Branchsnarl and Airswift argue over nesting space in the warrior's den. Cloudthunder is frustrated when she has to break them up. Airswift scoffs and storms off.
Morningspot teaches Owlpaw battle moves. Owlpaw focuses intensely on this, excelling in the lesson. Morningspot praises her during sparring. The excess effort releases enough of Owlpaw's stress for her to no longer feel helpless. Owlpaw is no longer Afflicted.
Redstar takes Cottonpaw and Deerpaw out training, and brings Barleywave with them. Redstar teaches the apprentices the new procedure of how to handle Nature's Mockeries.
Things had moved quickly while Redstar was sick with whitecough. It had only been two moons since the Gardener attack, but already ForestClan was shifting in a new direction. Redstar was somewhat grateful that she managed to iron out new lockdown and out-of-camp procedures before she became too sick to think straight. Now, with a clearer head, she could really observe the results.
The slick, green Twoleg linen that Lucifer had gifted them was waterproof - to the Clan's excitement. There was a bit of bickering about where it could best be used, before settling on using it to shield the cooking fire and drying racks, to keep the area free of snow in the coming leaf-bare.
Barleywave led the charge in helping with wall repairs over the past two moons - they only had to fully replace one full tree trunk in the end. Other pieces of the wall were being repaired by cutting away broken sections, and flattening out logs to stack on top of each other; securing them with twine and pine sap. It was an all-day affair to drag and erect a suitable replacement for the completely obliterated section. She remembered hovering around anxiously as it was being dragged with rope, group effort, and careful guidance. She would've assisted, if it weren't for literally everyone telling her to go away before she spread whitecough to them. But still - they succeeded, and the wall was replaced, even if a few sections were uneven.
Cottonpaw's idea for a bunker closer to the ground was well received - and it was decided to be made closer to the medicine den. It would need to be built in newleaf, since the snow would get in the way of hollowing out the space. Still - Redstar's heart warmed when she saw a pile of design concepts etched in birch bark laying next to Cottonpaw's bedding.
Torch bearings were erected near the gate doors. Repairing the broken pulley for the gate took a few weeks - until then, cats mostly weaved through the gap made by the loose door. She was grateful that Branchsnarl, Olive and Perchwatcher had managed to find an oak log suited to replacing the pulley; with enough carving and wearing down. It was a good beginner lesson for Blackpaw and Shadepaw in camp-keeping. A shame Shadepaw caught yellowcough after all that - he seemed enthused.
So much more had changed that caused Redstar's head to spin. She learned that Olive was learning some proper sparring techniques with Barleywave - pushed by the new rule of needing to learn combat with fire. Owlpaw was still distant, but Redstar learned that Owlpaw taught herself how to craft frames with twine and sticks as meditation, and Daffodilpaw started putting them together. The sisters created in silence with no expectations - and now, a cube, a pyramid and a ball-like toy were strewn about the entrance of the nursery, with Iciclepool and Hopechase's kits batting at them. Cats were going over how to deal with Woodcrawlers and Fake Cats if they were encountered in the woods. The only true roadblock was the red, fleshlike Woodcrawler that Shiverstep spoke of - and that Brackenfreckle confirmed the existence of. The only method of defense they knew was backing away from it slowly - but even then, the two mollies weren't sure of anything beyond that. Fire would be their weapon against it until they knew more.
Redstar decided today to teach the procedure against Nature's Mockery.
She gathered Cottonpaw, and Deerpaw, and had Barleywave join. After all, he was the one who found one growing in a small clearing devoid of shrubs or wilted overgrowth. They needed to handle it soon, before the first snowfall came and buried half of it.
"Cottonpaw, watch where you're turning here. Shrub branches," Barleywave meowed.
"Yeah, I know, I'm careful," Cottonpaw replied. Redstar suppressed a scowl. She twitched her ear.
"You're carrying our flame. He's right to warn you," she said.
"Well yeah, I know, but I think you guys underestimate how sturdy these containers are! What did Lucifer call them, jars?" Cottonpaw asked as she glanced down at the transparent, Twoleg container that was strapped to a leather harness at her side. In the container was a pile of hot cinders, cushioned by a thin mouse pelt at the bottom. A golden lid with many small holes allowed strands of smoke to escape. Her hazel eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "Perchwatcher's brilliant! She came up with the idea to use these to - "
"It doesn't matter, Cottonpaw, those things still can break! Remember the one mom dropped?" Deerpaw interjected, her tail flicking. "The pierces were sharp! We have to be careful anyway."
Cottonpaw's fur bristled as she carefully moved around the shrubs. "I know that! I'm just saying that - "
"Hey." Redstar interjected firmly. The two littermates fell silent. Redstar's ear swiveled, keeping her voice leveled. "You are in the woods. Our opponents are ambush predators. Be alert and aware."
Barleywave, who was leading the front, flicked his tail once in agreement. "It's worth keeping an ear out."
Cottonpaw and Deerpaw were silent for the remainder of the patrol.
Finally, after a few minutes, Barleywave stopped before the start of a clearing, sloped down in a path of tree roots and scattered stones. He beckoned Redstar with his tail quietly. The leader padded beside him and scanned the scene before her. The ground was cold and dry with wilted nettles and blackened leaves, seasonal weeds and plants had wilted and died out in the leafbare chill. In the shadows of the spruce trees, Redstar spotted it. It could've been mistaken for the burned remains of a Twoleg fire from afar - laying in a triangular shape. But ForestClan knew better.
Cottonpaw and Deerpaw slowly crept beside the two warriors, spotting the Nature's Mockery nestled near a set of trees below. Deerpaw cautiously raised her nose and tasted the air.
"The wind is blowing the opposite direction," she noted.
Redstar nodded. "Yes. Otherwise, you likely would smell something by now, though faint." Redstar cautiously took a few pawsteps forward. "We should be safe - stay two foxlengths away from it."
Cottonpaw and Deerpaw obeyed as they shuffled their way down, careful not to drag any nettles or stones with them. Barleywave staggered forward more confidently, removing a long, makeshift torch from the harness he strapped on his back.
"Barley," Redstar hissed in warning.
"This one's already hatched, Redstar," he pointed out.
"Yes, I know that, but we're teaching a procedure. At least treat it like one."
Barleywave mumbled something, his ears flattening. He sat down opposite of Redstar, as Cottonpaw and Deerpaw sat side by side, staring at the Nature's Mockery apprehensively. Cottonpaw twitched and started withdrawing the glass jar from her pouch with her mouth.
"So. Brief refresher - Cottonpaw, give us a description of the Nature's Mockery," Redstar asked. Cottonpaw let out a grunt as she pulled out the jar.
"A' a'ure's 'ockery ish - ack, 'old on," Cottonpaw slowly placed the jar on the ground, then licked her teeth and let out a quick yawn. "Sorry! Nature's Mockery are plants created by Deep Root entities. They tend to just appear overnight, so we're not sure how they make them. They look like that," she said as she pointed towards it. Her attempt at levity brought a smirk to Barleywave, but Deerpaw and Redstar seemed unamused. Cottonpaw cleared her throat awkwardly. "Er…but they can be brown or more reddish too."
"Good," Redstar nodded. "Deerpaw, tell me what it does."
Deerpaw straightened. "If you touch one, you're likely to experience horrible symptoms. The most common are hallucinations and paralysis. Stay in contact too long and your cuts stop healing and bones can fracture."
"And she's right," Barleywave interjected. "But it's the, uh…polite way of putting it. You're almost of warrior age now, it's fine to be blunt about it." Barleywave winced as he continued. "The, uh…official symptoms for prolonged contact are body disfigurement and flesh decay."
Cottonpaw and Deerpaw both bristled. Deerpaw recovered, her fur flattening quickly. Cottonpaw a little less so - her hazel eyes intently focused on the splitting effigy before them.
"You've been advised that red or brown Mockeries are to be avoided. Correct?" Redstar asked. Both apprentices nodded.
"Then today, I'm showing you how to destroy one, per our new procedure."
Cottonpaw raised a paw, then spoke without waiting for an answer. "Was Airswift shown this before he graduated?"
Redstar frowned at her apprentice. Cottonpaw blinked, somewhat regretful, but still kept her gaze. Redstar knew that Cottonpaw and Deerpaw weren't pleased that their brother became a warrior before them, but she had good reasons for it. Namely, Airswift was incredible at taking directions and listening to older warriors. He was volunteering to join patrols of his own accord, and performed apprentice tasks like cleaning out bedding and kit-care without complaint. He had shown considerable maturity during his apprenticehood - and she had no reason to doubt that Airswift would learn this procedure alongside the younger warriors tomorrow.
"I plan to have him join Branchsnarl and Perchwatcher tomorrow for an outing. They will also need to learn this. It's a new procedure entirely."
Cottonpaw's ear flicked. She placed her paw back down and stared at the jar before her. "Okay. So, how do we start?"
"Step one: big stick," Barleywave piped up, picking the stick back up. "Step two, light stick on fire. Step three, set mousedunged plant on fire."
Redstar glared at Barleywave with exasperation. "No, not quite."
"I mean, that is the long and short of it," the tom insisted.
"Barley, you were at the meeting."
"I know! I know, I'm teasing," Barleywave said defensively. Redstar rolled her eyes, deciding she'd lead the lesson. She approached him, and Barleywave decided to surrender the floor to her and gave her the stick. Redstar turned towards the Nature's Mockery.
For a moment, she observed it intensely. Its form told a story of tangling vines reaching and circling towards the sky, until their own weight caused them to bend and fall into one another. Stems would split and reach towards a perch - another tree, their own bodies, whatever it took - and thick, flesh-like membranes would fill the gaps left behind by the engulfing roots. A horrible mimicry of a protective shield - an egg, a womb, a den.
There was a final feeling of anger and determination that filled her chest. Then, she began.
"First - determine the life stage of the Mockery. This is important." Redstar turned to glance at her apprentice as she said this. "Do not skip this stage. Red or brown Mockeries are fresh, and likely to inflict more harmful symptoms. They are more likely to have roots that extend further out from their base - meaning that you can step on one without realizing it. Watch your step and ensure you have a clear, stable path to both approach and leave as fast as possible."
Deerpaw and Cottonpaw glanced around at their feet, then the Nature's Mockery. Deerpaw's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the plant's exterior.
"This one's black. Is it dead?"
"Correct. This is a dead or dying Mockery. It is the safest variant, but you can still be afflicted by mild symptoms if you touch it."
Cottonpaw flicked her ear and got to her feet. "Okay. Which one is more dangerous - a red or brown one?"
Barleywave shrugged and responded. "We don't make it a habit to test that, so we don't know. We assume the red one is more dangerous, since it's still growing - but both are hazardous."
"Regardless," Redstar interjected, "Stay alert at all times. For the second step of the procedure - carefully light the torch with the cinders brought. Do not do this alone. For the sake of demonstration, I'll be burning this Mockery today - we'll practice technique on a dummy near camp."
Cottonpaw seemed to brighten with recognition, her tail flicking "Oh yeah! Perchwatcher was working on that," she said.
Deerpaw rolled her eyes. "You were also distracting her a lot." Deerpaw immediately regretted it as Redstar whipped her gaze on her. Barleywave waved his tail in front of Redstar, prompting peace. He gestured his head to Cottonpaw. The apprentice just made a face and shrugged, unbothered. The calico suppressed a sigh.
"Open the jar, please."
Cottonpaw held it down with her paws and gnawed it slightly to force the lid to turn. When it loosened, she batted at it with one of her paws until it came off. She held it out and watched Redstar expectantly.
"Hold it in place," Redstar ordered. Cottonpaw obeyed, and Redstar tilted the torch into the cinders. After a few moments, smoke emitted from the torch, rising upward.
"Now tilt the jar slightly, so I can remove the torch without extinguishing the flame." Cottonpaw obeyed, and Redstar grasped the torch tightly in her jaws before removing it slowly. The moment the torch came into contact with the air, the resin-covered birch bark was set ablaze brightly, causing the two apprentices to recoil in surprise. Barleywave let out a mrrow of amusement.
"You've seen how birch bark burns before. It doesn't make cinders, but it burns bright and fast."
"The pine resin maintains the flame and burns the torch for a while - but not too long. Enough to create cinders to burn the Mockery with," Redstar added. She turned solemnly to the Mockery. "The final steps - approach the Mockery slowly. Do not rush. If the flame goes out - so be it. Your life is more valuable than doing this task quickly. Watch me carefully."
Redstar slowly scanned her feet, taking careful steps forward. She scrutinized the ground for any stray deep roots and foreign things. She could hear Barleywave lightly continuing the lesson - pointing out how the leader looked carefully around her every time, and made sure each of her steps was safe and calculated. Finally, when Redstar came within reach, she held her breath as the Nature's Mockery imposed itself upon her. Like it dared her to take another step.
Redstar paused as she stared at the interior of the Mockery - rotting and collapsing like a destroyed nest. Bits of debris and flesh-like webbing still clung onto the branches.
For a moment, she thought she saw curled branches within its heart, like the corpse of a dead insect. Apprehension surged through her; her body warning her that she was poking a sleeping bear.
She pushed it aside. The Mockery was dead. There was nothing inside.
Redstar slowly extended the torch within the plant's cavity. The flames licked at the black fibres above it, until another flame was born, consuming the webbing like clouds swallow sunlight. Redstar continued to bring the torch to other flammable locations, and eventually, whisps of fire slowly ate away at every strand and tendril. Redstar then slowly withdrew the torch, turned around, and retraced her steps. The apprentice's gazes were focused intensely on the spectacle that the torch had given - there were no flames, or heat. It was like swarms of insects were devouring every inch of the Mockery at lightning speed, leaving red imprints before dissolving into ash.
Redstar dug a small hole in the cold, wet ground, and stabbed the lit torch into it, extinguishing the cinders. "I can do this because it's leafbare, and the ground is wet and frozen. Do not do this in any other season, or you'll risk causing a forest fire. Normally, we'd bring water - to both extinguish the torch, and douse the Mockery once it's finished burning."
And for a while, that was it. The four cats grimly stared as the Nature's Mockery burned away slowly, until one of its structural branches snapped and collapsed. The structure fell apart like firewood, until all that was left was soot-colored debris.
"The point isn't to make every bit of it dead - just destroy its structure. It's…similar to destroying a tree. It won't grow leaves or spit sap if it's a mere stump."
From the look in the apprentices' eyes, Redstar knew they absorbed the lesson.
As the patrol packed up and headed back towards camp, Deerpaw and Barleywave treaded further ahead, with Redstar and Cottonpaw trailing behind.
Cottonpaw spoke. "Hey, Redstar?"
Redstar's ear twitched in response.
"There's something that's been on my mind for a while. I've put it aside for the most part, but…I guess it came back to me today."
Redstar glanced at her apprentice. Cottonpaw stared straight ahead, wordlessly putting one foot in front of the other. The way Cottonpaw began her sentence seemed heavy, which concerned Redstar.
"What is it?"
"I guess seeing the dead Mockery just…had me remembering something is all." Cottonpaw swallowed. "...Fake Cats. I've never seen one. The cats are…dead. Right?"
Redstar flinched, stopping briefly in her tracks before restarting. "Sorry. Yes, they are. We know this with certainty."
"How? If you don't mind me asking." Cottonpaw sounded uncharacteristically timid.
Redstar let out a purr of reassurance. Fake Cats were unnerving as a concept, nevermind a real, existing threat. It was a common fear that Fake Cats were not truly dead - one she was happy to dispel. "First, we know through our connection with StarClan. Clerics would reach out to StarClan to find if a lost cat was among them - and if they were, their Fake would be found after a few days. I've seen it happen myself when I was younger. Second, in the rare occasions that we'd fight and defeat them - Fake Cats were always husks, inhabited by Deep Roots. No eyes, no organs, just puppets." Redstar glanced at Cottonpaw. "Fake Cats are not alive. That much I can promise."
Cottonpaw said nothing.
"...Is there something else bothering you?"
"...What about Fake Twolegs?"
Redstar shook her head. "We don't know enough about them to say. They're far more dangerous than Fake Cats are. We don't go near them." Redstar paused. "...I know you and Deerpaw encountered one last greenleaf."
"Yeah…I guess I just…" Cottonpaw stared at the floor before taking a deep breath. "I dunno. It feels weird to say, but…I hope they're dead too."
"I imagine they would be. Woodcrawlers hunt and eat. It'd be like if we kept mice alive in camp for whatever reason - tedious and disruptive."
This drew a short laugh out of Cottonpaw. "Aw, are we sure we don't want mice eating our jerky?"
"No, we do not," Redstar meowed. A smirk broke on her face, despite herself. But after some time, discomfort nestled in Redstar's chest. A thought occurred to her, and it refused to stay bottled. Reluctantly, she meowed, "Is there a reason why you doubt their deaths?"
Cottonpaw fell silent, her hazel eyes distant. She didn't stop moving, letting the silence hang uncomfortably with every step they took. For a moment, Redstar thought that Cottonpaw was going to pretend she didn't hear her. Unfortunately for Redstar, Cottonpaw had an answer.
"...It chased us, you know. The Fake Twoleg."
Redstar bristled. "You never said it chased you."
"I know. I'm sorry about that." Cottonpaw sounded genuinely remorseful, forcing Redstar to flatten her fur. "At the time, I told myself I didn't want to be in even more trouble than I already was. But…I think I was just scared to acknowledge it. I think Deerpaw was too." Cottonpaw looked up at Deerpaw and Barleywave up ahead, watching them converse like a pair of songbirds. "I didn't want to make anyone overthink things. Especially if we're sure that we're okay, you know?"
There was a long pause. The leafbare breeze picked up. The sun barely gasped through the surface of the grey sky.
"It's just...the Fake Twoleg had eyes, still. That's why I was worried."
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Redstar is finally cured of whitecough, and for once, she decided that her anxiety was due to her being confined and unable to see the fruits of their procedure changes correctly. She was ready to participate in her Clan again, starting with some promotions.
Airpaw has graduated early, after moons of being diligent in his training and passing and early assessment, now named Airswift. He feels proud of himself, although he sees his sisters are somewhat jealous of his early promotion.
Wanting to keep the peace, he pads to up his sisters and says that he's really sorry they're not with him. He points out that Redstar and Riversnow were in the medicine den for a while, and that didn't help their training. Cottonpaw perks up upon realizing that, saying they'll get there eventually and congratulates Airswift, but Deerpaw just stares at her paws.
Blackpaw is apprenticed to Riftgorse, and Shadepaw was apprenticed to Perchwatcher. Both young cats seemed competent and eager to teach, especially Perchwatcher, and Riftgorse's outgoing personality might help Blackpaw feel more confident in herself.
And as for Nectarpaw - the molly hesitantly asked Redstar before the ceremony if she could learn to be a mediator like Olive. Redstar asks Olive, who happily agrees to take her on.
...However, when Redstar, Barleywave and Olive had a chat over fresh kill, Olive made a passing joke about Redstar trying to play matchmaker with her daughter. Barleywave laughed, but Redstar is very confused.
"Very subtle of you, Redstar. I didn't expect you to play matchmaker with my daughter."
Redstar lifted her head up from her meal, looking perplexed. A flicker of defensiveness passed through her until she saw Olive's warmhearted expression.
Barleywave was tending to the stew boiling over the fire, and he let out a mrrow of amusement. "Oh yeah! Good eye on that one, Redstar," he purred.
She paused for a second, before her blue eyes narrowed in confusion. "...What?"
Olive's ear twitched. She looked at her quizzically. "...Wait, was that not on purpose?"
"...I repeat, what?" Redstar emphasized.
Olive blinked back with surprise. "Oh! I'm so sorry. Did you not notice Riftgorse was always offering to join patrols with Perchwatcher? Really, he was always finding some kind of excuse to spend time with her."
Barleywave's whiskers twitched. "I thought you at least would've noticed Perchwatcher saving him chipmunks - he said those were his favorites and she's made sure to catch a few since then."
"...No?" Redstar's face scrunched. "Wait, how am I involved in this again?"
"Well, you gave Shadepaw to Perchwatcher and Blackpaw to Riftgorse. We assumed you did that on purpose," Barleywave replied.
Redstar looked at him blankly, still not understanding. Barleywave gestured vaguely and rambled, "Like, you know! Two apprentices will have to learn things together and all that, so their mentors will have to hang out together at the same time, and all that…"
"That's not what I had in mind at all."
Olive's whiskers twitched in amusement. "A happy accident, then."
Redstar sighed and rolled her eyes. She never understood romance.
---
Iciclepool and Hopechase have been sickeningly lovey-dovey all week, bonding with each other as they stand watch over their children playing.
Shadepaw got yellowcough, before passing it to Tree. Both are confined to the medicine den. Shiverstep offers to help groom a spot that's been bothering Tree, especially since they're sick.
Shiverstep was not feeling well at all for the past few weeks. Physically, she was fine. Mentally, she felt like the universe hollowed out her spirit.
Ever since she last saw Rootgrove at the Half-Moon Dome, she felt like she was just waiting for something bad to happen all the time, and it often did. Her greencough. The Gardener. Riversnow's injury. Her mother's stillborn kit. She didn't know what would happen next, and it made her anxious.
The only cat who seemed to lower her anxiety whenever they spoke, was Tree.
Tree was a kind cat. She was grateful for their presence in her life. Ever since she was an apprentice, Tree enjoyed the company of the medics. They liked coaxing answers to herb-related curiosities out of her and Windfur, and rarely rejected joining an herb-collection patrol. Tree became a regular presence near the medicine den, and Shiverstep enjoyed it. She eventually realized it meant a lot to her. Windfur and Brackenfreckle were reserved cats, and didn't do small talk. Shiverstep didn't realize how isolated she felt while working, and while others were certainly happy to speak to her, she felt like only her mother, and Tree really sought her company.
Tree was always interesting to talk to - they always had a story to share. She loved new stories - and Tree always seemed to have one. It started small, during her time as an apprentice - they gave her brief fables they heard from their own family, and into her adulthood, they delved into more mature or complex subjects. She cherished them all.
She remembered fondly teaching them one of her many nursery rhymes for the uses of honey, and after Tree jokingly butchered the melody and added their own lyrics, the two cats shared a genuine laugh. Tree purred, their whiskers twitching with mirth.
"Thank you for entertaining my constant curiosities, Shiverstep."
"Of course. You're always welcome to talk, Tree," she replied.
"I'm happy to hear it! I presume every medic is tired of my same old stories at this point."
"Oh, no! I enjoy them a lot." Shiverstep's tail raised high. "I always like hearing stories."
"And I'm glad to have a friend willing to listen to them," Tree answered with a purr. Shiverstep's heart swelled and her tail flicked, feeling a surge of excitement. All at once her thoughts were scattered - a friend. Did she have a genuine friend before? She blinked slowly at them, and for the rest of the day, she felt lighter. There was someone in the Clan who genuinely called her a friend - something, maybe, that she was missing.
She cherished her memories with Tree a lot. When Sparrowkit failed to be resuscitated, and those beyond StarClan didn't - maybe couldn't, in retrospect - respond, she held onto simple truths to grant her comfort. Her name was Shiverstep. The sun would rise in the morning. She was alive. And Tree was her friend.
Which is why she couldn't help but feel anxious when Tree caught yellowcough.
They only started showing symptoms shortly after Shadepaw. They couldn't make it five steps out of their den without coughing, prompting Windfur to confine them to the medicine den. Riversnow was relocated back to the warrior's den on strict bed rest, in order to prevent a sickness outbreak.
It wasn't too bad, at first. But both Tree and Shadepaw's symptoms worsened over two days, and it hurt to see them try and force their breathing.
Shiverstep was trying to keep a brave face. She set her clay teapot over a small stove she prepared in the corner of the medicine den. She hoped that hot steam would help relieve the sinuses of her Clanmates - a brew of lungwort and tea leaves would help. At least, she hoped. That's what helped with yellowcough, right?
"Wishing well, wishing well, I have a wish to wish you well, I need an herb, to tame a bug..." she muttered to herself under her breath.
"I need a sign, to cure the lungs?"
Shiverstep startled as she heard Tree rasp this flatly from their sickbed. They gave a slow blink in reassurance.
"Heard it from you before," they said simply. Shiverstep's ears flattened at how haggard they sounded. She felt a pain roil in her chest.
"You should be resting," she meowed.
"I am, though."
"Sleeping, more precisely."
"A bit hard to do that right this second," Tree replied. They turned away quickly before bursting into a brief fit of coughs. Shiverstep's heart tightened with worry.
"Are you okay?"
"Well, as okay as I can be," they answered before tucking their paws beneath them. Tree's tail flicked as they tried forcing air out of their nose. The sound came through restricted and taut. They groaned. "Appreciate your nose while it's working."
"I will. I understand the pain," she answered, remembering her greencough. Greencough affected her throat more than her nose, but it still blocked it for quite some time. With renewed eagerness, she returned to the boiling pot and grabbed a clay bowl. She carefully took a piece of leather cloth and draped it over the handle of the pot before grabbing it by the teeth and gently tilting it into the bowl.
"Making tea?" Tree asked.
"Yes," Shiverstep answered. She glanced at Shadepaw at the back of the den. The apprentice was asleep - a good thing, she thought. He complained for several hours about not being able to sleep without breathing from his nose. Now his mouth hung open, his body having surrendered to exhaustion. "I was going to offer some to Shadepaw, but he's sleeping now. Maybe later." Shiverstep gently put down the pot, and nudged the bowl of tea across the medicine den floor, until it was by Tree's head.
Tree slowly leaned down, but Shiverstep placed a paw on their forehead. "Oh! Be careful, it's very hot right now. The steam should be nice to inhale, though," she said with a small smile. Tree gave a grin in return, one that made Shiverstep's heart swell.
Tree rolled their eyes. "Yes, ma'am," they teased.
"Ma'am? Forgive me for preventing you from burning your tongue," she piped up. Tree let out a brief mrrow of amusement before placing their muzzle near the bowl's edge to breathe the steam. After a few moments, Shiverstep's tail twitched.
"Is there anything else I can do to help you?"
"Well…" Tree started, then stopped, their green eyes pensive. Shiverstep waited eagerly, but they shook their head. "No, nevermind. Not a good plan."
"What is it?" the cleric pressed.
"I think there's a mat next to my right ear, but it's really not a good idea for anyone to get near my face at the moment," Tree replied sheepishly. "I've been trying to find a way to get it out myself."
"I can help!" Shiverstep nearly jumped behind them. Tree recoiled away from her.
"Shiverstep, no, I'm sick. You'll catch this."
"Tree, I'm a cleric. It's my responsibility to help patients, even if it also puts me at risk," she protested.
"Shiver, come on, be reasonable. It's just one mat."
"Tree, do you remember the story of Finchquill?"
"Ah, don't start with that one," Tree groaned.
"But it's a good lesson! Sometimes a small sacrifice can mean the world to another," Shiverstep meowed. She tried to reach down, but Tree swatted her paw away.
"By that logic, I should make sure you're not sick, even if I have this annoying mat," Tree argued.
"Tree, I'm in the medicine den most of the day. Between you and Shadepaw, if I catch it, so be it. We have enough lungwort to last."
Tree hesitated. The tip of their tail tapped against the floor. "...You sure?"
"I'll make it quick, Tree. Promise," Shiverstep offered with a smile. After a few more seconds, Tree sighed, then brought their head back down to the steaming tea.
"Okay. Be careful," they warned.
She didn't need to be told twice. Shiverstep brought her paws near the back of their ear and searched for the mat. When she found it, she began grooming it out, gently passing her tongue across to dislodge the tangled hairs. Little by little, she used a claw to gently cut away the knots.
Tree seemed to relax, closing their eyes and finding brief rest. Shiverstep continued to work, allowing her mind to wander.
Tree was kind to be worried about her. But she wanted Tree to be okay. If this would help, she would do it.
…It was nice. Tree's fur was dense with the smell of pine, earth and river water. A slight tinge of campfire. Shiverstep's ears turned warm. Tree was…was like the memory of the forest around them. Despite the monsters out there, it still stood around them - tall and defiant. Stable. Strong. Even in leafbare, where the forest trees were silent and resting, there was the promise of return in spring. Tree was loyal to other cats. They protected Riversnow from Stone. They protected the camp from tendrils. They saved her from the Woodcrawler…
Shiverstep's thoughts went quiet as she kept working through the mat, until finally, she managed to cut it away completely. She gently pulled the mat out and threw it in their disposal basket. Softly, she said, "All done."
Tree let out a grunt, their eyes narrowed open. "Thanks. I appreciate it a lot, Shiver."
Shiverstep's heart thundered. "You're welcome."
"...So, think I can drink this now?" Tree asked, pointing their nose to the tea.
"Oh! Yes, it should be ready."
Shiverstep sheepishly tended to her herb stocks as she heard Tree gently lapping the tea.
---
Cloudthunder approaches Tree, gifting them with a meal made of their favorite prey. For some reason, Shiverstep feels a pang as Tree seems receptive to Cloud's gift.
After a few more minutes of silence, Shiverstep heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the outside. She assumed it was just Windfur, and kept minding her tasks.
She was surprised when, after the sound of the drying ferns parting, Tree spoke.
"Oh, Cloudthunder!"
Shiverstep veered around to see the pale grey and white warrior that had entered the den. The smell of roasted mouse and stew wafted from a small basket she carried in her mouth. Cloudthunder's copper eyes beamed. "Hi Tree. And you too, Shiverstep," she meowed with a small bow. "It's lunch time!"
"Oh, is it?" Shiverstep chirped, hiding her nervousness. She…she forgot.
"Yup! I know you're busy, so I brought you some roasted mouse, if you'd like. It has a hint of portabello," she said, putting down the basket and unravelling a small leather wrapping. Cloudthunder pushed it towards Shiverstep with a twitch of her whiskers. "You and Windfur are always getting lost in your work. You should join us next time."
Shiverstep's heart sank. She guessed she had been fairly stressed lately. She took a bite out of the mouse. "Thank you, Cloudthunder. I'll try."
"Good. I also brought some for Shadepaw, but it looks like he's sleeping," she said as she pulled another bundle of leather. Shiverstep gingerly took it and tucked it away from her herbs, near the tea kettle.
"I'll make sure he has some," she reassured.
"And for you, Tree," Cloudthunder lifted a bowl from the basket and pushed it over towards them. Tree brightened, their pupils dilated with curiosity.
"Oooh, is this a recipe of yours?"
"Oh, I wish," Cloudthunder purred, her tail twitching. "Barleywave was on cooking duty today, but Daffodilpaw helped! I requested a soup or stew using bits of vole today, just for you."
"Vole? My favorite, just for me? Aw, Cloud," Tree let out a brief purr, before being interrupted by a series of coughs. They looked embarassed, shaking their head out. "Oof! Sorry."
Cloudthunder winced. "Nothing to be sorry about, Tree. I'm sorry about your yellowcough, that must be awful. Figured this soup would help make it a bit more bearable."
"Ah, soup and tea, I'm a spoiled cat today," Tree joked.
Cloudthunder mrrowed in amusement before glancing at Shiverstep. "How's your stash of lungwort?"
"Um…fine. Windfur and I collected a lot of it before the frost started to set in," the cleric answered.
"That's good. Let me know if you need anything else. Snow might come in soon, I feel," she meowed. Shiverstep nodded. She turned away and decided to take a few more bites out of her food.
Tree practically slurped the soup they were gifted, causing Cloudthunder to laugh.
"Slow down there, Fleetfoot," the molly teased.
"And allow a gift from such a pretty molly go to waste? Be reasonable," Tree quipped with a wink. Cloudthunder's skin turned pink under all her fur, scoffing and batting away at the air dismissively.
"Oh, stop that, you know I can't swat at the sickly," she retorted, failing to hide a grin on her face.
"Great StarClan, whatever will you do now? I guess you'll have to tolerate my compliments," Tree chuckled.
Shiverstep slowly turned away, resuming her herb counting. She listened to Tree and Cloudthunder share flirty banter before they shifted to more polite conversation. Tree turned away to avoid spreading sickness, and Cloudthunder recounted recent events and procedure changes that were being considered. Tree congratulated Cloudthunder on her son's early graduation. Cloudthunder beamed with pride for her children.
Shiverstep slowly tuned the conversation out. Her heart sank. For some reason, her appetite went away. She stared at her half-eaten food and slowly wrapped it up, not wanting Cloudthunder to see it. Eventually, Shadepaw stirred awake from the noise, and Shiverstep gingerly gifted him the roasted mouse and a bowl of her tea. Shadepaw just glared at Tree and Cloudthunder in annoyance, as though wishing they would banter elsewhere. Shiverstep didn't tell Cloudthunder to leave, though. She…she made Tree happy.
Finally, Cloudthunder must've realized she dawdled too long. She wished goodbye to Shiverstep and Tree, her tail held high as she left. Tree curled up in their bedding, letting out a prolonged purr before eventually falling asleep for a sunhigh rest.
Meanwhile, Shiverstep felt her heart sinking. She felt…strange. Why did she feel almost…sad? She didn't get it.
Cloudthunder was a good cat. A pang of guilt coursed through her. Why did she feel like this?
After a few moments of numbness, Shiverstep hissed quietly to herself and shook her head. StarClan, what was wrong with her? Cloudthunder was just being kind to everyone. And yes, she spoke with Tree for a while. Why did that matter? Tree was a good cat to be with. She liked being with Tree, of course others would too. And, yes, sure, Shiverstep wasn't an ignorant kit - she knew what flirting looked like. Great StarClan, so maybe Tree had feelings for Cloudthunder! That was completely reasonable and totally fine, it's not like Shiverstep hadn't seen them act like this before. So why was she acting like she -
She…
Oh.
Oh no.
Shiverstep went outside and stared at a wall for twenty minutes. Brackenfreckle saw Shiverstep today but didn't get to say hello. Shiverstep seemed...busy.
Here is my high-effort shitpost submission for Week 1 of the August event over at @cccdiscord!
The prompt was to depict the cats figuring out their traveling situation to the resort. Iciclepool and Hopechase's kits, like all children, get rowdy and impatient on the plane ride over and the two parents are begging for them to behave lmao
Featuring also Owlpaw and Daffodilpaw jamming to a shared iPod or whatever, Riftgorse annoying Brackenfreckle w/ Morningspot looking sympathetic, and Redstar being completely conked out asleep for the entire ride there
DAZED. REELING. ABOUT TO BREAK. The Gardener attack left many, many cats stressed. Riversnow, Owlpaw, Daffodilpaw and Shiverstep are impacted more than others.
Redstar calls a Clan meeting. She makes a change to the Law of Informed Risk, re-emphasizing teaching youth details about the Deep Roots, and makes a new law to the Warrior Code - the Law of Fire, to teach and make more active use of fire in their combat and defensive measures. A faint hope blossoms.
(Redstar, leader, female, 78 moons. Strict.)
---
Redstar stood vigil all night next to a large fire stationed by the wreckage of their broken wall. She was used to it anyway. The only difference was that she didn't have a Woodcrawler den at her back.
The pyramid-like shape they constructed for the fire burned tall all night long, warding anything that dared to look in ForestClan's direction. Cats joined and left over the course of the night. Perchwatcher, staring at the fire with narrowed eyes, lost in thought. Tree, who stared out into the forest for a few hours, but said nothing. Windfur, who stared up at the stars. Cottonpaw, who added more wood to the fire as prior ones burned into cinders. Barleywave, whose gaze stared at nothing and everything; distant and present all at once. Hopechase, who tried to convince Redstar to try and nap for at least an hour. Morningspot, who stared out into the woods for about as long as Redstar did while others came and went - until she physically couldn't stay awake and fell unconscious by the fire. By the time she woke up again, a look of guilt plagued her vision. Every single cat that came eventually returned to Redstar's den, finding dreamless sleep with the rest of their clanmates. Redstar felt like an oak - standing firm while animals and insects spun around her vicinity, taking comfort in familiar stalwartness. When Iciclepool came down before dawn, Redstar told her what she wanted to tell the Clan. Changes she wished to make. Hoping that her decisions were right. Iciclepool listened intently, and when Redstar finished, she nodded, and agreed.
Dawn came. Not that it mattered. Cats were up in the blue light before sunrise anyway.
Redstar spared them from thinking on empty stomachs. She cooked them leftover birds and mice to share - prey she was grateful was spared from the damage. Some cats ate. Some felt obligated to take a few bites, but couldn't stomach much more.
Redstar had spent the night mulling what to say to her Clan. She recited her words over and over again. She wasn't good at inspiring hope. That was Hopechase's strength. It was the very reason Redstar renamed her from Lightfoot to Hopechase.
She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath.
When she was young, the story of the spear-ringed camp brought her hope. She wished for so long that she could be a gentle cat. Someone that brought others a gentle place to live in. She thought that just trying to sacrifice herself alone would do it. A naive thought. In between those feeds, what then? Was she supposed to trust the woods to leave them alone? No. This devastation was proof.
She should've known that she was never going to be a gentle leader, gifting cats of all ages and walks of life a peaceful, stress-free life where the mockeries of nature never tried to take more than they were given. She was a spear. She was always a spear-maker, a bush made of thorns, a ravine of spikes below a cliff. She was a weapon of magnicide. She could never be anything else.
So the least she could do is teach others how to wield those same spears. Redstar organized a coup, once. If she could convince a small group of cats that they were stronger than a StarClan-blessed secret keeper, then she could convince them that they could terrify a Gardener.
When Redstar finally walked past them, she stood on the High Rock and spoke.
"Let all cats - regardless of age or status - gather below the High Rock for a Clan meeting."
It didn't take long for every cat to gather below. The exhausted Shiverstep and three outsider kits included. Redstar briefly looked at her Clan - exhausted, afraid and helpless.
Not anymore.
"I don't need to speak of what happened the night before. We all know what happened. There are a few cats I want to speak to privately after this."
Redstar said this first for the sake of stifling conversation about Owlpaw's actions for a few minutes. She saw Branchsnarl, Deerpaw and Shadekit shift a little in their spots. Riversnow's tail wrapped around Owlpaw, eyes fierce. Owlpaw's gaze was locked to the floor, as it had been since she woke. Shiverstep also kept her gaze on the floor - but for a different reason. Redstar wanted to speak to her as well - but after Owlpaw.
"First. I wish to apologize for my failures."
There were a few confused mrrps that came from the crowd. A single "what?" came from Cottonpaw. Redstar continued.
"For a long time - I had hoped to make ForestClan a gentler place. I didn't want to raise terrified kits and nervous apprentices. I didn't want to expose cats to the horrors of the woods. I wanted…" Redstar swallowed. "I wanted to be a…a wall from that. If only I had to be exposed to the Deep Root entities regularly, then I could protect cats from staring them in the face. I could protect ForestClan from…this." Redstar scanned her gaze sadly over her home. A broken west wall. Broken warrior's den. Chipped walls. Broken pulleys, dug out ground and a dented apprentice den. A few cats murmured. Tree was brave enough to chirp in, their voice leveled.
"That was never going to be possible. At the very least, Living Tendrils would always get past."
"And kits don't stay kits forever." Perchwatcher seemed spurned by Tree's bravery, her blue eyes sharp with carved memory. "Apprentices and warriors would be exposed to them too on patrols."
"I'm…pretty sure Redstar's not being literal, guys," Barleywave meowed.
Redstar felt a needle through her heart as her Clan started to bicker. She fought every urge to retort as she remembered her place on the Rock. She remembered the golden and brown face of an enraged cat screaming down at them. She closed her eyes, and tried to allow the needle to go through her back. It hung on. Hurt.
"Quiet, please."
Redstar turned her head to see Iciclepool stepping out from the crowd and calmly sitting down at the base of the rock. She curled her tail around her paws and stood straight. Cats stared at the deputy.
"I know you have a lot of feelings and unspoken thoughts. A lot of resentment and pain. We are all frightened from the Gardener attack. If there is one thing I can implore of you this morning, please," Iciclepool's copper eyes were filled with a rare softness. "Listen to Redstar for just a few more minutes. I was consulted about this announcement before it was made. I think it is a good change. A necessary one."
Redstar stared down at her deputy. Iciclepool met her gaze with a smile. For a second, Redstar felt the urge to cry as she remembered the kit who was three moons younger than her in the nursery. She remembered teaching her the best way to crunch leaf-fall leaves. That's what she wished she could preserve, and she felt like maybe she was giving up on it with this announcement.
But maybe not. If Iciclepool, the cat who loved being a parent, believed this was right - then she had to believe that.
Redstar straightened and continued. "I hear your criticisms. And I understand. I will not pretend that my idealism did not result in a culture of misunderstandings and a source of pain. For this, I take all responsibility. That is my greatest failure."
Perchwatcher blinked, her ears flicking with attention. Tree relaxed, their eyes softening.
"My attempts to shield others about the horrors of the woods did not help. I am claiming responsibility for this coddling." Redstar omitted the fact that the rest of ForestClan's adult founders - Cloudthunder, Iciclepool, Hopechase, Barleywave and Windfur - contributed to their budding culture of reluctance as well. It didn't matter. She refused to let others cast resentment on them. "Because of my reluctance, a Gardener was allowed to follow our clanmates home. I was ill equipped to address it with the urgency it needed. It is thanks to Hopechase that we survived."
Hopechase's ear flicked.
"I never want this to happen to ForestClan again. So, I am seeking to make changes to the Code we follow. I call upon our warrior ancestors to witness these changes, and approve of my choice."
All eyes were on her now. She stared out beyond the walls. A fire burned in her chest as she resented every Woodcrawler, every Fake Being, every Infected Predator, Gardener and Nature's Mockery that grew and festered in ForestClan's woods.
I'm making weapons. You will regret ever letting me live. I'm coming for you.
"I seek to revise the Law of Informed Risk. It is not enough for the names, hunting methods or rarity of Deep Root entities to be emphasized. Lockdown procedures will be taught from a young age, and knowing how to deal with each creature will be taught before apprenticeship, not during. This process began with our newest members," Redstar glanced at the outsider kits, who stared back with wide, blue eyes. "But I am re-emphasizing it for official records, and it will cover all known creatures. For the sake of spoken record, the known Deep Root entities we are addressing are as follows; Woodcrawlers, Fake Cats, Fake Twolegs, Infected Predators, Nature's Mockery, Luring Lights, Living Tendrils, Gardeners, and the Wretch. "
A few murmurs erupted from the crowd, Deerpaw murmuring a bit too loudly, "Hasn't the Wretch only ever appeared once…?"
"Yes. That doesn't matter. Rarity should have zero influence on whether or not we have procedures against it. And we will practice these procedures, in every season. Iciclepool and I will discuss these revised processes before announcing and teaching them to the Clan. Second - I wish to introduce a new Law to the code."
More murmurs. She waited for the crowd to die down a bit before continuing.
"Ancestors of StarClan, as my witnesses, I am adding the Law of Fire. Fire use and management will be considered as vital as knowledge about the Deep Roots. From three moons old, kits will be taught about fire safety and fire management. They will learn how to maintain and tend to them with supervision from adults. Every apprentice and adult will be taught how to craft torches, create fires, and use them as weapons against various monsters. This applies to all Clan roles - clerics, healers, mediators and elders included. Any cats patrolling at night for any reason will require a cat to bring a torch."
There were a few meows of concern - Olive in particular raised her tail to speak, but spoke out regardless.
"That seems dangerous. There would be an increased risk of forest fires - something that could kill all cats very quickly."
"I am aware of the dangers of fire. Hence, the fire safety training. We will teach it as something dangerous, to be used with care and respect, not without thought. We will also create a procedure for escaping the forest in case of a forest fire - something that we should've always had in the first place, given how often Twolegs create and improperly extinguish them to begin with. In addition," Redstar raised her tail, "fire will not only be used as a weapon. I wish to find a way to establish standing torches around the camp, if possible. My reasoning for all of this is because of what Tree found the night prior. Iciclepool, if you could."
Cats watched as Iciclepool padded away, then came back with a linen bundle. She placed it in front of the small crowd, then unwrapped the linen. In the middle was the claw-like foot of the Gardener - half-charred, its dead, red tendons curled like the legs of dead spiders. Cats leaned in to inspect it - with Shadekit meowing loudly, "What's that?" and bouncing up to it. Half the Clan gasped and Shadekit was yanked back by Riftgorse.
"Do not touch it!" Riftgorse growled.
"Why? What is it?"
"You may remember the sound we heard before the Gardener fled. A loud crack. That night, we were saved by the cinders of the cooking fire. And that," Redstar gestured with her tail, "is its foot. The cinders blew it clean off. That is how weak they are to fire. We've used fire against Living Tendrils before, but now more than ever, we need the Deep Root entities to fear you. Because they should. It took a few pawfuls of cinders for the Gardener's foot to sever." The leader's eyes burned with intensity. "Fire is not a universal solution. Woodcrawlers are ambushers - too fast. Fake Beings are better isolated and avoided entirely until they naturally perish. But Infected Predators, Gardeners, Living Tendrils? We will teach you how to use it against them. We will make them hesitate. We will make them fear the weapon you wield. We are cats - hunters. They will respect that."
ForestClan stared up at Redstar attentively. A few were wary, some were unreadable. But more seemed quietly emboldened, tails flicking and shoulders straightening. Good enough. Wariness was understandable, given the night before and a lack of sleep. Redstar slumped, then sighed. She wasn't looking forward to this next part.
"That's all the major changes. But, now I have one final request." She paused for a bit, mentally preparing herself. "I know that there has been a lot of hesitation to share our thoughts and feelings with each other. We are all entitled to privacy. I am not here to force anyone to talk. However." Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at the Clan. "Refusing to disclose vital information that could save someone's life, and bottling up our feelings towards Clanmates out of unspoken resentment, is not helping. I am not here to accuse or demean, but here is an example. Deerpaw," Redstar looked at the brown and white molly, and the apprentice seemed shocked to be called on. "Last greenleaf. When Cottonpaw spoke her intent to leave camp, what would've helped more? To wake up a warrior and tell them what happened right away, or to join her?"
Deerpaw shuffled meekly, staring at the floor. "I…I should've said something."
"Correct. Daffodilpaw, you said Owlpaw told you in the morning her intent to leave at night. What would've happened if you told Cloudthunder much earlier?"
Riversnow bristled, but Barleywave pressed his tail on her back. Daffodilpaw avoided Redstar's gaze, eyes glued to the floor. After a dozen seconds without any response, Redstar decided to spare the young apprentice.
"Cloudthunder could've talked to me, or your mother, or Iciclepool. We could've talked to Owlpaw."
Daffodilpaw finally squeaked. "I promised her not to…"
"Owlpaw could've died. I know you want to respect your sister, but yesterday could've ended very differently." Redstar scanned her gaze over the Clan, whose solemnity and anxiety rippled back into them. "So before we disband, I want to clear the air. As a Clan, right now. If there's anything that you are keeping from your Clanmates that you believe is very important, or if you have any feelings, apprehensions or unaired grievances you wish known, speak now."
A tense silence fell upon the Clan. As the rays of dawn began creeping up over the horizon, the songs of chickadees filled the quiet. Redstar curled her tail around herself. "...I will give it a few minutes. We all need time to think."
And so there were. Cats stared at the Gardener's severed foot. At their paws, at the ruined corners of camp. Redstar noticed Brackenfreckle gently raking her claws in between blades of grass, her eyes narrowed with thought. Cloudthunder glanced at the sky before darting her eyes elsewhere, clearly trying to formulate a sentence. Blackkit and Nectarkit stared at the floor. Shadekit stared up at Redstar, then finally raised one of his paws.
"...Yes, Shadekit? You wish to say something?" Iciclepool beckoned gently.
"Can I learn how to make fire now?" Shadekit asked.
A few cats broke down their wall of nervousness, a few mrrows of amusement erupting between them. Redstar's whiskers twitched, her eyes narrowing with mirth.
"Not right at this moment. But perhaps if we have time today, we can. There's a lot of work we have to do."
"...Can I insist someone else speak a secret?" Hopechase asked. Redstar tilted her head at her, confused by the wording.
"Elaborate?"
Hopechase glanced at Iciclepool, serious but compassionate. "Honey."
Iciclepool bristled. "Hopechase, not right now."
"That's alright. But before the end of this meeting, please."
"I…I…fine."
"...Should we be concerned?" Redstar asked, tense.
"I would've said no a few days ago, but…" Iciclepool sighed.
Airpaw stared at his mentor. After a few moments, he said calmly, "I guess I have a question."
"Yes?" Iciclepool pressed.
"Are you pregnant?"
Iciclepool bristled and choked back a squeak. Hopechase couldn't help but burst with laughter. Cottonpaw, Deerpaw and Cloudthunder all frantically tried to shush or glare at Airpaw, who seemed unfazed.
"Airpaw, come on, don't comment on someone's weight!" Deerpaw hissed.
"It's not that. It's fighting practice," Airpaw clarified politely. "I haven't learned rolling recoveries yet. I asked about it, but you were reluctant to show me 'cause of back pain. For…uh, two weeks straight. And, yeah, fine, the weight gain. It was fast."
"Your apprentice is a sharp one, Iciclepool," Hopechase said with a smirk.
"Hopechase, please," Iciclepool groaned.
"You're pregnant?" Shiverstep rasped with wide eyes.
"That surprises me too," Windfur tilted his head. "Why didn't - I mean, how long?"
Iciclepool winced, but seemingly gave up and slumped sadly. "Since last moon."
"What?" Redstar exclaimed. Oh my stars, what was her deputy doing? Why was she still active? "You've been pregnant for an entire month?"
"I was doing fine with my duties, really, and I wasn't quite sure how to break the news. I was going to do it soon, really, but then, well…"
"Mom, you need herbs! You need borage and herbs that are better for queens - " Shiverstep cut off her own complaint with a cough.
"Uh…This was a secret?" Riftgorse asked, head tilting.
"...Rift, what?" Brackenfreckle uttered, staring at her brother.
"Well, yeah! She wasn't, like, eating all of our food. We'd notice that. It's not a winter coat coming in, trust me, I have a winter coat, I know what that looks like, so I just figured Iciclepool already told everyone important, and nobody was talking about it. Actually, I was waiting for you to tell me," Riftgorse said, frowning at his sister.
"I didn't know shit, brother," Brackenfreckle hissed.
For a minute, the Clan fell into chaos yapping about Iciclepool's pregnancy. Iciclepool looked mortified. Redstar felt frustrated that her deputy didn't tell her anything. She had a suspicion, but she assumed that she'd tell her if it was something that important.
Oh StarClan. Assumptions and silence. This…all of this had to stop.
"Alright, alright, settle down please," Redstar yowled. "So, Iciclepool is pregnant. That is good to know. Let's move on. Does anyone else have something to add?"
"Actually, Iciclepool's pregnancy brings up a possible danger. The west wall collapsed," Perchwatcher piped up, gesturing with her tail at the broken gap. "Living Tendrils can easily slip in if this isn't repaired as quickly as possible."
"Actually, I can help with that," Barleywave spoke up, tail twitching. "I've had to repair a broken log on a wall before. This is…er…several, granted. But it should be the same process. We'll have to see how bad the damage is on individual logs to see if we need to replace it or caulk it."
"I suppose I should also ask," Olive interjected calmly. "Why are the procedures being set solely by you and Iciclepool? I believe it would be wise to set them as a group, publically."
A few cats meowed in agreement to this. Hesitant, Redstar's tail flicked.
"I suppose we could. I simply want to avoid confusion or conflict during the setup phase, hence why I wanted to keep it restricted."
"Why not make a temporary council? I think it's very important that we add multiple voices to the creation of these safety protocols. Redstar, you're headstrong, loyal, and determined. But the current lockdowns rely on every cat being where they should be - in your eyes, that's by your side. In reality, as seen yesterday, cats can be out there instead. We must have procedures to protect them, too, without endangering everyone else."
Olive's words stung, but Hopechase nodded sagely and gave Redstar a knowing look.
"I think that's a wise policy."
"Very well," Redstar meowed. "Anything else?"
For the next few minutes, Redstar watched as her clanmates spoke up, and added their voices, bit by bit. Some were ideas. Some were questions that desperately needed answers.
"I'm still not sure about wanting to put torches outside of camp. That sounds like a dangerous idea."
"I'm not okay. I don't understand why we're acting like a beast with the light of a star didn't just try to kill us all. I don't want to die."
"Redstar, I want to reach out to my father, Lucifer. Maybe he'd be willing to help us."
"...Fine. Look, I need to know something. I think, before I joined the Clan, I was…maybe given misinformation. Some of it might be true, but I don't know what's real or not. So tell me straight, and be honest. Don't pussyfoot around this. Has ForestClan, at any point in its history, spoken to Woodcrawlers?"
"Redstar, I…I met Endless, once, back last leafbare…b-but that's it, I promise, s-she was injured, so…so I gave her some of our horsetail. I haven't seen her since, I promise."
"...Morningspot is trying to cover for me. She didn't give the horsetail. I did. Morningspot asked me for help. Endless didn't want to come to camp, and I couldn't force her. I gave her the best treatment I could with what I had, and she left. Last time I saw her was…the moon Brackenfreckle and I came back with Blavignad's kits."
"...Can we like…raid the Twolegplace? No, no, I'm serious! Have you seen what Twolegs have? They have like, these colorful sticks that if you hold them near wood, they catch fire? It makes a 'click' sound when it happens. That could be helpful, right?"
"I…I want to say something specific, but I'd like to say it in private. I don't know if anything can be done about it."
"I'm mad. I'm just mad and upset and I want to blame someone but I don't…I don't feel like I'm allowed to."
"I, uh…hm. Mousedung, I forgot what I was going to say. Sorry."
"Can I learn how to make a fire now?! I want to kill the Gardener!"
"I'm really scared about the broken wall. I don't know how long it'll take to fix it, and I'm scared something else might come through."
"I just want to make the offer that if anyone wants to talk about what happened last night - whether you're scared or don't know how to feel - I'm willing to listen without interruption. I don't just mediate disagreements. Sometimes it's good to just…speak."
Redstar at some point had to call the meeting short. But hearing the voices of her clanmates, and listening to their words, for once, felt humbling. She was grateful, at least, that they had enough courage to say how they felt. Ask difficult questions.
The only one remained quiet the entire way through, was Owlpaw.
Redstar would have a long talk with her in private shortly. Plans were made to create a council once time-sensitive repairs were complete. Redstar told Iciclepool to come see her after she assigned groups to help rebuild the walls and start working on the dens. She watched with some quiet awe as cats slowly started picking up branches, covering up holes, and gathering broken pieces of equipment.
It was a start.
---
Redstar has an extremely difficult conversation with Owlpaw, who is still clinging - perhaps out of fear and shame - to a defiant attitude. Redstar scares her straight and punishes her for her actions.
Getting Owlpaw into Redstar's den was the easy part. Getting her to speak was not.
"Owlpaw. Please answer the question."
Owlpaw stared at the floor.
"Did you hear me?"
"...Yeah," she mumbled.
"...Did you need a minute to gather your thoughts before answering?" Redstar decided that this was probably something Iciclepool would say to a seemingly stubborn apprentice. Redstar really, really, did not want to play a disciplinary villain. She assumed, given the horrifying events of the night before, that Owlpaw would've recognized how badly her actions affected the Clan. Perhaps shown remorse, like Cottonpaw did for her own actions before. But that was the problem - Owlpaw had to actually show it.
But Redstar wasn't a mind reader. An apprentice with her eyes glued to the floor and giving one-word answers wasn't a sign of anything except stonewalling.
Owlpaw said nothing.
Redstar's tail twitched. She scowled.
Owlpaw was always difficult. She did not listen to adults well, defied direct orders and lashed out at her peers easily. The fact that she didn't believe Deep Root Entities were real completely blew Redstar's mind when Daffodilpaw said it - Owlpaw kept that belief extremely well-guarded for a kit, and her refusal to express it led to her doing something extremely dangerous. Given that the worst possible thing that could have happened - minus the Wretch burrowing out from beneath them - actually happened, she needed to hear from her directly that she no longer held that belief, and that she would listen to camp procedures and safety protocols now.
"Owlpaw, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Right now, you are choosing the hard way. I do not want the hard way. It'll be frustrating for you, not for me."
Owlpaw's tail flinched, but still - nothing.
"I'll ask only one last time. Do you believe us now when we say that there are monsters in the woods?"
Owlpaw scowled, closing her eyes tightly. Her claws dug into the ground. Finally, after a long moment, Owlpaw…nodded. Almost imperceptibly, as though it physically hurt her to do so. Redstar suppressed a sigh. Good enough.
"Do you understand now why we have the rules we do?"
Long silence again. Redstar scowled, her patience wearing thin. She did not have time for this, she had to get through speaking to Iciclepool, then Shiverstep.
"Owlpaw, you're taking the hard way again. I don't want that for you."
Owlpaw opened her eyes. They swirled like grey storm clouds. She finally cast her gaze on the leader, and they were glazed with resentment.
"I don't care what you want."
A switch flipped in Redstar's head, and for a brief second, there was regret. Disappointment.
I'm sorry, Riversnow. I know you were worried how I'd react. I tried.
"Do you, now? Very well. Then let me make this easy for me, and get straight to the point." Redstar's gaze hardened, and for a moment, she could've sworn an iota of fear passed through Owlpaw's eyes like a shooting star. Redstar didn't raise her voice. She didn't want to. "You almost destroyed everything and everyone you knew and loved because of your arrogance. For moons, we told you about Deep Root entities because they were real, and they were dangerous. Never in my entire life have I seen a cat actively try and find a monster, just to prove themselves right."
Owlpaw opened her mouth to retort, but Redstar interjected with a snarl, snapping at the air. Owlpaw flinched. "I wanted to have you acknowledge your mistakes, and apologize for your actions. But you didn't care what I wanted, so you've lost that privilege. You will have to earn that forgiveness now. You will have what you asked for instead."
Owlpaw began loudly, "I didn't ask for - "
"SILENCE!"
Owlpaw froze, her ears flattening. The world outside Redstar's den froze. ForestClan clearly heard her. Redstar continued with a hiss in every word.
"You could've died. I need to emphasize just how lucky you are to be alive right now. Daffodilpaw says you think they're just boogeymen to scare children? Then I will give you the rare gift of my complete honesty. Let me tell you about the adult-scaring boogeymen.
"Woodcrawlers aren't just 'spider-like creatures that disguise as brambles'. Woodcrawlers are wood mimics. Absolutely anything that takes the appearance of bare branches can be a Woodcrawler. Every single bramble, every thorn bush, every pile of dead, curling wood, small tree, lifted roots, and dying shrub could be a Woodcrawler. They purposefully hide in dense foliage where you're likely to miss them, or huddle into patches of roots, waiting for you to do a regular border patrol. You could've grazed past one without even knowing in the middle of the night, and then died. You would've felt their limbs wrap around your legs and neck, and be powerless to stop them from dragging you into the depths of their tunnels.
"Fake Cats aren't Woodcrawlers disguised as cats. They are the reanimated bodies of their victims. You could've heard a cat screaming for help, and in a flicker of compassion, or even morbid curiosity, approached the sound of a crying cat. And the second you get too close, it will unravel and seize you. It will try to kill you like a Woodcrawler. Perchwatcher almost died to one as an apprentice, her jaw broken from its tendrils. If you die to either of these entities, you become a Fake Cat. Your loved ones will hear your voice screaming for help for days, and they will not be able to save you - because you are long gone.
"But last night, you encountered a Gardener. A thing so rare and horrible that I've never seen one until last night. I have no interest in finding out how it kills you. But you almost did. You were out there that night, and led it straight back to camp, nearly killing everyone you knew and loved. And situations like this, Owlpaw, is why we had archaic rules like 'if a cat vanishes at nightfall, and does not reappear in the morning, they are dead'. Sending out a search party in the middle of the night was a suicide mission. It was considered for the greater good to let one cat die, than risk anything else being lured back to camp.
"I've given you the truth. Do you feel better now? Does this make them more believable to you? Do you feel vindicated from this?"
Owlpaw's expression morphed as Redstar spoke. There was still anger, still resentment, a childish rebuke clearly boiling at the surface. But Redstar knew better from Owlpaw's long fur bristling on all ends and tears welling up in her eyes. Shame. Hurt. Anger rooted in fear.
"You almost killed ForestClan. And instead of apologizing for the fact that you almost killed twenty cats, you wanted to sit in front of me and say foxdunged-all, and then dared to tell me that you don't care what some other cat wanted."
"...That's not what I meant."
"Owlpaw, when a cat says, 'I don't want you to take the hard path', and your response is, 'I don't care what you want', there is no other meaning. Nobody can read your mind, nor are they going to waste their precious time trying to do so. When you talk, they will trust that you actually mean exactly what you say. If you didn't actually mean this, then why say it?"
"I…I don't know."
"All I asked was for you to talk to me. That's it. After we just spent over an hour at a meeting, with all of your clanmates opening up about things they never voiced before, I thought that maybe, just maybe, you would've grown up from this experience."
Owlpaw stared back at the floor, ears pinned back. For a second, Redstar thought she was trembling. The leader's tail flicked.
"Since you evidently haven't, here's what's going to happen instead. First, you're going to tear your eyes off the ground and look at me."
Owlpaw did so. The corner of her eyes were red.
"You're going to look around the camp, look at every single broken den and wall, and you're going to ask Barleywave how you can help with repairing them. You led the Gardener here. So you're going to take responsibility helping to fix the damage. Then, starting tomorrow, Morningspot is going to come up with a suitable punishment for you to fulfill for an entire moon. Then, and this is incredibly important. I will not force you to do this, but it would be beneficial." Redstar closed her eyes and sighed. "...I want you to actually talk to someone. It doesn't matter if it's your mother, or Morningspot, or Olive, or whoever. But we're not your enemy. We're your clanmates. We cannot have situations where cats run off on their own, not after last night. Am I understood?"
The two mollies glared at each other, until Redstar's seriousness won out, and Owlpaw reluctantly nodded.
"Say it."
"I understand."
"Good. You're dismissed. Go talk to Barleywave. I've told him to expect you."
Redstar couldn't catch Owlpaw's face as she briskly left the den, and jumped down from High Rock. Redstar exhaled, forcing herself to groom her back. The spike of anger fuelling her adrenaline crashed, and Redstar realized just how tired she felt.
And she still had to talk to two more cats. StarClan, please.
---
Shiverstep has an honest talk with Windfur and Redstar about her trances. She does bring up her nightmare about Endless, and how it was similar to what Cottonpaw saw. To her relief, there's a term for cats like her before - dream walkers. Shiverstep's still not quite sure if that's what's actually happening, but she takes the scapegoat.
The meeting with Iciclepool went smoother than she was expecting. In the end, it boiled down to fear. Iciclepool wanted this, Hopechase wanted this, they found a sire out eastward and everything - but the moment it became real, she froze in all aspects. Thoughts plagued her relentlessly - she was the Clan deputy, she'd be giving birth close to winter, she had an apprentice to mentor, and perhaps above all, the memory of failing to actually be a mother that could watch her children grow hurt. All Redstar had to do was reassure her and promise to protect her and her kits as best as they could, and with the new Law of Fire, cats would be more comfortable and prepared to ward off threats. And Hopechase, of course, would be defending her staunchly. And she was still ForestClan's deputy, even if she was a queen for a few moons.
The real revelatory conversation was with Shiverstep.
Meanwhile, Shiverstep was internally panicking.
Iciclepool told her that she said some very concerning things when the Gardener knocked at the den. Shiverstep didn't remember any of it, just like alleged trances she had as a child. It was several moons since anything similar happened to her, and there was no way to pretend it didn't happen - not anymore. What was she supposed to say? The greatest thing that frightened her was having to talk about Rootgrove.
Because Rootgrove was...something true horror was made from. She tried to reflect on how to tell someone, as the voices on the waves from beyond suggested. But the longer she thought about it, the more horrifying it became. Yes, dear friends, there is a very old cat that was consumed by the woods, and instead of killing him, something happened that kept him alive. She had no idea how. But if what she said was true, then when they died, when their kits and children and friends and family died, there was a chance that the woods would take their spirits and trap them, and that not even StarClan could save you if it did. And from how Rootgrove spoke over the Silver Box, the process was pure agony, constant pain, misery and wailing and screaming to a universe that responded with apathy. Oh, stars, she couldn't. She couldn't, couldn't. She...how could she? How could she tell Iciclepool that her dead kits might've suffered fates worse than death? How could she tell Hopechase that every dead clanmate she ever knew might've become monsters?
Rootgrove is the only one she ever saw in this state. In her horror, she had no idea if he was the only one. StarClan implied that he was. But she couldn't prove that to her Clanmates. Not all of them spoke to StarClan. Not all of them even believed StarClan was real. But Rootgrove wasn't a concept, something to have faith in. He existed physically. He was living evidence that you could die, and still be conscious. Rotting. Stretching. Carved and husked as a shell for something else. And feel all of it.
How? How was she supposed to explain her ability to...to receive messages? And that she was hearing the messages from...from this monstrosity?
Redstar's ear twitched as she saw the sickly molly nearly tremble in fear. "...Shiverstep? Are you alright?"
"...I...I don't know," Shiverstep spoke, her voice a mere squeak.
"...Were you told what happened last night?"
"...I...I said...concerning things," she meowed.
"Were you aware of it?"
"No."
"Then yes. I would call this concerning." Redstar's tail twitched. "Has this happened to you before?"
Despite her terror, a part of Shiverstep...wanted to be honest. And...she felt if Redstar was determined, all she had to do is prod Windfur or Iciclepool to ask if she was telling the truth. She shuffled uncomfortably. "...Yes."
"When?"
Oh, StarClan, please.
"I...I don't remember."
"...But it has happened. Has someone spoken to you about this before?"
Shiverstep felt her heard racing. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to talk about all the times Windfur regarded with suspicion. Avoided her. Oh, stars. He must've thought she was speaking to the Iris. She wasn't. She really wasn't. She didn't want Redstar to think so too. She wasn't a monster. She wasn't a herald. She wasn't trying to receive -
A small crack of light broke through the haze of her illness. She felt herself sniffling. She felt a burst of fresh air enter her lungs again. For a brief moment, she...she remembered one of your spoken sentences. And in the haze of her sickness, it somehow became shifted sideways.
"If you're ready to, tell Redstar and Windfur about us. They'll be more receptive than you'd hope, I'm sure."
You. You. But what were you, exactly? You were just - just messages, just voices on electromagnetic waves that she openly received without choice -
Something clicked.
Wait.
StarClan's explanation. Of her ability, of how she kept receiving messages on waves on all fronts. Pieces started falling together and for a moment, she felt delirious.
"...Shiverstep?"
Hold on. Wait. StarClan told her that dreams were how they used to communicate with the Clans. StarClan used electromagnetic waves to do so. Endless. If Endless was somehow emitting waves, then that could explain how Cottonpaw received the dream about the crow-footed tree, and also explains how Shiverstep received a similar nightmare a few days ago. That - wait, that explained how she saw Rootgrove in her nightmare as well - he was screaming for help, and his waves were caught on her dream. Rootgrove could transmit messages - that's how she heard him at the Silver Box. But Endless. Endless had to have gained that same ability. Maybe as a result of Rootgrove's attack on her - she didn't know how, but that was the only explanation.
If she was going to be seized by foreign messages on waves in times of stress, and if Endless was communing with the Deep Root entities...the Clan had to know. Shiverstep's eyes widened.
"Shiverstep, are you alright? You seem pale. Do you need - "
If they had to know about Endless...then they had to know about...the Woodcrawler she made a bargain with.
The Clan didn't need to know about Rootgrove the cat. But they did need to know about the monstrous, corrupted Woodcrawler.
Relief. Freedom.
Shiverstep started crying.
She doesn't really know what happened. She remembered apologizing repeatedly and trying to push Redstar away from her, suddenly remembering that she still had greencough and felt absurd levels of horrible. A coughing fit. The relief of being able to tell someone about the horrible monster in a way that benefitted the Clan instead of jeopardized its sanity overwhelmed her choices. Because somehow she ended up asking for Windfur, and now to her partial regret, the three secret holders were gathered in this den while she was having a coughing fit.
Finally, after regaining herself, she managed to start.
"A few moons ago," she sniffled, "StarClan...told me something important. I...I asked them about Cottonpaw's dream. I also...realized that at sudden points in my life, when I was stressed, I would lose my memory sometimes. I think...I think Windfur, you might've thought it was from the Iris. So did StarClan."
Windfur bristled, but stared at the ground in shame. Redstar, meanwhile, had her tail and neck lifting, a genuine stare of dread on her face.
"I-It wasn't the Iris, it wasn't, Redstar," Shiverstep suppressed a cough. "B-But...after observing me for a few moons, they concluded something strange. StarClan...before the Wretch...used to freely communicate with cats through dreams. They used...um, they called it 'waves'. Waves are...invisible forces in the air that emit off of living things. Sometimes, though, if you're capable of emitting waves strong enough, you can put messages on them. For cats, we've been able to receive those messages through dreams."
"Wait. Time out." Windfur raised his tail, his eyes shut. He took a deep breath, as though letting this fact sink in. "Just...let me make sure I understand correctly here. StarClan has the ability to send messages through a...specific tool. But that tool is also just an energy that passively emits off of everything."
Shiverstep nodded. "Yes. They...refine the energy around themselves, and direct it towards someone with a message."
"And to receive the message, we need to be dreaming."
"Yes."
"Okay," Windfur sighed. "Continue."
Shiverstep turned to Redstar for permission, who nodded, intently focused.
"As I said...waves emit off of...everything. We were only able to receive messages from StarClan for the longest time, but...they told me that I was...odd. I could...receive messages from other sources, as long as that source wasn't impeded. I was safe from the Iris, because StarClan was intervening with it. But...other things have the ability to send messages. And...I think I'm...receiving messages from those...other things. From the recent experience I guess...that implies I can receive them while I'm asleep or awake. But I can't send my own, which...I don't really know what that means, but that's what StarClan said. I don't know how much of it is relevant, or just random, but..."
"What you said the night of the Gardener attack - it was both...relevant and irrelevant at the same time." Redstar commented.
"...What did I say?" Shiverstep partially dreaded to know.
"More significantly, 'Do not answer the knocking at the door.'" Windfur's tail tapped the ground, his dark blue eyes flickering with unknown emotion. "But, then you said words that didn't...sound cat-like. I think the best I can compare it to are kittypet names."
"Like?" Shiverstep pressed.
Redstar's ear twitched. "Adam Lev itch? Barry John's son? It was...hectic. I'm sorry, Shiverstep. That wasn't really a priority. The Gardener...was hitting at the roof of the bunker."
Shiverstep's heart sunk deeply into her chest. She was told the Gardener stepped on a fire and ran away, but before that...
Stars, that's horrifying.
"...So, you receive random messages emitted from...the same tools StarClan used to communicate to cats in their dreams. Is that...not concerning?" Windfur asked, his voice tight. For a moment, defensiveness curled in Shiverstep's chest, remembering his actions towards her in her apprenticehood.
She retorted, "Twolegs know how to use them too. That's how the Iris targets them."
A heavy silence fell. Shiverstep's eyes became glued to the floor.
...She had to go on. She had to get this information out before she lost her nerve. With a tightness in her chest, she proposed what she believed was the source of Cottonpaw's dream. Endless. Because she saw something similar as well, in a nightmare a few days before. And if that was the case, Endless was able to emit those same waves, somehow. And if she could do that - if she could call to beings in their dreams, to anything receptive enough to receive it, then it was a possible danger to ForestClan.
During this explanation, Redstar's gaze intensified. Slowly, as time went on, her pupils dilated.
Shiverstep looked concerned. "...Redstar?"
"I understand now. Shiverstep, it's alright. You're alright." Redstar pressed a paw on the cleric's shoulder, and Shiverstep was taken aback from the softness in the leader's eyes. "There's a historical basis for cats like you. I was a bit lost from your explanation, but when you explained your dreams, and how you saw the same one Cottonpaw did - Shiverstep, you're a dream walker. You can walk into dreams not intended for you. Messages not intended for you. Cats like you have existed in ForestClan's history before. It's exceedingly rare, but it's a gift."
Shiverstep froze. "It....it is?" A trickle of doubt wrestled in her. She wasn't...quite sure if that was what was actually happening. But as she caught Windfur from corner of her eye suddenly having a look of realization, she decided...perhaps that was easier. A...a word to explain in simple terms to others what was occurring. Especially if something similar happened like the night before.
"...Redstar, there's one more thing I think I need to tell you, if I can tell you in private. It's...it's about the Woodcrawler Brackenfreckle and I were threatened by, last greenleaf..."
----
Redstar finds Cottonpaw trying to be helpful around camp. She's...digging a hole between the leader's den and medicine den? After hearing her reasoning, she agrees it's something they should discuss. While Cottonpaw is still likely to act before thinking, Redstar is proud of Cottonpaw's progress.
Barleywave and Branchsnarl find that the Twoleg object cuts wood well when dropped. It's not perfect, but they could reuse some of the broken logs by flattening the broken ends, and stacking them on top of each other. They congratulate each other for a job well done.
Riversnow is surprisingly competant at repairing tanning and drying racks, but goes a bit too long without eating. Barleywave urges her to take a break. As it turns out, near-death experiences tend to result in more honesty.
All the apprentices and kits avoid Owlpaw. Although they won't say it out loud - they blame her for bringing the Gardener to camp. Except for Cottonpaw. Owlpaw hasn't spoken since the night she saw the Gardener.
Redstar is frustrated when she starts coughing and her nose starts running. Brackenfreckle confines her to the medicine den, telling her that Shiverstep still has greencough, and she doesn't want to risk her whitecough becoming something more than that.
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Cottonpaw and Deerpaw are finally made warriors, to their joy. They become Cottonheart and Deerspring. Cloudthunder purrs the loudest; she is so proud of her kits.
Airswift was happy for his siblings. Well, that's what he told anyone who asked, anyway. He offered twitched whiskers and a slow blink, and answered politely, "I'm happy they're in the warriors' den now." He offered congratulations and head bumps to his sisters, and helped them clear out their former bedding and find a good space to move into their new den.
Things were good. At least, that's what he repeated to himself.
When he finally found a moment to lie down by the fire for a quick afternoon nap, he finally let his thoughts rummage through.
He wasn't that happy. In truth, he still thought that Cottonheart was too impulsive and Deerspring was too hardheaded. But he wasn't Redstar, and if she thought they were good enough to be warriors, so be it. After his sisters' night time apprentice trial with no consideration over what he or mom thought, he trusted them less. Oh, sure, nobody said it was an apprentice trial, but that's what it was, functionally. 'I saw something in a dream' was no excuse to run off in the middle of the night, and if either of them bothered to talk to him, he would've talked sense into them, or at least got mom to stop them.
He was well aware that these feelings were mousebrained and petty, especially after spending half of his life with them as apprentices and training with them every day. He shoved these feelings aside when they were apprentices and got along with them just fine during that time, which is why it was annoying to him that these feelings were resurfacing now. They were warriors now, and it was mousebrained to still be upset about something his sisters did when they were six moons old.
Well, at least he proved to everyone that he was the most reliable cat out of the three of them, in the end. He worked hard, listened closely, didn't argue or moan about chores, and didn't talk back for his whole apprenticeship, and he was rewarded for it by graduating early. Cats trusted him and his judgment way more than they trusted his sisters, and he was grateful that -
"Ai'swif!"
Airswift let out a confused mrrp and sat up. Hazelkit pawed at his back. Interrupted from his thoughts, he blinked a few times.
"Uh…hey, Hazelkit. Need anything?" he asked.
"Ai'swift, why is Cottonpaw now Cottonheart?"
"Well...I mean, she's a warrior now. That's why."
"But why does her name change?"
Airswift blinked quizzically. "...Well, because it just does. You won't be Hazelkit forever either."
Hazelkit frowned, tail twitching. "I know! But isn't 'paw' a grownup name already?"
"No?" Airswift sat up, whiskers twitching. "All apprentices are 'paws', just like all kits are 'kit'."
Hazelkit pouted, tail thrashing. In across camp, Mulberrykit retorted, "See? I told you."
Airswift's ears twitched and licked his paw. "It's okay, Hazelkit. Now you know."
"But why is 'paw' just an apprentice name? There's 'foot'! And 'toe'! And fur, and pelt, and, and..." Hazelkit sputtered, then hissed in annoyance. "It's - it's dumb! Everyone has paws! Why isn't 'paw' a warrior name?"
Airswift knew the kit was embarrassed. Deerspring was like that too as a kit - she hated making mistakes. Remembering how he would smooth things over before, he shrugged and responded casually. "I dunno. It is a bit weird. Maybe there's a reason for it. You could ask Redstar? She's into history stuff."
"Well, I think the reason for it is dumb anyway!"
"What suffix would you give apprentices then?"
Hazelkit opened his mouth, then closed it. Thoughts rotated behind the kit's blue eyes.
"Why don't you come up with ideas with your siblings? You'll be apprentices in a few moons, after all."
Hazelkit brightened, then hopped back towards his siblings without another word. Airswift watched him go, and watched as the kits started bickering and coming up with ideas.
"That was nice of you."
He glanced behind him to see his mother approaching. Cloudthunder sat beside him and gave a knowing look, her copper eyes beaming. Airswift shrugged.
"It was nothing, really."
"Still, I'm sure the kits will remember that as they grow older." Cloudthunder twitched her whiskers. She looked at him fondly. "It wasn't that long ago that you were that small, you know."
Airswift avoided her gaze, embarrassed. "I guess kits do grow up really fast, given how old cats get," he mused half-heartedly.
"This is your second leafbare - and I'm guessing you can barely remember your first."
"Yeah, that's true. I remember the snow melting more than anything." Airswift's ear twitched.
The two cats paused. Airswift didn't like it. His mom did this often - when she could tell that something was bothering him, she'd say nothing and wait for him to speak up. Unfortunately, it worked.
"...Did you ever worry about us?" he asked.
"Of course. Every day. I still do."
"I guess Cottonheart and Deerspring terrified you, then."
Cloudthunder tilted her head. "Did you mean the night they vanished from camp?"
Airswift tensed. "...Yeah."
The molly sighed and shook her head. Her ears flattened. "I will never forget how hurt and angry I was."
A flicker of validation sparked through him. Airswift fought to keep it bottled up. He failed. He wasn't sure if he'd get a chance to ask later. He glanced at her, then said, "Are you worried they'll do something like that again?"
Cloudthunder didn't answer immediately. Instead, she gave her son a thoughtful look, and her tail tapped the snow. "Are you worried?"
That was a good question. Was he worried about it? Sure, his sisters had grown older and were much better at managing their impulses. He didn't think Cottonheart would try to play 'hero' again, and Deerspring learned her lesson about trying to fix problems by herself - to an annoying degree. He didn't know an adult could still be a tattletale. So, not really.
But he couldn't say that he trusted them to lead patrols or be good mentors. It's foxhearted for him to think that, but it's true. And he was pretty sure that if he said that to Cloudthunder, that he'd get some kind of speech about giving them another chance.
Cloudthunder stared at the fire. After a while with no response, she finally said, "I don't think it's wise," the molly glanced at Airswift, "to imagine that they'll do it again."
"I don't think they will," Airswift reassured.
"But you don't trust them."
The tom said nothing.
"Listen, Airswift," Cloudthunder's voice softened. She sidled next to him, then began grooming his head. Airswift sighed, and let out a purr of reassurance. "You have no idea how grateful I am that StarClan blessed me with five beautiful kits. In these horrible woods, two were stolen that night. Ever since then, I've been blessed every single day that I get to spend with you three."
Airswift's heart sank. He knew the story - Cloudthunder told it to them before. She didn't shy away from the fact that they had two other littermates. He was never sure how to feel about it.
"Yes, you make very, very stupid decisions. Dangerous ones, too. They terrify me. But I also know that you can't learn anything without making mistakes, as unfortunate as it is. Maybe if your sisters woke you up that night, trying to convince you to join them, you would've gone too. Or, maybe you would've talked them down, or ran to tell someone right away. We never know what we'll really do until we're put in that position." Cloudthunder stopped grooming her child, and let out a mrrow of amusement. "After all, Deerspring, a rule-follower if I've ever seen one, chose to go with Cottonpaw! You'd think she would have told someone instead, but she didn't. It's easy to say what we would've done in hindsight."
Discomfort balled in his chest.
"All this to say," Cloudthunder finished, "that I am so proud of all three of you. Yes, your sisters made some choices that terrified me in the past. But they learned from them, and they're still here by my side. And I hope when you also make a really stupid mistake," the molly purposefully tilted her head into Airswift's line of sight. Airswift awkwardly glanced away. "That you will have cats by your side that will help you correct it. Although, for StarClan's sake," Cloudthunder's tail twitched, "try not to give us a heart attack like your sisters did."
Airswift let out a mrrow of amusement. "I won't. I promise."
"And please, Airswift. I know you're not the one to be confrontational. But do try to have some trust in your littermates."
"I never said I didn't," he protested.
"I've watched you three for long enough to know when you have doubts about each other," the molly replied.
Airswift opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it as he caught Cottonheart and Deerspring from the corner of his eyes rapidly approaching the campfire. He straightened up and greeted them wordlessly with a raised tail.
Cottonheart bounded up to them with her tail held highly, her face beaming. She purred as she pressed her head against her mother's, then returned the gesture to Airswift.
"Deerspring and I are all set up now!"
"That's wonderful, loves," Cloudthunder purred.
Deerspring approached more casually, careful to not crowd around the fire too closely. She made the same gesture her sister made to her mother and brother, then sat down next to her mother. "Do you know what time Redstar will give us our vigil?" she asked.
"Probably when the sun goes down," Airswift replied. "It's what happened to me."
"What are we even supposed to do during the vigil, anyway? Stand guard?" Cottonheart asked. She flopped over between her mother and brother, rolling on her back playfully.
Cloudthunder chuckled and nipped at her daughter's ear. "Hey, space-hogger. Sit up."
"Nuh-huh, I'm a warrior now, you can't tell me what to do," Cottonheart teased.
"Actually, warriors tell each other what to do often," Airswift replied.
"I know, Airswift. It's not like I haven't lived in ForestClan my whole life or anything!" Cottonheart reached out her paw to boop her brother's nose. Airswift recoiled and frowned.
"Don't do that."
"Fine, fine," Cottonheart laughed. She sat up and stretched. "Look at us, though! The whole family, finally warriors!"
Deerspring blinked, her ear twitched. "I guess the only person we're missing now is Tree."
Cloudthunder looked at Deerspring quizzically. "What do you mean?"
Deerspring gave her mother a flat stare. "...Mom, I have zero interest in mates, and even I can see that you like them from a mile away."
Cloudthunder's eyes widened to the size of moons and froze up. Cottonheart burst out laughing.
Airswift's heart softened. His tail tapped the cold earth, and his fur was warmed by the small fire. Cottonheart's long fur against his own, and Deerspring's dry commentary to his ears, were familiar and comforting.
...Maybe he had to get out of his own head more.
---
Owlpaw goes to get some fresh kill...and gets attacked by rats that went to scavenge the pile! She gets a torn pelt, and complains about it the entire time.
Iciclepool and Redstar get into a very heated argument. Iciclepool wins. Redstar takes it down...and carves a line on a piece of wood that she hides under her bedding.
ForestClan gets into a battle at the border with Endless' group, despite their attempts at diplomacy. They're all spooked off by a familiar screeching before anyone can get seriously hurt. Relationships with the outsiders have worsened.
(Daffodilpaw, apprentice, female, 9 moons. Careful.)
(Cloudthunder, warrior, female, 55 moons. Loyal.)
(Barleywave, warrior, male, 51 moons. Playful.)
(Endless, rogue, female, 58 moons. Sneaky.)
(Stone, rogue, male, 66 moons. Charismatic.)
(Plume, former kittypet, female, 47 moons. Childish.)
(Fake Cat. If you hear them, they have already heard you.)
Hopechase catches greencough. Brackenfreckle can't stand her clanmates today.
Riversnow was relieved when Brackenfreckle told her that her wound healed. She didn't need to be careful anymore - thank goodness. She had been cleared for patrols a moon ago - enough to finish Deerspring's training and see her become a warrior, thank goodness - but waiting for scabs to close and getting checked regularly just reminded her of Stone's existence. Good riddance, she didn't have to worry about it anymore. She carried herself with her tail held high and glanced around camp for work that needed to be done.
She saw Branchsnarl patching up a part of the camp wall with sap, poking at cracks and corners with a stick. Branchsnarl scowled in annoyance as he kept failing to angle his head in such a way to correctly stab his stick in the corner he was patching.
Riversnow let out a mrrow of amusement and approached him. "Need help, young tom?"
Branchsnarl's ears perked and his green eyes beamed. "O'ly i' you 'an - " Branchsnarl stopped and spat the stick on the floor. "Sorry - only if you want! Messy job though, I wouldn't want to get sap on your paws."
"Oh, believe me, I've gotten sap on my paws before. I can handle it," she purred with amusement. "Here, let's give you an easier target to see."
Riversnow used her paw to act as a clearer marker for Branchsnarl to rest his stick on, and together they managed to fill in the cracks, re-securing the wall. The two cleaned up behind them, with Branchsnarl returning the sap back to the supply storage near the medicine den, and Riversnow grabbing some flax oil to remove stray globs of sap that got on her paws.
"Need help with that? I've done it for mom before," Branchsnarl asked with a raised tail.
"Thank you, but it's just the top of my paw. I should be good," Riversnow mewed.
"If you say so! I don't mind helping."
Riversnow's whiskers twitched. Then, she let out a purr. "That you do."
Branchsnarl noticed the look on her face and returned a playful frown. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, don't be daft. You hoarded mounds of fresh moss to replace my bedding every three days when I was pregnant," Riversnow laughed.
"Hey! In my defense, you complained about not being able to sleep comfortably. And you didn't stop me," Branchsnarl retorted with a smirk. "Tree didn't stop me either, so if anything, it's their fault."
"Oh no, you were willingly doing chores. How dare no one stop you." Riversnow's whiskers twitched in amusement as she rubbed the sap off her paws with a leather cloth. "You were a good cat."
Branchsnarl sat down in the snow and shifted uncomfortably. "Ehhh, I mean, I dunno about that. I've, uh, said mousebrained things too."
"If this is about Owlpaw blaming you for Warblerkit, I understand your reaction. It was very hurtful, and I was upset that it happened in the first place, but I understand." Riversnow raised her head and looked at him sympathetically. "Warblerkit's death isn't your fault. You were being born."
"Yeah, I know." Branchsnarl paused. He gently prodded at the snow with the back of his paw, deep in thought. He licked his teeth, then said carefully, "I just...feel like I upset a lot of cats. Redstar especially."
Riversnow blinked as she remembered how distant Barleywave was for a few weeks. He spoke to no one and couldn't look at anyone in the eye. The second he broke out of a hollow stupor, he threw up a hairball and looked like he had spent days crawling in a swamp. She couldn't deny that Owlkit and Branchpaw had deeply hurt each other, and other cats. She didn't push anyone to tell her why they spiraled out of control, but she wasn't stupid. She did live for a few seasons on the outskirts of the Twoleg Campground. Distant screams like those of cougars.
She put two and two together eventually.
"...You, um...could reach out to them, if you're worried."
Branchsnarl shrugged. "Eh, maybe later. For Redstar, anyway. She's been kinda tense, I think, since..."
He trailed off, and Riversnow said nothing. Her chest tightened. She didn't know how to talk about what happened to Blackpaw. And Shiverstep not long after. Windfur tried to keep her escapade on the down-low, but others could see how on edge she was since then.
Branchsnarl shook his head, and changed the subject quickly. "But uh, hey, if I was a little mousedung back then, at least I'm better now, I think," he chuckled.
"Oh, you weren't mousedung," Riversnow protested as she finally cleaned the rest of her paw and folded the cloth. "In fact, you were very adorable when I first arrived in camp."
"What? No. What did I do?" Branchsnarl got to his feet with a confused look.
"Don't you remember?"
"Well, I was a kit, that was ages ago!"
Her whiskers twitched with amusement. She picked up the oil by the handle. "You said hello, that I was very pretty, and you were glad to have me as a Clanmate. You ran away and tackled your sister before I could say anything."
Branchsnarl burst out laughing, and followed Riversnow in the medicine den. "No way, really? That's hilarious!"
"It's true," Riversnow said as she tucked the oil in a corner where she found it.
"Aw, well, my kit-self wasn't lying, you are pretty."
"Oh, stop it, you," Riversnow chuckled and lightly cuffed the tom's ear. Branchsnarl's ear twitched and he had a big, dumb grin on his face.
"What? Am I wrong? Everyone in the Clan thinks that - the kits say you're fluffy like a cloud too! Of course Barleywave fell for you!"
Riversnow now felt flustered, suddenly regretting bringing it up. "Ah, well now, I doubt that - "
"Aw, you're way too modest, take the compliment, fight anyone who says otherwise," Branchsnarl insisted with a swishing tail and dilated pupils.
"Branch, come on, every molly is beautiful in their own way, surely I'm not - "
"Ah ah ah! But you're a molly, so you're also beautiful. I win," Branchsnarl snickered as he got into a playful crouch. He blocked the entrance to the medicine den.
Riversnow's neck bristled instinctively at the bodily memory of being cornered, but she saw the stupid look on his face and couldn't help but replace it with the moment of being confronted by Branchkit greeting her. A realization dawned on her, and her neck fur flattened. The young tom wasn't being aggressive, but competitive. Oh stars, she thought Windfur said his "second puberty" was done by now. Branchpaw might've bolted away giggling at this point, but this idiot was grinning with dialated pupils and waiting to be batted over head again. She fought the instinct to stay quiet, and instead retrieved her voice and spoke her needs.
"Branch," she began calmly and raised her paw. "I'll take the compliment, but you're acting like a six moon old tom. And, uh, you're blocking the entrance."
"Oh mousedung, sorry!" Branchsnarl's pupils shrunk and he sat up, embarrassed. He licked his shoulder before straightening out. "Ah, that's embarrassing, sorry River. I dunno what came over me."
"It's alright. I thought your treatments were finished?"
"Uh, yeah, but I guess I've been told I might still act like a mosquito. Hey, don't - like, don't be scared to call me out, I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just mousebrained," he meowed.
"It's alright, Branchsnarl. Thank you for telling me."
He paused, stared into the distance, then his face flattened out as though an epiphany came to him. "...Oh foxdung I forgot I was supposed to help Perchwatcher with something, I gotta go SORRY, thanks for the help earlier, talk to you later!" And with that, he suddenly bolted towards the gates and climbed over the gate itself and leapt out of camp. This was extremely inefficient, with all the energetic rush of a young tom.
Riversnow let out a sigh, but then purred with amusement and affection.
Branchsnarl was a good Clanmate. Sometimes made mistakes, but she was glad to know him.
Riftgorse feels depressed after Blackpaw died last moon, feeling responsible for her death. perchwatcher tries to distract him, and asks Riftgorse if he wanted to go on a walk together. Riftgorse accepts, finding comfort in her.
Windfur tells Shadepaw about his recent meeting to the Moon Dome, and how he saw Blackpaw, seemingly to offer comfort. Shadepaw keeps comparing himself to Windfur. Why couldn't Blackpaw visit him in his dreams? What did Windfur have that he didn't?
Windfur is glad to have a friend like Morningspot. He appreciates their herb patrols together - neither of them talk much, but they value each others' presence.
Cottonheart brings Perchwatcher some food, hoping that she remembered what her favorite was. She blushes when she sees her happy. Perchwatcher appreciates Cottonheart's friendship.
Barleywave asks Owlpaw how she's doing. Daffodilpaw notices this from the other side of camp. She thinks Barleywave pays more attention to Owlpaw than she does to her.
Tree lets Ghostkit play with their tail, being careful to face away and cover their face with moss. Brackenfreckle shoos Ghostkit out of the medicine den when she notices.
In a moment of vulnerability while looking at the aurora in the sky, Cloudthunder opens up to Tree about her worries for the future. Tree feels the same - and yet promises to fight to protect the Clan - and her. Suddenly, all at once, words spill out and keep spilling out, and by the end of the evening, they've agreed to become mates.
Cloudthunder lived for beautiful moments like these.
As the sun set on the horizon and the leafbare chill fell on the forest, the night sky lit up with stars, and the glow of the sunset was replaced with a different kind of light. Gentle, pale green waves beamed down towards the horizon, and rippled softly over the treetops. It was faint - but it was beautiful nevertheless; a rare sight that inspired awe in the entire camp. Iciclepool and Hopechase's kits squealed with excitement at the shifting ripples of color, and yearlings like Perchwatcher, Branchsnarl and Brackenfreckle stared up with awe like they were young apprentices. Even Redstar, who had been gloomy for most of the month, found herself sitting in camp and staring above with subtle wonder. Cloudthunder had seen the sky do this before, when she was an apprentice. It was one of the few memories she still held onto fondly from Lakestar's leadership.
And now, here she was, experiencing it again with three adult children, a thriving Clan, and the freedom of movement. She could have gone anywhere, but today she was in camp, and she was happy.
ForestClan admired the sky for a few hours, and told stories. It was StarClan gathering together to show their joy and parade through the night. Or the tails of foxes that were chased out of the territory by fire, the triumph of ancestors immortalized in the sky. Olive spoke of Twolegs admiring these lights too, holding up cubic and rectangular objects up to their faces, pointed towards the sky. Sometimes they placed them on three-legged stands and left them overnight. A bizarre ritual. A few cats pondered or laughed about it. Eventually, cats grew weary, and retired to their dens one by one.
Then, Cloudthunder was alone. She sat near the dying cinders of the fire, promising Clanmates to extinguish it and empty the ashes before retiring to bed. Instead, she kept the glowing cinders company, reluctant to go to bed.
She tried to push down her sudden influx of worries. No, not anxiety, or dread. She's felt those before and by StarClan, she was never going to feel that again. She had zero interest in feeling trapped and paranoid under an evil gaze again. No, instead, she thought of her Clan, and her children.
Before her mind could wander too far, her ear twitched at the sound of footsteps in the snow. She turned, and her heart skipped a beat as she saw Tree approaching her.
"Tree," she meowed.
"Cloudthunder," Tree greeted. Their voice rasped in the cold. Cloudthunder frowned with concern.
"You're still sick with yellowcough. You should be in bed."
"Shiverstep said I'm recovering. I should be better in another week or two," Tree replied. They sat down by the fire across from Cloudthunder, and stared up at the sky. A smile cracked across their tired face. "I wanted to admire the sky more. Couldn't sleep anyway."
Cloudthunder purred softly, also staring up at the sky. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"It really is something special," Tree admitted with a smile. "I think...I've only seen this once before, as a kit. I remember staring up at it for such a long time that my neck hurt afterwards."
Cloudthunder let out a mrrow of amusement. "Oh no, that must've hurt in the morning."
"It did. But it was very worth it, I think. It's not often you see these. We won't know when we'll see them again."
Cloudthunder nodded and added a mrrow of approval.
Tree paused, before letting out a cough and a sniffle. They groaned in annoyance.
"Would you like tea or anything? I could boil water," Cloudthunder offered.
"It's alright. Thank you, though. You spoil me," Tree replied with a sparkle in their eyes. Cloudthunder couldn't help but feel heat rise to her face, she sheepishly looked away and failed to stop a smile spreading across her face.
It was extremely unfortunate that Deerspring was right - she did like Tree a lot. And before being confronted with that, she had no trouble just having fun with a flirty back and forth with the cat. She never intended for it to be anything that deep - or at least that's what she kept telling herself - and now that she had to admit that she was a terrible liar, she wasn't sure what to say.
Should she even say anything, given the world they live in?
The worry that gnawed at her chest earlier returned. She stared at the aurora above, hoping that it would clear her thoughts. Instead, a cold breeze picked up, and she was reminded of the night she went into labour last leaf-bare.
She tried to pretend everything was going to be fine and that she didn't care if the Living Tendrils came. It was a fact of life, kits would die, and she'd be sad, yes, but she would get over it. It was an accident, after all.
That was a mistake.
And as moons went by and Redstar failed to die, and young cats like Blackpaw were snatched up by the woods, the fears for her own children increased. She bottled them up. Pretended everything was going to be fine and they could take steps to prevent death. But there were stranger outsiders that hated them and wanted them dead, wanted her children dead, and every day that passed she mentally prepared for the next Ritual of the Lost she would have to participate in, praying that it wasn't for her children.
"Cloudthunder?"
"Hm?" The molly glanced at Tree.
Concern veiled the cat's expression thinly. Tree tapped their tail once. "...You seem lost in thought. Anything on your mind?"
Well, yes, but I would rather not, Cloudthunder thought to herself. She looked back up at the sky. "Nothing in particular."
Tree's whiskers twitched and they sniffled once. "...Did you feel like sharing?"
Oh good, she was terrible at hiding mousedung. Cloudthunder sighed. "Am I really that obvious?"
Tree let out an amused huff, then twitched their tail and gestured dramatically, "Your eyes are as vibrant as sunshine, fair molly! To bask near them is a privilege."
Cloudthunder laughed. "Oh, quiet, you!" she hissed, swatting a pile of dusty snow in their direction. Tree shielded their face and smirked, returning the gesture. Cloudthunder sputtered as snow hit her face, shaking herself out.
"Hey! No fair, you have bigger paws," Cloudthunder protested as she got up and approached them with a mischievous look. Tree shielded their face with their paws and let out a laugh.
"Hey, no - " Tree coughed, " - no attacking the sick!"
"Oh, you're getting better, get over it," Cloudthunder smirked as she batted snow more directly towards them. Tree was pelted and let out a fake dramatic wail, rolling on their back.
"Ooof, oh no, I'm being attacked! How dare you attack the sick and elderly? Oh, the atrocity!" Tree's voice turned into a rasp, then a series of coughs. Cloudthunder's amusement stopped, and her tail drooped.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah - " Tree coughed, "yeah, I'm good, just - " More coughing. Tree sat back up and Cloudthunder took a few steps back, her ears folding.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trigger it," she mewed.
Tree finished their coughing streak by clearing their throat and sniffling. "Ah, stars - sorry. I swear I'm getting better. That just came out of nowhere."
"Maybe you should get some rest?"
Tree's emerald green eyes flickered, and they paused, lost in thought. Their tail swept the snow beneath them. Finally, they turned to look at Cloudthunder, and the molly fought against looking away.
"Only if you do."
Cloudthunder let out a chuckle. "Not sure if I can right now."
"Then tell me about it. Then we might both get some sleep."
Cloudthunder looked away. Tree slowly sat down beside her, angled away in case they started coughing again. After a few moments of silence, Tree prompted gently, "I have time. I'm here to listen."
Cloudthunder's heart tightened. She sat down, staring at the snow blankly as she organized her thoughts. Did she want to talk about this with Tree? Would they even understand her worries? Tree had spent more time as an outsider than a warrior of ForestClan. She assumed that they never had kits of their own. Would they be able to empathize with her at all? Was this too heavy to drop on a cat all of a sudden? Tree was still sick. They should be resting, not listening to her really bummer venting.
"...You don't have to, Tree. I'm just overthinking things," she said.
Tree's ear twitched. They tensed. "...I'm here to listen," they repeated.
"I know, and I appreciate it, but - " Cloudthunder cut her words short when she glanced up at them, and saw Tree glancing back at them. Their eyes carried an intensity she hadn't seen before - fear, she dared to wonder? - and Cloudthunder couldn't bring herself to walk away from them. She blinked once, then sighed deeply. She looked towards the sky again, relying on the soothing ripples of light to keep her emotions steady.
"...I worry for the future. For my kits," she began. "I know it's pointless to worry. If the woods come, there's very little that I can do to stop them. I should enjoy the time I have with them now, as much as I can. I could never abandon ForestClan - it's my home. The land is so beautiful. The view of the mountain, the lake, the field and forest - you can't get that anywhere else. It's our home, not the home of Woodcrawlers. But..." Cloudthunder's copper eyes flickered. She tucked her tail around her paws. "...Sometimes, I get scared. I just want to...put my kits on the back of some Twoleg monster, and let the monster drive far away to who-knows-where. I'd never see them again. But they'd be alive. And...and I wouldn't have to hold a Ritual of the Lost for them someday, like I did with Bearkit and Magnoliakit." Cloudthunder scoffed as she felt her voice cracking. Shame rippled through her pelt. She laughed at herself. Oh, this was stupid. This was a mistake. Validating that fear out loud was a terrible plan. Great StarClan, she was turning into Iciclepool. "It's...it's a ridiculous thought, I know. But...I don't want to lose them."
There was a tense silence that followed. Cloudthunder refused to say or think anything else. She was terrified of looking like her mother when she was a kit, sitting at the walls of camp and sobbing into the night, begging for her own mama to return from the ether. She refused to look that vulnerable to anyone.
"...I understand."
Cloudthunder side-eyed them. Tree scowled.
"No, really. I do. And I don't think that's wrong to think that."
Cloudthunder chuckled dryly. "Ah, yes. I'm sure Redstar and Iciclepool will take thoughts of leaving the territory well."
"Why is that a bad thing?"
She tensed. "It just is, Tree. ForestClan has tried it before. Search parties never returned alive."
Pause.
"Did you find evidence of their death?"
She said nothing.
Tree looked away, then sniffled. Their voice rasped. "Look. I get it. It's hard. And...I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have my own doubts about staying in ForestClan at first. Learning about the Living Tendrils, and your history of apprentice trials - I was concerned. For the first moon, I thought you might be cats trapping yourselves voluntarily here. But then I learned about your culture. Your history with other Clans that used to exist. Your - " Tree suppressed a cough, " - hgn, sorry. Just...long story short, you fought for your right to be here. And you've built incredible things - methods I've only seen out of Twolegs before - in that determination to stay. Even so," Tree's eyes flickered, "that doesn't mean we don't hope for a better future, one far away from here without fear."
Cloudthunder met their gaze evenly. "It's not just for my kits. It's for...for every kit. Daffodilpaw and Owlpaw. Shadepaw and Nectarpaw. Cats I care for," Cloudthunder meowed. "I just..." She looked away. "...I've buried enough mementos and empty graves. I've seen too many cats and apprentices die. I thought I was numb to it after Lakestar's leadership, but after Blackpaw..."
"...Do you want to leave?"
"No," Cloudthunder said immediately. "I...I couldn't. This is our home. I just...I wish I could...I don't know, grab the hypothetical 'safe place' from wherever it is, and drag it over here instead. Even if it has to be kicking and screaming, I want to make it free of whatever mockeries are out there."
"...Then, I'll fight it make it a place like that."
The resolution of that sentence surprised her. Cloudthunder met Tree's gaze, and found herself unable to tear away from the determination in their eyes.
"That's how we'll make it a better place. And we can do it. For as long as I still live, I will fight. I'll tear off Woodcrawler legs. I'll tear the limbs off Tendrils. I'll burn whatever Nature's Mockery and den entrance I find."
"Don't." Cloudthunder bristled, a surge of panic rushing through her. "Please don't."
"Why not?" Tree pressed.
The white and grey molly sputtered. "You'll get hurt. It's dangerous. I don't..."
She trailed off. Tree didn't prompt her for an answer, but as Cloudthunder stared into Tree's eyes, and she felt resounding terror at the idea of a patrol coming back and telling them that Tree had saved their lives, that they were brave, and courageous, and gone -
"I don't want to lose you too."
Speaking it made it reality. Heart thundering. Every joke, every time she made them laugh, every time they shared a meal and told a story, every time they explored the territory beyond its normal bounds, just for fun, just because they could. She would lose this. Lose them. And she couldn't do it. She loved them. She loved their friendship, their jabs and jokes, their passing flirts and the smiles they gave. She loved their intensity in the face of protecting those they loved, she...oh stars, she did love them, and every attempt to shove it down in a hole and pretend it didn't exist failed.
Tree kept their determined gaze, and then, a flicker of affection danced across their face. "You won't lose me."
Cloudthunder's ears folded back. "You can't promise that," she retorted.
"No, silly, not like that. I'm not immortal," Tree chuckled. Then, they slowly brushed their tail across Cloudthunder's back. "You won't lose me, because I'll do all those things with you, and with the Clan. We'll make it better for everyone together. You won't lose me, because I have you to come back alive for."
Her heart stopped and her face turned hot. Her fur bristled as she suddenly felt the urge to zoom out of camp and scream like a flock of common sparrows at dawn. Oh stars, what was she, eight moons old? She stuttered and looked away, embarrassed and too overtaken with feeling all at once. Tree made a raspy mrrow.
"Sorry. Too much?"
"No," Cloudthunder sputtered. She entwined her tail with theirs suddenly, afraid they'd pull back. "No. It's okay. I..." Despite the worries that still plagued her, a smile spread across her face. "...I just didn't think I meant that much to you."
"Now, hold on a second," Tree's throat rasped, but Cloudthunder knew it would be a loud protest if they could've managed it. "What do you think we've been doing for the past few moons? I thought my feelings were obvious."
"W-Wait, you weren't playing around?" Cloudthunder asked sheepishly, head bowed. Tree initially looked hurt, until they saw the wide-eyed pleading look in the molly's eyes, and they burst out laughing. Then devolved into a series of coughs that they turned away to sort out.
"Oh stars, sorry," Tree finally managed after clearing their throat. "I'm so sorry, that was adorable. Yes, of course I was serious, Cloud. Does ForestClan not understand how courting works at all?"
"Y-Yes, we understand courting! I just didn't know that's what we were doing," Cloudthunder admitted, looking away with embarrassment.
"Why?" There was a pause for a moment, until Tree's fur bristled and they looked away nervously. "...I, ah, I guess I'm not the best choice of a partner."
Cloudthunder's eyes widened to the size of plates. Her brain sputtered, "What?"
Tree hid their self-deprecation under the veneer of humor. "Well, I mean...if it wasn't obvious already, I can't sire anything. And if that was something that mattered to you, well, that's unfortunate."
Cloudthunder scowled. "Tree, do you think that matters to me at all?"
"...Does it?"
"No, mousebrain!" Cloudthunder shoved them playfully. "If hearing me talk for the past ten minutes wasn't clear enough, I'm already worrying about one litter. I don't want more. You're perfect. Please don't ever doubt that."
"You do understand that if I wasn't sick right now, I'd be pressing my head all over you, right?" Tree said with a smirk.
"Do you want me to bat you with snow again?"
"No thank you," Tree purred. "...But, I do mean it, Cloud. I keep you in my heart, like you keep your family and friends in yours. I dunno how ForestClan does it, for non-Clan cats it just kinda...happens," Tree shrugged, then meowed, "do I have to, uh, ask if you'd like to be my mate? Seems weirdly formal, but I mean..."
And for a brief moment, Cloudthunder's worries melted away. Whatever worry she had about the future, about others, about her kits - maybe, just maybe, things would be okay. Tree was by her side. Tree would fight to stay by her side. They promised to. And maybe tonight, until the light of rippling green waves in the sky, that was all they needed. Right now, things were okay. Right now, things were good. Right now, she was happy.
Cloudthunder squeezed her tail around Tree's tightly, then looked into their eyes, the green light from above bouncing off of their gaze gently. They were beautiful. She hoped they knew that they were beautiful, and she loved them.
"Of course I'll be your mate, Tree," she meowed softly. "I love you. I want you to know that above all else."
Tree's eyes narrowed with joy, their entire body purring. "I love you too, Cloud."
Olive, at Riversnow's request, mediated between Owlkit and Barleywave. Why is Owlkit so angry and rude to others? Owlkit confesses during the mediation that she heard that kits die to the woods all the time. If she's gonna die, why should she care about others? She may as well do whatever she wants. Barleywave realizes that Owlkit's life was not as easy as it seemed.
Windfur watches Brackenfreckle care for Nectarkit. Brackenfreckle scolds Blackkit for saying that Nectarkit fell of a rock and that's why she's crying - Blackkit clearly swiped at her, everyone saw it. Windfur suppresses a mrrow of amusement, admiring her compassion - even if the healer tries to hide it from adults.
Redstar was called out by Cloudthunder for lashing out at her Clanmates. She did not appreciate it. She also did not appreciate that she was right and that Cottonpaw shrunk from her mentorship. Cloudthunder was sure to emphasize that she would not allow her daughter to develop a fear of her own Clan leader simply because she couldn't pull her own head out of her rump.
Redstar knew the answer wasn't to seclude herself in the back of her own den. Maybe she could make herself useful, like going to hunt.
Maybe she should feed the woods.
That was her responsibility. Her promise. But they wouldn't take her. No, not with Twolegs running around their territory. The Woodcrawlers would've had a wonderful feast on any unlucky fools still out after dark.
She wondered if that would spare ForestClan.
Her ear twitched as she heard short, quiet padding behind her. She closed her eyes and sighed. Undoubtedly her apprentice again, eager to prove herself after her escapade last month.
"Cottonpaw, I know you feel restless. But I thought I said - " Redstar's words stopped short as she turned around. Instead of her apprentice, her eyes fell on Shadekit - who sat down with a disgruntled look.
"Cottonpaw?" Shadekit repeated, as though offended.
Redstar closed her eyes and swallowed back every instinct in her body to snap at the child for his tone. No. Not at a kit. Never at a kit. She already faltered last moon, with Owlkit. She couldn't break again. Not over a tone.
Her voice was pulled taut. She spoke with deliberation over every word. "...I'm sorry, Shadekit. I thought you were Cottonpaw." She forced herself to heave a deep sigh, then opened her eyes to look at Shadekit. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Shadekit blinked, then pouted a bit, staring away at a wall. "Yeah. Blackkit, Nectarkit and I were curious about somethin'. We were scared to ask, so we drew straws. They cheated, and now they're making me ask," Shadekit grumbled under his breath.
Redstar felt a thorn prick her heart. Shadekit didn't seem to realize that none of them should feel scared to ask questions.
Or were they afraid to ask you, Redpath?
Redstar closed her eyes. Balled every single retort, excuse, justification and thought-terminating statement that rose in her throat. She balled the memory of corrosive, green eyes piercing her skull.
Then swallowed them down.
"...I can, uh, say you're busy," Shadekit mewed, pawing the ground nervously.
"No, no, it's alright," Redstar practically gasped. Shadekit stared at Redstar skeptically. The leader scrambled to find her perch, steadying her voice. "I am here to answer any questions you have, Shadekit. Especially if it's something that's on your mind."
Shadekit blinked once, scanning Redstar's eyes for deceit. When he decided that there weren't any, he raised his tail and meowed:
“Branchpaw told Owlkit to feed the woods. What does ‘feeding the woods’ mean?”
Redstar's pelt bristled instinctively. She forced her fur to lie flat and took a deep breath, visibly sighing.
“Oh...you heard that. Did your siblings hear that too?”
"Yeah. They were loud," Shadekit replied. "Hopechase says it means dying in a specific way. She said you'd be able to explain it."
Redstar mentally asked StarClan to put a thorn in Hopechase's nest. She pictured her saying that it was for Redstar's own good, and she would be right, and that irritated her.
Redstar sighed, wrapping her tail around her paws. She turned over the concept in her mind, straining to find a way to explain it in a kit-friendly way that didn't outright give them nightmares. She wasn't any good with kits. Why did Hopechase do this to her?
“It's…difficult to explain," she admitted.
"Yeah, Hopechase said that too," Shadekit huffed, scowling.
Redstar remained quiet. In the turbulence of her emotions and stress, a desperate thought rolled in front of her: what would she have wanted to hear as a kit about the woods?
Slowly, with Shadekit's expectant, blue eyes focused on her, she answered. "The...woods have…dangerous predators that live in them. We have badgers, and foxes, and sometimes scarier ones, like cougars and bears. But the most dangerous ones are Deep Root entities. I believe you were taught about them recently?”
"Yeah. They use cam-oooo-flage," Shadekit enunciated the long word. "They look like big branches, and come from the ground. Sometimes they disguise themselves as cats. But they smell really bad, so you know to run away when you smell them."
"That's right," Redstar nodded. She swallowed back the building pressure at the back of her neck. Lesson. This was a history lesson. That's all this was. Her heart steadied at that realization. Yes, this was all just oral history - nothing to be worried about. "But a long time ago, ForestClan didn't know that. The Deep Roots looked a lot like trees, bushes and vines. When a Deep Root creature killed a cat, our ancestors noticed that the Deep Roots would retreat from the forest, and prey was plentiful for a few moons. They were scared, and thought the woods themselves were alive instead, like an animal. And animals need to eat food."
Shadekit's eyes widened, fear and understanding surging through them. His fur bristled on all ends. "Feed the woods," he echoed gravely, the phrase now clicking into place.
Redstar nodded solemnly, her ears folded back. "It's…a very, very cruel turn of phrase. Branchpaw should not have said it, no matter how angry she was at Owlkit."
"B-But," Shadekit protested, standing to his feet. His body still bristled, looking like he held a dozen questions. "You go out to feed the woods all the time! Are the woods alive?"
Redstar's pelt now matched Shadekit's.
"Who said that?" she blurted.
"W-Well, not exactly, like that," Shadekit stammered, shuffling on his feet and staring at the den wall. "B-But we saw you leave camp at night a few times! Cloudthunder said you were getting the roots to leave us alone. B-But if Roots eat cats, and they come back when they're hungry," he shot his fearful gaze back up to the leader. "Redstar…a-are we gonna die?"
“No." Redstar said immediately. Shadekit stumbled slightly, catching himself immediately and looking at her warily. "No. Absolutely not. That is not your burden and not your fate. You will not feed the woods."
"But how?"
Cold, hardened resolve forged in her heart. It stood unmoving, immovable.
This is what she fought for. This is the reason she bloodied her own paws and made herself a villain for half of her life. To have the ability to stop them. To be the walls.
Redstar's blue eyes simmered with intensity. "I will."
"How?"
"By feeding them my lives."
Shadekit's eyes almost jumped out of his head. "That's real?! Windfur wasn't lying?!"
Redstar would've laughed, if she wasn't so stressed. She instead parsed the information she wanted to tell, and began. "A long time ago, ForestClan used to be a very different colony. The leaders were not good cats, and feared the woods. Cats used to be taken away at random - the woods would grow hungry and steal cats and kits whenever it wanted. But no longer." Redstar's tail flicked. Shadekit's fur slowly flattened. "StarClan gifts me with nine lives. The woods…or, rather, the Deep Root entities, actively hunt to feed about…once, or twice a year. Based on that - I have…" Redstar stared at her paws for a moment, mentally counting the lives she had left…
…How…many moons did it take for the woods to feel the hunger again? The buffeted scratch marks in the den walls briefly called to her, beckoning her to scrutinize every vertical line she ruined and scratched out moons ago to erase Lakestar's memory. She rejected it.
Seven. Seven is a good average.
"Somewhere around…fifty moons left worth of food to give to the woods.”
“Woah....that’s OLD!" Shadekit exclaimed. Redstar stifled a mrrow of amusement, and Shadekit's tail twitched. "But...isn't it scary? What about after you, like, die-die?”
“Of course it's scary. But for me, since I've died before, I don't find it as terrifying. My ancestors will guide me to the stars," Redstar said with a soft purr. "But…as for the Clan, Iciclepool is my deputy. She would take over after me, and she shares my beliefs about keeping our Clan safe by using our nine lives. By then, you’d be almost 100 moons old. You'd be as old as Hopechase is now. By then, I hope that Iciclepool has found a good deputy that knows the importance of keeping ForestClan safe, and you’d already be an adult, and know how to defend yourself.”
Awe and relief fell over Shadekit's face. He sat back down and threw his head up, audibly going "Phew!" Redstar failed to hide a smirk, a cloud of relief equally blanketing her shoulders.
“...Redstar? I have another question,” the kitten piped up.
“Yes, Shadekit?”
“Did our mom feed the woods?”
Shadekit asked this with such nonchalance that the nature of the question startled Redstar. Her tail fell limp to the floor, and her heart sank.
…Lying would serve no purpose now. It wasn't as though Blavignad just left them here. She didn't.
“...Yes. I’m sorry, Shadekit. Shiverstep and Brackenfreckle rescued you and your littermates. Your mother was attacked and…I'm sorry," Redstar admitted grimly. "I promise, as a part of ForestClan, I will do everything I can to prevent tragedies from happening again.”
Shadekit seemed oddly unaffected by this new information, shrugging and bouncing back up to his feet. "Okay! Thanks Redstar!"
Redstar watched as Shadekit trotted out of the nursery with his tail held high. She watched as he disappeared from the high rock, and she heard him loudly calling out to his sisters. As the hum of camp returned to her ears, and sunlight beamed over the pine trees, a weight that tried to smother her for the past moon lifted.
No one would have to feed the woods again. That was not on them. She had taken the torch. She has faith that others will see how impactful her choices were, and will continue to carry those choices with them in the future.
As long as history was preserved and their struggles were remembered, they would persist, for the better.
