#snailshell

Lichenstar weaved her way through the FlameClan cats to make it to Kitestar. She lowered her head and touched her nose to Kitestar’s head. Suddenly, the old leader sprang to life, gasping and wheezing. Lichenstar scrambled back, back arched and fur bristling.

“Mom!” Mudcliff cried and ran to her side, pressing his muzzle into her pelt.

Berrydrop trotted after him, grimacing at his mother’s appearance. StarClan had only healed the worst of her burns. Kitestar winced as Mudcliff brushed a large burn on her shoulder.

Lichenstar leaned close and whispered something in Kitestar’s ear. Kitestar responded in a quiet voice, getting a smile out of Lichenstar. The pale molly padded away and stepped onto a small rise in the earth. She yowled to gather the clearing’s attention.

“I know you are all exhausted, but you cannot stay here,” she yowled. “The fire is far too close for comfort, so you will all be moved to our camp. You will follow the instructions from my deputy and my healers. If you deviate from their instructions, you will face punishment from me personally. Am I understood?”

The FlameClan cats hesitantly nodded.

“Then let’s move!”

Goldenblaze padded over to her kin and joined them in the walk to MireClan’s camp. She helped Sporepelt support Walnutleaf. In the chaos, her splint had snapped off and her leg now hung at an awkward angle again. She kept trying to put weight on it, and each time Sporepelt would hiss at her to lift it back up.

Volestep was closer to the front a Fireshiver’s side. Heathcall was on her other side, head cocked as he watched her carefully. She looked worse than she did earlier, her gaze unfocused and her breath shaky. The thick mud of the marsh only made it harder for her to keep going.

Snailshell trotted up to Goldenblaze’s side. “You doing alright?”

“As good as I can right now,” Goldenblaze sighed.

“Do FlameClan cats prefer soft or hard surfaces? Because our camp’s soil is pretty squishy.”

“You think we sleep on rocks?”

“Your camp’s in the mountains, right? On the cliffs?”

Goldenblaze chuckled. “There’s dirt up there, y’know. Pines can’t grow out of rock.”

“They’re hardy plants, aren’t they?”

Goldenblaze playfully shoved her, sending her stumbling away. Snailshell shoved back but she didn’t budge. The pale gray tabby glanced away, her tail swatting at invisible flies. Goldenblaze beamed with pride like a ram that won its match.

“How do you FlameClan cats get so big when you live all the way up there?” Snailshell said.

Goldenblaze grinned, “We eat deer and wolves and, uh….”

“Bears,” Sporepelt added. “The brown ones.”

Walnutleaf raised a brow. “I thought those were myths that mom made up.”

“No, they’re very real. Apparently one used to live in the valley.”

Walnutleaf shook her head in disbelief. “They say everything lives in the valley. I wouldn’t be surprised if rumors about giant deer-eating fish spawn from there.”

“Hey Fire,” Sporepelt raised his voice. “Do they have deer-eating fish in the valley?”

Fireshiver sharply exhaled. “I guess...I guess I’ll ask the next time I visit,” she spoke slowly, out of breath. “You should come along some time since you’re...so interested.”

“I would like to meet your mate some day.”

Fireshiver went quiet, then mumbled, “Yeah…”

“Camp’s straight ahead between the trees!” Lichenstar spun around and started to walk backwards. Her left hind leg struggled to keep up with her others, slipping in the mud multiple times. Despite that, she didn’t slow down. “My deputy and healers will direct you once you get inside!”

Through the haze of night two massive trees broke through. Their massive roots jutted out of the ground and formed walls around the dirt they rested atop. Vines hung from the branches, some so long they almost grazed the grass. As they drew near, cats walked out onto the roots to watch FlameClan arrive.

The crowd narrowed as they entered camp. The trees cast dark shadows that sent chills down Goldenblaze’s spine. The subtle tilt of one tree made it look like it was turning to watch her as she walked by.

[ID: A digital drawing showing MireClan's camp entrance, which is between the large roots of two trees. Long vines hang down from the trees. Bushes lead up to the trail between the roots. Lichenstar (very pale blue-gray ticked tabby with lichen-like cheek frills) walks down the trail, tail held high. Three guards are posted on the tree roots. On the left, a light warm brown marbled tabby with black stripes and a spiky tail, and a reddish cat with long, visible whiskers. On the right, a lanky blue-gray tabby with long cheek tufts and a thin tail. They are all looking in the direction Lichenstar came from. In the distance, the outlines of cats can be seen watching. End ID.]

“Injured cats head to the pond!” A dark reddish-brown tabby shouted from atop a small hill. “Uninjured cats head to the wall to my left!”

“I can walk the rest of the way.” Walnutleaf nodded to her kin.

“Don’t put weight on it again,” Sporepelt said sternly.

“I know, I know,” Walnutleaf groaned. “We’re littermates, no need to act like dad.”

“Go.” Sporepelt waved a paw dramatically.

Walnutleaf chuckled as she limped on, joining her older siblings on the walk to the healers den.

Snailshell nudged Goldenblaze. “You need to get your scratches checked out.”

“I’d rather wait until the healers aren’t overwhelmed. You saw how bad some cats’ burns were.”

“Cat scratches can get infected really easily.”

“Cat scratches?” Goldenblaze laughed nervously. “I just got wrung through a thicket, these aren’t-”

Snailshell unsheathed her claws and ran them down one set of scratches on her shoulder; almost a perfect match. “You don’t have to tell me what happened, but don’t lie to me.” She sheathed her claws and flicked her tail. “There’s a nice spot over there where we can sit until everyone’s settled.”

Goldenblaze followed her into a small dirt hole with deep ripples in its floor and walls. The hole was sheltered by shadow and much cooler than the surrounding area. The earth was as soft as Snailshell promised it would be. Goldenblaze let out a heavy sigh and flopped down beside her.

“This spot was dug out by a flood that happened moons ago,” Snailshell said. “The water was so powerful, it knocked a tree into camp then carried to the VineClan border.”

Goldenblaze rested her chin on her paws. “It must’ve been terrifying.”

“It was.”

“You’re back!” A dark gray and white rosette tabby trotted over, his feathery tail held high and waving. “Is this your friend from the gathering?”

Snailshell nodded. “Goldenblaze, this is Swampfrost.”

Goldenblaze slowly blinked at him. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Swampfrost settled down on the other side of Snailshell, tucking his legs underneath himself. “Lichenstar told us FlameClan would be staying for a while. I’m surprised she’s letting this happen; she seemed pretty upset Kitestar didn’t help us with the war.”

“I don’t think she’s fully forgiven us. She said any FlameClan cat who ‘deviated from instructions’ would be punished,” Goldenblaze said.

“Sounds like her. She’s, uh, not the most forgiving cat.” Swampfrost leaned across Snailshell to whisper, “She still speaks poorly of Burnetbelly, our leader who stepped down.”

“It’s rude to speak ill of the dead, but she does what she wants,” Snailshell mrrowed.

“There’s no way a leader would be allowed to step down in FlameClan,” Goldenblaze said.

“Because you FlameClan cats are crazy,” Swampfrost chuckled. “Cats who fought in the war with your Clan said they saw cats shrug off boulders.”

“Could’ve been Woodbat.” Goldenblaze picked the brown tom out of the crowd. Though his shoulders and chest were covered in burns, he was fighting the healers about getting treatment. “He’s... something.”

Berrydrop grabbed his mate by the scruff and dragged him to the healers’ den. Woodbat stopped putting up a fight and let himself be taken away.

“Yeah, what a warrior,” Snailshell snickered.

Goldenblaze kept her eyes on the crowd until all the FlameClan cats had dispersed. She didn’t see Sheepflower again and could finally breathe. He won’t attack me here, not with this many guards. Normally there would be one or two guards situated at the camp’s entrance, but MireClan had four. Three were sat on the trees’ roots at the entrance, and one was stationed on a fallen tree not too far from where she was resting. Unless he completely lost his mind...

“Snailshell, Swampfrost, you should be in the warriors den,” a familiar ticked tabby approached: Frondshine. “This area’s meant for the FlameClan cats.”

“Goldenblaze is fine with it,” Snailshell protested.

“There’s plenty of room,” Goldenblaze added.

Frondshine’s gaze traveled along the back wall. Few cats had chosen to settle there. “I guess so,” she muttered. Her eyes fell back on Goldenblaze. “Where’s your mentor? I need to speak with him.”

“Is it about Reindeerstalk?” Goldenblaze asked.

“...Yes.” Frondshine scuffed the ground with a paw. “He’s the only cat who can tell me about her.”

“You think it’ll help?” Snailshell asked softly.

“I know it’ll help.”

“Help what?” Goldenblaze looked between them.

Snailshell opened her mouth first, but Frondshine spoke before her. “My father avoided talking about her for moons until the winter gathering. He came home terrified, and when I asked him why, he said that there was a reason I never had an aunt.” Her eyes grew glossy. “A VineClan patrol attacked him, but he wasn’t dead when I got there. He...he thought I was her.”

She took in a deep breath. “I saw that same fear in Cloudytalon’s eyes at the border. I want to know why.”

Goldenblaze shivered at the intensity of her gaze. “I don’t think he’ll want to talk about her tonight. His friend is injured and he was close with the cats who died.”

“Oh.” She looked away. “Have a good night.”

Snailshell sat up. “Do you want to—” Frondshine bolted away. “Foxdung.”

The fluffy molly disappeared into a den on the other side of camp.

“She do that a lot?” Goldenblaze asked.

Snailshell nodded weakly and rolled onto her side, pressing into Goldenblaze in the process. She rested her hind legs on Swampfrost’s haunches. “Mhm.”

“You lay like roadkill.” Swampfrost swatted at her whiskers. “I’ve seen dead deer less stiff than you.”

She lazily swung back. “I’m tired, I’m not usually up this late.”

“You volunteered for that patrol.”

She tilted her head back to look at Goldenblaze. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have found her.”

A purr rumbled in Goldenblaze’s chest. “You wanted the glory.”

Snailshell’s whiskers twitched. “What warrior doesn’t?”

Me, Goldenblaze thought, but never said. Instead, she chuckled softly. Not a very FlameClan thing to say.

Snailshell rolled to her paws and sat upright. Swampfrost remained on the ground, tucking his paws back under his body. They continued their conversation but Goldenblaze paid no attention; her head had grown heavy and fell between her paws like a stone. She blinked and Volestep appeared. He brushed against her pelt as he settled down beside her, purring loudly.

Her eyes fell shut and when they fluttered open it was nearing dawn. The cats beside her were fast asleep, curled up into a tight ball. Volestep’s head had fallen onto her shoulder, and Snailshell’s chin brushed against her paw.

The soft flutter of wings drew her eye. In the branches of the tree across camp, an oddly colored sparrow had perched. It turned its head to Goldenblaze, and for just a moment, a cat stared back at her. She jumped, waking Snailshell and Volestep in the process.

Volestep squinted at her. “Are you—”

“I’m fine,” she cut him off. “A bug landed on my nose.”

“And you...okay…” He lowered his head and was asleep in a wink.

Snailshell had already fallen back asleep as well. Goldenblaze looked back to the tree and the sparrow was gone. She shut her eyes. I’m seeing things.