Now that Fog and Slate are grown up, I can post the second height chart! Turns out RisingClan is full of tall kitties and I didn't realize until Aldertail how tall they were.
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Now that Fog and Slate are grown up, I can post the second height chart! Turns out RisingClan is full of tall kitties and I didn't realize until Aldertail how tall they were.

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Month 21 - Leaffall
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By the time they returned to camp, the sun was setting and Pantherhaze was starting to feel feverish. His vision had slightly improved but he felt so ill that he kept his eyes closed anyway. Oddstripe gave him some dandelion leaves and told him to get some sleep and Fogstalker said she was going to try and find something to cast a protection spell, whatever that meant. He thanked her anyway and eagerly went to bed.Â
That night was all in and out, shifting restlessly between confusing, fleeting dreams and half-wakefulness. At one point, he thought he heard Fogstalker and Slateheart arguing in whispers nearby but, by the time he woke, he wasnât sure.Â
âHow are you feeling?â Russetfrond asked when he managed to hobble out of the den in the late morning.Â
âUmâŠâ Pantherhaze squinted around the camp. His vision had mostly returned to normal, although certain patches of grass felt like they were fuzzy, in two places at once. His paws were still clammy and despite having overslept he had very little energy.Â
He settled on, âIâm hanging in there.â
âFogstalker says you got cursed?â Russetfrond said, raising a brow skeptically. âSparrowsway says he didnât get a good look. What happened?âÂ
âI donât know,â Pantherhaze said genuinely. He let his vision fog as he tried to recall details about the incident. âThe coyote had been scratching things on the ground and it was threatening Fogstalker and⊠I donât know, I just got the feeling that it was about to do something so I threw myself in the way and thenâŠâ He frowned, his head tilting towards his shoulder, gaze falling over the blurry grass. âThere was a big flash of light and I felt sick to my stomach, like Iâd been thrown from a high place suddenly and, when I opened my eyes, everything was double.âÂ
âA flash of light?â scowled Russetfrond. âNo one else mentioned a flash of light.â Pantherhaze looked up to see him sheathing and unsheathing his claws in thought.Â
âI donât know,â he shrugged, âthatâs just what I saw.âÂ
âItâs alright,â sighed Russetfrond. âYou just focus on feeling better, okay?â He gave Pantherhaze a few licks around the ears and Pantherhaze closed his eyes and sighed into the feeling. It had been a while since theyâd shared tongues. He missed it.Â
After a moment, Russetfrond pulled away and said, âIâm off to check on the boys training but Iâll check on you when I get back, yeah?âÂ
âOkay,â smiled Pantherhaze, shivering suddenly. Russetfrond gave him a concerned frown and touched noses with him before heading out.Â
Pantherhaze got breakfast, then went back to Oddstripe who confirmed that he did, in fact, still have a fever.Â
âGet some rest,â Oddstripe told him. âLet me know if you feel any worse, okay?âÂ
âOkay,â he said, feeling weary and disappointed. He wanted to do something for the Clan, not be laid up in bed. Still, he reasoned that the sooner he got better, the sooner he would be back to helping out. So he went back to bed.Â
Fogstalker was there, lifting up the moss of his nest. âOh! Sorry,â she said. âI was just putting a ward under your nest to help you sleep.âÂ
âA ward -- thatâs like a spell?â he asked, feeling very warm under his fur.Â
âYeah,â she said. âOh, is that okay? Sorry, I should have asked.â
âItâs fine,â he said, too tired to care.
Fogstalker smiled apologetically. âOkay. Iâll hurry up.â She finished arranging poppy petals in a little circle she had drawn into the dirt. In the middle was a small pile of crushed thyme and the smell was honestly very soothing.Â
She dropped the moss back down and smoothed it out, then turned to him and said, âThere you go. That should help you sleep peacefully. Hopefully it can flush whatever Hui-che did to you out of your system.â She winced and gave him a little, hopeful shrug.Â
âThank you,â he said, moving to settle into his nest. âIâm sorry things didnât work out with the coyotes.â
âItâs alright,â Fogstalker sighed. âI donât think I approached it right. Iâll figure it out.â She shrugged again. âGet some sleep.âÂ
âOkay,â he said, curling up into a tight little ball. He took slow deep breaths and tried to relax and soon enough he drifted off to sleep.Â
---
Pantherhaze was standing in a thick, white fog, or rather a tunnel made of fog. The walls and floors and ceilings were fog, yet when he took a step forward or poked a wall with his nose it gave resistance as if it were moss instead. He opened his mouth to scent the air but the only smell was fresh water.Â
For lack of something better to do, he started walking. He came to a fork from which split two identical fog tunnels. He cocked his head, glanced back and forth between them, and tried a cautious, âHello?â His voice was swallowed by the walls, leaving him in an unnerving quiet.
âHello?â he tried again, louder this time.Â
Nothing. He sighed and tried to pick between the tunnels, looked over his shoulder and considered going back, when suddenly--Â
âHello?â the faintest sound of a raspy voice carried down the tunnel on his left.Â
âHello?â he said, ears snapping upright. He quickly made his way down the tunnel towards the voice. âHello, there?âÂ
âThis way!â the voice was getting louder. âIâm here!â It sounded like a tom and that tom sounded relieved, elated maybe.Â
âIâm coming,â called Pantherhaze. He took another turn and suddenly found himself nose to nose with another cat, much sooner than he had expected given the volume of his voice. Shock hit him like a pawful of water to the face.Â
âDarkmoon?!â he gaped, eyes wide.Â
In front of him stood the former EarthClan deputy, his speckled black fur slightly rumpled and unkempt, adorned with a coating of glittering stardust. Darkmoon stared back with a naked surprise that Pantherhaze had never seen him wear when he was alive.Â
âPantherhaze?â he croaked. âOh, no. Are you dead too?âÂ
âI- I donât think so,â said Pantherhaze, suddenly worried. âI thought I was just having a dream.âÂ
âA dreamâŠâ Darkmoon mumbled to himself, eyes roving erratically over the tunnel walls. Pantherhazeâs brow furrowed in concern.Â
âAre you alright?â he asked.Â
âYes, yes, Iâm fine,â Darkmoon twitched an ear dismissively. âYou look solid. Not like the rest of us.â He looked Pantherhaze up and down after he said it, like he was confirming what heâd said with himself.Â
âThe rest of us?â Pantherhaze asked. âAre we in StarClan?âÂ
âNo, I donât think so,â Darkmoon shook his head. âCome, Iâll show you. But stay close. Itâs a maze. Youâll get lost if youâre not⊠not careful.â His eyes flickered over the space some more, only increasing Pantherhazeâs level of concern.Â
Before he could say anything, Darkmoon turned around and headed deeper into the tunnel, muttering to himself. The walls seemed to swallow the words and, as Pantherhaze followed, he realized their pawsteps made no noise either. He wondered -- if this was real -- how long Darkmoon had been in these strange, silent tunnels.Â
âUp, here,â Darkmoon grunted beneath a tunnel that went into the ceiling and hopped up, claws shedding scraps of cloud as he hoisted himself up. Pantherhaze looked down the featureless tunnel ahead of them with a growing unease in his stomach.Â
âHurry up!â said Darkmoon impatiently. âDonât get lost.âÂ
âRight! Sorry,â Pantherhaze called with an apologetic smile and hopped up behind him.Â
After a few more turns, he started to hear very soft voices.Â
â-eventually. We have to be close to finding a way out.â
âMaybe. Or there is no way out.âÂ
âNo. No, there has to be a way out.âÂ
Darkmoon took a right at a fork and suddenly, they were in a small, round chamber with several branching paths splitting off of it. The two cats snapped to attention as they saw him, one of them freezing where he had been pacing.Â
âYouâre back,â he said, identifying himself as the first voice. He was a smallish, young-looking, masked brown tabby with sharp, green eyes. The cat behind him was larger and well built with a flat muzzle and white fur that made it hard to distinguish him from the wall. They both glittered with pinkish starlight. When the first tomâs eyes landed on Pantherhaze, they widened, and he added, âand with company.â Both of the toms tensed slightly.Â
âThis is Pantherhaze,â said Darkmoon, stepping to the side to let him in. âHeâs a Clan cat like me. Pantherhaze, this is Harley. Thatâs Twister.âÂ
âNice to meet you,â Pantherhaze said, slightly reeling by the sight of more cats in this strange place -- loners to boot.Â
âHe doesnât look dead,â observed the larger cat -- Twister.
âNo,â Harley agreed, eyes narrowing calculatingly. âNo, he doesnât. What brings you to the Clouds, friend?âÂ
Pantherhaze blinked. âThe Clouds? Like literally?âÂ
âYes,â Darkmoon nodded. âYouâre supposed to travel through them to StarClan but without our guides, we got lost.âÂ
âWithout your guides?!â Pantherhazeâs tail bristled in concern. âWhat happened to them?âÂ
âThey were attacked,â said Harley. âBy a cat twice Twisterâs size.âÂ
âRazor,â growled Darkmoon.Â
âRazor?! He- Okay,â he was trying to stay on board with everything but he was learning a lot in that moment. Heâd always been told that cats outside the Clans ceased to exist after death but here he was, talking to two loners who were dead about a dead rogue who had attacked their StarClan guides -- or, was it just guides? He shook his head, overwhelmed.Â
âHe killed mine,â Darkmoon said. âTurned him to stardust in one swipe. I⊠I ran, like a coward.â He looked down at his paws in shame and Pantherhaze frowned sympathetically.Â
âDonât beat yourself up,â Harley soothed, stepping closer. âWe did what we had to do.âÂ
âYeah,â nodded Darkmoon. âRight.â He seemed shaken, despite his attempts to calm himself.
âSo how did you get here, again?â asked Twister, pulling them back on topic.Â
âOh!â Pantherhaze blushed in embarrassment. âI⊠Iâm not sure. I just went to sleep and woke up here?âÂ
âThatâs- Thatâs it?â frowned Harley. He wore a petulant little scowl that completely took over his face.Â
âYeah, Iâm sorry,â Pantherhaze winced apologetically.Â
Twister flicked Harley with his tail who glanced at him and seemed to remember himself. He shook his head and pulled a more relaxed expression onto his face, but the calculating edge returned to his eyes. He cocked his head to the side and approached Pantherhaze to get a closer look at him.Â
âAre you⊠here? Like physically?â he asked and then, without waiting for a response, raised a paw to bat at Pantherhazeâs ears. Pantherhaze flinched backward but Harley seemed satisfied by the result. âNo, look at that, I passed right through him.âÂ
âInteresting,â frowned Twister.Â
âWhat does that mean?â Darkmoon growled, mostly to himself.Â
âI donât know,â Harley squinted and began to pace again. âThis is quite the puzzleâŠâ Pantherhaze blinked a few times, completely overwhelmed by everything that was happening, but let Harley think instead of asking questions.Â
After a moment, the tabby stopped and asked, âHow long has it been? Like what time of year is it?âÂ
âItâs hard to tell the time here,â Darkmoon added, looking at Pantherhaze.Â
âOh, uh, letâs seeâŠâ he thought aloud. âYou died at the end of Newleaf, right? Now, itâs nearly Leafbare of the same year.âÂ
Darkmoon sighed in relief, a tiredness evaporating from his eyes. âNot too long then.âÂ
âLeafbare,â Harley frowned, âwhich season is that?âÂ
âUh, the one with snow,â Pantherhaze offered, and Harley nodded seriously.Â
âOkay, okay,â he said. âLet me think.â There was a long stretch of quiet where Harley paced and muttered to himself, his voice being soaked into the clouds around them, and the others sat and watched.
Eventually, Harley said, âOkay. I think we just donât have enough information. What we need is for you to try and figure out how to get back here again and see if we can learn something about it when you do. Until then, we keep trying to map the tunnels and see if we can figure anything out on our own.âÂ
Twister rolled his eyes. âGreat, so the same as always.â Harleyâs tail rippled angrily and he pressed his mouth into a thin line as if he were trying to resist a scowl which seemed to amuse Twister greatly. Pantherhaze glanced awkwardly at Darkmoon but the former deputy was frowning at the floor, lost in thought.Â
Harley spoke again. âDoes that sound like something you can do, uhâŠâÂ
âPantherhaze.âÂ
âYes,â Harley smiled. âPanther Haze. Do you think that you can try and help us out?âÂ
âSure,â Pantherhaze said, straightening up with the responsibility. âI mean, Iâll try.âÂ
Harleyâs smile flattened slightly in frustration but he nodded. âWell, I suppose thatâs all we can ask for.âÂ
âStarClan,â Darkmoon said.Â
âWhat?â Harleyâs ear twitched as he raised a brow.Â
âYou have to tell StarClan,â said Darkmoon, looking up at Pantherhaze. âThe River of Stars. Someone has to let them know weâre here, maybe they can find us.âÂ
Harley shifted awkwardly. âMaybe⊠We donât know what they would do to Twister and I.âÂ
Pantherhaze frowned and took a step closer. âThey wonât do anything to you, Iâm sure. Iâm sure they would help you try and⊠get wherever you were supposed to be.â He screwed his mouth to the side as he tried to think about what that would actually be. This whole interaction had left him with so many questions about an afterlife he had never really questioned before.Â
âWeâll see,â said Harley, clearly unconvinced.Â
âStarClan will know what to do,â Darkmoon said determinedly.Â
Harley sighed. âIf you say so. Letâs just hope something changes soon. I donât know how much longer I can-âÂ
Pantherhaze sat up in his nest with a sharp gasp.Â
âSorry!â winced Yellowpaw around a mouthful of moss, his hind paw shooting up and away from Pantherhazeâs tail.Â
Behind him, Bluepaw tensed. âYellowpaw! I told you to be careful!â It looked like they were in the middle of changing out the nests.Â
âI said I was sorry!â whined his brother. âIt was an accident!âÂ
âItâs fine,â Pantherhaze said quickly, lurching to his feet. âWhat time is it?âÂ
âUh, nearly sundown, sir,â Bluepaw said, straightening his posture.Â
âIs Goldenstar around?âÂ
âI think sheâs getting ready to leave on patrol,â Yellowpaw said.Â
âI have to speak with her!â Pantherhaze hurried towards the entrance to the den, then turned around suddenly and added, âDonât touch my nest, okay?â Both of the boys flinched in surprise.Â
âUh- okay!â Bluepaw said. âWe wonât!âÂ
âThanks,â sighed Pantherhaze. If Fogstalkerâs ward had done anything, he didnât want to mess with it. He had to try and get back to the others somehow.Â
He hurried out of the den, slightly nauseated but energized by his mission, and cast about for sight of Goldenstar. He eventually caught sight of her talking with Russetfrond and Branchbark on the edge of camp and he threw himself into motion to close the distance between them.Â
âGoldenstar!â he shouted, completely devoid of any concern for how frantic he looked. All three cats turned to look at him with varying degrees of concern and surprise on their faces.Â
âPantherhaze, is everything okay?â she asked, stepping towards him.Â
âThe boys didnât wake you did they?â scowled Russetfrond.Â
âNo, theyâre fine,â he lied immediately. âThatâs not important. I had a vision!â All three cats started.Â
Goldenstar asked, âA vision? What happened?âÂ
âIâll get Oddstripe,â Branchbark offered and bounded off to the Healerâs den.Â
Pantherhaze watched him go but didnât wait to answer Goldenstarâs question. âI donât know exactly what it was, it didnât feel like a sign from StarClan or anything. I woke up in this strange place, they called it the Clouds, I thinkâŠâ He frowned, trying to remember the little details of his encounter.Â
âThey?â asked Russetfrond. âWhoâs they?â
âOh! Thatâs the crazy part!â said Pantherhaze. âDarkmoon! A-and a couple of loners, dead ones.âÂ
âDarkmoon?!â Goldenstar gaped. âBut it wasnât a sign from StarClan?âÂ
âNo,â he shook his head. âHe said that- that Razor had killed his StarClan guide? And he and the loners were stuck in this place between here and StarClan.âÂ
Oddstripe and Branchbark arrived at that moment and Oddstripeâs big eyes were wide with amazement. âA place between here and StarClan?âÂ
âRazor killed a StarClan guide?â growled Russetfrond uneasily. âAfter death?!âÂ
âApparently,â Pantherhaze said to both questions. âAnd whatever guide was supposed to take the Loners wherever they were going.âÂ
âThat doesnât make any sense,â Branchbark said. âLoners and rogues are destroyed when they die.âÂ
âWell, I might have dreamed it all,â said Pantherhaze, âbut it felt weirdly real. Darkmoon told me to send someone to talk to StarClan and see if they can find them from the other side.â
âDarkmoon? Oh, this is fascinating,â said Oddstripe. âIâll gladly go and talk with StarClan. Please, tell me everything, from the beginning.â He laid his tail over Pantherhazeâs back and started to guide him towards the Healerâs den.Â
âOf course,â he nodded and fell into step.Â
âDo you think this has something to do with the coyotes?â Goldenstar murmured to Russetfrond as they left.Â
âI donât know,â he shook his head. âIâm skeptical but this feels too strange to be coincidence.âÂ
âWe should tell EarthClan,â she said. âSend someone to fetch Stormwhisper.âÂ
âOn it,â he said, and the two parted, Goldenstar bounding to join him and Oddstripe.Â
âI have a feeling youâre going to be answering a lot of questions for a while,â said Goldenstar with an apologetic smile.Â
âThatâs alright,â Pantherhaze said. âIf I can help, I want to.âÂ
âJust let me know if you feel unwell,â said Oddstripe. âYour recovery still takes priority.âÂ
âAlright,â he said, but he honestly couldnât feel a single symptom. He was tired, sure, but heâd been completely revitalized by his vision. Despite the troubling implications, this was exciting. This was the kind of thing they told stories about! He just hoped he would be able to get them all to a happy ending.
Month 21 - Leaffall
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âOhhh, I donât think I can do this,â Aldertail moaned, pacing back and forth in the Healerâs den as her tail twitched anxiously. It was taking all her self-control and the continued momentum of her pacing to keep her from running her tongue over her legs. They were mostly furred these days, only spotting a patch here or there when her mind got too loud, which was rarer now that the Clans had brokered a truce with the city.Â
Sitting patiently beside the herb stores, Oddstripe sorted out the dried and dead leaves from his stock, his eyes returning politely to her whenever he didnât need to look at his paws. If sheâd been in a better headspace, sheâd have been impressed by how often he could pick out the poor leaves just by touch. Beside him sat Barleybee, sorting the dead leaves into neat bundles to be carried off later.Â
She said, âSure you can! Iâll be right there with you whenever you need help, okay?âÂ
âBut I donât know anything about teaching an apprentice!â cried Aldertail, pelt poofing up around her shoulders.Â
âNeither do I,â said Barleybee with a shrug. âItâs supposed to be a learning experience, thatâs what Goldenstar said. We learn how to teach as we do it.âÂ
âBut what if I mess it up? What if I mess him up?! Oh, Russetfrond will be furious!âÂ
âYouâre not going to mess him up,â Oddstripe said calmly. âEspecially not if you ask for help whenever you need it.â
âBut-â
âSure, youâll make mistakes,â he continued, âbut everyone does. Youâre not going to make any mistakes you canât come back from.âÂ
âHow do you know that?â she whined, dancing in place like a petulant child. She hated how out of control and needy she felt right now. It was embarrassing!
âBecause I have faith in you,â he smiled, focused on her entirely for a long beat. Her face went hot and a different, heart-fluttering discomfort mixed with the panicked one she had been overwhelmed by. Why did he have to look at her like that and say those kinds of things with his earnest face and his big, compassionate eyes? Why did he act like there was something in her worth having faith in?Â
She pursed her lips and whined anxiously as she turned away from his gaze. âI still donât understand faith at all. Iâm going to be a disaster, I just know it!â
âAldertail, itâs gonna be okay,â Barleybee said with what Aldertail thought sounded like pity. âRemember, you can ask me for help with anything. We can train together until you feel comfortable doing it on your own.â Aldertail was pretty sure that was never going to happen but she didnât want to insist on being a burden for the entire mentorship.Â
Instead, she searched for a different objection. âHow am I even going to teach him? I mean, look at him! Theyâre both practically as big as I am already!âÂ
âItâs gonna be fine,â Barleybee said again, more firmly this time. âJust take some deep breaths, okay?âÂ
âOkay,â she nodded, realizing she was quite breathless. âOkay. Itâs fine, itâs gonna be okay. Itâs gonna be-âÂ
âLet all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Stoneperch for a Clan meeting!â The call cut through the quiet of camp, reaching them even down inside the burrow of the Healerâs den.
âOh, no, oh, jeez,â Aldertail wheezed under her breath, panicking again.Â
Barleybee got up and came to press her side into Aldertailâs. âYouâve got this. Deep breaths.âÂ
âOkay,â Aldertailâs voice wobbled pathetically but she tried her best to comply.Â
It wasnât long until everyone had gathered under the noonday sun for the meeting. Near the front of the crowd sat Bluekit and Yellowkit. They were massive for kittens, almost as tall as their father already and twice as fluffy. Bluekit, despite his coloring, looked quite like his father, if his father were pleasant, especially in the stripes on his face. It was Yellowkit who looked surprisingly like Mystique, with his slouched posture and pale chest fluff. It wasnât enough to startle or scare Aldertail but it was enough to make her think about Mystique, which was never a necessarily calming experience for her.Â
As she watched, Russetfrond gave a warning mrrp to Yellowkit who straightened his posture and stopped watching the clouds. They seemed well behaved at least. That was good.Â
Goldenstar cleared her throat to get everyoneâs attention and smiled. âAlright, everyone! Itâs with great pleasure that I get to announce that Bluekit and Yellowkit have finally reached the age of six moons and it is time for them to be apprenticed.âÂ
âAbout time!â Ospreymask jeered playfully, half on her side with her pregnant belly sitting at an awkward angle that must have been comfortable somehow. âThey were too big for the nursery moons ago!â Several cats laughed although Aldertail noticed that Russetfrondâs ear twitched in irritation. The kits themselves just seemed a bit sheepish.Â
Goldenstar chuckled and said, âYes, Iâm sure youâll enjoy having the space all to yourself now. If I could have the two of you step into the center please?âÂ
Bluekit hopped immediately forward and stepped into the center, checking the placement of his feet before he looked up dutifully at his leader. Yellowkit was distracted by something and Russetfrond had to flick his tail against the kitâs side to get him to follow his brother to the middle.Â
Goldenstar said, âBluekit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Bluepaw. Your mentor will be Barleybee. I know she has a lot to teach you and I trust you both to learn from each other.âÂ
Beside Aldertail, Barleybee stepped forward to join Bluepaw in the middle of the clearing and touched her nose to his. She barely had to lean down and he dipped his head politely when they were done, looking excited but restrained. Yellowkit was starting to shuffle anxiously. Aldertail braced herself for the look of disappointment he was surely about to give her.Â
âYellowkit,â Goldenstar continued, once the first pair stepped off to the side, âfrom this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Yellowpaw. Your mentor will be Aldertail. She has learned a lot since she joined our ranks and Iâm confident sheâll be able to pass that knowledge on to you.âÂ
Aldertail hesitated and Yellowpaw cast his head about looking for her. When he found her, she smiled nervously and a bit of concern furrowed his brow but he stood up straight to meet her and she was able to force herself to walk out into the middle of the clearing. Her cheeks burned when he had to bend down slightly to touch noses with her and there was a slight electric shock between their noses that left them both rubbing their muzzles with a paw. A couple cats laughed quietly under their breath and Aldertail wanted to explode.Â
âAnd with that, our meeting is concluded!â purred Goldenstar. âCongratulations, all of you!â The crowd cheered, some cats chanting out the apprentices' new names, and Aldertail felt small and ugly.Â
A few cats came in to wish the boys good luck.Â
Branchbark stepped close to Aldertail and said, âHey, congrats on an apprentice! Iâm still waiting on my first one.âÂ
âThey should have given him to you,â she blushed, making sure she lowered her voice enough that Yellowpaw didnât hear over his conversation with Ospreymask. âI have no idea what Iâm doing!âÂ
âYouâre gonna do great,â he said, but she swore she caught a trace of jealousy in his smile. That sent her brain spiralling out of control. She hadnât considered that getting an apprentice would alienate her from her friends! This was terrible! By the time she realized she ought to say something, she looked up and he was gone, helping Ospreymask back to her sunning spot.Â
Instead, Russetfrond had approached her. She swallowed and straightened her posture, shrinking subconsciously in submission. He had a stern expression on, but that was his usual expression. Seeing her nervousness, he forced a bit of a sympathetic smile through his features, which looked a bit odd when mixed with his furrowed brow and squinted eyes.Â
âAldertail,â he said and he didnât sound disappointed. âI wanted to thank you for agreeing to mentor Yellowpaw. I suggested you specifically for the role and Iâm confident youâll be just what he needs.â
âY-you did?â Aldertail gawked. She couldnât believe her ears.Â
âMhm,â he nodded. âIf you ever need help, Iâm happy to step in and give you some pointers. Mentoring is a balancing act and Iâll gladly help you stay on course.âÂ
She was quiet for a beat too long before she remembered to speak. âUh, th-thank you! I-Iâll be sure to take you up on that.âÂ
âGood,â he said, seeming satisfied. âHeâs a bit distractable, but you just have to keep him focused. Good luck.âÂ
 âThank you,â she started, but another voice interrupted her stumbling appreciation.Â
âGoldenstar!â cried a young brown cat with white on their chest and tail as they bounded down the slope into camp. All heads turned towards the stranger and Russetfrond stepped away from Aldertail without a word. Goldenstar had been talking with Yarrowshade and Scorchplume near the Stoneperch and she slipped between them to approach the cat as well.Â
âErminepaw,â she greeted them with warmth despite her caution. âWhat brings you to RisingClan?âÂ
âItâs coyotes!â the apprentice said and several cats in camp gasped. âThereâs a pair of them trying to nest in our territory. Orangestar sent me to get your mediator. She can talk to them, right?âÂ
âWell, anyone can talk to them,â called Fogstalker, bounding over from the prey pile, âBut Iâm happy to help! Is it just two?âÂ
âYeah,â nodded Erminepaw. âTheyâre setting up a den in the deep woods, south of the river. Can you come right away?âÂ
âOf course,â grinned Fogstalker.
âI wanna go!â Aldertail jumped as Yellowpaw spoke up beside her, not loud enough to interrupt the others but not exactly quietly. It was with horror that she realized he was telling her. âCan we go see the coyotes?âÂ
âW-Uh-â How was she supposed to respond to this?
âNo, you donât have any battle training,â said Barleybee, stepping close with Bluepaw in tow. âYouâre not going to see coyotes for a long while if we can help it.â
âAwwâŠâ the big yellow apprentice sighed.Â
Back with the others, Goldenstar was putting together a patrol. âAlright, Fogstalker, Pantherhaze, and Sparrowsway, you go to EarthClan. Help them however you can, alright?âÂ
âYes, Goldenstar,â nodded Sparrowsway.Â
âGladly,â smiled Pantherhaze.Â
âCome on,â Fogstalker was already walking. âLetâs hurry so we can finish up before sunset.â Aldertail thought that was very optimistic for dealing with a group of coyotes, but that wasnât her problem right now.Â
âCan we go on some kind of patrol instead?â asked Bluepaw, bringing her back to the conversation she was actually a part of. Barleybee looked at her as if she had some say in the decision which made her realize that she did, in fact, have some say in it.Â
âUm, sure,â she said, shrugging nervously, and the boys brightened.Â
âThank you,â smiled Bluepaw, nudging Yellowpaw gently.Â
He started and said, âOh, yeah, thank you.âÂ
Barleybee chuckled and said, âDo you guys want a tour of the territory or should we go do some hunting?âÂ
âHunting!â both the boys said immediately, Yellowpaw more excitedly than his brother.Â
âHunting it is!â laughed Barleybee. âDoes that sound good to you, Aldertail?âÂ
âY-yeah,â she nodded. âIâm not sure Iâll be very good at teaching, though, so sorry in advance.â
âYouâll do fine,â Barleybee purred confidently. âCome on, letâs head out towards the river and see if thereâs anything to catch.âÂ
âOoh, can we go swimming?â gasped Yellowpaw.Â
âNot unless you want to freeze solid,â Barleybee said, starting to lead them away. âOnce the weather gets warmer we can do some swimming practice.â That sounded like hell to Aldertail but she kept quiet. Absently, she wondered if the desire to swim was genetic.Â
The four of them headed out of camp, the boys asking Barleybee questions every so often, but Aldertail was struggling to stay present. She watched her pawsteps as they went and tried to tell herself that her worries were unfounded but it was hard to believe herself.Â
It shocked her when Barleybee leaned in to press their pelts together and offer her a smile. She blushed in embarrassment and smiled back.Â
âYouâve got this,â Barleybee whispered.Â
âYeah,â breathed Aldertail bashfully. She desperately hoped so.
UPDATES: - Bluepaw is apprenticed to Barleybee - Yellowpaw is apprenticed to Aldertail
Month 20 - Leaffall
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When the fighting was finally over, Goldenstar found herself staring up at the body of Sardine.Â
Eventually, the opposing forces had been so outnumbered that the Chaff had started surrendering and the Exalted left had mostly followed suit. Despite that, the stench of death hung heavy in the confines of the barn. A headcount went up and the casualties were confirmed; two of Rudyâs gang, no Clan cats. Boldmothâs leg had been terribly mangled and sheâd been pulled out to see the healers but everyone else was going to be alright.Â
It was a relief, one she should have been celebrating, and yet somehow she found herself fixated on Sardineâs corpse, suspended above their heads and dripping blood. Her whiskers twitched as someone came up beside her and she turned to see Russetfrond scowling up at the body as well.Â
âWhat a terrible way to die,â he said, voicing her thoughts.Â
âNo kidding.â She swallowed, eyes drifting back upward. âI think that was harder to watch than Razorâs death. The way he was screamingâŠâ She shuddered and let out a slow breath between her teeth.Â
Russetfrond leaned in to press his bloodied flank against hers. âBut we did it. Itâs over now.â
âI guess it is,â she said in disbelief. âThank StarClan. Iâm so sick of war.â She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder and he grunted which meant he agreed but didnât want to say so.Â
âWell fought,â Rudyâs voice pulled her back to attention as he approached. âI have to admit, it was a lot easier with you lot around.â
âWe were happy to uphold our end of the agreement,â she said, subtly reminding him of his own half. âNow the city is free from tyranny and our peoples can be at peace.â
âMm,â Rudy seemed unimpressed but didnât disagree. âWeâre going to go back and spread the news. You wanna come?âÂ
âIâm honored,â she said, âbut I think weâll have to pass. The paths of your city are still strange and confusing to us.âÂ
Rudy laughed and said, âRight. Well, weâll see you, then. Donât get any ideas about encroaching on our territories though, weâre allies, not buddies.â
âUnderstood,â Goldenstar said seriously. Russetfrond grunted as well.Â
With that, Rudy turned and said, âAlright, boys, letâs head out! Take the bodies to be buried but leave Sardine for the Folk.â A rowdy cheer of agreement went up from his supporters and soon they had vacated the barn with their prisoners.Â
âWe should go too,â said Orangestar, crossing the barn towards her.Â
âAgreed,â Goldenstar nodded, raising her tail and her voice, âLetâs head back to the Cornerstones to celebrate before the twolegs can find us.âÂ
âHere, here!â cheered Snowstar, her fur a streaky pink mess. âPrey is on SkyClan tonight. Iâll send Fernspeckle and Robinswoop to fetch something for everybody.â
âYou donât have to do that,â Orangestar said, eyes wide at the offer.Â
âI want to,â Snowstar said. âWe fought hard. We deserve a fitting celebration.â There were several cheers among the crowd. Goldenstar swallowed, unable to fully agree with Sardine still hanging above her like an omen of death. She turned and headed for the door with Orangestar and Russetfrond close on either side.Â
âIf itâs alright with yâall,â Wes said, stepping out of the crowd with a polite dip of his head, âIâd love tâjoin you in the celebration. I could even bring somethinâ as a thank you for the invitation.â His smile was so earnest that Goldenstar couldnât bear to turn him down.Â
âI suppose thatâs alright,â she said, glancing at her friends. âWe wonât have any interest in kittypet food, though.â Russetfrond grunted in firm agreement.Â
âNot food then,â Wes nodded. âI could bring toys? Or catnip perhaps.â
âCatnip?â Orangestarâs brows shot upward. âLike, the herb?!âÂ
âYeah,â Wes nodded. âI think my friend Fawn has a patch in her garden. I donât care much for the stuff but I know lots of cats use it when theyâre lookinâ for a good time.âÂ
âRecreationally?â Goldenstar stared in confusion. âYou donât need it for coughs?âÂ
âFor coughs?â Wes frowned, seemingly daunted by their reactions. âNah, weâve got our Folk for that. âSides, thereâs plenty to go around.âÂ
Goldenstar couldnât believe her ears. âUm, yeah, sure,â she laughed. âWhy not?â Russetfrond scowled but didnât protest.Â
âGreat,â Wes smiled in relief. âIs it alright if I invite Fawn as well? Iâd hate tâtake her catnip and run.â
âYeah, of course,â nodded Goldenstar. âIf sheâs a friend of yours, sheâs a friend of mine.âÂ
âSounds good,â said Wes with a polite little dip of his head to each of them. âWhereâs this âCornerstonesâ at?â Goldenstar paused, unsure how to explain, but Songdust inserted herself into the conversation and came to her rescue.Â
âIâll show him the way,â she said.Â
âThanks,â nodded Goldenstar. âStay safe.â
âWill do,â said Songdust.Â
âIâll make sure nothinâ happens to her, Miss Goldenstar,â Wes said seriously.Â
Goldenstar laughed and shared an amused glance with Orangestar. âI know. Weâll see you there.â Songdust nodded and flicked her tail against Wesâs leg and together they headed off towards the city.Â
Russetfrond growled uneasily. âI donât like it. We shouldnât be showing kittypets to the Cornerstones.â
âItâll be fine,â Goldenstar said, bumping reassuringly against him. âAnd besides, if there really is enough catmint to go around, we can keep some for our herb stores. Just imagine! Fully stocked catmint for leafbare!â
âMaybe we can trade for some every leafbare!â Orangestar purred in excitement. âThink of how many lives we could save!âÂ
Russetfrond grumbled in reluctant agreement. âI guess this Wes cat seems trustworthy enough.â
âHe is,â Goldenstar nodded. Then, knowing a task would put him more at ease, she said, âCould you make sure everyone gets to Cornerstones safely? I donât want anyone getting left behind.âÂ
ââCourse,â he grunted with a serious nod.
âThanks,â she purred, butting up against his shoulder. âIâm gonna stop at camp and meet you all at the Cornerstones.âÂ
âSounds good,â Orangestar nodded. âStarClan light your path!âÂ
âYou too,â grinned Goldenstar and then she took off trotting through the grass towards home. The chilly night seemed lighter than before, the wind gentler. As she neared the camp, she ran into Barleybee and Sparrowsway who were strolling home with tails intertwined.Â
She kicked up her pace to close the distance with them and called out, âYou two not going to the festivities?âÂ
Barleybee smiled with embarrassment as they both turned to face her, saying, âNot tonight. It honestly just sounds tiring.âÂ
âAs long as youâre sure,â Goldenstar said, looking them over. Barleybee was missing several of her cardinal feathers and Sparrowsway had a slight limp on his left side but neither one was particularly injured, which was a relief. Her mind made a few quick jumps from that thought to the next and she added, âHowâs Floodstrike doing?âÂ
The siblings exchanged a worried glance.Â
âIâm not sure,â said Sparrowsway grimly. âHeâs still all worked up.â
âI told him revenge wouldnât make him feel any better,â Barleybee sighed, her frown deepening.Â
âYeah, but you know he doesnât listen,â said Sparrowsway. Barleybee chewed her lip, gaze drifting into the middle distance.Â
âIâll have to check in with him,â hummed Goldenstar. âThanks for letting me know.â
âOf course, Goldenstar,â Sparrowsway said with a slight smile. âHave fun at the Cornerstones tonight.â
âOh, Iâm sure I will,â she said, realizing they didnât know the news. âWes says heâs going to bring enough catmint for everyone to use some.â
âWhat?â Sparrowswayâs brow furrowed at the absurdity of the statement. âLike, just for fun?âÂ
âMhm,â she grinned. âApparently the kittypets are practically swimming in the stuff.â
âWeird,â Barleybee laughed, rolling her shoulders as if an uncomfortable prickle had run down her spine. âKittypets are so strange.âÂ
At this point, they had reached the crest of the hill and descended into camp together. Pantherhaze, Oddstripe, and Alderrtail sat together in the entrance to the nursery, sharing tongues while Slatepaw and the kittens slept within. When Oddstripe spotted them, he perked his ears and leapt up to meet them, eyes wide.Â
âIs everyone alright?â he asked, looking his kits up and down. âDo they need me at the barn?âÂ
âEveryoneâs fine,â Goldenstar assured him. âNo casualties and only one serious injury in EarthClan. Weâre going to the Cornerstones to celebrate if youâd like to come.â
âThe kittypets are bringing a bunch of catmint,â Barleybee whispered in amazement.Â
âThey are?â Just behind Oddstripe, Aldertail brightened. âJust for anybody to use?â
âApparently,â Goldenstar laughed.Â
âOh, thatâs amazing!â Oddstripe gasped. âWill there be any left over? Iâd love to have some for the herb stores!âÂ
âWeâll have to see,â shrugged Goldenstar.Â
Aldertail shuffled her paws and asked, âUm, would it be okay if I came to the Cornerstones?âÂ
âOf course,â Goldenstar nodded. âEveryone is welcome.â
âOkay,â she sighed in relief. âI just didnât know since I wasnât at the battle or anything.âÂ
âWeâll go together,â Oddstripe smiled and she blushed profusely.Â
Across camp, Scorchplume emerged from Goldenstarâs den -- from their den -- and padded quickly to meet them.Â
âHow did it go?â she asked with bated breath.Â
âPerfectly,â Goldenstar smiled, pressing a few licks to the crown of her beloved's head. âSardine is dead and we didnât lose a single cat. Weâre going to the Cornerstones to celebrate and the kittypets are bringing catmint for everyone.âÂ
âReally?â Ospreymask popped out of the warriorâs den with a bright smile on her face. âIs everybody going?â
âSeems like it,â Goldenstar said. âYouâre welcome to come.â
âYou donât have to tell me twice,â purred the queen. âYou coming, Pantherhaze?âÂ
He shook his head, still sitting near the nursery. âI think Iâll stay with Slatepaw. Catmint doesnât really affect me anyways.â
âOh yeah,â Goldenstar frowned, remembering the time they had gone herb gathering as apprentices and everyone but him had been sent home for getting too carried away. âWell, let me know if you guys need anything here, okay?â
âIâm sure weâll be fine,â Barleybee smiled. âYou guys go have fun.â
âYouâre not coming?â Oddstripe asked.Â
âWeâre too tired,â Sparrowsway said. âIâm sure Floodstrike will be there though.âÂ
Scorchplume pressed close against Goldenstarâs side and said, âWe should start going if we want to get there before the catnip runs out.â
âOh, yeah?â chuckled Goldenstar, twining her tail with Scorchâs. âI didnât take you for the type.â
âWell, it seems you donât know everything about me,â smirked Scorch. âI used to be quite the party girl.â Goldenstar couldnât help but feel a rush of excitement in her belly at the thought.Â
âOoh,â she purred, âI think Iâd like to see that.â
âIâm sure you would,â Scorch gave an aloof toss of her head and started off towards the Cornerstones, running her tail flirtatiously under Goldenstarâs chin. Goldenstar swallowed, mouth suddenly dry, and laughed nervously before darting to catch up. Finally, it seemed, the hardships were over and she could let loose with the woman she loved more than anything in the world.Â
Month 20 - Leaffall
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The group of cats that Oddstripe found himself in was the largest had ever seen in his life, let alone at the Cornerstones. The clearing felt packed with cats and everyone was in good spirits despite, or possibly because of, the wounds they bore. He had to restrain himself from asking every cat he ran into if they were alright or needed anything from him.Â
Paying attention to Aldertail made it easier. She was nervous, certainly, but also excited which was nice to see. They sat on the edge of the crowd, where the chilly night air could still be felt, and watched expectantly for the arrival of the kittypets.Â
âI canât believe theyâre gonna share catnip with everybody!â Aldertail said for the third time.Â
âI know,â he laughed. âItâs surreal to think about.â
âHave you ever tried it before?â asked Aldertail.Â
âNo, Iâve always saved it for treating the sick,â said Oddstripe, shaking his head. âHave you?â
âOnce,â she nodded. âMy brother and I snuck into a garden with some of his friends and rolled around until the owner chased us off. Itâs the best feeling in the world, honestly.â
âReally?â he asked, his curiosity piqued.Â
âOh, yeah,â she nodded. âItâs like youâre floating and all your worries just kind of fade away for a while.â She gave a dreamy sigh and closed her eyes, imagining it. Oddstripe purred at the sight of her looking so peaceful.Â
âWell, Iâm excited to try it,â he said. âIt will be interesting to explore a new side of the herb.âÂ
The bushes at the edge of the clearing shook softly and both of them perked their ears and stared at the noise. After a moment, Songdust emerged, a ginger ticked kittypet close behind her. Another cat that looked almost exactly like him but a darker, ruddy color followed, along with a pretty chocolate tortoiseshell. All three city cats had fat bundles of catmint in their jaws and Oddstripe marveled as even more cats emerged carrying bundles of their own. He counted at least ten different kittypets once they had all stepped out of the undergrowth.Â
âOh, wow!â Oddstripe gasped. âThatâs a lot of catmint!â The cats on the edge of the clearing could smell it and one by one they started to look for the source of the scent. Excited murmurs spread through the crowd and every eye turned expectantly towards their guests.Â
âHowdy, yâall,â smiled the ginger cat at the front, projecting his voice confidently, âthe catnip has arrived!â A SkyClan cat cheered and the cheer spread throughout the crowd until most everyone was whooping and hollering. The noise alone was enough to make Oddstripe feel intoxicated and he raised his voice along with them.Â
When the noise had died down, Songdust shouted, âEverybody will get some so letâs not push or shove, alright?âÂ
Goldenstar emerged from the sea of cats and said, âWow! I didnât expect you to bring so much!âÂ
The tortoiseshell smiled prettily and said, âMy garden will be a bit bare for a while but I think itâs worth it.âÂ
Oddstripe stepped up beside Goldenstar and said, âThank you so much! To donate such a valuable herb-! Iâm blown away by your generosity!âÂ
âYouâre a healer?â the tortoiseshellâs face brightened.Â
âI am,â he purred, glancing back at Aldertail as she pressed shyly against his flank.Â
âI dabble myself!â purred the kittypet.Â
âReally?â he gasped. âI thought that kittypets left medicine to their twolegs.â
âWe do, for the most part,â she purred, âbut a few of us try to take care of the cats without Folk as well. Iâm Fawn, by the way.âÂ
âOddstripe,â he beamed. âAnd this is Aldertail.â Behind him, Aldertail squeaked softly.Â
âA pleasure to meet you both,â grinned Fawn. âPlease, have some catnip.â Around them, other cats had already started to partake. The smell was suddenly overwhelming to Oddstripe and the restraint that Sagetooth had drilled into him was slipping away very quickly.Â
âOh, alright,â he said, bending down to rub his cheeks through the buds. Once he started, it was hard to stop and only his awareness of Aldertail managed to pull him away.
âYour turn, dear,â he said, stepping to the side, his head already starting to buzz.Â
âYouâre sure itâs okay?â she asked meekly.Â
âYes, of course,â purred Fawn. âHelp yourself.â Aldertail swallowed and nodded, diving eagerly down into the bed of catmint and rolling until her cheeks were speckled with the stuff. Oddstripe laughed when she stood up, wobbling, and he pressed forward to rub his cheeks against hers. The purr she gave rumbled through him in a way that overwhelmed him with fondness.Â
âEasy there,â he said, catching her as she wobbled towards him. âLetâs step back so everybody else can get some.â
âOh,â she blinked. âOkay. Sorry.â
âItâs okay,â he laughed, âitâs okay.â Pressed closely side by side, they skirted the edge of the crowd until they found a good space to settle down. Once they had, Aldertail flopped over onto him and nuzzled up under his chin with a boldness heâd never seen in her before.Â
âItâs so nice to see you so relaxed,â he purred, starting to run his tongue over her head. She purred loudly and looked up at him with the fondest expression.Â
âYouâre so nice to me,â she sighed. âNobodyâs ever been as nice to me as you are.â
âIâm sorry,â Oddstripe frowned sympathetically.Â
âItâs okay,â she said, closing her eyes. âI just⊠I really like you.â
âI like you too,â he purred, rubbing his head against hers. She surged up to meet the touch, nearly pushing him flat onto his side, and they both devolved into laughter.Â
âThere you are!â cried Ospreymask, out of the crowd with Branchbark and Pebblefall on her tail. Judging by their wide blown pupils, they had just come from the catmint.Â
âOspreymask!â Oddstripe purred, reaching for her with his front paws. Aldertail giggled and burrowed down into his side to watch the others with one eye, the other buried in his fur. Ospreymask headbutted him firmly and rubbed herself all the way down his side before looping back to slam into Branchbark in a similar manner.Â
âStars!â she cried, looping her paws around Branchbarkâs neck and sinking to the ground, taking him down clumsily with her. âCatmint is the best! Why arenât we doing this all the time?!â
âBecause we need to save it for the sick,â laughed Oddstripe.Â
âUgh!â Ospreymask groaned performatively and the whole group laughed. âThe sick can go suck frogs!âÂ
âHow dare you,â laughed Branchbark, swatting her over the face and she lunged with sudden velocity at him. They wrestled and writhed on the ground in a frantic tangle of limbs then stopped for a beat before resuming their struggle with vigor. Pebblefall bounced up on their toes and swatted at them from the sidelines. Oddstripe fell apart laughing at them all and Aldertail squeezed her paws around him, purring so loudly it rumbled through his chest.Â
When the wrestling broke apart, Ospreymask flopped on her side and hummed to herself, eyes closed. Branchbark slumped against her and chuckled to himself while Pebblefall fell on her other side. She reached up with a paw and pulled their face over to her and gave them a few long licks under their chin. They purred and shifted closer and she worked her way down their chest, nuzzling as she went.Â
âAw, man, right now?â Branchbark groaned, shoving Ospreymask away from him and she laughed as she was smushed up against Pebblefallâs chest.Â
âWeâre not gonna do anything crazy,â she protested, undercut a bit by Pebblefall nuzzling into her scruff and breathing deeply of her scent. Oddstripe realized suddenly what was going on and his face flushed brightly.Â
âAre you two going to-â he cut himself off, not wanting to say the words out loud for fear that he might get them in trouble. Aldertail stopped purring and held very still against him.Â
To his surprise, Ospreymask glanced over and said, âMaybe,â with a suggestive grin. âYou should join us.â Oddstripeâs cheeks were burning. He couldnât believe what he was hearing. What was worse, he didnât hate the idea.Â
âI- I shouldnât,â he laughed. âYou know healers arenât supposed to do that kind of thing.âÂ
âTheyâre not?â Aldertail whispered in surprise.Â
âBesides,â her continued, âI didnât even really enjoy⊠that the one time I⊠when I tried it.â He looked away, lips pursed, his face hot with the scandalous nature of the entire conversation.Â
âYeah, but you werenât a tom back then,â Ospreymask argued casually, rolling to press her back up against Pebblefallâs belly. âMaybe it would be different now.â Oddstripe hadnât considered that and he wasnât going to let himself consider it, at least not right now. Pebblefall wrapped their paws around Ospreymaskâs torso and ran their tongue over her ear which was enough to spur Oddstripe to his feet.Â
âIâm gonna go,â he said, looking askance.Â
Aldertail scrambled to her feet and went to follow him. âMe too.â
âAww, come on,â Ospreymask whined, âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to make you uncomfortable, I meant it completely platona- platona- pluh-ton-ic-ally. Stars, why is that so hard to say?â Pebblefall whispered something in her ear and she laughed, craning her neck back to lean into their shoulder in a way that was terribly intimate.Â
âIâm coming too,â Branchbark said as he heaved himself to his feet.Â
âNoooo!â Ospreymask suddenly looked remorseful. âWeâll stop, I promise.â
âItâs fine,â Branchbark said, âdo what you want. Weâre gonna head out though.âÂ
âHow âbout we go to the river?â Oddstripe suggested, already leading Aldertail into the trees.Â
âThat sounds good,â Branchbark said. After a short pause, he said, âIâm sorry about her. Sheâs just⊠like this.âÂ
âItâs fine,â Aldertail said softly. âThatâs just what people on catnip do.âÂ
âReally?â Oddstripe raised his brow. âIâve never noticed any patients getting⊠worked up like that.â He shook his pelt, still feeling scandalized, although the catnip buzz was starting to wash that feeling away. âTheyâre mostly drowsy
âI think itâs different if you eat it than if you just smell it,â said Aldertail.Â
âHuh,â said Oddstripe. âGood to know.âÂ
The three of them walked in silence, the noise of the celebration fading as more and more leaves came between them and the Cornerstones. After a while, Oddstripe closed his eyes and hummed a little song and Aldertail joined in as best she could, leaning on his shoulder. He smiled and started to sway back and forth with every step like he used to when playing with his kittens.
Aldertail laughed as he wobbled underneath her and said, âcut it out!â
âCut what out?â he feigned innocence, âIâm just walking.âÂ
âNo youâre not,â she giggled, still trying to lean on him.
âI donât know what youâre talking about, Aldertail,â said Branchbark who had started walking with the same wide, swaying gait. âYouâre the one walking weird.â
Aldertail laughed again and jumped into the air to swat at him although she pulled each paw back before it got anywhere near his head. Branchbark snorted and took off running towards the river.Â
âDonât let him get away!â Oddstripe cried and they bolted after him. Oddstripe felt as light as a feather, like the weight of his duties had lifted off of his shoulders for the moment. When they finally caught Branchbark, the three of them collapsed in a tangle of paws on the river bank and laughed far longer than they ought to have. Oddstripeâs face hurt from smiling by the time they picked themselves up and went to camp.Â
âI love you guys,â he sighed fondly, sandwiched between his friends.
Branchbark sighed in kind and Aldertail mumbled, âyou too,â and the world felt beautiful and bright.

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Month 20 - Leaffall
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Things in camp were busy these days. Hunting to prepare everyone for winter was a top priority for anyone who wasnât keeping their combat skills sharp for the inevitable fight with Sardine. Slatepaw and Pantherhaze had taken to daily hunts and she was finally starting to feel like her skills had improved.Â
âAmazing catch,â Pantherhaze purred as she proudly lifted up the rabbit she had chased down. âYouâve come so far, Slatepaw. Iâm so proud of you.âÂ
âFanks,â she grinned around the prey in her teeth. Her thick, winter coated tail furled up over her back and she let the praise roll over her like warm sunlight.Â
âLetâs grab the rest and go back,â he said, butting his head against her shoulder which he could do now that she was almost taller than he was. They collected a few more rodents from their cache and returned to camp as the morning sun started to peek over the mountains.Â
âNice catch!â Barleybee congratulated as they passed her and Aldertail on their way out.Â
âShe caught it herself,â Pantherhaze boasted for her. Slatepaw blushed at the look of amazement on Aldertailâs face.Â
âWow,â she breathed. âI could never do that. Thatâs amazing.â
âOh, donât sell yourself short,â Barleybee said, touching her nose to Aldertailâs ear. To Slatepaw, she added, âI bet you Ospreymask would really appreciate that right now.â
âHer specifically?â Pantherhaze tilted his head in confusion.Â
âYouâll understand in a bit,â laughed Barleybee. âSheâs been telling everybody.âÂ
Slatepawâs stomach fluttered in excitement. Could it be what she was thinking it was? She and Pantherhaze said goodbye to Barleybee and Aldertail and she began her search for Ospreymask.Â
It wasnât hard to find her.Â
She sat outside the Healersâ den with Oddstripe and Songdust, saying loudly, âI donât think Iâll be moving my nest quite yet. Might as well give the boys a bit more time to themselves.âÂ
âOsprehmahsk!â Slatepaw called around her catch and she bounded over.Â
âSlatepaw!â Ospreymask beamed and lifted her tail in greeting.Â
Slatepaw dropped the rabbit at her feet and asked, âAre you saying what I think youâre saying?!â She felt like her paws were full of bees the way they were vibrating.Â
âDepends,â smirked Ospreymask, starting out slow but increasing in speed and volume as she neared the end of her sentence, âdo you think Iâm saying that Iâm going to have kits?!âÂ
âYes!â squealed Slatepaw, ecstatic.
âThen I am!â Ospreymask cheered in kind, rubbing her head all down Slatepawâs side and looping around to lean against her other side. âIâm gonna be a mama!âÂ
âThatâs so exciting!â Slatepaw felt on the verge of happy tears. âWho with?âÂ
âYouâll just have to guess, wonât you,â Ospreymask laughed.Â
âLots of queens donât feel the need to tell people who the sire is,â Songdust explained. âI know that hasnât really been your experience but it was a lot more common when I was your age.âÂ
âOh, okay,â said Slatepaw, a bit confused. She didnât understand why you wouldnât want to shout your mateâs name from the mountain tops but she supposed everyone was different. Fogpaw would probably think she was stupid for feeling that way, for one.Â
She brushed the thought away with a twitch of her tail and said, âHere, you should have the rabbit I caught! You need to eat up to help the kits grow, right?âÂ
âThatâs right,â winked Ospreymask and Oddstripe nodded in agreement.Â
âCongratulations,â Pantherhaze said more calmly, butting heads with Ospreymask.Â
âThanks, buddy,â she purred. âIâm absolutely thrilled.â
âItâs a shame on the timing though,â he said. âYouâll have to miss out on mentoring Yellowkit and Bluekit.âÂ
Ospreymaskâs face fell suddenly. âAw, man! I didnât even think about that!â She plopped down into a pouty loaf and pulled the rabbit closer, sourly starting on her meal. Slatepaw giggled and Oddstripe laid his tail over Ospreymaskâs shoulder.Â
âThere will be more chances in the future, Iâm sure,â he said.Â
âI know,â sighed Ospreymask. âI guess waiting a moon or two to recover is better than having to wait six moons to have kits or having to stop training halfway through.âÂ
âYeah, exactly,â agreed Pantherhaze. âStarClan knows when to send us our blessings. Iâm sure the timing will feel perfect when you look back on everything.â
âSlatepaw, guess what?!â Fogpawâs voice called and Slatepaw turned around to see her sister loping in from the southern edge of camp.Â
âOspreymask is having kits? I know!â she squealed, bounding over to meet her sister. âItâs so exciting, I canât wait!â
âShe is?â Fogpaw gaped. âWow, thatâs awesome!â
âOh, you didnât know?â Slatepaw blinked. âWhat was your âguess whatâ then?âÂ
âGhost is on his way!â grinned Fogpaw.
âReally?â Slatepaw lit up before confusion made her frown again. âWait, I thought you hated him.âÂ
âI donât hate him anymore,â Fogpaw rolled her eyes as if that had been common knowledge. âBut yeah, heâs coming to talk to Goldenstar about battle plans! Isnât that great?âÂ
Slatepaw felt her insides shrivel up in fear. âI guess,â she lied. That meant there was going to be a fight. That meant people were going to die. She didnât want people to die!Â
âI hope we get to go!â Fogpaw chattered, tail curling back and forth. âI barely got to fight in the last battle.â Slatepaw swallowed. The last battle had killed Lakepaw and Sagetooth. She looked around the clearing at the smiling faces of her Clanmates and wondered who of them wouldnât make it. She felt like she was going to cry.Â
âHey,â Fogpaw frowned, âare you okay? You look sad.âÂ
Slatepaw was surprised her sister had noticed, although she was pretty terrible at hiding her emotions to be fair. âUm, Iâm just nervous,â she said.Â
âOf what?â Fogpaw wound her tail with Slatepawâs.
âI- I donât know,â she balked. Suddenly she was struggling to put her words together. âThat people will die?â Was that so unreasonable?
Fogpaw hummed thoughtfully and said, âIâm sure itâll be okay, Slatepaw. This time weâre gonna be prepared so itâll be fine.â
âOkay,â she relented, not wanting to make a fight out of it.Â
âSlatepaw!â called the friendly voice of Jagg from the top of the hill. Beside her was Ghost, wearing an uneasy half smile that made her heart soar in hope. Scorchplume followed up behind them, tail twitching, and headed down into Goldenstarâs den without a word. Fogpaw smiled at Slatepaw and then started over to meet them so she followed.Â
Ghost cleared his throat and said, âHey, kiddo.âÂ
âHi dad, hi Jagg,â she responded shyly. âHow are you?â
âPretty good,â said Jagg with a friendly arch to her tail. âHowâs your training coming?â
âGood,â smiled Slatepaw. âI caught a rabbit today.â
âWow! A whole rabbit? Thatâs amazing,â said Jagg brightly. Slatepaw blushed under her praise and leaned closer to Fogpaw.Â
âSheâs ready for you,â Scorchplume called from across the camp, and Ghostâs ear stumps twitched in her direction.Â
âWell, looks like weâve got to go,â he said, clearing his throat.Â
âWill you share tongues with us after your meeting?â Slatepaw asked as loudly as she could muster.Â
âWeâll have to see,â he said, not looking at her.Â
âIt depends on how long the meeting takes,â added Jagg. âWeâll come say goodbye at the very least.â
âOkay,â Slatepaw nodded meekly. With that, the two adults joined Scorchplume at the entrance to Goldenstarâs den and slank inside. Scorchplume scowled in Slatepaw and Fogpawâs direction before following them with a twitching tail tip.Â
Slatepaw pursed her lips angrily. âWhy is she so mean?â
âWho, Jagg?â Fogpaw asked incredulously. âSheâs super nice, what are you talking about?âÂ
âNot Jagg,â Slatepawâs ears pressed back in frustration at her sisterâs density, âScorchplume! Sheâs such a bully!â
âNo sheâs not!â Fogpaw puffed up furiously which made Slatepaw flinch. âSheâs just doing her best! Being nice is hard for her!â
âHah!â crowed Slatepaw in victory. âSo you admit that sheâs mean!â
âNuh-uh!â bristled Fogpaw. âI said being nice is hard for her, thatâs not the same!â
âHow is it not the same? Thatâs stupid!âÂ
âYouâre stupid!â Fogpaw snapped. âI mean- no, I didnât mean that.â
âThen why did you say it?â Slatepaw said, starting to tear up but determined to stay strong.Â
âBecause Iâm angry,â Fogpaw said. âLook, I-â She took a deep breath and pushed it out sternly through her nose. âIâm sorry, okay? I just care a lot about Scorchplume. Sheâs really nice to me. I wish you would try and get to know her like I do.âÂ
Slatepaw swished her tail defensively around her paws. âWhat if sheâs nice to you âcause sheâs a liar?âÂ
âWhat would she get from lying to me? What does that do for her?âÂ
âMaybe she gets a cat who will swear sheâs good and kind,â accused Slatepaw. The idea solidified in her head as she said it and it scared her. âMaybe sheâs using you to trick everyone into trusting her so she can take over the Clan!â
âSlatepaw, thatâs crazy, you sound like FallenClan,â Fogpaw rolled her eyes.Â
âIâm not crazy!â Slatepaw sat up straight. âIâm not.â With that, she turned and stormed off.Â
âSlatepaw, wait, come back!â Fogpaw said, chasing after her.
Luckily, Pantherhaze swooped in between them and said, âWhy donât you let her get some space, okay, Fogpaw?â Slatepaw paused to look over her shoulder. She kept a scowl on her face but she wasnât sure if she wanted to scare Fogpaw off or make her stay.Â
Fogpaw swallowed, looked at her, and then nodded. âOkay. Sorry, Slatepaw. Iâll give you space.â
âGood,â she huffed and twitched an ear. Fogpaw stepped away and went to sit near the leaderâs den. Slatepaw decided to go into the apprenticesâ den and lay down in her nest.Â
After a moment, Pantherhaze poked his head inside. âHey, do you need anything, Slatepaw?âÂ
âI donât know,â she mumbled sullenly into the moss.Â
âOkay,â he said. âIf you can think of anything just tell me, okay? Iâm here for you.â
âI know,â she sniffled. âThanks, Pantherhaze.â
âOf course, sweetie,â he smiled tenderly and retreated, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Month 20 - Leaffall
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âI want to come,â Floodstrike said firmly, walking sharply in step with Goldenstar as she went about the final preparations for her meeting with the city cats. She stopped, gave a pained sigh, and looked her apprentice over. His jaw was tightly set, his forepaws sheathing and unsheathing their claws in the grass with excess energy. At least, she noticed, his eyes werenât raw and red anymore.Â
âFloodstrike,â she began carefully.Â
âI know,â he interrupted, âthis is important and you donât want me to mess it up but, I promise, I wonât do anything stupid. I just want to be there in case things go wrong.âÂ
Goldenstar couldnât help but let out a sympathetic breath through her nose. âI understand,â she said, âI really do, but this meeting took weeks to arrange. Iâm only bringing warriors who I can trust to stay cool headed.âÂ
âYou can trust me, Goldenstar,â he begged, leaning in. âPlease. I need to be there.âÂ
Goldenstar took a slow, deep breath, closed her eyes, and then let it out with a huff. âFine. Iâm trusting you.â Opening her eyes, she searched his face for his reaction.
âThank you!â he deflated slightly with relief. âI promise you wonât regret it.âÂ
âGo eat a meal and tell Oddstripe to make you a portion of traveling herbs,â she said with a twitch of her ear. Floodstrike nodded dutifully and bounded off towards the healerâs den. Goldenstar sighed again.Â
After a beat to collect herself, Goldenstar resumed her preparations. She stopped Russetfrond and made sure that there wasnât anything they hadnât already discussed that needed her attention before she left. This time he didnât seem resistant to staying home which was a relief. She honestly couldnât blame him. If something happened to Bluekit and Yellowkit while he was away, she knew he would never forgive himself.Â
Next, she went to check on Aldertail and found her with Oddstripe making the bundles of herbs for the journey. She went over the emergency protocol with Aldertail again, making sure that she knew exactly who to go to if another attack was launched while they were away. Aldertail nodded, seeming reassured by the repetition of the plan, which had been Goldenstarâs intention.
Before she left, Oddstripe asked, âIs it true you agreed to let Floodstrike go along?âÂ
âYeah,â she nodded, belly clenching nervously.Â
âOkay,â Oddstripe nodded and looked down. âJust make sure he comes home safe, alright?âÂ
âOf course,â said Goldenstar with genuine fervor. âI wonât take a single risk I donât have to.âÂ
âOh, thank you,â the healer sniffled and smiled up at her and she felt her chest tighten. She hoped she would be able to keep her promise.Â
When she stepped outside, Scorchplume fell into step beside her and said, âSkyClan is here. Orangestar should be waiting for us at the thunderpath.âÂ
âGood,â she nodded. âLet's get everyone together and get ready to go.â
âAlright,â Scorch said without looking at her, the picture of a regal advisor. âIâll fetch Songdust. Why donât you grab Coyotechaser?âÂ
âAnd Floodstrike,â Goldenstar said, bracing herself.Â
âWhat?â Scorchâs regality dissipated like someone smacking a dandelion puff. Keeping her voice low but her tone sharp, she whispered, âNo. No way! Goldenstar, we talked about this, we canât afford any rash behavior!â
âI know, I know, but he swore he would be on his best behavior,â tried Goldenstar.
âSo did Fogpaw,â huffed Scorch, âthat doesnât mean she gets to tag along!âÂ
âWe could use the extra muscle,â she argued.Â
âAt what cost?â Scorchplume lashed her tail, took a deep breath and said, âLook. I love you, Goldie,â (and Goldenstar puffed up with affection, much to Scorchâs annoyance) âbut your judgment is impaired here! Youâre too soft on him. It isnât fun but heâs just going to have to suck it up and stay home and youâre going to have to suck it up and tell him so.â It took a good deal of effort for Goldenstar not to squirm under Scorchâs piercing scowl.
âI understand where youâre coming from,â she said firmly, âbut the choice has already been made. Itâs gonna look bad if I undo my decision because you told me to.â Scorchplume looked askance, ears swiveling backward. Quickly, Goldenstar added, âBesides, Iâm trusting Floodstrike and Iâm asking you to trust me. I donât want to make you feel like I cornered you into going along with this or anything.â She gently laid her tail over Scorchâs, hoping that she hadnât just accidentally threatened her kind-of-sort-of-partner.
Scorch was still for a moment, likely processing something behind her mask. Then she said, âItâs fine, you couldnât corner me if you tried.â Goldenstar chuckled a little and wrapped her tail more tightly around Scorchâs.Â
âThatâs good. I promise that if he does anything out of line Iâll send him home.â
âYouâd better,â Scorch said, looking up at her. âWe probably wonât get a second chance at this.âÂ
âI know,â Goldenstar said with the appropriate solemnity. âI wonât let this opportunity slip through our claws.âÂ
Scorch sighed, nodded, and bumped her head against Goldenstarâs forehead. âAlright.âÂ
âGoldenstar!â Coyotechaser called over from where she was standing with Greyvoice and Couragecry who were scheduled to join a border patrol. âAre we ready to go?âÂ
âJust about!â she called back, âWeâll grab our traveling herbs and head out.âÂ
~~~
After meeting up with Orangestar, the group - Goldenstar, Scorchplume, Songdust, Floodstrike, and Coyotechaser - crossed the thunderpath and headed for the city. The afternoon stretched into evening and as they approached, Goldenstar watched in wonder as the city lights came to life one by one.Â
âRemember,â Scorchplume told them as they walked, âWhen we get to the meeting, Iâll do the speaking for all of us. If you have something you want said, let me know and Iâll phrase it in a way that the city cats will respond favorably to.âÂ
âRight,â Coyotechaser said cautiously.Â
âAlso,â Goldenstar said, âAs far as the city cats know, Iâm the leader of all the Clans. At this point, we think it's best to leave it that way. The less they actually know about us, the better. While weâre in the city, you and Orangestar are my advisors, just like Scorchplume.âÂ
âI can see the reason in that,â admitted the SkyClan deputy.Â
âIn that case,â said Orangestar, âit might be good to avoid calling me Orangestar, just in case.âÂ
âThatâs smart,â said Goldenstar, smiling fondly at her friend. âGuess youâll be Orangeleaf again for a while.â
âGuess so,â laughed Orangestar bashfully.Â
They padded along for a while longer before they reached the large gravel path that led into the city. Goldenstar led them along the edge of it, trying to steady her nerves. This was where things got dangerous. The plan relied on them drawing as little attention to themselves as possible and the closer they got, the more likely it was that they would be seen and possibly attacked.Â
Her fears were realized when they spotted a small cluster of cats loitering across the gravel from them, just little ginger and white and grey smudges in the fading light. Coyotechaser growled a low warning to the others, tail bristling, and Goldenstar held her tail out behind her to try and settle the group.
âEasy,â she said.Â
The group of cat shapes up ahead stood and started loping back to the city and Floodstrike lunged after them before Goldenstar had a chance to say anything. Quickly, Songdust hooked a paw out in front of him, tumbling him forward. He caught himself before hitting the gravel and turned back to glare at her.Â
âFloodstrike!â Goldenstar hissed so that the city cats wouldnât be able to hear. âWhat are you doing?âÂ
âTheyâre going to get reinforcements!â he cried indignantly.Â
âOr,â Scorchplume cut in sharply, âtheyâre with Rudy and attacking them would have ruined the entire meeting!â Orangestar glanced from Scorch to Goldenstar with worry and Coyotechaser squinted inscrutably at Floodstrike. Songdust just looked pitying. Under all these gazes, Floodstrikeâs big ears wilted behind him and he pressed his mouth into a thin line.Â
âIâm sorry, Goldenstar,â he said, âI- I thought I was helping.âÂ
âI know,â she sighed, avoiding the pointed look that Scorch was giving her. âLetâs keep going. We donât have time to waste out in the open.â She ducked her head and started going, knowing that a number of unpleasant conversations were going to be had eventually.
They walked in silence the rest of the way to Lunaâs garden. The little lilac kittypet was waiting for them on top of the fence and smiled in greeting, ushering them over the fence with her tail.Â
âWelcome! Welcome!â she purred, blushing when she made eye contact with Floodstrike. âSchmidt should be here soon, you can wait under the bench by the hydrangeas.âÂ
âThank you,â Goldenstar thanked her and hopped the fence with a quick bound.Â
When her paws hit the ground, Scorchplume was right behind her, saying softly, âI told you not to bring him.âÂ
âI know,â Goldenstar whispered back. âIâll handle it.âÂ
âGood,â huffed Scorch. She led the way to the bench, which was good since Goldenstar had no idea what a bench was in the first place, and the other cats followed, clustering underneath the odd wooden structure with their backs against the wilting hydrangea blossoms.Â
âYou trust this Schmidt cat?â Coyotechaser asked.
âI do,â Goldenstar nodded.Â
âHe kept me safe while I was in the city,â said Songdust. âHeâs a good cat, if a bit idealistic.âÂ
âThatâs good,â mewed Orangestar.Â
Goldenstar glanced past her to where Floodstrike was sitting, tail curled around his paws and she swallowed in shame when he met her gaze a second later. He could tell he was in trouble and they were both miserable about it. She quickly averted her gaze and tried to go over the meeting points in her mind.Â
A short time later, two cats crested the fence and followed Luna over to the bench. The first cat was Schmidt, a kind smile on his face as he approached, and the second was a cat who looked exactly like him but with a slightly brighter tint to his ginger fur, much like Orangestar. The second cat followed closely behind Schmidt. His eyes wandered the yard for any sign of danger but his face bore a politely empty expression rather than a threatening or anxious one. Goldenstar stepped out from under the bench to meet them and the others followed suit.
âEveninâ, Goldenstar,â said Schimdt with a well mannered dip of the head. âThis is my brother, Westen. He insisted on cominâ to watch my back.â At his introduction, Westen dipped his head in kind and briefly flashed a smile.Â
âItâs a pleasure to meet you, Westen,â Goldenstar said.
âPlease, maâam, call me Wes,â said Wes with a twang and a humble smile. Goldenstar couldnât help but smile herself.Â
âOf course,â she said. Then, back to Schimdt, âIs everything ready for the meeting?âÂ
âAs ready as itâll ever be,â Schimdt said with a nervous huff. âWeâll be meetinâ on a friendâs balcony at sundown. We prolly ought to head over there now though. Donât wanna get caught like a squirrel in a bottle.â Goldenstar nodded instead of asking what a bottle or a balcony was.Â
âRight, letâs get going then,â she said.Â
Scorchplume cleared her throat, looking strained.Â
Goldenstar frowned. âRight. Floodstrike, Iâm going to need you to stay here.âÂ
âGoldenstar, please!â Floodstrike protested. âIt was one mistake, I promise it wonât happen again.â
âYou already promised me and you broke your promise,â Goldenstar said. âIâm sorry. Stay here with Luna. If something goes wrong weâll have someone send you for help.âÂ
Floodstrike opened his mouth to protest then closed it with a soft clack. Looking down, he sighed, âAlright.â Goldenstar smiled, bittersweet. She was proud, at least, that he hadnât tried to keep arguing.
âAlright, letâs go,â she said, and Schmidt nodded and turned to lead the way.Â
On the edge of her hearing, Goldenstar caught Wes whispering to Luna, âMiss Luna, will you be alright on your own with this fella?âÂ
âOh, donât worry, Wes,â Luna purred, âWe get on peachy.â Then she laughed like sheâd told a joke.Â
This seemed enough to put Wes at ease and he said simply, âAlright then. Donât forget to fetch your Folk if you need anythin',â before slinking back into place behind Schmidtâs right shoulder. Goldenstar chuckled a bit and hung back to speak with Floodstrike.Â
âHey,â she said softly and he looked up with big, guilty eyes. âDonât beat yourself up so bad you forget to enjoy yourself, âkay?âÂ
âW-â Floodstrike frowned then glanced past her to Luna before blushing with understanding. âOh. Thatâs- Iâm not-â
âItâs alright,â Goldenstar laughed a little. âWhatever happens, itâll be alright as long as you feel comfortable. Donât forget to stand up for yourself.âÂ
âAlright,â he swallowed dryly.Â
With that, Goldenstar bounded to catch up before anyone could call for her and the group hopped the fence and darted across the thunderpath towards the meeting place.
The boy gets a new ref sheet! Pretend he looked like this the whole time. I know his face doesn't look as oriental as usual but don't worry, his bodytype hasn't changed at all (except for some new stud jowls thanks to his HRT).
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