#plovertail

[softbones-sparkclan]

Plovertail gives Selenitepaw some tips about hunting on a weak paw.

[pinewhiskerr]

Mist and shadow,

Cloud and shade,

All shall fade.

[oldwarriors-fireandwater]

Chapter Nine

Fireheart awoke early the morning of his final day in WindClan. He rolled in his nest before he sat up and stretched for a long few moments. He yawned loudly before he sat down and leaned back on his haunches. Today’s the day, he thought. Gorsepaw and Eaglepaw are apprentices now, and it’s time for me to go home.

Home… Fireheart smiled to himself. I hope everyone is well.

Fireheart quickly spotted Ferretstar sitting alone under the Tallrock. He lifted himself from the nest and padded towards the Clan leader. Ferretstar noticed his approach and dipped his head. “Good morning, Fireheart.”

“Morning, Ferretstar,” Fireheart replied. “How are you?”

Ferretstar smiled warmly and purred, “Doing well, Fireheart.” He sighed deeply. “WindClan has its strength back. There’s nothing better to see as a leader.” He straightened up. “How are you feeling about going home? I’m sure you’re excited—”

“Ferretstar!” an urgent hiss cut the leader off. Plovertail, the Clan medicine cat, came racing from the camp entrance straight towards Ferretstar. His fur was standing on end, and his eyes were wild with fear.

Ferretstar blinked in surprise. “Great StarClan, Plovertail, whatever is the matter?”

“A sign!” Plovertail breathed. “I saw it… I saw it in the clouds! The sun was rising… and they were stained with blood! This day will bring an unnecessary death!”

The severity of Plovertail’s tone made Fireheart shiver. An unnecessary death? Fireheart swallowed. The last time he had doubted a sign from a medicine cat, Sunwhisker had been killed.

Ferretstar blinked. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Plovertail meowed. He kneaded his paws anxiously, tearing at the grass with his claws. “But the sign was clear!”

Ferretstar looked hesitant. “We can’t be sure it means a death in WindClan,” he meowed. “We carry on. I don’t want to upset the Clan when we have only just regained our hope.”

Plovertail flicked his tail about for a few moments. Eventually, he nodded. “You’re right, you’re right…”

Fireheart twitched his tail, still feeling uneasy. How many signs like that do leaders keep from their Clan? He wondered. I understand why, but… he shuddered. What if it is a WindClan cat that dies? A more worrying thought popped into his head. But what if it isn’t? Could it be someone in RiverClan? His gaze travelled towards Bluefur and Snowtail, who were beginning to rouse themselves. What if it’s one of them?

---

The morning passed without much incident, despite Plovertail’s warning. Fireheart tried to push the sign to the back of his mind. Though it continued to nag at him, the worry slowly faded, giving way to excitement at the thought of returning home.

Finally, the time came for Fireheart, Bluefur, and Snowtail to return home. All of WindClan crowded around the three, thanking them and wishing them well.

Fireheart purred as he said farewell to the cats he had spent his last moon with. He signed a goodbye to Quailpaw with a wave of his tail, nudged Lizardpaw and told him to keep up with his training, and touched noses with Twistedfoot.

Morningflower and Gorsepaw came to him next. Morningflower was looking far healthier than she had been a moon ago. Her eyes were bright as she dipped her head to him. “Thank you, Fireheart,” she purred. “I hope to see you again.”

Fireheart smiled and touched his nose briefly to Morningflower’s forehead. “I’ll look for you at the Gatherings,” he promised.

Little Gorsepaw blinked up at him, bristling with excitement. “I’m going to be just like you when I’m a warrior!” he swore.

Fireheart fluffed out his chest fur, feeling embarrassed and proud. “I’m sure you’ll be great,” he meowed.

The crowd parted to let Ferretstar through. The leader held his head high as he padded towards Fireheart, his eyes warm. “Thank you, Fireheart,” he meowed. He looked bashful for a moment before he leaned closer. “I’m glad I got to know Jake’s son.”

Fireheart moved closer and pressed his muzzle to Ferretstar’s shoulder. “I’m glad that I met you, too.”

Mudclaw grunted loudly. “If you want to get back to your Clans before moon-high, we ought to get going.” The tunneler was to be one of Bluefur and Fireheart’s escorts, along with a moor runner named Owlwhisker. Snowtail was to take another route back home to ShadowClan.

Ferretstar coughed awkwardly and nodded. “Of course,” he meowed. “StarClan light your path, Fireheart.”

“And yours, Ferretstar.” Fireheart blinked warmly at him before he turned and followed Mudclaw to the camp exit.

This is it, Fireheart thought. I’m going home.

---

The patrol travelled along the gorge, heading towards RiverClan territory. It had begun to drizzle since they left, but Fireheart hardly minded the wet.

Fireheart and Bluefur led the way. Even Bluefur seemed more lively than usual. A rare smile tugged at her lips as they walked.

Fireheart glanced at her. “Excited to go home?” he asked.

Bluefur dipped her head. “I’ve missed my kits,” she meowed. “It’ll be good to see them again.”

Fireheart blinked. “How old are they?”

Bluefur chuckled. “Oh, moons older than you. Sometimes, though, I look at them, and I still see the little scraps of fur they were when they were born.”

Fireheart hummed in response and turned his gaze ahead. They had been walking for some time, and he could finally see the human’s bridge down the gorge. His eyes widened. There it is! He thought. We’re almost there. The first thing I’m doing when I get home is eating a big, fat carp!

The cats picked up their pace as they neared the bridge. They stopped just a few paces short of it, and Fireheart turned to say goodbye to his companions. They were at the edge of both ThunderClan and RiverClan territory—a few fox-lengths past the bridge would take them into ThunderClan.

“Thanks for escorting us,” he meowed. He gave Mudclaw a friendly blink. “It was good to work with you.”

Mudclaw flicked an ear. Fireheart thought he saw a flicker of a smile from the grumpy tom, but it was gone so quickly that he wondered if he imagined it. “See you, Fireheart,” he meowed.

“See—” Fireheart stopped and jumped as a screech rang out across the border. He turned to see a RiverClan patrol racing across the bridge.

Fireheart lifted his tail. “It’s me!” he called. “I’m back!”

Leopardfur was heading the patrol, flanked by Frogleap, Shadefang, Whiteclaw, Petalstream, and Dawnwhisker.

Such a large patrol! Fireheart frowned. What’s going on?

Leopardfur took no heed of Fireheart’s presence. Her burning gaze was fixed upon Bluefur. “ThunderClan scum!” she shrieked. “How dare you show your face around here?”

Fireheart jumped aside as the patrol came racing off the bridge. They’re not here to welcome me! They’re going to attack!

They swiftly circled the smaller group. Every cat had their hackles raised and claws unsheathed, and each looked more furious than the next. Only Shadefang and Dawnwhisker acknowledged Fireheart’s presence, but they both only nodded briefly at him before hissing at the other cats.

“Leopardfur, what’s going on?” Fireheart demanded.

Leopardfur threw herself upon Bluefur. “These cats are intruders!” she spat, eyes blazing with fury.

“Get off of me!” Bluefur growled. “I’m traveling with your warrior!”

The RiverClan cats looked uncertain. Whiteclaw lashed his tail. “Leopardfur, what do you want us to do?”

“Attack!” Leopardfur ordered. “Don’t forget what ThunderClan did to us!”

“What are you talking about?” Bluefur demanded. “I’ve been working in WindClan, as all Clans agreed! I have no idea what has been happening in ThunderClan!”

“Silence!” shrieked Leopardfur. “You will be the first to pay for your Clan’s crimes! Fireheart, help us punish the intruders!”

“Leopardfur, please!” Fireheart pleaded. “I was traveling with these cats to the border! They were escorting us home!”

Before Leopardfur could reply, another screech rang out from the other side of the ThunderClan border. A patrol came charging out of the woods. Tigerclaw came leading the patrol, and he let out a mighty roar as he leaped for Leopardfur.

Lightning flashed in the sky. Fireheart narrowed his eyes as the drizzle picked up to a steady downpour. We’re too close to the gorge to be fighting like this! he thought. But it was too late to try and calm either side down. Something had clearly happened while Fireheart had been away, but what? Have they taken Sunningrocks? I don’t understand!

His eyes widened as he recognized Sandwhisker. The lithe ginger molly raked her claws down Petalstream’s side, and the older molly lunged for her. Sandwhisker jumped back and landed right at the edge of the gorge.

“Watch out!” Fireheart yowled.

Sandwhisker’s eyes widened as the ground began to crumble out from beneath her paws. She shrieked desperately, and as she fell, she latched onto the edge with her claws. Her hind legs churned as she tried to pull herself up, but she was only slipping farther over.

There was no time to think. Fireheart darted to her, heart racing. “I’m going to pull you up!” he quickly meowed. “You have to push!”

Sandwhisker stared up at him, eyes wide and round with fear. All traces of her usual bravado were gone, and Fireheart could hardly blame her. He crouched down and sank his teeth into her scruff, then, using all his might, he hauled backwards. Sandwhisker grunted and pushed up with her paws. With great effort, he managed to lift her from the edge and pull her back onto solid ground. The two cats collapsed on the ground and stared at each other, both panting heavily.

Before Fireheart could say anything, he heard a chilling wail and stiffened. He looked over his shoulder in time to see Graystripe leaning over the edge of the gorge, reaching desperately, and the tip of Whiteclaw’s paw disappeared over the edge.

“No!” Graystripe yowled. He quite nearly leaped off the edge after him before Tigerclaw hurried over and shoved him aside.

“There’s nothing you can do now!” Tigerclaw hissed.

Whiteclaw’s final caterwaul could be heard as he plummeted down the gorge. A loud splash marked his demise.

“I didn’t mean to!” Graystripe wailed. The soaked gray warrior crouched against the ground, looking pitiful despite his massive size. He seemed truly distraught as he glanced around at both patrols. “We were fighting, and we kept rolling closer… I didn’t realize how close we were to the edge…” his voice trailed off as Leopardfur fixed him with a burning, hateful glare.

The deputy whirled around to face Tigerclaw. “First your Clanmates murder Sedgestream, and now your warrior kills Whiteclaw!” Her voice was thick with rage and grief. “How much more must your bloodthirsty Clan take from mine?”

“Wh-what?” Fireheart choked out. Sedgestream is dead? He stared at Tigerclaw. ThunderClan killed Sedgestream?

“I didn’t mean to!” Graystripe cried out. “It was an accident, I swear!”

Tigerclaw looked sickeningly calm. “ThunderClan, it’s time to return home,” he meowed. “Come, Bluefur.”

Fireheart expected Leopardfur to order them to attack again, but her shoulders only slumped hopelessly. She had never looked so defeated before.

Sandwhisker stood and padded past Fireheart. She stopped for just a moment, and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Fireheart nodded quickly. He glanced at Bluefur. The old queen looked tired, and she simply shook her head as Fireheart caught her eye. This is bad for both our Clans, he thought.

“Come on,” Leopardfur whispered hoarsely. “We need to go home.”

---

Drenched RiverClan cats huddled around in the rain to mourn Whiteclaw. The mood was even more somber than Sunwhisker’s vigil, for this time, there wasn’t even a body to bury.

Few cats spoke to Fireheart when he returned. The mood in the Clan had already been bad before the news of Whiteclaw’s death. Whatever had happened to Sedgestream had clearly been bad.

Beechflower brushed against Fireheart as his friend moved to sit beside him. “Welcome back,” he murmured.

Fireheart nodded numbly. The excitement of his return home was gone, and now he only felt weary. “Is Sedgestream really dead?”

Beechflower sighed softly. “Yes,” he said. “It was terrible. It happened in a fight at Sunningrocks. We were vastly outnumbered, and we had to retreat… we didn’t realize Sedgestream was missing until we returned to camp. By the time we made it back, ThunderClan… well, they disposed of the body.”

Disposed? Fireheart frowned. “What do you mean?”

Beechflower’s voice took a hard edge. “They threw her body in the river. It took another day for us to find it. It had gotten stuck against a rock downstream, but… Oh, it was just horrible to look at.”

Fireheart dug his claws into the soft soil. He understood Leopardfur’s rage now. That’s… horrific. He hadn’t known Sedgestream well, but she had always been a cheery and friendly cat. And Whiteclaw… Fireheart held no love for the sharp-tongued tom, but he was a Clanmate, and both deaths weighed heavily on him. Neither of them deserved this.

Mallowtail’s wails of grief could be heard from the edge of camp. She buried her face into Dawnwhisker’s shoulder. Her three kits sat around her, ears flat and eyes dull with grief.

“I didn’t think it would come to something like this,” Fireheart murmured. But, suddenly, he recalled Plovertail’s warning—This day will bring an unnecessary death.

Fireheart felt sick. What’s the point of sending a sign if there’s nothing we can do to stop it?

[softbones-sparkclan]

Slowtail shows her new bug friend to Auburnpaw while Auburn's mentor and Slow's apprentice are off training.

[oldwarriors-fireandwater]

Prologue

The summer heat beat down heavily on a lean tom. He was crouched low to the ground, eyes trained on a rabbit many fox-lengths ahead. He needed this catch. He crept forward, painstakingly slow. He panted softly as he walked. He had failed twice already to make a catch, and the temperature did little to help his exhaustion. Nevertheless, he pressed on.

The rabbit lifted its ears. Now! The tom leaped forward. The rabbit darted away, racing as fast as it could. The tom dashed after it, forcing himself to run as fast as he could. He stretched his legs farther with each stride, trying to catch up.

Then, the rabbit dove into a hidden hole, and the tom skidded to a halt. He breathed heavily before he stumbled and flopped down onto his side. Useless, he thought. That would have fed the queens and apprentices.

“Ferretstar!” a voice called out. There was a thud of paws as another cat raced towards him. “Are you alright?”

Ferretstar lifted his head. He met the cat’s gaze and sighed. “I’m exhausted, Twistedfoot,” he meowed. He rolled back onto his paws and stood. “Have any of the patrols returned with food?”

Twistedfoot sighed dejectedly. “Hardly anything worth mention. They’re tired as well,” he relented. “Keeping up with border patrols and feeding the Clan with so few warriors is nearly impossible. I saw Lizardpaw trip over his own feet on a chase and nearly fall into a tunnel. Owlwhisker has been yawning every other moment for the past three days.” He sat down and curled his tail around himself. The black tom was skinny, with ribs protruding from his sides.

“I thought summer would bring us strength,” Ferretstar said, his eyes narrowed with fatigue. “But we haven’t even mildly recovered since Brokenstar’s death. The battles robbed us of valuable warriors…” his throat tightened with grief. “Flywhisker and Bristlefur had so many seasons ahead of them.”

Twistedfoot nodded, eyes closed. “Doestep is trying to delay it, but she must retire soon,” he said. “Stagleap keeps offering to patrol.”

Ferretstar lashed his tail. “What has WindClan become?” he asked. “When I was young, the elders would have never worried about such things…” he clenched his teeth together.

Twistedfoot leaned back on his haunches and stared up at the sky. “Has Plovertail said anything?” he asked.

Ferretstar shook his head. “StarClan is silent,” he said. “He has tried to dream with them, but they offered nothing.”

Twistedfoot frowned. “How can we go on like this?” he asked. “You are not so young yourself, Ferretstar. I know it’s taking a toll on you to hunt and patrol this much.”

Ferretstar bowed his head. “How can I do anything else?” he asked. “I can’t sit in camp while my warriors waste away.” He flattened his ears. “We just don’t have enough paws.”

“We have to find a way,” Twistedfoot meowed. The deputy shook his head slightly. “We have no other choice but to push on.”

[oldwarriors-fireandwater]

WindClan Allegiances (Book 2)

Leader: Ferretstar—black and white tom with a very long tail (Tallstar)

Deputy: Twistedfoot—solid black tom with a twisted paw (Deadfoot)

Medicine Cat: Plovertail—short-tailed brown tom (Barkface)

Warriors:

Doestep—pale brown molly

Sorrelcloud—gray and brown molly

Pigeontail—short-legged dark gray-and-white patched tom

Rabbitfoot—pale brown molly with a white belly

Wrenfoot—brown molly (Wrenflight)

Mudclaw—wiry dark brown mottled tabby tom

Apprentice, Lizardpaw

Tornear—wiry, lithe gray tabby tom

Apprentice, Quailpaw

Owlwhisker—small, lean, mottled pale brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Whitepaw

Apprentices:

Lizardpaw—wiry, dark gray tabby tom (Webpaw)

Quailpaw—sleek brown molly (Runningpaw)

Whitepaw—white molly

Queens:

Ashfoot—skinny gray molly (Mother of Eaglekit, a gray tom)

Morningflower—light tortoiseshell molly (Mother of Gorsekit, a gray tom)

Elders:

Stagleap—dark brown tom

Crowfur—dark gray tom

[oldwarriors-fireandwater]

WindClan Family Tree (FoS)

Note: Strikethrough indicates deceased cats. ?T and ?M refer to unknown tom and unknown molly, respectively. Dead kits have been removed to reduce length.

Ferretstar: Sandpelt (father), Paleface (mother), Wrenfoot (half-sister), Bristlefur (half-brother), Owlwhisker (nephew), Ashfoot (niece), Eaglekit (great-nephew)

Twistedfoot: Plumclaw (mother), Crowfur (father), Ashfoot (mate), Eaglekit (son)

Plovertail: Brackenflight (mother), Redclaw (father), Shrewclaw (brother), Mudclaw (nephew), Tornear (nephew)

Doestep: Mistflight (mother), Harethroat (father), Stagleap (brother), Ryestripe (sister), Mudclaw (nephew), Tornear (nephew)

Stagleap: Mistflight (mother), Harethroat (father), Doestep (sister), Ryestripe (sister), Mudclaw (nephew), Tornear (nephew)

Sorrelcloud: Tansyheart (mother), Hickorynose (father), Pigeontail (brother), Rabbitfoot (mate), Lizardpaw (son), Quailpaw (daughter)

Pigeontail: Tansyheart (mother), Hickorynose (father), Sorrelcloud (sister), Lizardpaw (nephew), Quailpaw (niece)

Rabbitfoot: Aspenfoot (father), Dawnstripe (mother), Flywhisker (brother), ?T (surrogate father of kits), Sorrelcloud (mate), Lizardpaw (son), Quailpaw (daughter)

Wrenfoot: Paleface (mother), Sheeptail (father), Ferretstar (half-brother), ?T (father of kits), Owlwhisker (son), Ashfoot (daughter), Eaglekit (grandson)

Mudclaw: Ryestripe (mother), Shrewclaw (father), Mistflight (grandmother), Harethroat (grandfather), Doestep (aunt), Stagleap (uncle), Tornear (brother)

Tornear: Ryestripe (mother), Shrewclaw (father), Mistflight (grandmother), Harethroat (grandfather), Doestep (aunt), Stagleap (uncle), Mudclaw (brother)

Owlwhisker: Wrenfoot (mother), ?T (father), Paleface (grandmother), Sheeptail (grandfather), Bristlefur (uncle), Ferretstar (uncle), Ashfoot (sister), Eaglekit (nephew)

Ashfoot: Wrenfoot (mother), ?T (father), Paleface (grandmother), Sheeptail (grandfather), Bristlefur (uncle), Ferretstar (uncle), Owlwhisker (brother), Twistedfoot (mate), Eaglekit (son)

Morningflower: Cloudpelt (father), Larkcloud (mother), ?T (father of kits), Whitepaw (daughter), Gorsekit (son)

Lizardpaw: Rabbitfoot (mother), Sorrelcloud (mother), ?T (surrogate father), Quailpaw (sister), Aspenfoot (grandfather), Dawnstripe (grandmother), Flywhisker (uncle), Tansyheart (grandmother), Hickorynose (grandfather), Pigeontail (uncle)

Quailpaw: Rabbitfoot (mother), Sorrelcloud (mother), ?T (surrogate father), Lizardpaw (brother), Aspenfoot (grandfather), Dawnstripe (grandmother), Flywhisker (uncle), Tansyheart (grandmother), Hickorynose (grandfather), Pigeontail (uncle)

Whitepaw: Morningflower (mother), ?T (father), Cloudpelt (grandfather), Larkcloud (grandmother), Gorsekit (brother)

Crowfur: Plumclaw (mate), Twistedfoot (son), Eaglekit (grandson)

[oldwarriors-fireandwater]

Chapter Ten

Firepaw swiped at the water, claws unsheathed, and hooked a small fish from the river. Satisfaction rushed through him as he pinned it to the ground and bit it.

The days seemed to go by quickly in RiverClan. Over a moon had passed since he’d joined, and though he had a bumpy start, Firepaw was getting the hang of hunting. He was far from as good as Shadepaw, but Dawnwhisker had been telling him that he’d improved immensely.

“Nice catch!” Beechpaw meowed. The tom was sitting near the water a few fox-lengths away, and beyond him was Minkpaw.

“Fishing is getting easier than I thought it would be,” Firepaw purred.

“It’s summer, so the river is full of fish,” Minkpaw said. “Voleclaw says that it’s the best time to learn.”

Beechpaw nodded. “Say, Minkpaw, do you know when the next Gathering is going to be? I know it’s soon.”

Firepaw pricked his ears in curiosity. He had missed the last Gathering—it had happened only a few days after he joined RiverClan, but it sounded like most of the younger cats enjoyed it.

Minkpaw flicked her tail. “A few days… I think Mudfur said the moon will be full in three.”

“Do you think Crookedstar will let me go?” Firepaw asked.

Beechpaw shrugged. “Maybe… new apprentices usually always go to one close to when they’re apprenticed. But, you are still in trouble for the whole Yellowfang thing, so… could go either way.”

“Don’t remind me,” Firepaw groaned.

“It can’t be that bad,” Minkpaw said. “I had to take care of the elders for a straight quarter moon after I shoved Silverpaw in the river. Still worth it.”

“Snowfang has nothing on Yellowfang,” Firepaw retorted. “At least he just ignores me. She complains about the fresh-kill I bring her, her bedding, her aching bones, any cat the comes a pawstep too close…” his voice trailed off with a sigh.

“She doesn’t seem to mind you, though,” Beechpaw pointed out. “She might complain about everything you bring, but she doesn’t make much remarks about you. Just the other day she said Grasspaw was too short-legged to ever be a good warrior and then said I looked fatter than a human’s dog!”

Firepaw thought on this for a moment. “She said I was a lousy hunter the other day.”

Minkpaw rolled her eyes. “I heard her grumbling about being lonely after you left. She’s just a grouchy old molly with no friends.”

Firepaw twitched his tail. A small minnow darted within range of his paw, but in a flash, it disappeared again. “Do either of you know anything about her?” he asked. “I mean, I’m still learning, but I know medicine cats are important and don’t know how to fight. Seems weird that she’d be on her own.”

Beechpaw shrugged. “Eh, I don’t pay much attention to ShadowClan. ThunderClan and WindClan have more problems with them than we do.”

Minkpaw shook her head and snorted. “Honestly, Beechpaw, you’re as daft as Firepaw sometimes.” She cast the ginger tom an almost apologetic look. “Sorry,” she added. “But you don’t know hardly anything about our life yet. Anyhow, Yellowfang is the oldest of the living medicine cats, I think. Plovertail of WindClan could be a little older, but… who knows. I’ve never spoken to her, but she’s supposed to be skilled. I heard ShadowClan has a new leader… maybe he didn’t like what she was telling him.”

Firepaw blinked. “They’d throw out their only medicine cat over not liking her?”

“Not necessarily,” Minkpaw said, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “But maybe StarClan didn’t exactly approve of the new leader’s position. Something like that.”

Beechpaw yawned and flopped down on his side. “You’re so dramatic, Minkpaw,” he said. “I’d run away from ShadowClan too. I heard they eat human garbage over there.”

“Well I heard that they hunt with ravens,” Minkpaw shot back.

“Yeah?” Beechpaw meowed. “And who told you that, Snowpaw, the biggest ShadowClan gossip?”

Minkpaw just groaned and turned her attention back to the water. “At least I pay attention, Beechpaw!”

Firepaw looked down at the water’s surface again. He held still as they fell back into silence. He would be ready for the next fish that came.

That night, old Snowfang was alive and grumbling about wanting a plumper trout. The next morning, he was not.

News of the elder’s passing spread quickly throughout RiverClan, and Firepaw hadn’t even left his nest before it was passed on to him.

It was Grasspaw who came into the apprentices’ den bearing the news. Firepaw had just awoken, and was giving himself a quick wash. Beechpaw and Shadepaw were in the den, too—Shadepaw was cleaning herself as well, while Beechpaw was dozing with one eye slitted open.

“Hey,” Grasspaw called, softly. “You all awake?”

Beechpaw blinked his eyes opened and yawned. “Am now. Training?”

Grasspaw shook his head. “It’s Snowfang,” he meowed. “He died in his sleep.”

Beechpaw sat up quite suddenly. “Wh-what?”

Shadepaw blinked. “He… seemed fine yesterday…” the molly sighed and closed her eyes.

Grasspaw bowed his head before he turned away. “You should come out. We’re mourning.”

Dead? Firepaw watched blankly as Grasspaw left the den. The only cat he’d ever seen that had been dead was Oakheart, and he had been mangled and broken. The memory sent a chill through him, and he shuddered. Firepaw rose stiffly, grooming forgotten.

Beechpaw looked especially upset. His tail flicked about anxiously, and he wore a deep frown. Firepaw cast him a glance. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“He was my grandfather,” Beechpaw murmured. “He might have been an old grump, but… he’s kin.”

“I’m sorry,” Firepaw replied. Poor Beechpaw. He hardly remembered much of his own family, but he recalled what Dawnwhisker had said about family being important to the Clans.

Beechpaw shrugged sadly. “It happens. We all lose kin. I mean, both of my parents have already died, too.”

Shadepaw nodded. “So have mine. I think the only apprentices with their parents still living are Grasspaw and Minkpaw.”

“We should go,” Shadepaw meowed. She rose from her nest and padded towards the mouth of the den. Firepaw followed. Together they left the den.

The mood among the Clan was somber. Firepaw saw his Clanmates gathered around in the center of camp, presumably around Snowfang’s body. He hesitated by the den before he padded forward to join them.

Firepaw caught a glimpse of Snowfang’s body as he came closer. The old tom was lying on his side, eyes closed. He looked like he was asleep. Firepaw couldn’t smell his death-scent, for Mudfur had spread mint and lavender around him and across his body.

Firepaw wasn’t sure how to feel. The sight of Snowfang’s dead body was unsettling, but he wasn’t sure that he was sad. There was nothing to be glad about, certainly, but he hadn’t known the tom aside from the occasional grumble in Firepaw’s direction. And yet, there was odd feeling of loss—Snowfang’s presence in the Clan was a certainty, or at least, it had been. Even if the old tom had been unfriendly, Firepaw was used to seeing him curled up in his nest when he went to care for the elders.

Firepaw drifted away from his body. It didn’t feel right to be one of the cats closer to it. He found himself moving towards Yellowfang. The old molly was sprawled on her side in her usual spot, watching the whole affair with an unreadable expression.

“Morning,” grunted the ShadowClan molly. “Too bad about Snowfang.”

“Yeah,” Firepaw agreed. He sat down beside her to look on. It was times like this that he was reminded that he was an outsider among his Clanmates. Perhaps it would be different if Beechpaw or Dawnwhisker had died, but he simply couldn’t feel the same grief of the other RiverClan cats.

“Not going to say your farewell?” Yellowfang asked. The ragged molly sounded half-curious, and looked at him from the corners of her eyes.

Firepaw shook his head. “I didn’t know Snowfang well enough. He tried to pretend I didn’t exist, for the most part.”

Yellowfang flipped her tail. “This your first death?”

“No,” Firepaw replied, with another shake of his head. “The night Oakheart died was the night I came here. He saved my life.”

Yellowfang hummed thoughtfully. “Oakheart’s death was a shame,” she meowed. “Seemed like a reasonable tom. Can’t say the same about the leadership in ShadowClan.”

It was Firepaw’s turn to eye her curiously. Yellowfang still had never been straightforward about ShadowClan’s matters, only hinting here and there about her thoughts. I wonder if she’s torn between loyalty and whatever caused her to leave.

“Snowfang was a tough brute,” Yellowfang went on, before she paused to lick her paw and draw it over an ear. “We only had a battle with RiverClan once that I can recall, back before I became a medicine cat. I got into a scrap with him and he roughed me up pretty bad. ‘Course, I didn’t let him go without a few scratches of my own…”

Firepaw blinked as the RiverClan cats began to move away from Snowfang’s body. They began to form small groups and converse among themselves. Quietly, Graypool and Beechpaw began to move Snowfang’s body towards the camp entrance. No one paid them any mind.

Though the mood hadn’t improved by much, Firepaw easily could have imagined that no cat had died, and that nothing had disturbed the usual business of RiverClan.

[oldwarriors-fireandwater]

WindClan Allegiances

Leader: Ferretstar—black and white tom with a very long tail (Tallstar)

Deputy: Twistedfoot—solid black tom with a twisted paw (Deadfoot)

Medicine Cat: Plovertail—short-tailed brown tom (Barkface)

Warriors:

Doestep—light brown molly (Doespring)

Sorrelcloud—gray and brown molly

Pigeontail—short-legged dark gray-and-white patched tom

Flywhisker—tall, skinny white tom

Bristlefur—black tom with a thick, messy pelt

Rabbitfoot—pale brown molly with a white belly

Wrenfoot—brown molly (Mother of Onewhisker) (Wrenflight)

Mudclaw—wiry dark brown mottled tabby tom

Apprentice, Lizardpaw

Tornear—wiry, lithe gray tabby tom

Apprentice, Quailpaw

Owlwhisker—small, lean, mottled pale brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Whitepaw

Apprentices:

Lizardpaw—wiry, dark gray tabby tom (Webpaw)

Quailpaw—sleek brown molly (Runningpaw)

Whitepaw—white molly

Queens:

Ashfoot—skinny gray molly (Mother of Eaglekit, a brown tabby tom)

Morningflower—light tortoiseshell molly (Mother of Gorsekit, a gray tom)

Elders:

Stagfoot—dark brown tom

Crowfur—dark gray tom