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overgrowth-wc · 1 year ago

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PYROPHYTE: CHAPTER FOUR

IN THE PINES

Emberpaw might be a menace, but she's also got a stubborn streak a mile wide and a temper to match. These might not be good things, necessarily, but they might just serve her well in the end. Poppypaw seems to think so, anyway.

It was a beautiful day in Shadowclan, and Emberpaw was getting bored. She was eating with her uncle- well. Mentor. Crowcall, however you wanted to call him. They had spent the afternoon hunting together, and now had some down time before they started night training with her brothers and their mentors. Their aunts. Briarmask and Batflight, whatever. It was peaceful, and quiet, Crowcall contentedly munching on a lizard, but Emberpaw was done with her food and now feeling restless. A thought struck her then, and she turned to Crowcall with a curious look.

“Uncle Crowcall, when are you and Auntie having kittens?” It was a fair question, in Emberpaw’s opinion, seeing as they had recently gotten bonded, and Mama always said that cats got bonded so that they could have babies- apparently, you couldn’t do one without the other. So why was Crowcall choking on his food?

“Emberpaw,” he wheezed, “remember our conversation about personal questions?”

“Yeah, of course I do, I do pay attention you know!” She immediately responded, feeling a bit defensive. I’m not Sparkpaw, stars’ sake. “You said it’s not polite to ask cats really personal questions, especially when they’re eating or sneaking or having a conversation with someone else.” Crowcall let out one last hack before stopping, fixing her with a narrowed gaze.

“And if you remember that, why would you ask me about having kittens when I’m eating?” Emberpaw was nonplussed.

“You’re not ‘cats.’ You’re my uncle. And my mentor. You don’t count.” Obviously. But Crowcall seemed unimpressed, and she couldn’t help the way her ears drooped, uncertainty sparking in her stomach. At her change in demeaner, the tom softened a bit, although he still let out a sigh.

“Alright, how about this- don’t ask anyone personal questions when they’re eating or anything else like that, including cats you think don’t count. It’s so you don’t surprise them, like you just surprised me.” Emberpaw nodded, perking back up, although internally that spark of uncertainty flared towards annoyance. Why not just say that the first time then?

“Well, that makes sense.” She paused, eyeing Crowcall carefully. He stared back at her. “So, anytime soon?” Crowcall let out another heavy sigh, but Emberpaw wasn’t one to let something like a sigh deter her, so she waited somewhat patiently for a response.

“Well, it’s not just something that you can just… make happen the moment you want it to,” he hedged, ear flicking. “Uh, babies… happen when the ancestors decide to send them to a couple. After they’re bonded. So, I don’t know, uh, when Briarmask and I will have kittens.” A bit unsatisfying, but also totally in line with what Mama said about the subject, so she just nodded. Crowcall seemed relieved. “Besides, we’re a little overrun with kittens right now. I think the ancestors will probably wait a little bit before they send us more.”

That was also probably true. While Emberpaw and her brothers had been out of the nursery for a moon now, it was more crowded than ever, as the Six were now almost ready to be apprenticed and Brooksong’s kits were getting bigger every day. Heck, Scratchkit was bigger than Tulipstem now- it was a miracle everyone still fit in the den.

“I suppose that does make sense,” Emberpaw hummed. “The Six will be in our den soon, though. Maybe the ancestors will give you kittens after that.” It was fun having so many friends her age around, and she wanted to keep a good thing going- especially for Lichen and Newt and Gray, who had never known a world where they weren’t surrounded by friends. They’ll get lonely with just themselves.

“Speaking of,” Crowcall said quickly, “we have some time still until the sun sets. Why don’t you go see your friends before we head out? I know I’ve been keeping you busy lately. It’s been a bit since you hung out.” Emberpaw felt it was more she was keeping him busy, but was kind enough to let him think what he wanted. Anyway, it had been a few days since she had been able to play with the others- it would be good to talk to Beekit. Emberpaw sprung up with a grin, giving Crowcall a nudge before bounding towards the nursery, the black tom shaking his head fondly after her. The Six were outside with their mother, playing after dinner. Tulipstem seemed to be dozing, but one ear was pricked, and Emberpaw knew they wouldn’t be able to get into any mischief with her on guard. Oh well, there were other things to do besides putting bugs in Sparkpaw’s nest. Beekit perked up when she saw the apprentice coming, bounding over to meet her, eyes crinkled in a happy smile.

“Hey, Ember, I thought you’d forgotten about me!” She chirped, and while Emberpaw would usually bristle at such a comment she knew Beekit never meant things in a mean way. The tortoiseshell purred, kneading the ground.

“No way! I’ve just been busy keeping Crowcall out of trouble. We’re gonna do some more training tonight, but I wanted to hang out before we go. What’s been happening?” Beekit’s smile grew a little more delighted, and she cast a glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening before she leaned in, voice barely more than a whisper.

“You can’t tell anyone else, because I promised I wouldn’t tell, but you’re my best friend so you don’t count,” the little tabby whispered, and Emberpaw gave her a serious nod, leaning in closer as well. “Patchkit told me yesterday that he had a really weird dream, and when he told Mama and Papa about it they took him to Fernfire, and now…” Another furtive look. “He’s gonna be Fernfire’s apprentice! Can you believe it? Patch is gonna be a medicine cat!” Emberpaw’s eyes grew wide in wonder. Patch? Their little Patch, who was shy and scared of his own shadow, was their new star born?

“Wow,” the tortoiseshell breathed, “that’s so cool! When are they telling everyone?” Beekit shook her head.

“I don’t know,” she mewed, leaning back on her haunches. “He just said not to tell anyone, so probably not ‘til our ceremonies.”

“Papa is very dramatic like that,” Emberpaw agreed. “He probably wants to make it a surprise for everyone. It’s been a long time since Fernfire became a full medicine cat, so it’s about time he got an apprentice.” The two mollies continued their chat, now less centered on gossip and more about Emberpaw’s training and Beekit’s recent exploits, until the sun set and their respective guardians came to collect them. Tulipstem called Beekit in for bed just as Crowcall padded up to them, and Emberpaw bid her friend a fond farewell before turning expectantly to her mentor.

“We’re doing something a bit different tonight,” Crowcall said with a smile, and Emberpaw’s tail shot up in delight.

______________________________________________________________

“Alright, you three,” Briarmask said, nearly impossible to see in the dark of the forest, “we have a new challenge for you.” Emberpaw, Sunpaw, and Sparkpaw, along with their mentors, were gathered in a cluster of pines on the north side of the territory, close to where the trees thinned and the swamp took over. “We’ve been focusing on how to sneak around and the different environments you’ll have to navigate. Tonight, we three-” here, she gestured at herself and the other mentors, “will be traveling to different spots on the territory. Your jobs will be to track and find your mentor while remaining undetected.”

“We’ve recruited a few other warriors to try and find you,” Batflight said, fangs catching the faint starlight. “But you won’t know who they are unless they catch you, so you’ll have to really be on the lookout. If you get caught, you lose, but if you find us before you’re found, you win.”

“Winners get first pick of dinner tomorrow night,” Crowcall said, “losers get last pick. And honestly, don’t worry if you get caught tonight. This is only the first time we’ll be doing something like this, and it’s mostly just to see how quickly you’re picking things up, and see what areas we need to focus on, alright?” Briarmask coughed out something like softie, which had Crowcall rolling his eyes. That’s all well and good, but I don’t need to worry, ‘cause I’m gonna win. Emberpaw had an advantage over her brothers, with her dark mottled pelt and lithe frame- she’d be a lot harder to see, especially with the new moon offering no help to their pursuers. Sparkpaw and Sunpaw, with their bright orange pelts and bulkier builds, would have a much harder time of it.

“Alright, you three ready?” Briarmask asked, and all three siblings nodded seriously, expressions ranging from excited to nervous. “Close your eyes then, and count aloud slowly to thirty. And I mean slowly, Sparkpaw, no cheating,” she warned, and the orange tom gave her a cheeky nod.

“Of course, Auntie, you can trust me!” He chirped, and Briarmask narrowed her eyes.

“Sunpaw, you do the counting, Emberpaw and Sparkpaw, you listen to your brother,” she said, and then spoke over the apprentice’s complaints. “Alright, get ready, and… begin!” The world went completely dark as Emberpaw obeyed the command, and she strained to listen to the mentors walk away as Sunpaw began counting. He seemed to enjoy torturing his brother and sister, as he counted so slowly that by the time he said thirty, Emberpaw felt like ants were crawling through her fur.

“Finally, Sunny!” Sparkpaw whined, springing to his feet. “Alright, let’s go!”

The three mentors had stayed together for a bit, and so the siblings did as well, until they came to the very edge of the trees. The apprentices took a minute to detangle the scents, but then each found their mentor- Batflight had curved back around deeper into the trees, Briarmask had veered off towards the Dump, and Crowcall had headed straight into the swamp. Ugh, he knows I hate the mud. Wishing her brothers luck, Emberpaw slunk into the tall grass, remembering abruptly that oh yeah, someone would be following her, and she needed to be careful. Immediately she pressed herself almost all the way to the ground, making sure her belly fur didn’t drag an obvious trail through the damp soil. The apprentice tried to stick to the driest and darkest areas she could find, wholly focused on following Crowcall’s scent, until a little blip of color in the corner of her eye caught her attention. When she turned to look, she saw a little red flower peeping between the grasses off to her right. Like a flash, she remembered the first Gathering she had been to, and the medicine cat that had spoken to her.

Honestly, the interaction had slipped her mind like smoke upon her return home, and she had never brought it up to anyone, too concerned with her impending apprentice ceremony and then her training to remember. But now the memory hit her full force, clear as if it had just happened. The first spring blooms. Find me in the pines. Like a moth to a flame, Emberpaw carefully walked over to the flower, spotting another one some distance away. An undeniable urge to follow overcame her, and, abandoning her task, she began searching out the trail of flowers. They lead her away from the marsh, back into the forest, until she came to a hollowed-out stump absolutely covered in them. And there, atop of it, blinking into existence like a twinkling star, was Poppypaw.

“Hello, Emberpaw,” she grinned, “it’s so good to see you again.” Emberpaw blinked in astonishment at her sudden appearance, unable to understand. Not even the best Shadowclan warriors can appear from thin air, even if it looks like it. So how…? Unless-

“You’re a ghost,” she heard herself saying, and Poppypaw’s grin only widened. “How- only medicine cats can see ghosts-”

“Ah, the ancestors can bless anyone of their choosing,” Poppypaw gently interrupted, “and they have decided to give this gift to you. Which is very good news, because I need the help of someone who can see the spirits of those passed.” She wasn’t smiling anymore. “I am blocked from entering Starclan, Emberpaw, because my death was not planned. Until my murderer is brought to justice, I am stuck here.” Realization struck like lightning.

“You’re the one they’re always talking about!” Emberpaw gasped. “Why the spies went into the Town, and those cats who attacked Spark and Fernfire- that’s about you, right?” Poppypaw nodded somberly.

“Indeed, I am the one in question. I cannot express how grateful I am, that all the Clans seek to help me go home. But there are things they don’t know, and can’t know, without the help of the spirits and those who can see them. Which is where you come in, Emberpaw. I need you to help me communicate with the Clans. I need you to seek out the spirits in the Town, and enlist their aid as well. The Clans cannot succeed without our help, and we can’t help them without you.” This was… a lot. Emberpaw was the only one who could speak to the ghosts? Ghosts, plural, because apparently there were ghosts in the Town she needed to talk to?

“I… we’re not allowed in the Town right now,” she hedged, ears flicking uncertainly. “Dad says it’s too dangerous, that we have to wait until they find that cat. The one who…”

“I hate to ask this of you,” Poppypaw mewed, “but I feel I have no choice. You have to go to the Town, Emberpaw, whether you’re allowed to or not. I know it’s dangerous, and that you could get in trouble for it, but please, will you help me? Not only my fate, but the fates of many others depend on it.” Well, what could she say to that? A little flare of determination and excitement flickered to life in her chest, then, and Emberpaw tried to imitate her father’s confident grin.

“Getting in trouble has never stopped me,” she boasted, “and besides, if I’m the only one who can help, then that settles things, right? Dad and everyone can’t get mad at me for doing what the ancestors say.” She paused, cocking her head to give Poppypaw a considering look. “Although, are you actually anybody’s ancestor?” Poppypaw just laughed.

“Thank you for your help, Emberpaw,” the other tortoiseshell said, and then all of a sudden her smile dropped and she looked… regretful? “And remember the other thing I said- you can survive the coming fire. I promise. I believe in you.” And then she was gone, and Emberpaw was left to stare at a stump covered in wilting red flowers. I’m really not a fan of her dropping ominous warnings and then disappearing, she grumbled to herself, rising to her feet. And I should probably go try to find Crowcall before…

Too late. She could just hear distant cries of her name, and tried to come up with an excuse as she started off towards the noise. Her thoughts ground to a halt, though, as she drew closer and realized that Crowcall didn’t sound upset, he sounded… frantic? And wait, was that blood she smelled? She took off at a sprint, now calling out herself.

“Uncle! Uncle, I’m right here!” Bursting through some scrub, she almost knocked straight into Crowcall, who seemed to sag with relief at the sight of her.

“Thank the stars,” he gasped, and she could only stare at the scratches on his face, the ruffled fur, the smell of blood and something more acrid, almost but not quite familiar. “Are you hurt? Did you run into anyone else?”

“No, no, I’m not hurt, I didn’t- what happened?” She pressed, nearly vibrating with anxiety. “Who hurt you?”

“An ambush.” He said, but he wasn’t calming down. If anything, he was starting to get worked back up, fur prickling, and he began pushing her towards camp. “We need to get back home, now.”

“What about the others?” She demanded as she stumbled along, concern for her brothers and aunts suddenly racing through her. “Where are they, are they alright?” Crowcall’s eyes became pained.

“Batflight and Sunpaw are fine,” he said, and her stomach dropped because what about- “Briarmask and Sparkpaw were attacked, I found them when I came looking for you. Briar- she’s-” he choked a bit, and now Emberpaw felt numb, she’s what, she’s what- “Hurt. Badly. They were bringing her back to camp-”

“Where’s my brother.” Emberpaw blurted out, stopping dead in her tracks, shaking so hard now she bit her tongue. The taste of blood, the smell of it, made her feel sick- “Where’s Sparkpaw?” Crowcall stopped to look at her, copper eyes bright with pain and fear and worry.

“They took him. He’s gone.”

Emberpaw was numb. Anything she tried to say lodged in her throat like bones, and so she raced back to camp in silence, Crowcall only growing more upset the closer they got. They burst through the thorns together, Emberpaw not even flinching as one caught on her ear in their haste. Her parents were in the clearing, a shaking Sunpaw pressed into their mother’s side, Batflight murmuring to him quietly. Lizardspots was trying to calm a raging Rosestar, who spit and snarled and paced like a tiger from the elder’s stories.

“I want every available warrior out there, right now!” He was hissing, “They need to find them-” Emberpaw finally found her voice.

“Papa!” She wailed, racing towards her father, and he whipped around to face her, blue eyes bright with tears.

“Praise the ancestors,” he gasped, wrapping a paw around the tortoiseshell as she crashed into him. “Thank you, stars above, Ember, we thought you were gone too-” Pinenose shuffled Sunpaw forward so they could crowd together, and the press of her family only made her feel worse, because Sparkpaw should be there, but he was gone gone gone-

“We have to find him,” she said desperately. “We- they can’t, Papa, they can’t just take him!”

“I will find him if I have to burn the whole Town down, Ember, I promise you that.” Rosestar swore, and then all of a sudden, he had that look, the one where he wasn’t just her father, he was the leader of Shadowclan. It came over him like a wave, his expression now set, his fur flattening, and he threw back his head with a howl.

“Batflight, Blackear, Spidershade, Browntail, Loudstorm, Frogthroat, Marshfoot- you all are coming with me. Batflight, show us where the attack happened. We’ll go from there.” The assembled warriors nodded seriously, Batflight trying to school her devastated expression. “Piketail, Shadefur, Bluebird, and Snakepelt, guard the camp. Beetlewhisker, I want you with Fernfire. The rest of you, stay alert. Keep the queens and kits in the nursery. Lizardspots, you’re in charge while we’re gone.” He then pressed his nose to Pinenose’s forehead, and they sat there for a moment, eyes closed, before he pulled away, lip curling once more. “Warriors! To me!” And with a final nudge to his children, Rosestar led his warriors out of the camp and into the night, his family staring after him.

“It’s alright, darlings,” Pinenose soothed the apprentices, although her voice was choked. “Your father will bring Sparkpaw home. If they were going to hurt him, they would have. They took him alive for a reason.” Emberpaw didn’t know if she was trying to convince them or herself, but it did make her feel a bit better. Mama is right- Sparkpaw is at least alive. And Papa won’t let them get away with this. But… Pulling back from her mother, she looked up at her in concern.

“Where’s Auntie Briar?” Emberpaw whispered, afraid of the answer. “Is she alright?” Pinenose looked at her with somber eyes.

“I don’t know,” she murmured. “Fernfire sent Webheart to get Snowdrift. Said he needed the extra paws. We will just have to pray that the ancestors will be kind to us.” Emberpaw swallowed hard. He sent for help? It must be bad. “Come. We can wait outside the medicine den for him to tell us what’s happening.” The apprentices trailed after their mother, Emberpaw now focusing her concern on Sunpaw, whose eyes were wide and staring.

“Sunny?” She whispered, nudging his cheek. “Are you okay?”

“I saw them take him,” he whispered, gaze still fixed on nothing. “Shadefur caught me before I got very far. Me and him and Batflight were going to meet up with Auntie and Spark when we heard the screaming.” Emberpaw shuddered, Sunpaw just stared. “There were at least six cats. Auntie was fighting three of them- the others were dragging Spark away. He was yelling something awful. Uncle showed up then, and they ran when they saw us coming, Shadefur said there were too many of them, that we had to help Auntie, I think she was dying-“ He clammed up after that, tears now starting to roll down his face, and all Emberpaw knew to do was press up against him and purr as hard as she could. Oh stars, why is this happening? They joined their mother in front of Fernfire’s den, and a moment later there was movement from the entrance. It was Crowcall, staggering towards them, and Emberpaw immediately leapt to her feet and hurried to his side. She let him lean on her as he sank to the ground, trembling.

“Is she alright?” She couldn’t help but press. “Is she-”

“She’s alive,” Crowcall croaked. “Besides that, I don’t know.” Emberpaw fell silent, not knowing what to say. She just put her chin on Crowcall’s head and purred like she did for Sunpaw. Her brother slunk over a moment later, closely followed by Pinenose, and soon they were all huddled together, seeking and giving what comfort they could. It felt like an eternity later when there was rustling at the entrance and a bright white blur pushed through. Snowdrift is finally here. He was carrying a large bundle, odd eyes determined, and he barely spared them all a glance as he swept into the den. Emberpaw pressed further into Crowcall’s side.

Now all we can do is wait.

______________________________________________________________

The sun rose before they had their answer about Briarmask. Rosestar had yet to return.

“She’s not out of the woods,” an exhausted Fernfire had said, ears and eyes drooping. “She lost a lot of blood. Right now, we have to wait and see if she wakes up. After that, we have to watch for infection. If she can survive the next few days, though, I think she’ll make it.” If she wakes up? You think she’ll make it? Emberpaw wanted to scream, to sink her claws into the cats who did this, who took her brother and might be the reason that Auntie-

“Emberpaw,” Sunpaw whispered, “you’re scaring me.” Too late, she realized her fur was bristling and her lips were pulled back in a silent snarl. Immediately she tried to relax, giving her brother an apologetic nudge.

“I’m sorry, Sunny,” she murmured. “I’m just… angry.” It was just the two of them together, now. Their mother had gone to speak to Lizardspots. Crowcall had been allowed into the medicine den. Snowdrift had left, escorted by Webheart and Piketail. And the sun was above the horizon now, and Rosestar still wasn’t home. Emberpaw wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “Do you want anything to eat?” She tried. Sunpaw loved eating, it was his favorite activity, always saying the sun is round, so I need to be too, but now he just silently shook his head. Emberpaw was stumped, and so she just sat there, unsure of what to do.

“Do you think they’ll find him?” Sunpaw whispered. “The Town’s so big, and if these are the rogues that evil cat is in charge of…” Emberpaw scowled.

“Don’t talk like that,” she snapped. “Of course they’ll find him. Papa promised. And Sparkpaw’s smart, he probably got away from them, and…” Emberpaw felt bad about snapping, because Sunpaw was crying now, paws over his face, and her stomach tightened with guilt. “I, I’m sorry, Sunny, I didn’t mean-”

There was movement at the entrance, and both apprentices bolted up, focused desperately on who was coming through. Did they-? But it was only Rosestar, dejected, covered in mud, blue eyes dull, the other warriors trailing after him with dragging tails, defeat clinging to the group like the muck in their fur. Emberpaw thought her heart was going to stop. She went to move forward, but her mother beat her to it, Pinenose loping across the clearing to Rosestar, heartbreak lurking in the corners of her eyes.

“Rosey,” she said, and even though her voice was little more than a whisper it rang through the silent clearing. “Is he-?”

“We couldn’t find them,” Rosestar rasped, and he spit the words like poison. “They disappeared into the Town, further than we’ve ever gone. No one would help us. No one saw anything.” That rage was building back up inside Emberpaw’s chest, her skin feeling too tight, because how dare they, how dare they take him, how dare they refuse to help, how dare they-

Now she didn’t care if she was scaring Sunpaw, she let out a furious hiss, stubbornly blinking away the tears prickling her eyes. Rosestar looked up at the noise, and Emberpaw couldn’t stand the pain in them.

“Emberpaw-”

“We have to find him,” she snarled, hating the way they all were looking at her now, a mixture of pity and pain, “I- I don’t care, I’ll find him myself if I have to-”

“Emberpaw,” and Rosestar was serious now, expression firm enough that Emberpaw’s fury stumbled, “you are forbidden from leaving this camp alone. We don’t know if this was targeted, if they took Sparkpaw to get to me. They could go after you and Sunpaw now.” Instead of cooling her rage, that only enflamed it.

“I don’t care if they come after me, Spark is my brother! He’s- Spark and Sunny, they’re-” Now, Emberpaw didn’t really talk about the fact that she and her brothers were adopted. None of them did. They had heard the story, of course, of how Auntie Briar and Auntie Nettle saved them, brought them to the Clan, how Auntie Nettle died fighting the rats to give them a chance. And Sparkpaw and Sunpaw, they had been fine with just what they had been told. They were happy in Shadowclan with their parents and their friends, and while they all felt the weight of Nettleclaw’s sacrifice, they didn’t think much of how they had come to the Clan. But Emberpaw… she couldn’t help but wonder. She loved her parents, of course, was so happy to have them and be loved by them, but what about her natural parents? A human had brought them to the Dump, not a cat. Did their natural parents want them? Were they sad they had been taken away? And they had been taken away, right? What if it happened again? And it had, look, Sparkpaw had just been taken away, and Emberpaw couldn’t stand it, she wouldn’t let them take her brother, one of the two cats she had always had, the ones she always thought she would have, she wouldn’t let them, she couldn’t let them-

“It’s okay, Emberpaw, just breathe,” someone very far away was saying, and Emberpaw realized she was hyperventilating, the sudden realization jolting her into a panic, because she couldn’t breathe, her chest so tight she felt like she was being crushed. “Come on, now, deep breath in. Feel how I do it, alright? Deep breath.” Someone was pressed against her side, and she could feel the way they took a deep, steady breath, and she did her best to imitate it. It took a few tries, but she managed something more than a shallow gasp, her chest loosening a bit. “There we go, froglet, now another. Good work.” Slowly, with every breath, she came back to herself. She was shaking, her worried parents and Sunpaw nearby, and Fernfire was pressed up against her, helping her calm down. “Alright, there we go. Feeling better?” Emberpaw managed a shaky nod, although she couldn’t speak yet. “You’re okay, Emberpaw. You just need to relax.” And how am I supposed to do that? My brother is missing, she wanted to snap, but that wouldn’t help anything now. And besides, she was too tired to even speak. The apprentice just slumped forward, exhausted, and Fernfire let out a sigh. “You and Sunpaw need to get some sleep. Go to your nests, I’ll bring you some poppy seeds.”

Slowly, Sunpaw came over to Emberpaw’s side, helping her stumble to her feet. Together they made their way over to their den, halting outside of it. It smells like Sparkpaw. Emberpaw felt sick.

“I don’t want to go in there,” Sunpaw whispered, and Emberpaw was all too happy to agree. Casting her gaze around, she caught sight of the nursery, and the familiarity and comfort of the thorn bush called out to her in a way she couldn’t ignore. Wordlessly, she nudged Sunpaw towards it, and he went without protest. Together, they slid through the narrow entrance, a worried Tulipstem and Brooksong greeting them in soft tones.

“Do you mind if we stay here?” Emberpaw asked in a small voice. The queens shook their heads, their friends staring at them with wide eyes. The apprentices made their way to their old nest in the corner, now crowded with Mumblekit, Patchkit, and Beekit, the kittens shuffling over to make room for them. Emberpaw and Sunpaw curled up together tightly, joined one after another by their friends, until there were so many others pressed up against her that Emberpaw could almost ignore the fact that Sparkpaw wasn’t there. Screwing her eyes tightly shut, she let the exhaustion wash over her, and soon after, she was asleep.

______________________________________________________________

“Emberpaw.” A whisper. “Ember, wake up.” A pointed prod in the ribs. But Emberpaw didn’t want to wake up. Waking up meant that Sparkpaw wasn’t there, and everything was a mess, and… A sharp prick of a claw now, and that all too familiar anger flared up. Lifting her head, Emberpaw turned her narrowed glare on Patchkit, the little tom wilting but standing his ground. “You need to get up,” he insisted in a whisper, and reality started sinking in. It was dark. Emberpaw was in the nursery, but it seemed she had rolled away from the others, now by herself up against the woven wall of the den. Patchkit was standing over her, ears flicking nervously. “Poppypaw told me to get you.” Now that got her attention.

“Poppypaw told you?” She hissed quietly. “You can see her too?” Patchkit shook his head.

“Not, not really, I just had a dream. There was a molly, she said her name was Poppypaw, and that I needed to tell you to wake up and go to her. She’s at the stump.” Patchkit’s dark blue eyes were wide with worry. “Emberpaw, what is going on?”

“If you help me sneak out, and you promise not to tell anybody about this, I’ll tell you everything.” She said quickly, carefully rising to her feet. “I mean nobody, Patchkit. Not Beekit, not your mom, nobody. You have to swear.” Patchkit hesitated for a moment before nodding, turning his cheek to Poppypaw with a solemn look. Understanding, Emberpaw reached forward, delicately grabbed one white whisker between her teeth, and pulled with a swift yank. To his credit Patchkit was silent, although he flinched. Emberpaw then turned her own cheek, wincing as Patchkit pulled one of her whiskers out as well. Laying them on the ground together, both young cats placed a paw on top of them.

“I swear that I won’t tell anyone about this,” Patchkit whispered solemnly. “May all my whiskers fall out if I do.”

“I swear I’ll tell you about everything,” Emberpaw returned. “May all my whiskers fall out if I don’t.” Pact made, Patchkit looked nervously around the den before leading her to the very back of it. Moving some old bedding out of the way, he pointed at a shallow hole that led under the thorns.

“It’s an escape tunnel,” Patchkit whispered. “We had one in the Town, in our den there. Mama told the other queens about that when we moved here, and Rosestar thought it was a good idea. It’s supposed to be a secret, though. It leads out into the log pile around camp. From there, you can wiggle your way outside. You’re small enough that you should still fit.” His eyes were once again gleaming with worry. “Please be careful, Ember, we can’t lose you too.” Emberpaw gave him a comforting lick, trying to muster a smile.

“Don’t worry, Patch, I’ll be back soon. I’ll come back through the dirt place, so if anyone wakes up and asks where I am, just tell them I went there, okay? I’ll worry about the rest.” The little gray and white tom nodded. Emberpaw took a deep breath, then carefully worked her way through the hole and out the other side, wincing as the thorn bush scraped against her back. From there, she navigated her way through the cluster of logs, and soon she was on the other side, on the very edges of the camp boundary. She froze, ears pricked, mouth open, scenting for anyone or anything. It was quiet, nothing sticking out, so she cast a careful look around-

There.

A small red bloom, winking at her from the base of a pine. Steeling herself, Emberpaw slunk forward into the night. The blooms led her along just like the first time, winding through the territory back to the stump from the night before, the flowers once again vibrant and alive. Poppypaw was already there, staring out into the darkness towards the Town.

“Did you know?” Emberpaw blurted, meeting Poppypaw’s solemn gaze with a glare. “Did you know they were taking Sparkpaw while we were talking?” The spirit shook her head.

“No, I just had a bad feeling. I’m not…” And for the first time, the medicine cat seemed frustrated. “I don’t have the same power that Starclan has. It’s more like what I felt as a medicine cat when I was alive. I get feelings, I can interpret signs… but no, I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. I just know that there are difficult times ahead, but, well. I guess you don’t need to be in Starclan to see that.” Poppypaw shook her head. “Anyway, when I left, I went to see if I could find any Town ghosts. I can’t leave Clan territory, you see, but I can get to the border of Town. I was hoping some spirit from there might come by. But I saw those cats with Sparkpaw- he was alive, and didn’t look too hurt, just a few scratches.” Emberpaw could have fallen over, she was so relieved. Mama was right. “And I tried to guide your father and the search party to where they crossed, but I wasn’t very successful. They went in at a different point, and I think that’s why they had a hard time following the trail. If we can make contact with the Town ghosts, they can help us find Sparkpaw and Featherfall. I know the Clans sent spies into the Town, but what better spy than a spirit that only you can see?” Emberpaw was getting excited, but then she remembered what her father had said, that none of the Town cats had helped them.

“Why would the Town ghosts help us?” Emberpaw asked, bitterness coloring her tone. “Papa said they wouldn’t help him find Sparkpaw. Why would dead Town cats be any different?” Poppypaw hesitated for a moment, before her brow furrowed in determination.

“I met a good Town ghost,” she insisted. “Her name was Dolly. She was looking for the spirits of her babies- Town cats don’t go to Starclan when they die, of course. And with no one to pray for them, or lead them into the next life, a lot of them linger. Anyway, Dolly told me she had been friends with Shadowclan in life. If we can find her, I’m sure she would be a friend to us now as well.” Well… alright. If this would save Sparkpaw, and help Poppypaw, then she would do whatever it took to find Dolly.

“So I need to find Dolly, then? What does she look like?”

“She’s a calico with really long fur, but her face is flat. Hopefully, she’ll be accompanied by a pair of kittens. She said she was looking for her son and daughter, Flurry and Sweet Pea. A group like that should definitely stick out.” Emberpaw nodded seriously, taking a deep, steadying breath before turning towards the Town.

“Alright,” she said firmly, “wish me luck.” Poppypaw blinked.

“Where are you going?” Emberpaw gave her a disbelieving look.

“The Town? To find Dolly?”

“You can’t go to the Town now,” Poppypaw scolded. “Emberpaw, I need your help, but I don’t want you to get kidnapped or killed. They just took Sparkpaw- that changes things. We need to be a lot more careful about this than I thought.” Emberpaw rolled her eyes.

“Why’d you drag me out here in the middle of the night and tell me all this, then, if I’m not supposed to go find out?” Poppypaw scowled.

“Because I can’t talk to you in your camp. It’s weird, but there are certain places in the territories I can’t go- even being on another Clan’s territory is difficult. It’s like my spirit knows I’m not supposed to be here. But you can’t come to Windclan territory, so we have to compromise. When you need to talk to me, try to find me here. If I need to talk to you, I’ll just try to find you wherever you are, deal?” Emberpaw was now under the distinct impression that Poppypaw was not the awe-inspiring messenger of the ancestor’s she previously believed her to be, but there wasn’t much to do about it now. She nodded, a little put out.

“Alright, I guess I’ll just… go back to camp then. But I need to get into the Town, sooner rather than later.” Poppypaw nodded in return.

“Try to find a way in that doesn’t put your life at risk. And in the meanwhile, I’ll try to find Dolly on the border, or another ghost willing to help. Deal?”

“Deal.” Poppypaw gave her one last smile before once again disappearing, leaving Emberpaw alone in the silent forest. Don’t worry Spark, she thought determinedly, resolutely nodding towards the Town. I’ll find you, and I’ll help you get home.

I promise.

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#warriors ocs #warrior cats #warrior cats ocs #my writing #wc pyrophyte #wc fanfic

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