreckle would've allowed it.

By all means, she was surprisingly competent. There were some gaps in her knowledge - namely ointments for minor burns and casts for broken bones. She was unafraid of asking questions about herbs she didn't recognize, and only needed to be told once what something did. She was a very helpful presence when it came to helping her and Windfur.

On the other hand, she was closed off from everyone who wasn't a patient. She would eat away from everyone and respond to conversation attempts with one-word answers and grunts, only making polite conversation when being actively glared at by Riftpaw. And despite being warned against going on solo patrols without letting anyone know, she often vanished and reappeared within an hour or two, stressing many clanmates. She would always tense and respond defensively that it wasn't their business, and she was allowed to her privacy.

"She's just worried about me, and scared…don't tell her I said that," Riftpaw told Shiverstep once.

Shiverstep let this information sink. Tree, Riversnow and Olive had incorporated into ForestClan without much trouble - she couldn't imagine what it would be like for someone who was scared of the Clan to participate in it. Maybe there was something she could do to make her feel more at home?

"Is there anything she likes?" Shiverstep asked.

"Sunsets," Riftpaw said without hesitation. "And quiet walks. She likes company - though she won't admit it."

So that's what she did. With permission from Redstar - she asked if she could go on a late afternoon walk with Brackenfreckle. She would be back before the sun completely set. Redstar agreed - although not without some reluctance and worry, as she always was with her Clanmates.

Brackenfreckle was suspicious at first. Shiverstep explained it away as needing an extra set of hands to collect plantain. She offered her a small herb pouch to call her own, as a gift. She grabbed a small basket to carry her own herbs, and said that it shouldn't take too long. Brackenfreckle looked out into the woods, her eyes glazed over with unknown feeling. To her relief, Brackenfreckle accepted.

Shiverstep DID want Brackenfreckle to feel comfortable. Really, she did.

But Brackenfreckle also spent time with Endless. And she wanted to know about it.

Realistically, Shiverstep shouldn't be so fixated on that. And she likely wouldn't be, if it weren't for the pull she felt at the back of her mind when she looked into Endless' eyes, back in leafbare.

The only shared experience between her and Endless, was Rootgrove.

If Endless had the same ability she had - somehow able to hear messages from beyond - then maybe, just maybe, she wasn't alone in this world. Rootgrove said that she's the only one who could speak to him - but what if Endless simply hadn't tried before? Maybe someone else could experience trances like her, or hear kind voices. Someone else could help her save Rootgrove.

And she needed to know where she could find Endless for that.

So here she was, really hoping that she could befriend Brackenfreckle, and maybe discover where Endless was staying.

It could be going better.

Brackenfreckle had no interest in making small talk. Shiverstep tried, she really did, but the dark grey molly seemed distracted and more interested in stuffing other herbs in her new pouch. 

Shiverstep tried again. "So…um…did you have a safe place to go to? Before you met us."

Brackenfreckle's tail swayed. "Yep."

"...That's, um, good to know. Was it near the Twoleg nests?"

"Kinda. Not really."

Shiverstep's ear twitched, signaling her to continue, but Brackenfreckle remained stone-faced. Shiverstep winced, avoiding her gaze. "Do you…miss it?"

Brackenfreckle's ears folded. "Why would I?"

"I mean…if there were other cats…"

"There weren't."

"...Didn't you live with Riftpaw somewhere before…?"

"I did. I'm not sharing."

Brackenfreckle's tone was final. Shiverstep looked away and said nothing more.

They trailed off into quiet silence as they made their way towards the plantain patch. They patrolled to the edges of the territory, until they bordered at the start of the steep hill that caved down into the vast lake below. The sun had begun to set behind the mountain across the lake, bathing a pale shadow over its pointed edge. Shiverstep couldn't help but stop, and admire the pink clouds and orange light that bathed the horizon.

Brackenfreckle joined Shiverstep in silent admiration of the view. Shiverstep sat down, remembering what Riftpaw told her, and did her best to resist conversation. She accepted that she would have to ask about Endless some other time.

As the sun was setting lower, Shiverstep shifted on her paws. They couldn't stay out for much longer. "Redstar would want us back before nightfall."

"Yeah…fine," Brackenfreckle mumbled. "I've got something I have to do first though. You go on ahead."

Shiverstep bristled and looked at her in surprise. But…she couldn't stay out in the woods past nightfall! A sense of dread seeped through her as she remembered Rootgrove's empty eyes in the darkness. "It's…it's not safe alone," she mewed.

"It's fine," Brackenfreckle insisted as she started padding down the inclined terrain.

"But - "

"I'm just going to make dirt, calm down."

"O-Okay, then I'll wait nearby. Go behind some oak tree."

Brackenfreckle's tail flicked in annoyance. "I want privacy, thanks. I'll be fine, just make your way back."

There was something in Bracken's voice that edged with anxiety. Shiverstep's own tail twitched. She wasn't going to accuse her, but any cat who knew of the dangers of the woods would understand how dangerous it was to go alone. She stood to her paws and grabbed the small basket she had brought with her. She gave her a pleading look.

"I can't. There's…things in the woods."

"I've been alone out here before. Stop worrying," Brackenfreckle retorted as she continued down the path at a faster pace.

"No, Brackenfreckle," Shiverstep insisted as she padded behind her quickly. "I can't."

Brackenfreckle bristled as her pace quickened down the slope until the landscape leveled out. She jumped into the undergrowth.

"Wait!" Shiverstep protested, following behind her.

"For the love of - " Brackenfreckle turned around and hissed at Shiverstep, causing the latter to startle. Shiverstep's blue eyes widened as Brackenfreckle seemed to have abrupt hostility glazed into her eyes. "I need you to leave me alone, cultist," she hissed.

"Brackenfreckle, I know you're struggling to adapt to Clan life, and I know it's hard to understand, but…the undergrowth is dangerous. Especially with limited light." Shiverstep failed to suppress the memory of the Woodcrawler she encountered as an apprentice; perfectly camouflaged among the bare shrubs. "...They look too much like branches. I want…I want to make sure you're safe. So that Riftpaw - "

"Yeah, I get it, you're scared I'll die. I've been getting by just fine for months, and I don't have to be constantly monitored for everything I do. Please just go away for ten minutes and I swear I'll be back. It's not like I want to abandon my brother," Brackenfreckle hissed.

Despite her aggressive tone, Shiverstep had the feeling that something was wrong. There was something she wasn't telling her. She looked at the molly, then glanced at the herb pouch that was around her neck.

She noticed borage sticking out of the seams.

A possibility occurred to her. Shiverstep felt an uncomfortable pang in her chest.

…How many outsiders were there around the outskirts of ForestClan territory?

She really didn't want to do this. She was already feeling bad about it. But…

"Could you leave your herbs with me, then? I'll start sorting them."

Brackenfreckle froze. Her bronze eyes burned intensely. The silence went on for too long. "...You can sort them when we get back."

"You told me you needed ten minutes. I can sort them now."

"For fuck - " Brackenfreckle growled and paced around in a circle in anger. She gave Shiverstep a hostile look. "Listen, cultist, I'm a shit liar, but I'm not stupid. I saw you looking at the borage. Maybe you don't give a shit about people who live outside of your walls - "

"Bracken, does someone need help?" Shiverstep interrupted. She stood to her feet, her heart racing. She was trying to help someone. That's why she kept vanishing for random solo patrols without telling anyone! "I don't have to know their name, or where they came from, but if someone is hurt or needs help and you haven't been telling us - "

"She doesn't want attention brought to her, she's trying to leave as soon as possible, and you guys don't care about outsiders anyway. Why would I ever tell you?" Brackenfreckle retorted, her eyes narrowing. 

Shiverstep stared at her. For a moment, she saw a desperate pleading in her eyes. It vanished as soon as it appeared, and she wondered if she imagined it. Shiverstep swallowed. She looked at the sky, seeing the sunset fading with every moment.

"I…I want to tell you that it's not true, we do care what happens to outsiders," she said, her voice small. "But if someone really needs help, we don't have time to argue, right? I'll stay at a distance. I don't have to see what she looks like, if she doesn't want me to. But I can't in good conscience leave you alone, this close to nightfall."

Brackenfreckle scowled, but as she followed Shiverstep's gaze towards the sky, she shared an understanding.

"...Fine. But you can't tell anyone, alright? Not Redstar, not Windfur, no one. She's not joining your Clan. Alright?"

Shiverstep nodded quickly. She didn't have a choice, if she wanted Brackenfreckle to be safe. The dark gray cat grunted once before stalking through the ferns. She followed closely behind, relieved.

The two shuffled their way through the undergrowth quickly and silently. Shiverstep winced as branches pelted her sides from Brackenfreckle carving her own path in the ferns. She narrowed her eyes to prevent them from poking her in the face. She had never been this close to the lake before. The smell of water invaded her nostrils.

She was so focused on it that she collided with Brackenfreckle.

"Ooof - sorry - "

Brackenfreckle interrupted her tersely. "Get down."

Shiverstep complied. She was about to question the former loner, but the words left when Brackenfreckle crouched. Her eyes wavered, locking on something outside of the undergrowth in front of her.

Shiverstep's fur bristled as she picked up the milky scent of a queen…and someone else. Voices suddenly rushed into her ears, speaking hotly.

That voice...Shiverstep knew that voice.

(Blavignad, loner, female, 51 moons. Shameless.) (Endless, rogue, female, 51 moons. Sneaky.)

---

"Endless?" Shiverstep failed to suppress her gasp. Brackenfreckle whipped her head back, her face screwing up in bewilderment.

"How do you - "

"Shh," Shiverstep hissed before carefully crawling over beside Brackenfreckle. The two cats peered from underneath the layered leaves, seeing the shapes of two cats facing each other in a clearing.

"I appreciate the offer, but I ain't interested," the queen replied. She was long-haired and a reddish brown color. A ripped up, dirty green bow was wrapped around her neck. Her blue eyes were sharp.

The other was Endless. Shiverstep felt her blood turn cold. The side of her face had scarred over poorly. Her ear was shredded like torn leaves, and a long scar traced down her neck and shoulder, black and scabbed. The eye on her injured side was narrowed, half-closed.

Endless' tail waved once before she continued. "No, no, no. I don't think you understand," she hissed. "There are things in the woods. They feed on everything. There's a Clan nearby that feeds other cats to the beasts. I can't let you take that risk."

The queen's ears folded back, and Brackenfreckle tensed. She hissed under her breath, barely audible. "Don't do it Blavignad, please don't."

"Ya know fuckin' what, Endie?"

Brackenfreckle winced.

"You keep mentioning the mangy Clan cats, but you're the only cat who's botherin' me right now. I've heard your pitch, I've seen your crew, and I've seen what you can do. I ain't interested. Bracken wasn't either, by the looks of it," Blavignad retorted. She snorted and turned her back on Endless boldly, approaching a hollow, fallen oak tree.

Endless' pale green eyes flashed with anger as she stepped to approach her. "I have my doubts that she left willingly. I found her scent near that Clan border," Endless hissed. Shiverstep's heart sank at Endless' familiar vitriol. She felt Brackenfreckle's fur bristling beside her. Endless' continued, her voice strained. "You don't understand, Blav. I'm trying to protect you. Your kits. That Clan - they commune with the giant spiders. The woods have a taste for the young and the weak. If you don't find protection, you will lose everything. This is not a threat. This is a reality. I can give you the protection I give to Rex. To Hail. To Stone."

"Endie, just pipe down, alright?" Blavignad hissed. "I'm an outsider to all of y'all - never been part of a colony, or clowder, or whatever ya call them. I come from housefolk, lived by them most of my life. Got lost one day, and my attempts to get home lead me here. I don't wanna join a clowder, I wanna to find my housefolk. So again, I ain't interested."

Shiverstep's ear twitched as she picked up on something faint - a high-pitched mew coming from the oak hollow. Her eyes widened. Oh no. There were kits out here.

"And I am telling you that as long as you are out here, you are in danger," Endless seethed, her fear broiled into anger. "You would throw away your kits out of pride?"

Blavignad bristled. She slowly backed towards the entrance of the hollow. Her claws threatened to unsheath. "Leave my kits outta this."

"You are choosing to ignore the world around you. I will not…I cannot hold it away. I cannot protect you. Protect them. Out here." Endless' voice had progressively trailed off from being grounded. The molly's eyes glazed over. She took a step forward. "The corruption grows. This is its home. Its domain. Gorging on the sacrifices. I cannot bring it to heel. Not here. But there. It stops. It knows. There is…there…"

Blavignad took another step back, more warily this time. "Get back," she meowed.

Endless' eyes were still distant. After a long, uncomfortable silence, she pleaded, "Don't do this. Return with me."

Shiverstep felt the air around them turn cold. From the corner of her eye, Brackenfreckle was unmoving, her gaze frozen on the two cats.

Blavignad's expression was unchanged. She scanned the brown tabby. Then, her blue gaze hardened. "No."

Mewling kits filled the silence. Shiverstep glanced at Brackenfreckle, hoping for a sign. But the dark gray cat met her gaze and shook her head imperceptibly. Shiverstep suppressed the urge to scrape the dirt beneath her paws.

Then, Endless' left eye twitched. Her whole body shivered, as though seized by a cold wind. She began pacing in circles and ranting under her breath, her eyes wide and her teeth bared. Shiverstep recoiled, her ears flattened at the back of her head. She strained, and failed, to understand her words.

Blavignad did not react. She maintained her eye contact with the rogue. Endless' muttering grew louder; more coherent.

"...You cannot, I WILLED it, you will have your fill, it's not this one, not this one," her muttering got quieter and quieter. Blavignad lost her patience, as she finally hissed and gave a warning swipe. Endless caterwauled in response, overreacting to the swipe with an arched back, bristling on end and snarling teeth.

"Get back, Endie," Blavignad snarled. Her tail thrashed with annoyance. "The goodwill ya had is gone. Fuck off."

Endless snapped. She leapt at the queen and pinned her to the floor, her face twisted with wrath. She sunk her teeth into Blavignad's front leg and thrashed her head like a dog. The queen caterwauled in terror as she writhed to retaliate. Endless only bit down harder and raked her claws across her victim's pelt.

Brackenfreckle yowled, finally leaping out of the bushes with outstretched claws.

Endless' gaze whipped towards the undergrowth. Before Brackenfreckle could reach her, Blavignad scratched at Endless' underside with her hind legs. Endless hissed and released her leg, dragging a chunk of fur with her. She barely missed Brackenfreckle's claws. She spat the fur on the floor, her eyes wild with foreign anger. "You. You're here?"

"L-Let her go," Brackenfreckle stammered. Her tail was bristling. "Please, let her go, Endless!"

Kits mewled in distress. Blavignad hissed in pain as she scrambled to her feet, keeping her injured leg off the ground. Shiverstep couldn't take it anymore and stood from her hiding place, shadowing Brackenfreckle's advance. Endless attacked a nursing mother, right when she was trying to convince her to stay safe. This was not normal. She was not sound of mind. Shiverstep wanted to talk to Endless - but…it couldn't be like this.

"Endless. This isn't normal. You're not…we are not your enemy."

Endless' eyes met hers.

Shiverstep continued, forcing her voice to steady. "Please leave."

She didn't expect Endless' snarl to morph from rage into exasperated laughter, then grief.

"Of course, of course they were insistent. Of course." Endless' torn face twisted back towards a struggling Blavignad, causing her to freeze. A look of pity swept over her face as she said, "You have to run. Away from these ones. Your only hope."

Before Blavignad could spit anything else, Endless climbed into the nearest tree…and leapt from branch to branch, away from the clearing.

"God-damned lunatic," Blavignad spat as she started licking her wound. She hissed as she looked more closely at the injury. "She sprained my paw. Damn it."

"Blavi," Brackenfreckle quickly darted to her side and started looking at the wound. Brackenfreckle's distant demeanor vanished, replaced with anxiety. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry about the Clan cat too, she's harmless, I promise you - "

Shiverstep felt a pang in her chest. Confusion, hurt and sadness overwhelmed her all at once. Why did Brackenfreckle talk about her like that? Was the fact that she was a Clan cat really a source of fear to others? Was the leader before Redstar truly so bloodthirsty that its impact was felt even by outsiders? Tree wasn't afraid of her. Olive wasn't afraid of her. Riversnow was wary, but she had warmed up to the Clan significantly.

Why did Endless speak of ForestClan like they were monsters? She helped her. She just…

Her parting words left a lingering dread.

"Of course they were insistent. Of course."

Shiverstep felt…wrong.

She slowly padded away from the two, standing where Endless once stood. She stared into the treeline that Endless disappeared in. She had run in the direction of the Twoleg cabins.

She said she was…protecting cats. She insisted this was what she was doing. And yet…

The medicine cat didn't know what compelled her to do what she did next. There was no sign. No smell. No sound. The conversation between Brackenfreckle and Blavignad had faded into the muffled background of her mind. She felt her heart thundering in her chest. Something in her whispered quietly for her to look to her right. Towards the lake.

So she did.

She stared into the treeline. The sunset bathed the trunks of long birches and oaks with orange light. The lake was barely visible, only given away by the reflections off the water.

And…

They had to leave. They had to leave NOW.

Her mind screamed at her to run. As the outline of the wretched skull and jagged teeth bore through the world, Shiverstep lost all memory of the cat trapped within. All she could remember were the twisting roots, the widened grins, the empty, black eyes, the voice that groaned and echoed so deeply within, that it felt like it tore the cords from something living in its stomach.

She couldn't move.

"Hey, Shiverstep." Brackenfreckle approached her, looking frustrated. "I'm helping to move Blavignad's nest, come help." Upon seeing the look of dread on the cat's face, Brackenfreckle warily stared out into the treeline. When she finally caught it, her fur bristled and her lips curled into a snarl. "What is that?"

Shiverstep's teeth chattered. The dying sunset was warm. She was so cold.

"Shiver?" Brackenfreckle's voice betrayed her. "Shiver, what is that?"

"Hey, is something wrong with her too?" Blavignad said a bit too loudly for Shiverstep's comfort, causing her to hiss involuntarily.

Brackenfreckle was the one to raise her tail towards Blavignad, then said in hushed tones, "There's something out there."

The tone Brackenfreckle used must've frightened the queen. She bristled, then quickly picked up a black kit in her mouth. Brackenfreckle glanced at her, then tilted her head towards the undergrowth - indicating to the basket of herbs Shiverstep had brought with them. Brackenfreckle mouthed quickly, "Put them in there. Quiet."

Shiverstep felt her heart thundering in terror. Rootgrove was still. Too still. How long had he been there?

As her eyes were locked on the shadow of death, her heart thundered. Breathe. Breathe. She had to breathe. She tried to remember the night she protected Riversnow's kits. She tried to speak certainties. Shiverstep. Her name was Shiver…

You will die.

Nothing was louder than the fear.

In the hurricane of memories, one sound gently tapped at her mind. Past the horrific visage of the roots, the reverberating mockery of life, the skull, she remembered the sound of the Silver Box.

…Help. Please.

She's scared. She knows she needs to be brave, but without StarClan, without the Half-Moon Dome, she feels so scared.

Can you hear her?

She feels her mind turning numb.

Please. She's begging you.

She calls

to

you...