Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Living in the Place of No Stars was eerily similar to living in the tunnels. The land was nearly pitch black. Light didn't shine down from the stars because the dense collection of trees blocked the sky. Although the darkness was unnerving, Hollyleaf wasn't afraid. She could handle this - but if she had the choice, she would choose the tunnels over this snake-infested pit.

At least in the tunnels she was surrounded by comforting walls that protected her from unseen enemies. In this dismal place, she felt open and exposed. It didn't help that her fur still twinkled and shone like stardust. She was a gleaming target to whoever might still be skulking around after the Great Battle.

Her mind raced to recall who had been vanquished on the Dark Forest's side. Tigerstar bit the dust, and Hawkfrost was little more than a memory now. Though the thought of their demise brought her a slight comfort, she knew this place was still crawling with code breaking rouges and murderers.

You're a murderer too. The voice in her head whispered. Maybe this is where you belong.

Hollyleaf trudged onwards, compelled to keep moving but unsure of where she was going. The ground was soggy and damp. With each step she took her paws sunk down into the muck. It felt like she was walking on something rotten. Like a decaying carcass, it's flesh deteriorating and sliding off.

The black she-cat shuddered and felt sick to her stomach. She hadn't caught a whiff of prey since her hasty arrival. Hollyleaf tried to remember how long ago it was that she was chased into the Dark Forest, but it was too difficult to determine.

Since she died, time had become just another meaningless trifle that she couldn't let go of. After all, time mattered little to those who never saw the rise and fall of the sun. Even in Starclan the night reigned supreme, but at least the stars and the moon lit up the land.

The thought of trying to get back to Starclan fluttered in her mind, but she pessimistically squashed that thought. Many of her starry brethren thought she was responsible for the disappearances of two cats. It didn't help her cause that she almost wasn't allowed in Starclan to begin with, due her dubious past. She had committed a grievous sin while alive: murder. Her victim, Ashfur, had never forgiven her for killing him. She supposed he had no reason to. What she did was implicitly wrong.

Hollyleaf wasn't responsible for anyone else dying, or for any of the disappearances. It was only bad luck that she was the last one seen with Honeyfern. She hadn't done anything to the sweet molly. Honeyfern was dear to her and the thought that her friend might be gone forever felt like a thorn in her chest.

They had been hunting together for little while before the two had parted ways. After that, Honeyfern never showed up again. Sorreltail, Honeyfern’s mother, was the first one to notice the disappearance. After that, Starclan cats collectively began to search the realm, but no one was able to find her. One cat had picked up her scent at the Warm-Rocks, trailing off a little further west before the Endmost Forest, but then it vanished in place.

Hollyleaf recalled how many Starclan cats, especially those of Thunderclan heritage, convened together to discuss Honeyfern’s whereabouts. Many old souls showed up, such as Windflight, Sorreltail’s great-grandfather. Even a few of the fading cats attended, like Owlstar, who was little more than a slight wisp of starlight. He looked as if he could be blown away by a strong gust of wind. She was surprised to see him there, because cats that old usually preferred to walk in the Endmost Forest, away from everyone else.

In the end it was concluded that Honeyfern was too new to have faded away. Many cats feared that the only other possible explanation was that someone had harmed her irreparably and left her spiritual body to fade away. But who would have done such a thing? Redtail had suggested that perhaps Dark Forest cats had somehow managed to break through the mist barrier and acted out of vengeance. 

Hollyleaf sincerely doubted that. None of the malicious inhabitants of this forest were able to pass through the barrier. It was much too strong for them. Also, seeing as it hadn't happened before, why would it change now? She would have to try out the barrier herself, though, if she even managed to find her way back. 

Would she even want to return after what happened?

It felt like the vast majority of Starclan was against her. 

After it was determined that Hollyleaf was likely the last one to see Honeyfern, that’s when everything went downhill.

Ashfur, still ever-so-spited, had asked her snidely if she had snuck up on Honeyfern and killed the molly while her back was turned. His verbal attack stirred up a debate. Everyone had to share their own thoughts. It was as if a stream had finally been unblocked, letting a cascade of opinions flow out that everyone had been too nervous to voice before. Some cats thought what Ashfur said was uncalled for, while others admitted to wondering if Hollyleaf was guilty of foul play. Some cats even questioned whether or not she deserved to be amongst their ranks for killing Ashfur to begin with.

In the end it was too inconclusive to determine what had happened to Honeyfern, and random accusations weren’t getting anyone anywhere. The meeting adjourned, and everyone scattered off their separate ways. Afterwards, Hollyleaf could feel a change in the air. Cats she didn't even know kept looking at her as if she was some sort of rogue. She could feel uncertainty creeping along her flank, like angry red fire ants. For the first time since she came to Starclan, she felt unsure of her safety.

The news spread faster than she thought. Cats that had no business in Thunderclan affairs seemed to be watching her as well. But in spite of the terrible atmosphere, there were a few cats who genuinely sided with her and went out of their way to dispel the tension.

Firestar looked at her no hostility, only a gentle kindness. It was weird to think of the ginger tom as her grandfather. Hollyleaf had never been close to him while alive, and it was only now where they walked as equals where she began to look at him as actual family. But even he couldn't help her with what happened next.

Shortly afterwards Tallstar disappeared. This time there was no trail to follow and no meeting to discuss anything. The Windclan spirits scouted everywhere, but it was futile.

Tallstar was nowhere to be found.

Everything went from bad to worse after that, as many Windclan cats began using her as a scapegoat for their anger, treating her with open hostility, and demanding to know what she did with Tallstar. She insisted that she had nothing to do with it, but the angry spirits, spurred on by the hostilities between the living Thunderclan and Windclan, did not listen to her. Tallstar was well liked by all, which did her no favors.

Before Hollyleaf knew it, she faced an angry mob of cats. They gathered together and sought her out, determined to find answers and justice. A couple Thunderclan warriors in close proximity to her at the time, Ferncloud and Lionheart, tried to protect her, but they were taken by surprise and were too outnumbered. Hollyleaf fled, and was chased all the way towards the barrier between Starclan and The Place of No Stars. With nowhere else to hide, she had no choice but to run through. To her horror, cats had begun to follow her through, so she made a mad dash for the trees, disappearing within the grim foliage.

She hadn't stopped running. She doubted that they followed her in far. They were all too scared of getting lost or attacked by the Dark Forest occupants.

Hollyleaf blinked nervously, peering up past the dismal pine trees.

A sudden crack broke through the silence of the forest. Hollyleaf stood frozen, one black paw raised in the air to take a step. Her bright green eyes darted back and forth, examining the tall trees and checking the shadows for movement. Though she saw nothing, she knew that in this place there was no room for mistakes. She twisted her body around, scanning the area, looking for what or who could have disturbed the deadness of the night. For a solid few minutes Hollyleaf barely moved a muscle, her heart thumping wildly like a jack rabbit, and she listened and waited.

From some sulking underbrush behind her, a large body shifted out, obscured slightly by the shadows. Bright eyes gleamed from the darkness, reflecting light from the steady glow of Hollyleaf's fur. They were wide, the color of dead leaves, and had a small pupil.

The feline figure took a few threatening steps forward, staring Hollyleaf down. This was not a cat that Hollyleaf had ever met before. It fit the total definition of a rogue. It's multicolored fur was tangled and stuck out at odd angles. It obviously hadn't bothered to care for itself. The cat boasted scars on it's muzzle and ears, and it's yellowing teeth stuck out in a snarl.

Hollyleaf let out a hiss from deep in her chest, facing her adversary and extending her claws. The fur on her neck bristled and her tail shot up, as she made herself a little bigger to face the sordid spirit. The tortoiseshell rogue swished it's white tail back and forth, eyeing Hollyleaf like a piece of prey. Though it was a frightening looking cat, it was faded exponentially, and if worse came to worse, Hollyleaf could probably take it on in battle. The cat opened it's mouth to speak, sharp fangs flashing.

"What's a Starclan cat doing in my forest?" It's voice was deep and raspy, but had a tone that Hollyleaf deduced probably belonged to a molly. 

The cat once again spoke, "Did the poor little Star Clanner get lost?" Her voice became sickeningly sweet, addressing Hollyleaf like a kit. "Didn't your mother tell you not to venture into the woods?"

"I don't belong to Starclan!" Hollyleaf responded sharply. At least not right now.

"Yeah, and I'm a fox." The large rogue spat out sarcastically. "You've been sparkling throughout the entire forest." She paused and leered forward threateningly. "Maybe we ought to turn out the lights."

Hollyleaf took a step back as she recognized the menace in the stranger's voice, then amended her earlier statement. "I was kicked out of Starclan."

"Oh?" The black and ginger she-cat's brows shot up. "What did you do to get dumped out here?"  Hollyleaf watched as the rogue eyed her up and down, as if appraising her. 

"I didn't do anything." Hollyleaf replied curtly. And I don't deserve to be here. 

"That's what they all say." Joked the molly, grinning with her yellow-stained teeth.

Hollyleaf remained silent and continued to stare at the stranger. She didn't want to show her hand, so to speak. It just wasn't wise.

"Once you stop sparkling, you'll fit right in with the rest of us." The fading cat sat down with forced leisure and lifted a paw up to groom the side of her face, watching Hollyleaf hawkishly.

"I don't want to be here." Hollyleaf replied simply, still not letting her guard down. 

"You think the rest of the miserable fleabags in this forest want to be here?" The cat's voice turned cold, hostility laden in her words, "For the record, Sparkles, I don't trust you at all! I don't believe for one second that you were ousted from the land of moonlight and merriment. I think you're here to spy on us, to see if we're raising up another army."

Hollyleaf's bright green eyes narrowed. "I don't care what you or anyone else here thinks. Why should I? You're all just a bunch of code breaking killers." The words slipped out before she could stop herself.

As soon as Hollyleaf snapped her mouth shut, the furry stranger began cackling loudly. "We are? Pray tell, who exactly did I unjustly slaughter? No one. But here I am." Her laughter stopped and her tone took on a bitter edge. "My only true crime was having kits with a tom from another clan."

Hollyleaf blinked in surprise. She didn't know that such a simple crime could get you sent to the slammer. In fact, she could recall cats in Starclan who had done the exact same thing but weren't punished at all. Even Hollyleaf herself was a product of an illicit relationship, and she was certain that her birth mother would be accepted into Starclan.

This Dark Forest cat must have done worse than she's revealing.

"If that was truly your only crime, then why are there cats in Starclan who have done the same?" 

The molly's face contorted into a nasty, venomous scowl. "Because Starclan is partial and prejudiced."

"That's not true!" Hollyleaf growled, her tail lashing. 

"Ha!" The rogue bellowed out loudly, causing Hollyleaf to jump in surprise. "They're narrow-minded enough to allegedly kick you out," She paused, "- or you're here to spy. It really doesn't matter which is true, because I'm right about Starclan either way. Do you think my code-breaking mate ended up in this awful place? Of course not!"

Hollyleaf flattened her ears. What the rogue was saying didn't sound fair. If she really was sent here just for having relations with a cat from another clan, then it would only be fair if her mate was punished as well. But then again, the idea that the rogue was trapped in here to begin with didn't make sense either, because other cats had done the same thing and ended up among Starclan's ranks. 

"You must have done something else to deserve to be here." Hollyleaf meowed, albeit uncertainly.

"Pah!" The tortoiseshell feline sneered at her and said, "You and the rest of those Starclan fools are so self-righteous." 

"Maybe you're the one who's self-righteous." Hollyleaf flared her nostrils, "Your story is unreliable. How do I know if you're telling me the truth? And besides, what you claim you did was still wrong. It's against the code." 

The stranger let out a forceful sigh. "I'm done trying to talk sense into you. What was I thinking? All Starclan cats are the same - can't see past their own whiskers." The dappled orange and black molly got up and stared Hollyleaf down. "I was thinking of shredding you, but that's too much effort on my part. There are worse cats in this forest than me." She turned and began walking away. "You better watch your back."

Hollyleaf watched the Dark Forest resident head toward the foliage she emerged from earlier. However, before the stranger disappeared through it, she turned and looked at Hollyleaf once more. "What's your name, Sparkles?"

"Hollyleaf... and you?"

"Mapleshade." And with that, the rogue disappeared into the brush and out of sight. 

Hollyleaf stood still, watching the spot where Mapleshade disappeared to, wondering if the tortoiseshell cat had actually left. She was surprised to leave this encounter unscathed. Hollyleaf knew she couldn't trust Mapleshade's word, but if one thing the rogue said was right, it was that there were most likely many more fiendish felines creeping around this forest. It was probably best to avoid them as much as possible. Staying in one place wouldn't be a good idea either. Quietly, she turned around and slipped past some pine trees, headed for who knows where.

Video credit to the amazingly talented Iblis!! Thank you so much - this is so awesome! If you guys want to check out more from Iblis, you can check out them out here: link.

Chapter Text

Sorreltail sat hunched up beneath a towering oak tree. Her son, Molepaw, leaned beside her, letting out a droning purr as he groomed her shoulder.

He’s trying to comfort me. She thought, though she felt no relief - an aching dullness weighed her down, the terrible sensation crushing her spirit. Her body felt worn, as though she were old again.

She hoped that she might've been able to find some peace in the afterlife, but the disappearance of Honeyfern had shattered that idea. Her daughter had vanished without a trace while hunting near the Warm-Rocks with Hollyleaf, another Thunderclan spirit. After the two parted ways, Honeyfern wasn’t seen from again. No one could find any trace of her, except for a throw-away scent.

Sorreltail heard what other cats were whispering - that perhaps, her daughter had met an awful fate. That something unnatural had occurred, stripping Honeyfern from this spiritual world. Some cats even had the gall to lay accusation at Hollyleaf, implying some sort of foul play.

Chills crawled up Sorreltail’s spine as she envisioned Hollyleaf standing over the still, injured form of Honeyfern.

She didn’t want to believe it. She wasn’t sure if it was even possible. Only good cats went to Starclan, right? That was the point of their afterlife, wasn’t it? Those whose hearts rang true with faithfulness and loyalty to the clans joined their ancestors after death.

No, it doesn't make sense. Hollyleaf wouldn't have done something so terrible.

That sentiment hadn’t stopped others from perpetuating the rumor, though. It spread like wildfire, stoking the tension between the Windclan and Thunderclan sectors. After Tallstar disappeared, the tensions had escalated to an uncontrollable rate, and Hollyleaf had subsequently been chased away into the Place of No Stars by an angry mob. Since then, no one had caught sight or sound of her. The molly was somewhere in that decrepit forest, either an innocent scapegoat or a guilty party.

Molepaw’s voice broke the silence, “I think you should rest, Mom.”

Sorreltail turned and gazed at her son. His guileless leaf-green eyes were droopy, as though heavy with concern. She swallowed a lump in her throat and turned away from him, guilt and sympathy warring through her mind. She could barely fathom how he must be feeling. Honeyfern was his sister, and even though they had died at different points of their lives, they were still close. He shouldn't have to be the one comforting Sorreltail. She should be the one comforting him.

“It’s alright, Molepaw." She answered, "You don't need to worry about that. I’m resting right now.”

“No, that’s not what I mean." Molepaw furrowed his brow. "I think you should try and sleep. You haven’t been taking care of yourself.”

Begrudgingly, she admitted that his words rang true. Her fur was a mess, as was her mental state. She had barely done anything for herself since her daughter’s disappearance. She worked on a relentless schedule of searching until she felt too weary to continue, her avenues exhausted by dead-ends.

“How am I supposed to think about myself when Honeyfern is -”

She stopped herself, not knowing what to say.

Missing? Dead? 

Dread crawled along her flank like fleas.

Molepaw spoke up again. “She’s gotta be around here somewhere! Cats like her just don’t vanish into thin air.”

Sorreltail deflated a bit, discouraged and unsure. Her son was firmly under the belief that Honeyfern was just lost, but where could Honeyfern possibly be? She had searched nearly everywhere, as had many others from the Thunderclan sector, and no one had found anything.

Her son nuzzled his tiny black head into Sorreltail’s side, breaking her from her worried line of thought. “Exhausting yourself like this isn’t a good idea, Mom. It’s really worrying Seedpaw and I.”

Sorreltail recoiled at that, but turned to give Molepaw a gentle lick on his head. “I hear you, Molepaw," She sucked in a harsh breath, "- but all I can do right now is search. I need to do this.”

“But Mom -”

Molepaw's retort was cut off by the sudden arrival of a lean, blue-gray tomcat. Sorreltail recognized him instantly - it was her brother, Rainwhisker. The sight of him ignited a small spark of hope. Did he have any news? She leapt to her feet and rushed to meet him. Wordlessly, she stared at him with hopeful, desperate eyes.

“Any word?” Molepaw’s black tail twitched back and forth anxiously.

“I’m afraid not.” Rainwhisker spoke, his voice flat and bone-tired. “Nothing on my end. I met up with Sootfur earlier. He had no luck re-searching the Warm-Rocks. He’s since moved his search into The Endmost Forest. He’s been marking his path to keep track of the ground he’s covered.”

“Maybe Honeyfern got lost in there!” Molepaw cried out, his eyes wide. “The Endmost Forest is big, right? We should all go with Sootfur and look!”

“Well, perhaps.” Rainwhisker shifted a questioning gaze to Sorreltail.

She was glad that her brother had the foresight not to give her son a definitive answer. Truthfully, Sorreltail didn’t want Molepaw to set one foot into the Endmost Forest. That place was too large and daunting for a little apprentice. What if he disappeared too? She simply couldn't bear that thought, and therefore wouldn't let him take such a risk. Anyway, what reason would Honeyfern have to even venture in there? Everyone knew that it wasn’t a place for new souls. 

Though she felt strongly about Molepaw not going into the Endmost, she didn't want to outright shut the idea down. “We have to check with Sootfur first, okay? There might not be any reason for us to go in there. And if we do go, it’ll have to be in a big group. I don’t want anyone to get lost.”

Or worse.

“Fine,” Molepaw curled his tail around his paws and looked down at the ground, his brow furrowed. He didn’t put up much of a protest, which was unlike him. Sorreltail eyed him with concern and then shot her brother a meaningful look, glancing at her son. Rainwhisker was Molepaw's favorite uncle, and always seemed to find a way to cheer him up.

Her brother was quick to catch her gaze and turned his eyes to Molepaw. After a moment of contemplation, he scampered over and butted his head against the young apprentice’s side. “Hey, why don’t you go on your own search to see if anyone else has found any clues? I bet you know a lot of faces around here that your mother and I don’t.”

Sorreltail frowned and pondered whether or not that was a good idea.

Investigating would give Molepaw something to do, but...

The atmosphere of Starclan was tense. Many spirits, especially those of Thunderclan and Windclan heritage, were verbally accosting one another, and she didn’t want Molepaw to get caught in the middle of that. The hostilities had since been exacerbated by Hollyleaf’s expulsion - it was a group of Windclan spirits who had driven Hollyleaf out, and now the two Starclan sectors were at odds with one another. 

Sorreltail blinked her eyes and refocused to catch her son’s response to Rainwhisker.

“That’s a great idea! I’ll try and find some clues. Maybe we’re missing something.” Molepaw rose to his feet in determination.

“Just make sure that you bring someone with you, Molepaw.” Sorreltail tried not to let her worries flood through her voice. “Ask Whitestorm or Willowpelt, and don’t wander too far.”

Molepaw nodded his head and quickly began to scamper off.

Before he was out of hearing range she shouted, “And don’t go into the Endmost Forest!”

Sorreltail turned to look at her brother. Rainwhisker shot her a tentative look. His azure eyes looked hollow and hopeless. “Sorreltail, this probably isn’t what you want to hear, but I have a bad feeling about Honeyfern.”

Sorreltail tensed and looked at him sharply, but said nothing in response. He was voicing her secret fear, but truthfully, he was right: she didn't want to hear it. It made no sense, and only served to upset her further. She flicked her tail and tried to abate the irritability that rose up from hearing her brother’s doubt. There was no logical explanation as to why Honeyfern would be in true danger. What could happen to her in a safe place such as Starclan? Secondly, there wasn’t any possibility that Honeyfern exited Starclan. It was closed off and only existed for the clans. Once a cat got in, there was no way for it to leave - the exception being if its form faded away.

Spirits conventionally faded away when no one was around to remember them. Honeyfern was a new spirit and plenty of living cats remembered her, so she wouldn’t have disappeared that way. The only other way for a cat to fade would be if someone caused irreparable harm to their spiritual body.

Ugh! I can’t think like that!

However, as time went by with no sign of her daughter, she couldn’t deny the dread that built up in her chest. Had someone laid harm to Honeyfern?

She remained quiet for a few more heartbeats before she addressed her brother.

“It just doesn’t make sense, Rainwhisker. I thought that maybe she had wandered off somewhere, but she would have been back by now. We’ve searched relentlessly, and there's still no sign of her.” She tried not to let the despair that she felt inside show.

“You’re right, it doesn’t make sense... something is awry here.” Her brother murmured. His tail twitched in thought. “You know, it feels very intentional that Tallstar went missing right after Honeyfern. I think that his disappearance plays into this, but I’m not sure how. I’ve been talking to Windflight - he said that the Windclan sector of Starclan is grievously upset.”

Of course, they’re probably losing their minds.

Tallstar was a beloved leader, a favorite to many - but how did his disappearance relate to Honeyfern’s?

“Sorreltail,” Rainwhisker spoke again. Weariness leaked out through his voice, “I fear the worst.” He was hesitant, “Maybe it was Hollyleaf. No other cat has gone missing since she crossed the barrier into the Place of No Stars.”

The fur on Sorreltail’s spine bristled in response to his words.

“What exactly are you accusing her of?” She knew that she was coming across as defensive, but she couldn’t help it. Hollyleaf was her best friend’s daughter. “Do you have bees in your brain? Hollyleaf is a Starclan cat! A Starclan cat wouldn’t mur-” She sputtered over the word she almost said and corrected herself. “-harm another Starclan cat! That doesn't happen here.”

“I’m just trying to assess the facts of the situation, Sorreltail. Hollyleaf was the last cat we know of to see Honeyfern.” He paused and allowed for his words to sink in.

“So?” She lashed her tail in agitation.

“When our spirits die we fade away. We’ve seen it happen during the battle against the Dark Forest, remember? We dissolve into nothing. No leftover blood- nothing.” He inhaled shakily, “As it stands, we couldn’t find any evidence that Honeyfern left Warm-Rocks. All we found was a stale scent that ended in place.”

He paused and gave her a level stare. “Do you understand what I’m saying? Hollyleaf could have killed her. Honeyfern might have faded away, and we would be none the wiser.”

Sorreltail felt ice run through her veins. She narrowed her eyes at his brazen choice of words and retorted, “You’re making a lot of assumptions about Hollyleaf’s character.”

“I think her character speaks for itself.” He responded, his tone challenging.

“Really, Rainwhisker? We’ve all done things we aren’t proud of. Her past doesn’t define who she is now! She’s a good cat.”

Her brother didn’t look too convinced. He eyed her for a moment longer before turning to gaze off into the distance, thoughts plaguing his mind.

“I don’t want to argue with you.” Sorreltail huffed out, frustrated, “I just don’t think she did anything to hurt my daughter. What sense would that make? They’ve been friends since kithood.”

Rainwhisker said nothing, so she continued.

“You know, the way Hollyleaf was treated throughout this process is shameful. Windclan had no right to do what they did. They scared her half to death and she ran off. Her flight had nothing to do with guilt. When she comes back, we can talk to her and figure out what happened. Maybe she knows something we don’t.”

Clarity returned to Rainwhisker's eyes, and he turned to hold her gaze. “What makes you so sure she’s going to come back?”

Both cats fell into an uncomfortable silence.

It was wrong of Windclan to have antagonized Hollyleaf based on no evidence. They had done more harm than good. Now Hollyleaf was gone, hidden somewhere in the Place of No Stars, likely scared out of her mind. A few Thunderclan cats had tiptoed past the barrier, but none of them went far. Hollyleaf's scent ran deeply into the decrepit forest, so Sorreltail had heard.

Sorreltail gazed tentatively at her brother. His form was hunched, his blue-gray fur was disheveled, and his eyes were downcast. The constant search was taking its toll on him, too.

He's a good uncle to my children.

Despite their disagreements and squabbles, Sorreltail wouldn’t change a lick about him. Rainwhisker was always calm and composed, which helped now, considering how much of an anxious mess she currently was. Never the type to get worked up by anything, Rainwhisker would often delegate himself as the peacemaker in disputes- especially ones she would have with her other brother, Sootfur. He also had a penchant for making friends, which came in handy - especially now. He had been personally investigating her daughter's disappearance via his widespread connections. 

Sorreltail's mind wandered to her other brother, Sootfur.

Sootfur wasn’t like Rainwhisker at all. He was solitary, emotional, and troubled. He’d always been that way, ever since their mother Willowpelt died. His turbulent nature had been worse when they were alive, but since his death it had lessened a bit. She hoped that he had found some closure with Willowpelt about her death.

Sorreltail thought back to the grim day she had found out that their mother had died. They had only been apprentices. Willowpelt had been out on a patrol of the territory. Sootfur -at that time Sootpaw- had been with her. A badger had snuck up on him by surprise and almost killed him, but Willowpelt had acted quickly and saved his life at the cost of her own. Sorreltail and Rainwhisker were devastated. It was one of the worst moments of her young life. Sootfur took it the hardest, though. He was haunted by what happened. It really changed him. Try as they did to help him work through it, he refused to talk about it. Instead, he resorted to isolating himself.

After they all inevitably died and went to Starclan, things had gotten a little better.

After Honeyfern disappeared, Sootfur dutifully focused all of his attention on searching for her. Sorreltail had barely seen him since he started looking. Although she worried about him, a part of her felt relieved to know he was still out there searching.

Sorreltail pulled herself out of her reminiscing to focus on the situation at hand. Neither she nor her brothers had yielded any results so far with their separate searches. Perhaps it was time to try something new.

“I think we should find Sootfur, then re-group and figure out what to do next.” Sorreltail mulled over, feeling as though this was the best course of action.

“Yeah, that makes sense. I feel like our biggest lead right now is Tallstar.” Rainwhisker replied, “Cats don’t just randomly disappear, unless it’s their time. Honeyfern and Tallstar are too fresh to fade away naturally.”

“What do you suppose, then, we question Windclan about Tallstar to see what they know?”

“Yes.” Rainwhisker said. “Unless you can think of another cat around here that Tallstar is particularly close to.”

Sorreltail couldn’t think of anyone else. Tallstar was actually kind of private, though he always stuck around the Windclan part of Starclan, as far as she was aware.

“My only concern is the reception we’ll receive.” Rainwhisker narrowed his eyes. “As you know, Windclan is very temperamental right now. However, I’m hoping that we’ll have some traction with them, seeing as we have something in common.”

“Missing relatives?” Sorreltail asked, light sarcasm lacing her words.

Rainwhisker twitched his whiskers. “Well, yes, but I think that our shared blood through Windflight may do us some favors. He's spent a lot of time with Windclan. He’s established a rapport with them. I bet we’ll get answers if we bring him along.”

Sorreltail’s mind drifted to Windflight. He was her great-grandfather with Windclan heritage. She wasn’t particularly close to him and didn’t know much about him other than that. When it came to family, Sorreltail only stuck around with her closest relatives. Rainwhisker, on the contrary, was very interested in connecting with his distant kin. Windflight was the cat he had become closest to, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Both of them were incredibly similar personality-wise.

“That’s a good idea, Rainwhisker." She decided, trusting his judgment. "Let’s get Sootfur and then circle back and grab Windflight.”

“That’s a plan, then.”

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf cautiously traversed the sickly, sunken landscape, dodging gnarled tree roots and rotten puddles of muck.

Truthfully, she hadn’t a clue where she was going. There weren’t many identifiable landmarks in the Place of No Stars. Everything looked the same, even the trees: endless, imposing and gloomy, blocking out the sky. She tried not to dwell too much on the idea that she had likely lost her bearings - it was disorienting to say the least.

Maybe you should stop here.

Hollyleaf shook her head, dismissing the suggestion. If she stopped, she could put herself at risk of being a sitting target. It would be better to keep going.

Nervously, she wondered if she would once more spot one of the grotesque, miserable creatures who were chained to this land. Her encounter with Mapleshade was a close call that could have ended badly. Hollyleaf wasn’t so sure she’d be as lucky if there was a next time.

A gust of cold wind breezed by, tickling her fur and making the hairs on her spine stand on end. She glanced back and forth, scrutinizing the ghastly landscape for movement. Paranoia clouded her mind, which spiked her anxiety.

Maybe you’re being followed.

Against her better judgement, she imagined an unseen enemy: crouched, watching with sinister eyes, awaiting a chance to strike.

Hollyleaf shook her head in an effort to banish the anxious thoughts back into the depths of her mind. She needed to be calm and collected- she couldn’t let trepidation cloud her senses. It would be no use to bristle in fright at every howl of the wind or crinkle of dead leaves.

The shine of your pelt gives you away.

Hollyleaf frowned and forced herself to think of comforting things- naturally, her family came to mind. She envisioned her mother, Squirrelflight: a strong, ginger molly, untouched by the throngs of death.

What would our mother say if she were here right now?

Hollyleaf dug around in her mind, pulling up a particularly calming memory. It was of a conversation she had with Squirrelflight after Hollyleaf’s first battle as an apprentice. Being young and inexperienced, Hollyleaf had frozen up in fear during the fight and had to be rescued by one of her clanmates. Afterwards, her mother not only shared words of comfort to ease Hollyleaf’s embarrassment, but also imparted lasting wisdom that Hollyleaf never forgot.

“How do you stay so calm during battle? How are you so unafraid?” Hollypaw tried not to let the shame she felt leak out through her voice.

Squirrelflight eyed her gently, “Who said I wasn’t afraid?”

“You don’t act like it. I wish I was like you.”

“Do you want to know my secret, then?”

Hollypaw nodded her head vigorously and leaned in close.

“Everyone feels fear in the midst of battle. It's in our nature, Hollypaw. Do not feel ashamed of yourself for it. Remember this: before you go to strike down your living, breathing enemies, you must first strike down your fear. Treat it like an adversary. Overpower it.”

Recollecting the memory filled her with both sorrow and strength.

The thought of going back to Starclan flashed into her mind again. Unlike other times, she didn’t pessimistically squash the idea. Initially, she had thought that living in the Place of No Stars was a well-deserved punishment for the crimes she had committed in life.

But now she wondered if this was truly meant to be her fate.

Prior to her encounter with Mapleshade, Hollyleaf believed that one’s actions while alive determined their fate after death. But now she wasn’t so sure. If Mapleshade had spoken the truth about the crime she had committed in life, then that indicated a discrepancy existed. After all, there were Starclan cats who had committed Mapleshade’s exact crime, but they weren’t punished for it like she was.

Perhaps judgement was decided not based on the misdeeds someone carried out, but rather the quality of one’s inner moral character.

Back when she was alive, Hollyleaf had committed one of the most heinous acts: murder. Towards the end of her short life, she had worked to redeem herself for that poor decision.

Her last act of redemption had been aiding in the Great Battle and coming to the defense of a young, misguided Thunderclan cat. Helping the molly had unfortunately led to her downfall. Hawkfrost, a Dark Forest cat from the Place of No Stars had gotten the upper hand on her as they fought, and struck the final blow in the form of a slice to her throat.

As Hollyleaf slowly died, blood ebbing out and suffocating her, she fearfully prayed that she would join the starry ranks of her ancestors- even if deep down she didn’t truly believe that she deserved to.

When she next awoke she was in Starclan.

Despite her own self-doubt, the fact that she ended up in Starclan instead of the Place of No Stars must have meant something. That she was worthy, despite her dubious past. The force that determined the fate of each cat had looked down at her and saw something good.

That was a small comfort.

So maybe she ought to go back after all.

But if she was going to do that, she needed to locate the border as soon as possible.

After a moment of contemplation, Hollyleaf turned around and began to head in the direction from whence she came.

Before she decided to cross the border back into Starclan, Hollyleaf would need to figure out if she was still being sought out by Windclan. And if she was still being pursued, she would then need to determine how to sneak back safely.

Lastly, Hollyleaf needed to investigate what happened to Honeyfern. It might be the only way to clear her name.

She knew that some Starclan cats suspected her of causing Honeyfern’s disappearance. She also knew that a sizable amount of Windclan cats believed her to be responsible for Tallstar’s disappearance. When Windclan had confronted her, they seemed almost completely convinced of her guilt. That’s why she bolted- if she had stayed she knew there would have been drastic consequences for her.

Her mind churned in resentment. Not only had she been doubted by a collection of Thunderclan cats, but also by almost every Windclan cat she encountered. That accounted for both of her blood lineages. The rejection stung, but the pessimistic part of her mind couldn’t blame their mistrust.

But despite what Windclan or others thought, she was not responsible for the disappearance of either Tallstar or Honeyfern. She understood how she could be perceived as being a suspect when it came to Honeyfern, but she couldn’t understand why they were so quick to suspect her for Tallstar. It was mousebrained to think that she had anything to do with it. She had only seen the Windclan leader once since dying. They had no history together. What would her hypothetical motive even be?

Growling lowly in frustration, she continued back towards where she thought the border might be. Suddenly, a chill crept along her spine- but this time, there was no cold wisp of wind that caused it. Daunted, she kept on walking but made sure to listen keenly to her surroundings.

An audible crack of a twig made her falter. Was she being followed?

Determined not the be the one caught unaware this time, Hollyleaf forced herself to continue forward, pretending as if she hadn’t heard a thing. Meanwhile, she focused her ears to her left, where the sound had originated from.

Suddenly she heard what might be the shuffle of feet and a squelch of mud.

I told you that you were being followed.

After a couple of minutes, Hollyleaf decided that she had to act. 

She made up her mind and bounded off to her left, crashing through the withering foliage and emerging on the other side. As she landed on her feet, she noticed a shadowed feline figure, crouched in surprise. Confidently, she dived towards the unknown cat with a threatening hiss.

The stranger rose to meet her attack and for a moment, they both struggled against one another, a violent scuffle of limbs and teeth.

Hollyleaf ducked and evaded a clawswipe aimed at her face. In retaliation, she charged forward and head-butted the stranger in the chest, hoping to knock it off its feet.

The unfamiliar cat stumbled backwards but was able to regain its footing. To Hollyleaf’s surprise, the stranger used that moment to leap up into the air and land on top of her.

Hollyleaf gasped and stumbled- the weight of her enemy forced her down to the suffocating, mucky earth.

For a moment she felt the panic rise.

The crushing sensation-

It reminded her of the tunnels.

No!

With all of her might, Hollyleaf thrashed and dislodged herself out from under the stranger.

She moved to dash away but the cat followed in pursuit. As soon as it got close enough, Hollyleaf halted in her getaway and twisted around. She bared her teeth in a snarl and met the figure head on, her green eyes flashing with rage.

Again, claws flew and teeth gnashed.

Hollyleaf felt the sting of a scratch to her shoulder- the first wound on her spiritual body.

In the reprisal that followed, Hollyleaf leapt forward and managed to sink her teeth into the Dark Forest cat’s right side. The feline convulsed wildly, emitting a shriek of pain. Still, Hollyleaf refused to let go. In the struggle to get free, the enemy veered them off to the side, where a narrow ridge was situated.

The stranger was the first to stumble -purposefully or by mistake, Hollyleaf did not know-, and Hollyleaf soon followed, losing her toothy grip on the cat’s side as they fell off the edge.

It wasn’t a far fall- they both crash landed onto muddy ground, which partially softened the blow.

Momentarily dazed, Hollyleaf pushed herself upright out of the thick, oozing sludge. Her enemy did the same, wheezing all the while.

It seemed that the fall was enough to momentarily stop the fight to allow both cats to catch their breath. Hollyleaf stared at her adversary, who stared back with pale hazel eyes.The Dark Forest cat was slightly smaller than her, but muscled all the same. It had short, brown torbie fur, mottled with lighter ginger patches, and a muzzle battered with scars.

Warily, they both sized each other up.

Hollyleaf didn’t attempt to strike again. This time she would play defense or see where else the confrontation would go.

The torbie was the first to speak. “What are you doing here?”

Decidedly, Hollyleaf chose not to reveal too much this time. Perhaps it hadn’t been the wisest decision to tell Mapleshade why she was here, but at least the haggard molly had revealed herself willingly- this stranger had decided to stalk her.

“That’s none of your concern.”

The rogue scowled. “It’s absolutely my concern. You don’t belong here,”

Hollyleaf rolled her eyes.

You don’t say?

“-and you’re dangerous. Attacking me out of nowhere!”

“What?” Hollyleaf growled, scarcely believing her ears. “You were stalking me, you coward!”

“Of course I was stalking you! You’re an intruder.” The rogue seemed equally frustrated with the confrontation.

“Well, just leave me alone and we won’t have any more trouble.”

The rogue shook its head fiercely. “No way, I can’t just let you walk around here.”

Hollyleaf growled in exasperation. “Yes, you can- unless you want to get pummeled?”

The stranger snorted. “Pummeled? I can take you. I almost got you like, five times.”

“Yeah?” Hollyleaf challenged, flashing her mud-covered claws. “Try me again, then.”

Truthfully, Hollyleaf didn’t want to engage in another fight. She wasn’t entirely sure what the limitations were that existed for her ethereal form. The place she had been struck earlier throbbed dully but did not bleed. Squinting, she appraised her adversary and noticed that the feline wasn’t bleeding either. She supposed that made sense. Did they even have blood?

“Do you always choose to resort to violence?” The torbie asked with a sneer.

“What do you suggest, then?” Hollyleaf snapped, ignoring the dig at her.

“Leaving. You could try that.” The cat said, as if it was really that simple.

Hollyleaf sucked in a deep breath and then released it, willing the stars to grant her patience. “Fine! Yes. I would love to try that. Would you be so kind as to direct me towards the exit?”

The rogue eyed her suspiciously before a knowing glint lit up in it’s hazel eyes. Then, a slow smirk slithered on it’s scarred face. “Oh, I see.”

“You see what?” Hollyleaf growled.

“You’re lost, aren’t you?” The torbie sounded smug.

“Listen,” Hollyleaf began, not giving the rogue the satisfaction by confirming it’s question, “You clearly don’t like the fact that I’m here. Direct me to the mist border and I’ll be out of your fur.”

The torbie seemed to mull over what she said. It stared at her with an unreadable expression on its face.

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t quite determine if the cat was a tom or a molly. It must be a molly, she decided, since it was a torbie.

“I will take you to the mist border,” The maybe-molly began, “On the condition that you answer the questions I ask.”

“Deal.” Hollyleaf decided. If the questions were too risky she could just lie. The rogue never specified honesty.

“Alright,” The torbie sat down. “What’s your name?”

“Hollyleaf.”

The rogue furrowed it’s brow in thought. “Are you recently deceased? You’re familiar, but I don’t remember you.”

“I died during the Great Battle.” Hollyleaf decided that she would ask some questions too. Information swapping might prove advantageous. “Did you die recently as well? I don’t remember you, either.”

“Yes, I died right before the Great Battle. My name is Sparrowfeather.”

The name didn’t ring a bell. “Are you a molly?” Hollyleaf boldly decided to ask. “What’s your clan affiliation?”

“No, I’m a tom. I used to be a Shadowclan cat.”

It became clear to Hollyleaf that this cat had likely been a Dark Forest trainee. Perhaps they had passed by each other in the throngs of the Great Battle.

“What was your clan affiliation?” Sparrowfeather countered.

“I’m a Thunderclan cat.” She meowed, making it clear that she still considered herself to be one, despite the fact that she was dead.

“Okay then, why did a Starclan-Thunderclan cat get lost in the Place of No Stars?”

Hollyleaf knew he would end up asking her this. She decided to give an evasive answer. “It’s not easy to navigate this place.”

“Of course it isn’t.” Sparrowfeather scowled. “It was designed that way. Don’t you know that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Whoever created the Place of No Stars purposely made it as confusing as possible, so those stuck here would feel lost.”

Hollyleaf blinked in surprise. This was new information to her- no one in Starclan had ever told her anything of the sort. “How do you know that?”

“I was told.”

“By who?”

Sparrowfeather narrowed his eyes. “I’m the one asking questions here, remember? You want me to help you leave.”

“Fine,” Hollyleaf huffed, deciding to let it go, “What else do you want to know?”

“Why did you even come here to begin with? Don’t you have your own little paradise to enjoy?” Hollyleaf could detect bitterness in the young tom’s voice. He gazed at her with obvious jealousy in his critical eyes.

“I needed to escape.” For some reason she didn’t feel like lying outright.

“Escape from what, exactly?”

“I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

Sparrowfeather didn’t look pleased with her response. “You told me that you would answer my questions. You want to leave, don’t you?”

Hollyleaf refused to budge. “I told you! I needed to escape. The rest of it is personal. Can’t you respect that?”

He’s a criminal- how much respect does he actually have?

To her surprise, Sparrowfeather didn’t fight her on it. He only watched her for a moment before nodding his assent. “Fine. Let’s get going then.”

“You don’t have any more questions?”

“For now I do not. Now follow me- you’re headed the wrong way.”

Hollyleaf furrowed her brow in confusion. She thought she was moving in the direction she fled from. With a nod of his head, Sparrowfeather began to lead her in the opposite direction. A mental alarm call rang off in her head- this didn’t seem right.

“Where are you taking me? I don’t think I came from that way.”

Sparrowfeather shook his head. “I told you, didn’t I? The Place of No Stars was designed to be confusing. Things don’t work normally here.”

Hollyleaf didn’t budge. She wasn’t sure if she could trust him.

“You can either follow me or continue going in the wrong direction.” Sparrowfeather cocked a brow at her before he began to scamper away.

Hollyleaf watched his retreating form, her mind swimming with indecisiveness. Instinctually, she felt like he was leading her the wrong way. But if the Place of No Stars functioned abnormally, then perhaps her instincts might be incorrect.

She mulled over her options again before she made up her mind.

Trotting forward, she ran to catch up with Sparrowfeather.

Chapter Text

Sorreltail leapt briskly over the smooth, pale stones of the Warm-Rocks, her brother Rainwhisker trailing at her side.

She kept her senses alert for signs of Honeyfern, but only picked up her daughter’s faint scent surrounding the spot she went missing. The smell was waning- it was scarcely more than a trace now. A sharp pang shot through Sorreltail’s chest, but she steeled herself and willed the pain away.

After some time, the flat stones became sparse until they disappeared altogether. The end of the Warm-Rocks. Not more than ten paces away marked the beginning of the Endmost Forest.

Sorreltail stared at the towering trees in trepidation.

The Endmost Forest was known throughout Starclan as the final resting place for old spirits. It was said that ancient cats would roam around it aimlessly until they faded away. 

Not every old soul chose that path, Sorreltail knew, because she had met many old cats within the central zone of Starclan. Nevertheless, as Starclan became more and more crowded, aging souls would often disappear into the Endmost Forest. After that, they usually weren’t seen from again. It should be noted, though, that sometimes Endmost inhabitants had been seen wandering out of the forest and into the central zone- but they never stayed for long.

Sorreltail hadn't stepped foot into the Endmost Forest before. She had never desired to do so. There was just something about the forest that unnerved her. She couldn’t quite put her paw on what it was- but whenever she gazed into its depths, she felt like it was looking back at her.

Suddenly, her brother’s loud call startled her from her thoughts. She nearly leapt up in fright, her fragile nerves getting the better of her.

“Mousebrain!” She scolded. “You scared the starlight out of me.”

“Sorry, fluffhead. I want Sootfur to hear me.” Rainwhisker playfully shoved her side and then turned his attention back to the entrance of the Endmost Forest. “I hope he isn’t too far in there. I’d hate to have to wander in after him.”

“You wouldn’t hate that.” She joked, “You love sticking your nose in strange places.”

“You know me so well.” Her brother laughed, “I have been in there before, you know. It’s not an easy task to find anyone. Most of the inhabitants prefer to be left alone.”

Sorreltail mulled over his words for a moment before curiosity got the better of her. “Did you see anyone when you wandered in?”

“Oh yes,” Rainwhisker began, “You wouldn’t believe it! There was one cat so old that he had seen the rise and fall of-”

Suddenly, her brother shushed as the leaves of a bush in front of them began to rustle.

Sorreltail turned abruptly. A shrouded face peered out from in between the leaves. It’s familiar amber eyes gleamed keenly in the moonlight. Sorreltail stilled for a moment before she recognized the eyes- it was her other brother, Sootfur.

“Come out! It’s us.” She called.

Sootfur slipped out from the undergrowth. He had a lean frame like Rainwhisker, but with shorter fur that glittered like the color of sunlit charcoal. As he approached, Sorreltail noticed that he dragged his feet and tail wearily.

“What are you two doing here? You’re lucky I was already on my way out.” The grey tomcat said flatly.

“We came to get you. Did you find anything?” Rainwhisker implored.

“No sign of her. I’ve been searching for a while. I can’t scent her anywhere.”

“And no one in there has seen her?” Sorreltail asked, anxiety clenching her heart.

“I managed to meet only a single spirit on the search, and it hadn’t even heard of Honeyfern, or the fact that she's missing.”

Sorreltail felt the disappointment and frustration weigh down on her like a heavy rain. She had desperately hoped that Honeyfern might have wandered into the Endmost Forest, but it seemed as if that was not the case.

Maybe her brother saw the crestfallen look on her face, because he spoke up again. “I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that she went in there... but I can’t find any evidence to suggest that she did.”

Sorreltail sighed and weighed her options again. It was true- there was nothing to suggest that Honeyfern strayed into the Endmost. And yet, there was nothing to rule it out, either. The only way to know for sure would be to scour the whole place, but how long would that take? The forest was known to be gigantic- no one was really quite sure how deep it stretched.

Sorreltail knew that she had only two options from here: they could attempt the time-consuming and laborious task of trekking through the Endmost Forest, or they could try talking to Windclan to try and find another lead. Quite frankly, she’d rather try her luck with Windclan.

“Before you go in again, we’d like you to come with us.” Sorreltail said.

“Where to?”

“Windclan.” She sat down and faced Sootfur.

Her brother shot her a probing look. “Let me guess. You two think that Windclan might know something about Honeyfern.” His voice was edged with cynicism.

Sorreltail furrowed her brow at her brother’s tone. Why did he sound so pessimistic?

Rainwhisker spoke up. “You’re on the right track. Sorreltail and I were hoping that they might know the information surrounding Tallstar’s disappearance- maybe that information could give us clues about Honeyfern.”

Sootfur had a sour look on his face.

“Do you object to that plan?” Rainwhisker asked, a brow raised.

“Yes.” Sootfur sat down with his tail curled tightly around his paws. “It doesn’t make sense. If Windclan knew anything pertinent they would have told us by now.”

Sorreltail reluctantly noticed the logic behind Sootfur’s words. Windclan would certainly share any important information they found, wouldn’t they?

“I don’t think it would be wise of us to assume anything about Windclan.” Rainwhisker responded, “They’re behaving irrationally right now. They won’t give anyone the time of day who doesn’t have moor-blood-”

‘Well we have moor-blood, but they haven’t told us anything.” Sootfur interrupted.

“I don’t think you quite understand, Sootfur.” Rainwhisker ground out. “They’re on an unreasonable tirade- behaving as if Tallstar’s disappearance was a personal affront to their entire clan. I hate to belittle their grief, but they haven’t been dealing with it constructively.”

“So?” Sootfur asked petulantly.

“So,” Rainwhisker growled, “What don't you understand? They’re acting like pigeons with their heads cut off, stomping around like angry badgers-”

“Oh yeah? Like angry badgers?” Sootfur’s eyes hardened with a fierce, unreadable emotion.

“I didn’t mean -”

“Color me convinced, Rainwhisker. You have a way with words, don’t you?” Sootfur’s voice was taut with sarcasm, and he stared with narrowed, baleful eyes.

Rainwhisker bristled minutely at the slight but held his ground. “I’m sorry. I do my best to be tactful when it comes to your trauma, but I’m not perfect.”

“Please,” Sootfur growled. “You’ve always been perfect.” He shook his head in disdain. “This was your idea, wasn’t it, Rainwhisker? To waste our time by chit chatting with Windclan. Why should I go with you when I could be out here, putting real work into finding Honeyfern?”

Sorreltail’s ears flattened and felt the sting of her brother’s words. She knew he meant to take a jab at Rainwhisker, but it was her idea to talk to Windclan.

“Don’t be so quick to discredit information gathering. It might prove useful.” Rainwhisker took a deep breath and released it through his nose, clearly an attempt to keep himself calm.

“Well it’s been useless so far.” Sootfur scorned.

“What’s your problem?” Rainwhisker snapped, his blue eyes flashing with irritation.

“I don’t have a problem! I just don’t like wasting time.”

Rainwhisker narrowed his eyes at his brother. “Oh, so you think the information gathering I’ve done since Honeyfern went missing is a waste of time?”

Sootfur flattened his ears defensively and showed teeth. “Well I didn't say that, but it certainly hasn’t yielded any results -”

“Sootfur!” Sorreltail warned, her own temper rising at the audacity of her brother’s snarky behavior. He shouldn't be belittling Rainwhisker like that! Everyone was doing what they could to help, and Rainwhisker just so happened to have a slew of social connections.

Rainwhisker curled his lip, not taking kindly to his remark. “Well you haven’t ‘yielded any results’ either. So why don’t you shut your blithering, patronizing yap and -”

Sorreltail interrupted by releasing a scathing hiss that had been building up in the back of her throat, intent on breaking this up before it got any uglier than it already was.

Both of her brothers quieted and turned to look at her.

She sunk her claws into the ground, trying to get a hold of herself. This was her daughter they were arguing about. As much as she knew that they cared, it felt downright insulting to hear them squabble like this. It was juvenile and petty, definitely not the way family should be acting with one another.

“Are you two out of your minds?” She decided on with a snap, fixing both of them with furious eyes - but zeroing in specifically on Sootfur.

Neither tom said anything, and Sootfur stared down at his paws, not meeting her gaze. Rainwhisker nervously flicked his tail, a guilty expression plastered across his face. He was usually more composed than this, but the pressure was eating at everyone, it seemed.

“Honeyfern is my daughter.” Sorreltail emphasized, staring down her siblings. “I get to decide what search methods are useless. And what I've decided is that all of this bickering is the real waste of time!”

Rainwhisker was the first to break the subsequent guilty silence.

“I’m sorry, Sorreltail.” He ducked his head shamefully. “I let my emotions get the best of me.” He then sent a sideways glance at Sootfur, his eyes sharp and critical.

Sootfur met Rainwhisker’s look with a scowl, and then turned to Sorreltail. She watched as he took a controlled breath and then released it with a heavy sigh.

“I’m sorry too. My words were thoughtless. I didn’t explain my concerns in a mature way.” His harsh expression faltered into something more vulnerable, “I just don’t want us to go on an endeavor that we know ahead of time might end in failure. I’m sure both of you would agree that right now, time is of the essence. Like I said earlier, it doesn’t make sense that Windclan would withhold information from us.”

Rainwhisker rolled his eyes at his brother but this time said nothing in response.

“I suppose it could end up being fruitless.” Sorreltail began, taking lead of the conversation. “However, I think it’s worth it to ask, just in case they do know something that could help in our search. If we don’t ask and they do have information, then we’ll just have wasted our time by not asking them.”

Sootfur mulled over her words for a moment before he let out another sigh. “I suppose I see your point. Nevertheless, why don’t you two just go without me? I’d be no help when it comes to negotiating with those airheads.”

Sorreltail shook her head. “We’ve reached a dead end here, Sootfur. I don’t think she’s in the Endmost Forest. And if she is, she’ll find her way back to us eventually.

Sootfur was quiet for a moment. “If you insist, I suppose I’ll go with you guys.”

Rainwhisker let out a tiny snort.

“What?” Sootfur growled, his tail twitching in agitation.

“Nothing.” Rainwhisker muttered, rolling his eyes in disbelief.

“It sure doesn’t seem like nothing." Sootfur's ornery temper was rising again. "If you have something to say then spit it out!”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

Sootfur let out an indigant huff and glowered at Rainwhisker, his tail lashing back and forth.

Sorreltail ground her teeth in irritation, silently counting to three. “If you two do this all the way to Windclan, I swear to Starclan I’ll swat both of you so hard you’ll be born again!”

They both had the gall to look amused by what she just said.

“You can’t swear to Starclan anymore.” Sootfur replied cheekily.

“What?” Sorreltail responded in confusion, momentarily knocked off her tirade.

“I hate to agree with that furball, but he’s right, Sorrel. We’re Starclan now. You’re just swearing to yourself.” Rainwhisker smirked at her. “When do you plan on accepting your new post-mortem existence?”

Sorreltail let out a deep sigh, the tension ebbing away.

“Dying is a lot to take in, you know. Sometimes I wake up and expect to see Brackenfur’s hairy behind shoved up in my face.” She said ruefully, grateful for the sudden lightness of the conversation and wistful for her mate.

“We’ve been waiting for you for moons.” Sootfur grumbled out in exasperation, “Do you know how frustrating it is to be stuck here with Rainwhisker? He never shuts up. He keeps making me talk to all of his new friends. I just can’t take it anymore!”

Sorreltail giggled and Rainwhisker puffed up in indignation.

“Well it’s not my fault you’re an awkward hermit! Someone’s gotta keep you from fading away.”

“I’m not an awkward hermit! I have plenty of friends.”

“Like who?” Rainwhisker asked skeptically.

“Willowpelt-”

“Mom does not count.”

“You better not say that around her or you’re gonna hurt her feelings!”

Sorreltail trilled lightheartedly. “Let’s go, mousebrains. We still have to go and get Windflight.”

“We’re inviting that old coot?” Sootfur scowled.

“You better not talk about your blood relative like that, Sootfur.” Rainwhisker gibed, “If he’s an old coot then what does that make you?”

Sorreltail zoned out Rainwhisker’s teasing and began to worry about Honeyfern again. Where was her gentle, sweet daughter? They must have missed something. A wave of sorrow gripped her and she silently prayed that Windclan might hold some answers to Honeyfern’s disappearance. She wished that her mate, Brackenfur, was with them. If he was here, he would know what to do.

No. I can't think like that.

Brackenfur was alive -thankfully- and taking care of their living children. It was selfish to wish that he was here with her, but what would he think if he knew that they might have lost their daughter again?

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf tread silently next to Sparrowfeather as they headed towards the mist border situated between Starclan and the Place of No Stars. She was careful to keep about two fox-lengths of space between them at all times.

She didn’t entirely trust the brown and ginger torbie’s intentions. Earlier he had snarled to her that she didn’t belong in the Place of No Stars, and that he wanted her to leave- but that could have very easily been a lie or an attempt to deceive her. He was a stranger and she couldn't trust his word. Maybe he was leading her into a trap. Anything was possible coming from a Dark Forest criminal.

Sparrowfeather broke the silence. Perhaps he felt just as uncomfortable as she did by the tenseness in the air that hung between them.

“So you said you died in the Great Battle?”

Hollyleaf sent him a sidelong glance. “Yes.”

“How did you die?”

She turned her head fully and shot him a critical look. “Bold of you to ask me something like that.”

Sparrowfeather didn’t look particularly apologetic. He blinked his hazel eyes at her and then turned away with a shrug. “You don’t have to answer.”

Hollyleaf mulled over whether she should tell him, then decided it wouldn’t hurt.

“Hawkfrost slit my throat.”

Sparrowfeather drew in a breath, and then nodded his head minutely. “He’s dead and gone, you know. His spirit was destroyed in the battle.”

As if that was any consolation to her. She was still dead. “Yes, I know.” Hollyleaf responded, her brow furrowed. “My father avenged me.”

Sparrowfeather turned to peer at her, his eyes observant and shrewd. Hollyleaf unflinchingly held his stare, noticing something different in the way he looked at her. It was as if this time, he truly recognized who she was.

“Do you know me now?” She challenged, guessing he recognized her from back when they were alive.

“Yes, I do. Brambleclaw- Thunderclan’s deputy... He raised you.” Sparrowfeather paused and averted his eyes. “I was there, you know. The night at the Gathering, when you told everyone the truth about your parents. I was a new apprentice.”

Hollyleaf’s eyes hardened. She didn’t want to talk about the code-breaking that surrounded her birth, much less think about the Gathering where she revealed the truth to everyone. Not only that, but the Gathering happened right after she had killed Ashfur. She had a lot of bad memories associated with that time in her life. The memories haunted her like vengeful spirits. They invaded her dreams, intent on never letting her forget what she had done- of the blood she had spilled, and the horrible truth she had released upon the world.

Enough of this! The voice in her head called out in response to the terrible thoughts she couldn't contain.

“What about you, then?” She deflected. “Sparrowfeather- I haven’t heard of you before.”

The torbie tom scoffed. “Of course you haven’t. Thunderclan has always been too self-absorbed with their own problems to notice anyone else.”

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if his intent was to provoke her.

“A joke!” Sparrowfeather chided defensively, “Don’t get your tail in a twist.”

Before she could open her mouth and tell him how she was certainly not getting her tail in a twist, the ex-Dark Forest rogue continued. “My father was Oakfur. My mother was... unimportant. I joined the Dark Forest as an apprentice and died shortly after becoming a warrior. The rest is history.”

“But you died before the Great Battle?” She asked.

Sparrowfeather averted his eyes, something shifty passing through his expression. “Yes, from my wounds sustained by training with the Dark Forest.”

Hollyleaf almost snorted. A lot of good that training did him. “The Dark Forest was barbaric. I had a friend who trained with them, and she told me all about the horrible things they did.”

Sparrowfeather flicked his ear and scowled at her. “I guess you would be pleased to know that the Dark Forest never re-organized. It’s back to the way it should have been.”

“And that is?”

“Cats walking alone, or so I’ve been told.” He sounded bitter, “We were always meant to live that way. Tigerstar was the one who collected everyone and organized us as the Dark Forest.”

Hollyleaf mentally catalogued that information. “So there’s no plan to reorganize?”

“Not one that I’m a part of.” 

Hollyleaf wondered if Sparrowfeather was just telling her what she wanted to hear. After all, they were enemies. Why would he want to tell her the truth? She would just pass it on to Starclan after she managed to get back.

If she managed to get back.

“Would you want to be a part of the Dark Forest again?” Hollyleaf decided to ask a bold question of her own. It was partially a test, to see what he would say. 

"No," The torbie raised a brow at her, pausing for a moment before answering, “- I’m tired of fighting.”

She frowned in response, unsettled by what he said. The Dark Forest never cared about peace. At their core, they were dangerous and bloodthirsty. Sparrowfeather was dangerous, it seemed, but his interest in peace seemed contradictory to what his nature should be. Perhaps he was more like Ivypool than she first thought. 

Deciding she was done with the conversation, Hollyleaf turned away and said nothing else. Sparrowfeather seemed to take the hint, and didn’t engage her further- they continued the rest of the journey in relative quiet.

Although the Place of No Stars was almost maze-like in how confusing it was, Hollyleaf eventually began to notice a few details that jogged her memory. Dried, splattered mud on the side of an oak tree, a broken tree branch, a sharp stone raised out of the mucky ground- markers that she had passed by when she thought she was still being chased. Relief began to flood through her when she realized that despite her prior doubt, Sparrowfeather must have been taking her the right way after all. How odd.

After what seemed like eons of silence, her traveling companion spoke up again. “Not much further until we reach the mist border.”

“Then I’ll be out of your fur.” Hollyleaf murmured, apprehension building in her chest. She needed to get out as soon as possible. Were there still Windclan cats out looking for her? That was another problem she'd have to worry about.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Sparrowfeather made another attempt at conversation. “You mentioned before that the reason you ended up here was because you were escaping something.”

Hollyleaf tensed up and shot him a sharp look of warning. She had already told him once that she wasn’t interested in revealing why or how she got lost.

Sparrowfeather continued, either ignorant to the meaning of her look or adamant on asking. “Well, I’ve been thinking about it. Whatever you were escaping from must have been pretty bad for you to run all the way out here.”

She felt her pelt prickle at his assessment. “Why do you care?”

The torbie narrowed his eyes and flattened his ears at her tone. “I don’t particularly.”

“Then quit nosing around my business!”

“Fine.” He growled, increasing his pace so they no longer walked side by side. Hollyleaf let out a frustrated sigh and watched him go on ahead. She couldn’t blame him for his curiosity, but he needed to respect her boundary. Why did she owe him an explanation anyhow? It was her own private business. She didn't need to unload her problems onto a stranger she just met.

Sparrowfeather came to an abrupt stop.

Hollyleaf mirrored his action. “Have we arrived?”

“Shh!” He responded with a hushed whisper.

Hollyleaf froze in alarm and then quietly crept forward until she was crouched next to him. Sparrowfeather’s eyes flickered back and forth, looking unsettled as he scrutinized the foliage and shadows surrounding them. She opened her mouth to whisper to him again, but he shook his head fiercely at her before she could speak.

Then, ever so slowly, he began inching forward, towards some bushes. Before he moved more than a few paces, he peered back at her and shook his head again.

Hollyleaf scowled. She knew about body-language to tell that he was indicating to her not to follow him.

The torbie tom slipped through one of the towering bushes and disappeared from sight. Hollyleaf waited a heartbeat and then tiptoed over to the bush, peering underneath. Through gaps in the leaves she saw Sparrowfeather walking into a dilapidated clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a wide, stone cave with thick, foggy mist pouring from the mouth. She recognized it immediately as the border to Starclan from which she ran through.

Directly in front of the misty cave stood two shadowy figures.

The first figure was a long furred, dark grey tabby. It’s yellow eyes seemed to glow with a nefarious glint despite the dismal lighting. The second figure was a malnourished, bony white cat with a horrible scar that began at its right ear, passed through its eye, and snaked all the way down to its belly. Hollyleaf held her breath, not recognizing either of them. What were they doing over there? She needed to get through!

Sparrowfeather approached the two cats and stopped a few fox lengths away. They stared at him with beady, unfriendly eyes.

“Well, well. One of our little trainees. You were Thistleclaw’s, weren’t you?” The dark grey tabby leered, his tone scornful and unpleasant.

Sparrowfeather gave a sharp nod. “What are you two doing, loitering by the mist border?”

“We could ask you the same thing, Sparrowfeather.” The white cat interjected, scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes. The white cat must know Sparrowfeather, since he addressed him by name, Hollyleaf noted. She wondered if they had been apprentices together.

“I’ve just been wandering.” Her torbie guide responded. “You two look like you’ve been camped out here. Why?”

The two rogues exchanged a shared look. Then the dark tabby spoke. “You might not be aware, but there’s a Starclan cat wandering through our woods.”

Hollyleaf bristled, feeling as though her heart had dropped into her stomach. Not good. How had the knowledge of her presence spread so quickly? 

She couldn’t see Sparrowfeather’s face from her vantage point, but she heard him say incredulously, “A Starclan cat? Here?”

Hollyleaf sucked in a sharp breath of disbelief, not having expected Sparrowfeather to feign ignorance. What did he have to gain by not revealing her? They weren’t friends, or even allies. There must be more to this that she wasn't aware of.

“Yep, we’ve been stationed here to intercept it in case it tries to escape.” The white cat spoke up.

The dark tabby turned sharply and swatted it’s companion upside the head. “Be quiet, worm!”

The scarred white cat hissed and glared, but gave no retort.

Sparrowfeather’s tail was rigid. “Stationed by who?”

“Well, since the cat is out of the bag,” The dark tabby glared at the white cat, “I might as well reveal it: your dear, old mentor stationed us here.” The dark tabby taunted, a smirk on his face. “Why don’t you join us? I’m sure he would be more than happy to see you again.”

Something about the dark tabby's tone of voice left something in Hollyleaf feeling uneasy. She shook her head to dispel the unnatural sensation, focusing on eavesdropping.

“I’m going to have to decline.” Sparrowfeather’s voice was taut. “But I’ll keep an eye out for the Starclan cat.”

“Your loss. Keep wandering around like a lost little kit, then.” The tabby sneered, eyeing Sparrowfeather with thinly veiled distaste.

Sparrowfeather turned around and slowly walked back to the bush, ignoring the jeer from the dark grey tabby. As soon as his back was turned, the two rogues eyed him with unconcealed hostility, as if his very existence vexed them. As he approached the bush, Hollyleaf quietly retreated to give him enough space to squeeze through. Once he was back on the other side with her, he flicked his tail, indicating that she follow him away from the clearing.

At first Sparrowfeather set the pace with a fast walk, but after they gained enough ground it turned into a run, forcing Hollyleaf to chase after him or else get left behind. They weaved through trees and leapt over sickly ravines, all the while making twists and turns that left Hollyleaf’s mind reeling to remember.

“Wait, Sparrowfeather!”

The torbie tom skidded to a halt and turned to look back at her. His face looked grim and anxious. He had a glazed over look in his eyes, but clarity returned as he paused to catch his breath. They had been running for long enough- she didn’t recognize a single landmark. They must have gone a different route from where he found her.

“You’ve got some explaining to do!” Sparrowfeather hissed, his fur bristled. He marched right up into her space and studied her with fierce eyes. “Why were those cats looking for you?”

“I don’t know!” She ground out defensively.

“Did anyone else see you before I did?”

Uh oh.

“I met an old, fading tortoiseshell rogue. She said her name was Mapleshade.”

Sparrowfeather’s eyes widened, then narrowed speculatively. “Did she try and attack you?”

“No, we… argued.” The molly was very threatening, but hadn’t attempted to attack her.

Sparrowfeather’s brow furrowed, and he stared down at the mucky ground in contemplation. Hollyleaf noticed that his claws were unsheathed and sinking into the grimy earth. “Do you even know who Mapleshade is?”

Hollyleaf shook her head.

“She’s is one of the oldest, most dangerous cats here. She’s downright bloodthirsty- you could have been shredded into a pulp before you even had a chance to blink.”

The gravity of the danger she had been in was like a claw-swipe to the face. Hollyleaf felt unconscious fear bubble up in her stomach, making her nauseous. “Sparrowfeather?”

“What?”

“Why didn’t you tell those two cats about me?”

Sparrowfeather seemed to grow even more agitated. His tail began to swish from side to side, and the whites of his eyes became visible. “Would you rather I had done so? I don’t know what Thistleclaw of all cats wants with you, but I can’t imagine it’s anything good.”

“Who’s Thistleclaw?” She forced out, partially not wanting to know.

“He's my old mentor. The one who told those two cronies to guard the barrier.”

Hollyleaf’s mind frantically tried to process the turn of events. She was being hunted by Thistleclaw, and apparently he must have some sort of societal power here since others willingly chose to do his bidding. Was he the new leader of a recently formed Dark Forest?

“Tell me why you helped me." She demanded, not understanding the situation at all. "Thistleclaw was your mentor. I’m a Starclan cat. You and I - we’re enemies!”

The torbie tom began pacing back and forth. “Listen, it’s true- I don’t like Starclan. They turned their back on me and many others.” He had a look of bitterness afixed onto his scarred face. “But I’m not some sort of sadistic brute, okay? All I wanted was to make you go back to where you came from.”

The underlying mercy behind his actions sucked the breath out of her.

“I may hate Starclan, but I hate Thistleclaw even more. He’s the the worst kind of cat imaginable. The fact that I’m stuck in here with him is torture.” Sparrowfeather bared his teeth in barely concealed anger. “For some reason, Thistleclaw wants to find you - probably to kill you, or worse. Luckily, I found you first - and any chance I have to spite that sick bastard is one I’ll embrace.”

Hollyleaf didn’t know what to say. She eyed him carefully, realizing that he was more complex than she first took him for. On one paw, he had agreed to help her leave the Place of No Stars instead of attempting to further hurt her, which indicated he had a shred of dignity despite his life-sentence. On the other paw, he later saved her, but only out of spite - because of some sick feud he had with his old mentor. Clearly, Sparrowfeather had his own agenda, and her safety wasn’t at the forefront- his own revenge was. She couldn’t completely trust him, but he was the best chance she had at the moment.

“What’s going to happen now?”

“Your pelt is like a shiny target, so unless we take cover it’s only a matter of time before someone else finds you. I’m going to take you to a place we can hide - somewhere no one will find you until we can figure out what to do next.”

Hollyleaf felt anxiety prickle at her paws.“Is there anywhere to even hide around here?” 

“You’d be surprised.” The torbie arose. “Let’s go. I’m gonna ask you more questions, and this time don’t dodge them.” Hollyleaf begrudgingly supposed she could reveal some information to him, since he saved her tail.

The two began a brisk pace, with Sparrowfeather leading.

“Now tell me, why are you really in here?”

“I was chased in by a group of angry Starclan cats.”

Sparrowfeather’s eyes bugged open wide. “Oh, so that’s what you meant by escaping.”

“What did you think I meant?” She frowned.

“I just assumed it was like, metaphorical escaping. As in, you came in here to escape some sort of problem you were avoiding.”

Hollyleaf rolled her eyes, wishing that were true. “Nope, I was definitely chased. They were mad because they thought I was responsible for two cats fading away.”

Sparrowfeather was quiet for a moment. “Well, were you responsible?”

“No!” Hollyleaf bristled in indignation.

“Sorry, I had to ask. Figures, though. Wouldn’t your stars have faded away if you had been justly kicked out?”

“I have no clue. There’s a lot I still don’t know.”

Sparrowfeather glanced at her curiously and then returned to the subject at hand. “Well, those Starclanners must have had some reason to suspect you in the first place.”

“They did initially - the first cat to go missing was my friend Honeyfern. She disappeared right after we went hunting together. They found my scent but couldn’t find her.” Hollyleaf sucked in a shaky breath. “Tallstar went missing right after that. I don’t even know him, but for some reason the Windclan part of Starclan was convinced that I had something to do with it.”

They heaved themselves up and over an enormous, rotten log in their path.

Sparrowfeather was quiet, staring on ahead with a faraway look in his eyes. “As much as I hate Windclan, they’re not totally daft.” He said at last. “There must have been some other reason for them to suspect you. Can you think of anything else?”

Hollyleaf wracked her brain for something, anything she might have missed. When the group of Windclan cats approached her, they had hissed and snarled, demanding to know what she did with Tallstar. Although she tried to convince them of her innocence, they adamantly did not believe her. “Maybe they just wanted someone to blame.”

“Okay, let’s consider that for a moment. Why would they so desperately need someone to blame?”

“I don’t know.” She murmured. “What are you suggesting?”

Sparrowfeather shrugged. “I don’t know either. Just think about it.”

“Alright, I guess.” She paused. “Where did you say we were going again?”

Sparrowfeather scented the air, then answered. “I know a good hiding place. It’s with one of my friends. He’s a paranoid guy, but I think he’ll help us.”

“Who?”

“Redwillow. We used to be clanmates in Shadowclan.”

Hollyleaf definitely remembered a cat named Redwillow. Before she knew about the Dark Forest, she had seen a strange interaction between her clanmate, Ivypool, and Redwillow, a ginger Shadowclan tom. At the time she was worried that they were forbidden mates, but now she knew that they had been secretly training together with the Dark Forest.

“Are you sure Redwillow will help?”

“He’ll probably be mad about it, but he’ll help.” Sparrowfeather had an amused glint in his eyes.

“If you’re certain…” Hollyleaf trailed off.  What other choice did she have?

Chapter Text

Four feline figures padded steadily in the direction of open land, devoid of trees and speckled with hills. The furry pelts of the cats glittered brightly with wisps of starlight, lighting up the land.

At the front of the group was a long-legged, gray tabby tom with a thick-furred tail. His star-lit form did not gleam quite as bright as his companions, but sparkled nonetheless.

Behind the gray tabby followed three siblings, their pelts shining brightly like supernovas. The middlemost sibling was Sorreltail, a muscled tortoiseshell molly. She marched forward with a fixed look of determination on her face. To her right was her brother Rainwhisker, a dark blue-gray tomcat who confidently surveyed their surroundings. On the left prowled Sootfur, an ashen colored tomcat whose face was fixed with a frown.

Sorreltail’s gaze drifted ahead to inspect the leading grey tabby, Windflight. He was her great-grandfather, but to Sorreltail he barely looked old enough to be a father. He seemed young and strong, with thick, healthy fur and broad, muscled shoulders.

He must have been happiest at the peak of his youth . She reminded herself. When cats died and went to Starclan, their physical manifestation showed them at a time when they felt the most satisfied in life.

She scrutinized him further and took note of his long legs and big ears.

That’s his Windclan blood showing through. She thought, contemplating his mixed-clan heritage.

Being a halfclan cat didn’t matter as much in Starclan as far as loyalties went, since everyone was dead; but having mixed blood was still considered taboo. Sorretail supposed blood-mixing was inevitable, though. Everybody lived in such close quarters. It was only a matter of time before someone messed up and broke the code, as was the case with Windflight’s parents.

It was discomforting for Sorreltail to think that she shared common lineage with Windclan. They were unfriendly, pretentious zealots- everything that Sorreltail was not. She was a Thunderclan warrior through and through, from her paws to her ears. The Windclan blood -the little of which she had, anyway- must be marginal.

The Windclan in my blood is probably next to nothing. A speck.

“So Windflight, did you ever get to meet your Windclan father?” Sorreltail asked. She wasn’t particularly interested in knowing the answer, but figured idle conversation could help fill up the silence of the moor, which was already beginning to make her feel a little apprehensive.

“I never met him properly while alive. We’ve spoken in this place, though.” The tabby gruffed. “He walks the Endmost Forest now. Haven’t seen him in a while.”

Sorreltail said nothing and thought back to their earlier visit to the Endmost Forest. Sootfur had been looking for Honeyfern in there. The forest was vast- the likelihood that her daughter wandered there was slim. The only inhabitants in there were dusty old souls, like Windflight’s father.

“Isn’t it amazing that we get the opportunity to meet kin of old?” Rainwhisker chattered with twinkling, dreamy eyes.

Sorreltail glanced out of the corner of her eye at Sootfur. He rolled his eyes at Rainwhisker and huffed, eliciting a smile from her.

“Only in Starclan!” Rainwhisker continued. “Life is too harsh and unpredictable. But here…” He trailed off. “I would love to meet Windflight’s father- our great-great grandfather. His name is Eaglestorm.”

Windflight glanced back at Rainwhisker, a fond look on his face. “Maybe he’ll meander out someday.”

Sorreltail couldn’t quite share Rainwhisker’s excitement when it came to distant kin, but if it made him happy then that’s all that mattered to her.

“-storm?” Sootfur interjected. “So Eaglestorm was a volatile cat?”

“He’s got a big temper.” Windflight answered, “Sort of like you. You kind of look a bit like him, actually. The same shade of grey in your fur.” He said, inspecting Sootfur.

Sootfur’s brow furrowed in indignation, as if the thought of him looking anything like a Windclan cat was offensive.

Sorreltail’s interest in the conversation wavered. She gazed ahead towards their destination, tuning out everything else. Maybe Windclan could provide some clues that would help in her search for her daughter. She hoped that they wouldn’t snub their noses at her. They were her only good lead at the moment.

Sootfur spoke up again, the apprehensiveness in his voice catching Sorreltail’s attention. “So how certain are we that Windclan will let us pass through and speak with them?”

“This is Starclan,” Rainwhisker answered, self-assured. “Even though Windclan spirits congregate on the moors, it’s shared land. We’re allowed to be here just as much as they are.”

“He’s right,” Windflight commented. “The only trouble I imagine we might run into is getting a calm reception. Some folks are still high-strung about Tallstar. If we’re smart, we can spin that as an advantage for us- a transfer of information might appeal to them if they’re feeling a little less than generous.”

Rainwhisker nodded sagely in response to Windflight’s words, and then shot his brother a reassuring look. “See? We have a good plan. Just let us take care of the talking, Sootfur.”

Rainwhisker excelled at being diplomatic. It was a natural talent of his. With Rainwhisker and Windflight combined, their little group had favorable odds.

Sootfur shot his brother and Windflight a skeptical look and then side-eyed Sorreltail. She responded with a small smile. She knew that he was less than excited to be joining them on this quest. It took some convincing to get him to come along to begin with. He didn’t think that Windclan had anything to offer them, and worried that this trip would be more trouble than it was worth.

Hopefully this journey would go smoothly, for Honeyfern’s sake.

The four cats traveled in silence again for a short while before they reached the long, dry grass that marked the official beginning of the moor. Sorreltail prefered the dense, earthy forests of Thunderclan, filled with rich smells of prey and soil. Over here she could only scent crisp air, brittle grass, and rabbit prey-scent.

The land was too sparse of trees for her liking. Back when she was alive, Windclan would twist that as an advantage and boast about their exposure to the open sky. They claimed that the clear view of the stars made them more pious than the other clans.

What a load of mousedung.

Suddenly, she spotted two cats up ahead. They were lounging together at the bottom of a large hill, blending in with the surroundings- she wouldn’t have noticed them so quickly, had it not been for the smaller cat. It had ginger and white fur, which stood out against the brown and green tones of the grass. The second cat was a thin, light brown torbie, noticeably bigger than it’s ginger and white companion.

Windflight stopped and shouted out a friendly greeting to the strangers. The two cats froze and then turned to inspect the visitors. After a few moments, they arose and began to approach.

Sorreltail was able to scrutinize the features on the two once they got close enough. The torbie was angular, with the stereotypical long muzzle and tail, characteristics of a Windclan cat. The smaller tabby cat had softer, similar features and looked to be about apprentice age.

“Hello, Windflight.” The torbie said pleasantly. Her voice was crisp and gentle, like a soft summer breeze.

“Greetings, Morningflower.” Windflight echoed. He turned to indicate to the trio behind him. “These are my great-grand kits.”

He introduced each of them by name. Sootfur looked on stoically, but gave the Windclan queen a quick nod, whereas Rainwhisker dipped his head politely, and Sorreltail shot the queen a pleasant smile.

Morningflower gave them all a polite but reserved look, curiosity in her eyes. The smaller ginger and white tabby by her side waved his tail at them in a friendly manner.

The young molly queen didn’t appear to be showing any outward signs of hostility. Her eyes looked droopy and tired, but were nonetheless pretty- luminous, like the glow of baked, sunlit clay.

“What brings the lot of you here?” Morningflower inquired.

Windflight opened his mouth to answer, but the ginger and white cat at Morningflower’s side interrupted. “Oh, I know these guys!”

“Oh?” Rainwhisker asked, his brow furrowed.

Sorreltail tilted her head in contemplation. She couldn’t remember having ever met the young tabby before. But then again, Starclan was full of faces. It’s possible she had forgotten his.

“Yeah,” The tabby said excitedly. “You’re Molepaw’s family, aren’t you?”

Sorreltail blinked in surprise at the mention of her son. The young cat must be one of Molepaw’s friends. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Gorsepaw!” The little apprentice beamed at her.

Sorreltail felt a spark of recognition light up in her mind. Yes, she had heard of a Gorsepaw.

“Oh, Gorsepaw! Molepaw has talked about you quite a bit.” She smiled gently. “I’ve heard that you two like to go to the Fourtrees and hold apprentice gatherings.”

Gorsepaw trilled, “Yeah, that’s right! Molepaw and I hang out all the time. He told me all about his family. I recognized your names!” The apprentice shot a glance at Sorreltail’s brothers, and then back at her. “You’re his mom, right? He talks about you a lot.”

Sorreltail nodded warmly at Gorsepaw, then glanced up and noticed the gaze of Morningflower. The queen was looking at her in a friendly, appraising way.

“It’s nice to meet you all.” Morningflower remarked. “I know Molepaw too. He comes over here sometimes.”

Sorreltail raised a brow. “Anytime as of late?” She hoped that Molepaw hadn’t been sneaking out after she told him to be careful and stay with the rest of Thunderclan.

“No, not so much lately...” Morningflower trailed off. Her expression turned somber.

“We have to keep our families close in times like this.” Sorreltail said simply, the meaning behind her message clear: Starclan wasn’t as safe as they thought it was.

“Yes, we do.” The Windclan queen agreed, her eyes unreadable.

Rainwhisker cleared his throat. “My sister’s daughter, Honeyfern, went missing. Right before Tallstar did.” He shot Sorreltail a look.

Taking that as her cue, Sorreltail began to share her experience to the Windclan duo. She began with Honeyfern’s initial disappearance and ended with the futile standstill they had reached. All the while, Morningflower listened intently, a grim expression on her face. Gorsepaw glanced back and forth between his mother and Sorreltail, but otherwise said nothing.

“So, with that being said, the reason we’re all here is to ask about Tallstar.” She summarized.

Neither Windclan cat said anything. Gorsepaw looked at his mother expectantly.

“We’re hoping that the details behind his disappearance may shed some light and give us clues about my daughter.” Sorreltail urged, “Do either of you know what happened?”

Gorsepaw opened his mouth to speak, but Morningflower beat him to it. “We weren’t there, so our knowledge of what happened is limited.”

“Would you mind recounting what you know?” Rainwhisker asked gently.

Morningflower was quiet for a moment, and then spoke, “He went somewhere and never came back. That’s all we know.”

“Went where?”

“I don’t know.”

“Who was it that noticed Tallstar’s disappearance?”

“I’m not sure.”

Rainwhisker furrowed his brow and frowned, nonplussed by Morningflower’s lack of information.

“Well, you must have heard from someone about Tallstar going missing.” Windflight jumped to Rainwhisker’s aid. “Who told you about it?”

Morningflower peered off to the side, and then answered with a far off look in her eyes. “Mudclaw. He told me.”

“Great.” Sootfur muttered crossly.

Sorreltail shot her brother a sharp look before she interjected. “Would you happen to know where Mudclaw is? Perhaps he can help us.”

“Gorsepaw and I passed by him on our way here.” Morningflower turned to the direction she came from and flicked her tail as an indication. “Other than that, I don’t know. You might have to search around.”

Windflight dipped his head to her respectfully. “Thank you for your time, Morningflower. We’ll be on our way. What does this Mudclaw fellow look like?”

Rainwhisker saved the molly from responding. “No worries, Windflight. All three of us know who Mudclaw is. He was alive at the same time as us.”

“Ah. Well, ‘right then. We bid you farewell, Morningflower.”

“Careful not to step on any tails.” Morningflower said with a wry smile. “Pleased to meet you three.” She dipped her head to Sorreltail and her brothers.

“Pleased to meet you as well.” Sorreltail dipped her head in farewell as her group began to travel in the direction Morningflower indicated, heading deeper into the heart of the Moorland.

After they gained some distance, she glanced behind her and caught Morningflower’s lingering stare. The molly had a guarded, pensive look on her face.

Once they were out of hearing distance, Sootfur let out huff. “She sure didn’t know much.”

“So it seems.” Windflight said and shared a look with Rainwhisker.

The interaction with the Windclan duo had been off. Morningflower and Gorsepaw seemed nice enough, but they just didn’t have a lot to offer. Sorreltail would have thought that all of Windclan knew what happened with Tallstar by now.

“Isn’t it strange? The lack of information.” She suggested. “I suppose they might have been left out in the chaos of the moment.”

“Perhaps.” Rainwhisker’s eyes were narrowed in thought. “Regardless, I don’t think that’s a good enough excuse. I would have expected her to be more informed, considering who she is.”

Windflight nodded in agreement.

Sootfur looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you remember her, Sootfur?” Rainwhisker prodded. “She’s Tallstar’s half-sister. That’s reason enough for a cat to care.”

Try as she might, Sorreltail couldn’t remember the pretty young molly at all. “When did she die?”

“Right after you did.” Windflight answered. “She’s old as dirt. Lived more than a hundred moons, I’d wager.”

Sorreltail’s jaw dropped. How could a cat have lived so long? Now that Sorreltail thought about it, she did remember a cat who looked similar to Morningflower- much older, of course. Not the young cat she encountered today.

“Well, kinship doesn’t necessarily mean anything.” Sootfur grumbled. “Maybe they weren’t that close in life.”

“If my kin went missing, I would at least want to know details. Wouldn’t you?” Rainwhisker challenged.

Sootfur mulled over his brothers words for a moment, then spoke. “Point made. We’re not Windclan, though. Their culture might not be the same as Thunderclan’s.” He turned to look at Windflight. “What do you think? You’ve got Windclan blood.”

Windflight shook his head. “My blood doesn’t mean much. When I was alive I tried to stay out of situations that concerned Windclan. I didn’t want to create suspicions that I was disloyal.”

“But if you had to guess? You’ve been around them in Starclan, at least.” Sootfur prompted.

“Well, I would guess that this doesn’t have much to do with culture at all. Morningflower is my friend, but she was pretty reserved today. I don’t think she trusts us. Or if she trusts anyone, for that matter. It’s possible that she might be withholding information.

“Seriously?” Sorreltail ground out in frustration. “I don’t get it. We’re going through similar problems. What reason would she have to not trust us?”

“I don’t know.” Windflight responded. “Maybe we’ll get more out of the source that she mentioned. Mudclaw?”

At the mention of the name Mudclaw, Sootfur let out a groan.

“Is Mudclaw really so bad?” Windflight asked, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

“Yes.” Sorreltail and Sootfur meowed out simultaneously.

“He's agitated, ornery, and unpleasant.” Sorreltail recalled aloud, “He tried to incite a coup in Windclan when Tallstar removed his deputyship and gave it to Onestar.”

Windflight snorted. “Wow. I’d be a mean old git too if my leader did that to me. What an insult.” He shook his head in apparent disdain. “What was Tallstar thinking?”

“We’ll have to ask him ourselves, if anyone ever finds him.” Rainwhisker quipped as they continued to plod along.

“Mudclaw died before he could take his leadership back.” Sorreltail continued. “A bolt of lightning struck a tree, ripping it from the ground- the tree fell on top of him and killed him. The dead tree subsequently became our bridge to the Island for the gathering.” Sorreltail went on. “Didn’t Starclan do that?”

“What, send a bolt of lightning?” Windflight asked skeptically. “No, that’s absurd. Starclan doesn’t meddle that much. How in Silverpelt would we even do that, anyway?”

“Perhaps there’s a way to do it at the Dreampool.” Rainwhisker suggested.

The Dreampool was a large, reflective pond that Starclan used as a medium to conduct business with living cats. It could be utilized for actions as simple as dream walking, or as important as prophecy whispering. The pool was tended to by volunteers, mostly medicine cats, who guarded it against improper use.

“The Dreampool remains a mystery to me.” Windflight muttered, swishing his tail. “The best I can do there is walk in dreams, and I’ve been here longer than most of you young folks. The idea that someone could harness nature from there seems incredibly unlikely.”

(rainwhisker and windflight - art credit to @vashkobun on instagram)

Sorreltail’s mind swam in confusion. Starclan didn’t kill Mudclaw? They didn’t like to meddle? That didn’t sound right at all.

“Wait!” She cried out. “Doesn’t Starclan send clouds to cover the moon when they’re displeased?”

“No, that’s an elder’s tale.” Sootfur gruffed out. “Only living cats believe that.”

“Really, Sorreltail, haven’t you heard any of this by now?” Rainwhisker raised a brow at her.

“No...” Sorreltail trailed off, processing the information she just heard. Right after Sorreltail arrived in Starclan, her daughter had disappeared. She hadn’t even much time to take a breath, let alone question the nature of her reality.

“I can’t believe this.” She muttered. “Is everything I believe about Starclan a lie?”

“That’s a loaded question. Are you sure you can handle the answer right now?” Rainwhisker poked fun at her, his eyes crinkled mischievously.

“What else can be more jarring than what I just heard? The next thing you’re gonna tell me is that there’s some sort of secret clan that no one knows about.”

Sorreltail expected her three companions to laugh, or at least smile, but none of them said a word. Rainwhisker suspiciously averted his eyes.

“There’s not actually a secret clan, right?”

Rainwhisker cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Well...”

“This better be a joke.”

“Not quite. They were called Skyclan.” He began. “They lived during the times of old-”

“Are you serious ?” She cried out, flabbergasted. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sootfur and Windflight glance at each other.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me? Rainwhisker!” Sorreltail stopped and dug her claws into the moorland ground as her tail lashed in discontent.

“I thought you would have known by now.” Rainwhisker sounded guilty.

“When would I have had the opportunity to know?” Sorreltail zeroed in on her know-it-all brother.

Sootfur stiffened next to them, his gaze directed off somewhere into the distance. She paid him no mind, too aggravated at Rainwhisker.

“Well, you’ve been dead for a little while. Why do I have to be the primary source of information for you?” Rainwhisker defended himself.

“Guys,” Sootfur interrupted. He physically inserted himself between his two siblings. “Look up there!”

Sorreltail turned her head in the direction Sootfur indicated. Not far off stood a group of cats, watching them from atop a rising hill. She counted them- a patrol’s worth. She felt a chill creep along her spine. The group was close enough that she could see their whiskers. How had they snuck up on them like that?

Windflight moved from his spot next to Sootfur and placed himself in between them and the strangers.

Sootfur peered out from behind Windflight with slanted mahogany eyes. Rainwhisker nudged Sorreltail, and they moved on either side of Sootfur.

The Windclan mob stared them down at them with unfriendly eyes.

“Well,” Rainwhisker murmured. “Here we go.”

Chapter Text

“Stay here!” Sparrowfeather ordered, turning to Hollyleaf and fixing her with a serious look. “Redwillow needs to see me before he sees you, or else there’ll be trouble.”

Hollyleaf bit back a sharp retort. Sparrowfeather kept telling her what to do all the time and it was beginning to grate on her nerves. Was he always this bossy?

“Fine.” She grumbled, deciding to let the matter go this time. Carefully, she nestled herself down behind some heavy brush in wait.

The two had been traveling nonstop since their encounter with the two Dark Forest rogues by the mist border. Sparrowfeather was insistent on going as fast as they could in a zigzag, back and forth, perplexing pathway. When she questioned him about it, he said that it would help confuse anyone tracking them. It had certainly confused her.

She flexed her claws anxiously, hoping that no one had actually caught their scent trail. She didn't want to be found by those cats, especially that so-called Thisteclaw fellow.

Sparrowfeather began to pad forward in the direction of a thick, towering oak tree. The tree extended up as far as the eye could see, disappearing into the darkness above. When he wasn’t more than a fox length away, he called out tentatively, “Redwillow?”

For a moment there was silence, and then the bushes on the side of the oak tree began rustling. A heartbeat later, a large, long-haired ginger cat slid out. It had a triangular, semi-flattened face with a nicked ear and two beady yellow eyes.

This must be Redwillow.

“Sparrowfeather!” The ginger tom’s face turned cheerful. “It’s been too long- to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Redwillow rushed forward and affectionately smashed his furry head up against Sparrowfeather. The torbie tom returned the head rub, a little less enthused than his friend.

“There’s trouble... I didn’t know who else to turn to.” Sparrowfeather began, his gaze affixed on the ground. “You’re the only spirit I trust in this whole rotten forest.”

Redwillow stilled and took a step back to inspect Sparrowfeather up and down with his sharp gaze. “What happened? Is it Thistleclaw?”

“He’s got something to do with it.”

“You know I’ve got your back.” Redwillow said, his voice a low growl. “Always. Now tell me, what happened?"

Sparrowfeather shook his head. “Just wait- this is gonna sound batty, but you’ve got to trust me, okay?”

Redwillow narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

Sparrowfeather didn't wait for a response, and instead took a deep breath, then called out, “Come here, Hollyleaf.”

She mirrored his deep breath and then stepped out from the undergrowth, revealing herself to the ginger tabby.

Redwillow’s worried expression turned ghastly, but then shifted into something hateful and furious. His fur bristled up, making him appear larger than he already was. Then, he began to stalk towards her in threatening manner. However, Sparrowfeather’s cry stopped him in his tracks before he could take more than a few paw steps forward.

“Leave her be!”

Redwillow halted in place and shot Hollyleaf a venomous glare. Without averting his eyes, the ginger tabby let out a snarl.

“Sparrowfeather,” His gravelly voice dropped an octave deeper. “What did you do? Did you steal a Starclan cat?”

“He didn’t steal me.” Hollyleaf replied coldly, lifting her head a bit higher.

Redwillow unsheathed his claws and then turned to glower at Sparrowfeather. “You better have a good explanation for this!”

The torbie tom didn’t cower under Redwillow’s fearsome glare. Instead, he bared his teeth defensively and replied, “She’s an exile. Thistleclaw wants her.”

“Have you got stars in your eyes?” The ginger tomcat spat, “Just let that fox-heart have her!”

“No!” Sparrowfeather hissed back, “I won’t let him get what he wants. Are you going to help me or not?”

Redwillow looked like he was about to shred someone- whether it would be Sparrowfeather or her, Hollyleaf wasn’t sure. “Do you understand the danger you’re putting yourself in- putting me in? If Thistleclaw finds out that you’re going out of your way to impede him, he’ll make you wish that you’d never been born!”

“I don’t care!” Sparrowfeather's tail was lashing back and forth. “Besides, he won’t find out anyway! He doesn’t know that I have the Starclan cat, and he doesn’t know about your little hidey-hole. We’ll be fine! ”

“You dirt-brained, petty imbecile.” Redwillow muttered, his claws scoring at the ground. “We should just kill her now and save our hides.”

Hollyleaf bristled a bit as the ginger tom shot her a sadistic look. If Sparrowfeather hadn’t been there, she was certain that Redwillow would have attempted to take her life. She snarled, exposing her pearly white fangs in his direction to show she wasn’t intimidated. If worse came to worst, she could take him on in a fight. Her skills in battle weren’t anything to scoff at. 

“Killing her is probably what Thistleclaw wants.” Sparrowfeather growled. “If you don’t want to help us, then we’ll figure out something else.”

Redwillow stared at him wordlessly. Then, after a long moment, he let out a lengthy, exasperated sigh. “I can’t believe this. You’re using me to hide a Starclan refugee.”

“So you’ll help?” Hollyleaf asked, peering at him uneasily.

“Yes,” He sneered, “I’ll help you. But only because Sparrowfeather begged me to. Otherwise I would have shredded you.”

Hollyleaf raised a brow and then walked up to them with her head held high. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

Redwillow narrowed his eyes.

“Let’s not waste any more time.” Sparrowfeather interjected, his eyes flicking back and forth to anxiously survey their surroundings.

“Follow me, then.” The ginger tomcat turned around and stalked up to the oak tree, and with an irritable grunt, sunk his claws into the bark and heaved himself up. Sparrowfeather followed suit, climbing up after him.

“We’re hiding in a tree ?” Hollyleaf asked, bewildered. She supposed that it made sense, in a way. The trees stretched very high- so high that she couldn’t see the sky. Who could possibly find them up there?

“Just keep quiet and climb as fast as you can.” Sparrowfeather responded, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he scaled the side of the oak.

Hollyleaf clenched her teeth in frustration as she began to follow them up. “Would you quit ordering me around?”

“Yeah! Quit being such a bossypaw all the time, Sparrow.” Redwillow said from somewhere above her head.

“I’m not a bossypaw!” She heard Sparrowfeather grumble.

As they continued to climb, Hollylead pondered the relationship between Sparrowfeather and Redwillow. They had been clanmates in both Shadowclan and the Dark Forest, apparently. When Sparrowfeather reunited with Redwillow, the interaction had seemed open and friendly at first. They must have a pretty decent friendship, all things considered.

Hollyleaf couldn't help but note Redwillow’s comment that Sparrowfeather hadn’t visited him in a while. Maybe Sparrowfeather was the loner type? Earlier, he told her that cats in the Place of No Stars were meant to walk alone. Maybe he imposed that belief upon himself. She frowned in puzzlement. Why would any cat want be alone in a place like this? It was almost enough to drive someone mad.

After a bit more climbing, Hollyleaf looked down. The ground was getting farther and farther away. Would a fall from this height kill her - again?

As if reading her mind, Sparrowfeather warned, “Don’t look down.” All the while, his tail swished in her face.

“Take your own advice!" She swatted at his tail with one of her large paws. "You must have been looking down in order to catch me doing it.”

She heard him chuckle a bit, as if his behavior was somehow funny. In a quieter voice, she muttered, “Bossypaw!”

“I’m just trying to help you out." He called back defensively, having heard her comment. "Don’t get your tail in a twist!”

“I’m not getting my tail in a twist! You keep nitpicking me.”

“Are you two gonna argue all the way up this tree?” Redwillow said from somewhere above her, his tone condescending.

Hollyleaf rolled her eyes and shut her mouth.

“Are you jealous, Red?” Sparrowfeather japed.

“Maybe.” The ginger tom responded coyly.

They continued again in silence, but before long the party came to a halt. By now they were a considerable distance up the tree- everything on the ground looked very small, like the size of prey. Hollyleaf was certain that no cat on the ground level would be able to hear or see them from this distance.

Suddenly, she heard a shuffling noise emanating from above her, and then Sparrowfeather disappeared into a gap on the side of the oak. Hollyleaf heaved herself up after him, popping her head up to inspect the the gap. It was a hole that led to a hollowed out space in the tree, big enough for three cats. The floor of the hollow was covered with litter- dead, crunchy leaves and moss.

“Wow,” She said, pulling herself into the hole. “How did this hole get here?”

“No idea.” Redwillow gruffed. “I found it a while ago. It’s my nest.”

“How did you find it?” Hollyleaf couldn’t deny her curiosity.

Redwillow scrutinized her with his beady, unfriendly eyes. “I needed to get to somewhere that I could feel safe. So I began to climb this stupid tree, and found this hole. I got lucky.”

Hollyleaf frowned but didn’t push the subject any more. It seemed odd that there was a random hollow, hidden high up in an oak tree. What could have created this hole? There didn’t seem to be any critters in these woods. There was no way a cat could have done this, right?

Quietly, the three occupants began to settle down. Sparrowfeather laid down first and tucked his paws underneath himself. Redwillow eyed him with interest and settled close by. Hollyleaf tucked herself away, directly opposite from the two.

“How far do these trees stretch for?” Hollyleaf wondered, gazing out of the hole. She still couldn’t see where the sky began. It was eerily dark out there, but the light of the stars in her fur comfortingly illuminated the small space they were all tucked into.

“I don’t know.” Sparrowfeather answered simply.

“Well hasn’t anyone checked?”

“I wouldn’t check if I were you, little Starclanner.” Redwillow jeered. “I heard that the sky up there is completely black. Not a speck of light- just an all-consuming, hungry void. It’ll swallow you up like a tasty meal if you manage to reach it.”

Sparrowfeather snorted and adjusted himself into a more comfortable position. “The sky swallows you? That just sounds silly. What I’ve heard is that the trees never stop. You’ll keep climbing forever, until you either go mad, or decide to end it all by jumping to the ground.”

“That’s mousebrained!” Redwillow replied. “Trees have to stop growing eventually.”

“Who told you guys this stuff?” Hollyleaf asked. Both ideas sounded extremely disturbing.

“Maple -” Sparrowfeather began.

“- shade!” Redwillow finished.

Both toms quieted.

A low growl erupted from Redwillow. “That decrepit, lying sack of -”

“I should have known better than to listen to that mangy rogue. She'll tell you one thing and then turn around and say something different.” Sparrowfeather grumbled, his tail lashing against dead leaves. “Her word isn’t even worth a mousetail.”

“Mapleshade,” Hollyleaf murmured, thinking back to her earlier encounter with the tortoiseshell molly. When they had stumbled upon one another, the Dark Forest cat had questioned her- but not attacked. According to Sparrowfeather, Mapleshade was dangerous, and Hollyleaf was lucky to leave that encounter unscathed. “Tell me about her.” Hollyleaf asked after some thought. “Who is she?”

Sparrowfeather answered. “She’s probably the oldest cat here, aside from Maggottail.”

Redwillow nodded his head in agreement. “No one really knows what she did to get here. Anytime one of us drew up the courage to ask, she’d claw us up real bad.”

Hollyleaf frowned pensively. “And you said she’s a liar?”

“Oh yes,” Sparrowfeather responded, his tone spiteful. “She’s incredibly dishonest.”

“Then why did you mousebrains believe her?” The words popped out of her mouth before she had the thought to keep her impulses in check.

“Well, she doesn’t lie all the time.” Redwillow grumbled. “Sometimes she tells the truth. Talking to her is like eating food from the carrion place,” He stretched his legs out and leaned up against Sparrowfeather. “Sometimes you’ll get something good, other times it’ll look good but you’ll end up puking your guts out later.”

Hollyleaf wrinkled her nose at his vulgar comparison. Across from her, Sparrowfeather let out a chuckle.

“Alright then,” She decided to switch topics. “Tell me about Thistleclaw.”

Sparrowfeather’s amusement quickly disappeared. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and a rigid frown settled onto his face. Hollyleaf almost felt bad about bringing it up.

Redwillow scowled, “He’s a Thunderclan spirit, as arrogant and combative as the rest of you.”

Hollyleaf opened her mouth to make a cutting retort about how Shadowclan cats were cowardly and cult-like, but wasn’t able to get a word in before Sparrowfeather began to rant.

“Thistleclaw is the worst of the worst- he only cares about himself. He’d let the whole forest burn if it meant getting what he wants. If you were bleeding out and wanted mercy, he’d let you die slow.” Although Sparrowfeather wasn’t shouting, there was a deep intensity to the intonation of his words.

“He never cared about the Dark Forest, only what he could gain from it, and who he could use from it.” The torbie continued, “I was his apprentice. When he sensed my loyalty to him and the Dark Forest was wavering, he killed me so I would have no choice but to stay here forever.”

Hollyleaf’s pelt prickled uneasily.

“The fact that he wants to find you is bad news. He’ll probably want to kill you again- for his sick, twisted amusement. Maybe he'll toy with you first, and then torture you for a while. He certainly wouldn’t let you live.” A dark sneer rolled onto his face. “Aren’t you glad I found you first?”

Hollyleaf suddenly felt claustrophobic in the tight space with Sparrowfeather and his roguish friend. Although the torbie had acted normal, even courteous at times, there was a profound viciousness in his eyes that reminded her of his true nature.

He’s a criminal. Let this be a warning to you not to forget that.

She cleared her throat, wishing to dispel the suffocating tension that had slowly crept into the hollowed tree. “What’s the plan, then? We climbed this tree, now what?”

Redwillow too looked interested to hear what Sparrowfeather had to say.

“I’ve been thinking about that. I have several ideas in mind. My first thought is that we try and wait them out.”

“Too risky.” Redwillow interjected. “They’ll begin to get suspicious when she doesn’t turn up.”

Sparrowfeather nodded in agreement. “I considered that. It might make them suspect that she has help from the inside. After all, how long can a Starclan cat wander around here before getting discovered?” He shot Hollyleaf a look. “Not very long.”

“You guys could create some sort of diversion,” She suggested. “I could slip past them.”

“The risk for that is high too.” He turned and looked at Redwillow, who was still leaning onto him. “They’d figure out what we did eventually. Then our tails would be on the line for sure.”

Hollyleaf frowned and tried to think of what other options they had. She could certainly try and make a run for it without any help, but her chances of success seemed slim if Thistleclaw’s cronies were anticipating her arrival.

“I do have another idea. It’s also risky, but I think it might actually work.”

Hollyleaf and Redwillow looked at Sparrowfeather in interested.

“I think that if you got help from inside of Starclan, you’d be able to overwhelm the two cronies guarding the barrier. You would then be able to sneak past. Redwillow and I wouldn’t even have to get involved, and then we can all live happily ever after.”

“Okay, but how am I supposed to get help from Starclan? I can’t communicate with them from here.”

Sparrowfeather’s eyes glinted. “I didn’t say you needed to communicate with Starclan.”

Hollyleaf furrowed her brow in confusion. What was she missing here? “I don’t get it.”

“Dark Forest cats can communicate with living cats, just like Starclan can.”

The sudden understanding of his plan lit up a spark of hope in her chest. “Of course! I can tell a living cat about what happened, and then they can go and tell Starclan that I need help.”

Overwhelming relief washed over her. This was an excellent plan, why hadn’t she thought of that? Sparrowfeather was a lot more calculative than she took him out to be.

“The only problem is,” Sparrowfeather interrupted her. “I don’t know how to communicate with living cats. I don’t think Redwillow knows, either.” Said ginger tomcat shook his head.

Hollyleaf sagged again, wanting to bury her face in her paws.

Don’t give up, mousebrain.

“Isn’t there some way we can figure it out?”

“Yes. That’s where the risky part comes in.” Sparrowfeather replied, a cautious and thoughtful look in his eyes.

She quietly waited for him to continue.

“A lot of us got wiped out in the Great Battle, but there are a few cats left in here who know how to dream-walk.”

“Who do you have in mind?”

“Mapleshade.”

Hollyleaf bristled minutely, shocked at his suggestion.

Redwillow scuffled away from Sparrowfeather, eyeing the torbie as if he had sprouted a second head. “Have you got bees in your brain?”

“Hear me out on this.” Sparrowfeather replied, “There aren’t many cats left who know how to dream-walk. She’s one of the few I can think of.” He paused for a moment, as if to choose his words carefully. “Mapleshade already spared Hollyleaf once. She could have shredded her, but she didn’t. That must be a good sign, right?”

Hollyleaf flattened her ears, feeling incredulous. “Okay, wait just a second. Aren’t we forgetting that Mapleshade was the one who probably ratted me out? I haven’t met anyone else here, yet somehow my presence is known by at least three other cats.”

Redwillow eyed Hollyleaf for a moment, then shot Sparrowfeather a contemplative look. “I know you, Sparrow. You don’t think Mapleshade told anyone. Why else would you suggest such a risky move?”

Sparrowfeather nodded his head and looked at Hollyleaf. “What would she possibly have to gain from revealing you? She might be unreliable, but she certainly isn’t daft. She knows the kind of cat Thistleclaw is. They aren’t friends, or even allies. She doesn’t just blab her secrets like some wayward apprentice.” He paused. “And to be honest, Hollyleaf, I found it odd that she didn’t try to kill or hurt you. That doesn’t add up to me.”

Hollyleaf dug her claws into the bark beneath her feet. “Maybe the loss of the Great Battle turned her soft.”

Redwillow snorted. “There isn’t a soft bone in her body. The only things she cares about are violence and vengeance.”

“Maybe she thinks you’re interesting. Maybe she’ll teach you how to walk in dreams.” Sparrowfeather said, ignoring Redwillow’s comment. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? You talk to her alone. We’ll keep watch. If anything goes sour, we’ll dart and start over.”

“What if she gets mad and then decides to tell Thistleclaw anyway?” Hollyleaf frowned uneasily.

Sparrowfeather shot her a fierce look. “Don’t turn soft and pink-nosed on me now. There’s no good option here. Everything has risk. Unless you can think of anything better, then this option seems the most promising.”

“Just…” She fumbled for the right words. “Let me think about it, okay? I don’t want to do anything impulsive.”

Redwillow narrowed his eyes and butted in his opinion. “The longer you hide like a scared little kittypet, the worse it will get for you. I personally don’t give a rat’s behind whether you live or die. You’re lucky that Sparrowfeather found you and has a reason to want to help you. If it were me, I would have counted how many stars I could pluck from you until you faded away.”

Hollyleaf shot him a hateful look and turned to Sparrowfeather. “Just let me rest for a bit and then I’ll decide, okay?”

“Fine- he's right though, Hollyleaf. Don't take too long. Your time is running out.”

Chapter Text

Sorreltail stood rigidly as the mob of spirits peered down at them from atop the hill.

The tension in the air was palpable. No cat spoke a word. Instead, everyone seemed to be sizing each other up. Both groups had the same amount of cats, Sorreltail noted. Four each.

At the front of the mob, to some small relief, was the familiar face they were looking for: Mudclaw. It had been quite a while since she had seen the fierce, brown tabby tom. He scarcely looked any different from the she last saw him. Plastered on his face was the same angry scowl that he always sported. As his sharp yellow eyes swept over them, the fur on his neck bristled and his tail shot up into the air. He didn’t look pleased.

Next to him was a smaller, creamy, lilac colored cat. The cat didn’t look particularly happy to see them, either. A deep frown was etched onto it's face, accompanied by a critical stare. Try as she might, Sorreltail couldn’t recall who this cat might be. Judging from the lackluster way the cat’s pelt sparkled, it must be an older soul.

As her eyes scanned the other members of the mob, she recognized another face: Ashfoot, Windclan’s late deputy. Ashfoot had died during the Great Battle, just as Sorreltail had. Here in Starclan, Ashfoot’s glittering form was unmarred by the blood and wounds of battle. Instead of looking displeased like the rest of her companions, Ashfoot instead stared down at her feet with a far off, distant look on her face. A black cat at her side nudged her gently, as if to rouse her attention.

The last cat in the patrol-sized mob, the black cat, was vaguely familiar. It had a careful, neutral expression on it's face as it inspected the Thunderclan spirits. Sorreltail inspected his features, and noted the midnight fur and twisted paw. She wracked her brain to remember his name.

Twistedfoot? No.

Deadfoot!

Another deputy who had died a long time ago, long before the Clans had left to live at the Lake. He was the Windclan deputy under Tallstar, and Ashfoot’s mate. Perhaps he might also have pertinent information as to the details surrounding the missing Windclan leader.

Aside from the pale lilac cat she didn’t recognize, Sorreltail noted that all of the mob members had been deputies at one point. That couldn’t be coincidental. Her eyes narrowed speculatively as she pondered why they were grouped together. Perhaps they were a delegated task force to investigate Tallstar’s disappearance. Or maybe they were attempting some form of damage control- it would make sense, since most of them were experienced in handling crisis.

Sorreltail’s thoughts were interrupted when the pale lilac colored cat turned it’s head in the direction of Deadfoot. There must have been some sort of unspoken communication between the two of them, because the black tom turned and scampered away, down the other side of the hill and out of sight.

Where is he going?

Windflight cleared his throat and dipped his head respectfully, “Hello, Heatherstar.”

The lilac cat, Heatherstar, gave him a curt nod in return. “Windflight.” 

From her side, Mudclaw bristled and let out a huff of disbelief. “His name is Wind flight? Outrageous!”

Begrudgingly, Sorreltail couldn’t help but agree with Mudclaw. Back when she was just a ‘paw, her mother Willowpelt had given her a stern warning:

“ Never, ever name your kits after one of the founders. A cruel fate will befall any cat with a founder’s prefix.”  

Naming a kit after a Founder was considered by most to be highly inappropriate- not that any of this was Windflight's fault. He hadn’t chosen his name, and the Thunderclan leader obviously hadn't changed it, either. Whoever was in charge at the time must have been rather lax, because that never would have flied in either Windclan or Shadowclan. Those two were the most devout clans, and both touted Founder-naming as downright blasphemous.  

Idly, Sorreltail wondered if Windflight’s life had been full of strife, as the old saying went. Perhaps that too was also just another fable only living cats believed- like controlling the weather apparently was.

Windflight barely reacted to Mudclaw’s comment. His eyes narrowed a fraction and his mouth was set in a thin line, but other than that he looked unruffled. He was probably used to hearing insults against his name and heritage. Sorreltail felt a twinge of pity for the halfclan tom. He shouldn’t be tormented for the circumstances surrounding his birth.

Mudclaw leapt down the hill, bounding up to them boldly and stopping right in front of Windflight. He had a scowl on his face, as if he was regarding something particularly vile.  

“What are you Thunderclanners doing here?” He spat out their clan designation like it was a curse. 

As his gaze passed over Sorreltail, she felt her pelt prickle. He was a dangerous, antagonistic cat. Duly named -claw, she knew he was recognized for his skill in battle. He wouldn’t dare attack them in Starclan, would he? That wasn’t proper- cats had no need to fight here, aside from friendly spars. 

Back when both she and Mudclaw were alive, the brown tabby had never been particularly fond of Thunderclan. She suspected, however, that his crotchety mood right now was due in part to the current state of affairs. Thunderclan and Windclan spirits were at odds in both Starclan and in the living world, so Sorreltail had heard. Onestar and Bramblestar weren’t getting along, and the tension could be felt even in the spirit world.

“We came to ask you some questions about Tallstar.” Windflight responded crisply. He didn’t seem to appreciate the way he was being talked to, but Sorreltail knew it would take a lot more to rile him up.

Mudclaw’s eyes widened at the mention of Tallstar, then narrowed in anger. He turned his head to his companions and shot them a pointed look before facing Windflight again.

“Tallstar is none of your business, halfclan.” He taunted.

“We have a personal investment in finding out the circumstances behind his disappearance.” Windflight responded, not backing down or taking the bait.

“A personal investment!” Mudclaw growled irritatedly. “Having Windclan blood doesn’t give you a free pass to stroll onto our land and stick your nose into things that don’t concern you!” 

Rainwhisker furrowed his brow in confusion. “Your land? The entirety of Starclan is free and open to all cats, regardless of clan.” He stepped forward to stand next to his great-grandfather. “You cannot claim it.”

“That’s too bad, squirrel-chaser.” Mudclaw sneered. “We’ve claimed it. Now leave, or else.”

“But-” Rainwhisker’s retort died quickly in his mouth as Mudclaw took a threatening step forward.

Sorreltail unsheathed her claws and sucked in a nervous breath. She didn’t want this to turn into a fight! Sootfur bristled his fur and moved to his brother’s side, ready to jump to action if the situation called for it.

“I must insist that you hear us out.” Windflight said to Mudclaw, laying his tail on Rainwhisker’s back as a comforting gesture. “We won’t force you, but sharing what you know with us may prove advantageous for you.”

“Advantageous how?”

“We’re kin to Honeyfern, the first cat to go missing. Her mother stands behind us.”

Mudclaw’s eyes flashed over to Sorreltail. He looked at her as if she was the last piece of prey left in the freshkill pile. 

Sorreltail held his stare with a steely one of her own. She wouldn’t dare show weakness, even though beneath the surface she felt uneasy. She hadn’t expected this encounter to be quite so confrontational. Maybe the previous, peaceful interaction with Morningflower had gotten her hopes up. Then again, maybe she was just being naive. After all, Rainwhisker did emphasize how upset Windclan was.

It doesn’t matter how mad they are. I’m doing this for Honeyfern. 

The thought of her daughter strengthened her resolve. “If you speak to us about Tallstar, we can share details about what happened with Honeyfern.”

Mudfur continued to stare at her, his eyes narrowed in contemplation. After a moment of silence, he took a step back and turned to his companions on the hill. The remaining cats, Heatherstar and Ashfoot, took that as a cue and came down to join him.

Sorreltail inspected the she-cats as they drew into close proximity. 

The light grey one, Ashfoot, stood taller compared to the rest of her companions. She was slender, with long legs and large, pronounced ears. If Sorreltail hadn’t known her, she would have assumed that Ashfoot was Windstar herself. The late deputy seemed to encompass every stereotype of a Windclan cat: from physical appearance, even down to her proud, dignified stature and known spiritual devotion. 

The other she-cat, Heatherstar, was average sized with long, pale, lilac fur. Her eyes were a deep, almost violet blue. She held herself with confidence and a regality that only a leader could possess. 

Sorreltail began to feel a little self-conscious under the weight of their stares. She knew they were appraising her, perhaps weighing the risks and benefits of an information swap. She spoke up again, trying to be diplomatic and persuasive with her words. “We have a common problem. Instead of fighting, wouldn’t it make more sense to work together by sharing what we know?”

Windflight glanced back at her, approval evident in his eyes. 

Heatherstar was the one to answer her.  “Yes, that would make more sense.” Although her tone was pleasant, her eyes lacked any warmth. “Don’t you agree, Mudclaw? Ashfoot? Sorreltail might have a lot to offer us.”

The two at Heatherstar’s side nodded in assent- likely deferring to her decision as the leader.

“Alright, that settles it. We will speak with you.” 

Sorreltail wasn’t remiss in noticing how Heatherstar only said the word you. She hoped that it wasn’t intentional. She looked over at Windflight and noticed that his eyes were narrowed speculatively. He must have caught onto the same thing. He stiffly held his position. Rainwhisker was quick to notice and soon followed Windflight’s example. 

“Come with us, Sorreltail.” Heatherstar commanded.

“What?” Sootfur growled out in surprise. “Sorreltail said we! As in the group of us will talk to you.”

“We know and we don’t care.” Mudclaw snapped, his teeth bared. “We want to talk to Sorreltail, alone.”

Sorreltail felt anxiety begin to course through her. Rainwhisker looked back at her and caught her eye. She shook her head a bit, trying to translate how she felt. This wasn’t good. She didn’t want to speak with Windclan alone. That was asking for trouble, especially after what happened to Hollyleaf. 

Rainwhisker and Windflight shifted backwards, joining Sootfur who had already moved to form a protective barrier around her.

“We must insist, Sorreltail.” This time it was Ashfoot who spoke. “You’re Honeyfern’s mother. Your account means more to us than anyone else’s. Please come with us.”

Sorreltail recognized the logic behind the tall grey she-cat’s words, but remained tight lipped. The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with a bunch of volatile zealots.

“Sorreltail isn’t going anywhere with you.” Sootfur hissed. “If you want information, you’ll speak to all of us. That’s the deal.”

“We can’t make that deal.” Heatherstar was unyielding. “Come now, Sorreltail. We don’t want this interaction to get messy.” 

Sorreltail felt her heart drop as she recognized the menacing meaning behind Heatherstar’s words. This couldn’t be happening!

“Is that a threat?” Sootfur snarled, flashing unsheathed claws at the Windclan cats. “I’d like to see you try. There’s more of us than there are of you.”

“Not quite.” Heatherstar responded, before letting out a low yowl.

Suddenly, feline figures began to emerge from the tall grass around them. Sorreltail swung her head around wildly, recognizing a couple faces but too stunned to connect any names. Deadfoot seemed to have gathered reinforcements, as he had reappeared in his spot next to Ashfoot. 

They sent him for backup. They planned this!

Fear coursed through her heart like a lightning bolt.

This isn’t going to be a friendly exchange of information. They want to interrogate me!

“You sneaky, rotten cowards!” Sootfur snapped as his angry gaze swept over the reinforcements that had emerged. “You’re all schemers!”

“Heatherstar,” Windflight pleaded, his eyes wide. “We can solve this without force!”

“Yes, we can," She agreed, "- but only if Sorreltail comes with us peacefully. We’ll need to speak with her, only for a moment. After that, you’ll all be free to leave.”

“You can’t make her do anything.” Rainwhisker growled, his voice low. “This is not the way of Starclan!”

“Not the way of Starclan.” Mudclaw mocked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “How do you expect us to listen to your side of Starclan when you allowed a killer to join our ranks? If you nepotists hadn’t of deviated from our shared principles, none of this would have happened!” 

Rainwhisker’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Are you accusing us of corruption? Hollyleaf came to Starclan because that was her divine right! If she wasn’t fit for Starclan, her soul would have been immediately sucked into the Place of No Stars.” 

“That’s a load of haredung and you know it!" The brown tabby retorted, "She killed Ashfur unprovoked, in cold blood!” 

“That’s not what Bramblestar told us.” Sorreltail contended, “He said that Hollyleaf confronted Ashfur and a fight ensued. Warriors die in fights all the time, Mudclaw.” 

The former Windclan deputy scoffed. "Bramblestar is just as untrustworthy as the rest of you! He lied to protect her.” He paused to fix Sorretail with a cold stare. “You you need to come with us, or there will be consequences.”

“Consequences for you!” Sootfur shoved himself closer to Mudclaw, their muzzles almost touching. “I’d sooner rip you apart then let you touch a hair on her pelt!” 

Sorreltail hadn’t seen her brother look so fearsome before. Even when he was angry, he never looked quite so wrathful as he did right now. His lip was curled and his pearly white fangs were bared menacingly. His amber eyes flashed with pure rage- the whites visible and his pupils narrowed into slits. 

Mudclaw stared down at Sootfur, sizing him up before hissing ominously, “Would you like to die twice?”

Sorreltail felt her panic spike in response to Mudclaw’s threat against her brother’s soul. Sootfur was certainly scrappy but he wasn’t a -claw. Not only that, but they were severely outnumbered. The odds weren't favorable. Any continued resistance might be futile, and her family could get hurt. She could go willingly, but risk her own safety. Either way, she knew that she ultimately had no choice- she would end up becoming their prisoner either by choice or by force. 

Before the situation could get any worse, Sorreltail took a deep breath and begrudgingly found her voice. “I’ll go with them. No one needs to get hurt.” 

“Sorreltail, no!” Sootfur turned and eyed her desperately. “You don’t need to do this!” Anger leaked out of his voice.

Rainwhisker also looked at her with alarm, but behind his worried eyes there was also resignation, as if he knew she would make this choice. He probably did. The odds were against them. Her family would have to trust her to handle this moving forward.

“I’ll be fine, Sootfur.” She murmured, rubbing her head up against his side comfortingly. “We won’t go far. Right?” She met Mudclaw’s eyes icily.

Ashfoot interjected before Mudclaw could say anything antagonistic. “We’ll just go beyond that hill, there. Not far at all.” She tilted her head in the direction of the hill in which they came.

“See? You’ll be able to hear if anything happens.” Sorreltail said to Sootfur. 

Her words didn’t seem to placate him, but he didn’t attempt to interfere as she slid past him to face the Windclan authority.

Heatherstar gave her a quick nod and turned to lead the way. 

Sorreltail followed with as much dignity as she could muster, her claws still unsheathed. Ashfoot walked at her side, her attention anchored on Sorreltail’s claws. As they walked up the hill, Sorreltail turned to look back at her brothers, but was instead met with the unfriendly gaze of Mudclaw, who was closely tailing her. She turned back around, but paused when they reached the top and peered around him.

All three of her traveling companions had their eyes trained on her. Sootfur looked absolutely riled, like he wanted to break free and run after her. She sent a silent prayer that he would maintain his composure. Rainwhisker’s stare was grave- his deep blue eyes churned with turmoil. He must also feel conflicted about leaving her alone. Windflight appeared to be the calmest of the three, but the swish of his tail gave away his nervousness. He gave her a nod of reassurance when their eyes met, as if to tell her that it would all be okay.

Ashfoot prodded against her side, indicating that they keep moving. 

Sorreltail ripped her gaze away and turned to follow her captors. 

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf eventually agreed to meet with Mapleshade. 

It was a risk, but Sparrowfeather was right- there was no option without risk, and this one had the greatest reward- if it were to work. She only hoped that the dangerous rogue would be as placid as she was during their first encounter.

A reluctant Redwillow was sent off to find the tortoiseshell molly, which left Hollyleaf alone with Sparrowfeather. It was awkward, to say the least. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about him. He was giving her way too many mixed signals. At times he would act like any normal cat, but then the next moment she would be reminded of his criminality.

Sparrowfeather was a former Dark Forest apprentice. The Dark Forest was full of the worst kinds of cats: all of them were code-breaking rogues with no loyalty to the clans. Any cat who would forgo their family to align with nefarious spirits was evil at worst and misguided at best.

Despite his questionable history, Sparrowfeather would at times show rare glimpses of decency. For example, he was courteous enough to try and show her out of the Place of No Stars, and he also helped hide her from Thistleclaw’s cronies. 

As her mother Squirreflight used to say: there was honor amongst rogues. 

Yet, when Hollyleaf analyzed Sparrowfeather’s behaviors and actions beyond the surface level, she couldn’t help but see incredible negligence and selfishness. By helping to hide her, he was using her in some sort of sick vendetta he had against his former mentor. It made her feel like an expendable pawn. Keeping this in mind, it was difficult for Hollyleaf to see any kindness from his end as truly genuine. 

Another thing that kept nagging at her was Sparrowfeather's hatred of Starclan. She would have assumed that being a code-breaker with a existing vendetta, he might have tried to kill her. After all, she was a Starclan cat.

Instead, he 'helped' her. Which was clearly meant to be an act of defiance against Thistleclaw, his former mentor.

His hate for Thistleclaw must surpass any negative emotion that he felt towards Starclan. After all, Thistleclaw had allegedly killed him, in order to keep him stuck in the Place of No Stars forever. If she were in his place, she would probably be bitter about it too.

A chilling thought crossed Hollyleaf’s mind. Perhaps if Sparrowfeather hadn’t of been killed, he might have tried to sever ties with the Dark Forest. Perhaps there was some part of him that was truly good and redeemable. That thought disturbed her, so she tucked it away and snuck a peek at him.

He was watching her with inquisitive hazel eyes, huddled up on the other side of the tree. How long had he been staring?

“What?” She snapped, perturbed that he had been watching her.

“I’m just thinking about your situation, is all.” The torbie tom responded.

“What about it?”

Sparrowfeather neatly folded his paws underneath himself. “A Starclan cat, kicked out of Starclan. It’s kind of odd. I’ve never heard of that happening before.”

“Well,” She mused. “I don’t think I’ve been officially kicked out. I’m a ‘refugee’, remember?” 

“Maybe so, but some of those Starclan cats don’t want you around.”

He was right.

Hollyleaf stared off into space, thinking back to the moment before she got stuck in the Place of No Stars. She had wandered off by herself to the Fourtrees for some peace and quiet, away from the hostile and suspicious looks she had been receiving ever since Tallstar vanished. 

The Windclan mob appeared out of nowhere and took her by surprise. 

They had poured into clearing she was in and started shouting accusations and questions at her. A couple of Thunderclan cats had been in the area and had tried to jump to her defense, but they were cut off from reaching her. Helplessly, she tried her best to answer the demanding questions directed her way, but she quickly began to feel overwhelmed and suffocated by the onslaught.

After that, the mob soon began a threatening approach. An intrusive, sickeningly familiar feeling of distress had begun to take hold of her. It was the same feeling that had once paralyzed her, a long time ago. Her brother, Jayfeather, had confronted her after the Gathering where she revealed her true parentage. She had ending up bolting, both times. It was a great way to escape her problems with terrible consequences, so it seemed.

The mob pursued her- in her mind, she could still hear the pounding of their feet. In her panic, she darted in a random direction- it just so happened to be toward the mist border, and with no other choice, she bounded through it and emerged from a misty cave on the other side. She had given pause, thinking that they wouldn’t dare follow her through, but was proven wrong as their glittering forms followed in pursuit.

After that, she couldn’t remember much. She ran off and hadn’t looked back. Eventually, the exhaustion had tugged at her limbs and she stopped running, coming to her senses. No one had followed her that deep into the forest. At some point the Windclan mob must have turned back, likely afraid of getting lost.

“Hollyleaf,” Sparrowfeather’s voice roused her from her flashback. “Are you alright?”

The black she-cat narrowed her eyes. What did it matter to him if she was alright? He didn’t care. The only reason he helped her was out of spite!

“No,” She growled. “I’m not alright. I was chased away by cats who should have been on my side, and now I’m stuck in this Starclan-forsaken forest! I’m alone; hiding from criminals, code-breakers, and killers... And I doubt anyone has tried to find me.” A bitterness shook her to her core. “They all probably think that I deserve to be here.”

She thought he would get angry at her outburst, but Sparrowfeather instead scrutinized her with sharp eyes. “Why would other Starclan cats think you deserve to be in this place?”

His keen perceptiveness was unnerving. Should she tell him about the terrible things she had done? Or was that too risky?

Part of her wanted to tell him, for reasons she didn’t truly understand. Maybe the weight of her sins would lessen a bit if she revealed them to a stranger. He was a criminal too, so perhaps he had committed similar crimes. A cat like that might not judge her. 

The indecision in her mind kept her mouth sealed. The response to his question was lodged in the back of her throat. She was afraid to open her mouth, lest the truth come out. She peered at him, unsure of what to say.

Sparrowfeather continued to stare at her, awaiting a response. 

Just tell him. Show him that you’re just as dangerous as he is!

No! What sort of repercussions might that have? Maybe he’d trust her even less than before. Maybe he’d decide that helping her wasn’t worth the risk.

The torbie tom cleared his throat. 

“Listen, Thunderclanner, you don’t have to tell me anything. I’m not gonna force your secrets out of you,” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “But I think you should cue me in to what’s going on. Otherwise, how can I help you?”

When Hollyleaf still didn’t respond, he spoke up again. “I won’t tell anyone.”

What’s the worst that could happen?

She dismissed the voice inside her head and chose not to let her walls down. “Why should I trust you? The only reason you’re helping me to escape is because you’re following some twisted path of revenge.”

Sparrowfeather scowled at Hollyleaf, his mood shifting. “I wouldn’t expect a Starclanner, goody-two-paws like you to understand my decisions! That monster took everything from me! If you were in my position you would have done the same thing.”

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “You can’t assume that.”

“Oh really? Clearly your fellow clanmates in Starclan know something foul about you that I don’t!”

Hollyleaf gaped at him indignantly and then dug her claws into the bark. “Something foul? You’re really one to talk, Sparrowfeather. You were sent to the Place of No Stars, for Starclan’s sake!”

“Well this isn’t about me!” He snapped. “This is about you!”

“Fine!” She shouted back, anger coursing through her veins like fire, clouding her judgement with it’s suffocating smoke. “Do you really want to know?” 

He nodded his head vigorously.

“I murdered my clanmate!” 

She paused to take in his expression. He looked taken aback. “I snuck up on him when his back was turned and I slit his throat!” 

Sparrowfeather said nothing at first, shocked by her declaration. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, he asked, “Are you... serious?”

“I threw his body in the lake.” She murmured, the anger subsiding a little bit. Her eyes became unfocused as memories of the event swam through her mind. “I let the water run red with his blood.”

Once more, silence reigned. 

After a few moments, Hollyleaf pulled herself out of the traumatic memory and refocused back to the present. Sparrowfeather wasn’t looking at her anymore. Instead, he was staring at the floor, his mouth pulled into a taut frown and his eyes narrowed. She waited to see if he would say anything, but he didn’t.

“Sparrowfeather?”

“I don’t understand.” He said simply, his voice low.

“What?”

His fierce, angry amber eyes met hers. “You took someone’s life!” He exclaimed. His patronizing tone was like a slap to the face.

“Don’t you dare judge me!” She hissed, recoiling as something painful twisted in her chest.

“I don’t need to judge you. Starclan already did, and they decided that you’re still worthy of their ranks- despite committing murder.” His nostrils flared. “So what about me, Hollyleaf? I haven’t killed anyone. The worst I did was train with the Dark Forest. Why are you worthier than me ?”

Aside from the anger and hate in his eyes, there was also pain. The pain of rejection.

Hollyleaf knew that look well.

It was the same look she saw when she stared at her own muddled reflection in the lake. It was the same look, ingrained onto her face when she found out that Squirrelflight and Leafpool had lied to her for her entire life. It was the look she wore, painstakingly etched, when she realized that Starclan had made her brothers special, but not her.

“Listen, I…” She trailed off, guilt clawing at her chest. “I don’t know you, Sparrowfeather. I don’t know what you did in your life to get you to this point.”

His accusatory stare almost made her fall silent again. 

“When I was dying, I thought I would end up in the Place of No Stars. I thought that the code-breaking I had done was too egregious to be forgiven. But I was wrong. I don’t know why I went to Starclan. And I don’t know why you didn’t.”

Her response didn’t seem to placate his anger. He began to pace in the tiny space they shared.

“I can’t believe this! Here I’ve been, beating myself up over the choices I’ve made, and then you come along! Starclan’s favorite little murderer.”

She bared her teeth at him. “Don’t take your poor choices out on me.”

“My poor choices!” He grit his teeth. “This is a load of foxdung. What gives them the right to judge me? They don’t know what I’ve been through. They don’t know what I’ve had to do to survive. And they certainly don’t know me!”

Hollyleaf didn’t know what to say. As far as she knew, cats who did good deeds automatically went to Starclan and cats with bad behavior went to the Place of No Stars. Since Sparrowfeather had ended up here, then he must have committed many unsavory acts during his life.

But you’re 'bad' too. You killed someone, remember?

She flexed her claws into the brittle tree bark. Murder was against the code. She wasn’t sure if certain parts of the code were more sacred than other parts, but she’d be willing to bet a few mousetails that murder was pretty serious in the mind of her ancestors. 

Despite her code-breaking, she ended up in Starclan. So perhaps it was not a cat’s actions that defined where they went, but instead their moral character. But how would Starclan be able to know who she was on the inside? How could they know who Sparrowfeather was on the inside?

She had been in Starclan for a solid amount of time, yet she didn’t consider herself to be any wiser about others than she had been while alive.

Maybe there was a power beyond Starclan that judged the fate of each cat.

Sparrowfeather was still pacing, a sour look on his face. What he said still echoed in her mind: They certainly don’t know me!

“Well,” She spoke up, catching his attention. “Who are you, then?”

“What?” His brow furrowed.

“You said that Starclan doesn’t know you. So, who are you?”

His eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to get all philosophical on me?”

“Just answer the question.”

Sparrowfeather paused his pacing and stopped to face her. She scrutinized his form. He didn’t glitter like she did, since he lacked stars. Instead, if she squinted, he looked vaguely translucent around the edges of his body. 

“I told you already, I’m a former Shadowclan cat. My father was Oakfur.”

“Who was your mother?”

A small frown graced his features. “I don’t know. Oakfur showed up with me one day when I was just a kit. I think he told Blackstar the truth. My mother was probably just a kittypet.”

Hollyleaf mulled over the information. “Did your clanmates treat you differently?”

“Sometimes. It was subtle, but I could feel it.” Sparrowfeather sat down, seeming to relax a bit. “Shadowclan isn’t the greatest place to live, anyway. All they care about is being the most devout clan. I think they must have been happy to have another little mind to convert.”

“Did you have a lot of friends in Shadowclan?”

He peered down at his paws. “Not really. Just a couple, here and there. I never felt like I belonged.” He paused. “Thistleclaw made me feel like he cared, though.”

“So you met Thistleclaw in your dreams?” She wondered aloud.

“Yeah, he introduced me to the Dark Forest. I never knew they existed. I didn’t know about the Place of No Stars, either. I was young and impressionable and he lured me in. They began teaching me how to be a great Warrior…”

He trailed off. Hollyleaf said nothing, sensing that he still had more to say.

“But over time I began to realize how violent they were. I don’t care for violence. If I can avoid a fight, I will. One day, when we were having a training session, Thistleclaw had me fighting Shredtail. It was my objective to knock him off of a tree stump. Towards the end I yanked Shredtail by his hind legs, but Thistleclaw didn’t like that. He told me I was cheating.”

“I was made to take Shredtail’s spot on the stump. No one held back- I got beat up pretty good. Sometime afterwards, I confronted Thistleclaw. I told him I didn’t want to do this anymore. That I would rather be alone than be with the Dark Forest... amongst other things.”

A haunted look appeared in Sparrowfeather’s eyes, as if he was remembering something truly terrible. It disappeared soon after, replaced by something guarded.

“Thistleclaw didn’t like what I had to say to him. I was his apprentice and I wasn’t allowed to leave. We couldn't agree in the end. We fought, and I was severely wounded as a result. That’s why I have these scars on my face."

She looked at his face. The criss-cross scars looked like they had been especially painful.

"I was able to wake up before the fight ended, but I still had my wounds in the living world. After that, I caught an infection and died.”

Hollyleaf felt a chill creep up her spine. Sparrowfeather’s situation sounded eerily similar to Ivypool’s. If Ivypool had died before talking to Jayfeather and Lionblaze, would she have gone to the Place of No Stars too?

Another thought disturbed her. It sounded as if Sparrowfeather was trying to sever his ties with the Dark Forest. If that was the case, why didn’t Starclan allow him to join their ranks?

Overall, he just sounded like a lonely, misguided cat. He wasn’t violence-prone, so he claimed. What was going on here?

“I’m sorry.” She said, eyeing him cautiously. “What happened after that?”

“I felt like I had no choice but to stay with the Dark Forest. I was stuck here, after all. If I had refused again, Thistleclaw might have tried to get rid of me for good. So I stayed, kept my head down, and fought in the Great Battle. After the Dark Forest’s defeat, I tried to find some peace. Many of us were dead and gone, and the still-living apprentices severed ties. So I began wandering around alone, charting this forest.”

“Until you met me.” Hollyleaf murmured.

“Until I met you.” He echoed. 

The notion that Sparrowfeather could be lying to her about all of this flashed through her mind, but for some reason she found that hard to believe. Maybe it was his intense, convincing display of emotion. Maybe it was his relatable story, one so many other cats had shared. Either way, she felt kind of bad for him. He didn’t want to be here -that was clear- but he was stuck. 

Just like you.

“We better get going.” He said, his tone becoming brisk. “We have to go meet Redwillow at the rendezvous point.”

“Alright.” She said, her mind still swimming with the information she just learned.

Sparrowfeather began his exit, his claws digging into the bark as he slowly made his way down. Hollyleaf eyed his descent warily, but soon went to follow. Trees didn’t intimidate her, but every so often she would remember her dear friend Cinderheart, and how the she-cat had lost her footing and fell.

As they quietly made their way down the tree, dread began to build in her heart. Now they had to go and meet Mapleshade, the first cat she had met in this forest. Apparently Mapleshade was some sort of sadistic brute, though the old rogue hadn't shown it.

Hopefully things would go to plan. She really didn’t want to die twice.

Chapter Text

Sorreltail descended down the hill, tightly surrounded by the Windclan mob. 

Besides feeling afraid and anxious, she was also righteously upset. As her brother Rainwhisker had said, kidnapping cats was not the way of Starclan. In what world did Windclan think they could get away with doing this? There was no need for such barbaric behavior to happen in the land of the dead. As spirits, they were supposed to be beyond the petty squabbles that living cats engaged in.

She peered out of the corner of her eye at Ashfoot and Deadfoot, who were guarding her at either side. They both had grim looks plastered onto their faces, and neither one was looking at her. She wondered briefly if they were ashamed of their behavior. What could have driven these two esteemed cats to act so dishonorably?

Sorreltail couldn’t see Mudclaw without turning around, but she could hear his angry, shallow breaths from behind her. He was probably the most vicious of the bunch, having outright threatened Sootfur’s life. She curled her lip in disgust at the concept of a Starclan cat threatening one of their own. It wasn’t right. 

If she didn’t know better, she would have assumed that Windclan was planning a coup from Starclan. But that would never happen, right?

Ahead of her, Heatherstar walked along stiffly, as if burdened by stress. Tallstar’s disappearance had clearly taken a heavy toll on the old spirit. Sorreltail wondered why the she-cat cared so much about the fate of Tallstar. Were they friends in life? Maybe Tallstar was her deputy.

Suddenly, Heatherstar stopped right in front of a pile of stones, which peeked out from behind tall, moorland grass. The leader turned and flicked her tail towards the stones, indicating that Sorreltail sit over next to them.  

Wordlessly, Sorreltail padded over to the stones and sat, her body facing the Windclan authority. She kneaded claws into the grassy earth, a comforting gesture, but also an outlet for her anxiety. What kind of questions would the Windclan cats ask her? Would they answer any of her own questions? 

Heatherstar sat, and the rest of the entourage mirrored her. There was a moment of tense silence, then the Windclan leader spoke. 

“I’m sorry it had to get to this point, Sorreltail.”

Sorreltail rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to growl. They could have just talked to her, like civilized cats were supposed to. Instead, they chose the dirty route with sneaky behavior and threats of violence.

Windclan's old leader continued on, “We wouldn’t have resorted to these methods unless it was absolutely necessary.”

“Really?” Sorreltail answered indignantly- her patience waning. “I hardly think kidnapping is necessary, but go on.”

“We didn't kidnap you, per say -” The deputy, Ashfoot interjected.

“So coercing me to come with you doesn’t constitute as kidnapping?” Sorreltail questioned, her voice low and scathing. She was not in the mood to argue semantics. “You threatened my family and forced my hand!”

At least Ashfoot had enough of a conscience to look guilty. The rest of them remained impassive. 

Sorreltail continued on. “You know, maybe I would have expected this type of behavior from a Shadowclan cat- but Windclan? How could you all debase yourselves like this?”

An angry rumble sounded off from Mudclaw. Sorreltail’s eyes flickered to him. He was glaring at her fiercely. What she said must have provoked him, especially the part about Shadowclan.

Windclan and Shadowclan had a history of disagreement when it came to their starry ancestors. They would often compete and argue with one another, both claiming to be more devout than the other. 

Windclan contended that since they had the best view of the open, star-filled sky, they were Starclan’s chosen children. Shadowclan would boast that they were the most pious of the four clans, and that no one could match their devotion. Both clans viewed each other as uneducated fools, and would often insult one another or argue about the code and key events in clan history.

“Don’t you detract from your own guilt by comparing us to those flea-bitten reprobates! This is Thunderclan’s mess.” He growled, his fur bristling. “Our actions are justified!”

“Be calm, Mudclaw!” Heatherstar commanded, tapping him with her tail. “We mustn't let our anger make us lose sight of our goal.”

“And what is your goal?” Sorreltail challenged, sweeping her gaze across each one of them. 

The Windclan cats quieted at this, eyeing one another silently.

“What you’ve done -mobbing, kidnapping, threatening- it seems pretty inappropriate for a missing cat- and one from Starclan, for heaven’s sake! Starclan is a safe haven for all of us.” She sucked in an angry breath. “I’m fearful for my daughter, but you don’t see me stomping around, terrorizing everyone!” 

Heatherstar gritted her teeth. “We didn’t gather here for you to lecture us on morality, Sorreltail.”

Sorreltail scowled in aggravation. It didn’t matter what she said. They didn’t care either way. They were too concerned with accomplishing their 'goal', even if it meant acting inappropriately. “Fine- interrogate me then! Let’s get on with it.” 

The sooner she could get away from these goons, the better.

The Windclan leader took a controlled breath and then began her line of questioning. “Fine. Your daughter- she’s familiar with Hollyleaf, I assume?”

“Yes, they were friends and clanmates. They grew up together.”

Heatherstar shot Mudclaw an indiscernible look. The brown tabby returned her gaze with a furrowed brow.

The only reason Sorreltail imagined they’d be asking about Hollyleaf was to understand a potential motive for her laying harm to Honeyfern. But as she had already discussed with Rainwhisker, there wasn’t a motive at all. Hollyleaf and Honeyfern were friends, not rivals or enemies.

“Your daughter- what was her name again?” Heatherstar asked.

“Honeyfern.” 

“Did Honeyfern and Hollyleaf ever have any disagreements that you know of?”

“They were getting along fine,” Sorreltail clenched her teeth, aggravated by the line of questioning. “I have absolutely no reason to believe that Hollyleaf laid a paw on my daughter. There isn’t a motive- not one that I can see.”

Heatherstar had her head bowed down in thought. Mudclaw spoke up in her stead, his voice steely and demanding. “Has Honeyfern ever associated with Tallstar?”

“No! I doubt that she’s even met him before.” 

What are they playing at?

“Has Honeyfern ever ventured onto our moorlands?”

Sorreltail shook her head. “Unlikely- but I’m not sure. She’s a grown cat, she does what she wants.”

Mudclaw turned quickly and whispered something inaudible into Heatherstar’s ear. Sorreltail narrowed her eyes in suspicion. It seemed as if they were trying to gauge if Honeyfern and Tallstar knew each other. But what did that matter? 

Boldly, she decided to begin her own line of questioning. “How did you discover that Tallstar was missing?”

Heatherstar hesitated. “We found his scent. It ended in one spot, so we couldn’t follow it anymore.”

Just like Honeyfern’s scent!

“In what part of Starclan did you discover that?”

Mudclaw interjected, “None of your business, squirrel-chaser!”

Sorreltail twitched her tail in annoyance. Why wouldn’t they tell her where it happened? “Why do you think Hollyleaf did it, then? Was it because she was associated with Honeyfern’s disappearance?”

Heatherstar hesitated again and glanced over at Mudclaw. 

Said tabby tom growled out, “We have reason to believe she’s responsible.”

How evasive! They know what I’m asking! 

“Why? Why do you think she’s responsible?” She demanded, frustrated with the lack of information she was receiving.

“Wouldn’t you like to know!” He bared his teeth at her. 

That was the last straw. Why was he being such a prick? Sorreltail resisted the urge to snap at him and instead rose to her feet, the fur on her tail bristling up. She let out a low growl and stared him down.

Mudclaw widened his eyes in surprise, clearly not expecting her reaction. Ashfoot and Deadfoot leapt to their feet and unsheathed their claws, ready to act. Heatherstar didn’t move a muscle, and instead watched with a careful, guarded look.

“I want some answers.” Sorreltail snapped. “Now!” 

Mudclaw began to retort, “If you think you can make demands of us -”

She interrupted him before he could get another word out. “Don’t you have any decency? Any children?” It was more of a demand than a question. “Honeyfern is my daughter! She’s my flesh and blood, my kit- I would do anything for her."

She fixed each one of them with a scathing look.

“I need answers! I need to know what’s going on. I’m not dumb- you’re all acting purposefully obtuse with me. Enough with the secrets!” She zeroed in on Ashfoot. “If your son went missing, wouldn’t you want to know? Wouldn’t you want someone to tell you any information that they have?”

Perhaps it wasn’t fair to single the grey molly out, but it seemed to have an effect. Ashfoot frowned and looked away. She seemed uncomfortable. Deadfoot moved a little closer to his mate and peered at Sorreltail with speculative eyes. “Of course we would want to know.” He said.

“Then please.” She said, softer this time, “Please tell me what you can. The soul of my daughter depends on it.”

Ashfoot shot her mate a glance. Deadfoot returned the eye contact with a frown. They seemed to share some sort of unspoken communication, because soon after Ashfoot spoke up.

“Heatherstar,” She murmured. “Can I talk to you? Over there.”

The lilac leader arose to her feet with a scowl and padded a few foxlengths away. Ashfoot followed after her. 

Although she couldn’t hear them, Sorreltail could tell that they were whispering to one another. The exchange grew more and more animated until Heatherstar’s hackles raised, and the volume of her voice rose just enough for Sorreltail to hear the words, “consequences” and “can’t trust-”.

“Don’t eavesdrop, Thunderclanner.” Mudclaw growled lowly.

She snorted at his snide comment and waited for the two she-cats to come back. 

Eventually Ashfoot returned to her spot next to Deadfoot, a far-off look on her face. Soon after Heatherstar returned, sitting in her previous spot and fixing Sorreltail with a critical look.

“I don’t trust you.” The lilac leader said.

“I don’t trust you, either.” Sorreltail said simply. 

Heatherstar stared at her for a few more tense heartbeats, and then murmured, “We can tell you some information. Not all, but some.”

Sorreltail felt a flicker of hope in her chest. She snuck a peek at Ashfoot. The grey queen’s face was stoic, but her eyes had softened. She must have managed to convince her fading leader to act diplomatically. At least one cat could see reason.

“Are you sure this is wise?” Mudclaw rounded on Heatherstar, the warning clear in his voice.

“These are dire circumstances. Out of any Thunderclan cat, she deserves to know the truth.” Ashfoot said, shooting Heatherstar a look. 

The lilac colored molly let out a long sigh, then nodded her head silently in assent. “Sorreltail, I’ll tell you- but you need to promise us that what we discuss here will not be spread around. It’s confidential.”

“Can my brothers know?” Sorreltail asked, letting the urgency into her voice. “They’ve been helping me this entire time. I’ll make them swear not to tell.”

Mudclaw shook his head fiercely. “Heatherstar, we can’t just-”

Heatherstar raised her tail and Mudclaw fell silent. “If you think it will help you find Honeyfern, then you may do so: but please be tactful with what you say. This information belongs to Windclan.”

Sorreltail nodded her head. “Alright. On my honor as a Thunderclan cat, I swear I will follow by those terms. If I decide to tell my brothers, I will use good judgement, and I will make sure to swear them to secrecy.”

The Windclan cats stared at her uneasily. She knew that they were putting an enormous amount of trust in her. She truly meant what she said, about swearing to secrecy. As long as the information wasn’t forest-shattering, she would keep quiet. If the information was dangerous, then that might be another story.

“The first thing you need to know is that your daughter wasn’t the first cat to go missing.”

Sorreltail sucked in a sharp breath, the fur on her spine bristling in shock.

“What? Another cat?”

“No, no one else.” The lilac molly answered carefully, “Tallstar went missing before Honeyfern did. He was the first.”

“But...” She trailed off, her mind churning with confusion. Tallstar went missing before Honeyfern did? Why hadn’t Windclan told anyone this? What did that mean for her daughter?

“We found his scent. I won’t tell you where, but we found it.” The volume of the leader’s voice lowered considerably, likely to discourage any eavesdroppers. “We thought that he," She paused, "-had left again. We waited for a while, but he never came back. So we went to look for him, and discovered his scent in a place where it shouldn’t have been.”

“What do you mean, ‘he had left again’?” Sorreltail replied back, perplexed by the cryptic message that the leader delivered.

Mudclaw’s hackles rose, and he interjected. “Wait!” 

He turned to Ashfoot and Heatherstar. “I know I can’t stop you from telling her, but I hope you’ve thought this through. This isn’t our secret to share. What would Tallstar say right now if he knew what we were about to do?”

Ashfoot eyed Mudclaw, her eyes grave. “I don’t know. He’ll have to understand, Mudclaw. What else can we do? She needs to know the truth.”

Sorreltail watched the exchange, her eyes wide. What was going on?

Heatherstar sucked in a deep breath, then stepped closer to Sorreltail. She bent her head closer to the tortoiseshell molly’s ear. “Don’t tell anyone. Swear to me again that you won’t tell a soul aside from your brothers.”

“I swear.” Sorreltail said, her brow furrowed.

“Tallstar,” Heatherstar whispered, “- After he died, he went to the Endmost Forest. He spent a long time in there. We weren’t sure if we would ever see him again. When he came out, he was changed. He knew things that other spirits didn’t- like how to leave Starclan.”

Sorreltail’s eyes bugged even wider than before. Leave Starclan? Not possible! No one could leave. This is where they would stay, forever. Even if a cat were strong enough to project their astral bodies to the living world, they would eventually tire out and be forced back.

“How does he do that?” She whispered.

“No one knows.” Deadfoot answered. “He hasn’t told anyone how, not that we want to know. Every so often he’ll leave for a while, and then come back.”

“Where does he go when he leaves?” 

“That’s his business.” Mudclaw said, his tone lacking the insulting edge it usually had. “I don’t know if anyone knows.” He shot a quick, sidelong glance at Heatherstar. The molly didn’t notice.

“So it’s just you four that know about this?” Sorreltail inquired, processing the information as fast as she could.

“There’s one other cat that knows. Morningflower.”

Sorreltail dug her claws into the ground. Of course! Now it all made sense. Earlier, when she and her brothers had questioned her, Morningflower had been just as obtuse as the Windclan authority were. 

“There’s one other thing, Sorreltail.” Heatherstar said, her voice tense.

“What?”

“The place where we found Tallstar’s scent... the ground was torn up. It looks like he struggled against someone.”

Sorreltail’s heart dropped.

“We weren’t able to find out what happened to him, but we found someone else’s scent there.”

“W- who did you smell?” Sorreltail sputtered, a sudden awareness gripping her:

Windclan’s fierce anger towards Thunderclan.

Their vehement claim that they knew who was responsible.

The way they had mobbed together… It couldn’t be! 

“It was Hollyleaf.”

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf and Sparrowfeather eventually made their way to the so-called “rendezvous point” where they planned to meet up Redwillow and Mapleshade. It was a small clearing, devoid of anything except for a wide, broken down stump that once belonged to a mighty oak.

To Hollyleaf’s surprise, Redwillow was already there, sitting tensely across from an old faded shape: Mapleshade.

“Sparrowfeather!” The ginger tom cried out, spotting their entrance into the clearing. “What took you so long?!” He was hunched up, with his body pointed away from the rogue sitting opposite of him. All the while, he kept side eyeing Mapleshade warily, like she was a rattlesnake ready to strike him at a moment's notice.

Hollyleaf didn’t blame him for his caution.

Mapleshade looked just as decrepit as she did last time- significantly faded, with darkness creeping in from around the edges of her shadowy form. Her eyes looked lifeless and cold, like they belonged to a decaying corpse. The dull, muted amber color reminded Hollyleaf of the crumbled leaf-litter that decorated the Thunderclan Forest floor during Leafall.

Compared to everyone else in the tree-stump clearing, Mapleshade was exponentially bigger, with thick, matted, tri-colored tortoiseshell fur. Hollyleaf was unsure of the molly’s previous clan designation, but she was willing to wager it was either Riverclan or Thunderclan, due to her size and coloring. The latter option left her feeling discomfited that such a vile creature could have come from her own clan, but she supposed that because of Tigerstar, anything was possible.

In spite of looking like a walking cadaver, there was something profoundly dangerous about the rogue. Hollyleaf could feel it in her bones. Despite being outnumbered three to one, Mapleshade appeared completely relaxed- at ease, even. Hollyleaf supposed that it could be a bluff to intimidate them, but she wasn’t so certain. Her instincts were telling her to be wary at all costs of this age-old spirit.

Sparrowfeather and Redwillow met and began to mutter things to one another, but Hollyleaf paid little attention to their whispers.

Mapleshade was staring at her, and hadn’t yet said a word.

Hollyleaf stared back, recalling the time she had accidentally stumbled upon the malicious spirit. Miraculously, she had left the encounter unscathed. Would Mapleshade be as tolerant as last time? Would she help Hollyleaf to escape, like Sparrowfeather gambled she might?

“Poor little Starclanner,” The old rogue spoke up, her haggard voice dripping with exaggerated sympathy. “You must be truly desperate to come to me for help.” Those dead eyes blinked slowly, and Hollyleaf resisted the urge to shudder.

Redwillow and Sparrowfeather both quieted and froze, glancing nervously between Hollyleaf and Mapleshade. Hollyleaf wondered what Mapleshade had done to make them so scared of her. They had mentioned before that Mapleshade had scuffed them up pretty bad, but that behavior seemed to be pretty standard of all of the Dark Forest spirits. What made Mapleshade so different?

“Did Redwillow explain why we called you here?” Hollyleaf replied back after a few heartbeats, decidedly set on ignoring the rogue’s comment. The last thing she needed was to get in an argument and ruin her chances of escape.

Mapleshade eyed Redwillow with disdain. “That one sputtered on about how you need help getting back to Starclan.” Her disgusted expression shifted suddenly, into something more menacing and accusatory. “But last I heard, you said weren’t part of Starclan anymore. Or was that just another one of your little deceptions?”

Hollyleaf’s eyes widened slightly at the rogue’s sudden mood switch. “I’m wasn’t deceiving you before! I really was kicked out! A mob of Windclan spirits ambushed me and chased me here.”

“Oh, the plot thickens.” Mapleshade said, her teeth bared into something that could have been called a smile if it didn’t look so mean. Her pearly whites weren’t so pearly- they were yellowed and cracked and ugly. “For now I’ll entertain this little story of yours. Tell me, child, why did you choose to seek me out?”

Hollyleaf flickered her eyes over to Sparrowfeather.

This was his oh-so smart idea. Let him explain it to the old bat!

The torbie tom met Hollyleaf’s critical gaze and reluctantly took the hint, “Well, Mapleshade, we figured that since you’ve been here for such an awful long-”

“-time…” He stopped speaking suddenly, his eyes going wide.

Hollyleaf furrowed her brow, wondering why he stopped. She inspected his stoney face and noticed fear in his eyes. After glancing over at Mapleshade, it was immediately clear as to why.

The rogue’s eyes were narrowed into dangerous slits, and her long, hooked claws were unsheathed. Mapleshade stared down at Sparrowfeather, her gaze focused and frightening. Underneath the ferocious intensity was something hateful and squirming, as if Mapleshade was letting some of her corrosive soul peer out.

As the seconds ticked by without a sound, the atmosphere grew so uncomfortable it was almost unbearable.

Just as Hollyleaf was about to butt in to try and diffuse the tension, the old rogue finally spoke, saying something so utterly comical that Hollyleaf would have laughed if she wasn’t so unnerved.

“Are you calling me old, runt?”

“N-no, what I meant was-”

“If you’re lucky,” The old rogue hissed, “You’ll be able to get this old. That is, if someone doesn’t kill you for your impertinence first.”

Hollyleaf knew Sparrowfeather was bratty and smart by nature, always prepared with the right retort to make someone itch. This time, however, he remained passive and silent, his gaze locked onto the moist, mucky ground.

“Now finish your story before I get bored of this!” Mapleshade snapped impatiently.

“I- we thought maybe you could tell us how to, uh, dreamwalk. O-or how to astral project ourselves like we did in the Great Battle.”

Mapleshade’s harsh expression wiped clean from her face.

She seemed to think pensively for a moment, as if mystified by his inquiry, but that soon changed as she began to explode into shrieking fits of laughter.

“Oh, this is rich!” She cried out. “What an idea, runt. When’d you come up with that? Right after rolling in catmint?”

Although intimidated, Sparrowfeather appeared indignant and offended by her laughter. His tail began to lash back and forth, and he narrowed his eyes. “It’s a good idea, actually. If she contacts her starry brethren, they’ll be able to help bring her back home, and then Redwillow and I won’t have to risk our lives trying to help anymore than we already are!”

The rogue paused her cackling. “And why-”

She cut herself off and began to hack violently, likely caused from laughing so hard. Her deep coughs resounded throughout the quiet clearing, reminiscent of a dying animal. The rogue didn’t sound healthy, but Hollyleaf wasn’t sure if spirits could even get sick.

Eventually Mapleshade got her breathing under control, and spoke again.

“Why don’t you just take her back to the barrier if you’re worried so much? You mousebrained idiots!” Although sharp and biting, there was still an underlying amusement in her voice.

“There are Dark Forest cats cutting off my escape.” Hollyleaf said, straightening herself up. “It’s too much of a risk for me to try and get past them. If I can contact a living cat somehow, that cat will be able to tell Starclan that I need help.”

Mapleshade’s leftover glee from her laughing fit disappeared from her face. “Who’s cutting off your escape, Sparkles?” She sounded very serious.

Hollyleaf shrugged. She’d never seen either of those two cats before in her life. They were a shabby looking bunch, but likely tough opponents.

“Darkstripe and Snowtuft.” Sparrowfeather interjected. “They’re working under the orders of Thistleclaw. He wants to find Hollyleaf - or so they claimed.”

Mapleshade dipped her head down so her eyes were barely visible in the darkness, and began to score her claws against the mucky ground. “Thistleclaw, huh?”

“Yes,” Sparrowfeather said, his eyes narrowed. “I don’t know why. Maybe he wants to kill her. I can’t think of any other reason.”

After a moment of silence, Mapleshade lifted her head back up and peered at Sparrowfeather. She didn’t look happy. In fact, there was something profoundly bothered in her eyes. “I remember you now, runt. Didn’t you used to be his little pet?”

The torbie tom bristled. “I wasn’t his pet.”

Mapleshade chuckled lowly, rubbing one of her mucky paws against the side of her face in a poor attempt at grooming herself. “Whatever you say, kitty. I’ve been around a long time, as you said. I can say with certainty that you were just one of many younglings he fancied and threw away.”

The look Sparrowfeather shot Mapleshade was downright murderous, like he wanted to rip her apart then toss the bite-sized pieces into the lake. Hollyleaf silently prayed that he would maintain his composure. The comment Mapleshade made about being a “little pet” and “youngling” disturbed her, but she didn’t have time to think it over.

The fading rogue bared her yellowed teeth into a vicious smile. It was then that Hollyleaf realized what was going on. The old rogue was likely trying to provoke Sparrowfeather, but for what reason, Hollyleaf wasn’t sure.

“Okay,” She decided to interrupt before the situation could get any worse. “So do you think you can help me, Mapleshade?”

“Well I could, Sparkles, but why would I want to?” Mapleshade’s attention thankfully shifted away from Sparrowfeather. “What’s in it for me?”

Hollyleaf frowned. She really didn’t have a lot to offer. Information about Starclan was the only thing of value that she had left, not that she wanted to give it away to a sketchy criminal.

Pensively, she asked, “What do you want, Mapleshade?”

“To watch the clans burn.” The old rogue sneered, a mirthful fire in her eyes.

“Can you give me something more feasible?” Hollyleaf deadpanned, not amused by the rogue’s theatrics.

Mapleshade cackled raucously, apparently finding enjoyment from Hollyleaf’s not really, kinda-sorta joke. “You’ve got a sense of humor for a starry-eyed fool. I like that!”

“Thanks, I guess.” Hollyleaf muttered halfheartedly, then a little louder said, “I’m not entirely sure what to offer. Again, what do you want?”

The rogue’s dead eyes stared straight into Hollyleaf’s soul. Then, her tone low with utmost seriousness, she said, “You wouldn’t be able to offer me anything I want. Nothing satisfies me anymore, kit.”

From off to the side, Hollyleaf heard Redwillow whisper loftily, “The old hag’s gone mad.”

Mapleshade didn’t seem to hear the comment. Or if she did, she was too focused on Hollyleaf’s reaction to care.

“What about this: I’ve got a proposition.” Sparrowfeather interjected, “Now hear me out. I’ll wager that you didn’t know any of that stuff about Thistleclaw- him gathering cronies. From what I remember, you two weren’t exactly friends, right? Well, the Dark Forest has been disbanded, yet Thistleclaw has followers. That isn’t a good sign.”

He paused, gauging Mapleshade’s reaction. The old rogue was taking him seriously so far, her eyes narrowed in concentration. “Go on.”

“You used to have a very big following, back when the Dark Forest was around. Although the top leadership functioned like a counsel, we all knew that you had everyone wrapped around your paw.”

A jolt of shock ran through Hollyleaf. She hadn’t been aware that the vicious rogue had been so integral to the formation and direction of the Dark Forest. Mapleshade acting as one of the masterminds behind it all made this whole endeavor seem much riskier than it already was. What was Sparrowfeather thinking?

The torbie tom continued. “Most of the Dark Forest cats are dead now. Almost all of leadership perished, except for you. Now it seems that Thistleclaw is taking advantage of that lack of leadership by dredging up the remaining cowards and convincing them to follow him.”

Mapleshade’s face remained impassive. “Get to your point, runt.”

“I’m not one of the cowards who would follow Thistleclaw, and neither is Redwillow. Darkstripe already tried to recruit me, but I refused. Who knows how many cats Thistleclaw has already gotten, or plans to reach. I don’t like you -no offense- and you don’t like me, but… what I propose is that we set aside our differences, and temporarily band together for safety.”

Mapleshade tilted her head in rapt attention. “What makes you think safety is what I need?”

“Unless you have a secret following that I don’t know about, you’re on your own.” He paused, likely for dramatic effect. “Listen, you aren’t just any cat- especially to Thistleclaw. You’re a massive threat with a lot of influence around here. He won’t like that; and he certainly wouldn’t allow you to join him, either, as it would challenge his leadership. Unless you can make yourself scarce, it’s only a matter of time before he decides to come after you. I know how he is.”

The tortoiseshell rogue frowned and furrowed her brows, as if annoyed by his prattling. “You’re a smooth talker, kid.”

Sparrowfeather blinked owlishly, surprised to have been complimented by her.

“So let me see if I’ve got this straight. If I help Sparkles get home, you and Doofus over there,” Mapleshade motioned towards Redwillow, “Will ally yourselves with me, to avoid joining or otherwise being accosted by Thistleclaw and his gremlins?”

The torbie tom nodded. “Yes, and with allyship, I would ask that you don’t kill or otherwise try to maim us or the Starclan cat. Also, I ask that you be truthful with us. No lies.”

Mapleshade furrowed her brow and for a long moment and appeared to think critically over his terms. Hollyleaf eyed the rogue speculatively. Sparrowfeather really wasn’t asking for much- just feline decency.

It was quiet for a long moment, and then the rogue spoke.

“Deal, I agree to your terms, and I promise that I’ll help your Starclan cat.” Mapleshade said, grinning at them with wide eyes. “Now promise me that you’ll follow through on your end of the deal.”

Hollyleaf’s eyes almost bulged from her head. It was that easy? No way!

“Deal! I promise that we’ll ally with you -as long as you help the Starclan cat- with the contingency that the alliance stands effective only while Thistleclaw has followers.” Sparrowfeather smiled smugly, likely pleased with his negotiating skills.

Redwillow eyed him like he was a lunatic, but otherwise said nothing.

Mapleshade also looked overly satisfied, as if she had gained more from the deal than she had given up. Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Hopefully that wasn’t the case.

“So Mapleshade,” Hollyleaf began, “Will you teach me those two things that Sparrowfeather mentioned?”

Said tortoiseshell molly smiled slyly, “Of course, kit. Come closer to me and sit down.”

Hollyleaf did as she was bid, and sat in front of the fading old rogue. Sparrowfeather and Redwillow, though not instructed to, each sat behind Hollyleaf to watch the proceedings.

“Now, I suppose you’d first want to learn how to project yourself into the world of the living.” The old rogue began, eyeing them like they were pesky, wayward apprentices. “But this is not an easy feat. Just like dreamwalking, it must be done by harnessing your soul and projecting it outwards.”

“Harnessing my soul?” Hollyleaf wondered aloud, blinking quizzically.

“Yes, harnessing your soul! Haven’t those Starclan idiots taught you anything?”

Truthfully, no. Hollyleaf hadn’t yet chosen to explore any of her abilities as a Starclan cat. She’d been too busy acclimating to the fact that she wasn’t alive anymore. There was a lot to get used to.

Things just weren’t the same anymore. Although she could hunt prey, she was never really hungry. She didn’t need to sleep, either, but because of habit she did so anyway. There was a lot of endless roaming, as there weren’t borders to protect or patrol. It was almost as if she lost her purpose that she had in life.

She also felt incredibly alone in Starclan. Her parents and siblings were still alive, leaving Hollyleaf by herself. The closest family members she had in Starclan were Ashfoot and Firestar. Ashfoot was her biological grandmother, but the proud Windclan molly didn’t seem to want much to do with her. Especially after what happened with Tallstar. Firestar was loved by many, and quite frankly it was intimidating to be around him. Maybe they would have had the chance to get closer, but there hadn't been any time.

She still had her nursing mother, Ferncloud, but the gentle queen had her own family to care for now. Although Hollyleaf was happy for Ferncloud, she kind of felt like an outsider in someone else’s family.

There was Honeyfern, of course. They had been friends as apprentices, and that friendship continued in Starclan. But now the sweet molly was nowhere to be found.

Hollyleaf refocused back to the conversation. Thankfully, the temperamental rogue hadn’t noticed Hollyleaf’s mind drifting.

“- and as I said, it takes an incredible amount of focus. Not just any cat can do it alone. That’s why it should be done as a group.”

“Let’s try it as a group, then! Just the four of us.” Sparrowfeather quipped.

“Not so fast, runt.” Mapleshade growled. “We have to be invited first.”

Redwillow spoke up, skepticism in his voice. “Invited? So during the Great Battle you all were invited?”

Mapleshade rolled her eyes. “Yes, you lot invited us.”

“The Dark Forest apprentices?”

“Precisely. Quite frankly, we couldn’t have done it without you.” Mapleshade shot them all a grimy yellow smile.

Hollyleaf mentally catalogued the information, pleased to know that she was learning information about the Place of No Stars and the criminals that inhabited it. When she got back to Starclan, she would come back a hero by sharing every dark secret she had found out.

“Is there anyone alive who would invite us?” Sparrowfeather asked, his brow furrowed in thought.

“I doubt it, runt. Who would want to invite us now?”

Hollyleaf frowned. Mapleshade had a point. The clans were likely schooling even the youngest of kits about what happened, to protect them from dark influences. So, that ruled astral projecting out. “What about dreamwalking?”

The old rogue cackled loudly- what humored her, Hollyleaf wasn’t sure. “We could try that. It’s a lot easier than astral projecting. You can do it by yourself.”

“Great!” Sparrowfeather said, “How do we do it?”

Mapleshade shot Hollyleaf a serious look, directing instructions at her. “You must harness your emotions- rip them out from the deepest crevices of your soul. Hate, rage, vengeance- all of those are strong enough! Once you’ve got them in your clawhold, push them out and reach as far as you can. Propel it to the cat you seek, and then wait.”

“Wait for what?” Hollyleaf asked, her eyes wide.

“Wait to see what happens.” The old rogue said simply, her face stoic.

Hollyleaf glanced over at Sparrowfeather. He returned her gaze and nodded once. “It’s worth a try.”

“Alright,” She murmured, gazing down at her paws. “Could I please have some space?”

Mapleshade sneered at her, but backed up and gave her a foxlength more of room. Sparrowfeather and Redwillow did the same. The latter ginger tom was eerily quiet, a guarded look on his face. He seemed to be unsettled by what was happening.

Hollyleaf took a deep breath, and then closed her eyes.

Hate, rage, vengeance.

Silently, she sought out the most traumatic points in her life. The liquid hate she felt after learning she had been lied to her entire life. The subsequent rage that consumed her like roaring flames, burning at Ashfur- that pathetic coward who tried to hurt her family. The vengeance that compelled her to end Ashfur’s life- to slice his neck from one side to the other, so he would truly know what it felt like to bleed out onto the stones.

As she reigned in her dark thoughts, she molded them, as if they were a sentient part of herself. Then, like Mapleshade instructed, she pushed the negativity out, as far as she could possibly throw it. Who should she contact?

Impulsively, she thought of her father, Brambleclaw. The broad tabby had been justifiably angry once he realized he had been lied to. He would understand. He would know what to do, how to help her. She reached out with her mind, seeking him out.

After a while of searching, she suddenly felt it- her father’s familiar presence. Finally!

Eagerly, she reached out to him, desperation clawing at her heart. But as soon as she touched him, he recoiled, as if struck. Then, he rebuffed her advance and turned his back to her. Why didn’t he want to see her? The rejection stung so much that she lost focus, opening her eyes.

The first thing she saw was Sparrowfeather.

He was leaning towards her, concern alight in his eyes. “Hollyleaf! Are you alright?”

It was then that she realized that she was breathing heavily, and her claws had ripped up the dirty soil. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She shook her head, feeling her heart wrack painfully. Why had Brambleclaw turned away from her?

Mapleshade was looking at her with a mix of emotions- shock, glee, amusement. “How did it go, Sparkles?”

Hollyleaf sucked in a deep breath. “He didn't want to see me…”

“Who?”

“My father!”

Sparrowfeather looked on in alarm, pacing slowly, unsure if he should approach her or not. It was probably better if he stayed away. She needed space.

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.” The fading old rogue said, eyeing her sharply. “- If he’s as much of a goody-two-paws as you, that is.”

“What do you mean?” Her voice cracked. She had felt so angry earlier, but now all that was left was hollow sadness.

“He probably didn’t know it was you, kit.” Mapleshade crooned with exaggerated sympathy, “So don’t cry, now. Your father felt the pull of the Place of No Stars, and he rejected it, like any Starclan-loving fool would. The rules are the same as astral projecting, you see. You need to be invited.”

Hollyleaf stared at the rogue blankly, not understanding what just transpired. Sparrowfeather, on the other hand, bristled and bared his teeth at Mapleshade in a rare show of boldness.

“You scoundrel!” He snapped, “You set us up for failure! If her presence manifests itself as the Place of No Stars, then of course no clan cat will dare to speak with her!”

Mapleshade glowered at him darkly, “I’m helping, aren’t I? Just like I promised.”

“I only agreed to your deal because I thought it would be good help, not whatever that just was.” Sparrowfeather began to pace, agitated. “You tricked us into agreeing to a rotten deal!”

Mapleshade had the audacity to grin at him. “Now, now, runt. Get a hold of yourself. I gave you valuable information! It may not be what you hoped for, but it’s still worth it’s weight.”

Hollyleaf wanted to feel angry, but she just felt resigned. The attempt at dreamwalking had sapped the fire and willpower right out of her. 

“Sparrowfeather, she's right, you need to get a hold of yourself.” A voice rung out- this time it was the normally hot-headed Redwillow who spoke.

The torbie tom turned to him in surprise. “What? Aren't you angry?”

Redwillow rolled his eyes. “You’re the smartest cat I know. Don’t let yourself get baited by her deception- albeit malicious, it was information nonetheless. We can work with it.”

“How?” Sparrowfeather growled. “No cat with even a pawful of virtue will want to speak to Hollyleaf!”

Redwillow shot Hollyleaf a contemplative look. “We don’t need virtue. The Great Battle claimed many, but there’s got to be a survivor left with darkness still gripping their heart…”

Sparrowfeather gaped at him, shocked by the sudden insight from his friend.

Hollyleaf listened on blankly, her claws still gripping into the soil. She looked over at Mapleshade. The rogue was shooting her another one of those toothy smiles, nodding her head exuberantly. “See, Sparkles? Surely you can think of someone vile enough who still has the gall to come here.”

Hollyleaf thought for a moment, and then the answer struck her, like a clawswipe to the face. She did know someone who had survived the Great battle- someone vile enough to accept her invitation. 

But did she really want to see him again?

Chapter Text

The journey out of the Moorland was uncharacteristically quiet. The presence of Ashfoot was the main cause of the awkwardness amongst Sorreltail’s group. The grey molly was escorting them out of the territory, presumably to make sure that they actually left. Despite the momentary peace between Sorreltail and Heatherstar, the faded leader didn’t seem too keen on them lingering on 'Windclan’s land'.

The mood was also tense.

Sootfur kept shooting the Windclan deputy sour glances, and Rainwhisker didn’t seem particularly happy, either. His blue-gray fur was still bristled minutely, and he kept his narrowed eyes glued onto the ground. Windflight didn’t attempt to break the uncomfortable quiet, and instead just trotted on ahead, his face carefully neutral.

Sorreltail thought back to the final part of her encounter with the Windclan leadership. How Heatherstar’s fierce, cold eyes had bored into Sorreltail’s own shocked, amber orbs.

For the longest of moments, the world had seemed to come to a stop. No gentle rustle of wheaty moorland grass; no anxious intakes of breath of the Windclan mob; and no more distant growling from her two brothers, huddled on the other side of the hill.

Only one name, resounding over and over again in Sorreltail’s mind:

Hollyleaf.

It almost didn’t seem possible. Hollyleaf’s scent, discovered at Tallstar’s last known location? The black molly had vehemently claimed that she had nothing to do with Tallstar’s disappearance. Sorreltail had bought into that innocence from the beginning- but had she been wrong to do so?

Hollyleaf had been a close friend of Honeyfern's, ever since they were young 'paws. Because of their friendship, Sorreltail hadn’t once doubted Hollyleaf’s alibi. In spite of the midnight molly’s dubious past, Sorreltail had never sensed any true maliciousness, either. But now, after hearing about Tallstar, Sorreltail wondered whether Hollyleaf’s behavior had all been an act.

“So that’s why you chased Hollyleaf away.” Sorreltail remarked, less of a question and more of a reflection on what had happened.

Heatherstar let out a long sigh. “We didn’t mean for the encounter to escalate that fast. All we wanted to do was ask her some questions- but some of us,” She shot an accusatory, sidelong look at Mudclaw, “Got a bit heated in the moment.”

Sorreltail stared at them blankly. “So what, you scared her half to death and she ran away?”

Mudclaw snorted, “She ran away because she knew we caught her red-pawed!”

Sorreltail narrowed her eyes and huffed in frustration. The whole situation was convoluted enough without hotheads like Mudclaw causing more problems. If they hadn’t of let their emotions get the better of them, maybe Hollyleaf wouldn’t have run away!

But maybe Mudclaw is right. Why did Hollyleaf run to the Place of No Stars, as opposed to anywhere else?

The incident where Hollyleaf had been pursued happened relatively close to the mist border. If Hollyleaf was scared in the moment, then perhaps she ran blindly away in whatever direction was closest. Perhaps she was cornered by the mob in such a way where she could only run in one direction: the Place of No Stars.

“So you said there was a scuffle,” Sorreltail said, a nauseating wave of dismay flooding through her, “- what do you think happened, then? Do you think Hollyleaf hurt Tallstar?”

The Windclan cats said nothing, and only peered at each other hesitantly.

Heatherstar spoke up, “We aren’t sure. Our first inclination was to find Hollyleaf, but the confrontation went wrong and she disappeared, deep into the Place of No Stars. We don’t have a lead anymore. When you came here, we had hoped you’d be able to tell us something we didn’t already know.”

Sorreltail almost laughed at the horrible, frightening irony of the whole situation. Though inappropriate and out of bounds, the Windclan leadership had attempted to do exactly what she had came to the Moorland for: information gathering.

Letting out a soft sigh, she padded on listlessly, anxiety churning in her gut. Hollyleaf was a huge suspect, now more than ever. But thanks to Windclan’s rage, the black molly was gone where no one else could find her. When would she even return? Would it be too late for Honeyfern by then?

The only substantial piece of information that Sorreltail had left to go off of was the revelation concerning the circumstances behind Tallstar’s disappearance- but even that information was partial. Windclan refused to tell her where Tallstar went missing, which would have been her next lead.

What would they do now?

As Sorreltail pondered her next move, the Moorland eventually began to level out. Tall, brown grassland leveled out into soft green grass, and sporadic trees began to appear. Sorreltail knew that the emergence of the Forest meant the end of Ashfoot’s unwanted company. Although the proud, elegant Windclan cat had assisted Sorreltail in leveraging for information, she was still in hot water. After all, Ashfoot had willingly took part in the hostile, threatening turn of events, precipitated by the Windclan gang.

“Ashfoot,” Sorreltail said after a moment’s contemplation, “We appreciate your services in escorting us, but we know our way back from here.”

The leading grey molly paused, then turned back to fix Sorreltail with a sharp look. “Fine, just don’t linger on our land.”

Sorreltail’s brother, Sootfur, let out a snort then said spitefully, “Trust me, after what you put us through, we won’t!”

The group of Thunderclan cats turned to leave, but before Sorreltail could put Windclan and their dangerous theatrics behind, the sound of someone clearing their throat caught her attention. Turning back, she spotted Ashfoot, still standing in the same spot and staring meaningfully in their direction.

Slowing to a halt, Sorreltail called out, "What?"

“Wait," The regal molly seemed to be mulling something over, because after a short pause she asked, "A private moment, if you will?”

“Fine.” Sorreltail responded tersely, then padded off with Ashfoot, still within sight of her brothers and Windflight, but out of hearing range. “What is it?”

The grey molly eyed her with both a level of caution and seriousness that could not be understated. “We’ve tried our best to think of Hollyleaf’s motives. I don’t know about your daughter’s disappearance, but we’ve got an idea about Tallstar’s.”

“Go on.” Sorreltail coaxed, her breath baited in anticipation. What luck! The former deputy must have had another last minute change of heart.

“Tallstar doesn’t just know how to leave Starclan- I'm certain that he knows much more. I fear that he might have been made into a target because of that.” Ashfoot admitted, “Perhaps Hollyleaf tried to get information from him, and when he refused, she retaliated violently.”

Sorreltail dug her claws into the ground, slightly disturbed by the idea. “How would Hollyleaf have known that Tallstar harbors Starclan secrets? I thought you guys kept that under wraps.”

Ashfoot narrowed her bright yellow eyes. “We do keep it under wraps. Trust me, we’re very quiet about it, Sorreltail. You’re the first non-Windclanner that we’ve ever told.”

“- As far as you know." Sorreltail said, pondering the matter aloud, "Maybe someone in your clan revealed it when they shouldn’t have. Do you know what Hollyleaf might have wanted from Tallstar? Information-wise, I mean.”

“No. Tallstar’s only ever revealed to me a smidgeon of he knows, not that I can disclose any of that to you. We never made him tell us more than he wanted to say. All that I can reveal to you is that one day, he ventured into the Endmost Forest, and later he came back out knowing more than the rest of us.”

The silence dragged for a moment before Sorreltail released a long sigh. “Okay, fine. I need to get going. I’m not going to stop looking for Honeyfern. If I find anything out about Tallstar, I will let you know- and hope you would do the same for me, if Honeyfern is involved.”

“We’ll be sure to keep in contact. Good luck.” Ashfoot said, though Sorreltail wasn’t so sure if she could trust their word.

With that, Sorreltail left to rejoin her group, glad to leave Ashfoot and the moor behind. Her brothers watched her arrive with eager eyes, and as soon as she was close enough they both began whispering in low voices.

“What happened?” Rainwhisker demanded, his bright blue eyes scrutinizing her. “Did they hurt you?”

“No, I’m alright.” She assured him.

“I swear, before you came back I was five seconds away from hunting them all down like rabbits!” Sootfur interrupted, his tail lashing in anger.

“It’s true, Sorreltail, you should have seen it.” Rainwhisker said, his whiskers twitching in amusement.

“Those filthy cowards! Just wait until we tell the Thunderclan sector what they did!” Sootfur growled, continuing on with his rant.

“Guys,” Sorreltail hesitated, apprehension tugging in her mind, “We can’t tell anyone.”

If she told Thunderclan that Windclan had acted out of bounds again, there would be an inevitable confrontation with a lot of consequences. It would be a bad idea to ruin the fragile, albeit unreliable connection she had with the zealots up the hill.

Sootfur flattened his ears. “What are you talking about? They kidnapped you!”

“I have to agree with Sootfur, for once.” Rainwhisker said smartly, eyeing her incredulously. “We can’t just let them get away with this.”

Sorreltail let out a sigh, “The reason we can’t tell anyone is because they provided me with some valuable information.”

“What information?” Windflight interjected, his keen eyes glued on her.

Immediately, Sorreltail remembered the promise she made to the Windclan cats. She could only tell her brothers, not Windflight. Her great-grandfather was a very astute cat- it was like having a second Rainwhisker around to help. It was a shame that she had sworn not to tell anyone other than Rainwhisker and Sootfur. There might be some benefit in telling the gangly old halfclan spirit.

I swore on my honor as a Thunderclan cat. I shouldn’t tell him- it isn’t right.

“I’m sorry,” She said at last, “I can’t tell you, Windflight. I swore on my honor to only tell my brothers.”

Windflight blinked in surprise, then nodded once. “That’s alright, I understand. You were in a tough leveraging spot.”

Sorreltail tried to mentally shake away the gnawing guilt she felt at not telling him. She couldn’t deny that she had been warming up to her great-grandfather. He had a very calming, safe presence, and a good head on his shoulders. After this, she wouldn’t mind spending time with him, even though he wasn’t in her immediate family.

“I suppose we should head back to the Thunderclan sector before we part ways with Windflight.” Rainwhisker said, “And then you can tell us what Windclan revealed.”

“I’m dying to know what they told you!” Sootfur said, leaning in and giving Sorreltail a gentle shove. “It must be good, for all the trouble they gave us back there.”

“They’re Windclan, Sootfur.” Rainwhisker quipped, “They’ve always been pompous and ornery. Didn’t I tell you that they were acting like fools?”

“Yeah, well,” Sootfur grumbled, “I guess I thought they would have more dignity than that.”

“I thought so too.” Sorreltail said, glad that the encounter was over. Now she could embrace the safety that came along with being in her family's presence. Although Sorreltail could put on a brave face at the drop of a tail, but she would much rather be protected in a group full of cats she trusted. If Windclan hadn’t of snuck up on them like that, Heatherstar and her cronies would have been in for a good tussle.

For a while, Sorreltail’s group continued on, past the moorland and into the greater zone of Starclan. As they passed through, Sorreltail noticed Starclan cats grouped in clusters, but not many on their own. The hysteria caused by cats disappearing must have spread far and wide.

No one would have anything to worry about anymore though, if Hollyleaf was the one who had caused the trouble.

Again, the thought of her best friend’s daughter clouded Sorreltail’s mind. What motive would Hollyleaf have to do such a thing, assuming she was responsible? What would Leafpool do if she knew her daughter had been ostracized and forced into the land of the damned? How would Brackenfur feel if he died tomorrow, came to Starclan, and couldn’t find his daughter? Stressful thoughts plagued her mind like fleas.

It almost felt wrong for Sorreltail to be doubting Hollyleaf, but the alleged evidence brought up a lot of questions.

Wrapped up in her anxiety, Sorreltail didn’t notice as they began to enter the deeply forested area that was officially known as the Thunderclan Sector of Starclan. It was only when she felt leaves crunch beneath her feet that she pulled herself from her thoughts.

“It feels good to be shielded under tree-cover again.” Rainwhisker commented.

“Yeah, I don’t understand why Windclanners like to roll around in the open like that. They've got something weird going on in their heads!” Sootfur snarked.

“Sootfur!” Rainwhisker growled, glancing at Windflight and then shooting his brother a pointed look.

“Oh, uh- sorry Windflight. I didn’t mean anything by it.” Sootfur sounded more embarrassed than he did apologetic. Sorreltail rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to give him a good wack on the head.

“It’s alright, I prefer the trees too.” Windflight smiled, and his eyes seemed to twinkle in amusement, "I'm half Thunderclan, after all."

Sorreltail let out a small sigh of relief, glad that no one’s feelings got hurt. It was nice to be with family. Sootfur’s brash mouth, Rainwhisker’s quick wit, and Windflight’s relaxed, understanding attitude.

Speaking of family-

A distant, familiar yowl caught Sorreltail’s attention. She perked up to listen, while the rest of the group paused, turning to survey in the direction of the noise. After a moment, a familiar, pale, silver-gray cat emerged into view. Sorreltail felt warmth flood through her at the sight. It was her mother!

“Willowpelt?” Windflight mumbled, his brows rising up.

“Mom!” Sootfur shouted in surprise, immediately rushing over to the glittering queen and smashing his head against hers.

Their mother returned his gesture affectionately and then began licking his the top of his head. “Oh, Sooty!” Willowpelt purred, “I’ve been looking all over for you three! Where did you wander off to?”

“We went to ask Windclan if they knew anything about Honeyfern.” Sorreltail said, trotting up with Rainwhisker and exchanging a quick head rub with her mother.

“Any news?”

“Well, kind of. It’s not much, though.” She sighed, glancing down at her large, white paws.

“Nevermind that!" Willowpelt's tone was gentle, "You can tell me later. I’ve actually been looking for you in particular, dear.”

“Me?” Sorreltail implored, her eyes wide. “Is something the matter?”

“Yes, your son got caught sneaking alone into the Endmost Forest!” The silver molly responded, a frown affixed to her face. "I can't believe he had the gall to try and navigate the forest on his own."

“Molepaw?” Sorreltail shrieked, her fur bristling, “Are you serious? I told him not to go in there!”

She couldn’t believe it- she had made herself perfectly clear that the Endmost was off-limits! On top of that, he had went alone? What in Starclan’s name was he thinking? It wasn’t safe to wander off by oneself, considering the disappearances that had just taken place. And of all places, he had to choose the vast, intimidating, age-old forest?

Sorreltail curled her lip in displeasure. “Where is he now?”

Willowpelt gave her a gentle, comforting lick on the cheek, as if to try and soothe her growing ire. “Don’t worry, he’s alright. Your father’s mother found him.”

Whitestorm’s mother- what was her name again? Sorreltail shot a look at Rainwhisker.

“Snowfur.” He said with a smile, knowing exactly what her look was about. “I’ve seen her before, but I haven’t really spoken to her aside from a hello.” He turned and prodded Windflight, “She’s from your litter, right?”

“Er, no.” Windflight said, looking a little uncomfortable. “She’s my daughter-by-kin.”

“I need to go and see Molepaw.” Sorreltail grumbled, an even drearier mood settling over her. First Windclan was acting up, now her son? “What about Seedpaw, is she alright?”

“She’s fine, dear. She’s been hanging out with your father.”

At least Seedpaw wasn’t trampling about in forbidden places. Sorreltail took a deep breath. “Alright, lead the way, Mom.”

The little group, now one member stronger, padded deeper into the heart of Thunderclan’s forest. Willowpelt’s slender, silver form led the way. Sorreltail marched along, her feet stomping through the forest. She could feel eyes on her, likely from one of her brothers, but she wasn’t in the mood to chit chat anymore.

Molepaw was going to be in so much trouble when she found him.

After a while of walking in silence, they emerged into a small clearing, guarded by tall oak trees. Starlight drifted down from the sky, brightly illuminating the grass. In the center of the clearing was a stark white cat, it’s milky fur glittering vividly in the light. Between the cat’s large paws sat Molepaw. He had a guilty expression plastered to his face. The sight of her son brought a wave of relief to Sorreltail, but also a spike of irritation. He was lucky that this cat had found him when she did!

Sorreltail strode forward with purposeful steps and stopped a foxlength away from Snowfur and Molepaw, silently affixed her son with a look of reproach.

His ears flattened sheepishly and he turned his guilty, leaf-green eyes downcast. Sorreltail let out a long, exaggerated sigh of disappointment, just for the show of it. Molepaw twitched nervously in response.

“So you’re Snowfur, then?” Sorreltail said, turning her disapproving gaze away from her son.

The white molly’s sharp, sky blue gaze met Sorreltail. She gave Molepaw a lick on the head for good measure, and then said, “Yes, you must be my granddaughter.” Her voice sounded kind, but there was something reserved and distant about her eyes.

“Thank you for finding my son.” Sorreltail said, letting the earnestness she felt flow out through her words. “I am grateful for your services.”

“I knew he was yours.” The milky white molly replied, pulling herself into a sitting position. She was as large as any average Thunderclan cat, with thick, flowing fur. Her keen blue eyes turned to Molepaw. “My little great-grandson.” She said in soft amusement. “You can go back to your mother now.”

Molepaw wiggled free from her grasp and reluctantly slunk over to Sorreltail.

Sorreltail shot him a critical look. “We’ll talk later.” She turned back to Snowfur. “How did you catch him?”

“I was already in the Endmost. I saw him snooping about. Luckily, I know my kin when I see them. I wasn’t about to let him get lost, especially after what happened...” Snowfur trailed off, eyeing Sorreltail with interest. “What of your daughter? Has she been found?”

“No,” Sorreltail said, forcing the words out. “We haven’t been able to find her anywhere. I tried talking to Windclan about Tallstar, but they didn’t have anything new for me.”

“Ah, unfortunate. I’ll keep an eye out.” Snowfur rose to her feet. “I’ll let you scold your son now, as I’m sure you’re eagerly awaiting to do so.”

Molepaw let out a tiny sigh, and Sorreltail almost felt bad for him. “You’re right - thank you again, Snowfur. I bid you farewell.” She flicked her tail, indicating Molepaw follow her.

As they padded back over to her family, patiently waiting for them from a distance, Sorreltail could feel Snowfur’s penetrating gaze on her.

She was glad that her kin had been in the right place at the right time.

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf sulked silently beneath the broken-down tree stump, her tail swishing back and forth in agitation.

Despite the intense emotional slump she experienced after performing Mapleshade’s bizarre ghost magic, she had soon grown angry again- as well as discouraged, frustrated, and anxious.

The culmination of the negative energy brewing inside of her had caused her to lash out, yelling at everyone to go away and leave her alone. That’s why the clearing was now devoid of any cat but herself. Sparrowfeather, as perplexed as he was, had reluctantly left with Redwillow in tow, while the fading old rogue Mapleshade had given a loud hrrmph! and skulked off indignantly. 

Hollyleaf wasn’t sure where they were now- probably somewhere close by, keeping an ear out in case anything went wrong while she was busy moping around.

Her dreamwalking attempt from earlier was the source of her distress. She had tried to reach out to her father, Bramblestar, but he had rejected her presence and pushed her away. Mapleshade explained that since Hollyleaf currently resided in the Place of No Stars, her aura had manifested itself with the dark energy that the forest radiated. Her father apparently hadn’t been able to tell that it was his daughter reaching out. He had likely thought she was some sort of malignant spirit, trying to tempt him to the dark side. 

With that knowledge in mind, Hollyleaf tried her best to feel a little better about the situation, but the sting of rejection refused to go away. Instead, it festered and fueled the already existing pain she was feeling over her expulsion from Starclan.

Despite being stuck in the Place of No Stars for a substantial amount of time, no one had come looking for her yet. She hadn’t caught a whiff, word, or peek of any Starclan cat aside from herself. 

Why wasn’t anyone trying to help her? She would have thought that at least the deceased spirits from Thunderclan would have tried searching for her.

Maybe they believe that you’re guilty. 

Hollyleaf bristled her fur in displeasure. She was their clanmate! Many of them had known her since she was just a little kit. Didn’t those bonds mean anything? Did they think they could just toss her aside and leave her to die out here? She had been accepted into Starclan, for heaven’s sake! Shouldn’t that be enough to validate her character? 

Hollyleaf ground her teeth in aggravation and scored her claws against the mucky ground. She needed to get out of here. 

You need to try dreamwalking again. If your clanmates won’t help you, then you’ll need to help yourself.

Begrudgingly, Hollyleaf decided that the voice inside her head was right. As much as she felt like a victim, she needed to pull herself out of that mentality so she could focus on getting out. However, the idea of attempting to dreamwalk again scared her. Especially considering the advice she had been given right before her outburst: reach out to a living cat who still had darkness brewing in their heart.

One cat had immediately come to mind. It was Breezepelt, her half-brother from Windclan.

The black Windclan tom had been ornery and miserable when she knew him as an apprentice. She remembered feeling bad over the way his father had treated him. Over time, Breezepelt had grown rageful and dangerous, likely exacerbated by the influence of the Dark Forest, who had him securely in their clutches. The malignant spirits helped validate and feed Breezepelt’s hatred for his father, and then that hatred subsequently spilled over onto Hollyleaf and her siblings. 

It wasn’t her fault that she shared the same father with Breezepelt. While alive, she hadn’t even really known Crowfeather well, much less liked him. She was sure the feeling was mutual- he was an even bigger tool than Breezepelt.

The lack of connection between Hollyleaf and her biological father hadn’t stopped Breezepelt from hating her very existence, though. She supposed that she, as well as her brothers, were a physical representation of Crowfeather’s lack of love for his Windclan family- at least, that’s probably how Breezepelt saw it.

The former Dark Forest trainee had turned dark and ended up making an attempt against her brother’s life while Jayfeather was performing his sacred Medicine cat duties at the Moonpool. Jayfeather had narrowly escaped the murder attempt, leaving with a horrible scar down his flank. Breezepelt had also attacked her other brother, Lionblaze, but hadn’t fared as well against his superior fighting skills.

How would Breezepelt react to her if she tried to enter his dreams?

There was no other way to find out, other than trying it.

Anxiety crawled along her skin like tiny, pesky fleas. She took a deep breath in through her nose, and released it out of her mouth. She could do this. What was the worst that could happen?

Thinking back to what Mapleshade said, Hollyleaf closed her eyes and began to concentrate. It felt easier this time to channel strong emotions, since she was still feeling very upset from her last attempt. 

Hollyleaf let the harsh, stinging rejection be the guiding emotion she used to channel her energy. She gathered the dreadful culmination of feelings inside of her and imagined it into a giant, shadowy paw. She reached the paw out from her chest and stretched it far out into the black void. For a few moments, she silently probed around, searching for the familiar feeling of the black tomcat. She envisioned his narrowed, harsh amber eyes, and the permanent frown affixed to his face. 

It took a little while, but eventually she felt a familiar presence. Emanating from the presence was deep-rooted anger, caustic and bitter and radiating fiercely, like the rays of the sun. Implicitly, she knew these feelings belonged to Breezepelt. Tentatively, she reached out again, slowly as to not scare him off.

To her displeasure, Breezepelt’s spirit recoiled at her presence just like her father’s did. For a moment it wavered, as if unsure, but then began to retreat. 

Panic began to rise in Hollyleaf’s mind.

No! This might be your only chance- don’t let him escape!

Spurred on by fear and frustration, she envisioned her silhouetted paw lashing out, enfolding his spirit in her clawed grip and desperately yanking him back to her. 

For a moment her efforts seemed to work- she could envision him in her grasp, but a noise rang out in the background, which broke her focus and ended her concentration. Blearily, Hollyleaf opened her eyes and noticed a figure in the clearing with her. Whoever it was must have been the one to disturb her. She bared her teeth in aggravation, prepared to snap at the cat who broke her concentration-

- but then her eyes focused and she recognized the figure.

It was Breezepelt, crouched a few fox lengths in front of her! The lanky black tom was staring at the mucky ground with an utterly dumbfounded look on his face. Quickly, his surprise was replaced with indignation, and he let out an agitated hiss.

“I told you guys that I was done! How dare you-” His scathing voice died away in his throat as his eyes, shocked and wide, looked up and met her own.

(art credit to @vashkobun on instagram)

Hollyleaf was frozen in place. What was happening? Was she dreamwalking? She hadn’t expected this at all. The surroundings weren’t any different- she was still in the empty clearing, next to the broken down tree stump. 

“No,” Breezepelt muttered lowly, “You- this isn’t real.” He took a step back, eyeing Hollyleaf with wild confusion on his face. 

Hollyleaf swallowed the lump in her throat. “Breezepelt, wait-”

“No!” He repeated, this time shouting at her, “Stay away from me! I don’t want to be punished anymore!”

“Will you just listen? I’m not-”

Breezepelt bristled and bared his fangs at her. His eyes narrowed into slits and extended his sharp claws menacingly. “Just leave me alone!” 

As soon as he finished shouting, his solid form began to unexpectedly dissolve, starting from around the edges and moving towards his center. In an instant, he vanished completely, as if he was never there. Hollyleaf felt the fur along her spine bristle in apprehension.

“What in Starclan’s name- ?” She cautiously padded forward, sniffing the air for his scent. Though she could smell him and see his paw prints on the ground from where he stood, the Windclan tom was gone.

Well, that was bizarre.

Hollylead nodded slowly, peering around the clearing, as if expecting Breezepelt to pop out of some shadow or something.

Go and tell your friends about this. They’ll know what’s going on.

Hollyleaf was doubtful, but knew it was the most logical choice. Maybe Mapleshade could tell her what happened. Maybe she had just dreamwalked. She flicked her tail contemplatively, then turned away and headed back in the direction she saw Sparrowfeather retreat off to.

“You did what ?” Mapleshade exclaimed, looking at her as if she had grown a second tail. 

“I reached out with my emotions, and when Breezepelt tried to turn away like my dad did, I grabbed him. Then he just appeared in the clearing with me.”

“That’s what I thought you said.” The old rogue said, leaning up and scratching her back against a skeletal pine tree.

Sparrowfeather paused his back and forth pacing to scrutinize Mapleshade. “So that wasn’t dreamwalking?”

“No, runt,” Mapleshade curled her lip, “Didn’t you listen to anything I said before? Dreamwalking happens in a living cat’s dreams, not here in the Place of No Stars.”

“Then what did the Starclanner do?” Redwillow spoke up, a skeptical brow raised. “This is so weird.”

Hollyleaf agreed. This was really weird, but for all intents and purposes it seemed to fulfill the same end goal: talking to Breezepelt- in spite of the fact that he totally freaked out and disappeared, like a snowflake melting on her paw.

“She must have summoned him here.” Mapleshade’s whiskers twitched, and a smile began inching its way onto her face. 

Hollyleaf didn’t like that look.

“But you said that spirits from the Place of No Stars had to be invited into another cat’s dreams.” She ground her teeth in frustration.

“Yes,” Mapleshade gruffed out. “That point still stands, Sparkles.”

“But-”

“Listen here, kitty.” The rogue interrupted Hollyleaf with a condescending rumble. “You all assume that I’m old, which may or may not be true- but regardless, what do I look like? A magic expert?”

From off to the side, Hollyleaf heard Redwillow mutter a "yes" under his breath.

The fading rogue continued. “Cats can be summoned here, but it’s never by force. Everyone has a choice, you see? Follow the light, like some dimwitted moth, or brave the darkness that exists in your heart. Breezepelt must not have been able to resist coming back here.”

Sparrowfeather rolled his eyes and snorted. “I doubt it. No one wants to be here.”

Mapleshade let out a sharp, humorless cackle. “All of you little Dark Forest apprentices wanted to be here! Now look- you’re all turning tail and wishing to go back to your milk-mothers. Why don’t you just embrace the choice you made and stick with it?”

Hollyleaf bristled a bit at the old cat’s brazen choice of words. To the side, she noticed Sparrowfeather stiffen and Redwillow glower at the tortoiseshell molly.

Clearing her throat, Hollyleaf decided to interject. “When I brought him here, Breezepelt said that he was done, and that he didn’t want to be punished anymore.”

Mapleshade sneered, her yellow teeth gleaming out, “Oh, how sad. The little thing can’t even live with himself, can he? I think you should try him again.”

“Now?”

“No, give him some time, kit. He might not even be sleeping anymore.”

Well that was certainly true. Hollyleaf furrowed her brow, thinking back to the interaction with Breezepelt. He didn’t seem happy to see her, but yet she wasn’t entirely sure if he knew what was going on. Perhaps he thought he was having some sort of nightmare. Maybe he was being tortured by his own guilt, over the choices he made in life.

“In the meantime,” Mapleshade drawled out, batting her lashes, “I’ve got a plan. Sparkles and I are going to go and meet up with one of my friends, while Doofus and his little runt are going to go on a special spying mission.”

Redwillow narrowed his eyes. “If by Doofus you mean me, then absolutely not.”

The rogue’s eyes flashed, and she rounded on the ginger tom. “We’re all supposed to work together, aren’t we? Go with that one,” She indicated towards Sparrowfeather, “and sneak up on Thistleclaw’s army of minions. Eavesdrop on them, then come back and tell us something good.”

Redwillow opened his mouth to retort, but Sparrowfeather beat him to it. “I can’t go. It’ll look suspicious if we get caught, since they saw me recently. Just send Redwillow, alone.”

“Seriously, Sparrow?” Redwillow growled, eyeing him up. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”

Secretly, Hollyleaf was glad that Sparrowfeather wanted to go with her and Mapleshade. She didn’t want to be alone with the old rogue. “Who is your friend? I’m not sure that I want to meet any more Dark Forest cats, Mapleshade. No offense.”

“His name is Maggottail.”

“Maggottail?” Sparrowfeather bit out, his eyes narrowed speculatively. “I didn’t know you guys were friends.”

“I didn’t know that she had friends at all.” Redwillow muttered, barely audible. Mapleshade didn’t seem to catch his snide insult, but Hollyleaf glared at him nonetheless. The last thing they needed was the temporary peace to shatter.

“Who’s Maggottail?” Hollyleaf asked, wrinkling her nose at the awful name. Who would give their kit such a horrible prefix?

“He’s the oldest spirit here, dear.” Mapleshade’s eyes gleamed, and she shot Hollyleaf a wide, toothy grin. “He knows everything, for sure. You want help, don’t you?”

“Well,” Hollyleaf paused, mulling it over. “How do you know we can trust him?”

“He doesn’t care about much of anything anymore. He’s got nothing to gain by tattling on you! We’re friends, you see… as much as you can be, in a place like this. He won’t cross me.” The old rogue prattled on, her big matted tail swishing back and forth.

Hollyleaf shot Sparrowfeather a look. He returned her look with a shrug. “Why not?”

“I can’t believe you guys are sending me off to go and do the grunt work.” Redwillow glowered at them, though he didn’t seem to be particularly upset. Maybe he was looking forward to getting as far away from Mapleshade as he could.

“Come on, Red.” Sparrowfeather trotted forward and butted his head against the ginger tom’s side. “Cheer up, at least you won’t have to meet with dusty old Maggottail.”

“Right,” Redwillow snorted. “No more creepy corpse cats for me!”

“Be quiet, you ungrateful worm!” Mapleshade snapped, though she lacked the usual venom in her voice. “You’re going to be a creepy corpse cat one day, if you even make it that long.”

Hollyleaf snorted and tried to hide the smile inching onto her face from hearing ‘creepy corpse cat’. It sounded like something Jayfeather might say.

She felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of her brother. It was hard, being stuck in this place. It was hard being in Starclan, too. She missed her family so much. Would she ever get to see them again? Maybe this Maggottail cat could help her understand the nuances behind communicating with the living, until she made another attempt at dreamwalking with Breezepelt.

Chapter Text

After pushing through the towering oak trees and rejoining the rest of her family, Sorreltail turned around and shot Molepaw a stern look. The little black tom guiltily met her gaze for a moment, but then dropped eye contact and looked down at his paws.

“Molepaw,” Sorreltail said pointedly, “I told you not to go into the Endmost Forest.”

“I know.” He responded, his eyes still downcast and face directed away from her.

Sorreltail resisted the urge to huff in frustration, as she knew she had an audience. “I also told you not to wander past the Thunderclan sector alone!” She said sharply, her tail beginning to swish back and forth in irritation.

This time Molepaw didn’t respond. He frowned and furrowed his brow, still refusing to look at her.

Annoyed with his silence, Sorreltail continued, “It’s not safe for you to be wandering around by yourself. Something could have happened to you! Why didn’t you listen to me, Molepaw?”

The little black tomcat finally looked up at her. She could see simmering anger bubbling up in his leaf-green eyes, “I was just trying to help!” He muttered indignantly, “I can handle myself, you know- I’m not a kit!”

No, but you’ll always be my kit. She thought to herself, a terrible pang of sadness running through her chest. She couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to another one of her children. “There are other ways to help without putting yourself in danger!” She snapped, “I don’t want what happened to Honeyfern to happen to you, too.”

Molepaw’s eyes narrowed and his neck fur bristled a bit. “I won’t get lost! I know this place like the back of my paw. She’s probably just lost in the Endmost. Where else could she possibly be?”

Sorreltail opened her mouth to answer, but paused in apprehension. What would she say to Molepaw? That Honeyfern might not just be missing, but instead lost forever?

The information she learned from Windclan was still weighing heavily on her mind. Although she clung to hope that her daughter might pop up somewhere, the truth about Tallstar’s disappearance cast a shadow over that.

Suddenly a voice piped up- it was her mother, Willowpelt, coming to her aid. “Molepaw,” The silver-white molly sighed, “Even if Honeyfern is in the Endmost, you shouldn’t be sneaking off and scaring your mother like that!”

Molepaw flattened his ears at his grandmother’s chiding. “I know, but I was tired of sitting around! Honeyfern’s been gone too long, and the Endmost is our best shot.”

Sorreltail felt a wash of sympathy for her son. “You haven’t been sitting around. You’ve been looking around Starclan for clues-”

“That’s not enough!” He interrupted with a loud, resounding shout, “Don’t you understand?” His soft eyes turned both vulnerable and furious at the same time, “She’s my littermate! I have to do something!” His voice wavered at the end, and the clearing fell into an awkward silence.

Molepaw’s head ducked down again, and crestfallen look fell over his face. Sorreltail felt some of her anger wash away. She knew that Molepaw was stressed out, but she hadn’t realized how much of a toll it was taking on him.

“Oh, Molepaw.” She inched forward carefully and rasped her tongue along the top of his head. Molepaw just gazed off into space, a mixture of emotions swimming on his youthful face.

Sorreltail’s eyes flickered to gauge the reactions of the rest of her family, who were clustered together and watching the proceedings. Her brother Rainwhisker was peering sympathetically at Molepaw, while Sootfur just appeared uncomfortable with the whole situation. Windflight kept zoning out and shooting glances at the clearing where Snowfur had been, and Willowpelt kept looking back and forth between her and Molepaw, pity reflecting in her unusually blue eyes.

Turning back to her son, Sorreltail murmured, “I know it’s hard right now,” She rested her chin against the top of Molepaw’s head, “But we all need to take precautions to ensure our safety. The Endmost Forest is very old and vast. It hasn’t been charted before- not by any spirit. What if you had wandered into it by yourself and gotten lost? What if Snowfur hadn’t been around to find you? Then we wouldn’t know where you were, and there would be two cats missing instead of one.”

After a long moment of quiet, Molepaw let out a sigh of resignation. It appeared that her logic was getting through to him. “I’m sorry, mom.” He said sadly, “I was just trying to help.”

“I know.” Sorreltail sighed as well, sagging under the crushing weariness that weighed down on her spirit. “I’m glad that Snowfur found you.”

Molepaw wrinkled his nose at the mention of the sparkling white molly. “I don’t like her very much.”

“Why?” Sorreltail resisted the urge to smirk at her son’s blunt honesty.

“She kept fussing over me like I was a tiny little newborn.” He rolled his eyes. “And she talks kind of weird.”

“Well, she’s an old spirit, Molepaw. It’s possible that she's been living a solitary life in the Endmost. She might not be used to interacting with others.”

The black tom shrugged with a thoughtful, faraway look in his eyes, and then the clearing fell quiet again.

After another moment, Willowpelt spoke up again. “Why don’t I take Molepaw with me to go and see Whitestorm and Seedpaw?” The silver-white molly blinked kindly at Molepaw, “Your sister has been wondering where you are.”

Molepaw flicked his tail noncommittally. He didn’t seem too interested one way or the other. “Sure, I guess so. I haven’t seen Seedpaw in a little bit.”

Sorreltail shot her mother a grateful look. Although Molepaw seemed sorry for his reckless behavior, Sorreltail couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t wander off again. She could tell that he was feeling very restless and antsy. If he was with her parents, then they could keep a helpful eye on him.

“I think I’ll tag along with you two.” Windflight spoke up, his voice quiet. “I’d like to talk to my grandson.”

Presumably, Windflight was also trying to give Sorreltail and her brothers some space to talk privately about the Windclan encounter. Earlier, she had brought up the oath she made to the Windclan leadership, and how she could only tell her brothers what transpired. The old, half-clan tom hadn’t put up a fight about it, but she could tell he was disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to find out what happened.

Although they hadn’t spent much time together, Sorreltail was growing fond of the old spirit. He was just like her brother, Rainwhisker, so it was easy to get along with him. She also respected how he had volunteered to keep on looking for Honeyfern, even when many other Starclan cats had given up. Maybe after all of this was over, they could be friends with one another.

Willowpelt and Molepaw arose, ready to leave together. Sorreltail bid her son farewell, adding in a firm warning not to wander off again. Hopefully he would listen to her this time. Molepaw nodded his head seriously, and scampered after his grandmother and Windflight. Sorreltail watched them go, waiting until they were out of sight.

Rainwhisker turned to look at her with sharp, evaluating eyes. “Sorreltail, what happened? What did you find out from those Windclan cats?”

She sucked in a deep breath, steadying her nerves. “I can tell you, but both of you need to swear to me that you won’t tell anyone else.”

Rainwhisker shot Sootfur a skeptical look, who returned it in puzzlement. “Why do we need to swear?”

“The information they told me was rather serious.” Sorreltail said, recalling the effort it took to get them to spill their information, “They wouldn’t tell me unless I swore. I told them that on my honor as a Thunderclan cat, I would make you guys swear too.”

Rainwhisker twitched his whiskers in thought, “This must be important, if they’re making you resort to secrecy.” He seemed to think it over for a moment before responding, “Fair enough. I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

Sootfur straightened up, looking between his two siblings. “I swear too! I won’t tell a soul.”

“Okay,” She said, immediately feeling reassured. She looked back and forth quickly to make sure they were alone, then said, “Windclan told me that Tallstar went missing before Honeyfern did, and that they found Hollyleaf’s scent at the scene of the crime.”

Sootfur’s eyes bulged wide, “Scene of the crime? No way! Where did they find the scent?”

To his left, Rainwhisker looked unsettled- his ears were flattened against his head. “How could they keep that information to themselves? That would have been helpful to know a long time ago!”

Sorreltail silently agreed with her brother. It was wrong of Windclan to withhold those crucial details. “They wouldn’t tell me where they found the scent. All they said was that it was in a place where it shouldn’t have been.” Sorreltail said, thinking back to the conversation she had with Heatherstar.

“How do they know it was a crime scene, then? Maybe Hollyleaf just happened to pass by the same place as Tallstar did.” Rainwhisker’s eyes were narrowed speculatively.

“They said the ground was torn up…” Sorreltail whispered, “- as if there had been a struggle.”

Rainwhisker looked disturbed. He began muttering to himself, as if verbalizing his thoughts. “A place where Tallstar shouldn’t have been… Where could that be?”

“No idea.” Sorreltail responded. “As far as I’m aware, there isn’t anywhere in Starclan where you’re not supposed to go… but that brings up the other thing they told me- one of the biggest reasons why I had to swear.”

Both brothers stilled and eyed her with interest.

“Tallstar allegedly knows stuff about Starclan that other spirits don’t.”

“Like?” Sootfur asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Like how to leave.” She said seriously.

“Uh, no,” Rainwhisker shook his blue-gray head. “That’s impossible. Starclan cats can’t just ‘leave’. It doesn’t work that way.” He didn’t look or sound completely convinced, though. His statement seemed more like a halfhearted reassurance.

“Well, apparently Tallstar can leave. Ashfoot was afraid that he was targeted for that. Or for some other secret that he knew.”

“This is crazy!” Sootfur exclaimed. “How did Tallstar figure out how to leave Starclan?”

Sorreltail twitched the tip of her tail nervously. “Allegedly he went into the Endmost and came out knowing a lot of new information.”

If she had been uncomfortable about the Endmost Forest before, she was downright disturbed by it now. What secrets lurked within the twisting, misty maze of trees? How did Tallstar come across that information from within the forest’s depths?

Rainwhisker seemed to be wondering the same thing, because he added, “I feel like there’s a lot we don’t know about the Endmost Forest.”

“You’re telling me.” Sootfur muttered. “Okay then, so they found Hollyleaf’s scent. Why would Hollyleaf care about Tallstar’s secrets?”

Sorreltail shrugged. “That’s the part that isn’t adding up.”

“Maybe she wanted to leave Starclan.” Sootfur responded under his breath.

Sorreltail couldn’t fathom why any cat would want to leave. There wasn’t any reason for it. The clans were a safe-haven, full of family who loved and cared about you.

Suddenly, Rainwhisker straightened up and looked at Sootfur. “Actually, you know what? That could be the motive. Maybe Hollyleaf did want to leave Starclan. Let’s say she confronted Tallstar and got it out of him by force, then made him fade away so he wouldn’t tell anyone about what she did.”

Sorreltail peered incredulously at Rainwhisker, “But how would Honeyfern factor into that?”

“... Maybe she was a witness to the crime.”

The group fell silent.

The hypothetical motive that Rainwhisker posed unsettled Sorreltail. Starclan cats weren't supposed to do such terrible things. How could she possibly contemplate that as a viable scenario? If Hollyleaf had actually acted in such a violent manner, then both Tallstar and Honeyfern were likely to be dead and gone forever.

The only problem with that line of thinking was that there was no conclusive way to know what happened, and paranoid speculation wasn't doing Sorreltail any good. In order to figure the truth out, she would need to get a better idea as to what Hollyleaf’s true nature was. But that was a problem- their main suspect was missing. Hollyleaf was hidden away somewhere in the Place of No Stars. Sorreltail could try and find Hollyleaf herself, but it would be a risky move to traverse the forest of villainous ex-clan cats. On top of that, what if Hollyleaf was actually responsible? That would double the risk factor.

Another thing that Sorreltail needed to do was identify where Tallstar’s scent was last found. She supposed she could try and get that information out of Windclan again, but they seemed pretty adamant about not revealing where they found it.

“What should we do now?” Sootfur broke the uneasy silence, eyeing both of his siblings.

Rainwhisker merely looked at Sorreltail. “What do you think?”

Sorreltail was quiet for a moment. “I think that we should investigate this. As it stands, we don’t have enough information to come to any conclusion. We need to figure out more about Hollyleaf. Merely finding her scent at the scene of a potential crime doesn’t incriminate her, you know?”

Rainwhisker nodded his head slowly. “I suppose you’re right. How do you plan on investigating Hollyleaf?”

“Go and ask her mother.” Sootfur butted in. “Who would know Hollyleaf better than her own kin?”

Sorreltail eyed Sootfur in surprise. That was actually a great, albeit obvious idea. Leafpool would definitely be able to attest to what Hollyleaf’s true nature was. But would it be wise to let the still-living medicine cat know what was going on in the land of the dead?

“Good idea, Sootfur.” Rainwhisker responded, “Sorreltail, you’d need to go to the Dreampool for that.”

“The Dreampool, huh?” Sorreltail chewed on her lip. She didn’t have any experience with the Dreampool. She hadn’t even been there herself. All she knew about it was from idle conversation from other Starclan cats; that the pool was used in most of the communication with the living.

“Would you guys be able to help me use it?” She asked, “I don’t know how to work it.”

“Neither do I.” Sootfur grunted.

Rainwhisker shot her a reassuring smile. “You won’t need our help. There are Guardians that watch over the pool and help spirits like you that haven’t used it before.”

“Great, then let’s go.”

The Dreampool was a magnificently beautiful, completely reflective pond, about the same size as the Moonpool. It’s perfect reflection displayed the glittering stars from the sky above. The pond was surrounded by soft grass, vibrant flowers and flat stones, each one a different shade of desaturated blue. Sorreltail hadn’t seen anything like it before.

Near the edge of the pool, she noticed a familiar, still figure, curled up as if asleep. Upon closer inspection, -and to her surprise- she noticed it was Ashfoot, the elegant, gray Windclan deputy from earlier. She began to make soft steps towards the molly, but was intercepted quickly by a bulky grey shape.

“Do not disturb her.”

Sorreltail turned to eye the figure who stopped her. It was a disheveled looking grey cat with dark speckles and light blue eyes. She had never seen him before. He appeared aged, but his stars still shone brightly.

The grey cat spoke again, “Are you here to use to Dreampool?”

"Yes.” Sorreltail said confidently, straightening up and meeting the stranger’s eyes.

“What about those two?” The grey cat said, peering over Sorreltail’s shoulder and inspecting her brothers.

“We’re just here to keep her company.” Rainwhisker responded, trying to keep his voice light. Sootfur nodded his head vigorously.

“If you’re not using the pool, then you need to leave.” The grey cat gruffed sternly.

“But-”

“No exceptions! You’ll disturb the peace here.” The cat’s gravelly voice was hard and unyielding.

A second stranger emerged out of nowhere, padding over to stand next to the speckled gray cat. This one was much lighter gray, with long, flowing fur, and bright amber eyes. “Don’t be so mean to them.” He chided playfully.

“Every cat must follow the rules.” The speckled gray one responded, albeit a little less stern than before.

“It’s fine.” Sorreltail responded, turning to her brothers. “I’ll see you two when I'm done.”

They both eyed her carefully, before saying a goodbye and padding away from the Dreampool.

She turned back to the cats she’d never met before. They were looking at her with interest. ‘I’m Sorreltail," She said, "- who are you two?”

“I’m Featherwhisker.” The lighter, longer-furred one replied, his eyes crinkled and voice friendly.

“Goosefeather.” The speckled one grunted, clearly the more serious between the two of them. “We’re resident Guardians of this place. Have you ever used the Dreampool before?”

Sorreltail shook her head. “I haven’t been dead long enough to learn.”

“Then we'll give you the run-down about this place, Sorreltail." Featherwhisker blinked at her with his kind, twinking eyes and took a seat. "The Dreampool is a tool that we use to communicate with the living. You can walk in dreams, whisper prophecies, or even astral project your body back to the Lake.”

“Wow,” Sorreltail murmured. “This is where all the magic happens.”

“It’s not ‘magic’,” Goosefeather grumbled. “- it takes concentration, mental skill, and spiritual prowess to use this pool. Not everyone can do it. Most can only Dreamwalk or whisper in the ears of the living.”

Featherwhisker nodded. “He’s right, you might only be able to Dreamwalk. Keeping that in mind, do you still wish to proceed?”

“Yes,” Sorreltail responded. "Dreamwalking is what I wanted to do, anyway."

“Good!" Feathertail said, his light voice turning a little more serious. "Now as Guardians, it’s our responsibility to make sure everyone follows the rules.” 

“Rules?”

Goosefeather snorted. “Of course! Without rules, everyone would be running amok, causing all sorts of trouble. As Starclan cats, we need to make sure to uphold healthy boundaries with the living. We can’t have spirits spending casual time with the living or influencing them in inappropriate ways!”

Sorreltail blinked slowly. That made sense, she supposed. Left unchecked, frisky or meddlesome spirits might get into a whole lot of trouble in the living world.

“The first rule,” Goosefeather said, eyeing Sorreltail sharply, “Is to always keep your messages vague. I understand the need to give advice, but we can’t just tell the living what to do. Talk about an abuse of power!”

That seemed reasonable, but frustrating at the same time. If Starclan foresaw hardship or danger, wouldn't it make more sense to be direct about it? 

“The second rule -and this mostly applies to astral projecting- is to never, ever, touch a newborn kitten or a very old elder.”

Sorreltail furrowed her brow at the strangely specific rule, “Why is that?”

“It could cause irreversible harm to them. When you astral project, you are harnessing an incredible amount of spiritual power. Very young or old cats are at a point of spiritual instability. Their bodies are either too new or too old, so touching them could kill them- or worse.”

How awful! She had never heard of such a thing. “Worse? Like what?” What fate could be worse than death?

Featherwhisker spoke up, shooting Goosefeather a pointed look. “They will become Changed. The influx of spiritual energy can cause unnatural things to happen to them."

Sorreltail gaped, both incredibly curious and disturbed at the same time.

The pale, long-furred tom continued. "As you can likely infer, this has happened more often to kits," He shot her a weary smile, "It is natural for spirits to want to emerge from the stars to gaze upon their newborn kin. Unfortunately, accidents have happened..." He trailed off, a far-away look in his eyes. "Anyway! We've tried our best to make sure everyone knows to never to make those mistakes again."

Sorreltail shifted uncomfortably at the thought of a Starclan cat accidentally dooming a newborn kit, due to ignorance of their own power. "What about very old cats?"

"The Changed status is not unheard of with Elders. It's difficult to gauge how old is too old, so naturally, accidents in that regard have occurred as well. Most of the time, though, a touch like to an Elder might inadvertently rip their soul straight out their body.”

Sorreltail bristled at the horrifying descriptor. "Great Starclan, how often has this stuff happened?”

Goosefeather let out a humorless chuckle. “Not so much now, since certain meddlers aren’t with us anymore.”

“Goosefeather!” Featherwhisker's voice was thick with disdain as he whipped around to glare at his companion. “You mustn’t speak that way! It isn’t right.”

“After all of the trouble she caused us, I don't care!” The speckled gray tabby retorted crossly. “I intend to make sure that no one ever becomes Changed again.”

Sorreltail looked back and forth between the two Guardians. “What are you guys talking about?”

“My former apprentice,” Featherwhisker murmured. “She had some radical ideas regarding the influence Starclan has on the living. She went out of her way to Change certain newborn kits- ones that she believed would fulfill prophecies." He paused, then let out a sigh. "She was obsessed with prophecy. She didn't understand the consequences of her actions.”

“That’s an understatement!” Goosefeather growled, his messy speckled fur puffing up a bit. “She put lives in danger!” 

Featherwhisker let out another long, tired sigh. “That may be so, but she was a very gifted cat with a good heart. I miss her dearly.”

Sorreltail shook her head. That cat sounded dangerous, to be acting so careless in regards to other’s lives. “I promise I won’t touch anyone.”

“Who do you intend to dreamwalk with?” Featherwhisker asked abruptly, changing the subject. It seemed as if he didn't want to dwell on his apprentice any longer.

“Leafpool, the Thunderclan medicine cat.”

“Why?”

“I need to ask her something about her daughter.”

“And her daughter is who?”

“Hollyleaf.”

Goosefeather narrowed his eyes. “The traitor?”

Sorreltail blinked in surprise, but said nothing. Was this really what other cats thought about Hollyleaf? “I was hoping her mother might be able to give me some insight about Hollyleaf’s character.”

“Her character? I always knew there was something foul about her.” Goosefeather said, shaking his head. “There’s something rotten in her soul. It’s very unfortunate, all things considered.”

Featherwhisker eyed Goosefeather warily but said nothing in defense of Hollyleaf.

“What do you mean by that?” Sorreltail asked, feeling a bit irritated about the harsh words against Leafpool’s daughter. No wonder Hollyleaf ran away, if cats were treating her like this!

Goosefeather let out another mirthless laugh. There was something cold and distant in his ice blue eyes. “I remember the day that Hollyleaf was born. She was so small and innocent, curled up between her two brothers. Featherwhisker’s apprentice, Spottedleaf, astral projected to help with the birth. After all three of the kittens were born and suckling, Spottedleaf reached down and licked each kit atop their head. She Changed them.”

Goosefeather let the long silence draw out, before continuing. “- she did it because she thought that they were meant to be The Three: cats with the power of the Stars in their paws. No one knew what she did until long after the fact. By that time, there was nothing that could be done.”

Sorreltail stood, frozen in shock. “So Hollyleaf is Changed? What does that mean?”

“We all believed Spottedleaf: we thought Hollyleaf was one of The Three, spoke of in prophecy,” Goosefeather answered, “- but despite being Changed, there wasn’t anything different about her. Over time, we began to realize that she wasn’t one of the children of prophecy. Instead, I think that the Change might have turned Hollyleaf's soul twisted and rotten. After all, she was a murderer- both in life, and likely inside of Starclan..." He trailed off, "You know, with what happened to that poor Thunderclan molly.”

At the mention of her daughter, Sorreltail could feel her heart begin to pound painfully. She closed her eyes and sucked in a terrible breath, trying to process the information she just heard. If this was true, it would be more evidence to substantiate the claim that Hollyleaf hurt Honeyfern.

She had always believed Hollyleaf to be a good cat, but now she wasn’t so sure.

The black molly was Changed, and possibly not in a good way.

Chapter Text

The part of the forest where Maggottail was allegedly located looked and smelled like it was diseased. The stench of decaying matter wafted powerfully, more prominent and thicker than the rest of the Dark Forest. With every step, Hollyleaf’s feet sunk into moist, foul mud that got stuck between her toes. Aside from the squelching mud, the ground was nearly devoid of grass or any other plant matter, except for twisted, leafless trees that poked out from the decrepit earth. As with the land, the trees also looked diseased; bark was either missing in patches or peeling off completely.

Hollyleaf frowned in distaste and wondered who in their right mind would want to live here.

Have you considered that Maggottail might not be in his right mind?

That was a good point. He was apparently the oldest cat left in the Place of No Stars. Being forced to live here for such a long period of time might have caused him to become a little unhinged.

Or maybe he just doesn’t want to be found.

“This is disgusting.” Sparrowfeather grumbled under his breath, peering down at the brownish-black mud that had completely engulfed his paws.

“Tell me about it.” Hollyleaf muttered back, shooting a quick glance at Mapleshade, who was leading the way. She doubted that Mapleshade cared one way or the other about the mud, seeing as the roguish molly didn’t even bother grooming herself. The tortoiseshell’s fur stuck out at odd angles, and was matted along the back of her flank.

“Why is the forest like this?” Hollyleaf wondered aloud. Although the entirety of the Place of No Stars was barren and off-putting, this part was especially saturated and revolting.

“I don’t know. Everyone calls this place The Marsh. Apparently, the old Shadowclan territory was a marshland. Whenever the elders described it to us in stories it never seemed like this, though.” Sparrowfeather explained, a wistful, reminiscent look in his eyes.

Hollyleaf had once or twice been told tales about the old territories. What she had heard about Shadowclan’s land was of their vast marshlands and burnt sycamore tree. This marsh, however, seemed to have been concocted out of some cat’s nightmare. It was dirty, dismal, and sickly looking. Nothing seemed to want to grow here, and what managed to actually do so was rotting away. Shadowclan’s marsh was also supposedly swarmed with frogs, but in this place there wasn’t any chirping- just silence and the squelching of feet.

Suddenly, Mapleshade halted, her gaze flitting around the land for signs of movement. She inhaled deeply, her eyes narrowed into slits, and then turned her head and peered up at a mangled, broken tree to their right. “He’s over there.”

Hollyleaf mimicked Mapleshade and eyed the tree sharply, looking for the familiar shape of a feline. Where was Maggottail? She couldn’t see him.

Sparrowfeather stiffened, “There he is!”

“Where?” Hollyleaf said, “I don’t-”

She faltered when she noticed an odd shape on the tree.

At first she had taken it to be a shadow, cast faintly from the tree due to the light shining off of her pelt. But the shadow suddenly shifted on its own accord, rising up and morphing into something that looked vaguely cat-like. It’s body was a dark silhouette, see-through and inky, with two faint yellow spots for eyes.

It looked like a ghost. Like a creature from an old elder’s tale.

Mapleshade began padding in the direction of the shadow, not bothered in the slightest. Hollyleaf glanced at Sparrowfeather. His eyes were sharp and critical, but he didn’t look afraid. He must have encountered this cat before.

Warily, Hollyleaf followed them towards the faded spectre.

As the trio stopped in front of the broken tree, Hollyleaf was finally able to identify the features of the shadow cat. It was a thin, haggard looking soul- she could see through it’s pelt completely. Amid the darkness of the cat’s silhouetted pelt were patches of lighter fur. It was hard to tell what color it was, but if she squinted she could make out faded ginger and brown. Strangely, the shadow cat’s tail was completely hairless until you reached the base of his back, where patches of fur began to appear. There was also an awful, bizarre looking scar on his hindquarters that looked like branches of a tree.

“Mapleshade,” The spirit’s voice was raspy and low, “I’m surprised to see you survived the battle. Many would have loved to see you dead.”

The faded old cat must be referring to the Great Battle. Had Mapleshade not seen Maggottail since then? Hollyleaf looked back and forth between them. The darkness that was seeping in along the edges of Mapleshade’s form was likely the same darkness that had completely enveloped Maggottail.

Mapleshade’s leaf-fall eyes crinkled wickedly and she bared her teeth into another one of those ugly, yellow smiles. “I’m like a flea, aren’t I? Just can’t get rid of me.” She paused, as if basking in her own amusement, then said, “I’m surprised you haven’t faded away yet, all things considered.”

“Me too!” The shadow named Maggottail rasped, “I was hoping to be dead by now.”

“Why don’t you climb up one of these rickety trees and then let yourself fall? That would speed things up!” The tortoiseshell molly cackled.

Maggottail narrowed his faint yellow eyes. “That’s not my way.”

“Are you afraid?” Mapleshade leered, leaning forward in a predatory way.

“Me- afraid?” The shadowy silhouette scoffed and sounded offended. “I know death better than anyone here! When it comes for me again, I’ll welcome it like an old friend.”

Hollyleaf peered at Sparrowfeather, confusion on her brow. He merely shrugged, clearly not understanding the old cat’s cryptid words anymore than she did.

“Now then,” Maggottail rasped, “I suppose we ought to address the problem at hand.” His narrowed, snake-like eyes flickered over to Hollyleaf, then back to Mapleshade. “You’ve got Thistleclaw’s Starclan cat, haven't you?”

Sparrowfeather visibley bristled. “How do you know about that?”

“He sent a couple of his followers out here to find her.” Maggottail answered, not bothering to spare a glance at Sparrowfeather. “They wanted me to join their group.”

Mapleshade frowned in displeasure. “They barked up the wrong tree, didn’t they?”

The faded spirit’s hairless, ugly tail flicked back and forth neurotically. “I told them that it would be a waste, since I’m due to fade away soon.”

“Are you so sure?” Mapleshade said, “I doubt there’s a cat alive who knows who you are… and yet you remain.”

Hollyleaf knew what Mapleshade meant. Allegedly, spirits were only supposed to exist as long as living cats remembered them. She wasn’t sure if the rules were different here, but she was willing to wager not. The Place of No Stars was a part of Starclan.

Decidedly, she chose to interject, “The former Dark Forest apprentices who are still alive remember who you are. That should be enough to keep you both from fading away for a little while.”

Maggottail’s decrepit, filmy eyes zero’d in on her. As with Mapleshade, staring into his yellow depths was reminiscent to looking into the eyes of a corpse- there was no shine of life, only shriveled up emptiness.

He was quiet for a moment, as if silently appraising her, then said, “Do they remember me, or do they remember Maggottail?”

Whatever retort Hollyleaf had planned died in her mouth. She eyed him in confusion, trying to understand what he meant. “But you’re Maggottail, aren’t you?”

From off to the side, Mapleshade muffled her laughter. “That’s not his actual name! What kind of queen would name her son after a worm that eats carrion?”

Hollyleaf frowned speculatively, eyeing the so-called ‘Maggottail’ fellow. “Then who are you really?”

“I can’t tell you that,” The silhouette rasped, a slow smirk sliding onto his face, “I’m trying to fade away.”

Hollyleaf held eye contact with Maggottail for another moment, then broke it and side-eyed Sparrowfeather. The torbie tom returned her gaze with a sharp one of his own. Did he know that the sordid spirit’s name wasn’t actually Maggottail? She supposed he must of inferred that. What Mapleshade said earlier made sense- giving a kit such an awful prefix was extremely unlikely. Trying to do so would certainly trigger intervention from a responsible clan-leader.

“Thistleclaw won’t be happy with you when he finds out you have the Starclan cat.” Maggottail said, this time directed at Mapleshade. “You’re impeding him.”

A cold, fierce look passed over Mapleshade’s face, now devoid of any humor. “I know that, you old fool. I chose to initiate the first move- before he takes a stab at me.”

Maggottail kneaded his claws against the tree bark, letting tiny, decayed shreddings of wood rain down onto the mucky forest floor. “I suppose you’re right. He would have come after you eventually.” He yawned, flashing his tiny, translucent teeth, “You know, it’s easy for cats like us to hold onto grudges and hate. We have nothing else left. Sometimes, I suspect that’s the only thing keeping us from fading away.”

The old tortoiseshell rogue snorted, “How philosophical of you.”

Maggottail’s eyes flashed to Sparrowfeather, then back to Mapleshade. “Thistleclaw won’t like that, either. I assume this one is aligned with you?” He jutted his jaw in Sparrowfeather’s direction.

A coy smile slithered onto Mapleshade’s face. “Yes, the runt is with me.”

The shadow made a tutting noise. “Now you’re just throwing dirt on old wounds, Mapleshade. How many apprentices do you intend to steal from Thistleclaw?”

“As many as it pleases me.”

Hollyleaf’s eyes widened. Sparrowfeather had said that Mapleshade and Thistleclaw didn’t like one another, but from the way the old ones were talking, it seemed as if there was real animosity felt between the two spirits. Boldly, she decided a bit of nosiness wouldn’t get her in trouble. From the way they were talking about her, she knew she was valuable to both Mapleshade and Thistleclaw. She was a pawn in their twisted game of power, just like she was a pawn in Sparrowfeather’s quest for revenge.

“Who was the other apprentice you stole from Thistleclaw?” She asked confidently, meeting the aging molly’s eyes.

“Tigerclaw,” Mapleshade smirked, “But you might know him as Tigerstar. He was Thistleclaw’s apprentice while they were both alive... but I was always there, guiding Tigerclaw from the dark shadows of his mind- even when he didn’t know it. When Thistleclaw found out I swiped his apprentice out from under him, he wasn’t pleased. But there was nothing he could do- Tigerclaw’s allegiances were solidified with me. I had more to offer, after all. He took power in Shadowclan with my guidance, whereas Thistleclaw’s weak advice got him kicked out of Thunderclan.”

Maggotail leered at them, his tail still twitching back and forth neurotically, “And now you have another one of Thistleclaw’s apprentices. He will take that as a slight. I hope you’re prepared to deal with the consequences.”

“I know Thistleclaw better than he realizes.” The roguish molly retorted.

“And Thistleclaw knows you, unless I’m mistaken- he was one of your apprentices, correct?”

Mapleshade growled, and her face contorted into an ugly scowl. “I trained him for a time. Then I pawned him off to Adderfang. I had some issues with-,” Her gaze flitted briefly over to Sparrowfeather, “- some of his more debased tendencies.”

Hollyleaf's eyes caught Mapleshade’s sidelong look. She peered out of the corner of her eye at Sparrowfeather. He seemed to have transitioned into a foul mood. His gaze was fixed on his paws and he had an agitated, angry look on his face.

“Nevermind that, then.” The shadow cat, nicknamed Maggottail said, “Tell me, why are you here?”

“Sparkles,” Mapleshade motioned to Hollyleaf, “- would like to try and get back to her precious little land of starry hypocrites. I agreed to help her, but I only know so much.”

Hollyleaf straightened up a bit and addressed the sordid silhouette, “The rules of the Place of No Stars are affecting me, even though I’m a Starclan cat- I tried dreamwalking with my father, but he refused to see me because he felt the presence of Place of No Stars. I tried it again, with a former Dark Forest trainee, but he instead appeared here, in Place of No Stars with me.”

Maggottail’s thin, emaciated face turned to look at Hollyleaf. His beady eyes regarded her silently for a moment, and then he arose from his spot on the tree and began to scale down the side of it. “Let me get a good look at you.” The spirit rasped as his paws connected with the soddy ground.

As he trudged over to her, Hollyleaf noticed a pronounced limp in his walk. His back leg was stiff, and he was favoring it as he walked. When he got closer to her, she also noticed unconscious tremors running up and down the limb, making it shake like a trembling leaf.

The slithering spirit hobbled into her personal space and bore his baleful eyes into her own. It was strange to peer into his dull yellow orbs, because she could see right through them, into the landscape behind him. As she held his eye contact, a strong feeling of unease began to envelope her. There was something ancient about this cat, apparent from the way he spoke, to his see-through pelt. Staring into his eyes felt unnerving, and alarm noises that signaled danger began to ring off in her head.

She forced herself to remain calm, still and resolute in spite of her nervousness. She wouldn’t let herself get intimidated by this dusty old spirit.

Maggottail’s hot, wheezing breath puffed out onto her face and she held her own breath to avoid smelling the foul stench that radiated off of him.

“Your eyes,” He said at last, “There’s something old and familiar looking back at me. A tortured psyche lies within you, lurking in those depths.” He paused for a moment in apparent thought, “I wonder why Starclan bothered claiming you, if they only meant to throw you away.”

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes, refusing to break eye contact with the shadow cat. “Starclan chose me for a reason, despite my sins. My ousting was unjust.”

“Foolish,” Maggottail grunted, “Despite the darkness in your heart, you still cling to your faith like an unweaned kit clings to its mother.”

Hollyleaf bristled defensively at the slight. “Darkness in my heart? What do you know about me, huh? I would hold your tongue, unless you’re keen on losing it.” The sharp retort left her mouth before she could stop it.

From behind her, Hollyleaf heard Mapleshade cackle in delight. The old rogue clearly enjoyed feeding off of the chaos.

“Brave words,” Maggottail’s responding retort was a whispering hiss, “From a dying star.”

At first, Maggottail’s bizarre insult shocked her more than anything else. But her moment of surprise faded away quickly, replaced by a fresh wave of anger. The rage, which she had kept buried deeply away in her chest, flared up like a fire and burst to life from the simmering coals of fear and resentment in her heart. How dare this decrepit old fool insult her like that? What was he implying? He didn't know a thing about her!

“A ‘dying star’?” She snapped, “Speak for yourself! You’re nothing more than a shadow! A gust of wind might blow you away!”

“I pray for when that day comes, young one.” Maggottail chuckled lowly. “Now, why don’t you try ‘dreamwalking’ like you did last time. I’d like to see it.”

Hollyleaf bared her teeth at him and momentarily considered ignoring his request out of spite. This cat had some real nerve to be making assertions about her character without even knowing her.

Suddenly, she felt something brush against her side. She broke eye contact and turned fiercely, only to pause as she realized it was Sparrowfeather. He had given her a gentle push- it seemed as if he meant to try and placate her, by the knowing glint in his eyes. Abruptly, she remembered what Redwillow said after her first dreamwalking attempt:

'Don’t let yourself get baited.'

Redwillow had been right before, and Sparrowfeather was probably thinking about the same thing. It would be no use to let herself get worked up over petty insults. With a huff, she took a couple steps back and closed her eyes. “Have it your way, cat-whose-real-name-I-don’t-know.”

Once more, Hollyleaf reached inside of herself and gathered up her negative emotions. This time, rage was at the forefront of her mind. She took a deep breath, feeling out the volatile mixture of emotional energy, and then envisioned it once more as a giant limb that only she could control. It writhed with tumultuous energy, so she shot it out into the darkness, searching for Breezepelt.

She envisioned his flashing, angry eyes, alight with shock when he had seen her last. She thought about what he had said: ‘I don’t want to be punished anymore!’

Suddenly, Hollyleaf felt it again: Breezepelt’s familiar presence- airy like the moor, but erratic like a storm. She reached out, but this time he recoiled even more fiercely than the first time. She gritted her teeth and enfolded his spirit in her giant, imaginary shadow paw, bringing him forward to her.

She expected the same result as last time -his anger and confusion- but it seemed as if Breezepelt was prepared for her this time around.

With a fierce caterwaul, the black Windclan tom materialized out of no-where and barreled in between Hollyleaf and Maggottail, knocking both of them aside with a powerful shove of his shoulders.

Hollyleaf stumbled in shock, but regained her footing and turned to face her volatile half-brother, now a fox-length away from her. His eyes were darting back and forth, flashing through a mixture of emotions before settling on outrage.

As quick as the wind, he unexpectedly lashed out and tackled Hollyleaf into the icky, gooey ground.

They both slid along the saturated ground from the force of impact, and Hollyleaf let out a gasp as the breath was knocked out of her. Breezepelt’s face was uncomfortably close. She could see the flare of his nostrils.

“Breezepelt-”

“I’ve had enough!” He spat out at her, before turning his head and shooting a venomous glare at the rest of the spirits in attendance.

Hollyleaf turned and looked too. Maggottail was scowling and muttering under his breath, his shadowy pelt now covered in mud. Mapleshade was openly gawking, but there was also something sharp and keen in her eyes. Sparrowfeather’s fur was puffed out and his eyes were narrowed threateningly. He was closer than the rest, as if he had tried to dash after them.

“Let me go, Breezepelt!” Hollyleaf growled, “You crazy furball!”

Breezepelt turned to look at her again, but this time there was something nostalgic and vulnerable in his eyes. It didn’t stay for long- Hollyleaf saw it flit away before being replaced again by anger.

For a moment, she recalled back to when she was an apprentice. She had participated in a journey where her group had traveled to the mountains. In the group with her was Breezepaw, young and insufferable. She hadn’t been afraid to let him know it, too.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but if you make me come here again I’ll make all of you regret it.” Her half-brother let go of her and backed up slowly. His sharp amber eyes stayed focused on her and the rest of the group, watching them warily.

Suddenly, his form began to ripple around the edges, just like last time.

“Wait, you don’t understand-”

Her plea didn’t seem to matter. Breezepelt's physical body began to waver, becoming less defined and more fuzzy. In a desperate panic, she cried out, “Please Breezepelt, tell my mother that I need help!”

Like a wisp of dust in the wind, he vanished into thin air.

Hollyleaf let out a frustrated breath and pulled herself out of the grimy mud. Breezepelt had disappeared as she cried out for help, and she doubted that he heard her. This was just another failure, like the rest of her attempts were. With a growl, she shook herself off like one of the dogs from the Twoleg Place and then turned to look at the group of assembled cats.

“Well,” Maggottail rasped, “That was unexpected.”

“That sure got my blood pumping!” Mapleshade said with a toothy smile.

“Unlikely, we don’t have blood anymore.” The silhouetted cat replied, though he didn’t look at the tortoiseshell molly when he said it. His gaze was firmly fixed on Hollyleaf, something fascinated and greedy alight in those dull yellow orbs.

“Now I understand why Thistleclaw wants to find you so badly.”

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 Bonus art! Here's Sparrowfeather and Hollyleaf.

Chapter Text

Goosefeather’s earlier instructions reverberated aimlessly throughout Sorreltail’s mind. Despite mulling it over for a while, she still didn’t understand the task of dreamwalking. How exactly was she supposed to do it?

The crotchety old spirit had told her that in order to dreamwalk, she’d first need to build up her ‘spiritual power’, and then release it, like a billowing wave of water.

His guidance felt vague and arbitrary- how in Starclan’s name was she supposed to ‘build up her power’? Goosefeather hadn’t provided further explanation, and neither had his apprentice, Featherwhisker, the more amiable and sensical of the two.

Sorreltail let out an exasperated sigh and then flickered her gaze down into the depths of the Dreampool.

The body of water was spectacular, but her reflection on the pond’s surface ruined the beautiful sight. The calico cat staring back -who she could scarcely recognize anymore- was haggard and sad-looking. Not even the glittering stars on her pelt could mask the gloom on her face.

Though Molepaw had groomed her before, his work was for naught- her fur stuck out at wild angles, bedraggled and unkempt. Sorreltail’s own amber eyes, normally bright and wide, drooped with exhaustion. Most noticeable was the firm frown, fixed so securely on her face that she could have been born with it.

I look terrible. I’m such a mess!

Sorreltail sighed again and closed her eyes tightly, shielding herself from the terrible sight. Patronizingly, she reminded herself that her unruly state should come as no surprise- after all, she had barely stopped to rest since Honeyfern went missing.

The thought of her daughter sent a spasm of dread coursing through her veins. Where was Honeyfern? Her sweet, gentle daughter- out hunting one minute and gone the next.

At first she had clung to the hope that Honeyfern was lost somewhere, but a terrible, cynical part of herself had now begun to accept how implausible that was. There wasn’t anywhere in this place to get lost. And even if Honeyfern had forgotten her bearings, in say, the Endmost Forest, she would have likely been spotted by now.

With nowhere else to go, and no way of escape, that left only one other conclusion.

Something sinister was afoot.

Back when Sorreltail was alive, she had foolishly believed that Starclan was one united front, living out eternity in peace and happiness. Since her arrival, she had begun to realize how wrong she was. This place wasn’t united, nor was it peaceful. The air was thick with smog-like tension, and everyone seemed quick to turn on their own. Windclan had threatened and extorted her for information, for Starclan’s sake! That was not the behavior of souls at peace. It was beyond fathomable- this so-called ‘Starclan’ was scarcely different from the land of the living!

What was most disturbing though, was the uncovering of secrets, and how it impacted the developing case against Hollyleaf as the perpetrator of Honeyfern’s disappearance.

Many cats had been outward with their suspicion of Hollyleaf, especially the Windclan cats. At first she had disregarded it as frenzied rumors, but after her earlier encounter with the Windclan leadership, she was beginning to suspect that Hollyleaf was involved somehow. The supposed ‘evidence’ Windclan spoke of was only hearsay, but if it was true, then it pointed against Hollyleaf’s innocence.

Hollyleaf’s scent was found at the scene of a potential crime involving Tallstar, and the black molly had been remiss in bringing it up. That was very suspicious. Additionally, the scent was found in a place where it shouldn’t have been… whatever that meant. Windclan wouldn’t tell her, but the more Sorreltail thought about it, the more she began to wonder if the location they were hesitant to bring up was the Place of No Stars.

No other place in Starclan was as taboo as the Place of No Stars. To put it in a simple perspective, the Place of No Stars was a cage to contain evil spirits that didn’t belong with the other Starclan cats. Sorreltail couldn’t imagine why Tallstar or Hollyleaf would have gone there under normal circumstances, since it was an unspoken, off-limits area.

But what if Hollyleaf had been venturing into that forbidden forest? What if the black molly had switched allegiances after she came to Starclan? Then the act of ‘running away’ to the Place of No Stars would have made sense.

Still, Sorreltail couldn’t completely understand what Hollyleaf’s potential motive might be. That was the part that didn’t make sense.

This is why I need to figure out how to dreamwalk! I have to talk to Leafpool about Hollyleaf.

Her thoughts turned to Goosefeather’s rant about Hollyleaf’s soul. He said that the black molly’s spirit had turned rotten and twisted from having been ‘Changed’ at birth. Sorreltail furrowed her brow speculatively. Jayfeather and Lionblaze were supposedly Changed as well, but there wasn’t anything twisted about their souls… or was there?

If only she had a better understanding of the mysterious concept. Perhaps there was someone in Starclan who knew more about Changed cats than Goosefeather did.

I need to focus!

She shook her head and circled back to the matter of dreamwalking. How was she supposed to harness her spiritual energy? Whatever ‘spiritual energy’ was- she still wasn’t completely sure. It sounded like some sort of weird, ghost magic.

There was a lot about Starclan that she had yet to learn. Every moment seemed to supply a new, frustrating mystery for her.

Why was Windclan keeping secrets from the rest of Starclan?

How did Tallstar learn how to leave the confines of Starclan- and why?

Why weren’t cats allowed to leave Starclan, anyway?

Did Honeyfern know about Tallstar’s secret abilities? Is that why she was targeted? Was Hollyleaf responsible?

Frustrated, and with no answers, Sorreltail glanced over and focused on the sleeping form of Ashfoot. Earlier, the Windclan deputy had been a part of a mob of cats that had kidnapped and extorted her for information about Honeyfern. The result of the interaction was the discovery that Tallstar’s disappearance was more mysterious than Sorreltail believed.

Now, the regal deputy was laid vulnerable and askew next to the pool, with one paw dipped into the sparkling water. Occasionally, she would twitch, as if in a deep sleep.

Clearly, Ashfoot knew how to use the Dreampool.

After a moment's contemplation, Sorreltail decided that she should try and emulate the Windclan molly. Carefully, she dipped one of her large paws into the dreampool’s reflective depths. The water felt warm, which was abnormal- most pond water was cold. Just another bizarre thing about Starclan.

Sorreltail closed her eyes and concentrated.

After a while of waiting, she cracked an eye open and found that to her dismay, she was still in the exact same spot. She released a long, exasperated puff of breath. Of course it wasn’t that easy. She needed to… try and build up her power?

“Having some trouble?”

Sorreltail’s eyes popped open in surprise. Now that was a voice she recognized! Quickly, Sorreltail turned her head in the direction of sound, only to be greeted by the sharp, familiar yellow gaze of Whitestorm.

“Father!”

The stark white tom ambled over and seated himself next to her. She eyed him fondly. He was fairly large, as most Thunderclan cats were. His long fur sparkled prettily, just like Snowfur’s had. Truly, he looked very similar to his mother, except for those piercing, bright yellow eyes.

Sorreltail didn’t have a particularly close father-daughter relationship with Whitestorm. He had died when she was only a kit, slain in a battle against a rogue clan. She hadn’t been able to develop a strong bond with him, since she was incredibly young when he passed on. In spite of that, they had an amicable relationship in Starclan, albeit distant. He spent most of his time with Willowpelt, her mother, and would assist in watching over Sorreltail's children- to which she was forever grateful for.

“Your mother made me take a break from kit-sitting.” He said at last, his whiskers twitching in amusement. “Seedpaw never sits still. It’s hard to keep her distracted for so long..." He trailed off a bit. "She misses her mother.”

Sorreltail blinked at him, both in guilt and gratitude. It was true- Seedpaw was undoubtedly the most restless of all of her children. Sorreltail was glad that her family was keeping an eye on her, but she felt bad about leaving her alone for so long while she searched.

“Thank you for watching over her,” Sorreltail cleared her throat, swallowing the stressful lump beginning to form, “-and Molepaw. It means so much to me right now.”

“It’s no problem,” Her father gruffed back, looking off into the distance, “That’s what family is for, isn’t it?”

"That's right. "Sorreltail smiled at him in spite of her low mood. “Say, Molepaw stumbled upon your mother in the Endmost Forest. Did Willowpelt tell you?”

Whitestorm cleared his throat and didn't look at her. “Yes, she did. I guess I’m not surprised.”

“What do you mean?”

Her father didn’t answer right away, but before Sorreltail could retract her question, he spoke. “My mother- Snowfur, she uh, lives in the Endmost.” He sounded a bit uncomfortable.

Sorreltail furrowed her brow. “Really?”

That seemed a bit unusual, seeing as Windflight was older than Snowfur and yet was still ambling about.

“I’ve seen souls more ancient than her who haven’t gone to the Endmost yet,” Whitestorm mirrored her thoughts. “I was actually hoping to see her when I passed away, but she wasn’t around. Bluestar had to tell me where she was. I went looking for her in the Endmost, but she wasn’t the same as I remembered.”

Sorreltail listened quietly until he finished. Whitestorm had never shared anything about this before. She almost didn’t know how to respond, seeing as it was so personal, and their relationship had always been so formal. “Er- how was Snowfur different?”

“More distant, I guess.” Whitestorm cleared his throat and switched the subject, “So, why are you at the Dreampool?”

Sorreltail took the hint and breezed past the earlier topic. “I want to speak to Leafpool, but I’ve never dreamwalked before.”

The great white tom twitched his whiskers in amusement. “Haven’t you heard? You need to harness your ‘inner spiritual strength’.”

“So I’ve been told.” Sorreltail rolled her eyes. “But how do I do that? Neither of those Guardians gave me proper instructions.”

“Well, I’m sure it’s different for everyone,” He began, “But when I want to do it, I think back to a time where I felt powerful or strong.”

Sorreltail’s mind whirled to life. A time where she felt strong?

“Do you mean like, a moment from battle?”

Whitestorm frowned. “Do you really feel strong in battle?”

She clamped her mouth shut and contemplated his words. In the chaotic midst of battle, she felt a myriad of different things- fear, rage, desperation… At times she felt powerful, but it was the aforementioned feelings that dominated her mind as she tried to stay alive.

Maybe it was best to choose a different experience; one not dictated by negative emotions.

With her mind was still vaguely on Leafpool, she thought back to the time when her Medicine cat friend had been captured by Twolegs and shoved inside of a huge, hollow monster. Leafpool had only been an apprentice, and was helpless to prevent her own abduction. There was nothing that Sorreltail could do about it at the time. She had felt so guilty and powerless, but refused to give up. In the end, she helped lead a rescue party and saved her friend from the clutches of the Twolegs.

The victory of freeing her best friend had filled Sorreltail with exhilaration, glee, and overwhelming relief. In that desperate situation, she had taken control and made a forest-full of difference for not only Leafpool, but also the additional cats they saved along the way.

Sorreltail supposed that in a roundabout way, overcoming her fear and anxiety to free Leafpool had been a result of her inner strength.

“I think I know what memory to use.” She said after a moment. Why not try with that memory? After all, what did she have to lose?

A little worm of anxiety crawled around in the back of her mind, though. If she were to succeed, then did she really want to leave herself in a vulnerable state of sleep, just like Ashfoot? What if something happened to her, just like with Honeyfern?

Quietly, she asked, “If it works, will you stay here with me while I’m dreamwalking?”

“Of course,” Whitestorm responded, “I lied to the Guardians to get over here, anyway. I don’t really have to use the Dreampool, I only wanted to come over and talk to you.”

Sorreltail felt a flutter of happiness and smiled at him. “Thanks, dad.”

“Don’t mention it.” He kindly smiled back at her.

Feeling a surge of confidence, Sorreltail closed her eyes and replayed in her mind the memory of saving Leafpool. She focused on the way she had felt, all the way through, and made sure to dwell on the end result of victory. She allowed herself to feel empowered by the memory- of the lengths she’d go to in order to save her loved ones.

Suddenly, she felt her paw begin to tingle a little bit. Well, that was different than last time.

Sorreltail concentrated harder, and to her excitement, she felt a strong, foreign feeling ignite in her chest. She couldn’t exactly figure out what the feeling was, or if it was an emotion at all- nonetheless, the tingling in her chest felt like a fire sprung from parched, dry leaves. Unexpectedly, the tingling in her chest burst forth in a powerful surge of energy. The feeling of it engulfed her whole body. She could feel the powerful fire everywhere. It was swirled in her chest, swelled in her throat, and spilled from her paws.

She even felt it tickling against her eyelids. Implicitly, she knew that something must be working. Why else would she be feeling like this?

Tentatively, she opened her eyes. A bright light greeted her sight, rendering her unable to see. She blinked a few times, adjusting her vision to her surroundings. What was that light?

The realization of what the light was felt like a claw swipe to the face- it was the sun! In awe, she stared up at the giant ball of light. She felt like she hadn’t seen it in eons. After all, in Starclan there was only an eternal night, with the cool, muted brightness of the moon to light up the land.

The next thing Sorreltail noticed was a softness on her feet. Curiously, she looked down and was greeted with the sight of sand beneath her paws. It was warm, just like the Dreampool water. She squished her toes against it, relishing in its softness.

Of course- this was the Sandy Hollow, back from the old territory. Sorreltail would train here with her brothers when she was an apprentice. Never had she expected to end up here, of all places. This had to be a dream, since the old territory was long lost to the clans.

Curiously, she glanced around the hollow. It was empty, except for a small cat-like shape in the center of the clearing, curled up in a ball with its back turned to her. Sorreltail took a few tentative steps forward, eyeing the shape.

As she got closer, a familiar scent struck her- sweet, earthy forest and tangy dried herbs. Her heart sped up a little, pounding nervously in anticipation. That was definitely Leafpool’s smell! It was thoroughly ingrained in her mind, from all the time spent recalling it and thinking about how sweet it would be to see her dear friend again.

After finally reaching her friend’s sleeping form, Sorreltail felt a bit scared. She hadn’t seen Leafpool since the Great Battle. Would the pretty brown tabby be angry with her for concealing her wounds and passing away? Would she be mad that Sorreltail hadn’t come to visit her before now?

“Leafpool,” She said softly, prodding her friend’s side. Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to tackle the tiny tabby with her embrace, but she wasn’t sure about how she’d be received.

The aforementioned brown tabby stirred a bit, and muttered something unintelligible under her breath about comfrey leaves.

“Leafpool,” She said again, a little bit of yearning desperation leaking out her voice. “Wake up!”

At that, the Medicine cat jolted awake, her fur puffing up in surprise. She stumbled to her feet and turned to face Sorreltail, a look of shock plastered on her face.

For a moment, neither of them moved, both frozen in an awe-struck stupor. Leafpool was exactly as Sorreltail remembered her: small, well-groomed, and youthful looking despite the many moons shared since their apprentice days.

“Sorreltail,” Leafpool whispered, her amber eyes wide. “You’re covered in stars!”

Hearing her old friend’s familiar voice was enough to break Sorreltail out of her reverie. She rushed towards Leafpool and butted heads with her in greeting- something that they hadn’t done in what felt like moons.

Leafpool trilled happily as the two of them brushed up against one another. Sorreltail answered with a purr of her own. Despite all the terrible things that had happened lately, she couldn’t help the rush of pure happiness that surged through her at the sight of her dearest friend.

“Sorreltail!” The light brown tabby cried out. “It’s so good to see you! It hasn’t been the same without you around. Everyone’s been missing you, especially Brackenfur.”

Sorreltail pulled back so she could gaze at her friend. “What about you? Did you miss me too?”

Leafpool let out a pleasant laugh, “Of course I missed you, fluffhead!”

They embraced again, and Sorreltail breathed in her friend’s familiar smell. This almost didn’t seem real. “How have you been, Leafpool?”

“I’ve been better. We’re all still adjusting after the flooding rains that drowned Thunderclan’s camp. The land is still damp, and we’ve lost so much…”

Sorreltail pulled away and looked at her, “Here, sit with me and tell me about it.”

The two mollies sat next to one another, with Leafpool leaning up against Sorreltail’s larger form, her tabby head rested against Sorreltail’s shoulder. Sorreltail was content to let Leafpool drone on about what had been going on in the land of the living: Brackenfur’s adjustment, how much Lilyheart has grown, the woes of Thunderclan…

“-and Windclan has been giving us trouble. Our clans can barely stand one another right now!”

“Trust me, I know what you mean.” Sorreltail smiled dryly, “The tensions between our clans can be felt even in Starclan.”

Leafpool’s amber eyes shined in awe. “Starclan! Do you like it there? I only get to visit when I go to the Moonpool.”

Sorreltail forced a smile on her face. “Well, it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows, if you know what I mean.”

“I’m sure it’s hard to adjust.” Her friend blinked kindly. “It was certainly hard to adjust without you.”

Sorreltail rumbled out a purr in response, and they both fell quiet.

After a moment of silence, Leafpool spoke, “Sorreltail?”

“Yes?”

“How’s Hollyleaf doing? I haven’t seen her since the Great Battle…” The light brown tabby trailed off.

Sorreltail could hear insecurity in her friend’s voice. Leafpool hadn’t had the best relationship with her daughter, Hollyleaf, all things considered. She wasn’t completely sure where they stood, to be honest.

She opened her mouth to answer Leafpool, but then hesitated. Should she tell Leafpool the truth? It wouldn’t be right to lie, but was it worth it to burden her friend with something she couldn’t change? Leafpool was alive, whereas Sorreltail and Hollyleaf were dead. They lived in different worlds now. And besides, telling Leafpool what was happening would open up a mouse full of maggots- how could she explain all of this without serious consequences? She imagined Goosefeather’s disapproving stare in her mind, dissuading her from meddling.

“I haven’t seen Hollyleaf in a while.” Sorreltail responded. It wasn’t exactly a lie.

Beside her, she felt Leafpool physically deflate a little. “I’m worried, Sorreltail. I haven’t been able to contact her. Every time I go to the Moonpool, I pray quietly that she’ll be the one to greet me- but she’s never there.”

Sorreltail felt a twinge of guilt claw at her chest.

“Before Hollyleaf died, she made peace with me,” Leafpool’s voice turned listless, “- or so I thought. Maybe she changed her mind about that.”

“I-” Sorreltail didn’t know what to say. “I’m not sure, Leafpool. What do you think?”

“She was mad at me for a long time, you know. Even after she came back from the tunnels, our relationship was strained. Towards the end, she was more avoidant than angry. She’d run away from me when I tried to confront her.” Leafpool admitted, “I’d like to think that she was sincere with what she told me, before she passed away. She’s always been the type to mean what she says.”

Sorreltail mulled over that for a moment. “Leafpool, this might be inappropriate of me, but I just have to ask. Did Hollyleaf murder Ashfur? Or was it self-defense?”

Leafpool pulled away, something guarded flashing across her eyes. “Why does that matter? She’s in Starclan now.”

“Ashfur’s in Starclan too.” Sorreltail murmured softly. “I just wanted to know. I’m sorry, Leafpool.”

Her tabby friend furrowed her brow, with amber eyes downcast. “It’s alright.” She was quiet for a moment, but spoke up again. “Hollyleaf was angry and scared. Her whole world- everything she’d believed up to that moment was shattered.” Leafpool looked up and met Sorreltail’s gaze. “Ashfur was threatening us, you know. Hollyleaf felt cornered. I’m not saying what she did was right, but what would you have done?”

Sorreltail frowned, at a loss for words. “I don’t know.”

They both fell quiet again, with Sorreltail mulling over what to say next. Though the conversation about Hollyleaf hadn’t been long, it had given her a lot to think about. Obviously, Bramblestar had lied about what he ‘witnessed’. Though Leafpool didn’t affirm that it was murder, she had implied it.

Sorreltail?

“Yes?” She answered.

“I didn’t say anything.” Leafpool responded, confusion in her voice.

Sorreltail’s ears pricked, and she glanced around. “That’s strange. I thought I heard my name.”

“I didn’t hear a thing.” Leafpool glanced around as well, on alert. “This is my dream, right? No one else is here.”

Sorreltail!

Sorreltail bristled- she heard the voice again! It sounded so clear, as if it was coming from right next to her. “What in Starclan’s name-?”

Leafpool let out a gasp. “Sorreltail, you’re fading away!”

“I’m what?” She picked up a paw and looked at it. Her form looked just as solid-translucent as it usually did, glittering with tiny stars. However, when she looked back at Leafpool, it appeared as if her friend was getting fuzzy around the edges. “You’re the one disappearing, Leaf!”

Leafpool’s mouth moved, but no words came out- or if they did, Sorreltail didn’t hear them.

Suddenly, everything went dark. No more Sandy Hollow, no more Leafpool.

“Sorreltail!”

“- this better be good, for you to be waking her up from her first dreamwalk!” That sounded like Whitestorm.

Sorreltail let out a groan and blinked groggily. Her head felt heavy, as if she had knocked it against a tree or something. “Wow, I feel like my brain is full of sand.”

“It’s always full of sand, mousebrain.”

She turned to the familiar voice with a frown. “Rainwhisker?” 

Her eyes were greeted with the sight of both of her brothers, standing there watching her. Closer to her was her father, sitting with a concerned look on his face. Why had they disturbed her? She was having an important moment with her dear friend, not to mention finding out information about Hollyleaf!

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Sorreltail, but something’s come up.” She could hear concern in Rainwhisker’s voice. “We all need to head back to Thunderclan’s sector immediately.”

“Why? What happened?” Her heart skipped a beat. Had they found Honeyfern?

Rainwhisker’s eyes shifted off to the side, focusing on something out of view. Sootfur’s critical eyes followed as well, a frown on his face.

She turned her head to see what had disturbed them.

There, standing rigid and separate from the rest of them was an eerily familiar cat. A cat she had just brought up in conversation-

Ashfur.

“All Thunderclan spirits have been summoned for a clan meeting. We’re to gather as soon as possible by the Great Oak tree.” The speckled grey tom answered. “I came to find my father…” He looked over at Whitestorm.

Of course. Sorreltail had almost forgotten that they were half-littermates. “A clan meeting? With everybody?”

“Everybody, except for those in the Endmost.” Ashfur grunted. “Now come on- you don’t want to miss it, do you?”

She supposed not. “What’s the meeting about?”

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll just have to see.”

Chapter Text

Sorreltail peered ahead and scrutinized the grey form of Ashfur as he lead their patrol-sized group toward the Great Oak. Despite the chatter amongst the cluster of familial cats, Ashfur remained silent- never speaking a word. Occasionally, she would notice his ear twitch, as if he was listening in on their conversation.

She wondered what was on his mind.

Sorreltail had a lot of mixed feelings about Ashfur, truth be told. She couldn’t say she felt completely at ease with him, keeping in mind the poor decisions he made while alive. Thunderclan cats seldom forgot grievances, especially when it related to disloyalty.

In spite of his acceptance into Starclan, Ashfur was just as much of a social pariah as Hollyleaf was. Thunderclan spirits either tolerated his presence or held him in mild suspicion. Some of them ignored him entirely, but those spirits tended to be from an older, stricter Thunderclan. Most cats were aware of his vacillating loyalty, propensity for violence, and questionable choices-

Yet, for some reason that wasn't enough for him to be banished to the Place of No Stars.

Ashfur’s biggest critics were almost exclusively of Thunderclan origin, whereas Hollyleaf seemed to lack friends even amongst the other three clans.

Another awkward detail just so happened to be that Ashfur was technically Sorreltail’s half-brother. They were blood related through their mutual father: Whitestorm. Despite that connection, they had no sibling relationship. Nowadays, they rarely spoke to one another- not that they talked a lot before.

In fact, there always seemed to be an underlying tension between them, simmering quietly beneath the surface.

Sorreltail couldn’t be sure, but if she had to guess, the tension was likely a result of the whispering, uncomfortable rumors that had once circulated throughout Thunderclan. Allegedly, Whitestorm had a falling out with Brindleface, Ashfur’s mother. After that, he immediately became mates with Willowpelt.

As far as inter-clan drama went, mate-hopping was pretty uncommon. Most Thunderclan cats stuck with one mate, unless something bad happened to cause their other mate to pass away.

Sorreltail never knew what the real truth was, and never bothered to ask. In a way, she supposed it was none of her business. Why should Whitestorm have to stay in a relationship with someone he didn’t like?

While growing up, the rumor never affected her personally. She wasn’t sure if that was the same for Ashfur. The most she had heard about the rumor was in passing whispers from cats who didn’t think she was listening.

In any case, Willowpelt and Whitestorm were very happy together in Starclan.

But perhaps there was some sort of truth to the rumor, because while with her family, Sorreltail couldn’t recall Ashfur’s mother ever being brought up conversation. It was sort of an unspoken, taboo subject.

Sorreltail shook her head and cleared her throat. Best not to dwell on old gossip.

“I’ve never heard of a clan meeting in Starclan before.” She began, hoping to learn more about the subject.

“It’s not a very common occurrence.” Whitestorm responded from the front of the group, next to Ashfur.

From her left, Rainwhisker nodded his head in agreement, “I’ve only seen one happen during my time here in Starclan.”

“What was that one about?” She asked curiously.

Whitestorm slowed down a bit to walk with Sorreltail and her brothers. “It was an open recruitment to find out who would be able to fight in the Great Battle. Not everyone in Starclan can fight, especially while astral-projecting into the mortal realm.”

Sorreltail nodded in understanding. That made sense. Why send out everyone when you can pick out the strong and capable ones?

“Oh, Sorreltail, I forgot to ask.” Rainwhisker interjected. “How did your dreamwalk with Leafpool go?” He nudged her in a good-natured way, derailing Sorreltail’s thought process.

She opened her mouth to respond, but Sootfur beat her to it. “Yeah, Sorreltail,” He smirked a little. “We’re dying to know. Was it a heartfelt reunion?”

Sorreltail scowled at him, and was met with a knowing glint in her brother’s eyes.

Rainwhisker cleared his throat, looking back and forth between them. “Hello? Am I missing something here?”

She let out a long sigh. “Sootfur’s teasing me.”

“About what? The crush you had on Leafpool?”

Sorreltail’s amber eyes popped open wide, “Who told you about that?”

Rainwhisker scoffed at her in a playful way. “Come on! It was obvious. You always talked about her, even when you were with Brackenfur.”

“It was a kit-hood crush!” She lied defensively, letting out an indignant huff. “It wasn’t ever going to go anywhere- she’s a Medicine cat, for Starclan’s sake!”

That part was true. Sorreltail never attempted to find out if there were mutual feelings between them. She had too much respect for her friend to try and compromise Leafpool’s oath.

At first she had tried to bury her feelings away, but they would always crawl back up again at inopportune times. That wasn’t to say that she could never love anyone else, though. Eventually she became mates with Brackenfur, and he made her very happy. She had even confided with him about Leafpool, knowing that he wouldn't judge her. After all, Leafpool was off-limits as far as the clan was concerned, so the knowledge of her crush never caused any issues in their relationship.

Sorreltail sighed wistfully. If her Medicine cat friend hadn’t decided to devote her life to Starclan, maybe they could have been together. She would have been very happy with Leafpool, no doubt. The Medicine cat was sweet and kind, with warm eyes like a glowing sunset. Though wildborn, there was also an unusual softness about her- likely from Leafpool’s kittypet origin. Sorreltail didn’t mind- it just made her want to protect her tiny, delicate friend.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her brother’s annoying jibe.

“Sorreltail and Leafpool, sitting in a tree!”

“Shut up, Sootfur!” She twitched an eye and resisted the urge to pummel her younger brother into the ground.

Sootfur waved his grey tail back and forth in amusement. “There’s no shame in liking a Medicine cat… oh wait.”

“Sootfur,” Rainwhisker growled a warning, “Now is not the time for you to be acting like a ‘paw.”

“Oh, so sorry, fun patrol,” Sootfur scowled in response, “By the way, we all know which way you swing.”

From a little ways ahead of them, Sorreltail heard Whitestorm grumble, “Do you three bicker like this in front of your mother?”

Sorreltail chirped in amusement and opened her mouth to reply, but paused when she felt the creepy-crawly sensation of being watched.

She looked up uncomfortably, only to meet the sharp gaze of Ashfur. There was some sort of muted interest in his icy-blue eyes. Why was he looking at her like that? Decidedly, she held his stare with a stoney one of her own.

When he didn’t break the eye contact, she said, “What’s on your mind, Ashfur?”

The speckled gray tom gave a delayed response. “I was just wondering how everything’s been going. With the Honeyfern situation.”

She didn’t appreciate his paw-in-mouth description of her daughter as a ‘situation’, but she ignored it. “I’ve been searching relentlessly with Rainwhisker and Sootfur, but we haven’t been able to catch any leads.”

“Is that why you were dreamwalking with Leafpool? To catch a lead?”

His boldness surprised her, but she figured that he’d been eavesdropping anyway and could probably put two and two together.

“Yes, I was talking to Leafpool about Hollyleaf.”

Ashfur’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Hollyleaf. “Are you coming around now to the idea that Hollyleaf might have been responsible?”

She knew that Ashfur was firmly on the anti-Hollyleaf side of Thunderclan, but she couldn’t trust his judgement. He was always the type to hold a grudge, and she didn’t doubt that he was doing the same now.

“I’m not closed off to that possibility, but I want to be sure of it before I start pointing tails at others based on speculation alone.”

Ashfur let out a hrrmph and turned away.

The small group walked on in a semi-awkward silence.

She felt Rainwhisker brush against her side in a comforting way. The weight of her daughter’s disappearance was wearing down on all of them. It felt so wrong to be casually discussing Honeyfern’s fate, as if asking about how the prey was running.

Sorreltail didn’t expect others to understand how she felt. Everyone was concerned and curious about what was going on. However, if she had to talk about not being able to find her daughter one more time, she might yowl out in frustration. It was exhausting and borderline infuriating to see the same cautious sympathy in the eyes of strangers. Even worse, though, was the casual indifference and lack of tact that cats like Mudclaw and Ashfur displayed.

After a while of dragging her feet, Sorreltail began to hear a low thrum of voices, continuous and rhythmic.

At first the noise started off as muffled, but as the group got closer and closer, the voices got louder and louder.

“We must be getting close.” Rainwhisker muttered under his breath.

He was right. The scent of her clan was getting stronger and stronger. It smelled undeniably of Thunderclan, but not all of it was familiar to her. Some of it smelled like the old forest, or of cats she never knew. This meeting must have dredged up even the oldest of spirits.

As they scurried along, Sorreltail glanced to the side. Several patrol-sized groups were also heading in the same direction as her own. If she looked up, she could see the towering form of the Great Oak, an age-old symbol of Thunderclan power.

Up ahead were some heavy bushes. As they approached the bushes, the chattering of voices was practically thunderous. Sorreltail knew that as soon as they passed through the line of foliage, she’d finally be able to see her first Starclan-Thunderclan meeting.

“Pardon me,” She said as they passed closely next to a couple of brown tabbies heading in the same direction.

“Sorreltail?” One of them responded.

She turned to scrutinize the voice, then gasped as she recognized the dusky brown tabby. “Mousefur! I didn’t recognize you.”

She had never seen Mousefur look so young before. It was a strong contrast to the white-muzzled Elder that Sorreltail remembered her as.

Next to Mousefur was a lighter brown tabby, but similar in size and stature.

“Good to see you. And the rest of you.” Mousefur smiled wryly at Sorreltail and the rest of the group. “This is my littermate, Runningwind.”

The aforementioned tabby shot her a polite smile. “Pleased to meet you, Sorreltail.”

She returned the smile. “Wow! You two look so similar! Like twins.”

Runningwind laughed a little at her comment. “You wouldn’t be the first to suggest that.”

They all continued on, but it didn’t take long before they reached the tall bushes. Through the openings in the plant, Sorreltail could see shapes moving on the other side. Ashfur quickly ducked through a gap on the bottom, with Whitestorm following not far behind.

“Well, go ahead.” Mousefur said, tilting her head towards the bushes. “After you.”

Sorreltail smiled at the vibrant, younger version of Mousefur, then ducked her head and lead the way through, her brothers in tow.

The sight on the other side was astounding.

A constellation of Thunderclan spirits, as far as the eye could see, packed tightly together in the clearing surrounding the Great Oak. The combined light of their sparkling forms lit up the land so brightly that Sorreltail could have sworn that it was daytime. Their combined voices droned loudly, like the humming and buzzing of bees.

“This is incredible.” Sorreltail whispered, knowing that her voice was unlikely to be heard over the noise of assembled cats.

“This is way more than last time!” Rainwhisker shouted from over her shoulder.

“Too many for me.” Sootfur grumbled into her ear, his form pressed closely to her. He was never one for crowds.

Sorreltail’s eyes darted back and forth wildly. Where should they go? She couldn’t see Ashfur or Whitestorm anymore. Maybe she and her brothers should search around for some familiar faces.

She began padding forward aimlessly, weaving and pushing through the crowd. As they plodded ahead, she was able to catch bits and snippets of conversation.

“- can’t believe they’re doing this!”

“Back in my day, we never had these kinds of problems.”

“So, what are we gonna do about it?”

What in Starclan’s name was going on? Everyone seemed very disgruntled. Sorreltail peered over at Rainwhisker, but he just shrugged his shoulders, apparently as mystified as she was.

“Sorreltail!”

She heard someone shout her name from across the endless expanse of cats. Despite looking around, couldn’t spot who it was.

“Over there!” Sootfur hissed, nudging her to the right. She began blindly heading in that direction, squeezing past the towering forms of Thunderclan spirits.

“Watch it!” A large, brown tabby with patchy fur snapped as she accidentally stepped on his tail.

“Sorry!”

As she paused to apologize, Sorreltail noticed an especially tall shape, poking above the rest of the crowd.

“What the- ?”

After further inspection, she realized it was two, very familiar cats- Her daughter, Seedpaw, balancing precariously on top of her mother, Willowpelt.

“Mom, over here!” The tiny golden apprentice shouted.

Sorreltail abandoned the grumpy old star she had stepped on, and dashed ahead towards her daughter, shouting out “excuse me’s” as she pushed through the crowd to meet up with the rest of her family.

As she reached them, Seedpaw leaped off of Willowpelt’s broad shoulders and tackled her.

“Oof!” Sorreltail staggered under the weight of her daughter and dramatically plopped herself onto the ground. “You’re too heavy, Seedpaw!”

A tinier black shape entered her vision, purring up against her side. “Mom! You showed up just in time! The meeting is supposed to start soon.”

Her other son- Molepaw.

Sorreltail wiggled free and began grooming the top of Seedpaw’s head. “I hope you two were good for your Grandmother!”

Willowpelt smiled at her gently. “They were better for me than they were for your father. Where is Whitestorm, anyway?”

Sootfur shoved his head sloppily against his mothers’. “Dad went off somewhere with Ashfur.”

Molepaw waved his tail excitedly, “There’s so many cats here!”

“Yeah, and look, Mom!” Seedpaw squealed, “Firestar is over there atop the hill! Grandmother showed me him!”

Her daughter was right. Sorreltail could spot the fiery ginger leader standing on the high hill that the Great Oak rose up from. This location really was the perfect place for mass meetings- she could see everyone who stood upon the hill, which seemed to include a lot of former leadership. Bluestar, Lionheart and- oh, there was her father! Whitestorm stood rigidly next to his aunt.

Other than that, there were many other cats she couldn’t recognize.

“So, what’s this about?” She asked, peering over at Willowpelt.

“Well, I’m not entirely sure if I have the story straight,” Her mother began, “But the tensions with Windclan have escalated. There was an incident that allegedly happened. It must have been a big deal for them to call an entire clan meeting over it.”

Sorreltail darted her eyes over to her brothers. They both looked at her, wide eyed. Sootfur shook his head, as if already predicting her thoughts. Did the rest of Thunderclan find out about their extortion incident from earlier? Or was this something new?

Rainwhisker cleared his throat. “Did they say what the incident was?”

Willowpelt shook her head. “All I know is that there might have been a fight.”

An eavesdropper seated next to them interjected with a grunt, “I heard that they won’t let us into their side of Starclan anymore.”

Sorreltail looked at the speaker. It was a scraggly, unfamiliar brown cat with thick, messy fur.

Seedpaw inched forward, then asked, unabashed. “Who are you?”

Despite his grunting, the brown cat smiled slightly at the apprentice. “I’m Mumblefoot. I lived during the time of Pinestar.”

“Who?” Molepaw crept over, his green eyes wide.

“You mean to tell me that you’ve never heard of Pinestar?” The old brown tom chuckled, then muttered something to a grey tabby next to him. “We can tell you about him, if you want to hear it.”

Both of the apprentices seemed interested.

Sorreltail took this as her cue to phase out of the conversation. She glanced over at her brothers with a frown and whispered, “I don’t know what’s happening here, but it doesn’t feel right.”

Rainwhisker’s eyes were narrowed speculatively. “Do you think word got out about what happened?”

“No way,” Sootfur whispered with a hiss. “None of us told anyone.”

“What about Windflight?” Sorreltail whispered back. She didn’t believe it, but he was the only other cat who knew.

“I doubt it.” Rainwhisker replied. “Even if he did, why would they make such a fuss about it before questioning us?”

The three of them were interrupted by Willowpelt, who asked, “Are you three wondering where Windflight is? I saw him over there with Bluestar’s mother.”

“I’ll go and talk to him.” Sorreltail said, standing up and heading in the direction where Willowpelt indicated. Rainwhisker and Sootfur moved to follow her, but she turned around and eyed them. “Stay here, okay? I’ll only be gone a moment.”

They both eyed her cautiously but did not protest.

As Sorreltail moved through the crowd, she noticed a gap of space where not many cats were. She headed in that direction to avoid squishing past everyone else, but paused before she got there.

In the center of the open space sat a very faded spirit. It was see-through, and it’s stars blinked in a lackluster fashion. It was completely alone. Those who sat close by would occasionally sneak quick looks at it, or mutter to their friends in low voices.

Everyone seemed to want to give it a wide berth. Sorreltail decided it was best to do the same.

However, as she began to pad away, a tiny spark of interest ignited in her chest. When would she get this opportunity again? Slowly, she turned around and walked over to the faded spirit. She could feel eyes on her- other cats wondering what she was doing. She paid them no mind and cleared her throat.

“Hello there. Why are you here all by yourself?”

The spirit turned and looked over at her. It was dark gray and see-through, like smoke, or a thundercloud covering the stars. It’s eyes were large, wide and orange.

It blinked, as if surprised to be spoken to.

A moment went by before it said anything, but when it finally responded, it’s voice sounded strange- as if it had an accent.

“I don’t think I’m very welcome here.”

“Why?” Sorreltail asked, sitting down and facing the spirit. It sounded like a tom.

“I haven’t left the Endmost in a while.” The maybe-tom’s owlish eyes twinkled like stars after a storm.

“Oh.” Sorreltail’s eyes widened in surprise. No wonder! This was an old spirit who lived in the Endmost. Her brow furrowed in confusion. She didn’t think that cats from the Endmost came out for stuff like this.

“You’re wondering why I’m here.” The tom responded simply. “So is everyone else.”

She nodded at him mutely.

“I heard a ruckus and decided to investigate.” He smiled at her. “I don’t bite- anymore, at least. Truth be told, I’m a little curious about the goings-on out here.”

Sorreltail chuckled dryly. “You and me both.”

“Tell me, young blood: is it true that souls have gone missing, and that Wind’s kin are creating borders in Starclan?”

“I, uh,” She verbally stumbled a bit. “Yes- cats have gone missing. I’m not sure about the Windclan part, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Everyone’s going a little crazy around here.”

The old spirit opened its mouth to respond to her, but the sound of combined caterwauls caught their attention. The multitudinous crowd of cats quickly fell silent, peering towards the Great Oak.

“Spirits of Thunderclan!” Firestar was the one who spoke. “As the newest departed leader, I am honored to call this meeting to order under the light of the full moon!”

Noises of approval rippled through the crowd.

The meeting had begun.

Chapter Text

“Now I understand why Thistleclaw wants to find you so badly.”

Maggottail’s long gone words lingered heavily in the air. 

The clearing was now silent, aside from the shallow intakes of breath from the four spirits there.

Hollyleaf looked up from the mucky ground and peered over at Maggottail. The haggard-looking shadow cat was doing his best to shake off the muck that had gotten onto his pelt after Breezepelt knocked him over. Despite how distorted his feline form was, she was still able to notice his occasional sneaking looks, peering over at her as if she was the most fascinating thing in the entire forest. Each time, she would fearlessly stare back into his decrepit yellow depths, hoping to dissuade him from looking at her like that.

There was something frightful and hungry in his corpse-eyes that she didn't like. It was as if Maggottail had just discovered the only piece of prey left in this Starclan forsaken forest - 

The prey being her, of course.

She was a tiny, juicy mouse, hidden in a forest full of predators. Most of them probably wanted to kill her or toy with her first. The allies she had managed to acquire weren’t any less dangerous, either. Despite Mapleshade, Maggottail, and Sparrowfeather being her best shot, she couldn’t trust any of them.

Mapleshade was a feared criminal who seemed to think of this whole escapade as a sick game. 

This so-called ‘Maggottail’ fellow was a stranger who wouldn’t even reveal his true identity. 

As for Sparrowfeather…

Hollyleaf wasn’t sure what to think of him. At times he was amiable, almost friend-like. Other times, she would be reminded of his dubious morality, and how he easily he turned his back on both his clan and Starclan. What disturbed her the most, though, was how natural their connection felt at times. He reminded her of her clanmates. He even felt like one. 

She didn’t want to dwell on that feeling. He was judged and sentenced to an eternity in the Place of No Stars. He was a dangerous code-breaker.

But isn’t that what you are?

Hollyleaf scowled and shook that thought out of her mind.

“So,” Sparrowfeather cleared his throat and roused the attention of the other spirits, “I suppose what just happened here was abnormal, then,” He looked over at Maggottail, “Right?”

“Correct,” The shadow-spirit’s glowing yellow eyes narrowed. “Our little Starclan cat is breaking the rules, so to speak.”

“I’m breaking the rules?” Hollyleaf snapped, “What rules?” 

The earlier attempt to reach out to Breezepelt had been an utter disaster. Her half-brother had anticipated her attempt to pull him into the Place of No Stars and reacted violently. After tackling her into the mud, he demanded they never do this to him again, and then vanished as quickly as he came.

Hollyleaf was still irritated with the outcome of the situation. Why was Breezepelt acting so dramatic? He was her best chance at getting outside help. Why couldn’t he have paused for one moment to listen to her? 

He’s never listened to you before, so why would he now?

The voice in her head was right, like always.

“Haven’t you been listening to me, brat?” Mapleshade’s yellow teeth clicked together noisily and her corpse-like eyes shifted in a furious fashion. “This forest imposes limitations for the souls trapped here. Anytime we want to astral-project, dreamwalk, or otherwise, we have to be invited first!” 

“We certainly can’t summon anyone against their will, either,” Maggottail added. “Which seems to be what you’re doing.”

Once more, Maggottail looked at her with those hungry eyes. Uncomfortable with his look, Hollyleaf quietly bared her teeth and looked away. 

Her gaze next fell onto Sparrowfeather, who was already staring at her in a guarded, cautious way. She dug her claws into the mucky soil, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Why was he looking at her that way? 

She returned his stare with an aggravated one of her own. “What? Do I scare you now, Sparrowfeather?”

If Hollyleaf was being honest with herself, Sparrowfeather’s gaze seemed more like concern than fear. But for some reason, that seemed to irritate her more. 

Why was she so quick to anger as of late? 

Ever since being chased in, her mood had been as foul as the repugnant forest she was confined to. Her anger was powerful and searing hot in her chest. She could feel it trying to claw its way out through her throat, as if it was some sort of sentient creature. It writhed around like an angry wasp, unable to get free.

Sparrowfeather’s tail began to twitch in agitation, and he narrowed his eyes at her in a speculative way. “What’s the matter with you, Hollyleaf?”

Her fur bristled, “Oh, nothing-” And before she could stop herself, she said, “-except for the fact that I’m trapped here and nobody cares! Oh, and your crazy former mentor has placed a bounty on my tail!”

Mapleshade made a tutting noise and then whispered noisily to Maggottail, “Poor little Starclanner. She just can’t catch a break.”

Hollyleaf opened her mouth to make a scathing retort to the roguish molly, but before she could get a word out, Sparrowfeather interrupted.

“Listen, Hollyleaf, can we talk?” He asked, rounding on her.

“Fine,” She growled, an eyebrow raised. “Go ahead. Start talking.”

“Privately.” He shot a look at the other two spirits.

“Ah ah ah!” Mapleshade bared her gnarly teeth in a faux-smile and took a step forward threateningly. “No keeping secrets from your friends!” 

“It’s not a secret! I just need to talk to her about something.” Sparrowfeather retorted, his fur bristling minutely.

Hollyleaf let out a sigh. “It’s fine! Let’s not fuss about it.” She eyed Mapleshade, then turned to Sparrowfeather. “Let’s go over there.” She began treading in the direction of a far-off oak tree.

To her relief, Mapleshade didn’t put up any more of a fight about it.

She could hear Sparrowfeather following her on her heels. Once they reached the oak, she turned around. “What is it, then?” She murmured with narrowed eyes.

Sparrowfeather closed his hazel eyes, then let out a drawn-out exhale. When he next opened them, she could see real concern reflecting back at her. 

“Listen, Hollyleaf. I know you’re going through a hard time right now, but for your own good, you need to just take a breath and relax.”

“What?” She snapped, eyeing him up and down. “Did you just tell me that I need to calm down?”

“Not exactly my words,” His eyes widened, “But effectively, yes. Now before you claw my ears off, hear me out: this place can change a cat.”

Gritting her teeth, she said, “What are you saying?”

Sparrowfeather’s eyes flickered over to the spot where Mapleshade and Maggottail were. Quietly, he said, “Do you see how awful they look? It’s a outward manifestation of how they feel on the inside. They’re angry and suffering, Hollyleaf.”

She stilled at his words, then turned to look at the two faded spirits. He was right- there was something wrong about them. It was clear from the moment she met them.

From Mapleshade’s dirty, bedraggled appearance to Maggottail’s faded form, weird tremors and strange limping- these must be truly miserable creatures. 

Sparrowfeather cleared his throat to catch her attention. She turned to look at him and their eyes met. His hazel orbs bore into her own, bright green ones. “This place can make you feel a lot of things, Hollyleaf. Angry, sad, crazed- believe me, I know. You can’t feed off of the energy that this place radiates, or you’ll lose yourself.”

There was something conciliatory about Sparrowfeather’s words. Maybe it was the hushed way he was speaking, or the common sense of what he was saying. Either way, Hollyleaf could feel herself growing mollified, if just a little bit.

“I’m sorry,” She said after a moment, “I was mean to you earlier. I wasn’t being fair.”

“It’s alright, I’m not mad. You’re going through a lot right now.” His scarred-up face softened a bit. 

She didn’t say anything in response. Instead, a sobering silence fell over them. 

“Before we go back, there’s something I need to tell you.” He looked down at the ground. “It’s about me being Thistleclaw’s apprentice.”

Hollyleaf’s ears pricked up. Sparrowfeather had talked about Thistleclaw before, but none of it was ever good. Mostly, it was about how terrible of a cat his former mentor was, and how Thistleclaw had given him the terrible scars on his face.

There were other things Hollyleaf heard about Sparrowfeather and Thistleclaw that she hadn’t had the opportunity to ask about, though. 

When they had first enlisted Mapleshade, the old rogue had said some things that left Hollyleaf feeling concerned. First, Mapleshade had referred to Sparrowfeather as Thistleclaw’s pet. Next, she had described Sparrowfeather as ‘one of many younglings Thistleclaw fancied and threw away’.

It seemed as if there might have been something other than mentorship going on between the two of them.

Sparrowfeather opened his mouth to continue, his eyes still glued to the ground. “Thistleclaw was more than just a mentor to me. He made me feel important and cared for. I thought he understood me…” He trailed off.

“But I was wrong. He was using me the entire time. It was all fake- the things he said, the way I thought he felt about me.”

Hollyleaf’s felt a lump grow in her throat. “Are you saying that he- you and him…”

“He made me feel special.” There was a profound sadness in Sparrowfeather’s voice. “He was my best friend, but he showed his true colors at the end.”

Hollyleaf didn’t know what to say to console him. Instead, she prompted him to continue. “What happened?”

Sparrowfeather looked up at her. “When Thistleclaw first came to me in my dreams, I was just an apprentice. I didn’t have a lot of friends. I was a little bit of a social pariah in my clan.”

“Why?”

“I think it was because of my mother. I don’t know who she is, but I think she must have been a kittypet or something. My father brought me into the clan when I was just a kit, and I have no memory of her.”

Hollyleaf felt a flash of sympathy for him. She understood how he felt, if just a little bit. She had no memory of being Leafpool’s kit, but the brown tabby was her birth mother.

“It felt good to have someone want to be my friend for once. We spent a lot of time together, and after a while our bond grew very strong. It was easy for me to forgo Shadowclan for the Dark Forest. I mean, who had ever really cared about me besides my father? No one.”

“But over time I began to see the violent nature of the Dark Forest. I’m not an aggressive cat, but I still tried to be- what Thistleclaw wanted me to be. He knew I didn’t like it. Maybe that’s why our bond grew stronger after that- I think he was trying to keep me close. He didn’t want me to leave.”

Hollyleaf dug her claw-tips into the soil. She knew where this was going. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Go on.”

“Hollyleaf,” His hazel eyes furrowed. “Remember when you met me? You asked if I was a tom or a molly.”

She nodded her head wordlessly. Many tortoiseshell cats tended to be mollies, but not all of them.

“I used to think that I was a molly, but I was wrong. It took me a while to realize that about myself.”

The torbie tom looked at the ground, then up at her again. This time, there was a fire in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. “When I revealed that to Thistleclaw, he didn’t like it. He wanted me to be someone else. Our relationship grew strained after that.”

“I finally understood that he never truly loved me. He was using me, and trying to mold me into someone he wanted me to be. I wasn’t good enough for him as I was. So I made a choice- I chose myself over him. That’s how I got these scars on my face. When he realized he had lost me, we fought. I never intended to go back to the Dark Forest after that, but the wounds I sustained in battle with him got infected, and I passed away in the Medicine cat den. Then I woke up here.”

Hollyleaf’s eyes were wide as she took in his story. She understood the animosity he felt towards Thistleclaw now. To be rejected and betrayed by his closest friend… but that friendship was wrong to begin with.

“He was molding you,” She said tentatively, “You were young and vulnerable. He exploited that, Sparrowfeather. That situation was wrong, and you didn’t deserve it.”

The torbie tom nodded, something unguarded flashing in his eyes. “He wanted me to love him.”

“He’s scum!” Hollyleaf snapped, her anger rising up unexpectedly. This was messed up! Thistleclaw was some sort of predator, manipulating cats to be on his side. Sparrowfeather was too young! Is that why Thistleclaw approached him? 

A dark looked crossed onto Sparrowfeather’s face. “I want him to get what he deserves. I want him to pay for what he’s done. You heard Mapleshade- I was just another one of the ‘younglings Thistleclaw fancied and threw away’. He’s done this before to someone else.”

“He’s sick.” Hollyleaf growled under her breath, her tail lashing back and forth. “If the opportunity comes, I’ll help you serve him justice.”

A tiny, itty bitty smile emerged from the corner of Sparrowfeather’s mouth. “I’d like that.”

She smiled back, but then faltered. The new information Sparrowfeather just told her changed things. He was a victim in this whole situation. That begged the question: why was he in the Place of No Stars? Sparrowfeather wasn’t a bad cat, so it seemed. He just got caught up in a bad situation.

‘Starclan is partial and prejudiced.’ The words Mapleshade had spoken to her the first time they met flashed through her mind. No, that couldn’t be it. There must be some sort of logical reason as to why Sparrowfeather was here. What was she not understanding?

“Are you two quite finished?” Speaking of the roguish molly, Mapleshade was pointedly staring at them from her spot next to Maggottail. “We need to get going!” She shouted.

Tentatively, they both made their way back to Mapleshade and Maggottail. Clearly the conversation was over, but Hollyleaf itched to talk about it again. She needed to make sense of this whole thing! 

She peered over at Sparrowfeather. It would be wrong of her to bring up his personal business like this in front of the other two. She would just have to wait until they had another moment alone.

Still, her mind dwelled on Sparrowfeather and his story, and Thistleclaw, the scoundrel who had molded, manipulated and hurt him.

The group traveled in relative silence, headed back in the direction of the tall tree that Redwillow nested in.

After a while of walking through the thick muck, Hollyleaf eased her way closer to the faded shadow known as Maggottail. The haggard cat was limping along slowly, an occasional tremor running through his body. After catching notice of her, the spirit’s small, bleary eyes turned and regarded her with the same hungry interest as before.

Hollyleaf wondered who he really was, and what he had done to earn himself a place in this prison.

“Speak your mind, young one.” The shadow rasped, his voice hoarse and thin, as if it too was fading away.

“Why do you want to fade away?”

“I’ve lived, died, and suffered far too many times,” He muttered hoarsely, “I’m tired and ready to meet my maker.”

Hollyleaf pensively considered the ghost-cat’s cryptic message, “But you’ve already met your maker. It was the queen that birthed you.”

“Come now kit,” He chuckled lowly, “You know what I mean.”

“I don’t think I do.” Her fur prickled uncomfortably- at what, she did not know. Maybe it was the clouded, empty look in the old fool’s eyes. Or perhaps it was the strange way he was speaking, as if he was hoarding some sort of dark, forbidden secret.

Back when she was just a fresh-faced kit, wide-eyed with her brothers, they would listen to tales in the Elder’s den. Mousefur had been far too eager to spin stories of ancient times, when giant cats -bigger than trees- roamed the land. When Hollyleaf had asked the dusky old molly how the giant cats and trees had came to be, Mousefur had told her that everything was made out of fallen stardust. When Hollyleaf had asked another elder, Longtail, he merely smiled at her and said that the first clan cats had been falling stars, light made into flesh.

Despite her curiosity as a kit, she had never been inclined to dwell on the mysteries of life. There were much more important things to worry about, like feeding the clan or protecting the borders. Post-death, the confirmed existence of Starclan had been enough to quell the tiny seed of interest in her heart, but now as she faced Maggottail and his croaky whispers, she wondered what truly existed beyond the spirit world.

“If no one remembers who you are, then how come you’re still here?” She asked, changing the subject.

Maggottail sighed, a shallow release of breath. “I don’t know. My maker wants to punish me, perhaps.”

“How did you get that awful scar?” She asked, turning to look at the strange, tree-branch scar that ran along the hairless area on his hindquarters. His tail was hairless too. It reminded her of a rat.

Maggottail’s empty eyes regarded her for a moment, before he said, “I was struck by lightning.”

She opened her mouth to ask another question, but froze when she heard the thrumming of feet against the ground. The rest of the group came to a halt as well.

Quite unexpectedly, a ginger shape burst forth from some trees up ahead. Hollyleaf bristled in surprise, but allowed her fur to lie flat when she realized that it was Redwillow.

“They’re coming!” The bulky tom hissed out, his chest heaving as he paused to catch his breath.

“Who?” Mapleshade demanded, her eyes quickly turning to scan their surroundings.

“Thistleclaw sent a group out!”

Mapleshade stiffened, then narrowed her eyes and scowled.

“Hide Hollyleaf!” The old tortoiseshell growled back at Redwillow. “Conceal her in that brush behind us. Roll her in the mud if you have to- we can’t let them know that she’s here!”

Hollyleaf froze up for a moment, then leapt to action, following Redwillow into an ugly, gnarled bush a few foxlengths behind them. She scooted past some thorns and hid in the back, where many leaves were. Hopefully she wouldn't be noticed from back here.

From the gaps in the foliage, she could spot Sparrowfeather eyeing the bush. “I can’t sight her. It should be fine.”

Quietly, she turned to Redwillow, crouched next to her. “What happened?”

“I tailed them for a while,” He grunted, eyeing her with obvious hostility in his eyes. “Thistleclaw must have given them a directive, because a group of three came out and began wandering about. I decided to follow them, but after a while they began heading in the direction of The Marsh. I didn’t want you guys to be taken by surprise.”

From outside of the bush, she noticed a hush fall over the group of assembled cats. She peered out and bristled minutely as a group of three cats emerge from the cluster of trees that Redwillow came from.

As the group came closer, Hollyleaf inhaled quietly, trying to calm the hammering in her chest.

Who were these cats?

The silence was deafening.

Amongst the gathered spectres, there was no anxious breaths or pounding of hearts. Only an ominous quiet that spoke a whisper of violence to come.

At the head of the group was a long-limbed black cat, much smaller compared to the towering form of Mapleshade. It’s eyes peered back and forth in a wary fashion.

At the black cat’s side was a honey-brown and white tabby with thick, glossy fur, surprisingly well-groomed for a Place of No Stars cat. It was near life-like in appearance, which made Hollyleaf think it was probably new to the forest.

Lastly, a darker brown cat with feathery fur flanked the latter, his ears peppered with terrible scars. This one eyed the group with cold suspicion in it’s sharp orange eyes.

All three of them had various nicks and scars, some worse-looking than others, like the dark brown tabby.

With bated breath, Hollyleaf watched with Redwillow from behind the shrubbery, adrenaline thrumming through her chest like a weak bird’s fluttering wings.

“Mapleshade,” The small black cat said, his baritone voice carefully neutral. 

Hollyleaf waited to see if he would say more, but that seemed to be it. His dull yellow eyes flickered over to gaze once at the great tortoiseshell, but it was short-lasted. With his non-threatening body language and averted eyes, Hollyleaf wagered he was deferring some form a respect to the great old rogue.

Mapleshade’s fur was puffed up just a smidgeon, and her posture was more straight and rigid. Though it was barely noticeable, Hollyleaf had been with the old rogue long enough to notice the change. Was Mapleshade trying to posture herself in front of the unfamiliar group?

“You seem surprised to see me, Houndleap.” A slow, crawling smirk slithered onto Mapleshade’s face. “Did you think that I perished during the Great Battle?”

“I... suppose not.” He responded, meeting her eyes. “I haven’t caught whiff or sight of you since then.”

“I’ve been busy, you see-” She jutted her chin in the direction of Sparrowfeather and Maggottail, both lurking in wait at her side. “- gathering friends! To prepare for what’s to come.”

“And what is to come?” The honey-brown tabby flanking Houndleap interjected. Hollyleaf did not recognize this cat, but from it’s larger stature and long, flowing fur, she supposed it must be of Riverclan or Thunderclan origin.

“Why don’t you ask Thistleclaw? I’m sure he’ll tell you.” Sparrowfeather interjected with a sneer. From her vantage point, Hollyleaf could see the fur on the back of his neck bristling up. She imagined that his eyes must be full of anger, considering how he felt about Thistleclaw.

“Now now, runt.” Mapleshade said, her voice tight with faux sweetness. “Let’s allow Thistleclaw’s little mice to explain first.” Her eyes flickered back to Houndleap. “Well? Speak.”

Houndleap cleared his throat. “I had my doubts about your survival, I will admit- but Thistleclaw didn’t. He assured me that you were out here somewhere. He... wants to meet with you at Black Rock.”

What was Black Rock? Hollyleaf eyed her allies, but they gave nothing away. Redwillow, crouched beside her, made a surprised intake of breath, however. She frowned at him- he couldn’t be making noise right now!

“Does he now?” Mapleshade’s voice didn’t sound sweet anymore. “And what does he want to meet with me about at Black Rock?” From the way the last part was enunciated, Hollyleaf bet that Mapleshade knew exactly what Thistleclaw wanted to meet with her about. Was the Black Rock some sort of showdown site?

“I don’t know. My only job was to convey the message to you.”

“So why did Thistleclaw need to send three of you to do that?” Maggottail rasped, eyeing the newer souls behind Houndleap.

“We’re searching for the Starclan cats, too.”

An eerie feeling of dread shot through Hollyleaf like the stabbing of sharp claws. Beside her, Redwillow stiffened in shock.

“Cats?” Mapleshade’s brows knitted together. 

“I thought there was just one.” Sparrowfeather murmured.

Hollyleaf’s head buzzed like a hundred bees. There was another Starclan cat in the Place of No Stars? Why hadn’t they heard anything about this yet?

Who could it be?

Chapter Text

As soon as she was sure that Thistleclaw’s cronies had left, Hollyleaf wiggled her way out of the undergrowth and darted over to her group of allies. 

“He said Starclan cats,” She said, trying to level the excitement in her voice. “Cats!”

As silly as it seemed, Hollyleaf couldn’t get the thought out of her head that maybe someone had come in to look for her. She had been in this place long enough! Surely at least one of her clanmates had decided to make the trek in to rescue her.

“How very peculiar.” Maggotail’s thin voice rasped out. “Two stars within our midst.”

Sparrowfeather had a puzzled, contemplative look on his scarred face. “I wonder if it might be someone looking for you, Hollyleaf.”

A jolt of hope surged through her. Who had been bold enough to venture into the Place of No Stars? Her mind cycled through clanmates, trying to think of someone on her side who would care enough to look for her. Perhaps it was one of her kin, such as Firestar. 

Redwillow, who she scarcely heard follow after her, settled next to Sparrowfeather. “Why only send one cat?”

That was a good point, but Hollyleaf didn’t have a lot of fans right now and Starclan was in a bit of a frenzy, so she couldn’t rule out the possibility of only one cat taking the initiative to find her.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a grunt from Maggottail. “You’re awfully quiet, Mapleshade.”

The hulking tortoiseshell molly had an unpleasant frown on her face, and a cold, narrowed look in her eyes. “He wants to meet me at Black Rock.”

There was that place again, Hollyleaf noted. Mapleshade had enunciated it the same way she had last time- spitting the word out as if it was a bad mouse.

“You’re not going to go, are you?” Maggottail eyed her sharply.

Mapleshade’s claws scored against the mud. “He’s challenging me! And he wants all of his little followers to know that. If I don’t show up, it will come off as a sign of weakness.”

Hollyleaf silently watched the exchange between the old spirits. She was right- this so-called ‘Black Rock’ was likely a showdown location. If that was the case, then Thistleclaw’s invitation was an obvious threat.

“It sounds like a trap.” Sparrowfeather butted in, his tail twitching in thought. “Out of everyone in this forest, you’re the biggest threat to him. He wouldn’t lay everything out on the line unless he knew he would win.”

Mapleshade seemed to consider what Sparrowfeather said, because she fell quiet again.

Hollyleaf wondered who would win in a fight: Mapleshade, with her sharp claws, thick fur, and towering stature; or Thistleclaw, the mysterious mentor of Tigerstar and Sparrowfeather. With a suffix like -claw, he must be a skilled warrior in battle.

“Maybe it’s just a meeting,” She eyed Mapleshade and then the rest of the group. “But with intent to intimidate.”

“Then what would he want to meet about?” Sparrowfeather mused aloud, “I don’t know what he’s planning. Maybe he wants to ask you to join him, knowing that you’ll refuse. It could be an attempt to alienate you further from his followers, and from any other straggler they’ve yet to pick up.”

The group fell quiet. Mapleshade and Maggottail were looking at one another, some sort of silent communication going on between the two of them. 

Hollyleaf wondered what they could possibly be thinking. Knowing the roguish molly, she wagered that Mapleshade might be leaning towards going to Black Rock. The tortoiseshell seemed to have a reputation here, one that might need to be upheld in the eyes of her peers. Ignoring the invitation could be spun by Thistleclaw as an act of cowardice.

Mapleshade cleared her throat. “I will go to Black Rock, if only for a little while. Just to see what he wants.”

“And what if he wants a fight?” Maggottail stared back at her. “You aren’t as spry as you used to be.”

Sparrowfeather and Redwillow both stiffened, as if expecting the tortoiseshell to flash her claws and snap her teeth at what could have been perceived as an insult.

The great old rogue didn’t appear bothered by the faded shadow’s remark. “I’ll bring an entourage with me, to dissuade any attempts from him to play dirty.”

Mapleshade’s leaf-fall eyes swiveled around to face Redwillow and Sparrowfeather. “Both of you should come with me. Especially you, runt.”

The fur on Sparrowfeather’s neck prickled a bit at the mention of meeting with Thistleclaw, but he nodded all the same. Redwillow gave no retort, which might as well have translated to a ‘yes’, since he had always been so vocal about what he didn’t like.

Mapleshade turned again, back to Maggottail. “What say you?”

“Aye,” He let out a wheezing laugh, “I suppose I’ll come along, but I’m no terror to behold. I might as well be an Elder now, with how much I’ve faded.”

“You used to strike fear into the hearts of Elders, Queens and kits.” Mapleshade snorted. “You took on three clans at once. Even just a wisp of you is enough. I bet Thistleclaw won't expect to see you with me.”

Hollyleaf’s eyes narrowed speculatively. Who was Maggottail? A cat struck by lightning, who took on all three clans, and had ‘lived and died far too many times’... It sounded as if he was once a clan leader.

“What about me?” She asked, peering at Mapleshade. 

The tortoiseshell molly appraised her with a raised brow. “I would be an even bigger fool than Thistleclaw if I were to take you along. I might as well drop you into his camp’s fresh kill pile!”

“But- ”

“You’ll stay at Redwillow’s tree.” Mapleshade bared her cracked, yellow teeth in a semblance of a smile. 

Hollyleaf felt anger begin to simmer in the pit of her stomach. She supposed it made sense to stay behind, but she didn’t want to. She had to see Thistleclaw for herself, and she didn’t want to leave Sparrowfeather to have to confront him on his own. 

Besides, she needed to be there just in case something happened. What if it was a trap, and no one came back for her?

Her feelings on the matter must have been apparent from her facial expression, because Mapleshade spoke again, “I can’t let him know that you’re with us. It’s too much of a risk.”

“Fine,” She growled, even though it was certainly not fine. 

Her mind whirled to try and think of a way to convince them to take her along as the group began to head back in the direction of Redwillow’s tree. 

No one seemed to notice how quiet she was except for Sparrowfeather, who slowed down to chat with her after a while.

“Are you thinking about the Starclan cat?” He asked, analyzing her with those probing hazel eyes.

“I guess,” She muttered. It wasn’t entirely a lie. She was still thinking about the Starclan cat- wondering who might be in this forest other than her, and if she might eventually stumble upon it before Thistleclaw does.

Sparrowfeather’s voice lowered a bit. “I’ve been thinking about that.”

“Yeah?”

“I wonder,” He paused, his brow furrowed. “- how the Starclan cat managed to get by Darkstripe and Snowtuft. They were the ones guarding the barrier when I took you that one time.”

Hollyleaf frowned. She hadn’t thought about that. It wouldn’t have been easy to pass by those two, especially if the other Starclan cat wasn’t expecting company on the other side.

Hollyleaf watched her group of allies leave as they headed off to Black Rock.

She hadn’t been able to convince Mapleshade, and no one had jumped to her side, not even Sparrowfeather. She supposed it was sensical to leave her here, even though she didn’t like it.

Still, she couldn’t quell the ball of nervous energy bumping around in her chest as they disappeared from sight. The tall tree that Redwillow lived in would be a good place to hide in the meantime, and yet…

Maybe you should follow them.

Hollyleaf considered what the voice in her head suggested. She couldn’t deny how risky it might be to go to Black Rock anyway, especially since Thistleclaw was there.

Thistleclaw doesn’t know that you’re with Mapleshade.

That was certainly true. Who could have anticipated an alliance like that? Perhaps if she just stayed out of sight the entire time, she could watch and then slip away quietly before anyone knew she was there.

If you’re going to do that, then do it fast. 

She wasn’t sure where Black Rock was, so she’d need to tail them from a distance. Making up her mind, she rose to follow after Mapleshade and company, but stopped abruptly.

She needed to be smart about this. Her eyes fell on the thick, sticky mud that seemed to be on every inch of this forest’s floor. Distastefully, she lowered herself onto the ground and began rubbing along it. As unpleasant as it was, the muck would disguise her scent, and maybe muffle some of her starlight too.

With that done, she headed off in the direction of her allies.

Throughout the trek, Hollyleaf made sure to give a wide berth to Mapleshade and company. The last thing she needed was them discovering that she was following them.

Eventually the group slipped through a break in the trees, into what appeared to be a large clearing. Hollyleaf paused, eyeing around and scenting the air. She could vaguely scent other unfamiliar cats, but she couldn’t see them. 

Intent on being unnoticed, she made her way over to a bramble thicket, sheltering herself there, hopefully out of sight. Through the gaps in the foliage, she could see a large, black boulder, about as big as some of the rocks she saw on her journey to the mountains. It was mostly flat, but along it she could see scratch marks, as if many cats had scored their claws against it.

Along the bottom of the rock she could see a patrol-sized group of spirits, all various shapes and sizes. They all stood on their feet, their eyes tensely directed towards the top of the rock. She followed their gaze, only to notice a large figure standing there, eyeing Mapleshade and the group she brought along with her.

The figure was a mostly grey cat, with areas of white peppered through it’s pelt. It’s fur was spiky and thick, making it appear larger than it probably was.

Hollyleaf took a deep inhale, scenting through her mouth. Was this Thistleclaw?

The stench was undeniably Thunderclan, she noted, but wrong at the same time. What should have been an inviting forest scent- a myriad of maple trees and sturdy oaks and fresh wildflowers, instead reeked much too strongly of soil.

And it wasn’t just any soil smell, no- it was the acidic stench only met once you’ve dug deep enough into the ground. 

Hollyleaf was able to recognize it instantly. 

The smell had been ingrained in her mind as deeply as her own name was. 

It was the same smell that had paralyzed her as she watched the Elders of her clan plow tirelessly to make a hole big enough to bury Ashfur.

Ashfur, his corpse stiff and shrunken. The carrion smell just beginning to emanate from the open slice wound around his neck.

Disturbed by the memory, Hollyleaf shuffled her feet uneasily. Why did this unfamiliar spirit carry such an awful smell? It was as if it had just been dug free from the grave by carrion eaters.

Quietly, she watched as Mapleshade bunched her muscles up and made a mighty leap atop the great rock. After that, the tortoiseshell took a few, purposeful steps forward until she was facing the sordid spirit head on.

The cats at the bottom of the rock hushed, just as on edge with the situation as Hollyleaf was.

For a moment, only the silence reigned. 

Then, the hulking, grey and white figure spoke.

“I was hoping you’d have faded away by now.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, Thistleclaw.” Mapleshade countered, her posture straight and tall. Despite her grand size, the other cat was just as large, it seemed. A trait typical of many Thunderclan cats.

“You’ve gotten fouler since the last time I saw you.” Thistleclaw taunted, the drawl of his voice vaguely familiar. “Your spirit is rotting away.”

“At least I have an excuse,” Mapleshade snorted, eyeing him up and down in disdain. “- you, on the other hand…”

Thistleclaw’s eyes, bright and yellow like turning leaves, narrowed in annoyance. “Don’t mistake my observation for an insult. Everyone can see what you’ve become.”

Mapleshade eyed him venomously, then, suddenly and unexpectedly, let out a raucous cackle, letting her voluminous voice echo through the silent clearing. 

Hollyleaf would bet a mousetail that the old rogue was putting on a show for all of the cats gathered. This was just as much about them as it was about Thistleclaw.

After Mapleshade was done laughing, she let her amused smile shift into a wicked grin. “What do you want from me? Out with it now, before I lose my patience with you.”

Thistleclaw was quiet for a moment longer than was comfortable. Hollyleaf could see the gathered cats shifting in anticipation, awaiting the reason for this meeting.

“I know what you have.”

Mapleshade’s expression turned stoic. “What do I have?”

“Something that I’ve been searching for.”

The roguish molly refused to take the bait. “Do you want me to guess?”

Thistleclaw let out a displeased rumble, his dead eyes searching and cold. “You don’t know what you’ve got. You have no idea what’s at play this time, Mapleshade,” A little louder, he said, “You’ve stolen one of my Starclan cats, haven’t you?”

Mapleshade puffed out a laugh, this one devoid of humor, “I have done no such thing. Since when did you start a Starclan cat collection?”

The grey and white cat, his fur sticking out at odd angles, tilted his head to the side. “Do you always have to go and stick your nose into things that don’t concern you?” He paused scornfully, “Like whispering into my apprentice’s ear.”

“Tigerstar found me because he wanted power. Something you couldn’t give him.” Mapleshade flashed him that same gnarly grin, her yellowed teeth glinting. “Now I’ve got another one of your apprentices with me.”

Thistleclaw’s eyes flickered to the ground behind Mapleshade, falling upon Sparrowfeather. A frown slithered onto his face as he observed the torbie tom. Hollyleaf froze, wondering how her friend would react.

“Ah, Sparrowfeather. It’s been too long.”

“Not long enough!” Sparrowfeather hissed, his eyes flashing with loathing.

“Now, now,” Thistleclaw’s voice was calm, though it sounded forced. “I was wondering where you went off to. I haven’t seen you since the Great Battle.”

The torbie tom growled lowly. “I was doing my best to stay far away from you.”

“I know we’ve had our differences, but that was in the past. We’re both stuck here now, so why don’t you come and join me? I can keep you safe. I know you can’t be happy with that wretched old ghost.” 

Hollyleaf’s fur bristled. The audacity of this cat, to be asking Sparrowfeather to go back to him after everything he’s done!

Sparrowfeather bared his teeth. “Any moment away from you is one I’ll savor.”

“How it pains me to hear you say that,” Thistleclaw sighed loudly, “But I suppose it can’t be helped.” His claws clacked loudly against the great stone beneath him. “Do you know why I gave you those scars?”

Hollyleaf stiffened at the same time Sparrowfeather did.

“Oh, you thought that was a coincidence, didn’t you? Just an accident in the thick of battle?” The grey and white spirit goaded, “That was not the case. How it pained me to do it. You had such a pretty face.”

Sparrowfeather didn’t say anything, but his expression was frozen into something akin to muted astonishment. 

“I just couldn’t look at you anymore. I suppose that was a weakness of mine. You reminded me,” He paused, “- too much of someone from my past. I suppose that’s why I liked you so much, before you went and decided to change yourself.”

The shock on Sparrowfeather’s face melted away into pure rage. He began to tremble a bit, as if holding himself back from leaping onto the rock and smiting Thistleclaw down. Redwillow seemed to notice, and shifted closer to his friend protectively.

“Enough of this!” Mapleshade spat, annoyance thick in her voice, “You know why I never liked you, Thistleclaw? You’re sick. There’s a rot in you, permeated deep within your soul. It gives me pleasure to steal your apprentices, just like it gave me pleasure to kill that pretty little tortie!”

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd of spectators.

Thistleclaw stiffened, a dark look passing over his face.

“You’re going to pay for impeding me, you decrepit sack of bones!” He snapped, his white teeth flashing. “I’ll wipe this forest of your ugly maw- and I’ll be sure to make it a slow demise. You’re a fool, and you could have been a part of my plans, but you decided to seal your fate the moment you nabbed one of my Starclan cats.”

Mapleshade’s face contorted into something fearsome and monstrous, less cat-like than it usually was. Her fur bristled up, making her appear much larger. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, you rotten fleabag- but it will never work. I would have hoped you learned your lesson from our last failed attempt!”

“The hubris of our last attempt is what ruined us. A counsel, filled with egotistical tyrants. It was doomed to fail. But trust me, I won’t make the same mistake as last time, playing some sort of pathetic proxy war. I’m bringing the fight to the source of our suffering: Starclan itself.” 

His gaze raked over the three cats standing behind Mapleshade. “You three would be wise to jump allegiances while you can, unless you want to be damned in this forest forever.”

“You’re mad!” Mapleshade spat, “They say my mind’s fading, but yours is gone completely. You can’t get to Starclan! We’re prisoners here.”

His eyes were wide and secretive, as if he was harboring something in those depths, “That’s what you think, hag. I’ve figured it all out, and my plans are in motion. Starclan is already feeling my influence.”

He turned his back to Mapleshade, looking at his followers, then turned and shot a look at Mapleshade’s group. “I know you have one of my Starclan cats. I know where it is, too. You shouldn’t have left it behind.”

Hollyleaf stiffened, anxiety coursing through her through her like a bolt of lightning. From her spot behind the brush, she could see Sparrowfeather bristle. Was this a bluff?

“We don’t have your Starclan cat.” Mapleshade ground out, her voice low and scathing.

“We shall see then, after my patrol is done plucking it from your hiding spot.”

The grey and white cat bunched his muscles and leapt off of the rock. After he landed at the bottom, he stretched his legs out and began walking away. “I’m done here. You’re lucky you brought your friends, otherwise I would have let my friends tear your limbs off. Now, if I were you, I’d go find a corner to fade away in before I collect the rest of my followers and rip your soul to shreds.”

Mapleshade said nothing, just watched him go with a deadpan face.

Hollyleaf eyed Thistleclaw, tensing up nervously as he began to head in the direction of her hiding spot. She held her breath as he passed, refusing to move a muscle. 

Her chest thrummed erratically as he went by, and for a moment, she thought that she might be able to get away with it.

That is, until the hulking grey spirit turned and looked at her. 

Although the surroundings were entrenched in the dark of night, he was close enough that she could see some of the light from her stars reflecting onto his face, revealing stark white fur, the color of a sun dried skull.

Her heart began to race as his sickly yellow eyes bore into her own. She felt paralyzed with fear- he looked absolutely ghoulish. Like a monster from an Elder’s tale.

“Oh. It's you.”

His voice jolted her from her fearful stupor. Immediately, she bolted, propelling herself away from the cat as fast as she could. 

Behind her, she heard scuffling and snarling, and then the sound of footfalls. 

She raced ahead blindly, refusing to look back.

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Chapter Text

Breezepelt awoke with a start.

His heart was hammering so harshly in his chest that he swore it could have burst in that moment.

“Breezepelt?” A muffled voice to his right sounded off. “Did you have a bad dream? You kicked me again.”

“I’m sorry, Heathertail.” He managed to gasp out, swearing under his breath. “Yeah- just a dream.”

The warm body next to him let out a long sigh and then fell quiet again. 

Breezepelt should have felt safe, surrounded by his mate and clanmates in the Warriors den, but he didn’t. Instead, he was filled with a feeling of dread so strong it made his fur stand on end. 

The first time he dreamt of his half-sister, he thought it was merely a strange, terrible nightmare. It had even started off in the same place as most of his nightmares: the Place of No Stars. The dark, sickly forest often invaded his dreams, whispering his name like a ghost and drawing him into its clawhold. Most of the time he would dream about the misshapen form of Brokenstar, and the old spirit’s carrion-smell surrounding him from all sides.

Breezepelt had sworn off of the Place of No Stars a long time ago. Despite how terrifying his nightmares were, he was always able to comfort himself with the notion that none of it was real. At least, that was how he rationalized it. He assured himself that his bad dreams were merely a symptom of his wandering mind. They were untamed, wild thoughts, lurking in the back of his conscience even though he had attempted to compartmentalize them all away.

However, there was something different about his two most recent dreams. 

Both times he had seen his dead half-sister, Hollyleaf, which was unusual. He had never dreamt of her before. 

After the first dream with Hollyleaf, he tried his best to ignore it. After all, it had only lasted for a moment. It was so bizarre that it shouldn’t have been real, anyway. Hollyleaf, her starry spectral body, greeting him inside of the Place of No Stars? He had brushed it aside as his guilty conscience trying to rear its ugly head. His sad, dead sister confronting him from his self-made prison, her green eyes cold and angry and desperate.

The notion that he was dreaming about her now unsettled him in ways he didn’t completely understand. 

What unsettled him the most, however, was how startlingly real the dreams had felt.

Even now he could feel his heart racing with the aftershock of it all. His instincts currently had him on high alert- something that would always happen after a trip to the Place of No Stars. A chill shot up his spine as he replayed the bizarre experience in his mind. He could still feel the squishy muck under his feet. The smell of sour, rotting, dead trees was stuck in the back of his nose. Even his shoulders ached a little from where he had slammed Hollyleaf and Maggottail off of their feet. 

It was as if he had actually been there.

Unsettled, he rose to his feet and carefully stepped over the sleeping bodies around him. 

He needed to be alone with his thoughts.

As Breezepelt made his way onto the moor, he noticed how the stars above him twinkled extra brightly tonight. Their shine reminded him of the light that had glittered off of Hollyleaf’s pelt. His brow furrowed in thought. Why would a Starclan cat be in the Place of No Stars?

He couldn’t say he had been particularly fond of Hollyleaf. She had always been a know-it-all, ever-so annoying as she prattled on about the stupid code that bound them together as clan-cats. But all of this had been while they were apprentices on a mountain quest. It was a simpler time, then. 

Everything changed when she revealed their father’s treachery for all to hear.

He didn’t know how to feel about her now. Before, the hissing, angry beast inside of him had been glad to see her die. She was the living embodiment of his father’s disloyalty, his mother’s pain, and his own suffocating shame. It was easy to hate her, but harder to confront the truth: it wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t Jayfeather’s or Lionblaze’s, either.

But all of that was too late now, because Hollyleaf was dead and gone.

Well, maybe not gone.

Breezepelt scowled and shook his head, unnerved and unsure of what to think. He didn’t want to believe it, but the dreams with Hollyleaf in them had felt a lot different than a normal dream. Even so, the contents of his dream made no sense. Why would Hollyleaf be in the Place of No Stars when she was a Starclan cat?

He frowned tentatively at the mention of Starclan. Sometimes he wondered if they would forgive him for all he had done. Other times he didn’t really care. There was still a spiteful, simmering ball of hatred lodged in his chest- he could feel it burn with each beat of his heart. 

Despite that, Breezepelt still looked for healthier ways to cope. He had begun to ignore his anger instead of fueling it, as he had been so prone to doing before. He often looked for distractions- spending time with his mother, or Heathertail. Even spending some relaxing time by himself helped with his peace of mind.

Breezepelt mulled over his dream for a little while longer, his glazed eyes turned towards the sparkling heavens.

He stiffened suddenly as a thought invaded his mind- something he had not remembered until this moment. 

In the dream, Hollyleaf had shouted at him right before he woke up. 

‘Please Breezepelt, tell my mother I need help!’

An ice-cold chill crawled along his spine, making his fur prickle uneasily. That was an oddly specific thing for her to say. Very strange for something that was just a dream.

Maybe it wasn’t just a dream. Had he had been summoned into the Place of No Stars?

Most importantly, what should he do next?

Although Breezepelt didn’t dream about Hollyleaf again, the thought of her was thoroughly stuck in his mind, like a flea he just couldn’t manage to get rid of. 

The more he waited around and did nothing, the guiltier he felt. If the dream was real, then perhaps Hollyleaf might actually be in trouble, and here he was just biding his time. 

Perhaps he ought to tell someone about it, but how could he explain to one of his clanmates that he was going to the Place of No Stars in his dreams again? He was already on thin ice for siding with the Dark Forest over his own clan. One wrong step and Onestar might have his pelt for it.

Eventually the guilt became so overwhelming that he broke away from his hunting patrol a couple days later and impulsively crossed over onto Thunderclan land. 

He didn’t exactly have a plan, but telling someone from Thunderclan was probably his best bet. Windclan wouldn’t understand, and they didn’t trust him, either. Although he wasn’t trusted in Thunderclan, they had a vested interest in Hollyleaf. 

He began padding forward in the general direction of where he thought Thunderclan camp might be. The trees blocked out most of the open sky, making him feel claustrophobic. He began walking faster and faster, picking up the pace. He was afraid of what might happen if he waited too long. Where was the camp? 

Just as a twinge of panic began to thump in his chest, he caught sight of a brown shape in the distance. He squinted: it was clearly cat shaped. Instead of feeling relieved, he felt his heart begin to beat faster, like the thumping of a wild jack rabbit.

He rushed towards the cat, but froze when he got close enough to see who it was.

The brown tabby froze too, as soon as she saw him. 

It was Leafpool, the Thunderclan Medicine cat.

As the shock wore away, a mixture of feelings bubbled up inside of him- anger being the dominant one of the bunch. This was the cat that Crowfeather had forsaken his clan for. This was the same cat who had forsaken her own clan to be with a future, deadbeat father. How different might Breezepelt’s life have been if this meddlesome Medicine cat had decided to be true to her vow?

Leafpool’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she curled her lip, exposing sharp fangs at him.

The Medicine cat’s expression was startlingly similar to Hollyeaf’s- so much so that Breezepelt’s anger was temporarily shoved aside by the clawing guilt he’d been carrying these past few days.

“What are you doing on Thunderclan territory?” The tabby spoke, a false bravado weaving through the intonation of her words. 

Breezepelt wondered if she was scared of him. He wouldn’t be surprised if she was. He had attacked her once, before the Great Battle. She had gotten in the way of him trying to kill Lionblaze. 

‘Please Breezepelt, tell my mother I need help!’

The words Hollyleaf yelled at him echoed in his mind once more. How coincidental was it that he had ran into Hollyleaf’s birth mother, of all cats. This might as well be fate. Did Starclan mean for this to happen?

He took a deep breath, meeting Leafpool’s guarded eyes.

“I have to tell you something.” 

Chapter Text

“ Spirits of Thunderclan!” Firestar was the one who spoke. “As the newest departed leader, I am honored to call this meeting to order under the light of the full moon!”

Noises of approval rippled through the crowd.

The meeting had begun.

Sorreltail peered around, unsure if she should stay seated next to the Endmost Forest cat or return to her family. Everyone else seemed to be settling in. After a moment of thought, she decided it would be best to stay put instead of trying to shove her way back through the crowd of aggravated felines.

She peered up towards the Great Oak, growing atop a high hill. On the hill stood some of the departed Thunderclan leadership, including her father, Whitestorm. The great white tom sat next to Bluestar, his aunt, and behind Firestar, who was currently standing and staring down at the crowd.

“For those that are new to Starclan- such as myself,” Firestar smiled a bit, though Sorreltail could see the strain in his eyes as he did it, “There are rules that must be followed in order to ensure we get through this meeting efficiently.”

A second, semi-faded cat moved to stand by Firestar’s side. This unfamiliar spirit seemed older, but not as old as the Endmost Forest cat sitting at her side. Although it’s stars glimmered dimly, the cat was rather handsome looking. It had glossy, chestnut colored fur with darker accented areas on the tail and around the face. It also carried many of the highly-regarded Thunderclan traits: a thick build, broad shoulders and large paws. Finally, it had amber eyes like a tree in leaffall, which twinkled prettily. If this cat was a leader, then it must have had a -face suffix when it was a regular warrior, Sorreltail mused to herself.

“I am Oakstar,” The pretty cat rumbled, “As the leader with the most seniority here, I will explain to you all the way that things are done.”

Sorreltail had never heard of Oakstar before. The farthest back she could remember was mentions of Bluestar, and a Sunstar who came before.

“First of all,” Oakstar’s bright eyes swept over the crowd, “Tensions are high tonight, but we must maintain order. We can’t have a repeat of our last meeting. This time, there will be no squabbling amongst ourselves like a disorganized band of rogues.”

A few indignant mutters were heard from the crowd, but no one made any outward objections to his reasonable request.

“If you wish to speak,” He went on, “You must stand to your feet to signify it to everyone else. Start by stating your name and then give a brief address to the crowd. When you’re done, sit down to signify it to others. And lastly, do not make a habit of interrupting others, lest I decide to revoke your speaking rights.”

Sorreltail’s eyebrows raised in surprise at the leader’s no-funny-business attitude. This Oakstar seemed like a strict fellow. That, or the last Thunderclan-Starclan meeting gone very badly. A chuckle sounded off from her left- the Endmost tom next to her seemed to be enjoying the proceedings thus far. Had he been at the last Thunderclan-Starclan meeting too?

“Thank you, Oakstar,” Firestar dipped his head to the handsome brown tom, “If that’s understood,” His eyes scanned across the crowd, “Then we will move forward to our first order of business: Windclan.”

At the mention of Windclan, a low thrum of angry muttering began. Immediately, a pawful of cats began rising to their feet, wishing to speak.

“Wait!” Firestar called out, “Let’s not get hasty. Allow me to explain what happened first, and then we’ll move into an open discussion.”

Begrudgingly, the cats sat back down. 

“For those that are unaware, there was an altercation in the Windclan sector of Starclan.” 

Sorreltail shuffled her paws together nervously. Hopefully this meeting wasn’t about her altercation with the Windclan leadership.

“It was brought to our attention very recently. Allegedly, a group of Thunderclan cats were accosted on their way into The Moor. They were informed that they weren’t allowed in the Windclan sector of Starclan anymore. When they refused to leave, they were chased off by a rather large mob of Windclanners.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd, and furious voices began sounding off.

“What right do they have?”

“Cowardly foxhearts!”

“Leave it to Windclan to stir up trouble!”

An unfamiliar tortoiseshell in front of Sorreltail snarled and rose to stand. “I am Larksong!” She bellowed out loudly over the thrum of voices, “Please allow me to give my account!”

The crowd quieted and turned to look at her. 

Sorreltail let out an audible sigh of relief. Thank Starclan that no one found out about her interaction with the Windclan leadership. It would create too many questions, and she had sworn an oath to secrecy about Tallstar’s forbidden knowledge.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Sorreltail saw one of the of the leaders atop the hill perk up at the sight of Larksong. It was an unfamiliar, long haired ginger tabby. “Speak, mother.” It said, shooting a quick look at Firestar.

Larksong gave a quick nod, then puffed up her chest and spoke. “I was amongst the Thunderclan cats chased off of the Windclan sector. Accompanying me was Flamenose, Weedwhisker and Swiftbreeze. We went with intentions of relaxing amongst the flowers.” She sniffed and narrowed her eyes in displeasure. “But then a rather large group of Windclanners surrounded us on the way there. They were double the size of a regular patrol, so we didn’t stand a chance from the get-go. They wouldn’t allow us to pass, and then demanded that we leave immediately.”

The crowd of Thunderclan cats began muttering in harsh tones. Beside her, the Endmost Forest cat had marginally stiffened. 

“We refused on the grounds that Starclan had no borders.” Larksong continued, “They proceeded to tell us that they had claimed the land and that no cat with Thunderclan blood was allowed on it.”

Sorreltail bristled in alarm. She had just been at the Windclan sector! Did this altercation occur before or after her encounter with the Windclan leadership? Now that she thought about it, hadn’t Mudclaw mentioned something about The Moor belonging to Windclan? She remembered Rainwhisker snapping at Mudclaw about how Windclan wasn’t allowed to claim The Moor. Starclan didn’t have borders- except with the Place of No Stars, that is.

Around her, the crowd of Thunderclan cats began shifting in place with barely concealed displeasure. Their rage was almost palpable. The atmosphere seemed to crackle with tension like the sky before a storm.

Suddenly, cats began rising to their feet all at once, intent on airing their grievances.  

“I’m not finished yet!” Larksong snapped, her eyes flashing through the crowd of arisen cats. Only a couple of them sat back down, seemingly too riled to heed the tortoiseshell’s words. 

“I asked Windclan why they would attempt to bar us from this free and open land.” Her voice took on a colder edge. “They told me that Thunderclan has made grievous errors in judgement as far as what clanmates we allow into our starry ranks.”

“What?” Someone shouted, “What does that mean?”

Larksong’s eyes narrowed. “They’re angry about that turncoat Thunderclan molly who murdered Tallstar’s spirit.” 

Sorreltail felt bile rise in her throat at the callous choice of words. Is this what the rest of Starclan thought about Hollyleaf? There wasn’t any proof of her wrongdoing! Any accusation was just hearsay! 

The Endmost Forest cat next to her leaned over and whispered, “What is she talking about?”

She ground her teeth a bit and whispered back, “A Thunderclan cat and a Windclan leader went missing. The suspect -another Thunderclan cat- was chased into the Place of No Stars by an angry mob of Windclanners before the full truth could be discovered.”

The already wide eyes of the Endmost tom grew impossibly wider. Though little more than a wisp of light, she could see the shock on his face. Sorreltail furrowed her brow and turned away, eyeing Larksong. The molly had finally sat down, a sour expression still fixed on her face. As she sat, the numerous still-standing spirits all began talking at once.

“Quiet!” Oakstar yowled, silencing the crowd. “One at a time! You there, fellow in the front with the white ears. You start.”

The so-called ‘fellow with the white ears’ was a smaller, black and white cat that Sorreltail had never seen before. “I am Littlestep!” He called out to the crowd. “And I think this is outrageous!”

From far off, someone shouted, “He’s right!”

“Windclan interfered with a Thunderclan matter. Whether the rogue killed Tallstar or not is of no consequence. They should have left us to handle this matter on our own!” He snapped, his teeth cracking together noisily, “And now they’re trying to set up boundaries? It’s inconceivable!” As he sat down, many spirits began thumping their paws against the ground in apparent approval.

“We’ll go in a line.” Firestar meowed, his eyes sweeping over the rest of the standing cats. “Let’s travel from the left. Smallear, is that you?”

Smallear, a medium sized grey cat, nodded and began to speak, “Windclan has stepped out of bounds. Something must be done. They exiled one of our own, and now they forbid us of our natural right to traverse the grounds? They should be ashamed of themselves!” He bared his teeth. “How would they like it if we did the same to them?”

Once more, the spirits began thumping their paws against the ground. A few of the more vocal ones yowled out in approval. 

Sorreltail kept her paws glued firmly to the ground. Part of her agreed with these cats, but couldn’t find it in herself to passionately stomp her feet. There was an inner conflict going on in Sorreltail’s mind about Hollyleaf, and all the jabs being made about her. It was disturbing how these strangers seemed to easily accept the idea that Hollyleaf had done something wrong. How could Thunderclan turn their back on a clanmate like this?

Hollyleaf might have done it though. Windclan seemed to believe that, anyway. 

The conversation Sorreltail just had with Leafpool flashed through her mind. Her dear friend had confirmed that Hollyleaf had pre-mediated the murder of Ashfur- something that had been a little unclear while Sorreltail was alive. Bramblestar had covered for his daughter with a story about self-defense, which turned out to be a lie. 

Sorreltail’s thoughts were interrupted by the next cat to speak. Her heart skipped a beat as she laid eyes on the recognizable form of Goldenflower, radiantly glowing with ethereal starlight. 

“I am Goldenflower,” The golden molly began, addressing the crowd surrounding her, “I cannot condone what Windclan has done. They dealt preemptive justice to a spirit who could very well be innocent,” She enunciated that word, eyeing the crowd with hard eyes. 

“Now they are letting hysteria guide their actions. They’re claiming we consciously allowed Hollyleaf into Starclan. That’s preposterous- when a cat dies, they automatically wake with either stars in their fur or with muck on their feet. That is the way things are and have always been. To assume that our part of Starclan had any direct decision making in that process is presumptuous at best.”

“And at worse?” Someone from the crowd called out.

Goldenflower turned to where the voice sounded off. “At worse, it sounds like a poor excuse Windclan is using to try and justify their actions.” She sat down, leaving a resounding silence in the clearing.

Sorreltail shuffled her paws uneasily. Was the golden queen implying that Windclan just invented a reason to get mad at Thunderclan? And most importantly, if Starclan wasn’t the direct judge of a cat’s fate, then who was? That didn’t make sense at all.

“Next,” Firestar cleared his throat.

Sorreltail couldn’t see the speaker, but she recognized the voice immediately.

“I am Ashfur,” Her half-brother began, sounding off from the opposite side of the clearing. “What Goldenflower said is indeed disturbing. No one here knows exactly how a spirit’s fate is decided, but we can only assume that the will of Starclan plays at least some part in it. And by Starclan, I don’t mean just the Thunderclan part. Windclan is just as guilty as us.”

The crowd muttered under their breath. Of course, that made sense, didn’t it? Sorreltail furrowed her brow in thought. Where was he going with this?

“Windclan only knows as much about the afterlife as we do.” Ashfur went on, “Right now, I believe that they’re irrationally acting out due to a need to cast blame. They want to hold someone responsible for what happened: it would have been Hollyleaf, if she hadn’t run away with her tail tucked in between her legs. Now that she’s gone, they’re unrightfully lashing out at us.”

A few cats nodded thoughtfully at what he said. Sorreltail admitted to herself that he made a bit of sense. Windclan was righteously upset over Tallstar being targeted. After all, the black and white tom apparently knew a trove full of secrets about Starclan. He was a valuable friend and asset, now missing and gone. With no way to interrogate Hollyleaf, they were uselessly prowling about with no outlet for their rage.

“All in all,” Ashfur’s voice grew grave, “Creating borders is not the way of Starclan, and I think we’d be remiss if we didn’t do anything about it.” 

He paused for a moment as if he was finished, then continued. “With that being said, since everyone is gathered here today, I think we ought to talk about the disappearances. We cannot deny the strangeness behind Honeyfern and Tallstar going missing.”

Sorreltail narrowed her eyes. They had attempted a conversation like this once before, after Honeyfern disappeared. She couldn’t trust Ashfur’s alleged impartiality on this matter. He was a biased grudge-holder. He wasn’t on Hollyleaf's side before and he certainly wouldn’t be on her side now.

No one interrupted Ashfur, so he continued on. “As you all may have noticed, there haven’t been any more missing cats since Hollyleaf left us for the Place of No Stars. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. If she was truly innocent,” His voice was cutting, “Then why did she run away when Windclan confronted her? It might as well have been an admission of her guilt.”

The clearing was quiet. Sorreltail ground her claws nervously against the ground. She wasn’t sure how to feel about Hollyleaf, but it felt a little wrong to be talking about her like this. The black molly had been around at the last meeting to stick up for herself. In her absence, would anyone dare speak for her?

Suddenly, a throat cleared from the top of the hill. All eyes shifted in that direction. 

“I find it mildly insulting that you of all cats would be the most vocal about another’s disloyalty.” Oakstar reprimanded, his fur bristled up a bit. “If I recall, you conspired with a Riverclan cat to get rid of your leader… That same leader who is standing up here, right next to me.”

Though Firestar's face was stoic, his eyes spoke of an inner turmoil. He didn’t speak up, so Oakstar continued.

“Back in my day, disloyalty to one’s clan held severe consequences.” Oakstar's pretty eyes were narrowed cruelly at Ashfur, as if he held the grey tomcat in utmost contempt. “There wasn’t any of this nonsense going on. Conspiring with rival clans! Rampant siring of half-clan kittens! When I was alive, few dared to break the code like this. Those who did suffered severe consequences- I’ve exiled Queens and kittens before! Had I been your leader, I would have made you experience the same fate.”

Sorreltail openly gaped. She hadn’t expected such a public tongue-lashing! A small part of her felt bad for Ashfur. He was getting verbally accosted in front all of Thunderclan.

Beside her, the Endmost Forest cat whispered, “My goodness.”

Oakstar started up again, “I cannot comprehend how Starclan has spiraled so low as to allow the likes you, or this half-clan Hollyleaf. If it were up to me, both of you code-breakers would have been exiled into the Place of No Stars a long time ago.” 

The clearing was so silent Sorreltail could have heard a whisker twitch. 

“If I may,” Whitestorm spoke up, “I think we should all take a deep breath. We don’t have to agree about who is deserving of the stars, but having this conversation isn’t productive. We haven’t discovered any new information about the disappearances, so rehashing what we think about Hollyleaf is pointless. There’s still no way to tell if she did it, and perhaps we’ll never know. She’s long gone.” 

Oakstar flared his nostrils and sat down. His tirade seemed to be over for now. 

Ashfur still hadn’t said anything, and Sorreltail couldn’t see him from her vantage point. He must be very embarrassed after being chewed out like that.

“Before we put this matter to rest,” A new voice said. Sorreltail’s eyes flicked over to the regal form of Bluestar. “I think it might be enlightening and pertinent for us hear the words of the missing cat’s mother.”

Sorreltail stiffened uncomfortably. She didn’t want to speak in front of this entire crowd! It was hard enough to talk to one cat about it, let alone all of Thunderclan.

“Where is Sorreltail?” Bluestar’s eyes scanned the crowd. 

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she had to do. Why did Bluestar have to ask for her? Slowly, she rose to her feet. “I’m here, Bluestar.” 

The Endmost Forest cat at her side swiveled his translucent head over to scrutinize her. “You?”

“Yes,” Sorreltail sighed out, a frown slowly crawling onto her face. “The missing cat was my daughter.” She turned her eyes up to the Great Oak, peering at the leaders. “What do you want me to say? We’ve searched and searched for my daughter, but there’s no sign of her. I don’t know if Hollyleaf is responsible or not. I wish I could just talk to her, but Windclan took that choice away from me.”

Sorreltail cringed as she felt the weight of sympathetic gazes rest on her. Her eyes fell to her paws, wishing all of this could be over. 

“What do you think about Windclan?” Firestar asked, blinked at her with kind eyes.

“I think they’re upset right now. Perhaps if we talked to them, we could find a way to resolve this whole mess.” She said, deciding to take the diplomatic route, even though she couldn’t help but be reminded what happened the last time she talked to Windclan. She let out another sigh and sat down, not wishing to speak any longer.

Firestar didn’t press her anymore, and instead went ahead and called on other cats still standing. There were quite a few of them, from sparkling apprentices to dusty warriors. Everyone seemed to have something to say about Windclan, and most of it wasn’t positive. Sorreltail felt herself tune out, and couldn’t help but wonder how much influence the current state of affairs in the living world had on the tensions in this world, too.

“Windclan has always caused us trouble,” A ginger molly named Poppydawn said, catching Sorreltail’s attention. “Talking is useless- they don’t want to listen to us.”

Another cat, Stagleap, went next, arguing that they should give Windclan a taste of their own medicine. “Why don’t we just close our border to them? See how they feel about that!”

The thunderous noise of paws smacking against the earth rang out, and a few caterwauls sounded off. Sorreltail frowned, unsure how good of an idea that was.

“Absolutely not!” A cat yowled out, rising to its feet. “Our land holds the Dreampool. It would be unethical to disallow Windclan from using it.”

Stagleap, noticeably displeased by the interruption, growled at the speaker. “It’s not your turn to speak, Yellowfang. Besides, you shouldn’t even be at this meeting! You don’t have Thunderclan blood.”

“It’s not all about blood, you know!” The old, grey cat spat out. “I’m just as much of a Thunderclan cat as you. I don’t need blood to prove anything.”

Stagleap curled his lip at her, eyeing her up and down as if she was some sort of intruder. Yellowfang held his stare with an equally hostile one of her own, refusing to back down. Sorreltail felt her heart go out to the grey molly. Why couldn’t Starclan just let go of their hyperfixation on lineages and blood? What did it matter anymore?

“Enough of this!” Oakstar snapped from atop the hill, his tail lashing. “It wasn’t your turn to speak, Yellowfang.”

Yellowfang, with her beady eyes and flat face, let out a bitter scoff. “As an emissary of the Dreampool, I think it’s pertinent to remind you all that you can’t bar Windclan from contacting their descendants.”

“Says who?” Stagleap hadn’t sat down yet. “This matter has never come up before. If they’re going to hold The Moor hostage, then we can see just how much they like it when we do the same for The Forest.”

The thumping of paws sounded off again. 

“You can’t do that!” Yellowfang bared her teeth. 

“According to you-” Stagleap retorted, lifting his head a bit higher. “- A Shadowclanner! What a surprise that you want to take the cowardly route instead of standing up for what’s right.”

Yellowfang’s eyes narrowed. “Why, you little-”

“Enough!” Oakstar shouted again. “Stagleap, you will do well to remember that Yellowfang spent the rest of her life serving Thunderclan.” His eyes swiveled to Yellowfang. “And you! One more peep out of you and I’ll take away your speaking rights- and if you don’t heed me then, I’ll have you removed.”

Yellowfang looked absolutely furious, while Stagleap appeared affronted by the moderator’s rebuke.

Firestar cleared his throat. “Why don’t we try and move towards proposed solutions to this matter? We’ve established how Windclan is out of line, but what do you all want to do about it?”

A few cats stood up.

“You first,” Firestar motioned towards a dark, blue-gray cat. “Stormtail, is it?”

“Yes,” The blue-gray spirit was thick furred with striking blue eyes. “I stand with Stagleap. I propose we keep them off of our land for the time being.”

“Alright,” Firestar responded with a furrowed brow, “What about you, Redtail?”

Redtail was one of the cats atop the hill. He had risen to stand. Sorreltail eyed him up and down. He was a mostly dilute tortoiseshell with a striking, furry ginger tail. Sorreltail had heard of him before as being Tigerstar’s first victim. The tortoiseshell tom held himself with a hunch, as if he felt weary. His eyes were downcast, instead of looking at Firestar. Why did he look so sad?

“I propose we try and talk to them first.” He said simply, then sat down.

“We’ve already tried talking to them!” Someone from the crowd yelled out, but quickly quieted once threatened with a mean look from Oakstar.

“Alright,” Firestar sounded as if he was tiring of this whole thing. “What about you, grey cat in the front with the green eyes?”

“I am Mistpelt,” The molly’s voice was wry, “And I propose that we just let them have their tantrum until they grow bored of it.”

A lot of buzzing mutters sounded off at that. Sorreltail didn’t like this idea, either. Windclan were as stubborn and focused as carrion birds. They would probably drag this out for a while.

It didn’t seem like anyone else had any suggestions, because no one else stood up.

“Alright Thunderclan,” Firestar boomed out, “Those are the three choices that you’ve come up with. We’ll do this by vote. I’ll present each choice, and those in favor of it, please stand to your feet and say ‘aye’. Understood?”

He waited a moment, then cleared his throat and continued. “All in favor of waiting out Windclan until they cease this behavior, please rise and say ‘aye’.”

Not many cats rose for this one, but Sorreltail noticed the familiar faces of Mistpelt, Longtail, and Ferncloud.

“Alright, next: all in favor of talking to Windclan to try and sort this out, please rise and say ‘aye’.”

Far more cats rose this time. Sorreltail stood up too, as did the Endmost cat at her side. She blinked at him and he quirked a smile at her. Around them, Sorreltail noticed her brother Rainwhisker, and her mother, Willowpelt. To her displeasure, Sootfur remained sitting, as did both of her children, Molepaw and Seedpaw.

“Our last option,” Firestar continued after bidding them to sit down. “Is to bar Windclan from The Forest until they allow us back onto The Moor. The Dreampool rests on Thunderclan land, as you are all aware. Please rise and say ‘aye’ if this option appeals to you.”

An overwhelmingly large amount of cats rose for this one. Sorreltail clenched her claws against the ground in worry. Although righteous and equivalent, it didn’t feel right to seclude Windclan from the Dreampool.

Firestar eyed the crowd, then murmured to Oakstar at his side. After that, the ginger tom turned to look at Bluestar, who nodded slightly. Her mouth was held in a firm frown.

“Well, it appears that the vote was overwhelmingly for us to bar Windclanners from entering The Forest.”

A few angry shouts rang out, including someone yelling, “Recount!”

“There will be no recount. You all saw how the majority voted.” Oakstar reprimanded, his eyes scanning the crowd.

“You’ve made your choice, Thunderclan.” Firestar interjected, though he didn’t look too pleased. “We’ll be accepting volunteers up at the front to set up our border. We’ll be organizing ourselves in patrols. For those not interested in this course of action, you will not be forced to participate.” He let out a deep sigh. 

“Thank you. That concludes our meeting.”

Sorreltail closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. She needed to get out of this crowd. How could they choose such a rash decision? She rose to her feet, intent on leaving, but then the Endmost Forest cat by her side spoke up.

“Wait, Sorreltail.”

She froze, turning to eye him. “What?”

“Would you oblige me with a moment of your time? I have a few things I wish to discuss with you.” The grey, translucent wisp of a cat blinked at her with those large, owlish eyes. He was like a cloudy night, with muffled stars barely peeking through. 

“I guess so.” She said simply. “Go ahead.”

“Not here,” He responded, cautious eyes flickering back and forth. “Let’s get out of here. Head somewhere private.”

Sorreltail narrowed her eyes at him, considering his offer. What was it that he had to say that he couldn’t say in front of the other cats? 

“Well,” She pondered aloud, “If it’s so important, fine. Lead the way.”

She eyed the spot where her family was seated, then turned back around to follow the shadowy spirit through the crowd.

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf erratically zipped through the trees in a blind panic, escaping further into the depths of the Place of No Stars. She was certain that she was being chased, but she hadn’t paused to confirm the identity of who was pursuing her. She had a terrible feeling that it was Thistleclaw, since he had been the one to discover her presence.

Her ears pricked as she heard the sound of light footfalls and the gross squelching of mud. She tried to run faster, but the initial surge of adrenaline she had was wearing down, replaced by heavy dread. What was she supposed to do now? Should she stop running and instead meet her stalker head on?

No! The voice in her heard cried out. Don’t stop running!

With nothing but fear guiding her, Hollyleaf heeded the advice and steeled her resolve, forcing her limbs to move faster. She needed to lose this guy, but how could she possibly outrun him? They would both tire out before long! 

A loud crunching of leaves sounded off from behind her, startling her enough that she snuck a peek over her shoulder. 

Wide, yellow, predatory eyes locked onto hers. 

Hollyleaf let out a gasp and leapt over a protruding tree root in her path. Yes, it was him- Thistleclaw! He was closer than she thought- it wouldn’t be long before he’d be close enough to strike at her. She needed to act soon! Perhaps fighting him was her best option, but with a suffix like -claw she wasn’t sure how great her chances would be one on one.

At the thought of a battle with Thistleclaw, the voice inside her head protested frantically. You don’t want to meet him head on! He’s too dangerous!

I’m dangerous too. She thought back vehemently, but did not deny the major risk involved with facing this bloodthirsty cat alone in battle.

All the while feeling like a cornered prey animal, Hollyleaf spontaneously changed direction, hoping that Thistleclaw wasn’t as deft with his movements as she was. It seemed to work: the distance between them grew a smidgeon. Behind her, she could hear pants of exertion, which gave her a twinge of hope. Maybe he would tire out before she did.

Aside from the sound of ragged breath, Hollyleaf’s ears also picked up on another strange noise. It was low and steady rumble that seemed to slowly increase in volume as she ran along. Hollyleaf made a mighty leap over some thick foliage. As she landed, the sight of a long, snaking stretch of brown water greeted her. It burbled noisily at them from a distance away, it’s water rushing along with haste. 

A river! Maybe this was her way to lose Thistleclaw! She wasn’t a Riverclan cat, but she’d cross that murky water if it meant escaping from her pursuer. 

Hollyleaf locked her sights on the stretch of water as she ran ahead, searching up and down the length of it for the best place to cross. Right as she narrowed her sights on a spot in the river with a tree branch lodged in the middle, a heavy weight descended upon her, knocking her off of her feet and onto the increasingly saturated ground. Due to the speed at which they were traveling, they slid for a moment in the thick mud. As they slowed, her pursuer used his size to grapple with her until he had a paw pressed up against her throat. 

Hot, acidic breath wafted over Hollyleaf’s face as Thistleclaw’s voracious maw drew close, inspecting her with those frightful eyes.

Hollyleaf bared her teeth and let out a deep hiss, struggling under his large form. He responded with a low growl and she felt sharp claws scrape threateningly against her jugular. Her breath caught fearfully in her throat and she froze, unsure of what to do.

“My, my,” Thistleclaw’s rank soil stench was absolutely suffocating, “Thought you could escape from me, hm?”

Hollyleaf kept her lips sealed, waiting to see what his next move would be. Would he try and kill her? She needed to wriggle free, but with his claws pressed against her throat she was afraid to move.

“I can’t say I expected to find you there, trying to spy on me. How cute.” His face didn’t seem the least bit amused, though. It was stoic, but in spite of that Hollyleaf could detect a victorious glint in his eyes, shining as if he had just won some sort of sick game. “Why do you look so scared? I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I don’t believe you!” She bit out, searching his face for some sort of indication of what his true intentions were.

“As long as you do exactly as I say,” His rank breath puffed over her face again, “- then I’ll have no reason to hurt you.”

Hollyleaf scowled at him, not convinced in the slightest. “What do you want with me?”

He was quiet for a moment, as if mulling over how to respond to her. She waited apprehensively, all the while assessing how she might be able to get herself out of this situation.

“There’s a lot of things I want with you.” He said at last, “First, I want you to tell me: where is the other Starclan cat?”

“I don’t know!” She spat, “I wasn’t even aware that there was another Starclan cat here.”

At that, Thistleclaw let out a low chuckle, his eyes glinting keenly off of the light of her stars. “You expect me to believe that?” He pushed his paw down a little harder on her jugular. “You take me for a fool!”

Hollyleaf wrinkled her nose at him. “I’m not lying! I don’t know where the other Starclan cat is.” She paused, glaring at him with narrowed eyes. “If I had known that another Starclan cat came in after me, I would have tried to find it.”

Thistleclaw closed his mouth at that, his eyes narrowing calculatively. “I’ll choose to believe you this time, only because you seem to be mistaken about a key detail.”

“What detail?” Hollyleaf furrowed her brow. 

“No one came in after you.”

“What?”

He smiled at her in a smug fashion. “My Starclan cat escaped from me sometime after you arrived. Unfortunately, my group has been rather busy searching for it- otherwise I’m sure one of us would have noticed your presence sooner.”

Hollyleaf openly gaped at him. The other Starclan cat had been hiding in the same forest with her the entire time? She thought that it had wandered in sometime after her! “Who’s the other Starclan cat, then?”

“None of your business!” He bared his teeth at her. “Though I suppose you’ll find out soon enough, after it’s been retrieved. Now, answer me this: how have you gotten away with hiding from me for so long?”

Hollyleaf opened her mouth to give a nasty retort, but closed it again, suddenly unsure of what to say. Wasn’t he already aware that she had been hiding with Mapleshade?

As if reading her mind, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Wait just a minute. Don’t tell me- you weren’t actually hiding with that old fool, were you?”

Hollyleaf said nothing, too perplexed by his question and afraid of accidentally giving something away. 

“Wow!” Thistleclaw breathed out, his yellow eyes wide, “And to think, I was only bluffing.”

“What,” Hollyleaf growled, glowering at him balefully, “- are you talking about?”

The grey and white cat grinned at her maliciously. “I didn’t actually believe that Mapleshade was hiding one of my Starclan cats,” He leaned a little closer, “I was lying.” 

“Why?” Hollyleaf asked, eyeing her captor warily.

“A lot of reasons, really. I wanted to make her look bad in front of everyone, just in case everything went south and I needed someone to blame. I also wanted to draw her out of hiding, to figure out what she’s been up to,” He smiled in an unpleasant way. “- and lastly, I wanted to put a little bit of fear in her.” 

Hollyleaf scowled at him, “Mapleshade isn’t afraid of you.” 

Truthfully, she wasn’t sure why she was defending the roguish molly. Mapleshade was just as skeevy as the rest of the former Dark Forest cats, maybe even more so. Circumstances had brought them together in a very fragile alliance. One which could very well break at a moment’s notice.

“Well she should be!” Thistleclaw snapped suddenly, his teeth flashing dangerously close to Hollyleaf’s face. “She’s been a thorn in my side for far too long. I’m going to make her wish she’d never been born!”

From the little that Hollyleaf had picked up on, it was abundantly clear that Thistleclaw and Mapleshade hated one another. The roguish molly had stolen apprentices from Thistleclaw, all the while passive aggressively one-upping him. Additionally, there was that strange thing Mapleshade had said at Black Rock- that she had killed Thistleclaw’s ‘pretty little tortie’. Hollyleaf wasn’t entirely sure what that was about, but it had definitely riled Thistleclaw up.

On the flipside, Mapleshade seemed to detest Thistleclaw just as much as he hated her. She complained about Thistleclaw often, from his ‘debased tendencies’ to the ‘rot’ in his soul. Clearly there was something about Thistleclaw’s personality that turned Mapleshade off completely. 

Since Hollyleaf hadn’t yet responded to Thistleclaw, he went ahead and kept talking, “She’ll regret crossing me, after she finds out exactly what my plans are.”

Hollyleaf eyed him cautiously, “You’re going to take the fight to Starclan.”

Thistleclaw smiled smugly, his hungry leaffall eyes staring straight into the depths of her soul. “Something like that.”

“What does any of that have to do with me, then?” She twitched uncomfortably, not liking the way he was looking at her. 

He was silent for a long moment. “I need you for my plans.” 

“Why?”

“You hold the power of the stars in your paws.”

“What?"  She burst out, scarcely believing her ears. Was Thistleclaw quoting the old prophecy to her? A sudden burst of anger ignited in her chest, spilling out through her lips. “I don’t hold the power of the stars in my paws- that would be my brothers!"

Thistleclaw laughed at that, low and hearty, as if she had just recited a funny joke. “You don’t honestly believe that, do you?”

Hollyleaf let out a fierce growl, letting the disdain she felt inside flow out through the threatening rumble she produced. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but you’re wrong. I was never part of the prophecy! You’re wasting your time!”

How embarrassing! Was she truly being targeted by Thistleclaw because he mistakenly believed her to be a part of an already fulfilled prophecy? Her jaw clenched bitterly at the reminder of how she had been excluded from being a part of The Three. Why had fate chosen both of her siblings, but not her? 

“You poor little thing,” Thistleclaw crooned in a way that was more condescending than comforting, “- growing up being the odd one out. Never understanding your place in this world. Having no one to believe in what you truly are.”

What does he know about us? The voice inside Hollyleaf's head roiled about with rage. She bared her teeth in a snarl, feeling the itch to rip his pelt apart.

“I know what you are, though.” He went on, “Even if the others don’t see it. You’re special! Those starry eyed fools were too obsessed with the prophecy to see what was right under their noses.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Hollyleaf snapped, uncomfortable and disgusted with the way this interaction was going. “I’m not special! I’m not one of The Three!”

“No,” Thistleclaw responded, digging his claws in a little bit past the fur of her neck, “You’re not one of The Three, are you? But you have the power of the stars in your paws, no doubt.”

She let out an angry, aggravated sigh, “Why in Starclan’s name do you believe that? No one else does- not even I do. There’s nothing special about me.”

“Nothing special? You’re one of the Changed.” He deadpanned.

“I’m what?”

“Has no one told you?” He demanded, sounding affronted, “When you were a kitten, a spirit from Starclan came down and blessed you. Not everyone can survive that, but you did. Your brothers did too. Haven’t you wondered why they had powers?”

“Well… they’re part of a prophecy.” She replied uncertainty, perplexed by the way this conversation was going.

“They were only part of the prophecy because Spottedleaf made them a part of it. Just like she tried to make you!” 

Hollyleaf felt a chill run along her spine. She openly gaped at him, at a loss for words.

Thistleclaw went on, “The gift of the stars remained dormant and hidden throughout your life. Everyone turned a blind eye to you, not realizing what you truly were. They were fools.”

Hollyleaf stared at him for a long moment. What in Starclan’s name was he talking about? How did he know about all of this?

Maybe he’s lying to you.

“You’re mad.” She said finally, repeating the sentiments Mapleshade expressed earlier. “There’s no way that any of this is true.”

Thistleclaw scoffed, rolling his eyes. “It’s quite sad how little you seem to know about your own history. Starclan should be ashamed of themselves for leaving you in the dark.” 

She scowled at his double entendre, but then froze a bit as she picked up on the sound of a twig cracking. Thistleclaw stilled as well, but before he could move to survey his surroundings, a fast shape catapulted in and knocked him over onto the ground. 

Hollyleaf gasped as the weight was lifted off of her, then scrambled to her feet. On the ground ahead of her, a smaller shape began grappling with Thistleclaw. Hollyleaf squinted her eyes, making out the telltale color of torbie fur.

Sparrowfeather!

Without thinking twice about it, Hollyleaf unsheathed her claws and leapt into the fray. Thistleclaw was currently battering at Sparrowfeather with his large paws. The smaller torbie tom was holding his own as best as he could, but he was at a size disadvantage. Thistleclaw was just as big as Mapleshade was, which was quite frankly very large. It was a common trait of Thunderclan cats, one of which that Hollyleaf did not share due to her mixed heritage.

Hollyleaf dashed to Sparrowfeather’s side, letting out a snarl as she lashed out at Thistleclaw. He jumped back and ceased his assault, eyeing the both of them with calculative contempt. 

For a moment, both sides circled one another, sizing each other up. Would Thistleclaw attempt to attack both of them at the same time? Hollyleaf growled lowly and Sparrowfeather arched his back and let out a fearsome hiss.

The large grey and white tom scowled, his claws tapping against the ground in agitation. He seemed to have thought over whether or not to make a move, because a moment later he charged at them, intending on bowling both of them over. Hollyleaf was able to leap out of the away in time, but Sparrowfeather did not move quick enough. Thistleclaw slammed the tomcat to the ground, then lashed out and smacked his paw against the side of Sparrowfeather’s head. 

With the torbie dazed, Thistleclaw turned to Hollyleaf. She snarled and lashed out with her claws unsheathed, managing to strike him. Unfortunately, as she went to pull back, her paw became hooked in the thick, matted fur that surrounded Thistleclaw’s neck. She sheathed her claws in order to get free, but it was too late. The malicious spirit leapt at her, knocking her to the ground just as he did with Sparrowfeather.

She yowled in outrage, smacking at his underbelly with her back paws. He moved out of the way of her assault and once more pressed a clawed paw down on her throat. She narrowed her eyes at him, half tempted to try and free herself regardless of his claws. He needed her for his plans, so why would he risk making her fade away?

Right before she was able to make up her mind, a voice distracted the both of them.

“Let go of her!” Sparrowfeather hissed, pure rage decorating his scarred face.

Thistleclaw let out a low chuckle, pushing down hard on Hollyleaf’s throat. She wheezed and swiped at his face, but he avoided the attempt. “Are you trying to save her, Sparrowfeather?” The foul spirit asked, his voice condescending, “You couldn’t even save yourself.”

Sparrowfeather’s nostrils flared, “Before this is all over, I’m going to rip your soul to shreds, Thistleclaw. That’s a promise.”

The grey and white spirit laughed again. 

Hollyleaf shuddered at the sound. His laugh was so unlike Mapleshade’s. The roguish molly’s cackle was loud and shrill, meant to shock and terrorize an audience. Thistleclaw’s, on the other hand, wasn’t at all for show. His chuckle was deep, guttural and cruel. 

Hollyleaf mentally shook herself from her thoughts. She needed to act! Now was likely one of her only opportunities, since Thistleclaw was distracted. With all the force she could muster, Hollyleaf rolled out of his grasp, then kicked herself off of him with her back legs. The grey and white tom snarled at her, but was tackled from above by Sparrowfeather, whom he had turned his back on. 

Hollyleaf rose to her feet and leapt back into the fight, sinking her teeth into the malicious spirit’s shoulder. He let out an angry screech, trying to shake both of them off. She refused to let go, clinging on despite the blows he managed to land on her. 

Suddenly, Thistleclaw let himself go limp, falling over onto his side where Hollyleaf was. She struggled under the weight of him, and Sparrowfeather went tumbling down into the mud. 

As soon as he was free from both of them, Thistleclaw backed up a bit, eyeing them with rage in his eyes. He looked as if he intended on striking again, but a new voice echoed through the clearing, making them all still.

“Take one more step and I’ll turn you into mouse meat.”

Hollyleaf gasped, turning to the sound. 

Mapleshade emerged from the brush Hollyleaf ran through earlier. The roguish molly looked a little worse for wear, with her black and orange fur sticking out at strange angles. Had she been in a fight?

Thistleclaw frowned deeply. It seemed that his odds in battle were greatly reduced. Taking on two smaller cats was one thing, but three cats? There was no way he could come out of that alive. 

"You’ve gone soft, Mapleshade. Taking in strays!” Thistleclaw spat, anger lacing his voice, “It’s because she’s half-clan, isn’t it? I bet you can’t resist.”

Mapleshade’s cold amber eyes regarded him with pure malice. She looked as if she was a moment away from ripping him apart.  

“I’m going to give you a choice, Thistleclaw. Either run off like a coward, or stay here and die by our claws.”

The grey and white tom’s eyes narrowed, flickering from Mapleshade, Hollyleaf, and then to Sparrowfeather. The roguish molly took a threatening step forward, a yellow, toothy smile slithering onto her face, “- or I can make the choice for you.”

“This isn’t over. I’ll be back.” He warned, flitting his gaze over to Hollyleaf, “Think about what I told you. There’s more at stake here than you understand.”

Hollyleaf didn’t respond, instead choosing to bare her teeth at him.

The grey and white tom took one last look at her, then darted off into the underbrush from whence he came.

Chapter Text

The Endmost Forest cat was keen on leading Sorreltail to his home, so it seemed.

Sorreltail leapt deftly over the smooth stones of the Warm Rocks, anxiety tugging at her pelt. The closer they got to the Endmost Forest, the more uneasy she felt. Something about that place unnerved her more than she cared to admit.

A sharp pang of sorrow gripped her heart as they passed by the spot where Honeyfern allegedly went missing. Sorreltail inhaled as they passed, but could no longer detect the smell of her long-lost daughter. The passage of time must have made the scent go stale. 

Eventually, the duo eased to a stop in front of the entrance to the Endmost Forest.

The humongous woodland was filled with densely-packed trees that stretched far up into the wispy clouds. They were enormous giants, dwarving the ones that grew in Thunderclan’s forest. Even the trunks were abnormally thick, twice the size in width that Sorreltail was used to. She had never seen anything quite like it before, not even on the journey the clans took to find their new home. 

It was a bit intimidating to stand before the dark, imposing forest. Anything could be lurking in there, watching the outside world with prying eyes. The forest itself could be watching her, waiting to swallow her up.

That’s ridiculous! The forest doesn’t have eyes. She scolded herself, but was unable to stop from gazing ahead with trepidation, her paws rooted to the ground.

“We don’t have to go in, you know,” The spirit said, eyeing her up and down, “I can smell your fear-scent, young blood.”

“Sorry,” Sorreltail muttered, embarrassed at having been so easily analyzed, “I don’t know why, but this forest fills me with unease. Something about it feels kind of,” She paused, licking her lips, “- sentient.”

“You wouldn’t be the first cat to tell me that.” The faded spirit admitted, “Most new spirits tend to feel uncomfortable, especially ones not used to living in forests. Once you get closer to my age, the Endmost doesn’t feel as fur-raising.”

Sorreltail furrowed her brow in puzzlement. “Who are you? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“My name is Owlstar.” He tilted his head, inspecting her up and down. “And you’re Sorreltail, correct? A newly deceased.”

She puffed up her chest a little at Owlstar’s gaze. “Yep! I died during the Great Battle.” 

Sorreltail had never heard of a leader named Owlstar before. There wasn’t any mention of him in the kit-stories she heard while growing up. Someone alive must know of him, though. Otherwise, how could he still exist? Spirits only existed as long as living cats remembered them, or so Sorreltail had been told when she arrived to Starclan.

“Why weren’t you by the Great Oak with the other Thunderclan leadership?” She implored, hoping to dig more information out of him.

His wispy whiskers twitched in an amused fashion. “Hearing this might make you balk, but I don’t particularly care much for what happens to my clan anymore.”

Sorreltail stiffened up, taken aback by his brusque remark. “How could you say such a thing?”

Loyalty to one’s clan, especially for Thunderclan cats, was paramount. The clan comes before anything or anyone else. To hear a leader express any different was borderline sacrilege.

“When you’ve been around for as long as I have, you cease to fret about things that once were important to you.” His eyes were evaluative as he regarded her, “I stopped trying to micromanage the living a long time ago.” 

Sorreltail didn’t know how to respond. How could a cat from such a loyalist clan turn out like this? Did the turn of time cause apathy amongst Starclan spirits?

“- But anyway,” He went on, as if what he just said wasn’t concern-worthy in the slightest, “I wanted to talk to you about what happened at that meeting.”

Sorreltail let out a sigh shook her head. Where should they start? The end result was a catastrophe. Thunderclan had chosen the righteous route instead of the smart one. The repercussions could be disastrous. 

“Windclan won’t be happy that we’re setting up our own borders,” She began, focusing on the most glaring issue to have sprouted from the meeting, “How could our clan vote for this? Just imagine the chaos that will ensue when Windclan learns we’ve barred them from their only route to the Dreampool.”

“Yes, you’re right about that.” Owlstar’s responded, his eyes narrowed speculatively. “When I was alive, Windclan weren't the same religious zealots that they are nowadays. I wonder what Wind Runner would think about all of this, if she’s even still around.”

“Who?”

“Ah, my mistake. You’d know her as Windstar.”

This cat knew Windclan’s founder? He must truly be ancient! Sorreltail racked her brain, thinking back to the clan history she had learned as an apprentice. Try as she might, she still couldn’t remember an Owlstar. 

“Windstar, huh? What did you mean by, ‘if she’s still around’?” 

Owlstar sat down in the soft grass and beckoned her over with his tail to join him. Did he have some sort of story to tell her? Sorreltail plopped herself down, staring intently at the old spirit as if he was an Elder weaving a kit-tale.

“Sorreltail,” The translucent spirit began, “- I’m sure you’re astute enough to understand the complexities associated with running a clan. At our base level, what are we really? Just a gang of wild cats, attempting to live together and act civilized. It’s hard enough to do- and as you may have noticed, sometimes a clan may choose to sacrifice civility and peace for the sake of survival.”

Sorreltail’s eyes widened at his serious tone, waiting for him to continue on with what he wanted to say.

“We may have risen above our nature, but that doesn’t mean we’ve lost it,” His wide eyes became glossy and unfocused, “- our savagery has just been buried away. That’s why terrible things still happen: murder, abuse, thievery- not all cats can contain their nature.”

Sorreltail listened in rapt attention. This wasn’t a sentiment that she hadn’t heard before. It was more common amongst Shadowclan cats, though. What did these philosophical thoughts have to do with Windstar?

“After arriving to Starclan, perhaps you might have been startled to discover that the difference between us and the living is menial. Unfortunately, death does not grant wisdom or a sense of peace. It does not eradicate the storm of chaos that exists within us.”

Sorreltail frowned pensively, considering his words. There was some validity to what he said. Although dead cats had no reason to worry about struggling to survive, it seemed as if everyone had stagnated, unwilling to let go of mortal troubles: fretting over borders, sticking to one’s own clan, squabbling about who is deserving of the afterlife- even though they were all already here.

Owlstar continued on, his unblinking eyes focusing in on her. “Many who have come to understand this disparity have turn jaded. That’s what happened to Windstar, a long time ago. She engaged in a terrible argument about the nature and purpose of Starclan, then left to roam the Endmost Forest. No one has seen her since. No one knows if she’s even still with us. As long as I’ve roamed the Endmost, I’ve never once seen her.”

Sorreltail felt her pelt prickle uneasily. She had never heard of such a thing. Then again, she didn’t know anything about Thunderstar, either- whoever and wherever the leader might be. Perhaps Windclan kept the information about their leader under wraps. It seemed as if they were keen to keep secrets from the rest of Starclan.

“Was Windstar pious?” She asked, “As long as I’ve lived, Windclan liked to deem themselves as the most devout clan.”

“I don’t think she was any more or less religious than other cats. She was the first to earn nine lives, and her daughter was the first Medicine cat, though. There’s some pride that comes with milestones like that.”

Sorreltail let out a low hum of acknowledgment. “If she were still around, perhaps Windclan would be more keen to listen to reason.”

Owlstar let out a sharp laugh. “You could say the same for Thunderclan.”

“What about Thunderstar, then? Where is he?”

“In the Endmost. All of the Founders dwell there now.”

Sorreltail furrowed her brow, processing the information. What Owlstar said certainly made sense. She hadn’t caught wind of any of the Founders since her arrival to Starclan. Why would clan founders seclude themselves to the Endmost Forest when they should be keeping an eye on the affairs of their clan?

“You seem discomfited by what I told you.”

Sorreltail nodded her head in affirmation. “They were the first leaders! They should be around to provide counsel regarding their clans.”

“Perhaps,” Owlstar replied noncommittally, “- or maybe not. I guess it’s all dependent on how bad things get out here.”

“Things are already terrible.” Sorreltail retorted, “Spirits have gone missing, the clans are in-fighting, and a cat was denied proper justice. How much worse can it get?”

Owlstar didn’t respond right away. Instead, he shot her a sharp look that spoke volumes about how much worse he thought things might get.

“I’m no prophecy spitter, young blood, but I’ll tell you this: There’s a bad feeling in my chest telling me that things are going to get much worse. I tend to avoid the world outside of the Endmost, but the state of affairs here are troubling. Cats vanishing without a trace, and suspects from within Starclan itself?” His orange eyes widened a bit, “It’s not a good sign.”

“Has this ever happened before?” Sorreltail asked, “- cats disappearing from Starclan?”

“That’s hard to say.” His eyes narrowed in thought, “Spirits disappear all of the time, but it’s usually to the Endmost. However…” He trailed off, a frown twisting onto his face. “I do recall that cats have been ousted from Starclan before.”

“Really?” Sorreltail’s mind immediately went to Hollyleaf, still missing inside of the Place of No Stars.

“It is a rare occurrence. I can’t think of more than a pawful who have met that fate. As far as I know, no cat has ever returned. One can only assume that the exiles were righteous.”

Would Hollyleaf ever return? Or would she be lost to the dark forest forever, her stars gradually fading away, only to be replaced by black? 

“What were the circumstances behind the other cats’ ostracization?” Sorreltail asked bleakly, thoughts of her daughter and Hollyleaf plaguing her mind.

“Usually something unsavory comes up regarding the soul’s deeds while alive. Most of the cats who were kicked out had ties with malicious spirits in the Place of No Stars.”

“But shouldn’t Starclan be aware of that before a cat dies?” 

Owlstar let out a sigh. “We’re not omniscient, Sorreltail. We don’t have someone watching the clans at every moment of every day. We can’t read thoughts, either, and we certainly don’t always know when cats are tempted by dark forces. Sometimes the next best thing we can do is listen to the testimony of any recently deceased, or the words of a Medicine cat.”

Sorreltail let out a frustrated exhale. There should be a definitive, sure-fire way to sort out the good souls from the bad. “Wait,” She said, a thought suddenly striking her, “- does that mean that Starclan themselves are the direct judges of a cat’s soul?”

Owlstar seemed to quietly regard her for a moment, as if mulling over what to tell her.

“I can’t say for certain, but my theory is this: Starclan is the judge, but not all of Starclan. How could someone like me, who knows nothing about any of the current living cats, think fit to judge their fate? How can a long-deceased Shadowclan elder judge the life of a recently-deceased Riverclan apprentice? It’s not sensical.”

“Why don’t we know for sure?” Sorreltail asked, a bit of anxiety tugging at her pelt. “It seems as if there is a lot of missing information regarding the functionality of Starclan.”

Owlstar’s whiskers twitched once more in amusement. “You’re asking an age-old question. Information is neither confirmed nor uniform around here. If you had asked a different cat all of these same questions, I’m not sure that they would have been able to give you any answers at all. I think that the complete truth behind Starclan must lie with someone. Perhaps it’s with the Founders. Maybe it’s with the first Medicine cat. Either someone knows or no one knows.”

“I’m not sure what bothers me more,” Sorreltail murmured, “The idea that no one has any clue what’s going on around here, or the concept that someone knows but has purposefully withheld that information from everyone else.”

Owlstar let out a tiny mrrow of laughter, though Sorreltail couldn’t find it within herself to laugh. If anything, she felt disturbed by the revelations revealed in the conversation with the translucent spirit.

A sudden cracking noise broke through the lapse in conversation. Sorreltail bristled and whipped her head around to stare into the wide expanse of the Endmost Forest. Owlstar’s nostrils flared and he took a deep inhale, his eyes narrowed.

Before either cat could do anything, a commotion sounded off from the opposite direction: the Warm Rocks from whence they came.

“Sorreltail!”

Two figures scrambled over the rocks, landing a couple foxlengths away. It was the familiar forms of Rainwhisker and Sootfur, her brothers. The latter was inspecting the Endmost cat with a highly suspicious look. “You disappeared after the end of the meeting. Who is this guy?”

“I’m sorry, Sootfur,” She responded, feeling a tad bit guilty for leaving without saying anything. “I just needed to have a conversation with this fellow I met at the meeting.”

Sootfur eyed her up and down, as if looking for any sign of damage, then approached and gave her a long sniff, his eyes narrowed. 

“I’m fine, you furball!” She grumbled playfully, pushing her head against his in greeting. He returned it, all the while eyeing Owlstar.

He wasn’t the only one with eyes for Owlstar. Rainwhisker was gaping at the translucent cat as if he had seen a ghost. “Wow, I mean no offense, but I'm fascinated- you look absolutely ancient.”

Owlstar twitched his whiskers. “No offense taken. I ought to head back though, before the novelty wears off.” He turned to Sorreltail, “It was a pleasure speaking with you. I wish you good luck in what’s to come.”

Sorreltail dipped her head at him, and by the time she raised it, he was gone.

“What was all that about, Sorreltail?” Sootfur asked, presumably eyeing the place where the Endmost Forest cat disappeared to.

“I got stuck next to him as the meeting started. Afterwards, he wanted to chat about what happened. Both of us are a little worried about how Windclan is going to take all of this.”

Rainwhisker turned to look at her with clear concern on his face. “I can’t imagine it’s going to go well. The patrols were organizing after you left. An overwhelming amount of cats seem to be in support of setting up borders.” Subtly, he shot a quick look at Sootfur, frustration shining in his blue eyes.

Sorreltail frowned as she remembered that Sootfur hadn’t voted to talk to Windclan first. “Why didn’t you vote diplomatically, Sootfur? This is going to cause a lot of chaos!”

Her brother scowled, his ashen grey fur rippling defensively, “Have you forgotten that Windclan held you hostage? They waived their right to diplomacy.”

Rainwhisker butted in, “They may not deserve diplomacy, but Sorreltail is right: they won’t take kindly to this. Tensions might get worse than before, and we’re still no closer to finding Honeyfern.”

Sootfur’s ear folded back, “It doesn’t matter! Thunderclan was going to vote for borders regardless of how I voted. Did you hear how riled up they all were? Windclan is going to be sorry for having pulled that stunt on us in The Moor.”

Sorreltail let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head a bit. Sootfur wasn’t exactly wrong, but it was still frustrating how this all turned out. Would Thunderclan’s choice further alienate her relationship with the Windclanners? She thought back to Ashfoot, seemingly the most reasonable of the bunch.

Oh, no. She let out a gasp as a sudden thought struck her. Was Ashfoot still at the Dreampool? She envisioned a Thunderclan patrol, bursting through and yanking the regal molly away from whatever important work she was doing in the living world. How would the Guardians react to this decision- she hadn’t seen Goosefeather or Featherwhisker at the Thunderclan meeting.

“I think we should go back!” She said quickly, her eyes wide. “Ashfoot was sleeping at the Dreampool.”

“So?” Sootfur asked, a brow raised. He didn’t look impressed with the direction Sorreltail was heading in.

“She was the one who helped me! We need to go and alert her about what’s happened.”

Rainwhisker seemed to share Sootfur’s caution. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

“Yes,” She responded stubbornly, “It’s the right thing to do. It might even save our relationship with Windclan, in case everything goes wrong.”

Her brothers eyed her quietly for a moment, before Sootfur grumbled out, “Fine, whatever! As long as we get away from this creepy forest. I spent way too much time in here earlier, searching around for Honeyfern. It’s a weird place, I felt like I was being watched the entire time.”

Sorreltail felt her pelt prickle a bit as she recalled the snapping sound that came from the forest earlier. Her eyes scanned the foliage, wondering if someone had been listening in on their conversation. Is that why Owlstar left so soon?

“Let’s get out of here, then,” She murmured, shooting one last look towards the imposing forest, then heading back towards the long stretch of the Warm Rocks. Her brothers trailed after her, skipping over the smooth surface of the stones. 

This time, Sorreltail ignored the spot where her daughter went missing, steeling herself on the task at hand. She was tired of grieving- she needed to figure this all out. There was still hope for her daughter. There had to be.

Behind her, Rainwhisker was chatting with Sootfur about the end results of the meeting.

“- and Firestar didn’t look happy. Did you see the look on his face? You know how cordial he was with Windclan.”

Sootfur let out a huff as he scampered over some rocks. “Old Yellowfang was furious! I heard her and that one cat arguing after it was all over.”

“Who?”

“Oakstar? Whatever his name was. The one moderating with Firestar.”

Rainwhisker let out a laugh, “Oh, he was something, wasn’t he? I can’t believe he chewed out Ashfur like that. Poor guy- I kinda feel bad for him.”

“He brought it on himself,” Sootfur grumbled, “- bringing up Hollyleaf again, really? That guy can sure hold a grudge.”

The trio finally passed the Warm Rocks, making their way into the tall expanse of oak trees that signified the start of The Forest. The area was still a-buzz with activity. As they trotted through, they passed by small clusters of cats, talking animatedly amongst themselves.

After covering some more ground, Sorreltail recognized the row of bushes that separated the clearing that contained the Great Oak. She made way to shift her body underneath it, but compulsively froze as she heard a familiar voice on the other side.

“- know you’re worried about her, but what can we do?” It was Windflight speaking.

“I haven’t seen her since the fight she had with Bluestar. I figured she needed space, but it’s been so long. How did she look? Was she upset at all?” Sorreltail didn’t recognize this voice.

“She didn’t seem upset. It was hard to tell- she didn’t say much. I was with a group, so I didn’t linger.”

From behind her, Rainwhisker gave her a nudge. Sorreltail heeded him and pushed herself through the bottom gap in the bush, emerging on the other side. The sight that greeted her was Windflight, seated closely next to a sleek, grey tabby cat with dark stripes. Sorreltail had seen this cat once or twice in passing, but she wasn’t sure who it was.

“Hello Windflight,” Rainwhisker pushed his way through the bottom of the bush, followed by Sootfur. “- and hello Moonflower, it’s good to see you again.”

Sorreltail couldn’t help the smile that tugged it’s way onto her face. Of course Rainwhisker knew who this was. Was there anyone her brother didn’t know? The name was familiar- it was Whitestorm’s grandmother.

The distinct looking tabby blinked at them in surprise, nodding politely. 

Windflight narrowed his eyes a smidgeon, but then smiled kindly. “Ah, my great-grand kits. Moonflower, I know you’ve met Rainwhisker already- the other two are his siblings, Sootfur and Sorreltail.”

Moonflower rose to her feet and padded forward, eyeing both of them with slight interest. “I can see your father’s face in both of you.”

Sootfur’s ears folded back under the queen’s scrutiny. Sorreltail nudged him good-naturedly. “Don’t be shy, Sootfur. Don’t you recognize her name? This is father’s grandmother. Our great-grandmother.”

Surprisingly, Sootfur seemed to relax a little, then dipped his head politely. “Pleased to meet you.”

The queen let out a pleased purr, her soft yellow eyes sweeping over both of them once more. 

Sorreltail felt a little bit of warmth flood in her heart as she realized that Moonflower had the same eyes as Whitestorm. How had she gone so long without talking to her father’s side of the family? 

But what had Windflight and Moonflower been talking about earlier? Sorreltail opened her mouth to inquire, but an interruption gave her pause and made the moment fade. 

“Excuse me?”

The group stilled, turning towards the voice. 

A dilute tortoiseshell cat with a long red tail was standing a foxlength away, eyeing Sorreltail with a guarded look on it’s face.

“Can I help you?” Moonflower asked, her voice crisp. She hovered close by Sootfur and Sorreltail, sharply eyeing the cat who had interrupted their family moment.

“I apologize.” The cat said- in that moment Sorreltail was able to recognize him by the sad look in his eyes. It was Redtail, the one who proposed speaking to Windclan first. “I would like to have a private word with Sorreltail.”

Moonflower didn’t look pleased.

Maybe it was the forlorn slump of the tortoiseshell tom’s shoulders, or the dull look in his eyes, but Sorreltail felt a twinge of pity for the tom. “Moonflower, would you mind if I indulged this fellow for a moment? I know we just met, and I don’t wish to cause any disrespect.”

Moonflower turned back to Sorreltail, eyeing her keenly. Though the distinct queen was a stranger, Sorreltail could read approval in those yellow dephs. 

“Yes- I appreciate your politeness. Go ahead, I don’t mind. In the meantime I’ll just get to know little Sootfur.” The grey queen turned and shot Sorreltail's bother a wink.

Sootfur’s eyes widen a smidge and his ear twitched nervously. 

Sorreltail nudged her brother good-naturedly before following after the tortie tom. What did he want to say to her? 

They padded over to the Great Oak, now devoid of any other cats. Redtail stayed standing, his eyes downcast for a long moment. Sorreltail tapped her paw against the ground, trying to stay patient. She needed to go and see Ashfoot before it was too late.

“I want you to know that you’re not alone.” He said at last, glancing up at her. “I mean, obviously you know that- you were with your family over there, right?” He didn’t give her time to answer. “I just mean that a lot of us are thinking about you. Please let me know if you need any help in this troubling time. I know how hard it is to lose a loved one after death.”

Sorreltail squinted her eyes a little bit, wondering who he lost. Did one of his kin die during the Great Battle?

“I wanted to say something else too.” He hesitated again, his gaze falling toward the ground again. “It’s about Hollyleaf.”

Sorreltail’s ears pricked at the name. Did he know something about the black molly?

“I understand why many hold her in high suspicion.” He paused, his brow furrowing, “Circumstances paint her as a suspect. But some cats are dredging up her past in order to paint her in a bad light.”

His eyes lifted from the ground as he made eye contact with Sorreltail. “Life isn’t easy- her life wasn’t easy. She committed a terrible deed, but sometimes terror is the price to pay for the greater good.”

“Excuse me?” She responded, a little taken aback by his response. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not trying to excuse what she did. I’m just trying to say that in her mind, she was making the right choice. Ashfur almost let her and her brothers burn. Thunderclan values family and the clan- Ashfur was a threat to both.”

“But she told the secret at the Gathering anyway.” Sorreltail rebutted, curious to see what he would say in response.

“Look-” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his claws digging into the ground. “Like I said, I’m not excusing anything she did. All I’m saying is that in the moment, she tried to do what must be done to protect the ones she loves.” 

Though his amber eyes were weary, there was a hardness in them too. Sorreltail held his gaze, searching his eyes for something- of what, she wasn’t sure. It felt like there was something deeper to be said, but Redtail took a step back, shaking his head a little. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t feel like myself right now.” He said, his brow furrowing again. “My sister died during the Great Battle. I’ve always tried to protect her, but I wasn’t there this time to save her. It’s been very hard for me to move on from that. I feel for your loss.”

Sorreltail was beginning to understand his behavior a little better. He was in pain, but still trying to empathize with her in his own way. “I appreciate it, Redtail. Thank you for reaching out to me. I can tell that you really mean it.”

Redtail gave her a halfhearted smile, which she returned, allowing it to reach her eyes.

“I won’t keep you from your family anymore.” He responded, a muted sorrow reflecting in his amber eyes. “Like I said, please let me know if you need any help.”

“Thank you, I will.”

Redtail shot her one more look before turning away and making his way across the clearing. Sorreltail watched him go, the message he conveyed about Hollyleaf swimming through her mind. Something about what he said troubled her, but she couldn't place exactly what it was.

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf glared harshly at the spot in the trees where Thistleclaw disappeared, trying to calm the tight knot of anxiety thrumming in her chest. Next to her, Sparrowfeather let out a shaky breath, equal parts anger and relief.

The encounter with Thistleclaw was a close call. Despite being outnumbered, he had been ready and able to take on both of them at once. It was only the sight of Mapleshade that drove the brute away.

Speaking of the roguish molly- Mapleshade was quickly limping over to them, favoring one of her front paws with each step that she took.

“Sparkles, I told you to stay at the tree!”

Hollyleaf stiffly stood her ground as Mapleshade rounded on her. The tortoiseshell’s neck fur was bristled in matted clumps and her needle claws were unsheathed, leaving pin-prick indentations in the saturated ground. 

With her face contorted in a nasty snarl, Mapleshade looked absolutely livid. There was a wild, vehement look in her eyes that Hollyleaf had never seen before. In a way, the genuine show of emotion made the tortoiseshell seem more life-like than usual.

“And I told you,” Hollyleaf curled her lip, “- that I didn’t want to be left behind!”

Mapleshade’s nostrils flared, “Did your leader never punish you as an apprentice? Is that why you frolic about as if your actions have no consequences?”

Hollyleaf let out a low growl, but before she could bite out another retort Sparrowfeather interrupted.

“We don’t have time for this!” His hazel eyes darted around, eyeing their surroundings with sharp suspicion. “It’s not safe for us to stay here. Thistleclaw could regroup with his cronies and then come after us. Where are Redwillow and Maggottail?”

Mapleshade narrowed her eyes. “I lost them after I escaped to track you two down.” She paused for a moment, then began talking again in a sharper tone. “But it doesn’t matter now. You’re right, runt- we need to leave.”

Hollyleaf bit back a frown as she felt the guilt begin to kick in. She should have stayed at Redwillow’s tree hideout. Now their little group was separated, and Redwillow and Maggottail could be double-dead for all they knew.

The voice in her head was surprisingly silent, as if it too was being wracked by guilt.

“Where should we go?” She asked, finding her voice. At the Black Rock meeting, Thistleclaw had told Mapleshade that he knew where they were hiding the ‘Starclan cat’, but that had all been a bluff, right? Maybe it was still safe to meet up again at the tree.

Sparrowfeather furrowed his brow and glanced down at the ground, as if he expected the answer to be lying there. “I don’t know what’s safe anymore. What if the tree hideout has been compromised, and we go there and get ambushed? What if we don’t go to the tree, but Redwillow and Maggottail do? They won’t know where to find us.”

Mapleshade scowled and shook her head, “We need to prioritize ourselves right now. Thistleclaw would expect us to try and re-group. Remember what he said before? That he would have tried to make a move at Back Rock had our group not been so big.” Her head swiveled over in the direction of the river. “I say we cross over there and get far away from this place.”

Hollyleaf glanced between Sparrowfeather and Mapleshade, unsure of what to do. “If we cross the river, Redwillow and Maggottail might not be able to find us.”

“Alternatively, they could be dead already!” Mapleshade whipped her head around to shoot a glare at Hollyleaf. “Or maybe even taken prisoner and forced to reveal our tree hiding spot!”

The roguish molly seemed to be done debating on their next move, because she began heading in the direction of the dark, sloshing water. “Come on!”

Hollyleaf looked over at Sparrowfeather. He was already gazing at her with a look of uncertainty. 

“She made a good point, Hollyleaf. I don’t know what else to do. What do you think?”

“I don’t know.” She responded honestly, “But we can’t stay here, and I don’t want to break the group apart any further.”

The torbie tom nodded in agreement, and together they shared another long look. Finally, Sparrowfeather let out a sigh and hesitantly began padding after Mapleshade. “She’s our best chance right now. Come on.”

Hollyleaf took one last look around at the clearing, before begrudgingly following after the two torties.

After a short moment of contemplation, their small group decided to cross at the spot where Hollyleaf had originally meant to run for before she’d been intercepted by Thistleclaw. 

Laid across the murky brown water was a moderately-sized, conveniently placed tree branch- a rickety bridge they used to successfully cross, and which they then subsequently dislodged. Mapleshade pushed the piece of wood until it fell vertically into the river, and they all watched it get swept away by the churning water.

“I hope we won’t regret that.” Sparrowfeather murmured under his breath after the deed was done. “I hate swimming.”

The rest of the journey was done in relative silence, as if everyone was too on-edge to start up a conversation. 

That might be it, actually, Hollyleaf mused to herself as they plodded along. The encounter with Thistleclaw had left everyone feeling uneasy. They all had a reason to fret- Sparrowfeather, because of the confrontation with his old mentor; Mapleshade, because of the threat and vendetta Thistleclaw seemed to have against her; and Hollyleaf herself, because of the strange things the grey and white tomcat ranted to her about.

He needed her for his plans, whatever that entailed. Obviously, targeting Starclan was part of it. What had he said before at Black Rock? Something about how Starclan was already feeling his influence. What was he intending to do? Start a fight with all of Starclan? That was madness! 

But still, why did Thistleclaw need Hollyleaf specifically? 

He had told her she was special- that she was one of the ‘Changed’: a cat blessed by Starclan. He kept referencing the old prophecy: cats with the power of the stars in their paws. 

The normal feeling of bitterness that often enveloped her when thinking about her exclusion from the prophecy didn’t rear its ugly head. Instead, an uneasiness spread through her body and made her fur stand on end. 

It couldn’t be true. She was a normal cat- definitely no power of the stars in her paws. And if she was some sort of special ‘Changed’ cat, wouldn’t someone have told her by now? 

But even if it was true, and Starclan had neglected to tell her that very important detail about her life, how had Thistleclaw known about it?

“Hollyleaf, are you alright?” Sparrowfeather murmured, looking back at her as they paced on ahead. “Your neck fur is bristling.”

Instead of answering him, she decided to deflect. “Do you know what being Changed is?”

“Uh, no?” He shook his head. “I’m not sure I follow.”

“It’s what Thistleclaw told me before you came to rescue me. That I was one of the Changed.”

Ahead of them, Mapleshade’s ear twitched and she slowed her limping pace until she was walking side by side with them. “What was that, Sparkles? What did he tell you?”

Hollyleaf repeated her last sentiment, then added, “He said that a Starclan cat came down and ‘blessed me’ when I was born. He mentioned a cat named Spottedleaf.”

Mapleshade visibly stiffened at the mention of Spottedleaf. “I don’t know what being Changed is, but I do know the cat of which you speak.”

“Who are they?” Hollyleaf asked, “The name sounds familiar.”

The roguish molly let out a laugh that turned into a painful wheeze. The tortoiseshell gasped for breath, over and over until the moment passed. She then cleared her throat and said, “Spottedleaf was a Starclan spirit. More specifically, a Medicine cat. Thistleclaw was obsessed with her.”

“Why?” Sparrowfeather furrowed his brow, listening in on the tortoiseshell’s story.

“They were clanmates back in Thunderclan. They had a history together,” Mapleshade paused and narrowed her eyes a bit in thought, “- I remember the first time I saw that pesky thing. She was an apprentice, and Thistleclaw had lured her into the Place of No Stars to watch him train with me.”

Hollyleaf widened her eyes at the mention of Thistleclaw and Mapleshade training together. She had forgotten that the two had once shared a mentor-apprentice role with one another.

“Naturally, she was too starry-eyed to see the benefits of training here. I didn’t see much of her after that. Those two must have had some sort of falling out. It wasn’t until after she died that I saw her again.”

“You mean she came into the Place of No Stars?” Hollyleaf asked incredulously. 

Mapleshade let out a snort. “I don’t know if she was incredibly brave or just stupid. Probably both. She came here many times, whether it was to try and guide a living cat out of our forest or to spy on us, it mattered not. She’s lucky that she never got shredded.”

Sparrowfeather spoke up, his voice stony, as if he already knew the answer to the question he was about to ask. “Why was it that she never got attacked?”

Mapleshade’s dead, leaf-fall eyes raked over his pelt, inspecting every inch of him. “Everyone knew that if they tried to lay a paw on Spottedleaf, Thistleclaw would rip their soul apart, piece by piece.”

There was a flinty look in Sparrowfeather’s eyes as he questioned her further, “What did Spottedleaf look like?”

Mapleshade’s face twitched a bit, and then a wicked smile slowly erupted- a show of yellow, cracked teeth. “She was a delicate little thing. A tortie, just like you.”

Hollyleaf felt as if the air had suddenly turned colder. A chill raced along her spine, making her fur rise in alarm. Of course- Thistleclaw had goaded Sparrowfeather about how the torbie tom had looked similar to someone he knew. She peeked over at Sparrowfeather, eyeing him with concern. Was he alright?

The aforementioned spirit was quiet. His face was drawn into a taut frown, and his eyes were wide and unfocused. 

Hollyleaf cleared her throat. “So Thistleclaw and Spottedleaf were friends, then?”

“Ha!” Mapleshade let out a shrieking laugh, as if Hollyleaf had just recited a funny joke. “Heavens, no. He’d always slither out to try and talk to her, but she avoided him like he had greencough. Thistleclaw must have done something truly awful if a sweet little Medicine cat didn’t even want to talk to him.”

Hollyleaf wondered if Thistleclaw had done the same thing to Spottedleaf as he did to Sparrowfeather. It seemed to line up, since Spottedleaf was an apprentice when Mapleshade first laid sight on her. 

“What happened to Spottedleaf?” Hollyleaf asked, though she had a bad feeling that she already knew.

“I killed her.” Mapleshade's smile stretched even wider than before- more bared teeth than an actual show of emotion. “I sliced clean through that starry throat! I mean really, who thought it was a good idea to let Medicine cats fight? She was an easy kill.” 

Hollyleaf unconsciously stiffened in response to Mapleshade’s brazen choice of words. 

The roguish molly continued on, oblivious to Hollyleaf’s discomfort. “It sickened me how willing everyone was to pander to Thistleclaw’s obsessive behavior. When the opportunity came to make my move, I didn’t hesitate. I only wish that I had been around to see the look on Thistleclaw’s face when he found out.”

Murder didn’t seem out of character for the rogue, but hearing it described so lackadaisically disturbed Hollyleaf on a level that she hadn’t anticipated. Perhaps she had gotten too comfortable with the nefarious spirit. 

These are dangerous cats. The voice in her head chided. Mapleshade isn’t your friend. She’s a criminal.

Hollyleaf nearly rolled her eyes. Of course Mapleshade wasn’t her friend! She wasn’t so daft as to believe that the faded tortoiseshell thought of her as anything other than a pawn. Vice versa, Hollyleaf wouldn’t befriend a sadistic killer.

“No wonder Thistleclaw hates you so much.” Clarity had since returned to Sparrowfeather’s narrowed eyes. “I wonder why killing you isn’t his main priority? He seems awfully distracted with stealing Starclan cats.”

Mapleshade made a low humming noise as she leapt over a muddy puddle of water in her path. “Maybe killing me is his main priority. Doesn’t explain why he needs Starclan cats to do that.” Her eyes flickered over to Hollyleaf. “So Thistleclaw thinks you’re ‘blessed’, huh? It wouldn’t make sense for Starclan to bless you and not say anything about it.”

None of it made sense. Hollyleaf furrowed her brow in thought. “Either I’m blessed or I’m not. If I’m not blessed, then why does Thistleclaw so adamantly believe that I am? If I am blessed, then there’s something strange going on. Wouldn’t I be aware of that by now? Thistleclaw said my brothers were blessed too, and that they had powers because of it.”

Mapleshade suddenly halted in her tracks. Sparrowfeather and Hollyleaf came to an abrupt stop behind her.

“Sparkles,” The roguish molly rumbled, “Who are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, who are you really? You’re a Thunderclan spirit, but who?”

Hollyleaf met Mapleshade’s searching stare, contemplating what to say to her. She hadn’t yet brought up her lineage to the daunting spirit. Aside from the fact that it was private information, there had never been a right time. She supposed that Mapleshade truly didn’t know much about her, other than what might have been picked up on from the interactions they had together.

“Do you know The Three?” Hollyleaf began, “The prophecy cats?”

Mapleshade jutted her jaw up in affirmation, but said nothing.

“They’re my kin. Two of them are my littermates.” 

For the first time ever, the tortoiseshell spirit seemed genuinely surprised. “That’s means you’re-”

“- halfclan.” Hollyleaf finished, meeting Mapleshade’s gaze with a sharp one of her own. Thistleclaw had already mentioned it, but it was still better to get that out of the way.  “My mother was Thunderclan’s medicine cat. My father was a Windclan deadbeat. You remember that cat I summoned here? He’s my half-brother.”

Something in Mapleshade’s expression had changed, but Hollyleaf couldn’t tell what it was. There was a guarded look in the molly’s eyes, hiding whatever she was thinking or feeling. Did the revelation behind Hollyleaf’s history change things?

Sparrowfeather loudly cleared his throat, dispelling a bit of the tenseness that had somehow crept up into the conversation. “Okay, I have a theory.”

Both sets of eyes fell on him.

“So if a Starclan cat came down and blessed your brothers, I don’t think it would be unreasonable to believe that they did the same for you, Hollyleaf.”

“Then how is it that my brothers are special, but not me?” Hollyleaf let out a sigh and then began walking again. The other two began following after. 

“But maybe you are special, Hollyleaf.”

She turned and shot him an incredulous look. “My brother Lionblaze has unsurmountable strength and battle skills. My brother Jayfeather has The Sight. He can see anywhere- his dreams, the past, or even a cat’s inner emotions. What do I have? The power to mess up my life?”

Mapleshade snorted a bit. “I’ve got that power too.”

Sparrowfeather let out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe you’ve yet to discover what your power is! I mean, we already know one strange thing you can do: you can summon cats into this forest against their will.”

He did have a point. They still had yet to understand how or why Hollyleaf was able to do that, while no other spirit could.

“Okay,” She said tentatively, “Let me humor you for a moment. If I do have some sort of special power, and I am one of those so-called ‘Changed’ cats, then why does Thistleclaw have another Starclan cat in here? If he needs me, then why…”

She trailed off, a sudden thought striking her like a claw swipe to the face.

“Hollyleaf?”

Thistleclaw said that he needed her. Not any random Starclan cat. How coincidental it was that the one cat he needed, someone so integral to his plans, just so happened to be trapped on his home turf?

The thought was so horrifyingly distracting that she almost walked straight into a tree.

“Watch it, Sparkles!” Mapleshade said, giving her a quick shove out of the way. “Focus- what’s on your mind?”

“I think that I might have been set up.” She managed to bite out.

Sparrowfeather stopped in his tracks and turned his full attention to Hollyleaf. “Are you serious?”

“Thistleclaw said that he needed me for his plans. I got blamed for two cats disappearing, neither of which I had anything to do with! Don’t you see? He set this whole thing up so that Starclan would turn against me!” In the back of her mind she was aware that she was shouting, but a terrible, seething rage had already begun to tint her vision and cloud her better judgement.

Sparrowfeather watched her with wide, appalled eyes.

“But that would mean,” Mapleshade spoke up, her voice unusually soft. “- that someone in Starclan must be helping him.”

Hollyleaf felt her blood run cold.

“No! That can’t be- that’s not-” She sputtered, trying to find the words to express how utterly wrong that was. Someone in Starclan was helping Thistleclaw? That couldn’t be possible! And yet, there wasn’t any other explanation as to how the sordid spirit conjured all of this up without aid.

Mapleshade’s leaffall eyes bore into Hollyleaf’s green ones and a dark look passed over her face. “If you’re right, than this goes deeper than I thought, kit. Much, much deeper.”

Sparrowfeather began to speak, theorizing aloud, but Hollyleaf’s mind went blank. She felt her feet begin to move as she walked ahead mindlessly, still in a state of shock. How could this be? It shouldn’t be possible. Starclan cats were good, weren’t they? If not, what was the point of Starclan? What was the point of any of this?

Trust no one. The voice in her head sounded just as disturbed as she felt. 

Had something terrible happened to Honeyfern? Did someone commit foul play and then try and blame Hollyleaf for the deed? What about Tallstar? How did he play into all of this?

“I need to find the Starclan cat.” She murmured aloud, more to herself than to anyone else.

Sparrowfeather fell quiet, his attention turned to her. “Maybe we can find it before Thistleclaw does.”

Mapleshade let out a low hmmm but didn’t outwardly object to the idea.

“There’s something I have to do first.” Hollyleaf took in a deep breath and then released it shakily. She couldn’t trust Starclan anymore.

“What?” Sparrowfeather tilted his head.

“I’m going to try once more to summon someone here.”

“Who?"

"My brother."

"Breezepelt?"

"No," Her voice was strained, "My real brother."

Chapter Text

By the time Sorreltail was able to wiggle her way out of the conversations with Redtail and Moonflower, it felt like an excessive amount of time had passed. 

Had she wasted too much time? An anxious dread began to fester in the back of her mind. What if she was too late? What if Ashfoot had already been met by a gaggle of disgruntled spirits?

With haste, Sorreltail leapt through the Forest, Rainwhisker and Sootfur tailing closely behind her. Silently, she channeled the drop of Windclan in her blood, hoping it would grant her the speed she needed to reach Ashfoot before anyone else did. 

As they passed through the Thunderclan part of Starclan, she noticed that the place was still abuzz with activity. Spirits of all shapes and sizes were clustered together in small groups, gossiping amongst themselves. None of them called out to Sorreltail as she breezed past, although she did receive a couple of curious looks. Perhaps some of them recognized her from the Thunderclan meeting, or maybe it was just an idle interest that made them turn their heads.

The Heavens must have been on Sorreltail’s side, because by the time she and her brothers screeched to a halt at the Dreampool, it looked as idyllically peaceful as it had before she left. The water was impeccably still, undisturbed by even the slightest gust of gentle wind. There were no Thunderclan patrols congregating it, disrupting the peace with angry bellowing.

And most importantly, Ashfoot was right where she was before: curled up at the edge of the reflective water, one paw dipped into the cool depths.

“Thank the stars,” Sorreltail murmured under her breath, feeling the dread and anxiety slowly begin to dissipate. “I was worried that a patrol would have gotten here by now.”

Rainwhisker, having heard her murmurings, responded in a similar volume. “They’re probably too focused on securing the borders.” His blue eyes darted around the clearing. “We should hurry, though.”

Nodding in assent, Sorreltail turned to inspect Ashfoot. The grey Windclan molly looked incredibly peaceful, lying prone next to the water’s edge. The stern, regal expression she normally wore was gone- instead, replaced by a relaxed, sleepy look.

Sorreltail had no sooner taken a few steps forward towards Ashfoot before she was abruptly intercepted by a disheveled grey form.

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

It was Goosefeather again. Where had he come from? The old star was eyeing her up and down with mild suspicion. 

“I just need to talk to Ashfoot real fast.” Sorreltail responded, tempering the urgency in her voice. 

The bedraggled tomcat narrowed his eyes at her. “Didn’t you listen to me before? She must not be disturbed!”

“Yes, I know what you said.” Sorreltail gritted her in an effort to maintain her already depleted patience. “I really need to speak with her, though. It’s important.”

Out of the corner of her eye, a lighter grey form approached and went to stand next to Goosefeather. It was the other cat she met before: Featherwhisker. He wore a similar expression to Goosefeather: sharp skepticism, with suspicion-riddled eyes. 

Briefly, Sorreltail pondered whether the Guardians knew about what transpired at the Thunderclan meeting. If they were aware, wouldn’t they have tried to kick Ashfoot out? Or did they agree with Yellowfang on the notion that it was unethical to disallow Windclan from accessing the Dreampool?

Featherwhisker blinked his pretty orange eyes at them. “Tell me: what’s so important that you can’t wait until she’s finished?” Though his tone was level and diplomatic, there was a hidden edge to it.

“It’s a private matter, as Sorreltail said.” Rainwhisker answered for her, eyeing the long-furred, pale silver tomcat. “Surely you must understand our hesitancy to disclose anything.”

Featherwhisker raked his eyes up and down Rainwhisker, appraising him. “Surely you must understand our desire not to have these important, high-concentration moments interrupted by impatient spectators.”

Sorreltail drummed her claws against the dirt restlessly. They didn’t have time for this! Ashfoot needed to be informed before it was too late. An angry group of Thunderclan cats could show up any moment! An irate patrol would certainly make this situation worse than it already was. Thunderclan’s rage was nothing to scoff at.

Behind her, Sorreltail heard Sootfur let out an aggravated huff. It sounded as if he was just as impatient with this situation as she was. How could they get to Ashfoot when these two airheads refused to let them pass? Perhaps they needed some sort of diversion. If they could distract the Medicine cats, someone could slip by and wake up the sleeping molly.

Sorreltail turned and shot Sootfur a meaningful look, flickering her eyes towards the slumbering deputy and then back to him. She twitched the corner of her mouth at him mischievously, hoping he’d catch onto her non-verbal communication. They used to get up to no good like this when they were young, before Willowpelt passed away. Would Sootfur remember?

Her brother furrowed his brow, as if trying to interpret the meaning behind her stare. After a moment of thought, a precipitous glint shined in his eyes, and he smiled at her coyly.

“If you two bone-heads won’t let us through, then I’ll start yowling!” He announced dramatically, stalking towards the two Guardians. “We’ll see how long her concentration lasts after that!”

Sorreltail held back the full-blown grin that threatened to emerge onto her face. At her side, Rainwhisker gaped in surprise, then clapped his mouth shut with a snap.

Goosefeather didn’t seem impressed by her brother’s theatrics. “What are you, a newborn kit? You can’t get what you want just by screaming!”

“Oh yes I can! Just watch me!” Sootfur snarked, then side-stepped them and began plodding in the direction of Ashfoot’s sleeping form, all the while taking in an audible, exaggerated inhale. 

The two Medicine cats wasted no time in moving to intercept him. 

Sorreltail took that as her cue.

With as much subtlety and speed as she could muster, Sorreltail ducked behind Goosefeather and Featherwhisker and darted over to where Ashfoot was. By the time the two Medicine cats noticed what she had done, Sorreltail was already insistently pawing at the grey molly’s side, repeating her name insistently.

“Ashfoot! Wake up, Ashfoot!” 

It took a long moment, but the former Winderclan deputy began to stir sluggishly. She blearily blinked her eyes open. They were cloudy and unfocused, as if she had been out for a long time. 

Though Sorreltail had her back turned to the Guardians, she heard as Goosefeather let out a sharp hiss. “You overgrown weasels! How would you like to be banned from the Dreampool forever?” His loud footsteps rang out as he stalked over to Ashfoot and Sorreltail.

Sorreltail ignored him and stared at Ashfoot expectantly. “It’s me: Sorreltail.” She said softly, catching the Windclan deputy’s gaze. “I’m sorry for this, Ashfoot. I wouldn’t have woken you unless it was absolutely necessary.”

The grey molly rose to her feet slowly, albeit a bit unsteadily, and stretched the stiffness out of her limbs. “How long have I been out?”

Featherwhisker answered, having already padded forward. “A while. It’s hard to say. I’m sure you could have gone for longer, had someone not disturbed you.” He shot Sorreltail a displeased look. 

Ashfoot let out a sigh, then turned to silently appraise Sorreltail. “Do you have news for me?”

Sorreltail knew that the grey molly was likely asking in regards to Tallstar or Honeyfern. 

“Yes, but not what you had in mind,” She replied, shooting a quick glance over at the glowering Medicine cats. “- You need to leave the Dreampool immediately.”

“Do you have bees in your brain?” Shouted Goosefeather, his claws unsheathing reflexively out of anger. “You can’t dictate who uses this place!”

“Would you quiet down?” Sootfur snapped at the speckled tom. “Let her speak!”

Ashfoot was surprisingly stoic. “Why do I need to leave?”

Sorreltail glanced over at Rainwhisker. He nodded at her encouragingly. She took a deep breath, then said, “Thunderclan is angry with Windclan. They voted to semi-permanently bar your clan from our land.”

One of the Medicine cats let out an audible gasp, but she wasn’t sure who. 

Ashfoot’s cool expression snapped, morphing into an unpleasant scowl. “They had no right to do that.”

“Windclan had no right to accost us on the Moor!” Sootfur growled out, but sealed his mouth shut when both Sorreltail and Rainwhisker whipped their heads around to shoot him a glare.

Ashfoot looked like she wanted to say something to Sootfur, but held her tongue. “So your land encompasses the Dreampool, then?”

“Yes,” Sorreltail replied, “I came to warn you before they came and forced you out.”

The regal grey molly flexed her claws into the ground once before resheathing them and letting out an angry sigh. “I supposed I knew it would come to this. Before your group arrived, we kicked another group of Thunderclan cats off of the Moor.”

“This is madness!” Goosefeather growled. “See the chaos that ensues when our clans are at odds with one another? No one can claim land in Starclan, and Thunderclan certainly cannot hold the Dreampool hostage.”

“You don’t have to leave.” Featherwhisker eyed Ashfoot uneasily. “We won’t let them kick you out. We’ll protect you.”

“No.” The grey molly’s answer was curt. “My clan will need to know about this.” She turned to look at Sorreltail. Her eyes were sharp but not altogether unkind. “Thank you for the forewarning, but I must go.”

Ashfoot turned to leave. Sorreltail wordlessly watched her begin to pad away, but a lingering thought gave her pause. “Ashfoot- wait.”

The Windclan molly halted in her tracks.

“The place where he shouldn’t have been,” Sorreltail began, referencing their earlier conversation about Tallstar. “- can you tell me where that is? Please?”

Ashfoot hadn’t moved a muscle, not even to turn around to regard Sorreltail. She was silent, and for a moment Sorreltail thought the regal molly wouldn’t bother to respond. 

“A place where no Starclan cat belongs.” She said at last, her level voice terse. “You know where that is.”

A cold chill ran along Sorreltail’s spine, making the fur along it rise up. 

She had suspected for a long time that Tallstar’s scent had been found in the Place of No Stars. Ashfoot’s vague, non-admission might as well have confirmed it. If that was true, then Windclan had found Hollyleaf’s scent in the Place of No Stars as well. 

“How do you know?” Sorreltail found herself asking, her head beginning to whirl. “Who found the scent?”

Ashfoot shifted her hunched-over form so she was facing the group again. Her eyes darted along the ground, before settling onto Sorreltail.

“Mudclaw.”

As if afraid she said too much, the regal Windclan deputy turned suddenly and darted away, kicking up grass as she went. Sorreltail watched her go, the thought of the brown tabby known as Mudclaw occupying her mind.

With the retreat of Ashfoot, the Dreampool clearing was left uncomfortably quiet. Sorreltail turned to look at her comrades, her brow furrowed in thought. Rainwhisker too looked contemplative, but there was resignation behind his eyes. It was as if their worst fears about Hollyleaf had been confirmed. The black molly must have been going to the Place of No Stars before she confronted Tallstar there.

Had Hollyleaf’s alignment changed? Had she tricked Tallstar into following her to his doom?

“What’s going on?” Featherwhisker’s voice was wrought with suspicion. Sorreltail wondered if he’d be able to put two and two together.

No one answered him. 

“Hello?” His eyes swept over the three siblings, “Tell me what’s-” His voice broke off suddenly.

Sorreltail turned to eye him. The silver-grey tomcat was frozen midword, his head tilted and eyes wide. He seemed as if he might be listening to something that no one else could hear. What was going on?

Goosefeather watched with a knowing look. “What is it, Featherwhisker?”

“Someone’s at the Moonpool.” He responded back, “A Medicine cat- their spirit is strong. Should we engage?”

Goosefeather sighed loudly. “Of all the rotten times… Yes, let them through.”

Featherwhisker closed his eyes and appeared to fall into deep concentration. Goosefeather began looking around, as if awaiting someone to appear.

A Medicine cat was trying to enter Starclan? Who could it be? Sorreltail turned and shot her brothers a concerned look.

Suddenly, the normally still waters of the Dreampool were disrupted by a single ripple, traveling swiftly up until the water’s edge and disappearing without a second thought.

“What-?” Intrigued by the sight of the Dreampool, Sorreltail didn’t notice at first as a feline figure materialized into the clearing. Her brother stiffened, gaining her attention, so she turned to identify the living cat who chose to meet with its ancestors-

- only to catch sight of someone she least expected.

Before her stood the rigid form of Leafpool. 

The Medicine cat’s tabby fur was ruffled out in a prickly bristle and her eyes were narrowed, reflecting white hot fury. Her gaze swept through the clearing, surveying each spirit one by one, until it fell upon Sorreltail. From there, the outrage in her eyes morphed into one of stark betrayal. 

Sorreltail couldn’t help but shrink a bit, her ears folding back at the harsh look. “Leafpool?”

“Where is my daughter?” The softness that normally carried in the Medicine cat’s voice was gone. Instead, a coldness that Sorreltail had never heard before encompassed it. 

Leafpool’s eyes once more darted through the crowd, taking in the group of Thunderclan spirits there. No one spoke a word, too frozen in the shock of it all, which seemed to agitate her more. “Tell me where my daughter is!” She snapped, flashing her sharp teeth.

“Now, Leafpool,” Featherwhisker began, his voice carefully placating. “Hollyleaf’s not here right now-”

Leafpool’s look turned frosty. “Where,” Her nostrils flared, “- is she then?”

Featherwhisker seemed taken aback, almost as if he didn’t know what to say. “Well, I’m not sure.”

“Liar!” She nearly bellowed, fixing him with a fierce look of reproach. Quickly, she turned herself around and once more locked eyes with Sorreltail. “You knew where she was the entire time, didn’t you?”

Sorreltail opened her mouth to speak, but it felt like her throat had dried up. “It’s- it’s not what you think, Leafpool." She stumbled over her words, "I didn’t want to worry you!”

Sorreltail's words did little to calm Leafpool's ire. The little brown tabby let out a fearsome growl, emitted from somewhere deep in her chest.

“How did you find out?” Rainwhisker asked, tentatively throwing himself into the tense verbal altercation.

Leafpool didn’t even look at him. Her angry, hurt eyes were still locked onto Sorreltail’s. 

“Crowfeather’s son came all the way to Thunderclan territory to tell me that he’s been dreaming of her,” Leafpool sucked in a shaky breath, “- in the Place of No Stars.”

Chapter Text

The farther the trio of cats traveled away from the river, the more malformed and bizarre the Place of No Stars became. The ground turned muddier, like it did in The Marsh- smelly, saturated and oozing. With every step Hollyleaf took, she could feel the cold wetness sink in between her toes. It was so permeable that she would often squelch down into it like it was soggy snow. 

Strangely, and perhaps a blessing in disguise, the terrain eventually gave way to large boulders -some the size of small trees- jutting out of the ground. Traversing the land became marginally easier by hopping on the stones, avoiding the mucky ground. 

“Wipe your feet and take light steps,” Mapleshade had warned. “We don’t need to leave a trail of muddy pawprints for Thistleclaw to follow.”

The last difference was the fog: it was thicker here, blocking out any view of the treetops above. Though contradictory, Hollyleaf felt both comforted and unsettled by it at the same time. It was a soft nest of down, hiding away the sight of the endless stretch of trees. Concurrently, the denseness of it obscured the land and hindered her senses, making it hard to detect anyone that might be lurking.

All the while, her companions were uncharacteristically quiet, following after her with probing eyes. Hollyleaf knew the reason for their silence: they were waiting for her to stop- to choose the right location to summon her brother into the dark woodland.

At least, that’s what they thought she was doing. 

In reality, Hollyleaf was stalling. She needed time to think and consider the repercussions of what she was about to do. She was going to summon her littermate here, in spite of the consequences associated with interfering too closely with the living world. Summoning Breezepelt had been an accident, and he hadn’t stayed long enough for it to have yielded any results. She intended to make sure that she would be heard out this time.

But what would she say to her brother? How much was too much? How little was not enough? 

Questions without answers plagued her mind. Her brother already had a semi-strained relationship with Starclan. Would her testimony of what happened to her further alienate him?

The voice in the back of her mind rumbled unhappily at her hesitation. Don’t soften the truth for his sake.

Hollyleaf conceded the fairness behind that sentiment. It wouldn’t be right to tip-toe around the issue, much less lie to him. If the situations were switched, he would never do that to her. Besides, her soul was at stake. The longer she stayed in the Place of No Stars, the more likely it was that Thistleclaw might find her.

Though she knew what she had to do, still Hollyleaf dithered- something nervous was buzzing around the back of her skull, unrelenting like a fly. Maybe it was fear.

Just do it already! 

She halted at the rough demand, glancing back at her companions. Mapleshade was looking at her with curious, guarded eyes. Sparrowfeather appeared discomfited, perhaps unnerved by the idea of a prophecy cat materializing into the Place of No Stars.

Hollyleaf took a mighty leap onto one of the smaller, jutting rocks- room enough for only one cat. She sat and curled her tail around her feet. She needed space.

“Are you going to do it now, Hollyleaf?” Sparrowfeather asked, peering at her starry form through the darkness. “Summon your brother.”

She nodded her head wordlessly, then closed her eyes as she had often done before. 

Harness powerful emotions- that’s what Mapleshade told her to do. Let the emotions flow through her body like liquid fire, then release the feeling outwards, like a flock of birds taking to the sky. Next, envision the cat she wanted to contact- the way they look, smell and act. Then reach out to them, to see if they’d heed her call. If not, pull them against their will into the shady depths of the Place of No Stars.

Maybe her brother would recognize her presence. Her father Bramblestar hadn't, though, so she didn’t want to get her hopes up. 

Now, what emotion would she use? Mapleshade’s harsh words echoed through her mind: ‘Hate, rage, vengeance- all of those are strong enough!’

Hollyleaf had a lot of reasons in her life to feel upset. Many of those reasons she had already come to terms with. Others were so thoroughly lodged in her mind that she didn’t think she’d be able to get rid of them, even if she tried. They were just stuck there, like tiny blood-sucking ticks, gnawing away at her. 

If she had to choose one parasite to remove, it would have the biggest and juiciest of the bunch: the horrifying rejection she felt at her mother’s words: ‘They are not my kits’.

Hollyleaf had done a lot of introspective thinking whilst in the tunnels, and she had inevitably reached a major conclusion about herself. All throughout her life, she had went out of her way to try and become someone important to her clan. For some reason, she had a deep-rooted insecurity that would compel her to act out of a subconscious need to feel wanted by her clanmates. 

Although she made efforts to try and fit in, it had all turned out for naught. In the end, her life was truly just a series of rejections. 

Rejected by Starclan -twice- for not being good enough. Rejected by her birth mother, who gave her up to someone else, and then rejected by the Windclan cat who sired her. Crowfeather wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. She couldn’t blame him. 

Rejected by Squirrelflight, the mother who raised her, even if it was an exaggeration of emotions to mislead Ashfur; rejected by Bramblestar- how he recoiled from her after the truth came out, and once more when she reached out from the Place of No Stars. 

Rejected even by the ever-so-noble Thunderclan: for all that they valued righteousness and truth, it seemed as though they’d rather the circumstances of her birth never come to light.

An unyielding bitterness began to simmer somewhere in the depths of her soul, seeking something, anything to unleash itself upon. She felt, rather than heard, the horrible scratching noise of her claws digging into the stone beneath her. 

Would the way that Hollyleaf was feeling now be enough to summon her brother? She let out a ragged breath, envisioning black-tar smoke exiting her nostrils, created from the kindled flames alight in her heart. She let the suffocating smoke rise and carry her feelings past the wispy white fog, through the treetops, searching for her brother.

She thought of his own, mirrored anger and dismay towards the world, of the bitter tangy smell of his fur, of his unfocused eyes that could see through anyone.

It didn’t take as long as she thought it would to find him. Maybe she was getting better at this, or maybe their close relationship surpassed the limitations of mortality- she couldn’t be sure. Either way, Jayfeather’s presence was as recognizable as her own name. 

She didn’t hesitate as long as she did with Bramblestar, and instead released her feelings over her brother like a downpour of rain. The intensity of her horror, bitterness and fury made him recoil, as if struck, but instead of turning tail he remained rooted to the spot. Hollyleaf presumed that he must be feeling out her emotions, as well as noticing the presence of the Place of No Stars. Her brother had always been closer to brave than he was afraid, so she hoped that his boldness would compel him to her.

Time passed, and just when she thought she’d have to reach out with a smoky-clawed grip, her brother seemed to relent- she could feel it. She wasn’t sure how she could tell, but chalked it up to their sibling bond. 

Having never gotten this far with someone willing before, Hollyleaf was unsure what to do next. But maybe she didn’t have to do anything at all, because at that moment a startled gasp rang out in the clearing. Had her brother heeded her call?

Hollyleaf snapped her eyes open, turning to her companions. They were staring down at a grey shape standing in the mud.

The shape was a blue-grey tabby, hunched over cautiously- none other than Jayfeather, her brother in the flesh. 

Her heart began to clench at the sight of him. It had been so long since she had seen her brother. She remembered the unfocused, desperate look in his eyes at the Great Battle as the life ebbed out of her. What would his expression be now?

Jayfeather flared his nostrils, then turned slowly in her direction. She held her breath, feeling frozen to the spot. His milky blue eyes met hers, and they weren’t unfocused. No; instead, there was a keenness in them that left her reeling- he wasn’t just looking at her, he was seeing her.

The angry feelings that had culminated within her crashed down, replaced by joy and sadness and yearning, all brought on by sight of her brother’s face. He looked weary and tired, but his whole face lit up as he regarded her.

“I knew it was you.” He whispered, as if afraid to raise his voice any higher. “Those feelings- I remember them.”

Hollyleaf felt like her throat was closing up. Of course he recognized her! Jayfeather had always been able to feel the emotions of others- and he had been right there beside her in the fire, during that terrible moment where Squirrelflight revealed that she wasn’t their mother. He must have been able to tell right away that the emotions were from her!

Afraid that if she opened her mouth she might cry like a newborn kit, Hollyleaf leapt down from the rock, straight into the mud. It splattered onto Jayfeather and he curled his lip in displeasure, but she paid it no mind and rushed forward to bury her face on the crook of his shoulder.

“I missed you, Jayfeather.” She sniffled out, pushing against him tightly, irrationally fearful that he might disappear at a moment’s notice.

She felt her brother relax, leaning into her like they would do when they were young. He rubbed the side of his face against her’s, inhaling her scent. 

“I missed you too- we all do. It was so hard to lose you during the Great Battle.” Absently, she noted that Jayfeather was talking faster than normal, as if he too was afraid this moment wouldn’t last. “Lionblaze- he named his daughter after you.” 

Hollyleaf stilled, shock adorning her features. “Cinderheart had kits?”

“All of them are healthy.” He added, his eyes drinking her up. “Hollykit, Sorrelkit and Fernkit.”

“- all in thanks to you.” Hollyleaf praised, a sudden tightness arising in her chest, ”Oh, I wish I could have been there!”

“Me too,” He frowned infinitesimally, “What’s going on, Hollyleaf? Why are you in the Place of No Stars?”

She opened her mouth to speak, but paused and snuck a glance at her companions on the rock. Jayfeather followed her gaze and froze, the fur along his spine shooting up in alarm. Her two companions were watching with interest, but no one more so than Mapleshade.

“Well, well, well,” The roguish molly smiled lowly at Hollyleaf’s brother, “I recognize you. You’re Sparkles’ brother, hm? Imagine that.”

Jayfeather still hadn’t moved a muscle, his cold eyes focused solely on Mapleshade. From the intensity of his reaction, she wondered if he perhaps knew the roguish molly.

“Hollyleaf,” Her brother turned to look at her. There was fresh anger in his eyes. “What are you doing here? Why are you with her?”

“I’m here too, you know,” Sparrowfeather muttered from his spot next to Mapleshade.

Hollyleaf sucked in a harsh breath. It was now or never. “Jayfeather- I want to apologize in advance for having to involve you…” She trailed off, but steeled herself to continue. “- but I didn’t have any other choice.” She hoped that he would read the sincerity in her voice. “The short story is that I was chased in here by a mob of Starclan cats who believed me to be responsible for two spirits going missing.”

Jayfeather gaped at her, fluxumed to the point where he had no words- a rarity for him.

Mapleshade let out a loud, exaggerated cackle. “Now she’s helping me deal with a political upheaval in return for my protection and otherworldly advice.”

Jayfeather blinked once, twice, and then snapped his jaw shut with a clack. His narrowed eyes shifted back and forth, moving from Hollyleaf to her companions harshly. “So what you’re telling me is that,” His tone was sharp like a jagged stone, “- you got kicked out of Starclan?”

“Um, sort of? Not officially.” She still had her stars, so that had to mean something, right? “Two cats went missing from Starclan. Honeyfern was the first to disappear. I just so happened to be the last one to see her, so I was cast as the main suspect in the eyes of many.” She frowned and averted her eyes. “After Tallstar disappeared, Windclan grew hysteric and then ganged up on me. I was chased out and I haven’t been able to get back to Starclan.”

“What?” Her brother was stone-still, so she continued.

“There’s a malicious spirit skulking about in here named Thistleclaw- he wants to find me, and won’t let me leave. I don’t know what he wants from me, but he’s been saying a lot of strange things.”

“Like what?”

Hollyleaf sucked in a quick breath, suddenly nervous with what she was about to say. “He told me that a Starclan cat named Spottedleaf did something strange to us when we were kits.”

Jayfeather’s brows drew upwards and his facial expression grew taut. “What are you talking about?” 

“He said that Spottedleaf,” She paused, rolling the word over on her tongue, “- blessed us when we were kits.”

Once again, Jayfeather seemed at a loss for words. He stared straight into her eyes, a myriad of emotions running through them. What was he thinking?

At last, the blue-grey tabby spoke, “... Is this about the Power of Three prophecy?” 

“I think so,” Hollyleaf responded quickly, “Thistleclaw mentioned it.” She held back on expanding upon the part where Thistleclaw told her she had the power of the stars in her paws. “He’s delusional. He thinks that I’m a part of the prophecy.”

Jayfeather was quiet for a moment. She peered at him nervously, taking in his body language. His ears were folded back and he was tensely coiled, like a snake ready to strike. The corner of his mouth was curled down in a sharp frown. She waited anxiously to hear what he had to say. Would he ask her if she had made Honeyfern and Tallstar disappear?

Finally, her brother looked up at her. There was something fierce in his eyes. 

“Why hasn’t anyone come for you yet? You’re innocent!” He spat, his pearly whites poking out with his tight snarl. 

“I don’t know,” She tried not to sound bitter. “I have a feeling that I’m being set up, Jayfeather.”

He regarded her in disbelief, “By who? How?”

“Thistleclaw wants me.” Hollyleaf responded, “He told me that he needs me for his plans. Is it no coincidence that I was driven into the Place of No Stars, right into his clutches?” She paused, taking in his incredulous expression. “I think there’s a rat inside of Starclan.”

Her brother was quiet for a moment, as if mulling over what she said. “Who chased you in?”

“Windclan.”

“I know that,” Her brother snipped, “I mean, who specifically?”

Thinking back on it, she hadn’t been able to identify any of the spirits who accosted her. They must have been from an older generation. “I don’t know.”

Jayfeather growled in displeasure, his eyes swinging back and forth as if willing the answer to appear before him. “Starclan isn’t going to get away with this!” His nostrils flared, “I’m going to go to the Moonpool.”

“Really?” A tiny spark of hope emanated from somewhere deep inside of her. “What are you going to say?”

“I’m going to demand that they: one, come and get you, and two, that they do something about this! I can’t even fathom why they’ve been dragging their feet. You’re a clanmate, for heaven’s sake! If they don’t have any proof that you did anything wrong, then there’s absolutely no reason why you should still be in this place!” Her brother was snarled fiercely, his eyes sweeping over the decrepit landscape surrounding them.

“What if they decide that they don’t want to see you?” She asked, an anxious thought springing up. Starclan could choose who they wanted to speak to, right? What if her brother’s involvement in this was too extensive for Starclan to accept?

Though the surroundings were dark, the light of Hollyleaf’s stars reflected off of her brother’s icy stare. As she peered into his waspish eyes, she could see a cutting coldness, something she had only ever seen their mother pull off.

“Starclan can’t stop me.” 

Chapter Text

“Crowfeather’s son came all the way to Thunderclan territory to tell me that he’s been dreaming of her,” Leafpool sucked in a shaky breath, “- in the Place of No Stars.”

The silence in the clearing was palpable, second only to the Thunderclan Medicine cat’s stifling anger.

Sorreltail could scarcely breathe, let alone process the fast-paced series of events as they unfolded. It was concerning enough that Leafpool was now cued into the discord taking place in Starclan, but even more so alarming to hear the news about Hollyleaf contacting the living from inside of the Place of No Stars. And to Breezepelt, of all cats? 

She nervously held Leafpool’s gaze for as long as she could before the shame became too strong and she had to turn her eyes away. Tentatively, she glanced over at the Guardians to see what their reaction was to this new information. Goosefeather didn’t look pleased. His eyes were narrowed speculatively and his face was taught with unease. Featherwhisker seemed more disconcerted, with his ears folded back and a deep frown etched onto his face. 

Neither one of them moved to speak, much to Sorreltail’s chagrin. It seemed as if they were both waiting to see how this situation played out.

“Leafpool,” Sorreltail began hesitantly, taking the lead, “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you the truth.”

Withholding information from her best friend was hard enough, especially considering that it concerned both of their daughters. It had made sense at the time to shield Leafpool from the friction taking place in Starclan. Why trouble the Medicine cat with the problems of her ancestors? But now, after experiencing the emotional outburst from Leafpool, Sorreltail was having second thoughts. 

“I want answers.” The Medicine cat replied tersely, the hurt still fresh in her amber eyes. “Why is Hollyleaf in the Place of No Stars? Breezepelt said that she was trying to ask him for help!”

Sorreltail stiffened and shot a look over at Rainwhisker. Her brother returned her gaze with a mystified one of his own. Why did Hollyleaf need help? Was Leafpool’s daughter lost somewhere in the gloomy forest?

Realizing that Leafpool was still looking to her to respond, Sorreltail paused and considered her next words carefully. Leafpool was a living cat- were they allowed to reveal what was happening in Starclan to her? The Medicine cat was already aware that something was awry- but if they told the truth, how might this affect Leafpool’s relationship with Starclan? It felt wrong to lie, so that left either telling the full truth or withholding some of it.

Not so subtly, she shot a sharp look over at the Guardians and hoped that one of them would lend their assistance in this matter. They had much more experience than she did when it came to navigating boundaries with the living. She’d allow them to make the first attempt at an explanation.

Featherwhisker was quick to catch the meaning behind Sorreltail’s look. He cleared his throat and took a step forward. “Leafpool, I implore you to heed my words.”

The aforementioned tabby turned and shot him with a withering glare, waiting for the rest of what he had to say.

“You mustn’t concern yourself with the woes of your ancestors. Whatever problem Hollyleaf has got herself into is outside of your responsibility.”

“Outside of my responsibility?” The brown tabby snapped, “She’s from my litter! I’m responsible for her whole existence!”

Sorreltail couldn’t help but feel an even deeper guilt settle over her, weighing her down with it’s intensity. It didn’t matter that Hollyleaf was dead and Leafpool was alive, the ties of blood transcended that distinction. It was easy to empathize with Leafpool, considering how similar their plights were. Sorreltail had felt like her whole world was falling apart when Honeyfern disappeared. Leafpool might even be feeling worse, considering how powerless she was to help Hollyleaf.

“This is why Medicine cats shouldn’t have kits.” A scathing remark came from Goosefeather, whose pale blue eyes gleamed coldly. “Your devotion and service to Starclan should come before anything else.”

Leafpool flinched at his rebuke, but quickly recovered and sent out a vitriolic retort, “Am I to roll over unquestioningly to your every whim?” She growled, “If Starclan bid me to throw myself off of the gorge, should I do it?”

“If Starclan wills it, then so be it!” He responded with a hiss, “You pledged yourself to your ancestors a long time ago- you swore to put your connection to Starclan before everything else. How many times do you intend to break that vow?”

Sorreltail couldn’t stop the feeling of indignant anger that rose up inside of her. Goosefeather was hardly being fair! She turned her eyes to Leafpool, whose flattened ears and bared teeth showed just how much she felt the sting of his blow.

“Goosefeather,” Sorreltail interrupted brusquely, “One would think that you possess more empathy in your heart towards the living.” She shifted closer to Leafpool, her eyes narrowing minutely. 

Around them, everybody seemed uncomfortable and on edge with the interaction. Rainwhisker’s wide eyes traveled between Leafpool and Goosefeather, but his lips were firmly sealed. She understood his unease- this conflict seemed to be shifting more towards a Medicine cat matter than anything else. Why was it getting so personal? Goosefeather seemed to be speaking more harshly to Leafpool than was necessary. 

Next to Rainwhisker, Sootfur glowered unpleasantly at Goosefeather. It seemed that he wasn’t a fan of the speckled grey spirit. Sorreltail couldn’t blame him. The way Leafpool was being spoken to was making her fur itch. 

Lastly, Featherwhisker stared silently at Goosefeather, his expression guarded. If she had to guess, Sorreltail would wager that he was conflicted over this interaction. He was definitely the more reasonable of the two Guardians, or so it seemed. 

Goosefeather began slinging out another retort, so Sorreltail moved to turn her gaze away from Featherwhisker. Right as her eyes were about to leave the silver-grey spirit, she noticed him stiffen uncomfortably. Unsettled, she turned her full attention back to him, only to notice how his eyes lost focus, just as they had last time, right before Leafpool entered the realm of her ancestors.

Then, without warning, the Dreampool rippled again. Sorreltail watched the disruption travel through the perfectly smooth water until it disappeared at the shore.

Whatever Goosefeather planned to say died in his throat, and the clearing fell into a shocked silence as a lone figure materialized into the clearing.

Sorreltail couldn’t help the shiver that rolled up her spine as her gaze fell onto a very familiar blue-grey tabby.

“You,” Goosefeather bit out, “You -”

“Me.” Jayfeather responded, his sharp cobalt eyes raking over every single occupant of the clearing, one by one. Sorreltail stiffened as the realization hit her: could Jayfeather see? The way that his gaze lingered on her -and even more so on Leafpool- seemed to indicate that he could.

“You and your ilk,” The spotted grey spirit’s lip turned up in a snarl, “- thinking that because you were born with powers, you can just galavant into the realm of your ancestors whenever it pleases you.”

“It was Starclan who gave me these powers!” Jayfeather’s clipped tone dropped to a lower octave, “Or was it Spottedleaf? I’ve received conflicting reports.”

Goosefeather’s angry expression washed clean from his face, replaced instead with something guarded. “Spottedleaf?”

“You heard me.”

The speckled grey spirit narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Sorreltail couldn’t help the concern that arose from Jayfeather’s statement. Had someone let it slip that the deceased spirit had Changed Jayfeather and his siblings?

Jayfeather snorted, then rolled his eyes and turned to look at Leafpool. “I woke up from a very concerning dream, only to find that you were gone. Imagine my surprise when your scent lead exactly in the direction of where I planned on going.”

Leafpool’s shock over seeing Jayfeather did not conceal the distress still adorning her expression. “I didn’t want to tell you about her yet,” She began, as if sensing that the other Medicine cat already knew, “I wanted to figure out what was going on first.”

A fierce bitterness flashed through her son’s eyes. “She’s my sister!” 

He held eye contact with Leafpool for a long, harsh moment before breaking away and directing his tumultuous gaze towards everyone else. He didn’t focus on anyone specifically, but made sure to look everyone directly- even Sootfur, who was peering out from somewhere behind Rainwhisker.

“You all should be ashamed of yourselves!” Jayfeather snapped, his white teeth poking out. “Standing by idly while an innocent soul suffers alone in the Place of No Stars!” 

So Jayfeather knew as well? Hollyleaf must have reached out to multiple cats, not just Breezepelt. The more Sorreltail thought about it, the weirder the situation felt. For some reason, Hollyleaf must be unable to get back to Starclan. Why else would she reach out to living cats- including Breezepelt, someone who for all intents and purposes probably hated her guts?

“I think the usage of the word ‘innocent’ might be a little generous,” Goosefeather retorted, “She’s the prime suspect behind both of the disappearances.” 

“Disappearances?” Leafpool bit out incredulously, her brows raising.

Sorreltail chose that moment to interject, “My daughter, Honeyfern- she’s missing,” She sucked in a deep breath, “- Tallstar too. Hollyleaf was the last one seen with Honeyfern. No one knows what happened.”

A flicker of something somber appeared in Leafpool’s eyes. It was there one moment and gone the next, but Sorreltail had seen it. She knew that her Medicine cat friend still carried some residual guilt over being unable to save Honeyfern from a snake bite. Inevitably, the snake’s poison had done it’s damage, and everyone had been helpless to save Sorreltail’s sweet daughter.

Jayfeather let out a scornful snarl, “There’s no proof of wrong-doing on Hollyleaf’s part,” He zeroed in on Goosefeather “- and yet for whatever inane reason, some of you immediately jumped to accuse her of foul play.”

Goosefeather narrowed his eyes. “If she’s so innocent, why aren’t we hearing it directly from her? Why is she sending her kin instead?”

The speckled grey spirit’s words seemed to further agitate Jayfeather, whose fur bristled all along his spine. “Because she’s trapped!” He shouted, “One of the spirits inhabiting that forest won’t allow her to leave!”

A sick feeling of horror swept through Sorreltail. They had all been wondering why Hollyleaf hadn’t come back from the Place of No Stars yet. A part of Sorreltail had even suspected that Hollyleaf might’ve switched allegiances, and wouldn’t ever return. The thought of the black molly being held captive by one of the dark souls there was enough to send another shiver up her spine.

Goosefeather too seemed alarmed, “Who won’t allow her through?”

“Some cat named Thistleclaw.”

The atmosphere seemed to grow colder, though Sorreltail didn’t know why. She had no idea who Thistleclaw was, but Goosefeather and Featherwhisker had both stiffened in recognition. She glanced over at Rainwhisker, but he mirrored her own confused expression. 

“How do you know all of this?” Goosefeather demanded, his icey eyes narrowed once more.

“Hollyleaf brought me to the Place of No Stars.” Jayfeather responded, “In order to avoid detection from Thistleclaw, she had to enlist help from some unsavory characters.” His mouth settled into a frown.

“Such as?”

“Mapleshade.”

Goosefeather stumbled backwards, as if struck. His expression grew insurmountably angrier, as indicated by his bared teeth and flashing eyes. “Mapleshade?” He spit the name out like it was poison. “Hollyleaf is getting help from Thunderclan’s biggest monster?”

Sorreltail watched the interaction with wide eyes. She had heard mention of a cat named Mapleshade, here and there. Mapleshade was supposedly a former Thunderclan spirit who hated it’s clan above all, but other than that Sorreltail knew nothing else.

Jayfeather didn’t reply quick enough, and Goosefeather bit out another response, “Mapleshade is rotten, twisted and demented. She’s bad news, and the fact that Hollyleaf is associating with her is damning in and of itself!”

Leafpool let out an aggravated huff. “She’s trapped and alone! How could you judge her for doing what it takes to survive?”

Jayfeather interjected immediately after Leafpool, double teaming on Goosefeather. “Stop allowing your judgement to be clouded by your own mousebrained, personal biases!”

Goosefeather let out an indignant scoff. “I wouldn’t expect the living to understand. You two are too green to understand the gravity of aligning oneself with Mapleshade. It certainly says something foul about the soul of a cat who chooses to fraternize with a serial killer.”

Multiple cats gasped at his response, but Sorreltail was too taken aback to notice who they were.

“You don’t know anything about my sister’s soul!” Jayfeather hissed, his hackles rising.

“I know more than you think I do!” Goosefeather retorted, the whites of his eyes peeking out from his narrowed gaze.

The living blue-gray tabby let out a booming growl, but was interrupted by Featherwhisker, who up until this point had been unusually quiet.

“That’s enough!” The silver-grey spirit yowled, pushing himself in between Goosefeather and Jayfeather. His amber eyes swiveled to the latter of the two, “This is neither the concern nor business of the living.” Next, he turned to Leafpool, “Have faith in the capabilities and judgement of your ancestors. Go back to your clan and put this strife behind you.”

“No, have you got bees in your brain?” Jayfeather retorted, “I’m not going anywhere!”

Featherwhisker stared long and hard at the turbulent young Medicine cat, then said quietly, “Yes, you are.”

Suddenly, the forms of Leafpool and Jayfeather began shimmering and fading around the edges. Jayfeather let out an angry snarl, but that was all he could do before his form disappeared completely, followed by Leafpool.

The clearing was left in an uncomfortable silence.

“He’s going to come back, you know.” Goosefeather said after a moment, eyeing Featherwhisker with sharp eyes.

“Yes, I know that!" Featherwhisker huffed, "Maybe you should learn to reign in your temper before you give him something else to worry about!” His retort was scalding, but he deflated a bit afterwards. “Great Starclan, I’m sorry. This isn’t good. Not good at all.” He began pacing back and forth, “What are we going to do?”

Sorreltail watched with wide eyes. Jayfeather was going to come back? That must be part of his Changed abilities. 

“I don’t know. Perhaps we should gather the other Thunderclan Medicine cats.” Goosefeather responded with dry sarcasm, “The more the merrier.”

Featherwhisker stopped in his tracks. “You know what? That’s a good idea. What other option do we have?” He turned to Sorreltail and her brothers. “Can you help us?”

“I suppose,” She responded, eyeing both Guardians warily. “What do you need?”

“Do you know where any Thunderclan Medicine cats might be? You said earlier that Thunderclan just held a mass meeting.”

Sorreltail thought back to the enormously populated meeting at the Great Oak. The only Medicine cat she remembered seeing there was Yellowfang, who had apparently stayed back after the completion of the meeting to argue more with Oakstar. “Sootfur said that he saw Yellowfang talking to Oakstar after the meeting ended.” She turned to eye her light-grey brother, “Do you think you’d be able to find her?”

Sootfur nodded once, “I can try.” He turned to eye Rainwhisker, “Come with me?”

Rainwhisker gave his assent. “We can try and find Cinderpelt, too. I bet she was at that meeting as well.”

Suddenly, a single ripple ran through the Dreampool.

“Ugh,” Featherwhisker shook his head. “Get out of here! You too,” He said, looking at Goosefeather, “- find Cloudberry.”

The ripple reached the the edge of the water, and a shape materialized into the clearing. Sorreltail turned to watch her brothers scatter, and then waited to see what would happen with Jayfeather. 

The blue-grey tabby had a sour look on his face as he turned to look at Featherwhisker. “That was a cheap trick!”

“I’ll do it again,” Featherwhisker warned, his long, flowing fur puffed up a smidgeon. His eyes narrowed in concentration and suddenly Jayfeather began de-materializing, his form falling away into tiny shimmers, leaving behind only his voice before he was gone completely.

“I’m just going to come back!”

Featherwhisker slumped a bit after that, letting out a shaky breath. “I can send him away, but I can’t keep him out.”

Sorreltail shifted closer to the Medicine cat spirit, eyeing him cautiously, “Why?”

“I don’t know. He’s always been able to do this.”

She didn’t know what to say, so she switched topics. “Who is Thistleclaw?” She asked, remembering the name of the cat keeping Hollyleaf from escaping the Place of No Stars.

Featherwhisker looked back at her with keen, thoughtful eyes. He seemed to be thinking about what he was going to say, but the Dreampool’s water rippled again, so he merely responded with, “A former Starclan cat.”

Jayfeather materialized into the clearing once more. “Listen, I can do this all day.” He curled his lip at Sorreltail and Featherwhisker, “How about you just stop for a moment and listen to me?”

The aforementioned spirit scowled in response, “Fine, speak.”

The living, blue-gray tabby took in a deep breath, and then said, “I need Starclan to collectively get off of their furry behinds and rescue my sister!” He snapped, “She told me that she suspects that this was some sort of set-up.”

Sorreltail bristled a bit at his words. “As in, she’s been framed?”

“Exactly,” Jayfeather responded, “I don’t know who would have done it, but it would have to be someone from inside of Starclan.”

Sorreltail felt her pelt prickle, as if pawfuls of tiny bramble thorns were digging into her skin. Jayfeather was voicing a very familiar, secret suspicion of hers that she hadn’t allowed to evolve into anything more than a passing thought. After all, if Hollyleaf was thought to be a traitor, then that meant anyone could be. She supposed that her naive faith in Starclan had barred her from thinking any more about it, but with these new revelations, she couldn’t ignore the possibility.

“No,” Featherwhisker responded, “How could that be? Who would do such a thing?”

“I don’t know,” Jayfeather turned suddenly, his lazer-focus suddenly on Sorreltail, “Look, I know this must be hard for you, considering that your daughter is missing.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “I know how you feel about Leafpool.”

Sorreltail narrowed her eyes at him. What was he implying?

As if reading her thoughts, the blue-grey tabby said, “You care about her more than you do most cats. If you have any shred of mercy left in your heart, then please find my sister. If not for me, then do it for Leafpool.”

She eyed Leafpool’s son speculatively, taking in his words. He was trying to get her to help Hollyleaf by appealing to her love for Leafpool. It wasn’t entirely underhanded, and she understood why he made that attempt. Still, the thought of Leafpool’s betrayed, grief-ridden face flashed through her mind, and fresh guilt bubbled up. If Hollyleaf was truly innocent, then she didn’t deserve the fate she was experiencing now.

“I will do what I can.” Sorreltail responded. It wasn’t a promise, but she meant it. She couldn’t stand by while an innocent cat suffered. If Hollyleaf was innocent, that is.

Suddenly, Jayfeather’s form began shimmering again. His edges became translucent as his form began fading out of existence. “Hey, why did you do that?” He snapped at Featherwhisker.

Featherwhisker merely shrugged. “Wasn’t me this time. Someone on the other side must be bothering you.”

With that, Jayfeather disappeared from the Dreampool clearing again.

Sorreltail turned to eye Featherwhisker. He raised a brow at her, “I’m serious! I didn’t do anything.”

She ignored his comment and turned her gaze to the spot where Jayfeather disappeared from. “What do you think about all of this?” 

“Well, it’s a catastrophe, first of all.” The Medicine cat replied, “The living aren’t supposed to know about the problems that Starclan has. Leafpool and Jayfeather need to have faith in us, but how can they, knowing what they know now?”

She nodded in agreement, thinking back to the argument between the two living Medicine cats and Goosefeather. “Why is Goosefeather so adamantly against Hollyleaf?” She asked earnestly, eyeing Featherwhisker.

The silver-grey spirit let out a long sigh. “To be quite frank with you, I don’t know.”

“There must be some reason why.”

“Well,” Featherwhisker looked off into the distance, “I can only guess, but he might be projecting.”

“What do you mean?”

“Goosefeather didn’t live a happy life. I was his apprentice, so I saw first-hand how miserable he was. Towards the end of his life, he didn’t have a friend left, aside from me. The whole clan turned against him.”

Sorreltail listened in rapt attention.

“He’s one of the Changed, but for him it was more of a curse. He had The Sight, like Jayfeather- just in a different form. He saw future outcomes, but he was never able to stop them from happening. If anything, his attempts to stop the problems just caused them to happen in the first place.” Featherwhisker shook his head sadly, “I know we’re dead and supposedly at peace, but Goosefeather isn’t. He’s still got a lot of self-loathing leftover from his failure to help Thunderclan.”

“So, he’s projecting how he feels about himself onto Hollyleaf?”

“That’s the only explanation I can come up with,” The silver-grey tom replied, “Even when he talked about Mapleshade- did you know that Goosefeather trained with her back when he was alive? When he made that comment about how only someone foul would associate with Mapleshade, he was probably subconsciously expressing how he feels about himself.”

Sorreltail was surprised to hear about Goosefeather’s involvement with Mapleshade. He must also harbor some shame for having trained with a dark spirit.

“Do you think there’s a traitor in Starclan?**” Featherwhisker asked, changing subject. His amber eyes curiously bore into her own. “You’ve been investigating this whole nonsense, haven’t you?”

Sorreltail quietly contemplated his question. It seemed as if foul-play was at hand, but she dreaded to think about it. Adding validity to that line of thought brought up the matter of Honeyfern. What happened to her daughter? Was she caught up in some sort of sick game to paint Hollyleaf as guilty? If that was the case, what did Tallstar have to do with it?

“I don’t know.” She responded, not elaborating any more. She had a lot to think about. It seemed that she had more questions than answers, which frustrated her.

Time went by and the two of them sat in relative silence. Jayfeather didn’t come back, but Sorreltail had a feeling that he would find his way into Starclan again sooner rather than later. Leafpool’s son was persistent and he certainly wouldn’t give up on this.

Right when Sorreltail considered once more engaging in idle conversation, some bushes ahead of them rustled, and out popped her brothers, accompanied by two grey spirits. One of them was shaggy-looking with a flat face, while the other one was lean with kind eyes.

Sorreltail let out a pleased noise and ran forward to rub heads with Sootfur. “That didn’t take you long!”

“Yellowfang was still by the Great Oak. She helped us find Cinderpelt.” Rainwhisker answered pleasantly, coming over to join the two of them.

“Did you explain to them what’s happening?” She implored, glancing at the two spirits.

The shaggy, long-furred cat known as Yellowfang spoke up, “I’ve got the gist of it. The current Thunderclan Medicine cats know about the situation with Hollyleaf and they’re pitching a fit over it.”

Featherwhisker nodded in affirmation. “Come join me over here. We can start discussing this while we wait for Cloudberry.”

As the group of cats clustered together, Sorreltail couldn't help her amusement over being the only non-gray cat in attendance. Even Goosefeather was grey, and he wasn’t even here yet. Hopefully Cloudberry would help to break up the monochrome pelts.

Featherwhisker began recounting what happened, with Sorreltail or Rainwhisker filling in bits and pieces from what they witnessed. All the while, Yellowfang and Cinderpelt listened grimly, concern alight in their eyes.

“What a disaster.” Cinderpelt said, shooting Yellowfang a look. “The Thunderclan sector should have sent a patrol in after Hollyleaf. Who can blame her for trying to get help in any way she knows how?”

Yellowfang let out an aggravated sigh of her own. “Thunderclan has been too preoccupied with this ridiculous dispute with Windclan. You would think that rescuing a clanmate would be at the forefront of their minds, but no! Mousebrains!”

“What do you suppose we do about it?” Featherwhisker asked, eyeing the two of them with barely concealed worry. “How can we make things right again? How do we repair the broken trust with our living emissaries?” 

“I have a suggestion.” Rainwhisker interjected, even though he wasn’t a Medicine cat. The other cats didn’t seem to mind, though. “We have to figure out what’s going on. Either we discover Hollyleaf’s innocence or her guilt, then share that with the Medicine cats. Otherwise, they won’t leave this matter alone.”

Sorreltail recognized the logic behind her brother’s words. Both Leafpool and Jayfeather were as stubborn as crows, pecking at this issue incessantly. Even though there were some already-crossed lines in terms of boundaries with the living, Starclan would just need to figure it out the best that they could without making it any worse than it already was.

Some shuffling sounded from a little ways off and Sorreltail turned to hopefully greet the forms of Goosefeather and Cloudberry.

The scent of Windclan caught her off guard.

From the undergrowth emerged a large patrol of cats, their thick, musky scent undeniably belonging to The Moor. She froze in shock as they emerged, mentally trying to count them all as they slithered in as a collective group. It was at least twice as many as a patrol- closer to clan sized than anything. The sight was so shocking that she was left flummoxed, without words. The Windclanners all wore various looks of rage as they stared ahead at the group of Medicine cats.

“Great Starclan!” Rainwhisker murmured under his breath, leaping to his feet in alarm. The other Medicine cats followed suit, bristling as they faced the mob of Windclan cats.

For a long moment, no one said anything at all, and a tense stare down ensued. The air seemed to crackle with energy, like the tense moment before a thunderstorm. Both sides sized each other up, like carrion birds eyeing a fresh carcass.

This encounter was quite honestly the last thing Sorreltail had expected to experience during the already chaotic mess of solving the Medicine cat problem with Jayfeather and Leafpool. Why was Windclan here? What did they want?

“Explain the meaning of this.” Yellowfang deadpanned, eyeing the swarm of buzzing Windclan warriors. 

A loud laugh sounded off, caustic and bitter, “I think we’re the ones owed an explanation, don’t you think, Yellowfang?”

Sorreltail froze in recognition at the sound of that voice. Beside her, Rainwhisker scowled and Sootfur unsheathed his claws.

The group of Windclanners parted ways through the center, moving like a wave to accomodate a figure who padded through to face the Thunderclan cats.

It was Mudclaw.

The brown tabby held an angry glint in his eyes, mirrored by so many of the other Windclan spirits. “If you will, imagine our utmost horror to hear that Thunderclan would dare to disbar Windclan from accessing the Dreampool.”

Angry murmurs erupted at that, the mob shifting with collective disdain.

“After Ashfoot informed us of Thunderclan’s foolish choice, I gathered together the most pious of Windclan’s ranks to come and see what was happening for ourselves.” His eyes narrowed, “Imagine our shock to find a group of cats already guarding the Dreampool. And amongst them, Thunderclan Medicine cats,” He spat the last part out like it was rotten prey, then turned to Yellowfang, “- and you, a Shadowclanner.”

Yellowfang’s hackles rose. “I’m not a Shadowclan cat, you daft fool!”

Sorreltail felt bad for Yellowfang. She had been hassled about her previous affiliation with Shadowclan at the Thunderclan meeting as well. It must be tiring to have so many cats doubt her allegiance.

The shaggy Medicine cat went on, “- and we’re not guarding the Dreampool! We only came to discuss a privileged matter.”

“You take us for imbeciles, don’t you? Expecting us to believe that weak excuse?”

Yellowfang curled her lip like she wanted to say something mean, but held her tongue. Beside her, Cinderpelt rose forward to stare down the group of Windclan cats. “So you rabble just moseyed on over here to do what, exactly?”

Sorreltail marveled at Cinderpelt’s confidence. She didn’t look the least bit scared of the Windclan mob, even though a few were shooting her nasty looks.

“We’ve come to occupy the Dreampool.” Mudclaw said decidedly, “Whether you squirrel chasers want us to or not, we're staying here.”

“You rabbit-brains don’t belong here!” Sootfur hissed, weaving his way out from the Medicine cats with a hiss. “Go back to The Moorland.”
 
Mudclaw unsheathed his claws, shooting a dangerous glare at Sorreltail’s brother. “Make us!”

Sorreltail glanced wildly between the Windclan mob and the Thunderclan cats, panic bubbling up in her chest. How in the stars had the Windclan mob gotten over here? Wasn’t Thunderclan supposed to be mobilizing the borders? Had they not been fast enough?

A nagging thought prodded at the back of her head, reminding her that the only reason Windclan knew about Thunderclan’s choice so quickly was because Ashfoot had told them, and Sorreltail had been the one to tell the regal Windclan deputy. She resisted the urge to groan- why did every good choice come with it’s own set of consequences?

The crunching of leaves sounded off from somewhere behind her small group, and Sorreltail whipped around, fearful that it was yet more Windclan cats - 

- only to freeze in both shock and relief at the sight of familiar faces: Larksong, Stagleap, and Longtail, amongst other Thunderclan cats that Sorreltail didn’t recognize or barely knew.

“Reinforcements,” Mudclaw hissed, many of the Windclan mob echoing his displeasure. “What did I expect?”

Sorreltail recognized Larksong as the first cat to testify against Windclan. The tortoiseshell had been a part of a group that was chased off of The Moor sometime before Sorreltail and her family had been accosted. The molly had been righteously angry before, but looked absolutely ferocious now, leading the group of Thunderclan cats over to the Dreampool.

“Mother!” Featherwhisker cried out in shock as Larksong weaved her way over to them. The tortoiseshell stepped in front of him protectively as she eyed the Windclan mob.

“You’re on Thunderclan land now!” Larksong boomed out, facing the agitated Windclan cats. “Go back to where you came from.”

“You can’t make us leave!” A nameless Windclan cat said, flexing it’s needle claws.

Stagleap snorted, “Oh, we can’t?” The tabby approached slowly, a gaggle of Thunderclan cats following after him.

Sorreltail dug her claws into the ground, nervous about the direction of this interaction. This wasn’t going to turn into a fight, was it? She turned to look over at Rainwhisker, who was eyeing Sootfur’s back with concern in his eyes. Sorreltail had never heard of a fight happening in Starclan before, but her last encounter with the Windclan leadership made her feel as though it could have happened.

A tan-ish tabby shape slipped by and huddled next to her. It was Longtail, his scarred eyes boring into her own. “You need to get out of here!” He whispered into her ear. “I don’t have a good feeling about this. Take the Medicine cats and go.”

Sorreltail hesitated, glancing between Longtail and the Windclan mob. Surely he didn’t mean that he also anticipated a fight?

Sudden hissing rang out from a Thunderclanner and a Windclanner who had gotten a little too close to one another. They sized each other up with bared teeth. Sorreltail felt herself bristle as both fear-scent and anger permeated through the air, unwilling to believe that spirits would actually attack one another in Starclan.

What happened next was too sudden for Sorreltail to catch, but one of the hissing cats must have struck out at the other one, and suddenly both of them were tussling- a shock of limbs and stars flying through the air. It was at that moment that heated yowls rang out, and both sides charged forward in a blind, disorganized rage.

“Protect the Medicine cats!” Sorreltail shouted, before backing herself closer to Featherwhisker as Larksong vacated her spot at his side to make a leap at the Windclan mob.

Everything was moving too fast. 

In the blinding chaos, it was easy to lose sight of what was happening. Out of the corner of her eye, Sorreltail saw Rainwhisker pulling at Cinderpelt’s scruff, as if to pry the molly away from the scrabbling claws and snapping maws. 

From behind her, she felt Featherwhisker tremble, so she made tiny steps backward, pushing him with her body away from the epicenter of the fighting. 

As Sorreltail’s eyes wildly flashed through the mayhem, she realized that she couldn’t see Yellowfang anymore. Where was the shaggy grey molly?

She was interrupted from her thoughts as two cats tumbled together, nearly slamming into her. In their tumultuous haste, the two cats rolled straight into the Dreampool, crashing through the peaceful waters and dousing their surroundings with a splash of water droplets.

Distracted, Sorreltail didn’t notice as a lean tabby shape came barreling towards her. It knocked her aside with the force of it’s propulsion and then glared down at her with cold, familiar eyes. Sorreltail scrambled to her feet, facing the spiteful form of Mudclaw. He leered at her for a moment, as if unsure what to do next.

Finding her courage, she growled out, “You’ve lost your mind!”

“An eye for an eye, Sorreltail.” Mudclaw answered with a scoff.

What was that supposed to mean? Windclan had struck first, as far as she was concerned! First, they drove Hollyleaf away, then threatened Sorreltail and her family on The Moor! Thunderclan hadn’t been right to bar Windclan from the Dreampool, but they had certainly been justified.

She bared her teeth at him, and without thinking better of it, replied, “I know that you were the one who found Hollyleaf’s scent!” She couldn’t explain why she said it, but the thought of Ashfoot’s confession still lingered in the depths of her mind.

The unspoken accusation hung silently in the air between them.

Mudclaw narrowed his eyes at her, and for a moment she saw something indiscernible flicker through them. A moment later he flashed his fangs in a snarl and swiped at her, hissing, “You know nothing!”

She ducked from his swipe, but after lifting her head found that the brown tabby had since melted back into the crowd, out of sight.

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf stared absently at the spot where her brother vanished. She could see exactly where he stood before he disappeared. His paw prints were the only thing left embedded in the thick, soggy mud. 

Interacting post-mortem with Jayfeather hadn’t gone how she originally pictured it would. Prior to her expulsion from Starclan, she had always imagined that she would quietly visit him in his dreams, or emerge during the ethereal light of the half-moon. Instead, she had summoned him with her maybe-powers into the murky, rotten forest of the Place of No Stars. 

In a way, Hollyleaf felt colder and lonelier than she felt before Jayfeather arrived. To finally see him after so long, only to watch him fade away from her grasp, left a raw, dull feeling in her heart.

Her brother’s vow to demand that Starclan come and rescue her was a small comfort. Jayfeather was exceedingly stubborn, and she knew that he would live up to his promise even if it meant harassing Starclan until they yielded. At her request, he was also planning on revealing details about the situation with Thistleclaw. Starclan wouldn’t dare to stand by idly if they knew that she was being hunted by an egomaniacal tyrant, right?

The voice in the back of her mind did not reply, and instead remained uncomfortably silent.

Hollyleaf turned her attention back to her tortie allies, Sparrowfeather and Mapleshade. She had been so focused on her brother that she had totally tuned them out. What had they thought about her impromptu meeting with Jayfeather? Sparrowfeather had a pensive, amicable look on his face- something that both surprised and pleasantly relieved her. When had the torbie tom’s feelings begin to matter so much to her?

The aforementioned tom had since jumped down from the boulder he had been sitting on and was now making his way over to her. “I see that short-temperedness runs in your family.” He joked, the corner of his mouth rising in a playful smirk.

Hollyleaf couldn’t help but mirror the smile that was tugging its way onto Sparrowfeather’s face. Jayfeather was certainly irritable at the best of times, but she hadn’t at all thought about her own crotchy-ness, which was surely higher than normal, considering the circumstances.

“I’m definitely the most level-headed of my siblings.” She shot him a lop-sided smile.

Sparrowfeather squinted at her in an exaggerated fashion. “Are you sure about that, Hollyleaf?”

She opened her mouth to make a smart retort, but promptly snapped it shut when she noticed Mapleshade leap over onto the smaller rock Hollyleaf had been sitting on earlier. The great, haggard molly was still favoring her back leg, and her hollow, sunken eyes seemed duller than usual. 

“We ought to figure out our next move.” The faded spirit rumbled, her voice devoid of the wicked amusement that it normally carried. 

Hollyleaf and Sparrowfeather shared a brief, meaningful look before turning to address Mapleshade. The roguish molly seemed off, but Hollyleaf couldn’t figure out why. At some point after crossing the river and journeying North, Mapleshade had grown uncharacteristically quiet, only pausing occasionally to interject in the scant conversation going on. It seemed a bit out of character for her, but then again, Hollyleaf didn’t know the tortoiseshell very well.

“Hollyleaf said that she wanted to find the other Starclan cat.” Sparrowfeather cleared his throat and began to guide the conversation. “Where do you suppose we start?”

Hollyleaf furrowed her brow in thought. “I don’t know. How large is the Place of No Stars?” 

If this forest was small enough, then it would be reasonable to deduce that there were only a limited amount of hiding places for the other Starclan cat. Perhaps it was hiding up a tree, like she had done with Sparrowfeather and Redwillow. Alternatively, maybe it had found help in the form of allies, just as she had.

Mapleshade pressed her lips together in a firm line. “I don’t know how large this place is. That would be a better question for Maggottail.”

Hollyleaf’s thoughts turned to the cryptic spirit. Had he survived the scuffle with Thistleclaw’s cronies? The tom was exponentially faded, nearly dust in the wind. Would he really stand a chance in battle? A sick, cynical feeling enveloped her suddenly and left her shaking her head. Maggottail couldn’t have perished, could he? Along that same vein, what had happened to Redwillow, Sparrowfeather’s former clanmate?

“Well surely you must have some idea,” Sparrowfeather frowned with knitted brows. “Unless you spent your entire time here sitting in one spot.”

Mapleshade’s jaw twitched and she glanced askance. “I spent most of my time here making others suffer. I have no wanderlust in my heart.”

Hollyleaf grimaced and turned to eye Sparrowfeather. The torbie tom stared back at her with his brows pulled together in apparent confusion. Had he noticed how uncharacteristic Mapleshade was? Where was the sarcastic, dramatic egotist that liked to spook everyone with scary tales and booming cackles? 

Neither one seemed to know what to say. Mapleshade spoke again before Hollyleaf could come up with something. “Nonetheless, I’ve had some suspicions about this forest for a long time.”

“What do you mean?” Sparrowfeather implored.

“You’ve noticed how strange this place is.” The roguish molly shifted her leaffall eyes, “The trees stretch endlessly- no sky to be seen, even when you climb high as high as you can. I used to enjoy scaring you brats with tales of sentient darkness or endless forests, but to be honest…” Mapleshade forced out a laugh, “No one has any idea what this place is. The only thing that is certain is that it is cursed.”

“Cursed?” Hollyleaf echoed, eyeing the roguish molly warily.

“Yes, Sparkles,” Mapleshade bared her teeth half-heartedly, “There’s no prey, and all of us are hungry. No stars shine to light your path- but that matters not, because you’d get lost even if you could see clearly. The land is strange here. Sometimes right is left, and left is right. Sometimes you’ll be walking for an eternity, only to realize you’ve been traveling in circles.”

Chills shot along Hollyleaf’s spine, but she urged them away and forced her fur to lie flat. Sparrowfeather had mentioned something similar before, hadn’t he? That the Place of No Stars was purposely made to be as confusing and perplexing as possible.

“You want to find the other Starclan cat, but do you have any idea how hard that might be? You could attempt to travel this entire place twofold and still end up lost in the mud.” The tortoiseshell molly spat onto the mucky ground. The saliva had a dark, suspicious tint to it.

Hollyleaf’s eyes flickered from the disgusting spit, back up the Mapleshade’s impassive face. The roguish molly’s eyes were hard and imposing, reinforced by a wall of stone. Her mouth was a thin line angled downward, as if weighed down by an eternity of weariness.

She couldn’t help but feel a small measure of pity for Mapleshade, even though the molly likely deserved this fate. Gritting her teeth, she managed out, “I don’t know who the other Starclan cat is, but I need to find them. If Starclan won’t help us, then we’ll just have to help ourselves.”

In the back of her mind Hollyleaf knew that she was projecting a little. She couldn’t help but feel hurt that no one had cared enough to come and rescue her. It would be nice if someone could show some faith in her.

Mapleshade stared at Hollyleaf for longer than was comfortable, then let out a wheezing hack that seemed to steal the breath right out of her. After a moment of gasping for air, the roguish molly took in some controlled inhales and then let out a snort.

“We better get moving before I cough my innards out.”

The rogue’s comical brusqueness seemed to diffuse the tension a little, and Sparrowfeather let out a quiet snicker. 

Mapleshade turned deathly still and shot him a nasty glare. “Something funny, runt?”

Sparrowfeather lifted his chin up and peered at her with narrowed hazel eyes. “What, I can’t laugh at you? We’re all friends now, aren’t we? That’s what you’ve been calling us.”

For a long, tense moment, the haggard molly scarcely moved a muscle. Her wide, cruel eyes were zeroed in on Sparrowfeather, looking as if she wanted him to burst to flame on the spot. Though his ears were folded back, Sparrowfeather held her stoney gaze with as much confidence as he could muster. Then, without warning, Mapleshade let out a genuine, raucous cackle. Although disturbing and strange, Hollyleaf paradoxically felt more at ease now that Mapleshade seemed to be acting more like herself.

“You brats are getting too comfortable with me!” Mapleshade stretched from her rigid position and then shook out her matted, tricolor fur. “How am I supposed to get you to fall in line when you’re not scared silly?” She joked with a yellow, toothy grimace.

“Is that how it’s worked so far?” Hollyleaf asked boldly, eyeing the rogue with her head held high, “Act all mean and scary so others will do what you say?”

“Of course, Sparkles!” The faded rogue’s grimace shifted into a wicked smile, which grew larger by the minute, “Can you blame me? That’s what everybody does. Or did, rather, seeing as most of them are double-dead now. Tigerstar and Brokenstar- do you think they were nice, friendly fellows?”

Hollyleaf briefly pondered the complicated and nuanced relationship that must have existed between Mapleshade and the other Dark Forest leadership. Apparently, the leadership functioned like a counsel, though Mapleshade held an immense amount of power and influence. From the little that Hollyleaf knew, Mapleshade was Tigerstar’s mentor. He must have either favored or feared her. Maybe both.

Sparrowfeather interjected, “Everyone in Shadowclan grew up learning the tale of Brokenstar the kit killer, who almost destroyed his own clan with his selfish ambition. We also learned of bloodthirsty Tigerstar, a disgraced Thunderclan exile who saved Shadowclan, only to lead it to near-ruin again.” The torbie shook his head in disdain, but then shot Mapleshade a calculative look. “Is that why you had to act so mean and scary? Trying to compete with those two?”

Hollyleaf turned to shoot a sharp look at Sparrowfeather, all the while surprised by his sudden bravado. What had gotten into him? It was true that they were all aligned with one another, but Hollyleaf would hardly call them friends. Would the roguish molly take offense to the taunt?

Mapleshade straightened up, then leapt off of her rock and into the mud, sending droplets of sludgey brown muck everywhere. “Don’t think you can goad me, child,” She drawled, her corpse-like eyes bulging with ire, “The reason that there are no tales surrounding my name is because Thunderclan carries shame over what they did to me.”

Hollyleaf stiffened as her secret suspicion was confirmed: Mapleshade had been a Thunderclan cat. It made sense, due to her regal size and the unfamiliar forest scent she gave off. But how could Thunderclan yield such a vile cat?

It yielded Tigerstar. The voice in the back of her mind reminded her.

Hollyleaf shook her head, not altogether disagreeing. Hadn’t Mapleshade been Tigerstar’s mentor at some point? She must have helped sow the seeds of monstrosity in him. Hadn't Tigerstar also been mentored by Thistleclaw, who in turn was also mentored by Mapleshade? Hollyleaf swallowed thickly, as if a stone was stuck in her throat. Did all of these terrible paths originate from Mapleshade?

“What did Thunderclan do to you?” Hollyleaf asked, her voice coming out smaller and softer than she meant it to.

The roguish molly’s molten gaze shifted away from Sparrowfeather, oozing onto Hollyleaf’s stiff form. She said nothing at first, the smile wiped clean from her now impassive face. “That’s a story for another time.” She said after a moment, then began slithering off, deeper into the expansive forest of mist and mud. “Come on, you two! Don’t you want to find your Starclan cat?”

Hollyleaf shot Sparrowfeather a hesitant look and then began following after. The torbie tom was quick to move, and they both trailed after Mapleshade, keeping a healthy distance between them and the mysterious spirit.

“Seeing as you two brats want to go on a wild goose hunt, we might as well continue on our path.” Mapleshade said after several heartbeats, not bothering to look back at them. “This so-called Starclan cat must feel like prey right now, being hunted by Thistleclaw and his brainless followers. If I was prey, I would want to get away from where all the predators are.”

“And the predators are all clustered by the exit point,” Sparrowfeather responded, “- so you think that the Starclan cat must have retreated as far away as possible?”

“That’s my first guess.” The great tortoiseshell responded. “As I’m sure you’ve been able to tell, there hasn’t been much in the way of cat scents on this side of the river.”

“Why is that?” Hollyleaf asked, her eyes darting around to survey their surroundings.

Mapleshade snorted, “The same reason why nobody likes going into The Marsh. It’s soggier and more disgusting than other parts. Not to mention, this awful fog makes visibility worse than it already is. I’m sure a lot of lost creatures have wandered this way,” Her voice took on a shrewder edge, “- especially the ones that want to stay lost.”

The more Hollyleaf thought about it, the more sense Mapleshade seemed to make. Theoretically speaking, this awful fog could even help to conceal the starlight of any wayward spirit that decided to tread this way. But how would they find the Starclan cat in this foggy, muddy swampland? 

“You make a good point, Mapleshade,” Sparrowfeather responded, “But don’t you think that Thistleclaw might’ve thought of that already? He’s been searching for the Starclan cat longer than we have.”

The great rogue made a contemplative hrrmph noise. “Maybe he intends to wait for the Starclan cat to come out. I don’t know.”

The group fell quiet, and they all continued on in silence. Every so often, they would stop to smell the air or survey their surroundings, looking for some sort of clue as to the location of the Starclan cat. Mapleshade was right about one thing: it was a wild goose chase. It was like searching for the last mouse in the entire forest- their quarry could be anywhere.

Who was the other Starclan cat? What were they doing in the Place of No Stars? And most importantly, why was Thistleclaw searching for it?

Assuming that Thistleclaw was pulling some strings in Starclan, maybe the other starry spirit was another victim of his sick game. Honeyfern and Tallstar were also missing- could it be possible that either one of them were lurking somewhere in the Place of No Stars?

Honeyfern had allegedly gone missing at Warm Rocks, which was nowhere near the border to the Place of No Stars. The idea that Hollyleaf’s friend had somehow ended up in this dreadful place seemed unlikely.

Tallstar, on the other hand…

Where had his last known whereabouts been? She furrowed her brow in thought, but couldn’t recall if anyone had mentioned it. Maybe he was the Starclan cat lost in the Place of No Stars, but if so, why and how? What reason would Tallstar have to willingly enter this awful forest?

Maybe he wasn’t so willing.

The suggestion was so jarring that she had to shake her head to dispel the tiny chills that threatened to make her fur rise.

“Say, Mapleshade.” Sparrowfeather began, breaking the silence of their search. “What did Thistleclaw do to seal his fate in the Place of No Stars? When we still spoke, he mentioned that he had always been a loyal warrior- but there’s got to be more to it than that.”

Disturbed from her thoughts, Hollyleaf’s ears pricked and she turned to eye Mapleshade, who was still leading the way. 

The faded tortoiseshell sped up and began hopping over some small stones, “Oh, so you don’t know?” Her voice sounded smug, as if she was hoarding some sort of juicy secret.

“Don’t know what?” Sparrowfeather demanded as he increased his pace to keep up with the roguish molly.

Mapleshade turned her head back to smirk at the torbie tom. The yellowed tips of her fangs poked out comically. “It’s not exactly public knowledge. I suppose I just thought that he might have told you. After all, you were his special little friend, weren’t you?”

“Mapleshade,” Hollyleaf warned, narrowing her eyes and curling her lip. The last thing they needed was to get into some sort of fight.

“I meant no offense! We’re friends, after all.” The faded molly taunted, blinking in faux-innocence at Sparrowfeather, who looked less than amused. “Anyway, I figured that he would’ve told you about his past. He used to be a Starclan cat, after all.”

Hollyleaf halted in her tracks, dumbfounded. “What?”

Sparrowfeather too looked aghast. “That can’t be possible.”

“Oh, but it is.” Mapleshade tilted her head and nodded in the direction they had been walking, bidding them to continue forward. “He died and spent some time in Starclan before they cast him out.”

“Did he do something unforgivable?” Hollyleaf wondered aloud, her mind swimming with the revelation of Thistleclaw’s past as she began walking once more.

“I haven’t a clue. He never liked to talk about it- another old wound, I suppose.” 

“I didn’t know that Starclan cats could be kicked out…” Sparrowfeather trailed off.

Hollyleaf raised a brow and shot him a look.

“Aside from you! But you still have your stars, so doesn’t that mean you’re still a Starclan cat?” 

Both of them eyed each other for a moment before turning to look at Mapleshade. She had seen Thistleclaw right after he was expelled from Starclan, right?

The tortoiseshell molly shook her head, guessing at what they meant to ask. “When I saw him, he didn’t have any stars.”

“Then how do you know that he was a Starclan cat to begin with?” Hollyleaf questioned, her natural skepticism rising up. 

“Other cats saw his stars. Maggottail was one of them. Maybe if we ever see him again, he’ll tell us all about it.” The end of her sentence was wrought with sarcasm, as if she scarcely believed in the possibility that Maggottail survived.

Hollyleaf fell silent, guilt bubbling up somewhere in her gut. Why did she feel guilty about the fate of some strange old spirit? He wanted to die anyway, right? She shook her head to dispel the conflicting feelings, hoping that they would stay away.

The quiet didn’t last long, because suddenly Sparrowfeather piped up. “Look at this!”

He was bent over, his head low to the ground as he inspected something. Hollyleaf moved to his side, peering over his shoulder to see what he found. 

Indented ever so slightly in the mud was a paw print.

“It’s a clue!” He mumbled under his breath, his tail beginning to swish back and forth. 

Hollyleaf squinted as she scrutinized the print. It was solitary, first of all- she couldn’t see any other prints. It was also adjacent to an average sized stone, splattered with mud. Perhaps whoever left the print had meant to step on the rock, but missed. 

“Are you sure it’s not one of ours?” Mapleshade asked, towering over the two as she eyed the paw print.

“It can’t be mine.” Sparrowfeather answered, “I haven’t gone past this rock yet. It can’t be Hollyleaf’s either, since she’s behind me. Put your paw next to it so we can make sure it isn’t yours.”

The roguish molly lifted her large paw, then pressed it down in the mud, less than half a foxlength away from the print. It was clear that her paws were much larger than whoever left the print behind.

“What if we’ve been going in circles?” Hollyleaf interjected, their earlier conversation fluttering in the back of her mind. “Let’s all leave our own prints to compare it with.”

Both Sparrowfeather and Hollyleaf pressed their paws into the dirt. Her own print was just a smidgen larger than the found print, and Sparrowfeather’s paw print was smaller.

“Wow!” She breathed, a budding seed of excitement sprouting in her chest. “Nice catch, Sparrowfeather!”

He ducked his head at her praise, smiling just a bit.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Mapleshade added, still eyeing the print. “We don’t know who this print belongs to. It might not even be from the Starclan cat.”

“Then who could it be, I wonder?” Sparrowfeather asked, his hazel eyes narrowed speculatively.

“Who indeed?”

Chapter Text

Mudclaw narrowed his eyes at her, and for a moment she saw something indiscernible flash through them. He bared his teeth and swiped at her, then hissed, “You know nothing!”

And with that, the brown tabby melted back into the crowd, out of sight.

Mudclaw’s escape was the last thing Sorreltail saw before a wiry, dark gray tabby made a leap for her, it’s white teeth gleaming brightly in starlight, cast from the mass amount of starry bodies. She bared her fangs and veered left, narrowly avoiding his speedy pathway, only to regret it immediately- Featherwhisker was still behind her!

The Windclan brute and the Thunderclan Medicine cat collided and tumbled along the grassy ground. Sorreltail veered around, adrenaline pumping through her paws. She couldn’t let Featherwhisker get hurt!

As the two struggled to their feet, Sorreltail let out a scathing snarl and inserted herself between them. She didn’t want to have to fight the Windclanner, but wouldn’t hesitate to defend her clanmate. The dark gray tabby’s pale yellow eyes flashed with rage, and she was close enough to see the whites of its eyes. 

Then, the Windclanner sprung at her.

Sorreltail met his attack and grappled with him, tussling against the hard ground. The cat wasn’t as built as she was, but made up for it with quick, darting movements. For a moment, the Windclanner got the upper hand, forcing her into a corner- until she used her powerful neck to slam her head forward, knocking it into his with a sickening crack.

The Windclanner let out a pained howl, stumbling backwards and shaking its head. Sorreltail hissed under her breath and shook her head as well, hoping to dispel some of the pain from the impact. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, she peered around through the pounding in her head and noticed what seemed to be the retreating form of Featherwhisker. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to face her enemy once more.

The dark tabby was sizing her up again, seemingly warier than before. He probably didn’t want to get his furry head knocked around again.

“Get away from me!” She hissed, taking advantage of his hesitation. “I don’t want to fight you.”

The wiry tabby curled his lip at her, but didn’t retort, and surprisingly backed up and turned around, going back into the fray.

Pleased with her luck, Sorreltail took a moment to observe the chaotic, frenzied mess. It was almost too hard to discern which cat was which, because the bright sparkling of their stars made everything seem blurrier. She narrowed her eyes and tried to look for familiar faces- namely, her brothers, or any of the Medicine cats. To her dismay, she couldn’t spot any of them. Did they make their retreat already?

Making up her mind, Sorreltail turned around and made a swift dash towards where she saw Featherwhisker make his escape. Luckily, no one else intercepted her as she snuck through some bushes and emerged onto the other side. Some distance ahead, she could make out Featherwhisker’s familiar form, along with one other shape.

Sorreltail ran forward to join them. As she approached, they both froze, but relaxed as soon as they saw it was her.

“Sorreltail!” Someone shouted, slipping past Featherwhisker’s hulking form. It was Rainwhisker, his eyes alight with concern. He bounded towards her, pausing as they met to survey her for injuries. 

“I’m okay,” She assured him, “What about you?”

“I’m alright,” He answered, his wide eyes darting around with caution. “I grabbed Cinderpelt and brought her out here. We met up with Sootfur and Yellowfang.”

Sorreltail let out a sigh of relief, thankful that Sootfur, her more impulsive brother hadn’t attempted to try and fight the Windclanners. “Where are they now?”

“Sootfur escorted them back to the Great Oak. I assured him that I would wait here for you and Featherwhisker.” He paused for a moment, his eyes glittering with concern. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was just about to come in after you, but Featherwhisker told me you were beating up on some poor skinny fellow.”

In spite of her frayed nerves, Sorreltail let out an amused snort. “The match wasn’t so uneven. He backed me into a corner, so I bludgeoned him with my head.”

“Ah yes,” Rainwhisker smirked and twitched his whiskers. “Your big, bony head.”

Sorreltail shot him a playful look before turning to eye Featherwhisker. The longhaired silver spirit was hunched up and looking a little worse for wear, with his fur all disheveled and dirtied with grass and debris. “Are you alright?” She prodded, hoping to break him out of his stupor. 

The silver Medicine cat jolted and looked over at her. His pupils were small and his brow was furrowed. “How could this happen?” He croaked out, “Never in my entire time here has Starclan fought like this!”

Sorreltail glanced at Rainwhisker, shooting him a worried look. “We need to take Featherwhisker back to the Great Oak.” In a quieter voice, she mumbled, “Do you think Goosefeather will be okay?”

Rainwhisker glanced quickly at Featherwhisker. “I’m sure Goosefeather will be fine. He’s probably still looking for Cloudberry. He should have enough sense not to go back to the Dreampool if he hears a fight is going on.”

Sorreltail nodded in assent, then turned to Featherwhisker and gave him a friendly nudge. The silver tom blinked at her blearily, then moved to follow after them toward the Great Oak. 

As they made their exit away from the Dreampool, a sudden thought struck Sorreltail. “Oh stars, what about Jayfeather? What if he materializes in the middle of that mess?”

“We can’t worry about that right now.” Rainwhisker answered firmly. “He’ll just have to figure it out himself. We need to regroup with everyone else.”

Begrudgingly, she acknowledged the sense behind his words. With both clans at odds with one another, it was probably safer to leave and find her family. As much as she wanted to stay and break up the fight, she didn’t want to risk getting hurt or hurting someone else. With a scowl, her thoughts circled back to the Thunderclan meeting earlier. If the masses hadn't chosen to form borders, none of this would have happened!

But I told Ashfoot about it. Sorreltail reminded herself, guilt bubbling up inside. She told Mudclaw, and all of this happened because of me.

No. She shook her head to dispel the thought. She wasn’t responsible for the tension between their clans. With the direction that all of this was going, a catastrophe would have happened sooner or later. Even in the mortal realm, Windclan and Thunderclan quarreled.

As they made their way closer and closer to the Great Oak, other spirits began noticing their approach. The Thunderclanners shot them concerned looks, and some of them were even heading in the direction of the Dreampool. Wordlessly, Sorreltail watched them pass, wondering if they were aware of the fight that had broken out.

Soon, the trio approached the bushes that surrounded the clearing where the Great Oak was. Sorreltail slipped underneath them, followed by Featherwhisker and Rainwhisker.

As they appeared on the other side, a myriad of calls rang out. Suddenly, Sorreltail felt herself surrounded by cats of many shapes and sizes. She stumbled back a bit, her nerves still on edge.

“Mommy!” A high-pitched voice rang out.

“Give her space, Seedpaw.” A familiar, comforting voice sounded off. “You too, Molepaw!”

Sorreltail took in a steady breath, collecting herself before facing the group. 

The sight that greeted her was of her son and daughter, their bodies poised as they leaned towards her with wide eyes. Molepaw was eyeing her up and down with worry, while Seedpaw looked more upset than anything, her bottom lip twitching.

“Oh, come here,” She forced out a half-hearted laugh, “I’m alright!”

Both apprentices sprang forward, rushing toward her. She let out a droning purr, licking each them atop their heads. Beyond them stood her mother Willowpelt, who was shooting her and Rainwhisker a sharp look of concern.

“Thank goodness you’re okay!” The pale queen breathed out, letting herself relax from the tense position she had been coiled in before. “I can’t believe Windclan! They’ve gone too far.”

Silently, Sorreltail agreed with her mother. Then again, the Thunderclan group seemed just as ready as Windclan was to engage in a fight. 

A lighter-grey shape caught her attention- Sootfur. Her brother rushed towards her and began looking her up and down with a speculative, searching gaze.

“I’m fine,” She assured, “You should really see the other guy.”

Seedpaw let out a squeal. “I bet you roughed him up bad!”

“Not too bad,” Sorreltail responded, “He’s a Starclan cat, so he’s still my clanmate.”

Sootfur noticeably rolled his yellow eyes, then took a step back, as if satisfied with the results of his search. “The next time I catch Mudclaw, he’s really going to get it. He’s got some nerve, launching an attack at the Dreampool.”

He was right. Wasn’t the Dreampool some sort of special, protected zone? That’s why it had Guardians, after all. The mortal equivalent, the Moonpool, was a sacred ground where fights were forbidden. The same thing likely applied here, not that spirits needed to be reminded not to start fights with one another. At that thought, Sorreltail let out a long sigh. What a mess this was.

As everyone began to settle, Sorreltail let herself space out for a moment, thoroughly stressed out by the terrible series of events. First, Thunderclan had chosen to set up borders. Then, at the Dreampool, Leafpool and Jayfeather arrived and gave Starclan a tongue lashing about how Hollyleaf was stuck in the Place of No Stars. Lastly, Windclan came with a huge posse to physically occupy the Dreampool, which didn’t come to fruition because a patrol of Thunderclan cats came at that moment- and a fight ensued.

And now they were back at the Great Oak. 

Sorreltail let out a groan, feeling as if her head was spinning. She was a pretty confident fighter, though she loathed to do it here. Something about tussling in Starclan left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her claws dug into the dirt, and her heart began to pound fiercely in her chest. She felt like she was going to dry-heave.

“Are you alright, dear?” Willowpelt’s concerned face appeared suddenly in her view.

Sorreltail opened her mouth, but felt as if a frog was stuck in her throat. “I need to -” She stumbled a bit over her words. “- I need some space.”

With that, she weaved through the crowd, mindlessly dashing off to a more secluded spot on the opposite side of the wide clearing. As her feet finally came to a stop, she froze and shrunk in on herself. Something didn’t feel right. It was as if her brain was beginning to panic, even though the danger was over. 

Intrusively, she thought back to the battle she had with Darkstripe before she died. The dark tabby had almost killed her when she was a kit. Though she felt vicious rage as she fought against him as an adult, there was also fear looming over her. 

“Sorreltail?”

Someone was trying to talk to her, though she was disassociating too much to tell who it was.

“Come now, lass. You’re alright- deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.”

Whoever it was kept speaking, and she must have been listening, because ever so slowly it became easier to breathe. With a start, Sorreltail blinked and came back to reality, gazing at a patterned tabby shape.

It was Windflight, her great-grandfather. He was sitting close to her, but not too close. It looked as if he meant to give her some appropriate distance. 

As clarity returned to her eyes, the grey tabby smiled at her warmly. “Hello there.”

“I’m sorry!” She blurted out, suddenly self-conscious and uncomfortable with what happened. She hadn’t meant to check out like that, especially not in front of him.

“Nothing to be sorry for,” He responded, “It happens to the best of us. We’re family, aren’t we?”

She cracked a smile at him, grateful for both his understanding of the situation and also the ease in which he blew past it, as if it wasn’t a big deal at all. She certainly didn’t need someone fretting over her.

The sound of pawsteps caught her attention. It was Rainwhisker and Sootfur, cautious padding forward. They gazed at her with apprehension in their eyes.

“I’m alright.” She sighed, “The fight just brought out a bad reaction in me, that’s all.”

“That happens sometimes,” Rainwhisker began, siddling next to her. “- new souls can get flashbacks to experiences they had while alive. It happened to me once. I saw a low-hanging tree branch and totally freaked out.”

Sorreltail frowned and didn’t allow herself to think about the fateful day when a falling branch killed Rainwhisker.

Windflight’s eyes swept over all of them. “So the rumor is that a fight broke out at the Dreampool. Care to tell me about it?”

Sorreltail’s eyes flickered around, only to notice clusters of spirits watching them from afar. Had they all seen her mini-panic attack? Self-conscious, she asked, “Do you mind if we talk about it privately?”

The old spirit seemed to understand. “Let’s take a stroll out of this clearing.”

The four of them slipped through the bottom of a hedge and emerged from the other side, trotting towards a quieter, more subdued area. Sorreltail let her brothers recount the fight, letting her mind wander in the meantime. All the while, Windflight listened in with wide eyes.

“Why were you three at the Dreampool, anyway?”

Her brothers fell silent. They both glanced at her, unsure of what to say. They must have meant for her to explain why they were at the Dreampool, seeing as it involved warning Ashfoot and then the subsequent trouble with the Thunderclan Medicine cats.

Sorreltail really didn’t feel like explaining, and quite frankly, what would she say? Oh yes, Windflight, I warned a Windclan deputy and caused the whole mess to begin with. Also, there's a malicious spirit holding Hollyleaf captive in the Place of No Stars. Her mother and brother just came and yelled at us about it.

Instead of answering his question, she opened her mouth and asked one of her own. 

“Who is Thistleclaw?” 

She had been curious about it ever since Jayfeather brought it up.

Windflight stopped in his tracks. Sorreltail halted as well, curious by his reaction. What did he know about the mysterious former Starclan cat? Patiently, she waited for the grey tabby to turn around, but it seemed as though he might be frozen. “Windflight?” She tried, tentatively.

With a shake of his head, the old soul seemed to come back to reality. He turned to face them, but his expression was carefully masked with stoicism. “I’m surprised you know that name.”

“Why?” Rainwhisker skittered to a stop, his brow furrowed.

“There are some souls that we don’t talk about anymore.”

There was a strained lilt to Windflight’s voice, as if he had to force the sentence out. Judging by the guarded look in his eyes, Sorreltail had a feeling that he knew quite a bit about this Thistleclaw fellow.

“What did Thistleclaw do?” Sootfur demanded, heeding no caution to Windflight’s withdrawn demeanor.

Windflight seemed to retract even further at Sootfur’s insistent request, a chilly look passing through his eyes. “Why do you want to know?” His tail began to lash to and fro, “And who mentioned that name to you?”

“Please, Windflight,” Sorreltail implored softly, hoping that a more subdued approach might soothe his ire, “We heard that Thistleclaw might be stirring up trouble inside of the Place of No Stars. Hollyleaf is still in there, so we need to know who we might be dealing with.”

Windflight’s careful mask slipped for a moment, revealing a fleeting flash of shock and dismay. Like a flickering light, it was there one moment and then gone the next, but Sorreltail managed to spot it. Had her great-grandfather known Thistleclaw personally?

“There’s a reason we don’t speak of that cat,” The grey tabby said after a moment, his voice level and quiet. “He used to belong to Starclan.”

Sorreltail felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. That was what Featherwhisker mentioned, before the battle with Windclan happened. “So he was banished? What did he do?”

In the back of her mind she recalled the conversation she had with Owlstar, the faded Endmost Forest spirit. After the Thunderclan meeting, he brought her aside and discussed the state of Starclan, before disappearing without a second glance back into the Endmost. One of the most disturbing details he revealed was that there were banished Starclan cats living in the Place of No Stars. Had Owlstar known about Thistleclaw?

Windflight opened his mouth and then shut it, apparently conflicted over what he wanted to say. His pale eyes darted back and forth between the three siblings, a contemplative look in those depths. 

After a long moment of quiet, he spoke. “This was a dark moment in Starclan’s history, and most have agreed never to speak of it.”

“Please tell us, Windflight,” Rainwhisker begged, his wide, cornflower blue eyes focused on the old gray spirit, “We won’t tell anyone if that is what you wish. We’re kin, remember?”

Their great-grandfather squeezed his eyes shut and let out an elongated sigh, as if releasing something terrible locked inside his lungs. For a heartbeat longer his eyes remained closed, with his brow furrowed as if pained. “Fine! On the stars above, if not me, you’ll pester someone else about it.”

Sorreltail jumped at the opportunity to listen to Windflight’s tale, and her brothers did the same, moving closer. It was as if they were apprentices again, ready to hear the entrancing stories of old, when giant cat-like beasts roamed the forest.

After everyone was seated and settled, Windflight began. “All of this occurred ages ago, before your father was slain. I’d wager it happened right before the threat of Bloodclan.” 

A shiver rolled down Sorreltail’s spine at the mention of the savage rogue clan who killed her father. She had been old enough to remember that fateful day when Whitestorm didn’t come home. Though they were young, it was a tangible loss, and Sorreltail still remembered the fitful noise of her mother’s cries at night.

Shaking herself out of her memories, Sorreltail focused on Windflight once more. His pale green eyes were shadowed over by the darkness of the night, but Sorreltail wondered if the talk of Thistleclaw brought out feelings that he’d rather have left buried.

“Thistleclaw had always been a contentious fellow- a little more prone to violent acts and ill-judgement than others. Upon death, his arrival in Starclan had settled the matter in our minds: he was meant to be amongst us...” The tabby trailed off, a far-away look in his eyes. “- or so we thought. Unbeknownst to all, there was one cat who adamantly believed that Thistleclaw did not belong here in Starclan.”

“What?” Sorreltail breathed out, “Who was it?”

“Your mother’s brother.”

Her pelt reflexively prickled, even though she didn’t know who Willowpelt’s brother was. The pale silver molly passed away when Sorreltail was only an apprentice, and hadn’t had any living siblings at the time. If Willowpelt had mentioned anything about having a brother, Sorreltail couldn’t remember it. Her eyes flickered to Rainwhisker, who had a very thoughtful look on his face. Did he know who their mother's sibling was?

Windflight must’ve read the confused look on her face. “It’s hard to keep track of family, isn’t it? Your mother’s brother is named Redtail.”

Sorreltail stiffened at the mention of the familiar name. Redtail was Tigerclaw’s first victim! The slim, bushy-tailed tortie had also approached her while she was talking to Moonflower. 

“Wait,” She interrupted, turning to look at Rainwhisker. “That was the cat who spoke to me earlier at the Great Oak, right?”

Her brother nodded wordlessly, thoughts swimming around like minnows behind his blue eyes. 

Sorreltail furrowed her brow as she tried to make sense of everything. Redtail was her uncle? It was true that she wasn’t completely familiar with her mother’s side of the family, but surely she would have heard something about that by now. Why hadn’t Willowpelt mentioned it before? On that same note, why didn’t Redtail bring it up in their earlier conversation?

Sorreltail’s mind circled back to the short interaction she had with Redtail. He had approached her with words of support, but also with the intention of sticking up for Hollyleaf. There was something strange that he had said- what was it again? Something about how terror was the price that needed to be paid for the greater good. Such a strong statement had taken her off guard, but she had brushed it off as verbalized, intrusive thoughts, caused by grief. Apparently, Redtail’s sister had just passed away...

“Wait a minute.” Sorreltail snapped out of her thoughts abruptly, “Did Willowpelt have a sister, too?”

Windflight dipped his head. “Yes, Willowpelt had two siblings: Redtail and Spottedleaf.” He turned his gaze away, peering off into the distance. “Those two had a very special bond. It made your mother feel left out at times.”

Sorreltail’s ears perked up at the familiar name. Spottedleaf was a deceased Thunderclan medicine cat, apprenticed under Featherwhisker. The Guardians had brought her up in conversation at the Dreampool, though Goosefeather didn’t have anything positive to say about her. Apparently, Spottedleaf had alarmingly radical ideas concerning the influence of Starclan. Due to her obsession with prophecy, Spottedleaf had committed a terrible act- she Changed Hollyleaf and her siblings when they were only kits. Miraculously, all three survived, and two of them gained powers as a result.

“Unfortunately, Spottedleaf’s spirit was destroyed during the Great Battle.” Windflight continued, “May she rest in peace, wherever she is now.” The grey tabby was quiet for a moment. His claws were out, digging small pin-pricks into the soft forest floor. With his eyes downcast, he seemed uncomfortable, though Sorreltail wasn’t sure why. 

“Anyway, as I was saying: when Redtail died and went to Starclan, he was horrified and angered to see Thistleclaw in Starclan.”

“Why?” Sorreltail asked, her tail twitching with curiosity. What did their uncle have against the ex-Starclan cat?

“It was clear that Redtail held a grudge against his former clanmate. I cannot be sure as to the truth of what happened, but apparently Thistleclaw had been harassing Spottedleaf.”

“Harassing,” Sootfur emphasized, his mahogany eyes narrowed in suspicion. “- in what way?” 

The uncomfortable look passed over Windflight’s face again. “Thistleclaw fancied Spottedleaf when they were both alive.”

“Oh, I see.” Sorreltail responded, “She was a Medicine cat, right? That type of stuff is forbidden under our code.”

Windflight shuffled his paws in a nervous fashion, glancing around and settling his gaze on some green saplings. “It wasn’t about her being a Medicine cat. She was very young when Thistleclaw set his sights on her, so Redtail claimed.”

“How young?”

“She had only just become an apprentice.”

Sorreltail felt herself physically recoil, a nauseating wave of disgust rolling in the pit of her stomach. That was much too young! She had barely been the size of a small bunny rabbit when she was apprenticed to Sandstorm. What kind of cat would look at something so small and young as a potential mate? The clans were supposed to be more civilized than that.

Next to her, Rainwhisker curled his lip, “That’s very sick behavior. What did Thunderclan say when Redtail revealed it?”

“Well, here’s the thing,” Windflight said, turning his sight back on them. “He never outright accused Thistleclaw of anything. We could tell he was angry with Thistleclaw, but he kept his mouth shut and head down until Bluestar died. I think he was biding his time.”

Bluestar was Whitestorm’s aunt. She had practically raised him, so Sorreltail had been told. Truthfully, she hadn’t had many interactions with the blue-grey molly. Bluestar had always seemed too regal and intimidating to approach on her own. There was something hard in the former leader’s cobalt eyes- jagged and cutting, like flint. 

“Bluestar hated Thistleclaw with a passion- just as much as Redtail did. Together they conspired to get him exiled.”

Sorreltail’s jaw dropped open in surprise. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that. 

“Great Starclan!” Rainwhisker exclaimed under his breath, his fur puffing out in shock, “No wonder no one wants to talk about it. I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

“So what happened next?” Sootfur drummed his paws against the ground, his wide eyes focused on Windflight, “What did they do?”

Windflight seemed to be in another world as he recounted what happened. His eyes were unfocused, as if witnessing the event all over again in his mind. “They collected evidence against Thistleclaw and then called together a Thunderclan meeting, where they presented it to everyone. An impromptu trial was held and Thistleclaw was deemed guilty for his crimes.”

“Crimes?” Sorreltail croaked out, still in a state of disbelief over Windflight’s tale. How could something like that have happened?

“They were able to find witnesses to testify that Thistleclaw had also trained in secret with dark spectres from the Place of No Stars.”

Sootfur let out a small gasp, the light grey fur on his neck bristling in alarm. He shot an incredulous look at Sorreltail and Rainwhisker, before settling it back on Windflight. “There’s something I’m missing here, Windflight.”

“What?”

“How could such a terrible cat come to Starclan in the first place?”

Windflight fell quiet. His face was drawn tight with brittle pensiveness, and his eyes seemed both dull and afraid. 

Without intending to, Sorreltail murmured quietly under her breath, “Starclan isn’t omniscient.”

Rainwhisker turned sharply to fix his inquisitive eyes on her, while Sootfur began to lash his tail back and forth as he observed the silent exchange. Even Windflight regarded her with something akin to muted surprise.

Starclan isn’t omniscient. That’s what that old spirit, Owlstar, told her. He stressed the notion that there wasn’t a Starclan cat watching the clans at every moment of every day, and that sometimes true darkness lay concealed without anyone truly noticing it. Sorreltail felt a chill creep along the edge of her spine at the idea, still unsure of whether to fully believe that or not. But hadn’t the story of Thistleclaw affirmed Owlstar’s claim? If such a terrible cat went to Starclan, then something must be awry.

“What Sorreltail said may be so.” Windflight said simply, allowing the silence to blanket over them like a cold, suffocating layer of snow.

After a moment, Rainwhisker piped up. “Could you describe the trial to us? Who were the witnesses? What happened afterwards?”

Windflight let out a sigh, his shoulders drooping. Then, he rose to his feet, stretched a moment and then laid himself on the ground. His face looked weary.

“That was my first Thunderclan meeting. No one knew why it was called. Everyone was buzzing with nervous energy, trying to figure out what was happening. I was with my old mate, Poppydawn, and one of our daughters, Sweetpaw.”

He closed his eyes for a long moment. “Bluestar led the meeting. She said there was a traitor hidden amongst our midst, who had slipped through the cracks and invaded Starclan. Stars above- you should have heard it! The whole crowd exploded like a crack of thunder. I’ve never heard such hysteria before, not even at that meeting about Windclan.”

Sorreltail could only imagine what that was like. Noble Thunderclan would never stand for such treachery. They must have been downright furious, frothing at the mouth like baited hounds.

“First Bluestar and Redtail spoke about his character. Bluestar called him bloodthirsty and dishonorable, upholding certain parts of the code while stepping all over the rest. Redtail brought up what I told you earlier: that Thistleclaw had tormented and preyed upon his sister.”

Sootfur interjected, “Wait a minute! Where was Spottedleaf during this whole thing? She was the one who was wronged by Thistleclaw.”

Windflight nodded, “She must have been in on it to some regard, but she didn’t lead the front. In fact, she didn’t say anything until the end. You see, Bluestar brought a Riverclan cat as a witness, who claimed he saw Thistleclaw training in the Place of No Stars. You can imagine how that went,” He scoffed slightly, “The rivalry between Riverclan and Thunderclan was near-murderous back then, and the word of a former enemy did not sway the crowd. In fact, they turned it around on him! Calling the fellow out about being in the Place of No Stars to begin with.”

The three siblings listened in with wide eyes.

“Thistleclaw claimed innocence, of course. Most of the crowd seemed to be on his side, until Spottedleaf came forward.”

Windflight’s grey tabby fur bristled minutely, and his eyes flickered back and forth, as if troubled immensely. “She affirmed everything that Redtail had said, and even went so far as to relay her own experience with Thistleclaw: one where he lured her into the Place of No Stars, keen on showing her the battle moves he had been learning from the nefarious spirits there.”

“Did the crowd believe her?” Rainwhisker asked, “After all, she had a reason to dislike him.” 

Their great-grandfather twitched his lips in a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You underestimate the word of a Medicine cat. Her testimony was damning. That was the evidence Thunderclan needed.”

He shook his head a bit, as if to clear his mind. “After a long discussion, the crowd was almost unanimous in their decision to banish him.”

“What happened then?” Sorreltail questioned, though she already knew the answer. Thunderclan likely deposited him at the border and forced him out.

Windflight spent a moment staring at the ground before he met her eyes. 

“Thistleclaw begged Starclan to believe him, but they did not. They had to drag him away like an unweaned kit, screeching all the way to the mist border. His mate shrieked and snarled like an angry fox, demanding a longer trial for him, but no one heeded her. His mother wailed and cried, desperate to see him one last time, but the crowd would not let her through.”

The following silence was only broken by Rainwhisker, his eyes sharp. “What did his father do?” 

Windflight rose to his feet and turned away from them. 

“He let them take his son away.”

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf spent a while longer scrutinizing the ground before turning away and focusing her attention onto searching the immediate area. There had to be some other clue as to explain who left the print- or where they might have been going.

The more she thought on it, the more sense it made that whoever left the print behind must have done so accidentally. After all, there were no other tracks to be seen. This cat must have been traveling with tact, being very mindful not to leave behind any sort of trail. But that begged the question: who was attempting to conceal their movement, and why?

It had to be the Starclan cat. It just had to be.

Mapleshade’s earlier comment resurfaced to the forefront of Hollyleaf’s mind. The characteristics of the land on this side of the river provided for better hiding places, for those who wanted to stay hidden. The fog was downright thick, and it seemed to grow heavier and heavier the farther away they traveled from the murky brown waters. The ground was disgusting underfoot, but not quite as foul as the sickly soil of the Marsh - Maggotail’s old home.

Even the foliage here seemed to grow closer together- practically on top of one another. The trees were separated by no more than a couple fox-lengths of space. Said space was often occupied by scattered stones and boulders, creating natural nooks and crevices- a perfect place to hide, if someone didn’t want to be found.

“I wonder who the print belongs to.” Sparrowfeather wondered aloud once more. He had been repeating the same sentence, over and over, as if waiting for the answer to jump out at him. Hollyleaf peered at the tom out of the corner of her eye and noticed his keen gaze, raking over the landscape for signs of life. “Who else is in this forest aside from us, Mapleshade?”

The large, haggard molly had her head bent down low as she sniffed at some gnarled tree roots. “Thistleclaw and his gremlins, for one,” She huffed out noncommittally, “I don’t exactly have a mental directory of everyone who lives here. A couple of lifetimes ago, back when the Dark Forest was just beginning to form, we dredged up every miserable creature in this forest that we could find.”

“To make them join you?” Hollyleaf asked, intrigued at the notion of how easily the malignant inhabitants of the forest seemed to fall in line.

“You’ve got it.” Mapleshade’s cruel, leaffall eyes seemed far away, and she let out a low, throaty chuckle. “They either joined us, or their spirit was destroyed.”

“Wow,” Sparrowfeather muttered under his breath, almost too softly for Hollyleaf to hear. “Why am I surprised?”

“What was that, runt?” The roguish molly sounded more distracted than irritated, with her head still dipped down and her big white tail swishing back and forth.

Sparrowfeather let out a comical sigh and then said a little louder, “Nothing, Mapleshade!”

Hollyleaf rolled her eyes at the exchange between the two torties, then turned to once more survey their surroundings. Perhaps the owner of the pawprint was one of the few, leftover spirits after the Great Battle. She had hoped that it was the Starclan cat, doing it’s best to remain undetected by Thistleclaw and his followers, but she still had her doubts.

“Come here, you two.” Mapleshade said from her spot by the tree roots. “I think I might have found something.”

Perking up, Hollyleaf moved to join the roguish molly. “What is it?”

The tree roots that Mapleshade had been inspecting were large, rough and twisted. They belonged to an enormous oak tree, nearly as thick as the Great Oak in Starclan’s forest. The tree stretched up towards the sky, impossibly high with no end in sight.

Mapleshade bent her head down to a specific spot on the root. It looked like it had a bit of dried mud on it. “I think someone stepped here. What do you two think?”

Sparrowfeather’s hazel eyes were narrowed as he inspected the dried mud. “I think you might be right, but I can’t say for sure. Does it smell like anything?”

As the tortie tom moved to take a big whiff, Mapleshade shook her head. “Just smells like mud.”

Hollyleaf followed Sparrowfeather’s example and dipped her head down, accidentally brushing against his side as she went to scent the root. Normally she would have pulled away at the awkward contact, but surprisingly it didn’t bother her. He felt cold at her side, so different from the warm pelts of Starclanners. 

“I can’t smell anything either,” Hollyleaf said after a deep inhale. “It just smells like mud and pine.”

“Pine, huh?” Sparrowfeather furrowed his brow and scented the rock again. “Are you sure you’re not smelling me?”

Embarrassed, Hollyleaf pulled away. “Oops, I think you’re right.” 

When he had been alive, Sparrowfeather lived as a Shadowclan cat. Their camp was hidden in the middle of a dense, dark forest, home to many pine trees. She hadn’t paid that much attention, but a faint pine-scent still clung to Sparrowfeather, as if it was ingrained into his very essence.

“Alright, this is a good start.” Mapleshade seemed pleased with the discovery, as scant as it was. “We’ve picked up a trail. Whoever it was must have been traveling in this direction,” She flicked her tail to the surrounding land past the tree roots.”- the paw print was facing this way, anyhow. Let’s see if we can find anything else.”

The great old rogue began heading off into the aforementioned area, scampering over rocks and sliding between the trees. 

Sparrowfeather glanced at Hollyleaf for a moment before veering right. “I’ll check to see if it went this way.” 

Hollyleaf watched his retreating form, then surmised that she might as well go left. Carefully, she made haste in that direction, leaping across boulders and avoiding thorny bramble bushes. There seemed to be a lot of ground litter this way- dead leaves, shrubbery and scattered stones, strewn across the muddy ground. If the Starclan cat had gone in this direction, then it likely would’ve tried to avoid the ground as much as possible, as to not leave an obvious trail behind. 

Hollyleaf’s sharp green eyes hovered over every rock she came across, looking for some sort of sign that it had been used as a stepping stone. Unable to find anything remarkable, she continued on until the landscape gave her pause- the amount of rocks seemed to have multiplied, as well as grown sizably larger, clustered together and completely obstructing the ground. How strange.

Compelled to keep going, Hollyleaf scented the air and then leapt onto one of the smoother, larger rocks, avoiding the more pointy and jagged ones. 

The Place of No Stars was unlike any forest Hollyleaf had ever encountered. Who had ever heard of rocks piled up like this inside of an almost-marshland? On that same note, why was it so foggy over here? It was as if this place was the invention of some overactive imagination.

Or a tortured psyche, more like it.

Shaking her head at the comment, Hollyleaf continued making her way across the rocks, sighting and scenting along the way. Unfortunately, It didn’t seem as though luck was on her side, because there weren’t any detectable signs of a traveler. The spirit must not have come by this way. 

Letting out a sigh, Hollyleaf came to a stop. Making up her mind, she took one last sniff at the closest rock to her, which was rather flat. Curiously, the scent of pine reached her nose again. 

Had Sparrowfeather come this way?

That couldn’t be right. Their group hadn’t come through here yet. She would have remembered seeing the cluster of rocks, covering the ground like a pathway. Perhaps there were some pine trees close by. After all, it wasn’t like there weren’t any of them in the Place of No Stars. 

Her eyes shifted back and forth, looking for the telltale shape of the coniferous giants. It appeared that the trees surrounding the area were only various types of oak, blanketing the sky with mighty, reaching limbs. Where had the pine smell come from, then?

Intrigued, she eyed the ground near the rock, searching for any discarded pine needles. There had to be an explanation for the mysterious scent.

To Hollyleaf’s dismay, she couldn’t spot any pine tree debris. Was it truly possible that a strange cat left this scent behind? She had hoped that they were on the trail of the Starclan cat, but now she wasn’t so sure. Secretly, she had been suspecting the identity of the Starclanner to be Tallstar, but he was a Windclan cat.

With a frustrated huff, she dipped her head down and once more scented the air through her mouth. Yes, there was no mistaking it. This rock smelled like pine.

Tell your friends.

Hollyleaf contemplated the suggestion, then decided she might as well call for Sparrowfeather and Mapleshade. This was as good of a clue as any, and if they were wrong about it they could always double back. With her mind made up, Hollyleaf turned and began heading back in the direction of whence she came. As she made careful pawsteps over the rough, rocky terrain, a clattering sound from behind her caught her attention.

The noise wasn’t very loud, but her keen ears picked it up all the same.

Cautiously, she turned around.

There was nothing there. The pathway looked exactly the same as it had a moment ago. There was no rock or leaf out of place. Where had that noise come from?

With her heart lodged in her throat, Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes and gazed further ahead, checking along the outskirts of the rock trail. It was hard to see very far, due to the thickness of the fog. 

Still, she remained frozen, trying to pick apart anything that might be lurking, unseen.

“Hollyleaf.”

Like a startled prey animal, she let out a high-pitched yelp and twisted her body around in fright.

The intensity of her reaction caused whoever it was that snuck up on her to let out it’s own squawk of surprise. As her eyes focused, she watched as Sparrowfeather lost his footing and tripped over one of the more pointy rocks.

She heard him mutter an obscene expletive under his breath, then louder, he shouted, “It’s just me, you crazy furball!”

Hollyleaf stared back at him in wide-eyed surprise, mildly embarrassed by her involuntary reaction. “You can’t just sneak up on me like that, Sparrowfeather!”

The torbie tom scrambled to his feet and shook his pelt out of any dust and debris. “I wasn’t sneaking! I thought you heard me.”

Had Sparrowfeather been the one to make that clattering sound? Great Starclan, now she felt silly. Here she was getting worked up over nothing!

“I’m sorry,” Hollyleaf swallowed the twinge of irritation that welled up over having been caught unaware. “I just got distracted by this scent I found.”

“You found something?” That caught his attention. “I came over here because I wasn’t having any luck. Mapleshade is, well,” He rolled his eyes, “re-searching my area.” 

Hollyleaf flicked her tail in the direction she had only a moment ago been leaving. “That flattened rock right over there. Come and smell it- tell me what you think.”

While Sparrowfeather took a deep inhale by the rock, Hollyleaf couldn’t help but flicker her eyes towards the foggy trail again. She shook her head in aggravation. There was nobody there! Now she was just being paranoid.

“Hmmm,” Her torbie friend lifted his head up. “All I smell is the forest.”

“Like what specifically?” She prompted.

“Pine trees, but-”

Hollyleaf cut him off. “There are no pine trees near us, Sparrowfeather. Where did this scent come from?”

Sparrowfeather snapped his mouth shut and silently regarded her. With his brow furrowed, she could almost see the metaphorical wheels turning behind his eyes. 

“That’s very strange.” He murmured at last, his gaze flickering to their surroundings. “You must have found the trail again, Hollyleaf. Let me go and grab Mapleshade and then we can all head in this direction.”

Hollyleaf blinked at him warily, but made no move to stop him as he scurried off to collect the roguish molly. She still felt a little on edge after the fright he gave her earlier, but there was nothing to be afraid of now.

Patiently, she twiddled her tail as she waited for him to come back, being mindful not to fuel her paranoia by peering off into the dense fog that surrounded the land. 

Who in Starclan’s name had left the pawprint? And did they smell like a pine-forest? Were they from Shadowclan? Perhaps they merely nested beside a pine tree, and the residual smell still clung to their fur. There had to be some sort of reasonable explanation.

Suddenly, a shuffling from somewhere behind her disturbed the silence of the forest.

“Sparrowfeather…?” Hollyleaf called out tentatively, shifting to turn around. That was rather quick, wasn’t it? It felt like her companion had only left a moment ago.

The sight that greeted her was definitely not Sparrowfeather.

It was a cat. 

And it didn’t have stars in it’s fur.

Hollyleaf let out a strangled gasp and stepped back, her back arching up and fur bristling in shock.

It was a sizable specter, bigger than her, but nowhere near the size of Mapleshade. It’s pelt was a dark brown, with ticked, darker tabby stripes on its legs and by its face. The edges of the apparition’s form were a soft black, like a flickering shadow. It was as if the cat’s form was beginning to fade into mist, so much like the dark fog around them. 

Inexplicably, Hollyleaf thought back to old Maggottail, who seemed to be a shadow-incarnate. This cat didn’t look nearly as old as him, but it seemed to be on it’s way, just like Mapleshade was.

The stranger’s most prominent feature was a terrible, criss-crossed scar that snaked along the very center of its face. It was like a big x-mark, passing dangerously close to the cat’s yellow, almond-shaped eyes. The cat must have been a formidable warrior to boast such unsightly scars.

Hollyleaf and the stranger regarded each other in silence, the seconds ticking by.

The ghost’s brow furrowed in what seemed to be confusion as it looked her up and down. She watched with wary interest, ready to defend herself at a moment’s notice if the situation called for it. To her utmost surprise, the cat didn’t seem interested in attacking. Instead, it took one last look at her before taking a step back, and then another, and darting off into the undergrowth.

Hollyleaf gaped at it’s retreating form, then yelled, “Wait!”

The specter paid her no mind. She could hear the scratching of it’s claws as it continued to hastily scramble over rocks and boulders.

Impulsively, Hollyleaf leapt into action and turned to pursue the strange tabby. She couldn’t let him get away! Why had he been looking at her like that? Was he one of Thistleclaw’s followers?

The spirit wasn’t as fast as her, but what it lacked in speed it made up for in nimble-ness. It’s paws skimmed over rocks and rubble, traveling with efficient experience. It barely left behind any indication of it’s trail, and if Hollyleaf were a slower cat she would have been left behind in the dust.

“Wait!” She tried again, trying to mimic the cat’s path as closely as possible. “Who are you?”

The spirit did not heed her, and instead began leaping with more ardent fervor. It seemed to know exactly where it was going, and as they made their way through the brush, Hollyleaf noticed what seemed to be a cluster of broken trees up ahead, snapped in half and leaning on top of one another. 

The spirit made a mighty leap and flung itself onto one of the high, thick branches, wrenching itself up and turning around to shoot Hollyleaf a warning glare.

Hollyleaf skittered to a halt and stared up at the perched spirit.

“Quit following me.” It’s voice came out gravelly, as if rusty from disuse. It was looking at her with unconcealed hostility.

Hollyleaf frowned and bit out, “Who are you?”

“Don't matter.” The cat replied, fixing her with a stern look. “Scram!”

It turned around as if to flee once more, but Hollyleaf’s insistent shout stopped it.

“Wait! Why did you look at me like that?”

She could see the way the spirit hesitated. It’s body was frozen mid-step. For a moment she didn’t think it would respond, but then it’s grating voice rang out again. “You looked like someone else, for a moment.”

Hollyleaf stilled, mystified by the spirit’s strange response. Who had he mistaken her for?

“Wait a minute,” She said, moving to follow it as it continued it’s retreat. “Did you mistake me for a different Starclan cat?”

The spirit said nothing.

“You did, didn’t you?” She babbled, anticipation building up in her gut. This cat had seen the other Starclan cat! It must have!

The spirit’s eyes flickered back to regard her with dismissive, mild antipathy. However, Hollyleaf noticed a tell-tale twitch of the specter’s ears, as if her comment had spurred interest.

She tried once more to get the stranger to respond. “I’ve been looking for the other Starclan cat. Do you think you could tell me where it went?”

“No!” The stranger was rudely brief, seemingly awaiting her to stop pestering it with all of her questions. 

Growing impatient, Hollyleaf let a frustrated huff. “Listen, you were spying on me. Can you blame me for being a little curious?”

For a split second, the stranger widened it’s yellow eyes, as if it didn’t know how to react to her snarky remark. After that, it merely stared at her without speaking. Hollyleaf waited for the specter to say something, anything, but it didn’t. 

“Well fine,” She ground out, “I can’t force you to tell me anything, but I hope you know that I’m only trying to protect whoever it is.”

Now that caught the spirit’s attention. It shot her a level stare, it’s tail beginning to swish back and forth. “Listen, kid, I dunno know what kind of trouble you two got into,” It rasped, then cleared it’s throat a bit, “- but you oughta know better than to approach me, unawares. I coulda been one of those grunts hunting you.”

The stranger hadn’t said much, but from the little it had, Hollyleaf was able to pick out some information. The spirit was clearly aware that Thistleclaw and his cronies were on the hunt for her. By the way the spirit enunciated, ‘grunts’, it appeared that it wasn’t connected with the rogue group. 

“Could you please tell me where the Starclan cat is?” She tried again, “I need to find them!”

The brown tabby wrinkled his nose at her. “I heard you the first time, and my answer is still no.”

“Why can’t you tell me?” This was getting ridiculous.

A small, almost indiscernible smirk rolled across the specter’s scarred face. “Cause I don’t know nothin’ about where they are.”

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes and scowled at the stranger. “You could have told me that the first time.”

What a cheeky, ill-mannered cat. It shot her an amused look, as if taking enjoyment from wasting her time. Utterly annoyed, Hollyleaf ground out, “Well, do you know where they might have gone?”

This question seemed to sober the rogue up, and it’s mood shifted very suddenly.  “Your friend came over here and started questioning me too; not that I had any answers. I took pity on ‘em, though. I knew ‘em, y’see? Back when we were alive. Guess that’s why he started talking to me.”

The Starclan cat was a he? Hollyleaf held her breath and dared not to speak, hoping that the spirit would continue with it’s story. 

“Anyways, I took pity on ‘em, like I said. Guess he reminded me of better days. I didn’t know the answer to his question, but I took him somewhere that he could figure it out.”

“What was his question?” Hollyleaf breathed out, eyes wide.

“He wanted to know where the other exit is.”

The rogue’s revelation was enough to send a shiver up Hollyleaf’s spine. There was another exit in the Place of No Stars? She hadn’t heard of such a thing! Everyone knew that there was only one way in and one way out.

“And you don’t know where the exit is, so you took him somewhere,” Hollyleaf surmised, “- but where did you take him?”

The rogue eyed her sharply with keen, calculative eyes. “How about this? I take ya there, then you quit tryna follow me everywhere. I can’t have little Starclanners tailing me.”

She nodded her head vigorously in response, “Fine! I can agree to that.”

“Then let’s go,” The specter responded, turning and stalking ahead without a second thought.

“Wait!” Hollyleaf cried out, “I can’t- my friends, I have to wait for them.”

The stranger let out a snort and didn’t slow down at all. “I don’t wanna meet your friends, no offense. Either follow me or don’t.” At the hesitant look on her face, the spirit added, “Oh, come on! You managed to find me, right? Then they’ll find you.”

Hollyleaf recognized the logic behind the spirit’s words, then begrudgingly nodded her assent. She’d purposely leave a trail, so Sparrowfeather and Mapleshade would know which way to go.

Cautiously, she followed the spirit into the unknown.

The trek through the foggy land was mostly silent, as Hollyleaf was struggling to both keep up and leave a trail at the same time. 

“Would you slow down?” She managed to gasp out, trying to catch her breath.

The specter did not yield. 

“Excuse me,” She tried again, puffing as she leapt onto a moderately sized boulder, “Would you mind slowing down?”

The brown ticked tabby skidded to a halt. He turned to look back at her with a raised brow. “What did ya' say your name was again?”

“I didn’t say,” She responded tartly, moving to travel side by side with the specter. “I was too busy gasping for breath as I tried to keep up with you.”

The specter made a snorting noise, though it sounded sort of like a laugh. “I guess that means y’aren’t a Windclan cat?”

“No, did you expect I was? I’m from Thunderclan.” She responded, “My name is Hollyleaf.”

“Yeah, I did. Figured you were from the same clan as your friend.” The spirit said, then turned silent again.

Hollyleaf stifled the gasp that threatened to escape. The Starclan cat was a tom from Windclan? 

“How did you know my friend?” She asked, not wanting to reveal to the spirit that she didn’t know who the Starclan cat was. What if the specter became suspicious of her, and then flaked out?

“We were alive at the same time.” The specter said simply. “He was a good fella, but we were on different sides.”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Hollyleaf prodded, “Could you tell me about yourself? Are you a tom or a molly? What clan are you from?”

They both ducked underneath an enormous tree that had collapsed and lay prone across the forest floor.

“I’m a Shadowclan tom.” He said simply. 

That explained the pine-scent she had discovered earlier. It must have been him, although his scent wasn’t strong. He smelled mostly like the land around them: earthy and mucky.

Hoping to get more out of him, she opened her mouth to ask another question, but was beaten to it. 

“We’re here.” The specter said, coming to a halt and staring ahead with cautious, yellow eyes. 

Hollyleaf followed his gaze and laid her eyes upon what had to be the largest piece of rock she had seen yet. It was absolutely enormous, planted smack-dab in the middle of the marsh. It was the size of a small tree, and she had to crane her head to try and see the top of it. On one side of the rock grew sparse vegetation, as if the plants were desperate to climb towards the heavens to try and find the sun.

“So,” She murmured, “It’s a rock?”

The brown tabby tom shot her a look. “It’s about what’s under the rock. Look over there, do ya see that crack?”

Hollyleaf peered in the direction he indicated. Indeed, there was what appeared to be a crack in the rock, which widened at the bottom and produced a small, narrow crevice.

She stared at it blankly, trying to register what the Shadowclan spirit wanted her to do.

“So do you want me to… look in there? How does that answer any questions?”

He let out an exasperated sigh. “No, I want ya to go in there.”

“You want me to try and shove my way in through that crack.”

“Yes.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Just what are you playing at? Are you trying to trap me?”

“No!” The tabby wrinkled his nose at her again. His scars looked pinker under the light of her stars. “You’ll find the answer to your question in there.”

Hollyleaf looked from the spirit, to the rock, and then back to the spirit. “Are you trying to imply that there’s something in there?”

The wary look that passed through the spirit’s eyes was enough to confirm her suspicions. 

“What’s under the rock?”

“All you have to do,” The specter responded, ignoring her question, “- is travel all the way to the back. When ya feel sand under your feet, stop. No matter what it says to you, don’t go no further.”

Hollyleaf dug her claws into the ground, unsettled by his instructions. “Is that what the other Starclan cat did?” She couldn’t help the sharp edge that crept into her voice. “This is crazy, and you’re crazy if you think I’m going in there!” 

The tom narrowed his eyes at her unpleasantly. “You can either go in there or don’t. I don’t care what you do. But your friend went in there, and when he came out he knew where he was going.”

Hollyleaf stared at him silently, contemplating the absurdity of fitting her way through a crack in a giant rock, to meet what may or may not be a sentient creature underneath. How could she trust the word of this stranger, when what he wanted her to do sounded strange, vague and potentially dangerous?

“You’ll be alright.” The Shadowclan spirit said, as if reading her mind. “Do what I said and nothin’ will happen to ya.”

“Gee, that’s comforting.” She ground out, padding hesitantly towards the cracked crevice. It looked normal enough from afar. Against her better judgement, Hollyleaf forced her feet forward until she stood right in front of the crevice. It was a pitch black, and the light of her stars did little to illuminate what was inside. It was barely wide enough to fit one cat, but she was small enough that she would likely manage.

“Go on,” The scarred stranger encouraged, “Make your way to the very back. Remember what I told you. Stop at the sand, go no further.”

Hollyleaf took a hesitant step forward, but paused when the voice in her mind let out a panicked shout. 

Stop! Don't go in there.

She halted, thinking over the choice she was about to make. What was the worst that could happen?

“If I go in here, will something bad happen to me?” Hollyleaf asked without turning around.

She heard the specter let out a huff. “I told you. As long as you follow my directions, you’ll be fine.”

Hollyleaf let herself over-think her choice for one moment longer before fitting her head through the hole in the rock and wedging her body the rest of the way through. She could feel the coldness of the stone against her pelt, but as she edged by, the tunnel gradually grew wider. 

It seemed as though there was some sort of hollow space beneath the rock, which she wouldn’t have originally guessed from the outside. It was pitch black underneath, but the glimmer of her stars helped to shine light on the confined space. There was a lot of leaf-litter scattered about, but most of it was dead and shriveled. She kept her eyes trained on the ground, waiting until she felt the softness of sand.

Eventually the soil started to become peppered with familiar granules that crunched under her feet, and Hollyleaf moved to a halt, but still couldn’t see what was ahead. She took another hesitant step forward.

A soft hissing came from the suffocating darkness, causing her to freeze in her tracks.

“Who is it?”

Hollyleaf dared not move a muscle.

“Clawface, is that you?”

Feeling like a cornered piece of prey, Hollyleaf swallowed the lump in her throat and leaned her head forward, peering through the dim light. If she squinted, she could see something at the very back of the tunnel. It was a black shape.

She peered down at the ground. She had at least another two steps before the ground gave way completely to sand. Steeling herself, she took a couple more steps before halting her movement.

Whatever was at the end of the tunnel didn’t shift, but she could see clearer now, thanks to the light of her pelt.

The black shape was vaguely cat-like, resting on the ground and leaning against the wall of stone at the end of the tunnel. Something about it reminded Hollyleaf of a shadow, though it didn’t move and she couldn’t see it’s face. What disturbed her the most, though, was that she couldn’t see the shine of her stars reflecting off of the cat’s fur. She couldn’t even see any hairs on the cat’s pelt.

It was as if the creature was made of liquid darkness, swallowing up any source of light.

“Starclanner,” 

She couldn’t see it’s eyes- couldn't even see it’s mouth move, though it was speaking all the same.

Sprouted from the cracked stone wall were tiny plants- moss and liverworts, which traveled all the way down the wall, where horrifically, the plants began growing over the creature’s pelt. How was that possible? Had the cat been lying there, prone and still, long enough for the foliage to grab on?

“Come closer,” The black shape spoke, “Let me see you.”

Hollyleaf felt the hairs along her spine slowly rise up. 

“No.” She managed out, finding her voice. “You can see me perfectly fine from over there.”

“You’re too bright. Come here, little star.”

Remembering the Shadowclan specter’s words, Hollyleaf refused to budge. Why did the black-shaped creature want her to get closer? Why couldn’t it come and see her for itself?

“I’m not coming any closer.” She responded stiffly, unnerved and fearful.

What must have been the creature’s head ever so slowly began to move, shifting until it’s face was in her direction. Hollyleaf stared and stared, but couldn’t identify any facial features. Where was the cat’s nose? Where was it’s mouth and eyes?

Then, shockingly, the creature blinked open one, stark yellow eye.

Hollyleaf couldn’t help the way her pelt bristled, or the uncontrollable shiver that rippled through her.

The eye had no pupil.

There was something incredibly off-putting about the way the cat-like blackness observed her. It said nothing for a long moment, as if drinking in the sight of her.

“Have we met before?”

“No,” She responded tersely. “Never.”

The single eye stared sightlessly through her, as if it could see into the depths of her soul.

“Who are you?” She tried, though she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer.

The inky black creature seemed amused by her question. “Who am I?” It repeated, “Who am I, indeed?”

“I am the one who claimed this forest. I am the one who swallowed up all the prey. I am the one who cast away the stars.”

Hollyleaf took a step back.

“Oh, don’t be frightened, little one. You’re a guest in my home. I would never hurt a guest.”

“I want to know where the exit is.” Hollyleaf bit out, trying to control the tremor that threatened to reveal itself through her voice. “I know that you know where it is.”

The one yellow eye blinked. “You’re just like the other one. So eager to leave.”

She didn’t reply, her eyes wide with fear. 

“Why don’t you stay a while? Come over here and sit with me. I can tell you everything.”

“No!” She snapped, losing a little bit of her composure. “Please just tell me where the other exit is.”

Hollyleaf wasn’t sure if the air was getting colder or if the fear was just making her shiver. She needed to get out of this cave- she needed to get away from this creature. Whatever it was, it was no cat. There was something truly dreadful about it. 
 
“Tell me your name, at least.”

“Hollyleaf,” She responded warily. The Shadowclan stranger hadn’t mentioned anything about keeping one’s own name a secret.

“I don’t remember a Hollyleaf.” It spoke, cryptically, “No matter. To find the other exit, you must continue north, through the fog. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a place where moonlight peaks through the trees. In front of the moonlight, you’ll find another cave. That cave is the other exit to Starclan.”

Hollyleaf repeated the words in her mind that the shadow-creature spoke, trying to memorize them. She wasn’t sure why or how this strange cat-like creature knew where the exit was, since it seemingly didn’t leave this cave, but she wasn’t going to look a gift-horse in the mouth.

Casting one last look at the strange, black shape, she turned around, itching to leave.

“And Hollyleaf?"

She froze in her tracks.

“It was nice to see you again.”

Chapter Text

Long after Windflight left the scene to head back to the Great Oak clearing, Sorreltail remained with her brothers, discussing in low tones the revelation of the Ex-Starclan cat, Thistleclaw. 

She was astute enough to identify the implied familial connection between Windflight and Thistleclaw. They were father and son… which meant that by extension, Thistleclaw was her kin. The disgraced, former Starclan cat was Whitestorm’s father, which made him Sorreltail’s grandfather. 

No wonder why her parents had always been so nondescript and unforthcoming about their family history, practically breezing by the topic whenever it came up in conversation. Sorreltail had naively brushed aside their behavior as some sort of personal boundary -which, in a roundabout way was true- but she certainly hadn’t expected them to be hiding a well-kept family secret. And a horrifying one, at that.

Whitestorm’s father had preyed upon Willowpelt’s sister. 

It was sickening to think about, least of all strange and appalling. Were Sorreltail’s parents uncomfortable with what happened? Is that why they never spoke of it? Perhaps they still felt the heavy weight of shame from Thistleclaw’s betrayal. After all, he blighted the family name in front of all of Thunderclan.

Another aspect to consider was that Thistleclaw’s trial happened long before Whitestorm and Willowpelt even died. What a shock it must have been for her parents to come to Starclan, only to discover the terrible circumstances surrounding Thistleclaw’s banishment. Did the rest of Starclan hold a grudge against Sorreltail’s family? Did they stew in silent suspicion over what happened? 

Between the two of Sorreltail’s parents, Whitestorm must have taken it the hardest. Sorreltail wasn’t sure to the extent to his relationship with his father, but it must have hurt nonetheless. Losing kin was never easy- even if it was for the greater good.

The greater good. Was that the justification Bluestar and Redtail used when they conspired to exile Thistleclaw?

Her mind flickered back to the interaction she had with Redtail. The tortie tom had spoken about the greater good, hadn’t he? He said that sometimes, terror was the price that needed to be paid for it. Had he been projecting his hidden feelings about what he had done with Bluestar, all those moons ago?

Something didn’t sit quite well with Sorreltail about everything she had heard from Windflight. There was an uneasy feeling stewing in her gut. It was true that Thistleclaw likely deserved his fate, but upon death he should have been sent immediately to the Place of No Stars. His prolonged presence inside of Starclan and subsequent expulsion had created a multitude of unintended consequences. 

The first and most notable consequence was that Sorreltail’s family had likely been irreparably impacted, in ways she had yet to understand. How deep did this trauma run? Had it torn her whole family apart? 

When Windflight recounted his tale, he had mentioned he was with his old mate, Poppydawn, and a daughter named Sweetpaw. Sorreltail had never heard mention of those cats associating with Windflight before. Was he still in contact with them, or had Thistleclaw’s banishment created an unmendable wound between them?

And what about Thistleclaw’s old mate, Snowfur? 

The fleeting conversation Sorreltail had with her father at the Dreampool crept back in from the crevices of her mind. After Whitestorm passed away, Snowfur hadn’t been around to greet him in Starclan. Whitestorm had to seek her out inside of the Endmost Forest- where she lived, apparently. It made sense, since the milky-white molly had been the one to find Molepaw skulking about in the forest’s depths. Had Thistleclaw’s betrayal caused Snowfur to seclude herself away from the rest of her family?

“Sorreltail,” Rainwhisker spoke up, breaking her from her thoughts, “Do you remember that conversation we had with Jayfeather at the Dreampool?”

Sorreltail nodded silently. Of course she remembered- Leafool’s son had basically chewed every one of them out for not coming to Hollyleaf’s aid. What had happened with Jayfeather after the fighting began? She certainly hoped he hadn’t conjured himself up into Starclan during the middle of that whole mess.

“Did Jayfeather say anything else after Sootfur and I left?” Rainwhisker asked, a thoughtful look on his face.

Sorreltail recalled back, thinking about the discussion she had before everything went wrong. Jayfeather had brought up the notion of foul play against Hollyleaf, and the only other cat who knew about it was Featherwhisker.  “He said that Hollyleaf suspects that she’s been set up.” 

Rainwhisker narrowed his cornflower-blue eyes speculatively. She could almost see the mental cogs turning in her brother’s head as he tried to analyze the situation.

At his side, Sootfur was hunched up, lost in thought and unusually quiet. It seemed as if he was just as disturbed by Windflight’s tale as Sorreltail was. They had learned more about their family then they had ever intended to, and most of it was terrible. In a way, Sorreltail felt like they had inadvertently intruded on something very private and forbidden. 

Sorreltail cleared her throat uncomfortably, adding onto her previous statement. “Jayfeather thinks that someone from inside of Starclan is trying to frame Hollyleaf.”

Sootfur looked up at her with a grim expression, something indiscernible flashing through his eyes. 

Rainwhisker, on the other hand, did not seem surprised.

“I was beginning to suspect that.” The blue-gray tom said, his paw thrumming against the ground, “After all, it would be hard for Thistleclaw to manipulate Starclan while stuck inside of the Place of No Stars.”

The thought that Thistleclaw might have some sort of loyal, double-agent in Starclan made Sorreltail balk. It certainly wasn’t impossible, given the tale they just learned, but the thought was so ghastly that it made her suppress a shudder.

Sootfur spoke up, his voice low in volume, “Assuming that we’re going to go along with this line of thinking, then who could the traitor be?”

“I don’t know.” Sorreltail whispered back, still at a loss as to who could possibly have turned their back on Starclan.

“Then let’s go over what we do know.” Rainwhisker rose to his feet and began pacing back and forth. “Up until this moment, we’ve had reason to believe that Hollyleaf was complicit in at least Tallstar’s disappearance, since her scent was found at the scene of the crime… according to Windclan.” He surmised, tapping his claws against the forest floor.

“Now, if I’m not mistaken, Ashfoot implied to you that Mudclaw was the one who found the scent, right?” Rainwhisker glanced at Sorreltail.

She nodded, “And Ashfoot said that he found it in a place where Starclan cats ‘don’t belong’.”

“The Place of No Stars!” Sootfur muttered; his eyes, filled with suspicion, darted back and forth.

“Right,” Rainwhisker replied, “That would make the most sense. So, what we know is that Windclan believes Hollyleaf was responsible for Tallstar’s disappearance, because Mudclaw found her scent at the scene of an alleged crime in the Place of No Stars.”

Sootfur spoke up again. “What if the scent was planted there by someone?”

Sorreltail peered at her ashen grey brother curiously. She hadn’t thought of that, but it was certainly possible. 

Deep down, she had begun to feel an inkling of doubt about Mudclaw. It had been brewing there, unnerving her ever since the interaction she had with him during the fight at the Dreampool. What had Mudclaw said when she confronted him? Something about how she ‘knew nothing’.

“What if Mudclaw lied?” She murmured softly, peeking around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. “What if he only said that he found Hollyleaf’s scent there?”

Rainwhisker slowed his pacing to a stop. “That’s where I’m stuck, Sorreltail. Did he hurt Tallstar in the Place of No Stars and then scapegoat Hollyleaf to conceal his guilt? Assuming there’s some form of validity to your theory, then what is Mudclaw’s potential motive?”

“Maybe he’s still feeling foul about Tallstar revoking his deputy position.” Sootfur suggested in a low tone. 

“Perhaps,” Sorreltail mulled it over, trying to think of any other theoretical motive for Mudclaw to hurt Tallstar. “But how does any of this relate to Honeyfern?” 

Beside them, Sootfur stiffened.

“What is it?” She said, eyeing him sharply.

“I just had a bad thought,” Her ornery brother seemed uncomfortable, and he dug his claws deep into the soil. “What if Mudclaw got rid of Honeyfern to make Hollyleaf seem even guiltier in the eyes of Windclan? Since we know that Tallstar went missing first.”

Sorreltail recoiled in shock at her brother’s theory, a stabbing pain digging into her heart. That was a terrible theory, and she could hardly bear to think about it. The intrusive image of Mudclaw, standing over the prone, double-dead form of Honeyfern invaded Sorreltail’s imagination, and she squeezed her eyes shut to banish the thought from her mind.

“Wait a minute,” She heard Rainwhisker say, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. None of us scented Windclan at Warmrocks, correct?”

“Maybe he concealed his scent somehow,” Sorreltail ground out, blearily opening her eyes. “Great Starclan, why would he want to do such a terrible thing?”

Rainwhisker let out a frustrated sigh, “We don’t have enough information. All that we’re doing right now is speculating and getting ourselves worked up over something that might not even be true. We don’t even know if Mudclaw is unhappy with Tallstar.”

Sorreltail twitched her tail in irritation. “Then we need to find Mudclaw, assuming he’ll even want to talk to us.”

The brown tabby was likely long gone, lurking somewhere in the Windclan sector of Starclan. With their clans at odds with one another, how would Sorreltail be able to safely cross the Moor, much less get Mudclaw to speak with her? She was at an impasse.

“Okay, okay,” Sootfur’s brow was furrowed, “- wait just a minute. Our theory about Mudclaw doesn’t take into account this whole business with Thistleclaw.”

“Maybe they’re unrelated incidents,” Rainwhisker speculated, “Thistleclaw might not even have a connection inside of Starclan. Perhaps he’s just taking advantage of the discord taking place here.”

Sorreltail opened her mouth to respond, but clamped it shut as a small group of Thunderclan cats emerged from a thicket nearby, hastily making their way toward the Great Oak clearing. From their stiffened forms and rigid tails, she could detect the tension they carried along with them. 

“Do you think something’s going on back at the Great Oak?” She asked, changing the subject.

“Maybe the battle patrol returned.” Sootfur suggested. “We should check it out.”

The three of them padded back in the direction where they originally came from, peeking through the line of foliage surrounding the Great Oak. They must have spent a long time speaking with Windflight and speculating on the disappearances, because a sizeable crowd had formed at the base of the Oak in their absence. It consisted of spirits still lingering after the Thunderclan meeting.

Standing in the center of the crowd were a pawful bedraggled-looking souls, a couple of which Sorreltail instantly recognized as participants in the fight. Some of them looked worse for wear, tenderly licking at what were likely wounds to their spiritual bodies.

Sorreltail moved closer, her brothers in tow. The clearing was in a hushed silence as the crowd eagerly listened to one of the patrol cats speak.

“I don’t know how they knew, but Windclan was cued off to our decision to set up borders. They must have sent a spy to eavesdrop on our meeting.” The speaker was a robust, dusty grey tabby. Sorreltail recognized him as Stagleap, the warrior who had argued with Yellowfang during the Thunderclan meeting. “Windclan sent a mob to try to occupy the Dreampool by force, but we drove them off.”

“Any casualties?” A tall, blue-grey cat faced the patrol group. It’s back was to Sorreltail, but she recognized the voice all the same. The spirit was undoubtedly Bluestar, Whitestorm’s aunt- and Redtail’s accomplice in gathering evidence against Thistleclaw.

“Thankfully, no,” Stagleap breathed out, “I think we were all holding back.”

The crowd began chattering in low tones, in a state of disbelief over the scuffle that occurred at such a holy site- between two Starclan sectors, no-less.

“We should have another meeting!” Someone in the crowd called out, and several murmurs of agreement followed.

“Perhaps.” Bluestar replied in a cold, clipped tone. “Stagleap, where is the rest of your patrol?”

“Guarding the Dreampool.” He replied with a shake of his furry pelt. 

“Good, how about -” 

A crashing through the undergrowth cut off whatever Bluestar intended to say. Immediately after, a spirit pushed itself through the bushes lining the Great Oak clearing, frantically running up to the crowd.

“Stagleap!” The spirit skidded to a halt and took in a couple gasps of air, “We have a problem!”

Sorreltail eyed the newcomer. It was a smaller, black and white tomcat who had been a part of the Thunderclan patrol that came to protect the Dreampool. She remembered that he was also one of the more outspoken cats at the Thunderclan meeting, adamantly advocating for borders.

“What is it, Littlestep?”

The black and white tom let out a shaky breath. “Larksong went to chase off a couple of stragglers... and she never came back.”

The crowd of Thunderclan cats erupted with noise- everyone began talking at once, their voices laced with outrage and concern. Sorreltail could spot bristled pelts, lashing tails and extended claws, grating into the soil. It seemed as though many were still quick to rile, especially after the tense meeting that recently happened.

Stagleap stiffened considerably, eyeing Littlestep with worry in his eyes. “Well, did you send anyone after her?”

“Yes, a scout tracked her trail and reported that her scent crossed over onto the Windclan sector.”

Sorreltail bristled minutely. That didn’t sound good. Had Windclan pulled another one of their stunts? Had the patrol snagged Larksong to hold as some sort of captive? She wouldn’t put it past them. They had been bold enough to kidnap Sorreltail, keeping her there through use of threats.

Around her, the crowd seemed to radiate tension. How many of them had voted to set up borders? Perhaps they were regretting their decision now.

Stagleap curled his lip and after a moment said, “We have to do something.”

“No.”

The crowd hushed immediately.

Bluestar’s tail was held high in the air as she addressed both Stagleap and the crowd. “No one is going to do anything. This situation has spiraled out of control- we must have a Thunderclan meeting to discuss this matter before we make any more impulsive choices.”

Stagleap didn’t look happy at her refusal. “We need to take action now. Time is of the essence, and Larksong could be in grave danger!”

Bluestar was unwavering, and her voice was stoney. “You know how our sector of Starclan operates, Stagleap. We come to decisions as a group.”

Sorreltail and her brothers stood still and silent, watching the confrontation between Stagleap and Bluestar with baited breath.

“Windclan is preparing their next move as we speak.” His eyes were narrowed into slits. “They have one of our clanmates and you’re telling me to sit down and wait?”

“You don’t have to like it, but you'll do as I say.” Bluestar’s words were cutting and stern, and Sorreltail wondered what Thunderclan must have been like under the molly’s leadership. She had only been a kit when Bluestar died, much too young to remember the climate of the clan.

Stagleap straightened up and shot Bluestar a cold, mean stare. “You’re not my leader! You weren’t even a twinkle in your mother’s eye when I was alive, Bluestar. I will not deign to follow your orders.”

“Oh?” The blue-grey molly’s tone turned icey, “Then what is it that you plan to do, Stagleap? How exactly do you plan on going against the principles of our clan?” 

The two inched closer together, engaged in a tense stare-down. For a long moment, no one said anything. Then, Stagleap curled his lip and said,

“I’m going to take a patrol and we’re going to bring Larksong back.”

The crowd began to chatter at that, a low thrum of voices filling up the silence of the clearing. Bluestar and Stagleap had not broken their eye contact, and from the back, Sorreltail could see Bluestar’s hackles begin to rise.

“I agree with him!” A familiar voice called out, “We need to come to our clanmate’s aid.”

Sorreltail turned towards the speaker. It was her half-brother, Ashfur. She hadn’t seen him since he had gotten chewed out at the Thunderclan meeting, but here he stood, a challenge in his blue eyes. Where had his so-called devotion to his clanmates been when Hollyleaf was chased out? Sorreltail watched him warily, not trusting him or his impartiality.

Bluestar broke eye contact with Stagleap to tersely regard Ashfur. Sorreltail could see the side of the leader’s face now. There was a burning fury in her eyes that was intimidating to behold.

“Anyone who goes out on this patrol will be going against the will of Thunderclan. Worse, you could endanger Larksong.”

“Are you daft?” Stagleap shouted, his temper flaring, “What do you know about the will of Thunderclan? You think you can speak for everyone here, huh?” His tail was lashing. “I’m taking a patrol out onto the Windclan sector, and you can’t stop me! Larksong deserves aid. She fought to protect the Dreampool and to uphold Thunderclan’s choice to enact borders.”

The dusty grey tabby’s eyes swept over the crowd. “I know that some of you have the stones to stand up for what is right. Who will join my patrol to save Larksong?”

The crowd quieted, but it didn’t take long for the first volunteer to speak up.

“I’ll go,” Unsurprisingly, it was Ashfur. The spotted grey tom made his way through the crowd to stand next to Stagleap, facing Bluestar. “I’m sorry Bluestar, but this is the right thing to do.”

The former leader regarded him with cold, disappointed eyes.

The next cat to volunteer padded slowly through the crowd, it’s ginger tabby fur rippling with star-shine. “On my honor as a Thunderclan cat, I swear to accompany you to save Larksong. Starclan knows she’s saved me many times over.”

For a moment after that, no one rose, and just when Sorreltail thought that would be the last of the support for the small group, a sleek, mottled, raven colored cat slid through the crowd to silently join the patrol. The unfamiliar cat said nothing, and Sorreltail was not remiss in noticing how the crowd quieted at the sight of them.

“Anyone else?” Stagleap asked, raking his eyes over the crowd of Thunderclanners.

After the dusty tabby finished speaking, a sudden, compulsive thought struck Sorreltail. As risky as it seemed, perhaps joining the patrol was her ticket to get into the Windclan sector. Although the group’s prerogative was finding Larksong, Sorreltail had a feeling that Mudclaw was involved with the disappearance, since he was the one who led the Windclan patrol to the Dreampool in the first place.

Sorreltail didn’t have that long to think about her decision, and quite honestly, joining the rescue patrol was the last thing anyone expected her to do. She wasn’t the type to impulsively jump into anything, especially something that had the potential to be dangerous. But when else would she get the chance to confront Mudclaw? If he was truly involved in Tallstar’s disappearance, he would not go out of his way to speak with her, especially after the confrontation they had in battle. This might be her only chance.

Making up her mind, Sorreltail turned to face her brothers and shot them the most serious look she could muster. “Trust me, okay?” She whispered, and before either of them had a chance to respond, she rose to her feet and began heading in the direction of Stagleap’s patrol.

“I’ll go with you!” She announced, and a ripple of gasps rang out through the clearing.

Bluestar flattened her ears back in surprise, but the look was fleeting, and a harsh, disappointed glint flashed through the regal molly’s eyes. Sorreltail avoided her kin’s stare, and instead settled next to the unfamiliar, mottled black spirit.

From the back of the crowd, Sorreltail could see the mixed reactions on her brothers’ faces. Sootfur had his brow raised, looking at her as if she had grown a second head. Rainwhisker's eyes were narrowed and a deep frown was etched onto his face, which practically read as, ‘I hope you know what you’re doing!’.

Stagleap sneered at Bluestar and held her furious look for one moment longer before turning his back and marching towards the hedges surrounding the clearing. Taking that as her cue, Sorreltail began following after, accompanying the other ragtag spirits who had chosen to volunteer. 

Hopefully Sorreltail would be able to find some answers on the Moor this time around.

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf began to squeeze her way out through the narrow crevice in the rock, feeling the coarse, chilly walls brush against her sides. A shiver ran along her spine, but it wasn’t from the cold. The encounter with the strange creature at the back of the stone cave unnerved her, and she was keen on getting out as fast as she could. What had it meant by, ‘it was nice to see you again’?

She hadn’t ever met that thing before… right?

The voice in the back of her mind remained uncomfortably quiet, supplying no answers to the mystery of the one-eyed shadow-creature.

As Hollyleaf neared the exit point where dim light began to pour in, she could hear tense yelling from the outside.

“Tell me who you are, Shadowclan rat!”

Hollyleaf maneuvered herself through the exit and took in the sight on the outside. Mapleshade and Sparrowfeather were there, recognizable by their multicolored, tortoiseshell fur. She breathed out a sigh of relief, thankful that they had been able to quickly pick up the hasty trail she managed to leave behind.

“What did you do with Hollyleaf? Don’t make me claw the answer out of you!” 

It was Mapleshade who was aggressively snapping, all the while leaning towards the Shadowclan specter in a threatening way. She had the brown ticked-tabby cornered, crowding him by the far end of the great boulder. The roguish molly looked absolutely livid- her yellowed, gnarly teeth poked out in an unsavory snarl as she interrogated the stranger, whose ears were flattened at the harsh verbal assault. 

Hollyleaf quickly made her way over, keen to break the confrontation up before it devolved into something worse. She purposely shuffled her feet along the way, hopefully to catch someone’s attention. 

“Hollyleaf!” Sparrowfeather was the first one to spot her and he dashed forward to meet her halfway. As he skidded to a halt, he began to inspect her up and down, looking for injuries. “Are you alright? You just disappeared on us!”

“I’m fine.” Hollyleaf murmured tersely, “I’m glad you guys found me.” 

She still felt on edge from the unsettling encounter she had. Though she had emerged unscathed, the cat-like creature that dwelled at the back of the crevice had thoroughly spooked her. 

“Sparkles,” Mapleshade’s growl was accusatory, though the molly had not taken her eyes off of the stranger, “Did you run off with this cat?” 

“Um, yes,” She replied, already anticipating the roguish molly’s ire. “- but I had a good reason! This is the cat we were tracking. He interacted with the other Starclan cat, and he took me here: the last place that he saw it.”

Hollyleaf wasn’t sure how to broach the topic of whatever lay prone at the back of the cave. Perhaps Mapleshade already knew about it. Her faded ally seemed to know quite a bit about the Place of No Stars.

Unfortunately, her explanation did little to placate the great, haggard molly, who flexed her claws in aggravation. “Why didn’t you wait for us to join you, brat? We had to go traipsing through the forest, all the while worried that you had gotten snagged for someone’s next meal!”

Mapleshade was worried about her? Hollyleaf mulled that over for a moment, not quite sure how to feel about it. The roguish molly had to have meant it in an impersonal way, stemmed from their tentative alliance. After all, they weren’t exactly friends. They were enemies working together for survival. But then again, they had spent an awful lot of time together. Their interactions had become less tense and more casual- even amicable, at times.

Hollyleaf shook herself from her stupor and nudged her head in the direction of the Shadowclan stanger, “I didn’t wait because this guy said that he wasn’t interested in interacting with you two.”

Mapleshade glanced at her with a furrowed brow, then turned to shoot the stranger an evaluative stare.

Hollyleaf also gazed upon the Shadowclan specter. His name had to be Clawface, right? It made total sense, if the pinkish, criss-crossed scar across the center of the stranger’s face was any indicator. The shadow-creature from the cave had also spoken that name, calling out to verify who Hollyleaf was. Clawface had interacted with the shadow-creature before, that much was clear.

“My, my,” Mapleshade said after a long moment of thought. A slow, tight-stretched smile snaked its way across the roguish molly’s face. “I think I know who you are!” 

She paused, twitching her whiskers in anticipation before continuing.

“You’re Brokenstar’s little friend, aren’t you? The one he was looking for when he got to the Place of No Stars…”  Mapleshade’s cold, dead, leaffall eyes stared unblinkingly at the Shadowclan ghost. “Clawface, isn’t it? Have you been over here this entire time, hidden away like a baby bunny?”

The dark-brown ticked tabby narrowed his almond-shaped eyes and flicked his ear in apparent irritation. “I haven’t been hiding.”

Mapleshade did not seem pleased with his answer, and her retort was heavily laden with sarcasm. “Did you manage to get yourself lost for a couple of lifetimes, then?”

Hollyleaf watched the interaction with wary eyes. Why had Clawface stowed himself away in the dark, misty crevices on the wrong side of the river?

The Shadowclan stranger sneered in disgust, turning his nose up at Mapleshade. “I’m not lost, squirrel-chaser! This is my home.”

“Your home?” The roguish molly’s eyes flashed with suspicion. “It’s funny that you say you live around here, frogbreath. We didn’t find a trace of you when we came in this way to recruit souls for the Dark Forest.” 

“Pfft! I had no interest in your little gang.” Clawface drawled back, the disrespect in his tone palpable. “Call me a conscientious objector.”

Mapleshade scoffed loudly in response. “I’ll call you a coward and a traitor!”

The Shadowclan specter didn’t seem too keen on being insulted, “Oh, right- I’m the traitor. What about you, huh?” He fleetingly tipped his chin up in Hollyleaf’s direction. “Ya got yourself a starry lil’ friend over there, don’t ya?”

The roguish molly bared her fangs. “I’ve got my reasons for helping the Starclan cat! You decided to help out of the goodness of your heart, didn’t you? How pathetic.”

Hollyleaf tensed in displeasure, feeling as if a cold rush of water had descended upon her. She felt a bit stupid now for wondering if Mapleshade had been genuinely worried about her. How could she have contemplated such a thing? The tortoiseshell molly was a violent, narcissistic criminal who only saw Hollyleaf as a valuable pawn- nothing more. To have thought otherwise was downright foolish.

And yet, why did she feel as if she’d been stung? 

Now angered over the fact that Mapleshade’s callous words had affected her, Hollyleaf began to swish her tail back and forth, funneling her agitation out. She was getting too comfortable with the enemy, allowing herself to kindle a kinship with someone who didn’t care an ounce about her. And worse, Hollyleaf had been comfortable enough to lower her walls down for an immoral murderer, no less.

You're a murderer too. Perhaps you two aren’t as different as you think you are. The voice in the back of her mind supplied, rather unhelpfully.

I’m nothing like her! Hollyleaf thought back defensively, then tuned herself back into the world around her.

“I don’t need to explain myself to the likes of you!” Clawface smarted back, meeting Mapleshade’s stare fearlessly. “I’m not like you reprobates. I may be stuck in this hell, but I’ve got my principles.”

Mapleshade met his gaze incredulously, looking at him as if he’d grown a second head. “Are you seriously taking a moral high ground?”

Clawface stared back adamantly, his sharp gaze unchanging.

The roguish molly began cackling loudly, as if forcing out some form of phoney amusement in response to his stance. She ended her laughing fit with a sharp wheeze, then gasped for breath and said, “You empty-minded, Shadowclan cultist! Where were your morals when you waltzed around as Brokenstar’s goon, enacting his blood-stained demands across the forest?”

“I was lost- we all were. I love Shadowclan, but Brokenstar was a tyrant, and I regret everything that I did while following him.”

Despite her low, simmering agitation at Mapleshade, Hollyleaf still faltered in surprise at Clawface’s words. This was the first cat she had met who conveyed any sort of remorse over what they had done. She furrowed her brow in suspicion, crisp skepticism arising. Was this some sort of trick to hide his true nature?

Mapleshade narrowed her eyes in disgust, then curled her lip. “I see exactly who you are now, marsh-dweller.”

“Do ya?”

“Yeah, I do,” The roguish molly’s voice turned mocking, “I was wrong before: there’s no goodness in your heart. You’re a starry-eyed coward who feels guilty over what you did. You’re hoping that by helping lost little spirits, Starclan will change their mind about you and allow you to join them in the land of moonlight and merriment.”

The Shadowclan stranger growled at her response and then spit onto the ground. “You’re a true Thunderclanner, aren’t ya? Accusing me of being selfish, when in reality you’re the one who’s self-absorbed.” His nostrils flared, “Why don’t you scram? Go and find your other little Starclan friend.” His almond-shaped eyes turned to Hollyleaf, and he shot her an irritated, searching look. “Well? Did you figure out what ya needed to know?”

She nodded back wordlessly, then thought better of keeping quiet. She had questions about that strange cave-creature. “Who was that?”

Clawface didn’t answer her. That seemed to be a theme of his: ignoring her questions and asking one of his own. “You didn’t let it touch you, right?”

“No.”

Hollyleaf waited to see if he would say anything else, but it seemed that the brown ticked-tabby was thoroughly done with the interaction. He shot Mapleshade a quick, contemptuous glare, then slinked out from his spot up against the wall and began stalking away. Hollyleaf watched as he passed her by, his pine-scent growing fainter as he briskly vacated the area and disappeared into the trees.

The clearing fell silent, with Mapleshade and Sparrowfeather both turning to look at her.

“Sparkles, what was he talking to you about?” The aforementioned molly demanded, her leaffall eyes narrowed.

Hollyleaf turned to look at Mapleshade, and a surge of anger and frustration rose up. “Why do you care?” She bit out, not bothering to reign in her temper.

Hollyleaf wasn’t sure who she was more mad at: herself or Mapleshade. The roguish molly had snidely commented about how pathetic it was to help someone like Hollyleaf out of the goodness of one's heart, and then implied that she had a more sinister, underlying motive to do so.

It wasn’t like Hollyleaf was unaware that she was being used. It was obvious that Mapleshade had only agreed to their alliance out of a desire to both gain followers and gain an advantage against Thistleclaw. Still, being treated like a pawn left a sour taste in Hollyleaf’s mouth. When the haggard molly mentioned that she was worried about her, for a moment, it felt as if there might have been a real kinship brewing between them.

But it couldn’t be more clear now how untrue that was. 

Why did Hollyleaf even care about having anything more than a tense, impersonal relationship with the rogue? Mapleshade was undoubtedly wicked to her core- and perhaps, dubiously evil, but Hollyleaf didn’t know enough about the rogue’s motivations to make that kind of assessment. 

What she did know was that Mapleshade was a killer: she had destroyed the spiritual form of a Starclan cat named Spottedleaf, just because she wanted to. And who was to say that Mapleshade hadn’t killed before? After all, the flimsy excuse of engaging in a half-clan relationship certainly wasn’t enough to warrant a sentence to the Place of No Stars. 

Had the roguish molly also birthed half-clan kits? Hollyleaf couldn’t quite remember that from the first conversation they had together.

Mapleshade shifted in place, moving weight from one foot to the other, then straightened up and narrowed her eyes, nonplussed by Hollyleaf’s outburst. 

“What’s the matter with you?”

“I’m just tired of you pretending as if I’m anything more than a pawn to you,” Hollyleaf growled. “We both know it’s an act!”

Mapleshade reared back, an unnerved look flashing through her eyes before disappearing completely. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, brat!”

“Yes you do!” Hollyleaf raised her voice, refusing to believe that Mapleshade was ignorant to her own choice of words. The roguish molly was as intentional as she was calculative. “You said you were worried about me, but that’s not true. You’re being disingenuine- the only capacity that you care about me in is how it relates to yourself!”

Mapleshade’s mouth downturned into a bitter, resentful frown. Her thick white tail began to lash back and forth with aggravation.

Hollyleaf went on, both emboldened and further agitated by the molly’s silence, “Clawface was right! You’re selfish- you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

From the corner of her eye, she noticed as Sparrowfeather gaped at her. The torbie tom had been standing there awkwardly, but now he was taking careful steps back, unwilling to become engaged in the argument.

“You think you’ve got my number, huh?” All traces of amusement had long been wiped from Mapleshade’s face. Her voice was cutting. “You think you know me?”

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes at the way Mapleshade leered at her. 

The rogue took a couple languid steps forward; her dead, rotten gaze was focused and vehement. “Make no mistake, brat: you don’t know a lick about me. The only thing you know is what I’ve chosen to show you!” She paused, eyeing Hollyleaf up and down, “But I know quite a bit about you. You’re an easy read.”

Hollyleaf bristled, affronted by the comment. 

“You’re young and impetuous- the kitten fluff has barely left your ears, and here you are thinking that you know something about the world and everyone in it! Newsflash, Sparkles, I may be a code-breaker, but so is everyone else,” She bared her teeth. “- even you.”

Hollyleaf stiffened in outrage, and the voice in the back of her mind roiled about in heated anger. She clenched her jaw and bared her teeth in return, swallowing tersely through the dryness in her mouth. Perhaps she had goaded the roguish molly into lashing out, but the tongue-lashing she was receiving now was getting under her skin. Mapleshade was fighting fire with fire, trying to elicit a reaction from her. Moments from Hollyleaf's past -those in which she had broken the Warrior Code- flashed through her mind, making her pelt itch. Hollyleaf had lied, threatened and killed, breaking the Starclan-forsaken, arbitrary code that they were all bound to. A code that had once meant so much to her, now defiled and made meaningless by both her own actions, and the actions of others.

If the roguish molly knew she was crossing a boundary, she didn’t care. “Who do you hate more, Sparkles?” The tortoiseshell raised her voice and sneered in an unsightly way. “Me, or yourself?”

“Shut up!” Hollyleaf snapped, feeling part of her careful composure slowly fracturing as her anger towards Mapleshade spiked. Out from the fissure leaked scorching hot resentment, burning it's way out like fire on dry grass.

From off to the side, Sparrowfeather cut in. “That’s enough, Mapleshade!”

“Mind your own business, runt! If she wants to dish it out, she can -”

Suddenly, a raucous cracking noise split through the clearing, silencing everyone.

Before Hollyleaf had time to think, a large, dark shape fell through the treetops, landing on the ground in between them with a resounding crash.

She leapt back in surprise, her heart hammering dully in her chest as she stared at the shape on the ground.

It was a long, jagged tree branch.

Hollyleaf stood frozen in mute shock, but shook herself out of it and turned her head to gaze up towards the sky. It was too hard see through the thick fog that blanketed the bottom of the treetops.

Sparrowfeather hissed out an expletive, and the fur across his hunched over form bristled up in alarm. “How did that happen?"

After no one made to answer him, he murmured, "There's no way a cat could have done that."

The tree branch was broken messily through the middle, it's edges jagged and sharp with splintered wood. The width of the branch was big- it was no small limb. It must have been greater a size than Hollyleaf’s whole torso. On the ground, tiny shards of tree matter lay scattered around the branch's landing place. It was a miracle that the giant projectile hadn’t smashed into one of them on the way down. It had certainly come awfully close.

Mapleshade let out a harsh breath, staring at the branch for a moment longer before then flickering her gaze over to shoot Hollyleaf an accusatory stare.

“What?” Hollyleaf snapped defensively, uncomfortable under the weight of the molly’s gaze.

“You did this, didn’t you?”

Hollyleaf recoiled with a start, unconsciously taking two steps back. “Are you out of your mind?" When the tortoiseshell molly didn't respond, she added, "Did you somehow imagine me teleporting myself into that tree while we were busy yelling at each other?”

A tiny, fearful part of Hollyleaf knew that Mapleshade wasn’t suggesting anything like that, but she was too bewildered to contemplate that further.

The roguish molly remained silent, and merely stared back with searching, callous eyes.

The longer Hollyleaf held eye contact, the stranger she began to feel about what just transpired. Her mind began reeling- it felt as though a hundred different thoughts were flashing through her subconscious. At the forefront was the unspoken implication that Hollyleaf had something to do with the branch snapping. Thistleclaw had gone on about her alleged 'power of the stars', but that had nothing to do with the tree crash, right? Something must have been leaping around up there. Or perhaps, the tree branch had just sustained damage over a period of time and it was due to fall soon, anyway. There was no way in Starclan’s name that she held any responsibility for what just happened. It wasn’t possible. It just wasn’t. 

Even Sparrowfeather was looking at her now, his brows pinching together as if contemplating the possibility that she had somehow caused the branch to break.

Daunted and unsettled, Hollyleaf turned around, avoiding the uncomfortable weight of their stares. Her paws itched with the desire to leave- to take herself out away, out of sight. 

“Where are you going, Sparkles?”

She hadn’t even noticed that her feet had begun to move. “I just need some space.”

Though she could no longer see Mapleshade’s face, she noticed a slight pause from the molly.

“That’s what you do, isn’t it, Hollyleaf?”

She froze at the mention of her name, taken off guard at the roguish molly’s lack of usual nickname. “What?”

“You run. You’re always running away from your problems, aren’t you?” The usual meanness was gone from Mapleshade’s tone. There wasn’t even a trace of wicked amusement or sneering belittlement. 

"Just leave me alone."

Unable to take any more, Hollyleaf began padding off into the forest, intent on finding a secluded spot to decompress from the strange encounter, the fight with the tortoiseshell molly, and the unexplainable tree fall.

“Let her go, Mapleshade!” She heard Sparrowfeather growl out, before the sickly, ravenous forest swallowed her up and away, like she was the last juicy mouse alive.

Chapter Text

The anxious thrum of adrenaline coursing through her heart was the only sensation Sorreltail felt as she trailed after the ragtag group of volunteers. 

After all of the speculation she and her brothers had made earlier about Mudclaw, there were still a lot of uncertainties buzzing around in Sorreltail’s mind. Was the brown tabby complicit in the disappearances of both Honeyfern and Tallstar? He had been very hostile and cagey when she had met him on the Moor with her brothers and Windflight, but that wasn’t enough to implicate him for any crimes. Rainwhisker was right: all they were really doing was going on a limb with wild guesses.

If Sorreltail knew one thing, it was that Mudclaw’s reaction to her at the Dreampool was bizarre. What had he meant by, ‘you know nothing’? Ashfoot had downright confirmed to Sorreltail that Mudclaw had been the one to find Hollyleaf’s scent. 

There had to be more to this situation than meets the eye.

It was certainly a gamble for Sorreltail to join the rescue patrol, seeing as there was no guarantee that she would even see Mudclaw, much less have an opportunity to confront him again. But if the stars were aligned and she was able to speak with him, what would his reaction be? Would he listen to her, or would he try to fight her? And if he had been the one to harm Tallstar or Honeyfern, what would stop him from doing the same to her?

A shiver of uncertainty rolled along Sorreltail’s spine, but she squared her shoulders and shook it from her pelt like it was an annoying flea. She may not have been named after her strength like Mudclaw was, but she was a fighter nonetheless. If he attempted to attack her, she wouldn’t hold back on him.

Her gaze turned to the path ahead, and she moved to catch up with Stagleap as he led the group away from the Great Oak clearing in a tense silence. From the rigidness of his haunches to his lashing tail, Sorreltail could tell that he was still riled up after his confrontation with Bluestar. 

She didn’t know much about the dusty grey tabby, aside from his quick temper and inclination towards insubordination. Like most Thunderclanners, he was fiercely loyal, but to a fault: at the Thunderclan meeting, he showed obvious disdain over Yellowfang’s former Shadowclan affiliation.

It wasn’t unreasonable of Sorreltail to assume that Stagleap harbored unfair prejudices against those without Thunderclan blood. A twinge of aggravation arose as she mulled over Thunderclan’s hyperfixation on blood. Why were so many of the older souls so quick to judge? Yellowfang had devoted her life to Thunderclan and died to try and save an Elder. That should have been enough to prove her loyalty, even to hotheads like Stagleap.

The aforementioned grey tabby came to a sudden halt, pulling Sorreltail from her thoughts and causing the rest of the party to mirror his movement. As he turned around to face the volunteers, Sorreltail caught sight of a severe, taut expression on his face. Was he always this stern-looking, or was the worry regarding Larksong getting to him?

“I give my thanks to you all for volunteering for the rescue patrol.” Stagleap began, his voice rough and grating, “I know it couldn’t have been an easy choice to go against the grain.”

A bright ginger cat to Sorreltail’s left let out a soft chuckle. “I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Larksong’s the mother of my kits, afterall!” His whiskers twitched in a good-natured fashion. “Bluestar meant well, but she never really learned to respect her Elders, did she?”

Sorreltail blinked in surprise. Was this ginger cat Featherwhisker’s father, then? She remembered hearing Featherwhisker refer to Larksong as his mother, back when the outspoken tortoiseshell came with a patrol to defend the Dreampool. 

Stagleap let out a snort and rolled his eyes. “Bluestar’s always been impertinent. Leadership just gave her an excuse for it.” He straightened up and his expression flickered, turning all business-like as he addressed all of the assembled cats. “Anyway, Littlestep is going to take us back to the Dreampool. From there we’ll follow Larksong’s trail onto Windclan land.”

The dusty tabby began to walk again, but his gaze drifted back to shrewdly observe Sorreltail and the other volunteers. “Our first prerogative is to come up with a plan on how to successfully infiltrate the Moorland and remain undetected. I think that they’ll be expecting us, but not quite so soon. They know we tend to drag our feet on matters like this, so we might have the element of surprise on our end if we play our hand well.”

Sorreltail trailed after the tabby, listening intently to his thoughts. She’d play this situation by ear for now, interested to see how the rest of the patrol would suggest they sneak onto Windclan land.

“Before we start discussing strategy, I think we should briefly try to get to know each other. A couple of us are already acquainted, but that’ll only go so far. Let’s go around in a circle- just give us your name and make sure to tell us what your strengths and weaknesses are.”

Her strengths and weaknesses? Sorreltail mulled that over for a moment. Stagleap must mean it in relation to how it would help on the rescue patrol. She wasn’t particularly swift, despite the fact that she had some moor-blood in her. Instead, she had a sturdier build more suited towards brawling, passed onto her by Whitestorm. Rainwhisker and Sootfur had more of Willowpelt’s lean, slender physique.

Her eyes drifted to the other cats in the party. Stagleap had broad shoulders and long limbs, making him one of the largest spirits amongst them. He was only dwarfed by the mottled, raven-black spirit who had been the last cat to join before Sorreltail had. The spirit hadn’t spoken yet, but it was sleek, muscled and tall. It’s pelt had an unusual pattern that reminded Sorreltail of smoke.

Next was that bright ginger tom, who had a long muzzle and big, pointy ears. She remembered his name now- he had announced himself as Flamenose as he pledged to join the rescue patrol to save Larksong. He ambled behind Littlestep, the tiny black and white tom who had come to warn them of Larksong going missing.

That left Ashfur.

Her pelt prickled a bit at the thought of him. She had been so caught up in her decision to join the patrol that she had nearly forgotten that her half-brother had joined as well. 

Peering out of the corner of her eye, Sorreltail inspected the speckled grey tabby. He had his usual grimace, deeply etched onto his aging face. She could remember a time when he used to smile more, but that had been a long time ago, before the throngs of death claimed both of them.

“I’ll start first,” Stagleap announced, redirecting Sorreltail’s attention, “My name is Stagleap, as you all know. I’m a tom who grew up in Doestar’s Thunderclan, and I died during a time called the Great Hunger. I’m skilled at climbing trees- not that we’ll encounter much of those on the Moorland. I’ve also got a powerful jump that can suit me well in fights. My only real weakness is that I’m not so great when it comes to long-term matters of endurance, especially if it comes to a sprint.”

After he was done, Sorreltail glanced around, wondering who would go next.

“Alright, don’t everyone volunteer at once.” Flamenose joked when no one jumped at the opportunity to introduce themselves. “My name is Flamenose, and I’m a tom who grew up in Oakstar’s Thunderclan. I lived long enough to be clanmates with that fuzzy oaf over there,” He tipped his head in Stagleap’s direction, “- and I’m a good tracker, as you might have been able to tell by my -nose suffix. I’m a better scout than I am a fighter, but I’m not afraid to rough up some rabbit-brains.”

Stagleap made a grunt of approval, ignoring the playful teasing directed his way. “You might be one of the most valuable assets on this mission, Flamenose. Not only are you a tracker, but you’re well acquainted with Larksong’s scent. It only makes sense for you to lead us when we traverse the Moorland.”

Flamenose dipped his head, “I’ll do my best. Now, enough about me! Who’s next?”

“I’ll go,” Ashfur said, clearing his throat, “I’m Ashfur. I was born in Bluestar’s Thunderclan, but grew up during Firestar’s leadership.”

Sorreltail couldn’t help but narrow her eyes a fraction, remembering how the speckled grey tom had conspired with a Riverclan cat to hurt Firestar. Perhaps he had since atoned for that act of treachery, but that still didn’t mean she trusted him.

“I’m not particularly skilled in anything, but I do think endurance is one of my stronger areas. I was able to outrun a pack of dogs, once. Perhaps I should have been named Ashfoot,” He gave a little lopsided smile, “- but then there would have been two around at the same time.”

“Stranger things have happened,” Stagleap grunted, “Did you know that there’s a Stagleap in the Windclan sector, too? Imagine that. He’s just about the only Windclanner I happen to like.”

There were a couple chuckles at that before Littlestep took his turn. “Say, Stagleap, I don’t know if I should join you guys on the patrol. What do you think?”

“I think six of us might be pushing it, depending on how we wanna go about this. You might as well introduce yourself anyway, until we decide on a plan.”

The small black and white tom acquiesced and dipped his head. “Righty then, I’m Littlestep. I grew up in Oakstar’s Thunderclan. What I lack in brute strength I make up for in agility.”

He didn’t say anything more, leaving a bout of silence in the group. Sorreltail shifted awkwardly as she wondered if she should go next, but before she mustered the courage to speak, the smoky black cat spoke.

“I am Leopardfoot, a molly from Doestar’s Thunderclan.” 

Sorreltail blinked in surprise at the molly’s pleasant, modulated voice. Subtly, she peaked over, only to notice Leopardfoot’s riveting stare sweep across the group. For a brief moment, Sorreltail held eye contact with the smoky-molly. In spite of the wary glint in Leopardfoot’s twin orbs, her gaze was a shining green, like dew on misty forest moss.

“I’m fast and light on my feet,” Leopardfoot continued, taking soundless steps across the forest floor. “I’ve also been on a raiding party before. It was against Windclan that time, too.”

Stagleap was quiet for a moment as he eyed the mottled molly, “Your speed will come in handy for us if you can outrun a Windclan cat.”

“We’ll just have to see.” Leopardfoot said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

It was quiet after that, and Sorreltail realized with a start that she was the only one who hadn’t introduced themself.

“I’m Sorreltail,” She said, clearing her throat to catch everyone’s attention, “I’m a molly who grew up in Firestar’s Thunderclan.”

“Yes,” Stagleap interjected, a curious look in his eyes. “Thunderclan’s been talking about you lately.”

Sorreltail didn’t doubt that she was the center of a lot of gossip over as of late, especially after the choice she made to join the rescue party. Aside from that, there wasn’t a cat outside of the Endmost who hadn’t yet heard about the disappearances. As Honeyfern’s mother, Sorreltail was often approached and questioned about her daughter, to the point where it felt more intrusive than kind. Even worse was the same, identical look of pity that strangers wore, as if they were thinking: Poor Sorreltail. Still hopelessly on the search for her forever-missing daughter.

With her eyes downcast, she continued, “I was given the tail suffix because I’ve got good equilibrium, especially when it comes to fighting, running or climbing. I’m not particularly fast, but I’ve got my wits.”

Stagleap nodded with a pleased hum, “Alright, so we’ve got a tracker, two possible runners, and two fighters. We’re evenly balanced. Now we just need to come up with a good infiltration plan.”

The tracker was obviously Flamenose. Ashfur and Leopardfoot must be the runners, leaving Sorreltail and Stagleap as the fighters. She lifted her head a bit higher, feeling the gravity of the situation weigh down on her. These cats would be relying on her to help defend them if the situation called for it. She needed to be ready- Mudclaw or no Mudclaw.

“Perhaps we ought to roll around in something to disguise our scents.” Ashfur said, “Some sort of Moorland plant that’ll help us to blend in.”

“Good idea, Ashfur.” Flamenose added, “Let’s try and stick to the tall grasses, too. Wouldn’t hurt to stay out of sight if we can help it.”

One by one, the party of cats leapt over a small tree that lay prone on the forest floor.

Stagleap nodded in agreement. “All good ideas. Now, there are certain things we won’t be able to account for, such as cats we’ll encounter on the way. Do you all know standard Thunderclan patrol signals?”

The group murmured their assent, and Sorreltail took that moment to join the discussion. “Ashfur and I are a lot greener than the rest of you. Let’s go over the patrol signals briefly to make sure that nothing has changed over the last few generations.”

“Good point, kid.” Flamenose responded, “Hadn’t thought of that.”

“Alright,” Stagleap dropped into a crouch and held his tail straight up in the air. The rest of the patrol reflexively halted in their tracks and mirrored his movement. 

“Seems we all know the signal for stop.” Flamenose chuckled, “What about go?”

The dusty grey tabby dropped his tail into a regular, resting state and began to stalk forward. Sorreltail recognized that movement too, moving to follow him.

“It seems that we know the basics, but what about the specifics?” Ashfur asked, “What’s your signal for Windclan? Or your signal to attack?”

“If we see a Windclanner, straighten your tail out so it’s rigid and then point in the direction of where the target is. With your left paw, make a light tapping movement against the ground for how many foes there are, and then make another tapping motion with your right paw for each foxlength away that they are. If we are to attack, the signal is an arched back and tail lash.”

Sorreltail nodded thoughtfully. That was standard practice on most battle patrols. She’d be curious to talk to the other cats later about what other signage they were taught.

“Sounds good to me,” Ashfur grunted, “We should be fine, though. I doubt that anyone really wants to fight, anyway.”

Windclan seemed all too eager to jump into the fight, Sorreltail thought with a frown. But then again, so had Thunderclan. The climate of Starclan was absolutely on-edge. What did the Riverclan and Shadowclan sectors think of all of this?

Stagleap began theorizing aloud infiltration tactics again, and the group fell into a congenial, albeit apprehensive trot towards the Dreampool. Flamenose and Ashfur had a lot to interject, whereas Littlestep was silent most of the way. Occasionally, Leopardfoot would offer a tidbit of advice, but otherwise listened in quietly.

Sorreltail trotted along next to the smoky-black molly, shooting her a glance every so often. Leopardfoot was unusually patterned for a Thunderclan cat, but she was pretty in an unconventional way. There seemed to be an air of wariness surrounding her, as if the molly was on-edge and ready for something to go wrong. Sorreltail also wasn’t remiss in noticing how the crowd of Thunderclan cats at the Great Oak clearing had hushed when Leopardfoot volunteered for the patrol.

“Can I ask you something?” Sorreltail whispered to the other molly, her voice low as the toms at the front continued plotting.

“What is it?” Leopardfoot shot her a guarded look, but didn’t seem completely unfriendly.

“Why did you decide to join the rescue patrol?”

The smoky-spirit seemed to falter for a moment, but the tension in her shoulders ebbed away and she blinked pleasantly. “Larksong has always been kind to me. I couldn’t just turn my back on her when she needed help,” Her smile turned wry, “And I’m not afraid of Thunderclan’s judgement. I’ve got enough of it as is.”

Sorreltail hesitated, not confident enough yet with their interaction to inquire further. “I know how it feels to have others talking about you behind your back. The other Starclan cats don’t mean it unkindly, but it weighs on me nonetheless.”

Unexpectedly, Leopardfoot spoke up just as she finished. “Listen, Sorreltail, Thunderclan doesn’t just talk about you because of, well,” She paused for a moment, “- what happened. They also talk about you because you died a hero. Though you had just brought life into this world, you fought until the end to save the clans. It’s an admirable, honorable thing, really.”

Her eyes flickered over to the smoke-colored molly in shock. Leopardfoot smiled back at her, and in that moment Sorreltail felt a swell of emotion rise up in her throat. Was that truly what Thunderclan thought about her? They saw her as a hero?

It was hard to speak, but she managed a small, “Thank you.”

“Nothing to thank me for. I just wanted to make sure you knew the truth.” 

Sorreltail blinked slowly, feeling as if her heart had just grown two sizes larger. She was beyond grateful for Leopardfoot’s kind, reassuring words. Truthfully, Sorreltail had always put up a tough front, but beneath it all she still felt sad and alone, as silly as it was. She had family helping her every step of the way, and yet she felt that only her brothers seemed to understand the grief she was going through. It was refreshing to be uplifted by a stranger, instead of being pitied or avoided.

After a bit longer of a walk, the small patrol of cats made it to the starry waters known as the Dreampool. The glittering surface seemed undisturbed, despite the battle that had occurred there just recently. The land surrounding the pool, however, was scuffed up considerably. Grass was flattened, stones were scattered, and even some plants were uprooted.

Sorreltail froze as a strong pine scent reached her nose.

Shadowclan?

She turned to look towards where the scent was strongest. A small pawful of unfamiliar cats were speaking to the recognizable form of Longtail. The cats were smaller and leaner, some with flattened faces and thick pelts.

“Oh Starclan,” Sorreltail murmured, “What are they doing here?”

The patrol halted in their tracks, eyeing the Shadowclanners with mixed reactions. Stagleap seemed tense with suspicion, while Ashfur seemed eager as he eyed the foreign group. Littlestep whispered something to Stagleap before approaching Longtail and joining the conversation.

“Stagleap!” Sorreltail froze at the familiar voice. It couldn’t be…

The scraggly form of Goosefeather stalked over, followed by a large, long-furred white cat. Sorreltail couldn’t help the small smile that emerged into her face. What a shock it must have been for Goosefeather to return with who was presumably Cloudberry, only to stumble upon the utter chaos that had enveloped the Dreampool.

The two spirits came to a stop in front of Sorreltail and the patrol. The speckled grey tom’s narrowed eyes swept across the group before landing on Sorreltail. “Oh, it’s you. Is Featherwhisker alright?”

“He’s a little shaken up, but otherwise he's fine.”

“Good,” Goosefeather blinked at her gratefully before his expression settled back into something sour. He shifted his gaze to Stagleap before letting out a low, angry growl. “You heathens should know better than to pick a fight on such holy ground!”

Stagleap flattened his ears and curled his lip. “Don’t you dare lecture me about unfounded fights, Goosefeather! Windclan started this one and Thunderclan finished it!”

The spirit at Goosefeather’s side scowled in a way that seemed even more exaggerated by the cat’s flattened face. “Did all of you leave your diplomacy in the mortal realm? This behavior is absurd to the highest degree.”

“I didn’t come back here to get lectured.” Stagleap retorted, “I’m leading this group on a rescue mission to bring Larksong back.”

“She wouldn’t have gotten nabbed by Windclan if Thunderclan hadn’t decided to keep the Dreampool hostage!” The speckled Medicine cat’s tone was just as cutting as it was when he was berating Leafpool.

Sorreltail swallowed nervously, hoping that Goosefeather hadn’t put two and two together that Ashfoot had tipped the rest of Windclan off about the choice to bar them from the Forest. That had been Sorreltail’s fault for waking up Ashfoot to begin with. Then again, the regal deputy would have been forced out one way or another, and Goosefeather seemed more aggravated about Thunderclan’s blunder.

Stagleap let out a long, frustrated sigh, as if used to dealing with Goosefeather’s rants. Flamenose flicked his ear uncomfortably and forced out a laugh, nudging the dusty tabby in a good-natured way.

“What is Shadowclan doing here?” Leopardfoot interjected, asking the question everyone wanted to know.

“They heard about the tension between our two clans,” Cloudberry began, a perceptive glint shining in her eyes, “- and they are offering their services in… defending the Dreampool from Windclan.”

“Uh oh,” Sorreltail shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. Shadowclan and Windclan never got along well in matters that concerned faith. They were always arguing with one another about something to do with religion, both claiming to be more knowledgeable and pious than the other. At the very least it was petty, but at its worst it was dangerous. Was Shadowclan trying to one-up Windclan by siding with Thunderclan over the Dreampool?

“Are they acting alone, or on behalf of their clan?” Leopardfoot followed up, her voice taking on a brisk, sharp edge. 

“We aren’t sure.” Goosefeather grunted, shooting a cold look in the Shadowclanners’ direction. “I don’t know how Shadowclan comes to group decisions, if they do at all.”

Stagleap let out another frustrated huff. “Well, we can’t get involved in this right now- we have to go to the Moor while we still have time. Littlestep knows what he’s doing, and I trust him to sort this all out with them.”

In response, the speckled Medicine cat narrowed his eyes and said, “Don’t make this any worse, Stagleap.”

“Trust me, we won’t.” The dusty tabby smarted back, flicking his tail to the rest of the group to get them to follow him. 

“There’s a patch of lavender on the outskirts of the Moorland. Try rolling around in that.” Cloudberry offered, watching them go with disappointed eyes.

Sorreltail trailed after Stagleap, shooting lasting glances back at the Medicine cats and the Shadowclan interlopers until they were long out of sight.

It didn’t take Flamenose long before he was able to pick up on Larksong’s trail. It was still fairly fresh, and the undergrowth was disturbed in a way that implicated a chase had occurred.

“I’d say that she ran off in this direction, in pursuit of someone,” The ginger tom said aloud, eyeing the foliage as he walked. They continued forward until the trees thinned out and the beginning of wheatgrass began to appear. 

“It’s harder to tell now that there aren’t as many forest indicators, but I think that she chased them a little further and was jumped by someone.” Flamenose indicated to a sector of trampled grass that faintly looked as if someone had fallen upon it.

Stagleap shot Flamenose a grave look, then said in a low voice, “If possible, let’s try to follow the trail from a distance. I don’t want us getting jumped the same way.”

The ginger tom nodded once, then turned to the rest of the group and gave them a determined look of encouragement. “Follow my lead.”

With that, the group proceeded forward, onto the tree-less, grassland of the Moor. As Cloudberry promised, there was a small patch of lavender, scarcely as large as the Windclan sector’s Lavender Fields, but it would have to do. Each cat took turns rolling around in the flowery plant until they all thoroughly smelled earthy and floral. Then they continued on in a silent, tense line.

Stagleap trailed right behind Flamenose, followed by Leopardfoot, Ashfur, and Sorreltail at the rear. As mentioned earlier, the ginger tom tried to keep them close to the longer grasses, but occasionally they would have to creep closer towards the main trail to make sure they didn’t lose track of the direction they needed to go.

At one point, Flamenose let out a harsh breath through his nose, shaking his head in dismay at an especially flattened part of the trail. It looked as if someone had gotten dragged.

Sorreltail kept herself low to the ground, her pelt prickling uneasily as they crawled deeper into the heart of the Moor. All the while, she kept her ears alert for any sounds, but all she could hear was the rushing noise of grass shifted by the wind.

They continued onwards for a short while before Flamenose came to an abrupt halt, dropping into a crouch and shooting his tail upwards. Each cat who followed him mirrored his movements, until it reached Sorreltail at the end. She dropped even lower and peaked around, wondering what the ginger tom had seen.

Suddenly, Flamenose’s tail shifted downwards and straightened rigidly, almost smacking Stagleap in the face. His long tail turned counterclockwise, facing the right, before the tom began making two tapping paw-movements on the ground with his paw. Then, with his right paw, he made another five paw-movements, then stilled.

Two Windclanners, five foxlengths away. Sorreltail thought to herself, holding her breath and waiting for further instruction. She couldn’t see the Windclanners over the tall grass bordering them to their right, but Flamenose must have scented them. Larksong’s trail was somewhere on the other side of the grass. Had Windclan anticipated a Thunderclan retaliation and sent lackeys to keep an eye out for them?

Regardless, she didn’t hear any movement, and Flamenose chose to instead keep moving forward ever so silently. By some miracle, they managed to move quietly enough that no Windclanner came barreling over, demanding to know what they were doing on the Moorland.

They traveled straight for a little while longer before Flamenose had them stop again. His tail remained high in the air even as he continued forward, so the patrol waited until he came slinking back a moment later. Was he checking on the trail again?

Suddenly, the ginger tom began leading them at a leftward angle, all the while scenting the air. In front of them was a long bare patch of land with sparse grass-cover, but unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any way around it. 

Sorreltail peered past the grass, looking to see if there were any Windclanners on look-out somewhere. She couldn’t see any of them, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one hiding somewhere. What would they do? Try and sneak through the sparse, open land and hope that no one saw them?

Flamenose was crouched low, seemingly mulling the decision over in his mind. 

They didn’t really have another choice, did they?

A moment later, the ginger tom turned and whispered something quietly in Stagleap’s ear. The dusty tabby turned and whispered something in Leopardfoot’s ear, and so on and so forth until Ashfur’s hot breath puffed a quiet message in Sorreltail’s ear.

“One at a time. Wait for the signal from the other side!”

She gulped quietly and watched as Flamenose darted sneakily across the open space. For a long moment, nobody moved, waiting to see when the ginger tom would make the signal. Then, after another long bout of silence, a small paw popped out from the grass and made a come-hither movement.

She would have laughed if she wasn’t so nervous and didn’t need to keep silent. One by one, the rest of the rescue patrol darted across the open space until it was Sorreltail’s turn. By that time, the anxiety was beginning to claw up her throat, making her sick with anticipation.

Then, a familiar ginger paw peeked out, motioning her forward.

Holding her breath, Sorreltail slithered out and darted across the open space, careful to take light steps until she was able to shoot herself into the grass on the other side. She froze and she came to a stop, listening in wait for a caterwaul or scuffle of limbs, but thankfully, the clearing remained comfortingly quiet.

Thanking the stars above for such good fortune, Sorreltail turned to following the rest of the group, wondering when they would be able to find Larksong.

They marched forward until a large hill became visible in front of them. The great, grassy hill reminded Sorreltail of how she was brought to the backend of a large hill for her interrogation by the Windclan leadership.

Flamenose lifted his tail up in a ‘stop’ motion, and the rest of the patrol crouched low to the ground in wait. If Sorreltail listened acutely, she could detect what seemed to be the sound of voices from somewhere on the other side. Was that where they were keeping the Thunderclan molly?

Stagleap and Flamenose began whispering again in low tones.

Sorreltail waited impatiently, her claws digging into the hard Moorland ground. What was the plan?

The two toms seemed to come to some sort of decision, because the whispering chain started again until Ashfur whispered into her ear,

“Her scent is strong. Split up. Stagleap and Flamenose will climb and peak over the top. You and Leopardfoot will move in from the bottom left side of the hill. I’ll move in from the right.”

Sorreltail furrowed her brow and shot Ashfur a quick nod before moving to stand next to Leopardfoot. Slowly, the three separate groups began to move: Flamenose and Stagleap, Sorreltail and Leopardfoot, and Ashfur by himself.

Leopardfoot blinked at Sorreltail with a worried look at the two began to stealthily creep around the left side of the hill. The smoky-molly took the lead, her soft footfalls barely making a sound through the rushing grass. They both slunk low, trying to hide as best they could in the medium-height wheatgrass.

As they slowly approached, the sound of voices became louder and clearer.

“You can’t just hold me here!” Sorreltail stilled for a moment. That was definitely Larksong’s voice.

“What did you expect, squirrel-chaser? You empty headed buffoons shouldn’t have claimed the Dreampool for Thunderclan’s land! What gives you the right to bar Windclan from speaking to their descendants?”

“Well what gave you the right to claim the Moor for yourselves? You rabbit-brains started this whole mess!”

Sorreltail peeked out from behind Leopardfoot. Up ahead was a circle of cats, with Larksong held in the center of it. The tortoiseshell looked a little scuffed up, with her fur disheveled, likely from the uncharacteristic journey of being dragged through the tall grasses.

A familiar brown shape caught Sorreltail’s eye. Yes, it was Mudclaw, just as she expected. The tall spirit was facing Larksong in an antagonistic fashion, with ire on his face.

“You Thunderclanners have caused enough trouble for the rest of us! We’re going to hold you here until they give us their word that they’ll allow us to visit the Dreampool undisturbed.”

Sorreltail narrowed her eyes in thought. So Mudclaw trusted Thunderclan’s word, huh? Where was that trust when she promised Heatherstar that she wouldn’t tell anyone about Tallstar’s secret? Mudclaw had been the first one to protest.

Leopardfoot nudged her gently and shot her a confused look. Sorreltail stared at her a moment longer before she got it: neither of them knew what to do next. Did Stagleap and Flamenose have some sort of plan from here?

As if taking their cue, the two toms rose up from the top of the hill and began walking down it, making no attempt to conceal themselves or otherwise be subtle. Sorreltail stared at them in muted shock, not understanding what was transpiring. 

“Thunderclan!” The Windclan cats jerked around to face the threat, the fur on their backs bristling.

“Wait! We come in peace.” Stagleap called out, making no move to attack or charge. “We’re liaisons sent by Thunderclan to negotiate the release of Larksong.”

Sorreltail’s eyes bulged wide, and Leopardfoot bristled a bit in surprise. Stagleap was lying through the skin of his teeth!

Mudclaw narrowed his eyes, and the other Windclan cats shifted and murmured amongst themselves. Larksong had her eyes trained on Flamenose and Stagleap, a small smile threatening to burst forth onto her face.

“I would have expected Thunderclan to send actual leaders, not two nobodies.”

Stagleap lifted his nose up at the Windclanners. “After what you’ve done, none of our leaders want to even look at you, let alone speak to you! How dare you start a fight on sacred, holy land? I would have thought better from a clan as pious as yours.”

Sorreltail wondered how long Stagleap would be able to hold up this boldfaced lie. Windclan weren’t daft, and they’d catch on soon enough… but maybe that was the point. Were they waiting on some sort of signal before they charged over to retrieve Larksong?

Mudclaw let out a scathing hiss. “You must be joking! Thunderclan struck first! We were only defending ourselves.”

“Likely story,” Flamenose growled, the usual amiableness missing from his intonation, “This is just an excuse for you war-mongers to try and stir up more trouble, if you ask me. But let’s get on to the point of this meeting: release Larksong over to us. It’s the honorable thing to do.”

 “Thunderclan cares more about honor than it does fairness to the other clans!” One of the Windclan cats jeered, and the rest of them let out murmurs of agreement. 

Mudclaw spoke up again. “Our terms are simple, squirrelchasers: we want Thunderclan’s word that they’ll back off from the Dreampool. It’s Windclan’s divine right to use it when we please!”

Stagleap turned to Flamenose and they began whispering to one another. Was it for show, or were they planning their next move? After a long, exaggerated moment, Stagleap faced Mudclaw once more and said, “Thunderclan agrees to those terms, on one condition.”

The brown tabby scowled, “And what’s that?”

Stagleap took a few more casual steps down the hill until he was only a foxlength or two away from the Windclanners. They watched him approach with wary eyes.

“Our one condition,” The dusty grey tabby sneered at them, “- is that you eat foxdung and die.”

Mudclaw’s expression shifted furiously, but before he could open his mouth to say anything, an almighty screeching sounded off from behind the Windclan cats, causing the group of them to stir in alarm. Not a moment later, something gray and vaguely cat-shaped projectile-catapulted itself out from the grass behind them and into the fray.

Sorreltail stiffened and watched as Larksong used that moment to shove her way out from the circle, and then the fight was on. Stagleap and Flamenose came charging down the hill with matching caterwauls, their claws extended and ready to attack.

Windclan had been taken by surprise- that gray shape must have been Ashfur!

Sorreltail and Leopardfoot leapt to their feet and attacked the Windclan cats from the left, letting out vicious yowls of their own to startle the Moorland cats. She knew that they didn’t have long before all of Windclan came over to aid in the fight, so they needed to act fast.

They were evenly matched as far as numbers went, now that they managed to free Larksong from the constricting circle she had been forced to cower in. The tortoiseshell molly was swiping at one of the Windclan cats with Flamenose, forcing it back and corning it alone.

Stagleap seemed to be engaged in a fight with two lean cats, but Sorreltail didn’t have time to watch further. A short-furred, unfamiliar spirit came barreling towards her, keen on using it’s speed to land a quick hit.

Sorreltail ducked under one of the cat’s swipes, then countered with one of her own, keeping the spirit out of arm’s length. They circled each other for a moment before Sorreltail decided to be bold and make a move. She barreled towards the spirit, charging with her fangs bared. 

The spirit deftly avoided her attack, but Sorreltail used her momentum to swing around and leap on top of the Windclanner. They both fell in a heap, the light from their stars blinding as they both grappled for power. Despite the threat of the Windclanner’s gnashing teeth, Sorreltail was able to gain the upper hand. She maneuvered her needle sharp claws against the stranger’s exposed stomach, the threat clear in her eyes.

“Yield!” She hissed, not wanting to hurt the spirit any further. 

The cat relented, and she allowed it to get up before she chased it off. Panting, she glanced behind her to see what was happening with the battle.

She couldn’t see Larksong and Flamenose any longer. Were they able to escape? She couldn’t see the Windclan cat they were fighting before, either. 

To her horror, Leopardfoot was dueling with Mudclaw, and the brown tabby seemed to be faring well. The smoky-black molly’s hindquarters were twinkling more in one place then normal. Had she sustained a harsh blow?

Sorreltail barged over, moving to stand protectively next to her ally. “Get out of here!” She insisted, nudging Leopardfoot away. “Get Stagleap and leave as fast as you can!”

“What about you?” Leopardfoot’s voice was strained, but the hardness in her eyes showed a fierce determination to stay and fight.

“Mudclaw and I have some unfinished business.” Sorreltail said, her gaze shifting to the brown tabby standing opposite to them. “Don’t worry, Leopardfoot. I’ll meet you guys back at the Dreampool.”

The smoky-black molly was quiet for a prolonged moment, but Sorreltail’s words seemed to placate her. The worry in the molly’s moss-green eyes was abundant, but she turned and leapt away to aid Stagleap, leaving Sorreltail alone with Mudclaw.

As Sorreltail faced the brown tabby, the world seemed to slow down. 

The loud fighting that was once the center of focus faded away until only the two of them remained, quiet and still.

She stared fiercely at Mudclaw, hoping and praying that none of her fear would show through. He was a powerful warrior, and if it came to a fight, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to win. 

He stared back at her, a mix of emotions flashing through his wide, expressive eyes, before he narrowed them in cold suspicion. Sorreltail wasn’t familiar enough with him know for certain, but she thought she saw something akin to fear flit through his gaze- before it was squashed like a bothersome fly.

“You and I need to have a little talk,” Sorreltail said, her voice sounding chilly even to her own ears. “I need answers from you, Mudclaw. There’s something you’re not telling me. I can feel it in my gut.”

The deputy stood steady and resolute. He did not falter under her withering stare, but a guardedness began to show through, just like it had first time she encountered him on the Moor. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do!” She all but growled, trying to keep her cool. Did Mudclaw have something to do with all of this? Did he hurt her daughter? Did he scapegoat Hollyleaf? “Aren’t you tired of all of this, Mudclaw? Help me to resolve this whole mess so we can all find some sort peace in our afterlife.”

The brown tabby let out a patronizing snort, and then opened his mouth to retort. Before he could say anything, Sorreltail watched as his mouth closed again without saying a word. He no longer seemed to be focusing on her, much to her ire. Instead, his expression was now stoic and guarded as he stared at something- or someone behind her.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose up on their own accord. 

She slowly turned, trepidation clouding her senses and causing her claws to unsheathed into the cold, hard dirt.

“Sorreltail,” A familiar voice said.

Not a foxlength away from her stood Ashfur, her half-brother, his fur wild and unkempt from the battle. His saggy, red-rimmed eyes were locked on her, a fervent intensity to his gaze. “What are you doing, Sorreltail? We’re in the middle of a battle.”

“I just needed to -”

“No.” Ashfur interrupted, his voice sharp like flint. “We need to get out of here. Now.”

The harshness behind his voice made her falter for a moment, but she decided to take stock of the situation. Behind Ashfur, Leopardfoot and Stagleap were gone, as were the other Windclan cats. A shuffling in the long grasses behind Mudclaw implied reinforcements might be coming soon, and as much as she wanted to stay and speak to the deputy, she needed to escape before Windclan took another prisoner.

Shooting a glare at Ashfur for interrupting her confrontation, Sorreltail turned away from Mudclaw and began to follow her clanmate. They sprinted away as fast as they could, adrenaline pushing them forward while exertion pulled at their limbs. 

Sorreltail took one last look behind her before leaving Windclan and Mudclaw behind.

The brown tabby stood frozen in the same spot, his eyes unreadable.

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf stormed mindlessly through the decrepit forest, pushing forward blindly as if on auto-pilot.

Her paws still thrummed with the need to get as far away from Mapleshade as possible, but the molly’s parting words had struck a cacophonous chord in Hollyleaf. She resisted the urge to tear at the ground, her jaw clenching bitterly as her mind replayed the argument she had just engaged in.

‘That’s what you do, isn’t it, Hollyleaf? You run. You’re always running away from your problems, aren’t you?’

Was that true? Hollyleaf could think of plenty of times where she had confronted her problems head on, but now that she thought about it, the roguish molly may have had a point. When Hollyleaf was still alive, she had run away from her brothers after revealing the truth of their blood-borne lineage. Jayfeather and Lionblaze had chased after her desperately, but she had always been the fastest out of the litter, hadn’t she? 

And then the tunnels collapsed, leaving her hidden and trapped beneath the soil, only comforted by the lone spirit of Fallen Leaves. Her heart panged dully at the thought of her old friend. Had he finally found peace?

Now that she thought about it, even in Starclan she had run away- from the Windclan mob, that was. But her flight had been out of the fear she felt, intimidated by the hateful snarls from the frigid Moorland spirits. Had it been unreasonable of her to run in an effort to try and protect herself?

The voice in the back of her mind whispered a soft no.

Hollyleaf slowed to a tentative walk, staring down at her paws as she reflected on both her past in Starclan and in the mortal realm. Unconsciously, her thoughts drew back to Ashfur, who had died at her own claws. The intrusive image of his blood pooling at her feet captured her mind, and in response, the voice in the back of her mind recoiled in disgust.

Would you stop thinking about that? It was in the past. Just let it die.

Like how she let Ashfur die? The scarlet droplets dribbling out of his mouth into the dark, swirling waters? 

He had probably been elated to hear about how she’d been chased out of Starclan. He hadn’t bought her innocence in the slightest, no matter what she said to try and defend herself.

Wait.

Hollyleaf halted in her tracks, chilled to the bone by a disturbing thought: had Ashfur somehow played a part in her expulsion? Thistleclaw needed to have a spy inside of Starclan, after all. How else could he have orchestrated the terrible series of events that had led to her becoming trapped inside of the Place of No Stars?

A nagging thought nipped at the back of her mind, unbidden but disheartening nonetheless. Had Ashfur done something to harm Honeyfern? It wouldn’t make sense to do something so callous to a clanmate, but then again, he had been ready to see Hollyleaf burn- and she had left him to bleed out onto the stones.

Stop wallowing!

Hollyleaf scowled and shook her head. It was hard enough not to think about what she had done, let alone feel a semblance of peace about it. Two conflicting feelings always encompassed her heart: the contrasting, strange mixtures of guilt and vindication, insoluble and constantly at war with one another.

Still, the thought of Ashfur trying to hurt Honeyfern made her fur stand on end. What would he have to gain by that? Revenge?

How would he have initiated contact with Thistleclaw to begin with? It’s not like the two of them knew or had any connection to one another, right?

The voice in the back of her mind provided no answers.

Despite the anxiety that was churning in her gut, Hollyleaf felt as though her incessant thinking had somehow calmed herself, even if just a little bit. She was still angry, it was true, but it had tempered down into something manageable again. 

How would she face the roguish molly after what had happened? It didn’t seem like a situation worth apologizing over, since both of them had acted a little mean. Then again, Hollyleaf had started it this time. It had been her own mistake to think Mapleshade was anything other than a heartless brute.

And then there was the matter of Mapleshade accusing Hollyleaf of causing the tree branch to break. How exactly would she confront that? 

Hollyleaf wanted to tell the roguish molly that there were bees in her brain. After all, how could she have caused the branch to break? She hadn’t even touched it.

But you were able to bring Breezepelt into the Place of No Stars, even though you hadn’t physically touched him.

The voice was right. If she had indeed caused the branch to break, then perhaps it was related to whatever power she supposedly had, according to Thistleclaw. 

The thought of the towering grey tabby sent a silent shudder through her. She didn’t know if she could trust his word. He had lied to Mapleshade at the Black Rock, so what was to say that he wasn’t lying to Hollyleaf about her alleged power? Perhaps his plan was to fill her head with thoughts that would tantalize her: ones where she wasn’t tragically ordinary, left behind in her brothers’ shadows.

No, there’s something special about you, Hollyleaf. The voice in her mind interjected. You’re far from ordinary. I knew it from the moment I saw you.

She smiled a bit in response, but the crackling of a leaf broke her from her comforted stupor. Immediately, she shifted her ears to determine the direction of where it came from. Had she accidentally stumbled upon Clawface? He had left in a hurry not long before she and Mapleshade fought.

Another noise disrupted the dead of night. It sounded as if someone were shuffling along somewhere ahead of her. Quietly, she crouched down and began to stalk forward until she reached the shelter of a thicket.

Peering underneath, she could make out the form of a cat on the other side. It was bulky and ginger, sniffing at the ground and moving along with a familiar gait.

Redwillow!

The sight of her ally was enough to startle her forward, past the cover of the thicket and into the break in the trees where the ginger tom was rifling.

Her sudden appearance seemed to startle him, as evident from the way he took a cautious step back.

“Redwillow, it’s me!” She breathed out, excited to see him even though she didn’t particularly like him. Redwillow was an unpleasant brute, but he was Sparrowfeather’s friend from Shadowclan, and that amounted for something. Even though her torbie friend had tried to hide it, she often noticed the glazed look of worry in his hazel eyes as he stared off into space when he thought no one was looking. She could only imagine how happy he’d be after she brought Redwillow back.

Come to think of it, did that mean Maggottail survived too? She didn’t notice anyone else skulking about.

Redwillow didn’t say anything at first as he stared at her. There was a strange look in his eyes that she’d never seen before. It looked almost guilty, in a way.

As if sensing her evaluation of him, the ginger tom bared his teeth, “You survived.”

“Of course I did.” She smarted back, “Are you surprised?”

He was quiet for a long moment as he held her challenging stare. Then, right before the silence became too uncomfortable, he said, “I wish Sparrowfeather had never found you.”

“What?” She replied back defensively, taken aback by his statement but not altogether surprised. It wasn’t anything new to hear that he wasn’t fond of her. In fact, when they first met, he seemed awfully intent on shredding her until Sparrowfeather intervened.

“I wish I had killed you,” Redwillow spoke again, ignoring her question. Then, in a softer voice, he said, “I wish you had just stayed in Starclan.”

She stared at him for a moment longer before a terrible feeling began to brew in her heart. Why had he said those things? His words unnerved her. Combined with the cautious way he was looking at her, it felt like something might be wrong. 

He might be compromised! Get out of here!

Hollyleaf took a slow step back. Redwillow matched her movement with a step of his own.

She coiled herself tightly like a snake ready to strike, then sucked in a harsh breath, ready to both bolt and yowl in alarm. No sooner had she prepared herself before a blistering, terrible pain sprouted in the middle of her temple, catching her by surprise and causing her to sway unsteadily.

As Hollyleaf stumbled to the ground, she realized dully that she had been struck, hard.

Then the world went black.

She wasn’t in a forest anymore.

In fact, there were no trees around at all. It seemed as though the land stretched forever, without a landmark in sight. Only the gentle sway of wheatgrass could be seen, swallowing up the surroundings with it’s soft, feather fronds.

Hollyleaf stared ahead blankly. She had never been here before. Where was she?

Above her, two bright stars twinkled brightly in the empty sky, their combined glimmer lighting up the grassland.

Cautiously, Hollyleaf padded forward and began wandering through the vast emptiness. The long grass brushed up against her belly as she moved along, but the feeling wasn’t altogether unpleasant.

Suddenly, something wet brushed up against her foot. Startled, she took a step back and peered down. There was a dip in the ground that slowly gave way to a small stretch of water, no better than a glorified puddle.

Hollyleaf stared down at the surface of the water. Her eyes, glinting yellow from the light of the stars, stared back in shock.

What are you doing here? Her reflection demanded. 

Hollyleaf didn’t know what to say.

Wake up! You need to wake up, now!

When Hollyleaf came to consciousness, the first thing she noticed was an awful pounding on her temple. Someone was shouting nearby, and the sound was exacerbating her headache. The spot throbbed sharply- it felt as though someone had thwacked her right in between the eyes.

Then again, that was probably exactly what happened.

Where was she? Blearily, she blinked open her eyes but was unable to recognize her surroundings. She was still in the Place of No Stars, that much was certain, but it was not near the thicket where she was before. Instead, she was somewhere else on the wrong side of the river. The thick mist meant that wherever she was, it hopefully wasn’t too far from the strange boulder where the encounter with the shadow-creature happened.

Wracking her brain, Hollyleaf raced to recall the last thing she remembered before blacking out. She had stumbled upon Redwillow, who had somehow  -and miraculously- survived the fight against Thistleclaw’s cronies. She had tried to talk to him in hopes of reintegrating him back into the group, but his usual demeanor was off. 

The next thing she knew, she had been struck. 

Had Redwillow tried to hurt her?

“You’re lucky I didn’t flay you for that.” A disembodied voice deadpanned, it’s tone everso familiar in ways that sent chills racing along Hollyleaf’s spine.

She discreetly turned her head in the direction of the ongoing conversation, intent on analyzing the situation before she put herself in any danger.

A little over a foxlength away from her stood a hulking, grey and white figure, towering over the smaller form of Redwillow. The thick stench of putrid soil wafted over, and the familiarity of it shocked her in such a way that it felt like a claw swipe to her nose. 

Instinctively, she recoiled in horror and scrambled to her feet, turning to face the foul ghoul known as Thistleclaw.

At her sudden movement, unfamiliar spirits began shifting out from the dark crevices of her surroundings, their hostile eyes fixed on Hollyleaf.

She arched her back threateningly at their approach, but froze as Thistleclaw began to speak.

“Did you think you could run, Starclanner?” His voice was a heavy taunt, “Did you think we wouldn’t cross the river, in fear of getting our paws wet?”

The grey and white spirit, his fur spiky, wild and disheveled, began walking towards her with a slow, purposeful gait. “You Starclanners are so stupidly trusting. Redwillow isn’t your friend anymore,” The stark white tips of his teeth poked out in a sickly smile. “He’s my friend now.”

Hollyleaf shifted her gaze to shoot Redwillow a vehement, hate-filled look. Her temple still throbbed dully from his blow, but the sting of his betrayal was even worse. What would Sparrowfeather think when he discovered that his only Dark Forest friend had switched sides?

Redwillow didn’t shrink away from her venomous look, but a flicker of what might have been guilt passed through his eyes. 

“How could you do this?” She hissed, “What about Sparrowfeather?” 

There was the guilt again, but it vanished as soon as it came. “You’re not Sparrowfeather.”

So much for loyalty! Redwillow is a traitorous, code-breaking coward! The voice in the back of her mind all but snarled, emanating it’s own fierceness.

She didn’t have much time to think more about it before Thistleclaw’s hot, stench-filled breath puffed next to her ear, hissing out a message that made her shudder.

“You’re going to help me with my plans, aren’t you, Hollyleaf? You’re going to stir up some trouble for me.”

She recoiled with a hiss and raised her paw, claws unsheathed, as if to strike him. “Whatever you think I am, you’re wrong! I don’t have any powers and I can’t help you!”

Thistleclaw held steady, victory shining in his corpse eyes. “You’re wrong, little star. I know exactly what you are, and unless you wish to turn out exactly like me, you’ll do as I bid.”

At the unwavering look of stubborn fury on her face, he added, “Or I could kill you. Whichever you prefer: a violent death or a sad existence. Take your pick.”

For a moment, Hollyleaf contemplated which of his options would be worse: being forever confined inside of the Place of No Stars, or dying again- this time, for good. How would she be able to get out of this? Would Mapleshade or Sparrowfeather be able to find her? She wasn’t even certain as to her current location.

Her voice grating, she said, “Even if I decided to help you, I wouldn’t know how! Starclan never told me that I was special.”

As if expecting her answer, the corpse-like spirit smiled lowly, gloating once again. “Of course they never told you! They're a lying group of false-hearted backstabbers! Haven’t you figured that out by now? After what happened to your poor little friend, they all think that you’re a traitorous killer.”

Hollyleaf’s neck fur rose unbidden at the subtle mention of Honeyfern. She narrowed her eyes and stared unflinchingly at Thistleclaw, wondering who he was getting his information from. There had to be a spy aligned with him, whispering Starclan secrets.

“Don’t worry, little star. I have more mercy in my heart than those treacherous fools do. I can help you learn- wouldn’t you like that?” His eyes were bright yellow like turning leaves, and they twinkled mockingly in the light cast from her fur. “I’ve even brought you a teacher.”

The grey and white tom turned his head to stare off somewhere into the forest. Warily, Hollyleaf followed his gaze.

To her surprise, at the far end of the make-shift camp was the familiar silhouetted form of Maggottail. The shadowy spectre lounged idly on the ground, his prone form scarcely moving, aside from the persistent twitch of muscle on his hairless hindquarters. On either side of him were two unknown brutes, presumably on guard.

Hollyleaf stared for a long moment. Maggottail’s beady, faint yellow eyes shifted to look at her, expressionless and daunting. She held his eye contact wordlessly, wondering what thoughts lay concealed behind those see-through depths. Had he been forced against his will to join Thistleclaw’s group? Had the same thing happened to Redwillow?

Hollyleaf turned to look back at Thistleclaw. “What do you want from me? What do you really want?”

He seemed pleased that she asked. His tail began to twitch idly, funneling out whatever excited thoughts lurked within him. “I want you to get rid of the barrier that separates the Place of No Stars and Starclan.”

She stared at him blankly. “You must be joking.”

“No, little star,” He smirked vilely, “You’re going to do that for me, and old Maggot is going to teach you how.”

“You’re out of your mind!” She retorted with a snap, “I can’t do that.”

His cruel satisfaction did not waver, and she knew that he didn't believe her in the slightest. How had he gotten it in his head that she had the power of the stars in her paws? For that matter, how could he have fathomed the possibility of her removing the barrier that prevents the Dark Forest spirits from escaping?

“Take her to Maggottail.” Thistleclaw grunted, ripping his gaze away from her as he directed an order to one of his underlings. “I need to reacquire my other missing Starclan cat.”

She watched as he turned and left.  

A sharp prod to her back forced Hollyleaf to move until she stood stiffly in front of the old specter who had previously aligned himself with Mapleshade’s group. Would the roguish molly be happy to see Maggottail alive? As far as they had been aware, both Redwillow and Maggottail were as good as double-dead.

So much for that.

She turned back to look at the crony who had pushed her towards Maggottail. There was something familiar about this spirit. His long, dark tabby fur reminded her of that cat who had been guarding the barrier earlier. Was it the same one?

“Do as you’ve been bid,” The rogue’s toothy maw glistened yellow in the low light, “- learn from the old one, fallen Starclanner, before Thistleclaw comes back and plucks the starshine right off your pelt.”

She shrugged away from the thug’s lanky form and bared her teeth in an unspoken threat. Thistleclaw’s crony laughed harshly at her display before slithering away, leaving her alone in the presence of Maggottail and the guards at his sides. 

She briefly wondered if she would be able to make a run for it, but there seemed to be a spirit lurking at every edge of the clearing, just waiting for her to try and make a move. How would she be able to escape?

As she faced Maggottail once more, a nagging thought prodded at the back of her mind, conjuring up the image of the shadow-creature that lurked beneath the moss-covered boulder. There were some bizarre similarities between Maggottail and the creature that Hollyleaf hadn’t noticed until now. Both spirits seemed to have been enveloped by inky darkness, though Maggottail wasn’t consumed by it like the creature was. 

Maggottail’s cloudy, translucent eyes seemed to glow faintly in the low light. Hollyleaf could faintly spot his pupils, unlike the shadow-creature, which had none. And then there was the fact that Maggottail still had both of his eyes...

The two ghosts were close enough in appearance that it gave Hollyleaf pause, wondering if the two were connected somehow. Were they kin, perhaps? 

No, that couldn’t be it. Maybe the darkness that encompassed their spiritual forms was a symptom of living in the Place of No Stars for an exceedingly long amount of time. Perhaps that was what happened to those trapped, unable to escape the forest: they were eaten away slowly by the ravenous, murky shadows.

“There’s nowhere to run.” Maggottail’s chilly, unearthly voice all but hissed, “They’ll find you and drag you back by the scruff of your neck.”

“Is that what happened to you?” Hollyleaf bit out, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. How had the old specter gotten apprehended by Thistleclaw’s group?

Maggottail made a small wheeze that reminisced a laugh. “No, kit. I know a losing battle when I see one, so I let them take me. Thistleclaw spared me because he thought I could teach you how to use your inner power.”

There was that power-talk again. She resisted the urge to curl her lip, thoroughly bothered by how she had gotten roped into Thistleclaw’s scheme. He seemed pretty convinced that she had been ‘blessed’ by a Starclan cat and given powers. 

“Can you teach me?” She asked, feeling rather cynical about it. If he knew, wouldn’t he have offered to teach her before?

“I don’t know what your power is.” He said rather bluntly, “I can try to teach you, but we need to figure out what it is first.”

“Thistleclaw seems to believe that it’ll help remove the barrier between here and Starclan.” She responded bitterly, disturbed by the thought of malignant spirits making their way into the starry realm. “Why would he want to do such a thing?”

Maggottail’s filmy eyes narrowed minutely, and he tilted his head as he stared at her. “Do not trust what he says. You must learn to look below the surface, or you’ll stay a starry-eyed fool forever.”

What did he mean by that? She nearly opened her mouth to ask, but the greedy eyes of the guards at Maggottail’s side gave her pause. She didn’t need them ratting about the conversation to Thistleclaw.

“Fine, whatever you say,” She forced out dismissively, “Now how can I figure out about my supposed power of the stars? If I even have one.”

Maggottail’s hairless tail began to swish against the grimy ground. “You have siblings, correct? What powers do they have?”

“My brother Jayfeather has the Sight. Have you heard of that?”

He nodded, bidding her to continue. 

“He can sense the emotions of others. He can even see in his dreams, despite being blind. My other brother, Lionblaze, has insurmountable prowess in battle. It is as if he cannot be hurt by anyone.”

Maggottail blinked slowly in apparent thought. “I see. Your brothers seem to possess powers of either an emotional or physical nature, respectively.” He turned to shoot her a serious look, “Do you know why cats can have powers, Hollyleaf?”

Hollyleaf shook her head. She didn’t really know the root of why. According to Thistleclaw, she and her siblings had powers because a Starclan cat blessed them, but that was the extent to her knowledge. 

The faded specter continued, “We are all stars, even when we’re not.”

She narrowed her eyes. Even the guards shot Maggottail a couple of confused looks.

“Your soul is a star,” He amended, seemingly amused by her furrowed brow. “When a cat is born, their spirit is not but a tiny ball of light. The energy they possess is miniscule. As they age, the power grows. When they die, their energy burns brightly within Starclan.”

“What about you, then?” She asked bluntly. Maggottail didn’t have any light in his fur like she did.

The old spirit scowled momentarily, before continuing. “Obviously there’s something different about those who dwell in the Place of No Stars. Our souls are black and hungry, drawn towards the light.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “It's as if we’ve burned out.”

“Well what does any of this have to do with cats having powers?” She demanded.

Maggottail didn’t seem to enjoy her impatience, but for some reason that made her want to keep it up. “Sometimes, when a cat is born, their light and energy shine greater than what is to be expected. As a result, the increased spiritual energy can have some unintended side effects.” 

“Powers,” She murmured, catching his implication. Is that what happened to Hollyleaf and her brothers? “- but Thistleclaw told me that a Starclan cat came down and blessed us when we were kittens.”

“That's just a kinder way of saying that someone did something vile to you.”

Hollyleaf’s ears folded back at his words. “What do you mean?”

Maggottail’s empty eyes looked just as hungry as he had described himself to be. “One of Starclan’s rules is that they may not lay a paw on a newborn kit. The kit’s inner light is too new to be tampered with,” He eyes narrowed, “- doing so may snuff it out.”

She stiffened, troubled by what he told her. Spottedleaf had been a good Starclan cat, right? Why would she do something so terribly dangerous to a newborn litter of kittens? 

“So she was trying to kill us?”

The old soul snuffed out a laugh, and his flank began to twitch a little more noticeably. “I cannot possibly know such a thing. You would have to ask the Starclan cat who did it to you. In any case, sometimes kits live- you three certainly did. The tiny flicker of flame that lay inside each one of you fed off of the Starclan cat’s immense energy. From that interaction sparked an energy far greater than what a kit is meant to have, growing bigger and stronger as you aged.”

After a moment of silence, she realized that she had been listening to his tale with wide eyes. The guards seemed fascinated too, no longer being subtle as they stared at Maggottail, occasionally sneaking glances at Hollyleaf.

“How do you know all of this?” She asked at last, not fathoming how a Place of No Stars cat could recollect so much about the functioning of Starclan. 

Maggottail’s eyes crinkled and he lifted a lip up in something that may have at one time resembled a smile. “I was born in a pious clan. We worshipped our ancestors like no others did, and in turn we were blessed with Starclan’s favor. At one point, I was known as the most devout and dedicated of them all.”

Hollyleaf swallowed uncomfortably by the deranged, wild look that entered his eyes.

“All good things die, and so did I, kit- nine times over. I know life and death better than anyone in this Starclan-forsaken abyss.”

Chapter Text

Sorreltail and Ashfur dashed erratically through the Moorland, subtlety and sneakiness set aside in favor of speed. The distant crunch of pawsteps rang out ominously behind them as they leapt through the wheatgrass, but they dared not pause in order to look back.

The stars must have been shining down upon them, because soon enough Sorreltail was able to spot the line of trees that marked the beginning of the forest. Would their pursuers follow them through the newly formed border of Thunderclan Sector’s land? 

With a burst of speed she didn’t know she was capable of, Sorreltail propelled herself forward until she reached tree cover. Ashfur matched her pace, a worried grimace set firmly onto his face as they continued onward. 

In spite of the illusion of safety, neither of them stopped running, instead opting to continue their pace until they reached the Dreampool. If they were followed afterwards, Sorreltail wasn’t aware of it.

They ran steadfast toward the Dreampool clearing, ears perked in case a few Windclan cats had decided to cross the border and try their luck.

As irritating as it was that Ashfur interrupted her much-awaited conversation with Mudclaw, it was probably for the best. They were able to flee from the Moor with a head start, which she wouldn’t have otherwise had if she stayed to talk to Mudclaw. In a way, she was lucky that Ashfur had intervened when he did.

The speckled grey tom hadn’t spoken since then, and she could sense an underlying tension simmering between the both of them. His tail was taught, his mouth sealed, and eyes were locked firmly ahead. 

Had he heard snippets of her conversation with Mudclaw? And if so, would he dare to question her about it?

It would be better to keep quiet unless Ashfur confronted her. She didn’t want to get him involved in the investigation of her daughter’s disappearance. He was too alien to her, not to mention untrustworthy. Perhaps it wasn’t kind of her to judge him based on his past, but she felt averse to him nonetheless.

The way he navigated the matter of the missing Starclan cats had especially left a rotten taste in her mouth. He seemed more interested in casting blame toward Hollyleaf than finding Honeyfern. He had even brought up the black molly in conversation at the Thunderclan Meeting, even though the prerogative of the meeting had been to discuss Windclan. His lasting grudge against Hollyleaf was unconscionable.

Eventually, Sorreltail and Ashfur both burst forth into the Dreampool clearing and skidded to a halt. 

Sorreltail’s heart raced like the thrum of a cicada’s wings. Beside her, Ashfur winded down to a stop, his harsh pants sounding labored from their long sprint. Her eyes scanned across the clearing, hoping to catch sight of the remaining rescue patrol members. Had they all managed to make it out?

“Sorreltail!” A familiar voice called, and she looked over and locked eyes with the mossy green gaze of Leopardfoot. The smoky-molly was standing adjacent to them, patiently still as she was inspected by Goosefeather, who was gingerly sniffing and prodding at her pelt.

A sigh of relief that she didn’t know she had been holding escaped Sorreltail, glad that her unofficial partner on the patrol had made it back. “Is your flank alright?”

Mudclaw had dealt the smoky-pelted molly a blow during battle, apparent from the way her flank twinkled intensely, as if the wound itself was oozing a line of starlight. It was a strange and disconcerting sight, but Leopardfoot seemed to be standing strong, if not a bit weary.

Goosefeather made a harsh noise of reproach. “This is a deep scratch. I don’t know how to treat it.” He said, sniffing once more at it. “It doesn’t look too bad, but I am not well versed enough to diagnose the severity of wounds on spiritual forms. The only thing I can recommend is to take it easy. It’ll probably clear up by itself, just as it did for the others after the Great Battle.”

Leopardfoot dipped her head in understanding, and Sorreltail’s thoughts wandered.

When Sorreltail passed away, it had been immediately following the conclusion of the Great Battle, so she had laid witness to the aftermath in Starclan: spirits walking with limps or favoring different parts of their flank, hurting from whatever wounds they sustained from the opposing side. 

Everyone had seemingly recovered, except for the select few who had double-died, such as Spottedleaf.

Sorreltail shot Leopardfoot a reassuring smile before another familiar voice caught her attention.

A few foxlengths away stood the recognizable ginger pelt of Flamenose, chatting exuberantly and animatedly with the now-rescued Larknose. Standing tall beside the reunited couple was Stagleap, gazing at them both of them with a wide, genuine smile on his face. 

The sight of the three granted Sorreltail a small amount of relief. All of the patrol was well accounted for. Larksong was safe, reunited with her mate and friend, and everyone had made it out relatively unscathed.

Sorreltail glanced to the side, looking for Ashfur, but the tom had already left without saying goodbye. She caught sight of his speckled fur on the other side of the clearing. He was talking to the shady group of Shadowclanners, still lingering from before. It appeared that Littlestep failed to convince the marsh-dwellers to vacate the premises and mind their own business.

Thunderclan Sector’s imaginary borders were only there to keep cats with Windclan affiliation out, so it wasn’t as if the group of Shadowclanners weren’t allowed to stick around. There hadn’t been any discussion regarding the other two clans, anyway. 

Still, their presence was troubling.

Before she had left on the rescue patrol, the Medicine cats had informed her that the Shadowclan patrol had volunteered to help protect the Dreampool from Windclan interference. Considering the two clans’ extensive history of religious dispute, she wouldn’t be surprised if this was just another way for Shadowclan to tread on Windclan’s tail. 

Then again, she couldn’t be sure that the small patrol of Shadowclan cats were acting on behalf of their entire clan. They could merely be a couple of roguish rabble rousers hoping to cause trouble.

Still distracted by the sight of her half-brother chatting with Shadowclan, Sorreltail didn’t immediately notice as a small group of Thunderclan cats emerged into the Dreampool clearing. In fact, she hadn’t a chance to even turn in their direction before she was tackled to the ground by two smaller shapes.

“Mommy!” A high pitch voice chirped, the owner digging their face onto Sorreltail’s pelt.

The familiar scents of her two children washed over her, causing Sorreltail to trill in a happy greeting. She proceeded to lay there patiently while Seedpaw and Molepaw both inspected her with wide, excited eyes. 

Regretfully, she hadn’t spent much time with Molepaw or Seedpaw recently. Instead, Whitestorm and Willowpelt had been more than kind to volunteer for kit-sitting duty. 

Speaking of her parents, she could smell their fresh scents in the air. They likely weren’t far off, but the fuzzy forms of her children blocked her view.

“I can’t believe you went on the rescue patrol, mom!” Molepaw exclaimed loudly, his ears perked up apparent interest. “Are you okay? How did it go?”

“Did you fight any Windclan cats?” Seedpaw squeaked, nearly bouncing up and down with excitement. 

“I most certainly did,” Sorreltail responded with a smile, amused by her childrens’ reactions. She probably hadn’t set the best of examples, but it would be worth it in the end if she found Honeyfern. 

A sharp, sorrowful pang ran through her chest at the thought of her long-lost daughter. 

If she found Honeyfern. Not when, but if. 

“Sorreltail.” 

Shaking herself from her fearful stupor, Sorreltail rose into a sitting position and looked past her children, only to catch sight of the rest of her family: Rainwhisker, Sootfur, Willowpelt and Whitestorm, all staring at her with mixed expressions.

Willowpelt had a half relieved, half stern look on her face. “You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady! You scared us half to death with that little stunt.”

Seedpaw and Molepaw hushed, their excitement now sedated, though Sorreltail could hear her daughter whisper quietly, “Mommy’s in trouble!”

Whitestorm, on the contrary, didn’t look angry with her. Instead, a dry-sort of exasperation adorned his face as he glanced between Sorreltail and Willowpelt. Had her mother been ranting the entire way from the Great Oak? She wouldn’t be surprised.

“I’m sorry that I worried you guys.” Sorreltail managed out sincerely. “But I’m not sorry that I went. We were able to rescue Larksong.”

At that, Seedpaw’s paws began to thrum against the ground with excitement, though she managed to hold her tongue.

“You could have at least told us what your plan was before volunteering.” Sootfur grumbled, weaving his way past his parents and bumping Sorreltail on the noggin with his own equally hard head. She purred at him reassuringly, happy to see her brother.

Rainwhisker also made his way over to them, shooting Sorreltail an exasperated look- very similar to Whitestorm’s. She could see his tail rhythmically lashing back and forth, revealing the inner frustration and worry that he must have been feeling over her impulsive decision. She gave him an apologetic smile, and in response he pressed his nose against her head affectionately, breathing in her scent.

“You overgrown squirrel!” He said, drawing away. “Never do anything like that again. We need to stick together!”

“No promises,” She teased, but decided to drop it when her mother’s hackles rose in response.

“Tell us what happened!” Seedpaw demanded, no longer able to contain her excitement. “How many Windclan cats were there? Who did you fight?”

Acquiescing, Sorreltail began to explain the arduous and risk-filled journey she took across the Moorland. She couldn’t help but to dramatize the tale at certain parts, thoroughly entertained by the looks on everyone’s faces. Her children listened on with intrigue, but she could see Sootfur or Willowpelt balk at certain parts, like during the battle with Mudclaw.

“Great Starclan, you fought him?” Her brother kneaded his claws against the ground.

“Not exactly,” She responded, careful not to go into too much detail regarding the real reason she went to confront him. Only her brothers were aware of her suspicions against Mudclaw, and she wasn’t keen on spreading the information around indiscriminately. “I confronted him, but Ashfur intervened before anything got ugly.”

At the mention of Ashfur, Whitestorm began scanning the clearing. “Is he alright?”

“He’s fine.” Sorreltail reassured, glancing in the direction of the Shadowclanners. Whitestorm took notice and looked as if he was about to stroll over there, but before he could take a step, Leopardfoot limped over.

The rest of Sorreltail’s family turned to eye the smoky-black molly curiously, but it was Whitestorm who acknowledged her first. The great white tom rose to his feet to meet her, bowing his head to her in a very respectful manner.

Leopardfoot smiled back at him and licked his shoulder in a rather comfortable, familiar manner.

Sorreltail watched the interaction between her father and Leopardfoot with a furrowed brow. “You two know each other?”

“Leopardfoot became my milk-mother after Snowfur died.” Her father responded, eyeing the tall molly in a fond way.

“Oh,” Sorreltail responded, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. She had felt some sort of connection to the graceful Thunderclanner, but she hadn’t been aware that it was familial. Leopardfoot certainly hadn’t mentioned anything about it.

“Sorreltail and I looked out for one another on the patrol,” Leopardfoot responded wryly, shooting her a knowing smile before addressing Whitestorm again. “She’s a great brawler, you know. Came to my rescue when I was fighting Mudclaw.”

“That brute!” Willowpelt sniffed loudly, her head held high. “Thinking he can just mess with Thunderclan.”

Sorreltail didn’t bother commenting on that. She wasn’t quite sure what she thought of Mudclaw. A large part of herself was fiercely suspicious of him, but she tried to temper that with a voice of reason. There had to be some sort of logical explanation for his strange ramblings. 

But how would she be able to figure out the truth now? Would Mudclaw avoid her like the plague, or would he heed her words and seek her out in order to try and work together to figure out a solution to this whole mess?

The sound of pawsteps disrupted their conversation. It seemed that Stagleap, Larksong and Flamenose were looking to join in on the family’s discussion. She blinked at them in a friendly manner before everyone began to engage in amiable chit-chat, reliving the tale of the Moorland trek and Windclan confrontation.

Feeling eyes on her, Sorreltail turned her head to meet the sharp gaze of Larksong. The tortoiseshell molly was looking at her in an interested, evaluative way. 

“I wanted to thank you for coming with these two fluffbrains to rescue me. You didn’t have to do that.”

Sorreltail dipped her head. “It was the right thing to do.”

And it was a necessary action to confront Mudclaw, but Larksong didn’t need to know that. 

Stagleap seemed a whole lot more friendlier and less abrasive now that they had succeeded on their mission. The dusty grey tom let out a snort, then turned to Sorreltail’s parents. “She’s got a lot of mettle, your kit.”

Whitestorm querked the corner of his mouth up in a smile. “I’d say she gets it from me, but that would be a lie.”

The group chuckled softly as Willowpelt gave Whitestorm a good-natured shoulder shove.

The conversation continued, with Molepaw and Seedpaw looking rather interested in Stagleap’s rendition of his fight against two Windclan cats. Whitestorm eventually excused himself to go and talk to Ashfur, while Willowpelt began engaging in a private conversation a little ways off with Larksong, speaking in low, indiscernible voices.

“You might want to make yourself scarce.” Stagleap said, breaking from his tale and leveling Sorreltail with a serious look. “Who knows what the fallout of our decision will be. Bluestar wasn’t happy with our choice as is, but it’s hard to say what the rest of Thunderclan will feel. We might be able to get away with just a tongue-lashing, seeing as we succeeded on our mission.”

“Do you really think that the rest of Thunderclan will react badly to the fact that we rescued Larksong?” She asked, wondering aloud.

Rainwhisker interjected. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about that, and I think you guys are likely to get away with it. Thunderclan will be angrier over Windclan holding Larksong hostage than they will be over your patrol rescuing her.”

Sorreltail nodded in response to her brother’s logical conclusion. He had a point. They were probably going to get away with what they did without experiencing any real consequences. If Thunderclan had another clan meeting, most spirits would probably be enraged over the battle at the Dreampool and Larksong’s subsequent kidnapping.

Stagleap nodded at Rainwhisker, then said, “Very well thought out. Still, my point stands.” His eyes shifted back to Sorreltail. “I’m going to stay here with Larksong and Flamenose for a while longer before moving on. Thanks for coming with us. If you ever need help with something, let me know.”

She dipped her head appreciatively before the dusty grey tom rose to his feet and began padding off with Flamenose, their heads dipped close together.

That left just Sorreltail, her brothers and her children, the latter of which were chatting with one another exuberantly. Even Molepaw seemed to be in higher spirits, in spite of the low funk he had been in ever since Honeyfern had disappeared.

Leopardfoot had wandered over to where Willowpelt and Larksong were, no longer within hearing distance.

“What happened with Mudclaw?” Sootfur whispered to Sorreltail, glancing around to make sure no one was paying any attention or eavesdropping on their conversation.

“It was as I said.” She responded. “I didn’t get the time I needed to properly confront him. I still have a bad feeling that he’s withholding information from me. What do you think we should do now?”

Sootfur furrowed his brows contemplatively before looking over at Rainwhisker, as if prompting the blue-grey cat for his input.

Sorreltail’s other brother had been zoning out, but his cobalt eyes sharpened as he pulled himself from his thoughts. “Let’s consider placing this on the backburner for now. Mudclaw might be a little spooked after what happened. We ought to investigate the other lead that we have,” His voice quieted down considerably, “- Thistleclaw.”

“How would we do that?” Sootfur questioned quietly, glancing about as if the mention of the ex-Starclan cat might draw unwanted attention. 

Sorreltail mulled the matter over in her mind for a moment. “We spoke with Windflight already. He mentioned several key characters, some of whom might provide useful information to us- if they’re willing to talk about Thistleclaw. Bluestar and Redtail were the ones who incited the trial against him, while Snowfur and Windflight’s old mate and daughter were more sympathetic to him.”

“I don’t know if talking to Bluestar right now is really such a good idea.” Rainwhisker murmured lowly, “She wasn’t very happy over this rescue-patrol business.”

That was a fair point. Sorreltail wasn’t all too comfortable with the regal blue-grey molly, either. There was something sharp, reserved and unfriendly about Bluestar. Would the former leader even agree to talk about Thistleclaw?

“What about Redtail?” Sootfur asked, “He was chatty with Sorreltail in the Great Oak clearing before we went to warn Ashfoot.”

“He seems like a good candidate,” Sorreltail responded, “But what about Snowfur? Even though she’s secluded herself, she still seems to care about her kin. After all, she caught Molepaw in the Endmost Forest and brought him out. If we asked her nicely, maybe she’d share her perspective of what happened at Thistleclaw’s trial.”

“She might be too sympathetic to him.” Sootfur interjected, seemingly averse to the idea. “And another thing to keep in mind is this whole business of Hollyleaf being set up. Mudclaw is our main suspect, but what connection to Thistleclaw does he have? How do we know that someone like Snowfur, who has a real connection to Thistleclaw, isn’t helping him behind the scenes?”

“By harming her own kin?” Sorreltail retorted, lifting up a brow. “Like I said, she helped Molepaw when she didn’t have to.”

Rainwhisker cleared his throat, breaking up the back and forth exchange between Sorreltail and Sootfur. “Snowfur might be biased, but so is Redtail. He undoubtedly hates Thistleclaw. Either way, we’ll have to listen carefully to both of their testimonies in order to pick out anything impartial.” His tail was swishing back and forth rhythmically. “As for the possible turncoat, that could be anyone. Or it could be no one. There aren’t any certainties about it.”

Sorreltail let out a quiet sigh, frustration beginning to pull at her paws. Rainwhisker was right, as always. Who was to say that there was any real connection between Thistleclaw and the circumstances happening in Starclan?

“We should speak to both of them while we wait to see what happens next between Thunderclan and Windclan.” She surmised at last. “And like Stagleap mentioned, perhaps it would be better for us to avoid the storm that could be brewing over our choice to rescue Larksong. Let’s talk to Snowfur first.”

Her brothers nodded in assent, though Sootfur looked a little troubled.

“How will we find her, anyway?”

A sudden thought struck Sorreltail. Molepaw had an encounter with Snowfur in the Endmost. Perhaps he could lead them to the last place he saw her.

“My son might be able to help us. He wanted to go into the Endmost Forest anyway.”

“And he did go into the forest.” Rainwhisker’s mouth twitched in amusement. “Are you sure you want to involve him?”

Sorreltail stiffened and shot her brother a sharp look. “I’m not going to tell him the real reason that we’re going. But it might be good for him to feel like he’s doing something useful, and besides, how else are we going to find Snowfur? By wandering mindlessly through the Endmost?”

“Alright, alright!” He flattened his ears. “I didn’t mean it like that, Sorreltail.”

She took a deep breath in through her nose. She hadn’t meant to respond so cuttingly, but the thought of potentially putting Molepaw in danger had caused her to become a tad defensive.

“Mom.”

The three of them hushed as Molepaw looked at them curiously. How long had he been standing there?

“What is it, sweetie?”

“Are you guys talking about me?” He asked, tilting his head speculatively. 

Molepaw was keener than she gave him credit for. He had Brackenfur’s sharp hearing, no doubt. “Yes, actually,” She might as well pose the question now. “Would you like to come with us into the Endmost Forest? We want to speak to Snowfur.”

Immediately, the black and white tom perked up, excitement lighting up in his eyes. “Yes, yes- I want to go!”

“Go where? Can I come?” Seedpaw interjected, squeezing her way into the conversation with pleading, sparkling eyes. “Please?”

Sorreltail let out a small sigh. It would hardly be fair to take Molepaw while leaving her daughter behind. The poor thing would get her feelings hurt. “Fine, yes. You can come with us to the Endmost Forest.”

The golden brown apprentice let out an excited chattering noise, her boisterous energy coming through.

“Go tell Willowpelt that you’re coming with us, alright? And don’t mention anything to her about the Endmost Forest or Snowfur.”

Sorreltail didn’t want to have that conversation with Willowpelt, let alone Whitestorm. Her mother would undoubtedly tell her father, and then that would be its own mouse full of maggots. Whitestorm and Snowfur had a distant relationship with one another, as far as she was aware. What if it was worse than that? There would be a time and place for a discussion about Snowfur, but that wasn’t now.

The small group waited until Seedpaw returned from speaking with Willowpelt. The golden molly practically bounced the entire way back, excited for the prospect of going on an adventure, no doubt. It had probably been a little boring to be stuck with her grandparents for so long.

Sorreltail’s eyes raked over the group, making sure that everyone was accounted for. Molepaw, Seedpaw, Rainwhisker and Sootfur. A good sized group. It might even be fun to have her children come along.

They began to make their way out of the clearing, but before they did, Leopardfoot called out for them.

“Are you leaving, Sorreltail?”

“Yes,” She responded, smiling melancholically at the smoky-molly. It would be a bit sad to part after all that they went through together.

“Where are you going?” Leopardfoot eyes seemed a little sad, too.

“To go and visit some family.”

“Who?”

Seedpaw bounced a little on her feet. “Snowfur!”

Sorreltail turned to shoot her daughter with a look of reproach. “What did I just say, Seedpaw?”

“You only said Willowpelt," Seedpaw responded defensively, "I didn't know you meant everybody else!"

She resisted the urge to let out an aggravated sigh. Seedpaw was technically right: Sorreltail had only specified Willowpelt. The golden apprentice had always taken things very literally, so this wasn’t her fault.

“Okay, okay,” Sorreltail said, breathing in through her nose. “You’re right, and I’m sorry for being harsh with you. In the future, let’s keep our business between us, alright? I don’t want to upset your Grandfather.”

“Excuse me.” Leopardfoot cleared her throat a bit awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to intrude on a family matter. However, it has been quite a long time since I’ve seen Snowfur. She and I were very close friends while alive. Would you mind if I joined you?”

Sorreltail peered over at Sootfur. He gave her a small shrug. Rainwhisker blinked neutrally, not seeming to have one opinion on it one way or the other.

“Well,” She sighed, not having the heart to turn the smoky-grey molly down. “Fine. Let’s go.”

The Endmost Forest stood impassive and immovable, tree limbs stretching far into the sky, disappearing into the wispy clouds above.

It was a strange place. Instead of the forest beginning gradually with the occasional scattered tree, everything was clumped together. The trees were packed tightly, forming one long line that marked the beginning of the forest. Nothing could be seen past the tree-line, as thick foliage grew practically on top of one another.

It was as if the trees had spoken to one another and agreed to mark their own border, not daring to cross the line they had established.

All in all, it was unlike any forest Sorreltail had ever seen. As a Thunderclan cat, she ought to feel comfortable with forests, but this one sent a jolt of nervousness through her tail. It was as the old spirit, Owlstar, had said: most new spirits felt uncomfortable about the Endmost.

Though it was apparently normal to feel this way, she didn’t feel reassured. She tried to mask that as much as possible, though, for her childrens’ sake. 

Molepaw was walking with a pep in his step, leading the way toward the forest with his head held high. If he was afraid, it didn’t show. Trailing next to him was Seedpaw, who seemed a little daunted by the size of the forest.

“Why is it so humongous?” She asked aloud, her ears folded back as she squinted up towards the sky.

“Gorsepaw says it’s because there are giant, ancient cats in here, some the size of the Thunderpath monsters!” Molepaw recited, his tail waving excitedly behind him.

“Giant cats?” Sootfur interjected dubiously, “In the Endmost?”

Sorreltail frowned, trying not to take her son’s tall tale as legitimate. There was no way that ancient giants roamed the Endmost. Someone would have seen them, afterall.

Leopardfoot let out an amused laugh. “Gorsepaw has been listening to too many Elder tales! There’s no such thing as giant cats.”

Sorreltail held her tongue in response to Leopardfoot’s declaration. Brambleclaw had told her of an awful, beastly feline that lived in the mountains, unusually large for a cat. It was as long as a Twoleg was tall, with a putrid, horrible scent. It would ravenously seek to eat the flesh of the Mountain cats, preying upon them like mice until Feathertail slayed the beast.

It wouldn’t be wise to scare anyone with that story, though.

If Sootfur or Rainwhisker remembered the story of Sharptooth, they knew better than to mention it. Rainwhisker shot her a fleeting, amused glance, apparently taking the story with a grain of salt. 

She couldn’t see Sootfur’s expression, since he was following right behind her children, but from the way he kept gazing wordlessly ahead at the Endmost Forest, it seemed that he might be just as on edge as she was. 

Eventually their little group stopped before the vast line of trees.

A heavy ball of nervousness settled into the bottom of Sorreltail’s stomach. She didn’t want to go in. Perhaps they should have chosen to go talk to Redtail first. 

“Well, let’s go!” Molepaw announced, his chest fur puffed up and head held high as he led them forward.

If Molepaw could do, then so could she. 

The prospect of entering the Endmost was unnerving, but what was the worst that could happen?

Chapter Text

Sorreltail had to force her feet forward, one step at a time, until her body passed through the threshold of the Endmost Forest. Immediately, it felt as though she had just stepped into the gaping, almighty maw of something otherworldly. 

The air temperature seemed to change instantaneously. It was cooler, likely due in part to the darkness cast from the stretching treetops. Sorreltail peered upwards and squinted, but all she could see was a thick fog blanketing the low hanging limbs.  

Strangely enough, the atmosphere also felt damp and clammy. It weighed down on her fur in a moist, unpleasant way.

Littered across the ground was a plethora of plant matter, little green stems and leaves poking through the mushy soil. It was a small comfort to see life sprouting, instead of the dead, lifeless ground that she had been expecting.

The vegetation continued into the trees, growing virulently along the trunks, desperate to reach the sky. It seemed to grow thicker the more it traveled upward, casting a green glow in the low light.

Ahead of her, Sootfur let out a low grunt. His shoulders were held tensely and his head often swiveled at even the smallest of sounds. For a deep, dark forest, there sure were a lot of noises. Crackles, crinkles and chirps, created by unseen critters.

Rainwhisker was quiet behind her. She had expected him to be chatting with Leopardfoot, but it seemed that the strangeness of the forest had left him on high alert. 

Seedpaw seemed to be taking it in stride, scampering behind Molepaw who was courageously leading the way, like a little explorer. Sorreltail frowned a bit, wondering if she had been too hard on him earlier after he had secretly snuck into the Endmost Forest. He had all the right intentions, but her own insecurities about losing another one of her litter had blinded her to that. All she had seen was an impulsive ‘paw, keen on trodding over well-set boundaries. 

Perhaps her insecurities were just a reflection of how she had yet to move on from the mortal realm. They were all dead, so what did it matter what Molepaw did? He had been in Starclan for far longer than she had. Who knows what kind of shenanigans he had already gotten into in her absence. 

Sorreltail’s guilt grew heavier as she imagined the lifestyle change Molepaw had adjusted to after she joined Starclan. Before he was able to run free, but now he had an overbearing mother breathing down his back, telling him what he could and couldn’t do. 

A sharp pang of sadness ran through her. Her tail drooped. Her son never got to grow old. His life was ripped from him early, and here she was restricting him from further.

“We need to keep heading in this direction,” She heard him chirp to Seedpaw from the front of the group, “She intercepted me on this route, so maybe we’ll run into her.”

Sorreltail thought back to the last time she saw Snowfur. The regal white molly had found Molepaw and prevented him from going any further into the Endmost Forest. Even though they were kin, Snowfur had been a little distant in the conversation they had. 

Of course, Sorreltail’s entire perception of Snowfur had since changed after the revelation of Thistleclaw’s trial. Before, Snowfur had merely been distant kin, but now she was an incredibly nuanced mystery, shrouded in the unknown over the terrible circumstances of Thistleclaw’s banishment. How had that experience changed Snowfur? 

Whitestorm mentioned how his mother hadn’t been around when he died and went to Starclan. Instead, the regal molly had been lurking in the Endmost Forest, oblivious to her son’s death. Even now Sorreltail wasn’t sure where they stood. Whitestorm had been very uncomfortable when she asked him about Snowfur, and the topic had changed quickly. 

“You seem pensive.” 

A voice broke Sorreltail from her thoughts. She turned and met the keen gaze of Leopardfoot, limping ever-so-slightly at a brisk pace next to her. 

“You caught me in my thoughts. I didn’t hear you sneak up on me.” 

Leopardfoot’s smile was filled with mirth, “I’m light on my paws. Haven’t you heard?”

“Oh, I’ve heard.” Sorreltail couldn’t help but return the smile. She very much liked the cloudy black molly, and was glad to spend more time with her, even though Leopardfoot may as well have invited herself on this trip. 

Truthfully, Sorreltail wasn’t sure if she could speak freely about the investigation she and her brothers had been partaking in without Leopardfoot listening in.

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to tell someone else who didn’t have a personal interest in the situation. Honeyfern was well-loved throughout Sorreltail’s family, and she didn’t want to put a further strain on everyone by implying that Thistleclaw had something to do with the disappearances. She wasn’t sure how her parents would react, especially considering that neither of them had bothered to tell her and her brothers about Thistleclaw to begin with.

“I haven’t seen Snowfur in a while.” Sorreltail mentioned in earnest, “I’m not sure how she’ll react to us coming to visit her.”

Leopardfoot’s smile wavered. “I haven’t seen her in a while, either. She disappeared long ago.”

Sorreltail wondered what the cloudy black molly knew about Thistleclaw’s trial. She must have been there when it happened.

“Snowfur and I were Queens together in the nursery, as you know. When she passed away it was a terrible loss to us all.” A glimpse of sadness flickered to light in the molly’s mossy green eyes. “I took in little Whitekit with a heavy heart. I was already burdened by the loss of my mate, who abandoned me. It was even harder after two of my other kits died. I tried my best to be the mother that Whitestorm and my remaining kit deserved.”

Sorreltail felt her heart clench at Leopardfoot’s tale. First, the molly’s mate had left; then, her friend had passed away; and finally, two of her own kits had died. What an absolutely terrible series of circumstances to happen in such a short period of time. 

“Whitestorm turned out alright. He was lucky to have someone who loved him as her own.” Sorreltail blinked sympathetically at Leopardfoot. “And I’m sure that Snowfur appreciated you being there for her son.”

The cloudy black molly forced a sad smile at Sorreltail, then looked as though she intended on saying something else, but the sound of voices stifled the whole group. Molepaw and Seedpaw came to an abrupt halt, the rest of the patrol following suit.

Sorreltail craned her neck, peering through the forest and listening intently. It sounded like someone was shouting. What was going on?

Collectively, the small group began moving off course, heading in the direction of the yelling. As they continued forward, the single voice turned into two voices, and Sorreltail was able to pick up on bits and pieces of what was being said. 

“Leave me alone!”

“No, you’ve got to hear me out-”

She bristled and pressed forward, hoping that they weren’t about to intrude on something very private and personal.

The voices grew even louder and familiar in a way that made Sorreltail’s pelt prickle in anticipation. She pressed closer to Rainwhisker, who had moved toward her side, before a strange shape up ahead gave her pause. 

The rest of the group skittered to a halt as well, everyone’s eyes zeroed in on the shape.

It was… a pile of kits?

It had initially looked like a weird shape because the kits were all huddled together in a tightly packed pile, tensely peering beneath a gnarled, prickly bush. Sorreltail furrowed her brow in puzzlement. What were these kits doing out here? 

They were all different shapes and sizes, some terribly small, as if they died at no more than a couple moons old. Their translucent pelts glittered with various different colors, making it seem as though they weren’t all from the same litter. Most wildcat litters weren’t this big, anyhow.

The kits hadn’t seemed to notice their approach, and Sorreltail mulled over what to do, her tail tip twitching in thought.

“- you abandoned your family!” One of the shouting voices was startlingly familiar. “You sulk out here, mothering all of these kits- but you can't even talk to your own son!”

A snarl rang out, grating and furious, “You sure are one to talk, Windflight. What about your son? He was begging for help, but you didn’t say a word!”

Sorreltail felt a surge of anxiety thrum through her paws. What was her great-grandfather doing out here?

“That’s not even remotely the same and you know it!” Windflight retorted, sounding angrier than she’s ever heard him before. “My son betrayed Thunderclan-”

A hiss rang out, and one of the watching kits whimpered in fear. 

Unable to take anymore of it, Sorreltail moved forward, her mind made up. She padded over with loud, purposeful steps and the rest of their group followed suit.

The kits stirred, some of them puffing up in alarm as they began to notice a group of strangers approaching. It seemed as though Windflight and the other speaker heard them as well, because both of them abruptly fell silent. A moment later, Windflight slid through the bottom of the bush, his nostrils flared and fur bristled.

“Windflight-” Rainwhisker began, his eyes wide.

“What are you all doing out here?” Windflight demanded, the calm gone from his voice.

Sorreltail gulped quietly and interjected, “We wanted to talk to Snowfur.”

The great grey tabby’s eyes narrowed, still angry, before he bit out, “Have at it, then. You won’t get much from her, trust me.”

Rainwhisker spoke their great-grandfather’s name again, but Windflight began storming away, his loud footfalls crunching through the forest. Sorreltail watched him go, her feet frozen to the ground. She had never seen him so angry before. 

After the tabby had disappeared out of sight, she wrenched her head back in the direction of the bush. The pile of kits were gone- they had snuck out through the bottom of the foliage, now over to the other side. She could hear the pitter-pattering of their feet. 

Molepaw and Seedpaw were following after, and Leopardfoot was out of sight. Tentatively, Sorreltail forced her feet forward and made her way over to the other side.

The first thing she noticed after shoving her way out through the bottom of the gnarled bush was a stark white form, startling familiar to her father’s. It was Snowfur, standing rigidly, as if frozen in ice. Surrounding her feet were the kits, some of them rubbing up comfortingly against her legs. 

“It’s okay, Snowfur,” She heard one of them whisper. “The bad guy went and left!”

From off to the side, one of the larger, braver kits was taking cautious steps towards Seedpaw. They were both eyeing each other in apparent interest.

“Snowfur.” Leopardfoot was there, standing nervously with her ears folded back. “Snowfur, it’s me. Are you alright?”

Recognition flashed through the large white molly’s frozen yes. “Leopardfoot? What are you doing here?”

“Your kin wanted to see you, so I tagged along. It’s been too long, my dear.”

Snowfur seemingly relaxed a little, but her sharp eyes swiveled in the direction of Sorreltail and her group. The molly’s honed gaze was just as distant and keen as it had been the last time. A friendliness was there, but it almost seemed forced through the simmering anger that had not yet dissipated.

“Ah, my grand-kits have come to see me.” Snowfur turned to look at the kittens at her feet. “It’s alright, little ones. This is my family. They’re nice- you can say hello if you’d like.”

After a moment, most of the kits at Snowfur’s feet began taking hesitant steps away from her. Molepaw and Seedpaw were the closest after Leopardfoot, and probably seemed more approachable, as the kits soon began to swarm them. 

“I’m Littlekit!” A small, light brown tabby with baby blue eyes announced. She was pitifully tiny, and Sorreltail felt a surge of genuine sorrow course through her at the sight. 

“And I’m Bristlekit!” A larger black kit announced, puffing himself up and eyeing Seedpaw in excitement. “I’m the fastest of all the Windclan kits.”

Sorreltail continued to stare at the kittens, at a loss for what to say. Why were all of these kits here in the first place? What were they doing with Snowfur? 

Unable to wait any longer, Sorreltail asked, “Why do you have all of these kits?”

Sootfur brushed up against her, eyeing Snowfur warily. Sorreltail knew that her brother was suspicious of Snowfur, due to the molly’s connection to Thistleclaw.

A creamy, pale-brown kitten with fluffy fur puffed up a bit and wound herself around Snowfur’s front legs. “She’s taking care of us!”

Sorreltail stared blankly at the kitten, not understanding the situation in the slightest. Why weren’t the kits with their actual parents?

“Love,” Snowfur’s voice turned sugar sweet, “Why don’t you go play with Molepaw and his sister while the adults talk real quick?”

The creamy kit let out a small huff before unweaving herself from Snowfur’s legs and joining the other kits. Snowfur blinked at Sorreltail and her siblings, and along with Leopardfoot, they retreated a little ways away for privacy. The kits were still in sight, but they seemed preoccupied with Sorreltail’s children.

“I can see that you’re confused.” Snowfur began, her voice turning flinty, “But there’s an unfortunate explanation for this.”

The white molly was a bit larger than Sorreltail, and her milky fur glittered vibrantly in the darkness of the Endmost. Her demeanor reminded Sorreltail of Bluestar, especially in the way she spoke. Bluestar had a coarse way of inflecting her words, and Snowfur seemed to share it.

“I found some of these kits when I first came to the Endmost Forest. They don’t have anyone else.”

“That can’t be,” Sorreltail furrowed her brow. “- what about their families?”

“Faded away.” Snowfur’s eyes glanced in the direction of the playful kits, a couple of the smaller ones now climbing onto Molepaw’s back. “If any of them have family left, it’s distant. And it could be a burden on someone who doesn’t want to take care of them. Believe me, I’ve tried finding distant kin before. It just sets them up for heartbreak.”

Rainwhisker shook his head. “I don’t understand. How could a kit’s parents fade away, but not the kit itself?”

Snowfur tilted her head as she eyed Rainwhisker. “I don’t have the answers you’re looking for.”

“Perhaps a living cat remembers them.” Sootfur suggested, peeping over at the gaggle of youngsters.

“I don’t think that’s it.” Snowfur replied flatly. “There’s something preventing them from moving on.”

At Snowfur’s words, Leopardfoot’s head drooped. “You might be right. My remaining kits: Nightkit and Mistkit,” She swallowed a lump in her throat, “- they just faded away.”

Snowfur’s icey eyes softened. “I’m so sorry, Leopardfoot. What happened?”

“I was elated to see them again after I joined Starclan, but for the longest of time I felt as though they were burdened by something.” Leopardfoot responded quietly. “We spent every moment together, making up for the lost moons. I always wondered when they would leave me, but it wasn’t until the aftermath of the Great Battle that it happened. We were curled up together- they had just woken up from a nap.”

Leopardfoot’s face quivered for a moment, as if the memory was too much to bear. “They looked up at me and smiled. It was strange, but for the first time I felt as though they were both at peace. Then the moment faded- it was as though they began twinkling, their forms flickering in and out, like tiny flames. After that, they just vanished into thin air. There was nothing I could do.”

Snowfur bowed her head. “I am so sorry.”

Sorreltail dug her claws into the loamy soil, overwhelmed by both grief and trepidation. Her empathy was strong, and it was easy to imagine herself in Leopardfoot’s place. What would happen when Molepaw and Seedpaw faded away? How could she bear it after what happened with Honeyfern?

The group fell quiet, and the sound of playful laughter rang hollow through Leopardfoot’s palpable grief.

Snowfur cleared her throat after a moment, glancing over at Sorreltail. “You came to see me. Why?”

“I wanted to ask you some questions.” 

“About?”

Sorreltail mulled over what to say. Unable to think of anything more couth, she replied, “Thistleclaw.”

Immediately, both Snowfur and Leopardfoot stiffened. The cloudy black molly looked between Snowfur and Sorreltail for a moment before murmuring tensely, “I should go and play with the kits.”

Snowfur watched Leopardfoot leave before snapping her head back to look at Sorreltail. “Did Windflight put you up to this?”

“No,” Sorreltail swallowed thickly. She wasn’t sure what went on between Windflight and his daughter-by-kin, but it hadn’t sounded friendly. In hindsight, that explained why Windflight hadn’t wanted to come with Sorreltail the first time around, when the frosty molly had gotten a hold of Molepaw.

“- I heard about him and wanted to ask you questions about what happened. My mother and father don’t speak of it.”

Snowfur’s eyes narrowed. “No one speaks of it. Who said that name to you?”

Sorreltail’s mind whirled for a moment, thinking of an excuse. She didn’t know if she could trust Snowfur with the truth. “Redtail.” She said after a heartbeat, the lie sliding out easier than she thought it would.

An unreadable flash of emotions passed through Snowfur’s eyes, and her mouth settled into a firm frown. “What do you want to know?”

Sorreltail was quiet for a moment as she tried to formulate a question that would give her more insight into Snowfur’s perspective of Thistleclaw. “I heard that there was a trial against him. What happened?”

Snowfur didn’t answer right away. Instead, her piercing gaze bore into Sorreltail, maintaining eye contact with her. “My sister and her deputy conspired to oust Thistleclaw. They succeeded.”

Sorreltail didn’t let the frown show through that threatened to emerge onto her face. Snowfur was being rather short with her. Was it possible that the white molly knew that Sorreltail had an ulterior motive? 

“Why did they want to oust him?” Rainwhisker came to her aid, his whiskers twitching contemplatively.

“Bluestar always held a grudge against Thistleclaw. I thought she had gotten over it, but I was wrong. She believed that he was some sort of bloodthirsty rogue, dead bent on ruining Thunderclan.” Although Snowfur seemed angry, her voice was carefully leveled. 

“But if Thistleclaw died and went to Starclan, shouldn’t that have been enough to calm Bluestar’s ire?” Sorreltail asked, partly testing Snowfur to see what she’d say. 

The milky white molly’s ear twitched. “My sister is dogmatic and arrogant. Once she believes something to be true, then it’s true. It didn’t matter that Thistleclaw went to Starclan. She didn’t like him, so together with Redtail they went and dug up dirt on him.”

Sootfur tilted his head. “So do you believe in the validity of the accusations that were leveled against him?”

Snowfur lifted her head higher, staring down at Sootfur with frozen fire in her eyes. “Why do you care? Why do you three want to know so much about Thistleclaw?” Her head swiveled back to Sorreltail, “Aren’t you investigating your daughter’s disappearance?” 

Sorreltail met Snowfur’s challenging gaze. “If someone revealed interesting information to you, wouldn’t you want to know more about it?”

For a tense moment, no one said anything. Then, Snowfur’s rigid form relaxed a little bit. 

“Fine, I see your point. To answer your question, I believe that there is a lot that we don’t know about what happened. I think that there might be some truth to what was leveled against him, but there should have been a more extensive trial.”

To an outside party, it certainly seemed as though Thistleclaw had committed some terrible acts. But since Sorreltail hadn’t been at the trial, there was no way for her to agree or disagree with Snowfur’s assertions. 

Sorreltail mulled over what to ask next, but before she could say anything, Rainwhisker interjected.

“Why do you live in the Endmost? Why don’t you talk to our father anymore?”

The white molly frowned at that. It wasn’t an angry frown, or even a displeased one. Instead, it seemed kind of sad. “Bluestar and I had a fight after the trial. It never got resolved, and I’ve been living in the Endmost Forest ever since. Whitestorm is so similar to my sister… I cannot bear it.”

“Well, she raised him.” Sootfur answered. “It would make sense that they share similarities.”

Snowfur’s eyes flashed in annoyance. “And I took care of Mosskit, Bluestar’s daughter! She and I are even. If my sister decides to deign me with her presence in order to apologize, I’ll be right here. For now.”

Sorreltail doubted that Bluestar would apologize for kicking out Thistleclaw, especially if the regal molly was as dogmatic as Snowfur described.

“Snowfur!” The pale brown kitten cried out, scampering over. “Vixenkit keeps trying to bite my tail again!”

The white molly let out an exasperated sigh. “If you’ll excuse me,” She said to Sorreltail and her brothers, before turning and walking in the direction of the other kits. “Vixenkit, what did I tell you about nipping Petalkit’s tail?”

Sorreltail watched Snowfur leave, mulling over the conversation that they just had. Snowfur was at times very terse and ill-tempered. Bluestar wasn’t exactly the same way, but they were close enough personality-wise for Sorreltail to feel a bit uncomfortable with the whole thing. 

It was strange to think that they were kin. Snowfur and Whitestorm didn’t seem alike, other than in appearance. Then again, Whitestorm’s fur was straggly, whereas Snowfur’s was sleek and refined. 

“I don’t think we’re going to get much further with her.” Rainwhisker whispered to Sorreltail and Sootfur, his voice low. “She’s still agitated over the fight she had with Windflight.”

Sorreltail couldn’t help but to agree. They needed to move on. If necessary, they could always come back and question Snowfur about it later. “Fine, let’s stick to the plan. Redtail next.”

They turned to the direction of Snowfur and the kits. Molepaw still had a couple of the smaller kits on his back, whereas Seedpaw was showing a black one the Thunderclan hunter’s crouch.

“Come on you two,” Sorreltail called out. “We’re going to head back now.” 

“Aww!” Seedpaw cried out, “But we just got here.”

A few of the kits let out sad noises too, disappointed over the sudden visitors’ quick departure.

“We can come back again some other time.” Sorreltail smiled as Seedpaw and Molepaw came back to her side.

The group turned, but the absence of one of their group mates gave her pause.

“Leopardfoot?” She called out, looking for the cloudy black molly.

Leopardfoot was sitting next to Snowfur, and now she was looking at Sorreltail with a melancholic smile. “I think I’m going to stay with Snowfur.”

“What?”

“I miss my kits. I think that this will help me to move on.” Leopardfoot dipped her head kindly. “Thank you so much for your companionship. I wish you well in your search for Honeyfern. If you need anything else from me, you know where to find me.”

Sorreltail swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat. “I’m glad to have met you. I hope this isn’t goodbye forever.”

“No,” The black molly’s mossy green eyes watched Sorreltail and the rest of her group depart. “I’ll see you again!”

Sorreltail peeked over her shoulder and shot Leopardfoot one last parting glance before treading back the way she came.

The trip out of the Endmost Forest was both apprehensive and a relief. Discomfort still itched at Sorreltail’s paws, and she was more than eager to leave. Beside her, Sootfur pressed close as he glanced back and forth, watching for unknown spirits.

Up ahead, her children marched along with a pep in their step, and behind them Rainwhisker took up the rear.

When they finally broke free from the treeline, Sorreltail was surprised to see two cats waiting for her.

“Are you Sorreltail?”

It was a lean, muscular tomcat with thick black fur. His tail was a feathery plume, and his eyes were bright orange. There was something familiar about him.

She inhaled his scent. Riverclan.

“I am.” She said warily, eyeing him and his small brown tabby companion.

“Great!” The tabby chirped goodnaturedly. “That sure was easy, wasn’t it, Blackclaw?”

She eyed both of them in confusion. What was happening?

The black cat peered back and forth before taking a cautious step forward and whispering to her. “You need to come with us to the Riverlands. We have someone who wants to talk to you.”

Sorreltail furrowed her brow. “Really? Who?”

“Mudclaw.”

Chapter Text

“I was born in a pious clan. We worshipped our ancestors like no others did, and in turn we were blessed with Starclan’s favor. At one point, I was known as the most devout and dedicated of them all.”

Hollyleaf swallowed uncomfortably by the deranged, wild look that entered his eyes.

“All good things die, and so did I, kit- nine times over. I know life and death better than anyone in this Starclan-forsaken abyss.”

Hollyleaf felt her breath catch in her throat. “You were a leader.”

Maggottail blinked slowly at her, his faint yellow eyes glowing nefariously in the low light. 

It made sense, in hindsight. The shadowed specter had always spoken so cryptically, but one of the things he kept drawing back to was the fragile balance between life and death. How familiar he was with it. Who else would be able to share such sentiments aside from a cat once blessed with nine lives by Starclan?

Disturbed, yet undeniably curious, she asked, “What clan did you hail from?”

The old spirit’s haunches began to twitch again, the terrible tremors running uncontrollably along his back leg. Hollyleaf’s eyes were once more drawn to his ugly, hairless tail. It was small, shriveled and pink, like that of a baby rat. Further up along his flank lay that strange, tree root scar. It stretched and zig-zagged without rhyme or reason, etched into his skin like a brand.

“I’m from Old Shadowclan.” He puffed out, the putrid stench of his breath reminding her carrion.

The voice in the back of her mind let out a tiny scoff. Of course he’s from Shadowclan. 

Hollyleaf couldn’t help but to agree slightly with the cynical sentiment. Shadowclan seemed to have a track record in recent history of churning out trouble makers, or at least attracting them. Either the clan was going through a bout of bad luck, or there was a rot somewhere that needed to be cleared. What kind of culture was the clan promoting?  

And what of that distinction that Maggottail made? ‘Old Shadowclan’- what did that mean?

The decrepit spirit must have read the confusion behind her furrowed brow. “The Shadowclan that exists nowadays is a bastardization of the clan’s once-good name,” He all but growled, chilled venom lacing his words, “They are little better than glorified rogues, preaching falsehoods and spreading lies.”

Hollyleaf was quiet for a moment as she took in what the old spirit said. The animosity he expressed towards modern-day Shadowclan was palpable. It was also ironic, considering that the Shadowclan he held dear had essentially disowned him by not accepting him into Starclan.

“What does a condemned spirit know about honor and truth?” She said finally, interested to see how he would respond.

Maggottail let out a dry, unamused laugh. “How very Thunderclan of you.” He tilted his head at her, his beady eyes hungry, “What is honor? What is the truth? Tell me, Starclanner, would you let your clan starve because honor demands it? Would you break families apart for the sake of the truth?”

Hollyleaf felt her pelt prickly uneasily at his words. She had broken families apart for the sake of the truth, hadn’t she? 

When she revealed the circumstances behind her parentage at the Gathering, it had impacted many. Brambleclaw, stung with betrayal, had ended his relationship with Squirrelflight. Hollyleaf’s birth mother, Leafpool, had stepped down as a Medicine cat, now estranged from her clanmates. Even Crowfeather suffered consequences. His rickety relationship with Nightcloud and Breezepelt had shattered into pieces- the lingering results of his affair with Leafpool had been the last straw.

Briefly, she wondered how her life might have turned out if she had kept the truth to herself. But, then again, that wouldn’t have been realistic. The truth would have certainly eaten away at her slowly and painfully from the inside out.

Truth is like a lightning storm during the dry heat of greenleaf. The voice in her head mused. It can bring light or set the whole forest on fire.

Shaking her head to dispel her thoughts, Hollyleaf bit out, “Honor and truth arise from doing what is right. Sometimes the right choices have consequences.”

Maggottail scoffed lightly. “There is no such thing as the right choice. There might be smart choices, or merciful ones. Choices you make to protect yourself or your loved ones. But in the end, someone always suffers for it.”

Hollyleaf glued her mouth shut, recognizing a stalemate when she saw one. 

Thunderclan had instilled integrity in her, and she had sought to build those morals by modeling them after the Warrior Code. There was some truth to what Maggottail said, but to dismiss the concept of right and wrong so carelessly was a bit pessimistic, and it didn’t quite align with her perception of what a pious cat would believe.

Every clan seemed to have a differing perspective behind morality, and that was no different for Thunderclan and Shadowclan. Perhaps Maggottail had learned his pessimism from his clan. Shadowclan always seemed to sprout outlandish beliefs. From the little she knew, one of the more traditionalist ones that they embraced was the concept of suffering- how it was not only an inevitability, but also a means of penance and growth. Shadowclan cats who experienced more suffering in their lives were considered to be wiser than most, and worthier in the eyes of their ancestors.

She wasn’t certain Blackstar and Russetfur had followed that personal dogma, but it was possible that they had been influenced by it.

Breaking from her thoughts, Hollyleaf watched as the two guards at Maggottail’s side shifted imperceptibly, ears turned to the direction of the conversation. If they had something to add, they didn’t bother to speak up. 

The old spirit continued, unperturbed by her silence, “What kind of choices will you make, I wonder, once you discover what your abilities are?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “The right ones.”

Maggottail wheezed out a breathy laugh, all too amused by the impasse they had reached. “Alright, I get it. Can’t teach a fish to climb a tree,” His mouth stretched into a wide, unfriendly smile, “- can’t teach a Thunderclanner to see past their own whiskers.”

Ignoring his jibe, Hollyleaf deadpanned, “Just get on with teaching me how to use my so-called powers.”

“Right,” The old spirit let out a small huff, “We better get that done before Thistleclaw comes back. He seems to be losing his patience with this whole game of cat and mouse. He wants to find the other Starclan cat almost as much as he wanted to find you.”

“Do you know who the other Starclanner is?” She asked, glancing briefly at the guards. 

Clawface had mentioned how the Starclan cat he’d seen was a Windclan tom, which loosely fit the bill in regards to Tallstar. If that was correct, then why was Thistleclaw so insistent on finding him? How did Tallstar fit into Thistleclaw’s plans?

Maggottail shook his head. “I don’t know who the other Starclan cat is, but Thistleclaw has been on the hunt for it. I’d say it’s only a matter of time before he finds it.” The spirit’s eyes watched her perceptively, “Once that happens, his plans will come to fruition.”

“He wants me to remove the barrier between the Place of No Stars and Starclan.” She murmured, mostly to herself. What a strange, almost nonsensical tactic. What did he think that he’d accomplish by doing that? At most it would bring about mild chaos before the entirety of Starclan rose up to smite him and his cronies down.

“Sure,” Maggottail tilted his head, the tufts of fur around his face floating like shadowy tendrils, “He wants you to remove the barrier. And he must want the other Starclan cat for what comes afterwards.”

Hollyleaf looked at him sharply, interested by his deductive reasoning. If the other Starclan cat was Tallstar, then what could the Windclanner possibly do that would help with Thistleclaw’s invasion plan?

“I don’t even know if I can remove the barrier.” She responded, digging her claws into the slimy, loamy soil. “That seems like a stretch, doesn’t it? And how does Thistleclaw know what I can do? Not even I know what I can do.”

Maggottail blinked owlishly. “Thistleclaw is playing a risky, dangerous game. If he has reason to believe that you can remove the barrier, then we might as well put some stock into it.” He glanced minutely in the direction of one of the guards before continuing. “Thistleclaw used to be a Starclan cat. He knows more than the ordinary Place of No Stars spirit. I cannot tell you how he became aware of your power- he very well could have spoken to the spirit who Changed you.”

Hollyleaf stiffened at his words. She had not considered the idea that Spottedleaf had told Thistleclaw about the Power of Three prophecy. After all, Mapleshade had described the two as estranged… and yet, Spottedleaf had still ventured into the Place of No Stars without abandon, as if she had nothing to fear. Was she aware of Thistleclaw’s lingering, obsessive feelings for her? Had she known the measure of safety granted in that?

She must have known. Mapleshade mentioned that Thistleclaw always tried to talk to Spottedleaf, regardless of the tortoiseshell’s wishes. Perhaps his sick persistence had paid off with a conversation- one that had lasting consequences.

“We already know that your brothers possess abilities that lean towards a physical or emotional nature.” Maggottail continued on, as if he did not notice the cogs turning in Hollyleaf’s head.

“So where does that leave me?”

“Mental,” He mused aloud, “Or perhaps it is spiritual. You were able to bend the rules when you summoned Breezepelt here.”

Hollyleaf’s mind circled back to the interaction she had with her half-brother. He hadn’t wanted to come to the Place of No Stars, but she had somehow forced him to anyway. She had felt his resistance so tangibly, and yet she had been able to pull him in so easily. It was as if she had lashed out with a giant paw, snatching his spirit into her grasp with twisting, unescapable claws.

Maggottail, unaware of her inner musings, continued speaking, “Have you ever been drawn to the life of a Medicine cat?”

She responded with a terse, “Yes.”

What did that have to do anything? Were cats with powers drawn towards the life of a Medicine cat? Or perhaps the gifted were pigeonholed there, forced into a destiny that they didn’t want- like Jayfeather, whose heart had ached for the life of a warrior.

“Why didn’t you pursue it?” The old spirit seemed genuinely interested in her response, eyeing her like she was some sort of puzzle he wanted to solve.

“I felt compelled to be useful and important to my clan,” She responded earnestly, the truth flowing out in spite of herself, “I was a Medicine cat apprentice for a short while before I changed my mind. It didn’t feel right, so I decided that I’d rather take a more active role in my clan. I guess that I yearned for the life that only a warrior could live. Also,” She swallowed thickly, “- before things went wrong, I thought that one day I could help lead Thunderclan.”

The spirit let out a low, contemplative hmmm, his claws tapping dully against the soft ground. She watched him with wide eyes, wondering what he was thinking. 

“Have you ever seen ghosts?” He asked after a long moment of silence, a sharp glint in his eyes.

“Ghosts?” She repeated, taken aback by his question and the sudden switch of topic.

“Apparitions,” He clarified, “Spirits that cling to the mortal realm, refusing to move on.”

A small chill rolled along Hollyleaf’s spine as she thought about Fallen Leaves, the ancient spirit that dwelled in the tunnels. “I lived with one for a long time.”

Maggottail let out another interested hmmm. Hollyleaf let out a twitchy huff in response, partially out of impatience but also from apprehension. He was clearly trying to gauge what sort of abilities she might have.

“When you were alive, did you ever summon any spirits?” He continued, eyeing her with intense scrutiny, as if trying to pry the memories from her mind.

“No!” She snapped, then took a deep breath and flattened the neck fur that had begun to rise. She wasn’t sure why that specific question bothered her so much, but it did. “I would have known if I summoned a spirit. That’s not something that someone just misses.”

“You’d be surprised at what our minds can rationalize.” Maggottail responded, his focus unwavering. “If you’ve seen spirits before, then you can’t rule out the chance you might have summoned one.”

Unsure of what to say, she stewed in his words for a moment, thinking back on her life. Fallen Leaves was the first spirit who had come to mind, but now that she thought about it, she could recall another instance where she had interacted with spirits. 

Back when Hollyleaf was still alive, she and her brothers had gone to Shadowclan to try and impersonate Starclan spirits in an effort to renew Blackstar’s faith. Jayfeather claimed that Starclan had compelled him to do it, as if they were unable to do it themselves. But if that was the case, then why had they appeared to Blackstar anyway?

Maybe you did it. The voice in her mind mused. Maybe you bypassed Blackstar’s mental barrier and summoned the spirits to him anyway.

“No, that’s crazy.” She murmured quietly, moreso in response to her mental mutterings than to Maggottail.

“Deny it all you’d like, but there’s something different about you.” Maggottail rasped, his see-through pelt rippling, “I noticed it when we first locked eyes. There’s an energy in your gaze; something lurking and powerful.”

Uncomfortable by his words, Hollyleaf shook her pelt a little to dispel the tension. “Assuming that I do have some sort of mental or spiritual-related ability, how would that help remove the barrier?”

“Don’t ask me the mechanics of it.” He snorted, amused, “Presumably the barrier is of a spiritual nature. Perhaps you can eliminate it somehow.” 

“But how would I eliminate it? You’ve only mentioned how I can maybe summon spirits.” She replied, letting out a sigh through her nose. All of this was merely speculation, and it would do nothing to help her out of this situation. Thistleclaw would soon demand that she remove the barrier, but how would she do that? Not that she wanted to.

Unexpectedly, one of the guards cleared it’s throat. Hollyleaf’s ear twitched as she glanced at the stranger out of the corner of her eye. It was a vaguely familiar looking brown and white tabby with long, feathery fur. After a moment of contemplation, she recognized it as one of the cronies that followed Houndleap on the quest to deliver the Black Rock challenge to Mapleshade.

“I think that you need to widen your perspective.” The tabby said, tilting its head at her. “By hyper-fixating on the details, you’re passing over the broader concept.” 

Both Hollyleaf and Maggottail turned their heads to stare at the brown and white tabby.

“What? I’ve been sitting here listening to you two this entire time. Am I not allowed to say anything?”

“Give it a rest, Beetlewhisker.” The other guard snorted. “Don’t get involved.”

Hollyleaf’s gaze swiveled back and forth between the two, before settling back on Maggottail, who seemed contemplative.

“Thistleclaw’s brat might have a point. Perhaps we’re complicating this too much.”

She furrowed her brow in thought. At first glance, neither the elimination of the border nor the summoning of spirits seemed related to one another. Perhaps the link between the two was simply that she had the ability to influence external forces according to her will, without having to physically interact with them.

“Maybe I have freaky mind powers.” She mumbled defeatedly after a long bout of silence, feeling a growing exhaustion tugging at her fur. 

Her head still throbbed dully from where she was struck, and she was tired from the constant stress of being in the Place of No Stars. She couldn’t remember the last time she slept, not that she’d want to do that here. The strange vision she had earlier of the wheatgrass field may have been some sort of bizarre dream, but it came and went in an instant, and provided no relief.

“You better have some sort of power as it relates to that barrier. I don’t think you’ll want to find out what’ll happen to you if you deny Thistleclaw what he wants.” Maggottail’s whiskers twitched, little more than wispy lines along his face.

“You sound like you’re afraid of him.” Hollyleaf retorted, unable to stop the taunt in her words.

“I merely recognize dark intentions when I see them.” Maggottail chuckled lowly, his soft voice laced with malice. “I’ve spent a lot of time here, after all.”

Unbidden, the thought of the strange cave-creature resurfaced to the forefront of Hollyleaf’s mind. Maggottail almost seemed to resemble it, at least as far as a shadow-y appearance went. The key difference between the two was how inky black the shadow creature was, compared to the desaturated transparentness of Maggottail. 

Nearly everyone Hollyleaf had spoken to since arriving in the Place of No Stars had called Maggottail the oldest spirit here, but the cave-creature seemed far more ancient, though less cat-like.

“You’re staring at me with a question in your eyes.” The old spirit rasped, tilting his head curiously.

“Who are you?”

“A banished Shadowclan spirit.” He responded ever-so cryptically. “A leader rejected by Starclan.”

She frowned at him. “But what’s your real name?”

He gave her an almost exasperated look, as if to chastise her. “We’ve been over this before. Once you know my name, it’ll prolong my suffering. I’ll exist longer in this hellscape than I want to, wasting away.”

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re already wasting away. No one seems to know who you are. How certain are you that the remembrance of your name keeps you from fading? That could be a rule only for Starclan cats.”

Maggottail’s ugly, hairless tail began twitching. “You’ve been listening too much to Mapleshade. She says the same thing, trying to goad me. Neither of you know what I know. Thunderclan has always been so lackadaisical about piety. Instead of reciting the old prayers of our ancestors, your lot spread fanatical stories of honor and glory. Disgusting, irrelevant sacrilege.”

She raised a brow at his rant, unused to hearing such strong religious convictions. What was wrong with tales of adventure and glory? 

“Well if you know so much, then tell me what the shadow-creature is, and what it’s doing underneath that rock.” Hollyleaf held him with a hard stare.

Maggottail’s beady yellow eyes seemed to narrow into thin slits. “I do not know of what you speak.”

Feeling a small surge of victory, Hollyleaf lifted her head a bit higher. “I guess you don’t know as much as you think you do. Maybe if you feel generous enough to share your name, then I’ll tell you what I’m talking about.”

She could tell that Maggottail was annoyed by that, because his thin teeth bared in an unpleasant way. Before he had the chance to retort, a crashing through the undergrowth caused the entire group to ripple with alarm. The guards moved closer to Maggottail, keeping a careful eye on him in spite of the noise.

Hollyleaf’s eyes darted back and forth to see if she could buy an escape path during the distraction, but it seemed as though she was still being watched. The dark grey tabby from earlier sneered at her, his nose upturned in a snobbish way.

Suddenly, what appeared to be the disheveled form of Thistleclaw burst through the bushes, cackling with unadulterated, exhilarated satisfaction. He shoved what appeared to be another cat onto the mucky ground, and suddenly Hollyleaf’s pelt wasn’t the only thing in the clearing that shone with starlight.

Feeling her heart jump into her throat, she moved out of her own accord, towards Thistleclaw and the twinkling shape.

The vile, raggedy grey tom began grappling with the other spirit, battering it with his huge paws. Hollyleaf could faintly spot the spirit beneath Thistleclaw, struggling to free itself. It didn’t fare well, and she could see it flailing in vain, sinking deeper under Thistleclaw’s weight into the suffocating, muddy ground.

“Stop!” She cried out, even as Redwillow slunk out to intercept her. She was still furious with the ginger tom, and snapped her teeth at him as she craned her head to get a better look at the fight.

“Did you hear that? She wants me to stop!” Thistleclaw taunted, his voice a hissing snarl. His paw lashed out, but Hollyleaf couldn’t see where it landed. “You wanted me to stop, too, didn’t you? You wanted me to stop looking for you.” He let out a cold laugh. “Did you think I would just give up after you escaped from me the first time?”

The spirit, it’s pelt twinkling in spite of the mud, let out a furious spitting noise. Beneath the glitter and grime, Hollyleaf could spot black and white fur. The sight of it alone was enough to make her heart stop.

“I’ll never help you!” It’s voice rang out, the cadence crisp and taut with anger. 

Thistleclaw’s responding growl was so deep and menacing that it sounded as though it came from some beast, not a cat. “I’m done playing nice with you. Do you want me to be the bad guy? I’ve given you the chance to tell me what I want to know, and yet you insist on making this worse for yourself.”

“Move,” She demanded Redwillow, willing his bulky form to stop obstructing her view. 

The traitorous ginger tom did not indulge her request.

Thistleclaw must have done something to hurt the prone, sparkling spirit, because a howl of pain rang out, causing Hollyleaf’s anxiety to spike.

“I have the power to make your worst fears come to light.” Thistleclaw’s gravelly voice was thick with resounding confidence. “Perhaps you don’t care what I do to you, but what about to someone you love?”

The spirit’s retort was nearly as resolute. “I can assure you, the one I love is safe and protected- far away from the likes of traitors like you!”

“What about a sibling?” Thistleclaw hissed back, “I’m sure your dearly departed, weakling mother popped out some more brats! I have the means of finding out.” His nostrils flared, “Maybe seeing someone else suffer will have you changing your tune. Maybe then you’ll tell me where it is.” 

Hollyleaf managed to duck her way around Redwillow’s furry, bulky form. As she darted closer, the black and white shape became more defined: long limbs and an elongated muzzle, with fierce, desperate amber eyes.

Thistleclaw’s muzzle dipped lower, his teeth flashing close to the Starclan cat’s ear. 

"I’ll torture the answer out of you if I have to, Tallstar.”

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf sat tensely in front of Maggottail, unable to relax. The old specter was speaking to her, but she could hardly pay attention after everything that had just happened. She dug her needle-like claws deep into the saturated soil as the distant sounds of snarling assaulted her ears, broken up by an occasional screech of pain. 
 
After Thistleclaw dragged Tallstar into the clearing, he ordered four of his cronies to go and ‘change’ the Windclan’s leader’s mind. Obviously, that implied some sort of brutal violence, but she wasn’t sure what they were doing to him. They weren’t supposed to kill him, but that didn’t mean they weren’t trying to harm him horrifically. She wasn’t certain what the limitations were to spiritual bodies, but it was likely comparable to that of mortal ones. 
 
A hot, burning sensation prickled at the back of Hollyleaf’s neck, but she dared not move. She knew the feeling was cast from the simmering gaze of Thistleclaw, who was watching her intently from across the clearing. The last time she had checked, he was sitting there and speaking with that snide, dark tabby. Was that one of his more trusted enforcers?
 
Hollyleaf hadn’t been able to pick up on any sort of hierarchy yet, aside from Thistleclaw ordering everyone around. The dark tabby was recognizable- he was one of the two cats that she saw guarding the border between Starclan and the Place of No Stars. Was that border now left unguarded?
 
She once more contemplated making a run for it, but her chances of success were pretty low. She was nowhere close to the misty cave, and now she was surrounded by enemies. Aside from that, she wasn’t sure if she could stomach leaving Tallstar alone to suffer. His howls of pain were already setting her on edge.
 
The confirmation of the Starclan cat’s true identity was jarring, to say the least. And yet, there was something validating about it as well. She had suspected it to be Tallstar, ever since Clawface had described the Starclan cat as being from Windclan. But how had the former WIndclan leader ended up out here? 
 
Her gaze refocused on Maggottail. He wasn’t speaking anymore. Instead, he was merely watching her with a stoic face and unblinking eyes. She knew that he could probably read the growing dread on her face, but she hardly cared now. She felt like a trapped mouse.
 
We need to come up with a way out of this. The voice in the back of her mind insisted. We cannot let Thistleclaw find out what Tallstar knows!
 
Hollyleaf furrowed her brows speculatively. Up until now, she had mulled over the possibility of Tallstar’s disappearance as having been an act to brew discord within Starclan. Perhaps there was still some truth to that, but Thistleclaw was obviously trying to gain some sort of information. Tallstar knew the location of something, but what? And why did Thistleclaw want to find out?
 
“I know you haven’t been listening to me, Starclanner.” Maggottail’s voice was little more than a low whisper, rousing her from her thoughts. He peered at her with his beady gaze before murmuring, “I can see the fear in your eyes.”
 
She squinted at him balefully, holding back the sarcastic comment that threatened to bubble up. Of course she was scared- who wouldn’t be? She had been abducted, her current whereabouts unknown. Even if Mapleshade and Sparrowfeather happened to find her, what could they do? Thistleclaw’s group was bigger than the two of them alone- Redwillow had switched sides, and Maggottail seemed completely apathetic to his circumstances. 
 
The old spirit began speaking again, “Thistleclaw enjoys your fear. It means that he still has control over you.”
 
Hollyleaf resisted the impulse to glance back at the spikey grey and white tomcat. She didn’t want to give Thistleclaw an excuse to slaunter over and harass her some more. At the moment, he was acting almost leisurely, but when would that be replaced with impatience? His placid smugness would surely vanish the longer he had to wait for her to figure out her so-called ‘power’.
 
“I have been thinking about your circumstances.” Maggottail hardly seemed to mind that she hadn’t yet responded to him. “I find it all very curious.”
 
Her eyes flickered to the guards and then back to him. “How so?”
 
“Thistleclaw wants you to utilize a power that you aren’t even aware of. Either he’s lost his mind somewhere in this forest, or he knows something that you don’t.”
 
She twitched an ear in acknowledgment. She had considered that before- the prospect of someone having told Thistleclaw something. The most likely candidate was Spottedleaf, but the tortoiseshell was double-dead now. There was no way to confirm anything.
 
“That brings me to the next curious part of this mystery. Starclan did not tell you that you were Changed.” His eyes narrowed considerably. “I cannot determine whether that was intentional or a result of negligence on their part. Perhaps they didn’t think they needed to tell you.”
 
“I would have found out eventually.” She clenched her teeth, wondering who would have been responsible for sharing the news with her.
 
“Maybe,” Maggottail looked somewhere over her shoulder- probably at Thistleclaw, “I imagine that revealing it to you would have been shameful and embarrassing for them. The act of Changing a cat is strictly forbidden in Starclan. Admitting that they let such a drastic mistake happen would not be easy. They’re your ancestors, after all. If you cannot trust them, then who can you trust?”
 
No one. The little voice in the back of her mind bit out. You cannot trust anyone.
 
She mulled over his words for a moment before responding. “You know more about Starclan than I would expect from a Place of No Stars cat. Even from one that was once a leader.”
 
“Astute observation.” She couldn’t read his tone very well, but he sounded amused. “I was a Medicine cat before I ruled Shadowclan.”
 
His words made her pause. Even the two guards, ever so silent and still, appeared to glance over with interest.
 
“I’ve never heard of such a thing before.” She admitted, somehow unsettled by his declaration. How could a cat who pledged himself to Starclan take such a dark path?
 
“Many cats have forsaken the life of a warrior to become conduits for Starclan. I just did the opposite. You did that too, as I recall?”
 
“I was just an apprentice!” She argued, “It’s hardly the same thing.”
 
“I suppose not...” His eyes seemed distant, as if reliving a faraway memory. “I was a full Medicine cat when I left my station.”
 
“Why did you do it?” She asked, intrigued. 
 
Maggottail was so cryptic. It was as if he himself was a disjointed mystery. The little she knew about him was hardly enough to create a proper picture. She had bits and pieces- the who, what, and when, but not the why. Although he wouldn’t reveal his name, he was a former Shadowclan leader- and Medicine cat, at that. He was constantly described as ancient, which she didn’t doubt. He had a strange way of articulating himself, and an even stranger way of thinking. 
 
“That isn’t a simple answer.” He replied, his mouth settling into a frown. “I was always a faithful disciple of Starclan. I wouldn’t have left my role if I didn’t absolutely have to. There was no other choice.”
 
Hollyleaf tilted her head at him, silently willing him to continue with his tale.
 
“When I lived a mortal life, things were much different than they are now. Medicine cats held immense power, especially in Shadowclan. It hadn’t always been that way, but it came to be out of necessity. The clans needed a strong presence in the religious sector to check and balance the clan leader.”
 
“But Medicine cats do have a strong presence.”
 
“No, they are weak now!” Maggottail’s retort was unusually harsh, his hoarse voice straining with barely concealed displeasure. She gaped at him for a moment before reigning in her expression.
 
The old spirit seemed to compose himself with a snort, biting back a harsh, cynical laugh. “In my day, a clan could count on it’s Medicine cat for more than just kind words and healing. We were battle-trained and ready to defend ourselves and others. We were educated from a young age in inter-clan politics, and were always involved in major decision making processes, even as apprentices. Nothing was decided without consulting a Medicine cat first. We were the voice of Starclan.”
 
Hollyleaf frowned, thinking back to her own clan. Thunderclan Medicine cats had next to no battle training, and some of them couldn’t even hunt their own prey. Leafpool always provided guidance to Firestar, but even she seemed like a wise, background character instead of a confident figurehead of clan life. It was likely the same with the other clans, with varying degrees of power granted.
 
“I had no ambition to lead Shadowclan.” The old spirit continued, “I was fine where I was, but tragedy struck my clan. A plague swept through, leaving a path of death in its wake. Our leader died, and before our deputy could be sworn in under the stars, she too passed away from sickness.”
 
“So you decided to take charge.” She guessed, eyeing him with interest.
 
“I did my duty as a Medicine cat. I nursed our clan through sickness; I provided strength and guidance, speaking the good word of our ancestors.” His lip curled as he seemed to recall something. “There is no procedure for what happens after a clan’s deputy and leader simultaneously pass away. We had to figure it out for ourselves. Only one cat seemed to be interested in the position of leader- the rest were unsuitable, or too burdened by suffering. I don’t blame them.”
 
“The sole cat who was interested was a young, unprincipled reprobate. I saw his casual disregard for our beliefs and ideals, so when he asked me for my blessing, I told him no.”
 
Hollyleaf blinked in surprise, “He had to ask you first?”
 
“It was commonplace in my time to do so.” Maggotail responded, “A Medicine cat’s blessing was synonymous with Starclan’s blessing.”
 
That was definitely not common practice anymore.
 
“So, we were at an impasse. He would not yield, and neither would I. He accused me of going against the will of Starclan, and that someone needed to be chosen before sundown. I told him that he wasn’t being chosen for deputy, so that part of the code didn’t apply to him. We quarreled and the clan waited with baited breath. I too waited for a sign- something to tell me what to do. But nothing came, so I made my own choice.”
 
The shadowy specter’s mouth twitched into a small, satisfied smile. 
 
“I decided that I would be the new clan leader. I would make that sacrifice for the good of Shadowclan. It was unheard of at the time, but the clan submitted to my rule. They were used to listening to and obeying the word of a Medicine cat. I left behind a grown apprentice as my protégé, and when I touched my nose to the chilled, star-blessed stone, my ancestors welcomed me and bestowed upon me the eight additional lives I was promised.”
 
Hollyleaf let out a hollow breath, unable to stop the way her eyes bugged as she stared hard at Maggottail. He was a Medicine cat who seized control of his clan during a time of chaotic weakness. Shadowclan backed him over a regular warrior! She couldn’t imagine something like that ever happening now. 
 
But like Maggottail mentioned before, it was a different time back then. Medicine cats seemed to hold a higher degree of influence- what had he said? A Medicine cat was supposed to ‘check and balance’ a clan leader. That was hardly the case anymore. Clan leaders commanded their Medicine cats with as much ease as they would with their regular warriors.
 
“Are you quite finished bragging about yourself, Maggot?” A familiar, snake-like voice hissed, making the fur on Hollyleaf’s spine rise.
 
She turned to watch the hulking grey form of Thistleclaw slink over, his yellowed canines poking out in a sinister smile. He met her gaze with that same, insufferable degree of smugness, eyeing her more like an interesting play-thing than an actual individual.
 
Maggottail did not move from his position. Instead, he turned his head to level Thistleclaw with a cool look of disinterest. “I’m speaking of better days. It brings me great shame to hear how led-astray the clans have become.”
 
“Enough of your bile,” Thistleclaw growled, curling his lip and exposing his teeth. “- do not attempt to taint her mind with your wretched spew! She spent enough time with Mapleshade as is.”
 
Hollyleaf couldn’t help but feel a flare of disgust at his response. “You think you’re any better than Mapleshade?”
 
The foul-stenched brute let out a caustic laugh, but she could see the way his eyes seemed to narrow cruelly at her words. “Mapleshade is a serial killer,” He hissed out, his rank breath hot and rotten, “She’s a kit-killer. Her pathetic, parasitic existence in this forest does little to atone for all that she’s done.”
 
“What?” Hollyleaf flattened her ears, shock coursing through her. Mapleshade had killed kittens? She knew that the haggard molly was dubious in terms of morality, but she never would have assumed something as terrible as that.
 
“She didn’t tell you, did she?” Thistleclaw smirked, sounding smug once more. “Of course she didn’t- even a monster harbors guilt. She drowned all three of them in the river, one by one.”
 
At the wide-eyed look Hollyleaf sent him, Thistleclaw continued, “Out of all of the cats to align with in this Starclan-forsaken place, you chose her? What kind of cat does that make you, then?”
 
“Enough of this!” Maggottail’s hairless hindquarters were twitching again, “We’re all monsters here, Thistleclaw. Do not sit on your throne of lies, pretending to be someone you’re not.”
 
The ghoulish grey tom didn’t take kindly to Maggottail’s intervention. He rounded on the ancient spirit, teeth bared, “What do you know, old fool? Your mind has faded along with the rest of you. If you had any sense left, you’d hold your tongue around me. I’m keeping you alive on a whim.”
 
Maggottail’s translucent eyes narrowed into cold slits. “Don’t make idle threats against me, especially ones that you cannot execute.”
 
Thistleclaw leaned closer, his voice lowering. “I don’t engage in battles that I can’t win.” 
 
For a moment, both spirits sized each other up and engaged in a tense staredown. Hollyleaf swished her tail nervously, waiting to see if it would get any worse. Before either one of them could do anything else, the interaction was interrupted by what appeared to be one of Thistleclaw’s cronies, who cleared it’s throat awkwardly.
 
“I went and accessed the situation. Tallstar still refuses to talk.”
 
Thistleclaw let out a long sigh, turning away to address his underling. “I suspected as much. He’s selfish, and now others will have to pay for his selfishness.” The grey tom straightened up and called out to the dark tabby from across the clearing, “Darkstripe, we’re leaving. Have Houndleap flank the group.”
 
The group began to stir, with numerous cats slinking out from the shadows. The two guards at Maggottail’s side nudged him up, and Hollyleaf rose to her feet. Where were they going?
 
“You.” Thistleclaw barked at the crony who initially approached him. “Go find the others and have them bring Tallstar back. If he escapes, I’ll rip you a new pelt.”
 
Without further hesitation, the unknown spirit made a beeline for the trees and disappeared from sight. 
 
Feeling bold, Hollyleaf demanded, “Where are we going?”
 
Thistleclaw shot her a sharp look from over his shoulder. “You’ll see. In the meantime, keep trying to learn your abilities. And don’t even think about talking to Tallstar.”
 
With that, the hulking grey tomcat turned his back to her and stalked off in another direction. She watched him leave before turning to look at Maggottail. The old spirit’s flank was still a little twitchy, but otherwise he looked fine, bearing that same stoic look on his face.
 
“I hate him.” She muttered agitatedly, “I can’t fathom how he came from Thunderclan.”
 
“Thunderclan has plenty of demons,” Maggottail responded idly, his eyes still watching Thistleclaw’s distant form. “Such a noble clan is quicker to bury them, too. I doubt that they even speak Thistleclaw’s name anymore, after what he did.”
 
“What did he do?” Hollyleaf asked, thinking back to the conversation she had with Mapleshade. The roguish molly hadn’t known what Thistleclaw did to get himself ousted from Starclan either. 
 
“As far as I’m aware, there was an impromptu trial called against him by his sister-by-kin. She exposed him for who he truly was: a dishonorable, disloyal cat who preys on the weak. Starclan cast their judgement and he was expelled.”
 
Hollyleaf nodded slowly, but then furrowed her brow as a thought hit her. “If he’s truly so awful, then why did he get accepted into Starclan to begin with?”
 
Maggottail’s stoic expression remained for a moment longer before it slowly changed into a knowing smile. “Death does not bring wisdom, Starclanner. We’re the same as we were when we died. Most of us, anyway.”
 
He’s right.
 
Hollyleaf frowned, another question bubbling up. “Did Mapleshade really kill kits?”
 
Maggottail’s smile vanished instantly. He peered at her for a moment, as if mulling something over in his mind. Then, he murmured, “You’re going to have to ask her that yourself.”
 
She opened her mouth to protest, but a sharp hissing noise startled both of them into alertness. Into the clearing came Tallstar, dragged and pushed by the same group that led him out. His fur was a mess- covered in mud and grime, with pieces of leaves sticking on parts of his pelt. He limped heavily, seeming to force his back legs to move with each step. 
 
With her heart in her throat, Hollyleaf watched as Thistleclaw marched up to him and bashed him right across the muzzle, knocking him off of his paws and onto the soggy ground. A few of the surrounding spirits laughed, finding some sort of sick amusement from the senseless violence. 
 
“Get up!” Thistleclaw demanded, glaring down at the former Windclan leader before turning around and addressing the group. “Let’s go. Keep an eye out for that hag Mapleshade and the traitor who follows her.”
 
With that, they began moving. The dark tabby from before -Darkstripe- trailed behind her like a shadow. She knew that he was watching- waiting for her to make a wrong move. Funnily enough, Maggottail’s two guards did not leave their post, and instead kept close to the ancient specter. If Thistleclaw was so confident that he could beat Maggottail, then why guard him so heavily?
 
The land surrounding them was still marshy and foul. The sludge stuck onto her feet, caking in between her toes. It was a terrible sensation. She wondered for a moment how she might look- was she as messy looking as Tallstar? She hadn’t groomed herself since coming here. 
 
Hollyleaf’s gaze flickered once more to Tallstar. He was limping along, flagged by three bullies who kept enacting various forms of cruelty: tail nipping or sticking their feet out to try and trip him. The sight was enough to make her blood boil, as if it was made of liquid fire, ready to burst forth and burn the bullies into a crisp.
 
She hoped that Tallstar might try and catch her eye, but he seemed too broken down to even turn his head in her direction. 
 
Dejectedly, she continued on.
 
The surrounding trees stretched mind-numbingly high, obscured by mist and leaves. It was all so familiar, yet different at the same time. She was certain that she hadn’t been this way before. Where had Redwillow taken her?
 
Speaking of the ginger brute, he was walking off to the side, occasionally glancing over at Hollyleaf and Maggottail. She shot him a couple of threatening glances, but did not bother speaking to him. He had betrayed them. She hoped that it had all been worth it.
 
What do you think Thistleclaw would have done to him if he had refused to change sides? The voice in the back of her mind mused. Hollyleaf frowned and conceded that the voice might have a point. Redwillow would have probably been mousemeat. 
 
They trudged on mindlessly, with Maggottail giving her tips and suggestions the entire way. 
 
“Try to recall strange instances from your mortal life.” Or, “Try and center your energy into something malleable.”
 
She tried her best to follow his instructions, but without a set goal in mind it was too difficult to figure anything out. All she could think about was how she was going to remove the border, or how to get away so she wouldn’t have to. The more she thought about it, the wearier she became. A bone-tiredness settled throughout her body, weighing down on her with its intensity. 
 
Eventually they traveled through a part of the land that was marshier than usual, the muck rising up nearly to her underbelly. It was thoroughly unpleasant, but didn’t last as long as she feared it might. 
 
After the wet mud gave way, the path became even foggier. She could barely see. It was discomforting, to say the least. After a while longer of forcing themselves onward, the fog began to give way until it settled back into the treetops, resting comfortably like a line of white cloud dust.
 
It was then that Thistleclaw stopped the group. 
 
“We’ll camp here.” He said, his eyes flickering to and fro. He opened his mouth to scent the air before turning to a couple of his cronies. “I need you two to go and scout for Mapleshade.”
 
“What?” She heard one of them retort, “No way!”
 
“Are you afraid?” He sneered at the cat who spoke, before flashing his claws. “I can assure you that I’m the scarier option between the two of us. Go, now.”
 
Reluctantly, the two spirits trudged off, one of them casting a fleeting glare before disappearing from sight.
 
Thistleclaw let out an indignant snort before beckoning Darkstripe over. The dark tabby dutifully followed, his eyes glued onto the hulking gray ghoul. For a moment, the two whispered to each other in low voices. Hollyleaf craned her head to try to listen, but they were too far away for her to hear. 
 
Then, unexpectedly, Thistleclaw turned and disappeared into the brush.
 
She watched the spot where he disappeared for a moment longer before turning her attention to Darkstripe.
 
“Where did he go?”
 
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Darkstripe hissed at her from across the clearing with his mouth set into a scowl. “He won’t be long, so don’t even think of trying to escape. He’s just delivering a message, and then he’ll be right back. You better have some results by then, Starclanner.” 
 
“Don’t tell me what to do, fleabag!” She snapped at him, not liking the cruel way he was looking at her.
 
His mouth curved into a wicked sneer, “By all means, don’t listen to me. I’ll happily volunteer to flay you when Thistleclaw grows tired of your impertinence… if he doesn’t rip you to shreds first.”
 
She angrily turned away from him, anxiety thrumming at her paws. 
 
Maggottial’s throaty voice caught her attention. “Come on, now.” He said, a glint in his eye. “If Thistleclaw wants results, we’ll just have to give him some.”
 
She held his gaze for a moment before nodding once. If Thistleclaw wanted her to learn her powers, she’d do it-

- and then use those powers against him.

Chapter Text

The black cat peered back and forth before taking a cautious step forward and whispering to her. “You need to come with us to the Riverlands. We have someone who wants to talk to you.”

Sorreltail furrowed her brow. “Really? Who?”

“Mudclaw.”

“Mudclaw?” Sorreltail replied sharply, her ears reflexively folding back.

“Shhh!” The smaller brown tabby reprimanded, shooting dubious glances around at their surroundings. He seemed especially wary of the Endmost Forest, as his eyes kept tracking back to it compulsively. “Keep it down, okay?”

Sootfur pushed himself to the front, his fur bristling as he faced the Riverclan spirits. “So the coward can’t even face us himself? He sends a retinue of Riverclanners to do it?”

“Lower your fur!” The black cat gruffed, “We’re not here to start a fight. We’re doing a favor for a friend.”

Sorreltail turned her head and peered at Sootfur, whose fierce gaze hadn’t wavered from vaguely-familiar Riverclan cats. Any hope of amicable friendliness from him had vanished the moment that Mudclaw’s name was brought up. Out of the three of them, Sootfur seemed to hold the biggest grudge over the blackmail-incident on the Moor.

Unable to catch her littermate’s eye, she instead turned to gauge Rainwhisker’s reaction. Her grey-blue brother seemed just as taken aback by the situation as she was. His eyes were narrowed warily at the Riverclan spirits, trying to determine what their motives were.

“I didn’t know that you were friends with Mudclaw.” Rainwhisker responded tersely. His voice wasn’t openly hostile, but Sorreltail could detect some snark beneath the cordialness. “Did he recruit your loyalty during the organization of his coup?” 

“His coup?” The black cat’s orange eyes narrowed minutely at the obvious call-out. “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh, Rainwhisker?”

A jolt ran through Sorreltail as she suddenly realized who the black cat was. This was Blackclaw, a respected Riverclan warrior who had backed Mudclaw’s campaign to seize power in Windclan. The last time she saw the thick-furred tom was many moons ago, shortly before the river dried up. Such a catastrophe had caused a string of fatalities in Riverclan, Blackclaw being one of them.

The jet-black spirit’s physical manifestation in Starclan was of a bulky, handsome young warrior, his fur glossy and healthy. At first glance, she barely recognized him - his appearance was a stark contrast to how he looked towards the end of his life: frail, greying and half-starved. 

The fact that he was here now, aiding Mudclaw once more, carried some concerning implications. Just how close was Mudclaw to the Riverclan sector, and what did Riverclan know about Mudclaw’s role in the disappearances? Was the Riverclan sector secretly backing the Windclan sector of Starclan?

It wouldn’t be unlike Riverclan to engage in another game of political subterfuge. 

Back when the clans had just settled in their new territory, Tallstar passed away from old age. On his deathbed, he allegedly revoked Mudclaw’s deputyship. The only witnesses to this event were Firestar and Onewhisker, the latter of which taking Mudclaw’s place as Windclan’s new leader. 

Of course, the last minute switcheroo hadn’t gone over well with the ornery ex-deputy, who suspected the whole thing was a secret conspiracy to plant a Thunderclan ally in power. 

Mudclaw proceeded to then try and seize control of Windclan, but alas did not succeed. His biggest disadvantage was that he didn’t have enough inter-clan support, and instead had to seek help from allies in other clans, namely Riverclan. Blackclaw and the tabby accompanying him -who Sorreltail recognized now as Voletooth- had both decided to meddle in Windclan affairs, consequences be damned.

A cold pit of dread weighed heavily in Sorreltail’s stomach. Blackclaw’s sudden appearance unsettled her. Why hadn’t Mudclaw come here himself?

Maybe this was some sort of trap.

A young voice startled Sorreltail from her thoughts, and she whipped her head around to take in the sight of Molepaw, who was staring bravely at Blackclaw. Beside him was Seedpaw, her normal friendliness replaced by cold wariness.

“My uncle is right!” Molepaw smarted, “You helped Mudclaw do his dirty work, and now it looks like you’re trying to do it again.”

Molepaw had been silent up until this moment, and Sorreltail had nearly forgotten that he was with them. Her son wasn’t quite up to speed with the antagonism that existed between Sorreltail, her brothers, and Mudclaw, but that didn’t seem to matter. Either he was reading the tenseness of the environment and acting accordingly, or he was just as angry with Windclan as the rest of Thunderclan was. Maybe both.

How would the fierce Riverclan warrior react to her son’s comment?

Blackclaw flattened his ears in displeasure, seemingly affronted that he was being chastised by an apprentice. “Thunderclan isn’t the only clan that engages in inter-clan politics, you know. Riverclan had a much better relationship with Mudclaw then we did with Onestar, who as far as we were concerned was a little too chummy with Thunderclan to begin with.” He paused for a moment to take in everyone’s expressions before adding, “With a situation as dubious as that was, our involvement was hardly abnormal.”

Sorreltail had never been one for inter-clan politics. She preferred to focus her energy on the betterment of Thunderclan through more cut and dry methods. Scheming and meddling in the affairs of other clans felt unscrupulous at best and dangerous at worse.

“You didn’t address Molepaw’s comment.” She supplied, tilting her head and shooting the two Riverclanners a skeptical look. “The fact that you’re both out here instead of Mudclaw is suspicious.”

Blackclaw’s eyes narrowed a fraction. “Who’s intentions are you questioning more? Ours or Mudclaw’s?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” 

The conversation lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, neither side seeming to know what to say. 

Sorreltail sent a sidelong glance in Rainwhisker’s direction. Her brother returned it with a skeptical look. He didn’t trust this situation anymore than she did; that much was certain. Something about it was seriously off, but when would they get another opportunity to speak to a willing Mudclaw? 

After all, he was the one who wanted to talk this time. If she ever wanted to get any real answers, speaking to Mudclaw was her greatest lead. It would be foolish to refuse his invitation after spending so much time trying to get him to speak to her.

Shooting Rainwhisker another glance, Sorreltail knew that she had to give the Riverclanners an answer. 

Hopefully this situation wouldn’t come back to bite her later.

Sorreltail had never been to the Riverlands before. Truthfully, she wasn’t partial to the sensation of water. It was cold and soggy, weighing down on her fur unpleasantly. The few times she ever had to swim weren’t of her own volition, and it left her feeling like a drowned rat afterwards.

So, she wasn’t surprised to find that the Riverclan sector of Starclan was covered in water. It wasn’t quite a river, though Blackclaw mentioned that a giant channel ran adjacent to the territory. Instead, the land waterlogged, as if it had just been battered with unyielding rain. Nearly everything was partially-submerged in water, even the trees. Long, stretching grasses peeked out from the watery depths, and the occasional lilypad dotted the surface.

“Like a swamp,” Blackclaw supplied, though Sorreltail wasn’t entirely convinced. This place was different from a swamp. It was more lively and less mucky, a perfect home for fish-cats and river creatures alike.

“We have to swim?” Seedpaw demanded, breaking the silence. Notably, the usual exuberance was gone from her voice. There was a far-off, absent look in her eyes as she peered quietly at the wide expanse of wetlands.

Voletooth turned back to look at Seedpaw and twitched his whiskers in amusement. “Well, we don’t call it the Riverlands for nothing.”

Sorreltail glanced over at her daughter, noting the rigidness of the apprentice’s plumey tail and the stiff-set look in her jaw. It was clear that the golden-furred molly wanted absolutely nothing to do with the water, and Sorreltail couldn’t fault her for it. 

Seedpaw was the newest of the group, having passed away very recently. Her demise had been a death by drowning, sacrificing her own life to save her sister, Lilypaw. Although Sorreltail hadn’t spoken in-depth to Seedpaw about it, she sensed that her daughter carried an intense aversion to water.

“I can’t do it,” Seedpaw said after a moment, a wary, guarded look falling over her face. 

Blackclaw let out a sigh, as if he had been expecting someone to complain. “The water’s not that deep. You can wade through most of it.”

Seedpaw seemed to shrink in on herself in shame, though her response left no room for argument. “I said,” She repeated, her voice taking on a firmer edge, “I can’t do it.”

The two Riverclan cats side-eyed one another, but Sorreltail didn’t expect them to understand. She moved from her spot next to Sootfur and positioned herself in-between Seedpaw and the view of the water.

“It’s alright,” She said softly, “We’re not going to make you do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“But what about Mudclaw?”

Sorreltail furrowed her brow in thought. It wouldn’t be right to leave Seedpaw behind while the rest of the group waded through the Riverlands. They needed to stay together. 

Turning to Blackclaw, she asked, “Can’t you bring Mudclaw here? I don’t want to leave my daughter behind.”

Voletooth and Blackclaw shared another look. It was impossible to guess what they were thinking, but the cautious glances were very telling. Something fishy was going on- no pun intended. What did these two Riverclanners know about Mudclaw’s motivations?

“He won’t come.” The black tom finally answered, his face stoic and unreadable. “There’s a reason why he wanted to meet you in the heart of our territory, of all places.”

Sorreltail narrowed her eyes at his words. The entire group seemed to shift with unspoken tension, wondering what the Windclan deputy’s true intentions were.

Suddenly, she felt a soft prod against her side. It was Seedpaw, looking up at her expectantly. “Just go without me. I’ll be alright, I promise.”

“No!” Sorreltail blurted out, not having to think twice about it. “I won’t leave you alone. It isn’t safe!”

“It’s okay Mom, I’ll go with her.” Molepaw butted in, eyeing Seedpaw with growing concern on his face. “No one will bother the two of us if we’re together.”

Sorreltail frowned, not feeling swayed in the slightest. Going alone just left both of her remaining children vulnerable to the chaos brewing in Starclan. She didn’t want to risk the chance of something bad happening to them, especially with the atmosphere of Starclan being as tense as it was.

The group was quiet, waiting for her to make a choice. What should she do? Remain stubborn and demand that Mudclaw meet her by the edge of the Riverlands, or leave her children behind?

As if sensing the moral quandary she was experiencing, Sootfur spoke up.

“You two - fisheaters,” He said, addressing the Riverclan toms with narrowed eyes. “I know that your clan can be as slippery as eels, but there must be some sort of honor-bound code amongst you. I want you to promise us that this endeavor isn’t a trap, and that nothing bad will happen to my sister if she goes with you to meet Mudclaw.”

Blackclaw’s mouth twitched into a frown, and his feathery tail began to swish back and forth with apparent irritation. “I don’t know what you rabble rousers are up to, and I didn’t bother asking. I know when to mind my own business,” He said with a sniff, a bit of haughtiness coming out, “- but I’ll tell you one thing: us fisheaters don’t go out of our way to trap and deceive grieving families.”

Voletooth nodded rigorously in support of his comrade’s statement. “We can uphold that promise. The Riverlands is a peaceful, neutral zone, so whatever quarrel your two sectors of Starclan are having will not carry over. Trust us when we say that we want no part of it.”

Sorreltail’s ear twitched at the subtle hint that the Riverclan spirits were aware of the current quarrel between the Thunderclan and Windclan sectors. In hindsight, it made sense- she hadn’t caught a whiff or whisker of the fish-cats since the tensions began brewing. They were purposely making themselves scarce, sheltering away in their watery sanctuary. If Blackclaw and Voletooth were being truthful, then that also meant that Riverclan saw no benefit in getting involved in the territorial dispute.

Sootfur appraised the Riverclan spirits, his amber gaze sharp like flint. After what was a considerable bout of silence, he said, “Okay. If it’s agreeable, I’ll escort Molepaw and Seedpaw back to the Thunderclan sector.” He turned and shot Sorreltail a serious look, “Would you be comfortable with that?”

Sorreltail snapped her mouth shut, not even realizing that she had started gaping at him. Sootfur’s gesture really struck a chord with her. She knew of his immense dislike of Mudclaw, and yet he was choosing to guide her children back to the Thunderclan sector instead of staying to face the sordid spirit. 

Part of her felt inclined to ask if he was truly sure, but the resolute look in his eyes was answer enough.

“Okay,” She breathed out, “Yes, I’m comfortable with that.”

Sootfur gave her a sharp nod before turning to gather Molepaw and Seedpaw. 

Sorreltail followed suit and pressed her cheek against both of her children in farewell. She tried to exercise some self control by not letting her worry show too evidently on her face, though her anxiety still thrummed in her chest. Molepaw seemed to read through her bravado, and licked her muzzle in a comforting gesture. 

Seedpaw appeared a bit distressed, and pressed her face into Sorreltail’s shoulder, whispering out a small, “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” She assured, rasping her tongue across the top of Seedpaw’s head.

The last goodbye was with Sootfur, who was waiting patiently for her to finish with her children. She brushed her muzzle against his head, and in turn he whispered ruefully in her ear. “Give him hell for me.”

Sorreltail shot him a half-smile, plastering it onto her face until Sootfur and her children turned to leave. She watched their retreating forms as they departed in the direction of the Thunderclan sector, silently praying for a safe journey.

With half of her family gone, the world seemed to grow a little bit colder, and the dread grew heavier in the air. 

It was just her and Rainwhisker now.

The Riverclan cats wasted no time in turning to guide the group into the wetland. Sorreltail followed reluctantly, Rainwhisker glued to her side the entire way. His pelt brushed against hers a couple of times, as if he meant to remind her that he was with her and that everything would be okay.

At first the Riverlands weren’t so bad. With each step, her paws sunk into wet, soggy grass. However, as they descended deeper into the Riverlands, the depth of the water grew deeper at an alarming rate. Before Sorreltail knew it, the water had risen up past her legs, wetting the fur along her underbelly. She could still feel the ground beneath her, but the pull of the wetland was slowing her movements.

Beside her, Rainwhisker’s face was scrunched up in disgust. He didn’t seem to like the feeling of the water, either.

They continued onwards, no one speaking as they tread through the water. It seemed as though a creeping tension had snuck up on the group, rendering with it a wave of quiet apprehension. They would have been in complete silence, if not for the background noises of the Riverlands. Gurgles, splashes and bird song rang out through the drowned land, though Sorreltail spotted no creatures. 

At one point she felt something brush up against her leg, but it was gone in an instant. Perhaps it was a fish, or merely a piece of plant matter.

Before long, the land dipped and Sorreltail couldn’t feel the ground anymore. She inhaled harshly through her nose, thrashing out her legs in a half-way attempt at swimming. She had never been properly taught, and compared to the sleek, eel-like Riverclanners, she probably looked like a floundering mess.

Rainwhisker fared no better, earning a laugh from Voletooth.

“You two look like half-drowned mice!”

Feeling an ease in the tension, Sorreltail retorted with a huff of exterion, “Cats weren’t meant to get their paws wet.”

“Tell that to Riverstar.” She heard Blackclaw grunt from the front.

Eventually the dip relented and Sorreltail could feel ground beneath her feet again. Letting out a small sigh of relief, she continued on. The group traveled even farther, and the scent of wet-cat began to permeate the air. There must have been Riverclan spirits around somewhere, but they were hidden, not bothering to reveal themselves.

“Where is Mudclaw?” Rainwhisker asked, straightening up as the water began to recede down to their legs again.

“He’s not much further.” Blackclaw responded, “We’re meeting at our mainland.”

As the midnight-furred tom promised, the sight of an island soon began to emerge from beyond the tall, wetland cordgrasses. It was expansive, covered completely with heavy foliage and greenery. 

This so-called ‘mainland’ was likely full of Riverclanners- but like before, she couldn’t spot anyone.

Or at least, that was until she saw a lone figure seated near the edge of the water. 

The brown hue of the cat’s pelt was indication enough of who it was. It’s thin, wiry form confirmed it: Mudclaw, whose stoney gaze hadn’t moved an inch from the reflective surface of the water. His ears twitched faintly, as if he heard their approach, but still he did not move.

The small group reached the edge of the island, hauling themselves up. Sorreltail shook her pelt free of water droplets, watching Mudclaw’s still form.

The Riverclanners side-eyed one another again, as if unsure of what to do. Not knowing any better than they did, Sorreltail began to make hesitant steps forward. Rainwhisker trailed after her, but stopped after a moment to watch the situation unfold.

Mudclaw was seated a bit of a distance away, but as she entered his space, he shot her a quick, fleeting glance. She stopped a foxlength away from him, not sure of how to approach. He was still staring into the water, a far-off look in his eyes. Cautiously, she padded forward until she was adjacent to him, and then sat down. 

The silence between them was deafening. 

Sorreltail stared down into the water, wondering what she should say to him. She didn’t want to scare him off by saying the wrong thing. After her participation in Stagleap’s rescue group on the Moor, she hadn’t expected Mudclaw to want to talk to her at all.

Suddenly, her pelt prickled uneasily. She glanced to the side, only to meet Mudclaw’s sidelong look. She held eye contact with him, her own gaze searching for any sign of what he was thinking or feeling.

After what felt like an eternity, Mudclaw spoke in a quiet murmur.

“You came.”

“I did.” She answered awkwardly, shuffling her paws. “Why did you want to meet here, of all places?”

The brown tabby seemed overly defensive, reading something accusatory in her tone that wasn’t actually there. He let out a snort and curled his lip in a half-hearted sneer. “You’re suspicious of me, aren’t you?”

Sorreltail felt a flare of irritation over his attitude. “Of course I’m suspicious of you!”

“Is it so easy for you to think of me as the bad guy?” He smarted back.

She resisted the urge to snap in response. “You sure do a good job of making it easy for me.”

With that, they fell into another bout of silence. Sorreltail wondered if Rainwhisker and the Riverclan spirits could hear their conversation. If they couldn’t hear it, they could certainly read the tense body language. She could feel their eyes watching the interaction unfold with various looks of concern. Upon further inspection, Rainwhisker was tense and coiled, as if ready to leap over at any moment's notice.

“What do you want most, Sorreltail?” Mudclaw’s random question refocused her attention.

The answer came quickly. “To find Honeyfern.”

Mudclaw let out a sigh. It didn’t sound exasperated, annoyed, or even angry. Instead, it was a bone-tired noise, accompanied by slumped, weary shoulders.

“What I want the most is a life that I will never have: one where Tallstar trusted me enough to lead his clan.”

Sorreltail stilled, not expecting the hothead’s open candidness, especially after the long-brewed tension between them. 

Mudclaw continued, a dull lilt to his voice. “You’ve scoured Starclan for what you want most - to find your daughter. What do you think someone like me would do for something that I want?”

She wasn’t sure if his question was rhetorical or not, but she decided to humor him anyway. “You can’t change the past, Mudclaw.”

“No, but you can change the future.”

Sorreltail turned to look at him sharply, not following the sudden turn in the conversation. His words were ominous, whether he meant them to be or not. “What are you talking about?”

He turned to meet her gaze. His eyes were the most expressive that she’d ever seen them before. The sharp edge was still there, but it was swimming in bitterness. Further below the surface, a lingering fear lurked in his yellow depths.

“Ashfoot was right.” He said in response, “You need to know the truth.”

Sorreltail froze, feeling as though her veins had turned to ice. What did Mudclaw know? What hadn’t he told her? The dull dread that had been tingling at her paws raced up her legs, into her chest, squeezing with a vice grip at her heart.

“Did you have any involvement in Honeyfern’s disappearance?” She choked out, her throat feeling as though it was closing up.

Mudclaw shook his head. “I swear to you that I didn’t.” He eyed the desperate look on her face. “I swear on my soul that I didn’t.”

His admission did little to soothe her spirit. Instead, her ire seemed to grow. “Then what’s going on, Mudclaw?”

He looked at her for a moment longer before turning to look at the surface of the water. “I need to start at the beginning.”

Sorreltail dug her claws into the moist soil. “Well, go ahead.”

“You were right, before. I was the cat who discovered Tallstar’s scent…” He trailed off, his gaze still focused on the water. “But I already knew where to find it.”

The fur along Sorrelail’s spine bristled. “What?”

“When I died,” He began, ignoring her question, “Tallstar and I had a heart to heart, so to speak. He admitted that he actually did revoke my deputy title, much to my shock. I thought it had been a deception brewed by Thunderclan.” His expression grew sour. “How could I have believed it? My leader, changing his mind only seconds before death? Throwing the welfare of his clan into turmoil?”

Mudclaw’s tone took on a hurt edge. “I wasn’t just his deputy. I was his friend.”

Sorreltail didn’t know what to say, so she just listened.

“I tried to listen to his excuses, his apology- but it all rang hollow. The only thing I heard was that I wasn’t good enough to lead Windclan. He had strung me along the entire time.” His voice turned frustrated, “What was the point of grooming me for leadership if he only meant to snatch it away?”

“He thought your leadership style was too aggressive.” Sorreltail responded, citing what she had heard in the wake of Tallstar’s death.

“That’s really funny.” Mudclaw responded dryly, “Tell me, how many pointless battles has Onestar waged with Thunderclan? How many cats have died from needless conflict between our two clans?”

Once again, Sorreltail didn’t know what to say. Mudclaw wasn’t wrong, per say. After ascending to leadership, Onestar had turned into a belligerent bully. Thunderclan and Windclan, once war-time allies, had devolved into spiteful rivals. 

Would it have been any different with Mudclaw as ruler? Or would he have led his clan down a similar path?

“Anyway,” Mudclaw said, redirecting the conversation, “Despite his apologies, Tallstar was still adamant about his decision. And who was I to doubt my leader? But it still stung to know that he didn’t believe in me.”

Sorreltail turned her gaze toward the water, frowning down at her reflection. It was strange to hear Mudclaw’s own perspective of the insurrection in Windclan. A part of her felt for him. How could she not? Whether or not he was truly the best leader for Windclan, Tallstar had partially wronged him. How could he ever forgive his leader after that kind of personal betrayal?

A cold chill crept along Sorreltail’s flank. Was Mudclaw responsible for Tallstar’s disappearance? 

She glanced at his reflection in the water. He was still looking at her. She steeled herself, meeting his gaze, “Did you hurt Tallstar?”

Mudclaw silently held her stare, his own gaze frozen like the river during leafbare. His crisp facade held for a moment longer before something in it fractured, splintering into tiny pieces.

“I didn’t mean for anything to happen.”

His admission felt like a blow to the gut. “What did you do?”

Mudclaw’s sharp, needle-like talons were unsheathed into the over-saturated riverbank soil. She could see the strain in his jaw and the tenseness in his spine. For a moment she wondered if she should get away from him, but decided that she needed to stay to hear the truth.

“I told you what I wanted most.” Mudclaw said at last, “I wanted another chance! A do-over, to live my life the way it should have gone.”

Sorreltail narrowed her eyes, feeling as though she knew where he was leading her. “You wanted to have a second chance at life? Like, to be born again?”

“Yes,” He breathed out, some of the tension evaporating from his shoulders. “That’s what I wanted. It had to be possible, but no one here seemed to know how. I almost gave up, but then Tallstar went into the Endmost Forest.” Mudclaw’s gaze darkened. “When he came out, he was different. He had been enlightened, somehow. No one knew what happened, and he wouldn’t say. But I had an idea. I believed that he found Windstar in the Endmost Forest.”

Sorreltail’s pelt prickled uneasily as a previous conversation came to mind. The faded old spirit she had met at the Thunderclan meeting: Owlstar. He told her that although the clan founders now resided in the Endmost Forest, no one had seen Windstar in a long time.

“I asked him if he could help me, but he refused, saying he didn’t know how.” Mudclaw’s tail began to lash. “But I knew him well enough to know that he was lying to me. We argued after that, and when he still wouldn’t relent I decided to go into the Endmost Forest myself.”

Mudclaw's gaze turned cloudy and unfocused, as if lost in a terrible memory. “That forest is an awful place. I can’t begin to tell you how long I wandered that labyrinth, searching for a soul who could help me find Windstar. The few I encountered didn’t know where she was. I didn’t give up, though. I kept going until I could feel my mental health plummet. Instead of finding Windstar in that forest, I lost myself.”

Sorreltail listened in rapt attention, dread tugging at her heart.

“Eventually I left the Endmost Forest. Though it was for my own good, I’d never felt so low and defeated before. My friends tried to comfort me, but they didn’t understand. I hadn’t confided with anyone about what I had been doing. They probably just thought I was going through some sort of posthumous depression.

“Tallstar knew, though. He knew exactly what I was doing in the Endmost. He knew that I was looking for Windstar, and yet he never bothered to tell me that she wasn’t even in there.”

A small ripple of water lapped at the bank, and Sorreltail watched it move, frozen in place. That’s what Owlstar said, didn’t he? If Windstar was even around anymore.

“What happened to her?”

“Tallstar came to find me after a while. He must have thought I needed space, but he also probably felt guilty, letting me walk around that whole damned forest like that. I demanded to know where Windstar was, but he told me that she was gone- that when he first stumbled upon her, she had been ready to fade away. Apparently, she passed on all that she knew to him before leaving to die again.”

Sorreltail turned to him in horror, unable to curb the fright that gripped her. “Windstar is dead? But how can that be? She’s a clan founder. No one could ever forget her!”

Mudclaw shook his head, his brow furrowed. “I don’t know! She’s just gone- may her soul rest in peace, wherever it is now.” He bared his teeth in an outward sign of distress. “It was disconcerting enough to hear that our founder had decided to pass away and leave us behind. Tallstar should have told me from the start, but he didn’t - again!” 

He shouted the last part, and the spirits watching from the distance shifted in alarm.

The brown tabby’s fiery anger was beginning to bubble out in small waves. “I just wasn’t good enough for him, was I? How could he not trust me, after all that we’d been through together?” The tom’s ears were flattened against the side of his head. “Tallstar didn’t trust me enough to lead Windclan, and he didn’t trust me enough to confide with me about Windstar. And after all of that, he still wouldn’t tell me how to have a second chance at life!”

Sorreltail quieted at his outburst, watching with wide eyes. 

“I was furious,” Mudclaw ranted, his tail lashing against the grass behind them. “I didn’t want to hear anything more from him. I tried to storm away, but he followed me. I was so mad that I crossed the border into the Place of No Stars, hoping that would deter him - but it didn’t.”

“What happened next?” Sorreltail asked when the quiet began to drag on for too long.

“Our argument got so bad that I lashed out at him. I said some horrible, awful things that I wish I could take back. Then I stormed back into Starclan and didn’t bother to look back.”

“So,” Sorreltail asked, her pelt prickling uneasily. “You two had an argument in the Place of No Stars, and then he didn’t come out afterwards?”

Mudclaw nodded wordlessly.

Sorreltail frowned at him, her mind churning through the new information she had been given. “There’s something I’m not getting. What does Hollyleaf have to do with any of this?”

He stiffened imperceptibly at the mention of Hollyleaf’s name, his eyes shifting to look at her.

“Right, that part.”

The tenseness returned to his shoulders, and his gaze flickered over the watery landscape, as if on the lookout for some hidden threat. “There was a cat who saw me go in and out of the Place of No Stars.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. After I exited, we stared at each other for a moment, but I didn’t bother engaging in conversation. At the time, I didn’t think I needed to explain myself.” He kneaded the ground with his claws. “So I left. Of course, Tallstar never turned up after our fight. No one could find him. Eventually, I went back to the Place of No Stars, dreading what I would find.”

Sorreltail held her breath nervously.

“But before I could cross the border, I was confronted by the same cat from before. I was accused of laying harm to Tallstar, though I vehemently denied it. I was afraid; I realized how bad it looked that Tallstar followed me into Place of No Stars and didn't come back out again. I pleaded with the cat to not be brash- to listen to me. Together, we decided to cross through the border so I could prove my innocence. What we found was evidence of a fight, with a scent that I didn’t recognize... the cat who was with me knew who it belonged to, though.”

Sorreltail felt her mouth go dry. “Who was the cat who crossed the border with you?”

Mudclaw’s eyes narrowed. “The one who joined you on that patrol onto the Moorland.”

No. He couldn’t possibly mean - 

“Ashfur.”

Sorreltail felt her heart drop into her stomach.

Mudclaw kept talking while she listened on autopilot. “He said that he knew that scent anywhere, and that it belonged to Hollyleaf. Since I wasn’t familiar with her scent, he led me back to her nest so I could compare the smells. It was a match, so I didn’t question it. That was my mistake.”

A fleeting, fearful look flashed through his eyes. “I believed she was guilty, but I didn’t want my clan to know what happened between Tallstar and I. How was I supposed to explain that we had a fight inside of the Place of No Stars? And that I had left him alone to die in there?”

“Is he dead?” Sorreltail croaked, her mind desperately trying to catch up with the horrible information she was dealt with. 

“I don’t know.” Mudclaw answered. “I overcompensated while trying to find Tallstar. I was so guilty over what happened that I let myself become irrational, and then we scared Hollyleaf off as a result. I didn’t even question that she might not have been responsible until I saw Ashfur with you on the Moor.”

Her concerned eyes flickered to meet his.

Mudclaw continued, “The look on Ashfur's face when he saw you questioning me… it was the look of someone who had something to hide. His eyes were duplicitous and angry and fevered, all at the same time. At first I didn’t know what to think, but then I stewed on it.” His eyes narrowed into slits. “I thought to myself, why did he interrupt our conversation like that? Why did he want to stop you from speaking to me?"

Sorreltail swallowed a lump in her throat, feeling numb and horror-stricken all at the same time. “Do you think that he…” She trailed off, not knowing how to finish her sentence. Was Ashfur the Starclan spy? Had he planted some of Hollyleaf’s scent at the scene of the crime, knowing that Mudclaw would come back later to try and find out what happened?

“But Honeyfern,” She choked out, the sudden realization striking her like a claw-swipe to the face. 

Mudclaw shifted his body until he faced her head on. “We were already suspicious of Hollyleaf - and then, conveniently, another cat went missing. Someone who was also associated with Hollyleaf."

The panic was beginning to rise, constricting her chest painfully.

"Sorreltail," He said, "- before Honeyfern disappeared, no one outside of Windclan knew about Tallstar’s disappearance aside from Ashfur."

That was the last thing she heard before her vision went black.

Chapter Text

“Stop thinking so hard.” Maggottail grunted, “You’ll give yourself a headache.”

Hollyleaf snapped her eyes open from her spot on the ground and glowered at the faded spectre. “But you told me that I need to focus my mind!”

The old spirit was loafing around across from her - as comfortable as a captive could be, considering the circumstances. His apathy for their current situation was disconcerting, though Hollyleaf had long grown to expect it.

“You’re straining yourself.” Maggottail retorted, shooting her a critical once-over. “Your form is as rigid as one of your clan’s great oak trees.” At the dubious look she sent him, he continued, “Envision your mind as a river; stop trying to fight the current and instead let yourself float along with the stream.”

Hollyleaf let out a sigh, recognizing a smidgeon of sense in the shadow-cat’s words. She had been trying so hard to focus that she had unconsciously tensed her entire body up. Clearly Maggottail found fault in her attempt, and perhaps he was right. The path of least resistance might yield the best results.

Now more mindful of her own behavior, Hollyleaf unclenched her strained jaw and exhaled slowly. She slackened the rest of herself too, although it felt unnatural to do so. It was hard to relax when surrounded by volatile, unfamiliar enemies. Thistleclaw’s followers encapsulated her from all sides, some of them grotesque-looking than others.

In spite of the short amount of time that she had spent with the rogue group, she was now beginning to put names to faces. Some of the spirits seemed to hold a higher social standing, and as a result she heard their names pop up more often. Others lingered at the fringes, shrouded in anonymity and keen on avoiding conversation.

Notably, one of the more outspoken souls was the unpleasant, dark grey tabby known as Darkstripe. He seemed to be the spirit with the most social strata, likely due in part to his mysterious connection with Thistleclaw. She wasn’t sure if they were friends, but she hadn’t seen Thistleclaw speak to anyone else with the same level of familiarity. 

And yet, despite Darkstripe’s higher standing in the ragtag group of cronies, he seemed less like a figurehead and more like an enforcer. He’d often slither around the makeshift camp with an ugly sneer, biting out venomous commands whenever it suited him. Most of the group listened to him, but the older souls regarded him with what appeared to be mild annoyance.

Personally, Hollyleaf found it easy to detest his presence. She couldn’t exactly place why, but there was just something about him that made her skin crawl. It was as if the disgust and loathing she regarded him with was compulsive, yielded from deep within her subconscious.

Other than Darkstripe, another soul she recognized was a spirit named Houndleap. He was a skinny black cat who had been the patrol leader of the cats who delivered a message to Mapleshade at the Marsh. It was clear from his haggard, faded form that he was very old. He was also suffering from a similar affliction to that of which Mapleshade and Maggottail had, likely due to his prolonged presence in the Place of No Stars. 

Up close, it was all too easy to notice the unnaturalness of his appearance; the way his skin stretched too tightly over his skull. His eyes were dead and empty, resting limply in the hollow sockets- looking as though they might pop out by accident.  

One of the more ornery spirits amongst the group was a snaggletoothed tabby who kept snapping at anyone who got too close to him. She hadn’t met him before. Aptly named Rushtooth, there was a twitchy, half-crazed look in his eyes that never seemed to settle. 

One of the unluckier spirits who had tread too close to him was someone else she recognized: the white cat who had guarded the border along with Darkstripe. Snow-something was his name, and he had a terrible scar snaking along the length of his body. 

Along the outskirts of the camp lingered the outsiders, most of them unknown to her. Some of them looked old like Maggottail and Houndleap, but most were newly deceased, looking too solid to be stuck in the land of the dead. 

Redwillow was the only one of the outsiders that she recognized. He was all by himself, looking rather out of place. Hollyleaf curled her lip at the reminder of his betrayal, not feeling sorry for him in the slightest. He could rot in this forest for all that she cared. 

How could he have betrayed them like that? 

How would Sparrowfeather feel knowing that the one cat he trusted had turned tail on them and changed sides?

Focus, Hollyleaf. The voice in the back of her mind warned. We don’t know how much time we have left before Thistleclaw returns.

Hollyleaf frowned in response to the mental reminder, unable to stop herself from compulsively thinking about the ghoulish grey and white tom. 

Though Thistleclaw had left some time ago with barely a backwards glance, her mind still circled back to him neurotically. It was beginning to feel a little obsessive, but to be fair he was her main adversary. Why shouldn’t she be thinking about him? After all, she needed to pick him apart and figure out what his motives were.

Where had he gone to, anyway? 

Darkstripe mentioned that Thistleclaw needed to deliver a message, but to who? Was it to one of his Starclan spies? If that was the case, then he had to know where the other exit was. Perhaps that was how he was able to anticipate her group’s trajectory to begin with. They were nowhere close to the original mist border... right? Or was the Place of No Stars playing tricks on her? 

The more Hollyleaf let her mind fester on Thistleclaw, the more sullen and bitter she felt herself grow. It was all too easy to detest him, especially since he had preyed upon Sparrowfeather: her ally who she now felt a kinship with. The thought of Thistleclaw’s perverse behavior toward her friend made her gut twist in rage, and a dark feeling began to emanate from somewhere in the depths of her consciousness.

You need to figure out your powers. The voice in her mind simmered, once more reminding her to focus on her goal. You must defeat Thistleclaw before he hurts anyone else. If you have to, kill him. That’s what Starclan should have done at the end of the trial, but we were too cowardly to pass a harsher sentence. Now look at what’s happened.

Hollyleaf paused for a moment, listening to her subconsciousness’ inner monologue. Something felt off about it, but perhaps that was merely just her lingering unease over the mention of murder. 

She had once taken justice into her own paws, passing a death sentence and killing Ashfur in secret. Although she was now in the spirit world, she still had a complicated relationship with the concept of taking a life. Many viewed it as one of the most unforgivable crimes, unless justified in some way. But in the eyes of Starclan, what justified the act of murder?

Had Thistleclaw’s crimes been enough to warrant a death sentence?

It was true: in the long run, his continued existence had caused an untold amount of problems. Cats had gone missing, lost inside of the Place of No Stars! Nevermind herself - Tallstar was stuck in here too, and yet Starclan was none the wiser. Was there truly no one else who noticed the strangeness of the situation? Wasn’t anyone trying to piece together this whole mess?

Hollyleaf flexed her claws, shooting an anxious glance at the wounded form of Tallstar. 

The black and white tom was huddled on the other side of camp, looking more like fresh kill than a sentient spirit. His form was prone and his fur was matted in dull, muddy clumps. No matter how long she stared at him, he barely moved a muscle, as if too tired to go on.

Hollyleaf couldn’t imagine the kind of horrors he’d experienced while being harassed and hunted by Thistleclaw. At least she had allies in the Place of No Stars. Tallstar looked like he had no one at all.

On the subject of her absent allies, Hollyleaf once more wondered what became of Mapleshade and Sparrowfeather. She wasn’t sure if they were able to pick up her trail, but she felt inclined to believe that they had. It would have been difficult for Redwillow to drag her without leaving behind some sort of indication of the fact.

In all likelihood, Thistleclaw probably shared her suspicions. After all, he had exhibited the foresight to send out two scouts to make sure that the bedraggled duo hadn’t been lingering nearby.

But the scouts hadn’t come back yet, and Hollyleaf wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

“Do you have bees buzzing around in that head of yours?” Maggottail asked, his hairless tail smacking against the ground neurotically. “Quit fretting so much. It will do you no favors.”

She let out a quick retort, “Worrying keeps me alive. Don’t you have any sense of self-preservation? I’d say that your situation is worse than mine.”

The faded spectre blinked at her in what seemed to be amusement. It was hard to read his emotions when his eyes were so faint and translucent. 

“Thistleclaw doesn’t care one way or the other whether I live or die. I’m inclined to believe that I serve a purpose in his plan - whether to be a teacher to you or merely provide another number for him.” His tone turned serious; his voice dropping low. “Your situation is entirely more delicate than mine. You’re being kept alive only because he needs something from you. You realize that, don’t you?”

She nodded wordlessly. 

“Will you yield to Thistleclaw’s demand and remove the barrier that separates the Place of No Stars from Starclan?” Maggottail questioned, his eyes boring into her own. “If you choose to do so, are you prepared to face the consequences?” He paused for a moment for emphasis, “Or do you have the gall to refuse Thistleclaw? Will you summon your so-called powers and smite him where he stands?”

Hollyleaf stared silently at the shadowed spirit before shooting a nervous glance over at the rigid-forms of the guards still flanking them. She didn’t like that they were hearing this conversation between her and Maggottail. She didn’t want them snitching about it to Thistleclaw.

As if reading her mind, one of the guards bared its teeth and spoke. “She’ll have to smite all of us down, not just Thistleclaw. We’re getting out of here or we’ll die trying.”

Hollyleaf furrowed her brow and shot Maggottail a sidelong look. He returned it briefly before addressing the guards, unimpressed.

“But where will you go? Once you get to Starclan you’ll be outnumbered in enemy territory.”

The guard snorted and rolled it’s eyes. “Do you think we’re stupid, old man? None of us plan on staying.”

Hollyleaf felt herself tense up. “What?”

“Your friend over there,” The guard continued, inclining it’s head toward Tallstar, “- is going to show us the exit to Starclan.”

Hollyleaf scrunched up her brows and whipped her head around to eye the unmoving black and white tom. If he heard them from across the clearing, he gave no indication of it. Turning back to the guards, she shook her head in confusion. “There’s an exit to Starclan?”

Maggottail let out a scoff. “They don’t know if there’s an exit; they’re relying on the words of a manipulative egotist.”

The guard who had previously spoken growled lowly in response. “He may be full of himself, but Thistleclaw is the only one trying to help us. I’d rather die in an attempt to be free than rot in here with the likes of you!” The tabby’s face sneered with bitter vitriol. “What have you or Mapleshade ever done for us? Nothing!”

An uncomfortable silence descended upon the small group and halted any further discussion. Hollyleaf glanced between the embittered guard and the stony face of Maggottail, not sure what to think. The more she learned about the motives of the rogue group, the more perplexed she felt. 

At first glance, Thistleclaw’s cronies had appeared to be mindless followers, eager to listen to someone in charge. Now it was apparent that they all shared at least one goal, which was to escape the Place of No Stars. She couldn’t be sure if every single one of them intended on escaping Starclan too, but Maggottail was right: there was nowhere else for them to go. Starclan would show no mercy to them.

Hollyleaf had taken Thistleclaw to be a selfish megalomaniac, but had she been wrong? He was trying to free the rest of the Dark Forest rogues.

No, he’s using them. The voice in her mind insisted. Remember what Maggottail told you: ‘you must learn to look below the surface.’

That was certainly true. It was hard to believe that Thistleclaw would purposefully try and do a good thing for anyone. Perhaps it was because she detested him so much, but for some reason she couldn’t muster even a speck of empathy for him. The voice in her mind was right: the rogues had to be a part of his plan somehow. But what was his true motive? Did he truly wish to escape Starclan, or was it all a front for something more nefarious?

She peered once more at Maggottail, whose stern gaze hadn’t yielded from the guard. She wondered what his true thoughts were about all of this. If only she had the opportunity to question him without the threat of eavesdroppers.

Suddenly, a scuffling sounded from somewhere in the brush, interrupting Hollyleaf’s thoughts. Others must have heard it, because a collective hush fell over the group. The guards at Hollyleaf’s side instinctively shifted closer to her and Maggottail. 

A lone figure slipped noisily through the trees. It was one of the scouts.

Before Hollyleaf could reign in her disappointment, she noticed something off about the scout’s demeanor. It was all hunched up, limping heavily on one paw. As it got closer, she smelt the scent of fear permeating the air.

“Why are you alone?” Darkstripe demanded, pushing himself through to meet the scout as it arrived. “Where’s Flintfur?”

The scout sucked in a shaky breath and shuddered. Hollyleaf spotted a faint tremble emanating off of it’s pelt as it struggled to speak. 

“He’s gone.”

The clearing was so quiet that only the sound of the scout’s shallow breath could be heard. To Hollyleaf’s surprise, there was no immediate outrage from the assembled spirits over the shocking news. Instead, a creeping tension began to build, making her fur raise.

Darkstripe curled his lip and glared meanly. “What are you talking about?”

The scout jerked it’s head up, a shadowed, panicky look reflecting in it’s eyes. “He’s dead. Mapleshade killed him.”

At the mention of Mapleshade’s name, the crowd of rogues began to stir. Hollyleaf could hear some of them starting to mutter to one another.

The scout continued with a level voice in spite of the distress it must have been in. “She ambushed us. Sparrowfeather was with her. I fought him, and Flintfur fought her.” The scout swallowed thickly, forcing the next bit out. “She smothered him face-first in the mud. I saw him struggling, but I couldn’t get to him in time. I heard a snapping noise, and then his form melted into darkness.”

Hollyleaf’s fur bristled. Mapleshade had killed one of them? It shouldn’t have felt surprising, but for some reason it did. Hollyleaf knew that the roguish molly was homicidal - and never tried to hide the fact. Still, it was one thing to listen to the tortie’s threats and another thing to see them executed.

Her eyes darted around to take in the reaction of Thistleclaw’s cronies. It was mixed; some of them were stone-still, while others shifted nervously. The cats at the fringes seemed the most on edge, regretting their vulnerable placement at the border of the group.

Darkstripe showed no sympathy. “Why didn’t she kill you, then?”

The scout stiffened imperceptibly. “She wanted me to deliver a message.”

The air seemed to turn colder. 

“She said that if the Starclan cat isn’t released, she will kill us all, one by one. And she’ll leave Thistleclaw for last.”

The scout’s words had a startling effect. The sound of many spirits speaking all at once erupted, and angry hisses could be heard over the cacophony of noise. Hollyleaf widened her eyes in alarm at the sudden burst of hysteria, shifting closer to Maggottail. The shadowed tom’s face was carefully stoic, but she could see his eyes darting back and forth, paying close attention to the scene taking place.

“She can’t kill all of us!” Darkstripe shouted over the crowd, catching the attention of the group. “In case you haven’t noticed, she’s severely outnumbered. She wouldn’t stand a chance!”

He had barely finished speaking before someone else retorted back. Hollyleaf recognized the unhinged lilt to Rushtooth’s voice as he snarled at Darkstripe.

“Do you really think she’s stupid enough to try and take all of us on at once? The lad said ‘one by one’. She’s going to pick us off like mice!” 

“That won’t happen,” Darkstripe narrowed his eyes at Rushtooth. “- and I never took you to be a coward.”

Hollyleaf stiffened, realizing immediately what a poor choice of words that was. Rushtooth didn’t seem quite as stable as everyone else. How would he take that sort of antagonism?

Not well it seemed, because almost immediately the snaggletoothed tom let out an enraged bellow and leapt forward, looking as though he intended on ripping Darkstripe’s throat out. Before he was able to, a black blur quickly intercepted and body slammed him into the ground. It was Houndleap, and although he was quite skeletal in appearance, he didn’t seem to lack in strength. 

“Get ahold of yourself, Rushtooth!” The black spirit growled, forcing the volatile tom back. “The very last thing we need right now is in-fighting.”

The snaggletoothed tabby hauled himself to his feet and spat on the ground. “I’m tired of this whelp! Move aside and let me kill him!”

Houndleap stared at Rushtooth for a long moment before turning and looking at Darkstripe. There was something calculating about his gaze; it was as if he was actually considering Rushtooth’s request.

Another moment passed before Houndleap spoke again. “Leave your personal vendettas for later. If we start indiscriminately murdering one another, then we’ll just be doing Mapleshade’s work for her.”

The crowd of rogues murmured their approval. Hollyleaf too found Houndleap’s words to be sensical. Why wasn’t he the one in charge? Darkstripe seemed to hardly have a handle on the group.

The white cat with the awful scar spoke up. “Why can’t we just make the Starclanner remove the border now and then give her up? Two birds, one stone.”

Hollyleaf froze, wondering for a moment if the original plan entailed not releasing her at all if she helped them to remove the border.

Darkstripe interjected, “We’re not going anywhere without Thistleclaw! He told us to wait, so that’s what we’re doing.”

“We can’t just wait here - we need to kill Mapleshade before she makes a move!” Someone indistinguishable from the crowd yelled out.

Rushtooth let out a loud scoff. “Great idea! Who would like to volunteer?”

The clearing fell quiet.

From beside her, Hollyleaf heard Maggottail let out a low chuckle. Then, he rose to his feet and spoke. “Mapleshade made you all a promise - and she always fulfills her promises. Perhaps some of you are too green to grasp the reality of the situation, but cats like Houndleap and I know: she is deadly and relentless. If she promises death, then it will come. To sit here and do nothing -like prey ready for slaughter- would be a grave mistake.”

Hollyleaf could see that his words had some effect on the group. She wondered what Maggottail had to gain by warning the rogues about Mapleshade. Wouldn’t it be more advantageous to let Mapleshade pick them off one by one?

Darkstripe broke the contemplative silence. “This isn’t a democratic clan. This is Thistleclaw’s group. If you don’t want to listen to his directives, then feel free to leave.” His challenging gaze swept across camp, as if daring anyone to go.

It was an unspoken thought, but Hollyleaf knew that all of them must have been thinking it: leaving now would only make them vulnerable and alone, easy prey for Mapleshade. There was no safe choice.

“If we won’t leave or kill Mapleshade, then perhaps we should take other preventative measures to ensure our survival.” Houndleap suggested, his dead gaze sweeping across the clearing. “We must re-organize ourselves. We need to heavily guard our camp’s border in order to keep it secure. Leave no more than a foxlength of space between each of you. That way, if she decides to strike, at least you’ll have someone at your side to fight with you.”

Again, Hollyleaf noted how well-thought out Houndleap was. Even Darkstripe seemed to agree with him, not yet finding fault in his plan.

The clearing began to bustle with activity as spirits began to position themselves strategically by the edge of camp. Houndleap would occasionally move cats around, trying to compensate for various strengths and weaknesses. All the while, Darkstripe trailed after to bite out useless remarks, not being helpful in the slightest. From across the camp, Rushtooth glared coldly at him.

“You two,” Houndleap addressed the guards standing by Tallstar. “We need you to pick a spot on the edge of camp.”

The guards peered at one another before one of them spoke up, “But what about him?”

Hollyleaf gazed at the unmoving form of Tallstar. Houndleap did too, then raised a speculative brow. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Just put him with the other prisoners.”

Darkstripe seemed to hold qualms about that. “Thistleclaw wouldn’t want them to fraternize with one another.”

“If you have a better solution, then let’s hear it.” The skeletal black tom narrowed his eyes. “Thistleclaw will have to understand; and it’s better to beg forgiveness than ask permission.”

And that was how the former Windclan leader got deposited in the middle of camp with Hollyleaf and Maggottail. He had to be dragged all the way there, not responding to any requests for him to get up. 

Hollyleaf felt apprehensiveness tug at her pelt as she eyed the ragged form of Tallstar. He was so close that she could see each individual hair on his dirty pelt. Briefly, she wondered if she looked as bedraggled as he did. She hadn’t looked at her own reflection in a while, and she couldn’t remember the last time she had been groomed.

“Tallstar?” She tried quietly, hoping to rouse him from whatever comatose state he was in.

The starry tom did not move. 

“Leave him.” Maggottail said dismissively. “We need to go back to figuring out your powers.”

Feeling a stab of frustration, Hollyleaf replied indignantly, “Everyone keeps telling me that I need to figure out my so-called powers. I can’t get a moment to breathe - even my own mind keeps nagging at me!”

The faded, shadowed tom tilted his head at her. “Your mind?”

“Yes!” She snapped back. “How are we supposed to figure out what my abilities are? We’ve been going in circles. I feel like we’re no closer to figuring it out then when we started!”

Maggottail was looking at her strangely now, with his translucent eyes narrowed and unblinking. At last, he asked, “What else has your mind been telling you?”

Hollyleaf stared back at him, not knowing where he was trying to lead the conversation. 

“That I need to kill Thistleclaw; that Starclan should have done it at the trial but they were too cowardly.”

He was quiet for a moment. “Does your mind speak to you often?”

She narrowed her eyes, feeling uncomfortable with his line of questioning. “What are you trying to ask me?”

Maggottail looked as though he intended on choosing his words carefully. “The way you just described your thoughts,” He paused, “- well, I couldn’t help but notice: there’s a certain sentience to them.”

Hollyleaf flattened her ears. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. My thoughts are all my own.”

“Of course.” Maggottail responded, his probing gaze still locked onto her. “It was just an observation.”

Chapter Text

“Sorreltail!” 

A sharp prod pushed insistently at Sorreltail’s side, rousing her from her catatonic stupor. She blinked open her eyes in confusion, taking in her environment.

“Rainwhisker?”

Her brother was leaning over her, his expression pinched with trepidation. There was something wary in his face as he watched her; it was like she was dry grass in the Greenleaf heat, moments away from sparking into wildfire. Sorreltail furrowed her brow in puzzlement at his anxious look. 

What happened?

She had been talking about Tallstar, she remembered, when for some reason her vision went black. Who had she been talking to again?

Mudclaw! That’s right, they were all at the Riverlands. The Windclan deputy had asked to meet her there, for whatever Starclan forsaken reason.

Sorreltail rose to her feet and turned her head in the direction she remembered Mudclaw last being at. At her sudden movement, Rainwhisker stiffened unconsciously, but she paid him no mind. 

The brown Windclan tabby was still there, looking awkward and out of place. His ears were flattened; he didn’t seem to want to meet her gaze. Instead, he was directing a glare down at his own reflection in the wetland water. There was a half angry, half guilty scowl on his face.

Sorreltail stared mutely at him, not yet registering what had happened. 

Mudclaw said something, hadn’t he? Something about Honeyfern. She thought back to the conversation they had moments before her vision went black.

'Before Honeyfern disappeared, no one outside of Windclan knew about Tallstar’s disappearance aside from Ashfur.'

The memory of his words was a stinging claw-swipe to the face, and the recollection of what just transpired crashed heavy on her shoulders like a torrential downpour. She felt herself stagger under the sickening weight of Mudclaw’s implications, nearly falling to the ground again.

Ashfur knew all along about Tallstar’s disappearance. He knew and never said anything to anyone!

For what reason would he remain so tightlipped about a spirit missing from Starclan, likely abducted or murdered in the Place of No Stars?

Sorreltail felt her throat squeeze in panic as the cogs in her mind began to churn. 

Mudclaw claimed that he and Ashfur found Hollyleaf’s scent at the scene of the crime - but the responsible party wasn’t Hollyleaf at all, was it? 

She had been framed.

Ashfur must have planted Hollyleaf’s scent in the Place of No Stars, knowing that someone of Windclan origin would return later and discover it. He was trying to pin the blame of Tallstar’s disappearance on a Thunderclan cat and incite chaos between the two rival sectors of Starclan!

And Honeyfern, how did she play into this? If Hollyleaf wasn’t responsible for Tallstar’s disappearance, then what had happened to Sorreltail’s daughter? 

Hollyleaf was the last cat to be seen with Honeyfern - or so she thought. The two had been hunting together before they parted ways, so naturally the black molly had been painted a prime suspect.

A cold thought snaked it’s way out through Sorreltail’s mind, constricting into a tight coil in the back of her throat. What if Ashfur had been the last one to see Honeyfern?

Windclan believed Hollyleaf to be a suspect as far as Tallstar was concerned, but in spite of how potentially damning the initial evidence was, they hadn’t started acting belligerent until Hollyleaf was implicated in someone else’s disappearance.

It was not just convenient that Honeyfern went missing. 

It was intentional.

“No!” Sorreltail gasped, the realization sending her stumbling back in horror. “No, no!”

Her eyes met Rainwhisker’s, who held it for a long, painful moment before he had to look away. He looked as though he wanted to console her, but didn’t seem to know how. His body was tense and frozen in a dull, distressed state. She could see the whites of his wide eyes. 

He must have overheard their conversation. He must have already connected the dots. 

Sorreltail’s throat constricted tightly at the thought that Honeyfern had been forced into some sort of nefarious, deceitful plot to stir up chaos. But where had she gone? Perhaps there was still hope for Tallstar - he could be lost somewhere in the Place of No Stars. But what about Honeyfern? The golden molly’s scent ended at Warmrocks.

Again, the thought of the Endmost Forest came to mind. Initially, she had hoped that Honeyfern had gotten lost in there, since it was so close to the Warmrocks… but there wasn’t any evidence to back that up, and wouldn’t Honeyfern have shown up by now?

What if Ashfur had somehow created a false trail, deceiving them into believing that the molly’s scent ended at Warmrocks? What if Honeyfern was being held somewhere else against her will, hoping that someone would come and save her?

Sorreltail sucked in a short, painful breath as her mind began weaving convoluted, what-if situations. Had they been looking in the wrong places the entire time?

“I’m sorry.”

Mudclaw’s sudden admission sliced clean through the suffocating silence. His earlier ire had since doused down to embers, but she could tell he was still upset. In spite of his bitter scowl, he seemed encompassed by overarching guilt, and there was dread hidden in his eyes.

“How could you have let the situation devolve like this, Mudclaw?” Rainwhisker snapped like a snare, his normal composure fracturing as he turned on the Windclan deputy. “If you had told everyone the truth from the very beginning, then none of this would have happened!”

Ever so quick to turn defensive, Mudclaw flattened his ears at the accusation and fired back, “Are you serious? As far as I was concerned, Hollyleaf was the guilty party. How could I have anticipated foul play from Ashfur? He’s a Starclan cat, for heaven’s sake!”

Sorreltail narrowed her eyes, still not completely trusting him. “That’s funny, because last time I checked, Hollyleaf is a Starclan cat too.”

Mudclaw curled his mouth into a half-hearted snarl, the tips of his sharp fangs poking out. “Ashfur’s been here for a while, and I thought that if something was wrong with his soul, someone would’ve been able to tell by now! He’s been loyal and repentant ever since he got here. He fought for us during the Great Battle! If there was ever a time to turn allegiances, it would have been then, right?” 

At the judgemental silence he received, the brown tabby continued. “Hollyleaf had just died, and no one expected her to show up here anyway! She was a more believable fluke than Ashfur.”

Sorreltail couldn’t help but to see his rationale behind being so quick to suspect Hollyleaf. Still, the damage had been done for his lack of forethought. Funny how one simple choice could lead to half of Starclan being at odds with one another?

“If only you had taken accountability for yourself to your clan for being the last one seen with Tallstar. Maybe everything would have turned out differently.” She reproached, unable to keep the sharp edge out of her voice.

Mudclaw bristled at her tone. “Both of you are so quick to drop the weight of our troubles on me, but it was a Thunderclan spirit who spun this web! Your sector is just as much responsible for what has happened. Your clan allowed a rotten egg into Starclan to taint us all with it’s decay!”

“You’re the rotten egg!” Rainwhisker spat, rising up to his full height and taking an enraged step forward. “Sootfur was right about you all along. You’re a rabbit-hearted bastard! My niece might’ve been murdered because of your cowardice!”

Sorreltail’s neck fur bristled in alarm at the suggestion, her thoughts racing erratically through her mind. “No, she’s not dead. She can’t be.”

She could feel two sets of eyes on her, but she ignored them as her mind raced. Hollyleaf tried to communicate with Starclan, hadn’t she? She spoke to Jayfeather, who in turn forced his way into Starclan and demanded that they listen to him. He explained that Thistleclaw, a disgraced ex-Thunderclan spirit, was hunting Hollyleaf down in the Place of No Stars for some sort of nefarious purpose.

What if Thistleclaw had Honeyfern? What if he was holding her captive? What if he was holding Tallstar captive, too?

Perhaps Thistleclaw had struck after Mudclaw left, dragging Tallstar into the shadowy depths of the forest. Maybe the exiled Starclanner’s faint scent had been there all along, muffled and hidden beneath the freshly planted scent of Hollyleaf. To a Windclan cat, the musky forest scent of Thunderclan might not be as easy to identify and differentiate. 

“We need to find Ashur.” She ground out, her eyes flitting up to Mudclaw. “And you need to make this right! You must go to Windclan and explain to them everything you told me. Ashfur has been trying to create chaos between our sectors, but I can’t imagine why.”

A cagey look passed through Mudclaw’s eyes, but he didn’t immediately protest. Sorreltail wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad sign.

“I can’t believe this.” Rainwhisker’s temper had died down, instead replaced by disbelief. “He’s our brother, Sorreltail.”

Sorreltail frowned compulsively, thinking back to all of her interactions with Ashfur. Despite their kinship, she had never been intentional about hanging out with him. Even in the living world they remained distant. The most they had interacted was as a result of their shared father, Whitestorm. 

In Starclan, Ashfur had been staunchly anti-Hollyleaf, but that had been after she was implicated in the disappearances. Aside from that, she barely heard a peep from him. He was a bit of an outcast.

His past misdeeds were dubious at best, but still he was accepted into Starclan. Had she been a fool to trust him? She had brushed his callous sentiments towards Hollyleaf off as a petty grudge, but maybe it was something more.

“We need to find him.” She repeated to herself, cycling it through her mind like it was a mantra. “There might still be a chance for our missing clanmates.”

“Let’s head back.” Rainwhisker responded. “We can visit Windclan, too.”

Sorreltail’s eyes flickered once more to Mudclaw. He looked worried this time, and she noticed his claws digging into the soft ground. 

“You understand why we need to tell Windclan, right?” She asked, hoping to goad him into speaking his mind. “There’s no way to solve this mess without the truth coming out.”

The brown tabby sucked in a shaky breath and closed his eyes. She waited as he released a harsh exhale. “Yes, I understand. I want the truth to come out, I think. That’s why I called you here. I guess I thought that you were the first one who deserved to know.”

She nodded and waited to see if he was going to say more, but the normally talkative tom had fallen into a sullen, apprehensive mood. 

The three of them turned to wade back to whence they came, when Sorreltail realized that she hadn’t checked on the Riverclanners. Where had they gone to? They were noticeably absent now, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that. 

Mudclaw shook his head, seeming to read her mind. “If they wanted to stick around, they would’ve. I think they heard enough. Let them do what they want; we’ll know if this conflict is enough to stir their lazy pelts into intervening.”

With that, the trio set off through the wetland. 

The water felt even heavier this time around, slowing her down when all Sorreltail wanted to do was run back to her family. The cold water chilled her to the bone, making her more on edge than she already was. The gentle birdsong she heard the first time around was gone, leaving only the sounds of sloshing and haggard breaths behind. 

Rainwhisker seemed to oscillate through various emotions, likely still processing what they had learned. At times he seemed pensive, other times confused. Every once and a while he would shoot angry glares in Mudclaw’s direction, likely blaming the brown tabby for all that had gone wrong.

The Windclan tom was quiet the entire way, so much so that Sorreltail began to feel concerned. He had a compelling story to tell, but the outcome wasn’t favorable for him. If Windclan had any wits about them, they’d be angry over the situation and furious that Mudclaw omitted the truth. What would happen to him as a consequence?

With all questions and no answers, Sorreltail swam on, staring emptily into the water’s reflection. The starlight from above rippled across the dark surface with each surge of water, but instead finding the sight a comfort, Sorreltail felt herself grow colder and more disillusioned. Starclan was nothing like she thought it would be. Nothing at all.

This was no peaceful afterlife. Anyone who thought otherwise was kidding themselves. 

Eventually the deeper parts of the wetland began to recede. It was easier to move through the dropping waterline, and Sorreltail grew anxious as they neared the end of the watery realm. She needed to find Ashfur. She needed to find him and demand to know what he had done with her daughter. She felt a low rage brewing deep within her chest, growing stronger and more powerful as time passed. Ashfur would face her rage for what he had done.

Soon, the edges of the wetland came and passed. Sorreltail trotted out from the water, through the mud, and into a patch of grass in front of her. She was grateful to finally feel solid earth beneath her feet.

Rainwhisker followed after her, rushing past her as he shook out his pelt like a half-drowned dog. Mudclaw’s short fur didn’t seem to cause him as many problems when it came to being wet, but he did seem a bit thinner and more sleek than he normally appeared. 

She wrinkled her nose as his wet Windclan stench invaded her nostrils, not liking the way it made the oil in his fur smell.

“Sorreltail.”

Her head pivoted in Rainwhisker’s direction. He was frozen in place, one paw half-raised. Alarm shooting through her, Sorreltail wasted no time in running to where he stood.

As she stopped next to him, she opened her mouth to ask what the matter was. 

That’s when she smelled it.

Ashfur’s scent was there. She certainly hadn’t smelled it last time. His scent was fairly fresh but not particularly strong. It didn’t seem as though he stopped for very long. What was he doing out here?

Feeling her hackles begin to rise in alarm, she surveyed the landscape for any sign of him. If he was around, she couldn’t see him. Closing her eyes, she snuffed the air, inhaling it as she began to circle the area. Rainwhisker joined in, his face low to the ground.

She heard Mudclaw let out an angry rumble as he caught up to them and scented the air. “Is he looking for me? How did he know to come out here? I was careful to make sure I wasn’t being followed!”

Rainwhisker halted in his efforts and called out to them. “I don’t think he was following you. I think he was following us.”

Sorreltail froze in her own efforts and looked at her brother. He was a distance away from them, closer toward the way they came the first time around with the Riverclan escorts. 

Her pelt prickled uncomfortably and she couldn’t help but peer around, wondering if they were being watched. Why would Ashfur be following them? Did he have reason to suspect that she was onto him? Or was he merely trying to keep tabs on her to make sure she didn’t find out what he was up to?

Mudclaw wandered in the opposite direction of Rainwhisker, towards an area Sorreltail hadn’t traveled from. “It’s getting stronger this way.” The tom’s voice trailed off, gaining a suspicion-filled edge. “Where is he going?”

Sorreltail and her brother trailed after Mudclaw, and the three of them began to follow the scent. Part of her wondered if it was such a good idea to follow it, but she couldn’t help but to investigate. Her companions seemed to think similarly. 

It wasn’t as easy to track him as she thought. Sometimes the scent petered out, but the longer they traveled, the more their surroundings became familiar. It looked as though they were headed back toward the central zone of Starclan, close to the Dreampool location. However, at the last second the scent veered off. They followed that for a bit before Mudclaw froze.

The brown tabby muttered something indistinctly. 

“What?” She asked quietly.

“He’s headed towards Windclan’s sector.” He growled out. “Why would he do that, after your little stunt on the moorland?”

Sorreltail flickered an ear at his shady comment, furrowing her brow in thought. What good reason would Ashfur have to go back? Was he searching for Mudclaw?

Rainwhisker spoke up. “Maybe he’s onto us, and has decided to snitch on you first, so to speak. He might try and spin the truth unfavorably to try and alienate them from listening to you.”

Mudclaw shook his head in disbelief. “He would be an idiot to try. Windclan won’t want to talk to him! Most of us are furious with Thunderclan - and he might be recognized as one of the cats from your renegade patrol.”

Sorreltail flared her nostrils, trying to scent him again. His forest scent was becoming more distinct as they neared the wheatgrass fields. If they kept going, maybe they could catch up with him!

Warily, she lowered herself closer to the ground as they set off again, searching the landscape for a sign of familiar grey fur. She felt on edge; there was a nervous thrumming in the back of her mind, warning her of danger afoot. 

It wasn’t long before Mudclaw halted. Sorreltail caught sight of what he saw a moment later. Across the field, far from them stood a familiar shape. The dark, speckled spots were unmistakable. She stared at him, feeling her rage begin to simmer once more.

The grey tom was speaking to someone, but who? There was a smaller, ginger shape across from him, listening intently to whatever Ashfur had to say. 

With a jolt, Sorreltail recognized the figure’s too big ears and long limbs. It was Molepaw’s little friend - 

Gorsepaw?

What was Ashfur speaking to the little apprentice about?

A sudden gust of wind buffeted her from behind, causing the wheatgrass to stir noisily. With a start, Sorreltail realized with dismay that they were upwind.

A moment later, Ashfur stiffened. His head slowly turned in their direction, spotting them from across the field. 

His eyes narrowed in an unfriendly way. He scarcely moved, and neither did they. The staredown only lasted for a few seconds, but the tension made it feel agonizingly long. She met his gaze, or at least, it seemed as though he was looking at her. It was hard to tell from that distance. 

She thought she saw something on his face change. It was too difficult to tell what it was, but somehow she knew that he knew. Perhaps it was that he didn’t like what he saw on their facial expressions. Or, maybe his nerves got the better of him - unexpectedly, he sprung away from his conversation with Gorsepaw and began to fast walk away toward the direction of border.

Wasting no time, the three of them leapt after him, racing through the field. He must have seen their approach, because his walk transformed into a sprint across the field and towards the forest. He had a good head start, but they had a Windclanner with them, and Mudclaw was swiftly gaining ground.

Sorreltail darted like a hawk, channeling ever tiny drop of Windclan in her blood, hoping that it would propel her faster. They exited the moorland and began to dodge through the trees, leaping over fallen branches and leaves. The distance between them was growing smaller by the second.

Mudclaw dashed like the wind itself was carrying him. He was getting closer and closer, leaving Sorreltail and Rainwhisker behind. She gasped for breath, willing herself to keep speed. She couldn’t lose them!

At the rate they were going, it was no surprise that the area that housed Dreampool came into sight. That seemed to be where Ashfur was running to, but why? He couldn’t outrun them.

Sorreltail felt her heart seize up as Mudclaw drew closer to Ashfur. He was going to catch him!

Suddenly, a strong, harsh scent invaded her nostrils and nearly caused her to trip. 

Shadowclan? 

It was so pervasive and offensive that Sorreltail could’ve sworn that they had just crossed new scent markers, straight into the heart of Shadowclan territory. What was going on?

That’s when she began to notice dark shapes surrounding the Dreampool and the land around it. Shadowclan had begun to take roost here the last time she had visited, but it hadn’t been nearly this many. It looked as though an entire clan-sized group was occupying the space. It was an absurd amount of Shadowclanners, and Sorretail began to wonder if they actually had placed scent markers.

Up ahead, Mudclaw tailed Ashfur so closely that they were nearly a foxlength apart. Sorreltail held her breath and watched as the long-limbed brown tabby took a mighty leap - 

- and was promptly knocked off of his feet.

A dark shape and sprung out from the side, intercepting him. They both tumbled down, and Ashfur zipped through, straight into the heart of the Shadowclan mob.

Frustrated, Sorreltail sputtered to a slower speed and made her way toward Mudclaw and the cat who had ruined their plans. The two of them were grappling on the ground, attracting the attention of other Shadowclanners who began marching over with raised tails.

“What’s going on here?” Rainwhisker demanded, pushing the Shadowclan stranger off of Mudclaw. 

The cat’s auburn eyes gleamed dangerously in the moonlight. It righted itself after being shoved by Rainwhisker, then hissed out, “I’m apprehending this blasphemer and protecting a holy ground! Shadowclan has learned of what your two clans have done: fighting on sacred land, disrupting the peaceful waters with your territorial disputes!”

Sorreltail’s neck fur began to rise as Shadowclan cats began to swarm around them, crawling out of the woodwork like foul-smelling insects.

“We won’t stand for it!” Someone in the crowd yelled out. “And those who have defiled this land need to answer for it!”

Rainwhisker shifted closer to her. Her eyes darted around, taking in the multitude of shadowy spirits. Sootfur, Molepaw and Seedpaw had come this way - what happened to them?

“You’re all mad,” Mudclaw spit, flashing his teeth, “Go back to your pine forest and mind your own business!”

“No,” A dark cat emerged from the crowd, his pelt nearly black in the night, aside from a patch of fur on his underbelly. “We will bring order and justice to this forest, Windclanner. We know that you brought a battle patrol to the Dreampool and attacked a group of Medicine cats. You will answer for this crime.”

The cat flicked his tail, and a swarm of Shadowclan spirits descended on Mudclaw. 

Chapter Text

An eerie tension blanketed the makeshift camp, nearly suffocating with its intensity. Almost every cat in camp was strategically situated around the edges, watchful for the looming threat of Mapleshade. 

The roguish molly’s warning was enough to make everyone ill at ease. The confidence that was once exuded by the rogues was now muted, buried beneath hints of nervous suspicion and stiff uneasiness.

The reactions of Thistleclaw’s rogues would have been comical if not for the fact that Mapleshade’s death threats weren’t idle. 

Hollyleaf was certain that the roguish molly would stick to her promise in one way or another. The only question was how Mapleshade would accomplish such an impossible task. The camp was well-guarded and on high alert. The clustered rogues outnumbered Mapleshade severely, making the chance of success slim. Unless Sparrowfeather decided to help Mapleshade, the roguish molly was on her own. 

Hollyleaf knew Sparrowfeather’s character enough to believe that it didn’t seem consistent with bloodthirst. The only killing intent she ever sensed from him was in regards to Thistleclaw, who he hated above everyone else. Hollyleaf doubted that Sparrowfeather would partake in an indiscriminant murder spree, let alone one with such poor odds.

Still, she couldn’t help but to shuffle restlessly, unable to stop herself from peering around and feeding off of the unnatural tension that emanated from the camp. The rogues were unnerved, and that wasn’t without good reason. Thistleclaw still hadn’t returned, and he seemed to be the only thing standing in between them and Mapleshade.

Hollyleaf wasn’t sure who would win in a brawl between the two specters. Thistleclaw’s suffix implied that he was renown as a skilled fighter, but Mapleshade was ruthless, calculative, and wicked. They would have been an unstoppable duo together, if not for their vehement hatred for one other. 

In a way, it seemed poetically fitting that the last of the Dark Forest leadership wanted to destroy each other.

Not the last. The voice in her mind supplied. Maggottail is still around.

Right, Maggottail. 

The neutral party. Neither mediator nor instigator - he positioned himself in a strange middle ground, surprisingly absent of ambition or purpose. 

Hollyleaf frowned, compulsively switching her gaze back to him.

The old spirit was loafing around, unbothered, while shooting her thoughtful looks - as if she was some sort of puzzle he was trying to understand. In a way, she kind of wished she did have freaky mind powers, if only to telepathically communicate with him without the threat of eavesdroppers.

She had no idea what Maggottail might be thinking about their situation. Surely, he noticed the folly of the rogues: it was a potentially risky move to group the three prisoners together, but she couldn’t be sure if it improved or worsened their odds of escaping. 

Despite Maggottail’s exuding apathy, she sensed that there was more going on beneath the surface. After all, Maggottail’s life was potentially at stake. He was tasked with teaching her how to use whatever power she may have, yet his urgency was near-nonexistent. His guidance through self discovery and introspective focus was too contrived and arbitrary to work for her. It was evident that she was struggling, and yet he still hadn’t attempted to try and teach her any other way.

Perhaps she was being too hard on the old spirit. He was doing what he could in spite of the circumstances, and Thistleclaw’s demands were hardly reasonable. 

Don’t trust Maggottail. The voice appeared again, breaking the silence. His lack of urgency is telling.

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes as she listened to what her mind supplied. It was keen advice, but she couldn’t control the flicker of doubt that arose since her last conversation with Maggottail. The malignant specter had asked bizarre questions about her mind and then implied that Hollyleaf’s thoughts were sentient – whatever that meant. 

She hadn’t sensed anything different about herself since passing away and joining Starclan. As long as she could remember, her mind had always thrown spontaneous thoughts into the forefront of her consciousness. It seemed natural up until Maggottail pointed out just how unnatural it was.

Apparently, other cats didn’t have the kind of reactive, intrusive thoughts that she did. Seeing as she wasn’t a mind-reader, she never would have known that otherwise. 

But for all she knew, perhaps it was Maggottail’s mind that was the odd one out, not her’s. 

Still, she remained disconcerted over the situation. What unnerved her the most was that the voice in the back of her mind hadn’t bothered to provide any commentary regarding Maggottail’s implications. Outlandish situations such as these usually elicited some kind of response from her inner monologue, yet she hadn’t heard a peep from it.

Tallstar stirred slightly, catching her attention and distracting her from her anxiety-ridden thoughts. Up until this point, the black and white tom had pretty much been unmoving. 

She couldn’t tell if he was unconscious or not. His body was tense - not relaxed, as it might’ve been if he was passed out. If he was concious, he clearly didn’t want to partake in any conversation. His eyes were closed and he hadn’t spoken a word since being dragged over. Hollyleaf had tried to initiate conversation with him, but to no avail. 

She wasn’t sure what to think. Was he in some sort of stress-induced stasis? 

Maggottail didn’t seem to care one way or the other about the addition of a third prisoner to their midst. The old specter had barely spared the Windclan leader a backwards glance, and the fleeting look that he did send Tallstar seemed to be more disdainful than anything else.

Hollyleaf needed to rouse Tallstar somehow. He could provide some light and clarity to the strange situation they both found themselves in.

A sudden commotion from the other end of camp distracted her from her planning.

Two of Thistleclaw’s rogues had begun spitting and snapping at each other over some sort of greivance, circling like they were ready to pounce. She hadn’t caught what the trouble was about, but it didn’t seem to matter. Everyone was quick to rile. 

Darkstripe soon scrambled over to moderate the dispute, but his whiny bossiness hardly made the situation any better. 

“Look at them,” Maggottail whispered smugly, shooting a glance at Hollyleaf. “They can hardly stand each other.”

Hollyleaf returned his side-eye briefly before watching the argument some more. “This whole camp is on edge.” 

“Good.” She thought she heard him mumble under his breath. 

The rogues’ argument started winding down once Houndleap interfered, and soon both of the instigators were moved to the opposite sides of camp, far away from each other. 

Darkstripe lifted his head arrogantly, shooting Houndleap a sour look before strutting off once more.

“I’m surprised Rushtooth hasn’t tried to kill him again.” Maggottail admitted, watching Thistleclaw’s main enforcer slink past the snaggletoothed tabby. 

The lone, chatty guard who was still stationed to watch over them let out a snort. “Give it some time, old man. It’ll happen sooner rather than later without Thistleclaw around.”

Speaking of Thistleclaw, what was taking him so long? What was it that he was doing that needed to be done away from the group?

Again, Hollyleaf was reminded of the need to figure out her powers before the ghastly tom returned. There would be consequences if she didn’t, that much was certain. But what could Thistleclaw do to her? He couldn’t kill her, so it seemed. He needed her for his plans. To hurt or otherwise weaken her seemed counterintuitive. 

She frowned, flexing her claws. Perhaps she should just focus on what she already knew. She had the ability to summon the living... though something about doing that left a bad taste in her mouth. Breezepelt hadn’t wanted to come to the Place of No Stars, but she forced him to anyway. She didn’t care much for her half brother, but forcing him into cat hell was kind of cruel. The only other cat she had successfully summoned was her littermate, but he came of his own volition after being able to sense and recognize her anger. 

Did she really want to try to summon someone else against their will? She shook her head to dispel those thoughts. It didn’t matter, because summoning only one cat wouldn’t be enough. She needed to summon a whole clan sized group to combat the rogues, and she hadn’t a clue how to do that. And even if she did figure out how to do that, she would still be putting living cats in danger. 

She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if one of her living clanmates died in the Place of No Stars.

“I don’t know what to do.” Hollyleaf murmured aloud, furrowing her brows. “I can’t figure out what my power is, and even if I could, why would I want to use it to help Thistleclaw?”

Perhaps she should just wait for the best opportunity to run. 

Thistleclaw threatened her with a life of confinement to the Place of No Stars if she didn’t comply, but maybe that was a necessary punishment in order to prevent him from entering Starclan.

“This isn’t just about Thistleclaw!” The lone guard snapped suddenly, seemingly affronted by her comment. “You just don’t get it, do you? All of us here - we want to leave. I don’t care about getting revenge on Starclan for what they’ve done. I just want to be free!”

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes and sent him a stoney look. “It doesn’t matter what you want! You betrayed the clans and everything they stand for. Starclan judged you as irredeemable, and for that you were sentenced here.”

The guard let out a frustrated growl, it’s nostrils flaring, “I died standing against the Dark Forest. Maybe I shouldn’t have trained with them to begin with, but I renounced them and was murdered by Brokenstar because of it.” His lip curled bitterly. “And what did my loyalty towards the clans award me with? Nothing but eternal suffering! Starclan abandoned me!”

Hollyleaf flattened her ears at the outburst, compulsively thinking back to Sparrowfeather and his similar tale. He tried to cut ties with the Dark Forest, but it wasn’t enough.

“You still chose this path,” She answered, if not with a little bit of uncertainty, “I don’t know what else you did to earn this sentence, but Starclan judged you for it.”

Maggottail chuckled darkly at their exchange, interjecting before the guard could growl at Hollyleaf again. “And who exactly passed the sentence, I wonder?”

“All of them.” The guard spat contemptuously, “They’re all complicit.”

Hollyleaf uneasily thought back to her own circumstances. Starclan had accepted her into their ranks, despite her dubious past. What was it that made her so different from Sparrowfeather and this guard? What had Starclan seen when they looked at her, as opposed to them?

Feeling confused and a little insecure, she asked the guard, “What’s your name?”

The guard stiffened a bit and then raised a brow at her, as if not expecting of her sudden interest. “I’m Beetlewhisker, a tom with former allegiance to Riverclan.”

She eyed his brown and white tabby fur, wondering what it would have looked like covered in stars. Didn’t Starclan know that he died for their cause? Didn’t they care?

Probably not.

Another commotion started up on the other side of camp again. Hollyleaf perked up her ears, turning to inspect the situation with narrowed eyes. Again? What was happening this time? 

“He’s gone!” Someone shouted, a hysterical edge to their voice. “He was just here a moment ago!”

Hollyleaf itched to go and see what the racket was about, but she knew that Beetlewhisker wouldn’t let her move from her location. A few of the rogues standing guard around the edges of camp vacated their post, however, to swarm the spot where the shouting was coming from.

“Let me through!” Darkstripe snarled, pushing his way past the rogues. “What happened?”

An unidentifiable spirit sputtered hastily, “There was a cat - they were standing guard right next to me, but they’re not here anymore!”

Someone from the crowd interjected, “Are you sure? Who was it?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” The spirit retorted, “And I don’t know who they are.”

“Well, what did they look like?” Darkstripe prodded, looking just as confused as the distressed spirit was.

From Hollyleaf’s side, Maggottail let out a snort of disbelief. “What a joke.”

Privately, she agreed with him. This group was disorganized and disjointed. How had it lasted this long? Most of the rogues appeared to be strangers, loosely aligned but with no connection to one another. The group was just under some sort of temporary truce, attempting to be peaceful until they reached their destination.

The distressed rogue prattled on, describing the missing spirit’s pelt and general size. Some of Thistleclaw’s other rogues seemed to have an idea of who the missing cat was, while others hadn’t a clue. 

An unsettling hush descended on the group for a lingering moment before Houndleap broke the silence.

“Everyone needs to return to their post.” His voice held a commanding air to it, and Hollyleaf was quick to notice how the displaced spirits began to obediently move back to their look-out spots.

“What about the missing cat?” Someone asked.

Darkstripe took that moment to try and reign back control of the situation. “It was probably just a deserter who left while we were distracted over the fight from earlier.”

“Yeah, right.” A loud snort rang out through the clearing. Hollyleaf swiveled her head around, only to spot the snaggletoothed tabby, Rushtooth, sending a nasty glare in Darkstripe’s direction. 

“Do you have something you want to share with the camp?” Darkstripe’s sour tone dripped with disdain, signaling his mutual dislike for the older Place of No Stars inhabitant.

Rushtooth narrowed his eyes and jutted his jaw contemptuously. “Shouldn’t we ought to consider that one of our ranks was snatched up by Mapleshade?”

The camp’s inhabitants watched quietly, looking back and forth between Darkstripe and Rushtooth. Hollyleaf could practically smell the anxiety in the air as it crackled around her nose. Maggottail shifted subtley, eyeing the proceedings with a sharp, keen interest.

“Mapleshade didn’t do anything.” Darkstripe rolled his eyes. “One of us would have seen her! Whoever disappeared was merely a coward who couldn’t stand the pressure any longer.”

Rushtooth spat onto the ground, lacking any sort of subtlety. “Yeah, I’m sure you’d be familiar with cowards, considering that you are one.”

“That’s enough!” Houndleap shouted, his tone heavy with exasperation. Clearly he was tired of having to be the mediator between the cantankerous two spirits.

Hollyleaf could hear Maggottail chuckling under his breath, apparently finding a twisted amusement from the chaos in camp. Was this his plan all long? To try and exacerbate paranoia, discord and havoc amongst the rogues?

Darkstripe’s face twisted in an ugly, unsightly way, and he shot a loathing look at Houndleap. It appeared that he didn’t appreciate being chastized in front of everyone else, especially since he held the temporary leadership position while Thistleclaw was gone. 

Hollyleaf rolled her eyes. Even though Darkstripe was in charge, Houndleap was doing a much better job at keeping everyone from killing each other.

The dark tabby ripped his mean gaze from Houndleap and instead focused it on Beetlewhisker, the lone prisoner guard. “You! Go and take the spot of the missing guard.”

Hollyleaf side-eyed Maggottail, whose once-interested expression was now carefully neutral.

“But what about the prisoners?” Beetlewhisker flattened his ears.

“They’re not going anywhere.” Darkstripe’s lip curled in a sneer. “I mean, look at them. The Starclanners have already grown dimmer, and the old one could be blown away with a gust of wind.”

Hollyleaf bristled in alarm, looking between her own pelt and Tallstar’s prone form. They were both just as starry as before, weren’t they?

“It’s not wise to leave them without a watcher.” Houndleap interjected. “What if something happens?”

Darkstripe narrowed his eyes and lifted his head a bit higher. “Thistleclaw left me in charge, not you! As I said before, they’re not going anywhere.”

Houndleap held Darkstripe’s challenging stare before puffing out an aggravated sigh. It didn’t seem like he was interested in a power play between the two of them. Hollyleaf didn’t blame him. If something went wrong here, the blame would certainly fall on the temporary leader - that being Darkstripe, of course. 

Beetlewhisker shot Hollyleaf a passing glance before moving to take the spot of the missing guard. She watched him go before turning to look at Darkstripe.

“If you three so much as try anything,” The dark tabby threatened with a hiss, “I’ll make sure that one of you dies.”

And with that, he shot them one last scathing look before leaving to boss someone else around.

“What an unpleasant little man.” Maggottail murmured to her. “Thistleclaw really knows how to choose his underlings.”

Hollyleaf turned to look down at her paw, distracted. Her stars were still there, seemingly as bright as they usually were… 

A keen sense of being watched made her pelt prickle. She lifted her head to survey their surroundings, her eyes sweeping across the clearing. 

The guards were all lined up, some of them chattering quietly with their neighbor. She could spot the ginger pelt of Redwillow, but his back was to her. She flared her nostrils in contempt before moving on. Darkstripe wasn’t looking at them anymore. He seemed too concerned with making sure everyone was in line.

Hollyleaf’s gaze dropped, and she almost jumped with a start when she noticed Tallstar’s bright yellow eyes staring at her.

“Shh,” He warned, his voice a crisp whisper.

“Tallstar,” She breathed out in surprise.

The black and white Windclan leader was still lying as motionless as before, but his sharp, analytical gaze was carefully assessing her.

“Are you alright?” She murmured quietly, her eyes darting to see what Maggottail thought. The Shadowclan specter was shooting Tallstar a suspicion-filled look.

“I’m not dead yet,” Tallstar answered simply, “But I think that Thistleclaw takes a particular enjoyment in beating the ever-loving hell out of me.”

“I thought that you were on death’s second door.” She admitted, remembering how beaten, bruised and motionless Tallstar appeared after Thistleclaw’s goons had finished attacking him.

“I felt like I was…” The black and white tom trailed off, and Hollyleaf saw something guarded in his eyes. “But the truth is, I’ve been playing-dead.”

“What?”

“It’s been in my best interest to feign weakness. I want them to think that I’ve been thoroughly beaten. I don’t trust anyone - I don’t even know if I can trust you... so I’ve been listening to find out more about your role in all of this.”

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes a smidgeon. She supposed that expecting blind trust from the only other Starclan cat here was too much to ask. How could she prove to him that they were on the same side?

“My role here is the same as yours.” She responded, trying to keep any sort of crispiness out of her voice. “We’re both pawns in Thistleclaw’s plans. I have no allegiance to the remainder of the Dark Forest, and I only ended up in the Place of No Stars due to your clan’s freak-out.”

The Windclan leader’s brows shot up. “What do you mean?”

“A group of Windclan spirits chased me in here, hellbent on trying to get me to confess to being responsible for your disappearance.”

Tallstar’s eyes narrowed in thought. One of his over-sized ears twitched a few times as he digested her words. “Why did they suspect you?”

She let out a sigh. “I’ve been wondering that since I got here.”

Both of them fell quiet, taking in the sight of the other.

Tallstar, the Windclan leader before Onestar. His long legs and pronounced muzzle made his heritage plainly obvious. He was well-liked by just about everyone in Starclan, not just by his own sector. In spite of his weary form, he had a fire to his eyes that hadn’t been extinguished by Thistleclaw’s brutality. 

“Can you tell me what happened?” She implored, hoping to get a better insight as to why he ended up in the Place of No Stars. “How did your path end up here?”

Tallstar didn’t answer right away, but when he did his response was closed off. “Why don’t you tell me your story first?”

Hollyleaf paused, considering his words. She didn’t want to personalize his distrust, but it did feel mildly insulting that he didn’t trust her. Perhaps sharing her story first would help to build a rapport between them and put him more at ease.

Giving in, Hollyleaf began to explain how she got here, making sure to give her perspective of the events that unfolded within Starclan which led up to it. She continued with her escapades with her newfound allies, and watched Tallstar’s aghast reaction as she described her alliance with Mapleshade. She concluded her story with her chance encounter with Clawface, and then the meeting with the shadow-creature beneath the giant stone.

Maggottail interjected as soon as she finished, his translucent, foggy eyes boring into her’s. “What is this ‘shadow-creature’? You mentioned it once before, but I thought it might’ve been a bluff.”

Tallstar answered right away. “I too encountered it, after speaking with Clawface. He led me to it’s resting place. Whatever it is, it’s not natural. It’s energy is tainted.”

Hollyleaf nodded, remembering how unsettled she felt in it’s presence. “I felt as though it could see through me, somehow.”

Maggottail’s expression began to morph into a twisted glee. “It must be the Maker of both this land and it’s inhabitants!”

Tallstar frowned, shooting the faded specter a doubtful look. “This land and it’s inhabitants belong to Starclan. The only difference between us is that you rejected your ancestors, and I didn’t.”

Maggottail scoffed, looking down at Tallstar with disdain. “I never rejected my ancestors, Windclanner. They rejected me.” He continued, speaking resolutely, “If you don’t believe that the ‘shadow-creature’ is the high paramount of this land, then please explain what it is.”

The black and white tom shot Hollyleaf an aggravated side-eye before addressing Maggottail. “I never said it wasn’t a being of immense power, I’m just saying that it had no hand in your creation.”

“So what, Starclan created me?” Maggottail’s long, shadowy tendrils shook as he swung his head around. “Then why is it that they grew to loath their creation?”

Tallstar scowled and rolled his eyes. “You tell me! The darkness that grips your heart is self-created. Starclan would never let an innately wicked creature be born into this world.”

“You have too much faith in your predecessors.”

“Well, I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

Maggottail bristled and let out a muted hiss, “A Windclanner such as yourself would never begin to understand the nuances of faith and conviction! I devoted my entire life to Starclan - no cat was as pious as I. Certainly not someone like you, whose misguided beliefs led you astray.”

Hollyleaf looked back and forth between the two, watching the tension build. She’d heard of the pervasive old tensions that used to exist between Windclan and Shadowclan, but she had never witnessed them personally. 

Even in the land of the living, Shadowclan wasn’t particularly religious. Perhaps it was because Blackstar wasn't outwardy pious. At one point, he’d even given up on Starclan completely. Perhaps his leadership changed the entire future and climate of his clan. Maybe the seeds of change had even been planted before him, during the reign of Brokenstar. After Shadowclan’s fall, everything that their clan stood for had to be rebuilt from the ground up.

This is ridiculous. The voice in her head added. Zealotry and fanaticism are the real distractors from the pursuit of truth and enlightenment.

“Enough of your bickering.” Hollyleaf interjected, not wishing for them to make a scene. “This is neither the time nor place for ideological disagreements.” She directed her next gaze toward Tallstar. “I told you what happened to me, so won’t you share your story?”

For a moment, Tallstar looked like he wanted to continue arguing, but his sensibilities won out. “My tale is not as long as yours.”

“Go ahead.”

“In Starclan, I was having an interpersonal conflict with my old deputy. He sought to go down a path not meant for him. Our dispute eventually escalated to the point where we had an argument,” Tallstar paused, a faraway look in his eyes, “- he was furious with me, and I should have given him space, but I didn’t. In his rage, he passed through the barrier that separates Starclan from the Place of No Stars, hoping that I would be dissuaded from following him there.”

He paused, sucking in a breath. “He couldn’t have been more wrong. In spite of our quarreling, I was worried about him. I don’t think he overtly meant anything by entering the forest, but I saw it as a warning sign. Of a dark path that he might follow - one that might overtake his heart. I didn’t want to see that happen, so I followed him in.”

“What happened next?” Hollyleaf asked, green eyes wide.

“My choice infuriated him. He was convinced that I never truly cared about him. I think he saw me following him as a sign of mistrust between us rather than friendship.”

“Did he…” Hollyleaf trailed off, “Was he responsible for your abduction?”

“No, it wasn’t him. He and I had a tense argument, but he stormed back through the barrier to escape from me. I was going to follow him, but then I heard something move in the brush. I paused to listen, and then someone called my name.”

Hollyleaf felt her pelt prickle. “It was Thistleclaw, wasn’t it?”

Tallstar’s face contorted into a grimace. “Yes. He slithered out, wanting to speak to me. I made to escape - but someone stood in front of the barrier, blocking my way back.”

Hollyleaf’s heart thudded dully in anticipation. This would reveal who Thistleclaw’s accomplice was.

“Who was it?”

“Ashfur.”

She had long suspected that Ashfur was involved, but the confirmation of it was enough to knock the breath out of her. She listened in a dull state of shock while Tallstar continued.

“Thistleclaw was able to defeat me, and then he must’ve carried me into the depths of the forest. I was his prisoner, and somehow he knew that I held the knowledge he sought. At one point I managed to escape. Alone, I traveled aimlessly - lost in this forest, until I crossed paths with Clawface. He helped me, and you know the rest.”

Tallstar lowered his voice, “I was heading to where the other exit to Starclan is. I suspect that Thistleclaw is doing the same thing.”

“Taking us to the other exit?” 

“Yes,” Tallstar answered, his ear twitching again in thought. “The fact that there are two entrances to the Place of No Stars is not commonplace knowledge. And even less cats know that the second entrance is located inside of the Endmost Forest."

Hollyleaf didn't know much about the Endmost Forest, but for some reason the mention of it sent chill racing down her spine.

Chapter Text

“You’re all mad,” Mudclaw spit, flashing his teeth, “Go back to your pine forest and mind your own business!”

“No,” A dark cat emerged from the crowd, his pelt nearly black in the night, aside from a patch of fur on his underbelly. “We will bring order and justice to this forest, Windclanner. We know that you brought a battle patrol to the Dreampool and attacked a group of Medicine cats. You will answer for this crime.”

The cat flicked his tail, and a swarm of Shadowclan spirits descended on Mudclaw. 

Sorreltail stumbled back in alarm as a flurry of starlit forms rushed past her, all intent on apprehending Mudclaw - the blasphemer, or so they called him. She didn’t have the luxury of time in order to consider her options, but her own gut instinct had her on defense, and she swatted at a Shadowclan spirit who passed too close for comfort. 

The cat paused in it’s assault on Mudclaw to hiss at her, pearly white teeth glowing in the starlight. She arched her back defensively and bared her own teeth in response, the fur along her spine standing straight up. 

A loud, shrieking caterwaul suddenly sounded off from beneath the swarm, and Sorreltail stiffened at the sound, her attention now diverted. That wasn’t just any screech - no, that voice belonged to Rainwhisker!

With panic and battle-induced rage guiding her paws, Sorreltail propelled past her adversary and sprung into the wriggling mass of starlight. When she launched herself, it was with such reckless abandon that she haphazardly slammed into the group, sending herself and nearly half of the other spirits tripping and tumbling down into a sorry heap.

A cacophony of snarls rang out as cats stumbled and attempted to right themselves. In the chaos, Sorreltail briefly glimpsed a familiar flash of brown tabby fur, struggling with an adversary before miraculously ripping free.

“Catch him!” Someone shouted, and the swarm shifted in an attempt to tackle Mudclaw. 

The tabby’s agility was his only saving grace, enabling him to dodge a full-body tackle that would’ve caught Sorreltail had she been in his place.

Sorreltail watched him for a moment but did not engage. Instead, she turned away, looking to find Rainwhisker. Around her, the clump of spirits began to move away, chasing after Mudclaw. 

After a moment of searching, she was able to spot a glimpse of rich, blue-gray fur. She weaved past the remainder of the disgruntled spirits, making her way towards her brother’s familiar form.

Rainwhisker must have spotted her as well, because he met her halfway. They both reunited in wordless relief. Her brother’s fur was in a wild disarray from getting caught in the crosshairs of the conflict, and he had a glazed look in his eyes. She peered at him up and down, trying to assess him for injuries.

“I’m okay,” He bit out, “I just got trampled a bit. They bombarded him and I all at once.”

Sorreltail’s anger began to fizzle over the precariousness of the situation, but she managed to say, “I’m glad you’re safe,” Before breathing a sigh of relief. 

Her eyes shifted to their surroundings, knowing that the danger wasn’t over. 

Rainwhisker seemed to be on the same page, and together they moved instinctively, moons of mutual battle experience guiding them into a defensive position. She pressed her flank against his in an attempt to cover their blindside and took stock of their situation.

The dwindled population of Shadowclan spirits that remained could hardly be considered small. She could even see stragglers lingering along the fringes who hadn’t yet inserted themselves in the conflict.

Sorreltail wondered if Mudclaw had been able to escape. She took her eyes off of him for just a moment in order to get to Rainwhisker, and now she couldn’t see him anymore. He must’ve darted and weaved through the crowd in a mad dash to escape, the swarm of Shadowclanners chasing him like he was the last mouse left in the entire forest. She wasn’t sure if he would be able to outrun all of them, but his chances would be better if he could make it back onto the Windclan sector of Starclan. 

A sick sense of irony suddenly gripped her, reminding her that Mudclaw was now suffering a similar fate to what he had inflicted on Hollyleaf. He was the target of an angry mob, hellbent on enacting some vigilante form of justice.

She shook her head and closed her eyes as the stress overwhelmed her, but snapped to attention when she heard the shuffling of feet. To her dismay, the Shadowclan spirits were now moving to surround both her and Rainwhisker, eyeing them with unconcealed hostility.

Their strong stench and combined displeasure in the air was enough to make her hackles rise. Rainwhisker reacted in similar alarm, his fur puffed out as much as possible.

“Meddlers!” Someone jeered scathingly, “Your interference allowed him to escape!”

Rainwhisker let out a hiss, his eyes darting wildly around the crowd. “We want no part of this! You forced us into a dispute that we had nothing to do with!”

Another heckler joined in with the angry voices, not abated by Rainwhisker’s attempt at diplomacy. “You were with him, though! You aligned yourself with Mudclaw, didn’t you? Even after everything he’s done!”

Sorreltail’s nostrils flared at the accusation that she or Rainwhisker were complicit in Mudclaw’s wrong-doings. Just because she was traveling with him didn’t mean she was an accomplice or condoned his actions! The only reason she had been traveling with Mudclaw to begin with was because he had revealed the truth of Tallstar’s disappearance to her, which in turn led them to discovering Ashfur’s treachery. 

Speaking of her back-stabbing half-brother, where had he run off to?

Gritting her teeth, she responded, “We’re not aligned with Mudclaw. He was helping us confront someone who might be complicit in the recent disappearances.”

The Shadowclan cats murmured amongst themselves, eyeing each other as if mulling over her words. She lifted her head, waiting to see how they would respond to her. At her side, Rainwhisker swished his tail anxiously.

Sorreltail understood the Shadowclan sector’s rage. They didn’t have any idea that Mudclaw tried to redeem himself. All they knew was that he had taken a mob of his religious fanatics to lay claim to the Dreampool, which then devolved into a battle that put innocents at risk. 

The fact that she was even associating with Mudclaw must look incredibly bad in their eyes.

Suddenly, a familiar shape weaved itself out from the masses to stand in front of Sorreltail and Rainwhisker. It was a black cat with a greyed muzzle and a splash of white on its chest. She recognized it as the cat who had dramatically told Mudclaw he would answer for his crimes.

“My name is Cedarstar,” The cat’s words flowed smoothly, as though well-practiced. “I am a Shadowclan leader from the Old Forest. I am also one of the representatives from our sector’s Leadership Counsel.”

Sorreltail twitched her ear nervously, not knowing what to say. She wasn’t familiar with how the Shadowclan side of Starclan operated. Thunderclan seemed to function in a loose, democratic fashion, but they didn’t have a counsel as far as she knew.

“I’m Sorreltail, and this is my brother, Rainwhisker.” She responded, “My brother spoke the truth: we do not wish to become involved in this conflict with Shadowclan.”

Cedarstar raised a brow at her. “We didn’t organize ourselves at the Dreampool to create conflict. We came to protect it from interlopers who seek to desecrate the grounds.” He paused for a moment, his eyes flickering between her and her brother. “Until we conclude our investigation and re-establish peace, you and your brother will be held here for everyone’s safety.”

“No!” Sorreltail blurted out, her eyes widening. “Are you serious? You can’t do that!”

Rainwhisker jumped into the argument, equally disgruntled, “Cedarstar, I implore you to reconsider! My sister and I are currently in the process of investigating the disappearances. Holding us here will only impede our progress.”

Cedarstar tilted his flattened face, not showing any sign of sympathy. “You both are suspects in the eyes of Shadowclan. Fraternizing with Mudclaw and giving chase to one of Shadowclan’s allies paints you both in a very bad light.”

Sorreltail froze as the Shadowclan leader’s words registered. One of Shadowclan’s allies?

“Do you mean Ashfur?” She managed to bite out, dumbfounded. 

Cedarstar nodded once. “Ashfur has upheld Thunderclan’s honor. He informed us in explicit detail as to everything that occurred at the Dreampool. He cares about the sanctity of the holy ground, just as we do.”

Sorreltail snapped her jaw shut, not realizing that it was hanging open. Of course - right when she arrived back from the Moorland with the rescue patrol, she had seen Ashfur scuttle off to speak to a couple of Shadowclan spirits. She hadn’t put much thought into it before, but now it made sense: Ashfur must’ve been telling them the grim details in order to rile them up. 

That was one of his motives, wasn’t it? He was trying to stir up trouble between the different Starclan sectors. 

First, it was with Windclan. He had placed a false lead at the site of Tallstar’s disappearance, hoping that someone would come and discover Hollyleaf’s planted scent. He had instigated the entire situation and deceived Mudclaw, who he knew would never talk due to his own guilt and fear. 

Now that Sorreltail thought about it, was Ashfur’s participation in the rescue patrol an attempt to agitate Windclan further?

And now, Shadowclan was involved. What exactly had Ashfur told them? Had he embellished details in the hope of creating even more chaos? She felt a chill creep along her spine at the realization.

Ashfur was trying to destabilize Starclan.

Beside her, Rainwhisker’s body turned rigid. He must’ve been just as disturbed by Cedarstar’s words as she was. “In spite of your good relationship with Ashfur, we believe that he might be responsible for the disappearances.” 

The Shadowclan spirits began to chatter amongst themselves derisively. Even Cedarstar shook his head in disbelief. 

“Ashfur? Surely not. What would his motive even be?”

Sorreltail side-eyed Rainwhisker. This was bad. 

“Please,” She blurted out, diverting the topic of conversation. “My family needs closure. If speaking to Ashfur is what it takes, then so be it. Is he still here? May we speak to him?”

She could feel Rainwhisker’s calculative gaze on her, but she kept her eyes trained on Cedarstar.

The black-furred tom shook his head. “Ashfur has long since left. He was in a hurry to escape, likely in fear of Mudclaw’s pursuit.”

Sorreltail resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 

“Please, Cedarstar. Can’t you find it within your heart to let us go? We need to speak with him. I promise that we won’t do anything to try and hurt him.”

That was a lie, of course. At this point, merely the sight of Ashfur was enough to make her blood boil.

Cedarstar’s brow furrowed, and he looked back and forth at the crowd gathered there, likely trying to gauge their reaction to her plea. After a moment he turned back to look at her, a reluctant frown on his face.

“One of you may go. The other must stay. This is the only compromise we shall make.”

Sorreltail felt her heart sink down into her stomach. No, that wouldn’t work! She couldn’t be separated from her brother. They were a team, and she would never want to leave him as a hostage with those unfamiliar strangers.

She shot her brother a frustrated look, but instead of sharing in her dismay, Rainwhisker forced a sympathetic smile and said, “I’ll stay with Shadowclan.”

“No way!” She shook her head in disbelief. “We can’t separate ourselves, Rainwhisker. What if something happens to you?”

Rainwhisker stared at her without saying a word. She could tell he was thinking something over, because a serious look passed over his face. She shifted uneasily at the look, not knowing if she was going to like what he was planning on telling her.

“Listen to me.” He said at last. “I’ll be fine. Shadowclan isn’t going to hurt me. You need to be the one to go, not me. You have to catch up with Ashfur before it’s too late.” He broke from her gaze, and a misty look settled over his cobalt eyes. “I have a feeling that there might not be much time left. You have to go.”

Sorreltail opened her mouth to speak, then shut it with dismay. It felt as though a frog had wedged it’s way into her throat, and she swallowed thickly through the swell of despair. How could she do any of this without Rainwhisker? 

“Do you hear me, Sorreltail?” Her brother tried again when she didn’t respond. “You have to go.”

She held his gaze for an agonizing moment before looking at Cedarstar. The black cat nodded to her once.

“After you meet with Ashfur, we ask that you come back here. We have your brother, after all. Think of him as... collateral.”

Frustration bubbled up, and Sorreltail resisted the urge to snap at the Shadowclan leader. Instead, she unsheathed her claws and left pin-prick holes in the ground. This wasn’t over.

Reluctantly, she shot one last look at her brother. 

“I’ll come back for you, Rainwhisker.” She vowed, “Sootfur and I,” She swallowed thickly, “- I’m so sorry.”

The blue-grey tom blinked at her slowly, a half-hearted smile on his face. The parting look he gave her tugged at her heartstrings, and an overwhelming feeling of wrongness settled over her. Why did she need to choose between staying with her brother and confronting her daughter’s potential abductor?

It was wrong, but what else could she do? Rainwhisker was right - there wasn’t much time. Ashfur was now aware that they were onto him. What would he do now that he knew?

Dejectedly, Sorreltail sent Rainwhisker one last look before leaving the Dreampool clearing, her tail drooping as she went. The Shadowclan spirits cleared out of her path, shifting like starlit shadows. 

The smell of Ashfur was hard to pick up over the overpowering scent of Shadowclan, but moons of living with him made it easier to catch. He was headed toward the outskirts of the Thunderclan sector, but not towards the other clan sectors. Sorreltail couldn’t be sure exactly where he was going, but the Endmost Forest was in that general direction. So was the Warmrocks.

Sorreltail wandered in the path of Ashfur’s scent before pausing, unsure of what to do. She was alone now. Should she continue to follow the scent by herself? Or should she double-back to The Great Oak, in hopes of finding Sootfur? She didn’t want to confront Ashfur by herself, but if she went back it would cost her valuable time.

Unable to decide, she stood anxiously in place, her mind racing.

Perhaps fate was on her side, because at that very moment, a familiar voice called out to her.

“Sorreltail!”

She jumped in surprise, only to let out a cry of relief at the sight that greeted her. 

It was Sootfur! It was as though her anxious thoughts had summoned him. Her brother was emerging from the undergrowth, one of his mischievous grins on his face. She leapt over to meet him and bumped her head against his shoulder. They both smiled at one another before Sootfur started looking around, a quizzical expression on his face. Sorreltail swallowed dryly, realizing that he was looking for Rainwhisker.

She opened her mouth, prepared to give an explanation, but paused when she saw the bushes rustle again. Peering over her brother’s shoulder, she gaped in surprise at who was accompanying him.

“Well, well. Long time no see!” The burly voice of Stagleap greeted her. The grey tomcat smirked at her flustered expression, before moving to the side to reveal two other cats behind him. A familiar ginger tabby slipped out from the undergrowth, followed by a tortoiseshell spirit who trailed closely behind. Immediately Sorreltail recognized them - it was Flamenose and Larksong. 

“What are you guys doing here?” She blurted out uncouthly, too surprised to care about manners.

“We came to rescue you, of course.” Sootfur lifted a brow at her. “Do you think I trusted you and Rainwhisker alone with Mudclaw? I dropped your kids off with mom and dad before finding these guys to come and help.”

Stagleap gave her a lopsided smile. “Rescue patrol, round two! Only you’re the one who needed to be rescued this time.”

Sorreltail couldn’t help but to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Of course Sootfur would do something as impulsive like this. He didn’t like Mudclaw one bit, so was she really surprised? 

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you guys.” She admitted, “I thought I was going to be all by myself.” 

Her brother tilted his head. “But what about Rainwhisker?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and answered. “He’s not with me anymore. He’s being held as a prisoner at the Dreampool by an entourage of Shadowclan spirits.” 

Sorreltail watched as her brother immediately bristled, his eyes narrowed harshly. “What?”

Though she didn’t have a lot of time, Sorreltail recited her tale as fast as she could, stumbling through the details. She described how she found Mudclaw, and of the truth he told: that Ashfur was around when Tallstar disappeared.

“Ashfur?” Flamenose scrunched up his muzzle. “You mean that fellow who joined us on the rescue patrol?”

“Yes,” She nodded seriously, “We think he might be involved in all of this. I went with Mudclaw and Rainwhisker to confront him, but he ran.”

The group was dead-silent as she continued.

“We chased him all the way to the Dreampool, but Shadowclan was there - a lot of them. They were guarding it.”

Larksong let out a bitter scoff and interjected. “I remember - after you rescued me, a couple of those Shadowclanners were still lingering in that clearing, sniffing around like stray dogs.”

With a nod, Sorreltail continued. “They apprehended Mudclaw, but he escaped.” She sucked in a harsh breath. “And now they have Rainwhisker! They would’ve kept me there too, but we convinced them to let me go on the condition that I come back after I speak to Ashfur.”

Sootfur curled his lips back in the beginning of a snarl. “Those bastards! Who do they think they are? Rainwhisker is innocent; we’ve got to do something!”

She shook her head, conflicted. “I didn’t want to leave him, but Rainwhisker told me to follow Ashfur’s scent. Ashfur knows that we’re onto him, and I’m afraid that he might do something worse now because of it. If we go to rescue Rainwhisker, then we might be too late to confront Ashfur.”

Sootfur’s snarl slowly subsided, replaced by a troubled frown. “This isn’t right.”

“I know.” Sorreltail swallowed another lump in her throat. 

“Hey now,” Stagleap interrupted the stressed exchange. “I came here for a rescue mission; even though I won’t get to rough up Mudclaw, I’ll settle for some Shadowclanners.”

Sorreltail turned to look at him with wide amber eyes. “What?”

“We’ll rescue your brother.” Flamenose chimed in. “Leave it to us. You and Sootfur should go and find Ashfur.”

Once she got past the initial surprise, Sorreltail couldn’t help but feel a tiny flicker of hope. “Are you sure?”

“Of course we are!” Larksong interjected. “Not only did you help rescue me, but you helped my son Featherwhisker during the Dreampool battle. Let me repay that debt.”

Sorreltail looked between the three of them - cats she had aided and traveled with. Before all of the trouble in Starclan took place, they had been virtual strangers to her. Now, they were allies, selflessly lending their services during her family’s time of need. 

She cracked a genuine smile, touched in a way she didn’t know how to verbalize.