Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Talon‘s faction:

leader:
Talon
large tom
dark grey pelt, long fuzzy tail, some scars along his sides, warm red eyes, red collar

second-in-command:
Frost
tom
short haired white fur, amber eyes, purple collar

healer:
Venom
she-cat
small, long haired tortoiseshell, torn left ear, red collar

veteran warriors:
Silver
tom
longer white fur with grey patches, green eyes, green collar
brother of Argent

Owl
older massive tom
long lilac spotted tabby pelt, hazel eyes, blue collar

Moon
tall she-cat
black sleek fur, white belly and tail tip, left eye lime green, right eye blind and paled to white, red collar
mate of Rover

warriors:
Gravel
she-cat
grey with darkgrey stripes, green eyes, turquoise collar, tailtip bitten off

Rover
tom
dark brown tabby fur, long scar along right side, amber eyes, black collar
mate of Moon

Gash
tom
longer brown fur, scarred flank, blue eyes, green collar
father of Ferret

Ferret
she-cat
tawny and brown, blue-green eyes, green collar
daughter of Gash

Clover
she-cat
small shorthaired tortoiseshell, yellow eyes, red collar

Viper
she-cat
grey fur with white paws and belly, blue eyes, green collar
mate of Edge, mother of Lion

Grail
she-cat
long haired red-ish russet pelt, bushy tail,, golden eyes, dark brown collar
kit of Forge and Sun, sibling with Edge and Lantern

Edge
Huge tom
long light brown fur, heavily scarred all over, eyes blind and pale with clawmarks over eyelids, light green collar
kit of Forge and Sun ,sibling with Grail and Lantern, mate of Viper, father of Lion

Lantern
skinny tom
short butterscotch pelt, ribs slightly visible under pelt, pale blue eyes, dark blue collar
kit of Forge and Sun ,sibling with Edge and Lantern, father of Dawn and Dusk

kits:
Dawn
she-cat
grey fur, golden eyes

Dusk
tom
butterscotch pelt, grey marking on his head, deep blue eyes

Lion
tom
brown fur with white paws and belly, amber eyes

Kestrel‘s faction

leader:
Kestrel
slender tom
brown and cream fur, golden eyes, green collar
father of Rain

second-in-command:
Castle
bulky she-cat
short grey pelt, bobtail, green-brown eyes, brown collar

healer:
Rain
tom
grey fur with small white spots on his sides resembling raindrops, pale amber eyes, black collar
son of Kestrel

veteran warriors:
Hornet
she-cat
black and red tortoiseshell fur, hazel eyes, red collar, scar across her muzzle
mate of Bee

Soot
tom
short black fur, golden eyes, light grey collar
mate of Daze, father of Mist and Fume

warriors:
Quail
she-cat
long white fur with brown belly and tail-tip, amber eyes, red collar

Sparrow
tom
medium brown fur with slightly lighter mane like fluff, deep brown eyes, black collar
brother of Rat

Poppy
she-cat
white fur with russet-red spots on her back, grey-blue eyes, purple collar

Rat
tom
short brown pelt, several patches on his body hairless, yellow eyes, green collar
brother of Sparrow

Daze
she-cat
long blue-gray pelt, always sleepy golden eyes, blue collar
mate of Soot, mother of Mist and Fume

Wax
tom
long black fur with a white face, hazel eyes, purple collar

Spider
tom
short grey fur with darker legs and tail, golden eyes, light brown collar

Aspen
sleek she-cat
short brown fur, long tail, striking green eyes, dark green collar

Bee
she-cat
thick long butterscotch pelt, golden eyes, blue collar
mate of Hornet

kits:
Mist
tom
short grey fur with dark stripe along his back, golden eyes

Fume
tom
short grey fur with dark stripe along his back, amber eyes

Granite‘s faction

leader:
Granite
older tom
grey pelt with dark stripes along his back, blue-green eyes, red collar
father of Flame

second-in-command:
Copper
tom
short russet fur, golden eyes, shredded left ear, green collar
mate of Valerie

healer:
Valerie
she-cat
long white and black fur, heterochromia left eye amber red eye green, blue collar
mate of Copper

veteran warriors:
Flame
massive tom
ginger pelt, blue eyes, purple collar
son of Granite

Laurel
older she-cat
tabby fur with white belly and a white crescent on her head, green eyes, light grey collar

Blaze
tom
medium black fur with russet-red spine, tail and paws, golden eyes, red collar
mate of Missy, father of Racket

warriors:
Crow
tom
short black fur, one blue eyes, the other clawed blind, purple collar
brother of Raven and Blackbird

Raven
she-cat
short black fur with white belly, grey-green eyes, red collar
sister of Crow and Blackbird

Blackbird
tom
short black fur, scars on neck and side, yellow eyes, purple collar
brother of Crow and Raven

Shine
large tom
butterscotch pelt, golden eyes, crooked tail, yellow collar

Blizzard
small tom
white pelt, blue eyes, grey collar

Missy
she-cat
long white and red calico fur, golden eyes, red collar
mate of Blaze, mother of Racket

Crane
large, slender tom
White fur with black spots along his back and black tailtip, blue eyes, green collar

Timber
tom
brown fur with dark brown circles along the length of his tail, amber eyes, orange collar

Dusk
tom
dark grey pelt with a white left ear, gray-blue eyes, yellow collar

kits:
Racket
tom
white pelt with russet-red tail and paws, golden eyes

Wraith‘s faction

leader:
Wraith
sleek she-cat
white fur with black ears and tail, cold blue eyes, blue collar
sister of Grave

second-in-command:
Asphalt
she-cat
short grey pelt with white and dark patches, torn right ear, warm green eyes, light brown collar

veteran warriors:
Moth
she-cat
short butterscotch pelt with a long grey mark on either side from her shoulder to her hip, grey-blue eyes, purple collar
mate of Hawk

Shatter
tom
grey with black stripes, green eyes, brown collar

Mouse
she-cat
short brown pelt with light gray paws and muzzle, amber eyes, scar over her right eye, light green collar

Grave
sleek tom
dark grey pelt with black ears, muzzle and paws, amber left eye, right eye clawed blind, orange collar
mate of Raccoon, father of Stone ,brother of Wraith

warriors:
Velvet
she-cat
long butterscotch pelt, red eyes, yellow collar

Hound
massive tom
short brown pelt, no whiskers, pale yellow eyes, brown collar

Hawk
slender tom
white pelt with a brown-grayish mane, ears and tail, clear blue eyes, red-brownish collar
mate of Moth

Thunder
large tom
black pelt with a white line along his spine, yellow eyes, dark-grey collar

Whisker
tom
long cream coloured pelt, long well-kept whiskers, golden eyes, light-brown collar

Raccoon
she-cat
grey pelt with a white belly and black stripes along her back, pale yellow eyes, black collar
mate of Grave, mother of Stone

Forge
large tom
long ginger pelt, golden eyes, yellow collar
father of Grail, Edge and Lantern

kits:
Stone
she-cat
dark grey pelt with black ears and a white tailtip, amber eyes

Wrath‘s faction

leader:
Wrath
massive tom
black fur, many visible scars, lime-green eyes, light grey collar

second-in-command:
Abrarc
large tom
light grey pelt with black back with wavy black lines descending down to his belly, tail bitten off, red eyes, purple collar

veteran warriors:
Argent
tom
light grey pelt with white tailtip, green eyes, red collar
brother of Silver

Panther
tom
black pelt, green eyes, left ear shredded, brown collar
father of Thorn

Crown
tom
black pelt with large brown and red patches over his body, a red one on top of his head, golden eyes, red collar

warriors:
Fang
she-cat
light ginger pelt with butterscotch belly and paws, lime-green eyes, blue collar
mate of Hush, mother of Scream

Bolt
tom
white pelt with black muzzle and black patches over his body, yellow eyes, light grey collar

Moss
she-cat
long brown pelt, warm green eyes, light orange collar
mate of Reborn

Crimson
she-cat
short russet-red pelt, left hind paw bitten off, deep blue eyes, black collar

Echo
tom
blueish-grey pelt, white muzzle, grey-blue eyes, brown collar

Wicker
tom
white pelt, cream coloured back, black markings on his legs, amber eyes, green collar

Reborn
large tom
light tabby pelt, large scar across his belly, grey-blue eyes, purple collar

Wave
massive tom
blue-grey pelt, light grey mane and belly, bright blue eyes, black collar

Sin
tom
tortoiseshell pelt, blue eyes, blue collar

Hush
tom
brown pelt, scars across throat, golden eyes, light red collar
mate of Fang, father of Scream

Reed
she-cat
cream pelt with brown stripes, green eyes, light grey collar

Scream
she-cat
black pelt with brown ears and belly, yellow eyes, blue collar
kit of Hush and Fang

kits:
Thorn
she-cat
light-brown pelt with black ears and tail, blue-green eyes

Snake & Ice‘s faction

leaders:
Snake
tom
white and black fur, torn left ear, blue eyes, blue collar
son of Bone, sibling of Ice, Barley and Violet

Ice
tom
white and black fur, tears in both ears, blue eyes, pale yellow collar
son of Bone, sibling of Snake, Barley and Violet

veteran warriors:
Rocky
tom
calico pelt, brown eyes, light grey collar

Shed
she-cat
dark tabby pelt, golden eyes, red collar

Foam
large tom
russet pelt with left ear black, one of his fangs broken off, grey-blue eyes, dark green collar

warriors:
Fidget
sleek tom
butterscotch pelt, amber eyes, light blue collar

Otter
small tom
brown pelt with butterscotch belly, light blue eyes, green collar

Snook
tom
dark grey pelt, amber eyes, red collar

Burn
tom
light tortoiseshell pelt, burned off on his lower left back, leaving burn scars, lime-green eyes, grey collar

Chili
she-cat
short black pelt with a russet-red stripe along her back, yellow eyes, brown collar

Steam
tom
light grey pelt,missing a few whiskers, long tail, grey-blue eyes, purple collar

Rust
she-cat
russet-red pelt, deep red eyes, black collar

Eel
large tom
light grey pelt with darker grey belly and paws and white ears and tailtip, blue-green eyes, lime-green collar

Chapter Text

Every action bears consequence. None know that better than the early members of Bloodclan. Cats forced to grow up on careless streets of stone, glass and steel, fighting dogs, weasels and each other over the few food sources there are, aware that each day could easily be the last. A state of constant fear, bloodshed and hopelessness. Loners, rogues and runaway kitty-pets alike felt it day by day for countless seasons. Until he came, until for the first time things seemed to turn around for the many cats of the streets and alleys. Until the rise of Scourge. For the first time, the cats of twoleg-place were united, no longer killing each other for scraps, together strong enough to claim territory and free food sources from dogs and cruel groups of rogues. For the first time there was hope, and more yet, there was a reason for holding hope, a purpose, a future. That all used to be… now it lays shattered. After the fall of Scourge and his second-in-command Bone, their hope, their clan, was left without clear leader. Bloodclan struggled to keep order without a ruler, trying for moons to keep things going as usual. As time dragged on, it became increasingly clear that this would not last. More and more cats began to fall in behind individual warriors, each claiming the right to rule Bloodclan as it’s next leader, each challenged by the others. For several moons now these cats had regularly met to discuss how „their“ part of Bloodclan was faring, sizing each other up, as the inevitable fight to finally reunite the broken clan draws near.
Today is such a day and the noise of this gathering impossible to miss for many streets distance. Standing in a circle, each with a delegation of their own followers, these new leaders stand, reporting news from their shard of the territory and proclaiming their own reasons to rule Bloodclan. Six factions of the once united clan now stand here, facing each other down.
The siblings Snake and Ice, snarling and threatening, proclaim that as kin of Bone and thus the last kin of Bloodclan’s former leadership still in the clan they are the natural heirs of Bloodclan and that to challenge them would be to risk one’s pelt. Cruel and ill mannered, they are known for having ruthlessly attacked their own sister on a technicality, so cats know they are willing to back up their threats. Although they remain as aggressive as ever, it has not gone unnoticed to the other factions that since the migration of the forest clans, the siblings have lost followers to surrounding groups of rogues.
Their threats only cause Granite to shake his head, undeterred. This old, seasoned warrior known for being as opportunistic as he is experienced, rests his claim to leadership not on himself, but on one of the cats standing among his delegation, his son Flame. His fire-red pelt, imposing stature and highly held head would be awe-inspiring already without his legendary reputation for being undefeated in battle. Despite being a veteran warrior, Flame’s deep purple collar bears fewer trophies than even most healers, in a show of how few of his opponents he deemed worth remembering. Bloodclan’s fiercest warrior and no cat would dare challenge that claim.
Further down the circle stands, in her usual silence, barely ever speaking a word, a sleek she-cat. Wraith. Were it not for her eyes, who’s chilling coldness had only ever been rivalled by Scourge himself, one could have the lethal mistake of granting her quiet self less attention than the other leaders.. Bloodclan’s greatest huntress and masterful stalker, she often led Bloodclan’s bigger hunting parties in the past, keeping the clan fed. Despite her mostly white pelt, she haas shown an aptitude for downright vanishing in the nook and hiding space rich environment of twoleg-place like none other. A skill which’s lethality she’s proven many times, against prey and hostile cats alike. Now the clan is splintered and food is ever scarce, for all but her faction.
More talkative, the next tom in the circle, Kestrel prefers vague promises to threats and promises a return to greatness for Bloodclan. His speeches sound of how the clan could acquire more food, territories and safety if only he was given the chance to lead the clan. A cunning and renown schemer, his sly plans have worked often in the past whenever the clan decided to solve a problem without use of heir own claws for once. Building on the success of having dealt with many rogue threats to the clan in the past, having worked out the agreement between Bloodclan and the local kitty-pets to coexist and the hopeful words he speaks now, many cats have fallen beneath the charm of his proverbial silver tongue.
Very different from that, the next cat is a towering figure, rivalling the former second-in-command Bone in his imposing appearance. Muscles almost more clad in scars than fur, and a bellowing, authority invoking voice. Wrath is one of the clan’s greatest warriors by far and when angered more than willing to showcase the reason for his name. The only thing able to keep his at times boundless fury in check is his own deep sense of honour. He has grown his following of some of Bloodclan’s fiercest fighters as much with his hatred for the forest clans as he has with his own prowess and desire to rebuild the clan with honour and strength. He often preaches against the forrest clans, whom he deems solely responsible for Bloodclan’s decline by deceiving and killing Scourge, swearing to lead a campaign of bloody vengeance against them should he get the power to do so.
So much noise, so many threats and cats repeating what they’ve already stated dozens of times… Talon, the last among the new leaders, fights back a deep sigh at this. His thoughts return to the fact that these cats are clanmates, each of these meeting only further working them up against each other now. Very soon cats that swore to protect each other will have to battle each other. He looks at his second-in-command Frost, whom listens intently to the entire spectacle. The white tom and several other long time members of the clan had started to follow Talon when the clan began to divide. Talon had advised Scourge from time to time and helped arrange the food sharing system over Bloodclan’s together with Bone when the clan‘s territory expanded and in it‘s vastness became harder to manage. Talon enjoys the idea of holding power and the position of leader is tempting indeed, he knows that he is certainly not much less qualified than the other contenders, but he has given his loyalty to this clan and his clanmates. The idea of having to fight them, and if it comes to it likely have to spill Bloodclan blood, causes him great discomfort. Stress that spikes as he is forced to listen to these cats, these leaders, trying to threaten, intimidate and size each other up. Finally, he has enough, letting out that sigh that’s been simmering for a while now and shaking his head.
„And what have you got to sigh about, Talon?“
Much to Talon’s displeasure, it appears Wrath, having argued himself into a state of agitation against Granite and the siblings, takes notice. The heads turn towards the red eyed cat, now the unwilling center of attention. He shows none of his considerable displeasure at this, hiding it all behind an unfazed facade as he gives his answer, loudly and clearly.
„I have reported the state of the cats of my alley, Wrath. Leafbare preparations are ongoing and I would rather oversee them myself than continue arguing here. We’ll excuse ourselves“
„You’re just tired already, aren’t you?“ „Perhaps someone’s growing soft“
Snake and Ice’s voices, far too loud as always, pierce through the circle, their faces contorted into their usual overconfident grins.
„You couldn’t tire me on your best day, you two. Judging by how you pulled through your last leafbare, perhaps you should do the same“
And with that, and a respectful nod to the other leaders, Talon turns and pads away from the circle, flicking his tail for his delegation to return to camp. He finds some quiet amusement in the anger in the siblings’s faces as he leaves, but overall he now craves some quiet. Yet another gathering that served no real purpose beyond working the factions further up against each other. If this leafbare goes as universally poorly as the last… some of them may not even have a choice but to escalate the conflict if they are to feed the cats following them. With his second-in-command Frost at his side and the rest of his delegation following behind them, Talon pads through the paved nighttime streets, under the light of the twoleg lights that shoddily illuminate the environment. He needs quiet, a moment to gather his thoughts… and there is only one place that provides that to him.

Chapter Text

Talon sits at the outskirts of the camp, looking into the distance as Frost approaches, leaping up onto the same dumpster, only to settle down next to him.
„Still here, Talon? The others are engaging in constant quarrels and you‘re sitting here or wherever else you disappear to regularly...“
Talon sighs, his tail swaying in light agitation that his self-imposed solitude is interrupted. He looks at his second-in-command from the corner of his eye.
„Better that way. They‘ll be tired from letting off all that hot air and empty threats. I won‘t.“
„...“
Frost sits down beside the dark grey tom, flicking his nicked ear.
„You know, many cats here lay their hopes in your paws, Talon. They believe to see a new Scourge in you, maybe even better.“
Talon chuckles and shakes his head before fixing his whiskers with the back of his paw, the dog teeth reinforcing his claws gleaming in the pale light descending from the semi clouded moon and stars.
„That borders on blasphemy to even say, Frost. Comparing me to our unifier and first great leader… I wasn’t even there when he fell. And what for? Leading patrols against dogs and rogues in an area we hadn’t seen trouble in for moons “
„For carrying out an order he himself gave you. And who was it that stormed into the forrest, all alone, to retrieve Scourge‘s body? Without you, the clan would not even have been able to bury it’s leader. Bloodclan remains in your debt“
Talon paws at the dog teeth in his collar, looking at them with guilty anger in his eye.
„I went hoping to retrieve him, not his corpse, Frost. At that, I failed and we all see what came of his loss. What may still come of it, the way things are headed“
„And in that which will still come, you carry the hopes of many of us, Talon. And you‘re smart enough to see that that will either give you a shot at leadership or puts your death on top of every other leader‘s priorities. We stand with you, Talon, but you have to give us direction“
The white tom slowly gets up and pads to the edge of the dumpster, glancing at the unmoving silhouette of a cat still sitting there, the low light hiding any details beyond his outlines.
„You do as you will, Talon, but you either catch the prey when it‘s distracted or you watch it scurry away. The day of decision draws nearer. You maintain us right now, but you must start leading.“
As Frost leaps off the dumpster and pads away, Talon remains silently sitting for a while, reflecting on the words spoken today. Frost’s motivation, as well as the reasonings and justifications of the other contenders for leadership. Some make decent points in their favour, others very credible threats against the whoever opposes them, some both. A deep sigh escapes the dark tom as he slowly rises to his paws. Frost had never been one to notice him much under Scourge, but for moons now he seems eager to Talon as Bloodclan‘s leader... Several cats had crowded around Talon when the division in Bloodclan grew greater and he’d done his best to take care of them. He can‘t deny that the power was flattering and that things are going comparatively well under him so far… but the lines are increasingly being drawn, and to make a challenge for leadership of all of Bloodclan would inevitably mean that blood will be spilled. The blood of clanmates that some moons ago he would have shielded with his life. But if not him, who else? Frost was not wrong, he is no less qualified, and as long as he has followers even a cat he’d submit to might still see him as a threat, a possible usurper later down the line. No matter how he’d turn, his neck is already on the line. Might as well try and go for it.
He leaps off the dumpster and makes his way back to his camp, his alley. Looking around from the corner of his eyes as he wanders down the alley, he sees cats greeting him, looking up from their makeshift dens and resting places, or disappearing into the same. It is a far cry from Bloodclan’s old main camp, but it is reasonably organised so it has to do for the time being. Has for several season now. Perhaps they can return to it, once the clan is united again. But for now those of his clanmates that have joined him need guidance. With a grunt, Talon climbs up a brick wall, sitting down upon it and looking at the alley full of cats gathering under him. He flicks his tail for the first to approach, before winding his bushy tail comfortably around his legs to rest on his paws. The day may be almost over, but work isn’t yet. Clover pads over, ready to receive Talon’s orders for where to lead the next patrol. Soon he might enjoy some much needed rest himself.

Rest is scarce that night. Curled up tightly in his nest of cloth pieces, feathers and torn away stuffing from cast away pillows, Talon stirs and twitches in his sleep. Too many problems left unsolved and the rising pressure of having to decide the fate of the cats under his care leave Talon struggling in an uncomfortable, nightmare ridden slumber. Dreams of blood, of the cries of his clanmates that fell in battle in the forrest, while he was not there to help. Cries of the clanmates yet to fall in the coming struggle, their faces, their empty eyes burning into Talon’s consciousness. Slowly the usual nightmare begins to shift however. The cats surrounding him no longer ones he recognises, their screeches of fear and anger uttered as they battle each other remorselessly. In the distance a single dark figure, so familiar, just sitting as the horrendous scene surrounds Talon. Distant, waiting for something, for some cat.
In the early hours of the day, the sun not yet risen, he jolts awake with a gasp. The dark grey cat scans his surroundings, ears flicking in various directions… nothing. Just his nest and a small pile of bones and dog teeth in a corner in his little den under the brick wall. All is quiet, merely a dream. One dream of many. Talon takes several deep breaths and shakes his head. He notices his fur standing on end and decides to groom it back down. He needed an answer, a clear direction to take, or he’d find no rest. With a quiet grow he rises up, leaving the warmth of the nest. He needs peace of mind and there is only one place that might provide that. Walking out of his little den, Talon beholds the camp. All calm, no-one out beside the night sentry he’d appointed, sitting up on the fire stairs of one of the buildings, overlooking the camp from above. After a quick stretch, Talon climbs up to the sentry, whom gives him an acknowledging nod at his approach.
„Anything out of the ordinary, Gravel?“
The sturdy grey she-cat shakes her head, returning her gaze back to the camp
„Nothing, Talon. Even the healer’s den is quiet once again.“
Talon nods slowly, following her eyes down onto the alley, before looking back at her again
„I’m heading out for a bit. If there’s anything urgent to report in my absence, report to Frost. I should be back before the sun’s fully out.“
She nods calmly as he begins to pad away
„As you wish, Talon“
The dark tom stops in his tracks for a moment, before looking over his shoulder at the vigilant she-cat
„Do you agree with me becoming the leader of Bloodclan? Frost seems quite certain of it and the time draws near when I need to make a decision. Cats will need to be ready for it, and all that comes with it.“
The she-cat hums, not letting her gaze stray from the camp.
„I wish to be honest, Talon, I would not be here otherwise. The same goes for most cats in this alley. And if it comes to a fight, then we will fight. We are still Bloodclan, we are not afraid“
She flicks her tail, the tip of which a furless stump from where a dog many moons ago bit off the rest. The she-cat’s bravery had never wavered, even after her injury. Talon looks at it for a moment before pulling his gaze away.
„Well spoken. I’ll leave you to your watch“
With a few gracious leaps, Talon descends the fire stairs and returns to the ground, walking off. It seems the cats of his alley have already made up their mind. The position is tempting, but there is a massive gamble attached to it. If it goes wrong, he and most of the cats in his care could end up as crowfood. Bold actions would be needed, but they’d always have to be tempered with caution. Many thoughts run through the tom’s head as he wanders out of the urban settings of his clan, the first few rays of the ascending sun revealing the destination in the distance, visible between the buildings, yet still a way away: the forrest. The blessed forrest in which the only place lies that can ease Talon‘s mind, the cursed forrest which’s new inhabitants took away Bloodclan’s founder and leader, plunging it into it’s current chaos.

As Talon leaves the city behind, his paws hit soft grass on his approach to the woods, pleasant in feel and smell. A cool air blowing through his pelt, Talon proceeds, knowing his path well by now. Finding the scent marks of two clans, he walks between and amidst them, leaving as little trace of his intrusion as possible, until he arrives at the river itself. A pleased, quiet sigh escapes him as his paws step through the soft, cool mud of the riverbank, remaining right up against it. This seems to be a border between two clan, judging by the many scent markers, and neither clan has any cats that know how to swim. On his current side the reeds grows more and higher. The Bloodclan warrior moves quietly among the tall grown plants, careful not to cause them to move or rustle much as he passes between them.
Right as he gets close to the spot he seeks, he wonders of today again he’d be met by a by now quite familiar sight. Lowering himself down and sneaking forward, there indeed he was. Watching from among the reeds that surround this peaceful little spot by the river, he spots a muscular grey tom, sitting by himself, staring into the flowing water’s ripples. Talon had seen this one many times by now, at first only now and then, but as time went on the grey tom’s visits to this place became more and more frequent. Talon could’t argue with the forrest cat’s choice of place of retreat, he seemed to use it just the same as him, the clear his head, to get a moment of peace and quiet. However his eyes have begun to concern Talon over the course of his visits. The tom’s deep blue orbs have gone from worried, to pained, to downright despair ridden these days. Talon can’t help but be intrigued about what would bring this forrest cat such sorrow, but to reveal himself and ask seems like a foolish mistake to make. Once the clans know a Bloodclan warrior stalks their territory, he would not be able to return to this place for quite a while, if at all. Instead, Talon elects to do as he always does, patiently waiting. This visitor usually leaves shortly after the first rays of the sun descend upon the territories, which they do now. It’d not be long now. Finally, after a while of quiet waiting, he sees the blue eyed warrior get up with a sigh, shake out his pelt and pad away, no doubt to commence his daily duties to his clan.
After he vanishes through the reeds and Talon no longer hears any rustling among them, the dark tom finally leaves his hiding place, stretching himself before laying down by the riverside.
„finally…“
He hums quietly, enjoying the cold of the ground under him, the peaceful quiet only disturbed by the song of early birds and the sounds of the river itself. His red eyes stare into the water, observing the shape the ripples take, the shadow of the from time to time by-swimming fish. Letting out a deep breath, he can feel the clutter in his head lighten. It is here that he does his best thinking, and after calming down enough, that’s what he’ll have to do. To fight or not to fight. His group isn’t much smaller than any of the other ones, but that also means that any fight would be on equal footing, a risk each time. Teeth and claws would only get them so far. The first group to assimilate another will have a decisive advantage in numbers, but also become the target of all others. And as if this was not enough, before too long leafbare would begin. Talon blinks, looking into the river’s currents. His eyes widen, for just a brief moment it seemed as if a pair of ice blue eyes were observing him from the depth, but after a mere blink, it seems that there is nothing there. He lets out a deep sigh, the stress must be getting to him.
After remaining there for a while, the red eyed tom slowly gets up. The forrest clan’s patrols would soon begin, and he’d do best to not be here anymore when they pass. Shouldn’t take even more risks than being here in the first place. He stretches himself, muscles rippling under fur and scars before he begins the lengthy track back home. He looks at the buildings as he approaches his old familiar surroundings again. He will rule this, this all, if only he can find a way. And then? Only the future would tell.

Chapter Text

Ashfur pads off into the forrest as he emerges from the reeds. The first rays of the sun warm his grey pelt for a short, pleasant moment, before it is interrupted by the shade of the surrounding trees as he crosses the treeline. His mind is cluttered and his heart is heavy, but he still has duties to his clan. Growling to himself and shaking his head, he tries to focus and get his mind on his task. He’ll have to catch some prey before returning to camp, the clan needs to be fed. Not that he minds the task much, it tends to get his mind off things, be it only for a moment. He raises his head and trying to detect scents in the wind. The scent markers of the border cloud much of the area behind him, but in front he notices a possible lead. It seems a rabbit may have wandered onto their territory. He licks his lips as he lowers himself into a hunter’s crouch, advancing soundlessly through the woodland. Rabbits got a lot of meat on them, they make for excellent freshkill compared to other prey, this’d be a nice catch if he gets it. His advance stops behind a tree, an ear and eye peaking past it just barely. Sure enough, there it is, a rabbit gnawing on some herbs beneath a nearby bush. It must have somehow crossed the Windclan border. The grey warrior seems to have gone unnoticed for now, but he’ll need to get closer, over open ground. Waiting patiently behind his cover, Ashfur remains still until his chosen prey hops on a few pawprints further to feast on another patch of grass. Slowly, his belly just barely above the ground, he moves forward, now that the rabbit has a fresh distraction. His deep blue eyes focus in on it’s small neck as he gets closer and closer, finally within pouncing range…

As Ashfur enters the camp, the clan is currently rising from their dens, crowding around the clearing, grooming themselves or sharing tongues.
„Nice catch, Ashfur. Early as always“
He looks to the side to see Cloudtail, last night’s nightguard, greeting him with a cheerful, yet somewhat tired smile. He sets down the plump rabbit for a moment to reply
„And you’re awfully dutiful today, Cloudtail. The clan’s waking up now, I think you can cease your guard and get some rest“
„As if. I think Brambleclaw will send me on the morning patrol for teaching Hollypaw where to find thorns to put into cats nests“
The young warrior snickers in unrepentant mischief, not in the least sorry as he flicks his ear and turns his head towards the highrock. Ashfur chuckles and shakes his head, playing off the sting the mentioned name gives him. The mate of Squirrelflight. Memories return of the deep hopelessness that has been haunting him ever since Firestar’s daughters returned with his kits. Up to that point, there had at least still been a fair hope that maybe Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw would break apart again at some point as they had before, but now…
„Hey! You’re sitting around like a moonstruck rabbit again. You carry on like this, someone might toss you onto the freshkill pile too.“
Ashfur shakes his head, clearing away the thoughts, to see an amused, but also slightly worried Cloudtail still sitting next to him.
„You know Ashfur, you’ve been spacing out a lot these last few moons. Is everything alright? You should go see Leafpool if not“
The grey warrior shakes his head as he gets back on his paws. Leafpool had always been kind to him, yet he can’t look at her without seeing her sister, which causes Ashfur only further discomfort. Leafpool does not deserve to be compared to her hotheaded sibling, but there is little he can do to avoid his own thoughts.
„I’ll be alright, Cloudtail. But I should put the rabbit down. See you later“
He nods his head to the white furred cat and picks the rabbit back up, bringing it over to the freshkill pile. As he puts it down, he notices Brambleclaw approaching, the large frame with the tabby fur impossible to miss. He always thought it was impressive how alike Brambleclaw looks to his father, a slightly smaller, less scarred Tigerstar… not that that is a comment that is safe to make aloud about the deputy of Thunderclan nowadays, nor would it be a fair one.
„Great catch, Ashfur. You seem to do your best hunting early, didn’t you bring that blackbird to camp just a few days ago?“
The tabby nods his head in greeting. Ashfur nods back. It’s strange, this cat’s words were once a great comfort to him, the words of a friend since they were kits. Now they ring distant, almost mocking, even though the grey warrior knows the tabby well enough to know that he’d never mean them in that way.
„I think I did, I’m not keeping track. But hunting early usually gets me off the hook for patrols till the dusk patrol“
Brambleclaw nods, his whiskers twitching with slight amusement
„So that’s the plan then? Well, if you rather want the dusk patrol, that’s fine. I’ll just send a few apprentices more on the sunhigh patrol then.“
Ashfur nods at this, before turning his attention towards the freshkill pile. Brambleclaw remains there a moment longer, but soon abandons his attempt at making conversation, his ears dropping a little with disappointment. Ashfur has never been the most talkative cat. He became much more quiet after the death of his parents, but ever since the clans had arrived in the new territories he’s become quieter yet. If he speaks to Brambleclaw, it is usually brief and strictly about whatever patrol they’re on or the training of their apprentices. Not wishing to impose on his old friend, Brambleclaw begins to pad away.
„I’ll come find you for the dusk patrol then. See you later Ashfur“
Ashfur nods his head at the passing deputy, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding once the tabby warrior was at a bit of distance. The blue eyed tom knows that Brambleclaw never intentionally hurt him, but it is difficult to keep reminding himself of that, knowing he possesses the one thing Ashfur would have given anything for.
Looking through the pile, he detects a small mouse among a few squirrels. A decent pick, he isn’t particularly hungry yet. He nudges the squirrels away to get to a field mouse under it, carrying it off to eat in the shade near the warrior den. He can’t stand squirrel, never liked it much but now it almost revolts him. His tail lashes against the ground as he lays there, reflecting on his own thoughts. How pathetic that even freshkill can remind him of what he’s lost, and if that wasn’t enough he still has to mentor one of Squirrleflight’s kits on top of that. He sighs before digging into his mouse. If it had to be one of her kits, he would have much preferred Lionpaw’s sister. Brackenfur may sometimes think her efforts underwhelming, but she seems much less frustrating than her overly proud, battle eager brother. Not that she’s proven to be any less adventurous than him, but still. He’ll seek Ashfur out for today’s training before too long now that the clan’s waking up.
Finishing his food just in time before his bright pelted apprentice arrives, he gets back up and pads over to meet him, touching noses as greeting. He’s had many days like this, what’s one more, right?
„I’m guessing you’re hoping for more combat training again, Lionpaw?“
The younger tom beams up at his mentor with eager eyes
„Of course! Warriors must be strong to defend the clan, and I want to be the strongest of Thunderclan!“
Ashfur lets out a small chuckle and leads the way out of the camp
„That’s the plan, to make you the strongest apprentice in your den. It’s time I showed you how to get rid of a cat pinning you down with both front paws anyway. Like during our training some time ago. That happens more often than you’d think, so try to pay attention today“

The evening air fills Ashfur’s lungs as he pads along the border, ears perked up attentively as his clanmates refresh a few scent markers the earlier patrols missed. All is quiet on the border it seems. Some scents near the outer border of the clans, but beyond it is frequently travelled by kitty-pets and loners, so nothing out of the ordinary, none had crossed the border it seems. As the patrol makes it’s way up along the river, Ashfur walks a bit closer to the river than the others dare to, not very scared of the river with as much time as he spends near it.
„You sure you’re not about to jump in and swim the rest of the way, Ashfur? You’re cosier around the water than any Riverclan warrior“
Dustpelt jokes as he pads beside him, earning a snicker from the remaining patrol. Ashfur rolls his eyes
„Well, some cat has to get close enough to scent if Windclan actually crossed or not. Are you volunteering, Dustpelt?“
Ashfur shoots him a grin, the brown warrior laughing and backing away a bit
„No thanks, I’d rather not. Better you than me.“
Ashfur joins into the laughter of the patrol with a chuckle of his own, before it slowly fades again, their path continuing along the lines of reeds. They are nearing his spot, a soothing familiarity washing over the grey furred warrior as he recognises the terrain.
„Take the lead for a moment, Dustpelt. I’ll be right back“
The brown tom nods his head and flicks his tail for the rest of the patrol to follow him for the moment, as Ashfur falls behind in speed, letting the other cats pass him by. Once they are at some distance, he pushes through the reeds. He knows he can’t stay long, but he sits down on his haunches all the same. It is majestic to him that such a peaceful little spot exists. He takes a deep breath of the cool evening air, but finds it does not bring him his usual solace. Is that… a scent? He raises his head to taste the air. It’s faint, whoever was here must have been many hours ago, but there is a clear scent in the air. He tries to focus and guess whom it might belong to, but to his deepening confusion, he can’t place it. This scent does not seem like it would be from any Thunderclan cat, not even from any Windclan cat he’d know, besides the fact that there is no crossing around here. But that makes no sense… how would some loner or rogue manage to leave a scent here specifically? Or would some Riverclancat possibly swim so far as to end up here? He shakes his head. Maybe some Riverclan warrior rested here for a moment after a long swim in the lake. As he looks out over the river, his heart skips a beat as he catches a pair of light blue eyes watching him from the shadow of the reeds, inquisitively observing him, sizing him up. A few heartbeats after spotting the observer, the cat slinks away, the eyes disappearing. Ashfur remains for a moment longer, unsure what to make of this other than feeling uneasy. He finally snaps back to reality, he has a patrol to lead! Shaking his head, he hurries out from among the reeds and catches up with the others. As he skips back into the lead of the patrol, he tries to clear himself of his mild shock. That’s Windclan territory across the river, there’s gonna be Windclan warriors over there, nothing unusual about that. No matter now, he’ll lead this patrol till it’s tour is done and he gets some much needed rest. He clearly needs it, needlessly jumpy as he seems to be. Surely a good night’s rest would help.

Chapter Text

A few days have passed since Talon’s visit to the lake and clan life proceeds as per usual in his alley. From atop his wall, the dark grey cat watches daily life going on among his clanmates. Hunters and gatherers moving out to catch and find food. Only every third hunt ends with prey being caught, but between that and he shallow but semi constant stream of scraps that the gatherers bring back they can feed themselves acceptably well, for now at least. The warriors not hunting, gathering or patrolling are training with each other to hone their skills. Their healer Venom rests in the shade by the healer’s den, having returned from another search for herbs not long ago. Talon takes the fall off the wall, gracefully landing on his paws, his reinforcing claws clacking upon impact, before approaching the she-cat. She nods her head in respectful greeting, looking up to speak to the dark furred warrior
„Greetings, Venom. The healer’s den faring well?“
The she-cat sits up for a moment, her otherwise pretty fur unkept from the continuous searches for more herbs.
„As well as circumstance allows, Talon. Lantern and Clover seem like they’ll get through their injuries from the fight at Granite’s border just fine, thankfully. Rover’s gashes are all superficial luckily. If that mousebrain spars wearing his dogteeth again, I’ll do worse to him myself“
She sighs, looking over to the den, nestled in a small abandoned room in the building, entered through a large crack in the wall
„But that only remains true as long as none of the wounds get infected, let alone if a sickness were to go round. We are nearly out of everything, as always. Few things grow around here, all we got ample of are cobwebs“
Talon hums, following her eyes to the cracked wall as the she-cat’s explanation continues
„Not much of use growing in Twolegplace. And the few places the where Twolegs grow things, they made very clear that we’re not wanted“
Worry clouds her eyes. She lowers her voice to avoid any cat listening in
„If there is to be big fights for the clan, I don’t know how much I could do, Talon. Training injuries that come to me immediately are one thing, but deeper gashes, let alone bites or worse?“
She slowly shakes her head. Talon nods, eyes remaining fixed on the healer’s den.
„I imagine most of the other factions are looking at much the same problem. Most of them don’t even have a healer“
Venom hums, winding her tail around her front paws, looking up in thought
„No. I know that Valerie still remains in Granite’s group and I heard that Kestrel has been trying to teach a new healer but they have no cat to properly teach the young one. It’s not much, but it may save a life or two in his group on the long term. But neither of them would have much more herbs to work with than we do“
„Which means that even if cats survive the fighting, they may die afterwards anyway… one of the reasons we’re not at each other’s throats already, I suppose“
The she-cat nods at that, her ears drooping low as she lets out a sigh. The exhaustion of her fruitless efforts to better their supply situation visible upon her face
„I’m sorry, Talon, I’m doing all I can, but…“
Talon raises his paw, silencing her
„You can’t work if there’s nothing to work with. We all know the situation is bleak, no cat blames you for that. We are lucky to have you at all.“
He hums in thought. There is little point in unifying Bloodclan if it means that most of it ends up dead in the attempt. It would defy the very point and purpose of Bloodclan. There must be a solution of some kind. More supplies are needed, but where would one find… Talon’s eyes shine as the idea first vaguely sparks in his head, quickly growing into a plan to help his faction. Venom notices and tilts her head, her ears rising up attentively
„You wouldn’t have an idea, right?“
„Possibly. But it will need some planning to pull through without needless fighting. Our cats need to remain ready, we can’t risk them getting injured pointlessly now, even less so before we actually get those herbs“
The she-cat’s eyes light up with hope at the prospect, but soon a slight shadow of doubt begins clouding it
„And what would this idea entail, Talon? I don’t think the other groups would have much stored that’d be worth stealing, remember?“
„Not Bloodclan, no… but the forrest clans might. They must have herbs. It is a forrest, herbs should be growing all over the place there“
The healer gives a small chuckle at Talon’s apparent lack of horticultural knowledge and shakes her head, but the hopeful spark returns to her gaze
„That is not quite how herbs work, Talon. But they should have a lot more than we do for sure. The question is how to get it. I don’t think we have enough warriors to openly attack one of their camps just yet, not without using up most of the herbs we stand to gain to heal our own cats right after“
Talon shakes his head
„No. Even if we were to win, risking too many of our warriors getting injured could invite any other faction to attack us while we’re weakened. Even if we have the herbs to help them heal faster, we’d not be ready fast enough again. We can not yet rely on force alone, so we need to be cunning instead.“
Talon looks around, quickly finding Frost nearby, seemingly returning from a gathering run, carrying some food in his jaws that he’s bringing to the food pile. Talon sways his tail, getting the white furred warrior’s attention
„Gather our veteran warriors by the wall, Frost! We got some planning to do!“
The second-in-commands eyes widen in surprise, but he nods before he hurries to deposit the food. After that, the white furred second-in-command wastes no time to bolt through the camp gathering the veteran warriors of Talon’s faction.
„You come too, Venom. You are our healer, you know what precisely we might need“
She nods her head and follows the dark grey tom to his wall.
The excitement in the camp grows within moments as the word quickly spreads that something is happening. As the veteran warriors one after the other approach the wall, many of the other cats watch from a bit further away. As the last of the veteran warriors arrives and greets Talon, the red eyed tom begins
„We all know that the fighting for Bloodclan will break out eventually. We have one advantage that few others have, one of Bloodclan’s healers“
The veterans’s eyes rest for a moment on the, compared to most of them rather small she-cat.
„There will be more than one fight ahead of us till we reach our goal, warriors will get injured. Untreated, many will die needlessly. We still have the same trouble that Bloodclan’s always had, Twoleg-place bears few herbs for healers to do their job. If we can acquire a plentiful enough stock for Venom, we won’t have to hold back as much. We’ll be free to fight for our cause without risking our warriors’s lives.“
The seasoned warriors look to each other, muttering and counceling, but most of them nod in agreement. Talon waits patiently until their chatter dies down and their attention rests on him once more. He knows that comes next may divide them a lot more in their opinions. Speaking with authority und banishing even the faintest trace of uncertainty from his voice, he continues
„The one place that has herbs in enough quantities are the territories of the forrest clans. From the battle of the forrest we know they too have healers. They must have reserves of herbs in their camps. We will acquire those reserves for ourselves.“
This time the warriors speak no longer in mutters, their circle rapidly growing louder as the debate grows. Silver addresses Talon first, calmer than his peers his green eyes observe Talon inquisitively
„How are we to get them?“
Frost smirks toothily, his voice ringing proudly as he responds before Talon gets a chance
„We are Bloodclan, that is how! If it means securing our future, we can sweep away some forrest cats.“
While Owl nods in approval to Frost’s statement, Moon shakes her head. Her one good eye resting on Frost with an expression of tired exasperation
„We shouldn‘t rush into battle so eagerly. We don‘t know how many cats they have exactly, nor even where their camp is. We’d be running blind.“
A debate breaks out, going back and forth for a while. Talon waits for it to quiet down again, only to find that it doesn’t, not of it’s own. Talon’s head aches at the noise. Scourge would not have let this bickering go on… As their voices grow even louder, Talon hisses, pressing his reinforced claws firmly against the pavement, before pulling his paw back forcefully in a moment of stress fuelled anger. The teeth grinding against each other and the pavement creates an awful, shrill, ear piercing sound, breaking the circle of seasoned warriors from their arguing, eyes all focused on Talon once more, whom’s narrowed eyes glance over each of them.
„We will not openly fight them, not yet. We will need to plan this out and do so well if we are to get what we need.“
There is no speaking this time, their eyes and ears all trained on Talon, each intrigued to know what exactly he has in mind. As he looks over them, he can see that some of them are a bit shaken from his little action a moment ago, but in many eyes he finds a reminiscing respect. It seems Scourge’s lessons still remain instilled in many of them, when the leader speaks there be silence. Talon takes a breath, his anger subsiding a bit, before he elaborates
„The forrest clans have set patrol patterns. It will take several days, but we can learn how they move their sundown patrols. They seem not to send any out after that one, which means most of them will be resting sometime after it. Given a bit of time, we‘ll find a camp mostly asleep, leaving only that night’s sentries to be dealt with. If we are swift and if we are silent, we can get in, grab what we need and get out before their warriors can rise to oppose us. It goes without saying, this will be risky. Any cat alerts them too early, we will have to fight our way out, any cat falls behind will be lucky to get out with their pelt still on their back. But if we succeed, we will hold the advantage against our estranged clanmates.“
Murmurs of agreement make their round among the veteran warriors. Some of them hold some worry in their eyes, most however seem ecstatic about the new course of action. The prospect of both gaining an advantage over the other groups of Bloodclan, as well as delivering payback on the forrest clans spreading an eager anticipation among the warriors, their claws having been idle for too long.
„We will try to not kill any of the forrest cats. We can not put ourselves in a position where we need to worry about retaliations from the forrest clans, not while we got our own clanmates to worry about already. Fighting on several sides at the same time would be putting us in unnecessary danger. As we grow closer to realising our plan, Venom will tell our warriors what to look out for, or if it should come to an early retreat, what to prioritise. The forrest cats will never know what hit them, and we will be one pawstep closer to bringing our clan back together!“
A look of slight disappointment enters the eyes of Frost and Owl at that, but the veteran warriors all nod and with a flick of Talon’s tail, they disperse through the camp, spreading the news and explaining the plan to the other warriors. As Talon climbs back onto his wall, overlooking his alley, he finds cats running to train with each other, asking hunters to take them with on their next stalk to hone their sneaking, or excitedly sharing tongues with their clanmates. This will be Talon’s first move in the elaborate game for Bloodclan and these cats that have followed him, have placed their trust and hopes in him. Now approaches the time where he proves to them that they were right to do so.
As he beholds this scene, anticipation begins rising in him, just like his followers. However the dark shadow of his awareness of the risks remains in the back of his mind at all times, like a merciless fog. Closing his eyes, he refuses to let it grow too prominent today, not now. Now, at last, it is time to begin. It is time to leave his mark and prepare make his bid for leadership, for the legacy of Scourge.

Chapter Text

Thunderclan’s delegation is walking along the shore of the lake, slowly moving towards the island. Cats are talking amongst each other, the excitement for the Gathering running as high as most moons among them. The one time each moon where the clans could meet, any cat could talk with any cat and, most times at least, no hostilities are exchanged. Ashfur does not entirely share the enthusiasm, although he doesn’t mind it either. None of the other clans had ever done him any real harm beyond the usual little border scuffles, not since Tigerstar’s times anyway. His gaze shifts over to a group of apprentices, excitedly mewling among them about which great warriors they might meet and the other apprentices they’ll be able to share stories with. For many of them, tonight is their first Gathering, they don’t yet understand how serious they can get. Although, tonight should be calm. As the grey warrior looks on, he sees the island at some distance, it’s tall trees stretching towards silverpelt and their ancestors. Unlike several of his clanmates, he does not have any real friends among the other clans, nor kin as far as he knows. Tonight would likely go as it usually does for him, he will join a circle of warriors, share tales over some menial stories and hunts throughout the passed moon and then Thunderclan would leave. Or so he thought at first. As Thunderclan approaches the bridge, his thoughts wander back to the night half a moon ago, where he discovered the strange scent at the river, where some cat was watching him from across the border. Perhaps he can look for answers tonight, why not after all. He’d just need to be careful not to sound accusatory. No warrior likes being accused of trespassing, especially if he has no prove of anything. All he has to go on are those eyes he saw…
He passes the bridge as one of the last few cats of Thunderclan’s delegation. As soon as they push through the bushes into the large clearing of the island, the sound and scent of dozens of cats flood his senses. As he observes the leaders greet each other and the apprentices run around in amazement and curiosity, he strides more calmly into the thick of it. Thinking back at his only clue that can narrow down which cat was watching him, those blue eyes, striking blue eyes, he begins looking around, trying to find out where a bunch of warriors are. Padding over to one larger group currently sharing stories, he begins thinking: who does he know in the clans with blue eyes? Surely there cannot be that many. As he joins in among the mixed group of warriors, he finds himself easily being permitted into the round. While sharing the exact mundane stories he predicted he would, he glances over the other cats. Blue eyes are not that common and the few he does find are not… it. His eyes rest on Crowfeather for a moment, his eyes are blue and he is a Windclan warrior, it’d fit. As during a brief story from the black cat their eyes meet for a second, Ashfur finds himself disappointedly noting though that they are far too dark and deep in shade. Can‘t have been him.
As time drags on a bit, he listens to the stories of the other warriors, getting to know many an amusing story, most of which he already determined that he will forget within the next week. As cats come and go from one discussion to another on this night, he manages to make away after a while himself, a bit disheartened by his fruitless search. Perhaps he’d not find out. Perhaps he had just imagined it or it just wasn’t that important. A chance encounter by the border, even in his own head seems like every bit as forgettable a story as any other he’d heard tonight now that he thinks about it. He would have just stopped and resigned his effort, if on his way to a larger group of Thunderclan cats he didn’t see two figures near the tall tree on which the leaders are perched. One he recognises immediately, Brambleclaw, but the other… This cat sitting by him, talking most familiarly to the tabby, has an almost identical stature to the Thunderclan deputy, which borders on impressive already. They seem to speak as if they were close. This warrior however had piercing blue eyes and the longer Ashfur looks over, he could swear those eyes move off Brambleclaw from time to time to shoot brief glances Ashfur’s way.
There is no mistaking it, this is the cat from the river. But how would he be able to get a word in with this cat? He would risk making a scene just barging into the discussion of a deputy during a Gathering, especially so close to the tree, under the gaze of all four leaders and every cat present. Luck however favours the grey tom tonight, just as these questions run through his mind, the howl of the leaders breaks up any and all conversations in the clearing. All cats gaze up to the four leaders in the tree, as they begin their reports on how their clan is faring. Of course, they are all much more eager to report the good than the bad, lest they make their clan look weak and risk having precious border territory getting conquered. Ashfur listens, but without bothering to truly bothering to register most that is being said. Windclan is prospering with plenty of prey, Shadowclan heroically fought off two foxes, Riverclan fought off some prey and thrives with plenty of foxes… something along those line. None of it really captivates the Thunderclan warrior’s interest in any way.
As he often does, Firestar speaks last. Hearing his leader’s voice somewhat pulls Ashfur instinctively out from his trance.
„Prey runs well in Thunderclan as well.Our apprentices grow well and as leafbare approaches we are confident in our ability to care for our own.“
The orange tom speaks loud and clearly as every cat on the clearing looks at the Thunderclan leader. Ashfur quietly hums, it is impressive to think that this cat once came to the clan as a kitty-pet. That was long before Ashfur’s days of course, but the stories are still being told by the clan’s elders. No cat would ever guess such a thing seeing the orange tom up above the assembled cats, speaking with strength and authority.
„Thunderclan has however noticed that the scents on our outer border have multiplied in the last few days, and our patrols regularly report seeing house cats at some distance“
„Call them what they are, Firestar. There are kitty-pets at the border“
Blackstar’s voice thunders through the clearing, his eyes looking down on the orange leader. Relations between Thunderclan and Shadowclan have always been… fickle, the innate directness these secretive cats sometimes display all too gladly hasn’t helped that. A few glares are exchanged between Thunderclan and Shadowclan warriors across the clearing, but Firestar brushes the comment off.
„Call them what you will, Blackstar. Fact remains, there have been more sightings and a lot of scents close to the border. None seem to have trespassed yet, but the clans should be aware that your patrols might encounter some.“
The leaders of Wind- and Riverclan nod, the latter of the two, Leopardstar giving an answer
„Riverclan has not noticed any such happenings at our border, but to be sure our patrols will be briefed on it. We thank you for the warning, but rest assured, we can defend our territory, be it against warriors or kitty-pets“
Firestar flicks his ear
„I have never doubted that, Leopardstar. This does conclude all I have to report from Thunderclan however. Unless any cat wishes to add something?“
The other leaders shake their heads and remain silent
„In that case we will remain her a bit longer, until the moon is clouded before we leave. May Starclan light all the clans paths“
As the leaders descend the large tree, Ashfur fixes some of his chest fur. First he’s heard about the kitty-pets at the border… then again, he has been able to avoid going on patrols for a few days. Nothing too exciting, most kitty-pets barely know how to fight. As he looks up, he notices Brambleclaw speaking with Firestar. Now, where did that warrior disappear to?
„Your leader speaks well, wouldn’t you say?“
Ashfur nearly jumps out of his pelt as the voice comes from directly beside him, fur bristled for a moment as he looks at the cat in question. He is greeted by amused blue eyes beholding him, the large Riverclan warrior whiskers twitching.
„Did I catch you in your thoughts? Apologies“
Ashfur’s pet slowly smoothes down again. He huffs, shaking his head, with the surprise still coursing through him, his voice a little more hostile than he intended
„I guess it wouldn’t be the first time, would it?“
The Riverclan warrior, a tabby with pure white belly, chuckles and flicks his tail, doing nothing to hide his entertainment at the Thunderclan warrior’s expense
„Maybe. The rivers belong to Riverclan, or at least no-one else has bothered to claim them, have they? You can’t fault me for keeping an eye on a Thunderclan warrior that close to our border then. But why don’t we start at the beginning, my name is Hawkfrost“
„Hawkfrost? I think I remember you being Riverclan‘s deputy for a while… did you not receive your warrior name with Mothwing, Riverclan’s medicine cat?“
The grey warrior sits back down, tail still swaying with some unease
„My litter-mate, yes.“
The tabby mewls calmly. Ashfur wraps his tail around his paws to stop it from moving. Should he ask straight up about that night? For a Riverclan warrior, this one seems friendly, even if he is a bit more coy then the Thunderclan warrior appreciates. Before the grey tom gets the chance though, Hawkfrost catches him with a question
„Something seems to be on your mind. Something you want to know?“
There is slight amusement behind his eyes as he watches Ashfur ponder his response for a second, seeming to guess already in which direction this will go
„So it was you who was watching me by the river… I care little what you did on Windclan territory, but did you happen to cross the border into ours before I got there? There was definitely a scent there that wasn’t one of ours“
The large tabby shakes his head. Leaning his head to the side, Hawkfrost lays bare his neckfluff, his tone not hiding for a moment that this is mostly a game to him
„No. You can take my scent if you like, you’ll find it wasn’t me.“
Ashfur blinks, that is a very direct thing to offer, although it would be the best way to clear his name of Ashfur’s accusation. The grey warrior shakes his head though
„Well, I’ll just believe you for now. It is strange though, I thought I’d find out who it was when I find out who was watching me. Maybe I was wrong then“
„I’m afraid the answer is a bit more unsettling still“
Hawkfrost hums and rises to his feet, leading the way a bit further from the main swarm of cats, inviting Ashfur with a flick of his tail to follow, the grey warrior bounding after him
„I said it wasn’t me, not that I don’t know who it was“
„What do you mean, Hawkfrost? Did you see who it was then? Did you not report it?“
„What happens on Thunderclan territory? I care to report that just as little as you care to report what you see on Windclan territory, apparently“
The Riverclan cats purrs slyly, leaving the grey warrior to slightly bristle his fur in annoyance
„But I did see who it was. You almost met the cat several times even“
Ashfur’s ears perk up attentively as they settle down near the edge of the clearing
„What are you trying to say, Hawkfrost?“
„He seems to wait for you to leave regularly before claiming that riverside spot of yours for himself for a while. It’s not a clan cat at all either“
Ashfur’s neckfur bristles at this. He’s felt a bit uneasy about his spot for a few days after he saw Hawkfrost’s eyes, but to know that another cat is there as well, regularly even
„That cat, some rogue… waits for me to leave?“
„Hides in the reeds, close enough to pounce on your fuzzy little head. From Windclan‘s side of the border it’s pretty easy to see. I’ve seen you there a fair number of times, brooding and thinking on your own. But about twice a moon or so he is there too, doing much of the same. Must be a very thought invoking spot you found there“
„That often…and that close“
The grey cat grows more worried by the minute. There is a trespasser close enough to attack him that often? And with how lost in thought he gets, he would barely have stood a chance if that stranger had ever chosen to attack.
„Indeed. Though, it may not be as severe. This one wears a collar, it is probably a kitty-pet making it’s little adventures into the forrest from time to time. Or so I think. Dark grey tom, usually comes when it’s still dark and leaves before most in the clans wake up so I don’t get much of a look at him“
The tabby’s eyes observe Ashfur as his thoughts race with this new knowledge. He sought answers and now he has more of them than he bargained for.
„I see… Thank you for letting me know, Hawkfrost. I’ll have to be more attentive then.“
„Oh, it’s nothing, Ashfur“
The Riverclan warrior purrs calmly. For a moment Ashfur thinks, before turning his head towards Hawkfrost, a hint of suspicion reflecting in his blue eyes
„How do you know my name? I don’t remember telling you“
„You are Ashfur, no? One of the cats that defeated the Bloodclan deputy along with my brother and a few other apprentices during the big battle? You’re more well known than you’re aware, I think“
„Your brother?“
Ashfur tilts his head. Hawkfrost chuckles and points his tail across the clearing to where Firestar and Brambleclaw are talking
„Brambleclaw. Or, half-brother at least. After his banishment from Thunderclan, Tigerstar took another mate.“
„You’re Brambleclaw’s kin?“
The news shakes the grey tom. It does explain how a Riverclan warrior and the Thunderclan deputy could get along so well. At the same time he begins to see the various similarities between the two… and the sinking feeling in his chest that he gets from speaking with Brambleclaw begins to set in.
„So I am.“
„I see. I’m sorry, Hawkfrost but everything you told me now…“
„It is a bit much for one evening, I agree“
The tabby hums and looks over to the rest of the Gathering
„Well, I think the clans are just about to return to their camps now anyway. I should probably find my clanmates, lest they leave me to fend for myself here. And you yours, or do you plan to spend the night on the island?“
Hawkfrost chuckles and gets up. Ashfur, thoughts racing and head all but spinning as he tries to deal with all he’s learned tonight, takes a moment longer to his paws, but does so as well
„Well, it’s been fun. Let’s talk again next gathering“
The Riverclan warrior hums amused before he takes off towards his assembling clanmates, leaving Ashfur to his endless thoughts. The grey warrior slowly pads towards his own clan, more out of automation than conscious decision. Just the same he follows them as they make their way back to Thunderclan territory. There is another son of Tigerstar, spying presumably on anything near the lake and it’s rivers, and some sneaky kitty-pet is sneaking circles around him on the regular. If he weren’t at the very back of Thunderclan’s patrol back home, perhaps some cats would have noticed his drooped ears and limply dragging tail. He’s been feeling for a long while now like his broken heart was slowly rendering him more and more useless and now, from the warrior of a rival clan no less, he was delivered evidence of it. No amount of hunting or patrolling could make up for this. Just how far could one warrior fall?
His thoughts are interrupted as his clan suddenly speeds up. It takes a moment for him to hear the howling and hissing, not only from the cats of the returning delegation, but at some distance as well, loudly, fiercely. The camp! The noises are coming from the main camp! His thoughts are pushed aside as he speeds up, a snarl forming upon his muzzle, blood pumping strongly through his legs as he breaks out into a sprint, easily catching up with most of the patrol, all equally hurrying back. Are they under attack? Who would dare attack a clan’s camp during the night of a Gathering? Fury bubbles up in the ash coloured warrior, his claws unsheathing in his sprint, overtaking many of his clanmates. Is Ferncloud alright? Is his kin in danger?
As the delegation floods in through the entrance, back into camp, they find cats bristled, posted in front of nursery and elders den, cats in confusion and scared, kits crying and the queens trying their best to calm them. Firestar takes point, stepping into the middle of the camp, looking around, his horror at the fact that his clan was attacked when he wasn’t there only trumped by his rage of the same. His flame coloured pelt stands bristled on edge, his voice audible loudly and clearly over the chaos.
„What happened? Who attacked us?“
Brackenfur, whom had stayed in camp this night and has now guarding the nursery, slowly makes his way to Firestar. A for an experienced warrior such as him very uncharacteristic nervousness in his eyes, as he approaches with an utterly puzzled expression
„Firestar… it makes no sense. How can they be here? We drove them away back in the old forrest!“
Firestar approaches the warrior, his voice clear and commanding to pull the warrior from his bewilderment
„Speak, Brackenfur, who? Who attacked us?“
The warrior looks upon his leader, his pelt bristled still
„Bloodclan. Firestar, they had the same collars, the same claws! Bloodclan raided our camp…“

Chapter Text

Talon looks back at the cats gathered beside him, all ready for their raid to begin. Hidden behind a wooden fence in the backyard of one of the two-leg houses near the border to the forrest, he awaits word of the scouts he’s send ahead. Surprisingly for himself, he is perfectly calm right now. He’d expected the stress to be enormous, but being here, ready to move into the fray, doing something to help the clan along his clanmates, it takes him back to how things used to be. To before there was fear and mistrust and chaos, back when there was reason, order… purpose. Flicking his ear, he hears his clanmates whispering amongst each other, their excitement tangible. Their studded collars and reinforced claws glitter softly in the pale light of the full moon as it hangs over them. Thankfully the shade of the forrest would ensure that they are less visible once they’d be on the move through the forrest, though it is going to be a race against time either way.
Eventually Talon looks up as the sound of claws digging into the wood sound from the other side of the fence, ascending upwards, his claws unsheathing just to be safe. As the heads of Rover and Silver pop up over the edge to look down at the gathered Bloodclan warriors, Talon nods at them, retracting his claws. The two scouts bound down and nod their heads to the dark grey tom, their eyes sparkling with promising joy as Talon speaks to them in a hushed voice
„How are things? Is the forest quiet and the clan retreated into their dens?“
„Better than that! There are barely any cats at all left in the forrest!“
Talon tilts his head, looking from Rover over to Silver
„What is that supposed to mean? We know for a fact that one of the clans lives in this territory.“
The light grey cat nods, pleased confidence gleaming in his eyes
„Yes, but most of them left not long ago. They all made their way out along the edge of the lake. Maybe they had the same idea and are raiding another forrest clan? Either way, there must be barely any cats left in their camp“
Talon can hear excited muttering flaring up from the cats around him. This could indeed be a valuable opportunity, if this goes as fast as he hopes, there’ll be almost no risk to his clan-mates… but they cannot know when the forrest clan cats would be back, and they would likely be ready to fight with their all if the two groups met like that. Tapping one of his reinforcing dogteeth against the ground, he ponders the situation. His cats are here already and waiting too long might end up making a choice for him, which he can not allow. Maybe Scourge favours todays undertaking.
„Very well…“
His voice slightly louder and directed at the surrounding Bloodclan warriors, whom’s whispered talks end immediately and all eyes fall on Talon
„We have our opportunity now. We MUST take it while we can. Remember, no noise, no needless kills. We take everything they‘ve got in their healer’s den and get out. We move fast and they’ll have no chance to react.“
The warriors nod and shuffle in anticipation, but keep themselves from making too much noise. Talon looks over them, pride surging through him as he observes the raiding party, claws and collars glinting in the moonlight, eyes beaming with the need to move out and boldly prove themselves
„Bloodclan, onwards!“
He leaps up, digging his claws into the fence and climbing up, not a moment passing before her can hear all around him the other warriors doing the same. Once on top of the fence, he leaps off, shooting a brief look over his shoulder after landing to see the shadows of cats descending the picket fence like a dim wave, before beginning his dash across the open grassland between the Two-leg houses and the forrest. He can feel the presence of his warriors with him as they rush into the undergrowth of the forrest, slowing just a little to ensure they all remain together and no cat gets lost from the group. Like a single great shadow the move through the forrest, with the rare exception of a bush shaking in their wake nearly soundlessly making their way towards their destination. Scouts have been watching the border for days now, noting which exact way patrols would use back into the forrest after they were done patrolling to more or less figure out where the forrest clan’s camp would need to be.
Some time later, slowly and silently stopping their rapid advance, the Bloodclan warriors come across the outer barrier of the camp. The scent of cats is strong and it comes just from the other side, this has to be it, no question. Talon motions with his tail for several warriors to make their way around it to find the entrance, Moon and Gravel leaving the group to do so immediately. As Talon waits along with the main force, he takes in the cool forrest night air. Having a moment to shift his focus away from just trying to be silent, he notices the pleasant scent of plants and soil, so much more nicer than the Twoleg place’s air even at the best of places. Here there seems to be a tranquility that just not exists where they come from. To live in such a place, the boon it could be to Bloodclan… the boon it may still become some day when Bloodclan reunites.
His ear flicking towards a sound, Talon is ripped from his thoughts as he sees the two send cats return, motioning to follow them. The entrance has been found.
As the clan arrives by the entrance, they are surprised to find that no sentry is posted. Are those mousebrains so confident as to leave themselves unprotected? Scourge indeed must favour tonight’s exploit. If there ever was doubt, it is gone now. Silently Talon creeps into the camp first, careful not to make a single noise as he looks around. Dens, partially dug into the ground, partially roofed with plants and branches and brambles. All laid out in a fairly orderly circle around the center clearing. He notes to himself how much more organised this seems from what they expected… but ordered is good! With a bit of luck it means they indeed just need to find the one correct den, empty it out and they will have what they came for.
As the Bloodclan warriors silently pour into the camp, they look around. Not knowing where to go, they look to Talon for orders. After a short moment of thinking, he points towards Silver and Gash, before tipping his muzzle and motioning at the dens on the left side of the camp, hoping they’ll understand what he means. It takes a short second before Silver has it figured out and he nods, moving out with Gash, carefully tasting the air by each den to figure out if it would be the one containing the herbs, Gash quickly catches on and does the same. Talon then motions for Rover to follow him as the two toms proceed the same way on the right side of the camp. Not only does it help to find out where their mark was, but Talon hopes to find out more about how the clans are organised. Surely finding out how they use and specialise their dens would give some insight into how they function, what they prioritise, things that may come in useful some later point.
At the very first den though, Talon freezes and motions Rover to move very carefully around the back of it. The tom does not seem to understand until he carefully takes in the scent and with a nervous smile complies. The scent of kits, milk and she-cats… this must be where young mothers are with their kits. If any cat in the camp would be awake at this hour, and willing to deliver on a fight, it would be a young mother.
Proceeding carefully, Talon does not need to venture very far. Right the next den beside the mothers’s den smells of herbs, flowers and roots. This is what they are looking for. Steadying himself for a brief moment, he motions the brown furred warrior with him to stay as he goes on. The dark grey tom cautiously pokes his head into the den, giving his eyes a second to adapt to the nigh total darkness inside. The scent of herbs and berries is strong. As his vision adapts to the dark, he sees the den’s inside increasingly clearly. The den is filled with nests, most of which empty, but one troublingly filled. Near the back of the den, Talon sees the gentle rising and falling of a sleeping cat’s silhouette. He steps out and waves his tail to gather his warriors by him. Soon his warriors are assembled there, spread in a half-circle around the healer’s den, awaiting Talon’s command. Motioning at the entrance to the camp, he then points at two of his cats, Silver and Grail understanding their assignment immediately and hurry over to the entrance, posting themselves as sentries. Can’t afford to be caught unaware by their returning raiding patrol. Looking over the remaining warriors at his side, Talon holds in for a moment. Now for the risky part, ensuring the cat inside doesn’t raise the rest of the camp.
With a nod towards the den, Owl and Rover warriors rush inside. A brief tussle is heard, Talon swivelling his ears attentively, seeking for any and all responses from the rest of the camp. As the noise of struggle quickly subsides, the dark grey warrior keeps listening for a moment longer before doing anything further… all remains quiet. Letting out a deep breath and watching similar tension slowly fall off the remaining Bloodclan cats by his side, he nods and motions at the den, the other cats entering it in a single file, most soon emerging with a bunch of leaves, seeds, flowers and herbs between their jaws. All going well so far… He peeks into the den, over the rapidly moving line of warriors, the first ones send in still keeping the previously sleeping cat down, it’s jaw pressed firmly into the ground, leaving no room for more noise than grunting. The cat, a young tom by what little sound he does manage to make, vainfully tries to thrash around and for his relatively meek frame he certainly seems very energetic in trying to struggle out from under the cats holding him down. Talon chuckles inwardly, a feisty one. Not that he can blame the forrest cat. Residing in this den, it is probably their healer, no wonder he’d be of less strong build than their warriors.
Looking on, the line continues under his surveilling gaze, until the last few exit, their muzzles however empty. Talon takes another look into the back of the healer’s den, indeed, all has been cleared away. He sighs quietly. Not quite as much as he’d hoped… still it would last them a fair while, or get them through several fights at least, so it is nonetheless a success. As he emerges from the den, he is greeted by the proud eyes of his clanmates. Gash waves his tail, trying to get Talon’s attention, which he promptly receives, the dark tom moving over to him. Gash points to a spot further down the line of dens, to a treestump fairly in the open. Intrigued, Talon makes his way over with him, before smelling what the warrior was on about. Food, this must be their food pile! Talon gives the brown tom a confirming nod, smirking in approval at his suggestion. Gash wastes no time, rounding up those who remain of their group without anything to carry yet and leads them over. The extra food will go a long way in securing their wellbeing through the approaching leafbare season. All is going well, the raid is a success, his cats will be both healthy and well fed for a good while thanks to this…
A mewling lets Talon’s fur spike up and he turns his head, noting that his alerted surprise is shared by his clanmates. They all following his gaze to the point of origin of the noise. One could almost miss it if one weren’t looking for it, but from the dark entrance of the mothers’s den, a small pair of curious eyes is watching the Bloodclan cats with innocent wonder. Talon has barely time to register this, before gentle rustling sounds from within thee same den, the silhouette of a she-cat appearing, at first leaning down to pick the sleepless kit up, before unavoidably meeting the eyes of the frozen Bloodclan warriors. None of them need to see the features of her face to recognise her expression change, her eyes filling with fear.
„Retreat! All back to the alley, now!“
Talon’s voice thunders through the camp, alerting the posted sentries and the few whom had left for the food pile. The clan was going to be awoken now anyway, might as well take the initiative and get out before bloodshed becomes unavoidable. The food scavengers grab what they can and immediately dash for the camp entrance. The second the cats in the healer’s den run out to join their clanmates, furious screaming along with a list of insults ,the kind of which surpass Talon’s imagination, start coming from the until just now overpowered young healer. Growling, Talon stays more central in the camp for a moment, surveilling Bloodclan’ retreat, determined to cover his clanmates as they get out of the hostile camp. He notices several shadows shoot forth from the largest den in camp, immediately racing to meet the intruders. The warriors are up. One fuzzy grey forrest cat flings himself at one of the retreating Bloodclan warriors, trying to crash with all his force into the Gash‘s side. With an enraged howl, Talon barrels into the thick furred warrior‘s side first, flinging him to the side. Another of them, a golden-brown tom goes straight for Talon, approaching rapidly and taking a swing at him, claws glistening in the moonlight. Sidestepping just in time to dodge the furious defender, Talon forces him to back up to avoid a flurry of no less rage filled swipes, plucking tufts of fur from the backpaddling warrior‘s chest. The golden-brown tom, who’s eyes remained fierce at first, shine with another emotion as he barely dodges the last of Talons swipes, his gaze fixed on Talon’s reinforced claws; worry. He recognises Bloodclan claws, a survivor of the battle for the forrest most likely… not that it matters now. Taking several steps back to ensure that his clanmates are gone, Talon sees that only a few remain, holding their ground at the entrance.
„Talon! Let’s go“
Just as Talon nods and turns to race out the camp, the fluffy grey warrior is upon him, landing squarely on the dark grey tom. Unable to immediately find the tom’s body through his thick pelt, Talon is knocked over, the grey forrest cat wasting little time in trying to pin Talon under him.Talon frees one of his front paws, raising it above himself about to bring it down tearing through the enemy, his eyes instinctively locked on the defender’s throat. No, no needless killing, they need to escape now without this battle becoming bloody enough for the forest cats to pursue them home… Gnashing his teeth, the red eyed warrior works around his instinct and instead lands a swipe against the forrest cat’s right front leg, between his and the reinforcing claws leaving deep bleeding gashes. As the thick furred warrior flinches and hisses in pain, giving Talon the chance to kick him off with his hind legs. The second the weight is lifted from Talon, he immediately darts after his clanmates, in his peripheral vision seeing more cats appearing out of the dens.
„Back home, now!“
The cats guarding the entrance rush out along with their leader, as soon as they emerge on the other side commencing their run back to the alley
„No stopping, no slowing! We got what we came for“
Thundering though the forrest, they hear the commotion back at the Thunderclan camp soon be joined by even more noise. The forrest clan’s raiding party seems to have returned, just barely too late to catch them… but still close enough to give chase if they slow down in any way. But it is done, the lifesaving herbs are theirs. The advantage may be a minor one, but every advantage will count in the end. At least now it’s less likely that greencough will defeat them before their clanmates get the chance.

As they enter the alley, they are greeted by the few of their their clanmates that remained behind, eagerly awaiting the return of the raiding party despite the late hour. Seeing the warriors return, they run up to greet them. Viper and Edge embrace each other, Grail and Lantern exchange caring licks and Ferret comes forward to overwhelm her father Gash with questions, amazement and pride shining in the young warrior’s eyes. Not least though, many look over at Talon as he steps through the mass of felines, mewling their thanks or simply nodding their heads in respect. Still out of breath from the long run home and having made sure that they were not followed, Talon steps forth towards Frost and Venom, whom are waiting for him by the healer’s den. Slowly, one cat at a time, the spoils of their raid are being laid down beside Venom, whom looks over the new herbs with a hopeful shimmer in her eyes and a pleased smile, before looking back at Talon.
„You actually made it. This is more than our territory would yield over many moons. We’ll be able to make do with this for a while“
She purrs contently, Frost nodding
„I wish I could have been part of it. A success like this is exactly what we needed. Herbs or not, you led these cats in a risky manoeuvre and succeeded, against the forrest clans no less. Even without bloodshed, this ought to impress the rest of the clan.“
Talon huffs, sitting down as his breath slowly returns to him
„Leader and second-in-command should not fight in the same battle if possible. Our clan made that mistake once, we can not afford to make it again, Frost. But yes, I hope so. Although now the other contenders might see themselves forced to act as well. They won’t stand by idly while one faction goes on daring escapades“
The white tom shakes his head, looking over the cats in the alley, loudly celebrating their victory, some digging into some of the captured food
„Perhaps… but no cat’s loyalty is absolute. Many remain fairly torn in choosing which faction to be part of, some may still be on the fence about it and tonight our faction proved itself. If not before, these cats following you believe in you now, while some in other factions might question the choice they made.“
Talon looks over his shoulder at the joyful scene, cats already gathering in circles to hear every detail of the raid from the freshly returned warriors.
„You may just be right with that, Frost. Still, we can not get lazy now, we have barely even begun. We still need to prepare for leafbare and we cannot forget that the battles in front of us will be against our clanmates. We prided ourselves that battling Bloodclan was a fearsome prospect, yet now we face it ourselves“
„True. In time we will have to battle the others. But Scourge must surely favour us after this.“
Talon nods slowly, a quiet purr rumbling in his throat
„Scourge is with us tonight indeed…“

Chapter Text

Ashfur looks around the camp as he returns from hunting, even with the sun-high sun pushing down the temperature slowly dropping. It’s his second hunt for today, but he’d probably go on at least one more today. The camp remains in a state of shock after last night’s attack, but the clan still needs to be fed and with the stolen fresh-kill that just means more hunting for every cat not doing something else. This time is more meagre, a field mouse dangling from the grey warrior’s muzzle, his earlier hunt had at least gotten him a reasonably well nourished toad from the riverbank. Not that the clan much cared for it, toads were more Shadowclan’s kind of prey, but right now being choosy was no option. Leafpool hurries past him and towards the medicine den, a small bushel of herbs in her muzzle. Though the she-cat unavoidable reminds him of her sister, he somewhat feels for her after this raid. Her supplies stolen, her apprentice held down by those rogues… With leafbare coming, the medicine cat is terrified of having to watch a wave of green-cough wash over the camp with no herbs to treat them, and so she’s been running restlessly back and forth trying to gather new herbs since first light, and that after a sleepless night after the Gathering. The fatigue is clearly visible in her face. Cloudtail brushes past Ashfur as well, murmuring an excuse before running along after Leafpool. Understandably, Firestar had refused to let her leave camp without a guard if Bloodclan might be lurking nearby, and so his nephew too got to run along the medicine cat, ironically looking closer to collapsing still than she does. Under different circumstances, Ashfur would have found some humour in this, but not today. Hawkfrost spoke of a collar wearing cat having been close-by several times at his spot by the river… could that have been a Bloodclan warrior spying? Could he have prevented the attack or at least known of it if he’d been more perceptive? As he drops his catch on the fresh-kill pile, he observes the camp. Brackenfur is currently guarding the entrance to the camp, a measure the clan usually doesn’t take during the day. Though his pride does not allow him to show it, the tom is clearly shaken up. He’d been part of the last battle against Bloodclan, he felt their claws before, saw how close the clans came to being driven out from their home. Hard to believe that now, after so much time, so far from their old forrest, they’d still be haunted by them.
The grey warrior looks up to the leader’s den, seeing Firestar along with most of his family, speaking to and comforting them. His mate Sandstorm, his daughter Squirrelflight, as well as Hollypaw and Lionpaw. The only reason Jaypaw isn’t among his siblings is because he is needed to keep an eye on Greystripe in the medicine den, who got himself injured trying to fend the Bloodclan cats off, while Leafpool keeps making runs for new herbs. How soothing the medicine cat apprentice is supposed to be to his wounded clanmate while still and continuously grumbling curses after having apparently been held down during the attack is a matter of it’s own. Graystripe had received a deep slash to the leg, a haunting reminder of Bloodclan’s ferocity and the reinforced claws some of them had… or still have it now seems. The wound was clean, but deep according to Leafpool, the warrior would recover if only she could find the herbs to chew into poultice to keep it from getting infected.
Eyes still lingering on his leader’s family, Ashfur quietly hisses to himself and tears his gaze away from them, away from her. Even now, with so much better things to worry about, the tearing pain in the tom’s chest flares up at just her sight. Staying here would not be helpful, he’d only keep having to avoid either Squirrelflight, or Brambleclaw, whom continuously sends out patrols. The thought of Jawpaw having been at Bloodclan’s mercy visibly getting to the tabby deputy, a thinly veiled rage underlying in each command he speaks.
Having to endure the company of a patrol full of stressed out cats is not sounding very enticing to Ashfur right now, and so, with a sigh, he makes his way back towards the camp’s entrance for his third hunt of the day. Someone has to do it either way, might as well be him. But where to go next? As he emerges on the other side, padding off into the forrest, the blue eyed cat wonders what his next hunting grounds should be. The area near the Shadowclan border only yielded a mouse and not much promise of more, hunting by the river had earned him the toad, along with the glares of a nervous Windclan patrol on the other side of the border. Firestar’s very first action had been to send out messengers to warn the other clans of what happened, it is currently impossible to not run into patrols near the border. Except perhaps… The Bloodclan cats retreated, so perhaps around the border to the twoleg place might be safe to travel and hunt. Firestar would certainly discourage any single cat from venturing that way without backup currently, but the orange leader is not here and the clan needs the fresh-kill.
Padding over at a comfortable speed, Ashfur’s thoughts wander anew, back to Hawkfrost’s claim, the scent at his spot. Surely it could not have been a Bloodclan cat after all. If it had been, why would it not have attacked him? With some shame, he has to admit that he would have been an easy target, and Bloodclan cats are bloodthirsty rogues. Their former leader was called Scourge, which sums them up quite well. He slowly shakes his head. Maybe the Riverclan warrior lied to him, he seemed the type to find amusement in spooking him. Maybe, but right now the Thunderclan warrior tries clearing his head from his thoughts, as he raises his muzzle up and tastes the air for any scents. For now his duty is to catch fresh-kill for the clan.

As the grey warriors pads back to camp, a robin dangling from his jaws this time, he quietly hums to himself. The hunt has been longer than he’d hoped and ended not very spectacularly, but anything will help. Pushing through the entrance to enter the camp, he spots yet another patrol in the making. Thornclaw leads this one it seems as the brown furred warrior discusses the route with Brambleclaw, the patrol readily assembled behind him already. He pulls his eyes away from the scene the moment he spots bright orange fur among the patrol members. Not now, if anything it’s a good thing. With her out of camp, maybe he could get a moment of respite here. By the time he arrives by the fresh-kill pile to drop his catch, the group is already leaving the camp. Letting out a small sigh of relief, Ashfur wanders over to the medicine den. He hasn’t checked on Greystripe yet. Not that he particularly feels the personal need to, rather then the expectation that that would be asked of him as warrior and clanmate. If there is one cat in Thunderclan who’s competence is beyond question in Ashfur‘s eyes, it’d be Leafpool in her role as medicine cat. He steps into the den, the smell of herbs hitting his nostrils. Moving in deeper, he finds Greystripe in one of the nests, seemingly soundly asleep, his injured leg stretched out. The wound is no longer visible under the leafs and cobwebs applied to it, sealing it shut to heal, but the amount of it speaks volumes about the size of the covered injury.
„He’s asleep. Finally. So don’t wake him, or he will continue to harass us all with his incessant talking“
Ashfur looks over to the familiar voice of Jaypaw, the blind apprentice’s eyes loosely directed at him. The usual hint of annoyance clear in the young cat’s voice does little to endear him to Ashfur, though he did always feel like the feeling was mutual. Jaypaw seems to prefer staying at some distance from the grey warrior, as if his proximity brought the young cat tangible discomfort. Though that usually suits Ashfur just fine.
„He certainly looks as if he’ll be fine right now“
The apprentice gives a small snarl
„We treated him right away, why wouldn’t he?“
Ashfur rolls his eyes at the smaller cat’s attitude, before looking on to the exhausted frame of Leafpool, sorting the leaves the she-cat slaved all day to acquire.
„What all did they take anyway? Seems to have been a lot“
Jaypaw’s head turns towards his mentor, wether it’s exhaustion or focus that made her miss out on the question being any cat’s guess, both equally understandable in her current state. The apprentice shakes his head, speaking in her stead
„Easier to answer would be, what didn’t they take. Bunch of foxdungs cleared away every single thing. Not a single leaf or seed was left. Leafpool and I have to gather everything anew, it will take several days to gather that amount again, if we can with leafbare approaching“
Ashfur tilts his head, a thoughtful look forming upon his face
„What would Bloodclan even want it all for? Do they even have medicin cats? They do not believe in Starclan“
„Do I look like I’d know, Ashfur? Nor do I care, all I know is that we have a lot of work now, little time to do it, and Firestar insists on sending warriors with us that are as useful as pebbles when it comes to herbs every step of the way“
The grey warrior hums at this, before shaking his head. He’d not care for this attitude from an apprentice towards warriors, but he neither has the desire nor the right headspace to lecture the little tom. It’s not his apprentice to correct anyway.
„Alright then. I’ll probably make yet another hunting run in a bit. Remind Leafpool to grab some fresh-kill and get rest. The clan won’t be better off if our medicine cat ends up needing a medicine cat“
„And leave me to do all the work myself? Not going to happen, even if I have to feed her poppy seeds to calm down“
Ashfur nods and leaves, as Jaypaw pads over to help out his mentor. As the blue eyed tom strides through the camp, he finds himself wondering, deciding to give himself a small rest to soak up what little the descending sun was still willing to give before heading out yet again. Slumping down to the ground not far from the warrior’s den, he finds himself losing himself in his thoughts. No cat died and they stole herbs? That hardly sounds like the Bloodclan he remembers. Memories flash back to him of the great battle so long ago as he absentmindedly grooms his fur, messed up and spikey after the hunting trips. The first and only time the four clans all banded together in a battle and still almost lost. He’d been no more than an apprentice back then, yet he remembers it vividly, most who fought in it still do. The wave of scarred, battle hardened rogues, their reinforced claws, the many cats that paid with their lives, the way their leader executed the tyrant Tigerstar… Most leaders lost some of their Starclan given lives in this fight. Those cats, they seemed so singular in their purpose, to take the forrest and sweep aside any cat in their way. If this raid was truly done by the same fierce rogues, how come no cats died? He shakes his head with a scoff, what an awful question to even ask himself, wondering why he doesn’t have to mourn several of his clanmates. He should be glad that no cats were harmed too badly. Yet he cannot quite stop himself from pondering, are these truly the same cats? Either way, he’ll have to continue Lionpaw’s training once the initial shock is over and now he cannot talk his way around battle training, a prospect that tears any little sparks of enthusiasm the tom may have had straight out of him. His apprentice has talent, a lot of it, but temperament to match once he gets going and every time he looks into the young one’s amber eyes, he sees Brambleclaw as Squirrelflight’s mate. The grief of what isn’t and the anger of what has come to be instead surge through him every time, and each time it just becomes harder to control. The struggle between finding the will to push past his trepidation and do training at all, and keeping himself from venting his feelings too much in the mock fights with his apprentice takes a toll on the grey warrior. It is present every time and no matter how much he wants, he can’t quite shake it, Starclan knows he’s tried. He’s been close to injuring the young tom more than once, but that only seems to fire the combat loving apprentice on more most of the time. He sighs, slowly rising back onto his paws after a while. He’ll just have to keep trying, at some point his apprentice will earn his warrior name and it will finally be out of Ashfur’s paws. For now, he needs to resume hunting, the only task he currently still. Feels useful at. Leafbare approaches rapidly and the clan needs the fresh-kill. Grunting, he pushes himself forward. Fourth hunt of the day, after that he will need some rest himself. The next few days promise to be busy, he will need his strength. He wanders out of camp, looking around the forrest. So… where to try and hunt this time then?

Chapter Text

The sound of fighting downs out almost all else. Talon tries to push on forward, clawing and tearing through the many cats in his way, all fighting with each other as if in an absolute frenzy. Growling, biting and clawing, slowly the dark grey tom makes progress. A twinge of pity remains in the back of his mind, it finds itself overshadowed by Talon’s rage at their fierce resistance. He has to make it through, make it out the other side, that is all he knows and if they choose to obstruct him, then he has no choice. As claws fly, bodies fall and blood sprays, Talon manages to get the occasional glance at his destination past the ocean of moving, bloodied fur. A cat calmly sitting, so unbothered it even has it’s back turned to the carnage going on. He has to reach this cat, he must, that he knows and so he fights on in the truest sense of the word. Claws tear through his fur, adding new scars on top the old, the screeching and hissing deafens the tom to all else as he feels the ache of his wounds and muscles. Letting his claws rip through flesh, opening throats and sides, blinding exes and shredding ears, his coat grows thick with blood. He feels pain as the wounds on him sting and gush his own blood over the floor. He feels fury at the cats in his way, their endless, pointless fighting. As he slowly gets closer to his target, he feels purpose. He has his target in his sight and is getting closer to it, nothing standing in his way for long. A cat bites down hard on his shoulder, teeth piercing deeply into him. He lets out a screech, before pushing against the attacker and leaning over, sinking his own teeth into it‘s throat, pulling viciously until the attacker relents it’s grip. The pain is fierce, the taste of blood strong on his tongue, but he must move onward. Only a few more cats between him and the turned cat. Another assailant lunges at him, leaping highly upon him. This could crush him, but it leaves the cat wide open. Sidestepping just enough to avoid the cat’s descending weight, he pulls his clawed paw up hard, ripping open the lower neck of his new attacker, leaving it to gasp in shock as it’s lifeblood begins to drain from it. Panting, Talon moves on, caring not to watch the cat die, only seeking to get onward, to get to his destination. Finally, he can drag his tired, aching paws onward to the sitting cat. Beholding it for a moment, he tilts his head. He’s… here, right? Shouldn’t something happen? As he sits down, he hears the echo of his reinforced claws sound back and forth, as if in some empty twoleg storage building. Wait… he recognises this cat. How did he not earlier already? So close, Talon can smell the cat’s scent and it is unmistakable. His eyes widen in realisation, as he turns around once more, at the cat that was previously turned away from him, now barely a whisker away. Ice cold blue eyes stare into Talon’s, a familiar face moving it’s maw to speak, but he can’t quite hear the words the cat speaks before all fades away before him.
Talon gasps as he shoots up from his nest, nearly hitting his head on the low ceiling of his den. Panting, he looks around, tail lashing back and forth, claws extended, he scans his environment. This is his den, just his little den under the wall. Talon feels his pulse beating strongly in his chest, and he could swear he still feels a tingle where he thought wounds were a moment ago. A dream… again such a dream. He got further though it this time. He’d never actually fought his way through to the other side before. And the cat waiting there… there can be no mistake, any Bloodclan cat would recognise the small black tom immediately. Scourge. Could his dreams be a message from his former leader? He shakes his head slowly, trying his best to calm himself. The forrest cats believe in their ancestor’s sending them messages, but most Bloodclan cats believe no such things. Wishing each other well with Scourge’s name or invoking it for guidance is more of a relic kept from the leader’s early days, when Bloodclan was still very young. When he wandered twoleg place, solving cat’s problems, something they’d just said of respect for their unifier, that became habitual figures of speech later.
Talon slowly walks out of his den, the night having engulfed the alley once more. Next night would be the another gathering of the factions. His raid might impress some cats, which in turn will inevitably aggravate others.
The tom sits down and begins grooming down his fur, which remains partially spiked up from his dream and sudden awakening. So many questions are going through his head and it’ll be rough to try and find any answers that are worth the bother. He could visit the river to try and clear his head of it, but he shakes his head as the thought comes up. The clans will have a lot of patrols out now for a whole while most likely. I’d be unwise to try going there so soon after the raid and with their gathering so close at hand he’d rather save his foolish actions for worse days. With a quiet frown, he walks the alley, waving his tail in greeting to tonight’s sentry. It seems Frost designated one of the younger warriors to the task, Ferret waving her tail back, proudly sitting at her high perch to overlook the alley. Talon continues on his walk. The young she-cat has lived herself in quite well. Child to a kitty-pet mother, there was a chance she might return to life as a kitty-pet after tasting the often rough life in Bloodclan, but she is close to her father Gash and adapted admirably. Peaking into the healer’s den on his way, Talon’s muzzle is hit by the rich scent of the herbs now stored within. Beside Venom, only Clover remains in the den right now, the unseemingly feisty she-cat still recuperating from her injuries during the last border skirmish. Lantern was given permission to leave the healer‘s den‘s care earlier today by Venom, much to his displeasure only in time to greet the returning raiding party, not to partake in it.
Moving along slowly, Talon makes his way through the surrounding alleys and streets. Bloodclan is so vastly different from the forrest clans. Not all cats live in it’s main alley itself, their dens and sleeping places spread over their territory. Of course, in times of imminent danger or during the day to be given tasks, many make their way into the alley, but every cat has the right to nest where they find a suitable spot. The lack of usable living space in any one singular alley would make it impossible to house all of a Bloodclan faction, let alone the whole clan, remains a big factor in this. The thought of living in a communal den like the forrest warriors never even occurred to Talon before seeing their camp...
„Awake again, Talon?“
The dark grey cat looks over, his eyes landing on Silver. The white and grey veteran nods his head as he approaches, the many teeth on his collar gleaming in the pale light of the moon and the distant neon of the deeper twoleg place.
„I could ask the same. You did good work during the raid, would you not rather be resting?“
The veteran warrior sits down on the edge of the sidewalk, looking into the distance, to the many coloured lights of the twoleg place
„Can’t. I am glad we now don’t need to worry as much about simple cuts getting infected anymore, but I am uncertain how the other factions will respond to it.“
Talon nods slowly and joins the slightly older tom at the sidewalk’s edge
„So do I. Wrath may consider it a challenge, since taking the fight to the forrest is his entire rallying call“
„Or the fact that we raided them and killed none may be seen as weakness by him. He lets his namesake show more and more lately I hear. I think the other leaders are getting antsy, it may start sooner than we thought“
„You still talk with your sibling then, I take it?“
Talon looks at Silver from the side, remembering that Silver’s littermate, Argent, remains among Wrath’s veteran warriors. The seasoned warrior remaining calm, but his eyes betray a sting of sorrow as he stares off at the far away lights
„Does that make me a traitor?“
„It doesn’t, Silver. Talking is still allowed, as you well know. Besides, you are both still siblings and you’re both still Bloodclan. I have seen no indication of you betraying us in any way“
„…it might make him a traitor though“
His eyes finally pull away from the distance and return Talon’s gaze
„According to Wrath at least. Apparently Kestrel and Granite’s ploys made him a good bit more paranoid. If he finds out we still speak, even though my brother never told me anything that would compromise their faction, Argent will feel his leader’s fury. If I asked Argent to join us instead and any of Wrath’s cats would notice, I’d make things worse for him. The closer the day comes where we might battle, the less sleep I get because of it all“
Talon turns his head away, staring off into the distance
„I could try to catch him alone after tomorrow’s gathering for you. But there is no guarantee, I fear“
The white furred veteran shakes his head slowly
„I appreciate it, Talon, but it’d just be a needless risk. Risking conflict with Wrath’s faction before we are ready, that is not something I could ask for. Their warriors are too formidable. Besides, it seems you too are kept awake. Just the stress or…? If that’s not too insolent a question“
Talon rolls his eyes at his veteran warrior
„I am not leader of Bloodclan yet, Silver“
„You might be soon enough“
The veteran warrior flicks his ear, observing Talon as the grey cat sighs quietly, considering for a moment if he should tell or not.
„… strange dreams keep me awake some nights. Scourge is in them. I can’t quite make sense of it, but it seems to… progress as time passes. He is trying to say something, but the dream still ends before I can make out what. Am I going mad or is there meaning to this?“
The veteran hums, looking back into the distant lights, eyes revealing deep pondering
„Before the battle with the forrest, I would have said you should let Venom check your head . But… we all who were at the battle for the forrest saw dead cats rising to their paws that day. Spewing something about ancestors and leaders having multiple lives… It’s not something many cats will speak of, but more cats than would care to admit questioned their belief after that, or their lack of“
„You believe Scourge would be trying to tell me something?“
The white and grey tom slowly rises to his feet
„I do not presume to know what Scourge could or would, Talon, alive or dead. All I know is what we all know, he was unique among cats. Bloodclan is young compared to the forrest clans, but perhaps the few ancestors we have care as well as theirs do? I would not know. I know my duty and that is sufficient for me.“
Talon hums quietly, remaining seated, mulling over the veteran’s words, the slow advance of leafbare‘s chill hazing his breath slightly
„One last thing though, if I’m allowed to be insolent already. At times you act more as our clanmate than our leader, Talon. If Scourge is really speaking to you, you will need to be a leader first and foremost. A clanmate alone will not bring the clan back together, nor defend us from cats like Wrath or the twins. Only a leader can“
With a final nod of his head, Silver pads away, leaving Talon to himself, soundlessly pondering the given advice. Is that the expectation of the veteran warriors, for him to lead more assertively? Is it the expectation of all his clanmates in his care? Flicking an ear, he lets out a deep breath, it forming a frosted mist before him before disappearing. Before long he may not have a choice in the matter anyway. He’s made a move now with the raid, the other contenders will have to respond to it if they are not to fall behind, which none of them will permit themselves. And what of his dreams, what would Scourge be trying to tell him? Why would Scourge even choose to speak to him of all cats and… from where? A memory comes to Talon’s mind, from his spot by the river. Did he not imagine icy blue eyes observing him from the depth? Perhaps Scourge has been watching him for a while. Is it a warning, a sign, an encouragement, or merely the former leader’s curiosity of what is happening to his legacy? He hums and shakes his head, slowly rising to his feet. No cat in Bloodclan could do better than speculate, as far as he knows such a thing never happened before here. The only cats with experience in such strange things are the forrest clan cats, and he can hardly ask them for his dream’s meaning. Slowly the dark tom rises to his paws, before fixing his whiskers. Right now he has more immediate things to worry about. He needs to anticipate the reactions of the other factions, find ways to navigate what will be a difficult time for all of Bloodclan. His clanmates need his protection, the other contenders need to be dissuaded from striking out at them. He can not be the first to leave tomorrow‘s gathering. He will need to be able to answer whatever they throw his way. His faction must appear strong before the others. There is no room for wavering. Talon begins the trip back to the alley. As the tom retreats home in the hope of catching some sleep at least, a pair of eyes that have been watching for a while disappear from atop one of the twoleg buildings.

Chapter Text

Exiting the medicine den, Ashfur immediately heads towards the camp’s exit. Anger boils in him, the need to scream and claw growing with every further heartbeat he has to stay there. Though usually the grey warrior at least externally manages to remain calm, today his usual facade seems to fail him as several cats give him worried or questioning looks as he hurries past them on his way. His face remaining firmly in a calm expression, his eyes betray the feelings of utter discontent and loathing coursing through him, ad he rushes out into the forrest. His rapid stride quickly becomes a run, then a sprint. The further from the camp he gets, the more the Thunderclan warrior lets loose, growling as his pace increases to the point that his muscles scream up in pain under the effort. Storming on until he is just by the treeline at the river, the warrior looses his last restraints, skidding to a stop. He rears up on his hind-legs and with a fearsome cry, rakes his claws through the bark of the tree next to him in a mighty downward swipe. Leaving clear marks in the tree, the warrior screams out in frustration before unleashing a flurry of strikes to follow up. Rage surging through the blue eyes tom, pieces of bark fly left and right as he slowly powers himself out on the inanimate object. His assault continues for a whole while, before the warrior ceases, stopped as much by his breath running short as by his lessening fury. Gasping for air to the point of dizziness, the warrior pads a few pawprints further to his spot amid the reeds, before falling off his legs, trying to catch his breath. As he slowly recuperates, he looks over at the cobwebs on his shoulder and flank.
That damned foxdung of an apprentice, he told him to stop, to slow down and in response Lionpaw carried on, claws unsheathed. Ashfur’s jaws clamping down in a snarl, he remembers the scene as if it were playing off right in front of him. Even after batting the young golden cat down several times and deciding training to be over, he just carried on. This time was far too close, if Lionpaw had pushed any further… Ashfur looks at his paw, sheathing and unsheathing his claws several times. If his apprentice does not show restraint, he may end up seriously hurting him, but that is not what a mentor is supposed to do. I mentor should guide the young, not maul them. Shaking his head as his snarl slowly fades, his blue eyes stare into the water’s currents. What is he to do? It seems the more Ashfur speaks of restraint, them more the apprentice does the opposite. As a pair of fish swim by in the stream, Ashfur’s eyes follow them. He hesitates to bring the issue to Firestar, he has been dealt an apprentice, he needs to find a way to deal with it. He could try to speak with Brambleclaw, but how would the tabby take to Ashfur complaining about his son? Either way, he is the disfunctional one in the scenario, either way the fault will be his. And isn’t that at least partially right? He is supposed to teach his apprentice, that is the task his leader and clan gave him and what Ashfur promised to deliver on the day of Lionpaw’s apprentice ceremony. A task, no matter Lionpaw’s progress in becoming an admittedly great fighter, Ashfur feels like he is increasingly failing.
The grey warrior puts his front paws over his face, his reflection in the water beginning to sicken him. He was a strong warrior, once. He led away dogs during Tigerstar’s plots, he fought Bloodclan, he partook in the great journey, he fought off badgers attacking the camp, defended Thunderclan’s borders countless times… Now what is left of that warrior? The warrior Hawkfrost seemingly heard tales about, the warrior that once felt the need to help his clanmates in any way he could, where had that cat disappeared to? It certainly isn’t the pitiful creature staring back at him from the river’s reflection, that cat that struggles to handle an apprentice without loosing control, who’s eyes are tired and are getting increasingly colder, just to hide the turmoil inside. Is he truly only good for patrolling and hunting anymore? How did it spiral so out of control? His paws slowly sliding off his face, Ashfur scoffs at himself. He knows full well how. How could he not if he is reminded of it every day? His thoughts wandering to her once more, he puts his paw on his chest, the stinging pain heavy with each heartbeat. Can he even blame her at this point? Back then, he was strong, he was more than a match for Brambleclaw in every way. Now, how long has it been since he did anything to stand out? Her mate Brambleclaw, deputy of Thunderclan, father of her kits, what does Ashfur still have to compare to that? He looks at his mirror image once more amid the gentle waves. Surely he must still have something, it can not be all truly lost. Surely Starclan would not condemn him to suffer like this if there is nothing else ahead for him. Or have even his ancestors given up on him? Growling to himself, the blue eyes Thunderclan cat strikes out at the calm river surface, distorting it with ripples. No, he must have some purpose or other still. Bloodclan is back, he fought them before, perhaps he still has things to accomplish. If Hawkfrost was truthful, that cat stalking around his river spot may be one of these rogues. Taking on a Bloodclan cat alone is dangerous, but what has he to lose at this point? A spark of determination entering the grey warrior’s eyes, he sits up. He still has worth to the clan, and grim and unlikely as it may be, he must still have a chance with Squirrelflight. If he can capture a Bloodclan spy and get the rogue to tell the clan whatever dasterdly plans they have now again, surely that would impress his clanmates. If he manages this, he may still have a chance to return to grace. Perhaps the short time, the tom could only have described as wishless perfection he had during his matehood with Squirrelflight could still, may still return, this time to last. And if not… if he fails…. Ashfur looks on into the distance, feeling strength like he hasn’t in many moons. If he fails he will die a warrior’s death, doing as the warrior code demands, challenging the intruder, defending his clan. If not Thunderclan, perhaps at last Starclan will reward him for his service.
With a new plan in mind, a new hope firing the tom on, he rises onto his paws. But how would he even get to that Bloodclan cat? All he knows is that it returns from time to time to his river spot. Perhaps Ashfur could lay an ambush for the intruder, surely he could outsmart some used-to-be kitty-pet. Looking around himself, the warrior begins planning. The reeds are high and dense here, one of the things that make this spot so secluded and idyllic. It is also how the Bloodclan cat could get so close to him without being noticed. But that can easily be turned against the rogue. Padding around, Ashfur inspects the surroundings closely. If the wind is in his favour to blow his scent the other way, he could easily hide around here, especially if it was dark. With a grin, he nods to himself, making note to himself on where to hide, just on the opposite side of his spot as the intruder must have been hiding all these times. He’d have him at merely a taillength’s distance. But he’d need to be here every night if he is to catch this rogue. Starting tonight, he’d spend his nights here, waiting.
Content with his idea, the warrior flicks his ear at the nearby croak of a frog. He should catch some prey before returning to camp anyway. Might as well get started. A hopefully reinvigorated Ashfur thus creeps through the reeds.

Walking throught he entrance and into camp, Ashfur hums quiely to himself, head risen high as he carries multiple pieces of prey between his jaws. Heading towards the fresh-kill pile, the tom notices a light brown pelt approach from the side. Depositing his bountiful catch, he turns to see Leafpool padding over.
„You’re back. I’m glad, some cats were worried when you stormed off after I closed your wounds. Are you feeling better, Ashfur?“
With a small smile, the grey warrior nods at the she-cat
„I think I am. I just needed a moment alone it seemed. You shouldn’t worry about me anyway, Leafpool. You have more work right now than any warrior.“
The tired medicin cat smiles in return sitting down replying with a gentle purr
„Oh, it’s nothing. But thank you for the care, Ashfur. Jaypaw is insistent that I don’t overdo it, as is Firestar. I was just about to take some fresh-kill in-fact. If you wish to eat with me, I don’t mind the company“
Ashfur is a little surprised at the offer, and more yet as he ponders the fresh-kill pile in front of him. He hasn’t eaten anything for today yet, he hasn’t even noticed till now how hungry he is. Flicking his nicked ear, he nods
„Sure. I’d just need to figure out what I care to take.“
„It’s good that we can choose so freely already again, so close before leafbare“
The medicine cat looks over the pile for a moment before pawing a plump mouse out from the rest
„The fresh-kill pill was replenished quickly. Thanks to you in part, Ashfur. You have been hunting a lot lately. The queens are grateful for it, they can get a bit picky at times“
The she-cat chuckles before picking up her mouse. Ashfur ponders her words a bit surprised. The clan did notice? He hasn’t spoken with many of his clanmates for a while beside Brackenfur, but he’d have thought that he’d notice if he became a topic in Thunderclan. Absentmindedly, he grabs the closest piece of fresh-kill and follows Leafpool, the two settling down close to the medicine den. As they sit there and calmly speak while eating, the warrior feels more at ease than he has for quite a while. Between bites and stories, he even notices that his chest pains don’t plague him as much as they usually do. Inwardly Ashfur jests that it is almost a pity that she’s a medicine cat, a kind hearted cat like her could have had a beautiful family of her own, yet she never once complained that he knows of. He knows better than to make such jokes out loud though, instead telling his clanmate about several small misadventures Brambleclaw and him got up to during their apprentice days, earning laughter from Leafpool.
Eventually though, the she-cat gets up, Ashfur noticing that it has been a small while since they have both finished their fresh-kill.
„Back to gathering herbs, I guess?“
„And changing Greystripe’s cobwebs, unless Jawpaw has done so by now. It was fun talking though“
Leafpool nods her head at the warrior
„I still got a lot of work to do to ready the clan for leafbare. Maybe we can share fresh-kill again some time“
„Sure“
Ashfur nods back at her and watches her leave, Dustpelt, who’s been stationed at the entrance so far, following her as guard as she leaves for the next run of collecting herbs. A kind cat, perhaps the most dutiful he knows in Thunderclan. Ashfur slowly grooms his pelt and fixes his whispers, humming to himself with a pleasant calmness to himself. He looks down at the last few remnants of his fresh-kill, chuckling to himself in amusement at the sight. A few bloodied bits of squirrel pelt remain, he hadn’t even noticed what he’d picked earlier.

Ashfur waves his tail in greeting as he passes the night guard of the camp, leaving as most of his clanmates retreat into the dens. Tonight’s guard, Hazeltail gives him a questioning look, but does not stop the grey tom as he leaves. Ashfur understands the warrior’s worries, with Bloodclan out and about, wandering around alone at night may not seem like the wisest course of action. Padding though the nightime forrest to the sound of crickets and the last, quickly disappearing bird song, he breathes deeply. The cold air filling his lungs, he makes his way to his river spot. Perhaps the intruder might not be there tonight, it’s still fairly soon after the raid after all, but there’s always a chance. A chance the grey warrior is not willing to miss. Encouraged by his plan and his need to prove himself once more, to his clan as well as to himself, he presses on. Before too long he arrives, a calm smile upon his muzzle as he raises his head to taste the air. He can’t make out any strange scents yet. The dusk patrol was not that long ago though, so it’s no surprise. Pushing through the reeds, the blue eyes tom gets to his self-designated spot, laying low among the high river plants. After he lays down behind his cover, his ears perked and swivelling from time to time, he remains night motionless otherwise. If the rogue shows, he’d need to be ready. He can’t make mistakes, not on this. This is his one shot to potentially turn things around. All he has to do is wait and remain vigilant.

Chapter Text

Talon pads through the streets, his delegation at his back. Their reinforced claws clicking as they wander along the pavement and concrete grounds of twoleg place. The sun, itself having faded from vision behind the all buildings a while ago, begins sending out it’s last, colourful rays. The sky is painted a magnificent orange as the black tom leads his cats towards this night’s gathering. Usually the evening would be uneventful until they arrive at the twoleg warehouse just outside the old main camp of Bloodclan, where once more the factions would try to promise and threaten each other into submission. Talon moves almost automatically, his mind already at trying to come up with answers to questions still unasked, as Frost’s nudge pulls him back to reality. Talon slowly stops his advance, his delegation moving up around him, eyes narrowing and claws unsheathing as they stare down the unexpected obstacle.
„Greetings, Talon. I see you and yours fare well“
The slender brown and light cream coloured tom mewls calmly, eyes set on Talon.
„Kestrel. Any particular reason you’d go out of your way to talk here with me instead of the gathering? Where is your delegation?“
Talon looks to Frost from the corner of his eye, signing him with his tail to have the cats make a circle. He’ll not be ambushed today, not like this. Kestrel should know that he would not go down without a fierce fight, so what is he after? The slim tom chuckles as he casually fixes his whiskers, while Talon’s cats carry out the orders Frost is barking their way, trying to guard the group from all sides
„You think I’d attack you here, like this? When I know you’ll have able warriors with you? I would rather save my strength for a more… secure score“
Talon narrows his eyes at the slightly smaller cat.
„You have not answered me yet, Kestrel. What is your purpose here then?“
„Simple. I have heard the most amazing rumour just a few nights ago. Care to hear about it, Talon? It’s about you after all“
Frost and Talon exchange a brief glance.
„Again, why not bring it up at the gathering, where such matters belong?“
The brown and cream coloured Bloodclan warrior hums as he slowly approaches
„Because I believe we can help each other, Talon. You have a trained healer, and apparently now the means to actually make use of her“
Frost snarls as the tom approaches, while Talon refuses to give the faction leader the satisfaction of an observable reaction. So word has really gotten around already. If he is coy enough to appear here, the other factions no doubt know too.
„Perhaps I do. What’s it to you? I hear you try to train a healer yourself“
„We do, or rather we try. Rain is eager to learn, but I fear we lack both the experience and the means. Both of which you have now.“
Talon looks at the fellow faction leader for a few heartbeats, before raising his paw. Frost scoffs and sits down, his claws retracting under the dogteeth
„Sounds like you have a deal in mind. Be mindful, Venom is not some piece of food to be traded away. We would not take kindly to any insulting propositions like that“
„I imagined so. Always faithfully defending your clanmates, Talon, hm?“
Kestrel chuckles, sitting down not far from Talon
„No, I think what I am offering will interest you, especially going into tonight’s gathering. I am offering an alliance between our factions.“
Talon slowly sits down as well, not leaving Kestrel out of his sight for even a second
„Why and how? Be quick about it, Kestrel. The others will already gnaw our ears off for being late, nevermind whatever rumours they may have heard“
Flicking his tail, the sly tom smiles confidently
„We get shared access to food and cats of both factions, being less attackable together, as well as making it through leafbare better. We get our healer trained by a cat that knows the craft and if we have wounded or sick, you help heal them. Think about it Talon, a united front would be a good start towards reunifying the clan, don’t you think? With twice as many cats, any of the others would need to think twice before attacking us. Does that not sound decent?“
„It would be… until we separate. You offer alliance, not submission. What happens when one side gets tired of sharing? Or thinks to have found a better deal?“
Talon flicks his ear. Kestrel is witty, he would take a gamble, but only if he believes he could win it. What he says is true, together they would be the by far strongest force in Bloodclan. But he has his eyes every bit as much on the clan’s leadership as any of them.
„Is Talon, the cat that braved the forrest clans, that afraid of having a fellow leader beside him?“
Kestrel purrs amused, his joy only increasing as his comment sparks hissing rage from Talon’s cats
„Why should I trust you, Kestrel? There can only be one leader in the end. As long as two cats claim that title, conflict in Bloodclan will continue. Equals would only ever work for a while. You know that“
„So is that your price then, Talon? Submission?“
Kestrel returns Talon’s look, his green eyes seeming to pierce into the grey cat’s head. Talon remains unwavering, though inside his thoughts begin to race. He must remain firm on this, but he could make enormous progress if it ends working out, but he needs to get some proof that this deal can work and not immediately backfire.
„You will have to prove your commitment to this, Kestrel.“
„…very well then. I accept“
Talon tilts his head in surprise, the immediate answer hitting the red eyed warrior unprepared
„You accept what, precisely?“
„Submission. Under the condition that I become your new second-in-command, I am willing to give command to you. After all…“
The slightly smaller tom leans in with a pleased grin, speaking in a voice that is barely even a whisper
„… you are the one Scourge speaks to, right?“
Talon’s tail lashes back and forth in shocked agitation, before regaining control a heartbeat later, his neckfur standing up. Frost looks questioningly from Kestrel to his leader, wonder and surprise in his eyes.
„How would you…“
„I have eyes and ears in many places, Talon. One more thing you may find useful about having me by your side if you agree“
Talon remains silent for a moment, a uncertainty and worry running through him. It is impossible to tell how the other factions might react to the claim that Scourge occurs in his dreams. The leaders would likely either condemn it as nonsense, or worse yet, argue that the dark tom may be going insane. Showing it as little as possible, Talon clenches his jaws in fury. This the others certainly don’t know yet. This is likely Kestrel’s actual play. If all of Bloodclan views him as mad, he loses any legitimacy he may have had. Kestrel’s eyes keep peering into Talon’s, a calm smirk on his face.
„…I will need to council with my veteran warriors on this.“
„Of course. I shall give you all some space. Better not to take too long. You said it yourself, the others may be growing impatient soon“
The sly leader rises to his paws and pads away, staying at some distance, looking over at Talon and his delegation with interest. Talon meanwhile gathers his second-in-command and the three veteran warriors accompanying him, Silver, Moon and Owl to stand a bit apart from the other cats, whom have ceased their defensive stance by now.
„What is this little foxdung talking about, Talon? Has Kestrel hit his head?“
Frost looks to Talon for answers, as do Owl and Moon. Seeming to sense hat the grey tom is looking for the best way to word his response, Silver comes to his aid
„Talon has been visited by Scourge in his dreams for some time now. He decided not to tell the clan until he can be certain of the meaning of these dreams, or how the clan may react to it. Kestrel must have had some cat eavesdropping on us“
Frost looks to the veteran, his eyes showing the intense process of thought going on behind them, his emotions difficult to read
„So… he speaks the truth then“
„A truth he shouldn’t even know. He either has cats trespassing on our ground, or worse yet, we may have a traitor among our own“
Owl growls, agitation clearly rising in the aged warrior as his shoulder fur spikes up
„We’ll have ample time to find that out later. Now we need to consider this offer. It could work in our favour, but I for one wouldn’t trust Kestral as far as I could throw him. Even second-in-command of so many cats would be a powerful position for him to be in. And then there’s the loyalty of his warriors to consider“
Moon mews much more quietly, looking around the other cats in their small circle, Silver and Frost both nodding in agreement. Talon sighs, looking to his second-in-command
„Would you even agree to clear your position for this? I believe, if we tread carefully, we could use this to our benefit, but as far as I am concerned you earned your position, Frost. Kestrel may be useful, but we don’t know how far we can trust him.“
The white warrior ponders the question for a moment, tail flicking
„As long as you do as you say and remain cautious around this two-faced ratheart… I think it could help us. If we turn up at the gathering as one faction, his cats and ours, it will make quite an impression. And if the rumours of our forrest raid have already gone round… you’ll need to keep your guard up around the other leaders, Talon.“
Talon slowly nods, letting his eyes wander over the veteran warriors.
„I say we agree for now. I will rely on you to remain vigilant. Any trace of treason, you’ll need to report immediately. We are trading sound sleep for power here, we can not get lazy in keeping an eye on them or the price to pay might be great“
Owl takes a step forth, his fur by now smoothed down again, his old voice raspy yet strong
„You now you can count on us, Talon. If Kestrel tries to double-cross you, he’ll have to make it past our claws first“
The veterans nod energetically in united agreement. Talon lets out a sigh and nods
„Very well. In that case…“
The dark grey tom steps out from the circle, towards Kestrel, whom’s ears perk up with interest as Talon approaches
„I accept your terms. Our factions are now one. If you betray our agreement, I…“
„I think I can imagine, Talon. We both know I’m not the fighter you are and I know Bloodclan’s ways“
Kestrel rises to his paws, before bowing his head to Talon
„I recognise you as my leader then, Talon. This should shock the others a fair bit“
„I believe it will. I wonder how they will react, tonight and in the coming days both“
The brown-cream warrior raises his head with a pleased smile
„Shall we go find out then? My delegation is just a bit further down the way“
The new second-in-command chuckles, padding beside Talon as he resumes the march to the gathering, the other cats already following.
„Or rather your delegation now. I believe much might come from this still, Talon“
„We shall see, Kestrel“
The dark furred leader beholds the smaller cat striding beside him now
„We shall see“

Chapter Text

The sound of shouting rings loudly already, by the time Talon enters the twoleg warehouse. Ice and Snake firing insults at Wrath, whom by the second looks closer to exploding in a fit of fury. Granite is holding a mostly one sided, but in comparison pleasantly calm discussion with Wraith, growling from time to time and shooting glares at the sibling leaders as their noise makes it hard to hear the sparce few words the cold she-cat chooses to share with him. As Talon, accompanied by Kestrel walks closer to the circle, both discourses die down rapidly
„Look who decided to show after all…“
Wrath’s discontent grumble breaks the silence first, Talon nodding his head to the other factions.
„Excuse our tardiness. Something came up very suddenly that required my attention“
Talon sits down, winding his fuzzy tail around himself to rest on his paws, as he often does
„Well that’s fine and good, but how come you are late too, Kestrel? You’re usually among the first here“
Granite asks calmly, but with a loud and clear voice, his tone already betraying suspicion. Kestrel sits down a pawstep behind Talon, his tail flicking and a content sparkle in his eyes. As a moment passes without answer, some of the other leaders gain an uneasy look in their eyes
„Why are you sitting there, Kestrel? Get your own space and let Frost sit by Talon, as should be“
Wrath growls, the fur on his neck slowly spiking up as he, as well as the other leaders notice that the delegations of Talon and Kestrel aren’t splitting up either. Talon speaks up, his gaze wandering between the other factions present
„As of today, I announce that Kestrel be my second-in-command. Frost will be a veteran warrior of Bloodclan, as will Castle. Rain will formally become a healer in training, under Venom’s guidance“
The first moment after the announcement, there is silence. As Granit’s eyes briefly widen in shock before he regains a more composed expression. A deep growl sounds from Wrath, his eyes piercing both Talon and Kestrel with a furious stare, but no comment escapes him. Ice and Snake look at each other dumbfounded before Ice speaks up
„Mousebrain, a leader can not be a second-in-command too. What is this nonsense?“
„You two fools carry what little brain you have in your tails!“
Granite hisses at the siblings. Wraith’s stare pierces Talon, causing him great discomfort that he tries his best not to show, as those eyes that can only be described as predatory observe him. After several heartbeats, the she-cat speaks, almost too quietly for the others to hear, her tone dead even and impossible to read
„So, these are the first two factions to become one…“
Snake hisses loudly, claws unsheathing
„Impossible! There was never any fight over territory! Why would Kestrel just give up like that?“
„Oh, I haven’t given up at all“
The brown and cream coloured tom chirps joyfully at the confusion and anger he causes the twins
„I’m just placing my bets safely. Surely you’ve heard of Talon’s recent exploits?“
„The raid of a forrest clan… we heard. News travelled fast, perhaps too fast“
Granite narrows his eyes at the new second-in-command, before his gaze finds Talon‘s
„Trusting this one is an even bolder move than attacking the forrest if you ask me, Talon. His cats spread the news of your raid. Now he’s your second? This reeks of a plot, surely you realise that too?“
Talon can feel his pads sweating, as the attention of every cat present lingers on him and Kestrel. He has to defend his second-in-command from such allegations, or he will seem unsure about this new alliance. At the same time, in his heart he agrees with Granite. Kestrel has some kind of scheme going, and it may be his undoing if he doesn‘t see through it in time.
„I have made my decision for the benefit for all cats. With the cats of both factions united, we will deter any who’d attack us and be in a better position to provide for all of them“
„A lot of cats, and what will you do with them? You’ve clearly shown what you won’t do with them, Talon! All the cats in Bloodclan are useless if you refuse to let them draw blood from their enemies!“
Wrath speaks up in his loud, thundering voice
„You attacked the forrest clans and return with dry claws? Your cats will turn away from you if you’re getting too soft to strike at Bloodclan‘s enemies. This alliance will not last under a weak leader! Where is your honour as a Bloodclan cat?“
„I have to agree with Wrath for once. You had the chance to deal a blow to Bloodclan’s enemies. Why stay your claws for forrest cats?“
Granite inquires, his tone unlike Wrath however less accusatory and more inquisitive.
„This way there will be no retaliations yet. Bloodclan needs to be united to take on the forrest clans. Until then all we could do is lash out at individual clans. We’d win no great victories. The wellbeing of Bloodclan must come first. Only then can we discuss taking the fight to the forrest and avenge our fallen“
Talon looks at the the grey cat, his calm explanation ending under the loud words of Ice, the black and white tom’s tail lashing furiously
„Excuses! You’ve lost your touch, Talon, just admit it! How can you lead any cat if forrest filth worries you?“
Snake grins, stepping up beside his brother
„You’ve gone soft, I knew it!“
The empty words of Ice and Snake barely register with Talon, his eyes wandering over the other leaders. Wrath is being calmer than Talon had anticipated, but the scarred tom can’t hide the sheer loathing in his eyes. Talon being the first to act against the forrest has hit the tom both into his personal pride rather as well as his pride as leader. Granite’s eyes show that a great deal is going on in his head right now. He understands the threat Talon’s faction is now and he is not the kind of cat to remain idle in the face of it. He will do what he thinks he must to either better his chances now, or render Talon’s worse again. And then there is Wraith. Talon avoids looking the she-cat in the eyes, her piercing gaze having remained on him the whole time since he arrived. Perhaps not to his faction as such, she would likely be the biggest threat to him personally if she chose to be. Which she might now. Best hunter of Bloodclan by far, he knows that he’d likely never even notice her approach and if she gets the drop on him, he’s as good as crowfood. Sighing inwardly, Talon flicks his ear. There is one more threat, closer than all the others now. Kestrel can not be trusted, and useful as it may be to have him and his cats on his side, will they really be loyal to him? Do they know what Kestrel plans? Though he already guessed as much, Talon’s heart sinks as he realises that he now unavoidably started the true beginning of the struggle for Bloodclan. May Scourge guide them all…

As Talon’s party slowly wanders back from the gathering, his mind is heavy with thoughts and worries. Only with difficulty was he able to pay attention when, after the initial commotion finally died down, the other factions declared how they were faring. He may lead the strongest faction for now, but he’ll need to be sure of the loyalty of the newcomers before he can make much use of it. Meanwhile, the other leaders will do everything in their power to overcome his new advantages. As the cats pad along the dark streets, lit only by some twoleg lights, some of which not even working, Talon looks over his shoulder at Kestrel walking close by him. It will be a while before Talon could get used to the tom as his second-in-command, that is if Kestrel will honour the deal long enough for that in the first place. Then again, he might. As second-in-command, he’s next in line for the faction’s leadership. If he truly believes Talon to become leader of Bloodclan at some point, remaining loyal could give the tom a good chance at becoming leader after him. Question is, would he be patient enough for it?
Kestrel notices Talon’s thought filled eyes on him and pads up beside him
„All good, Talon?“
The dark grey cat hums, returning his gaze to the path ahead
„It may be a while before I grow used to you as my second, Kestrel. Don’t make me regret my choice. This could work to the favour of both of us, but only if you can be loyal“
„Was I not loyal under Scourge? I may not fight directly like you others, but I have never betrayed the clan, have I?“
Talon flicks his ear. He isn’t wrong, Kestrel incited betrayal und backstabbery among rogues and threats to the clan, never to the clan itself while Scourge was alive. Talon’s never heard of the tom ever even considering to lift a claw against the clan’s former leader. Then again, it would have been an assured death sentence to any cat to be caught plotting against Scourge. Perhaps his reservations are less well founded than he thinks. But Talon is not Scourge, the clan is not united and becoming too lax might be playing into Kestrel’s hand if he does plan to betray Talon.
„No, you haven’t. But let us get to other matters for now, your cats will need to relocate. Being one means little if they remain separate, one alley will become the center of our territory.“
„Yours, I imagine? It has a proper healer’s den already. It will be a bit more of a way for a few of my warriors, but then again, not much more so than it was during Scourge’s reign, when his alley was the center of all. We can make that work.“
Talon nods, the group turning a street corner, back at the spot where Kestrel had made his proposition earlier that evening
„Very well. Go get the cats that are to live around the alley then, bring your food pile to ours and get Rain. I’ll see to it that both he and you will have dens to sleep in when you arrive.“
Kestrel nods his head, humming with a pleased expression. With a flick of his tail, his cats split off from Talon’s and make for Kestrel’s alley.
„So it shall be then. We should be there by the time the sun is up“
„And Kestrel?“
The brown and cream tom turns his head to look at Talon right as he was turning to follow his cats
„About what you heard between me and Silver… you won’t breathe a word of it. To any cat. Not yet“
Talon’s eyes are narrowed, piercing the slightly smaller tom. It displeases him to have to threaten a clanmate, let alone be ready to make good on it, but he must show strength. Kestrel answers with a calm expression
„As you command, Talon. But you know that sooner or later cats will know either way. Two cats can keep a secret, but all of your veteran warriors know now.“
With that, the tom waves his tail in goodbye and pads off. Talon hisses quietly as he resumes the way home, striding with a much faster pace now.
„Frost, I want you to keep a close eye on him once he is settled in our alley. Anything remotely suspicious, report immediately.“
The white tom nods as he paces up beside the dark grey tom
„Will do. He is hard to read, isn’t he? One moment one could almost trust him, then the next… We can not forget that he is a foxheart by nature.“
„One more reason why he must be in the alley, so we can keep an eye on him. Until we know for sure if he means to be loyal or not we should be very cautious.“
„Agreed. I’ll try to find a sleeping place for him.“
Looking over at Talon, Frost flicks his ear
„Knowing you, after an evening like this you’ll be heading off for a bit before Kestrel arrives?“
Talon gives an ironic little chuckle, looking at his former second-in-command
„Am I becoming that predictable? Not the best trait, considering the other leaders want my pelt now“
Frost shakes his head
„The risk would be greater if any cat knew where you’re disappearing off to. I admit, it frustrates me a bit to not know, but now that may be for the best. Less easy to ambush you“
Talon nods slowly
„Perhaps. Lead them back to the alley from here, Frost. I’ll be back before Kestrel shows up, then the announcement will be made publically.“
The white warrior nods and takes the lead of the returning cats, Talon splitting off from the group to walk his own path. As soon as the others are far enough, the grey cat huffs, shaking his head. His thoughts are many and rampant, his pads hadn’t stopped sweating since Kestrel’s offer. It may be risky, but with tonight’s unexpected twist, he needs the tranquility of the river to sort through it. His decisions in the next hours and days could affect dozens of cats, if not all of Bloodclan. Clanmates might live or die by his choices and cats that range from fierce to crafty will be working against him. He needs to calm down and figure out what should come next.
Every action has a consequence, none know that better than the early members of Bloodclan. With that thought in mind, Talon speeds up into a run, making for the forrest border.

Chapter Text

With tired eyes, Ashfur lurks among the reeds, between the cold, moist shore he lays upon and the continuous stain of his position ready to pounce, his muscles scream in pain and his joints ache. The third night of his guard and so far no trace still… Of the initial enthusiasm that drove the tom to start doing this, not too much is left. Maybe it is too early after the raid still, the intruder has no reason to be spying again so soon. Or maybe Hawkfrost lied to him and is currently having a hearty laugh with the other warriors of Riverclan. Closing his eyes and sighing quietly, the grey warrior reflects upon his endeavour. Maybe he was hasty in hopes of proving himself. He enjoyed Leafpool’s kind words and maybe build a false hope upon them.
Opening his eyes again, he looks up at the sparkling beauty of a cloudless night sky, sliverpelt shimmering in all her glory. His warrior ancestors watching from above, would they condone his behaviour? Laying at the riverside, waiting for an intruder that might never show, just to impress the clan? To impress himself back into viewing himself with some amount of worth? To impress her? Perhaps Starclan has different plans for him, or none at all. In that case, does it even matter? He shakes his head slowly. Whitestorm and Brindleface are both among Starclan, so surely some of Starclan must care. If only he could ask them for a sign. Maybe he should ask Leafpool next time they speak, as a medicine cat she may be able to wring an answer out of Starclan. But perhaps that’d be presumptuous to ask. The she-cat is busy enough as is currently, and Starclan has better things to do than to pamper his need for answers. He’ll need to find the answers for himself.
Thoughts still coursing through his mind, enough in weight and number to cause the tom a headache, he finds himself torn out of them as his ears swivel towards the other side of the reeds. Was there a noise? Eyes narrowing and fixing the other side of his river spot, he observes the tall grown plants vigilantly. It’s minimal, if he wasn’t looking for it he’d have missed it, but the reeds clearly move, parting as something moves among them. Starclan might be sending him a sign after all tonight.
After a moment of waiting that felt like moons, Ashfur finally spots the cat he’s been waiting for. First into vision comes a pair of red eyes, narrowed till barely visible, as the cat cautiously pauses, seeming to observe the scene. Ashfur doesn’t move a single muscle as the Bloodclan warrior’s gaze moves around the little clearing amid the reeds. A few heartbeats later, the Thunderclan warrior hears a relaxed sigh, shortly before the red eyed cat steps out from it’s own hiding place, stepping over into the open to sit down by the river. So close… with a strong leap Ashfur could probably reach him. He observes the Bloodclan warrior, the open sky allowing enough light down to easily recognise details this close. A dark grey pelt, a large tom at that. A little larger than himself, certainly no less strong as his eyes observe the intruder’s frame. A collar studded with teeth, no question about it, this is indeed a Bloodclan warrior, which means… Ashfur’s eyes descend, with mild worry registering the reinforcing dogteeth on the intruder’s paws. He will need to win quickly once he makes his move. He remembers all too well the time he spend in the medicine den after meeting such claws last time, and he got lucky then. This time, he’ll have to face a Bloodclan cat alone.
But as his initial worry and anger at the dark grey warrior’s presence fade, questions come up. The tom is just… sitting there, staring into the waves. As Ashfur looks at the intruder’s face, he finds an expression he knows all too well from his own reflections in the waves. Deeply in thoughts, the Bloodclan cat sighs, raising his head up to silverpelt, eyes loaded with questions. For a moment, Ashfur almost feels sympathy, knowing well the weight that one’s own thoughts can have, before a realisation dawns on him. The Thunderclan warrior remembers thinking that all the times he’d been here, so deep in thought, he would have been easy prey for the Bloodclan cat. Now however, the roles are reversed. If he can surprise the red eyed warrior, he should be able to overpower him. Claws slowly extending, Ashfur readies himself. He will either win, or enter Starclan as a warrior.
His ear flicks as he registers something. With rapidly growing worry, Ashfur notices the reeds beginning to sway into a different direction. The wind is turning… With the wind now at Ashfur’s back, his scent… His blue eyes widening, he sees the Bloodclan warrior’s expression change, from his deep thoughtfulness, to a questioning uncertainty, before those red eyes widen every bit as far as Ashfur’s. The Bloodclan cat’s head snaps into his direction as he rises to his paws, fur on edge, eyes that at first were widened in shocked surprise quickly narrowing into slits.
Ashfur pounces forth with all his strength, growling in frustration as his entire plan unravels before him. He has to defeat this invader, that is all that matters now. Right before Ashfur’s outstretched claws can reach the dark grey cat sidesteps and bounds backwards. As Ashfur lands and immediately turns to face the Bloodclan warrior, the two toms glare at each other for a moment, their eyes meeting. Ashfur narrows his, tail lashing in anger behind him. This intruder is all that stands between him and his life turning around for the better at long last. He hurt his clanmates, stole from Thunderclan, trespasses on their ground. A vicious snarl forms on Ashfur. He has to pay. Right as Ashfur gets ready to pounce again, the dark tom dashes forward. Leaping to the side instead of forward, Ashfur narrowly avoids a blow from the reinforced claws, before he stabilises himself and lunges for his foe. The anger that Ashfur suppresses every day, the pain and heartache, as he feels his blood pumping hot in his veins it all fuels the ash coloured warrior. Crashing straight into the Bloodclan cat, he knocks him off his paws, only to painfully find that the dark tom has hooked his claws into him, pulling Ashfur down with him. Trying to regain direction after crashing aground, Ashfur’s eyes widen as a set of claws, glistening in the star and moonlight, descend upon him. He tries rolling out of the way, but just too late to avoid the blow, clenching his jaw as he feels a gash tearing open on his back, before he manages to get back on his paws. With barely a moment to miss, as the dark tom lunges at him, the terrifying reinforced claws outstretched for him. Getting out of the way in the very last moment, Ashfur finds an opening and with a furious growl rakes his claws across the Bloodclan warrior’s shoulder. The invader hisses in pain, but does not flinch away from it as Ashfur had hoped, instead immediately barreling into Ashfur with his full force, knocking the Thunderclan warrior onto his back. The Thunderclan warrior’s vision spins for a moment after going down, a pained hiss escaping him as he tries to rise back up again. Choking and coughing, Ashfur’s head crashes right back down, weight pushing down on his throat. Wincing, the ash coloured warrior looks up as his vision slowly clears, a pair of red eyes glaring down upon him. The Bloodclan cat’s paw pushes down on his neck, the sharp edges of his claws, natural and reinforced both stinging against his exposed throat.
As Ashfur struggles to for air between his rapid breath and the weight on his neck, he growls up at his foe. He had felt such strength surge in him, but even that has failed to help him. He was going to release every frustration, every humiliation he’s experienced in the many moons he’s been in the new territories on this enemy, but now even that chance has eluded him. There is no way out, any move he tries to make will end with his throat torn open. After such a short fight, he’s already bested. The moment drags on for what feels like entire seasons to the defeated warrior, the frustration, the pain and sorrow all flowing into his glare.
„Well? What are you waiting for, Bloodclan filth? Go ahead! I’m not afraid!“
Ashfur’s voice, though trying to sound brave, cracks with sadness several times. Even this was beyond him. After everything he endured, even his end is to be a humiliation it seems. Desperation and fury bubble up in the blue eyed cat
„Go on, you’re taking nothing of worth from my clan.“
The Bloodclan warrior’s eyes return his stare, seeming to pierce into the warrior’s very thoughts. The two cats remain like this for several more heartbeats, before the red eyed tom lets out a small sigh, shaking his head
„You shouldn’t seek death so readily. It won’t cure what’s tormenting you“
Ashfur’s eyes slowly widen once the words spoken to him finally sink in several moments later. He looks up at the warrior pinning him in disbelief. This doesn’t make sense.
„Why…“
Ashfur shakes, all strength leaving him with each heartbeat more and more.
„Why? You are from Bloodclan, are you not? Why am I still alive? You’re making no sense… nothing makes sense…“
Tears begin to well up in the Thunderclan warrior’s blue eyes, his confusion only surpassed by the wave of anguish washing over him. The emotions he’s been trying to bottle up and shut away from his clan and himself both are finally breaking though the facade. Seasons of trying to swallow his feelings, his heartache, trying his best to keep both his anger and despair in check, Squirrelflight, Lionpaw, Brambleclaw… it all comes crashing down upon him. The weight on his throat lightens a little as silent weeping descends into pitiful sobbing, the muscular warrior wailing his grief and rage into the nightsky in almost frightening yowls.
He doesn’t even notice when the paw holding him down is finally lifted, his strength too nonexistant in this moment to get up anyway, let alone escape. The gaze of the red eyed warrior remains on him as Ashfur cries out what feels like a lifetime‘s worth of stress and self-pity.

A whole while passes before silence returns. Eyes burning after it all, Ashfur looks emptily up into the stars.
„… why let me live?“
His voice is partially hoarse and very quiet, hardly more than a whisper. Slowly he turns his head to see the Bloodclan warrior’s eyes no longer on him, instead staring off into silverpelt
„Not sure. Foolish, isn’t it?“
The dark grey tom hums thoughtfully
„I will probably not be able to return here if I let you live. A pity. I enjoyed this place“
„Why come here to begin with? What is there to gain here?“
With a grunt, Ashfur slowly rolls over onto his belly, wiping the remnants of a few last tears from his eyes, his voice no longer loaded with emotion
„The same thing you seek here, I think. A moment of peace, a place to think… we don’t have such a place in twoleg place. None this tranquil… “
Ashfur looks from the sitting Bloodclan warrior over to the river. Grunting and with much effort, thee ash coloured warrior gets up to sit, the wound upon his back stinging severely as blood runs down his sides
„What you said… why did you say that? What do you know what might be fixed or not…“
The Bloodclan cat ponders his response for a moment, lowering his gaze
„Several things, I guess. Maybe I’ve seen too many cats die, seen their faces as they pass from starvation or sickness or injuries to believe in death as a relief. With how hard life can be, that’d seem a bit too… easy. Maybe those strange dreams are messing with my judgement. Or maybe my clanmates are simply right and I’m just growing soft“
Ashfur tilts his head, his torn ear flicking. Strange dreams? Does he speak of nightmares, or would Starclan for some reason choose to speak with a cat outside the clans? The dark grey warrior scoffs and shakes his head
„No matter. Run along now, forrest cat. Tell your clan. I shouldn’t have come anyway, it was foolish. I always knew it wouldn’t last forever“
Ashfur observes the unmoving tom for a moment, conflicted as to what to do. First he expected to win, then he expected to die, now… he has no idea how to feel about this. His ears perk up as the Bloodclan warrior’s head moves, looking up at the far horizon. The earliest rays indicating the sun’s rise begin painting their colours in the sky.
„I have to leave now either way. It might make for a good story, depending on how you twist it, forrest cat. Facing a Bloodclan warrior alone and living“
The red eyed warrior slowly rises to his paws and shakes out his pelt, before padding past Ashfur
„My name is Ashfur, not forrest cat“
The Thunderclan warrior turns his head to see the intruder stop for a brief moment, a faint hopeful tone to his voice
„ I’m Talon. Does this mean I won’t be ambushed if I were to return?“
Ashfur looks to the ground. He should report this, Firestar would want it so. The warrior code states that trespassers should be challenged. The choice should be easy, so why isn’t it? Curiosity gains a foothold in Ashfur. A Bloodclan cat that spared him, that not only saw, but acknowledged his pain. This is contrary to everything the tom believed to know before tonight. This is something new, something outside the usual ever repeating life in Thunderclan. He was spared today, he would not do that only to kill him the next day surely.
„Not unless you run into a patrol“
The Bloodclan warrior, Talon, turns his head to return Ashfur’s gaze over his still shoulder, the bleeding of the scratch Ashfur dealt him having stopped a while ago.
„You are aware how predictable most of your patrols are? Tomorrow night?“
Ashfur sighs to himself. Every single cat in his clan would advise against this, for good reason. But maybe he can learn something about why Thunderclan was raided or what this Bloodclan cat meant about his dreams. What if a new prophecy has arrived and they risk missing out on their ancestors words? The ash coloured tom finally nods.
„Tomorrow night“
Talon returns the nod, before pushing through the reeds, disappearing into the green, leaving Ashfur to ponder his choices, the song of the day’s earliest birds slowly starting up as the sun begins it’s climb.

Chapter Text

The early sun-rays warm Talon’s back as he pads out of the forest, his pace increasing as he passes the first buildings. Why let me live, those were the forest warrior’s words still echoing in his mind. Sighing quietly to himself, he ponders the answer he gave, traversing the outer parts of his territory. Maybe he really has grown soft. There were far more reasons to kill this tom than not to. He remembers the many nights observing the grey cat, how his demeanour changed, how at last under his claws his composure broke. Sure, Talon has been curious about the story behind it all, but does his curiosity excuse such recklessness? Should he really return there next night? He looks over his shoulder at the rising sun before increasing his pace further, running along the streets. It would not look good to not be there when Kestrel arrives, he must hurry.
Not long after, he arrives at his alley, many of his cats up and present. Padding past them towards his wall, Frost joins in beside him
„They are almost here. Most of our cats know the news by now. Reactions are mostly positive so far, most see it as a step in the right direction to reconcile with clanmates of ours. Some of our warriors doubt Kestrel’s trustworthiness however.“
„Rightfully so…“
Slowing down to a halt right by the wall, Talon looks at Frost
„But for now, our best chance in preventing Kestrel from stirring up trouble is convincing his cats that we are indeed the better option. Everything ready?“
The white cat nods his head, amber eyes looking at the entrance of the alley, expecting them to march in any second at the seems
„His new den is behind the window right under the sentry’s post. No way to sneak off in the night without being seen. And close enough to mine for me to keep an eye on him if needed. Venom’s taken the news well that she’s to train young Rain. I think she’s rather excited to teach him actually.“
Talon slowly nods
„Good. In that case, let’s try and make this work“
Giving himself a rushed grooming first, Talon climbs the wall, sitting down upon it, looking into the alley, just in time before Kestrel wanders in, his cats following right behind him. Under the eyes of Talon’s cats, they march into the alley. A few of them carry food, Talon noting that the amount is not great for the number of cats. Observing them more closely, several of Kestrel‘s cats indeed seem thin. Food must be rare currently on their grounds, possibly one of the reasons for their eagerness to join up. Rain holds a large folded leaf containing herbs in his maw, accompanied by Wax carrying the same. As the cats halt, looking up at Talon returning their gaze, Kestrel steps forth to the wall.
„We’re all here and brought our food and herbs, as you wished, Talon“
His golden eyes look up expectantly at the dark grey cat. He needs to speak a few words. Internally, Talon curses himself, of course he’d need to speak a few words, this is no small occasion. If he hadn’t wasted so much time at the river, he could have thought of something by now. If his first words to these cats that are now to follow him are a failure, then not only does he risk losing their loyalty from the get go, but he’ll be humiliated before his own cats too. Taking subtle breath before beginning, he tries to bury his anxiety behind his usual calm facade.
„I welcome you all. It has been too long since this many of our clanmates have come together under one leader, come together for what makes us Bloodclan. Come together to protect each other, to care for each other, to ensure all cats have something to eat, somewhere to rest, a chance at peace and family“
The reinforcing dog teeth hide that Talon’s own claws are pushing against the bricks of the wall, his pawpads sweating. With a lot of willpower, he forces his tail to remain calm, his head and ears held high. Both Kestrel’s cats as well as his own all look up to him, their ears collectively perked, eager to catch every word he speaks
„With our two factions merging, we are showing our clanmates that it is possible for Bloodclan to be one again, that we can return to the glorious days of Scourge. As of today, I announce Kestrel as my second-in-command. You did well in leading them here. Bloodclan will once more take care of it’s own. With young Rain in training to be a true healer, we secure the future wellbeing of all cats here. I will require you by my side to help ease cats through the changes this union brings, and to work alongside me to the benefit of our clan“
Talon’s eyes focus on the brown and cream coloured tom closest to the wall, meeting his golden ones. Up this close, could he possibly see his stress through his eyes? With acknowledging him and his position once again, this time before the cats of both factions, now to be one, he solidifies Kestrel‘s role, but also binds him to it. Though Kestrel’s answer follows swiftly, the heartbeat that passes before it does feels like a lifetime to Talon
„I accept the position and thank you for your praise, Talon. My strength is yours to command. May Scourge lead your claws, as you lead us from here on out“
Talon’s claws nearly break against his wall at the mention of Scourge’s name. Is his wish genuine, or is he just reminding him that he knows more than he should? Still looking at Kestrel, Talon finds it difficult to tell, his golden eyes betraying no emotion this time around. The dark tom nods at Kestrel and with a flick of his tail invites him to join him up on the wall. No matter how this remark was meant, he cannot let his stress show, the facade may not break, not now, not here. Kestrel nods at the gesture and swiftly climbs the wall, seating himself beside Talon, looking over the assembled cats. Talon returns his gaze to them as well, taking a heartbeat to observe their reaction. All eyes remain on him, among the cats he spots several smiles. The eyes of some of them gleam with hope. Soot and Daze especially seem content, as their two kits look up in wonder, partially snuggled into their parents tails. Rain too, though he looks almost as nervous as Talon feels, seems to hold excitement in his gaze.
„Rain will move into the healer’s den, to learn from Venom. Kestrel has received a new nest as well in the alley to help lead as his position demands. I invite the veteran warriors new here to find residence in or around the alley as well, however they, like all warriors, remain free to choose their own nests throughout the territory. Orders, news and food will all be distributed from this alley now. It will be a time of change for some, but we are Bloodclan. We have weathered far worse, and nothing may ever change that. Together, we are stronger than anything the world can throw at us. May Scourge guide your claws“
As Talon nods his head at the cats of the alley, they erupt into a cacophony of victorious howls and joyous mews, stomping and cheering. Talon lets out a breath he was holding, looking upon the many cats before him, the intense pressure slowly falling off of him.
„Not bad as far as speeches go“
Kestrel flicks his ear, looking over to Talon as Moon and Owl show the newcomers where to deposit the food, Silver escorting Rain and the still herbs holding Wax to an already waiting Venom by the healer’s den.
„Mostly improvised, if I’m to be honest.“
Talon returns the golden eyed warrior’s gaze, tail winding around his front paws in his typical position
„I think so. I didn’t even notice how on edge you were until I was up here“
His voice carries a hint of amusement, eyes lowered to Talon’s paws The claws finally sheathed again, but small traces having been edged into the brickwork. Talon returns his gaze back to the alley. Of course he’d have seen his claws from beside him, how foolish to allow such a dead giveaway. He’ll need to be mindful not to let Kestrel see his stress in the future.
„Not many speeches being held these days, let alone ones that are of actual importance. No matter now. You think they will settle in alright?“
Kestrel hums and follows Talon’s eyes. In the alley, both groups of cats have begun to intermingle, sharing tongues, showing each other around, settling down under the still ascending sun together over some food. Some show some cautious trepidation, but overall things are looking hopeful.
„I think so. They took it pretty well and after your speech I think most of them see the wisdom in it. We can make it work. Most of them do still know each other after all. It feels so long ago, but it hasn’t really been that many seasons since we were all one under Scourge. Only the younger ones wouldn’t remember“
Talon nods slowly, noticing from the corner of his eye that Kestrel’s gaze has shifted, fixated now on the healer’s den. His eyes hold something Talon did not expect, a deeply caring look. Is Rain’s training this important to the tom?
„Rain is in good paws now, Kestrel. You remember Venom, no doubt. She’s a kind cat. Also she’s apparently quite excited to have a cat to teach. She will make a fine healer out of Rain“
The brown cream tom nods, ears rotating for a moment to listen if any cat is too close by. Talon’s interest is immediately peaked by this caution from his new second-in-command.
„Since I know a secret of yours, Talon, and there will have to be some trust between us for this to work, not to mention you being the leader… there is something you may wish to know. Very few cats know this. It is about Rain, where he’s from“
Talon tilts his head, observing Kestrel for a moment before following his golden gaze back down to the healer’s den
„I had assumed he joined your faction like many cats initially joined Bloodclan. As a loner or a kitty-pet seeking something more in life. That not so?“
Kestrel chuckles, his usual smile growing on his face
„Well, you were in part correct. His mother is a kitty-pet. But he does hold our clan’s blood in his veins“
„His father is Bloodclan then. More than one such cases in the clan. So far nothing out of the ordinary.“
Flicking his ear, Talon wonders where this is going. They are not the forest clans, many loners of rogues that come together to form Bloodclan had been kitty-pets or have some kitty-pet blood in them. That bothers no-one here, why should it bother him? Or is his father the reason for this secrecy?
„Yes, his father is Bloodclan. I trusted few with this knowledge so far, Talon. I feared it might make him a target otherwise. His father is me.“
Kestrel turns to face his new leader, whom looks at him with astonished eyes. It makes sense to have hidden such a thing, of course. With the risk of cats like Granite leaping at the opportunity to hold leverage over another leader, it would have been risky to let many cats know.
„I never would have guessed that you had a kit, Kestrel. He’ll be safe here, we will make it so“
The slightly smaller tom nods slowly
„I think he will be, I hope so. It is one of many reasons why I chose to offer this union. He knows, of course, but… because of it all I did not get to spend much time with him so far. Cats might have gotten suspicious otherwise. I would like to change that now, recognise him openly as my son.“
Talon hums slowly, contemplating the implications of Kestrel’s revelation, as well as the weight it must have been to keep his own son’s identity a secret for his own safety.
„So you know something about me that could shake the believe of cats in me, and now I know something that I could use to hurt you… is this your idea of a peace offering?“
„You overestimate the reaction of cats to those dreams of yours, Talon. I don’t think it’d be seen as more than an oddity by most and some might genuinely believe you.“
The brown warrior chuckles, eyes remaining fixed on the healer’s den.
„But yes, it is a sort of peace offering. We both know there must be some trust between a leader and his second to rule a clan. We both know I desire leadership same as you, let us not kid ourselves. But for Rain’s sake… I’m willing to be patient and careful, and to that end loyal“
Talon hums quietly. If he told any other leader such a thing so directly, he would at the very least have an ear shredded for it, if not far worse.
„A bold thing to admit, Kestrel. You understand that if cats had heard that, I would have had to bloody you for admitting that you’re just in it to succeed my position“
„I am not saying anything you wouldn’t have thought of already yourself, am I?“
Kestrel looks back at Talon, his tail swinging off of the wall
„We both genuinely care about the clan. We also both care about our own power. I don’t think those two things are as mutually exclusive as many cats like to believe.“
„As long as you know which to prioritise, Kestrel. An important detail“
Talon’s ear flicks, as he begins to groom his tail. What he says is not wrong by any means. Between revealing his son and his honest views, perhaps he can be trusted, for now at least. It certainly would make leading with him at Talon’s side a lot easier.
„If we’re already on laying ourselves bare, perhaps you’d have advice for me, or rather an opinion“
Kestrel, tilts his head with a measure of curiosity
„Sure. I imagine that is part of a second-in-command’s duties after all. What would you like my opinion on then, Talon?“
Talon lets out an ironic chuckle. Too long a list to work off now. Perhaps he will ask once Kestrel has had the time to prove his loyalty a bit more. For now it may still be more prudent not to give him anything he doesn’t know of already.
„Many things, but one thing at a time. Those dreams…. I still don’t know what to make of them. I’m both looking forward to seeing how they will further unfold, yet I also feel like once they do something may change, for me, the clan or both“
His red eyes meet Kestrel’s, laden with thoughts and contemplation. Kestrel takes a moment to think as well
„Well… I admit, interpreting dreams is not really a strength of mine. That said, I may not have been at the great battle, but I know what cats spoke about after it, especially when they thought no-one was listening. That tends to be when the most interesting conversations happen.“
He chuckles as he looks up at the slowly moving clouds, taking clear pride in knowing things he shouldn‘t
„Bloodclan is full of cats who don’t know what to believe, Talon. Whatever happened in that forest, it shook up many of them. They all feared ridicule at first and after Wrath’s rise, they fear admitting any belief at all might make them sound like forest sympathisers. But they are there, cats with doubts, cats that wonder if there might be more to this whole Starclan-nonsense. However the notion that the forest clans carry blame for how things are now is fairly common among all factions. Which is why I think your dreams are not your most pressing concern anyway“
Resting his tail on his front paws again, Talon hums quietly
„And what is the more pressing concern then?“
„That the other factions might propagate you as soft for having refused to kill forest cats. I understand your reasoning, and I’m sure at least Granite and Wraith do too, but ultimately cats might think you’re becoming blood shy, Talon. My advice would be to deal with that first. Take down some rogues or lead a dog hunt, be seen shedding some blood, proving your prowess. It will silence them and their naysaying for a while. Luckily, I believe can help with that“
Talon slowly rises to his paws, thinking about the proposal. It has been a small while, it might be good to have a true fight again. Moreover, Kestrel’s advice seems sound. There are always a few rogues around stirring up trouble, but a dog could make for worthwhile prey, if one can be found somewhere. A chance for some of the younger warriors to earn their reinforced claws, and to silence any talk of weakness. It carries risk, but all things do in twoleg-place. Slowly, the dark tom nods
„Try to find a dog worth hunting in the coming days, Kestrel. It might make for a good exercise for the young warriors of both factions to work on their coordination as well.“
„Always pragmatic, eh?“
Kestrel chuckles and nods before standing up as well
„Consider it done. With your permission, I’d like to have a look at my new den now and then see how Rain is settling in.“
„You do that then. Return when you are done. We still need to arrange patrols for our new territory today. Preferably mixed patrols, we want them working together as one as fast as possible“

Chapter Text

Ashfur slowly pads back to camp, his mind while cluttered with new questions, calmer than usual. As the grey warrior moves though the cold forest, the first sun-rays barely beginning to poke through the treetops, he contemplates his encounter. He could have died, maybe he should have even. What was he thinking, attacking a Bloodclan warrior alone? His jaw clenches as he remembers their brief fight. Could it be even called that? He failed yet again. And yet he feels not the self-loathing fury he expected to. Why was he spared? Better yet, why did this cat agree to return? Or why did Ashfur offer it to begin with? The tom shakes his head. Thunderclan would not understand, they would see it as treason. Ashfur has fought loyally for his clan since his early days as an apprentice, never has a thought crossed his mind to go against Thunderclan.
The warrior sighs to himself as he drags himself along. His joints ache, the wound the intruder struck still stings, yet he fails to bring up any rage against him. This Talon, who has seen his hurt when his own clan wouldn’t. Is this all perhaps just a game to him? Perhaps Ashfur should tell Firestar. If a clan patrol were to ambush him, they would perhaps get some much needed answers from the Bloodclan warrior tonight. Since his own strength didn’t suffice yet again. Or… perhaps he still can do it on his own. Perhaps, if he is cautious, he can learn what the clan cares to know from Talon. The tom hesitated, maybe even cares. Maybe he could win Talon’s trust, protect his clan by learning what he can from the Bloodclan warrior. He can still serve Thunderclan this way, he can still show his clanmates his worth.
His thoughts are interrupted as he brushes past a bush, the leaves touching the wound on his back, causing him to hiss in pain. He will have to explain this away or the clan will know something does not add up. Maybe his nighttime hunt was interrupted by a large owl swooping down on him, stranger things have happened and large owls do have sharp talons… Ashfur chuckles through the stinging pain. How fitting, yes, a Talon struck this wound. Hopefully Leafpool wouldn’t see through the little lie. The idea of lying to such an honest cat does not sit well with Ashfur, but maybe once he is done and learned all there is to know, he’ll have the chance to come clean about it.
With a grunt, the grey warrior pushes through the camp entrance, the night guard immediately at his side. Ashfur recognises Dustpelt’s amber eyes as they race to him. His former mentor and his sister’s mate, father of his nephews, a cat whom Ashfur has great respect for.
„Ashfur, what happened? I smell blood on you!“
The honest concern in his old mentor’s voice gladdens Ashfur, not beyond being able to feel the still slowly bleeding wound however.
„An owl chose the same prey as I, it saw me before I saw it. Got away with the prey too“
Ashfur scoffs, shaking his head.
„Shredded my back. I need to see Leafpool…“
The brown furred warrior nods and moves with the blue eyed cat, offering his side to lean on as they make their way to the medicine den. Dustpelt does not bother with keeping his voice down as he calls out for Thunderclan’s medicine cat
„Leafpool! Ashfur was wounded, we need you, now!“
After a moment of movement inside the den, the head of the pale brown tabby she-cat pokes out, her amber eyes immediately finding Ashfur
„Bring him inside, I’ll do what I can.“
Ashfur can hear the tiredness in her voice, a pang of guilt coursing through him. Leafpool is already so busy lately, and now he’s taking up some of her much needed sleeping time. As Dustpelt escorts him down into the den, he hears movement and muttering from the other side of the camp. His old mentor’s loud voice must have awoken some warriors as well. Ashfur is all but deposited in one of the nests by his old mentor before Dustpelt explains the situation to Leafpool, whom has already begun inspecting the wound.
„An owl descended on him. Tore into his back“
„This wound is deep…and quite long“
Ashfur sighs, digging his claws into the nesting as he feels Leafpool’s paws gently tugging on his back to get a thorough impression of the injury.
„It was a very big owl… took off with my prey too“
„If it was that big, you’re lucky it didn’t take off with you“
Leafpool sounds somewhat concerned and immediately bounds over to her herbs. As she works, Jaypaw’s head arises from his nest, even in the dark of the den at such an early hour his discontent being plain.
„I’m sorry for waking you both… maybe this should have waited until morning“
„By morning it could have been infected, mousebrain! Maybe just don’t get yourself hunted like some moonstruck rabbit next time.“
Ashfur sighs. Even if it’s addressed at his cover story, Jaypaw’s words are ironically not wrong. At no point had he been the predator in that fight, a fight that didn’t have to happen to begin with. He’d not expected to fall so easily. He’s a passable fighter, Dustpelt had made sure of that. He considered himself one of the better fighters of Thunderclan even. Was that no longer true? Does his heartache weaken him to such an extend? He will need to become stronger either way, this can not stand like that. Ashfur looks up at Dustpelt, whom has seated himself near him
„You should get back out there, Dustpelt. We shouldn’t be without a night guard, not right now.“
The older warrior returns his gaze, but after a moment sighs and nods
„Very well. Rest and recuperate, Ashfur. And by Starclan, be cautious. I do not want to sit vigil for you like Longtail did for Swiftpaw.“
„I’m not an apprentice anymore. I’ll take care, Dustpelt.“
The dark brown warrior leans in and touches Ashfur’s shoulder with his nose, a gesture Ashfur returns, before Dustpelt turns and leaves. His old mentor is barely away when Leafpool already approaches him again, presenting Ashfur a few bitter smelling herbs
„Chew these, they will soften the pain. I will have to put poultice into your wound, it will burn“
Ashfur silently nods and takes the leaves, chewing them as ordered. Not his first time in the medicine den, he knows this will not be pleasant. His thoughts however have already moved on to another dilemma. How is he to be at the river tonight? Leafpool will certainly not clear him for leaving for a few days and he can’t just wander past the night guard while that is so. His thoughts are interrupted as burning pain flashes though him. He growls, sinking his claws once more into the bedding as Leafpool rubs the fresh poultice into the wound. He tries his best to keep his tail from lashing as the medicine cat goes after her work, the awfully bitter juices of the herbs he’s been chewing drizzling past his gnashing teeth to the ground.
After a while, it is finally done and the wound is mostly cared for. Leafpool has retreated further back into the medicine den to sort herbs, while Jaypaw applies the leafs and cobwebs to close the injury. Though the sting persists, it becomes slowly more manageable, permitting the injured warrior some calm again.
„Thank you, Jaypaw. How long will you keep me here for it?“
„As long as need be. I’d say six or seven days at least. Leafpool may ask for longer, but you’ll have to see for yourself if you’re good to return to your duties after that. Try to take it easy for a while either way, if you’ll open up the wound again before it’s healed you’ll only cost us more work“
Ashfur nods, before remembering the futility of that before the blind apprentice
„Very well then.“
A bit of disappointment grows in Ashfur at those news. He understands that it’d be a drain on their time and herbs if the wound opens up again, but to remain inactive for that long? He’ll be stuck in camp with his thoughts for the whole time, a prospect he downright dreads.
„The time will pass fast enough“
The grey warrior’s ear flicks and swivels towards the blind apprentice. Was his disappointment that apparent?
„If you don’t wander far, Leafpool might let you out to soak up some sunlight next to the medicine den throughout the day. Might make it more bearable“
Ashfur hums quietly, it might indeed make it more bearable. But then again, all the more risk to see Squirrelflight strutting about or have Brambleclaw come over for unsolicited visits.
„I think I’ll just stay here.“
„Suit yourself. Either way Lionpaw is gonna gnaw my ear off about missing training, so well done on that“
Ashfur rolls his eyes. For a blessed moment he had managed to banish his golden furred apprentice from his thoughts, alas it is not to be. Lionpaw will be a right bother, but he’ll have to deal with that when he gets to that. For now, he has the time to come up with a plan to get back to the river come evening.

Observing soundlessly the frames of Leafpool and Jaypaw deeper in the den as they rise and fall quietly, Ashfur waits patiently until he is absolutely certain that both are soundly asleep. The day passed so very slowly, condemned to lay around and do nothing, nothing but think and sleep and feel useless about it, only to think about it all some more. Now at last, he can at least do something, anything. Taking a deep breath as Leafpool gentle snoring signals her descend into deeper sleep, Ashfur slowly rises to his paws. Giving the two cats one last glance to be certain they won’t notice his leaving, he sneaks out of the den. There is a spot in the camp’s wall that was thin enough to sneak out through that he sometimes observed apprentices using. He’d told Brambleclaw of course, but since the apprentices kept using the spot, he assumes the tabby deputy never got around to actually seeing it fixed. Moving silently and carefully, he soon arrives at his mark, taking one more cautious look back at the camp. No-one seems to notice a thing. With a small sigh of relief, the grey warrior pushes through the barricade. The passage is narrow and his back moving against the dense plant-life shoots a sharp pain through him several times, but he gets through, greeted by the absolute quiet of a late leaf-fall night. Hoping that he is not wasting his time, the warrior sets out for the river at a firm pace, ignoring the discomfort in his back. His thoughts are constantly racing. What if his disappearance is noticed? What if the Bloodclan cat doesn’t show? And if he does, what even is there to talk about? Ashfur can’t just straight up ask what he cares to know, how many they are, their reason for attacking… the cryptic dreams he mentioned. Or can he? Just as importantly, what might Talon ask? And how much can Ashfur give in answers without it being a risk to his clan?
His thoughts are pushed back as he finally arrives at the reeds near his spot. He observes the scene quietly for a moment, detecting no movement. Could he be waiting already? Ashfur takes a deep breath, he’s come so far now, too late to turn tail. Slowly he strides forward, only to stop in his tracks as he hears a branch move above him, shortly followed by a thud behind him. Turning around, his neckfur standing on end, he is greeted by a familiar pair of red eyes.
„You came. I wasn’t certain you would“
As the dark grey warrior slowly moves past Ashfur and through the reeds, the blue eyed Thunderclan cat is left to calm down from his surprise, his fur slowly laying back down, before he follows the tom, meeting him again a heartbeat later at the spot by the river. Talon sits by the waterfront, looking out over the softly flowing water, his tail wound around his paws. With a deep breath, the grey warrior advances. He sits down beside the dark grey Bloodclan cat, eyes rising to silverpelt, sending a silent prayer to Starclan. Now he’s here, now he has to see this through.

Chapter Text

Talon’s right ear swivels towards the grey Thunderclan warrior as he sits down. The tom clearly tries to hide the fact that he is uncertain about this meeting, not quite succeeding though as Talon notices from his claws digging into the clay under him. He can’t blame the blue eyed warrior though. He’d been of two minds about how wise it was to have this meeting himself, his thoughts having returned to the subject regularly throughout the day when he wasn’t busy or more pressing matters occupying his mind. As the two sit there by the river, the heartbeats passing by, Talon decides to break the silence, lest it grow any more awkward.
„Brave, returning to the place you were almost killed. Was not sure if you were going to be here“
Almost startled by Talon’s voice, the grey warrior’s eyes descend to the river, his tail tip tapping on the ground
„Brave or stupid? I’ve been asking myself all day. And technically I shouldn’t be here. I’m supposed to rest until your wound is healed“
Talon turns his gaze to the grey warrior, observing his back. The cobwebs sealing the gash he’d dealt the tom glisten under the starlight.
„I see… your healer ordered you to stay in then? Unwise to challenge a healer’s wrath.“
„Some more than others. I’ll be more worried once her apprentice becomes medicine cat. That will be a pawful to handle…“
Talon flicks his ear. Her apprentice? Then the tom they had found in the den was merely the healer in training. As that idea settles in, it is almost comical to think of the difference between that feisty apprentice and Rain, whom seems rather shy and quiet in comparison.
„Angry little tom, hm? I still hear his cursing“
Talon chuckles calmly, eyes returning to the water’s surface. The soft ripples distorting the reflection of the two cats slightly. Ashfur turns his head towards him
„So you were part of the raid…“
„I figured that was fairly apparent. Did the grey one’s wound heal?“
„Greystripe recovered well. Was it you who wounded him?“
Ashfur’s pelt rises a bit, anger entering his eyes. Talon observes the blue eyed cat’s reaction from the corner of his eye
„If we hadn’t left when we did, there would have been a fight. He pinned me, I had to choose, his leg or his throat. Should I have chosen otherwise?“
Ashfur pauses in a brief moment of contemplation before shaking his head
„Why were you there in the first place? Why raid our camp? What do you have to gain from taking our herbs?“
„Your herbs“
Talon turns his head towards the ashen warrior as he delivers his brief answer matter-of-factly
„How well do you imagine medical herbs to grow in twoleg-place? You can collect new stock easily, we don’t. We will need it when the cold season begins and cats get sick“
Ashfur’s pelt slowly lays flat again. It seems like the forest warrior has gotten an answer he was seeking. Perhaps now would be a good time to get an answer from him as well.
„How did your own raid go that night?“
This question seems to catch the Thunderclan cat completely off-guard, his head tilting and eyes wondering
„What raid? We don’t raid other clans camps like that“
„No? Your clan left with quite a lot of warriors that night“
Ashfur shakes his head, scoffing
„We weren’t out to fight. It was the full moon“
Talon cocks his head to one side at this remark. It sounds as if he is supposed to understand the meaning of that, but he can’t quite deduce what the moon would have to do with anything. After a moment Ashfur seems to pick up on the confusion, realising that without context that would mean very little. Although, the tom seems cautious about what he says
„It’s just a custom of the clans. You would not understand. You do not follow Starclan and it’s code“
Talon exhales. That’s less specific than he hoped, but still useful.
„So it’s a regular behaviour shared across the clans believing in Starclan…“
Ashfur tenses up, seeming to sense that he still managed to give away something more than he should have. Talon has to force himself to not chuckle at the humourous image the tense warrior makes for a moment
„Rest easy. There are no further raids planned, for now at least. Leafbare is almost upon us, never wise to launch far attacks during leafbare.“
This only calms Ashfur a little by the seems of things, the tom muttering a silent curse at himself under his breath. Amusing as it is, Talon does not want to risk having it end there. Too many things he would still care to know. Perhaps he can lure the tom on a bit. He too must have come at least in part out of curiosity’s sake
„No need to despair just yet. The next question is yours. I can tell you have more questions than just that“
His red eyes watching the Thunderclan warrior slowly getting a grip again, Talon waits patiently for his next inquiry. Ashfur seems to ponder a whole while as to what he would ask, before a bit quietly bringing forth his question, leaving Talon a bit astonished by his choice
„Those claws, how do you get those? And why?“
Talon raises his right front paw, the dogteeth almost shining in the light of moon and stars. Moving his digits a bit, the considerable claws move before the curious eyes of the blue eyed warrior
„Our dogteeth? Well… I could say it’s a Bloodclan custom and that you wouldn’t understand it…“
Talon whiskers twitch, beholding the claws that have accompanied him for quite a while now
„But if you care to take the time, I’ll explain. The why is pretty simple, I think you can feel it still, in fact“
Talon’s eyes move to Ashfur’s back, the Thunderclan warrior, turning his gaze away, his ears flat
„Yes, I guess so.“
As his eyes return to his claws, Talon continues, allowing memories to flood him as he does
„Like most of our customs, it has it’s origin with Scourge. Back when Bloodclan was still very young and we faced bands of rogues and dog infestations everywhere. We needed something to set us apart, something that would give us an advantage. The only way to secure our survival was with our claws. Scourge was the first to use dogteeth as trophies, then the thought came up: we know how devastating they can be against us… what if we used them for us then?“
Taking a look over at Ashfur, he finds the ashen warrior listening attentively, ears perked
„So… you took the actual teeth of dogs?“
Talon hums quietly, tilting his head slightly
„Yes and no… The best dogteeth to take are their large fang like ones, but a dog only has four of those. That would only suffice for one paw of one cat… When we hunt dogs, the cat landing the killing blow decides who gets those. But many dog bones are big and sturdy. Any cat that participated on the hunt gets the right to carve themselves their `dogteeth` from the dog’s bones. So while every Bloodclan warrior has a collar they can slowly fill with trophies, not every cat has their dogteeth. They are earned on one’s first dog hunt. Can’t grow higher in rank than warrior before earning your claws“
Ashfur looks at the large reinforcing claws, thoughts mulling behind his deep blue eyes as he works though what he learned now
„So you actually hunt dogs. As a rite of passage of sorts“
„More or less. But with food being always sparse, and dogs being a threat, especially in packs, that is often only a secondary reason for the hunt. Security and food are more often the real reason we hunt them. If we‘d let them run rampant, we’d all be in constant danger. And a dog, while pretty awful in taste, can feed many cats“
Ashfur nods slowly, his eyes seeming heavy with memories. Talon remembers that part of Tigerstar’s plots was to unleash dogs on the clans. Had Ashfur encountered them by chance? Perhaps it’d be prudent not to ask something potentially painful. They may hunt them sometimes, but all Bloodclan warriors know the carnage a dog pack can cause, which is why they hunt them to begin with. A few heartbeats pass before the Thunderclan warrior speaks again, his voice laden with suppressed emotion.
„I guess it’s your turn for a question? Is that how this works?“
Talon puts his paw down, his tail tip flicking
„If that is how we care to do this. I admit, I haven’t planned this all out that well. Hiding in a tree to make sure you don’t ambush me with a full patrol was as much preparation as I managed to put into this. I have a lot on my mind lately. Clan life keeps me busy most days“
Ashfur gives an ironic little scoff, the memories in his eyes ebbing away a bit
„Seems our clans got that in common. Well, go on then, ask. But know that I won’t give answers that betray my clan“
„I expected nothing less. In that case…“
Talon looks upon the surface of the river again, beholding the sparkling reflection of the stars in the water. Perhaps he could know something about those dreams, or just dreams in general? It wouldn’t be too careless to ask, would it?
„You cats believe in this… Starclan, right? Does Starclan have anything to do with… odd dreams?“
Ashfur’s ears perk at the question, his own interest only poorly veiled as he ponders his response
„Starclan sometimes sends omens or messages through dreams. But only medicine cats receive those omens, in some rare cases leaders. But in the end it is the medicine cat’s duty to interpret them.“
Talon hums quietly, mind working to find meaning in this. He is no healer, nor is he by any means a real believer in Starclan. In his own conscience, he’s not sure if he is truly worth the description of leader yet either. His thoughtfulness does not pass Ashfur by unnoticed, the tom seeming both very eager to hear more, yet reluctant to ask about it. Maybe it wouldn’t be wise to share dreams of Scourge with a forest cat. Especially if he himself has no way of interpreting it yet. Talon shakes his head.
„Maybe I just need more sleep. It doesn’t matter for now.“
„Maybe…“
The Thunderclan warrior seems disappointed at this conclusion, but not willing to prod, for which Talon is thankful. The general nervousness of both toms seems to have gone though, he notices equally gratefully. Perhaps he could get more information out of Ashfur as time goes on and they meet more often. Anything he learns of the forest clans is a useful advantage to have, while he can get the gratification satisfying his own curiosity in the process. Either way, it seems to work well to keep his mind off the convoluted matters of Bloodclan and it’s factions for now, which is more than welcome for a change. A different way to come down from Bloodclan’s stress than he usually finds by coming here, but such way is a welcome one.

Chapter Text

Ashfur’s ponders the answers the Bloodclan cat has given him so far. He feels some disappointment at his reluctance to discuss that mysterious dream of his, but that pales before all else the grey warrior has learned already. He finds the red eyed warrior reasonably easy to talk to, which is already well beyond his initial expectations. Talon has proven almost hospitable, in strong contrast to what Ashfur would have expected of a Bloodclan warrior. The secret of their fascinating reinforced claws lifted, the confirmation that Bloodclan does have medicine cats, multiple by the sound of it, the dangers of their life… It is hard not to be somewhat fascinated by this clan that is so fundamentally different from any clan Ashfur has ever known, yet still manages to hold some similarities. Talon comes here to escape the stress of his clan, just the same as Ashfur. They too fight to protect their clan, try their best to keep everyone fed. His thoughts are interrupted after a while as Talon launches his next question
„How many clans are there anyway? Back at the old forest, I heard that there were two clans, Tigerstar’s and some other cat’s… Firestar I think? After Tigerstar’s death they joined together against us. But here it seems like there are more clans…“
Ashfur tilts his head, a bit surprised about Talon’s remarks, more so still at the implication between his words
„Were you not at the battle? You seem old enough to have been there. I was, although I was just an apprentice at the time“
Talon hums quietly, his ears taking a bit of a droop at the question. Ashfur regrets his question at this sight. Is it a sensitive topic for Bloodclan cats? After a heartbeat, Talon shakes his head
„No, I wasn’t. Scourge wanted the territory secure for when he’d return with the news of his conquest. I was send on patrol and left out from the party that went to the forest. I know my presence would have likely not made a difference, but it’s hard not to feel… responsible in a way. I could have fought to defend my leader, but instead I was walking mostly empty streets again and again.“
The Bloodclan warrior scoffs, anger and guilt flaring up in his eyes as he glares towards silverpelt. Ashfur hums thoughtfully. He had never thought of Scourge as anything other than a bloodthirsty rogue, set on taking his home. The fact that the small black tom may have been important to other cats never truly occurred to him before today. Talon takes a few deep breaths and closes his eyes, slowly relaxing his expression before opening his eyes again, banishing his emotions from his red eyes.
„To answer your question…“
Ashfur fidgets a bit, hoping to lead the conversation a way that is less clearly aggravating to the dark grey cat
„There is a small misunderstanding. There are four clans, there have always been four clans. Tigerstar managed to take over Shadowclan and forged an alliance with Riverclan, creating what he called Tigerclan. To defend ourselves, we temporarily allied ourselves with Windclan, calling it Lionclan. We all fought together during the great battle, but afterwards we split back up into our four clans.“
Talon observes the Thunderclan warrior, attentively absorbing what he is told, nodding slowly at the end
„I see. I can’t say I quite understand why you split back up, but that does explain things“
„Starclan decreed that there’d be ever four clans. That’s just the will of our ancestors“
Talon hums quietly at that, returning his gaze to the water.
„Well, you will do as you will, I reckon. Your turn again“
Ashfur hesitates. His little question earlier seems to have brought the Bloodclan warrior discomfort. He cares to know more, but not only does it seem unwise to aggravate this cat too much, he finds himself feeling a bit of sympathy. He blames himself for not having been able to do as he perceived to be his duty. Ashfur can not help but relate to that feeling. Talon appears to take notice however and rolls his eyes
„I’m not that fragile. If you want to know something, ask.“
Ashfur’s ear twitches and he nods. There are many things he remains curious about, but ofter Scourge was mentioned, one burns brighter than the others
„So… who leads Bloodclan now then? When Greystripe followed behind us on the great journey, he said he encountered two toms that claimed to be the leaders, Snake and Ice I think, but they ended up running“
Ashfur looks at the dark grey warrior, cautious that he may incite discomfort, or worse yet, rage in the tom with his question. For a heartbeat, there is silence, as Talon absorbs what he’s just been told. In the next, a smirk grows on him, an accompanying chuckle growing louder, to the absolute bafflement of Ashfur, amusement shining bright in his red eyes
„Snake and Ice? The leaders of Bloodclan? They actually claimed that? And then ran from a forest warrior?“
Talon’s amusement seems boundless at this, as he tries his best to quiet down again, leaving Ashfur in a confused and overwhelmed state of surprise. As the Bloodclan warrior calms himself to a small smirk, he shakes his head.
„They wish that was true, alright. They wish. Out of everyone, they are the absolute last to get anywhere near that position“
Talon looks over to Ashfur, the blue eyed warrior at an absolute loss on how is to respond to this. Visibly still amused, Talon shakes his head again, his voice slowly regaining his calm composure
„Your question is not that easy to answer right now, but let me assure you, it isn’t them. The clan is split on the issue. I am only telling you this, because we are now too many for your clan to take on and we will fight to protect ourselves. Any attempt will fail and cats will die.“
Talon’s voice takes a serious serious and his eyes slightly narrow at Ashfur, causing his fur to bristle. Innate aggression rises up in the tom as he perceives what he has many times before in the forest already, a threat to respect borders. What irony and hypocrisy from a Bloodclan warrior sitting on Thunderclan grounds. It seems Bloodclan really is more alike the any of their clans than he thought.
„That said, the clan is split into factions sometime after Scourge, each now trying to reunite the clan under themselves. There were six factions.“
Ashfur’s ears slowly rise again, pushing past the discomfort of Talon’s very clear threat, as he ponders what he is being told. As his fur slowly flattens again, he tries to speak calmly, not showing his lingering anger in his voice
„There were six… so, how many are there now?“
„Five, another has joined ours recently.“
Ours? So Talon must be from one of those two factions that joined together. Since Talon was among the cats that raided Thunderclan, they probably make up at least part of the border direction twoleg-place. Bloodclan can not attack the forrest unitedly as it did in the old territories, but it means that there is more then one `Bloodclan` to worry about now. Any of these factions could attack individual clans at any time. Ashfur hums thoughtfully, as he observes the currents, mulling over this information. This is cause for relief and worry both. Let alone if they all fight like Talon…
„And among Bloodclan, how strong are you?“
With a bit of surprise, Ashfur notices Talon tensing a up a little at the question, his claws sliding into the clay under the superficial dogteeth.
„How do you mean?“
„As a warrior, fighting I mean“
Talon’s posture relaxes a bit again. Did he just misunderstand the question at first or did he think Ashfur implied something else?
„You mean, compared to my clanmates? Trying to size us up, are you?“
Talon hums, flicking his tail-tip, keeping the rest covering his paws still as he glances off into the sky
„I’m a decent fighter I like to think. I stand a good chance against most. That being said, there are some cats I’d less confident about being able to defeat. A few where I’m even fairly sure a fight could only end in my death. If that answers your question“
Ashfur’s ears fold back against his head. Talon beat him easily, and there are cats he acknowledges as that much more dangerous than himself? Worry grows in the blue eyed warrior, which Talon picks up on
„Most of them are a bit further away from the forest. I don’t think they’re your most immediate worry, especially with leafbare shielding you soon“
Ashfur’s eyes sink to his own paws. And what after leafbare? He couldn’t fight off Talon, he’d be of no use to his clan if those cats come after Thunderclan. As he is, he is too weak. His uselessness might end up condemning him to watch his clan’s end. No wonder he isn’t worth her notice… there must be a way to change that. Anger surges through the tom, his claws digging into the clay. He needs to grow better. He will never regain Squirrelflight if he can’t even protect her. But how? What options are there? Talon observes Ashfur quietly. If the Bloodclan warrior is willing to sit here and talk, then perhaps, just perhaps…
Ashfur raises his gaze, meeting Talon’s. A new fire burning in his blue eyes, Ashfur takes a breath, his posture straightening. Talon tilts his head, curiosity shining in his eyes at the tom’s sudden change in attitude
„Train me.“
„Train you?“
Ashfur nods. Maybe therein lies his purpose. It’s a long shot, but he needs to grow stronger either way if he is to have any chance at all to regain what he lost. Even preserving the nothing he has know requires more of him than he currently has apparently. Maybe this is the way to do it.
„And why would I train a forest warrior?“
Talon’s voice does not hint at refusal, against Ashfur’s initial expectation, but rather it sounds more like a challenge. He challenges the tom to convince him, his eyes betraying that the unexpected proposal intrigues the red eyed warrior.
„This is the price for my silence on your intrusions. If I speak or you kill me here to keep me quiet, either way you won‘t be able to return here.“
Talon hums calmly, his eyes piercing the Thunderclan warrior as he considers his words. From this close, Ashfur can clearly see that behind Talon’s confident facade, he is thinking hard about this, his red eyes failing to disguise that this came unexpected to the Bloodclan warrior. But Ashfur’s gaze hold firm. He failed to defeat the Bloodclan warrior, he might as well use him to grow stronger. If they are to meet regularly, he may also be able to learn even more about Bloodclan. If he is patient, he might be able to defend his clan against the twoleg-place cats when the time comes. He killed Bone with the other apprentices, maybe this time he’ll stand a chance on his own. Beating back a Bloodclan raid, that would be impressive. That will have to impose the clan. It would prove once and for all that he isn’t lacking, that he is the better choice.
Talon finally hums and nods
„Very well. I agree to train you, Ashfur. However, you will need to recuperate first. You’d be pushing your luck a bit much fighting with that injury“
Ashfur looks over his shoulder, a quiet hiss escaping as he sees the upper end of the cobwebs from the corner of his vision, this movement alone causing an uncomfortable pulling in his back right now
„Fine… they will keep me for a minimum of seven days for it to heal, so“
„Ten days, no earlier“
Talon looks upon the tom in all seriousness
„Patience is an important trait to possess, Ashfur. Take no foolish risk, ten days to make sure it’s reasonably healed.“
Ashfur returns the Bloodclan warrior’s stare, trying to object but getting cut off right as he parts his jaws to speak
„My training, my rules. We do it as I say, or we don’t do it. Your choice. I won’t invest my time into a warrior if he might be confined to the healer’s den for a moon after his first lesson.“
Ashfur scoffs in annoyance. He is no apprentice anymore yet already feels treated as one again. But he does need Talon’s mentoring to grow stronger. Lionpaw may be able to hold his own against him to a degree, but he’d risk injuring the apprentice going too serious again. An earnest training battle with Brambleclaw might easily turn the same way, if he can even still hold pace with the deputy in his current state. Begrudgingly, the blue eyed tom finally relents and nods.
„Fine… in ten days then. Here at the same time?“
The Bloodclan warrior nods, slowly rising to his paws
„Same time, same place, ten days. I’ll be here. Now you should return though. If your healer notices you’re missing, you might not even get that chance. Play it safe till then. I should get going anyway, I haven’t had a moment of rest since yesterday morning…“
The dark tom shakes out his pelt, his long tail flicking off a bit of clay. Ashfur sighs, slowly rising to his paws as well. It is annoying to the extreme, but Talon speaks truth. Patience is an important trait… he’s been trying to teach Lionpaw that and here he is disregarding his own lessons. Perhaps he might just learn some things that will help him in his own mentorship as well.
„Alright… see you in ten days then. Starclan light your path“
Ashfur growls inwardly as his well-wish escapes him. As if a Bloodclan warrior would care for Starclan’s blessings. With a measure of embarrassment, Ashfur observes Talon giving him a look he can’t quite place before the dark grey tom turns away to walk off
„Scourge guide your claws, Ashfur“
The grey Thunderclan warrior is left to stand alone at his river spot as Talon disappears between the reeds. He keeps looking at the spot among the plants the warrior left through for a while, head heavy both with the multitude of informations he’s received tonight, as well as a sudden bout of tiredness. Thinking about it, he too had been awake for two full days now, the weight of which making itself known at last. He slowly returns to camp, more then ready to call it a day, unaware of the pair of amusedly intrigued blue eyes, sparkling from amid the reeds on the other side of the river.

Chapter Text

Padding along the river’s edge, Talon slowly several times, ears swivelling to surveil the surroundings. Ashfur seems to have been alone, but he’s taking enough of a risk just coming here as it is. Satisfied that no-one seems to be following, the dark grey tom speeds up, approaching the borders. He has learned a number of things today, and better yet, he was able to string Ashfur along with informations he can do very little with. But the Thunderclan warrior’s request more than anything pleases Talon after he’d given it some consideration. He’ll need to train more again himself soon anyway, come newleaf the other factions will likely become a lot more active. He has to be ready for it. And by taking the blue eyed tom under his wing, he might be able to gain his trust sufficiently to draw any answers he desires from him. Given enough time, Ashfur might even become his eyes within the forest. Talon had been uncertain about this meeting, but as he passes the first buildings nearing his own territory’s borders, a pleased smile forms on him. This had been a greater success than he hoped for. As long as he remains cautious to not reveal anything that could deeply impact his faction’s security and avoids getting ambushed, this is an absolute win for the long term. The knowledge alone that the clans send large delegations out of their camps each full moon is of unspeakable worth, both if they need herbs again or choose to attack for real.
Returning to the alley, Talon looks for the sentry posted tonight. In the gloom of the nighttime alley, Quail’s bright pelt is nigh impossible to miss. One of Kestrel’s cats…come morning he will know that Talon was out. The dark grey warrior sways his tail in greeting to the she-cat, whom responds in kind and a respectful nod. Kestrel will find out sooner or later anyway since he’s now second-in-command. Talon could try to keep the tom from finding out a while longer, but perhaps it’d be more wiser to tell him first, if he can spin the story well enough. Talon thinks about this as he enters his den, flopping with an exhausted huff into his nest. If he tells, it’d be wisest to have some veteran warriors present for it. Both so they are in on it as well and to make sure they hear his version of it first, not some spun off variant made up by Kestrel. He should be able to make them see the value of inside informations from the forest… perhaps even that he could turn one of theirs against them, create a Bloodclan spy among the enemy. He’ll need to choose his words well, but the veteran warriors should accept it hopefully. Sighing quietly, Talon feels as though his eyelids were made of steel, weighing down, the effort to keep them open increasingly futile. Fatigue washes over the tom more and more with each passing heartbeat. Either way he will be useless to Bloodclan and his cats if he doesn’t get some rest at least. Abandoning the last of his resistance, the dark grey warrior falls prey to slumber nigh instantly, his tail curled around him for warmth.

As Talon opens his eyes, a familiar sight lies before him. The noise of battle and panic, the scent of blood and fear and fury. Rising to his paws just in time to be roughly shoved aside by a cat all but thrown against him, the Bloodclan warrior snarls, claws unsheathing. He’s back again… the dream, this awful abyss. The cats fighting all around him again. Talon, a toothy snarl remaining on him as his neckfur and and hackles raise, looks around, trying to find the only anchor point he knows here. After a short while, he spots the small black tom up ahead, sitting calmly amidst the chaos. This time however, he not only seems closer, but no longer is his back turned. Icy blue eyes observe Talon, the constant movement of cats between the two toms. Knowing what he must do, the dark grey tom hisses, advancing through the ongoing battle, ears swivelling, eyes darting to find if any of the battling cats targets him. Before long, alerted by it’s howl, the first of them lunges for Talon. Determination burns brightly in Talon, the attacker’s pounce easily dodged. The cat’s furious expression turns to fear for just a moment, before Talon’s claws descend through it’s face, tearing deep wounds. The cat reels back, hurt and stunned. Talon tries to use this to his advantage, advancing further, hoping that the injury and the general chaos around will deter his attacker. He finds himself quickly proven wrong as the cat lands square upon his back, knocking the air out of the large tom for a moment. Growling in pain and rapidly rising anger as claws tear at his back, Talon forcefully rolls over, flinging the attacker off of him. The cat impacts the imperceivable floor, dazed for a moment again. This time, no chances are taken. Coming to just in time to screech in terror, the cat finds the red eyed warrior upon it, forcefully holding it down before biting down hard on the smaller cat’s chest. As his fangs pierce past his attacker’s ribs, deep into the cat, blood shoots forth into his maw. The irony tang of it’s taste spreads over Talon’s tongue as he viciously shakes his head, the crimson soon dripping in a steady stream down his chin. The cat struggles, it tries to swipe and kick, finding few good marks in it’s position. Slowly, the struggle begins to ease, the Bloodclan warrior’s grip not relenting in the slightest, the motions begin to slow, weaken, until finally the body under Talon goes fully limp. Finally releasing the cat, Talon huffs for air, blood still dripping off his features as he beholds the former attacker. To Talon’s surprise, he fails to feel pity or regret. He was attacked, he even gave the cat a chance to go, choose a different target, anything at all. No, this cat chose to attack again. Shaking his head, with nothing to keep him there further, Talon continues on his way. He only gets a few pawprints of distance from the last fight, when a large, towering cat actively blocks his way. Scoffing, Talon takes position to fight again. If this is how it must be, then so be it. It is only now though, beholding this new foe, that Talon notices with a measure of confusion, that he can not make out any defining features of this cat. Despite the lack of any clear light source, he can see perfectly clearly, he could count the hairs on his paw if he had to, but he fails to register any details of this cat. No fur colour or patterns, no eye colour nor specific shape. Taking a quick second to look around, Talon finds that many of the cats fighting here are so. Some he can recognize what appears almost like glimpses of details. Faint fur patterns, eyes that still hold a shine of a colour, some more than others, but it all seems to be… fading. He is ripped from his thoughts as his newest opponent grows apparently tired of waiting and charges at Talon. This cat is easily bigger than even him and tries to bring it’s crushing weight down upon him. Sidestepping at the last moment, Talon rakes his claws across the colossus shoulder, destabilising the sizeable cat. With a growl, Talon charges straight into the cat, claws hooking into it as he uses his full bodyweight to cause it to crash down on it’s side. The large foe is rapid to start swiping at Talon though, trying to force him back so it may get on it’s paws again. Hissing as large powerful paws pull their claws through his shoulder and chest, Talon refuses to back away. If he backs away now, this cat could gain the advantage with it’s fierce strength. His wounds fuelling his wrath, Talon rushes forth with a fearsome howl, tearing his claws through the exposed abdomen of the cat. The batting stops as the large enemy yowls in agony, it’s belly in the truest sense open and exposed. It thrashes and screeches, as Talon takes a step back. This on will be no threat any longer. But it suffers, it suffers greatly. Scoffing at himself, Talon moves back in, raising his paw, shiny and slick with blood, before letting it descend with speed and force on the cat’s neck. The struggle ends mere moments after, Talon groaning from the pain of his own injuries as he turns to resume his advance. He manages to push past the last few cats along his way. Blood wetting his chin and paws, gushing from his own back, shoulder and chest, breathing heavily, Talon finds himself standing in front of the small black tom with whom it all began. Still trying to catch his breath, Talon bows his head in deep respect to the tom, whom’s cold blue stare hasn’t left him for even a moment.
„So you’re back again…“
Talon’s ears perk up and his eyes open wide in astonishment, though he keeps his head lowered. It had been long since he heard the calm yet slightly shrill voice of his leader.
„Raise your head, Talon. You did not come this far just to cower“
Talon does as he is ordered, looking upon the black leader, whom calmly grooms himself with his single white paw, unimpressed by the chaos still sounding behind Talon. After doing so at his own calm pace, Scourge rises to his paws, turning and walking away
„Follow. We have things to discuss“
Talon pads after the smaller tom, trying to disregard his wounds to the best of his ability. The sound of battle grows distant as they travel, seemingly through an endless landscape of perfect nothingness.
„I can feel the questions burning in your mind… we have still a way to go, so ask“
Talon flicks his ear at his leader’s order. He has many questions indeed. Barely a thing here makes sense to him.
„Where are we here?“
He hears a quiet sigh escaping Scourge
„You buried me, Talon. You know where we are. This is where it ends. Unless some other place wants you at least… No orientation, nowhere to go, no food, goals, hopes… The final dumping ground for cats with nowhere else to be after they die, so most cats.“
Talon looks around, ears flattening against his head. A dreadful idea that it would end in such a place. As far as the eye can see, nothing, the only cats encountered so far, in a permanent frenzy…
„What was with those cats? Fighting on and on… I can barely recall anything about them either“
„Because there is nothing left to remember. Once you are here, unless you can really keep it together, remember who you are, you quickly begin to forget. The less you remember, the less you are. You fade, first anything that defines you, then just entirely. Most cats end like those earlier there. Once you forget everything, all that’s left is the fact that you are here… at that stage they aren’t even really cats anymore, just anger, fear, despair in the husk of what once was a cat.“
An unwell feeling rises in Talon’s stomach. An abominable fate. The thought that most cats are forced to end in this way is depressing and terrifying in equal amounts. Scourge’s revelations cause even Talon’s curiosity to waver. How many more such answers will the black tom provide? Better yet, how many more can Talon deal with?
„Then… where are we headed?“
„This place is enormous, maybe even endless. But there are destinations in it. The fewest cats could hope to find them, between forgetting and being without any orientation. Before I died however, I saw Firestar rise from the dead, I saw Tigerstar dying again and again, I saw the belief of those forest cats“
Scourge’s ear flicks, the small leader taking a moment before continuing
„It was not enough to end where their dead do… but I wasn’t completely bare of orientation. I saw the spark of their afterlife. Having nowhere else to go, I followed it. It took me moons to find, but I did. That is where we are headed.“
Talon’s ears rise at this. So there is some hope after at least. Surely anything is preferable to this abyss.
„Anything else? I will not keep you here long after we arrive. I have things to do still“
The red eyed warrior tilts his head
„Like what? What is there to do after death?“
„You’ll see when we get there.“
Talon hums, the ache of his wounds having mostly become a steady numbing sting. There is one lat truly big question on his mind, one he can’t quite seem to figure the answer out for.
„Why… me? If you can bring me here, I presume you could have brought any cat here“
Scourge stops in his motion, causing Talon to stand still as well. The black leader turns his head, looking at Talon, his icy gaze seeming to pierce the tom. Nervousness rises in the dark grey warrior. Was that too presumptuous to ask?
„You have a long way still to go, Talon… you are not nearly ready yet. You wish to succeed me and a mere look can drive you into doubt. It is pitiful“
Scourge’s eyes narrow, his disapproval at Talon’s reluctance apparent
„You care for the clan, for my creation and legacy, the cats of Bloodclan, their wellbeing… but you are no leader. Not yet, not by a long shot. You can lead at times, but that does not suffice. You are here, Talon, because I choose you. But you must make yourself worthy of my choice. That, in part, is why you are here. Why you will return here regularly. Bloodclan faces difficult times and I will not watch my life’s work crumble. You will fix things, Talon. I will accept nothing less“

Chapter Text

As the two cats pad through what appears like eternal nothingness, Talon’s mind feels heavy, trying o wrap around Scourge’s words. Chosen to succeed the leader of Bloodclan… those words are as sweet as they are surprising. But then again, Scourge seems to share the criticism of many of his clanmates. Not yet ready. Joyous ego battles caution and worry in the grey cat’s thoughts. This could lead him straight to his ambitions, but by the sound of it, it will take a lot of time and effort still. Then again, whom better to learn from than Scourge himself. Then again, if this fate was set in stone, he’d not need to prepare long still. It could all still be undone. Scourge himself said that difficult times are ahead. As uplifting as the news are, growing reckless now could spell disaster.
Talon’s ever wandering thoughts are interrupted as he perceives that something changed. Looking around, confusion arising in him, he finds the void he was travelling to be no void at all anymore. Trees, large and bare of leaves rise up into a sky with no sun, moon or stars. Though there is no such light source, everything seems to be plunged into a light reddish light. When did they get here? Even in thoughts, he would have noticed if they had passed a treeline and at no point at one been in sight. Looking on, Scourge still pads on, not stopping a second time on Talon’s account, causing the red eyed warrior to push on and follow his former leader still, now carefully observing these new surroundings. Small mushrooms grow here and there, a blue-ish glow emerging from them. Despite the trees being leafless, none seem to litter the ground, which is plastered with withering grass. As if his own did not suffice, Talon feels an unease in the very air surrounding them. This place seems… wrong. He tries to understand his own perception of it all, to find a reason for this feeling, but can’t quite find any words that would accurately describe it. It is quite simply wrong, yet nothing about it is simple whatsoever. Talon stops himself just in time to not bump into Scourge, whom has ceased walking, his icy blue eyes piercing Talon.
„We’ve arrived…“
Talon looks around this strange landscape.
„Is this… the Starclan they prey to?“
Scourge shakes his head, looking into the distance ahead of himself as he sits down
„No. Starclan is further away still. We think this is where the forest clans drop their undesirables. Only purpose this place seems fitting for“
Talon nods slowly, before his ears perk up, dissecting his the small leader’s words more carefully
„We?“
Scourge flicks his tail, lifting his white paw to behold his claws
„I kept busy…“
Talon tilts his head at this before his ears swivel towards some nearby bushes as they begin to rustle. For a moment unsheathing his claws and readying himself for battle, surprise and ease soon let him sheathe claws again as a hulking figure emerges from the leafless branches. As a massive white and black cat pushes through and towards the two, Scourge not bothered to even look.
„Talon. It has been a while“
Talon’s eyes warm with marvel and happy surprise behold the large cat towering above him
„Bone! Heh, I should have guessed you’d be wherever Scourge went.“
The two warriors sharing a chuckle and touching each other’s shoulders with their noses in earnest greeting before they sit down.
„Not initially. We all landed somewhere separate. I am only here because Scourge found me and guided me back here. And not only me. We have since found most of the cats that fell in the forest battle. A few remain missing, but we are still searching for them and we‘re slowly getting better at navigating the void“
The large warrior raises his head, looking around, Scourge speaking once more
„Once you find this place, you always find your way back to it again. For now we stick to it’s outskirts“
Talon hums, eyes wandering though the eery area before landing back on the former second-in-command
„Why is that?“
„We’re not alone here. As Scourge said, dead from the clans are here. Many of them in fact. Luckily they keep fairly central to this place as far as we can tell. They don’t know we are here yet“
Scourge turns towards the two talking warriors
„And we keep it that way. Until we have the advantage over them, they do not get to know we are here.“
Bone nods at Scourge’s words
„Yes, it is more prudent that way. We are in luck however, for some reason the waters here allow us to view what goes on in the living world to a degree. That is how we remain aware of what goes on in Bloodclan for the most part.“
„What an odd place this is… but still better than the alternative“
„It seems to work differently from it too. Scourge believes that the memories of the living maintain you more than your own in this place. There are still many things we don’t fully understand“
Scourge flicks his ear, humming calmly
„When I first arrived here, I decided to check for any other cats. I overheard a few things from the dead forest fools. They call this the Dark Forest apparently. There are other things I heard that could be of use to us, but we need to spy on them a bit longer to get a better grasp on things here. That’s how I learned to bring you here in your sleep“
Talon nods, tail laying over his paws as usual. His initial trepidation of this place passing, Talon’s inquisitive nature comes forth more.
„Useful. So then, what now?“
Scourge shakes his head at the grey warrior
„Now nothing. Not yet. You lead your cats and make things work among the living while I do the same here. I will call you back here for training, both as leader and as warrior. Meanwhile watch your back, Talon. Your trustfulness could end up sending you here before your time.“
Talon exhales and nods slowly
„I will keep an eye on Kestrel.“
„Kestrel is far from your only problem, Talon“
Scourges eyes narrow at Talon, his tail lashing
„Kestrel did not learn of your dreams by sitting in your territory himself, did he? You will soon learn that loyalty is not as great a priority for every cat as it is to you. Beware the enemy you call friend, Talon, for his claws are always close to your throat.“
Talon’s mood darkens instantly. Is Scourge implying a traitor among his cats?
„Who? Who would betray me to Kestrel?“
Scourge’s cold gaze remains on Talon before he turns away
„Remember what Bloodclan truly is, Talon. What it promises and what makes it able to keep those promises. The time will come when you prove yourself before the clan. Until then remain cautious“
Confused, Talon looks from Scourge to Bone, only to find the large warrior avoiding his gaze. Why wouldn’t Scourge tell him who it is? Is this part of his ´training´ already, or does Scourge not know who it is either yet? Talon tries to open his maw to speak, only to find himself unable, the Dark Forest paling away into nothing within mere moments.
Talon gasps, his eyes wide open as he snaps awake in his den. The first rays of the sun are illuminating the den’s entrance as the grey cat collects himself. His dreams… they were Scourge’s first attempts at bringing him to him in his sleep. So it is true then, Starclan does exist, it and it’s sinister counterpart in which his clanmates have found refuge. Thinking on it a while, Talon sighs. He wanted to speak of his dreams to his veteran warriors today to beat Kestrel to it. But how would he explain all of this now? He will have to choose his words even more wisely now. He cannot say that Scourge declared him not yet ready or in need of training, and any mention of Starclan would be unwise as well. Perhaps it is premature to talk about it now. Ironically now that the `dream` progressed to where he understands it’s meaning, it has become even more difficult to discuss it with anyone. Who could he safely discuss it with? Bitterly Talon remembers Scourge’s warning. Who would betray him? And how far might they go in their betrayal? The dark grey tom shakes his head. He can not afford to fall into paranoia now. He still has cats to lead, cats that depend on him. After slowly rising from his nest and stretching, Talon leaves his den, blinking against the sun as he emerges. His eyes still adjusting, Frost approaches, having been waiting apparently beside Talon’s den.
„Greetings, Talon“
„Greetings. Anything to report, Frost?“
The white tom nods
„Kestrel requests to speak to you. Apparently he something is going on among the factions. Also he mentioned having found `what you seek`. I imagine you know what he means.“
„I do, I am surprised he managed so quickly though. But right now those news of the other factions sounds more important. Where is he?“
With a displeased expression, Frost motions upwards, to the top of the wall. There Kestrel sits, calmly overlooking the alley.
„As if he owned the place already…“
Frost growls, Talon shaking his head
„Getting worked up over it is hardly worth it, Frost. I’ll handle this. Thank you for telling me. Do stay around though. Get Silver and wait in my den, there are things I’d like to discuss.“
Frost’s ear perk up and he nods, dashing off to find his fellow veteran warrior. When he had to reveal his dreams to his own veteran warriors, it seemed to lessen the impact that at least one of them knew. Frost has served him for a long time now and Silver was the first in the know of things anyway. They should be safe to tell what he experienced in his dreams. Pondering what he learned from Ashfur, he considers for a moment if he should call Venom as well. She is among the most trustworthy cats here with ease and has always been kind and supportive of Talon, as well as being their healer. Talon decides against it for now however. Bloodclan is not a forest clan, and keeping the circle of cats who know more small might be favourable for now. With those decisions made, Talon turns and leaps up against the wall, climbing it to the top and approaching Kestrel. The brown and cream coloured tom nods his head at Talon’s approach
„Greetings“
„Greetings, Kestrel. Anything to report?“
The brown tom flicks his tail, humming
„Not much in our territory, a few warriors returning from food runs. Outside we seem to have more going on“
„So I heard. What’s going on with the other factions?“
„Several things. None of them good I fear. I hear that Ice and Snake are in contact with rogues beyond Bloodclan’s borders. I fear they might try to mass recruit outsiders to bolster their numbers. And Granite’s cats have been hanging around a suspicious lot around the dog fight yard. I still don’t quite know yet what that’s about, but I got a bad feeling about it“
Talon sits down, humming in thought. This does not bode well indeed.
„The siblings growing in power is bad news for everyone. They faction was rather small so far, if that changes… they are reckless and cruel enough to do terrible things if they think they can get away with it. And Granite… nothing involving a large number of dogs is ever good news. It seems we have awoken them from their slumber by joining together“
„Now it begins. We all knew it must sooner or later. If it hadn’t been us, it would have been someone else. At least we got the numbers advantage now“
Kestrel looks up to the thoughtful grey leader. Ice and Snake are not the most immediate concern, they’d have to go through Granite’s territory to get to them. Then again, if they recruit enough rogues, these two would certainly not hesitate to sacrifice the lives of many cats for victory. If Granite thinks of setting free a large number of dogs, it remains to be seen if they are guided towards Ice and Snake’s territory… or Talon’s. And even in the best case even, it would in the aftermath mean that a large pack wanders Bloodclan territory. A grave and unpredictable danger for all cats. With a sigh, Talon has to acknowledge Scourge’s words. Difficult times are ahead for Bloodclan.

Chapter Text

Ashfur is awoken by Leafpool changing his cobwebs, chewing new poultice to keep the wound clean before the new webs would be applied. Last night had been exceedingly insightful for the grey warrior. A pity he can not share his knowledge, not yet at least. No doubt a medicine cat would find the idea of Bloodclan’s medicine cats intriguing. Slowly raising his head and flicking his torn ear, Ashfur looks at the working she-cat.
„Good morning, Leafpool“
His greeting turns into a quiet hiss as the medicine cat carefully rubs the poultice into the revealed wound before beginning to close it up with cobwebs again
„Good morning, Ashfur. Sorry, I hoped you’d be still asleep at his part, or I would have offered you some poppy seeds.“
Ashfur shakes his head
„Low of herbs as we are? Don’t make yourself unnecessary work. I’ll be fine.“
Looking around the den, Ashfur can’t spot the foul-mooded apprentice anywhere.
„Is Jaypaw out looking for herbs?“
Quickly finishing up with the cobwebs, Leafpool shakes her head
„He’s outside with his siblings. He’s an apprentice still, he should get to spend some time playing with his littermates.“
Ashfur hums, distant memories of him toying around in the old territories with Fernpaw and Cloudpaw manifesting in his mind for a moment
„You might be right…“
„Besides, we are not yet done, but we recuperated our supply better than we thought. Brackenfur volunteered Hollypaw to help us, since I did teach her some things about plants. She may not be able to tell one herb from another, but she did find a lot to bring back. We’re lucky this leaffall is less harsh than the last“
She chuckles amused at her former apprentice’s effort. The chuckle is heartfelt, almost maternal. Ashfur nods, flicking his ear. It is pleasant to speak with such a pure-hearted cat for a change. Her ability to love even her failed ex-apprentice with almost motherly affection is heartwarming to the tom. Unfortunately, his thoughts soon wander to a darker place. As the concept of motherly love occupies his mind, flashes of his own mother appear before the tom, the condition Brindleface was in when they found her… Sorrow overwhelms the tom, utterly pushing aside the warm joy he felt just heartbeats ago. Already back then he couldn’t protect those he cared for. He lets out a sigh, looking out through the den’s entrance.
Seeming to feel the sudden change in Ashfur, the medicine cat settles down beside Ashfur, worry occupying her gaze.
„Is everything alright, Ashfur?“
The tom’s blue eyes look up to her.
„I’ll be fine. Just memories.“
Leafpool tilts her head, the worry still very much present in her amber eyes
„It’s just… you seem to no longer speak as much to your clanmates. You often sit alone, or go off on your nighthunts all on your own… I do worry about you a bit. A few cats in the clan do“
Ashfur hums, his tail lashing lightly, a small amount of anger arising. If he is a subject of gossip, how come no-one has breathed a word of it to him?
„Well, none of them seem bothered to mention any worry to me. In fact, you are the first.“
He shakes his head, trying to clear his head from his rising emotions. Anger won’t help here. She does not need to be burdened by that as well.
„I just wish a few things had gone differently, Leafpool. I’m merely trying to be better and find ways to fix things. Turns out that I am just not very good at that“
Feeling Leafpool’s paw on his shoulder, his ears perk up and he looks at the medicine cat, finding her gaze more understanding than he expected it to be.
„You’re a warrior of Thunderclan, Ashfur. You hunt for the clan, you protect the clan, you are teaching a young cat to do these things as well. There is nothing more the clan could ask of you. You have nothing you’d need to prove to any cat“
Ashfur sighs slowly. The kind words are pleasant to hear, but ultimately ring hollow. She believes her words, Ashfur has no doubts about that. For most warriors this would be true as well. But sadly not for him. If there was nothing to reproach him, if there was nothing any cat could ask more of him, then why would he be alone now? Why would the warmth of his life have left him? The only answer that makes sense to Ashfur is that he lacked, that he still lacks. And perhaps, once he finally overcomes that, once he is finally worthy, perhaps then things will go back the way they were. Leafpool is kind and wise beyond her years, but how could she understand this kind of heartbreak as a medicine cat. He can’t bring himself to hold it against her though. How could he hold it against a cat to be the very example of loyalty and dedication towards Starclan’s codes.
„…thank you, Leafpool. It’s very kind of you to say such things. Maybe I’ll remember them next time I meet an owl“
In an attempt to salvage at least the medicine cat’s mood, Ashfur fakes a chuckle and subsequent smile at the she-cat. Her eyes betray that she is not fully fooled by the tom’s attempt, but humours him anyway, her whiskers twitching. She baps Ashfur on the nose with her tail as she turns to walk to her leaf stores to sort her herbs
„I would hope so. Maybe you’ll leave the owl in peace next time, or better yet drag it into camp as freshkill“
This time, Ashfur’s chuckle is more earnest. Bringing back a great owl? No warrior has ever done that as far as he knows. Small ones are already rare as freshkill, but a big one, how would a cat even go about hunting such prey? Without trying the tom imagines half a dozen ways in which one might try and comically fail.
„I think I’d rather stick to mice and blackbirds for now. I’d rather not be brought back in here for a while after this. Besides, I think Lionpaw will make sure I am too busy for any huge adventures for a few days at least when I get out.“
Leafpool turns to look over to the grey warrior, the look in her eyes hard to read.
„How is your apprentice doing, by the way? You seemed upset a few days ago.“
Ashfur rolls his eyes, not necessarily pleased to have the conversation turn to be about the young, yellow tom.
„He is a pawful alright… Starclan has blessed him with great talent, but he can be very headstrong and hotblooded. He does tend to forget any respect or caution when the blood starts pumping, which can be… frustrating. He keeps pushing me to further push him. I’m worried he will get hurt at some point with that attitude.“
The blue eyed warrior looks down to his paws, flexing his claws out a few times
„I can’t quite get through to him the way I did with Birchpaw. Birchfall turned out to be a good warrior. I feel like I’m failing to do the same for Lionpaw“
Growling inwardly, Ashfur realises he’s said more than he had intended. He shouldn’t burden Leafpool with the troubles he has with Squirrelflight’s kit. She has her own rendition of her sister’s spawn to deal with already and he mentoring Jaypaw can not always be easy. Not to mention that she previously tried to mentor the third of the trio already too. He has no right to complain to Leafpool of all cats about this. As he looks over to the medicine cat, he finds her to be in deep thought. It almost seems like she’s conflicted and trying hard to come up with an answer to give, only confirming to Ashfur that he should have been silent. After a while, the she cat pads over
„Maybe try taking Lionpaw out to train with Firestar. If he has time, he’ll surely agree. If Firestar tells Lionpaw the same you do, perhaps he will see that you are right. Or at least he won’t push as much“
Ashfur hums at the proposition. Lionpaw is Firestar’s grandson, perhaps that would work. But he’ll need to catch Firestar alone for once to do so. He’d hate to have Brambleclaw, let alone Squirrelflight involved. It seems very drastic to Ashfur, but if it ends up curing Lionpaw from his hubris, he might just manage to finish the apprentice’s training without further incidents.
„I will think about it… If Firestar has time to spare“
Leafpool hums, flicking her tail as she rolls her eyes with mild amusement
„He has time to spare more often than you think, Ashfur. Ask him when you’re healthy again“
Ashfur was about to answer, when he hears noise from the den’s entrance. Looking over, he finds Jaypaw stepping inside, the heads of his siblings peeking inside behind him.
„Greetings, Jaypaw“
„Ashfur. Leafpool, Hollypaw and Lionpaw want to go outside and I could collect some herbs.“
Leafpool approaches her apprentice, gently touching noses with the young cat, whom rolls his blind eyes at the gesture
„Only if you are back before the sunhigh patrol and don’t stray too far. It might not be entirely safe still“
Ashfur hums quietly. It should be safe right now, at least according to Talon. Then again, perhaps the Bloodclan warrior does not know everything his clan plans either, especially the other factions. With irony he realises that despite knowing more than his clanmates, he knows just as little as them on how safe or not they are.
Jaypaw nods and already turns to head back out, when Leafpool takes another step forward
„Lionpaw, have you visited your mentor yet?“
Ashfur and Lionpaw both look to the she-cat with surprise. Lionpaw huffs, shaking his head, slowly entering the medicine den. Ashfur looks upon his apprentice, trying to push back any thoughts of his mother to the best of his ability.
„Greetings, Lionpaw.“
„Greetings, Ashfur“
The two toms touch noses in greeting. Lionpaw looks over Ashfur at the long wound on his back, now again covered in leaves and cobweb. After an awkward few heartbeats of silence, Ashfur sighs.
„Try to get Brackenfur or Brambleclaw to train a bit with you. I’ll be out in ten days. Once I am, we do combat training for a several days then. That should make up for the lost time. That sound good?“
Though Leafpool seems less enthusiastic about that proposition, still taking Ashfur’s wound into consideration, the small tom’s eyes gleam a bit, the prospect of battle firing the golden furred apprentice on.
„Several days? Do you promise, Ashfur?“
„If you promise to stop with the boastfulness, then yes. I promise. Think you can manage, Lionpaw?“
Lionpaw looks away, slightly fidgeting in place, already impatient for it. For a cat of his age, he is already tall grown, making it an amusing sight.
„I will, Ashfur. I won’t disappoint you“

Chapter Text

Talon descends into his den, greeted by the eyes of Silver and Frost, the two toms nodding their heads as the dark-grey cat joins them
„We’re here as ordered, Talon. What do you need?“
Frost hums, flicking his ear in the dim light of the small den
„Several things. But one at a time. For now, I feel I should keep a few cats in the know of things. You two I trust. The dream has… progressed is no longer the right word“
While Silver remains perfectly calm, ears perked to listen for Talon’s every word, Frost’s initially shining eyes cloud with a bit of disappointment. Perhaps the tom expected preparations for a new action alike the raid instead. He makes little effort to hide that he feels let down a bit.
„It turns out, it was not truly dreams. Scourge was attempting to reach out indeed, just needed a while to get it right“
„How unlike Scourge to not excel“
Frost’s expression has returned to a neutral look, his ears perked like Silver’s and his eyes unreadable.
„The aftermath of death is hardly something he could have prepared for much. Be that as it may, he is watching events unfold in Bloodclan. He demands we unify the clan again.“
Silver hums quietly
„I imagine he would. But it will be a long and difficult time till we get there. Has our former leader given advice?“
Talon nods, though his expression sombers, the interest of both veteran warriors roused by it. Scourge‘s predictions were rather dark and remembering them brings a measure of worry to Talon.
„He said difficult times are ahead. He would train me regularly from now on, advise me on matters of leadership. It seems he shares some of your concerns, Frost.“
The white tom nods, a feeling of confirmation radiating in his eyes
„Scourge was all about doing what was necessary, not what was easy or nice. Emulating Scourge more would strengthen your odds of uniting us again. Let things be as they were.“
„Perhaps it would, but there is one more matter he mentioned that I feel you should know“
There is little point in telling them about the abyss and Scourge seeking out their dead clanmates just yet. Let alone Starclan and Scourge’s current refuge in this Dark Forest. It’d needlessly prolong the conversation and move in directions Talon is not yet certain he should let it. Silver sounded relatively open to the possibility of an afterlife or even Starclan’s faith, but Frost seems far less interested about the subject. Under the curious gazes of Frost and Silver, Talon mews
„Scourge believes we may have a traitor amongst our own. Owl was right, someone fed Kestrel informations, one of us“
Silver’s fur spikes some at the possibility of a traitor, but remains otherwise calm. Frost tilts his head, lashing his tail.
„Perhaps there is. But since when does Bloodclan listen to dead cats. That is forest clan folly. If we have a traitor among our own, we would find them ourselves soon enough anyway.“
„Would we though? With Kestrel now as second-in-command, he could try to shield any accomplices he has amongst our cats.“
Silver’s calm eyes meet Frost’s angered gaze. Talon, though externally calm, finds himself surprised at his former second-in-commands emotions. Frost is usually calmer, yet this discussion about his dream and Scourge’s warning seem to have caused something to stir in the white furred tom.
„Then we must get it from the source. We make Kestrel tell us who is working against us, better yet, we get rid of him. He is where all the danger of treason and rumours come from, with Kestrel gone all will be calm once more“
Talon shakes his head. Frost’s eagerness to take radical action against Kestrel slightly shocks Talon.
„We would risk losing the cats of his faction. With the other leaders now brought up against us, we would place ourselves in grave danger, Frost. We have to keep him around for now. That and he has taken no hostile action against us. He has heard something he shouldn’t, as far as we know that‘s all“
Frost is sighing and shaking his head. Slowly calm returns to his voice, though his eyes show discontent.
„So, we have a second-in-command who might be plotting against us and we do nothing“
„Kestrel did tell me something that he knows I could use against him. A peace offering of sorts in his own words“
Talon flicks his nicked ear, Frost tilting his head at this
„Rain is apparently Kestrel’s son.“
„And as long as he remains in our healer’s den, he is firmly in our grasp“, Frost concludes with some satisfaction, earning a nod from Talon. The white tom seems to calm at this information
„If that is true, and that’s not necessarily a given with Kestrel, then we have leverage against him“
„Talon has leverage“, Silver corrects, his eyes upon the other veteran warrior.
„Leverage that should not be abused. We should not forget that Rain might not have part in any of his father’s plans. He should not be punished for treason he not commit.“
Talon nods, his tail laying over his paws. Rain is a kind young tom, eager to help his clanmates. The idea of the healer in training being hurt nearly causes Talon’s pelt to bristle.
„Kestrel cooperates right now and we have nothing to indicate he is seeking to betray us currently. As long as that remains the case, there will be no talk of getting rid of him and even less of harming Rain, understood?“
The two toms nod in agreement, letting Talon exhale in relief.
„Good… now, there is more to be discussed, but for that I want Kestrel here as well. As second and being who he is, he would find out before long anyway and I would rather you hear the news from me than let Kestrel spread his own version of it unopposed. We gather back in here“
Their curiosity certainly roused, the two cats mew their acknowledgement and hurry out of the den to gather up the other cats. Talon sighs once he is alone. This discussion could go poorly if he does not put his paw down from fairly early on. This will be stressful and Talon is painfully aware of it. Still, it is less dangerous than letting Kestrel or the traitor find out more about his nightly escapades and twist it into something that might rile up the clan even more. Slowly the dark-grey tom rises from his den, blinking against the bright sunlight. While Silver and Frost run off, seeking out the second-in-command, Talon observes the alley. Further down, Dawn and Lion are pawing a tiny empty bottle back and forth between each other, squealing in youthful joy under the careful gaze of their mothers. Edge and Grail are sharing tongues with Wax and Sparrow, calmly speaking over some food as if they had never been separated into opposing factions. A brief, warm sense of pride rises in Talon’s chest. This is what Bloodclan should be once more. Kits playing in safety, cats united instead of opposing each other.
Soon Talon spots his two veteran warriors returning with the brown-cream coloured second-in-command between them. Letting out a small sigh before they get within earshot, the dark-grey warrior slips back into his den, awaiting their arrival. How to best explain the situation to them? With discomfort Talon remembers Scourge’s words to him. For being a leader, it does not suffice to only lead sometimes, he must lead at all times. If he allows doubt to set in, in himself or in those he leads, he can not be worthy of being chosen by Scourge. Reminiscing about the small black leader during the time he knew him, Talon ponders how he would have handled this. The answer occurs to him quickly as he looks up, the three cats entering his den and dipping their heads. Scourge only knew only one way to deliver news, decisions and orders; matter-of-factly. It never sounded like a debate or even a choice, but like unshakable facts. The small tom simply stood above reproach or criticism. Perhaps Frost is right, attempting to emulate the late leader may be a suitable strategy, if Talon is to rise above the other leaders. This discussion being as good a point as any to start doing so, or attempt it anyway.
„You’re here, good“
„I’m told you have news to share, Talon. I’m interested to hear it“
Kestrel licks his paw before pulling it over his ear a few times, interest glistening in his eyes. Talon nods, his tail winding to lay over his paws
„Indeed. I have decided to train a cat from beyond Bloodclan and take them under my wing.“
Frost tilts his head, the news clearly not expected but his expression easily betraying that he wonders why that would require the secrecy of his den, until an idea seem to enter his head
„Have you found a mate outside the clan? I’m sure most our clanmates would welcome her. More than one cat who became a clanmate that way“
Silver prefers remaining quiet and just listening, while the sparkle in Kestrel‘s eye betrays that he suspects something more, ears perked in intruiged curiosity. Talon fights back against the surprise Frost’s words cause in him. Is that where his former second thought he went off to regularly? And why was the most so pronounced in his statement, would someone object? As he said himself, many Bloodclan cats find mates among the kitty-pets. Although the very idea of matehood hadn’t crossed Talon’s mind in many moons, nor is the current situation really suited to go looking for it either.
„No. I have chosen to train a warrior by the name of Ashfur. I believe that in time, he might be valuable to the clan“
Kestrel’s usual calm smile grows into a smirk
„Ashfur. A warrior with a two pronged name. You have been about the forest, haven’t you, Talon?“
Before Talon can speak another word, Frost falls in, fur bristled on end
„You dare accuse Talon of conspiring with forest cats? Is that your newest plot? Slander our leader until you get to replace him?“
Silver rests his tail on Frost’s shoulder, trying to calm the tom
„Your wish to defend Talon’s honour is praiseworthy, Frost, but I think Talon can defend himself. We should hear Talon out before anything else, no?“
Talon gives a small appreciative nod at Silver, as slowly the tail lashing Frost forces himself to compose himself. So much for trying to dominate the discussion as Scourge would have. Kestrel, having recoiled slightly from Frost, sits back straight, flicking his tail.
„I assure you, I meant Talon no disrespect. But everything he said indicates it“
Before Frost attempts to have another go, the shrill screech of Talon’s claws dragging forcefully against the stone top of his den under the wall makes the warrior flinch and return his attention back to Talon. The dark-grey leader sighs quietly to himself, a stressful headache building up in him. Until his presence suffices, it seems this trick can buy him the quiet he needs in discussions, for now. The dark furred leader continues
„Ashfur is from the clan we raided. I’ve been staking him for a while now, deeply discontent with his current situation in his clan. I was able to gain valuable insight into the forest clans from him already and I expect to learn much more still as time goes on.“
Kestrel nods, a pleased smile upon him
„You’re creating a spy among them. Always a valid way to learn more about your enemy. With that we’ll know any of their moves against us in advance“
Frost remains quiet, though his fur stands on edge, his tail slowly lashing behind him. Silver hums, seeming to ponder the situation for a moment before speaking, his green eyes shining calmly in the dim light of the den
„It might be useful, if he can be trusted. We’ve worked with rogues before in similar manners, perhaps it will work the same with a clan cat. Are you certain this one can be trusted, Talon?“
Talon flicks his ear, his eyes slowly wandering between the three cats before him
„So far it seems so. As for his motives, he hasn’t been doing well for quite a while now, only getting worse as time goes on. I’ll try to find out the precise reasons soon. In the meantime, you are now in the know where I disappear off to from time to time. Until more comes of it, I would prefer no further cats to know about it.“
Frost shakes his head, his fur only slowly flattening
„I think it is a bad idea. Not only for your safety, but if cats find out your loyalty might be questioned“
Kestrel looks over to Frost, flicking an ear
„The way I see it, it’s the forest warrior who’s loyalty stands in question. Knowing what other cats are doing is valuable information. If the forest clans ever try to attack us, we’ll know and be able to lure them into ambushes and traps.“
The white pelted warrior scoffs, his narrowed eyes piercing the second-in-command
„We know what strategies you are fond of, Kestrel. The less honour needed, the better, right?“
Kestrel puffs up his chest fur, his tail flicking with some agitation
„What is wrong with trying to not have my warriors fight and die pointlessly?“
„MY warriors now, Kestrel. Do not forget that. And Frost, you are speaking to my second-in-command. Would you dare speak to me in such a way?“
A low growl rumbles in Talon’s throat as anger rises in him. He invites them in to hear about his plans and they bicker like kits over stolen toys, causing him a splitting headache in the process. How is the clan meant to come back together if grown cats can’t behave reasonable enough to speak? They are still both Bloodclan warriors. Frost turns his gaze to Talon, it remaining every bit as sharp and hostile, causing the dark-grey tom’s fur to bristle. For a moment, the tension grows heavy enough within the den to slice it with a claw, Talon’s claws slowly unsheathing under Frost’s glare. After a few moments however, Frost backs down and his gaze softens, his pelt laying flat once more as he bows his head deeply before Talon
„No, of course I would not. I I apologise.“
Talon’s pelt flattening again as well, he nods slowly, unwinding his tail to flick it dismissively
„That is all. Frost, you take the next patrol along Granite’s border. Kestrel, make sure we continue stocking up on food. Leafbare will will begin any day now, we must be prepared.“
Finally his gaze falls upon Silver, where he pauses for a moment
„Silver, stay just a moment longer. You two, you have your orders“
Kestrel and Frost both nod and pad out of the den, leaving Silver and Talon alone. Once Talon is satisfied that they are well and out of earshot, he sighs and shakes his head before looking to Silver
„Frost has been unusually irritable all day today. Did anything happen that I am not aware of?“
The older veteran warrior shakes his head as, humming as he looks out of the den’s entrance
„Nothing I would know, I’m afraid. He always could get aggressive, but I’ve not seen him like that before. Let alone before you. Any orders for me, Talon?“
Talon thinks carefully as Silver returns his gaze onto him, his green eyes adjusting to the dimmer light. Every warrior is allowed some bad days, but usually they have better self-control still. The red eyed leader shakes his head. He will calm down again in due time. More important matters await.
„I want you to pick two younger warriors and another more experienced one to accompany me on a doghunt tomorrow. Kestrel found one near Wraith’s border. Ferret and Spider will already come with us, they have yet to earn their claws. As good a time as any.“
After letting Silver think for a moment, Talon is surprised to see Silver’s whiskers twitch as a small smile grows upon the experienced warrior
„As you wish, Talon. I think I know the right cats for the job. They will be ready to move out by first light tomorrow.“
Intrigued but trusting the older cat, Talon nods and dismisses him with a flick of his tail without much further questions. Silver is very calm and down to earth, what could amuse him about the rather mundane task of assembling a patrol for a hunt? Perhaps more things are happening in his faction than Talon knows. Sighing quietly, he hopes that some of those mysteries are positive at least, as he rises from his den. The pain in his skull only slowly abates, but he can‘t afford a break yet. The clan needs to be fed, the borders secured. Twice the territory means twice the work. Much still to do today.

Chapter Text

Talon rises from his den, the early rays of the morning sun warming his pelt as he stretches. Settling down, he swings his long, fuzzy tail over and begins grooming it. For once he’s had a perfectly peaceful night despite having wondered what agitated Frost so much last day until the late hours of the night. There had been no dreams, no gathering, no cat to disturb him, only much needed rest. As he works his tongue through his thick tail fur, he observes from his peripheral vision the alley. Clover is descending from her perch as that night’s sentry, heading for the food pile, as the alley increasingly awakens, cats entering it from the far street-side entrance or emerging from their local dens. As Talon finishes up and raises his head, he notices the siblings Edge, Lantern and Grail heading for him. Edge walking amid his two siblings, close enough to touch whiskers at all times, so he walks in perfect sync with his littermates despite his blindness. Talon always thought it mildly humorous to see the three walking in this formation, with Edge’s imposing size, towering over Grail and making his ever slender brother Lantern look almost like fragile a twig in comparison. As they close in, Talon dibs his head in greeting, which they repeat in turn.
„Greetings. How fare the kits?“
Lantern’s whiskers twitch as he sits down
„Dawn and Dusk are quite well. Their energy remain indiminishable. Thankfully Viper is willing to look after them from time to time, though I know not how she does it with Edge’s kit already to take care of“
The blind tom gently cuffs his brother upside the head with his tail, proving once more that despite his lack of sight, he knows precisely where the cat next to him is
„Lion matches them in every way. And he does need playmates at his age. Viper just lets them tire each other out, has worked well enough so far.“
Talon’s whiskers slightly twitch at the banter between the siblings
„Pleased to hear they are all well. What brings you here?“
Grail steps forth before sitting down, drawing Talon’s attention to herself
„Silver asked if I cared to join your hunt today. I gladly will.“
Talon nods at the russet she-cat. His thoughts return to Silver’s smile yesterday, wondering what that was about. Though he had initially thought of a veteran warrior to accompany him, but Grail is no less suited for this task than any other warrior. She’s had her dogteeth for quite a while and is a capable fighter, she will be valuable in whittling down the dog’s defence with injuries.
„I’ll gladly have you along then, Grail. We’re leaving when the others arrive. Until then get comfortable, I presume it may still be a moment before they all get here.“
Grail nods, sitting down. Up this close Talon notices that her pelt is fluffed up and impeccably groomed. Odd before something taxing like a doghunt, but Talon does not comment on it as his tail fur is thicker as well and he too prefers it decently groomed. Looking up at her two littermates, Talon winds his tail around him to settle on his paws
„Lantern, since you are here, we think Granite might be messing around at the dog fight place. Get a patrol together and move along his border. The last thing we need is a larger pack of dogs running wild“
The blue eyed tom nods sternly, his expression immediately growing more serious at Talon’s words.
„Of course, Talon. Nothing will pass by us“
„It’s mostly to know in time IF such a thing were to happen, Lantern. I hold no doubt you’d fight the whole pack if we‘d let you, but I’d rather not lose a good warrior. Keep an eye and ear out for any traces of dogs or other trespassers. Take a few of Kestrel’s cats with you too. We need to be able to work as a single clan again, the divide between them and us must slowly disappear“
„I can only agree“
Talon looks over his shoulder to find the source of the voice that just spoke, finding Kestrel padding over and sitting down beside him after dipping his head at Talon and the three siblings in greeting.
„Take Castle if you like. She craves having something to do ever since she’s no longer a second-in-command. That she-cat can’t bear to stand still for too long“
After a seeking look to Talon, whom nods in approval, Lantern turns to Kestrel
„Very well. I will inform her then. I’ll get right to it“
With one more bow if his head, Lantern sets off into the alley to gather the cats for his patrol. Edge hums quietly, licking his paw and dragging it over one of his shredded ears
„I’ll go check on Viper. She shouldn’t have to deal with the kits alone all the time.“
„Of course. Be with your family, Edge. Viper will be thankful for the rest no doubt“
The large scarred warrior nods and begins padding off, orienting himself quite well in familiar terrain.
„Always thought it impressive… blind, yet such a fierce warrior. Did you know several cats of my faction were expressly worried about facing him if I ever ordered an attack on you?“
Kestrel hums thoughtfully as he watches the large brown tom go. Grail’s whiskers twitch in amusement
„Rightfully so. Edge would have shredded them here. As long as he is someplace he knows well, he fights better than most seeing cats ever could“
„Indeed. I remember the rogue he took apart back after you and your littermates moved here.“
Talon nods slowly as the memory returns to him of Edge’s battle against the intruding cat, turning the rogue from overconfident to terrified to still within mere heartbeats from each other. Kestrel huffs
„I am pleased we all fight for the same side now. Speaking of, I presume the doghunt is today?“
Talon nods
„Just waiting for the rest of the patrol to assemble now. Spider will be among them. Ferret too“
Kestrel looks out over the alley
„Good. Better if all our warriors have earned their claws. Still, with Granite and Flame on one border and Wraith on the other, we can’t make any big advances. Not without it being a death sentence for whoever leads that patrol. The battle we might win, but one way or another cats will die if we do. For now, it may be wisest to only defend“
Talon sighs. Kestrel is perfectly right, as he often is. With how many cats they have, the battle would almost certainly be won, but such a battle should be led by a leader or at least second-in-command. Kestrel is not a fighter, which leaves only Talon himself. Too good an opportunity for anyone to pass up. The moment he’d move to attack, either Flame would challenge him to a duel or Wraith would lay in wait for him. Either way, he’d be crowfood.
„We’ll either have to find an agreement with Wraith or rob Granite of Flame as a warrior in some way or other. Otherwise we’ll remain stuck here… but one thing at a time. Today’s target is a dog. That we’ll be able to manage“
Kestrel stretches himself slowly
„True. With how many warriors we have, we should be secure from any direct attacks for now. I’ll try to think of some solutions to our problem meanwhile. Once that dog falls today, we’ll at least be decently stocked on food until leafbare begins for real.“
„Here they come“
Grail’s voice causes Talon and Kestrel’s eyes to follow hers, Silver leading the promised cats over to them. Spider and Ferret are speaking excitedly among themselves, visibly eager to finally earn their claws. Clover, despite already having been sentry for last night pads among them, calm in gesture but her eyes shine with anticipation just the same as the other cats. A little more timidly behind most of them walks Bee. Though she has her claws already, she seems more nervous about it than the others. Silver lowers his head in greeting as he arrives, herding the young warriors over to sit by Grail’s side with his tail.
„Everyone’s assembled, Talon.“
Talon nods in acknowledgement, before leaning in closer to the older warrior, whispering his response as Kestrel begins trotting away
„Well done, Silver. Keep an eye on things with Kestrel until I return. With a bit of luck we’ll be back before sunhigh“
„Understood. Scourge guide your claws, Talon“
Talon nods and gets up leading the way out of the alley, the rest of the patrol falling in behind the dark grey leader.

A lengthy walk later, Talon halts his patrol close to the border by the Steel Snake Place. Keeping well out of the way of the ever bustling twolegs around here, the red eyed tom looks over the cats following him.
„We should be close now. Which means we’ll have to proceed carefully from here. No unnecessary noise and remain alert. If the dog wandered from it’s alley, it could be anywhere.“
The cats nod, the younger ones having their ears perked, eager to hear anything the leader has to say. Seeing this, Talon elaborates further, settling down for a moment
„There are two important roles during a dog hunt, distracting and attacking. You can only safely attack a dog when it is not currently focusing on you, the further from you it’s attention lies, the better. That is why most of you will distract it. Try to surround it and make mock attacks before immediately retreating again. If you see a good opportunity to attack, you may take it, but be cautious. It may take longer, but it’s better to let an opportunity to strike go than to risk the dog getting a hold of you. Grail and I will attack and whittle it down. The goal is to tire the dog out between attacks, losing blood and having to constantly turn about between the distractions, that it collapses and gives us a chance at a killing blow.“
Spider and Ferret look at Talon with wide eyes, eagerly absorbing each word the tom speaks. Bee and Clover listen in as well, excitement remaining clear in their eyes. To Talon’s slight surprise, he finds Grail resolutely hanging on his every word. As he finishes his explanation, the younger warriors look excitedly to each other, even Bee’s eyes holding anticipation.
„Alright then. Now we first need to find it and if necessary draw it out of it’s lair. You need space to move to fight a dog, trying to fight it in narrow spaces will end poorly. Stay together. We are strongest together, always remember that“
Rising back up to his paws, Talon motions with his tail to keep low. Dropping into a stealthy crouch, the leader advances, the rest of the patrol following, trying to be as silent as they can. While he is barely able to perceive Grail’s presence, which does impress the tom a bit, he finds some mild amusement in hearing the flaws of the younger warriors. Ferret’s pawsteps are way too heavy, Clover is not yet fully used to her dogteeth claws, every few steps the tips ticking against the floor. With pleased surprise he notices the younger warriors of Kestrel’s faction demonstrate a decent amount of talent, mistakes only very few and far between.
Focusing on the task at hand however, he clears his mind of any evaluations and tastes the air, within heartbeats finding a trace of the dog’s scent to follow. Slowly he moves over the hard, paved ground of twoleg-place, swerving out of the way of any and all littered obstacles that might become a source of noise otherwise. The scent grows stronger as he approaches the corner of a small side alley, sending a pang of frustration through the tom. If it’s in an alley that narrow, they will need to draw it out first. Cautiously peering in, his frustration alleviates a little. Up ahead, down the alley, sleeping soundly in a large cardboard box lies indeed their mark. The dog looks fairly large, it’s short fur and pointy ears making it an intimidating sight even laying peacefully. However, right behind the fearsome beast and it’s box, a wire fence cuts off the rest of the alley.
With his tail, Talon motions the patrol to back up, the cats all gaining some distance from the alley before Talon ceases his crouch and speaks up in a quiet voice
„We found it, but now we need to lure it out of it’s alley.“
He looks down the alley. This is by far the most dangerous part of it all, one mistake in this and one of them might not return home. An unwell feeling forms in Talon’s belly. He may have killed dogs before, but that does not take away the twinge of fear he feels now, that any reasonable warrior should feel when they’re about to approach a dog. It will portrait him as brave in the story his clan will tell of this. He has to be the one to do this. He takes a deep breath and raises his head to announce himself the lure, only to be cut off by Grail.
„I’ll go. Be ready to keep it off me“
Before Talon can object, he watches the russet she-cat dart onward and into the alley, his red eyes wide with surprise and worry.

Chapter Text

„Space out around the alley’s entrance! Keep distance and make sure to stay out of it’s reach!“
Talon barks his orders as he rushes over to the corner Grail just disappeared behind, the rest of the patrol right behind him. Skidding to a halt in front of the alley, Talon arrives just in time to witness the she-cat raking her claws across the drowsily rising muzzle of the dog. As blood gashes forth from the scratch, the large beast shoots up, giving a howl of pain before it’s eyes settle on Grail.
„Get out, now!“
The russet she-cat flips around and begins a rapid sprint down the alley, the hound right behind her. As she darts around any and all objects in the way, the enraged canine simply leaps over the larger of them, downright ignoring and crashing though any smaller ones. It’s furious eyes remaining focused on Grail, the beast gains on her, it’s large maw snapping shut mere whiskers behind her several times between ear ringing barks. Leaping forth just as the she-cat races out of the alley, the dog’s jaws snap shut catching a small patch of fur from her tail, pulling it out. Grail hisses in pain, but runs on a bit further. Trying to catch her still, the dog tries to pursue, just to yelp in surprise and pain as Talon leaps forth with a rage fuelled howl, tearing his claws over it’s face, stopping it’s advance.
„NOW!“
Just as the canine begins to focus in on Talon, it yips once more, turning it’s head to find Ferret embedding her teeth in the beats’s leg. She lets go just in time as the dog turns around, bloodlust burning in it‘s eyes. It‘s back turned, Talon delivers a deep gash to it‘s flank before dipping back to a safe distance as the dog spins, trying to catch the tom in it’s gnashing jaws. Encouraged, the rest of the young warriors join in as they’v been told, surrounding the large beast, each darting forth to deliver small scratches or nips when it’s back is turned to them. Trying to break out of the circle, it tries to lunge forward, it’s maw open wide as it goes for Clover. Talon prepares to leap in to misdirect the dog, when he sees a flash of russet fur shooting forth from the other side. With a fearsome battle cry, Grail pounces in the massive canine’s face, hooking herself in with her claws and beginning to bite at it’s forehead and ears mercilessly. It takes Talon a heartbeat to realise he is staring in just as much awe at this display as the younger warriors. Clover shaking still from the frightening sight the for her lunging dog, watches with amazement, slowly stumbling back a bit to collect herself. Talon turns to the others. Grail is giving them an opportunity, they must not let it go to waste.
„ATTACK! Tear it apart!“
Shaking themselves free of their surprise, one after the other the younger cats screech out and go in. Spider leaps up several times, raking his claws across it’s flank, while Bee and Ferret begin to ferociously bite at the enraged and disoriented dog’s legs. The canine stomps around, violently shaking it’s head and snapping at the air to get rid of Grail. She did well, but she won’t be able to hold herself there for long. We need to finish it fast. If it casts Grail off and against a wall, she’ll be defenceless. Gathering his rage and frustration, Talon lunges forward. Yowling in fearsome anger, the tom moves in underneath the beast, rearing up on his hinds and swiping at the dog’s soft belly. Face distorted in rage, the tom continues on raking his claws through the canine’s underside as gashes open and blood streams down upon him. The dog howls up loudly in agony, rearing up high on it‘s hind-legs itself.
„Away! Out from under it!“
The cats scatter several taillengths out from under it as it comes crashing down with all it’s weight, firmly shaking it’s head downwards as it descends. With a shriek, Grail’s claws tear their way out of the dog’s flesh. The russet cat impacts hard on her side, hitting her head against the pavement after being swung with such force with a nauseating thump. For a brief heartbeat, an awful silence fills the air, Talon watching Grail’s body slowly convulsing in pain. His terrified spacing out is ended as the alert mews of Spider and Clover pierce through the perceived silence. The dog, limping and yipping in pain itself, lumbers towards the nigh still she-cat. Talon’s fur bristles up, his face contorting in a snarl. No, not like this. Letting lose a howl that would have terrified the dead, Talon races forth, his eyes focusing in on his mark. The dog turns it’s head at the noise, it’s eyes opening wide as Talon leaps forth, straight for it’s throat. Sinking his teeth into it as he crashes against the canine with a force that seems to rival a twoleg monster, cat and dog both topple onto the ground. Once down, Talon lets go but for a moment before biting as deeply as he can into the exposed throat, his dogteeth reinforced claws shredding through the dog left and right of him. The dog thrashes, it’s paws swiping at Talon, it’s dull claws holding still enough force to pull fur out of his pelt and leave stinging scratch marks. Talon however does not relent however. This beast dies. Now and here.
The trashing of the dog slowly gets weaker, it’s swipes becoming mere nudges after a while. Talon breathes hard through his nostrils, the taste of the dog’s blood heavy in his maw as he still scratches away every now and then at the by now large gaping wounds he opened on the canine’s neck. Until, at last, the large body under Talon finally goes still. His teeth still embedded in it, the dark grey leader feels the dog’s final breath pass, still holding on for several heartbeats before finally letting go. Gasping for air and taking a few steps backwards, Talon looks at the sizeable carcass before him. For once, just a brief moment, his mind is blank, quiet. No thoughts, no stress or worries. As his breath begins slowly returning to him, so does his situational awareness. He shakes his head, blood droplets spraying around, before looking around himself. The Ferret and Clover look upon him, their precise expression currently hard to read as the firm beating of his own heart throbs in Talon‘s ears. Spider’s expression seems simpler, his wide eyes giving away awe. Bee however does not look at him at all. What would she be looking at? Talon follows her eyes, his own growing wide in worried fear as they settle on a russet heap of fur. Despite his muscles screaming in some protest, Talon pushes himself into movement, bounding over to Grail. He moves around her, finding her alive and breathing, but barely conscious, her eyes dulled and shadowed with pain.
„We need to get her to the healer’s den. Now! You can return later to carve your claws. Clover! Over here, help carry her“
The tortoiseshell she-cat nods and leaps over rapidly. As Talon watches her approach, he freezes for a few heartbeats. Past Clover, past the other side of the alley, from the other side of the border, a pair of freezingly cold eyes observe them, returning his gaze. Clover looks up in confusion, which rapidly swaps over into sharp frustration.
„Talon! We need to move, no?“
Talon looks at the she-cat, reminded of her temper. As Talon raises his gaze again to find their stalker, he can not find the cold spark of their eyes again. There is only one cat whom these eyes could belong to anyway. The noise of the dog fight must have brought her to investigate. How long has she have been watching? Huffing and trying to put those thoughts away for now, Talon very carefully lifts Grail up by her scruff. The she-cat whimpers in pain. Clover cautiously slides in under Grail, carrying part of her body weight as Spider and Ferret gather up around, Talon’s worry mirrored in their eyes. Giving sign with a flick of his tail. Talon begins leading them back to their alley, moving as quickly as the safe transport of Grail permits.

Talon lays quietly outside the healer’s den, gnawing to remove the last bits of chicken off the bone he’s taken from their food pile. His mind keeps going to the she-cat now being treated by Venom and Rain. Her move had been reckless, but brave. That fight would have taken much longer without Grail‘s boldness and the opportunity it provided. Growling quietly against the bone, Talon now waits, more impatiently than not, on Venom’s verdict. Was it worth it, or will the price for the hunt he held mainly for his own reputation turn out higher than he’d have ever agreed with. During every dog hunt things can go wrong. Talon knows that, they all know that, yet he finds guilt eating away at him. His attention is drawn to a tortoiseshell pelt arising from the crack in the wall to the healer’s den. Venom approaches him as he sits up, laying the cleaned bone aside. The pressure in him alleviates somewhat as he sees the she-cat’s eyes holding no negative emotions whatsoever.
„Will Grail be alright then?“
Venom nods, sitting down before Talon
„She’s bruised, and I suspect there are some small ruptures in her ribs, but miraculously no full fractures. Her breathing’s mostly clear, she can drink water and speak without issue. I will have to keep her in the den a whole while so her bones can heal. But I think she’ll be fine. Just in a lot of pain for now, the pavement wasn’t kind to her“
The dark grey tom breathes a sigh of relief at Venom’s news. All worked out well then. The dog hunt was a success and Grail will be fine. Talon looks over the alley. Ever since the two factions merged, more cats have been crowding it than Talon is used to, but beyond Edge remaining close by the healer’s den ever since he got the news of his sibling’s injury, all goes as it would any other day.
„That is good. Grail has outdone herself today, I hope she recovers well and fast. You should give the news to Edge. He remains worried I think.“
Venom looks over to the large tom, his blind eyes staring emptily ahead of him, but his tattered ear swivelling in their direction, announcing that his attention has been drawn in by the mention of his name.
„I will. You should should head in and speak with Grail though. That is.. after you’ve groomed yourself. You are NOT entering MY healer’s den like this. I have to heal cats in there“
Talon hums, slightly taken aback at the healer’s words as she pads over to Edge, the calm tom turning to listen to Venom. Unsure at first what to make of Venom’s comment, Talon confusedly looks at himself. With a bit of embarrassment, the tom finds that all the time he’s been there waiting, he still had the dog’s blood all over him, now mostly caked to his fur. Hissing a quiet curse to himself, Talon begins grooming himself, the blood so much more difficult to lap off than it would have been when it was still liquid. Taking a painstaking while, the red eyed leader decides that it will have to do for now, most of the blood being gone, only harder to reach pots on his back remaining. He can take care of that later still. Shaking his pelt out as he rises up onto his paws, Talon slips into the healer’s den. His eyes adjusting to the dim light after a few heartbeats, he observes the inside. A small empty storage room, water dripping down into a low bucket from a slightly busted pipe on the ceiling. Several nests are prepared near the bucket, in one of them a familiar russet pelt calmly rising and falling. As Talon slowly pads to Grail, his ear swivels over to the other side of the room, near a pair of nests the lowest of an ascending column of shelves, the healer’s den’s herbs are neatly assorted. Venom and Rain are sitting there, the former having long since returned from speaking with Edge and currently explaining her young trainee different ways to use each herb, the youthful tom attentively listening to her every word. Grail’s ears flick and perk up as Talon sits down beside her, before she raises her head, looking up at the dark grey tom
„How are you, Grail? Venom is confident that you’ll fully recuperate.“
The she-cat’s whiskers twitch, though a pained groan escapes her as she tries to turn a bit to not have to strain her neck as much looking up. Her speech is slow, her current pain evident in each word
„So she says. Since I’m still here, you got the dog then. That’s good. I’m sorry to have missed it“
Talon shakes his head
„You have nothing to be sorry for. You were very brave today. I was honestly impressed and so were the young ones. The dog fell quickly thanks to you“
Her eyes lighten up at Talon’s words. The dark tom fails to read everything going on behind the she-cat’s gaze, but joy and pride seem to be among it. He can not help but feel flattered, he did not expect that his praise alone would make Grail glow up like that, especially with the pain she remains in currently.
„Thank you. I got Edge to train with me a few times recently. Thought maybe it’d catch a dog off-guard“
Talon chuckles and nods
„It certainly did. Jumping in a dog’s face of all things, bold barely begins to describe it.“
Grail joins in with Talon’s chuckle, a soft purr rumbling in her throat. Both their ears swivel towards the entrance a heartbeat later, as cheering sounds through the alley. Talon smiles contently
„The young ones must have returned. I must go and hold the ceremony. I’ll bring you the tooth you earned for your collar afterwards. For now you must rest and heal. You earned yourself the rest“
Talon leans in, touching her forehead with his nose, before turning to pad out of the healer’s den. Outside he finds the scene he expected, the warriors returned, paws bloodied from carving through the felled canine, heads held high. Spider and Ferret both look excitedly showing off their new reinforcing claws to their clanmates. Gash sits nearby, dignifiedly calm on the outside, but his eyes betray his flaring pride at his daughter’s accomplishment. Looking over his shoulder after hearing pelt brush against stone behind him, Talon finds Rain peeking out of the healer’s den, curious eyes watching with awe the victorious young warriors, drawing a small chuckle from Talon. Wasting no time, the dark grey leader bounds to his wall climbing it within a few swift motions and sitting down at it’s top, attentions soon drawn to him as more and more cats look up to the tom.
„Ferret, Spider, step forward“
The two young warriors pad up closer to the wall, radiating warmth and accomplishment as their clanmates sit down in a large semi-circle around them. Talon raises his head high, speaking loudly and clearly, his voice to be heard by all in the alley, a small hint of the mirth he feels at this particular of his duties remaining in it as he addresses the cats below.
„These two warriors return to us today in victory, slaying their first dog for the safety of us all. The blood of Bloodclan’s enemies soaks their fur and laps at their paws. They demonstrated that they are willing to risk their own and spill the blood of any threat to our clan. I grant these warriors their new claws. May they protect the clan, as the clan protects them“
Unable to keep a mild smile from his face at the beaming faces of the two warriors, Talon nods his head in respect, followed by all cats assembled around Ferret and Spider. As soon as their heads rise, many of them move in close to congratulate them, Ferret darting over to Gash, purring at her father’s praise and licks over her ear.
„Heartwarming ever time, right?“
Kestrel leaps up to the top of the wall via the large dumpster near it, speaking past a dog tooth in his maw, which he lays down beside Talon
„Your trophy. Since it’s your kill, you still get to decide the fate of the fangs.“
Talon flicks his ear, nodding at his second
„Thank you, Kestrel. I think I’d like them separated evenly among the four young ones, they shall be their trophy teeth for their collars. Bring me one more tooth though, I told Grail I’d bring her hers after the ceremony.“
„Sounds like she’ll be fine then? That’s good to hear. I guessed as much when Edge left the healer den’s side, but it’s always better to have confirmation. I’ll be right back then“
Stretching himself first for a moment, Kestrel then bounds down to what has been brought to camp from the dog while Talon picks up his new dog tooth, slowly wedging it between his neck and collar, pushing it against the leather until it finally bursts through. As he adjusts it for comfort, he finds his thoughts wandering. This should silence the other leaders for a little while, but what of Scourge? Does he approve, or even care about today’s hunt? When will the former leader call him to the Dark Forest again and what lessons will be taught? Despite a bit of trepidation, Talon has to admit to himself that he holds a certain amount of anticipation for it as well.

Chapter Text

Ashfur sighs deeply as his eyes open to perceive the same den walls as the last few days already. Drawing his fist conscious breaths after waking, he tastes the smell of herbs in the air. Having had stays in the medicine den of multiple days before, the scent bothers him little. Slowly he raises his head from his bedding, shaking a few small pieces of moss from his neckfur, only to be reminded of the reason for his presence here, as the motion still causes discomfort to spark up in his back. His back is already far better than it has been, during the first two days of his stay this would have caused him very real pain, now it was more akin to a quite bothersome discomfort. Still there are four more days to go… four more days before he may finally leave. Four more days before he will have to live up to his promise to Lionpaw, and his own first training session at the paws of Talon. Looking down at his paws, un- and resheathing his claws several times, the tom has to admit to himself that he dreads the former every bit as much as he looks forward to the second. Days spend doing nothing have allowed his thoughts to run rampant, his hope for to improve and his curiosity to learn more about Bloodclan and it’s ways having been reoccurring frequently during this time. Sadly though, these thoughts have still failed to keep his mind from wandering to Squirrelflight every so often. The presence of both Leafpool and Jaypaw having helped little, although the latter of the two seems to try his best to stay out of the den at almost every opportunity currently, for which Ashfur was grateful, though it makes him wonder why. Usually being away from most of the clan in the medicine den suits Jaypaw from what he could tell. Is Ashfur the issue? Perhaps his presence really does bother the medicine cat apprentice as he had speculated a few times. Leafpool on the other paw seems not to mind the tom, checking up on him fairly regularly, beside Hazeltail, whom has joined Ashfur in the den as patient. Apparently the she-cat got her ankle stuck on a branch of brambles while hunting, twisting it somewhat badly and the thorns stabbing into it. Ashfur looks over to the brown fur laying in a nearby nest, still peacefully rising and falling as the she-cat still slumbers, before motion in the back of the den draws the grey tom’s attention to it. Leafpool once more sorting leafs into neat little piles. Ashfur watches without a word. So calm and seemingly well focused on whatever she’s doing at the time, so very much the opposite of the spontaneity and whimsy of her sister. With a displeased hum, the grey tom lays his head down as he once more notices his thoughts turn towards the orange she-cat, the longing clenching down inside his chest. Patience, just patience. Change will come, he’ll just have to show some diligence. He’d managed so far, what’s a few more moons at this point? If he could only know for sure that he will finally have his heart’s singular desire by the end of it, he’d be willing to endure several more seasons. The wonderful memories of their earlier courtship flash by before Ashfur, easing the ache for a brief moment as he reminisces, before it returns in force. He never saw the end of it coming, it had caught him entirely by surprise. For moons he’d wondered if he’d done or said something wrong, but to the best of his ability he failed to find anything. Maybe he just grew too soft in that time. Being wishlessly happy, maybe he should have kept pushing himself more. Maybe Brambleclaw overtook him without him taking notice, too blinded by Squirrelflight‘s splendour too see the concurrence until he could no longer compete. But now that will change, just four more days… what’s four days compared to the seasons he’d now felt useless for already.
His ear flicks and he semi-consciously takes notice as Leafpool approaches, leaves in her maw to chew up into poultice.
„Good morning, Leafpool“
The medicine cat nods her head in return, still holding leaves in her maw as she carefully removes the cobwebs from Ashfur’s back. Knowing the drill by now, the grey warrior shifts lightly to grant the she-cat easier access to the wound, patiently waiting for her to do her work, his gaze turning to the den’s entrance. There is mild discomfort as he feels the poultice being applied, significant improvement from the first days where the pain of it would make the tom claw at the ground. He sighs softly as he feels the nimble paws of Leafpool applying new cobwebs moments later, flicking his ear. Outside he can spot Icepaw and Foxpaw playing, joyfully laughing as they play-fight, rolling over the clearing’s ground and being a general bother. A small smile forms on Ashfur at the sight of his young kin enjoying their youth. Still so young and free of worries. Ferncloud is likely watching them from the nursery.
„There, all done. You seem to be feeling a bit better again“
Ashfur looks over at Leafpool as she steps forth from behind him, the wound now nicely covered once more.
„Thank you, Leafpool. Do you think I could go by the nursery?“
The tabby medicine cat sits down, flicking her tail behind her as she looks over the tom
„As long as you don’t wander much further or strain your back, it should be fine. Please don’t wander much further though, it hasn’t healed fully yet and could tear back open.“
Nodding slowly, the grey warrior slowly rises up on his paws with a gentle grunt as he puts his weight on them for the first time in days.
„I won’t leave the camp. I’ll be back soon. Maybe without me you can lure Jaypaw back into the den for a moment“
The she-cat’s whiskers twitch, though as Ashfur looks at her he somehow can’t shake the feeling her amusement is less than earnest this time. Is he right in his assumption that he’s the reason Jaypaw is staying away at every opportunity? He has not much love for the snarky apprentice, but can’t recall ever having done him any wrong. Or is this Jaypaw still holding a grudge for his rough training session with Lionpaw a little while ago? He might be putting Leafpool in an uncomfortable position if he were to inquire. Keeping his suspicions and wondering from showing, he nods his head in goodbye to Leafpool before stepping outside the den. Taking a deep breath of the chill forest air, he pads over to a familiar pair of eyes, as expected overlooking the clearing from the nursery. Ferncloud looks up, her expression growing into one of warmth and joy as she spots her brother’s approach, coming forth from the den to meet him halfway.
„Ashfur! How are you feeling? Is Leafpool letting you go?“
As the two siblings meet, they exchange caring licks over each other’s ear
„Not quite yet. But she lets me outside if I don’t run off. How have you been, Ferncloud?“
The two grey pelted warriors walk side by side to settle down beside the nursery, trying to catch whatever warmth the sun is still willing to give so late in the year, their breath slightly frosting before them.
„Icepaw and Foxpaw seem to be doing well. They will become great warriors, like all your kits, Ferncloud“
The green eyed she-cat purrs and nods, her content eyes wandering back to the two young cats still playing.
„They grow up fast. They seem happy with their mentors. Whitewing and Squirrelflight are taking them hunting later today“
The joyful demeanour in Ferncloud’s face changes as she realises after a few heartbeats what she said, sending a checking glance over to her sibling. Ashfur is watching the two young apprentices play with a neutral expression, but it doesn’t escape his sister’s notice that his right paw’s claws have unsheathed and embedded themselves in the ground. Ashfur notices his littermate’s look and sighs, the claws retracting at the hint of worry and sorrow in her eyes. She knows, how couldn’t she. She’d always know when something was amiss with him. Before Ferncloud can attempt herself at an apology, Ashfur stops her, laying his tail on her shoulder
„You said nothing wrong. Those are their mentors and I’m sure they are doing well as such. Squirrelflight is a great hunter and able warrior, she’ll teach Foxpaw well“
His attempt to keep his voice neutral fails only ever so slightly as the pain in his chest flares up with intensity. He doesn’t doubt his words, the orange she-cat is indeed a great huntress. Watching her moving gracefully through the underbrush or moving with silent elegance over the branches of the trees had been a great joy to the tom when they were together. They regularly hunted together back in those days, and she’d proven her ability as a warrior not too long ago during the border fight with Windclan, fending off one of their warriors that had gotten past him as he along with Lionpaw and a few others held them back at the border. She’ll do well mentoring Foxpaw. Just like everything else she does. Just now without him.
„I don’t know how to help you, Ashfur. I wish I did. I see that it is still hurting you, even now after all these moons…“
Realising that he’d been staring emptily ahead, Ashfur returns his gaze to his sister, finding her remorseful eyes staring back at him. She leans in against her sibling, delivering caring licks over his shoulder, causing Ashfur to sigh quietly. Ferncloud cares, of course she would. The tom has to confess to himself that his sibling’s sympathy is somewhat soothing, to know his kin still cares, even when the clan doesn’t. But she shouldn’t have to worry about him. He swore to protect her when they mourned their mother, and she has kits to raise. Foxpaw and Ice paw may have decent mentors, but they still need their mother, and they have the best one in all Thunderclan.
„It’s alright, Ferncloud. I think that maybe I have found something that will help. I’ll try“
Ferncloud’s head raises up, looking at Ashfur with attentively perked ears and a hopeful shimmer in her green eyes.
„I would be happy if that’s so. What have you found then?“
Ashfur shoots his sister a small smile. He can’t quite tell her, she would worry for him, knowing he’s meeting a Bloodclan cat. She might not even be wrong to do so, but he shouldn’t be even more of a burden to her.
„Well, first I’ll need to get out of the medicine den for a start. And ideally get Lionpaw’s mentoring done as soon as possible. Though, that should not be too much of an issue, he has the talent to pass his assessment almost already. I just wish he were a little more humble, but he will become a strong warrior for Thunderclan“
Ferncloud nods, her demeanour warmer once more after hearing Ashfur’s hopeful words, shooting him a content gaze before looking out into the clearing once more to observe her kits. Ashfur follows her gaze, relieved that his littermate doesn’t seem to have noticed him dodging the actual question. With a bit of luck though, his words would turn out true. Growing stronger, becoming Thunderclan’s strongest warrior, it’s the only real chance he still has. Besides turning Lionpaw into a powerful warrior of course, but despite his difficulties their progress on that is going well for the most part. Squirrelflight’s son will be a great warrior after his mentorship. But he will be greater yet. Only four more days.
Turning his head to see an all too familiar orange pelt walk into camp with fresh-kill hanging from her jaw. Four more days… and then things might slowly begin to change at long last. His eyes follow Squirrelflight as she moves past to lay down her catch on the fresh-kill pile and greet Foxpaw. All he needs is time, training, and then an opportunity. Windclan has been so very eager to get into fights with Thunderclan lately, he will have his chance. He will learn, grow stronger than Brambleclaw could ever hope to be and show it off right in front of Squirrelflight when the time comes. The very last reasonable thing he can think of, but it will work. It has to work. It must work. His eyes keep following Squirrelflight still as she leaves the camp again, now with Foxpaw in tow, the young one eager for his training today. It must work, Ashfur keeps reminding himself, not noticing the deeply worried look of Ferncloud, watching him as he’s subconsciously clutching his chest again at the sharp sting within.

Chapter Text

Slowly Talon opens his eyes, groaning softly as he raises his head from his paws. As he lazily looks around, all he beholds is perfect darkness all around. Is it so late in the night and the twoleg lights went out? Sighing softly, he lowers his head, to his surprise seeing his own paws with absolute clarity. He’s not in his den, that must mean… The tom rises to his paws and looks around more thoroughly, finding a familiar shape standing a few pawsteps behind him, beholding him with icy blue eyes.
„Greetings, Scourge. Time for the first training session then?“
As Talon shakes out his pelt and pads over to the small black cat, that one sets into motion as well, beginning to lead the way
„Yes. You will need it. In time you will face fierce battles, you will need to be ready.“
Talon hums quietly as he follows the deceased leader. Makes sense, uniting the clan will likely end up having him fight the likes of Wrath. As of right now, that would still come close to a certain death sentence. He will need to grow stronger to press his claim to the end.
„Why did you not attack?“
Talon’s thoughts are interrupted by Scourge’s voice, the black tom carrying on to pad ahead without looking back at the grey warrior following him
„Attack who?“
„Any of them. You have enough cats, you could have taken over Granite or Wraith’s territory by now, added their cats and ground to yours. Snow is setting in as you sleep right now, the opportunity is over for now. Why did you not seize it?“
Talon blinks, somewhat surprised at Scourge’s accusation
„Facing either Flame or Wraith would have been my death. Is that not why I am here to train?“
„You could have send another cat to lead the charge“
„Would that not have been… cowardly? Not to mention cats would have died, clanmates“
Scourge shakes his head, in clear disapproval despite nothing changing in his expression
„A leader makes no excuses, Talon. If there‘s a mistake, he corrects it, but he owes no explanation. Do not excuse your course of action, or cats will begin to doubt it. Cats that doubt you won’t be loyal. A clan without loyalty breaks apart“
Talon’s ears perk up. His lessons have already begun before he’d even noticed.
„I see. I will do better, Scourge“
„You will have to. You have less choice in the matter than you know. If you wish to stop Bloodclan cats from dying, you have hardly any choice at all.“
After a short while already, Talon notices that the environment changes. No more emptiness, but the crooked trees of the Dark Forest surround them now. Scourge spins around and sits down, prompting Talon to halt and sit as well, his attention on the small tom before him
„I’ve brought you in much closer to the Dark Forest this time. We are still trying to find out if they have any way of knowing if or where sleeping cats enter the afterlife. “
„Of course.“
Talon nods his head in agreement.
„As for what I said, you should have attacked still. If a cat openly claims you to act cowardly, challenge them. Either they back down, making themselves the coward instead, or you shred them and prove their words wrong. The opportunity you missed will cost the clan, Talon. It will cost the clan dearly.“
Worry rises up in Talon at Scourge’s words, though he tries not to show. How so? What will happen now? He did not attack because he hoped to keep cats from dying. Does Scourge mean to say that backfires?
„How so? With leafbare now having started as you said, who would fight us?“
„You count on all cats making logical decisions, Talon. Most of them make their decisions more often based on ideals and emotion than on actual thought. And not all cats die at the end of a claw. The clan will suffer this leafbare and it’s consequences will drag itself along for a long time like a festering wound.“
„Then how do I stop it? What can I do to prevent it, Scourge?“
Talon’s voice is heavy with his guilty worry. If Scourge is right, Bloodclan might lose a lot of cats. There must be something that can be done, surely. Attacking or wandering far is risky during a snowy leafbare, but some solutions must remain. Talon’s heart sinks as Scourge simply closes his eyes and shakes his head
„Cats made their decisions, you included, and now the time of consequence arrives. No cat can avoid consequence. Your best course of action now is to keep your cats safe and well. The stronger your faction is when leafbare ends, the better your chances to avoid such a thing again in the future. But for now, things will run their course. Besides, you will have worries of your own“
Talon slowly nods, though leaves his head hanging afterwards. A feeling of helplessness lays heavy on the tom’s heart. This is precisely what he sought to avoid. Could he have done better? How would things be playing out if he had attacked as Scourge says he should have? Maybe he could have assured cats were fed with more territory. Perhaps having access to his herbs could have saved his clanmates in other factions. But what about those worries he will have? Perhaps at least those he will be able to deal with, that is what he is there for after all. Slowly rising his head again, he looks at Scourge
„Those worries… do they involve the traitor you mentionned?“
„That and more, Talon. Cats always speak of loyalty like it’s such a clear cut thing. It is often much more fickle than any cat would admit. Sometimes cats grow disillusioned when they discover that their idea of something and reality are vastly different from each other.“
Talon observes Scourge raise his paw to his collar during that last sentence, seeming to reminisce for a moment before returning returning his eyes to Talon. Clearly emotions run through the small tom, but neither voice nor gaze betray even a bit of it. They remain calm and cold, no opening, no weakness. Talon can’t help but be impressed, although the worry of all he’s just been told remaining strong in the back of his mind.
„Also, be wary with your little forest pet, Talon. A few of the Dark Forest cats have grown far too content and impatient in the last few days. I have a feeling some plot is coming together in the forest clans. Do not get too involved. Bloodclan has it’s own troubles to deal with right now. It’s attention can not become divided with other cats troubles“
„My loyalty is to Bloodclan, Scourge. You know that. Ashfur‘s purpose is for me to train and to gather intel on the forest clans for the future. That is all“
Scourge’s stare seems to grow colder still, peering into Talon’s eyes, causing the grey cat’s neckfur to stand up in discomfort. Without speaking a word, Scourge imposes a feeling of imminent mortal danger on Talon.
„You are there at least just as much to sate your own curiosities, Talon. Lie to me ever again and I’ll remove your pelt while you’re conscious to behold it.“
At no point does Scourge’s voice change in tone, yet his threat goes right under Talon’s skin. Scourge would be capable of keeping his word on this. He bows his head before the small black tom
„I did not intend to lie, Scourge. I apologise“
Feeling his heartbeat increase, Talon waits, head remaining lowered, for an answer from Scourge. After what felt like seasons, Scourge give a disgruntled sigh, the most emotional noise Talon ever heard from the cold former leader, raising his gaze to meet Scourge’s eyes.
„You still cower too easily. Two things you should understand Talon: what I say will always be true and I will always evaluate your response to it from now on. I WILL claw your fur off if you lie again, but you lead Bloodclan cats. You can absolutely not cower and beg forgiveness, ever. Cats followed me because I could keep them safe, fed and guided. If I had EVER cowered like that, Bloodclan would not have become as powerful as it was.“
Talon blinks, thinking on this for a moment, his neckfur slowly laying down again
„I understand. It is merely difficult. You were my leader, Scourge. You remain a legend to us all.“
Talon slightly winces as the tips of Scourge’s reinforced claws move across his chest in one swift motion. The gash isn’t deep, but blood begins flowing from it, dampening the fur around as the surprised Talon recoils with wide eyes
„I said no excuses, Talon. What if you come face to face with Flame or Wrath? What if some rogue builds a similar reputation as I had and threatens Bloodclan territory? Whom you got in front of you matters not. If the clan’s leader is weak, the clan is weak. If the clan is weak, it and all cats in it suffer. So, what must you do to keep Bloodclan from suffering?“
Scourge raises his paw, beginning to lap the droplets of Talon’s blood off his claws. Slowly settling down again, Talon places his paw on his wound before removing it, beholding his blood sticking to his pawpads. The gash stings, though not too much. The wound would heal within a day or two completely. The lesson would need to stick longer.
„…I will be strong. Strong enough to protect and lead the clan“
„You will. Your training has begun, Talon. Do not disappoint me. What you are meant to do is too important. Get up. It is time that you see how a leader of Bloodclan should fight“

Talon groans as he slowly rises up inside his den, feeling like he’d just fallen down a ravine. Luckily Scourge deigned to take off their dogteeth before training, or even with claws mostly sheathed he’d be cut up bad now. He had expected Scourge to be nimble, but not his strength, nor how easily the small tom could exploit even the briefest opening in Talon’s defence. In just one night Talon has been made a lot more familiar with the feel and smell of the Dark Forest’s floor than he’d have ever cared to know. Looking down himself, he still smells blood. He wipes his paw along his chest, with surprise finding that it is in fact still bleeding. The wound Scourge struck remains real even awake. No, not a mere wound, a reminder. He will need to change his ways if he is to lead Bloodclan. Slowly stepping forth and out of his den, Talon is greeted by a gust of freezing air. A gentle snowfall has set in, parts of the alley already covered in a thin white coat. Scourge was right, snow has set in… which means he was likely right about everything else as well. Looking around, Talon deduces from the few trails of pawprints and equally few cats he can spot up and about that most the cats are still in their nests. Waving his tail in greeting to Viper and Daze, the two mothers waving back, sharing tongues with each other, Talon walks into the healer’s den. After his eyes adjust, he spots Grail soundly sleeping in one end of the room and Rain in the far other. Venom currently leans over the low bucket catching the pipe’s water, refreshing herself with a drink before she takes notice of Talon and pads over.
„Greetings, Talon. Seems leafbare is here aftera… are you injured? I smell blood“
The she-cat’s expression briefly contorts with worry, but after observing Talon standing strong it disappears again
„Just a small scratch. Want to make sure it won’t get infected. We have something for that, right?“
Venom nods, sniffling the air and finding the wound lightly hidden under Talon’s chest fur easily enough.
„I’ll lick some marigold into it, that will stop the bleeding and keep infection out. But only a bit, I don’t want to burn through my new reserves already. Follow me“
The two cats wander over to the lowest shelf, where Venom has her sorted herbs. Taking a small piece of marigold, she begins chewing it into a thin paste before leaning in to lick it into Talon’s gash. The grey tom flicks his torn ear at the sting, but makes no comment, knowing better than to interrupt Venom while she’s treating a patient. After a small while it is done and Venom steps back
„That should do. To be safe, come back tomorrow so I can take a look at it again, but as long as you don’t go crawling through the greatest filth, you should be good now.“
Talon nods his head and mews his thanks, about to turn around to leave when Venom cuts off his path. Her voice is quiet, but her eyes show that whatever it is, she is serious about it
„There is… one more thing might wish to know. It is about Grail.“
Talon lowers his voice, understanding the she-cats effort to not let Grail hear should she wake up
„What about her? You said she’d be fine“
„And she will be for he most part. I had her stand up, walk and even slowly run a few laps in here, she’ll be out before the moon‘s end. But I fear her head injury did not go by as tracelessly as I’d hoped“
Deep worry ties a knot in Talon’s stomach, casting a glance over to the sleeping russet she-cat.
„Why, what is wrong?“
„Nothing too major, luckily. But I noticed the last two days that she has developed involuntary ticks that she did not have before. When she gets excited, stressed or otherwise worked up, she begins flicking her right ear and muscle spasms set in in her right side. Usually just the legs, but sometimes also the eye and facial muscles. She‘ll be fine for hunting again, but if or how much it impedes her in a stressful fight, I can‘t say with certainty yet. Considering how she was flung, she still got away lucky, but she will probably carry this with her for life.“

Chapter Text

Ashfur shakes his pelt out as he enters camp again, Lionpaw following right behind him, exhausted but content. Finally out of the medicine den. Ashfur breathes up and stretches, limbering up his muscles after the exercise that was today’s training lesson with his apprentice. After having been condemned to lay still for so long, the effort felt good and Lionpaw keeps surprising him. Brackenfur and Brambleclaw both claim not to have done much with the bright pelted apprentice, and yet he seems to have come up with entirely new moves for today’s combat training. Looking at the tired apprentice making his way past him over to the apprentice den for a bit of rest, Ashfur feels a bit of pride in Lionpaw. He kept his word, kept his boastfulness to himself, and today’s lesson turned out almost enjoyable for both of them, despite Brackenfur’s comments that they are again fighting too harshly for training. Lionpaw can manage, he’s increasingly proven so. Squirrelflight’s son will be one of the greatest warriors the clans ever knew after his mentoring, surely that would have to count for something in the end.
Looking up into the sky, Ashfur observes the slowly sinking sun. The first snow has fallen a few days ago, and the days have been getting shorter for a while now already. If Ashfur is to do anything before nightfall, it’d be best to do it now. Not to mention that if he stays in the camp doing nothing, he’ll likely be chosen for the duskpatrol… Shaking his head, he decides to go out and do what he’s been doing since before encountering Talon, hunt and feed the clan. Prey will be scarcer now, but he’ll find something. He usually does. Padding past Cloudtail, giving his adoptive sibling an acknowledging nod as the white furred warrior moves past with fresh-kill in his maw, Ashfur pushes through the camp’s entrance.

Laying outside, digging with appetite into a vole, Ashfur watches the camp. His hunt had been a success as per usual, although he noted that prey was even fewer than he’d suspected. It might become a difficult leafbare if that persists. Under his blue gaze, the clan’s warriors and apprentices have all already retreated into their dens, only tonight’s guard outside, as well as Longtail. The cold seems to bother Longtail far less than his fellow elder Mousetail. Then again, he was still a bit younger than the brown she-cat. Observing the blind elder looking up at silverpelt, Ashfur wonders what might be going through his head. Longtail has been there for a long time, he was a warrior already when Firestar joined the clan as an apprentice, before Ashfur was even born. Longtail’s tenacity always impressed Ashfur, even after loosing his sight he kept hunting for the clan. He would still be a fierce warrior if he could still see, the grey tom has no doubts on that. Finishing his vole and licking the last bits of blood from his muzzle, Ashfur rises to his paws. He should be going soon, he can’t know for sure when Talon will arrive. He’d rather not keep the Bloodclan warrior waiting on their first day of training. Not after having waited with such anticipation for it to finally begin. He wanders over to the camp’s entrance, as he draws near recognising tonight’s guard as his kin Spiderleg. The grey tom nods his head to the younger warrior as he passes. Spiderleg’s amber eyes hold questions, but he does not speak them, waving his tail in greeting instead, watching his mother’s brother disappear into the forest. The earth has already hardened with a bit of frost under Ashfur’s paws as he pads through the nighttime forest, ears alertly swivelling atop his head. He hadn’t noticed Talon hiding in a tree last time they met. This time he wishes for no surprises. His purpose is clear tonight, grow stronger, learn all he can.
Approaching their spot by the river however, Ashfur finds that the tom has already arrived and is sitting by the water’s edge. As Ashfur pushes through the reeds, Talon’s ear swivels backwards, clearly having noticed the arriving warrior. The blue eyed tom notes that Talon keeps looking into the water, much like he ever so often would. Something is weighing on the Bloodclan warrior. As if feeling Ashfur’s thoughts, Talon takes a deep breath and looks over to him, expression neutral and eyes betraying nothing of what is going on.
„So you came. Did the wound heal well enough?“
Sitting down next to the darker tom, Ashfur nods
„It did. Didn’t even scar much. Didn’t reopen training with my apprentice today, so I think it will be fine“
Talon hums quietly, pulling his tail over to wind around his paws
„Good. Your apprentice, you say?“
Ashfur tilts his head at the question. Surely Bloodclan understands having an apprentice, right? How else would they train their cats?
„Yes, the apprentice I was appointed to train. Lionpaw. Do you have an apprentice as well?“
Talon’s eyes grow a little thoughtful as he seems to ponder his response
„Depending on how you look at it. Not appointed, no. But I do from time to time train with some of the other cats and I teach the younger warriors a few things. If that counts.“
„Your warriors are not appointed apprentices to train?“
Ashfur does little to disguise the surprise in his voice. Talon shakes his head
„No. That is not a concept Bloodclan works with. The young are at first mostly trained by their parents or any warrior volunteering, and after they become full members of the clan, they can ask any warrior to help and teach them. They are not limited to a single mentor. A young warrior may ask any clanmate for assistance in growing stronger, be it for hunting, fighting or anything else“
Ashfur looks from Talon into the slowly flowing water of the river. A very different way of training their young. It sounds smart, but at the same time the concept just seems downright alien, to Ashfur, as if an important component was missing in it.
„And how do they become full members? The clans hold an assessment of their apprentices when the mentor declares them ready. They will be observed hunting and if they do well, they are given their warrior name and become warriors“
„Only hunting? Well, I imagine that would work in the forest. A Bloodclan cat needs to pass the three trials to get their first trophy and be recognised as fully fledged warriors. They must fool and escape twolegs, prove themselves in a fight and survive for a moon without the clan’s aid.“
Ashfur blinks, returning his gaze to Talon. That seems like a lot more than their requirements.
„I understand proving your fighting ability. I imagine surviving some time alone make sense as well… but why the twolegs?“
Talon lifts his paw to his collar
„Where else would our young get their collars? Not all who join us are kitty-pets, those born of our own warriors or loners we accept in have to get it from twolegs first, then escape said twolegs to return to us. Although, that is much less complicated than it sounds. There are a few twolegs known for taking in cats and giving them collars without much further ado. In reality that is often the easiest of the trials if the young ones asked around and prepared in advance. It’s usually the last of the trials anyway. If something goes wrong, the skills they needed for their previous trials will help keep them alive“
As the Bloodclan cat’s paw descends back down, Ashfur finds himself observing the collar. Teeth and carved bones sticking out all round it, glistening in the light of the moon despite many of them yellowing by now. With a short silence following, Talon looks back into the water. Ashfur looks for the other tom’s gaze in the water’s reflecting surface, the red eyes seeming to hold regret. Pondering for several heartbeats if or not he should pry, Ashfur decides to give in to curiosity
„Did something happen? You seem distracted“
Talon slowly hums and nods, before licking his paw and drawing it over his ear several times
„No cat can avoid consequence. A great cat told me this a few days ago, and he’s been proven right shortly after. A choice I made may end up having consequences for another cat’s life. I am still wondering if I was right or not, or what I could have done differently“
Ashfur flicks his ear, listening to the dark grey warrior. If only some of his clanmates showed this amount of consideration. This cat cares deeply for his clanmates. Almost everything he’s learned about Talon himself so far contradicts everything Thunderclan believes and teaches about Bloodclan warriors. If Talon had been born in Thunderclan instead, perhaps they would have been friends. As the blue eyed warrior fails to produce an answer for a while, Talon slowly raises his left paw. Ashfur wonders for a moment what Talon might be up to, before he watches him bite one of the dogteeth reinforcing his claws and with a little cautious pull and wiggle pull it off. As it drops to the ground, Talon gets to work on the next, and then the next, one by one removing the large reinforcing claws from his paws. Ashfur watches silently, never having seen something like that. He didn’t know they could be taken off, then again he never asked. The final claw hitting the ground, Talon rises to his paws.
„We can start training now. Get ready, Ashfur. Claws may be sheathed, but don’t think that I will make it easy. If you want to grow stronger, you will need to put the necessary effort into it“
Ashfur nods, his heart beginning to beat a bit faster. So it begins at last. Getting up and bounding a taillength away from Talon, he crouches down, readying himself. Finally. Anticipation grows bright in his blue eyes as he beholds the Talon lowering himself into a battle ready crouch. Whatever emotion those red eyes held vanishes as they narrow. Ashfur tries to push down his emotions, clearing his head as he faces his opponent, eyes narrowing in return.
„You fought decently last time, but knowing you had only one cat teaching you explains to me why you made one critical mistake. Your mentor was smaller or lighter than you, correct?“
Ashfur’s thoughts turn to Dustpelt. The tom is indeed smaller than he. Also Dustpelt is quite lithe, whereas Ashfur is broader in stature.
„Yes, why?“
„Because you fight as if you were too. A lithe cat has less worry when knocked down, less weight working against you. Not you, if you crash down, it’s harder for you to get away. That’s how I won last time. Try to work more with stability. You have strength, shorter movements and countering your opponent will work better for you as a start. I will try to knock you down, try to resist“
Huffing out a breath from his nostrils, Ashfur nods. Stability… Rather counter than attack. Perhaps a slightly broader stance will work. As Talon slowly prowls around him, Ashfur turns to keep facing him, widening his stance a bit. Suddenly Talon rushes forward, changing direction just barely out of the reach of Ashfur’s claws. The grey tom tries to turn to keep facing Talon, but only manages partially as the dark furred tom rams into him at full force. Ashfur feels some of the air being knocked out of him, the force projecting him back a bit, but he manages to catch himself from falling. Being a seasoned warrior still, he knows better than to celebrate too early, immediately proven right as Talon is already closing in already. With a forceful bat of his paw against Ashfur’s head, the warrior is destabilised for a moment. Raising his paw to strike back, Ashfur just barely has time to see Talon’s descend, the Bloodclan warrior’s jaws clamping down on Ashfur’s other front leg. The Thunderclan warrior’s swipe hits Talon forcefully, but at this point that no longer rescues Ashfur, as less than a heartbeat later Talon strongly pulls back his head, pulling away all support under Ashfur’s upper body. He crashes to the ground, only to find Talon still holding on to his leg, able to easily roll Ashfur partially over and put his paw on the blue eyed warrior’s exposed neck once more before letting go
„Good. The broader stance will serve you better. But you prefer fighting with your claws. You should have tried to use your teeth to either stop my blow, or try to snap at my face. I would have needed to pull back, or risk getting a very nasty injury.“
As Talon steps back, Ashfur rolls back onto his paws before standing right back up
„Claws injure, teeth kill. That is what I was thought. We mainly use teeth for prey or badgers and the like. In a fight, usually only when we know it will only injure or give us a grip on the enemy.“
Talon huffs and shakes his head
„You miss out on a lot of chances, thinking like that. Even without killing blows, your teeth can be very useful, especially with a muscular frame like yours. Once you get a proper hold of your enemy, they need to be seriously good to still stand a chance. Teeth and claws work very well together. A bite can keep you close to an otherwise evasive enemy or allow you to open up weaknesses. As you noticed. Now, again! Try to catch either my blow or scruff when I attack the second time.“
Ashfur nods, briefly shaking out his pelt before dropping back down into a crouch. Though the blows he took spark a bit of anger in him, excitement by far outweighs it. Finally it begins. With this, he will have a chance again! If he can fight like that, or even better, there will be no denying it anymore. He will be better. A better warrior than Brambleclaw, a better choice, a worthier mate for Squirrelflight.

Chapter Text

Huffing, Talon raises his paw from Ashfur’s chest, letting the tom get back up. The blue eyed warrior slowly does so, grunting and breathing heavily. He’s got talent, unpolished as it is for now. With a bit of guidance, this forest warrior could become a fierce fighter. Ashfur certainly seems extraordinarily eager to learn, despite his obvious frustration each time he goes down. After shaking his pelt out, the Bloodclan leader takes a few steps back.
„I think this should do for tonight. If you practice a bit until our next meeting, we’ll be good to proceed to a few other techniques. Find whomever you usually train with and keep at it“
Ashfur shakes his pelt out as well, a small cloud of dust coming from his fur after having hit the ground many times throughout their session. His heavy breath frosting over as Ashfur sits down and looks at Talon, slowly shaking his head
„I don’t have any such cat. I used to mock fight with Brambleclaw regularly back when we were apprentices, but not since I became a warrior.“
No training? It is surprising Ashfur managed to remain this strong without regular sparring. Or are battles between their clans frequent enough to keeps their skills from completely rusting? It does explain how except for a few individuals they were losing to Bloodclan despite having numerical superiority. Until of course… Talon hums quietly, his eyes clouding with the memory of finding Scourge’s cold body amidst the bloodied grass. He banishes the memory from his mind and suppressing a growl after he fury inducing image popped back into his thoughts, he returns Ashfur’s gaze as coldly and evenly as he manages.
„Then I suggest doing so again. If these lessons with me are all you do, growing stronger will take a very long time. You need more practice than I can give in just a few nights each moon.“
Ashfur’s ears lower a bit and he turns away. Emotion seems to stir in his blue eyes, but he clearly makes an effort to not let it show much. Talon’s ears perking up at the warrior’s reaction.
„I fear that‘s not a good idea. It is… complicated between Brambleclaw and I these days.“
Talon tilts his head. Could this have to do with whatever has been plaguing Ashfur? He doesn’t seem to have any downright distain for this Brambleclaw, not as far as Talon can tell at least. There is no anger in his voice, no bristling fur, but there clearly is something causing the tom discomfort only talking about that other tom.
„I see. Well, perhaps you would have some other cat that might train with you? Kin, friends, you have a clan full of options. Surely someone can be found“
After a few heartbeats of silence, Ashfur nods as he sits up straighter again.
„I think so. Maybe Dustpelt or Cloudtail would agree.“
„Good. Then that’s settled.“
Talon pads over to the river, settling down at the water’s edge. The mud is mostly frozen stiff, the cold against his body feeling soothing after the exhaustion of fighting. Leaning forth, he takes a refreshing drink from the cold flowing waters, flicking his ear as he hears the forest warrior approach. Though he expects no hostility from the blue eyed tom, his muscles tense up slightly in reflex. His back is turned, but he will not be taken by surprise. He slowly relaxes as Ashfur quietly settles down about a taillength beside him, tucking his paws in under his chest fur. Raising his head again, Talon looks over to the warrior, finding his blue eyes thoughtful. A familiar sight. Perhaps he should risk asking. Eager to train as he is, Ashfur’s unlikely to let himself be deterred by Talon’s curiosity as long as he does’t pry too hard. Worst that might happen is that he’ll refuse to answer.
„You’re being very pensive again, Ashfur. The same look you usually have when you’re here alone. Something distracting you?“
Ashfur’s ears shoot up and he looks over to Talon, seeming rather surprised at the question. He takes a moment to ponder his response, uncertainty painting his face for a brief moment before the blue eyed warrior forces a neutral expression onto himself again.
„I am not sure how to answer that. I guess so, but I hope that will change, that I will be able to change it. That’s why I come here to practice“
Talon observes the forest warrior, humming quietly at the answer he is given. Maybe he can prod a bit further if he is cautious. Despite knowing it foolish, Talon can’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for the tom. He’s seen Ashfur suffering on his own for so many moons now, he can not muster the coldness or cruelty to remain indifferent to it.
„I assume it has to do with your reason for coming to this spot in the first place“
Ashfur nods, his eyes fixed on his reflection in the water. Emotion grow stronger in the warrior’s eyes, the same Talon has seen so many times before. Desperation, doubt, worry. Perhaps he’s pried enough. Merely bringing up whatever is going on clearly upsets the tom next to him, although Ashfur seems determined to not permit an outburst like on their first real encounter. He remains still, calmly resting by the river, only his eyes betraying the chaos within.
„I won’t force you to speak of it, but I’ve seen that look on you before. Quite often in fact, as you know now. I admit, I’m somewhat curious.“
Ashfur raises his gaze, slowly turning it towards the red eyed tom. It isn’t difficult to guess that Ashfur is heavily debating internally what he should say or reveal. Finally shaking his head with a defeated sigh, he turns his head up, looking at the stars.
„You gain little by knowing. Nothing about it would benefit you. There is a she-cat in my clan, it’s an entire story. If Thunderclan doesn’t deem it worth caring about, neither will you “
Talon scoffs softly, his tail flicking behind him.
„Pretentious of you to assume to know what I care about. We have time and nothing better to do. I’m willing to listen if you’re willing to tell.“
Ashfur nods slowly, taking a deep, surprisingly shaky breath before beginning. Talon listens attentively as the tom slowly, piece by piece lays bare his situation the way he experienced it. His voice remains calm and collected as the full tale is recounted, although the more he focuses on banishing all emotion from his voice the more his muscles tense up. He speaks of his initial affections for Squirrelflight, slowly getting to the impossible situation he now sees himself faced with. Seemingly subconsciously, Ashfur begins clutching his chest midway through, still too focused on allowing no feelings to enter his voice to notice his own gestures. Talon observes with a mixture of interest and worry as slowly the fur around Ashfur’s paw grows damp and red. He doesn’t even seem to notice that his claws have unsheathed, pressing into his chest. The first droplets of blood soon fall down onto the frozen clay, from where they run down into the river’s current. It takes the heartbroken warrior a while to tell the full story, as detailed as he tells it. Ashfur pauses from time to time in a bid to prevent emotion from overcoming him. While his bloodied chest easily betrays him, Talon is impressed at how calm Ashfur’s face and voice remain all throughout. If he manages to suppress that clutching around his clan, it is no surprise that few seem to know of his plight, his mask is nigh impeccable. Finally Ashfur’s tale arrives at the day he and Talon finally openly met, what his reflection was for trying to confront the Bloodclan cat in the first place and why he asked for training in the end. Talon is left in a state of surprise, though much like Ashfur shows little of what goes on within. It doesn’t seem like the story Ashfur told is the entire reason for his misery now, but it probably was the final nail in a larger coffin. The last loss in a longer row of losses that has driven Ashfur into the state he now finds himself in. The warrior already said more than Talon had hoped, it’d be both imprudent and insensitive to keep prying for today. What Talon learned today gives him enough to think about already. Never would he have expected that Ashfur’s attempt to ambush him had something to do with trying to impress a special someone in such a way. Learning that Firestar, Scourge’s killer, remains leader of Ashfur’s clan certainly roused his interest as well. The fact that this is about the flame coloured tom’s daughter of all cats was however not something Talon had seen coming. As for Ashfur‘s general idea, while desperate, it holds some logic. Knowing nothing about courtship among the forest clans, trying to become more desirable by being the most formidable among his clanmates seems fairly pragmatic to Talon. Thinking about what he’s now been let to know, he notices Ashfur’s sideway glance at him. The tom reasonably expects a response or reaction after his lengthy tale. Is Talon’s opinion merely something that intrigues the Thunderclan warrior, or does hearing an honest opinion matter to him regardless whom it‘s from? It does not sound like he receives much sympathy from his clanmates, perhaps he seeks it here then. Finally humming and looking into the flowing river, Talon answers as he slowly plunges one of his claws into the water, the current slightly rippling downstream behind it.
„Perhaps it paints me as weak for saying such a thing, but I’m sorry for what happened to you. I fear I have little advice of any worth to offer, these are not matters I know much of. But I said I would train you and I always make good on my word “
Ashfur’s ears rise up, his eyes as hard to read as his expression. His clutching stopped towards the end of his story already, his slightly bloody paw tucked back in under his fur, a tiny little trail of crimson leading from him to the river. Ashfur listens intently to each word, seeming to mull over every one of them with great care, before letting off a scoff and shaking his head. A small smile forms on the tom as he looks up at the stars once more
„Starclan is silent to my prayers. Most of my clanmates prefer gossiping over asking me. And so here I am, being consoled by the Bloodclan cat that almost killed me. Clearly I’ve gone wrong somewhere in my life“
As Ashfur chuckles at this, Talon joins in. He can’t disagree that there is some amount of absurdity to it all. After the long story, the initially soothing cold of the firm clay underneath has begun to be seep deep enough into Talon to cause him discomfort. In an attempt to keep his joints from aching the red eyed leader sits up.
„Perhaps. But who hasn’t. Among the cats of twoleg-place, not a single one’s life went flawlessly. There are always obstacles and difficulties. But the strong always overcome and unity makes strong. You too will overcome what ails you in time.“
Ashfur groans as he rises up as well, the chill having clearly begun to bother him as well. After taking a deep breath, the blue eyed warrios looks over at Talon.
„Thank you. For listening, for your words and lessons. For not killing me to start with, I guess. I don’t know what I expected coming here tonight, but it wasn’t this. Yet I hope this is finally a step in the right direction.“
After rising to his paws, Talon pads over to the pile of dogteeth and slowly begins picking them up and putting them back on his paws. He notices from the corner of his eye Ashfur watching the process with great interest. Talon speaks after he finishes his first paw, moving his digits and observing the reattached dogteeth, once again where they belong
„You did come to do training and talking and received both, no? Careful, or you may just end up thinking us Bloodclan cats to be more than just bloodthirsty rogues.“
He looks over his shoulder with a small grin, earning a small scoff and eyeroll from Ashfur before he proceeds to reattach the rest of his dogteeth, carefully sliding the back ends in over his actual claws
„Is all of Bloodclan like you? When you’re not fighting at least.“
Inspecting his reattached claws to ensure they sit both stably and comfortably for a moment before turning towards Ashfur, Talon considers his answer with a small hum
„No. The best way to describe Bloodclan would be to say that it’s made up of individuals. There are the kind and the less kind, the vicious and the less vicious. Loyalty to the clan and the promise to protect each other used to be the one thing we all equally had in common. What set us apart from the rogues that surrounded us. Now with the clan fractured, it’s at times hard to say. Each faction is a bit of a reflection of who leads it. But perhaps that was already true when we were still united. We lost more than a leader when Scourge died.“
Talon sighs and looks up at the sky, the stars shining, yet his eyes are drawn to the eery darkness between them. Memories of his nightmares that turned out to be none such return to him. That horrid, wretched abyss that waits for all who are not fortunate enough to be led somewhere better, anywhere at all. How long was Scourge wandering that empty hellscape before he found the Dark Forest? How long did the others languish in the Void before Scourge guided them to safety? The sound of Ashfur’s voice breaks Talon out of his thoughts.
„Scourge must have meant a lot to Bloodclan…“
Talon nods, looking over to the warrior, unable to entirely banish the hint of hurt from his voice at first at the mention of Scourge
„Our first leader and founder. Before him, there was only chaos in twoleg-place. Maybe I’ll tell you more about him next time. Speaking of, when should that be?“
Ashfur’s ear flicks as he hums in thought. He halfway suppresses a sigh, as if remembering something
„In a few days I will be busy at night. Perhaps the night after that. In four days?“
Talon stretches, muscles rippling under his dark pelt
„Works for me. Same time and place.“
Ashfur gives a short nod, looking over the river to the other side. Seeing this, Talon tilts his head before remembering Ashfur’s words from their last meeting. Someone had seen Talon and told the blue eyed warrior. Talon looks over to the other side, carefully scanning the riverbank, but sees nothing that would hint at someone else’s presence. Only reeds slowly swaying in the late, frosty breeze.
„I’ll be going then. Better not to let our clans miss us.“
„Right, of course“
Ashfur shakes his head to free it of thoughts that occupied it for a moment, returning his gaze onto the dark pelted Bloodclan leader
„In four days then. Starclan light your path, Talon“
„Scourge guide your claws, Ashfur. Until then.“

Chapter Text

Three days flow by fast before Ashfur, between hunting and training Lionpaw. Brambleclaw agreed to let Ashfur come along to tonight‘s Gathering without much discussion, seeming pleased that his old denmate approached him about something. Although Ashfur had thought for a moment that he saw caution in the tabby‘s eyes during their brief talk, but dismissed it. Brambleclaw is deputy, he certainly has many things on his mind. Many things… and she must be at least half of them. Ashfur shakes his head to free it of his thoughts. Laying near the warrior den, counting down the moments until Firestar calls together Thunderclan‘s delegation for tonight, he calmly observes the camp. There is no point in letting thoughts wander to her now. Tonight there is a different cat he‘d speak to if given the chance. He‘ll likely be there. He seems like the type to attend the Gathering as often as he can. That and he basically invited Ashfur to meet him there again. For a moment, a doubtful shadow lays itself over the grey warrior‘s thoughts. Is it wise to make friendships like that outside Thunderclan? Humming quietly to himself, pondering this for a while, he ends up sighing. Hawkfrost is Riverclan, they share no immediate border. It is not very likely that they‘d meet on the battlefield anytime soon. Both that, and Onestar‘s recent antics probably keep Riverclan just as much on their toes as they do Thunderclan. Especially ever since the fiasco with Riverclan relocating their camp to the island temporarily, Windclan‘s been increasingly irritating. In time, that will suit Ashfur just fine when his training ends. Until then, he will find other ways to keep busy.
His ears perk up as cats are gathering near the Highledge. It must be almost time to go. With a quiet grunt, he rises to his paws and pads over. Among the gathered clanmates he quickly spots Cloudtail, remembering Talon‘s words to him. He hasn‘t asked yet if his adoptive sibling would care to train with him, perhaps now would be a good time. Cloudtail‘s ear swivels atop his head before he turns his head to face his approaching denmate, a content smile plastered on the white pelted tom.
„Hey Ashfur. Going to the Gathering too? I heard you asked Brambleclaw“
„So it seems. How are you and Brightheart?“
The fuzzy white warrior seems to beam a little at the mention of his mate
„We‘re well. Brightheart already misses Whitewing a bit ever since she got busier training Icepaw, but otherwise we‘re as fine as ever.“
A mixture of jealousy and honest joy for his kin rise up in Ashfur. Never would he deny Cloudtail his happiness, and Brightheart more than deserves hers as well. Yet he can‘t fully shake that this was what he had hoped for himself as well at this point. But he may still get there, not all is yet lost. And to that end, Cloudtail‘s help would go a long way.
„I am glad to hear it. I was content to hear Whitewing becoming Icepaw‘s mentor, she will do well I‘m sure. Speaking of training however, I did have a question. I could use your help, Cloudtail“
Cloudtail‘s ears perk up attentively. Mild surprise flashes in his eyes, but an earnest look of content trust overtakes his expression a mere heartbeat later. Just as he sets upon answering Ashfur however, Firestar‘s howl interrupts their and any other ongoing discussions. All eyes moving up to the Highledge, they behold the flame coloured leader overlooking the patrol he‘s to take with him tonight.
„We set out for the island now. We shouldn‘t arrive late. The sky is littered with clouds tonight, this Gathering might be a short one as it is already“
As the Thunderclan leader leaps down from his high perch, Ashfur looks up to the stars. He is right, large clouds blocking out vast clusters of silverpelt‘s sparkles. With mild frustration Ashfur realises that any talk with Hawkfrost will not be a long one tonight. At any point could the full moon be shrouded and the Gathering be declared over. He‘s need to find him fast once they arrive and hope the leaders don‘t waste time bickering. He turns back towards Cloudtail
„I‘ll tell you on the way. Let‘s not fall behind“
The white furred warrior nods and falls in beside his slightly larger sibling, but not without waving his tail in goodbye to Brightheart, whom stands near the warriors den and waves back. Ashfur silently observes from the corner of his eye. Cloudtail is lucky indeed. No cat could doubt that they are made for each other. Patience, in due time it may yet come to pass. Patience… and proving the clan and Squirrelflight that he is the worthier choice. Ashfur‘s waited his long, what‘s a little more.

As the patrol moves along the edge of the lake, the chill air frosting their breath and light snow crunching under their paws, Ashfur once more turns to Cloudtail.
„I was wondering if you would spar with me Cloudail“
Cloudtail tilts his head and raises an eyebrow
„To demonstrate something to Lionpaw? Sure, I can do that. Any particular move you‘re trying to teach your apprentice?“
Ashfur shakes his head calmly
„Not for Lionpaw. I figured with everything going on, it might be wise to train more regularly as warriors. I mean, we‘ve had several fights with Windclan alone in just the past moons. It might be more cautious to make sure we don‘t get rusty, maybe even grow stronger…“
Cloudtail hums at this. His expression gives away that he‘s not entirely against the idea, but something seems to bother him
„You‘re not wrong, Ashfur, but Brightheart is already feeling a bit lonely with Whitewing living her own life now. It would not feel right to leave her alone for this. Besides, she does not show it, but Jaypaw ditching her as mentor has shaken her confidence somewhat. I need to be there for her.“
Ashfur hums quietly. Hard to argue against Cloudtail‘s points, but abandoning his growth as a warrior might have cost Ashfur his matehood with Squirrelflight. Cloudtail would be devastated if Brightheart ever left him. He might not take kindly to the suggestion however, Ashfur knows that he himself would have probably shredded any cat suggesting such a thing before it happened.
„You could bring her along. She is a warrior too after all, why not let her spar with us.“
Cloudtail shakes his head, his ears drooping in regret
„I don‘t think she would like the idea much right now. I‘m sorry, Ashfur. Your idea is good, but I fear I can‘t help you right now“
A deep sigh escapes the grey warrior before he can suppress it, but after a few steps, he slowly nods. It is difficult to hide his disappointment at Cloudtail‘s decision, but he can‘t really fault him either. He has a mate and kits, now he must look after then, it‘s only right.
„Very well. It‘s fine, maybe Dustpelt has time“
After a few heartbeats of silence, Cloudtail looks back over to Ashfur
„Have you asked Brambleclaw?“
Ashfur closes his eyes for a moment, a smidge of annoyance rising in him. Talon has suggested that already, but sparring with Brambleclaw would be risky. Lionpaw already gets Ashfur‘s blood to a boil from time to time, but fighting Brambleclaw, the cat that took Squirrelflight… the risk of Ashfur acting out would be constant and it‘s inevitable repercussions would hang over the endeavour at all times. But why ask? Talon only asked because he only knows what Ashfur told him. Cloudtail should know a bit better. Finally, Ashfur opens his eyes again and looks ahead as they keep walking
„No, I haven‘t yet. Why?“
Cloudtail hums, returning his gaze to the path ahead after a moment as he realises Ashfur‘s not going to return it
„I just wondered. It seems like something Brambleclaw might do. Might already be doing even“
Ashfur‘s ears perk up and turn towards the white warrior, looking at his sibling from the corner of his eye. He attempts not to let his interest show too much, but internally his thoughts are beginning to race
„What do you mean by that, Cloudtail?“
„Haven‘t you noticed?“
Cloudtail looks at Ashfur, then up ahead at the deputy walking at the front of the patrol, walking in sync with Firestar, at the leader‘s side.
„He regularly has small gashes and such. Brightheart noticed because she‘s regularly around the medicine den. Looks like training injuries, she told me. He regularly gets Leafpool’s aid for small injuries like that, and since quite a while too“
Ashfur slowly nods, his eyes fixing on Brambleclaw as they would on a vole during a hunt
„I see… good for Brambleclaw then“
That must be how he‘s done it. Talon was more right than even he knows. Brambleclaw has been training in secret all this time. That sly foxheart. He did not surpass Ashfur just like that, he actively worked on it behind the clan‘s back. But who with? It takes two to spar. Training battle moves alone is like hunting air, you won‘t get much out of it. How and with whom? Ashfur finally tears his gaze away from the deputy, instead just blankly staring ahead. Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost are kin and get along well… perhaps his half-sibling knows more. Even more reason to find him tonight. There must be answers and he will find them.

Before too long, the clan at last arrives at the fallen tree, beginning to cross it to arrive at tonight‘s destination. As it comes to Ashfur‘s turn to cross, he effortlessly leaps up onto it and pads over, tasting the air as he does. Judging by scent, Thunderclan are the last to arrive. The other clans must have hurried because of the clouds too. Good. That means the leaders can begin right away and get their reports out of the way, hopefully leaving some time for Ashfur to find Hawkfrost. Arriving on the other end of the tree, Ashfur leaps off and onto the island, following behind the row of Thunderclan cats making their way to the clearing of the Great Oak. The noise and scents of the other clans flood the grey warrior‘s senses as he pushes through to the clearing himself. Taking a bit of distance from his clanmates, he wastes no time searching for the cat he‘s looking for, his eyes scanning the crowd as Thunderclan warriors move to sit in circles of warriors from all clans or specific friends they care to speak to themselves. Thankfully, it takes the blue eyed warrior not long before meeting the attentive gaze of the Riverclan warrior he seeks, sitting not far from a larger group of cats from his own clan. Was he actively waiting for Ashfur? Huffing quietly, Ashfur bounds over to the waiting tabby.
„Ashfur. I‘d hoped you might show up“
„Here I am, Hawkfrost. Looks like you‘ve been waiting for me“
Hawkfrost smirks slightly, amusement shining in his eyes
„Perhaps I was. Shall we talk? I suspect the leaders won‘t have much of interest to say tonight. Contrary to us, that is“
Ashfur‘s pelt bristles lightly. Hawkfrost‘s playing a game with him and doesn‘t even even care to try and hide it. But he might hold answers, answers that could help Ashfur.
„Fine. Lead the way“
The Riverclan warrior nods and rises to his paws before padding further away from the Gathering. To Ashfur‘s surprise however, Hawkfrost does not suffice himself by finding a quiet spot at the edge of the clearing today, instead pushing through the vegetation and leaving it altogether. The grey warrior hesitates for a moment before following. Is it even allowed to leave a Gathering like that? He can‘t recall any rule that‘d state the opposite, but it feels off. As if he were off to conspire with this son of Tigerstar. Looking back, he sees the leaders still exchanging their greetings, threats and all in between. Once they begin reporting, they‘ll have the clearing well in view, they would see any cat trying to sneak off. It is now or never. With an annoyed hiss, Ashfur advances and pushes through the foliage, out of the clearing. Hawkfrost better have something worthwhile to say for this. The Riverclan warrior waits patiently, seated on a tall grown tree root, smiling confidently as the Thunderclan warrior approaches, clearly pleased that Ashfur chose to follow him out here.
„Now, here we can talk with no interruptions. And we both have much to say, don‘t you agree?“

Chapter Text

Ashfur‘s pelt bristles slightly, disliking the Riverclan warrior‘s gaze descending on him with such confidence. Everything about this reeks of conspiracy.
„Perhaps. You must surely think you‘ve got something important to say, drawing us away like that. If any of our clanmates saw us meeting in such a way, we‘d be both considered traitors, no matter what we say. Be fast about it, Hawkfrost, what do you want?“
Hawkfrost‘s eyes sparkle in amusement, his tail flicking behind him before resting comfortably beside him.
„As you wish. Although I would have been very interested to learn details about your new mentor“
The grey Thunderclan warrior‘s fur spikes it, eyes narrowed at the high perched cat before him.
„Still spying on Thunderclan. Well, what of it? What concern of a Riverclan warrior is it whom I meet?“
Hawkfrost smirks, but it does not escape Ashfur‘s notice that despite his confident demeanour, Hawkfrost‘s claws faintly glisten in descending rays of sunlight, unsheathed in cautious preparation. The Riverclan warrior knows he could be attacked here, yet lets none of it show. If he hides his caution this well, what else might his cocky smile disguise? Ashfur gets but a brief moment to ponder, before the tabby answers
„None I would care to report to anyone. You are right, Ashfur, what you do is your business. But it was my, as you say ‘spying‘ that allowed you two to meet in the first place, no? Don‘t judge something too harshly if it works in your favour. Besides, I‘ve done you no harm, have I?“
Ashfur silently thinks over the words of this son of Tigerstar. He speaks no lies so far. It was his hint that allowed for this and so far he‘s kept quiet. With a scoff, Ashfur‘s pelt slowly lays back down.
„Fine. Yes, your hint helped and no, you did nothing to me yet. But why keep spying then?“
„What if something interesting were to happen? I would hate to miss it“
Hawkfrost grins, laying down on the high root he remains on
„But we only have so much time tonight. You seemed like you had something on your mind as well. Maybe we should get that out of the way first“
After a small pause, the blue eyed Thunderclan warrior nods and sits down. He needs to know how and whom with Brambleclaw‘s been training.
„Yes. As his kin, perhaps you would know something I care to know“
Hawkfrost tilts his head, humming calmly. His eyes hold undisguised interest as he deduces the subject of Ashfur‘s inquiry
„It‘s about Brambleclaw then? Well, depending on the question, I might know something, yes. What is it about?“
„I know Brambleclaw has been training behind the clan‘s back. He‘s probably been doing so for a long time now…“
Ashfur holds Hawkfrost‘s stare as he begins. For the first time, and only for a brief moment, Hawkfrost‘s mask falters a little. His ears perk up, a subtile hint of worry flashing over his face for less than a heartbeat, before his confident smile plasters back over it.
„Is that so? You must have been very observant to figure such a thing out, or he must have been very careless. What of it? I don‘t remember the warrior code forbidding warriors from training“
Ashfur‘s tail lashes slowly behind him
„I want to know how and with whom. No one has seen him do so, nor would I know who helped him. I think you know however.“
The Riverclan warrior observes Ashfur quietly for a moment, scanning him more carefully than usual. Does Hawkfrost suspect Ashfur to know more than he lets on? Or perhaps there is more to it than he‘d willingly tell.
„You‘ve not answered my question, Ashfur. Perhaps I know. Maybe I might tell you. If I know why you wish to know such a thing“
Ashfur growls quietly, claws extending and digging into the dirt below.
„I need to know… so I can overcome him. I want to train regularly again, grow stronger and in the end eclipse Brambleclaw. I know you two are kin, but it is important to me, Hawkfrost.“
Hawkfrost blinks, surprise showing in his blue eyes, followed by deep thought. The two toms remain silent for a small while, only the faint, mumbled noise of the Gathering reaching them through the foliage. After a bit, Hawkfrost‘s eyes light up, his smile growing into a smirk.
„I might be able to help you with that, in fact. Both in getting the answer you seek, and getting the training you desire. But I‘d be doing you a pretty big service with that one. I hope you‘ll remember my help if ever I were to need some in return“
Ashfur feels his pads sweating slightly. Something is off… but help training is exactly what he was hoping to find recently. He‘ll finally be able to make the most out of Talon‘s training, grow as strong a warrior as he needs to, all while learning how Brambleclaw managed to surpass him. For the briefest moment, Ashfur beliefs to catch the scent of Squirrelflight waving over to him from the Gathering clearing. She could be his again. Plenty of warriors have friends in other clans, would owing a favour to a Riverclan cat be that bad, keeping in mind it might get him all he‘s ever wanted? Ashfur‘s eyes have lowered away from Hawkfrost, looking at nothing in particular as they reflect the warrior‘s mind at work. His pelt spikes up in a moment of startled surprise as Hawkfrost brushes past and around him, the Thunderclan warrior having never even noticed the tabby‘s descend from the root.
„Let me guess… this is all in the end about that mate of his. Squirrelflight, was it? You know, he has already mentioned once or twice that he is worried about you on that matter…“
As Ashfur‘s pelt lays flat again, his ears swivel with Hawkfrost‘s motion, as the Riverclan warrior circles closely around him.
„Brambleclaw said he‘s worried?“
„More than once“
Hawkfrost‘s smirk remaining, his eyes behold the grey tom as a hungry hunter would a great piece of prey they just caught and secured
„He has not forgotten whom she found comfort and refuge at last time things got… stressed between them. He knows you‘d take Squirrelflight back given the chance. And I think that Squirrelflight distracts Brambleclaw a bit too much from other things. I think we can help each other, Ashfur. I think we can all get what we want most out of this in the end.“
The Thunderclan warrior descends into deep thought. A sigh escapes him, emotion loud in his mind. Anger at not having seen Brambleclaw‘s activities earlier. Worry that is he doesn‘t take this chance, he might lose his shot at becoming Squirrelflight’s mate. Disgust at himself that he needs both Bloodclan and Riverclan warriors to help him succeed. But slowly rising above all others, shining in Ashfur‘s eyes as he raises his head again, hope. Hope and determination that he may finally succeed, he may at long last prove himself as the better choice. The pain may finally end after all. The grey tom nods
„When does training begin?“
Hawkfrost chuckles amused, sitting down before Ashfur
„Eager to get started? Good. You won‘t need to wait long, I assure you. I‘ll see if I can arrange things tonight still. Obviously I don‘t need to mention that this is not something you should tell any cat. Our clanmates are a bit too narrow minded for some things“
Ashfur nods once more, determined eyes looking back into Hawkfrost‘s confident ones.
„Fine. What is one more secret. I‘m not harming anyone and Thunderclan will have a stronger warrior for it if anything. Will we speak again next Gathering?“
Hawkfrost‘s grin grows once more into a smirk
„If all goes well, we won‘t need to wait that long. It will go very quickly, you will see.“
„Good. I‘m trusting you on this, Hawkfrost. Don‘t let me down“
Hawkfrost parts his jaws to reply, when he suddenly stopps, ears turning in the direction of the clearing. Ashfur turns his head, doing the same. Many voices are speaking once more. The leaders must have finished their reports. Ashfur looks up into silverpelt, past the crowns of the surrounding trees. Clouds have almost swallowed up the entirety of the moon, it‘s not long now until the Gathering ends.
„Almost time to leave“
Hawkfrost nods in agreement, rising to his paws
„Seems that way. Well, I think tonight was very productive indeed. A pleasure speaking with you, Ashfur. We should rejoin our clans, but we‘ll meet again very soon. I promise“
With a hum, Hawkfrost brushes past Ashfur and back through the foliage. The grey Thunderclan warrior stays behind a moment longer, quietly raising his gaze back to silverpelt
„…I‘ve asked you many times before, but I‘ll ask one more time. Please give me advice if you have any. Show me the right way in all of this, if you can hear me. I need to find a way to make this work, and now I think I have one, at last. If you disagree, then let me know, give me some sort of sign, some alternate path to travel…“
His eyes fix on the few stars sparkling in the inky darkness of the cloudy night sky. Ashfur waits patiently, eyes and ears trained on the sparkles that are meant to be his ancestors. The stars remain silent, the muffled voices of cats talking and the wind rustling through the empty branches all there is to hear. Ashfur takes a deep breath of the cold leafbare air, before rising to his paws. Either his path is the right one, or Starclan does not care to answer. Either way, all remains as is, he must choose and travel his own path, his ancestors won‘t guide his paws on this. Slowly the muscular tom pushes through the foliage, slightly intrigued that with the first snow of the year having descended already, there are even green plants still aside from the pine trees. His interest vanishes quickly however as he reemerges on the other side, managing to return to his clan without anyone being any the wiser about where he‘s been. He has barely any time to join a circle of warriors before Firestar descends from the Great Oak, Thunderclan being quick to fall in behind him. Ashfur casts one last gaze into the clearing before leaving it alongside his clanmates, finding Hawkfrost observing him from, satisfaction clear in his eyes, even from afar. He‘s playing games. But Ashfur‘s not betraying anyone, nor will he. He owes Hawkfrost a favour, nothing more. One small favour, in return for which he gets a chance to regain what he‘s lost at long last and put an end to his heartache.

Laying in his nesting, back in the warriors den, Ashfur twists and turns. Most other warriors are already well asleep, those returning from the Gathering falling into their nests quickly and those woken by their return soon finding their way back into their slumber. Maybe one or two others remain awake, but it‘d be hard to tell. Only Ashfur remains moving, unable to find comfort. Restless nights are nothing new to the grey warrior, but usually they are caused by his racing thoughts, or the stinging pain in his chest returning after seeing Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight huddled up against each other. Tonight is somehow different. His thoughts are racing and his chest hurts, yes, but something else is going on, something new, much to the tom‘s great frustration. Suppressing the urge to let out a deeply annoyed grunt only to avoid waking his clanmates, his eyes keep moving over the sleeping, calm bodies of the cats around, then back to the den‘s entrance, then back to the clan. A feeling as if someone was watching him, closely at that. It feels as if some cat were observing him close enough for him to feel their breath on his neck. He all but sees them before him, a pair of amber eyes piercing him. Yet each time he turns around in his nest, there is no open eyes to be seen, yet the feeling remains. Grey fur, grey and white, and piercing amber eyes. Watching, sizing him up. Familiar somehow, yet no matter how he turns, he can‘t spot his stalker. How can he know the fur and eye colour if he can‘t find his insistent observer? Paranoid stress prickles in his mind, refusing him even a hint of rest. Is the stress getting to him perhaps? Maybe he‘s taken ill. Resigning himself to this miserable feeling and finally laying still, the blue eyed warrior accepts that tonight little sleep will be gotten. He‘ll visit Leafpool first thing in the morning when she‘s up. If he‘s ill, or if it‘s perhaps just stress, she might have something to help him. Hopefully.

Chapter Text

With a quiet hum, Talon shakes out his pelt upon returning to the camp. The patrol he led along the border with Wraith slowly dissolves as the Bloodclan warriors spread out in all direction. Owl and Rover remain padding at Talon‘s side as he makes his way deeper into the alley. Hornet pushes past Owl to get ahead faster, earning a growl from the aged warrior, which she utterly ignores. Rover shakes his head at Owl
„Not worth the trouble. I‘m wagering my food for today that she‘s just off to find Bee.“
The tabby veteran warrior scoffs loudly
„What gave you that idea? The fact that that‘s all that matters every single time she returns?“
Rover looks at the tortoiseshell she-cat as she moves with quick, determined motion onward
„I see nothing wrong with wanting to see your mate after returning from a patrol. Especially since Quail and Clover almost got themselves in trouble with that pack of rats two days ago.“
Shaking his head, Owl slightly increases his own pace, breaking away from Talon and Rover in direction of his den
„Wanting to see your mate does not force you to drop respect and manners, does it? They all run around like they own the alley…“
Rover sighs and shakes his head as the older cat leaves, remaining at Talon‘s side. Two two remaining toms remain silent until the aged veteran warrior is well out of earshot, seeming to have found more desirable company as he sits down to talk near Gash and Edge.
„Some really seem to have more trouble with the merger than others… she barely even touched him“
The grey leader flicks his ear, looking at Rover from the edge of his eye
„It seems so. But Owl is old and most changes he‘s known in his life had been for the worse. He will warm up to it eventually. Maybe. Overall I am very glad most cats work together well. It barely feels like we‘d all been apart for so many moons.“
Rover nods, amber eyes glistening with contentment and a brightly shining anticipation as a smile forms on him
„It almost seems like the early days of Bloodclan here again. For the first time in many moons, Moon mentioned the possibility of kits. If we make it through this leafbare well enough.“
Talon gives a small chuckle, turning his head to look at the positively beaming tom, both the warmth of his affection for his mate, but also the joyous hope to finally found his own family shining like stars in his amber eyes
„Congratulations, Rover. I wish you the best of luck on it. More kits would be a good omen for Bloodclan.“
Rover nods contently, before letting his eyes wander though the alley. Before long he finds his mark and dismisses himself from Talon with a respectful bow, immediately after bounding off. Moon sits in the shade of a large green dumpster, sharing tongues with Gravel, before looking up to see her approaching mate, the two greeting each other with a lick along their necks. Talon watches for a small moment before continuing on to the food pile. They do seem to have found great joy in each other. Although, calm as she may usually be when spoken to, Moon enjoys being active in patrols and hunts far too much for Talon to be able to picture her staying put as long as kits would require her to. Not that he‘d object though. Kits being born is a good omen indeed, it shows that things are calm and secure enough for Bloodclan cats to try and form families again. Maybe things won‘t be as rough as Scourge predicted. Looking over the food brought today, Talon sighs quietly. Decent for now, but he‘d hoped there‘d be more. He thought the clan had managed to get a good bit of meat off the dog before the twolegs took it away, it feels like there should be more on the pile. Have they eaten through that much food already or did they not pick up as much as he‘d imagined? Shaking his head, Talon picks up a piece of meat, carrying it off towards the healer‘s den. At least the increasingly freezing temperatures will keep it from spoiling any time soon. Talon slinks into the den, carrying the food over to Grail‘s current nest. At his approach, the she-cat‘s head rises up, a kind, grateful smile appearing on the russet warrior‘s muzzle. The dark furred leader sets the meat down before her, giving her a small nod in greetings
„I brought you something to eat. How are you feeling today, Grail?“
„I‘m good, Talon. Venom wants to keep me here a few more days, make sure my bones have healed well enough before she lets me out. But I‘m all there again. Thank you for bringing me food every day.“
Talon smiles at her confidence, hearing a faint purr under her voice. He does his best to ignore her right ear as it slowly yet continuously flicks, the slight spasm on her smiling face that draws back her lip just far enough to reveal the tip of her right fang. A bit of guilt hits Talon, but he tries not to show.
„Of course, Grail. We‘re all glad that you‘ll soon get out of here and join us again.“
She nods with a quiet hum, tearing her eyes away to look over to the entrance of the den
„I want to make myself useful again. To you, to the clan. Being stuck in here…it doesn‘t feel right if there‘s work to be done.“
„Soon. You‘ll be out of here soon, Grail. Right, Venom?“
Talon looks over to the healer, whom is already slowly padding over to the two
„One or two more days. Better safe than sorry, Grail. If a bone fully snaps because you went out and put pressure on it before it was sufficiently healed, you‘ll be here for much longer. Be patient“
Grail huffs quietly, looking at Venom, making no secret of her displeasure, but knowing better than to mouth off against their healer. As the two she-cats hold each others gaze for a moment, Talon feels as if some unspoken conversation is currently occurring. Something the two of them know that he‘s not in on. After a bit, Grail relents and lowers her head, letting out a sigh
„Well alright. Two more days, I guess nothing‘s running away till then“
Venom nods curtly before her gaze that had for a moment hardened to match any warrior’s, softens and she turns towards Talon
„It‘s indeed been kind of you to volunteer bringing her food every day. We both know you have a lot to worry about these days.“
„It was my doghunt that Grail got hurt on. That and she fought well and with bravery. Meanwhile, you have a new healer to train and still take care of our endless everyday injuries. Your time is precious too, Venom“
The tortoiseshell healer rolls her eyes with a small grin and turns to return to the shelf with her leaves
„If only you knew how true that is. Still, Grail appreciates it greatly, as do I. But you‘re right, I still got Rain to train and I should return to that. He remembers the herbs well enough already, but he‘s still far too hesitant to actually lay paw onto an actual injury. It will take time to make him less blood-shy.“
Talon nods as the healer leaves him and Grail alone to look after her new trainee, who‘s been sitting quietly near Quail, looking up as Venom approaches him. Talon watches as the she-cat removes the cobwebs from some of Quail‘s rat bites, demonstratively showing Rain the right plants to use and how to lick the poultice into the wound, causing Quail to tense up in a bit of pain. Grail‘s voice returns the dark grey tom‘s attention to her
„Rain will be a good healer. He‘s learned a lot from Venom in very little time. It seems Kestrel is very interested in his progress too. He comes by regularly, shares food with him or just talking.“
Talon nods slowly
„Well, one cares for one‘s kin. Rain is Kestrel‘s kit actually, believe it or not“
Grail looks up at Talon with wide eyes, before looking over at the young healer in training.
„Kestrel has a son? When did… I never knew he had a mate to begin with. No one from the clan, I guess then? A kittypet mother?“
Talon nods once more, humming quietly, following her gaze to the grey, white spotted tom. Grail‘s right ear begins flicking again as she otherwise calmly watches Kestrel‘s kit.
„So… even Kestrel can found a family…“
Her voice is barely a mutter, directed at no one in particular. Talon stretches himself, a few joints popping
„Seems so. Almost makes him more likeable. Although, I can not complain much so far. Kestrel is either playing a very long game, or we misjudged him after all. He‘s been exemplary in his function so far and however he does it, he keeps finding out what goes on in other territories.“
Grail nods, but it is somewhat apparent that she is only halfway listening, eyes clouded in deep thinking. Talon remains a moment longer before slowly turning and leaving. Grail still needs rest anyway and there remains much to be done today. A certain anticipation to return to the river spot tonight sparkles in the back of the grey leader‘s mind. Both the fulfilling exhaustion of battle training and the calm, peaceful serenity of the spot itself almost call out to him. As he climbs up upon his wall, overlooking the alley, he ponders. Perhaps Ashfur is more likely to give away information if he offers more of the same in return. He is no Bloodclan cat, most that Talon could tell him would have little use to the Thunderclan warrior beyond sating his curiosity, allowing in turn Talon to slate his own. He‘ll decide when he meets the tom again that night. From above, the white pelt of Frost drawns in Talon‘s attention. The veteran warrior returns from a food run, heading to the food pile along with the rest of his patrol, laying down what little they found. Bits and pieces, mostly cleaned bones and small half-empty packagings of twoleg foods. As he returns from the pile, a bit of worry is plain the upon the white pelted tom. He looks up at the wall, meeting Talon‘s gaze. No words needed, the two cats understand each other‘s concern. Snow becomes more frequent, temperatures are further lowering, hunting increasingly pointless. Soon gathering will be their only reliable income of food, and it looks meager currently. Hunger will return, and if this leafbare is a long one, there might have to be tough decisions ahead. Sighing, Talon pulls his eyes away, leaving Frost to pad away a few heartbeats later. The white tom‘s flaring temper has cooled with the falling snow, but that is a small victory with the trouble yet ahead in view. Hearing paws upon the dumpster that stands against his wall, Talon looks over to see Kestrel and Silver approaching, stopping and sitting just before the dark pelted leader
„Kestrel, Silver. Anything to report? Don‘t usually see you two together“
Kestrel nods, his ear flicking away a snowflake that landed on it
„I do, yes. I hope you are not upset, but considering the nature of the news, I thought Silver ought to be the first to know“
Talon raises an eyebrow, but gives no immediate comment, leaping down to them onto the dumpster
„What is it then?“
„There may very soon be war between the twins and Wrath. Apparently one of Wrath‘s patrols attacked what they thought were rogues. Turns out they were among the cats the twins recently convinced to join them and they retaliated. Several cats on both sides are apparently in very rough shape, Ice and Snake are cockier than ever and Wrath is…“
„…seething. From what Kestrel heard, he, his veteran warriors and several others are talking of storming the twins alley. All bets will be off for on how that will end“
Silver cuts in, fatigue and a hint of worry in his voice. Talon shakes his head, teeth gnashing
„The fools are fighting, now? Leafbare is upon us, we need to save our strength and they want to pain the snow red? Has all reason been buried alongside Scourge? Who will feed their cats if they are all dead or too injured to scavenge?“
Looking at the two toms before him, Silver‘s reaction is immediately understandable to Talon. Worry darkens his usually attentive green eyes, care for his kin that might come to harm in Wrath‘s attempt to avenge himself. Kestrel however seems more thoughtful than concerned, his usual smile temporarily lost to a very pensive expression. His eyes moving back and forth, focusing on naught, it is clear that something major goes on behind them. Calming himself from his initial anger, Talon looks to his second-in-command
„What are you thinking, Kestrel.“
Humming, the brown and cream coloured tom raises his head, returning Talon‘s gaze
„A gamble. A gamble the would be huge if it paid off… but might anger all the wrong cats at the same time if not. Twenty days are over in three days, the next gathering is almost upon us. If you can reign them in before that, you would not only prevent needles bloodshed, but the leaders would see that you can wield great authority, calling two of them to order like that. But to do that, you‘d need to be there… between two very riled up groups of warriors. Between Wrath and the twins, all of them ready to pounce“
Silver‘s ears perk up in alarm, turning towards Kestrel
„There is a border between bravery and foolishness, Kestrel, and this more than crosses it. Why would either of them listen to Talon? This is madness“
Kestrel calmly looks from the veteran warrior over to Talon
„Well, I‘m not the one speaking with Scourge. What would our former leader say?“
Talon looks past them, over the alley where life continues. Food is scarce, the coming weeks will be fierce and all here know it. Cold will come, with it sickness, with it rogues trying to find refuge and food. He will be needed to help his faction weather it all. With a sigh, he remembers Scourge‘s words when they last met. He is to focus on his faction, keep it strong and safe, then use what opportunities present themselves come newleaf. But the lives of many good warriors are at stake. What is leadership for if not to protect the clan and all it‘s members? Silver‘s brother might well die, as will many others. The weight of the decision lies entirely on Talon, an oppressive weight he tangibly feels pushing down on him right now
„…Scourge would advise against it… but I find it difficult to ignore our clanmates being in danger. If the battle won‘t kill them, starvation might afterwards when they‘re all in no shape find food.“
Kestrel nods, following his leader‘s eyes
„Well, not every gamble is worth it. Disregard what I said then. Unless…“
The brown second‘s eyes light up with an idea, a faint smile returning to him
„Perhaps we can‘t prevent the clash… but we could profit from it afterwards and help out in the process. They will have little to no food and certainly no healers. When it gets dire after the battle, we can offer refuge, healing and food to all that would join us instead. Come newleaf, we could have as many cats as three factions at almost. At that point, you‘d almost be the de facto leader anyway.“
Talon slowly shakes his head
„Our supplies are already stretched thin. If this leafbare turns out to be long, we won‘t be able to feed our own cats. As much as I appreciate the idea, Kestrel, and I genuinely do, I might doom more cats to starvation than if I did nothing.“
Kestrel‘s confident grin grows
„Perhaps… but not necessarily. It might get tight yes, but I might be able to think of a solution to our food problem. I‘ll need some time to think things through though, I will tell you what I come up with tomorrow.“
Talon and Silver share an intrigued, if mildly concerned, look with each other as Kestrel bounds away off of the dumpster and through the light snow.

Chapter Text

The noise of twoleg monsters constantly moving along the nearby thunderpath sounding loudly through the narrow alley, down near the southern outskirts of his territory, Talon slowly creeps onwards. Keeping so low that his belly fur brushes against the pavement and his collar‘s trophies just barely hang above it, he moves through the shadow of a series of tall dumpsters, towards the among the noise barely audible sound of rusting and crunching. His breath kept shallow and quiet, the dark pelted leader moves right up to the corner of the last dumpster, around which the noise is heard. Claws sliding forth under the reinforcing dogteeth, legs bend to project him forward once the moment comes, he takes himself a moment, remaining perfectly still and silent, banishing any and all thoughts from his mind, before he proceeds. The second his whiskers move past the corner, the rustling sounds up and a small brown pelt darts forth, away from the feline, whom‘s red eyes focus in on it with predatory intent, his body leaping forward as planned. His claws hook into one of the hind legs of the fleeing rodent as his brief yet rapid soar through the air comes to an end, a loud squeek sounding from the smaller animal, cut short in an instant as Talon closes his jaws around it‘s skull with a grim crunch.
The tom huffs and rises up, shaking out his pelt as the rat dangles from his maw. It took longer to track than it should have, but at least there is a little weight to this one. It will feed a cat, two perhaps, for a day. Anything helps and everyone must contribute, leadership can not exempt him, not if leafbare will be hard and his choices might make it harder still. Slowly turning and padding through the alleys, skillfully manoeuvring thunderpaths and avoiding twolegs and their monsters, the tom makes his way back.Today was lucky, tomorrow might not be. At least he‘ll be able to take his mind off it a bit tonight. Kestrel‘s words still ring with Talon‘s ears with some worry, but his impotence to prevent his clanmates from tearing into each other between Wrath and the twins already causes him a deeply uncomfortable knot in his stomach. How could he not think about Kestrel‘s proposed gamble? He can‘t just let Bloodclan warriors die of wounds and hunger if he can prevent it. But can he truly prevent it? Grim thoughts circling his mind, it takes him a moment to notice in the slightly snow whitened environment a white shape moving in the corner of his vision. Talon stops, claws unsheathing and hackles rising as he turns to face what moves so close by, his alert slowly fading as he sees a familiar figure. Frost gives a small chuckle as he approaches, Talon‘s claws sheathed once more.
„Looking to kill me yet, Talon?“
The dark grey leader rolls his eyes, setting the rat down
„Not unless you keep sneaking up on me. How are you faring, Frost?“
The amber eyed warrior sighs and looks up into a sky laden with heavy clouds. More snow will soon be on the way. More cold, more difficulty, and all of Bloodclan knows it.
„Not easy to answer. Not the first time, but things are a bit bleak. I thought the dog meat and what we captured from the forest clan would last us longer. Most of us did. As for me…“
He sighs once more, his gaze returning to Talon. His expression is difficult to ready, his eyes neutral, but his voice shows hints of regret
„I feel I need to apologise. My behaviour in your den was unworthy of a veteran warrior. I encouraged you to walk your own path with more confidence and so you do, it seems. I know you mean well for the clan and I should trust your decisions more. I guess I just expected other things to come of it. Things have gone so far from how they were under Scourge… “
Talon hums quietly, nodding slowly at the veteran warrior‘s apology.
„I know. Things have indeed not gone as they would have under Scourge. I hold no grudge against you for it, Frost. I get what you mean. You never made it much of a secret that you hoped for a second coming of our unifier. But I fear Scourge was one of a kind.“
Thinking of the smaller, black tom, he reminisces about his words in the Dark Forest. Frost‘s face distorts in a discontent scowl for a few heartbeats, presumably thinking of their former leader and his demise, having been there on that fateful day, the battle of the forest.
„Perhaps. I just want things to be as they were. Maybe Scourge still has lessons and words of wisdom to impart, maybe more things still can change back to how they used to be. Perhaps you won‘t quite be Scourge, but you might still become more like him as time passes. As you say, the leader of Bloodclan was unique, but I still hope.“
„Perhaps… I probably will have to become more like him in time, wether I want to or not. But for now, we have cats to get through leafbare.“
Stretching his lean body, muscles moving under the white pelt, Frost ends up nodding to his leader‘s reply. Talon‘s answer calms the green eyes tom both in his gaze an posture, as if part of an invisible weight was lifted from him or an unasked question answered by Talon‘s reply. Frost‘s voice bears audibly more enthusiasm.
„Yes, you might and yes, we must. Good catch, by the way.“
Frost motions towards the rat lying at Talon‘s paws with his tail. Talon scoffs
„One rat won‘t feed the clan. We‘ll need more, a lot more. We need to hunt while we still can and scavenge all we can get our paws on if we are to make it through.“
Frost hums, flicking his tail, looking past Talon at nothing in particular, lost in contemplation for a moment before returning of his own to the conversation
„I‘ll see to it that the veteran warriors are keeping busy getting food then. Though I‘m sure they already are doing their best on that. Moon has been on three hunts today alone and that‘s just the ones I was around to notice.“
Talon nods, a small grin forming on him
„Active as always. Did you hear she might have kits if we get through leafbare well enough? Rover is the image of happiness already“
Frost chuckles, smirking calmly as warm amusement sparkles in his eyes
„No way… never thought I‘d see the day. Though I am happy for them. Rover‘s been wishing for a family for almost as long as he‘s been with Bloodclan. One more reason to make sure we get through this“
„Indeed. Indeed, Frost“
Talon nods before flexing his digits, causing his claws to briefly slide out before he flicks his ear
„Better get back to it then. Not the time to idle around long. Good hunting still, Frost. Scourge guide your claws“
Frost nods his head to the dark grey leader, as Talon picks up his rat and resumes his way back towards his alley
„Scourge guide your claws, Talon.“

Putting the captured rodent down to the rest of the food pile, Talon sighs at it‘s sight. For now it will suffice, provided they can keep bringing in more. But in two moons, maybe not even that long, it will get dire. This should not have occurred like this, there should have been more food before first snow. Has Talon made a mistake, misjudged what they have and what they need day to day? With an entire faction more to feed, it could be. A growl rises in the dark pelted tom, it‘s his duty to ensure no one suffers hunger here and currently it looks as though he has set himself up to fail this most important of tasks. Anger surges through the red eyed leader, guilt and worry. Taking several deep breaths, he forces himself into a neutral expression. Showing too much worry in himself will inspire worry in others. Until the pile is empty, there is only an issue if the leader says there is. As for what happens when that line is crossed, he‘ll have to cross that bridge when he gets to it. Nothing‘s decided yet. Talon turns and leaves the pile, electing to for now eat nothing himself. As he approaches his wall, he is halted from climbing it by the approach of Soot. The calm, black tom greets Talon with a dip of his head. Turning to face him and sitting down with his tail as usual pulled over his front paws, Talon nods back
„Greetings, Soot. What brings you here?“
Inspired by Talon, the golden eyed warrior sits down, his gaze and overall demeanour calm, almost tiredly so.
„Kestrel asked me to report you that the rogues around the outer border in direction of the horse place are apparently getting restless. They might try to cross it soon, hoping to find better food sources to get them through leafbare“
Talon hums, his expression sombering a little
„Is that so? One keeps wondering how Kestrel knows such things. But if it‘s true, we should increase our patrols between the grassland and the steel snake place. Let‘s hope Wraith won‘t see that as a provocation…“
Soot hums calmly, his gaze moving to the rest of the alley, a slightly pensive upon his face
„Everyone is so afraid of her… she hasn‘t really ever done anything to any clanmate of ours. Though, maybe that‘s just her strategy. Maybe seeming scary enough keeps her cats safer than claws ever could. Like Scourge‘s reputation did to keep rogues away.“
Talon blinks at the warrior‘s words, pondering them for a moment
„Well, that‘s not impossible. But she‘s always had this quiet lethal demeanour, even before there were factions. And we‘ve seen how deadly she can be more than once“
Unconvinced, Soot flicks his ear, pulling a slight grimace for a moment. He exhales audibly as he pulls his head to the side, causing several small popping noises from his neck before sitting mostly straight again
„So we have with Edge, but we don‘t fear him. Anyway, Kestrel just wanted you to know, so you can give orders and such“
The dark grey leader tilts his head
„Where is Kestrel anyway? He ran off to solve some possible future problem of ours, I have no idea where he went“
Soot chuckles slowly and shakes his head
„Good question, I don‘t know. He came by my den to tell me and was right on his way again afterwards. Kestrel moves around a lot more than cats think. I think he was headed roughly in the direction of Scourge‘s alleys, but he came out of the direction of the steel snake place, so I couldn‘t say for sure where he went or came from exactly. He‘s always on his paws. Castle‘s been in charge almost as much as him when he was leader with how much time he spend running around outside his alley.“
Talon flicks his tail, a cold wind blowing through the alley causing the two toms to turn their faces away from the frosty gust for a moment. Kestrel seems very active then. Gathering as much information as he always seems to have must be a lot more work than Talon had initially guessed. But where to does he run all over the place? Does he have informants in each of the factions? That would be as impressive as it would be worrying. But no, that couldn‘t be. Maybe he could find a talkative cat among Granite‘s followers, if he doesn‘t mind risk even among Wraith‘s, but this newest information is about happenings outside the clan. His previous information too could not have been obtained that easily, not only would he be hard pressed to find cats among the other factions willing to risk giving up informations, there is too much distance to make such exchanges without it being noticeable that some cats regularly go missing towards the border regularly for a while. The clan knows of Talon‘s escapades and speaks of it sometimes, venturing guesses as to where he goes, what he does. If others disappeared like he does, there would be talk of them too.
„I see. Well, thank you for the report. Rover will patrol Granite‘s border soon. If you‘re not off to go hunting, join him. We‘ll deal with the rogues in due time.“
Soot‘s eyes show little enthusiasm for the assigned patrol, but he nods all the same and pads off, meeting up with Rover. The tabby‘s patrol is already gathering around him as he receives Soot as further reinforcements, Lantern, Quail and Rat all standing by already to be on their way soon. Talon leaps up against the wall, claws hooking into the uneven surface of the bricks under the larger dogteeth, letting him climb up with relative ease. Once up top, he sits back down, tail curled around him. Kestrel‘s activities are curious, but so far he hasn‘t failed Talon. It could be interesting to learn how he does it, staying so informed about everything. It might be a good idea to ask him directly, a chance for Talon to uncover the secret and ensure his loyalty. If he accepts and shows Talon how he amasses his knowledge, he‘ll have willingly given up the secret to his greatest advantage. It‘d be irrefutable proof that he‘s not holding out on Talon, that he can truly be trusted after all. It would offer Talon some much needed peace of mind, finally being able to trust his second-in-command for good. He will need to be able to rely on the sly tom if they are to come up with a plan to save some of their clanmates from the coming conflict. Under the leader‘s gaze, Rover‘s patrol gets up and moves out, on their way to secure their border. If Talon can even afford to try and save his clanmates. Grim and cold, the wind slowly picks up, the first few snowflakes of the next snowfall upon it already. If not more food is found very soon, Talon might have no choice but to stand by. He can‘t feed warriors that of their own free will aligned themselves against him, if his own go hungry because of it, he couldn‘t justify it. Even if they are clanmates, despite the blood of Bloodclan in their veins. Talon‘s stomach cramps up at the thought. Not despite being a leader, but rather especially as leader, he may have no choice to make in the end… His thoughts torn between Kestrel‘s hopeful belief that it might be doable and Scourge‘s somber warning and advice, he looks on over the alley. The night cannot arrive fast enough today. The river and the calm companionship of a cat with no stakes in this colossal mess are calling to Talon impatiently, as duty drags on through the freezing day.

Chapter Text

Dragging himself forth through the forest, frozen leaves crunching softly under his pads, Ashfur ventures onward. The lack of sleep of the previous night has left him bereft of much of his strength, the day after having been spend much the same as most others, with patrols, training Lionpaw and hunting. His desire to rest and just unwind for once chipping away at his need to train, his paws drag him towards the river. He pushes past the reeds surrounding his little spot, letting out a displeased grunt as even they seem to have turned ice cold within the last few days. Sitting down by the flowing water‘s edge, it appears he‘s arrived first tonight. Neither sound nor scent indicate Talon‘s presence yet. With a deep sigh, the warrior stares into the clear water, at the stars reflected in them, at the tired pair of blue eyes with which his reflection returns his gaze. Leafpool had nothing to help beyond some traveling herbs to chew to get him through the day. By now, their effect is waning more and more and the exhaustion crashes down upon the tom opressingly.
Raising his head and beholding silverpelt, the bright sparkles of the stars, each of which a supposed warrior ancestor, his ears fold back against his head. Has he grown unworthy of even something as rudimentary as a night‘s sleep in the eyes of Starclan? Who‘s eyes did he feel upon him that kept him up all night? They seemed familiar somehow. An ancestor of his perhaps? His father Whitestorm had more yellow eyes, not as amber as those he noticed. With another sigh, he closes his blue eyes. Perhaps it was nothing and he merely imagined it after all or some fresh-kill he ate was rotten. All he knows is that there mere act of sitting upright is a fair bit more difficult than it should right now.
As time slowly creeps along, his eyes slowly and with effort open anew, gazing at the stars. Quietly he mutters a prayer to Thunderclan‘s warrior ancestors in Starclan, speaking his barely audible words into the icy wind, a faint spark of hope that they might hear his plea this time in his eyes. A prayer for guidance, for advice, help or a sign of any kind. A deeply felt wish to confirm to him that he isn‘t all alone, that he has not been completely forgotten just yet. Time passes, the cold wind rustling the reeds all around him remaining the only answer the grey tom receives. The cold, slowly but continuously seeps into Ashfur‘s bones, the spark of hope in his blue orbs increasingly smothered by deep sadness. Another wasted prayer alone by the river. How many has he spoken over the moons and seasons? Dozens for sure, hundreds possibly. The stars sparkle on as they always have, somewhere among them cats he knew. Bluestar, whom he looked up to, Cinderpelt, whom he respected as a capable and kind medicine cat, Swiftpaw, his denmate and friend when they were apprentices. No voice of theirs rings in the pleading warrior‘s ears. His father Whitestorm, wise and patient, taken by Bone. His mother Brindelface, kindhearted and nurturing, reduced to dogbait by Tigerstar‘s paws. His brother, Elderkit, whom died before he ever even could become an apprentice. None of their faces appear to Ashfur to council their living kin. As the last vainful flicker of hope is choked out of the Thunderclan warrior‘s eyes, he slowly sinks to the cold ground. His every muscle feels as heavy as his heart has for moons, the depressing realisation that tonight his pleas to Starclan won‘t be answered either only making it harder to resist the clutches of his own tiredness. Resting his head on his paws as a slow snowfall sets in, he observes the dancing little specks of white dance through the air, before touching the river and being undone, only for more of them to follow the same path. With an exhausted huff, his eyes shut, ears slowly swishing to listen to the calm motions of the reeds and nearby tree branches in the wind. He‘s been waiting for a while now… perhaps Talon won‘t show tonight. Or is he running late, kept busy with matters of his own clan? If Ashfur‘s not worth the time of his own ancestors, how could he claim the time of cats still very much busy with trying to live their own lives, serving their own clan, protecting their own families… Does Talon have a family of his own? A mate, kits of his own? It hadn‘t occurred Ashfur to ask so far. Perhaps he would if he sees Talon again. Perhaps he will.
Consciousness slowly departs the warrior as his resting, under the clawing and pulling of his own exhaustion, gives way to slumber. The world around falling away as his aching joints and troubled mind finally find rest, the strain of both pearling off, like light rain off a well groomed coat of fur.
Only for both to resume a moment later. His face contorting into a displeased grimace, Ashfur‘s ears perk up, his eyes remaining closed. He does not feel the same tiredness anymore, but the pain in his muscles and the relentless clutter in his mind remain unchanged. His nose wrinkles as the smell of mold and old leaves hit his nostrils. It takes several moments for the due confusion to wrestle itself to the forefront of Ashfur‘s thoughts. The fallen leaves are frozen and there should be no mold either. He‘s resting by the river during leafbare, on a bare clay ground. With a sentiment between bewilderment and agitation, the warrior opens his eyes. Rapidly wonder and confusion blurr out anything else in the grey warrior‘s mind as he beholds his surroundings. He raises his head and looks around, viewing a deep gloomy forrest all around him. No stars shining above, the barely visible sky past the many empty, jagged branches of the close growing trees is naught by perfect darkness. Everything holds a slight red glow, with the exception of some mushrooms that appear to grow near the roots of many of the trees, whom in turn glow in a ghostly blue colour.
With a grunt, Ashfur rises to his paws, despite most of his muscles screaming in protest. Questions rattle through his skull aplenty, as he slowly begins to pad onward. The ground is covered in fallen leaves, in all stages of decomposition, soft under the pads that had been tracking over hard, frozen grounds for days now. While Ashfur leans in close to take the scent of one of the mushrooms, identifying them as the source of much of the moldy smell around there, a rustle catches the warrior‘s attention. Unsure of what to expect in this strange place, the Thunderclan warrior spins around, immediately dropping into a fighting stance. Eyes narrowed to slits and ears attentively perked and turning to identify the source of the noise, the tom remains ready for battle, claws unsheathing and tail lashing low. His stance eases slightly as a familiar sounding chuckle sounds from nearby, soon followed by the emergence of two cats. Ashfur recognizes Hawkfrost immediately, the Riverclan warrior wearing a content smile as he settles down a few taillengths before him.
„Welcome, Ashfur. I promised you a chance to start training, and you shall have it.“
Ashfur gives no answer, instead opting to observe the other cat closely, remaining in a battle ready stance just in case. The cat looms over Hawkfrost‘s shoulder, oberving Ashfur in turn, seeming to size the tom up. Strong muscles, covered in a multitude of scars, many of which remain faintly visible, even under a thick, spickey pelt of grey with white accents, mostly around his face. Most prominently however, a pair of narrowed, shining amber eyes, piercing Ashfur with a look he can‘t quite place. The same faint red glow seems to come off of this cat as the rest of the environment here and he appears ever so slightly translucent, or perhaps it is only a trick of the light in this bizarre place. After a while, the Thunderclan warrior returns his gaze to Hawkfrost and answers.
„Hawkfrost. Where have you brought me here? And who‘s with you?“
The grey and white tom grunts, taking another step forward.
„Did they not tell you of your own kin? I would have expected no less from that foxheart Bluestar, but I‘d hoped Whitestorm had at least told his kits about me.“
Ashfur‘s stance eases up at the mention of his father, his ears trained of the strange tom as he slowly sits down.
„You knew my father?“
The amber eyed warrior gives a sigh that Ashfur isn‘t sure wether to count it as exasperated or melancholic in sound
„Knew? I RAISED your father. Whitestorm was my kit. I am Thistleclaw and we are kin, you and I, Ashfur“
Ashfur‘s eyes widen in surprise for a moment. Looking at this stranger with this new knowledge, he sees now that the shade of grey most their fur has is indeed identical. This cat might actually be his kin, one of his warrior ancestors! Have his prayers not been for naught after all? Perhaps someone did listen after all. Hawkfost chuckles amusedly at the amazement in Ashfur‘s eyes, drawing the attention back to himself
„Well, I believe you have some catching up to do. I must be off. A certain brother of mine is probably looking for his training partner“
Ashfur hums, flicking his ear
„So you are the one Brambeclaw trains with? I should have figured…“
Rising to his paws and turning around with a demonstrative flick of his tail, Hawkfrost grins over his shoulder to the Thunderclan warrior
„Kin is important, Ashfur. Loyalty to it, guiding it in the right direction. Brambleclaw has a headstart on training, you better give it your all if you want to catch up and surpass him. But with Thistleclaw you are in good paws for that. Less than everything won‘t do when training with him“
Thistleclaw nods, his spikey tail flicking behind him, sending a few fallen leaves flying
„A warrior must always give his all. Half measures are for kittypets and rogues. You wish to be the greatest warrior in Thunderclan, then you must take every training as serious as a life or death battle. Nothing less will do“
Ashfur‘s eyes return to his ancestor and he nods with unmasked enthusiasm.
„Right! Then let us begin!“
A brief spark of appoval and amusement flash in Thistleclaw‘s eyes before making way for his stern expression once more as he shakes his head. As Hawkfrost slinks away into the undergrowth of the Dark Forest, the amber eyed spirit left before Ashfur grumbles
„A worthy attitude, but no, not now. You would still be laying in the snow, freezing to death, were it not for that rogue of yours. You‘ll prove nothing to any cat if you never wake from this sleep. Rest assured, Thunderclan will be reminded of the strength of our bloodline when I‘m done with you, but as galling as it is, we will need to be patient for now“
Ashfur tilts his head, trying to make sense of Thistleclaw‘s words. Slowly he remembers, he is not in his den. With a wave of worry ascending his spine, the grey Thunderclan warrior calls to memory that he fell asleep outside, by the river, on the frozen clay and under the falling snow. How could he make such an apprentice‘s mistake? He might never wake up after something like that. The flight of panic rising in Ashfur, which only serves to aggravate Thistleclaw, whom scoffs in annoyance.
„Don‘t go flailing like some lost kit. The rogue is taking care of you, you won‘t die just yet.“
Ashfur‘s ear flicks towards his new mentor, trying to calm himself with less than moderate success
„Rogue? You mean Talon came after all?“
Thistleclaw stares at Ashfur for a moment in silence with his glare like stare, before turning away and commanding his descendant
„Follow. You can see such things from here“
The intruige rising in Ashfur at that still matches not the worry that he may very well be freezing to death in his sleep in that very moment. Nonetheless, with nothing else to do and compelled by Thistleclaw‘s commanding tone, he follows the rugged, spikey warrior as he begins trodding past thorned, leafless hedges and crooked, low grown trees, navigating this odd and life deprived landscape with experienced expertise. It takes little time before they arrive at a larger puddle, Thistleclaw sitting down next to it and with a flick of his tail inviting Ashfur to do the same. He does so, looking around at this dried and dark mockery of a forest, before an impatient and surprisingly forceful slap from Thistleclaw‘s tail jerks his attention back to him.
„The waters here let us see what goes on among the living cats. Anywhere Starclan‘s eyes can reach, ours can too. See for yourself“
Ashfur wordlessly blinks at Thistleclaw for a few heartbeats, before directing his eyes down into the murky and dark water gathered on the ground. Uncertain on how and what precisely to do, but unwilling to disappoint his looming ancestor, he looks deep into the puddle, surprised that despite it appearing shallow, he can‘t seem to quite make the bottom of the puddle. As he tries to make sense of this, it almost seems as if, just in the middle of his vision, the murk slowly lifts. His worry is replaced by surprised wonder and his ears perk up in attentiveness as he begins to perceive two shapes. The scene only slowly becomes clearer, more detailed, but quickly Ashfur, much to his own wonder, identifies his own body, as it is being dragged towards the edge of twoleg-place by a familiar dark grey tom. As the vision becomes clearer, he can clearly see the effort and exhaustion on Talon as he tries to keep up a rapid pace while carrying Ashfur‘s unconscious body by the scruff through the by now much more harshly falling snow
„That is impressive… so… all our ancestors can in fact see clearly what is happening around us?“
Ashfur raises his gaze towards Thistleclaw. The old warrior grumbles and slowly nods as he looks past Ashfur into the waters.
„Yes. They could. But Starclan cats grow soft as kitty-pets, only hunting and lazing around. Those cowards forget any and all duty they held towards their clan, become selfish and weak. Solely the Dark Forest is willing to sometimes help warriors achieve their goals, their ambitions. The only living cats they let in are their snivelling medicine cats…“
Thistleclaw spits the last words out as if they were venom burning his maw, as if medicine cat were an insult directed towards him personally, his face pulling into a sneer. Ashfur observes Thistleclaw for a moment as the ancestor seems to wallow in memories for an instant. Slowly the blue eyed warrior lowers his eyes back to the puddle. So they can see… they could see, if they cared. They could help if they wanted. Thistleclaw‘s revelation weighs heavy on Ashfur‘s already aching heart. Fighting the urge to clutch his aching chest, Ashfur finds himself staring back into the water‘s vision. Slowly and with the assistance of another cat Ashfur doesn‘t know, Talon is climbing a wooden fence with Ashfur‘s body still in tow. The dark grey tom is visually breathing heavily around his grip on Ashfur as he finally arrives at the top of the wood, only to leap down on the other side, into the backyard of a twoleg dwelling.
„You should return soon. If the rogue thinks you‘re dead, who‘s to say he won‘t take a bite out of you“
Thistleclaw‘s deep grunt makes Ashfur sit up straight, returning his gaze to his spiky furred kin
„I would, but I do not really know how.“
„Will it“
Thistleclaw‘s words are stern in tone, more like an order than advice
„You just need to focus on it, concentrate and will it. As long as you are in a situation where you can focus for a few heartbeats, you can leave the Dark Forest as a sleeping, living cat.“
Ashfur hums, the advice given seeming somewhat rough and poor in details, but unwilling to draw Thistleclaw‘s anger he just nods and closes his eyes. Focus… focus on what? On waking up? Returning to his body? Leaving the Dark Forest? Trying his best to find something to focus on that goes in that general direction, he eventually finds something. At first fleeting and gentle, a feeling, as if a non-present wind were blowing into a certain direction. Concentrating as best he can on it, Ashfur soon finds himself falling into the feeling of exhaustion and tiredness he left behind when he fell asleep. The stronger the feeling grows, the closer Ashfur gets to it, the less he has to focus and the more it seems to pull him in on it‘s own. Before his senses give way entirely again, he still hears Thistleclaw‘s deep voice beside him
„Tomorrow we begin, Ashfur. I will teach you how real warriors should do battle. You will be able to conquer anything when we‘re done, or anyone.“

Chapter Text

Talon huffs for breath as he finally can let go of Ashfur‘s body, letting the Thunderclan warrior slump onto the large pillow inside the little wooden den. Here, especially with others to spend their body-heat, the cold would not reach him as easily. As Talon still struggles to catch his breath, he eyes the still mostly motionless body with worry, until the noise of another cat shaking off the snow from their pelt next to him draws his attention. Several snowflakes are flung from the fur of the ginger tom with brown markings.
„Thank you for your help, Ralph. Don‘t know if I could have gotten this waste of fur over the fence without you“
The kitty-pet looks at the Bloodclan leader with calm, amber eyes. His slender ginger tail, tipped with brown pelt, flicks off a few last bits of snow that still remained on him.
„Well, can‘t just let a cat freeze right outside my backyard, can I?“
Talon shakes out his pelt as well at last, before sitting down next to the still slumbering warrior, wiping the snow that has set in Ashfur‘s pelt off with his bushy tail.
„You‘d be surprised,Ralph… still, I owe you for this. Are you sure it‘s fine for him to be here? Your twolegs won‘t find him here?“
The kitty-pet hums, looking out through the den‘s entrance at the rapidly descending snow outside.
„Ever since Balto died, they don‘t come out here much anymore. Less still during Leafbare. No-one will find him here. Still breathing though, is he?“
Talon looks down upon Ashfur, his tail still resting on the sleeping warrior, feeling the soft rise and fall of the sleeping warrior‘s chest. The worry has mostly vanished from his red eyes, but the minor fidgeting and tapping with his claws still give away the Bloodclan cat‘s unease.
„Seems like it. Should pull through now, I think. Until he wakes up and I get my claws into him… damned mousebrain, what‘s he thinking? Sleeping in the snow, how did those clan cats ever survive this long, doing hare brained nonsense like this?“
As Talon‘s eyes narrow, keeping the sleeping warrior in his agitated gaze, Ralph tilts his head as he observes Ashfur with some intrigue
„So, that‘s one of those forest cats then. Huh… I would ask why you‘re dragging one of them around, but I guess I should keep my nose out of Bloodclan business. Anyway, you‘re both welcome to stay, long as you don‘t mind a few gawkers to hang around. Not much happens here usually, the other housecats are gonna want to get a peek when they notice, and they‘ll notice. Got nothing better to do than notice what goes on in other backyards most days.“
Talon nods slowly, giving a huff out of both discontent and exhaustion.
„Of course… well, can‘t be helped I reckon. I won‘t stay past morning, neither will he. We both got places to be. Thanks again, Ralph.“
The kitty-pet stretches leisurely before he nods. Slowly the tom pads towards the entrance.
„Sure, sure. But I think I‘ll go get some sleep myself now. You‘ll manage from here, yeah?“
„Should. He won‘t freeze to death in here at least. Scourge guide your claws, Ralph“
Ralph chuckles as he steps outside into the snow, heading for the twoleg dwelling
„Don‘t think he will, but thanks anyway. See you around, Talon.“
Talon looks on as the ginger pelt vanishes from view, eyes remaining trained on the harshly descending snow in the dark of the night outside. He lets out a deep sigh, slowly returning his gaze to Ashfur. Why would he do that? Such a foolish, nonsensical thing. He‘d better have answers once he wakes up. With a small growl, Talon lays down on the pillow near from the already sleeping Thunderclan warrior, whom has partially curled up by now. So much for training tonight. Talon huffs quietly into his own pelt as he rests his head on his arm. Slowly, as time passes, sleep creeps in for the dark grey leader as well. His eyes close as he drifts off, the soothing beckoning of sleep too much to resist for the tired tom.

Talon wakes up to the sound of movement nearby, his eyes fluttering but for a moment before shooting wide open. Alerted and with his pelt spiked on edge, his head rises up and he observes his surroundings. Rising to his paws and his claws unsheathing under the reinforcing dogteeth, his agitation only deepens as he finds his surroundings unfamiliar and the shape of another feline close-by, moving and pelt spiked up. Flashing his teeth in a snarl and letting a hiss escape, he faces down the presumed intruder, muscles buckling to pounce. It‘s only when the scent of panic hits his nostrils and a few heartbeats pass, that he recognises the pair of blue eyes looking around in a face that thinly veils the confusion and panic within with a threatening, battle ready demeanour. Slowly Talon‘s pelt lays back down again as he looks around once more to confirm where he is. Memories of the night before returning, he calms somewhat. Sitting back down, his gaze returns to the still frantic Thunderclan warrior.
„All‘s well, Ashfur. No danger around here“
At the sound of Talon‘s voice, the blue eyed tom whips around to face him.
„Where are we, Talon? I smell dog! This whole place stinks of dog! We must leave, before it returns, now!“
Talon huffs slowly and shakes his head. Flicking his tail before laying it over his paws in familiar fashion, claws sheathed once more.
„This dog died a while back. This was it‘s dwelling. This was the safest and closest place I could think of right away.“
Ashfur observes the Bloodclan cat for a while, the nervousness evident in his eyes and rapid, sudden movements as he begins to look around. After a while of silent observation and no danger in sight, Ashfur begins to ease out of his state of alarm, but although his pelt smoothes down somewhat as he takes in the wooden structure around and the pillow below him, a sense of tenseness remains. His tail lashes behind him and his claws remain unsheathed.
„No dogs around. I promise. Think I‘d save your sorry pelt only to waste it the next morning?“
Talon huffs, rising back onto his paws and stretching himself before looking outside the dog dwelling through the entrance. The sun is slowly beginning to rise. The snowfall has stopped and coated the ground in a layer of white. His thoughts drifting away from the Thunderclan warrior and back to his own clan, worry enters Talon‘s mind. So early into Leafbare and already snowfalls strong enough to leave tangible amounts of snow… Hunting and patrolling will only get harder from here on. Scourge‘s words continue to confirm themselves, this will be a bitter Leafbare. His attention returns as he feels Ashfur‘s approach through the large pillow they both stand on. The Thunderclan warrior stops beside him, looking outside, seemingly trying to cautiously take in as much as possible of the surroundings without poking his head out.
„We‘re at the edge of twoleg-place. Didn‘t want to drag you into Bloodclan territory, but I couldn‘t just drag you to your camp either. Improvised. Or acted on instinct, more like.“
Ashfur looks over at Talon as he takes in his words. His eyes are more steeled now, his expression more neutral, but the bits of standing fur and the still slowly lashing tail betray that he remains on edge here.
„I see… Thank you, Talon.“
The Bloodclan leader‘s gaze harden. Anger and frustration flare in his voice
„I‘d care to know what you were thinking, falling asleep in the snow? I am not training you for you to die of your own stupidity, mousebrain!“
Ashfur nods slowly, a very thoughtful expression forming upon his face
„I know. It will not happen again. I was exhausted and waited for you and things just happened“
Talon‘s tail lashes behind him, his agitation plain to see
„Spared once, saved once, trying to train you… you can be quite a cumbersome cat to keep around…“
Ashfur flinches under Talon‘s words as if they‘d been a claw tearing through him. The warrior that looked fine beyond his little flight of panic moments ago, suddenly appears frail, legs nigh buckling under his own weight and the momentary thoughtfulness giving way to a deeply pained look in his eyes. Slowly Ashfur straightens up again, a neutral, stoic look plastering over his expression. His anger subsiding somewhat, Talon sighs and looks away as a mild pang of regret flares up in him. Calling a warrior who‘s already devoured by selfdoubt and feelings of inadequacy a burden was unkind, although no less true for it. The time invested in this tom Talon justifies as for his own training and to gather information, yet yesterday he got neither due to finding Ashfur‘s rapidly chilling body in the snow. Still, he couldn‘t just leave him there and if nothing else, the effort of dragging a weight so far could be interpreted as training… or so one hopes.
As the Thunderclan warrior slowly raises his gaze towards the sky outside, Talon scoffs silently and follows Ashfur‘s gaze. Shaking his pelt out, the red eyed tom pads outside, the snow crunching under his paws as he makes his way to the fence. A heartbeat later he hears Ashfur following him, right before Talon leaps up against the fence and climbs it to the top, sitting up upon it and looking around, ears swivelling to listen for any danger, patrols or the local kitty-pets. A small way further down the fence, a pair of the latter sit, chatting before they see Talon, instantly recognising the collar. Their conversation dies down, but the kitty-pets remain, observing the Bloodclan cat with curiosity. Without looking at him, Talon signs Ashfur to climb up with a sway of his tail, no dangers anywhere to be spotted. A brief moment later, Ashfur appears beside him, the Bloodclan warrior turning his head towards him, somewhat impressed at how fast he scaled the fence. Ashfur‘s gaze immediately goes out to the forest at some distance after taking a deep breath of the freezing morning air
„…hate the smell of dogs. Hate dogs. Only good to kill and destroy“
Talon raises an eyebrow, flicking his ear towards the two kitty-pets, thus immediately silencing their quietly re-arising discussion.
„Sounds personal. Lost someone to dogs then, I guess?“
Talon notices a few hairs standing back up on the Thunderclan warrior‘s neck, his ash grey tail striking repeatedly against the wood of the fence. His face hardens as he gives his plain answer
„Yes.“
Talon follows the warrior‘s gaze to the woods in the distance.
„Not an unusual tale in Bloodclan. Everyone knows someone who‘s lost someone to them. One of the biggest reasons we hunt them“
„These were Tigerstar‘s dogs. Took my leader, took one of my denmates and maimed another. And they took… they…“
Talon looks down to see the forest warrior‘s claws unsheathe and piece into the wood under him. Ashfur keeps staring ahead, his gaze loaded with emotion. Sadness and regret, all bottled up behind a wall rage as the warrior bares his fangs.
„Kin, I‘ll assume then“
The Thunderclan warrior does not move beyond the most subtle nod
„My mother, Brindleface. Tigerstar, accursed foxheart, he butchered her, fed her to them to give them a taste for cat. The traitor and his beasts!“
Every word he speaks is loaded with emotion he tries to keep inside, the last sentence spat out with such fury and venom that one might have expected it to ooze from the very sound and burn holes into the air itself. Talon‘s ears perk up at the mention of the prior leader of Tigerclan
„The forest tyrant himself? I had heard of his plot with the dogs, but never learned what actually happened with them in the end.“
Ashfur nods, before growling to himself and shaking his head
„And of course it‘d be HIS kin that… I never regarded Brambleclaw as Tigerstar‘s son when we were apprentices, I always knew he was different from him. But growing into a warrior, he looks so much like him now… a slightly smaller, less scarred Tigerstar. And now he holds her. I know it’s got nothing to do with it either way, but it‘s becoming so very hard not to hold his lineage against him…“
Talon nods slowly, observing as Ashfur‘s expression slowly softens again, taking deep breaths, bit by bit swallowing down his emotions again. It does indeed sound like a cruel trick of fate. In a gesture of sympathy, Talon lays his tail onto Ashfur‘s shoulder. Earning at first a surprised look from the warrior, Ashfur makes no attempts to shake it off, just hanging his head with after a moment, closing his eyes and just breathing. Slowly the emotional tom seems to calm the turmoil inside. Eventually, the blue eyed warrior looks up again, gazing out at his home, the forest. Sitting in silence, the two warriors remain for a while as the sun lifts itself over the horizon, heralding the beginning of the new day.
„We should return to our clans. They will wonder where we are. I know mine will.“
Talon pulls his tail away at last, rising up to his paws as Ashfur does the same
„Yeah, probably. I‘ll need to catch something before I return or too many questions will be asked. And before the first patrol starts making rounds… I‘d better go.“
Ashfur leaps off the fence, landing outside the backyard, padding a few steps before turning to look up at Talon
„When shall we meet again?“
Talon looks up at the sky, thinking for a moment. In two days the faction leaders would have their gathering, and he always longs for the calm of the river after that. Especially depending on how poorly matters go between Wrath and the twins Snake and Ice.
„In two days. Expect me to arrive fairly late though. And do not dare be asleep again when I get there!“
Ashfur‘s ears lower a bit in embarrassment as he tries to laugh it off.
„I promised that would not happen again. I will be there“
„I will hold you to that, Ashfur! Now go, get out of here. Prey won‘t hunt itself.“
„No, sadly not.“
Ashfur waves his tail in goodbye
„Starclan light your path, Talon“
„Scourge guide your claws, Ashfur.“
Talon waves back and remains to watch Ashfur bounding back towards the forest for a moment, before huffing and walking atop the fence. His somewhat amused demeanour changes slowly back to serious as his thoughts focus once more onto Bloodclan and his faction. Much still to be done and never enough time to do it. Not that these escapades help in any way. Sighing to himself, Talon is nigh sure he‘ll be told off by Scourge next time they met for this little adventure, and perhaps not wrongly so. For now though, he will need to get his cats through another day, and preferably try to keep them all alive through the cold season.

Chapter Text

Padding into his alley and towards his wall, cats are wandering about, the daily life already having begun to take it‘s usual course. Aside from a few relieved looks that his clanmates shoot Talon as he passes, nothing out of the ordinary yet. Greetings being spoken, cats speaking with each other, kits playing near the towering silver trash cans and many warriors slowly migrating towards the wall as with Talon‘s appearance today‘s orders and assignments are soon given. Raising his gaze, Talon gives an acknowledging nod to Soot, whom currently descends from the night guard‘s position overlooking the alley. The black pelted tom waves his tail in return as he descends the steps downwards. Once close to the wall, Talon readies himself for a leap up onto the dumpster, to then proceed from there the last bit up to the top of the wall, but notices a shadow padding up to his own, making him pause. He gives a small huff before turning around, instantly proven right on whom he expects it to be that approaches him.
„Greetings, Kestrel. Already something to report? The day has barely begun.“
The second-in-command flicks his ear as he sits down, dipping his head in greeting shortly before looking at Talon. Kestrel’s eyes show the same usual amount of thinking and conniving going on behind them, but his expression is neutral. Talon notes that the tom seems almost a bit sleep deprived, a certain tiredness surrounding the usually smug cat.
„And yet so busy was the night. It appears there was a battle at the border of Wrath and the twins. Not yet the big fight we worried over, but more substantial than the last. Some cats had to be dragged back afterwards, I hear. It‘s quite possible that Bloodclan cats have died before the sun rose today.“
Talon‘s expression turns to one of absolute seriousness as whispers go through some of the close-by gathered warriors. Words of worry and words of fear are audible among the mutterings, as well as a few voices rising a bit louder, anger and defensiveness sounding as some cats pelts bristle and others ears lower.
„My den, now.“
Talon‘s words sound with more anger than he‘d hoped to let slip as he rapidly pads toward his den‘s entrance no more than a few taillengths away, Kestrel immediately on his heel. The red eyed tom, not stopping in his motion, looks towards Moon and Hornet, the two veteran warriors standing near-by and straightening up as they notice Talon‘s attention upon them.
„Guard the den, make sure we remain undisturbed.“
The two she-cats nod and follow suit. As Talon and Kestrel slink into the den, they remain just outside, seated on either side of the den, ensuring the warriors gathered for their assignments do not step too close. Once inside, Talon turns towards Kestrel, the seriousness unmistakable upon his voice as his mind already runs wild, his stress increasing tangibly.
„What do we know so far? No detail left out, Kestrel“
The brown cat exhales audibly and shakes his head
„Sadly not a lot more than I already said. It happened not long before first light. All I know is that Wrath‘s warriors ended up winning, but had to drag three of their own back afterwards. I don‘t know who exactly or if they are dead or just too injured to walk. Though without a healer, those two things might not be too far off from each other…“
Talon shakes his head, a hiss escaping him. His tail lashes back and forth. Bloodclan warriors engaged in battle, it‘s near certain that at least someone died. Question is who? His thoughts briefly turn towards Silver and his brother.The aged tom would be devastated if his kin died, in such a senseless way to boot. Keeping himself just narrowly from striking out in a mix of frustration and stress fueled anger, Talon takes several deep breath, before looking at Kestrel, continuing in a slightly calmer voice.
„And what of Snake and Ice‘s side? We know anything more there? Wrath‘s warriors are some of our fiercest and you say they won. I‘d guess the twins took losses then.“
Kestrel grimaces slightly, his displeasure at the situation undisguised as his gaze lower
„No… Wrath‘s side is already hard to get much information on. The twins…you know how they are. Tyrannical pair of foxdungs. No-one willing to speak, not only because they are afraid to get caught speaking, but they‘re already afraid to even see or hear something. Even cats outside the clan…“
Talon tilts his head to the side
„Outside the clan?“
Kestrel sighs as raises his head again, looking at Talon with a sly little smile pushing the grimace aside
„Come now, did you think I could turn cats in each faction to be informants? If my informations are unlikely to come from our clanmates then they must be from… ?“
Talon thinks for a moment before the truth dawns on him, remembering the curious gazes he’d gotten just this morning on the fence, at the edge of Bloodclan territory. Could that really be it? He looks at the brown coated tom with some surprise. Kestrel chuckles, seeming able to tell from Talon‘s look that he figured it out before he even speaks
„The kitty-pets… you‘re using the kitty-pets to gather informations.“
Kestrel flicks his tail, the tom seeming to revel in the revelation hitting Talon
„Bloodclan warriors don‘t pay them any mind, can sometimes walk right by them without even registering them, but they‘re everywhere, hear much, see much… Not a single cat in all of Bloodclan seems to suspect the one group of cats that are no physical threat to them at all.“
Talon nods slowly. It‘s brilliant, yet so very simple. Bloodclan spends all it‘s attention of external threats and each other. The thought never crossed him to suspect the kitty-pets. A small uncomfortable chill runs up Talon‘s spine. If Kestrel has his spies among the kitty-pets… does he know of yesterday‘s little rescue action already? Will he learn of it later today? Which ones are with him and which ones are not? Looking at his second-in-command, Talon‘s pads are sweating. He must have known that he heads to the forrest regularly for a long time. Kestrel could have ambushed him whenever he pleased while they were separate factions… or after uniting still too. He might know the route Talon takes to the edge of twoleg-place, from where he returns, roughly when he’d usually return. The fact that Kestrel didn‘t, along with his willing revelation on one side reassure Talon, the second-in-command seems determined to display his loyalty. But on the other side, some of Talon‘s neck fur stands up at the realisation that this cat, whom is no fighter at all, could have arranged his end at any time. He‘s been playing with higher stakes than he‘d imagined, keeping up his little trips.
Shaking his head and ignoring the stressful knot in his stomach, Talon hums quietly as he observes the brown warrior. If nothing else, this little interlude served well enough to ease his more immediate anger at the situation between Wrath and the twins.
„So… we know very little in general of what goes on in the territory of Bone‘s sons, is what you‘re saying?“
Kestrel‘s pleased expression melts away into a slightly dismayed one
„Far less than I‘d like, yes. It doesn‘t help that they give most of their orders, speeches, decisions and all else in an abandoned twoleg storage den. None dare get close enough to hear what goes on in there and I can‘t blame them. They‘d be found out right away, and those two dung smears could not give a rat‘s tail about the truce between clan and kitty-pets. They‘d kill them outright, did so a few times already. That‘s why the kitty-pets there are all frightened and keep to themselves. Bone would spin in his grave if he could see his kin… a traitor, two tyrants and a runaway. What a progeny.“
It takes Kestrel a few heartbeats to notice the sour look on Talon as the former second-in-command of Bloodclan is mentioned, the red eyed tom looking out through the entrance of the den, towards the small bit of sky visible from down there.
„Or… does he see them? You speak with Scourge, not me. Is old Bone still there beside him?“
Talon nods and huffs slowly, a slightly pained smile forming on him
„You didn‘t think something as trivial as dying would keep him from standing at Scourge‘s side, did you?“
The dark furred leader shoots Kestrel a bitter-sweet look
„I‘ll tell you all I know about our dead sometime, if you tell me all else you‘ve learned through your little lookouts. But we should focus on the trouble in front of us for now“
Nodding, Kestrel laps at his paw before pulling it over his ear several times before answering
„Deal. You‘ll find that much of it is more interesting than actually useful, sadly. Though you‘d still be in for a few laughs I think. About the border fight though, what‘s our play? Can we make one right now?“
Talon sighs, the regret plain on his face as he lifts his right paw, inspecting his claws, real and reinforcing, un- and re-sheathing the former several times
„Not much we can do right now, I fear. You said you might find us ways to get more food. Our own supply to get through the season is currently less than certain. Unless we can be absolutely sure that we‘ve got enough for ourselves, we can not offer up much to help anyone else, even if they are clanmates...“
Kestrel nods and looks thoughtfully ahead, more through than at Talon as his mind is at work
„Perhaps… the twolegs are the key. But it‘ll be a risky gamble. As in very risky and not in the way we are used to. We might pull the attention of the twolegs onto us for a while if we do this. We‘ll need time to plan it“
Talon tilts his head, a hint of curiosity in his gaze
„You‘re saying there is a chance, that is already a decent start. What would be our target?“
Kestrel hums, seeming to snap back to reality, almost surprised to find Talon in the middle of his field of vision
„I can show you if you wish. It‘s a bit of a way out though. Considered going for it before we joined you a few times, but always ended choosing against it. And even after we get the food I suspect to be there, I have not yet found a way to safely bring it all back to Bloodclan territory without making us a tempting target for every rogue around“
Talon sighs deeply, but the prospect of being able to save his clanmates outweighs his trepidation of the rest of twoleg-place outside the clan‘s direct reach, but the idea sparks little joy all the same.
„So it‘s outside of the clan‘s borders… Well, this will be grand. We‘ll take a look, then we can still decide. But right now, I still need to see to it that the clan gets going for today. The longer they wait for orders, the more time to gather and hunt passes us by and for now at least we can‘t really afford that.“
Kestrel steps away from the entrance, making ample room with a courteous flick of his tail
„Then lead on, Talon. I‘ll try to find out more about what happened and what we might be able to do in the meantime. Unless you need me here?“
„Do what you do best, Kestrel. If there is any achievable chance at all, we can‘t just let our clanmates die out there. Nor let our own starve… Come find me when you know more. We may prove Scourge wrong yet…“
Talon pads past his second-in-command, out of his den and past the two veteran warriors still dutifully guarding the den. With a sway of his tail, Talon dismisses them and leaps up against the wall, climbing to the top and sitting down before looking down at the crowd of warriors. As Kestrel walks out of the den and straight past the other cats, heading out of the alley, many asking gazes cling to him before returning up at Talon. Calming his nerves a bit with a few deep breaths as he waits for the chattering to die down a bit, Talon observes the warriors under him. The reception of the news has doubtlessly gotten a whole range of reactions, but one thing appears evident from looking into the eyes of the slowly quieting crowd. It sits well with none of them. After a few more heartbeats deciding to wait no further, Talon winds his tail around himself to rest on his paws. Time to begin giving today‘s orders. A lot to be done still. Kestrel‘s plan sounds hopeful, but it remains uncertain yet. His faction won‘t survive on maybes, food will still have to be gathered, borders must be defended. Time will tell if they can breathe up soon, but until then they can not ease up. Not yet.

Chapter Text

Ashfur bounds rapidly towards the forest, soon crossing the border. As the forest closes in around, the grey tom‘s speed slowly falters. Any possible line of sight to twoleg-place long gone, by both distance and the dense and wild growth of trees, even now with no more leaves clinging to their branches. The snow crunches under Ashfur‘s paws as his initially rapid advance slows into barely even a walk, until he stands still entirely. Several heartbeats pass, the warrior standing alone in the woods during the early morning hours, before he lashes out, leaving a claw mark in the bark of a nearby tree. His face contorts into a grimace, as rage and sadness course through him. Cumbersome… Even the warrior that basically volunteered to train him confessed now that he is but a burden at times. Snarling to himself, the blue eyed warrior shakes his head, hooking the claws of his right front paw into the same tree again, digging them deep into the wood. Leave it to a Bloodclan cat to at least have the guts to say aloud what many must be thinking in silence. And Talon would be right. Almost dying like a kit the first time out of the nursery in the snow… No danger, no threat, not starving nor sick, only incompetence, and that almost was his end. Leaning his head against the tall grown plant as he slowly pulls down his paw, his muscles rippling and aching at the effort as the deeply sunk in claws slowly descend down the bark. He breathes deeply, a mild shaking vibrating his knees, trying to hold back tears. Would that be his kin‘s verdict too? Would his ancestor Thistleclaw deem him a burden as well just a few training sessions in? Would his blood be as lenient as the Bloodclan cat and still honour his word afterwards?
Ashfur hums, the shaking in his legs slowly going away as he regains, bit by bit, composure of himself. Talon still wishes to continue his training. In just two days time. It‘d be good to make up for the training they didn‘t have yesterday and between Bloodclan and the Dark Forest there is no way he‘d not grow stronger… as long as both his new mentors decide to keep him around. He huffs and pulls back his paw, the claws making a sound almost like the strike of a woodpecker as they pop out of the gash they carved. Talon didn‘t need to save him, yet he did. It‘s not lost yet. This can still work, he can still grow more powerful as a warrior. He can still become worthy, he has to. Taking another deep breath, the cold leafbare air slightly burning inside his lungs, Ashfur tries to rearrange his thoughts. First things first, he‘ll need to hunt. He must return with prey before the sunrise patrol or another hunter haphazardly can find him, otherwise he‘ll need to come up with another excuse. His gut feels heavy at the thought. Innocent as it was, the lie about the owl to excuse the wound on his back had made him feel bad enough, he‘d not want to repeat that. Lying to his whole clan… what kind of warrior does such a lowly thing? Slowly he gets back into motion, padding on deeper into the forest, keeping his head high, nose in the air, trying to catch any promising scent. A bit of stinging pressure throbs under his right paw, but he choses to ignore it for now. Might be a bit of ice stuck between his pads, it‘ll melt and go away. Hunting is now more important.
Soon a scent hits his nose that makes his ears perk up. Continuing on, body slowly lowering, steps becoming lighter, more silent, he follows the smell. A blackbird… this could well be a worthwhile catch, the clan would no doubt enjoy a larger bird now. Soon enough, keeping himself close enough to the ground for his belly fur to touch the snow underneath him, he creeps to a thick bush, peering out from between it‘s branches, his pelt letting him blend in well behind the slightly greyed, sapless branches of the plant. Up on a tree, a low hanging branch, a majestic blackbird rests, beak under it‘s wing as it prunes itself leisurely. Ashfur observes quietly for a while before carefully slinking behind it‘s tree, out of sight. Slowly and cautiously he sinks his claws into the bark, pulling himself up on them, rising up along the trunk until he is at the hight of the branch. His ears perked and attentive, he listens for any sign at all that his mark may have noticed his approach as he moves along the tree, peering past the trunk once he can. Nothing, the bird remains, unaware, looking up occasionally from it‘s pruning before resuming it. Very slowly, Ashfur moves onto the branch, putting down one paw after the other, setting his weight upon it so slowly that no vibration gives him away. His blue eyes fixate on his prey unwaveringly, his muscles buckling for a pounce. A mere two taillengths away now…

Ashfur drops his prey on the freshkill pile, flicking his ear at the sight of it. The clan fares decently well for food still, but leafbare hasn‘t been going for very long yet either. Every bite of food will be important to Thunderclan before long. He raises his gaze just in time to see the tails of the sunrise patrol disappear through the camp‘s entrance. He made it back just in time before they left. Good. Beyond the night guard Berrynose, whom is currently retreating towards the warrior den for some rest, no-one knows that he‘s been out all night. Not that Berrynose would care much beyond making some mousebrained comment even if he wasn‘t tired out. With a slightly relieved sigh, Ashfur pads towards the apprentice den, his promise to Lionpaw still counting, only to be stopped in his tracks by Brackenfur. The golden brown tom emerges from the apprentice den with Hollypaw right by his side, stopping to give Ashfur an acknowledging nod, but then remain standing as he observes Ashfur‘s stride. Ashfur tilts his head slightly, unsure what to make of it, stopping before his fellow warrior.
„Everything alright, Ashfur?“
The question catches the blue eyed warrior somewhat off-guard, his tail flicking behind him. There are no signs that something wouldn‘t be alright, are there? Did he overlook something, some detail that could give away his nightly activities?
„I believe so. Any reason why things wouldn‘t be alright, Brackenfur?“
The amber eyed mentor looks at Ashfur, his gaze descending to the grey warrior‘s paws. Hollypaw, chirping a quiet greeting as Ashfur‘s own gaze briefly moves over her, remains right up by Brackenfur‘s side, casting glances from time to time back towards the apprentice den.
„You walk with a small limp, Ashfur. The cold crack one of your pads on your hunt?“
Ashfur‘s eyes open a bit wider. He‘d been ignoring the unpleasant feeling under his paw to the point where he barely registered it, but now that the other warrior mentions it, it has yet to fade. Humming and sitting down, Ashfur raises his paw, observing it‘s underside. A scoff escapes the grey warrior. No piece of ice stuck between his pads, rather a splinter. That‘s what he gets for picking fights with trees…
„Splinter… probably should have Leafpool take a look at it. As if she doesn‘t have enough work.“
„This IS her work, Ashfur, taking care of things like that. Better get it removed and hope she lets you go for Lionpaw‘s training. He seems… energetic today“
Narrowly avoiding a loud sigh at that, Ashfur‘s expression still clearly conveys his reaction to this information, as indicated by a small grin from Brackenfur and an amused chuckle from Hollypaw.
„I see… I did promise further combat training and I will not live it down if I don‘t deliver. Fine, I‘ll go by Leafpool first then. Let‘s hope Lionpaw can muster that much patience at least“
With an acknowledging nod, Ashfur turns, rising back up and beginning on his way to the medicine den, as he finds himself cut off by Brackenfur again.
„Maybe Starclan is trying to tell you to take it easy with your training of Lionpaw, Ashfur…“
The golden-brown warrior‘s voice is calm, yet in his eyes he holds a clear warning. The memory of Ashfur and Lionpaw‘s rougher training session a while ago seeming to remain fresh in Brackenfur‘s mind and he holds no fear to show it. Some of Ashfur‘s neck fur stands up as the look between the two warriors drags on for a bit. Hollypaw takes several steps back, worry clear in her green eyes as the sudden tension blazes between the two toms. Lionpaw could easily defeat Hollypaw. Lionpaw could defeat any other apprentice already. He asked for rougher training, against Ashfur‘s council and warning, more than once, and the young tom is stronger for it. Ashfur promised his apprentice to ensure he‘d be the strongest in his den. Even reduced as he is, the pride to make his words come true and make the apprentice given into his mentorship great burns within the grey warrior. What gives Brackenfur, a tom who already has everything he could ever ask for, the right to challenge his apprentice‘s growth? Ashfur takes a breath, his voice as calm and collected as Brackenfur‘s as he delivers his answer, slowly pushing past the other warrior.
„We shall see what Leafpool says. Until further notice, I‘m sure we‘ll see each other at the mossy clearing, see what our apprentices are capable of.“
Fury bubbles under Ashfur‘s pelt as he pads away from the mentor apprentice duo, trying his best not to let it show, though his neckfur remains somewhat spiked. Lionpaw will be one of the greatest warriors Thunderclan has, Ashfur will make sure of that. He‘s given his word. That must still be worth something. Quietly grumbling once he is out of immediate earshot of Brackenfur, Ashfur increasingly notices what the other warrior meant earlier, he does drag his front right paw a bit, doesn‘t put quite as much pressure on it. How annoying. With a small sigh, Ashfur enters the medicine den, the familiar scent of herbs and leaves filling his nostrils, but also something else… a smell even more familiar. The glum light inside the den forces the warrior‘s eyes to take a moment to adapt.
„…her fur looks so much like his. What if at a Gathering he realises…“
As Ashfur steps deeper into the den, two figures turn their heads to look his way, making him stop on the spot. Both these pairs of eyes, Ashfur would recognise anytime and anywhere, even if his eyes have not yet adapted enough to see the colour of their pelts. The pain in his paw becomes utterly unnoticeable as the stinging in his chest returns. Like a vine of thorns winding around his heard, slowly squeezing tighter, driving the thorns ever deeper into him. Able to avoid a pained wince just barely by letting out a strong nasal exhale instead, he dips his head in greeting. Stone faced and stiff in his motions, he looks back up at the pair of she-cats. His voice is calm, a little quieter than usual, but devoid of any and all emotion, at the cost of a great deal of active effort.
„Leafpool, Squirrelflight. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I could return a bit later, if…“
The pair of amber eyes, though for a brief moment showing shock, seem to relax a bit. Leafpool‘s voice remains a little shaken as she shakes her head. He must have really surprised the two sisters in their discussion.
„No, it‘s alright. What did you need, Ashfur?“
The grey warrior raises his paw, humming quietly
„I seem to have gotten a splinter during my hunt. I don‘t know how deep it‘s in. Brackenfur noticed I had a light limp, so I came here“
Though he puts active effort in the attempt not to look her way, Ashfur observes Squirrelflight from the corner of his vision as he keeps his gaze directed towards Leafpool. He must have surprised them a lot more than he initially thought still. The deep, emerald green eyes of Squirrelflight, whom’s shape he slowly begins to be able to make out better in the dim light, seem to still hold worry, almost even suspicion. Does she fear that they‘ve been overheard? What would they have been talking about that needs such secrecy that their clanmates could not be allowed to know? Leafpool directs Ashfur to one of the nests. Knowing the procedures of the medicine den fairly well by now Ashfur complies on nigh automation, extending his paw for the medicine cat to inspect as soon as he is settled down. They are the daughters of a leader, one the medicine cat, in contact with their ancestors and interpret of their will, the other mate of the deputy… Perhaps it‘d not be far fetched to guess it has to do with relations between the clans. They did mention the Gathering after all. Perhaps they are rightfully prudent. Ever since trouble with Windclan started growing and Riverclan‘s temporary residence on the island, things must be a bit more complicated. It‘d put Thunderclan at a disadvantage if the leader‘s plans were just known by just everyone, to be potentially blathered out at a Gathering in front of the other clans.
By the time he snaps back to reality from his thoughts, he sees that Leafpool is already diligently licking a bit of poultice into the small wound, the splinter resting on the floor next to him. He hums as he observes the shard of wood, the majority of it coloured red in his blood that seeped into it. It must have been a good bit deeper than he realised.
„Thank you. Thunderclan is lucky to have you“
Leafpool continues a few heartbeats longer before relinquishing Ashfur‘s paw.
„I‘m only doing as Cinderpelt taught me. There, it should be better now. Keep away from mud and the like, beyond that you are clear to return to your duties already. The cold outside should help prevent swelling on it‘s own.“
Ashfur nods, a bit of relief filling his eyes at the news. Scenting that Squirrelflight is still in the den, having barely moved at all since Ashfur entered, the grey warrior actively resists the urge to clutch his chest, the feeling inside remaining.
„Good. Lionpaw will be glad to hear it. He‘ll be worrying that his training might fall flat today“
Slowly rising back up to his paws, Ashfur nods gratefully towards Leafpool, before turning his head towards Squirrelflight. He briefly parts his jaws to give a goodbye, or a see you later, something, anything, only to find his mind blanking for a moment before the soft furred she-cat, the rich orange colour of her pelt visible now. Squirrelflight has her eyes averted, looking at Jaypaw‘s empty nest, her shining, green eyes heavy with thoughts of her own as her fluffy, fiery orange tail curly around her one white paw. She does not raise her head to return the grey warrior‘s gaze. Ashfur‘s maw closes as he slowly turns away wordlessly after all, giving a simple dip of his head instead. Right... Not worth the attention, not beside her current mate. Not noteworthy yet. The grey warrior‘s ears droop down for a moment before they rise into a neutral position again, as he slowly pads out of the den. The slightly disheartened look of Leafpool as the warrior steps away goes unnoticed, the droop as short as it was not having passed the medicine cat by unregistered.
Not yet worth it. Not yet. Much work remains to be done. And part of it is making Lionpaw into a powerful warrior of Thunderclan. His apprentice will be the pride of his clan when he receives his warrior name. The stinging in his chest easing up ever so slightly, the warrior approaches the apprentice den again, Lionpaw sitting before it, chatting with Jaypaw. The blind cat‘s ear twitches and swivels towards the approaching tom a moment before he turns his head in the same direction. Lionpaw soon follows his sibling‘s empty gaze, a hint of excitement immediately sparkling in his eyes.
„Ready to head out for training, Lionpaw?“
The apprentice leaps up onto his paws, turning to face his mentor and nodding
„Of course! Where are we training today, Ashfur?“
After a moment, a small grin appears on Ashfur. He did say he would after all…
„The mossy clearing. Brackenfur seems to doubt our training. I say we show him how strong you‘re getting. Sound good?“
The excitement in Lionpaw‘s eyes takes on a competitive touch, the apprentice‘s grin wider than his mentor‘s. Rare is the urge to pettiness, but today the idea of rubbing Lionpaw‘s abilities under Brackenfur‘s nose after his thinly veiled criticism does let a bit of joy arise in Ashfur. Let‘s see how the other apprentices hold up compared to his.

Chapter Text

Talon coughs, trying to suck in air after it‘s been knocked right out of his lungs as he impacted the wall. Turning to face his opponent, he ignores the throbbing pain in his shoulder from his harsh landing, his temporarily blurry vision sharpening rapidly as he focuses in on the towering, light brown tom. A small grin forms on Talon, his heart beating hard enough for him to hear it‘s quickened rhythm, blood pumping hot through him.
„Good one, Edge. But I‘m not done just yet“
The large tom chuckles, unmoving in his slightly lowered battle stance, his paled milky eyes staring emptily ahead as his ears turn towards the recovering leader.
„I‘d hope so. We‘re just warming up so far, aren‘t we?“
Talon laughs, his worries and stress for now forgotten as he slowly pads closer, lowering himself ready to pounce. The blind warrior attentively listens to even the tiniest noise, his ears remaining perfectly trained of Talon. The red eyed tom leaps forth, prompting Edge to turn, the large cat raising his paw to knock Talon out of the air. With a grin, the dark grey leader lands just short before Edge, dashing to the side to avoid Edge‘s raised paw descending where he just stood with enough force to knock him down. Edge quickly turns to deliver a sideway swipe at Talon, only to let out a deep, surprised gasp as all he hits is some fur, Talon already darting in under the anticipated strike. Talon closes his jaw around Edge‘s other front paw, strongly pulling it out from under the sizeable brown tom-cat. Trying to get on top of the fallen opponent, Talon‘s eyes go wide as Edge rapidly pulls in his hind legs and pushes them forth fiercely into Talon‘s belly, sending the dark grey cat flying once more.
He lands on his paws this time, huffing for air again and immediately dashing back in to try and still capitalise on Edge being down. By the time Talon‘s almost at his mark, Edge has rolled onto his belly and turned towards the rapidly approaching leader. Using that he is already lowered as such, Edge pushes himself off the ground with his hind legs into a pounce. Talon grinds his teeth and tries grinding to a quick halt and leaping off to the side. Edge lands on his paws with a thud, Talon pulling up his paw, focused in on Edge‘s broad neck. He realises his mistake too late as the blind warrior‘s big paw bats into the shoulder of his outstretched front leg, the brown furred body moving narrowly out of the way of Talon‘s swipe. The impact pushes Talon a bit to the side, destabilising him for a moment. That moment is all Edge needs. Before Talon can regain either his stance or some distance, the larger tom simply barrels into him with his full body, sending Talon straight to the ground. Dazed for less than a moment, Talon comes to just in time to the frightful sight of Edge‘s maw come down on him, his jaws closing on his chest. Talon huffs, before letting his head fall backwards.
„Foxdung…“
Edge chuckles low through Talon‘s fur before letting go, raising his head and sitting down beside the fallen leader. An amused expression paints the blind colossus‘s face, drawing his tongue over his muzzle, flashing the teeth he thankfully did not utilise.
„That would be your heart and lung pierced, I fear, Talon“
Talon grunts and slowly rolls over onto his bells
„Yes, I know. You are very quick for someone your size, Edge. And you don‘t pull your punches when you throw someone…“
The dark grey tom leans his head to the side and vainfully licks his shoulder, which took most of his impact when he was thrown against the wall.
„It‘s no battle training if it doesn‘t emulate battle. Are you alright though?“
The light brown tom slightly leans in, slicking his ear as his blind eyes rest on his leader, his question earnest in tone. Talon huffs quietly and slowly rises to his paws with a grunt before shaking out his pelt.
„I‘m fine. My pride took more damage than I did“
The two toms chuckle in unison.
„As long as that‘s the case, you can continue fighting when needed.“
Talon hums at this comment, tilting his head slightly in thought
„Maybe. But if you had been an enemy, I‘m fairly sure I‘d be halfway to Scourge by now. My reflexes still need work. I should have been able to dodge that strike.“
Edge calmly shakes his head, ears remaining trained on Talon as his face just stares dead ahead, looking at nothing at all
„That‘s what training‘s for. Besides, you are far from weak. You are stronger than my littermates, stronger than most. I think only a few cats in the faction that could challenge you.“
Talon sighs, looking to the side, down the nameless alley they traveled to to train today, twoleg monsters rushing past the entrance to it in a rapid, yet oddly rhythmic pace.
„Perhaps. But the cats from our faction are not the ones I worry most about. The only other leader I could take on right now is Granite, and that is if he doesn‘t summon Flame to fight for him. No cat could challenge Scourge when he ruled. I‘m nowhere near that“
Edge nods slowly, before beginning to groom his chest fur between talking
„Perhaps. But is invincibility the most important trait for a leader? If prowess were the only quality we were looking for, we‘d all be following Wrath. Yet here we are.“
Talon chuckles as he stretches, popping several joints, before padding over to the small pile of dogteeth.
„I‘m flattered. But unless I can defend my claim, we might still end up following Wrath, or one of the others. I try my best, for our faction and our clan, yes. That alone does not get me closer to becoming our one true leader though. I must become stronger still. No way around it“
Slowly Talon begins picking up the dogteeth, one by one, reattaching them over his natural claws. Edge remains where he is seated a moment longer, seeming in contemplation, before arising and padding over to Talon, to his own pile of detached dogteeth.
„Could be that you are right. All this leader business, it‘s not for me. Frost or Castle would probably have more of an opinion on that than I. But I will gladly train with you whenever you care to either way. Heh, as if you couldn‘t just order me to anyway.“
Flexing his paws, unsheathing his claws a few times to ensure the dogteeth sit properly and correcting one of them before being content with it, Talon hums before looking to Edge.
„As if I’d go around ordering myself sparring matches. I do thank you for the training offer though, Edge. I‘ll likely take you up on that regularly. Can only grow stronger at a decent pace fighting opponents greater than I.“
Edge hums, after carefully feeling out where the pile of dogteeth lie before him with his paw, beginning to pick them up and reattach them to his paws as well. Their ears perk up at the sound of running nearby. Talon looks up and over to the entrance to this side alley, spotting Kestrel running towards them. The last of his dogteeth reattached, the red eyed leader takes several steps in Kestrel‘s direction, ears perked attentively. Kestrel would not usually come running like that. Something out of the ordinary must be going on… and that means more often than not something isn‘t as it should in twoleg-place. The second-in-command stops shortly before talon, his breathing elevated to a panting for air, causing his first attempt to report to end in a small coughing fit instead of words. Talon places his paw on the brown tom‘s shoulder
„Breathe, Kestrel! You‘re of little use to us if you suffocate yourself! Take a second, then report“
Kestrel slowly nods, trying well and hard to catch his breath. Edge moves up to the two other cats, but remains silent as they wait for Kestrel to relay his intended message
„Talon… rogues. Our outer border to the lower twoleg-place. The group of rogues from around the horse place has moved in, already seized our food source behind the twoleg fish place. Clover got away with some light wounds, but we‘ll need a patrol to drive them off.“
Talon‘s eyes narrow as he nods, leading the way, the two other toms following immediately.
„Do we know how many? What did Clover report?“
Kestrel bounds forward to be beside Talon, matching his speed afterwards
„Seven, maybe eight. No collars, probably all streetborn rogues.“
Talon gives a scoff, guiding their way towards their main alley, the call to action numbing him to the remaining pain in his shoulder
„So we can expect them to know how to fight. Great… I‘ll lead the patrol, I‘m warmed up as it is. We gather a patrol and head out immediately. We absolutely cannot afford to lose food right now.“
Kestrel nods, still huffing to catch his breath. Edge hums from behind Talon
„I‘m not very familiar with the streets down there. I could still come with you, but it might cost us time to guide me there.“
Talon shakes his head, his pace slowly accelerating as Kestrel recovers. His mind is racing, practically throbbing against his skull as he navigates the snowy streets towards home
„No. Your prowess will be missed, but time is important here. Stay by the main alley. If there are more than Clover was able to spot and they make a push for the main alley, you‘ll save more lives there.“
Edge nods, ears continuously remaining directed at the other two cats for direction
„As you wish. Nothing will get past me, Talon“
„I‘m counting on that.“
The trio enters the faction‘s main alley, padding at a stiff pace toward Talon‘s wall. The red eyed leader observes in his motion the cats around as he passes them, all going about their daily lives and duties. He turns his head towards Kestrel.
„They don‘t know the news yet?“
„No. Clover‘s in the healer‘s den, so far only me and the healers know. Well, and Grail, but she‘s still confined to the healer‘s den too“
Talon nods. Once they draw sufficiently close, he leaps up onto the dumpster, then from it straight up onto the wall. As Kestrel leaps up onto the dumpster, taking his position there, the first of the alley‘s denizens begin to take notice, slowly a small crowd gathering before the wall. Talon observes quietly for a moment as they gather, before raising his head. No time to wait for them to slowly drop in one by one. Taking one deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves first, Talon let‘s his voice thunder through the alley, loud and commanding
„Warriors of Bloodclan, gather before the wall for orders!“
As the already waiting cats look up to Talon, curious and impatient to hear what news there are, warriors begin to stream into the crowd at a rapid pace. Every cat with a studded collar in earshot races to join the others, they all gathering under Talon‘s gaze before looking up in expectant curiosity.
His tail lashing behind him a few times, he looks through the colourful congregation of pelts and collars, glistening bones and inquisitive eyes. All here, gathered immediately at his call. While the many eyes trained on him still perpetuate his nervousness, he could not deny the empowering feeling coursing through him. It feels good, reassuring, emboldening.
„Warriors. Rouges have stepped over the border! The food source behind the twoleg fish place has been taken!“
Emotion instantly boils up in the crowd. The looks sharpening into glares, individual voices beginning to sound above the muttering and discussing that sweep through the gathered warriors. Owl‘s growl rings loud through the noise
„Bunch of foxhearts! How dare they?“
Sparrow, surrounded by Hornet and Gravel, whom both turn to nod to his words, raises his voice above the cacophony
„Time to fight! No-one steals from Bloodclan!“
Frost, stepping forth through the crowd keeps his gaze up at Talon
„We will drive them off, right? We won‘t stand for rogues trespassing, taking food unasked?“
Many heads nod, more still turn back to look at Talon. Eyes blazing expectantly, ears perked to hear their leader‘s words. Talon returns their gaze, shooting a glance at Frost. By asking the question like that, he allows both the discussion to end early and for Talon to appear decisive. Was that on purpose, or was he merely asking aloud what was on his mind? Either way, it works in Talon’s favour. The dark furred leader raises his head high
„Indeed we will. Bloodclan will defend it‘s territory. I want with me: Castle, Gravel, Owl, Frost, Hornet! Gash, Lantern, Sparrow and Rat, Wax, Spider! We move out immediately, every one else continue on your given orders. We need to keep gathering all we can and our other border must remain protected also.“

Chapter Text

The patrol moves swiftly over the cold, rough grounds of twoleg-place, reinforcing claws clacking against pavements. Talon looks over his shoulder, looking at the cats following him, keeping pace easily. The emotions in their eyes range from anger to exctement. Returning his gaze ahead, checking the thunderpath with due caution for a moment before crossing with his followers before any twoleg monsters can turn up. While a bit of anger does pulse through the dark grey tom, he could not deny that he too felt some excitement. No clanmates this time, no training, but just trespassing rogues. He glances at his dogteeth as he keeps moving. He could not unwind at the river, now at least he gets a chance to unwind in a way. His thoughts briefly go back to their raid of Thunderclan, the grey tom that had tried to pin him. It took effort to work around his instincts ad strike his leg despite his throat being wide open for attack. No need for that this time. No holding back, no avoiding potent swipes and bites. His heart beating stronger, anticipation rises in Talon. He is still a Bloodclan warrior, a doghunt is not the same as a real battle. From the corner of his eye, Talon spots Frost running close to him, his amber eyes shining with the same excitement as courses through Talon. It will do his reputation some good, to fight today, kill Bloodclan‘s enemies. If nothing else, his former second-in-command should regain some confidence in him. Today might do them both some good.
As they grow close to their target, Talon slows down, nearing the corner to the alley this is mostly about. The smells of twoleg-place here are undermined by the unmistakable scent of fish. The dumpsters here regularly contain it, thrown away by the twolegs of the surrounding twoleg dwellings. Losing a food source is not an option, not with food already being as short as is. The rogues know better than to challenge Bloodclan on it‘s own territory, all that ensues is on them. His gaze wanders one more time over the patrol at his heel, all having come to a stand-still, looking at their leader, waiting for the order. Frost sits almost beside Talon, a familiar occurrence, before Kestrel that was his place wherever they both went. Giving the former second-in-command a look, Talon finds Frost returning the gaze an giving his leader a nod, an impatient smile upon his white face. Talon flicks his ear. He‘d prefer to interpret the gesture as encouraging, yet it feels more like he is being openly evaluated by his warrior. Turning away, he disregards that sentiment, ears standing attentively, trying to hear what might be going on in the alley, if the rogues know wether they are there. After a moment of silence, he can make out ruffling of garbage bags, the clanking of tins against metal. They are buy enjoying their capture, enjoying Bloodclan‘s dearly needed food. The dark grey leader‘s eyes narrow and he gives a signal to the rest of the patrol with a flick of his tail before padding onwards, his speed picking up rapidly as he turns the corner. Hearing his clanmates behind and beside him, speeding up much as he does, he breaks into a sprint, thundering down the alley towards the big dumpsters. A few ragged pelted rogues sit around the dumpsters, either eating or grooming themselves as. The ears of two perk up, turning towards the rapidly advancing Bloodclan warriors. As their expressions turn first to fright, then to wrath, one lets out a loud yowl, alerting the rest. Several cats leap out of the large dumpsters, quick to find Talon and his patrol as they are almost upon them already. Clover‘s count seemed fairly accurate, about nine of them. This time they would not be able to group up on a single Bloodclan warrior. Feeling the blood pulse hot through his veins, Talon lets out a fierce howl as he leaps into battle, mirrored by the other warriors at his side.
A rugged looking tom with messy brown pelt leaps towards Talon to meet him mid air, claws outstretched and face twisted into a grim snarl. The two toms collide, swiping and trying to get a grip on the other while denying the same to the other, before they fall to the cold asphalt to continue their tussle. The sound of battle quickly fills the air in the somewhat small side-alley, in the far corners of Talon‘s vision he sees pelts colliding, the sparkle of claws in the gloomy shade of their environment, bits of snow kicked up and the first droplets of blood flying through the air. His focus however remains the ball of wildly hissing fur trying to find a good grip on him with his teeth. As the rogue tries to push past Talon‘s clawed paws to sink his fangs into the Bloodclan leader‘s shoulder, Talon kicks him off in a high arch with a grunt. Quickly rising back to his paws, Talon observes that his opponent has been flung against one of the large dumpsters, but is already getting back up, shaking his head and readying himself to launch his ragged self into battle once more. Admirable resolve. Shame that Talon‘s faction can not afford to recruit much right now, perhaps one or two of them could have been worthwhile. His ears leaned back flat against his head, Talon‘s pelt spikes up high, the tall tom appearing larger still for a moment as he watches for the brown rogue‘s charging approach. He waits until he is close before just barely leaping over him, catching the tom‘s tail in his jaws as he descends. Before the rogue has a chance to fully turn to face him, Talon forcefully yanks this tail towards him, dragging the cat in reach before letting go and moving to meet him. Pulling up his paw, Talon draws a long gash along the rogue‘s entire left side, sending fur flying as the first small streams of blood begin raining down onto the snowy ground. The rogue lets out an agonised howl, but through his pain still spins around to face Talon. The red eyed warrior is caught unprepared as the tom‘s claws speed towards him, Talon‘s too late attempt at an evasion earning him a set of clawmarks in his left shoulder. Growling and hissing low, the dark pelted leader moves back a few tail-lengths to reevaluate, only to find the rogue immediately moving up, relentlessly seeking to pull his claws through Talon‘s face. Talon growls, narrowly dodging the furious flurry launched against him, before finding his chance as his opponent briefly sets down both front paws. Throwing himself forward, Talon crashes into his enemy with his full weight, sending the rogue to the floor and giving the Bloodclan leader a short moment to surveil the situation. Two other fights seem to have already ended, the lifeless bodies of rogues laying on the floor, colouring the snow in a beautiful shade of red around their still leaking wounds. Most others are still at it. Gash and Wax are rapidly bringing down another, fighting together against their opponent, leaving the grey furred rogue they are battling increasingly covered in deep clawmarks, blood spraying around with each movement of the unfortunate street cat. Most others are fighting their opponents one on one, their pride and the acknowledgement of it by the other Bloodclan cats keeps those with no-one to fight from interfering. Gravel, one of the warriors who has had an opponent and already won her bout, has lept up to the dumpsters, keeping watch over the alley to ensure no unaccounted reinforcements could catch the Bloodclan warriors by surprise. The others with no fights of their own circle the ongoing fights or simply observe, Owl still lapping the blood off his paws from his own finished fight.
His attention returning to his own fight, Talon sees that as he rises up again, the rogue too takes a look around, increasing despair in his eyes as he sees the way things are turning. His eyes soon remain at one of the other fights, Moon battling another she-cat and quickly gaining the upper paw. The battle ends abruptly as the she-cat rogue attempts a close range lunge to get onto Moon‘s back, leaving herself far too open. Quickly rearing up to her hind-legs, Moon catches the she-cat with her jaws by the throat, pulling her out of the air and to the ground with a loud thump. Desperately the female rogue attempts to batter away at the seasoned veteran warrior, all her attempts ceasing as with a wet ripping sound Moon pulls back her head, the female remaining on the floor while a part of her throat rests in Moon‘s high held head before she spits it to the side. The brown tom‘s eyes widen in misery and horror. Talon tilts his head in quiet observation. Kin? No… a mate perhaps. How foolish, why would one do something so reckless as to challenge Bloodclan and exposing one‘s loved one to the danger of it. It matters little, his pain would not endure long anyway. If only he knew the misery yet to come in the void beyond. Talon shakes his head to clear it of any such thoughts. No time to think of that now.
„Eyes here! Your fight is still with me!“
Talon approaches, tail kept straight and low, observing the rogue as his gaze returns to the Bloodclan leader. As Talon‘s red eyes hold the rogues gaze he sees his pain, his loss, rapidly turn into blazing hatred. With a yowl that could have made even the fiercest warrior flinch, the grieving rogue charges forward at full speed. As a fearsome swipe descends, aimed straight for Talon‘s neck, the dark grey tom pushes forward, catching the descending leg in his jaws, biting down hard. Talon turns his head, keeping a firm grip on the rogue‘s front leg, tasting the iron tang of blood upon his tongue as he causes the rogue to fall onto his side. His red eyes open wide in surprise when neither the pain of the bite, nor crashing to the ground seem enough to stop the ragefilled rogue in his current state, wincing trough his teeth as the brown cat‘s claws rake across his chest from his free front paw several times. He‘s hanging on and fights viciously… but he remains wide open. Using his opponent‘s complete lack of defence, Talon pushes down with fierce force his left front paw, his reinforcing dogteeth pointed down to the tom‘s ribcage. With barely any noise at all, the long false claws sink deep into the chest of the struggling rogue. For a brief moment, the brown street cat stops his swipes, eyes wide, almost as if in mild surprise. The next breath the floored cat attempts to take, does not work, descending him into a coughing fit. The coughing rapidly becomes more violent, more and more blood being spewed out with each consecutive one. Talon finally lets go of the rogue‘s leg and pulls back his paw before taking several steps back. The brown tom continues convulsing and coughing, though already he appears to get weaker by the moment.
Letting the rogue die on his own, Talon looks down himself, hissing at the sight of the badly stinging wounds on his chest, his blood drooling down from his pelt onto the snow in a slow but steady stream almost. Grief and anger seem potent motivators it seems. The dark grey leader takes a few deep nasal breaths of the icy air. Despite the pain, there is some amount of solace in the aftermath of battle. His thoughts are calmer, the stress seems quieted down for now. Looking up, Talon finds the last of the other battles coming to an end as a grey, white and russet tortoiseshell rogue struggles under Sparrow, before a firm bite to the neck brings quiet back to the alley. All quiet, for a moment, calm, as pleasant as it is oddly eery, before the several of the Bloodclan warriors raise their heads and howl in triumph. Talon leaps up to Gravel‘s side on the dumpsters, overlooking the scene as the clanmates begin congratulating and boasting to each other, a few expressing their concern over injuries. Talon is surprised to see Frost limping rater badly, not that it appears to counteract the white tom‘s pleased grin as he speaks with Owl and Castle.
„Another victory for Bloodclan“
Talon is mildly surprised to hear the voice of the she-cat beside him, turning to see that even the often serious half-tailed female seems to hold a confident little smile.
„Appears so. When word gets around, it should keep other rogues away again for a while. Maybe better that this happened now. I‘d rather the rest of leafbare be quiet. We‘ll be busy enough“
Gravel nods and hums quietly as she looks over the other cats.
„Fierce one, yours. Chose your opponent well.“
Talon sits down, lifting his paw to lap off the blood, only to noice with some amount of annoyance that one of his dogeteeth has it‘s tip broken off. Must have struck the ribcage and cracked. Beholding the fractured bone, Talon replies with genuinely little emotion to his voice
„I think Moon‘s foe was his mate or something like that. Was in a mood to fight us all by himself after that. Of all the mistakes he made today, I can‘t blame him for that one“
Gravel seems to grow thoughtful at that, her shortened tail swaying behind her.
„That so? I thought I was mistaken but earlier I thought I smelled…“
Talon looks over to the she-cat, his head slightly tilted at first before he stops that, it creating a very uncomfortable pulling in his new wound
„What‘s wrong, Gravel?“
The grey female looks over the other warriors, her gaze resting on Moon
„Moon! Can you check your fight? I got a suspicion about something“
The black pelted veteran warrior looks up to Gravel questioningly, before looking on to Talon for confirmation. Intrigued as to what Gravel might have picked up on, Talon nods down at Moon. With a quiet huff, the experienced she-cat trots over to the fallen rogue she battled. At first she seems somewhat aimless, not knowing what she is supposed to look for, until she opens her mouth to respond only to stop herself. Tasting the air for scent, she descends her nose down to the dead she-cat, a thoughtful hum escaping her before she looks up at Gravel with an expression Talon finds hard to read. The grey striped warrior beside him sighs and shakes her head
„Life in twoleg-place ever remains the same, it seems. Foolish she-cat…“
Moon continues seeking for scent, following a trace after a moment, disappearing behind the dumpsters in it‘s pursuit. By now the matter has gripped the attention of all Bloodclan cats present, their eyes fixed on where Moon disappeared to a moment ago. After some rustling, high pitched mewls arise from behind the dumpsters. Mere heartbeats later, Moon pushes back through, stepping out to the rest of the patrol, a small kitten dangling by it‘s scruff from her jaws. Talon leaps off the dumpsters to approach, hearing the impact of Gravel landing close behind him. Moon turns towards the red eyed tom as he steps closer to observe the kit. A little she-cat, very young indeed still, her eyes still remaining shut, mewling a lament about the cold wind she‘s exposed to now. A brown coat, quite like her presumed father, except for the paws, which are a sand colour, as her likely mother. Talon hums, at the sight
„Must have been a very recent litter… Any others?“
Moon softly shakes her head, conscious not to shake the little one too much. Gravel sits down beside Moon, giving the kit a sniff
„Still on milk. As I thought. Question is, does it even make sense to take it in? Does either Viper or Daze even still have milk?“
Castle steps up closer, first eyeing the found little one before turning to Talon
„Daze still did a short while ago that I know of. Maybe it‘s not all gone yet“
Owl hums in his deep and gruff elderly voice
„What if she doesn‘t anymore? Or does not wish to nurse a orphaned rogue? No point keeping it if it will just starve amongst us“
Gash scoffs, casting a brief glare at the elderly warrior
„You seem very eager to forget that almost all of us first generation Bloodclan warriors used to be rogues at some point. You were no kitty-pet either, were you?“
As Owl just gives a scoff and a roll of the eyes as answer, Gash looks to Talon
„We should try and ask at least. If Daze can‘t or won‘t, we could still give her to some kitty-pets, see if the twolegs might take her.“
Talon hums quietly, thinking through the matter, returning Gash‘s gaze from the corner of his eye. Father to a daughter himself, his opinion seems emotional and biased, but that doesn‘t mean by any means that it is a bad plan in and of itself. Talon‘s red eyes move back to the kitten, shivering slightly from the cold. Being alone is twoleg-place is rough, he knows it al too well. If it hadn‘t been for Bloodclan, maybe he would have been alone to freeze t death at some point…
„…We‘re taking her with us for now. Maybe Venom can help out Daze if milk is the problem. But she needs to get into the warm soon, or the choice will be made for us. Moon, take Gravel and Wax with you, run on ahead to the alley. Tell them of our victory. Venom can take a look at the kit and she‘ll be warmer in a nest. The wounded come with me, we go back at our own pace, slow enough to leave no-one alone and unprotected. In case we missed any other rogues, we should not take risks. The rest use the opportunity to see if anything worth grabbing is there today, then join up with me on our way back.“
Moon nods, immediately setting off back where they came from, Wax and Gravel rapidly bounding after her. All without injuries begin leaping up to the dumpsters, diving in in their search for any tangible food rests.
Letting out a little huff, Talon turns and signals with his tail the remaining warriors into following him. The multitude of gashes on his chest stinging more fiercely now with the rush of battle slowly mellowing down, he observes the other wounded as they set upon their way back. Frost‘s leg appears to have a nasty bite mark upon it, beside a few small scratches here or there, the white furred tom being the slowest of the group for now, thus giving the pace for the others. Rat meanwhile grumbles in slight frustration, having to shake his head regularly as a gash on his forehead keeps bleeding down into his eyes, as well as having earned another nick in his left ear and a clean, deep clawmark on his left shoulder. Spider is the least injured of the wounded, striding confidently despite the gash running down his right cheek, having slightly nicked his brown collar and staining it in his own slowly trickling blood. Keeping around Frost, whom despite his injury seems among the highest in spirit among them, they slowly make their way home, exchanging accounts of their battle with a fair amount of boasts among them, trails of the blood leaving their wounds painting their path in the shallow snow.

Chapter Text

Talon fights the urge to let out an exhausted huff as the remaining cats of the patrol step into the alley. The sound of cheering grows a small smile upon his face as he pushes on, trying his best to hide the amount of difficulty walking forward costs. He must have lost a his fair share of blood on the way home, the amalgamation of gashes on his chest still slowly trickling down a thin trail of red into the snow under him. The warriors that stayed behind to search for food have caught up with the wounded a while ago and now at last split away from them again to deposit their finds on the food pile, while the wounded head for the healer‘s den. Venom sits before the entrance to it, observing the warriors in their approach, seeming to scan the injuries from afar already. At her side sits Grail, who‘s cheering stopped at the sight of Talon, a look of genuine worry filling her eyes. As most of the wounded head straight inside, Talon stops by the two she-cats first
„Good news precedes us, I hope. Greetings, Venom, Grail“
Venom looks at each of the cats moving past and into the healer‘s den with concentration before returning her eyes to Talon, her gaze immediately drawn to the clawmarks on his chest
„Indeed. A victory, we expected nothing less. Looks like it didn‘t come for free though. Feeing alright?“
Talon nods, playing off the throbbing sting of the gashes with a chuckle
„I may have lost a drop or two on the way back, but I‘m fine.“
Venom rolls her eyes and motions into the den
„That is for me to determine. Get in, I‘ll take a look.“
Grail remains silently half a tail-length behind Venom, observing Talon still. Her right ear begins to flick as Talon returns her gaze, the worry in her eyes partially fading
„I‘m glad to see you‘re out again, Grail. I bet your siblings will be relieved.“
The russet she-cat nods with a small smile, a few subtle spasms moving through her right front leg
„Of course. I‘m fully back on my duties. I hope you recover soon too, Talon“
Talon nods and turns to move into the healer‘s den
„Compared to what you had, this is a trifle. Although I‘m sure Venom will find a way to correct me on that. See you later, Grail“
Pushing through into the healer‘s den, Talon slowly moves to one of the empty nests, most of the ones closest to the entrance now already occupied. He stops briefly by one of the nearest free ones, a strong desire to relieve his legs of the weight they carry and let himself fall into it, right by the other cats that fought alongside him today, lies like a heavy blanket over much of his mind. A deep frustration spreads through him and a sigh escapes. What if Kestrel returns with informations? Or something else occurs that not everyone needs to hear? Narrowly avoiding pulling a grimace at his displeasure at not being able to rest at the side of the other warriors, the red eyed tom drags himself further into the den. He finally lets himself fall into a nest near the far right wall of the den. Shifting a few times for the nesting not to touch his wounds, neither on his chest, nor his shoulder, he at last finds a comfortable position.
From a little distance he watches as Venom moves from one wounded warrior to the next, checking their injuries and instructing Rain on the herbs he is to make ready for her, the small male immediately at her side from the moment she stepped back into the healer‘s den. With a small chuckle to himself, Talon watches the young tom take in every word Venom speaks, before bounding away to their storage and sorting out the leaves and herbs he‘s been told to. Such an eagerness to learn. In time, he may very well become a great healer under Venom‘s guidance.
After spending a bit longer by Frost‘s side, feeling his leg, presumably trying to find wether there is a fracture or not, she lastly approaches Talon.
„And here we have the triumphant leader. Let‘s see“
Knowing the procedure somewhat by now, Talon shifts to allow Venom to access the wounds without much trouble. He grinds his jaws as he feels her tug a bit on him with her paw to see exactly how deep the cuts go, observing it, cautiously scenting it, before sitting down.
„Well, it‘s a lot of swipes, but none got deep enough to hit anything worthwhile. Otherwise you would not have gotten back on your own paws anyway. Bit of poultice to prevent infection and to encourage healing, and you‘ll be just fine. But beyond the gathering tomorrow, you should remain in a nest for at least a few days“
Talon nods for a moment, between the pain, the still slightly present mallow after battle and the thoughts about the found kitten not entirely present. It takes several heartbeats, as Venom already tuned away and heads to the storage to make use of the herbs Rain has sorted out for her, that a deep annoyance washes over the red eyed tom. He is supposed to meet with Ashfur after the gathering… Angrily sighing to himself, Talon considers his options. He could disregard Venom and go anyway, but not only would that prompt the she-cat‘s petty vindictive side with certainty, he might not be of much use anyway in his condition. The last few streets before arriving back home had been difficult and it‘d take a few days at least for him to regain his strength after losing that much blood. But he can‘t tell the Thunderclan tom that he‘d not be there either. After how their last meeting went, not showing up risks damaging Ashfur‘s resolve in their training, putting at risk the entire thing. How to solve this mess now…
Talon‘s displeased pondering is interrupted by a soft mewling nearby. Turning his head, he sees movement in one of the nearby nests, a small brown ear moving briefly in and out of vision over the nest‘s edge. Rain bounds over, checking on the little one deposited there for warmth, a soft smile on the otherwise slightly nervous young tom as tiny paws try to blindly bat at his own. Part of Talon‘s frustration eases off of him at the sight
„Do we know if Daze will take her on already?“
Rain slightly jumps as he is addressed, dipping his head at Talon
„No, Talon! But Venom told me to go ask as soon as everyone got first treatment.“
Talon nods with a quiet hum, looking over at Venom. The tortoiseshell she-cat wanders back and forth between Rain‘s neatly prepared packets of herbs and her patients, lost in deep focus on her work
„I believe she can take it from here. And the earlier we have an answer on the matter, the better. Go ask Daze now.“
Rain nods quickly and deeply, immediately taking off out of the den on his new assignment.
„Dependable boy, let‘s hope he loses the skittishness in time, eh?“
Talon looks over to the origin of the remark, Frost laying in the nest, his injured leg stretched out from him as Venom cautiously cares for it. The Amber eyed tom looks after Rain for a moment still after he raced out of the de, before returning Talon‘s gaze. Talon lays down his head on the edge of the nest
„Learning under Venom, he‘ll become a little more assertive in time, I‘m certain. Well fought today, Frost. I‘m sure a few of us will be adding new teeth to the collar after this. They weren‘t half bad“
Frost nods with a grin
„I might actually, yes. Did not expect mine to go for a low bite, got me pretty good. But we showed them! And you did too! A doghunt and a rogue incursion beaten back to report, the other leaders will see that you defend the clan as Scourge once did when we tell them“
Talon scoffs with a small grin
„I doubt Scourge would be lying in the healer‘s den after this, but sure. But I fear that the focus this gathering will be on the trouble between Ice, Snake and Wrath anyway.“
„Trouble on one side, a protector and unifier on the other… Maybe some of their cats will rather run off and join us instead before they begin slaughtering each other up there.“
Talon looks ahead at nothing in particular, thoughts mulling in his mind as his gaze grow a bit more distant
„Maybe… we did hope for that after the forest raid and the result then was less overwhelming than we hoped. But if nothing else it‘ll remind them that we‘re willing to fight to keep our own safe still.“
Frost chuckles, leaning back a little, his tail flicking behind him
„That they will. Heh, some cats are feeling safer under your leadership for sure. I know Grail doeaaaaah!“
The white tom thrashes slightly, looking up at the healer at work on his legs, his narrowed eyes quickly softening as they are met by Venom‘s gaze. The small, polite smile on the she-cat‘s face utterly fails to disguise the blazing of her eyes down upon the warrior, one of her claws down one of the small yet deep wounds of his bite.
„Need to get the poultice deep in there, Frost. Lest this little sore leaks something it‘s not supposed to… Some things take time to get better and trying to rush it isn‘t helpful. Got it?“
The amber eyed tom nods slowly, his tail swaying in annoyance but recognising his current disadvantage sufficiently to not answer back as he huffs from the sudden pain. Venom keeps him in her sight a few heartbeats longer, before slowly getting back to treating the leg, rather than mistreating it. Talon is left a bit out to dry with the sudden end of the discussion, his only consolation the sight of an accomplished warrior shrinking under the healer‘s wrath. Grail… if any cat would have an excuse to feel less safe around Talon it‘d be her after the doghunt. Unless that is not what they mean at all. With mild embarrassment burning in his ears, Talon has to admit that it would make sense of a few things. Comments, looks… it‘d explain whatever unspoken words had been going between Venom and Grail while she was in the healer‘s den. She‘s a beautiful she-cat for sure. He hadn‘t thought of it that way yet, his mind always too occupied, but Grail‘s presence has indeed always been pleasant. But even so, is this the right time? Talon looks down at the gashes in his chest, the feeling of weakness in his legs and a lightness in his head still very much present. Matters will only become more dangerous from here on. Even the attempt at mateship could end up making Grail a target. After his doghunt already left her injured and possibly damaged for life, he could end up putting her in danger yet again, for even more selfish a reason this time.
Shaking his head slowly, the dark grey tom tries to clear the matter from his thoughts for now. This can still be addressed later. Venom stalking over to take care of his wounds after seeming to have finished with Frost for now, he shifts again for the she-cat to be able to work with no obstructions. As she wordlessly goes about her task, Talon‘s thoughts drift back to the forest. He needs to find a solution to this before the gathering tomorrow still, making it the current priority. Giving some semi-conscious grunts as poultice is licked deep into the wounds, causing a stinging pain to flare up, the red eyed leader‘s thoughts circle. He‘s useless as mentor in his current condition. But perhaps another wouldn‘t be. Frost, Kestrel and Silver are all in the know about Ashfur. Frost is confined to the healer‘s den and Kestrel is not the greatest of fighters by a long shot. But Silver, he has helped many of their younger warriors train and is easily one of the most trustworthy cats Talon knows. Not to mention that he took the news of Ashfur‘s training very calmly, opposed to Frost. Perhaps… Talon would need to ask the older veteran warrior if he could do him this favour given the chance.
A bit of calm enters the dark pelted tom‘s mind again as the issue occupying it holds a solution it appears. Looking over, he watches as Venom diligently and carefully closes the open wound with cobwebs and larger leaves. The healer finishing up her work, Talon gives her a grateful nod. Past the tortoiseshell female though, Talon‘s eye catches a motion among the gloom near the den‘s entrance, the sparkle of an eye reflecting the light from outside. Moon sits silently there, her gaze on Talon. A slightly troubled expression paints the experienced veteran warrior‘s face as she waits patiently for Venom to leave Talon‘s side before she approaches. The tip of Talon‘s tail taps against the bedding, the feeling that some sort of trouble is afoot laying heavy in his gut at the sight. Has something occurred in the brief time he‘s been in the healer‘s den? No, there would likely be more commotion outside…
„Greetings again, Moon. Anything to report?“
The black pelted female sits down by Talon‘s nest. She casts a brief, discreet look over her shoulder with her good eye at the other current inhabitants of the den, turning only back towards Talon once she seems positive that everyone‘s attention lies somewhere else than them. Her tone is quiet, almost silent enough to be hard to hear for Talon, even up this close, though his bloodloss no doubt is partly at fault for that.
„Yes. The kit was not all there was behind the dumpsters.“
Talon raises one brow, slowly turning to lay semi comfortably again, visually intrigued at her words. With a flick of his nicked ear, Talon urges the veteran warrior to go on.
„Dog meat, Talon. We‘ve all wondered why what we got off that dog didn‘t last us longer… It seems some never made it back to camp and ended up there.“
Talon‘s eyes narrow, his neck fur bristling slightly as anger courses through him. So there was more after all. Stolen from under their noses, from under Bloodclan‘s nose, while they now need to worry about a possible famine. But it could not have been the rogues, the dog was at the border with Wraith and under guard while they harvested what they could off of it. The traitor… this must be the work of the traitor Scourge spoke of
„So… at best we have a filthy thief and hoarder among us, and at worst some cat has lured food desperate rogues onto our territory on purpose with meat we desperately needed ourselves…“
Moon slowly nods, her claws pressing against the stone under her, the agitation very real in the usually calm she-cat
„So far only the warriors that stayed to gather food after the battle know what was hidden there… and I‘m afraid Rover noticed that I was on edge. He managed to get it out of me. He knows to now“
Talon‘s tail lashes back and forth, but his pelt slowly lays back down. Understandable, but unwise. Until the traitor is caught, s few cats as possible should know.
„You should not have told him, Moon. Rover is certainly not the first I would suspect, but every cat more that knows grows the risk of the hoarder finding out what we know.“
She nods again, keeping her head slightly lowered. Talon scuffs and shakes his head
„No helping it now. Since he knows, he might as well help solve this. You two return, search the area. Anything you find, you report to me, not a word to anyone else… And get Kestrel in here. If any cat might know something worthwhile, it‘d be him.“
„As you command, Talon“
The black pelted warrior nods one final time before getting up and padding out of the healer‘s den at a quick pace. Talon sighs and lays a paw onto his head, a slight headache forming. All of this is assuming the hoarder wasn‘t among the other cats that stayed to salvage food after the battle… the culprit could have been among them, already aware that their stash has been discovered, trying to erase any trace leading back to them. Moreover, if the traitor wasn‘t just hoarding, but deliberately luring rogues onto their territory, then what was the goal of it? Testing their reaction? Diverting attention from something else? The only cat with the means to find out if something else is going on within reasonable time, and the ability to help coordinate measures against any further surprises is his second-in-command, Kestrel. Talon silently huffs as he lets the paw atop his head trail down his face. How ironic that he already must lean this much on the cat he‘d been suspecting for the longest time. The idea that one of his own would be stealing food when the clan needs it most, for whatever the reason, twists Talon‘s stomach to knot. The traitor must be found, for the safety of the clan, lest they cause even more damage…

Chapter Text

Ashfur slowly raises his head. The smell of moldy leaves lets him know where he is well before his blue eyes open to behold the eery environment. Back again, as Thistleclaw promised… Rising to his paws, the grey warrior is thankful that the tiredness and exhaustion of his body do not follow him to this place. It‘d been a rough training session. Lionpaw is getting dangerously close to his own level when he is allowed to fight seriously. A little smirk grows on Ashfur at the memory of Brackenfur‘s dispeased looks. No apprentice comes close to Lionpaw‘s talent for battle, certainly not Hollypaw. If he could get his apprentice to grow like that in his hunting as well, he‘d be the perfect warrior by the time he earns his warrior name. Ashfur has well and properly exhausted himself today, but Lionpaw was no better off by the end.
Shaking his fur out, the blue eyed warrior takes a few steps after rising up. The Dark Forest still seems so very strange to him. Like a withered parody of the forest he knows. His wandering and wondering do not last long before a familiar spiky pelt approaches from between the crooked trees. Ashfur nods his head towards his warrior ancestor
„Greetings, Thistleclaw. I‘m ready to begin training“
Thistleclaw looks the warrior up ad down with his piercing amber eyes after stopping a taillength before him.
„And train you will. Just like you wish to show off your apprentice eclipsing every other in your clan, I will make sure you surpass the other living cats training here. And I accept no failure, not from my own kin!“
Ashfur flicks his ear. He already knew now that Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost train here, but who else was doing so? Thistleclaw had mentioned that the Dark Forest sometimes aids warriors grow.
„Who else trains here? Do most of them get training by ancestors of theirs?“
Thistleclaw scoffs impatiently
„Some, others just by cats that seek to see them grow stronger. But you are not here to ask questions. I‘ve seen you today. You were challenged by Brackenfur and your claws remained sheathed. Thunderclan needs strong and proud warriors, not cowards that back away. You should have challenged him back, shown the apprentices how real warriors battle and that you should think twice before insulting a warrior of Thunderclan like that.“
Ashfur‘s eyes widen a bit and his ears lower somewhat. He had understood Brackenfur‘s words more as a challenge to his methods, not to him personally… but perhaps there is little difference between these things. And he left it up to his apprentice to prove Brackenfur wrong. A spark of anger at himself arises in Ashfur. This burden was his and he loaded it onto Lionpaw‘s shoulders. Lionpaw had nothing to prove to Brackenfur, Ashfur did. Slowly Ashfur nods as he reflects on the matter. The idea of battling another warrior of his clan does not sit well with him, but he should have dealt with this himself. His shattered confidence led him to let his apprentice take care of his problem. He should shield Lionpaw when it comes to it, not the other way around. Another failure… but one he will not repeat.
„You might be right. This wasn‘t my apprentice‘s fight, it was mine. No other cat should fight my battles for me“
He looks up at Thistleclaw, the powerful spirit observing his descendant with a look that is difficult to place for a while, before it gives way to a small grin.
„Good. Now, let me see what you are capable of. And you better fight like you mean it! I will not halt my claws for you. Fight with everything you got, every time. Fail that and you will regret it!“
The amber eyed spirit lowers into a fighting stance, hooked claws unsheathing. Though a serious air remains about him, a small glint of wild joy enters his eyes as his claws slide forth. Ashfur takes several steps back, lowering into a fighting stance himself, claws unsheathing. Looking into Thistleclaw‘s eyes, it is beyond apparent to the Thunderclan warrior; his ancestor lived for battle, the mere prospect seeming to let him live up. His pads sweat with nervousness. This is a battle he is unlikely to win and Thistleclaw will let him feel each mistake he makes. A snarl forms on Ashfur‘s face as his pelt spikes up. He asked for this, he wants to become stronger and this is the way to achieve that. His warrior ancestor wishes to know what he‘s capable of, so he will show him, no holding back.
The blue eyed warrior propels himself forward, striking out for Thistleclaw‘s face. The experienced spirit easily moves out of the way with no back paddling. With Ashfur landing within a few whiskers of him, Thistleclaw launches a flurry of swipes, his descendant just barely avoiding his hooked claws, weaving between the blows. Just as Ashfur believes to spot an opening, finally getting in a swing of his own, worry and anger arise as he ends up hitting but air, the broad shouldered frame of Thistleclaw having rapidly closed in towards his left side. The Thunderclan warrior leaps back to create some distance once more, but not before a sharp pain tears into his shoulder. Landing once more a good tail length from Thistleclaw, he gives a quick glance at the source of this new pain. Sure enough, a new , bleeding clawmark decorates his grey coat, a thin trail of red beginning to run down his left front leg.
„No backing up! A warrior pushes on!“
The fiery words of his ancestor are barely enough warning for Ashfur to narrowly dodge the spiky furred spirit‘s claws once more, having closed the newly created distance with a rapid leap of his own.
„Do not let a mere scratch distract you! Your enemy will not show you pity for your injuries!“
Growling and gnashing his teeth, Ashfur leaps up, over his ancestor, landing close behind him, whirling around with a fierce swipe aimed at the spirits flank. Thistleclaw however turns rapidly, striking Ashfur across the face with his tail in his motion. Ashfur‘s eyes are forced to close for a brief moment. He knows this will be to his detriment, by the time he can open them and solidly see Thistleclaw again, he will already be in a bad position. Pitiful… but perhaps not necessarily as an idea sparks that might buy him a few heartbeats worth of time. Still blinded but knowing his opponent before him, Ashfur forcefully leaps straight forward with his shoulder. Sure enough he connects, feeling the resistance as his full weight and force crashes against the turning Thistleclaw, sending him reeling backwards a few steps. Blinking, he tries to regain his sight, doing so only in time for a paw to impact the side of his face with force, sending Ashfur reeling to the side for a few steps. His left ear rings as he tries to regain a stable stance. The chance is not given as he feels Thistleclaw leap onto him from the side, air knocked out of his lungs as he impacts the ground. Gasping for air, Ashfur freezes as he feels claws at his throat, looking up at the ancestor pinning him. Thistleclaw remains for a while, a bit of worry arising in Ashfur, before at last the spirit gets off of him with a scoff.
„That‘s the best my kin has to offer? No surprise Thunderclan is a shadow of what it once was… laughable. Fighting only to injure the weak foxhearts of Shadowclan and the meager rabbitbrains of Windclan has left you weak.“
As Thistleclaw shakes his head, Ashfur rolls back onto his belly, ears lowered at his ancestor‘s words. Slowly the Thunderclan warrior rises back to his paws, only to have Thistleclaw turn around and stare him down
„Where was the fire you had fighting the badgers? There was none of it in this fight! All you managed was to bump into me and you didn‘t even try to use the chance to follow that up properly.“
Ashfur nods, thought at this mention his mind begins to work. The only move that remotely worked in this fight he copied from his battle with Talon… but Thistleclaw is right. He could have made more of it. He didn‘t need his eyes at that distance to know where the opponent was, he could have taken the offensive. The spiky furred spirit‘s growl pulls him from his contemplation
„Do not space out on me! You will train until your claws crack to make up for this weakness, Ashfur! I refuse to be outdone by my former apprentice. My descendant will prove stronger, I accept nothing less!“
His ears rising into a neutral position again, Ashfur tilts his head at Thistleclaw.
„Your former apprentice?“
The amber eyed spirit scoffs quietly, sitting down on his haunches
„You ask too many questions. I speak of Tigerstar. Who did you think was training Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost? He became one of the most fierce fighters the clans ever knew through my training.“
Ashfur‘s neck fur stands up at the mention of the fallen traitor. The monster that murdered his mother, caused the death of his father… his ferocity was based on skills Ashfur‘s ancestor taught him? And Brambleclaw voluntarily trains under him. Ashfur‘s blue eyes narrow as quiet fury bubbles up in him. He still remembers the day Tiger- and Lionclan faced off, when Brambleclaw refused to join his father. Now he follows him after all. And Thistleclaw wishes for him to surpass Tigerstar‘s new apprentices. Good! Tigerstar betrayed Thunderclan and caused the death of his son, Ashfur‘s father. Thistleclaw has every reason to feel the need to prove his bloodline better than that traitorous monster‘s, at the very least! A desire Ashfur thoroughly shares. A brief glint of interest enters Thistleclaw‘s eyes as genuine anger and determination blaze in his kin‘s deep blue eyes, Ashfur looking up to him.
„… Let‘s go again, keep training. I will not lose to Brambleclaw.“
Thistleclaw gives a brief nod, no further answer needed beyond the short-lived shadow of approval moving over his mottled face before he takes a combat stance, the mixture of seriousness and battle lust taking prevalence in Thistleclaw‘s expression again. Ashfur mirrors his ancestor‘s stance before leaping back into battle. As the sounds of combat sound through the gloomy woodland once more, ancestor and descendant locked in and focused on ferocious sparring, neither takes notice of the ice cold pair of eyes observing them for a while, before disappearing back into the shadows.

Slowly Ashfur opens his eyes, shifting with a little grunt as his eyes adjust. It takes a few heartbeats before he recognises the inside of the warriors den. He exhales quietly, looking around. Many of the nests are empty by now, most of the remaining warriors in the process of waking and getting up themselves. Ashfur sighs quietly and moves to get up, a sting of sudden pain surprising him enough to stay put. He looks over to his shoulder, observing the dried blood on a still fairly fresh looking claw mark. He hums quietly, a displeased expression forming on him. He figured out Brambleclaw is training because Brightheart noticed his injuries, he should have guessed from that alone already that wounds carry over from the Dark Forest. Still, he can not help but feel a measure of annoyed surprise at this. By tonight it should be good enough to be ready for training with Talon, but it will remain an inconvenience all morning. Especially so if Lionpaw remains adamant about battle training. Perhaps he can convince the hotheaded apprentice to go train hunting today if he makes it seem like a competition. A small grin grows on the grey warrior. That might be the way to do it, make it seem like a contest. If he can team up with another mentor, they could hold a mock assessment together, see which apprentice manages to catch the most prey in a day. With the added difficulty of it being leafbare, it may just force Lionpaw to adopt some patience while he‘s at it. Maybe Whitewing. Cloudtail‘s kit, that basically makes her kin, and she‘s mentoring one of Ferncloud‘s kits to boot. With a quiet huff, he lifts himself out of the nest, ignoring his shoulder, as well as the numerous smaller scratches better hidden under his pelt, forcing himself out of the den. It would be nice, taking today a little calmer, around kin. At least until night falls. Talon said he‘d be late, so Ashfur might even get some sleep in before going to the river. A quiet anticipation warms the grey pelted warrior, as he steps through camp towards the apprentice den.

Chapter Text

Talon‘s eyes shoot open at the feeling of something flicking against him, his sleep having been troubled and easy, thoughts of worry and betrayal having circled his mind till the very moment his eyes had finally shut. He raises his head and scans the direction from which the feeling came, his eyes fixing on Venom, her tail flicking beside her, the seeming source of his immediate alert. The healer returns the gaze steadily, before looking away, towards the entrance of the healer‘s den. Her voice sounds quiet in an attempt to not rip even more cats from their slumber
„I know it‘s still early, but you got a visitor.“
The awoken leader follows her eyes, unable to quite suppress a grumble. So he‘s finally arrived… took him a while. Seeing the outline of the brown tom by the entrance, Talon gives a flick of his tail signalling him to approach. Talon‘s mood is a dark one, between the discovery, poor sleep with early wake-up and nigh half a day having passed since he ordered Moon to get Kestrel and his second now finally arriving. Seeming to sense Talon‘s humour incompatible state of mind off o his expression when approached, Kestrel dibs his head as he arrives by his side.
„Apologies for my late appearance. I kept busy, our clanmates couldn‘t find me for quite a while to relay your summons. I bring good news however.“
Talon exhales audibly, but waits with his answer, looking back at Venom. The she-cat notices and after a few heartbeats rolls her eyes, not hiding her mild annoyance at it
„Leader business, got it. Keep your voices down though. I‘m not giving anyone additional poppy seeds because they lacked out of the natural painkiller that is sleep.“
With a sigh that betrays her own exhaustion, Venom pads away from the two toms, over to her own nest. Well out of earshot of a quiet discussion, she wastes no time to curl up in her bedding, now joined by another small nest next to it in which the slumbering frame of Rain slowly rises and falls. Kestrel‘s eyes linger for a moment on his sleeping son, until an impatient flick of Talon‘s ear pulls his attention back towards his leader.
„You better have something good to report indeed… you were impossible to find most of yesterday.“
The golden eyed tom dibs his head again, keeping it down, his answers from now on more quiet
„I do. The chance I spoke of for more food, I believe we got a good opportunity to go for a reconnaissance tour of it in the coming days. After that we may finally start planning the operation.“
Talon scoffs silently, though his expression slightly softens. Now more then ever, the possibility of more food would do their faction a lot of good, let alone bring Talon some much needed peace of mind. If the amount they might gain is even halfway as significant as Kestrel‘s been letting on, it could very much be exactly what they need to get them through leafbare. After a few heartbeats, Talon nods slowly, his tone less hostile and lowering to be less loud.
„Good… we will need it. We‘ll organise a patrol to come with us to do so. But that is not what I wished to speak to you about. It‘s about the rogues“
Kestrel raises his head, a mildly intrigued expression upon him
„The ones that trespassed yesterday, or any other ones in particular?“
„Yes, the ones from yesterday. Or… rather where they chose to settle down. And why.“
Interest glistens in Kestrel‘s eyes as it becomes apparent that something is afoot.
„The twoleg fish place? I presumed they seized it because it‘s a food source. Do we know anything that would put that in doubt?“
Talon looks at his chipped reinforcing claw, eyes narrowed, tail slowly lashing
„Do you know of anything… unusual to have happened there before the rogues trespassed? At the fish place, or between the fish place and the border? Any clanmate that spend more time there or behaved oddly thereabouts?“
The second-in-command‘s eyes widen, reading the beginnings of the allegation from between the lines of Talon‘s questions. His brow furrows as he sinks into thought
„Nothing comes to mind. If the kitty-pets don‘t deem it unusual, they usually don‘t give it forward. I can ask, see if anyone saw something they might have deemed not worth reporting. But I‘d need to know what exactly I‘m trying to find out about“
Talon lets out a deep breath, casting a quick glance over to the other warriors sleeping in the healer‘s den. No eyes open, no ears twisted towards them, at least as far as he could tell in the nigh complete darkness. Only a faint ray of a twoleg street light shining in to give any semblance of visibility before the sun rises, not much to work with. Talon leans in closer towards Kestrel, the brown tom‘s ears zeroed in on Talon.
„Moon and those who stayed behind found meat stashed behind the dumpsters. Dog meat, Kestrel.“
Kestrel‘s golden eyes all but shine up as the intrigue is unveiled to him. A vast thought process fires up behind the golden orbs, the contemplations clearly visible upon him
„An awful big coincidence for a random hoarder‘s stash to be exactly where the first rogues of the season invade…“
Talon nods slowly
„Scourge had warned me of a potential traitor. What worries me most though…“
The dark grey leader pauses, lowering his gaze in deepening thought. Kestrel slowly nods in agreement, finishing the sentence, understanding his leader‘s concern all too well
„…there might be more to it than meets the eye. Just drawing some rogues across the border serves no purpose of it‘s own. They either wanted to measure our response, or divert our attention from something else most likely“
„My thoughts exactly. The second possibility worries me most. If you learn anything, of who was there that might have orchestrated it or anything else that happened on or near our territory, then you must immediately relay that to me. As long as we don‘t know the why, we must assume the worst.“
Kestrel flicks his tail behind him, a most serious look having formed upon the usually smug cat
„I will. Those areas were my territory until our merger, I will not be challenged at plotting on my own grounds. I‘ll ask around, if I hear anything at all, I‘ll relay it right away“
Talon lays down his head on his paws, much of his initial anger having subsided by now, leaving mostly worry and tiredness.
„Good… there are one or two other things, but compared to this, they can wait. How deep into the morning are we?“
Kestrel turns his head, his gaze wandering to the entrance of the healer‘s den
„Later than this darkness would suggest. Roughly guessing I‘d say the sun will soon begin to rise“
Talon shakes his head with a displeased grunt
„Too late to hope for catching much sleep still then… figures. Organise the the sunrise patrols when the others wake up, then catch some rest yourself. We can discuss the rest after the first sunhigh patrols are heading out.“
Kestrel returns his gaze onto Talon, the fierce seriousness in his eyes letting up a bit as he cracks a small grin
„That obvious that I‘m not particularly well rested recently?“
Talon gives a quiet scoff of mild amusement
„There may have been a sign or two throughout the last few days… it hasn‘t escaped me that you keep busy a lot. I may have been fairly distrustful of you for a while, but your efforts for our faction are appreciated, Kestrel.“
The brown and cream tom chuckles, a more familiar amused expression forming on his face again
„You know my motives, Talon. They haven‘t changed yet, nor do I expect them to anytime soon. Rain is doing well here“
Kestrel turns his head, looking over at the pair of healers sleeping in the far corner of he den. After a short while he rises to his paws
„I‘ll get going then. I‘ll come find you after the sunhigh patrols are organised, see if between sunrise and sunhigh any sleep is to be found for myself. Recuperate well till then, Talon.“
With a curt nod, the second-in-command pads away, Talon watching him leave until he has pushed out of the healer den and out of sight. Talon‘s sight lingers on the entrance for a while longer afterwards still. Pity that Kestrel didn‘t know much of immediate use about the hoarder… but he may yet uncover something. Although if pressed, what should be the priority? Catching the traitor, or securing the food? With some frustration, Talon realises that aiding the wounded clanmates of Wrath and the twins‘s conflict doesn‘t even make it on that list anymore for now. Without enough resources, it can‘t be done. So, the food perhaps? If it can be done reasonably quickly, they can still deal with the other matters afterwards, from a more secure position at that. That is assuming neither the traitor, nor the other leaders make any unexpected moves in the meantime. A risk, but one he might have to take. With a deep sigh, Talon closes his eyes, his head still resting on his paws. Soon the sun will rise and cats will wake up. Sleep is unlikely at this point, but he should still try to rest as best he can.

Talon remains with his eyes closed even as time passes and the alley audibly wakes up. The chatter of his clanmates sounds both from outside as well as closer by as the other wounded of the rogue battle have come to. Humming quietly, Talon turns his ear to listen at the tales they tell, as good entertainment as he was likely to get while in the healer‘s den. They speak loudly, proudly, their injuries a dampener to none of them as they converse. Pleased, the grey leader hears that one of the most joyful of the voices is Frost‘s, the white tom seeming to glow up after the more aggressive and doubtful period of days he‘s had. Presumably the battle cleared the amber eyed tom‘s troubled mind some, despite the injury that might very well keep him in the healer‘s den for several days.
Eventually a familiar shape enters the den and approaches Talon‘s nest. Looking over and expecting his second-in-command, Talon is surprised as he recognises the thick russet fur and golden eyes heading for him. Before a greeting can be spoken, Talon feels his ears warming up, thoughts of Frost‘s little revelation yesterday filling the red eyed tom‘s mind. Admittedly, the embarrassment taking it‘s place certainly is more pleasant than the worries that had still kept themselves nestled in the back of Talon‘s mind, but it still leaves the warrior feeling more defenceless than he‘d like. He follows the she-cat with his eyes as she deposits a decently sized rat before him.
„Good morning, Talon. I thought I might return the favour and now bring you food into the healer‘s den.“
She smiles warmly, her right ear flicking and a row of small spasms pulling through her right legs. She certainly is a beauty to behold so close, the small twitches fail to diminish it. Has Talon not noticed it thus far, or did he never give himself pause to truly register what he was seeing? It takes the tom a heartbeat to notice that he has not yet given an answer, only adding to the embarrassment
„Greeting, Grail. Thank you. You‘re very kind, didn‘t need to“
The answer brightens Grail‘s smile further. Trying to look away, Talon‘s eyes land of the food she brought. The rat looks like it was a recent kill, the scent of it‘s blood still fresh upon it. Did she hunt this today, for him? She‘s barely out of the healer‘s den herself and the fallen snow renders hunting not only more difficult, but also more dangerous at that. Talon can‘t deny that at the sight, his empty stomach contracts in hunger, but this can not have been easy to procure so fast…
„Would you… care to share? I have little else to do right now and you should have some of your own kill at least“
Talon clears his throat, looking off to the side into the den. From the corner of his eye, he catches several amused pairs of eyes glancing over from the other warriors. Cursed fox-hearts, they should return to their little tales and boasts. Not one of them seems surprised either. Frustrated embarrassment further heats Talon‘s ears, the dark pelt thankfully hiding their red hue at this point. Just how oblivious has Talon been?
„If you wish, gladly. I‘m glad to be of use again now“
The grey tom‘s attention is returned to the she-cat before him as he hears her answer. She lays down, paws tugged under her fuzzy pelt. It‘s little consolation, but Talon feels that she is not much less nervous than he is currently. Talon holds down the rodent under one of his reinforcing claws as he digs in, tearing a small chunk from it‘s belly, before moving his head to make room for Grail. As the two cats eat, eventually the staring is reduced as Venom gets back to treating wounds, releasing Spider from den well ahead of the rest. Depending on how he holds his head, the wounds are leaving Talon with an uncomfortable pulling in his chest and neck, but right now he barely notices. Time passes at a pleasantly fast pace as the embarrassment eases up and the two exchange words between their continued predation of the shared rat. Before too long, Talon finds himself licking his muzzle to catch the last of the rodent from his snout, an incomplete little skeleton and a red stain on the ground all that remains of the meal. Between the pleasant conversation, the food and the occasional heartwarming purr from Grail, a small content rumble escapes Talon‘s throat also towards the end. For just a moment, the worries do not reach him, the weight of being responsible for all the cats here lifts off his shoulders.
As time passes however, all things end. A sobering reality that dawns on Talon as past Grail, he spies Kestrel by the entrance, for now waiting patiently. As thankful as the red eyed leader is that his second-in-command did not just barge into this moment, he still emits a regretful sigh. This is nice, a warmth Talon has not experienced since his early days as a kit, submerging himself into his mother‘s pelt, such feelings of safety and comfort… but he must keep his priorities straight. Cats will suffer if he does not do his job well, Grail well among them. The russet furred she-cat perks up her ears as she hears Talon‘s sigh
„I thank you deeply for the meal, Grail. And for staying here to share it. I think I‘d like to do that again, if you agree. But… it appears duty is looming already.“
Grail turns her head to follow Talon‘s glance past her, tail swishing as she spots the brown and cream tom already waiting. She returns her gaze back towards Talon however, despite the bit of disappointment her slightly drooped ears betray, still smiling warmly.
„Of course, Talon. And… yes. I‘d like that very much too.“
Gathering up a few of the slightly bigger bones of what was their food, she dips her head and pads off fairly quickly. Talon, somewhat heavyhearted after having to send Grail away, motions with his tail for Kestrel to approach. The tom bounds over, his usual slightly conspiratory looking smirk having returned.
„Greetings, Talon. I see the morning has gone by well for you“
Talon flicks his fuzzy tail, kicking up some dried grass from an empty nest behind him, the comment putting him somewhere between embarrassed and mildly annoyed.
„Please tell me you have something more to offer than sly comments, Kestrel. Do we know anything more about what happened?“
Talon slowly lowers his voice as he goes, noticing a few ears turning in their direction. Kestrel catches on right away, speaking quietly
„Hardly. A few cats have been hunting in the area lately. Aspen, Frost, Wax, Soot, a few less regular hunting visits from others and the regular gathering patrols going to the fish place itself… but none have been seen doing anything much out of the ordinary, at least as far as I know thus far.“
Talon sighs and nods
„Would have been too easy… we will keep an eye on it, I put Moon and Rover on checking the area themselves, maybe they‘ll have more luck. But right now, we need to ready ourselves for tonight.“
Kestrel hums quietly, pulling a few grooming licks through his own chest fur before answering
„As much as we can. Only so much we can do to prepare for the usual shouting match. Or did you have anything particular in mind?“
Looking down at his bound chest wound, Talon flicks his nicked ear
„I need you to fetch Silver. Venom is already less than pleased that I go to the gathering like this, but I can not take up Ashfur‘s training afterwards. I imagine walking to the gathering and back will be less than pleasant already right now, as trainer I‘d border on useless until this has mostly healed. I need Silver to go for me, and for that I need to instruct him on how to get there without alerting the entire forest…“

Chapter Text

Waking straight without making any noise or grimace that might give away his considerable discomfort proves difficult as Talon sets out, tonight‘s delegation in tow and on the way to the gathering. Keeping his head high pulls at the healing cuts, any movement faster than a casual walk causing sharp little pains. But he can neither delay nor dally. Most importantly above all, he can not falter or show weakness tonight. Wandering the streets and alleys under the rapidly disappearing sun, the frost clouding the breath of the group, the light snow under their paws leaving their prints on their advance. Talon looks over his shoulder, both Kestrel and Silver walking close-by to him. Silver knows here to go now. Talon had been very grateful at the older warrior‘s calm open-mindedness more than once before, but for this task especially it proves valuable. Few warriors would be able to obey the order to go train with a forest clan cat without some amount or other of disgruntledness. As capable as he may be, Frost would have had a fit if asked such a thing, not that he‘d even be a candidate currently with his injured leg. Silver will split off from the group on the way back home and report how things went with Ashfur in the morning. Maybe it‘s a good thing even, perhaps Ashfur getting used to not only one Bloodclan cat being about will allow for more possibilities down the line.
With the quietest of sighs, Talon looks ahead again, as they cross into the areas around Scourge‘s old audience alley. A lot of memories slumber among the cracked facades, twoleg light illuminated streets and dark alleys of this place. This is where it all began, the birth of Bloodclan, the rise of Scourge… the clan breaking apart. And now the discussing grounds for clanmates shedding each other‘s blood. Tonight this will be the focus, neither his pain nor Ashfur can be permitted to pull Talon‘s attention from it. Talon casts a brief look down Scourge‘s old alley as they pass it, the dumpster the small leader resided on for audiences, Bone standing before it like an impenetrable bulwark, Scourge‘s guard, the veteran warriors, standing on both sides to discuss and council and take their unifier‘s orders. It seems like it was all so long ago by now. Pulling his gaze and thoughts away from the alley and it‘s memories, Talon marches on, though he notices from the corner of his eye that he is not the only one to cast near mournful looks down to the once beating heart of the clan.
Moments later the they enter the large abandonned twoleg warehouse. Talon looks at the other cats already gathered. It seems that for once, Talon is not last to arrive. Under better circumstances, that could have counted as good omen, sadly less so this day. Ice and Snake are engaged in a discussion with each other, leaving uncertain if they even noticed another leader‘s arrival yet. Meanwhile Wraith sits in silence, looking up from grooming her tail as Talon and his delegation approach and giving a short nod in greeting. Granite observes Talon a while longer, until the black pelted tom has taken his place in their usual circle before giving any acknowledgement. No Wrath yet… his faction has yet to arrive. Unusual, certainly worrying. A cat whom values honouring the clan as much as Wrath not being one of the first to arrive, especially with him having one of the shortest ways from his alley to the warehouse, only the twins being even closer at hand. As worry clenches down on Talon‘s stomach, Granite speaks up
„Greetings. Still both alive and united, I see.“
The older leader‘s greenish grey eyes watch Talon with some intensity, although as Talon returns a cold look back, Granite‘s gaze slightly softens. Kestrel flicks his tail, sitting a good taillength behind Talon. Talon can hear his second-in-command open his maw and draw in a breath to fire back what probably would have been a sly, teasing response, but a small flick from Talon‘s long fuzzy tail keeps him silent. It‘d show poor discipline if the second responds before the leader here. Not a satisfaction Talon is willing to give his rival.
„Greetings, Granite. Of course, I‘m in the habit of ensuring my cats survive. Was there doubt about that?“
The older leader lets a small chuckle escape him, a trace of amusement shown in his eyes.
„Oh, it was less Kestrel I worry about. But perhaps waiting till the prey fattens a bit more before snatching it with some backstabbing plot might indeed be the wiser strategy. He must have some confidence in you indeed then.“
Talon‘s neck fur bristles slightly, the discussion having caught the attention of the other present leaders. Questioning his second‘s loyalty before the other leaders, he has to respond or look either weak or like Kestral‘s pupped and thus again weak.
„My second-in-command has been exemplar in carrying out his duties, Granite. I welcome your heartfelt worries for me, but perhaps you misjudge your clanmate“
Granite hums at the snarky answer, the amusement slowly fading from his face. He flicks his right ear, swaying one of his paws at Talon dismissively
„Take care you don‘t misjudge this clanmate of yours yourself. But it is your neck, not mine. I just would have preferred you alive to serve among my veteran warriors when the time comes over Kestral, but neither is necessary.“
Talon takes a breath, the anger bubbling in him but not allowing it to show.
„You seem very confident about winning, Granite. I remind you, nothing is decided just yet“
Snake‘s chuckle and far too loud voice breaks through the discussion, his expression as dripping with overconfidence as his brother‘s beside him
„Speak for yourself. Look at who‘s here. The ancient one, the wordless one and the hopelessly naïve one. Not one of you can stand against us when we finally take Bone‘s legacy and become leaders“
As all the leaders turn to look at the twin-leaders, an amused scoff sounds through the ensuing silence. Talon‘s left ear flicks into the direction it came from, looking from the corner of his eye. It was no leader and no second-in-command either. Which cat would dare draw attention during a gathering of leaders? A question that Talon seems not alone in asking as Ice snaps his head in direction of Granite‘s faction.
„What waste of fur scoffs at leaders? Which one wants to die that urgently, huh?“
Talon‘s pads begin to sweat as he detects what he believes to be the noise‘s origin. A large, bright ginger pelt among Granite‘s delegation turns his head, tilted in a bored fashion, not looking at Ice and Snake. Talon curses his own lack of awareness, he should have at least given a brief look at who the other leaders brought with them. Doing his best to hide the mild feeling of dread in his chest, Talon observes the large cat. It‘s rare to see Flame bothering to attend a gathering. Talon could count on a single paw how often he‘d seen the bright pelted son of Granite since the clan shattered.
„A toothless rat would give me a better fight. You‘re not worth unsheathing my claws.“
Boredom and confidence ring loud in Flame‘s voice. Granite looks back at him, a clear glare in his eyes towards his son
„This is not the place for you to speak, Flame. True as your words are, your place here is to be silent!“
Flame rolls his eyes, looking at Granite with every bit the same boredom
„Bossy elder… fine. Maybe you rather talk to them then.“
Flame‘s tail points at the entrance of the twoleg warehouse. Capturing the collective attention immediately, all heads turn to see Wrath‘s faction finally arrive. Not repeating his earlier mistake, Talon scans carefully the crowd of cats stepping in to take their place in the circle, his feelings of worry deepening as he quickly notices one vital thing. Wrath is missing from his own delegation. Surely Wrath of all cats could not have fallen? Surprise grows in Ganite‘s face, as grim satisfaction does in both the twins as Abrarc sits down in the circle of leaders in Wrath‘s place. The large cat with eyes as red as Talon‘s looks around the circle, gaze briefly hardening into a fierce glare at the twins.
„Wrath sends his apologies, but important business keeps him at camp currently. I have been given authority to replace him here tonight, my word is to count as his. Our leader assures this is a unique measure and next gathering he will lead our delegation himself again.“
There is a moment of silence, beside the victorious sneering of Ice and Snake. A cold shiver runs down Talon‘s back. Has Wrath been wounded? Badly enough to not power through and appear here anyway? A small feeling of inadequacy sounds in the back of Talon‘s mind at his own wound. A quiet, thoughtful hum behind him pulls Talon out of these thoughts. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder, he can see Kestrel, his expression focussed, in the middle of intense thinking clearly. Returning his gaze back forward, Talon let‘s out a quiet breath. Kestrel is already seeking ways to capitalise on this, no doubt. And he is right, Talon‘s pity or worry won‘t do anyone any good. He looks over to Abrarc. Wrath would not entertain the thought of aid easily. But Abrarc might be more reasonable. If his word counts as Wrath‘s… but what can he offer anyway? They have no food yet to spare. What could Talon offer that they wouldn‘t already have, that they might need… His eyes widen a brief moment as an idea sparks. Clearly, brief as it was, it was noticeable, as the fellow red eyed tom‘s gaze rests on Talon now. Now Talon has to speak, no choice. It‘s a risk, but as long as the other leaders don‘t know exactly how much they have…
„We understand. Since you speak with Wrath‘s authority, our faction recognises you as his equal for tonight. If your faction requires assistance in order for Wrath and your warriors to bring to an end the business keeping them at camp, we hereby offer it“
Granite whips his head around to look at Talon quickly enough to loudly pop a joint. Abrarc remains silent for a moment.
„I will think upon it. For now though, I am sure the other leaders would like to get the actual purpose of this gathering out of the way and report how they are doing. Speaking of, you appear to have been in a scuffle, Talon. Something happen on your territory?“
Talon blinks before looking down at his wounds, wrapped in cobweb and leaves.
„The first rogues of the season trying to claim a food source. The problem has been dealt with. Additionally, we have a new young one. Very young, one of the rouges kit. We‘ve taken the little one in, if one of our mothers is willing to nurse it it will be raised as one of Bloodclan. If not, I‘m some kittypet can find a home for her.“
Abrarc nods slowly
„Must have been very recent then, if that decision still stands open“
„Yesterday. Beyond that, we‘ve had a successful doghunt earlier this moon, two warriors earned their claws. As Wraith may attest.“
Talon‘s eyes shift over to the silent she-cat. Wraith makes no motion to answer, her tail wrapped around her paws. Granite huffs
„Taking on Kestrel, offering aid to rivals, hunting close to the border… You play a great many dangerous games, Talon. I‘m pleased to report, things were quieter for us. Some rogues tried entering our territory, but ran off when we came after them. My warriors remain strong and our borders secure.“
Talon nods at Granite‘s report. He did not mention anything about trouble at the dog fight place, yet his cats remain very active around there… Granite too seems to enjoy playing dangerous games.
Ice grins, puffing out his chest as he takes a step forth
„We have been winning victories in the meantime. We‘ve defeated Wrath and his flea-pelts in battle. More cats join to fight each day.“
Abrarc shoots the twins a glare sharp enough the cut the very air between them
„You fought one battle and you call the result a victory? The street is littered with your worthless rogues. And I do not recall hearing about either of you showing up on the battlefield the way Wrath did. Big talk from tiny cowards. Your father would spin in his grave.“
Snake spits a hiss towards Wrath‘s delegation
„Our actual Bloodclan cats are fine, you tailless snail-brain. Do say, what business if keeping Wrath? Licking his wounds or everyone else‘s?“
A dangerous tension builds within the warehouse as the sound of unsheathed claws scraping against the solid stone floor sounds from both the twins and Wrath‘s faction as their cats face each other with bristling pelts and furious glares.
„Our faction fares well. Prey runs decently. No interferences at our borders“
Heads turn at the sound of Wraith‘s voice, brisk and to the point, a full report in two breaths. Abrarc, looks at the she-cat a short while before sighing, his own claws sheathing again under the reinforcing dogteeth.
„Right. We‘ve had a skirmish and later a battle at the border to our west. Nothing we can‘t handle. We remain strong and will continue defending the borders from any threats. The large twoleg monsters are still hard at work on the other side of the border, tearing up and putting down twoleg houses on what used to be the forest clans territories. We don‘t have much to report beyond that“
Very slowly the pressure eases up, much to Talons relief. The cats behind Abrarc seem mostly fine, no visible recent injuries on them. Perhaps the battle was not as devastating as Kestrel‘s kittypets reported. What would a kittypet know of big battles after all… or the delegation was very carefully chosen indeed to give that exact impression. If they are weakened after battle, the very last thing they could afford would be to let the other factions see that. But Wrath missing from his own delegation… it‘s hard not to read this as the sign it is that things are not optimal.
Snake shakes his head and rolls his eyes
„You will be ´handled´ in due time. Expect that by the next gathering that territory is ours, Abrarc. But don‘t worry, you won‘t be around to see that. That‘s a promise.“
„Not in this lifetime or the next. The first of your paws that steps onto out territory, will be removed to decorate our leader‘s den. The rest, the crows can have it.“
Abrarc scoffs and shakes his head, some calm having returned to him however. The twins throw their fair amount of further curses, cusses and threats around as they begin to leave. After they are at last no longer heard, Wraith is the next to get up, not saying much beyond giving an acknowledging nod to Talon, Granite an Abrarc. Her own pawsteps unheard, the clutter of reinforcing claws clacking against the ground sounds as her faction leaves. Talon waits patiently, still intending to speak with Abrarc, but it soon becomes apparent that Granite does not intend to leave yet, his eyes wandering from the red eyed leader to the red eyed second-in-command and back again. Kestrel moves up to sit beside Talon as the dark grey leader‘s frustration rises somewhat.
„Well done, grabbing the opportunity when it presented itself. Now we need to offer something however. How will we play this?“
The brown second‘s words are quiet whispers in Talon‘s ear. Looking at Kestrel from the corner of his eye, Talon gives a small nod, answering equally quietly
„We might not get another chance like this to get into the good graces of Wrath. We have to gamble with the one thing we have to offer. Venom will want my pelt after this, but…“
After a brief moment of mild confusion in Kestrel‘s eyes, things seem to click into place, the former leader nodding with a small, sly grin
„I see. Well, we may be able to get more in time, especially with our new eyes in the forest. Granite ain‘t going anywhere till he hears what this will be about anyway, so no time like the present.“
„Something like that…“
Talon slowly rises up and begins padding towards Wrath‘s second-in-command, Abrarc‘s attention being undevidedly on the dark grey tom already. Granite does not move, nor say anything, but his ears remain clearly trained on the the red eyed cats.
„You mentioned offering assistance. I can make no promises yet, Talon, beyond hearing out what, specifically, you are offering“
Abrarc, no longer in the vexing presence of Ice and Snake, sounds calm and collected. The cats behind him look upon Talon as his approach ends and he sits down to discuss the matter. Suspicion sparkles in some eyes, others appear close to hopeful. Talon catches a brief glimpse of Argent, who‘s eyes are travelling between him, filled with uncertainty and mixed feelings, and his delegation. Silver is with them tonight, probably whom he is trying to see. Talon‘s eyes settle on Abrarc again, the tail deprived warrior just a few whiskers taller than himself, which is in itself impressive.
„Our offer is simple. It is our understanding that your faction currently has no trained healer. We do, as well as herbs. I offer, if you let them with a few of us approach your camp, to take a look at the… matters occupying our clanmates“
Abrarc briefly closes his eyes and lets out a nasal breath
„Still talking about „our“ clanmates, are you? Also, the twins are both gone and very much let the cat out of the bag on the battle. We can speak without beating around the bush. You offer to let your healers patch up our warriors. You seemed to know about it before it was mentioned. I would wonder how, but…“
Abrarc briefly looks past Talon, eyeing Kestrel
„I suppose your new second-in-command still has his uncanny habit of knowing things he shouldn‘t. The question is why? What do you stand to gain from this, Talon? There is a chance we might meet in battle some day.“
Talon nods slowly, tail curled around him, resting on his paws
„Perhaps. If that happens, I would hope Wrath remembers who offered to treat his faction‘s wounds. Moreover, yes, I do still speak of „our“ clanmates. We all remain Bloodclan and this leafbare might be harsh one still. Wounded warriors can‘t hunt or gather well. Food ungathered means starvation and encroaching rogues. We remember what that looks like, Abrarc. I will not watch our clanmates die like that.“
The red eyed second-in-command remains eyes locked with Talon, his thoughts unreadable. Moments pass that feel like entire lifetimes as silence permeates the warehouse. At last, Abrarc gets up to his paws
„As I said, I can make no promises. I will relay your proposal to Wrath and council as I think is right, that is all I can say. You will be let to know to what our answer is. Until then, Scourge guide your claws, Talon“
Abrarc gives a brief bow of his head before turning about and guiding the warriors of his delegation towards the exit.
„And yours, Abrarc.“
Talon gets up, after a few steps noticing that his pads must have been sweating, there being a slightly unpleasant sticky sensation to them as he pads back over the cold ground towards his own cats. As he passes by Granite, the older leader huffs quietly, rising to his paws to lead his cats away as well.
„I do not like having to agree with anything that comes out of their impertinent maws, but I fear the twins might be right on one thing. You are being naïve on this one, Talon. You will gain nothing of value.“
Talon glimpses over at the older cat, slowing without stopping
„I‘m not so sure, Granite. But I don‘t lose anything I couldn‘t replace either. We shall see. Scourge guide your claws“
As Talon walks past his delegation, whom collectively get up and follow him, he gives a nod to Silver
„You head on out, Silver. You know where to go. I‘ll bring them home… and see if I can get Venom to give me some poppy seeds. Preferably before I tell her the news.“
The white, grey spotted veteran nods his head
„As you wish, Talon. I‘ll return not too long after first sunlight.“

Chapter Text

The air clouds with each of Ashfur‘s breaths. The grey warrior sits atop the frozen clay at the river‘s edge, lifting his front paws periodically to prevent the grounds intense chill from creeping too much into his pads, causing them the hurt. His success is minimal. No further snow has fallen, but the nights have gotten a good bit colder still. Slowly he raises his eyes towards the sky. Silverpelt barely shines today, clouds blocking most star and moonlight from shining down. Perhaps better this way. His ancestors would likely prefer not to see him meeting up with a Bloodclan cat. Not that they have shown in any way that they cared thus far… He shakes his head after a few heartbeats. They are still his ancestors, he shouldn‘t think too poorly of them. Even if Starclan cares not for him and his plight, they remain Starclan, looking over and out for the clans. That‘s what they do, right?
A deep breath escapes the blue eyed cat, creating a brief wall of fog before him. Talon said he would be late tonight most likely… so it seems indeed. Ashfur‘s hind quarters have gone nigh numb from the cold ground he‘s been sitting on, waiting. Getting up would likely be pain. A mild wind rustles the reeds, his ears perking up. It‘d be difficult to detect a cat‘s approach among the reeds while wind blows, at least till they‘re almost in pouncing range. But even as the gust ceases, nothing. Eery silence, broken only by the hooting of an owl or the distant wail of a fox from time to time, aside from the constant calm noise of the flowing currents. His eyes descend to the dark water of the river, the few stars the sky permits to peek through reflected in it‘s surface. How much longer until the Bloodclan warrior shows up? His tail winds closely around his paws, his eyes soon finding their wayback skyward. As time keeps creeping by, so very slowly at the seams, he focuses in on one single star, that seems to shine just a bit brighter than the rest. He couldn‘t tell if he still hopes for an answer, habit kicks in or if he just wants time to pass a little faster, probably a bit of each, but Ashfur catches himself muttering his usual prayer to Starclan. Words so silent, he barely hears them himself as they pass from his muzzle. A plea for a sign, an indication of wether or not his ancestors approve of the path he chose. Or if not, a request for anything at all that might show him a better way. Words begging for any recognition from his ancestors, his kin or friends past.
The star glimmers on unchanged, majestic, yet distant. Observant, yet silent.
Slowly, the moment like all others dragging on, his ears fold against his skull. His hope for a reply, whatever it may be, crumbles, almost into nothing, until something catches his eye. Ashfur‘s head turns towards the reeds to his right, where he‘d expect Talon to emerge from. His blue orbs widen in disbelief as a seemingly familiar sight greets him, a shape he believes to recognise among the gently swaying stalks. A white pelt, even with the little light available decently visible. Long fur, lean legs walking with certainty. Very few are the details he can make out, but the face clearly shows some age. Ashfur‘s breath gets stuck in his throat as he rises to his paws, the cramping pain in his hind legs going largely unnoticed. Did… it pay of? At last? After all this time? Ashfur‘s maw opens to ask, to call the cat to him, but he halts. Awe-filled amazement makes way to sudden confusion as the figure draws closer and Ashfur catches the flash of the other cat‘s eyes. Green? No, that‘s not right, not right at all, he had…
Ashfur‘s hackles and neckfur raise, disappointment quickly fading to anger. This is not whom he hoped. This must be an intruder.
„No need for alarm. You expected Talon, I presume“
The voice speaking out, clearly to Ashfur, sounds aged. Calm but strong in a confident, experienced way. Even the intruder‘s speech reminds the grey warrior of his earlier presumption. At the mention of Talon‘s name, Ashfur‘s ears slightly raise in intrigue, but neither his battle ready stance, not expression change. Only as the stranger brushes past the last row of reeds and steps into plain view, or as plain as the sparse light permits, Ashfur heartbeats from leaping forth to fight the intruder off, do his claws slowly sheath again. Yellowing dogteeth glisten faintly from the collar around this cat‘s neck as his green eyes calmly observe the Thunderclan warrior.
„A solid stance for a pounce. Though, perhaps I am a bit close for that now.“
The white cat, on whom Ashfur now recognises grey spots along his back and tail, raises a paw, studded with reinforced claws, up to his own chest.
„I am Silver. And you must be Ashfur. I was told you‘d be waiting here.“
Ashfur‘s eyes remain narrowed as he studies the obvious Bloodclan cat. This one seems not to be looking for a fight… or doesn‘t think Ashfur enough of a challenge to bother lowering into a stance.
„What are you doing here? Where is Talon?“
„Talon was wounded. Rogues crossed the border, he fought them off. He will need a bit of time to recuperate. I am to train you tonight in his stead. I was among the cats Talon entrusted with knowledge of you“
Very slowly Ashfur‘s stance eases up. Silver‘s voice remains calm, earnest sounding. As the pressure leaves, so does some of the immediate anger that rose up in the blue eyed warrior. To his own surprise one of the things taking it‘s place is a twinge of worry. A Thunderclan warrior should not be worried for the wellbeing of Bloodclan cats, but sure enough a question quickly burns on Ashfur‘s tongue.
„How is he? Was he badly wounded?“
Some relief arises as Silver slowly shakes his head, a faint smile on the Bloodclan cat.
„Some gashes. Enough to be a hindrance in a fight or training, but nothing severe. Especially with the herbs we have now, Talon will be fine again very soon. Expect him to be there to train you again next time. I‘ll just take over when something else prevents him from coming in the future.“
Ashfur slowly nods his head, his tail flicking behind him. Though the anger and wariness are slowly departing, the grey tom can‘t help but feel a certain nervousness. The situation, which already would not have been normal by a long shot, now got stranger still. Unease gnaws at him, blatantly displayed in his body language. Silver sits down, taking a look around, taking in the surroundings before focusing back on Ashfur again
„I think we ought to start with a fight. Unlike Talon, I don‘t yet know where you stand, skill-wise. Claws sheathed for now.“
The green eyed tom raises one of his paws and, much like Talon had already demonstrated, begins removing the reinforcing claws arming it, one by one, neatly putting them down in a little pile. Ashfur observes the process for a little while before looking into the waters of the river
„That would make sense. How do you compare to Talon, as a warrior? He said he was above average for a Bloodclan cat.“
Silver briefly pauses after letting the last dogtooth of his first paw fall down, giving a thoughtful hum as he considers his answer.
„I believe he is being modest. Talon is an able fighter. Sure, some are better, but he could fare well against most. By now… I do believe I am no longer quite a match for him, not if it were a serious fight. But I have instructed a fair share of younger warriors, Talon being among them in the very beginning. I believe I am one of, if not the oldest still living cats from Bloodclan‘s earliest days. Back when Scourge, plenty young himself, still walked the streets alone and the first followers were forming around him.“
Ashfur‘s ears perk up. Talon had spoken several times with reverence of Scourge as founder of Bloodclan, but so far the blue eyed Thunderclan warrior had not given much thought to how that would have even happened, the forming of a clan in twoleg-place, it‘s very beginnings. Curiosity enters his eyes, not going unnoticed by the elder Bloodclan cat. Silver lets a soft chuckle escape.
„If you have questions, we will surely still have time for them afterwards. Save them for now, if you don‘t mind“
As the white and grey flecked warrior rises back to his paws, Ashfur scoffs lightly
„If I don‘t mind… you are even less like what we think of as a Bloodclan cat than Talon.“
Ashfur swishes his tail before letting it hang perfectly straightly, lowering back into his battle stance. As Silver sinks into a stance as well, the elder warrior shakes his head, the moment he stances up, an expression of absolute seriousness plastering over his visage
„Bloodclan is home to all kinds, Ashfur. But we all understand the importance of being able to defend ourselves, the clan, our kin… Show me if you understand as well.“
Ashfur is briefly taken aback by the abrupt change in the Bloodclan warrior, sinking back into a proper fighting stance in nigh instinctive reaction to finding a battle ready foe before him. The jovial elder is gone. Now stands before Ashfur a Bloodclan warrior ready to fight, much as it was on that fateful day many moons ago in the old territories. A snarl forming on the blue eyed warrior, all feelings of surprise are pushed aside. He can‘t let both Talon and Thistleclaw down by letting himself be beaten too easily. Can‘t let himself down like that. He has to be strong to reach his goals, to keep the flame of his last hope from suffocating.
The two cats roughly two taillengths apart, Ashfur takes the initiative, a straight charge at his opponent. Silver readies himself, bracing for impact with the Thunderclan warrior and no doubt already figuring out how to make hm pay for such a bold first move. Ashfur however, within a whisker‘s breadth of Silver‘s reach uses his momentum and leaps, straight over the white and grey tom. As soon as his paws hit the ground, he finishes his badger defence, spinning around and lashing out for a strike at Silver‘s rear. The Bloodclan cat turns just in time to barely avoid the strike, leaving him in a less than stable position for a brief moment. Ashfur wastes no time, sending a forceful swipe directly for Silver‘s face. Silver lowers himself, Ashfur‘s paw missing the elder warrior‘s face, but still striking against his left ear. A fine bleeding tear, if claws had been unsheathed.
Ashfur is given no time to gloat however, Silver moving in right away and bringing up his paw. Pulling his head out of the way from the ascending paw just in the nick of time, Ashfur figures next it will descend back down again. Darting over to the opposite side from Silver, the grey warrior unleashes a flurry of strikes at Silver‘s side, pleased as his opponent does not manage to move away quick enough to avoid them all. Silver does not rest however, whirling around and snapping his jaws to catch one of Ashfur‘s paws. The Thunderclan warrior pulls his paw away with no time to spare, feeling as several hairs from it‘s back are pulled off, trapped between Silver‘s jaws. Too late does he notice that in the same motion, Silver‘s paw had been raised and now swings towards him, smacking Ashfur broad across the muzzle. His eyes blinking, ears slightly ringing, the blue eyed warrior recognises his disadvantage. His first instinct is to pull back, gain distance to fully regain his senses before attempting anything else. But in the very heartbeat his muscles buckle to propel him backwards, Thistleclaw‘s lesson comes to mind. He is close. Too close to miss with a broad attack. What if instead of moving back himself… Ashfur launches himself forward, shoulder first, with all the force he can muster. He feels the impact, the resistance of another warm pelt against him, hears the air being knocked out of Silver, before the Bloodclan warrior is thrown back a good taillength, giving Ashfur the time and space he needs.
Ashfur‘s sight stabilises gain, the ringing lessens to a manageable amount. Huffing out the discomfort, Silver is still quick to recover, this time being to one to initiate a pounce. Ashfur sidesteps, letting the elder Bloodclan cat land with a thump on his paws. Seeing the opening, the Thunderclan tom strikes out at Silver‘s shoulder, hitting it, but finding his paw slightly pulled along as the Bloodclan cat doesn‘t stop after his landing, but instead uses what‘s left of his forward momentum to keep dash onwards, brushing past and along Ashfur‘s side. The blue eyed warrior attempts to turn to face his opponent again and prevent an attack from behind, but right as he does he grits his teeth in pain. The elder Bloodclan cat‘s jaws have closed on his tail and right as Ashfur tries to turn, Silver pulls fiercely, pulling Ashfur completely out of balance, his hind paws collapsing under him. Only his front paws keep Ashfur‘s upper body up that too does not last, as Silver with relative ease manages to push the Thunderclan cat down from that unstable position. The green eyed elder tries to descend his paw down to Ashfur‘s exposed neck, only to be patted away. A brief moment of hope that he avoided the unfavourable end to this fight finds itself dashed however, a stinging sensation causing Ashfur to look down his body. Silver‘s finishing to his neck may have been deflected, but now Asfur beholds the white and grey spotted cat‘s other paw pushing against his vulnerable belly, claws unsheathed and slightly pushing against the soft flesh, not enough to pierce, but easily enough getting the point across. Even with the cold of this leafbare night forgotten in the heat of battle, the blue eyed warrior feels a chill down his spine, a brief flash of his own memories passing before his eyes. Tigerstar‘s terrifying and spectacular injury at the paws of Scourge… He remembers all too well what the reinforced claws of a Bloodclan cat can do to another cat‘s belly.
Slowly, breathing hard to catch his breath, Ashfur works himself back onto his own paws, cursing quietly under his laboured breath. Silver takes a step back to give the Thunderclan due space to get back up, not much less out of breath, but his former, kinder expression returning.
„No need for curses, you did well. You‘d have certainly given me a few souvenirs to remember this fight by, had we used claws.“
Ashfur shakes out his pelt before looking over to the once again kindly Bloodclan elder.
„Still, I would have died. I lost, again. I still have a way to go…“
Silver looks out at the river. A few clouds have parted in the meantime, more starlight descending, rendering the flowing water a quite beautiful view, the sparkling of Silverpelt reflected in the currents.
„Yes, but you should not discourage yourself by drawing the wrong comparisons. Talon is a very able cat and I have a filled lifetime of experience. I can think of a decent number of Bloodclan cats you could very much hold your own against with your skill level. And once we get a few of your… reluctances fixed, you‘ll be reasonably formidable, I think.“
The Thunderclan warrior sits down on his haunches, slowly managing to regain his breath. The disappointment of losing mellowed by Silver‘s praise. His nicked ear flicks before following the Bloodclan cat‘s gaze to the river.
„My reluctances?“
„You seem reluctant to use your teeth. I noticed that, which is why the tail yank even worked. Otherwise I‘d not have attempted that move otherwise. Against a strong opponent, and you are certainly not physically weak, it can backfire badly. Knowing that, tell me, what do you think you should have done instead?“
Ashfur lets a small hum escape, looking down, thinking. Why was knowing he‘d not use his teeth relevant for that? Or his strength for that matter? Silver was extremely close, brushing past him like that, had to be to be sure to get to bite his opponent’s tail.
„I may have been able to get you from getting far enough to get to my tail, if I‘d just bitten your side and held on. Is that it?“
Returning his gaze to the Bloodclan elder, he finds Silver nodding with a pleased smile
„Quite right. More even, once you‘d have me, you have an opportunity to end the fight altogether. You‘re strong, with your teeth in my side, you could have dragged me back in front of you and kept me there. Maybe I could have shredded your shoulder from there, but you could have reduced my entire side to bloody pieces, not much I could do to defend at that point. Not a pretty way to kill your enemy, but without a healer immediately at my side, an almost assured one.“
Ashfur slightly grimaces at that, looking back out towards the river
„Fights really do always end in death with you Bloodclan cats, don’t they?“
„Not always. But usually, yes. We do not have the luxury not to. There are always more rogues. Let too many escape, amass too many with grudges against Bloodclan, things can get very dangerous. We do what we must to protect kin and clan, nothing more, but nothing less either. Hungry and vindictive rogues are no the type to show mercy. Many of us having lived as and among rogues before joining Bloodclan, we know that all too well“
Ashfur gives no response, simply pondering the given reply. A bit of resentment had bubbled up, memories of Whitestorm‘s death, Bone killing his father during the battle for the forest. But he too had killed, Bone died at his claws, aided by several other apprentices. Talon had mentioned a few times that Bone had been a friend to him. Was it really that different? When facing Bloodclan, the four clans fought no less like rogues than them, aiming to kill. Perhaps Thunderclan would not be that much different if they lived in a twoleg-place. Ashfur can‘t help but wonder.
He is pulled from his thoughts as Silver taps his shoulder with his sleek white tail.
„I now know roughly what I‘m working with. Shall we begin the actual training? The nights might be long in leafbare, but even they don‘t last forever.“
Ashfur blinks, hesitating for a few heartbeats before nodding
„Yes, we should. Tell me what I should do, Whi… Silver, was it?“
The white tom nods in confirmation and takes a few steps back
„Then let us begin“

Chapter Text

Talon steps back into the healer‘s den, fighting hard the urge to wince slightly. The walking and frigid air outside clearly agitated the wound, the cobwebs covering it partially dangling loosely from his fur after all the motion. Stepping past Frost, whom seems to be the last cat awake in the den currently, Talon nods his head in greeting. Frost returns the gesture, it being nigh impossible to see that he did were it not for the reflecting shine of his eyes at this dark hour, the sun still a long way from rising. Even so, Talon can see that Frost is somewhat absent, eyes full of thought and pondering. The red eyed leader would have liked to strike up a conversation, enquire what‘s got the wounded warrior so deep in thought, but neither the soundly sleeping clanmates around, nor the uncomfortable pulling and stinging of his wounds really entice Talon to stay and talk. Nor for that matter the sudden exhaustion, crashing down upon the dark grey tom like a massive wave, now that he is out of the chilling wind and in the somewhat warmer healer‘s den. If Frost won‘t speak up, then surely it can wait. Slowly Talon drags himself onward, before falling into the nest he has been occupying. His thoughts briefly move to Ashfur and Silver. Let‘s hope that ends up working, he would have been of very little use had he gone himself tonight. Sleep comes easily, eyelids feeling heavy as lead within mere moments of granting his body it‘s much needed rest. Within mere heartbeats, the leader drifts off into the welcoming numbness of slumber.

Talon‘s surprise isn‘t too great as he opens his eyes mere moments later, perceiving the dreadful emptiness of the void once more. At least the exhaustion and pain of his body would not follow him to this place, small consolation as that may be in this hope devouring abyss. More hope invoking are the two figures sitting patiently before Talon as he rises up.
„Greetings, Scourge, Bone.“
Bone nods his head in response, the towering cat‘s eyes holding a kindly shimmer as he looks at an old friend. Scourge does not answer, instead rising up and motioning Talon to follow him as he leads the way. Without much further ado, Talon complies, padding after the former leader, Bone right by his side as they travel. Only a few moments later does Scourge speak, not stopping his advance to do so.
„We called you in closer to the Dark Forest this time. We are still not sure if the dead there can notice when we do so or from how far. So we remain cautious. Although, it doesn‘t seem like anyone can sense it. They keep bringing sleeping ones in and there seems to be nothing giving it away from afar.“
Talon nods slowly, noticing that the further they go, the more the absolute nothing around seems to give way to familiar, barren, crooked trees, illuminated by the gloom of the dimly blue glowing mushrooms. They got there way faster this time indeed…
„Caution is always wise. Prevents surprises…“
„Then why do you not heed your own advice?“
Scourge launches a sharp stare over his shoulder at Talon
„The forest cat, bargaining with Wrath, letting a traitor run around unhindered, following Kestrel‘s schemes… you are the furthest thing from cautious, Talon.“
Talon lets out a nasal breath, ears folding a bit more flatly against his skull, before shaking his slightly lowered head, letting his ears rise once more only after a few heartbeats of silence. Scourge gives no further reaction until the party stops, seemingly having pierced deep enough into the Dark Forest for the small black tom‘s liking.
„I gave simple instructions. Stay put, get the faction through leaf-bare, don‘t get distracted. So then why and how do you seem to fail at all three parts of this?“
Scourge turns to face Talon, sitting down in the same motion, his cold blue eyes unwaveringly staring down the larger dark grey cat. Talon feels a chill run down his spine, considers how he should explain the situation to Bloodclan‘s late founder, but hesitates for a brief moment. He looks down upon himself, the wounds he received there, partly crusted over with dried blood and Venom‘s poultices, partly faded into scars already. Buried beneath these new wounds was the notch Scourge struck earlier. His reminder to Talon. Scourge does not wish for excuses and all Talon‘s actions were for a reason.
Forcing the chill to the very edge of his mind, Talon sits down, head high and returning Scourge‘s gaze. Every instinct screams that this is a dangerous move, Scourge could still very much take him apart, or decide to abandon Talon in favour of someone else. But Bloodclan‘s leader can not cower.
„I made decisions for the good of my faction, the good of the clan. That is all there is to say“
The faintest worried quiver sneaks it‘s way into Talon‘s tone, but otherwise he holds firm. Time slowly ticks by, heartbeats pass into moments, pass into what feels like days of only silence, Scourge‘s cold eyes staring into Talon‘s piercing him at the seems. Talon grits his teeth in his maw, his pads sweating as he holds firm, keeping up a reasonably solid façade despite the doubt and worry that howls louder in his thoughts with ever further moment of silence.
At long last Scourge slowly nods, nothing about his expression changing as he flicks his tail
„So it is…“
A breath escapes Talon as a lot of tension finally falls off his shoulders, the amount to which that is noticeable causing some embarrassment to rise up in Talon, especially as he hears a quiet chuckle from Bone. Scourge closes his eyes and lets off a small sigh
„That still requires some work, clearly… But enough of that for now. We are here to train. You will need to be the most formidable warrior you can be in the face of what‘s yet to come.“
Shaking off the embarrassment, Talon looks on to Scourge, nodding
„Of course. I am ready“
The small tom raises his white paw, fixing his whiskers calmly
„I will not be your opponent tonight. Bone will test your ability to react to a bigger and stronger foe. I have places to be.“
Talon turns his head, looking up at the former second-in-command with a pleased, nostalgic expression. Good memories of their sparring matches and training when Talon as younger resurfacing, spectres of a time where life was finally looking up. Bone returns a calm smile, green eyes shining in reminiscence
„Brings back memories, doesn’t it, Talon? I remember when you joined. How old were you then, seven, eight moons?“
„Must have been something like that, I didn’t exactly bother to keep count. I remember you batting me around like a bottlecap when we sparred in the beginning“
„Only in the beginning?“
Bone raises an eyebrow amusedly, both cats chuckling at this. Scourge rises to his paws
„Don’t spend all night gossiping, Talon is here for a reason. I’ll go see if I can find more of our dead in the void. If Snapper returns before me, get his report. He’s been keeping an eye on the living the Dark Forest cats are training.“
The small black pelted tom brushes past close to Talon, giving him a look from the side
„There has been a familiar new addition to them recently… Seems your forest toy has indeed found a new sparring partner.“
Talon’s ear perk up, turning his head towards Scourge
„Ashfur trains in the Dark Forest too?“
„An ancestor of his has taken him on for training recently. The Dark Forest knows you’re training the fool. Be cautious, Talon. Don’t let them pull you into whatever mouse-brained nonsense they are plotting.“
With that said, Scourge continues on his way, back the way they had come, before long disappearing from view. Talon is left looking where his former leader just disappeared, thoughts swelling up in his mind. This could work out in Ashfur’s favour, making him stronger indeed… just as easily as it could suddenly raise the stakes for Talon. If the Dark Forest cats end up making the Thunderclan warrior choose which `mentor` Ashfur stays with, let alone turn him against Talon…
Talon lets out an annoyed scoff. He already has to gamble on a lot of things with Bloodclan, Abrarc convincing Wrath, Kestrel’s ploy to find more food, Granite not pulling something foolish with the dogs. He used to visit his place by the river to get away from it all for a moment, now it pursues him to his one place of respite too. Perhaps Ashfur and he were getting closer to being friends rather than mutually beneficial tools, but now that might have to compete against actual kin of Ashfur. Not the best odds…
Feeling his clanmate’s frustration, Bone rests his tail on Talon’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. Talon is pulled from his deeper thoughts with a small startled jerk, before he slowly calms.
„Well, this opens a whole new range of unnecessary problems… can’t ever be simple, can it?“
„No fault of yours. But as leader, you’ll need to remain able to make decisions, no matter how convoluted things get. If it helps, view it as training for leadership.“
Talon rolls his eyes at that, sending an at first somewhat forced, then slowly increasingly anticipating smile up at Bone
„We shall see. But I guess we should get started now anyway, rather not risk Scourge’s ire on this. After these news, I need to clear my head a bit anyway. Let’s see if you still got that pin in you that you used to keep me down back then.“
Bone smirks, his tail pulling off of Talon’s shoulder before taking a few steps back
„Wrung down the second-in-command of a forest clan with that during the last battle.“
„That battle was a long time ago by now, sure you haven’t rusted through yet?“
A quiet excitement runs through the Dark Forest clearing as Talon gets done casting off his reinforcing claws, the two cats beginning to slowly circle each other, eyes locked and hackles raised.
„Come at me and find out, why don’t you?“

Talon huffs hard for breath, Bone’s heavy paw keeping him well pushed to the ground. If he still had the energy, he could have tried to twist out from underneath it, but barely catching enough breath as he currently is, no chance. Talon, lays down his head on the dried, dead leaves littering the Dark Forest’s ground in an admittance of defeat. Bone, out of breath as well, but still very much mobile, lets out a chuckle and lifts his paw off of the red eyed tom.
„Good try. You’re definitely getting better… Not quite there yet, though. Score stands at five to two for me by my count“
A breathless chuckle rises from Talon, looking up at the towering victor.
„Sure…. Rub it in… won’t you? Eugh, didn’t think anyone would, huff, counter a bodycheck with a gripping bite. You got solid stone for a neck“
Bone shakes his head, laughing as he sits down
„Not quite, but superior mass makes a big difference“
Slowly, amid grunts, Talon gets up before shaking out his pelt, sending dead leaves flying in every direction. He slowly sits down, visibly still a bit balance impaired after his last impact with the ground.
„Seems so. Still surprised you went down at all. They said a bunch of young ones swarmed you. I’d have thought you would have just changed out from them, stomped them one after the other, literally.“
Talon looks to Bone with a pained, yet amused smirk. His smirk slowly fades as he finds Bone staring down at his paws with a deeply thoughtful, almost ashamed look.
„Maybe I could have. Maybe I should have. I was… not entirely there anymore. Got distracted, I suppose“
Talon tilts his head. Rarely has Bone ever been seen so pensive. And distracted? That does not sound like the dutiful second of Scourge. Curiosity rises in Talon, battering against the question of wether or not he should pry on this matter. The decision is made for him as Bone raises his gaze to look at Talon, the questions just about written across the red eyed cat’s face
„I saw Barley during the battle.“
Talon’s eyes widen briefly, before he lowers his head. He’d heard the rumour that Barley fought among the forest clans, but so far he presumed that was all that was, malicious rumours.
„I see…“
Bone shakes his head, sighing
„No, you don’t. Be grateful for that, Talon. I thought I still had time to fix things, fix my family. I neglected my kits after my mate died, kept myself too busy with the clan to have much time to think about anything else. By the time I noticed, Jumper and Hoot had become Snake and Ice, Barley left and Violet nearly died. Still, I thought I could still mend things… But seeing my son fight with heart and soul against Bloodclan, the hate and disgust in my own kit’s eyes looking at our clanmates… I knew any chance at fixing things had passed. Now Snake and Ice are gloating about killing Bloodclan cats, and it is all because I failed them as a father.“
Talon’s ears droop low, a feeling of shame rising in his chest at having brought the matter up.
„Apologies, Bone. I did not mean to…“
„No matter“
The large black and white tom shakes his head, his regretful expression making way for the stoic look he‘d usually wear standing guard before Scourge, not a hint of his sorrow remaining to be spotted in face or voice. A veritable statue of a cat, immovable, unshakable, the Bone that always emerged when a situation demanded serious, the second-in-command Bloodclan could always rely on.
„I made my choices in life, Talon. Every choice comes with consequence. I accepted that truth a long time ago. Now I get to assist in preparing you for your task of bringing the clan back together. A worthy endeavour. A necessary one…“
Talon nods, tail curling around himself. His heart continues to pound strongly in his chest, but for the most part his breathing has normalised by now. Dwelling on dire matters does not seem a good direction for their current conversation. Pondering shortly where else he could lead the discussion, Talon quickly finds that he still has a fair number of questions, about the afterlife, the Dark Forest…
„How many of our dead has Scourge managed to find so far?“
Bone looks down at Talon for a brief moment, before rising to his paws
„Easier to show you. Come, our camp isn’t far from here.“
Talon’s ears perk back up in interest, finding himself immediately padding after the former second-in-command as Bone leads the way. The Dark Forest remaining as unnatural and treacherous feeling as ever to him, Talon remains close to his guide, holding no desire to get lost in this place, nevermind running into any Dark Forest spirits as exhausted as he is after training. His ears perk up onward, locking on to the sound cats talking. As Bone and Talon brush through a few bushes, the talk immediately dies down. Exiting from the barren, thorn-ridden vegetation, Talon’s fur stands on end as a figure shoots forth straight for them in a long leap. The brown and black tom, soaring through the air, jaws parted and headed straight for Bone’s throat, finds his flight cut short as the former second-in-command’s large paw descends down on him mid-flight, knocking him straight to the ground in a loud thump. Bone glares down at the cat in annoyance
„It’s me, Snipe. Don’t be so jumpy, if you try this stunt with Scourge your life is forfeit“
Grunting as Bone raises his paw off of him and he slowly rises up, visibly disoriented from the impact still, Snipe shakes his head. Even without having unsheathed his own caws, just by wearing the reinforcing claws Bone appears to have given the grounded warrior new, pleasantly perpendicular cuts on the back of his neck, blood slowly trickling down
„Hnn… bit late for that, wouldn’t you say? But I get it, yeah… Sorry, Bone. Guess I’m still on edge a bit“
Talon’s fur slowly lays back down as he recognises the tom, teeth glistening on his black collar as Snipe shakes his head out in a vainful attempt to clear away the disorientation, ending a few droplets of blood flying
„Snipe, it has been a while“
Talon nods his head in greeting. The new voice initially startling Snipe a bit before his eyes seem to focus in on the red eyed cat.
„Talon? Well… didn’t expect to see you here just yet. Scourge said you’re gettin‘ groomed to be the next leader, when all this faction nonsense stops anyway.“
Talon is about to answer as motion catches his attention. Looking past the still recuperating Snipe, three more cats approach, Talon recognising two of them instantly.
„Good to see our leader in the making. How fare you, Talon?“
Talon gives a small smile as he pads past Snipe, content to see another old friend again
„As well as can be expected. It’s good to see you, Claw. I see Scourge found most of our dead already.“
Claw sits down, his short black pelt well groomed, the russet calico spots on his legs well displayed.
„From the forest battle, yes. Also been looking for some that died before that, but… those Scourge did find were… too far gone already. Void’s not a good place to stay in too long. Snipe’s the last one Scourge brought back… longest one continuously out there before being rescued. Nervous mess sometimes, but it’s slowly getting better, thankfully for everyone involved“
Snipe scoffs loudly from behind Talon at this, seeming finally in condition to walk again. Beyond expression his displeasure at the remark, he says nothing to disagree, padding off a little distance to lay down at the roots of a tree. Meanwhile, Talon looks through the rest of the cats, along with Bone now sitting in a circle.
„Greetings, Fury.“
The she-cat curtly nods in reply, seeming mostly to sit there because there is nothing else to do. Her old tick of constantly unsheathing her claws into the ground making it obvious that she is itching to bloody her paws, Scourge’s decree to remain in hiding no doubt not sitting well with the battle hungry female. Finally Talon turns his gaze to the one cat there he does not recognise, who stands out by not wearing a collar either
„I don’t think I know you… you a friend of Bloodclan?“
The large ginger tabby shakes his head calmly
„I don’t think you could know me. I joined Bloodclan in the forest. Tigerstar brought me in from twoleg-place at first, but when Scourge showed up, it became pretty clear where I should place my loyalty. I prefer Jaggedtooth, but you can call me Snag if you like, my old rogue name. Some do so, some so“
Talon nods slowly at this. Under different circumstances, the affiliation with Tigerstar would have sufficed to sprout a healthy weariness of this cat in Talon. But he is here, which means Scourge, who’d have no trouble leaving a troublesome cat for dead, decided he should be here. Besides, he died fighting for Bloodclan.
„Very well. Jaggedtooth it is then. Sorry that your time in our clan was cut rather short then“
Jggedtooth‘s eyes shine in quiet gratitude at Talon’s choice for his name and he nods, flicking his tail
„Eh, we all die someday. At least it was for something, as part of something. Better than anything I could have hoped for as a rogue. Also, being dead has it’s perks. No more biting hunger for me.“
Bone clears his throat loudly, drawing the collective attention to himself before turning towards Talon
„I wouldn’t mind you staying and talking with everyone, Talon, but I think it’s slowly time you wake up. The night is coming to an end soon and you have a lot to do out there. That and Venom might get worried if she’s working on you and you remain fast asleep.“
Talon sighs with some disappointment
„She’ll put me to sleep permanently when she hears that I might be trading the herbs away soon… But you’re right, probably.“
Bone shakes his head, an amused little chuckle escaping the huge warrior
„You are her leader, Talon. Everyone’s leader in due time. You need to start acting the part.“
Talon hums quietly, returning Bone’s gaze with a thoughtful expression
„I probably will have to soon enough. But tell me… will that not alienate me from our own clan?“
„What is more important, your need to be coddled, one among many, or being able to keep them alive?“
Talon’s eyes widen as a chill descends his spine, Scourge’s shrill, cold voice the last thing he hears from behind him before the dream rapidly fades around him. The tiredness of his training replaced once more by the stinging of the wound on his chest. A new day, as his eyes flutter open.

Chapter Text

As the dim interior of the healers den comes into focus, Talon slowly shifts in the bedding, not getting far with it before he feels resistance pushing him back down.
„Not yet. He’s almost done with the new cobwebs“
Talon eases up as he recognises Venom’s voice, slightly turning his head to observe. Rain, seeming still nervous but currently fiercely focused on his task, is carefully applying the new cobwebs to cover Talon’s wounds, Venom sitting at his side, supervising the young tom’s work.“
With a quiet hum, Talon lays his head down again, permitting the learning healer to work unobstructed. The procedure is soon done and Talon rolls onto his belly, looking over to the two healers. Rain is looking up to Venom, visibly anxious for her verdict. After a moment however, she nods.
„Decent work, Rain. That should hold just fine. Unless our fearless leader goes running about, as he knows he shouldn’t yet, this should keep it covered until it’s sufficiently healed“
Rain’s ears perk up, a relieved joy shining in his eyes as he looks up at the experienced healer.
„I tried my best, Venom. I was hoping that I’d get it close enough to how I saw you do it“
Talon, skillfully ignoring Venom’s previous jab at him, allows himself a small grin towards her at Rain’s gleaming pride at her praise. Venom rolls her eyes at Talon before turning her head away.
„You used up a more webbing than needed though. You’ll have to learn to be more efficient with resources as you grow more confident in your own skills. I trust you remember where I’ve shown you that it can be harvested in leafbare?“
Rain ponders a brief moment, before nodding.
„Y-yes, of course. In the Warm Vapour Cave.“
Venom turns back towards the smaller tom, flicking her fuzzy tail behind her
„Time to restock then. Off you go. Bring plenty, you’ll change Frost’s webs will be next. You need the practise“
The grey, white spotted cat nods once more before immediately dashing off, out of the healer’s den. Once the youthful healer is safely out of earshot, Venom looks down upon Talon
„He’s making progress. Still squeamish around blood, so I have him train on mostly closed wounds for now. Crusted blood doesn’t bother him as much as free flowing. But he’s got a knack for this work. He’ll turn out well I think.“
Slowly rising up into a sitting position, Talon pads bits of the bedding off his shoulder.
„Good. Seems like he genuinely looks up to you. You’re a capable teacher, Venom.“
The she-cat draws her tongue over the back of her paw several times before using that paw to fix up one of her ears.
„Well, if you got a good mind for cause and reaction, and identifying both, it’s not that difficult. The rest comes mostly with practise and repetition. But I think you got other things to worry about“
Talon slightly tilts his head
„Someone come by to report something?“
„Moon came by yesterday night. Forgot that you’d be gone for the gathering. Only saw her a moment, I was out of the den a while. Frost clued her in on you not being there. Seemed important. Also, Kestrel has been waiting outside a small while. Probably has a report ready for you too“
Talon slowly nods. Figures, no rest for the wicked. But Moon’s report could be of interest. Have she and her mate made progress to finding their traitor? The sooner this considerably sized thorn in Talon’s side can be dealt with, the better for everyone.
„Very well. I’ll head to my den for it all, then come back. How much longer would you have me reside here still anyway?“
„A day or two. If you can keep away from fighting or running or anything else that might tear the wound again till then. Frost will stay a few days longer, then we got the lot of you out again. Rat I let out last night. Wound on his shoulder was deep, but clean and healed nicely.“
The red eyed leader nods, rising to his paws, shaking his pelt out, none too vigorously to avoid messing up Rain‘s work.
„Very good. The sooner we’re all back in shape, the better. And Venom, we’ll need to talk too when I come back. But I need to get things sorted with Moon and Kestrel first.“
Venom slightly tilts her head, one of her ears fixed on Talon, the intrigue clear in her eyes
„Well, that sounds interesting. Very well then, I’ll get back to putting Frost back together. One more thing though, figured you’d want to know“
Talon takes a few steps out of the nest, before turning his head towards the tortoiseshell she-cat, stopping in his tracks to hear her out.
„Daze and Soot said they’re grateful to be here, so Daze will nurse the little one you brought back. But she’s not sure if she’d be able to care for her like for her own kits. She’s that honest, I guess. So, we’ll need to look into who’ll take the small one on more permanently once she takes to solid food“
Talon looks ahead, at nothing in particular as he briefly thinks on it
„Good news, I’d say. Fair enough, if Daze knows she might not be able to treat her as her own already. Does mean the young one can stay in Bloodclan and we’ve got a bit of time before needing to find her a new set of parents. We can work with that“
Venom nods, getting up and with an acknowledging small bow of her head, pads back to her stack of herbs. Talon remains a few heartbeats longer, observing her and her stores of plants. She’ll not be pleased to learn that much of it might go towards healing Wrath’s cats. Perhaps her displeasure will be less severe if he can announce to her that the stores will be replenished soon enough after… another raid it’ll have to be. But raiding Thunderclan is bound to sour things with Ashfur. Perhaps an agreement can be found that’d be of benefit for them both though. Thunderclan is far from the only clan in those territories after all. Maybe Thunderclan has enemies too, enemies that’d be weakened if their herbs went missing in a time where harvesting more is not an option. Talon will need to remember asking when he next visits their spot by the river.
With that decided, he makes hi way out of the den. No two steps outside, an increasingly familiar brown pelt catches his eye, resting next to the entrance, yawning widely and observing the going-ons of he alley, not immediately taking notice of Talon emerging.
„Greetings, Kestrel. Waiting on me, I gather?“
Kestrel looks over and up at Talon, rising to his paws as he recognises the leader.
„Waiting on Venom to tell me you’re awake, but by all means, all the better if you’re up and out. I have some news.“
Talon nods, before pointing to his den under the wall before beginning to head there. Kestrel immediately follows, mildly struggling to keep up, the second-in-command’s fatigue obvious and weighing him down. Talon slows a bit, looking over his shoulder as the two toms continue
„Busy all night again? You look like you need rest, Kestrel“
A small chuckle sounds from the sly cat following.
„Best time for the things I do, the night. But if you allow, yes, I think I’ll go get some sleep after this.“
„Can’t well have my second-in-command collapse, can I? I might have you send some cats to me after your reports, but after that, go rest up.“
Kestrel nods, taking a deep breath and straightening his posture a bit to appear less tired. A few moments later, the two of them are in the seclusion of Talon’s den, sitting opposite from each other.
„Now then, what have you got for me, Kestrel?“
„First, Silver has returned. You were still asleep, so I told him to come back later. I presume you’ll want me to fetch him for you?“
Talon nods, his nicked ear flicking. Taking Talon’s affirmative also as cue to continue, Kestrel does so without much delay. Had Talon not seen him struggle to keep up and slump a little moments earlier, he’d be fooled into thinking Kestrel was in perfect condition. None of the brown cat’s exhaustion sounds in his voice, nor does it show in his expression currently, attentive eyes sitting above an ever so slight smirk. A flawless facade, when he can muster it, it seems.
„The situation in the south might clear up soon. If we still want to use the rogues being at each other’s throats to scout out the place for food, it needs to happen soon. Next one or two days, or we might not get it done as easily anymore.“
Talon closes his eyes, letting out a nasal exhale. Not surprising, but will Abrarc give them Wrath’s answer in time? Talon will have to be there, to hear it and give the needed orders if it’s a yes. It’d probably be best and more respectful to go with the cats send over to help himself too… If both he and Kestrel are away, it will make it look like Talon’s proposal wasn’t serious, a waste of time for cats who don’t currently have the luxury of wasting time. Wrath would not forget that, nor forgive.
„Yes. We will select who goes with us today still. Tomorrow, after sunhigh, we’ll go. We need that food. Let’s hope we hear from Abrarc before then, get that sorted out“
Kestrel nods in agreement, his tail swishing from lying one side of him over to the other.
„Lastly, Granite seems to be shifting focus very suddenly. All the cats that were at the Dog Fight Place, they now either patrol the border to Ice and Snake, or remain close to Granite’s alley. If I had to interpret this, I’d say he either expects trouble or an opportunity at the twins territory.“
„Not ideal… but it does for now at least take some pressure off of our border. Do you think he’s waiting for them to attack Wrath again, so he can swoop in against Ice and Snake when they‘re barely defended?“
„It would be a very sound plan, they did loudly and clearly announce their intentions after all, so easy to plan around it. That is if Granite has a way of knowing if or when their warriors leave. If it goes wrong, between fighting against superior numbers and the battle exhausted warriors having to retreat home in leafbare, he could lose a lot. Unless there’s something we’re not aware of yet, it seems like a big risk, big reward situation“
Talon hums, eyes narrowing in thought
„You are the one who gages risk and reward in your plans, Kestrel. Granite is more of an opportunist than a gambler, he prefers certain scores. This feels… incomplete. He would not risk his cats dying off in the snow after an unsuccessful attack. He only strikes if he’s sure to win“
Kestrel tilts his head to the side, resting it on his left shoulder.
„Unfortunately I don’t know more just yet. And with how busy the next days risk to be, between the Wrath deal, scoping out the food place and planning our next raid, that I presume you’ll announce soon, to restock AFTER the Wrath deal, I don’t know how much more I stand to find out in time.“
A little bit of exasperation enters Kestrel’s voice midway through his answer. Talon sighs and shakes his head
„You’re only one cat, Kestrel. And there is only so much time in a day. We already know so much more than any other faction of all that goes on. Maybe… after this is all done, we take a piece of Scourge’s advice and take it more easy for the rest of leafbare. Focus on matters on and in direct vicinity of our own territory only until it begins to warm again.“
A bit of compassion arises in Talon. Sure, Kestrel is working to make the faction strong in hopes of ruling it himself some day, but he’s been nothing short of exemplar at it thus far. He’s made himself near indispensable, Talon shouldn’t let the brown tom burn himself out too much. Both as the resourceful second-in-command he’s proven himself to be and as a clanmate, it’d be unconscionable.
Kestrel looks over to his leader, seeming to scan Talon for a few heartbeats with somewhat tired eyes before nodding.
„Perhaps, yes. We do have a… domestic issue to track down still too after all. Well, this concludes my report for now. With your permission, I’ll go get Silver then and retire for a few hours.“
„If you can still muster it, I’d like you to get Moon as well. She’s got a report of her own to deliver from what I hear“
Kestrel tilts his head, even through the now much more clearly showing tiredness, interest sparkling bright. He does not delay for long though, bowing his head in compliance and slinking out of the den.
It takes only a few moments, Talon busy grooming his tail fluff, when a pair of shapes pushes into the den, causing the red eyed tom to look up. Silver and Moon both sit down and dip their heads in greeting.
„Good, you’re here. I did not expect you both to arrive at the same time, but very well.“
Silver flicks his tail, turning towards Moon
„Moon knew you’d want my report, so she stuck around. It does sound like her report might be of more importance. I could wait outside, if you wish“
Talon ponders this for a few heartbeats, before shaking his head
„I already trust you with matters I wouldn’t want just anyone to hear. You may stay, hear what Moon has to say. Perhaps your input might help us out in this matter, pointers we didn’t think of yet. I trust no information has leaked though, if you already know that her business is urgent“
Talon looks from the older white and grey cat over to the dark furred female. Moon shakes her head, sitting straight, her eyes, good and blind both, trained on Talon
„I made sure nothing further would get out. Rover and I spoke to no-one about it. I merely mentioned to Silver that I have important news, that is all. I’ve been waiting since Frost reminded me that you were at the gathering yesterday.“
Silver nods at that.
„Moon is not one to claim she has important things to say when such is not the case. Interesting as my report is, I believe hers would have priority.“
Talon observes Moon a brief moment. Correlates with what Venom said. What had Frost so occupied yesterday then that he didn’t think to mention it? Regardless, Moon is not one for lying, if she says nothing further was said, then that’s reliable.
„Alright. Report then, Moon. Have we made progress on finding our traitor?“
Silver’s ears perk up with attention, face darkening with seriousness within heartbeats of hearing about a traitor. Moon’s tail slowly lashes in mild frustration
„Not as much as we hoped, but a trace or clue of sorts. Herbs have been harvested in the area around the fish place. The same herb, judging by smell, very recently. I considered asking Venom what herb that was, but wanted to report first and get further instructions. Rover remains out there, thinks he might be able to find more still.“
Talon tilts his head
„Herbs? I’m reasonably sure Venom has not gone out much to harvest since we raided Thunderclan… Is there reason to think it was one of us, or the rogues themselves?“
„Technically could have been them on the harvest, and we did find some of it stashed away near the fish place dumpsters, but not nearly enough. A lot has been taken. Snow hasn’t withered plants that grow at the foot of twoleg lights, close to thunderpaths. Rover thinks finding where the rest was put might tell us more or straight up identify who lured in those rogues to begin with“
Silver silently absorbs each word spoken, working through what information he learns and is able to deduce between the lines. Talon too listens intently, eyes slightly lowered in thought
„Curious… Do you have a sample of the herb? If so, we’ll ask Venom as soon as we’re done in here“
Moon nods quickly
„I took some into the den Rover and I share. I’ll have it in a moment when needed. Beyond that, we only noticed that the rogues at the border were… skittish, more prudent than usual. Normally they just stay on the other side of the thunderpath when Bloodclan cats walk by, now they seem eager to find cover as soon as they see our collars. Something spooked them, more than usual. And I don’t think it’s what happened to the trespassers, usually doesn’t shake them quite like that.“
„Something… or someone. Whoever brought the rogues in must have gone to speak to them, left our territory. Scared the locals a bit it seems…“
Talon concludes, tapping one reinforcing claw repeatedly against the floor in a slow rhythm.
„I want you and Rover to find out why the rogues are so terrified. If Rover still finds the time beside that to look for the rest of the herb stash, he’s welcome to keep up that search too. Good work, Moon. Keep me updated on the matter. If that’s all, you’re dismissed. Take some food for yourself and Rover. Work out in the snow all day drains, we gain nothing if you two drop somewhere“
Moon slowly nods, looking down herself. Though not too alarmingly so yet, her ribs show slightly through her white chest fur, her gut is a bit more sunk in. Nothing unusual during leafbare, yet there is a slight shame in the she-cat’s good, green eye. But with instructions given, she pads out of the den a mere few moments later, leaving Talon and Silver alone, the older tom looking over to the red eyed leader. Talon remains in thought for a bit, looking ahead as consideration churns in his head. The rogues might be the key. He might not even need Kestrel’s assistance for this, if the two warriors send can get the right cat to talk. It’d bring some much needed peace of mind. Peace of mind… calm, the spot by the river. Talon lets out a deep sigh, the desire to just spend an evening there again to unwind so very tempting, but not yet. Soon enough, but not yet. As his thoughts turn to the serene little plot on Thunderclan grounds, he opens his eyes and returns Silver’s gaze. Another report, this one at least likely pleasant in nature. A break, of sorts, and after that, back to work…

Chapter Text

Ashfur slowly wanders along the edge of the river towards the lake. The sky having opened a bit more allowing him to see his environment decently enough, his pupils dilated wide to make the most of the light descending from silverpelt. His muscles ache, his lungs still somewhat burn from the cold air he’d been huffing for towards the end of this night’s training regiment. Certainly an experience, that was. Formidable in his own way, this Silver fights very differently from Talon. Ashfur fared better against him, but deciding blows from his side had been still too few for his own liking. With luck and Starclan on his side, he could win in a serious fight against Silver perhaps. More importantly, Silver’s words had been uplifting. Could Ashfur really fare well against most ´common´ Bloodclan warriors by now, if there even is such a thing as a common one of their kind? The idea is charming at least. And the presence of the older warrior oddly… soothing. Were it not for the grey spots and green eyes, he’d look a lot like Whitestorm. What irony, but maybe not an entirely unwelcome one.
Eyes wandering between the reeds and the edge of the forest, the grey tom paces on. Despite the tiredness in his mind and the stinging exhaustion in his limbs, he’ll still need to catch some prey for his usual excuse. Better not to give his clanmates even more reason to doubt his stories, even though the lies increasingly turn his stomach. Still, better than the alternative. Better than the tearing pain awakening anew in his chest, as he eventually finds himself looking over to Squirrelflight’s sleeping shape, himself unable to find the rest to close his eyes in the warriors den. Out here, he is away, too preoccupied during training to think on it for the most part, and by the time he returns falling asleep is not much of an issue. His ears move atop his head, trying to detect any nearby noises, his nose raised to taste the cold air for any scents. The barren trees of Thunderclan, the sap-filled evergreens of Shadowclan just on the other side of the river, the lake up ahead, ever closer as he advances… the rich scents of the new territories, pleasant, but disappointingly empty of any promising prey scent. With a small scoff but otherwise silent, Ashfur stalks onward. There must be something, there always is if one searches long enough. Patience… it always comes down to it, patience and tenacity. Prey, love, training, it always comes down to patience and tenacity, it seems. Oh well, so be it then.
Slowly the blue eyed warrior comes to a halt, crouching in cover behind a patch of partially crooked reeds. A scent, not far, but no prey. Taking in the air, Ashfur tries to analyse the smell. Clan cat… alone? No sensible medicine cat would wander alone along the lake at this hour towards the Moonpool. A lost apprentice? No, this is… Riverclan scent. A hint of annoyance rises in Ashfur as he stalks forth, lowered barely above the ground, a hunch on whom he might find taking clear shape in his mind. Sure enough, his intuition is proven right as a familiar pelt wanders the river’s shoreline, the tabby pelt difficult to spot from afar, were it not for the white, well reflecting chest and belly fuzz. Ashfur slowly rises up and pads closer
„Maybe I should pretend not to know who it is and chase the intruding warrior off as I’m supposed to…“
Hawkfrost’s pelt stands on edge for a second as he hears Ashfur’s voice, whisking around, a cold hostility in the tabby’s blue eyes, claws unsheathed and glistening in the moonlight. His gaze quickly softens, thaws into amusement thinly veiling some small amount of relief as the Riverclan warrior recognises the grey tom. As his claws sheath once more and his posture normalises, Hawkfrost chuckles
„But what fun would be in that? Well done, I didn’t notice you at all. Fair enough, I suppose now we’re square for my little scare during the Gathering a while ago“
Ashfur nods, his approach slowed until the Riverclan warrior’s claws are fully gone from view again. So cold a glare… he would have been more than willing to commit violence if he thought it needed. Tigerstar’s son indeed. How far would he have been willing to go to make sure no-one knew he’d been here if it’d been anyone other than Ashfur finding him? The mere question dismays the Thunderclan warrior.
„What are you doing here, Hawkfrost? Not much of interest here. Thunderclan doesn’t use the lake’s shore for much more than sunning during greenleaf.“
Hawkfrost looks out over the shore, sitting down. Stepping closer, Ashfur sees that in some spots some light digging was done. Casting a discreet look down to Hawkfrost’s paws, they are dirty with earth.
„Right now? Yes, you are right. But I think that when leafbare ends, this place could become more… relevant“
Ashfur flicks his ear, sitting down near the intruding tabby
„How so?“
„Consider it an educated hunch, nothing more just yet. But if I’m right, you’ll be able to square your debt early into newleaf.“
Ashfur observes the Riverclan warrior a while, before slowly nodding
„Good. But know that whatever you’re planning, I won’t betray my clan for you“
Hawkfrost chuckles, turning his entertained gaze to meet Ashfur’s.
„Who said anything about betrayal? I’ll probably just need you to go fetch someone, set up a meeting, nothing more. And besides… it wouldn‘t be to your disadvantage, quite the contrary“
Ashfur raises an eyebrow, uncertainty in his eyes
„How so? There are not many things I’d much care for, Hawkfrost.“
„But for those few things, you care all the more. Remember, what happened the last time Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight grew distant from each other?“
Ashfur’s breath briefly gets stuck in his throat, his pads sweating. There is no need for an answer, the two toms know what happened. She was his, in all his life had he never been as content and as consistently so as during those days. There was no pain, he wanted for nothing. All he ever needed was right there, walking beside him on patrols, cuddled into his pelt during cold nights, laughing as they shared prey. With a small growl, Ashfur squints his eyes shut and shakes his head. The comfort of these memories comes always at a price. By the time his eyes open, Ashfur finds his paw clutching at his chest again. Anger bubbles up in the grey warrior. A low and cheap way to try to entice him, even for a sly schemer like Hawkfrost. But what if it’s true…
„So what? I get you to meet someone and Squirrelflight loses interest in Brambleclaw? You’re talking nonsense, Hawkfrost. As if it could be that easy…“
„But what if it is?“
Hawkfrost grins, laying his tail on Ashfur’s shoulder
„Nothing loses a she-cat like a lack of attention, Ashfur. And I intend to see to it that Brambleclaw will be plenty busy for the entirety of the foreseeable future. How long will she stay when her mate has no time for her? And where might she find refuge, comfort?“
Ashfur remains silent, his plentiful reservations against Hawkfrost’s obvious conniving wrestling with the small spark of hope his words set alight, the internal confrontation made visual in his thoughtful eyes, darting back and forth between arguments none can hear. He’s becoming stronger, in time he will reach his goal either way. Right? What if Hawkfrost’s prognosis stands true though? With Brambleclaw indisposed, who else would she turn to? Surely she remembers who was there for her last time, the good times they had. Something remains off, clearly, obviously, but if Ashfur remains vigilant and ready to intervene if needed, what’d be the worst that could happen? That, and turn it as he might, he still owes Hawkfrost a favour. He got Ashfur in touch with one of his warrior ancestors, something Starclan has shown no interest in.
Time passes, thoughts bashing against each other in the grey tom’s head for a good while, before he at last becomes increasingly aware of the fuzzy tail resting on him. He considers shaking it off for a heartbeat, but what’d be the point?
„I… will have to think on it, Hawkfrost. Give me some time.“
Hawkfrost grins, as if he’d just caught a big juicy piece of prey. With the faintest purr in his voice, he slowly pulls his tail from the Thunderclan warrior and rises to his paws.
„Of course. I aim to be at most Gatherings I can. You have until the end of leafbare to decide, that ought to be plenty time for one decision, yes? Today certainly proved more productive than I expected“
Ashfur nods without further words, still pondering. Hawkfrost slowly takes his leave, padding over to the water. Turning his head, the Thunderclan tom watches as the tabby slowly enters deeper, with a small shiver at first, before submerging more and more until only his head sticks from the water’s surface. From there, Hawkfrost quickly gains distance, what little of him was to be seen over the inky black water during the dark of the night rapidly becoming too small in the distance to recognise. Riverclan warriors… they really do swim like otters. The very thought of getting into the water, the temperature it must currently be, sends a small shiver down Ashfur’s spine. But left alone once more, Ashfur raises his gaze towards silverpelt. The stars sparkle as always, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to indicate his ancestors displeasure, nor their agreement either. Just silence and beautifully shining stars. They would say something if he were about to commit a mistake, wouldn’t they? He’s never done anything to displease them, his life has been spend serving his birth clan, hunting, patrolling, fighting… he did as he was supposed to, has he not? Maybe he misjudged their silence. Maybe they are still guiding him. He will need to consider his options. His eyes sparkle in the reflected starlight. He has the rare chance to perhaps get a second opinion from someone who has no stake in it either way. It’d be interesting to hear a Bloodclan cat’s opinion on it all…
But all of that at their own time. Rising up and shaking his pelt out vigorously, Ashfur tries to focus his mind once more. Either way he’d not make the decision tonight and he still has some hunting to do. Padding back into the forest, he resumes his stalk, well away from any borders. If there are any more cats wandering Thunderclan grounds tonight that shouldn’t, he’d really prefer not to know. Two guests the clan would disapprove of are plenty for one day.

Bichfall nods his head without a word as Ashfur passes by him sitting guard at the camp. Ashfur‘s nightly escapades have become common enough by now to no longer draw much comment from anyone. Waving his tail in reply, Ashfur pads onward, to the fresh-kill pile. It’d taken a bit longer than he had hoped, even without counting his chance encounter at the lake, but he’d been determined to deliver. Letting the reasonably plump dove dangling from his jaws fall onto the pile, he wastes little time slinking into the warriors den right after. It’s safe to say, all that can be exhausted, has been exhausted for today. His muscles all but screaming, his mind a tired and abuzz mess, the cold air having rendered his nose numb from all the scenting and the icy ground has given his pads a stiff ache. He’s lucky they haven’t cracked as far as he could tell. With a loud exhale, the warrior finally slumps into his nest, curling up. Maybe Thistleclaw too could have an opinion on it all… his ancestor does not strike Ashfur as particularly chatty, let alone prone to gossip about other clans affairs, but perhaps he’d still have advice for his descendant. Be it only to strike Ashfur’s skull against a tree for being a fool. A quiet, self-ironic chuckle emits from Ashfur as his eyes already grow heavier with each passing heartbeat. Perhaps… either way, still a lot of time to pass. Time he’ll need to use. Training, his apprentice by day, himself by night. But now, now the soft comfort of his nest beckons him beyond anything else. Within moments, he drifts off to much needed sleep.
Eyes, observing, seeing the slumbering warrior without being there. Two pairs of amber eyes, joined by livelier, blue eyes soon after. The latter look pleased, content with their achievement so far. Yet, these are not all that are watching. As unbeknown as these three observers are to the already soundly sleeping Ashfur, another pair of eyes, icy, cold eyes, watch in silence, pondering without ever changing expression. What has been seen and heard, and whom else seems to have at least just as keen an interest. Intervention might be needed at some point. It’ll be a risk, but much is at stake, much to be won… or lost. Talon’s pet could become valuable in time, but only if he doesn’t distract too much from more immediate tasks. For now, wiser not to risk anything just yet. Much time will pass before this might begin to pay off and a lot remains to be done by then. But in the end, if all goes well, many moons from now, a battle can be won the kind of which no-one ever even imagined possible. A victory that no cat, clan, rogue or otherwise could ever rival, with appropriate spoils to be had in the end. The Dark Forest cats wallow so much in their self-victimisation, their need for revenge. So many rogues just like them has he seen, learned how they function. How they fall. In time…
He’s waited for years to right a wrong before, he can be patient again.

Chapter Text

Talon nods, a pleased smile having formed on him as Silver’s tale went on, now arriving at it’s conclusion.
„Very good. Safe to say, he does not appear to be against the idea of a second Bloodclan cat around then. That might make things easier going forward.“
Silver softly hums, his tail curling around him
„So it seems. And he shows promise. Ashfur certainly absorbed some of your lessons well enough by now. It does seem like he sees someone else in me though. Maybe fallen kin or such. I can’t deny some curiosity on that matter, but it won’t impede anything at any rate“
„Did you tell him when the next meeting is supposed to be?“
The older tom slightly bows his head
„Four days from now, as you instructed.“
Talon, after rising to his paws, paces a few steps
„Good. Busy as the next days promise to be, I’m looking forward to it already. Excellent work, Silver“
Silver remains disciplinedly still in his position, letting a gentle smile form
„Gladly. I didn’t mind, a pleasant distraction. Ashfur’s curiosity is somewhat endearing. But that concludes my report. Any new orders for…“
Silver’s ears swivel backwards towards the den’s entrance, before turning his head that way a heartbeat later. Talon’s ears perk up, focused in on the entrance, listening focusedly, intrigued at what drew Silver’s attention. Steps, fairly soft, with a mild erratic rhythm, right outside. A brief heads-up before a head pops down into the den, blinking for a moment to adjust to the dim surroundings, before spotting Silver and Talon, mumbling an exclamation of surprise through the small piece of meat dangling from her mouth. Dropping it to the ground, Grail bows her head
„Apologies, I thought you’d be alone, Talon. I can come back later.“
Silver shakes his head, mild amusement shining in his eyes
„I just finished with my reports, Grail. I was just asking if Talon has any new orders for me and then I’ll be gone“
The older veteran warrior returns his gaze to Talon, the amusement remaining in his look. As mild embarrassment grows in Talon, he shoots back a brief glare.
„No new orders for now. You are free to return to your duties, Silver“
„Then I shall get out of the way“
With a dutiful bow of his head and a knowing, age wisened final look towards the dark furred leader, Silver rises up and leaves the den on quick paws. Grail remains a bit embaressed, the unexpected presence of Silver having brought upon some stress, unwillingly displayed by a row of smaller spasms on the right side of her face, drawing her lip back from her fang several times. Watching her stand there, signalling her distress, Talon’s mind briefly races to cut short the rapidly expanding silence.
„Good to see you, Grail. Come in, what brought you here?“
Talon tries not to show his desire to cuff himself upside the head for asking such a foolishly obvious question, as if he hadn’t seen the food she brought. Despite this, the silence breaking seems to embolden Grail a bit, a small tremble going through her right front paw as she smiles
„I thought I might bring you some food again. When you weren’t in the healer’s den, Venom said I’d find you here.“
Talon nods, a mild displeasure running down his spine at the mention of their healer. He’ll need to tell Venom still that potentially a lot of their supply might be used for Wrath’s faction. A discussion he in no way looks forward to. But a displeasure he can absolutely not show right now, lest he risk Grail presuming it a reaction to her. Keeping his voice calm, Talon sits down and beckons the she-cat closer.
„You’re kind, Grail. Stay, we should share then“
Grail pads closer, putting the meat down, part of the dog judging by smell. She shakes her head, smiling, her right ear flicking rapidly.
„It wouldn’t be very much shared. You need your strength, I’m fine.“
Talon shakes his head more energetically.
„I can’t gorge myself when some of our own are skipping meals out there. And our warriors need to keep their strength up, including you, Grail. Stay, please“
Thankful for his dark pelt and gloomy den, Talon’s ears burning up are difficult to spot in the dark. Grail is left way more defenceless. A few spasms rock her side, muscles jerking along her side and leg, the blatant tell only furthering her own embarrassment, finally culminating in a nod however. As the russet furred cat settles down, her gaze ducks away under Talon’s
„If you wish, then I’ll stay“
Talon lays down, his long tail flicking, giving away his own unease.
„I… think I do, yes. Please, eat. You need it no less than I“
Raising his gaze, the light coming down from the den’s entrance grants a majestic shine to the outlines of her fuzzy red pelt. Golden eyes, dilated wide in the dark of the den, finally no longer actively avoiding him as they settle on the food as she relents and agrees with another small nod. There is, warmth? The cold doesn’t seem to quite reach Talon as he observes the she-cat for a few heartbeats, before becoming aware of his own staring and he leans down and tears a bite from the chunk of meat. It is pleasant, nice even. Despite the embarrassment, it seems fine, comforting. Not much chatter goes on, as one bite at a time the shared meal shrinks away. It appears that Grail, as far as Talon can guess, feels not much differently. Most major spasms seem to abate, only a small, continuous flicking of her right ear being noticeable. It is only as Grail’s eyes remain on him for a short while, undisguised hope and admiration shining in her eyes, that Talon realises the soft, quiet purr that had begun rumbling in his throat.
Embarrassment burns hot in his ears after the realisation, looking away, at a loss of what’d be the thing to say or do now. Time drags on a bit, probably for mere heartbeats, though it feels like entire weeks are passing by, as no words are exchanged. This won’t do, this can’t do… he’ll need to say something at some point. Talon slowly parts his jaws, drawing in a breath, looking for words, the attempt abruptly cut short. Barely skipping to a stop, Castle’s broad head pops into the den, slightly out of breath
„Talon, Abrarc is approaching. Ran ahead of the patrol, but they’re escorting them here as we speak, going to be here soon“
A mixture of great relief and deep frustration run through Talon simultaneously. The harsh interruption of this moment is nothing less than fury invoking, yet it saves him from his uncomfortably help and wordless position. Rising to his paws, he nods curtly. Another time, hopefully more prepared by then. He beholds the red pelted warrior as he begins to pad past her.
„Feel free to stay until you’re done eating. I have to go, perhaps we can resume another time“
The grey furred leader barely still registers her nod before pushing out of the den. Immediately after stepping out, he is hit by a gust of freezing wind, striking him as unpreparedly and viscerally as a falling brick. Talon blinks and mildly grimaces for a moment, somewhat stunned for a brief moment. Right, leafbare. After the seeming warmth of just a few heartbeats ago, the icy air serves as frigid wakeup call. Taking a moment and several deep breaths, letting the cold air fill his lungs, he turns, pouncing up the dumpster by the wall, before leaping from there up to his sitting spot atop his wall. Kestrel is likely resting by now, he won’t be there for this. Turning and sitting down, facing the entrance to the alley, tail curling around and resting atop his paws, Talon awaits his guests.
While Talon upon his wall does not draw the attention of the cats around much, it is drawn to him instantly as soon as Arbrarc turns into the alley. Followed closely by Panther and Reed, guided and surrounded by the rest of Castle’s earlier patrol; Lantern, Quail, Aspen and Spider. Talon observes the approach from up high. Very official looking. Almost how it was when outsiders petitioned Scourge, back in the day… an uplifting thought, but one that can not be allowed to undermine the seriousness of the situation. Arbrarc comes before him, that just about gives Talon his answer already, he could have simply stayed away if it’d been a no. Still, there are words that must be exchanged. Drawing close to the wall, the cats of Wrath’s faction grind to a halt, sitting down as they gaze up to Talon.
„Greeting, Abrarc. I presume you have come to give us your answer to my proposal?“
Talon’s voice sounds practise honed, loud and clear, yet neutral in tone. A mild pride in achieving this sparks in the back of Talon’s mind, never to be shown on the outside. The large, tail-less tom holds Talon’s gaze with little trouble. The second-in-command of Wrath sits with the calm regality of a leader himself, breaking eye contact but briefly as he shortly bows his head in response.
„So I have. After much deliberating and considering, we agree to your offer. We are to guide you to our camp, Wrath wishes a word with you upon arrival.“
Talon observes the small delegation from above, his nicked ear flicking. So far so good. To his cats, this should confirm Talon’s qualification, to the other factions his position of strength, well enough off to aid his clanmates. Good advertisement all around… if his trip into the lion’s den works out.
„Very well. We shall ready ourselves and head out as soon as possible. It will be but moments, but you are welcome to walk our alley until we may go“
From the corner of his eye, Talon sees Grail’s pelt emerge from his den underneath him and join the rest of his faction, watching from the sides. Abrarc nods, before red eyes meet red eyes once again.
„Very well. We await your go-ahead then“
Quiet discussion and murmuring go through the crowds of cats looking on. Not everyone would know of the deal Talon had proposed yet, news hasn’t fully spread yet. That will take care of itself soon enough, more importantly Talon has now run out of time to explain to Venom what’s to happen. No putting it off anymore now. With some trepidation, the dark grey leader leaps down, to dumpster, then to the ground in two swift bounds. Bounding over to the healer’s den, he observes Wrath’s cats. Arbrarc remains sitting, calmly observing around, otherwise not moving much at all. Panther appears a little more on edge, as soon as the discussion ended back up on his paws, scanning anyone that finds themself a whiskers breadth closer to them then the rest, nigh alarmed when Reed just calmly paces off. The cream coloured she-cat perfectly willing to mingle with Talon’s cats and soon finding someone to talk to in Ferret. They are all still the cats, the clanmates Talon remembers. All this animosity between the factions can not end quickly enough. Maybe this is a step in the right direction… one may hope.
Venom sits next to the healer’s den, shifting her gaze from Wrath’s delegation over to Talon, a hint of suspicion in her eyes already, as her fuzzy tail flicks forth, resting against her chest, revealing Rain who’d been sitting next to her, partially shielded from view.
„Why do I get the feeling I won’t like whatever comes next? What did we promise them?“
Talon lets out a small nasal breath, mentally bracing himself.
„Wrath’s cats that were injured in battles against the twins and their rogues, we’re heading out to help them, heal them. We need you to come with us to Wrath’s alley, along with some of our stock“
Venom holds Talon’s gaze, several heartbeats passing by of the news sinking in, thoughts churning behind her greenish-yellow eyes. At last, she sighs and shakes her head, tail unfolding and slowly lashing in mild annoyance.
„Should have known… I’ll need a few carriers. And with Frost and Clover still in, we need to keep Rain and some supplies here.“
Rain looks up in surprise, mildly bristled in face of the intimidating prospect that this’d effectively put him in charge of the healer’s den for a while. Talon slowly nods
„Agreed. That’s what we’ll do then. I’m pleased you’re being understanding, Venom“
She shoots a sharp stare at Talon, but soon sighs again, her gaze softening before turning her head away to look over at the delegation
„Well… they are our clanmates still, right? Wrath’s a narrow minded fool in my mind, but he remains Bloodclan’s narrow minded fool. And a healer heals. I don’t like watching our clanmates die any more than you do, Talon. I did not learn how to heal to just let that happen. But it might leave some of our supplies somewhat depleted“
„I’m already looking into possibly refilling our stocks. With a bit of luck, we’ll be replenished before the moon is over“
„I’ll hold you to that, Talon.“
She slowly rises to her paws, shaking out her tortoiseshell pelt, observing the cats around and making her little selection on whom she’ll pick to help carry things.
„I’ll join you and Arbrarc when we’re ready. Won’t take long.“
Venom pads off, leaving a somewhat lost looking Rain behind. Talon steps closer to the young healer, Rain’s head snapping over to him before lowering in a respectful bow.
„Don’t worry, Rain. Only some already healing wounds to take care of. And your father remains if you need anything. I am certain you’ll manage just fine without Venom for a bit. It’ll be a few days at the most I imagine“
Rain raises his head again, pondering the words spoken to him before nodding
„Yes, probably. I hope. I’m nowhere near as good as Venom yet… but if nothing new happens I think I got it“
Talon gives the younger tom an encouraging pat on the back with his tail
„Trust in yourself. You’ll do just fine, and afterwards your lessons with Venom go on as they did so far. You’ll become a capable healer, I harbour no doubts about that. Both Venom and Kestrel agree on that note“
Rain looks up at Talon, nervousness and still a whinge of worry in his pale amber eyes, but a spark of pride shining underneath at his leader’s words.
„I promise I’ll try my best, Talon“
The red eyed leader can’t but crack a small smile at this, giving the smaller cat a nod
„Very good. Then we got nothing to worry about“
With that, Talon pads onward, towards Arbrarc, Venom brushing back past him, Soot, Gravel and Gash accompanying her into the healer’s den. Arbrarc turns towards Talon as the latter approaches, giving a small nod of his head in greeting again.
„Talon. It seems like things are going reasonably well here. Some of our own were unsure how well merging factions again would work, expected there’d still be two distinguishable groups. That doesn’t strike me as being the case here.“
„We’ve very actively worked to make it so. But we’re all Bloodclan, cats only need the chance to remember that, and what it means“
Arbrarc looks around, a good number of cats remaining around, chatting and observing, while slowly more and more peel away again, going after their duties and their own business.
„So you keep saying, Talon. Difficult to disagree right now. We shall see. Either way, we all know it’s nowhere near over yet. I remain surprised you offered this to begin with. You know Wrath will not submit himself to you, not for this“
Talon sits down, humming quietly and nodding slowly
„I know. Wrath wouldn’t submit until someone has already gotten the vast majority of the clan united behind them already in my estimation.“
Arbrarc looks up into the sky. The sun keeps creeping slowly further upwards in a mostly cloudless sky. For a brief moment, something akin to wariness shadows the light grey second’s face
„Or if someone strong enough would support his wish for vengeance…“
Talon’s ears perk in Arbrarc’s direction
„One day, perhaps. But I remain firm that Bloodclan needs to fully recover from the fracturing before we can even consider such a thing. My priority is clear on that matter.“
Arbrarc returns his gaze to Talon, looking him up and down, seeming to size him up
„Sometimes compromise is important. That would have been the one to get closer to bringing our factions together. The fact that you actually went ahead and struck against the forest clans, only to refuse shedding blood, it’s been a source of frustration and even confusion for Wrath.“
Talon observes Arbrarc a few moments before turning his head away, thinking on this.
„Perhaps. But as you said, nothing is over yet. The Wrath I know refuses to lay aside his honour. Coming to his aid, even if it’s begrudgingly so, he won’t forget.“
Talon notices from the corner of his eye that Arbrarc is beginning to look past him. Turing his head to follow his gaze, he sees Venom and her chosen three carriers heading towards them, their maws all filled with leaves and herbs.
„True. Remains to be seen what that’ll mean for you and yours in due time. For now, it seems your cats are ready. We should head out, a long way to walk ahead and leafbare does not make it easier“

Chapter Text

Talon walks along beside Arbrarc, the cold air clouding their breath as they press on some way covered by now, yet the destination still some ways off. The hint of trepidation that Talon felt at the border before crossing it had been manageable, but now an uncanny feeling persists in the back of his mind. Crossing Wrath‘s territory, it remains familiar, Talon would still be able to navigate it for the most part, but it‘s glaring that things have changed. New twoleg dens have been build, larger than those they replace, more twolegs wander about, more monsters rumbling down the thunderpaths. The layout remains the same, the thunderpaths didn‘t change direction and the twoleg dens remain compliant with their pattern, yet the feeling of these parts has clearly changed. It‘d be interesting to see what progress the twolegs have made on what once was the forest clans territories, but they won‘t get that far. A familiar sight pulls Talon from his thoughts, caution taking it‘s well deserved place. Steelsnake-place lies to the south from here, but the ironpaths extending from it run far further than Bloodclan knows, several of the right through here. Arbrarc turns to Talon, raising a paw as sign to stay back for a moment. The patrol stops as only the second-in-command proceeds on, up to the ironpath, the seemingly endlessly stretched iron lines protruding up from the ground. The tailless warrior softly presses his paw against the iron, the only somewhat safe way to test if it is safe to cross. Steelsnakes are fast, faster still than regular twoleg monsters and way larger. Even the monsters stay back and still at their crossings of the ironpath if a Steelsnake is about to thunder on by.
Feeling for vibrations in the iron for a few heartbeats, Arbrarc soon motions for the patrol to proceed, before effortlessly leaping over the iron and onward. Neither Talon and his cats, nor the rest of Arbrarc‘s patrol waste any time in following, knowing better than to waste time here. Rapidly hopping over several ironpaths running alongside each other, the cats soon make it to the other side. They proceed but a bit further, when several startled heads turn to the deafening noise of a huge steelsnake sliding along it‘s ironpath behind them, the very ground mildly shaking at it‘s passage. Talon observes the enormous thing until it has full passed. The biggest threat until they arrive should now be behind them, the deadly halfway point crossed. Fitting in a way, even Wrath‘s territory is dangerous above and beyond the norm. Slowly, the group moves along again, navigating the thunderpaths and alleys.
„Daring, taking a mate in these times.“
Arbrarc‘s unexpected words leave Talon briefly stunned for words, as he keeps padding alongside the other red eyed tom. He must have noticed Grail leaving Talon‘s den back in the alley.
„Not mates. Not… yet, at any rate.“
Arbrarc looks at Talon from the corner of his eye for a moment before nodding his head.
„Brave, still. But good for you. Things might have been easier for us all if Scourge would have had a mate and offspring. Although, considering everything, probably should specify: offspring that turned out somewhat like him“
Talon flicks his ear, listening in behind him. The rest of the cats walk at a bit of distance, leaving leader and second in the front, their discussion private for now
„Not surprised you‘d want to specify. If Snake and Ice had turned out more like Bone, things might have been very different too“
Arbrarc slowly nods at this, eyes thoughtful
„Only current leader with a kit is Granite, and that seems to be as much of a curse as it is a blessing, the way they seem to get along“
Talon hesitates to answer for a heartbeat. He may not count as leader anymore technically, but Arbrarc would likely still include Kestrel, if he knew. Kestrel was wise to keep Rain‘s parentage a secret.
„Better that way for all of us, I think. I have no desire to face Flame on the battlefield just yet“
„True enough… it‘d be the stroke that breaks the cat‘s back for us now. It‘s bad, Talon. We underestimated their numbers badly.“
An exhausted sigh escapes the second-in-command. Talon‘s interest immediately rouses. Wrath won‘t tell him more than he absolutely has to, but Arbrarc might paint a more complete picture.
„How bad are we talking? We expect a number of wounded, but our supplies should suffice for at least the most critical work to be done, won‘t it?“
The second looks over his shoulder, observing for a moment Venom and her carriers, the bundles of plants they carry
„I think so. I hope so. Anything is an improvement currently. We‘d barely gotten across the border when they were upon us… we put down a good number of them, but many of us just went down because there was no dodging that many claws. Wrath just exploded, I‘d never seen such a thing. He is the only reason any of us survived the battle, the blood was running rivers on the asphalt. But even his fierceness didn‘t bestow him invulnerability. Wrath is in poor condition. We barely managed to keep him alive, but we have no healers. Venom might well be his only chance to survive this. That‘s why I‘ll have to take the fall on this…“
Talon raises an eyebrow at this, a sneaking suspicion beginning to grow.
„…Wrath never gave his consent for this, did he?“
Arbrarc continues walking, looking dead ahead, his expression hard to read
„A choice needed to be made. The others know. If it comes to it, I alone will face the consequence, you and yours are safe.“
Talon scoffs quietly, shaking his head. The group crosses another thunderpath, making their way ever deeper into the territory.
„And you call my choices brave… there are easier ways to die than this.“
„Would you not have done the same? You offered us help, you still speak of us all as one clan. You out of everyone I thought would understand.“
Talon‘s response is a long period of silence. Would he have done the same? Under Wrath? More importantly perhaps, under Scourge? Things would have to be bad indeed to even consider it. As much respect as one should have had of Scourge, it‘d have been foolish to ever forget to duly fear defying him. Wrath is much the same in that regard, without question.
Drawing close to Wrath‘s camp at last, Talon breaks the silence.
„Aside from Wrath, what should we expect. In fact, hold that thought a moment“
He looks back at Venom, beckoning her to approach with a wave of his tail. Bounding onward, Venom quickly catches up. She‘ll be the one doing most the work, she ought to hear this. Arbrarc nods, waiting for the she-cat to catch up before speaking, the sorrow of the situation reflected in stubbornly forward facing red eyes
„It‘s not good. Fang and Echo are both dead. Beside Wrath himself, who‘s more wound than cat by now, the worst of the injured is Wicker. Truth be told, I expect that by time we arrive, he won‘t be amidst us anymore either. The cats to care for now are Moss, Reborn, Bolt and Scream. You might need to be cautious with the latter, Hush has been orbiting his daughter closely ever since and is being very defensive. Fang‘s death took a heavy toll on him.“
Talon‘s face distorts into a grimace, turning his head away as a teeth baring hiss escapes him. Everything he‘d hoped to avoid himself and it‘d likely be only the beginning going forward from here. Wrath won‘t forgive this and if one faction goes on the offensive, the others won‘t be idle for long anymore either. Fear and bloody opportunity will paint twolg-place red. Expression normalising, Talon looks over to Venom. The she-cat seems to sink into pondering after these news for a few heartbeats before returning Talon‘s gaze, mumbling through the pack of herbs between her jaws.
„Innfries? Phimbtoms?“
Talon gives an acknowledging look before turning back to Abrarc to translate the plant gagged words.
„What injuries are we looking at? Any specific symptoms that could point to deeper troubles or infections?“
Arbrarc lowers his head in thought a brief moment before answering
„Mostly claw-marks, number of deep ones at that. Moss took a nasty bite to her left hind flank. Beyond that, I‘m not very sure. Wicker claimed to be burning up, the day after the battle. He was… barely there anymore when I left the alley today, quietly mumbling to himself, unable to move“
Venom listens closely, hanging on each spoken work. Her eyes cloud in intense thinking, seeming to try and come up with a plan to tackle the task before her.
„You‘ll see for yourselves in a moment. We arrive“
Moving quickly, the group is guided around the next corner, into Wrath‘s alley at last. Sin and Crimson, appearing to stand guard, just barely jump out of the way as the patrol pads past them. Immediately it becomes clear that almost the entire faction is present in the alley, heads turning, eyes beholding the newcomers to their home. Letting Arbrarc take the sole lead, Talon and his follow closely behind the grey tom. From the corner of his eye, Talon gauges the response of Wrath‘s cats to their being here. From what little he can gather without stopping his trot, the sentiments neither as diverse as he his faction‘s when Kestrel joined then, nor as united in dismay as he feared. Wariness, caution, plain in many‘s gaze, but while he feels several glares pierce him, there is less hostility then anticipated. Then the smell hits Talon. Blood, it‘s scent grows thicker on the icy breeze blowing through the further into the alley they get. Led to one large overturned dumpster, the second-in-command steps aside, letting Venom rush in on quick paws before either he or Talon have a chance to speak a word. With more trepidation, but dutiful devotion none the less, her carriers move in after the healer. At last, Talon steps in. The scene before him turns his stomach, fury heating his pelt at the sight. Arbrarc remains silent as he lets Talon take the lead, slowly padding through the makeshift healer‘s den. Reborn gazes up at Talon, deep gashes along his side, one of his ears reduced to a mere few strings of mangled fuzz under caked blood, smaller claw-marks littering his light shaded tabby pelt, the dried crimson forming whole new patterns. Strong of constitution, survivor of many gristly previous injuries, the severe discomfort he still can not hide as he lays in the visibly hurriedly made nest. Bolt is close-by, able to sit up, be it with obvious pain. The white and black tom‘s neck showcases a number of close calls, wounds aimed to end him that luckily did not go quite deep enough, alongside a deeper gash upside his head and a tail that changes direction too sharply at one point to be anything else than a fracture. Slowly Talon moves along, biting down hard his own teeth.
Moss does not manage to muster the strength to even look at the passing tom, curled up tight and softly shaking. The bite Arbrarc spoke of on display, Talon‘s burning anger only grows. A chunk is all out missing from her flank, despite the best amateurish attempts of Wrath‘s cats to cover it with webbing to stop the bleeding, the catastrophically wound still seems to slowly leak into her fur. Or is it pus? Neither is promising… All other wounds on her, of which there is a solid amount, appear nigh dismissible in comparison.
Before Talon can advance further, Venom pushes past. The herbs deposited and very roughly sorted, she immediately is upon Wicker, the next in line, rushing around and investigating the many wounds covering the poor tom. Deep gashes along his shoulders and flanks, cutting deep. Able to look only from a little distance, leaving Venom her room to work, he sees the shallow rising and ragged falling of Wicker‘s side as he breathes, half-lidded eyes staring emptily ahead. His maw slowly moving, forming words with no sound. Venom gently opens one of his wounds with her paws, only to find a small stream of pus beginning to flow forth from it, douring her already serious expression, before speaking
„Where‘s Wrath? We need to get some organisation into this mess.“
Arbrarc, still following Talon, speaks up
„In his den. I was going to bring Talon before him when he was done in here.“
„Is Wrath mobile? Can we get him in here?“
„With aid, perhaps, but it might not be…“
Venom fires a glare at Arbrarc, without a moment of care for where they are or rank, taking several steps towards the second-in-command
„The worst injured need to be in proximity of each other. If I waste damned time running left and right, they can die in the meantime, or one of the others does because my marathon leaves no time to check on them! Get Wrath in here, if you want me to keep him alive.“
Taken aback a bit, Arbrarc looks from Venom to Talon. Talon sighs, shaking his head, before turning to Wrath‘s second.
„When it comes to healing, the healer knows best. She‘ll do what needs doing. It‘s time to see Wrath anyway. Lead me to him.“
The grey furred second-in-command nods, casting one last look to Venom, whom has already returned to her patients. Arbrarc turns, giving Talon sign to follow as they make their way back out of the overturned dumpster. As the cold air lashes his face outside, the eyes of the entire faction find themselves upon him. Giving a silent huff, Talon feels his pads heating up under his paws. Letting his eyes wander along the gathered cats as he turns to follow Arbrarc. For a moment, Talon spots Argent, observing him, laying on a windowsill. Perhaps a chance to talk would offer itself later. Right now, there is a greater priority however. The prospect of facing Wrath, does not fill Talon with anticipation, even now. With Arbrarc going behind his back to enable this meeting to begin with, there is no reason to expect the fierce warrior leader to be in any favourable mood. Padding behind Arbrarc, he is brought before the entrance of an abandoned twoleg den. There is no mistaking it, Wrath‘s den, the scent confirms it. With a deep breath, burying the rising nervousness in the back if his mind deep, Talon steps forth, into the den, followed closely by Arbrarc. Barely a few steps in, the reflective shine of blazing green eyes stab into Talon from the far corner of the room.
„So you came… almost expected you to just send a patrol. Or worse yet, send that talker Kestrel in your stead“
Wrath‘s voice rumbles from the dark corner, his black fur letting him with all but his eyes blend perfectly into the shadow. Talon pads onward, leaving his own expression neutral. The less he gives Wrath to read him by, the better. A task more easily said than done, knowing his role here. He is in Wrath‘s territory, but he is here as leader himself, and as the one offering aid. He can not shrink before the massive tom he now approaches. Scourge‘s lessons will have to be observed if any of this is to be of any worth to him and his cats in the end.
„I promised aid, I bring it. It would not have done for me to just send a representative.“
Wrath observes Talon for a moment, before his eyes turn to Arbrarc, narrowing.
„You promised aid to Arbrarc. I did not agree to put us in anyone‘s debt. Remember this, Talon. And I will not forget that my authority was misused, Arbrarc.“
The second bows his head before his leader
„I serve to help you and our faction, Wrath. I accept the consequences, whatever they are. This was a chance I had to take. We need our strength to battle…“
„Our battle-plans, Arbrarc, are not something we will discuss in front of others! You, I will deal with in time. For now, leaders speak“
Wrath‘s voice thunders louder, a clear warning in his words as he glares at a now silenced Arbrarc.
„Now, you, Talon. What do you presume to get out of this? We have no food to share and we will not join you. We have a war to fight, clanmates to avenge. A pair of fools to part from their pelts when I get them under my claws…“
Stepping closer, eyes adapting to the gloom inside the den, Talon begins to recognise old scars amid the dark pelt of Wrath and by extension disruptions on them. Fresh wounds running over old ones. The more the red eyed leader approaches, the more of it becomes visible. Wounds, gashes, claw-marks, running in the dozens. The thick fur to stand off in odd angles, caused. By caked blood and deep canyons in his skin. So many… Observing quietly for a moment, Talon concludes that thankfully many are not too deep, the dense fur protecting the large tom… against rogues. Had there been even a few Bloodclan cats with reinforced claws among his attackers, things would be looking worse still. None the less, the sheer amount of wounds is nothing short of shocking. Every movement, ever so slight, must unavoidably be pulling on several of them, causing pain. Yet he shows none of it.
„If you are quite done ogling to answer my question, ´leader´…“
Wrath growls impatiently, tapping his reinforced claws against the ground, his tail lashing in agitation behind him. Talon, made aware of his failure to reply, nods slowly
„Yes, it would seem you do have a war to fight. As for what I want, to see fewer collars added to our hall of remembrance. The more of our clanmates die before the clan is finally reunited, the weaker Bloodclan is. Surely on that you‘ll agree with me, that the clan should remain strong.“
Wrath scoffs, shaking his head
„War will keep happening now. Even you can‘t be blind enough to not see that. Blood will be shed either way. You want to save lives, reunite the clan as quickly as possible, no matter the cost. If you don‘t or can‘t, the cost will only keep growing. And if we get rid of some weak blood in the process, Bloodclan will only emerge stronger for it.“
Fury roars like an inferno in Talon‘s gut as Wrath‘s words trickle in, his gaze sharpening into a glare
„Was Fang weak, Wrath? Was Echo?“
Wrath‘s paw strikes the ground with ferocious force. A toothy snarl forms on the muscular leader, slowly, on shaky legs, rising up from his nest. Weakened by injury as he may be, the sight of Wrath, his back and neck fur standing up, seeming to loom even larger than he already is. His voice, gruff, but quiet. Like the silence before a descending thunderbolt, tearing the earth and scorching the ground.
„Choose your words carefully, Talon… they may yet be your last. Or do you believe you could challenge me, because of a few scratches…? “
Fear, sparkling in the back of Talon‘s mind, memories of seeing Wrath fight in the past. As Talon continues matching the larger leader‘s glare, the urges for fight, flight and reason each scream in his thoughts. Could he take Wrath if it comes to it? Talon‘s stronger now, but not enough to catch up to the enormous black furred berserker. He is wounded, badly, but would that hinder him enough? Talon‘s glare only growing sharper, he knows that backing down is just no option. Scourge‘s gash, now covered by greater scars, tucked away under his pelt, he can all but feel it sting again. As leader, he does not have the right to submit. Perhaps, if Talon can work around his own rage, the situation can still be defused without backing down…
„And what do YOU believe to gain from that, Wrath? If you‘re wrong, you die and much of your vision with you. Killing you and healing the wounded, how many of yours do you think would follow me after that? And if you‘re right, Kestrel just takes over my faction, your wounded die and you remain wide open for the twins. And I promise, no, I swear, my death will not come cheap. So you tell me, Wrath, how shall this go?“
A quiet hiss, from Talon, a rumbling growl from Wrath, all the noise to be heard as the heartbeats go by. Red eyes and green eyes not flinching from each other, as every hair on both cats stands up high. His resolve to not back down does little to shield Talon from the quiet panic, poisoning his every thought. His pads sweat profusely under his paws, anchored in place by extended claws. Talon will fight, he has to, he could never be Scourge‘s successor if he concedes now. He might die, Wrath seems not as slowed by his injuries as Talon thought he might be. If Wrath can push past it, battle with all he has, Talon might be crowfood. He won‘t go easy either way. He‘ll sell his hide for the highest price only, even if it takes his last breath to do it…
Wrath finally moves, a spitting scoff as he shakes his head.
„So, the forest clan lover found his spine at last. Somewhere between your fever dreams of Scourge and letting our enemies live, you found a mousetail‘s worth of warrior‘s courage. Good for you…“
A loud growl escapes him, less so of anger this time, as he very slowly sits down on his haunches, legs shaking with pain and effort. Talon‘s fur very slowly flattens again. Great effort is expended on not letting out a loud breath, pressure slumping off the red eyed tom‘s shoulders. He was nigh certain for a moment that his life might end here… but now it becomes more apparent just how much the injuries weigh down the rival leader.
„Fever dreams, huh? So news of that has made rounds now… was just a matter of time, I suppose.“
„I assure you, nothing could interest me less than your midnight fantasies. Scourge is gone, like anyone who dies, and that‘s the end of that. But I hope you have something of more worth than that to speak of.“
Wrath waves his paw in dismissal, a sharp flinch betraying that that was a painful mistake. With a huff, the sizeable leader puts down his paw again. From this position, Talon can see that even Wrath‘s belly hadn‘t been spared, two long claw-marks drawn across it. Talon nods curtly
„Venom needs to organise the wounded by severity to work effectively. She would have you come to the den of your wounded for treatment.“
Wrath observes Talon a brief moment before letting out an exasperated sigh
„Does she? That she-cat‘s always been too presumptuous when it comes to giving orders. You should keep more of paw on her as her leader. But fine…“
Slowly, so shortly after sitting down, Wrath forces himself back onto his paws, the effort plain to see. One step at a time, the large black cat lumbers forward, keeping his pace reduced enough to keep his own reactions in check. Despite the remnant of anger still smouldering in Talon, a bit of compassion rings among his feeling. Wrath must be in absolute agony and every step only worsens it… the force of will to keep himself from even a mild grimace as he walks on, it borders aweinspiring.
Talon looks over to Arbrarc, whom has watched the entire rollercoaster of a scene without another noise, taking the side of his leader. The other red eyed tom send Talon a brief look as his leader and he slowly pass by. Relief appears to be chief among his sentiments currently, though a certain amount of respect briefly shines through as well, before Arbrarc turns his head straight ahead, focused on somewhat discretely letting his leader lean against him to facilitate his walk.

Chapter Text

Talon rests in the sun, not far from the overturned dumpster. His eyes wander over his companions that have joined him there, Gravel and Gash. Soot remains at Venom‘s side, his services having been requisited by the healer for the time being. Letting Venom do her work unbothered, the small party outside find themselves waiting, a feeling of mild unease residing among them as Wrath‘s warriors walking the alley keep an eye on them. Time passes but slowly, nothing to do but wait for their healer to return to them and finally give an update on how matters stand. The last somewhat interesting event to behold was when Arbrarc and Gravel unitedly escorted a visibly displeased and anxious Hush from the makeshift healer‘s den.
Though some had given them discontent looks, no-one had displayed much open hostility, less so still after Wrath finally found his way to the other wounded. Wrath accepts their presence for now, so the others would as well, right? Growing slowly more restless, staying there in one spot, to be ogled by everyone, Talon finally rises to his paws, shaking out his pelt briefly before taking another look around. Surely there must be slightly quieter spot nearby that he can stay at in relative comfort. After brief search, he spots a set of stairs on the side of one of the twoleg dens. That should do nicely. He turns his head towards Gravel and Gash.
„I‘ll head up to the roofs for now. At least one of you should stay, when Venom emerges with news send her to me“
Gravel slightly tilts her head a moment before looking over to Gash, then back to Talon
„I‘ll stay. I don‘t mind.“
Gash scratches the side of his neck with his hind paw for a brief moment, before shaking his head
„I‘ll stay too, unless you‘d want a guard with you, Talon. Never cared much for hights.“
Talon gives a dismissing sway of his tail.
„All good. You know where to look for me then. Don‘t intend to venture far“
After a short stretch, Talon pads onward to the bottom steps of the stairs, slowly climbing the winding metal construction higher and higher. He can feel that a few eyes remain on him during his ascend, but soon they‘ll have nothing to look at anymore.
Moments later, he arrives at the very top of the building. A gust of wind blows, but the sun shines nicely down here, not to mention the view doesn‘t even compare. Stepping over to the edge in he direction of the sun and laying down there. The breeze‘s chill is not quite as bad, with the sun shining plainly down upon him. Slightly blinking against the light, Talon looks out from his vantage point. The twoleg dens stretching out before him in long rows, until they seems to merge together into a less coherent mass in the distance, the higher buildings towards the centre of twoleg-place looming over the smaller ones, only to be trumped themselves by a few colossal sky-pillars, seeming to scratch the very clouds. Glass shining in the sunlight, monsters and twolegs bustling about, the enormity of all these grounds that belong to Bloodclan… There is something uplifting in watching it all in a brief moment of calm. Talon takes a deep nasal breath, his fuzzy tail partially laying around him to shield him a bit from the winds.
The pleasant calm endures a little while longer, before one of Talon‘s ears flicks and swivels backwards. Steps. One cat, not really trying to hide their presence. Continuing to look out over twoleg-place, Talon tastes the air, to get a clue on whom it is, expecting Venom. A seemingly familiar scent hits him, causing a brief moment of confusion, followed by revelation. No, it couldn‘t be Silver… but one who for the most part shares his scent.
„Greeting, Argent. I‘m not intruding on any personal spot of yours, am I?“
„No, not really. Beside my nest, I don‘t think any spot would count as `mine`.“
The green eyed veteran warrior sits down beside Talon, looking off into the distance as well
„You got some spot of refuge all for yourself then? Heard you run off sometimes for most of the night“
Talon lets off a small chuckle
„The rumour mill is alive and well, I see. I suppose I do. Although it is more… contested these days. Regardless, what brings you here, Argent?“
Argent hums quietly, eyes slightly narrowed in thought for a moment
„I thought the questions would form themselves by the time I got up here… guess not then.“
Talon looks over to Argent from the corner of his eye
„Well, it seems we got a moment of time. Won’t leave until Venom gives me an update on how things are looking anyway.“
Silence ensues for a while, before Argent sighs
„How‘s my littermate?“
„Silver is doing well. As well as can be expected, at least. He worries about you, with all that’s been going on“
„Eugh…“
Argent shakes his head
„He should know better than to waste his worries on me. I‘ll be fine. But I should have figured as much I guess… Good to know he still thinks of me “
Talon returns his gaze to the city ahead
„I know you two sometimes talk still, Argent. No need to pretend.“
A few heartbeats of silence, followed by a mildly dismayed scoff from Argent ensue
„Having Kestrel under your claw must have it‘s perks, it seems“
„Actually, Silver told me before the factions merged. I‘ve been aware a small while now. Not that it surprised me much to begin with“
„Silver told you?“
Argent turns his head to observe the grey pelted leader
„Why would he do something that bold and stupid? Silver is not careless like that“
„Silver knows that he can trust me, Argent“
Talon turns his head to return the gaze in equal measure
„And I trust him when he says he‘d not discuss matters that could put us at a disadvantage. As long as that remains true, all it is is two clanmates, littermates even, caring to talk from time to time.“
Argent holds Talon‘s gaze for a moment before shaking his head and looking down at the thunderpath below
„Careless, from both of you. He could have told me anything by know as far as you know“
„Yet, I bet my tail that he didn‘t. Silver does not enjoy my trust without reason. You know your brother. He‘s nothing if not dependable“
„Yeah… that‘s Silver alright“
Argent sighs, eyes clouded by memories
„You knew Fang or Echo well?“
Talon slowly shakes his head
„Was on patrol with Echo a fair few times, fought together a few times, but wouldn‘t say that I knew him particularly well. As for Fang, she and Hush always appeared as a pair, and I wasn‘t one for butting in. I know she was fierce, saw her fighting the rogues that held Steel-snake place when we took it and a few times when she was sparring. Wouldn‘t have gone down without a serious fight.“
„On that she delivered. At least four rogues died at her claws alone that battle, who knows how many still carry a reminder from her claws. However many survived Wrath‘s rampage anyway.“
„Four fell to her alone? Just how many did they sick on you?“
Talon‘s expression contorts with seriousness. Just how many rogues did they send? How could they even amass so many, let alone keep them fed until battle?
„Many, Talon. For each of us, there were at least two of them, and we were no small patrol. I thought they were losing cats to surrounding rogue groups, seems those arrogant foxhearts Ice and Snake had the lot of us fooled. Either that or something happened, but it all amounts to the same anyway“
Talon nods. Troubling indeed. It seems the twins have more pull with the surrounding rogues than any of them had thought. The following lack of talk lets Talon focus his thoughts on it a bit more. Kestrel already overworks himself lately, asking him to keep even more of an extra eye out for this when it‘s not a problem bordering them yet would simply not be a reasonable thing to do. Wrath and Granite will need to find ways to reign in their neighboring faction of their own… If Wrath and his recuperate before the twins can replenish their forces, their canon-fodder more like, there‘s at least a decent chance that Wrath and his superior fighters will be able to subdue the faction. Although, that would put them at roughly the same numbers as Talon‘s faction… Scourge alone knows if that‘s an outcome worth hoping for. His thoughts are interrupted as Argent speaks up again at last
„You want to see them? You‘re the one who keeps blathering on about us still being one clan after all…“
Moving from his thoughts back to their current situation, Talon needs a brief second to register he likely means Echo and Fang.
„If you‘d lead me to them. I just would not wish to interrupt anyone mourning“
With a huff, Argent rises to his paws
„I‘d tell you to behave like a leader, but then you‘d already have reacted differently to many things I said. Still can‘t figure out for the life of me how Silver and the rest of yours figure the clan would run under you, but I guess that‘s for another day. Most of us already spoke our goodbyes and Hush doesn‘t trust himself to stick around Fang‘s body without cracking.“
Getting up and briefly stretching his hind legs, Talon turns to follow Argent
„I assure you, I‘m letting much slip on virtue of this being Wrath‘s territory and not my own. But very well then, take point“
„If you say so…“
The two walk over to the stairs, as Venom hops up, halting their progress. Talon steps forth, tail flicking as he approaches the mildly huffing healer
„Venom, you‘ve got an update on how the wounded fare?“
As Venom slowly, bit by bit regains her breath, she casts a look over at Argent, delaying her answer.
„He can hear this as well. Better yet, he can bring the news to Arbrarc then. With Wrath healing, his second-in-command will need to remain up to date“
Venom gives a small scoff
„Arbrarc remained nearby for most of my diagnoses and initial treatments, he‘s as well informed as he possibly could be. But fine.“
Shaking her pelt out briefly, a few small bits of bedding and crusted blood flying out of it, she sits down
„Since I guess you want to know that first, Wrath will probably make it. Whoever tried sealing some his wounds was amateurish at best, but it did keep him from bleeding out so far. If he drinks enough to replenish the blood he‘s lost, that won‘t be the issue. Now the game is to see if that amateur work that kept him alive won‘t let some of the wounds get infected. With as many cuts as he has, it‘d be too easy to overlook one or two when cleaning them. Someone needs to keep a close eye on him, check him all over for infections regularly.“
Talon nods, hearing a relieved sigh from Argent
„Good. That‘s good. What of the others?“
„Mixed news. It may be possible to save them, but I‘d be a fool to make a promise of that at this point. I found what made Wicker so miserable, a rogue‘s claw broke off right in it‘s wound, buried deep. The wound is badly infected, even with the claw removed. The question now is if his blood has been poisoned too much by it already and if we can battle the infection fast enough. I won‘t lie, his odds remain poor. The others should all live, given decent care. Though, some things won‘t be the same again for them either. Moss is not going to be sprinting much ever again. Her leg will be partially functional again, but never return to how it was. Same with Bolt‘s tail. Bit less of a handicap, but climbing and balancing will not be the same for him either. Reborn will be fine, his ear looks like a horde of rats claimed it, hearing a little worsened, but comparatively he‘ll be quite alright. Scream, that‘s more difficult to say. She‘ll survive, but I’m not sure if I can help recuperate her eye. Took a gnarly swipe to the face. I‘ll see what I can do, but I‘m not in the business of false hope, so…“
Both Talon and Argent remain still, listening to Venom‘s words with great attention till the end of her report. Argent shakes his head slowly at the end
„Not good… but better than most of us feared still. I‘m still astonished we got away with only two dead. So far, at least… Eugh, a mess, the lot of it!“
Turning his head away, Argent lets out a deeply frustrated hiss. Talon observes the veteran warrior calmly.
„Well, most are at least likely to survive now.“
Venom rises back to her paws, immediately turning to leave
„Likely, yes. But I‘ll have to remain close by for at least a while. So unless there‘s anything new, I need to get back to them.“
As Venom turns, a small streak of red glimmers under one of the brighter parts of her pelt, newly covered with cobwebs. A small trail of by now crusted blood has leaked downward from it. Talon tilts his head
„That a fresh wound, Venom? I did not notice any injuries on you when we departed… “
Argent returns his gaze to Venom, quickly finding the same spot as Talon. Venom shakes her head
„Hush was… less than receptive when I asked him to give me room around Scream. Didn‘t think he‘d actually lash out, but Arbrarc and Gravel handled it while you were talking with Wrath.“
Talon observes for a while without an answer. He‘d feel more agitated if he wasn‘t well aware of how authoritarian Venom can be in the healer‘s den. And Hush‘d distress is well comprehensible. His mate fallen, his daughter injured, the red eyed leader fails to imagine what mourn- and wrathful chaos must be inhabiting the poor tom‘s head currently. How would Talon act in his stead? The question burrows deep into his mind for a quick moment. If he‘d open himself to the extend of having a mate, a kit, how would he react to them coming to harm. With a feeling of displeasure, Talon admits to himself that he‘d likely take it not much better than Hush.
„I see. Return to the wounded then. They require your care. I‘ll come by later, have another word with Wrath if possible.“
The she-cat nots and descends back down the stairs, soon to be followed by Argent and Talon. As the healer returns deeper into the alley, Talon follows the veteran warrior away from it. The trip turns out not to be very long at all, the next small alley being their destination already. Argent doesn‘t need to announce it, the scent of death hanging heavy in the air. With no herbs to mask it, it is unmistakable and impossible to miss, leading straight to the grim sight, hidden from immediate vision behind an old truck tire leaning against the brick wall. As they approach, Argent slows considerably, both to let Talon take point, but his own hesitation appears to shackle the warrior as well. Stepping behind the tire, there they are. Fang and Echo, side by side. Great wounds covering the both of them, the exposed flesh already slightly darkened, eyes glazed over and staring emptily at nothing. The blood seems to have been groomed out of their pelts, positioned back to back almost neatly, before the stiffness of death and frost could set in. Between their front paws, their respective collars, still flecked with the crimson spilled in their final battle. Difficult to say what specifically felled Echo, though there is no shortage of possibilities, deep gashes littering his lower back and belly. More obvious is Fang, who‘s neck had been opened deep from the side, the wound grimly displayed now before Talon. At the head of the two bodies, Sin sits quietly, slowly raising his head from mourning the fallen. He blinks in surprise as she recognises Talon, dipping his head in a silent greeting, an act Talon mirrors. The tortoise-shell male clears his throat, trying to be as quiet as he can doing so, wiping a quick paw over his face in a bid to hide the trail of fallen tears, mostly dried by now.
„I did not expect to see you here. I reckon you and yours arrived then. Come to say goodbye?“
Talon nods again, sitting down on his haunches
„So I have. Apologies if I disturbed you doing the same.“
Sin gives a small scoff through a smile, that fails to hide the sadness behind it
„No, I‘ve said my goodbyes often enough by now. I‘m here to guard them till they are buried. Can‘t keep them in camp, but alone out here, they might tempt a rat or racoon… Not happening, not on my watch.“
The last words escape Sin with more feeling than intended a his gaze moves over Echo‘s body, the false smile barely holding. Talon‘s tail winds around himself in familiar fashion. He knew that Sin and Echo had been close friends, that much was no secret. Why bother hiding obvious grief? By how thin a thread he‘s holding on to, it‘d be pointlessly cruel to ask now. Turning his gaze to the dead again, Talon bows down, touching each of them in turn with his nose. Cold, ice cold by now. Would Scourge be able to find them, out in that horrid void? He has to, surely.
„When will they be buried? And their collars brought to the hall of remembrance?“
„Not sure yet. Soon, I‘d hope, but with as many warriors as are incapacitated now, we already struggle to feed ourselves. Each passing day makes it worse. I don‘t think Wrath sees the dead as a priority right now…“
Talon can feel Argent move closer behind him, firing a glare at Sin for his revealing words. Sin‘s deep blue eyes rapidly harden into a fierce glare themselves
„If you got something to say, Argent, speak. Otherwise mind your business“
„Handing out information regarding our faction‘s wellbeing around others is my business, Sin, the business of everyone in this territory in fact. You need to mind what you… “
„Go eat dog-dung, you foxhearted fool! I‘m saying nothing that‘s not beyond obvious and Talon‘s at least trying to help, unlike you. None of this should have happened and you‘re going to pretend I‘m doing something wrong?“
Argent bristles up, tail lashing in anger, holding Sin‘s furious gaze for several heartbeats before scoffing and turning away, padding at a brisk pace to leave the small alley
„Do as you please then, sentimental fool. Wrath will sort you out. Even out here where you got nothing to do but stand guard you manage to fail your duty“
Sin‘s left eye twitches, as Argent turns his back, the consideration of jumping plainly onto it and shredding the veteran warrior plain in Sin‘s gaze for a moment. Rapidly unwinding his tail, Talon raises it as a barrier before Sin. Drawing in the fuming tom‘s stare, Talon slowly shakes his head. Not worth it. More injured warriors will not help them now. Grinding his teeth, Sin slowly settles back down, fur still spiked up in anger. Sin takes deep breaths, head turned away, glaring proverbial holes into the brick wall for a while before somewhat calming
„…he‘s not usually this much of a foxheart… he just can‘t want to admit that this all gets to him too. I get it, but I do sometimes want to pull the pelt off of him… if only it were only him… “
Talon tilts his head, his tail back around him, warming him in the freezing cold
„How do you mean, Sin?“
The tortoiseshell tom scoffs, his pelt slowly lying back down
„We‘re warriors here, Talon. Half of the charm of Wraths faction from the very start, warriors among warriors. Most here are fierce fighters, even by Bloodclan‘s standard. But that comes with a certain expectations of themselves. Strong warriors don‘t grieve long, don‘t show or speak of worry… They all grieve, they all worry, but they each fear seeming… lesser in the eyes of all the other strong warriors gathered here. We all try to find our own outlets for this mess. And so some keep falling deeper into complexes and moods with every passing day.“
Sin shakes his head in dismay
„I was honest about it all, with myself and others. Two botched hunts later, the others all but write me off as too emotionally weakened to do my basic duties, so now I‘m here. Guarding bodies… didn‘t even come from Wrath either. Arbrarc was trying to diffuse the explosive mood and it was simply easier to move one of me into a quiet corner till things cool off than it would have been to reprimand half the faction. The sooner Wrath is back on his paws, the sooner some semblance of order returns. I fear the faction would not survive his death. We‘d scatter, just like the clan as a whole did…“
„Venom says his chances are decent. He‘ll recover.“
„Good…“
Sin sighs exhaustedly, gaze returning to the two bodies, especially Echo.
„… he‘s fierce alright, but things run smoothly under him, can‘t fault him there. Things work, and he‘s always fair when settling disputes and the like, be it in his own ever so mildly threatening way. But it all depends on him, the faction is purely centred around his strength. I suppose that‘s the big downside. He falls, we all do here. But I‘m rambling at this point. You say he‘ll live, then I trust your word, Talon. If you still wanna talk to him, better get there before Venom‘s stuffed him with sedatives to keep his grumbling down. Way I remember her, she‘d be capable of it“
He manages an appreciative smile towards Talon, the latter chuckling at the remark, the air lightening a bit after the rather heavy mattered discussion
„She would. No doubt about it. No matter who leads the clan, Venom rules the healer‘s den with an iron claw. You‘ll be fine here, right?“
Sin hums quietly before answering
„Pretty sure you got more dire cases to ask that question right now. One thing the dead don‘t do is bite. I‘ll be fine. But, you know, thanks for listening anyway. Used to be Echo who got to hear all the nonsense weighing on me. It‘s… almost soothing to just rant once in a while“
Talon nods, slowly rising to his paws
„May they rest well.“
Talon is just about to turn as he notices a peculiar look in Sin‘s eyes as they behold him. A question burns on the tip of the tom‘s tongue, but he hesitates
„Talon… you know, rumours say… “
„What is it, Sin?“
Looking back down at his slain friend, Sin seems deeply conflicted, before at last shaking his head in defeat
„Never mind. Nothing. But may Scourge guide your claws, Talon.“
Talon can roughly guess the question, but perhaps it‘s too early. He can‘t yet know if Scourge has or will find Echo. Sin‘s grief is still strong, giving him false hope could be a cruel thing to do. Not yet. Not until he knows for sure.
„Scourge guide your claws, Sin. Stay safe.“
Talon pads out of the alley, leaving the tortoiseshell to continue his guard in peace. A mild feeling of guilt burns in his gut at not answering Sin‘s unspoken question. He will, in time, if Echo and Fang are both found. Turning around the corner from the alley to the street, Talon finds Argent, sitting with his back against the wall of the twoleg-den, taking slow, deep breaths. Talon had figured Argent would have gone back to Wrath‘s alley. Did he hear the rest of the conversation? His pelt lays flat again, green eyes staring off down the adjacent street. He seems to have calmed down by the seems of things at least.
„Ready to head back, Talon? He‘s not entirely wrong with Venom, I suspect.“
Talon huffs out a nasal exhale. Guess that answers that.
„Lead the way“
Argent slowly nods, turning to do just that. As he moves away from the wall, scratches in the stone are revealed, as well a small red smear following the same direction as the swipe marks. Making no comment, Talon follows Argent, keeping a close eye on him. He limps slightly on his front left paw. As if feeling Talon‘s observation, Argent grumbles silently
„Cracked a pad. Cold out here, happens“
He sounds calmer indeed. Almost somewhat rueful in his tone. Talon, flicks a snowflake off his ear, alerting him to the incoming snow
„I see.“

Chapter Text

The large black pelt slowly rises an falls before Talon, outlines difficult to see. The snow has quickly turned into a snowstorm, the already sparse light in the back of the overturned dumpster now coming in less evenly, making it difficult for Talon‘s eyes to fully adapt. Venom keeps moving back and forth through the bootleg healer‘s den with the energy of a warrior on the battlefield, her paws not much less flecked with blood either, causing her to periodically stop and lick them clean, lest she bring one patient‘s misery into another as she keeps working on the abundance of wounds all around.
Eventually the dark mountain of fur, scars and fresh, glistening cobweb growls, eyes remaining closed and resting on his large paws.
„Again with the ogling… if you have things to say, Talon, speak. Though I‘d not know what there would be to speak of. I said we won‘t give anything, you said you didn‘t expect anything, that should conclude things“
Talon flicks his tail and winds it around himself in his usual way, resting it on his paws, only the tips of his reinforcing claws poking forth from under the fuzz. The sudden motion causes Wrath to flick his ear and open one eye, his sharp emerald gaze immediately finding the grey leader.
„About our aid? I suppose it does. But must that be the only thing that we speak of?“
Wrath does not answer for a while before letting out a gruff huff, resigned in the fact that there won‘t be anything better to do for now anyway
„You wish to gossip, fine. Then riddle me this: a Bloodclan cat somehow manages to catch a forest clan by surprise, well enough so to make off with their supplies, clearly holding every advantage, and yet! He returns with dry claws!“
Wrath‘s voice growing louder, more agitated as his little speech goes on. He shifts in his slightly too small nest, raising his head to observe Talon through narrowed eyes.
„How? And more importantly, why? You had the chance to deal a blow of retribution, you had it in the palm of your paw, damn you! With some chance you may have even found this ´Firestar´ himself to drive your claws through, and you just don‘t!“
Talon returns Wrath‘s gaze, with every bit the same seriousness, if perhaps less agitation. Intriguingly, beside the ever smouldering anger, Talon believes to spot genuine curiosity. Wrath truly does not understand. The red eyed tom hums, trying to arrange his answer in his own head before speaking.
„A few things. First off, the reason we were able to catch them off guard was by being patient and observing them, as well as a bit of luck, I confess. The clans follow certain behaviours, which I have since come to understand better still. Knowledge hat could come in useful if we do strike at them for real at some point.“
Wrath scoffs loudly
„Could… if… at some point. How can you care about this so very little? But do tell, what else?“
Choosing to ignore the first question for now, Talon nods and continues.
„Not all of them were in their camp, a large patrol was out and most that stayed were asleep that late in the evening. But as for why I gave the order not to kill, the answer, in part at least, is you. The thing you might not know, the merger between mine and Kestrel‘s factions happened afterwards, I had to still consider him a threat at my border, same with you, same with Granite. If we‘d stayed and fought, we would have had many wounded, possibly several dead. You tell me that neither Kestrel, nor Granite would have scented a ripe opportunity in that. Or you for that matter, taking my territory would have set you up right next to the forest clans again… “
Wrath listens closely, some of the nearer wounded, as far as their condition allows them to focus, do as well. The green eyed leader seems to debate the points made in his head for a while
„Your territory would have suited me well in that. As it still will in time. And it‘s true, I would trust neither Kestrel nor Granite as far as I could throw them, less for sure. Then again, it means that you value your position over honouring the clan.“
Talon‘s disbelieving dismay becomes plain to see on his face
„You mean to tell me you would risk your position, life and faction, not to mention the wellbeing of the cats therein, just to strike Firestar upside his head? I find that difficult to believe, even from you, Wrath“
Fury briefly blazes in Wrath‘s eyes, claws unsheathing and scraping against the ground, before a few moments later the massive warrior uncharacteristically calms down and shakes his head
„You do not understand. You CAN not understand. What might annoy me most is that I can not even fault you for that. You were carrying out Scourge‘s orders. You were not there…“
The sudden change in attitude surprises Talon greatly, he expected another standoff like in Wrath‘s den for a moment, but certainly not this. His curiosity arising, Talon tilts his head
„What do you mean, Wrath? The battle for the forest?“
Wrath slowly nods.
„We fought well that day, Talon. All was going well. Bone was an unfortunate loss, but we were making progress. We began the battle slightly outnumbered, by the end, there were almost two Bloodclan cats for each remaining forest warrior. We were so very close, the battle was all but decided.“
Wrath looks at Talon, only slightly having to look up to do so, even though he is laying on the ground and Talon is sitting. It‘s as if Talon could see the past excitement and rage that were flowing through Wrath on that day in his gaze, each word mirrored in his green eyes as he goes on
„The greatest battle we ever fought, and victory was in our grasp. Talon, we could feel the outcome of the battle in our claws, we tasted their defeat in the blood on our tongues, we could smell our conquest in the very air…“
Wrath‘s eyes rapidly somber, like an older cat getting to the twist of a horror story that he‘s telling to some gathered young ones.
„And then it was over. The cry rose, every second cat that heard it repeated it, like some cursed chorus. ´Scourge is dead´… The battle was won, all we had to do was fight on, Scourge may have died, but we could still have won, Talon! All we had to do was stay and fight. Then the route began… First just a few, then more and more, the more of us ran the more they inspired to do the same. There was no choice… in the end, I left too. I don‘t know if I as the last on the battlefield, I don‘t think I‘d have noticed anyway. I only remember howling my anger into the sky as we ran, leaving clawmarks on every tree along my path. Contrary to what some thing, I know my own temper quite well, Talon. But never in my life, before or since, did I feel such fury. I felt like I could tear the meat off my own bones and barely feel it.“
A dangerous rumble enters Wrath‘s voice, his tail lashing behind him. His eyes no longer focused on Talon, but filling with anger… and despair.
„You can‘t understand, because you were not there. Strength and honour, we could have won, we should have won.“
Talon observes the enormous fighter, mildly wary of his current state, not trusting himself to predict how Wrath might react to just about anything right now. Still after a few heartbeats of silence, his desire to understand drives Talon to speak once more
„But if we already fought well, if we were already stronger than them, how would more honour and strength have aided us?“
Wrath‘s eyes snap back to Talon, slamming one of his paws loudly against the ground, beside the loud thump his reinforcing claws clicking loudly
„Mousebrained fool, you still don‘t get it! THE FOREST CLANS NEVER DEFEATED US! IT WAS US!“
As Wrath‘s shout echoes through the dumpster, all eyes and ears by no have turned towards the conversation between the two leaders. Talon is taken aback, Wrath‘s shout nothing short of an actual gust of wind against his face, the loud, thundering voice ringing in his ears. Wrath‘s face remains contorted into a fierce snarl as he shakes his head
„It was us, the only thing that could defeat Bloodclan was Bloodclan! No matter how strong as warriors we were, as a clan we were weak! No matter how great we were individually, as clan we did not have the honour to make it count! We condemned Scourge, and all others who fell that day, to having died for nothing, because we did not have the strength and sense of honour to keep pushing, for THEIR sake, for Bloodclan‘s sake, to make it all mean something!“
Wrath‘s snarl slowly fades, his head lowered for a few moment, before he looks back at Talon, his characteristic glare having returned, his voice quieter, but infused with a deep rumble
„So… when you ask if I would risk my life and position for this, and yes, even a few lives along the way, my answer is yes. Why our dead must be avenged and the clan‘s honour not only restored, but reinforced. Otherwise we will prove that Bloodclan was never more than a pipe dream, held together entirely by just one cat. And that is a reality I refuse to acknowledge. Not as long as I still have breath left to draw will I allow such a conclusion. Never…“
Talon holds Wrath‘s gaze, but slowly slips into his own thoughts. He‘d not seen it from this angle before, not like Wrath would have ever sat around to explain the way he sees things in more detail. To some dismay of Talon, Wrath makes a few points he can‘t just dismiss. What strikes the red eyed tom perhaps the most is Wrath‘s conclusion about what Bloodclan‘s route meant. Among other things, and an abundance of rage, Wrath feels guilt, guilt to have left Scourge, Bone, Fury and the rest to have died, their death denied of a purpose. Never would Talon have assumed that to be the one of Wrath‘s motivations. Moreover, what if his veiled prediction stands true? If Bloodclan were to face the same situation again, would things repeat themselves? Would the clan fracture yet again… or perhaps even cease to be entirely? Still, how could the clan grow strong enough to stand firm if the time comes, if they‘re willing to sacrifice their own too willingly to get there? A thoughtful hum escapes Talon
„You should have explained things more from the start, Wrath. I don‘t think the other leaders understand the way you see things. I know I didn‘t.“
Wrath shakes his head before resting it atop his paws again
„It would have done little good. Too late now either way, they all have their own visions, be it only of themselves standing at the top.“
„I don‘t know, Wrath. I still do not agree with all you say, but perhaps I disagree a bit less on some points, now that I know. Perhaps they would have too. But you are probably right, too late now“
Wrath lets out a deep exhale, closing his eyes again, tail still tapping the ground
„You know we will still face each other sooner or later, right, Talon? You won‘t surrender easily and I certainly won‘t either.“
Talon slowly rises up to his paws, padding away
„Probably, yes, if no-one else gets one of us first. I hope you survive no matter how that day will go. Bloodclan would miss a warrior of your caliber.“
Wrath scoffs quietly, not much moving beyond that
„Go, take care of your own faction, fool. And don‘t you dare try to humiliate me by making it too easy when the time comes“
Talon gives a mildly amused scoff at that in return
„I‘ll do my very best, I promise you.“
Talon believes to hear a brief chuckle from the injured leader, but by the time his ear swivels towards Wrath to confirm, the noise is gone. Talon stops near the entrance of the dumpster, Venom quietly huffing as she looks up from checking on Reborn.
„What you think, Venom? How should we do this? I presume you‘ll have to stay here a few days to try and stabilise some of them“
She nods, wiping her paws on the dark green plastic ground, leaving small, glistening trails of sweat behind
„Definitely, if we want them to recuperate. At least three, if not four of them need me around a few more days at least, or they will likely not make it, Wrath one of them. Sheer amount of wounds, someone with a nose for it needs to keep checking until they at least decently started closing, otherwise even a small infection can end up laying the big cat flat. Even so, I remain… unsure of Wicker‘s odds, sadly. If Arbrarc is willing to let me feed off their food pile, I can stay for a bit. I‘ll find my way back once things are done…“
She throws a near mournful look at the store of herbs she brought
„Chances are there won‘t be enough left of what we brought to warrant any other carriers either… you better make good on your plan to get more, Talon. Or we‘ll have very little to work with should anything happen“
„Right after we look into the food Kestrel claims to have found. Busy days ahead“
Reborn, tries to flick his left ear, visible distain quickly painted upon his face at the pain, discomfort and otherwise disagreeable sensation of the few shreds of fur and skin that remain hanging there where his ear was before. Still he looks up, with interest
„Getting more? You heading out to harass the forest clans a bit again, then?“
Talon looks down at Reborn, nodding
„Apparently. Not like you need it, you keep somehow skipping out of death‘s way at the last second and keep getting away with it. Seems nothing‘s changed there“
Reborn smirks
„What can I say? It‘s a gift. Now I just need to find away to not feel pain and I‘ll be invincible“
Talon rolls his eyes amused
„Sure, shall I tell Flame of your hypothesis. I‘m sure he‘ll want to hear all about it“
Reborn chuckles, but soon halts, the wounds along his ribs seeming to not agree with it
„Heh, maybe we don‘t do that, yeah? Good luck anyway. Do try to get at least a swipe at one of them this time, yeah?“
„I did last time, matter of fact. Some grey fuzzball tried to pin me as we were pulling back.“
Reborn nods, entertained, but settles his head down as Venom cautiously starts examining the remains of his ear again
„Good! What it‘s worth, hope you make it through all this. I want to hear that story sometime, yeah?“
Talon nods with a small grin as he begins padding away
„Deal. Now we just need to hope we don‘t all kill each other before then. As if anything could kill you anyway“
As Talon exits the dumpster, he goes to find the little group of his own cats, all three having gathered up right where he left Gravel and Gash earlier. They turn their heads at his approach
„Time to head home. Venom will stick around here for a few days.“
Gash looks over to the overturned dumpster
„Sure we should leave her here? What if Wrath and his decide to keep her when she‘s done putting them back together?“
Talon looks over his shoulder, following Gash‘s gaze
„Not Wrath‘s way of doing things, underhanded stuff like that. She‘ll be fine. I‘d be more worried if the twins try to storm the alley. Let‘s hope enough of them are up and about again before something like that can happen. Either way, we‘re heading back now. Plenty of work to be done for our own territory… “

Chapter Text

Relief washes over Talon as he steps back into his alley, between the cold, the distance and the risk of his journey to Wrath, his joy to be back is tangible. Gash, Gravel and Soot each wander off in their own direction at Talon‘s dismissal, the only one seeming to also stay in the alley itself being Gash, who wanders over to join Ferret and Viper talking. Edge must be looking over Lion today then for viper to be out and about.
Approaching his wall and den, Talon spots Kestrel sitting on the dumpster by the wall, overlooking the alley, turning his gaze to Talon as the leader gets closer.
„Welcome back, Talon. Imagine my surprise when I woke up from my nap and heard you were off storming Wrath‘s alley with all of four cats as your backup.“
The sly, brown tom, chuckles and bounds down from his high perch to join Talon.
„Way to twist facts, not exactly a great assault we did. But we know a bit better now what‘s up on Wrath‘s territory… as well as who isn‘t anymore.“
Talon‘s tone goes from neutral to more serious towards the end, Kestrel‘s usual grin fading at the last bit, the second-in-command nodding
„I see. How bad is it then?“
Talon looks up at his wall for a moment, contemplating and stopping for several heartbeats
„I‘ll address the faction in a bit, I‘ll give the report publicly. Most of it anyway, you‘ll get the rest of it later. For now, I guess we should make ready to scout out the food you keep mentioning. Prepare a patrol to accompany us. I‘ll just take a small break in my den, then we can proceed with it all… “
Talon huffs quietly, paws aching after all the walking on the hard, freezing asphalt. Sensing Talon‘s displeasure, Kestrel tilts his head
„You do remember that you are leader, yes? You can delegate this if needed.“
Talon‘s eyes remain looking up at the edge of the wall where he usually sits. The thought to delegate this had not yet occurred to him, even though now that he thinks on it, of course he could. With some mild annoyance he has to admit that he still thinks more like a clanmate than a leader in some cases. Still work to do there, it seems. Not to mention, if this bears as much risk as is to be expected, leader and second-in-command both going would go against Talon’s own rule to not take the same risk Scourge took. But even so, whom would he send in his stead? He‘d prefer not to send out Silver so quickly yet again after having been out all night for his sake. He turns his head, looking out into the alley. Kestrel should manage just fine, gathering a patrol for this without much further interference from Talon, but still he‘d like to know someone he trusts to be at the forefront of this alongside his second… Owl, while trustworthy, might not be the best fit for this. Moon has her own mission and Silver deserves some rest. Options are running low, unless… A white pelt stretching in the alley catches Talon‘s eye.
„Frost!“
The former second-in-command‘s head turns as his name is called, amber eyes quickly finding Talon and Kestrel. In a few quick bounds, the tom moves over to them, seeming pleased to see Talon returned. With a dip of his head, Frost addresses the red eyed leader
„Greetings, Talon. Anything you need of me?“
„There might be something. How‘s your leg? All good again? And no false pride in your answer“
Frost looks back at his hind leg, demonstratively raising and stomping it down a few times
„Started feeling fine two days ago again. Now I‘m finally released from the healer‘s den, ready to resume duties“
Talon turns towards the white tom, observing him and especially his previously injured leg. It seems to move as it should, nor was there any indication that it wasn‘t fine when he was bounding towards them. He briefly nods
„In that case, I would like you to act as my eyes on a scouting mission outside our borders. We might have a way to feed our cats through the rest of leafbare, but there will likely be risks involved. You will lead the scouting patrol alongside my second-in-command. Any objections, Kestrel?“
The brown tom looks from Talon to Frost, an amused note in his response
„None. We might not share our temper, but having one of our fiercer fighter with us can‘t hurt, so deep in rogue territory. That, and more eyes see more, so fine by me“
Frost gives Kestrel a look that Talon finds difficult to place. It‘s clear that Frost would still rather swallow his own tongue than let lose a positive word about Kestrel, but he‘s less openly hostile than he was last time the two were gathered in Talon‘s den.
„Very well. I‘ll keep my eye on it, the target and him both. Where will we be off to?“
Talon gives Kestrel the go-ahead with a nod. After a brief eye roll following Frost‘s comment, Kestrel turns to explain
„South, well past my old borders. Fairly close to the edge of twoleg-place in direction of the horse-place. A twoleg meat-place, apparently keeps it‘s windows consistently open… a few kitty-pets and rogues have succeeded in using that to snag themselves small prizes in the past. We’d be going for the big haul. The catch here is twofold though. For one, getting in, grabbing all we can carry, and getting out of the twoleg den before they can trap us. Then, somehow getting it all back to our territory without attracting the attention of every rogue ever born.“
Frost hums thoughtfully, lowering his gaze
„Difficult. Not impossible, but for sure not easy. I admit, the rogues worry me more than the twolegs for once here. Middle of leafbare, there would be no shortage of ones desperate enough to try and take something, no matter how many cats we bring on that patrol.“
Kestrel looks from Frost to Talon
„My thoughts precisely. Which is why this scouting mission will be so important. We need to find the best way to and from our target, attract as little attention as possible, while carrying what any cat out there would kill for. I‘ve toyed with one or two ideas, but they all got their own risks still. Either way, we need to explore the route to and the meat-place itself first to make any educated choices.“
Talon nods in agreement. Even once they got a somewhat solid plan though, they won‘t be able to remove all risks. The dark grey tom knows that no matter how they play this, lives will be at stake. But if he doesn‘t… Talon looks over to the abandoned twoleg den entrance beyond which the food pile lies. They don‘t bring in enough, now that essentially two factions eat from the same pile. The reserves dwindle. What happens when it all runs out, Talon knows well. Too well.
„Risks we have no choice but to take. Unless something changes, we will run out of food well before the end of leafbare…“
Talon turns back towards the two cats with him, both having turned their attention to their leader, his tone as serious as the situation merits
„Whatever it takes, you hear me? We can allow no failure on this“
Frost sports a small grin, bowing his head, Talon‘s words probably being reminiscent enough of Scourge‘s to bolster the white tom‘s enthusiasm visibly, with no attempts made to hide it
„Then so it shall happen, Talon. Count on us“
Kestrel gives a brief, amused chuckle at Frost‘s display, but dips his head as well a few heartbeats later
„We‘ll get it done. We‘ll assemble a suitable patrol and head out as soon as we‘re ready“
„Good. In that case you‘ve both got your orders. You are to go about it right after my announcement.“
Frost looks up again, a hint of curiosity in his eyes
„News on how Wrath is doing?“
Talon nods, before leaving the two toms behind on the ground, leaping up onto the dumpster and from there onto the wall. Tired as he may be, with the scouting patrol sorted out, he might as well get this out of the way immediately as well. Then he can rest a bit… Moving the few paces to the middle of the wall and sitting down, the attention of a few in the alley is drawn towards him already. Talon briefly closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath of the stiffly blowing, frosty air.
„Bloodclan! Assemble!“
His voice booms through the alley, a slight echo thrown back and forth between the alley‘s walls. Within moments cats are rushing forth to sit before the wall, the attention of every feline in the alley seeming to be drawn in instantly. Though the many eyes looking up at him cause his pads to slightly sweat, there is something undeniably grand about it. Now with Kestrel‘s faction being his as well, his call draws in so many. Kestrel is right, at times he still seems to somewhat forget that he is a leader already, he does possess power, whenever he lets that realisation shine through the responsibility that comes with it. Not all are here, many more cats out on the territory, but more than a fair number all the same.
„We returned from Wrath‘s territory. They are Bloodclan as we are Bloodclan, so you have every right to know how our clanmates are faring“
As soft murmurs go through the drawn crowd, the grand feeling numbs in Talon‘s chest at the things he must now tell, the sights he saw and sees again before him right now as his thoughts return to them.
„I fear I must report that the blood of our clanmates has indeed been spilled, at the claws of rogues under the command of Ice and Snake. Several cats remain badly wounded, some of their lives still in the balance. Venom remains with them for a few days to attempt and stabilise them, before she will return. But not all could be saved, both Fang and Echo have fallen in battle, their collars soon to be brought into the hall of remembrance, to rest beside Scourge‘s.“
As Talon looks on at the cats gathered before him, he sees a wave of perturbation fall over them. Many eyes fill with dismay or condolence at the news, some however go further, disbelief and grief clouding their gaze. Poppy seems to take it the worst, tears beginning to run down her face at the news of the dead, nothing short of terror filling her grey-ish blue eyes. Viper, sitting beside the grief-stricken she-cat, immediately takes step to her side and attempts to comfort Poppy. The attempt seems to find but a little success as Poppy buries her face in the neck fuzz of the compassionate Viper, rapidly breaking down into harrowing sobbing. Talon‘s eyes rest on the two she-cats for a moment, before he tears his gaze away. Had there been something he was not aware of? Perhaps Echo meant a bit more to the white, russet specked female, but all Talon can do is speculate.
„Cowards… don‘t dare to show their worthless hides, so they send rogues to do their dirty work“
Owl‘s growl rings from close up front, several warriors around him nodding in agreement, dismayed fury blazing in their eyes. Silver sighs deeply, none too far from his fellow veteran warrior.
„Bone did not deserve having such cats calling themselves his offspring… there is no honour to them“
Talon could not agree more, but there is nothing of value to be said about it at this point. Nor would he torture the former second-in-command by mentioning it when he next sees him.
„Wrath has all but sworn a strike of retribution for this already. We will have to see what comes of it when he and his recuperate. In the meantime however, we need to continue our work to get through the rest of leafbare. With Granite‘s cats no longer fumbling about the dogfight-place and our border as much, every cat with no other tasks is to hunt or join patrols to collect from our food sources. We might soon have a change to secure enough food, but we will continue in disregard of that, just in case. Further, we might soon begin preparations on another raid for herbs and food from one of the forest clans to resupply us.“
A bit of hope flickers alight in a number of eyes. The last raid was a great success, hopes that a new one would succeed just as well run high. And the prospect of food is a relief to everyone, the shrinking food pile something each of them must have noticed by now.
„Kestrel and Frost are tasked with scouting out a possibility for food, they will require some of you to join their patrol. The rest of you know what to do. Dismissed. May Scourge guide our claws.“
Slowly the cats gathered by the wall separate, a number approaching Kestrel and Frost for their patrol, generally the amount and volume of discussions practically exploding after being dismissed. Looking around though, Talon can see neither Moon, nor Rover. They neither of them was here. Fair enough technically, the news will spread to those that weren‘t present in less than a day anyway, as it usually is, but he had hoped for a word with Moon at least. Descending in two bounds back down to the ground, Talon heads for Silver as a last stop before retreating into his den for now. The older veteran warrior luckily does not stride very fast, Talon able to catch up with ease.
„Silver, a quick word“
Stopping and turning to face Talon, Silver briefly bows his head. He gives his kindly smile, though the troubled news of Wrath‘s faction seem to linger as a worried shade over his green eyes
„Certainly, Talon. What do you need?“
„You would not happen to know where Moon is currently at? I would have liked a word with her.“
Silver flicks one ear, thoughtful for a brief moment
„Well, if she‘s not out on your special task, she‘d either be at her and Rover‘s nest, or at Daze and Soot‘s nest.“
Talon tilts his head mildly.
„Why specifically at Daze and Soot‘s place?“
Silver looks out towards the entrance of the alley
„I‘m only speculating, but I think it‘s the kit. The one you brought back from the fight with the rogues. I could be wrong, but I think she feels some responsibility towards the little one.“
Talon nods slowly. Moon had struck down the she-cat among the rogues… not unthinkable that she‘d feel like she owed the kit something. Not to mention she‘s contemplating kits herself now.
„Perhaps she‘ll take it as her own then in the end. No matter how many kits she and Rover will end up having, they‘d already have an older sibling and playmate then. Wouldn‘t be the worst solution“
„Perhaps so. I‘ll try to fetch her, if you need me to.“
Talon nods in appreciation
„Thank you, Silver. By the way, Argent is fine. We spoke. He‘s stressed, but otherwise fine“
Silver‘s ear swivel towards Talon, perked in interest as his sibling‘s name comes up. The old white and grey tom lets out a breath, some amount of relief in his eyes once he raises his head again
„That is good. I was worried he‘d be among the wounded. He can be stubborn and argumentative, but he‘s no bad cat. He‘s the last of my kin and my younger sibling, I care for him. Thank you, Talon.“
„As he cares for you. Asked how you were faring. But enough for now. I‘ll be in my den.“
„Then that‘s where I‘ll send Moon when I find her. Scourge does guide your claws, Talon“
As Silver pads on at a quick pace, Talon is left behind, soon turning about and padding to the crack under his wall
„Let‘s hope he does… let‘s hope so…“
Striding with quick steps into his den from there as the elder veteran warrior departs in the opposite direction, Talon lets out a pleased sigh as he slumps into his nest. The distance traveled wound not weigh quite as heavy upon him if it weren‘t for the biting cold, in the breeze trying to snake through his pelt, in the ground biting at his pads with every step… Tugging his paws in under himself to finally let them warm a bit again, a brief moment of calm comfort arises, before it is slowly pushed to the back of his thoughts by other matters. Messing with twolegs… always a risky matter. There is always a chance their catchers begin making rounds again for a while after a stunt like this, putting everyone at some risk… if they can pull this off at all. All that still doesn‘t even factor in the rogues along the way. Eyes hazed with thought, face pulled into an expression of concern, the images of Echo and Fang flashing briefly before him. But what choice is there? If he does not risk lives now, he almost certainly condemns cats to starvation before long. Scourge made it always look so easy, making these calls. Was he stressed out over the possible cost of his orders like this too, somewhere beneath the frigid stare? In the beginning perhaps? Or was his gaze so fixated on the larger picture that he could simple look past it entirely? He wouldn‘t likely answer the question if Talon were to ask. And then there‘ll be another forest raid to plan, after his next meeting with Ashfur. Another day, another risk to get what the need, yet again. Talon sighs quietly to himself as he sees all the work and worry he has managed to amass before himself. And as if it wasn‘t enough, there remains that one matter, that one unknown factor, hanging in the back, in the shadows, out there and in Talon‘s mind both…
As if on cue when Talon‘s thoughts turn to their treasonous trouble, Moon slips into his den, bowing her head.
„Good, you‘re here already. Can‘t have been far off then.“
„I was on my way back to your alley from Daze when Silver found me, said you wished to speak“
Talon nods as the she-cat sits down before him
„Indeed. Perhaps Venom would have been preferable, but I want the entire traitor mystery solved sooner rather than later. Rain knows the herbs well by now I hear, he should be able to tell us what plant it is that had been harvested. You could take your sample to him now that he has little work“
Moon remains silent for a brief moment, her good eye lowered in thought. Talon‘s ears perk up in interest.
„I believe, Talon, that I identified it today, just a few moments ago, in fact. That‘s why I was headed here already. I‘m not sure what to make of it yet however.“
„Why, what is it? And how did you find out?“
Moon raises her gaze back to Talon, back straightened, looking dutifully posted and serious
„At Daze. I went to see how the kit we brought was faring, I noticed she had herb like it in her den. Not roughly taken like the bits we seek, but cut and harvested cleanly, precisely by Venom. Our healer gave Daze the herbs because of the kit… apparently it‘s borage, a herb to help mothers produce more milk for their little ones.“
Talon tilts his head, surprised but too busy mulling over this new information to show it much
„I expected something poisonous perhaps, or something to heal wounds… if that‘s the herb‘s main purpose, it was probably taken expressly for the she-cat rogue. But why take so much then?“
Moon shakes her head slowly
„I couldn‘t say. Maybe they weren‘t sure how long we‘d take to strike back? Or they just needed enough to convince the rogue that they were not going to run out?“
Talon‘s tail lashes slowly in frustration
„Second option sounds more credible, but that‘s still no guarantee. Hm… Nothing new to report beyond that? From the rogues near the border, perhaps?“
Moon shakes her head, visibly disappointed to not have more to say yet. Talon gives a stressed huff but nods, before flicking his tail in dismissal
„You must get back to it then. Perhaps Rover is correct, if you find where the rest is stockpiled, we might find what we seek, or some new clue at least. We‘ll solve this yet… they will not escape and they will give me answers when they‘re caught“

Chapter Text

Talon sits atop his wall, observing the alley quietly as the sun-rays descend upon him, granting some much desired warmth amid the frosty leafbare air. Last night‘s sleep was thankfully tranquil, much needed after a day mostly spend nigh continuously on his paws and dealing with Wrath. Though worry once more infests the back of Talon‘s mind, waiting for the return of the scouting patrol. They are Bloodclan warriors, all. They can survive out there, they can defend themselves, and yet… so far no cat has died as a result of his orders, but twoleg-place is not known for being forgiving. They need the food. Letting his eyes descend to the entrance of the abandoned twoleg-den in which the food piles resides. Cats enter, clearly hungry, but not all come out carrying food. As much as the commitment of his cats to preserve what they have fort he good of their faction, to stretch their reserves, the slowly rising hunger concerns Talon deeply. He slowly rises his gaze to the sky, hardly a cloud out today. Some risks must be taken, to assure the faction, the clan, goes on, right, Scourge?
His ears perk up and his attention is drawn to the entrance of the alley as a little commotion sounds up. Red eyes shining in interest as relief eases the burden upon his shoulders, Talon sees the patrol at last return, headed towards his wall. Silently, Talon does a quick headcount, with satisfaction noting that all are back and none look any worse for wear. Kestrel and Frost striding at the front of the group, Frost‘s expression too neutral to read much into, but Kestrel‘s pleased smirk at least seems promising. The patrol at last stops before the wall, former and current second-in-command both giving a brief bow to Talon before sitting down. Talon returns a curt nod to the returning warriors
„You have returned. I trust this means good news?“
Kestrel‘s grin grows a little wider
„I dare say so. As expected, it may not be easy, nor free of risk, but we will get our paws on what we need for sure.“
„Good. Join me in my den then. The rest of the patrol, you did well. You are dismissed, get some rest if you need it, then return to your duties. Patrols are set already, so go out and hunt as best you can for today“
The most of the patrol dibs their heads and disperse within moments, some faster than others. With a quiet huff of relief, Talon bounds down from the wall and to his den, the clacking of Kestrel and Frost‘s reinforcing claws on the asphalt behind him confirming that they are following. Once inside, safe from the cold breeze, Talon turns to face them
„Report, what have you learned. And perhaps more importantly, how may we get what we need. The number of warriors skipping meals is growing by the day.“
Kestrel, after sitting down and drawing a few warming licks over the pads of one of his front paws, observes Frost a brief moment to see if he would speak first. When the white tom does not, Kestrel clears his throat quickly and gets to it
„First of, it seems my information has confirmed itself. A twoleg meat place, one of the windows pleasantly wide open. One of the twolegs sometimes rests by it, breathing it‘s smoky ember sticks before disappearing inside again from time to time. As expected, bigger issue will be the transport“
Frost nods with a thoughtful hum
„So it is. Simply taking the streets is… not plausible. I hate it, but fact is even with nothing we were very closely observed by rogues and strays all along the way. We try to get as much as a rat‘s tail past that way, we‘ll have to fight our way through odds I do not like. There are more of those flea pelts than I‘d though, way more. If anything kept them busy, it has ended by now. Kestrel‘s idea for a solution is… daring. I wouldn‘t eve bother considering it, had I not seen the amount of rogues we‘d likely face otherwise“
Talon flicks his tail, his gaze slowly wandering from Frost to Kestrel again
„That bad, hm? What ´daring´ path would you suggest then, Kestrel? We need the food. The longer we hold off on getting it, the weaker we become.“
The brown and cream tom nods
„We should see to it that we get it soon, agreed. And though we usually shy away from it, I believe the answer lies in the sewers. There is an open sewer line close by the meat place. We find a decent access on our territory, we can get there and back and no rogues will know.“
Talon‘s expression deepens in seriousness, his flicking tail ceasing motion immediately
„There are reasons we avoid the sewers, Kestrel. Year-round, but especially in leafbare. All of twoleg-place‘s rats nest there now to avoid the cold, their swarms are enormous and ravenous. Not to mention that it is some of the most treacherous terrain there is and our ignorance of anything else that could be down there. Or our inability to adequately navigate those tunnels.“
„Which is why we should spend as little time down there as possible, agreed. But! Think on it, Talon. If we can find our way, we can get enough to last us much of the rest of leafbare.“
Talon observes Kestrel, thinking hard on the suggestion. Frost seems no more comfortable with the idea then the red eyed tom either, and yet… like many in Bloodclan, Frost enjoys battle. If he is concerned enough about their odds against the rogues to agree with Kestrel, it may be the only viable option. And they have to get that food, the option to decline no longer exists. Talon grinds his teeth before answering
„Do you have a plan on navigating the sewers then, Kestrel? This plan hinges nigh entirely on it in this case“
Pleased, the second-in-command nods, his tail wrapping around himself
„I chose some of our patrol‘s participants carefully. Sparrow may have a short fuse on his temperament, but his ability to orientate himself, I dare say, is second to none. He knows the distance and direction to our destination now, he‘ll be able to find us the right way in the sewers.“
„Sparrow… I see. Can‘t say I know him that well, too easily agitated for me to have ever gotten to know him much. I prefer his sibling in that regard. But if he‘s the key to this, he will do us a major service. In your estimate, how many warriors will we need to bring back enough to get us through most of leafbare?“
Kestrel looks up, thinking for a moment. A moment Frost takes for himself
„My experience, we‘d need at least ten to twelve cats for such an amount. Provided we can get there as undetected as we hope and not run into too much trouble in the sewers, we could bring more. But every cat with us isn‘t in the territory in the meantime to defend it, should we be attacked“
Kestrel slowly nods after a heartbeat longer of thinking
„Sounds about right, I‘d second that opinion. That being said, I‘m unsure on who‘d attack us for now. Wrath remains… occupied and Granite, at least at the seems, has shifted his attention to Ice and Snake. There is of course Wraith, but she‘s not proven herself particularly expansion minded. And if she changed her mind, Wrath would still be the more tempting target right now, I‘d think. I believe we have a golden opportunity, as long as we act soon“
Talon slowly taps one of his reinforcing claws against the ground. All Kestrel says makes sense. As long as the situation does not change, they may have a unique opening for their little venture. But it has to be soon, for more reasons than just that.
„The sooner we pull this off, the sooner we all have some much needed peace of mind… and slightly fuller bellies. Kestrel, do you think we can be ready by tomorrow to go for it?“
Kestrel nods deeply with a smirk
„By your order, we will be. It will be a remarkable adventure“
Talon rests his thick furred tail on his front paws
„You are aware that you will not be on this patrol, correct?“
Kestrel looks up in a moment of surprise
„How do you mean, Talon?“
Frost, slightly grinning looks at the second-in-command from the side
„You didn‘t think you‘d steal our leader‘s glory of leading such an expedition, did you?“
The dark pelted leader flicks his ear, a quick look cast at Frost before settling his gaze on Kestrel anew
„Glory aside, I feel if I send our warriors into such dangers, I should at the very least be among them, lead from the front as they say. And you know that I don‘t…“
„Send leader and second-in-command into the same peril? Yes, I heard of that. Good that at least some lessons were learned from the fiasco in the forest. Though, I confess I did think to do this one myself“
The brown second-in-command tilts his head slightly to the side, expression more thoughtful than truly disappointed. Frost‘s grin makes way to a glare as he turns his head towards Kestrel
„You interrupt your leader and talk back, all in the same breath. You are pushing your luck, Kestrel“
Kestrel turns his head to return Frost‘s gaze. Talon finds himself slightly surprised to find, that while Kestrel‘s general expression remains neutral, his eyes hold very clear warning to Frost.
„I assure you, I meant Talon no disrespect, warrior… Nor do I defy an order given to me. If Talon says I stay, then I stay. I know where I stand in the hierarchy around here.“
Talon had not seen Kestrel strike back as such before against Frost, though he can‘t deny it befits his position. The second-in-command should not be spoken to in this tone by a warrior, even a veteran warrior. Perhaps Talon is not the only one slowly evolving into the role he hold. Frost‘s glare grows into a snarl, his pelt spiking up. Kestrel may not flinch before Frost‘s remark, but in a fight between the two, it remains obvious he would not win. Talon rises to his paws, the words to interject already on his tongue as Frost turns, more like throws, his head the other way. An expression of displeasure remaining, his snarl does fade in a few heartbeats.
„May I be excused, Talon?“
Frost‘s voice remains heavy with seething, but slowly, amid deep breaths, some of the white warrior‘s pelt flattens again. Talon takes one deep breath himself, before nodding
„You‘re excused, Frost. Stay outside my den, I will have words with you when I‘m done with Kestrel in a moment“
Frost briefly looks at Talon, before nodding, the last nod going deep down in a respectful bow, before he slinks out of the den with quick steps. A few heartbeats of silence pass inside the den, before Kestrel let‘s out a loud exhale
„If I did seem impertinent, I apologise. Not my intention.“
Talon settles back down, shaking his head
„He may be right, if there were more cats to witness you interrupting me might send signals we don‘t need. But he still overstepped. I suppose your patrol did not endear you to each other much“
Kestrel lightly sways his head side to side
„Yes and no. We spoke, obviously. I think he gets minimally better that we need to at least coexist. I think that‘s what had him turn away before you got a chance to turn him away. But we‘re certainly not about to groom each other‘s pelts anytime soon.“
„I don‘t need you to, the acknowledgement to coexist will do. Anyway… put some thought into whom we take on that patrol, before sundown I want you to give me fifteen names. The more we bring back, the better… you take care of things here while we‘re away.“
Kestrel nods
„So it will be then. I have a few cats in mind already, several of the scouting patrol, as well as some others. I‘ll have something workable figured out before dusk.“
Talon flicks his tail in dismissal
„Good. Not Moon or Rover, they are on a different assignment already. Beyond that, I have confidence you‘ll get done. Send Frost in. Without killing each other, preferably“
At that, Kestrel bows his head before stalking out of the den. Talon has but a moment to breath before Frost steps back before him. The amber eyed veteran warrior sits down, posture impeccably straight. Though the slightest shadow of trepidation resides in his eyes, he seem almost determined. A strength and purpose to his presence that seems out of place considering the situation. Talon ponders for a brief moment how to approach the issue.
„Frost, tell me, if anyone had dared to bare their fangs at Bone, what do you expect Scourge would have done?“
Frost does not seek to return Talon‘s gaze, instead stubbornly looking ahead. His answer is instantaneous
„That cat would have bled. Scourge would have ensured such disrespect did not occur twice“
A small hiss escapes Talon, agitation stinging up and down his spine
„If you know, why persist in this behaviour, Frost? I can accept that you dislike Kestrel personally, but he remains my second-in-command. The fact that I have more mercy in me than Scourge did is the only thing keeping your pelt on your back right now, do you not get that?“
Shaking his head, Talon paces back and forth before the unmoving veteran warrior. After a brief pause and an infuriating lack of defence from Frost, Talon continues with no veil before his anger
„In here it‘s bad enough, but if this happens out there, where the clan can see, I will have NO CHOICE, Frost. Do you understand this? Do NOT put me in that position. I know you care for the faction, for the clan, and that is why you need to pull yourself together on this. You were my second-in-command before Kestrel, how will it look if I have to punish you of all cats for insolence?“
Something seems to move in Frost, most of the speech gets little reaction out of him, an expression of almost disappointment plastered across his face that changes towards the end, his ears perk up in active attention, a glimmer shining in his eye as if an epiphany had just hit him.
„Yes… of course. I understand.“
Frost‘s words seem mostly towards himself, before at last his gaze finds Talon‘s
„There will be no more trouble from me towards Kestrel. That I promise, Talon“
Talon observes Frost for a moment as the white tom lowers his head in a bow, mildly unnerved by his behaviour underneath the still churning anger that this was a conversation needing to happen in the first place.
„Make it so, Frost. Consider it an order if you must. We can not afford that kind of division among ourselves right now. If you need an outlet for something, go hunt. Until we return from the meat place, every bite of food on our pile counts“
More present minded now, Frost nods slowly before thoughtfully looking to the ground
„Perhaps there are some pigeons among the sky-pillars, near Scourge‘s territory. I will attempt it, Talon.“
Talon sighs exasperatedly, some of his anger slowly fading.
„I will hold you to your promise, Frost. We are all trying to do what is best for the clan. Don‘t fail me in that, Frost.“
The amber eyed warrior shakes his head
„My quarrel with Kestrel is one thing, but have I ever failed you since you became a leader? I won‘t pretend that I won‘t be difficult at times, but I will keep my promise. Just as I will keep the promise I made as your second, to help you unite the clan once more“
Talon looks the warrior into his eyes, looking for any hint of what‘s going through Frost‘s head. His words seem sincere, nothing in his amber gaze gives the slightest impression that he doesn‘t mean what he says. After a while Talon finds himself sighing and shaking his head
„You confuse me at times, Frost. But yes, you‘re not the type to fail and your word has always proven true. But tell me this then, why this insistence of antagonising Kestrel to begin with?“
Frost blinks, visibly a bit surprised
„I thought it remained obvious. I do not trust him. I know he has his uses, but I also know his loyalty is to himself before all else. I KNOW he schemes not only for you, but also against you. For every one thing he tells you, I bet my tail, there are two he does not“
Talon nods slowly
„In time, quite possibly, he might try to usurp me. But it won‘t be today, nor tomorrow. He‘s been… very open to me on the matter“
Frost‘s expression turns from surprise to active confusion, head cocked to the side as he tries to make sense of it
„So… he even admitted it?“
„He wishes to be leader, he‘s not made that much of a secret. But he wishes to keep Rain safe and he knows that on his own, he‘s more likely to end up the prey than the hunter. As long as serving me shields him from more risk than it exposes him to, he knows it remains in his best interest to stay on our side and boost me up. The higher I rise, the greater the prize he might claim in the end. And as you rightly figured, Kestrel primarily acts in his own interest. Thus, unless something major changes, his loyalty remains secure for now. And we do profit from that, do we not?“
Frost takes a small while, looking down, working through the words spoken to him before slowly raising his head again with a nod
„I see. So, we‘re using him as much as he‘s using us and both sides are aware of it. And in the end, there will at last come a moment where it‘ll be him or you.“
Talon flicks his tail, letting his gaze wander to the exit of the den
„Not with certainty. He may in the end see that the surest way to get what he wants is to simply stay as a supportive second-in-command. It does already set him up to be leader after me, after all. But… it might come down to it, at some point. Not now though, not for a while.“
Frost looks down, seeming to be think strongly for a bit. Silence fills the den, drawing into uncomfortable length before Talon clears his throat
„Was there anything else? If not, you are dismissed, Frost. And keep your promise in mind“
Frost dibs his head, still visibly in thoughts
„I will. Scourge guide your claws, Talon“
With that, the white veteran warrior steps out of the den, leaving Talon in his familiar gloom. After a while, Talon sighs deeply. Just three more days. Three days and he‘ll return to his spot. Drown the worries in the sight and sound of the calmly flowing water, let suspicions fade into the dark of the night sky… His tail lashes behind him. No, even at the river spot his duties pursue him by now… he‘ll want Ashfur‘s opinion on where the next raid goes to restock their exhausted herb supplies. But it will be good either way. It‘ll be interesting to see how the forest cat is shaping up, between Silver‘s lesson and the practice he‘s getting in the Dark Forest. Practice Talon too could do with as well… he‘ll probably be called there soon enough again himself. Perhaps Scourge will have new advice. Or new criticism. Likely both… but Talon might be able to see if the dead of Wrath managed to escape the Void yet. That would be a reason for joy at least.

Chapter Text

Slowly Talon rises with a wide yawn. The day had not proven too eventful after his talks with Kestrel and Frost, and yet, by the time the sun descended, Talon had felt thoroughly exhausted. A small unsuccessful hunt here, a brief bit of training with Lantern‘s kits, and nothing of real note beyond that occurred. Except perhaps for Talon‘s excessive brooding and thinking about ongoing matters. All the more does it seem as a pleasant surprise now, as the red eyed tom takes a look around, that he quickly realises that it is not his den he wakes in. A mild displeasure runs down Talon‘s spine as he beholds the seemingly endless lack of anything all around him, stretching on and on. The familiarity warming him however proves stronger after he finds what he suspected to be nearby.
„Greetings, Scourge.“
The small black tom, sitting some two tail-lengths off to the side, simply gives a curt nod to acknowledge Talon‘s greeting before rising to his paws, beginning to pad away. After a brief stretch, Talon follows the former leader, by now knowing somewhat what to expect. Indeed very soon after, the two wander into the Dark Forest, the sensation of tangible ground and leaves under his paws downright pleasant after even a brief track through the Void to Talon.
„Training today will be brief. Injuries would impede your task tomorrow.“
Scourge‘s sudden voice, paired with it‘s natural slightly higher pitch, mildly startle Talon for a heartbeat. The moment passing quickly, the red eyed leader flicks his tail, kicking up a few of the rotting leaves
„Very well, makes sense. I do hope it will be a success. It would do us some good“
„You are leader. If you deem it important, then it is your duty to make sure it will succeed“
Talon lets out a sharp exhale, biting back a comment on the pressure that builds on his shoulders. Though even so, he can not disagree. A leader must see to it that his cats survive, no matter what. No duty could be greater or more important than that, surely.
Looking around, Talon finds the surroundings faintly familiar, a clear impression that he‘s walked this path before in his mind. An impression confirmed as he spots in passing the clearing Bone and he had trained. In that case, they could only be headed for one place. Pushing through a bush, Talon finds a small smile forming on himself, the clearing before him familiar as well, even more so the cats therein. Bone, sitting on a nearby rock and overlooking the clearing, bows his head at Scourge‘s return, before swaying his tail in greetings at Talon. Talon returns the gesture, quickly realising after that he has already thus drawn the attention of most other spirits present. Fury and Snipe, engaged in a sparring match, fail to notice, as Fury repeatedly manages to batter down her opponent, but beyond them most eyes at least briefly turn towards Scourge and Talon. Bowing to Scourge as the pass on their way to approach Talon, Claw accompanies someone new here, bringing both a bit of grief and relief to Talon.
„Echo, Scourge found you then.“
The blueish-grey tom holds a small smile as he approaches. None of the many wounds Talon saw littering his cold body in Wrath‘s territory remain upon the spirit, the deep gashes all along his belly and flanks gone as if they‘d never occurred.
„Indeed. Fairly quickly so even. Or so I think. Can‘t say being dead helps your perception of time much, Void or Dark Forest. I was told you came to pay me respects though. Not yet sure how cats doing that is supposed to make me feel, but I appreciate the thought.“
Though a great many questions pulse in Talon‘s mind, begging to be asked, the conversation is cut short with a sway of Scourge‘s tail.
„You can gossip later, if you must. First comes training.“
Scourge stalks on to the centre of the clearing, turning to look at Talon, clearly expectantly. Talon nods quickly and takes off his reinforcing claws, soon joining his former leader.
„You still remain too soft, Talon. Being able to spill the blood of a rogue or two does not suffice for what you aim to achieve. You must react to a challenge quickly and decisively. I will attack, you will try to counter. Your response must be immediate and firm. Perhaps fighting will teach you what words clearly fail to.“
Talon nods, lowering himself into his stance. Is Scourge referring to Argent, his comments on how a leader would have reacted differently to his words, or to Frost‘s latest outbreak against Kestrel? Quite possibly both and more… it seems the founder of Bloodclan is managing thus far to keep well up to date with all that goes on around Talon. Though the dark grey tom feels little surprise in that by now.
„Ready“
Scourge observes his trainee for a brief moment before dropping into his own stance
„Clearly, not even remotely yet.“
With that, the small black tom dashes on around Talon, nigh fast enough for Talon to lose track of him by merely blinking. Scourge said he would avoid injuries today, but it dawns on Talon that that does not mean this lesson will go by painlessly. Avoiding Scourge‘s first strike aimed for the side of his neck, Talon attempts to strike out in retaliation, coming up empty. Too slow… way too slow, Scourge is already somewhere else. Turning to find the former leader, Scourge‘s paw connects with speed the side of Talon‘s face. Forced to take a step back to keep balance, Talon quietly hisses at the dull stinging in his cheek. Training has begun.

Huffing, his heart beating hard enough to hear the blood flow in his ears, Talon struggles to remain upright. He‘d gotten a few hits in as the training went on, figuring it faster to lash out at where Scourge‘s strike comes from rather than actually having to see and precisely register his position. More instinctive, less attempting to overanalyse the situation. Though the few hits Talon manages seem poor compensation for the battering he received. Scourge knows to use his smaller frame to strike like lightning, with deceiving force. The only good thing about it, Scourge had to keep moving. The small black tom panting for air even more than Talon. In a fight, it would not have mattered, Talon would have been crowfood long before he‘d gotten this fatigue out of his former leader, but right now it means reprieve. Scourge sits down, signalling the end of the bout with a sway of his tail. Talon nods wordlessly and more falls on his rump than properly sitting. His head still rings from the strikes it received, feeling impacts all over his body to go along with it. As some time passes and slowly his breath is regained, Talon looks around, finding that many of Bloodclan‘s dead had been watching the spectacle, some with undisguised amusement. Turning his head to the rock Bone sits upon, keeping his watch, he still does so dutifully, but even he casts an entertained glance over to Talon.
„When you return. We will train more regularly.“
The red eyed leader turns his head back towards Scourge, ears perked at the founder‘s words. Scourge seems to recuperate a little better than Talon, apparently focusing very actively on his breathing when he‘s not speaking.
„For now, training‘s over. Tomorrow‘s too important.“
Talon nods, laying down on his belly, tail tugged up against his left side
„Yes. We must get that meat. I can‘t let anything stop us on that“
Scourge pulls his gaze away, the tip of his jet black tail tapping against the ground
„The food is vital. But I think the lessons it might instil, some it already begins to, will serve you just as well“
Talon tilts his head slightly
„Lessons? Like doing what needs to be done?“
Scourge quietly scoffs
„Every cat, Bloodclan, rogue, loner or kitty-pet claims to do what needs doing. Everyone pretends to know what that means. So very few truly do.“
The former leader‘s icy eyes return to Talon, Scourge‘s gaze piercing into the red eyed tom
„Overthinking as you are, you know that many things could go wrong, and yet you do it still. But that is only the beginning. What when you need to choose between a life and the food? Two lives, three? Where is the line drawn? Will you keep your cool if you lose your way of navigating the sewers? Can you show the harshness to keep panicking cats in line to save their lives? All that is part of ´what needs to be done´. Will you know ´what needs to be done´ when the time comes?“
Scourge keeps holding Talon‘s gaze, his demand for an answer clear enough without needing to be spoken aloud. Talon escapes the cold stare by lowering his gaze, thinking on it. He knows it is dangerous, there is no shortage of risks. But the way Scourge turned one question draws Talon in like none of the rest. Where is the line drawn… Where IS the line drawn? It‘d be callous but logical to say as many as it takes to still bring enough food back for the faction as such to survive… but then what good would that do them if it leaves them too few to fend off their rivals in Bloodclan? But preserving lives today, only to watch them wither and die of hunger tomorrow achieves nothing either. To die slowly like that, fading a little more each day, becoming more of a strengthless husk each passing dawn… Talon‘s claws dig into the ground. Memories resurfacing. Pain, grief, blame… anger. With a loud scoff, Talon shakes his head clear of his memories. Not now. Taking in a slow breath, he raises his gaze to meet Scourge‘s again, the small black cat not having moved a singular whisker.
„I‘ll simply have to“
A moment of silence passes, before Scourge slowly nods
„Yes, you will have to. Whatever your decisions when such a time comes, and on the path you‘re on it will come, unavoidably, again and again: quick and decisive.“
As Scourge‘s gaze wanders off again, Talon is left wondering if Scourge approved of his answer, or if he merely wanted to hear what he‘d have to say. The former leader‘s voice and expression remain as unchanged as always, leaving no cracks to peer through to what‘s going on in his mind. As silence once more falls, aside from some talking of other spirits in the clearing, Scourge finally rises up.
„Much of the night remains. Rest or talk with the others, I care not. I‘ll return, stay till then. There may be something you ought to see.“
„As you wish, Scourge“
With a grunt, Talon slowly pushes himself off the ground, his breath mostly steady again as he shakes himself out to get rid of the rotten leaves clinging to his pelt. He hardly gets another chance to see the former leader before Scourge is already near the edge of the clearing, pushing through the bushes and disappearing into the unknown that is the Dark Forest.
„He‘s not wrong, you know“
Talon almost jumps at the voice sounding from right behind him, turning to find in fact a trio of cats, Jaggedtooth and Echo, with Claw in the lead.
„Much of what made Scourge appealing s a leader. He could make tough calls when the moment called for it, and went through with them without compromise. Got things done“
Talon sighs, but nods. His muscles, and more over the bruises ache at his rapid motion to turn around. They are right, obviously. But it takes character to be like that. It takes time to become like that, time Talon might not have if things go wrong on tomorrow‘s trip.
„I know. I suppose I won‘t know if I truly got it until I‘m in the situation. Can‘t say I look forward to it however“
Echo steps closer before sitting down
„You‘d have to be very callous to look forward to such things. I guess the fact that you don‘t is much of what was the appeal of cats to follow you. You made no secret of caring still. Perhaps some of that is worth keeping too, but walking the line between the two might prove quite the balancing act.“
Talon pulls a slight grimace. True enough on all accounts. Could it even be done? Scourge cared about the clan, still does, it‘s obvious, yet he never displayed many signs of it. Perhaps it is achievable, being colder like Scourge, without letting go of all warmth. But a balancing act that‘d be indeed. The clan clearly expects more firmness, Argent, Frost, Scourge… even Silver expressed that fairly clearly. Plenty food for thought, but perhaps a bit too much to digest all right now. In a bid to both sate his own curiosity and to change the subject, Talon turns to Echo.
„We‘ll have to see. I do have a question, though it might be a bit personal“
Echo hums interestedly, reflecting the same in his greyish eyes
„What‘s up? If you couldn‘t tell, I‘ve got nothing BUT time to answer right now.“
Sitting back down himself, Talon‘s expression must be giving away some rough direction his question might go, as Echo‘s eyes begin to hold some regret before it is even asked
„You and Poppy… I suppose there was more than most of us knew?“
Echo‘s ears slightly droop, his little smile remaining but failing to disguise his grief
„Well, I suspect most of the clan knew very little. Things didn‘t really get very far, not as far as either of us wanted. When the clan split, I admit I was… angry. I wanted to pay the forest cats back in kind for what they‘d taken. When it became time to choose a side between you lot, a lot of things were said. Things I ended up hoping I could take back at some point. I guess despite all that, she still didn‘t take the news of me well, huh? Maybe some day, when she joins us here. You make sure that won‘t happen anytime soon, yeah? She still has too much time left, she should find and live in happiness again before that. She deserves that much. I‘ll wait for her.“
Claw lays his tail on Echo‘s shoulder, offering a sympathetic smile, which Echo return with a appreciative glance. Talon nods slowly
„I‘ll do my very best“
„I know.“
The bluish grey tom turns an equally appreciative look towards Talon. Not wanting to heave even more onto his regretful clanmate, Talon turns to Jaggedtooth next
„Has Fang been found yet?“
The thick furred ginger shakes his head
„Not yet, but Scourge regularly heads out to look for her. Her and Wicker both“
Talon‘s heart drops a little
„Wicker too?“
Claw shakes his head
„Not long after you left Wrath’s alley. He was in a bad spot. Venom is good, but even she can‘t work miracles. It was a mercy at that point. Hopefully he‘s found soon.“
„Nasty end, infection. He fought strongly from what I heard. He‘ll be good to have here“
Jaggedtooth notes with a hum, looking at one of his paws as h unsheathes his claws to inspect them. Talon observes with a small amount of interest that Jaggedtooth pays special attention to one specific claw, as if it held memories or significance well beyond the rest, but chooses not to comment on it. Something about it seems very personal and Talon would prefer not to pry on a cat he does not know that well yet. Perhaps they could still exchange stories some later time. It is Claw that breaks the brief ensuing silence
„You did well standing your ground against Wrath. I think you earned a little bit of his respect.“
Talon scoffs with mild amusement
„Enough to survive when he‘s back on his paws and coming for me?“
Claw chuckles and shakes his head
„Let‘s not get ahead of ourselves, alright? But ideally that won‘t happen right away. Safe to say, his quarrel with Snake and Ice takes precedence. Either way, he won‘t be foolish enough to run in on you as long as you‘ve got more than twice the number of warriors. By then perhaps Scourge will have shown you to bring him down.“
Echo hums, rolling his eyes
„I mean no offence, but it‘ll be a while before that. He‘s scary in battle when he really gets into it. A sight to die for, I can confirm.“
Echo‘s chuckle brings forth an entertained giggle from the rest of the group, the conversation getting increasingly more casual from that point on. Slowly, one after the other finding themselves laying in a circle, the four cats talk, recounting stories of seeing each other fighting or amusing moments from better times, when the clan was whole still. Jaggedtooth mostly speaks of his time as a rogue, obviously not going unnoticed, but no-one presses much for his time in the forest clans, though the unspoken curiosity of it hangs heavy in the air. None the less, the moment is thoroughly pleasant to Talon. Here, there is no playing leader, no need to ´uphold authority´, only a Bloodclan warrior among clanmates, sharing stories. A soothing time, despite the news of Wicker and the stress of tomorrow‘s expedition. For all but a heartbeat, he could almost forget. Forget he‘s in the Dark Forest, forget his company are all spirits, forget the clan ever broke.

The end of the discussions, toward which‘s end even Fury and Snipe join the circle, is heralded by Scourge‘s return. As the small former leader approaches and the circle becomes aware of him, they all sit up, greeting Scourge with a small bow. The black tom waves with his one white paw for Talon to follow, without speaking another word, before already turning around and heading off. Talon gives a hurried „bye“ to the spirits around before bounding after Scourge. Barely outside the bushes, Scourge drops lower, advancing noiselessly and cautiously. The fact that for all intents and purposes, despite the feeling of familiarity in Bloodclan‘s little clearing, the Dark Forest remains hostile ground resurges in Talon‘s mind. Lowering into a proper stalk, Talon follows Scourge, vigilant and cautious, ears constantly shifting to catch any noise around him. Their path leads onward for a good while, Scourge easily fitting in every shade, shadow and crevice along the way, easily finding cover to regularly stop for a heartbeat to listen for any indications that someone else might be around, before moving on. Though his dark pelt aids Talon almost as well as most of Scourge‘s does him, Talon‘s above average size forces him to be a lot more selective for any brief stops. None the less, the pair arrives at the apparent destination, as Scourge takes cover behind a shaded, fallen branch and beckons Talon to approach with a discrete flick of his tail. Slowly moving behind a small, mostly barren bush, laying nigh flat to create as little profile as possible, Talon peers through past the little twigs and branches at the scene up before them. So they spoke the truth then last time he was here…
In the clearing before the two Bloodclan cats, the familiar grey pelt of Ashfur darts back and forth, trying to land hits on a pelt that, were it not for the slightly unkept looking spikes, looks a lot like Ashfur‘s own. A rugged, strong looking spirit, scarred from battles of the past, beats aside most of Ashfur‘s attempts, regularly managing several vicious strikes in return. Talon observes their sparring with interest. Ashfur’s gotten a bit better, but it’s obvious that his opponent holds the advantage, both in experience and raw strength, regularly reminding Ashfur of it with swipes clearly aimed to be painful above anything else. A crude way to teach, though perhaps not ineffective… as long as you don‘t destroy more than you build in your trainee. The battle goes on and on, Ashfur landing his share of hits, even attempting use of his teeth for once, bringing a pleased, small smile to Talon. For each hit Ashfur lands however, his ancestor strikes three, and his use of claws is very indiscriminate for a training fight, to the point where it just seems excessive. The scent of blood wafts over to the hiding spot of the Bloodclan cats, a familiar smell, though for some reason Talon feels agitated by it. Between sights and scent, a low but still undeniable anger burns, deep in Talon‘s gut. His gaze follows several droplets of Ashfur‘s blood falling to end up glistening upon the rotting leaves on the ground like morning dew, after a gash to his shoulder leaves a small stream of red flowing down through the grey pelt.
Is this then how Dark Forest cats train? It is fierce, almost to the point of ruthless. Does this truly strengthen a training warrior, such insistence on punishing every mistake in blood? Ashfur‘s ancestor seems formidable indeed, so perhaps it does. And yet, Talon‘s blood remains boiling as he observes the spirit‘s claws glistening in Ashfur‘s blood. Drawing some blood during training is fine, Talon earned his fair share of wounds and bruises sparring, as did every warrior he knows. Still, laying into each other like that, it seems excessive for the intended goal.
A pat on his shoulder pulls Talon from his thoughts and observations. Scourge‘s tail pulls away from Talon‘s shoulder as the red eyed warrior turns to look. The message is clear, though it does displease the grey furred leader somewhat. Time to go, it would be careless to linger until their training ends, not knowing which way they might go after. With a small nod, Talon ever so slightly raises himself off the ground and silently follows his former leader. Perhaps all the better, he has things to take care of, an important day ahead. Though he can‘t help but wonder, why did Scourge show him this at all?

Chapter Text

Ashfur huffs heavily for air, his front right leg shaking under his own weight as the gashes keep bleeding down it from his shoulder. Despite it all, he remains lowered in a combat ready stance, ready for Thistleclaw‘s next attack, as that one slowly rises from his own stance, observing his descendant for a few heartbeats.
„That will have to do. Medicine cats getting annoying with questions is not something we need for now“
Aside from the sheer venom with which he speaks the words ´medicine cat´, Thistleclaw sounds almost calm, breathing somewhat hard himself but being nowhere near as wounded as Ashfur. Even so, as Ashfur slowly rises, putting less weight on the injured limb, Thistleclaw observes a deeper gash Ashfur has left on his chest, staining the grey and white pelt. His blood seeping into it, the grey darkens and the white spots are given rosy-red shade.
„Better… not good enough, but at least you seem to learn“
Thistleclaw‘s grumblings are quiet enough for Ashfur to barely even hear them, slowly stepping closer to his ancestor. Spending very active effort on it, the blue eyed Thunderclan warrior resists the urge to limp or express the pain of his wounds. Thistlecaw had been very clear on his distaste for such shows of weakness.
„Should I return now then, or do you still have advise or the like for me?“
Thistleclaw turns his amber eyes towards Ashfur, mild annoyance shining in them
„What you learn here is all the advise I need to give you. If you‘re talking about the nonsense of you chasing that half-kitty-pet she-cat, I have no words for you on that. You want to become stronger, THAT I will help you with“
A bit of frustration rises up in Ashfur, but he lets it out in a scoff
„Fine. I‘ll do that myself then. I suppose I would have always had to… but perhaps you know where I stand compared to Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost“
Thistleclaw pauses briefly, thinking, before dismissively flicking his right ear
„They are not here today, or we might have been able to take a look. Today Tigerstar‘s training his new pet project…“
Again, the disapproval is thick in Thistleclaw‘s voice, as if something actively annoyed him about his former apprentice‘s choice.
„Tigerstar trains a third cat? Who?“
Ashfur tilts his head slightly, intrigued to know. Finally done with his claws, Thistleclaw pauses significantly longer this time. Active debate is visible in his amber eyes, presumably pondering if or how much to say. He briefly looks at Ashfur, as if factoring him into his debating, before staring off into the distance. After a good while, he simply shakes his head
„That‘s Tigerstar‘s business. You should on your own progress. When does the rogue return?“
Briefly searching his memory, Ashfur looks up at the starless sky
„If we‘re early morning by now, Talon will return in two days.“
„Right“
Moments of silence ensue. With nothing to distract, the stinging of his wounds demands a lot more attention to not react to. His teeth clamped tightly shut, Ashfur observes the streak of red descending his leg as well several more wounds here and there. Slowly he turns to leave, before stopping and looking back over his shoulder at his ancestor
„I‘ll return to Thunderclan then for now. But Thistleclaw?“
The ragged spirit turns his head to look at Ashfur
„I would want to hear your story some day. Whitestorm… he never truly spoke of you. I‘d want to know who my warrior ancestor was“
For the briefest moment, it almost seems like Thistleclaw flinches, as if Ashfur‘s words caused tangible, unexpected pain. The moment is short enough however to miss it by blinking, Thistleclaw‘s stern gaze remaining on his descendant
„…next time. I will tell you. If you can impress me during training. Tell you of Thunderclan, back when it was a greater thing than what it has become now. Now go.“
Thistleclaw raises his gaze up at the lightless sky, as if searching or hoping for something. Ashfur hums quietly. He‘d not get much more out of his warrior ancestor tonight and his wounds need attention. Most of the smaller wounds could go ignored or be easily explained away, but his shoulder? He‘ll need to think of some excuse as to why it looks like he‘s lost a bout with a badger. Displeasure slowly ties his stomach in a knot. Always with the lies… clanmates should not lie to each other like this. But it‘s all for a good reason, once he‘s proven himself the better option, once all is as it should be once more, he will not need to lie ever again. He just has to make it there… closing his eyes and following the instructions Thistleclaw had given him, he slowly feels himself fading from this place, the soothingly numb darkness of actual sleep taking over…

Ashfur lets out a slight hiss as the poultice burns in his wound, Leafpool cautiously pulling away from licking it in from time to time to make sure she‘s getting everything. The medicine cat presumed he‘d been out for much of the night again, so telling a story about running through a bramble bush was met with not much further questions. Still, the heavy feeling in the grey warrior‘s stomach remains, guilt at the lie hovering over Ashfur‘s thoughts like a thick mist. Dutiful as ever, Leafpool carries on her work, soon after covering the whole thing up in cobwebs.
„There. Now, don‘t use that shoulder more than you need to for a day or two, so the healing can properly set in“
The grey warrior nods, looking over at his shoulder, best he can. The cobwebs nigh disappear in the colour of his coat. Unless he gets close or cats see it‘s faint glittering in the sunlight, it‘d be difficult for someone to tell that he‘s even injured. Except for Ferncloud and Cloudtail, the webbing covering up one of the darker spots in his fur would not go unnoticed by his kin, or even Dustpelt for that matter.
„Thank you. I expected you might try to keep me in the medicine den for a day.“
Moving a few leaves she had brought over but did not end up needing together into a little pile with her tail, Leafpool rolls her eyes
„What good would that do, if the night after you‘re likely to run through your next bush, chasing a vole or two“
The medicine cat chuckles, though while there is amusement in her tone, a small amount of something less wholesome is heard. A veiled resignation, a heavyhearted acceptance. Ashfur humours her with a brief chuckle of his own, but it‘s blatant that he‘s stifled by what he detected. A brief silence follows, in which Ashfur sits up, before Leafpool‘s words break the silence
„I understand that sometimes things become a bit much for a cat, that someone needs to get away for a moment. Just be careful, Ashfur. Being reckless won‘t help any cat.“
The blue eyed warrior stops entirely, before slowly turning his head to look at Leafpool. Her expression is heavy with worry, one ear drooped low to the side. Ashfur lets out a deep sigh. She noticed. Of course she‘d have noticed that that‘s one of the main reasons he‘s regularly out at night. She‘d know the whole story from Squirrelflight and she‘s the medicine cat.
„I know. But I am trying. I think I‘m slowly getting there.“
„Are you?“
Leafpool looks off to the side
„It used to be only once in a while, now it‘s more often that you run off at night. And you come back wounded sometimes, that never happened before. The clan does notice it, Ashfur. Perhaps not everyone, but I know I do.“
Ashfur huffs at the unspoken words that hang on to Leafpool‘s sentence. And so does Squirrelflight… The stinging in his chest slowly awakens, worsening with each beating of his heart
„It takes time, Leafpool… I assure you, I don‘t want it to, but it does. In the end, all will be well. I believe it will. I have to believe it will.“
Leafpool rests her paw gently against Ashfur‘s leg, surprising the warrior to the point where he‘s mildly startled at first. Looking at Leafpool again, she seems… understanding. Far more so than the grey warrior expected off her in such a matter. With Squirrelflight and Brightheart around regularly, perhaps she‘d know more about matters of the heart than her position would suggest. Not to mention, she was Cinderheart‘s apprentice, and her appreciation for Firestar before she as forced to become a medicine cat had been something of an open secret. The medicine cat‘s empathy proves mildly soothing against the rising chest pain.
„Just don‘t do something foolish Ashfur. Thunderclan needs you.“
Slowly nodding, Ashfur looks away. He‘ll still need to repay his debt to Hawkfrost and train both in the Dark Forest and with a Bloodclan warrior. Not one of these things would seem less than foolish to his clanmates, no doubt.
„I‘ll try to add no further foolishness to it all. I‘m trying to be the best warrior I can be for Thunderclan. I have no intention of stopping to serve my birth clan.“
The words don‘t lay quite as heavy in Ashfur‘s gut. He speaks no lie. Leafpool observes him for a small while, from the corner of his eye her thoughts difficult to read. Finally, she slowly pulls her paw away with a small nod
„Alright. I presume Lionpaw will demand your attention now? You are training him a lot. It is alright to sometimes let a day go by with apprentices sticking to their duties, helping the elders and accompanying patrols“
Getting up proper at last, Ashfur sighs and shakes his head
„He can become very difficult to handle if he does not get to power himself out a bit. Not sure if I‘d want to inflict that upon Longtail and Mousefur. Perhaps I will take your advice and ask if Firestar can help out. Or bring Thornclaw and take a very long patrol…“
A chuckle, more sincere this time, shared between the two cats, before Ashfur dibs his head in a respectful goodbye. As Leafpool picks up and carries off the herbs back to her storage, Ashfur steps out into the camp. The early morning sun shining over the thorn barrier gives a pleasant warmth on this otherwise chilly morning. Striding onward with big steps, trying to soak up as much of the warming rays as possible, he wanders into the middle of the clearing. Warriors are increasingly beginning to emerge from the warriors den, more than one seeming to hold a similar idea to Ashfur, stretching and remaining in the sun for a moment, before trying to get their bearings for today. Ashfur should probably decide what to do soon as well. With the warriors out and bout, it‘s only a matter of time before someone goes to fetch their apprentice and wakes the lot of them up. In a moment of contemplation, what seems like a radiant shine catches his eye. Before his good sense sets in to tell him not too, his eyes turn towards it. The sun rising from behind the warriors den, in the full splendour it‘s shine can grant, she arises. In this light, her orange coat looks like a blaze, a bright shining flame. Cursing himself under his breath, Ashfur tears his gaze away. What little reprieve Leafpool‘s good-heartedness may have brought in the opening of his aching now resembles like less than a raindrop in the lake. The sting of his shoulder, the poultice still somewhat grinding in his wounds with each movement, is all but non-existent as his chest feels as though it‘d slowly burst open from within. He turns and walks the other way, more autonomously so than actually conscious. Last thing he needs now is to see Brambleclaw cuddle up to her, best not to wait around for it. With no real room to think today through in his head, Ashfur decides to simply follow Leafpool‘s proposed idea. What‘s the harm, Lionpaw must be looking up to his grand-father and leader. Firestar is an accomplished warrior and led not only Thunderclan, but all clans through perilous times. To him, Lionpaw would certainly listen. Opting to remain beside the apprentices den, he remains, keeping his gaze strictly raised to the High-Ledge. His claws digging into the dirt beneath, focusing on his breathing, he tries to remain focused against the lingering pain. Could he have done something different? He thought he‘d done everything right… No! Shaking his head firmly, Ashfur tries to stop his train of thought. There is no point to it, he knows why, why it couldn‘t have happened any differently. He grew complacent and weak and this is the consequence. He can‘t change the past, no matter how much he‘d give to do so. But he has a hope for the future, it is that he must hold on to. Thistleclaw was a powerful warrior, he has it in his blood to be one as well, with time and effort. As Brackenfur passes him, pushing into the den to fetch Hollypaw, Ashfur manages to pull himself from the deeper quagmire that are his thoughts. Firestar, after giving Sandstorm an affectionate lick over the ear, steps up to the High-Ledge, overlooking the camp as usual. Good, the leader‘s timing is impeccable. No doubt with Hollypaw up, Lionpaw will soon emerge too. If Ashfur is quick about it, he might just get his apprentice and a word with Firestar before today‘s patrols are set. Waiting just for Brackenfur to emerge, as expected with Hollypaw close at his heels, Ashfur enters the apprentice den. It takes less than a moment to find Lionpaw, the young brightly pelted apprentice nearly bumping into his mentor.
„Oh, hello, Ashfur.“
The younger tom‘s by the seems pleasantly surprised chirp holds the barely hidden, unspoken continuation of ´will we train again today?´ Ashfur rolls his eyes. Usually he‘d be more annoyed at this so early in the day, but between the still searing ache in his chest and a sparking curiosity for how involving Firestar in their training might turn out, his answer is calm an holds a bit of anticipation.
„You‘re up already, good. Come, I‘ve got something less usual planned for today.“
Lionpaw‘s eyes beam with enthusiasm at this and excitedly tries to brush past Ashfur to get out of the den. Before he can pass, Ashfur raises his paw, blocking the apprentice‘s path. The grey warrior‘s nose twitches and he lowers his head towards the younger tom, who‘s expression rapidly becomes more defensive
„Is that blood I smell on you?“
Ashfur tilts his head. He barely needs an answer, the scent is unmistakable. Lionpaw takes a step back, not hiding in the slightest his dislike for the holdup and questioning.
„I just had a thorn or something in my nest. Nothing worth stopping for. A warrior wouldn‘t stop for something like that either“
Ashfur stalls for a moment longer, before lowering his paw. He dislikes the snapping tone of his apprentice, but can‘t well disagree with his words. Not with his own goals in mind. If he is to train Lionpaw to become one of Thunderclan‘s best warriors, then a thorn can‘t be an obstacle to either of them. That, and Lionpaw has more than proven he can handle rougher things than just that.
„True enough. Fine. Come now, or else Firestar will be busy“
As Ashfur leads his apprentice out of the den, Lionpaw wanders close beside him.
„Firestar? Will he join us today?“
„If I can convince him to. Who better to show you what a warrior of Thunderclan should be than it‘s leader?“
Lionpaw follows along, but gives no further response. The apprentice‘s face shows contemplation, as if pondering how to react. Soon after, it clears up again however, replacing the thoughtfulness with a look of determination. Ashfur observes this all from the corner of his eye, not entirely certain what to make of it, but relieved at the determinate face of his apprentice by the end. Perhaps he‘s worried Firestar will end up gnawing his ear off with tales of what a warrior should be, rather than actual training. A possibility that is very much real and occurred to Ashfur only now. Now a bit of worry working in the back of his mind, the grey warrior none the less ascends to the High-Ledge. Too late to back away from the idea now that Lionpaw‘s heard it. Waiting up a brief moment for Lionpaw to get up and beside him again, the two walk over to Firestar, whom has since been joined by Brambleclaw, leader and deputy talking amongst themselves while looking over the camp. Brambleclaw is the first to notice the approaching cats, his ear turning in their direction before the rest of his head follows, prompting Firestar to do so also.
„Greetings, Ashfur. All faring well with Lionpaw‘s training, I hope?“
Ashfur respectfully dibs his head as Firestar adresses him.
„Lionpaw continues to prove himself strong, he will be a good warrior before long. I did want to ask for something in regards to that however“
While remaining silent, Brambleclaw‘s interest is palpable, his gaze only moving from Ashfur to shoot his son a proud grin for a heartbeat at Ashfur‘s praise. Firestar nods, curious as to his clanmate‘s request.
„What do you need?“
„I was wondering if you would join our training today. I believe it‘d be good for Lionpaw to learn from his kin and leader what being a warrior of Thunderclan is truly about.“
Firestar grows a small smile, seeming pleased at the request
„I‘m sure I can spare some time to teach Lionpaw today. But then the sun-rise patrol will be short it‘s leader. I can take Lionpaw today if you wish. I‘d have you lead the patrol then in my stead. With that, we should today‘s patrols sorted?“
Firestar turns towards Brambleclaw, whom nods
„That should be all then, yes.“
The tabby turns his gaze towards Ashfur
„It‘d be good if you could also join the sun-down patrol, Ashfur. It would work without you, but the patrol would have fewer warriors in it than would be ideal. With matters with Windclan being as they are right now, it‘d be good to have you there as well“
Ashfur briefly hums to himself. He‘d managed to avoid any earlier patrols for a while now, but he doesn‘t mind too much. He casts a brief look down at the cats assembling for the sun-rise patrol. No Squirreflight in sight… and she rarely goes on the sun-down patrol. A day of patrolling might not be the worst idea to get his thoughts off it all a bit. He turns his gaze to Lionpaw
„You‘d be fine training with Firestar today, wouldn‘t you?“
Lionpaw nods with reassuring eagerness
„Sure, I wouldn‘t mind at all.“
Ashfur slowly nods, turning towards leader and deputy again
„Then that‘s how it‘ll be done.“
As Brambleclaw encroaches on Lionpaw to speak with his son and Firestar, Ashfur looks off, into the further forest surrounding Thunderclan‘s camp. Two more days and he‘ll be able to show Talon his progress. As hard as upholding patience is, it feels like it‘s working. Slowly, bit by bit. Slowly he turns his gaze back towards his apprentice, while that one recounts tales of recent training and hunting to Brambleclaw and Firestar. If Ashfur succeeds, what will that make Lionpaw to him? Not only him, but Hollypaw and Jaypaw as well. They made no choice as Squirrelflight did. Would they only see him as their mother‘s new mate, as an interloper between their parents… or could he grow to be potentially something more to them? Lionpaw is infuriating at times, but it‘d be a lie to say Ashfur hasn‘t grown somewhat fond of the brightly furred tom. Perhaps he could grow fond of grumpy Jaypaw and rule-riding Hollypaw in the same way. Perhaps. He would have loved kits of his own, but if Squirrelflight wants no second litter, if it is not to be… perhaps he could grow to see these three young cats as his own in time. He‘d be willing to try.
Pulling himself from his thoughts, Ashfur speaks his goodbyes and descends down to join the patrol. One thing at a time. He‘ll first need to become stronger. Reclaim what has been lost. Finally silence the accursed pain coursing through himself. What comes after that only Starclan may know, for now. With renewed purpose bolstering him against the slowly fading sting in his chest and the biting burning of the poultice in his shoulder wound, he leads his patrol out of camp.

Chapter Text

Blinking against the early sun, Talon quietly hums, sitting upon his wall. The alley only sees the calmly sitting leader, not his tail, hanging off the other side, swishing nervously. Cats gather below, a great patrol. Many pelts, collars of all colours, coming together, reading themselves to head out. Slowly Talon turns his gaze down upon his cats. Kestrel is lying on the dumpster by the wall, overlooking the whole thing, seeming pleased with himself and soaking up what little warmth the sun is willing to give. Mentally, Talon sighs, knowing he can‘t do so for real. Not today, not now. Any trace of doubt he‘d show, the patrol would react to. What they do today is too important. He cannot be the reason this fails, he absolutely can not. If ever Scourge was watching to evaluate his actions, it‘d likely be now. With a small scoff Talon shuts his eyes for a moment. Nevermind that now. This isn‘t just for Scourge, this is for them. As his eyes open again, he beholds the gathered warriors, excitedly chatting, making promises of their return to kin, pacing restlessly for it to begin. An upraising sight from afar, but those closer to the wall unwittingly reveal frightening truth. Clover and Frost, speaking with each other, backs towards the wall, the shape of their ribs faintly visible through their pelts, especially Frost‘s usually stronger limbs slimmed down from how they were just a few moons ago. They stand relatively strongly still, for now. But how much longer would that last at this rate. With tangible effort, Talon pulls his gaze away, a haunting, quiet panic flaring up in the back of his mind for a few heartbeats, before he manages to silence it again. No, not again, never again! He will not watch them starve.
After quieting his thoughts a bit, Talon leaps down to the dumpster, causing Kestrel to raise his head and look up. A few heads turn at the noise of Talon‘s impact, Frost among them. The white tom excuses himself briefly from Clover, padding over to the dumpster. Rearing up onto his hind legs, front paws resting against the wall of the dumpster, he looks up at Talon
„We are ready to head out at your orders, Talon.“
The red eyed leader nods, looking from Frost out over the rest of the patrol
„Get Sparrow in the front once we start walking. Soon as we‘re underground, he‘ll need to take point. We‘re leaving soon.“
Frost nods deeply before pushing himself off, away from the dumpster. With quick steps he makes his way through the patrol to find Sparrow. Kestrel observes the warrior leave for a few heartbeats before turning his head away, his expression difficult to read. Talon observes his second-in-command from the corner of his eye. This drama will need to be mended, or at least silenced enough to no longer be noticeable. Unfortunately, this fails to make itself a priority for now. No quarrelling to worry about if everyone starves, no longer his problem if tomorrow another leader opens his throat and claims his faction. Kestrel still functions as second-in-command, Frost remains an able warrior. For now that will need to suffice.
Leaping down from the dumpster and padding towards the assembled patrol, Talon‘s thoughts are somewhat interrupted as Grail and Lantern emerge from the group. Lantern bows his head, before sitting down on his haunches
„Greetings, Talon. We about to head out then?“
„Indeed. You two will be with us, I take it?“
Grail nods, her thick tail flicking behind her. Despite the clear excitement in her eyes, it seems the twitches on her right side remain relatively few and minor. Perhaps it‘s getting better slowly? The thought brings a feeling of warm hope to Talon.
„Edge remains to watch over Lantern‘s kits and help defend if needed. We are ready to follow you.“
Talon looks to Grail. Is this wise? What if something happens? Though the discomfort of thinking clanmates of his could fall if things go badly already lays heavily in Talon‘s gut, he finds the idea of Grail coming to yet more harm to weigh just as heavily on him in itself. His stare must be reflecting his thoughts, as a look of nigh pleading enters Grail‘s eyes. No weak, cowering pleading, but strong, confident and most of all hopeful. She wants to prove herself, she wants a chance. That much she deserves, in fact this much Talon can‘t help but feel he owes her. Slowly the leader nods.
„Very well. I will be counting on you both. But remain cautious. We can‘t know all the risks we might face, every warrior must remain ready and vigilant at all times“
Though his words are meant for both of them and in fact all others who might be listening around, he finds difficulty in prying his eyes away from the fuzzy russet pelt and shining golden eyes, causing some amount of embarrassment as he finally manages to turn his head away. The two siblings nod in response, Grail‘s ear flicking in repetition as she then turns away as well. After a brief moment, Talon pads on, through the assembled patrol, soon finding Frost and Sparrow. As the two toms look up, Talon lets his eyes wander ack and forth between them
„We‘re heading out.“
Frost is quick to nod, while Sparrow tilts his head to the side, impatience ringing in his voice
„Where will we enter the sewers? Important detail in all of this“
As Frost looks at Sparrow from the side, making no secret of his failure to appreciate the impertinence of the brown tom‘s tone of voice. Talon disregards it, turns his head and points his tail in the direction they‘d be heading
„There is a decent access point near the lower end of where the border used to be. We‘ll get in easy enough there. After that, it‘ll be your turn“
Sparrow nods, thinking for a moment before nodding anew, mostly to himself by the seems of it
„I think I know where you mean. Yeah, should be doable. Alright, let‘s get going, right?“
Talon looks out into the amassed patrol, a fair few eyes returning his gaze.
„I think they‘ll grow restless if we don‘t. LET‘S MOVE OUT!“
The dark grey tom‘s voice rises to a commanding shout, slightly echoing off the walls of the alley. Several ongoing discussions fall silent as Talon turns and strides onward, hearing the patrol moving behind him. The sound of reinforcing claws clacking on the asphalt, shuffling, tiny stones and litter kicked out of the way, quiet talking slowly reviving itself among the ranks. Familiar sounds, a familiar act, moving out in a larger patrol like this. Familiarity muddled and overshadowed by the pressure that much like during their raid on Thunderclan, Talon is not among the mass of warriors, but marching in front, leading, responsible. The only mercy is the mostly snowless ground, leaving not much traces of the red eyed leader‘s sweating pads.
Padding on for a while, trying to stay as much as possible away from the thunderpaths, preferring alleys and paths the monsters rarely venture with a group this large, the sound of someone approaching rapidly from out of the patrol makes Talon look over his shoulder. Lantern, slender and quick footed, overtakes Frost and Sparrow, reaching the leader‘s side.
„Something to report, Lantern?“
Lantern shakes his head briefly
„Not to report, really. But there was something I meant to talk to you about.“
Talon observes the tom from the side for a moment, not stopping the patrol‘s motion. Mildly surprising, but not unpleasantly so.
„Sure. It‘ll be a moment before we get there. What‘s on your mind?“
The brightly pelted warrior nods, but pauses for a moment, visibly considering how best to address the matter.
„I think we can agree by now that… Grail‘s thoughts on you are no longer much of a secret.“
Despite the palpable caution of Lantern‘s words, the surprise turns to mild embarrassment for Talon. The red eyed tom actively puts effort into not letting any behind them see. Ears up and forward, tail confidently raised. Keep it up, keep moving on. Lantern chose an odd time to have this kind of conversation. After a few heartbeats, the blue eyed warrior goes on
„And from what we can tell, you‘re not impartial to her as well“
„Your point?“
Despite the attempt to keep his voice calm, Talon‘s answer comes a bit too quick to veil his discomfort. Lantern takes another moment to consider his words.
„Edge and I are of course happy to see our sibling happy with her company. As are we for you, of course, we respect you. We wouldn‘t have followed you were it otherwise. But one thing we just want to make sure, ever since, well, the dog“
Talon slowly nods. He can‘t quite guess what the concern is, but at the mention of the dog, guilt tints his eyes and feelings. The memory of Grail unmoving on the ground, which had evoked terrible dread at the time, now is nigh haunting. A hum from Lantern pulls Talon back a bit, finding the pale blue eyes of the warrior actively seeking his own.
„This is precisely what I mean. You feel guilty about something you shouldn‘t. And we, especially I, worry you draw the wrong conclusions. Grail wanted to impress you, but her actions are her own. No matter how things proceed, do not let it be out of a feeling of guilt of the thought that you owe her companionship. I know her, Talon, and it would wound her worse then anything a dog, rogue or twoleg could inflict upon her.“
Talon‘s pace slows a bit as he lowers his head in thought. Slowly blinking, his legs moving forth on their own Talon rakes through his memories, through what he feels. He did bring her food because he felt responsible for what happened. Something more has begun to stir since, but what is it truly that has kept their brief courtship alive? Could he even call it that? He has no idea what he‘s really doing in regards to the russet she-cat.
„You picked some time to drop that on me, Lantern. We should be focusing on the mission today…“
Lantern lets out a guilty chuckle
„I‘m not known for my timing. Truth be told, between the kits and my duties, I haven‘t had much time to speak up lately. You‘re right, we should focus on the food for now, just… keep it in mind, please. She‘s my littermate and I do not want her to suffer. Our family is complicated enough as is“
The butterscotch warrior lets out a sigh, laden heavily with memories, looking somewhat emptily ahead for a moment before looking back at his leader.
„She loves you as a warrior, Talon. Please don‘t love her back as anything less than that. That‘s all I wanted to say. Take all the time you need to consider things. We‘ll follow you either way, all three of us.“
„I never doubted your loyalty.“
Truthful though they are, Talon‘s words are noticeably clouded with consideration. Noticing Frost and Sparrow gaining on him, he speeds up again. They probably didn‘t hear much thus far. Talon would not care to change that. The clan, the faction, may have a claim on him as their leader, but this is not leader‘s business. This will be for him to ponder, not for them to gossip on or interfere in. Lantern nods, slowly beginning to fall back, sending a warm, appreciative glance towards Talon.
„We all trust you, you know? When we get back you can ponder all that. After we get what we set out for. We know you‘ll guide us to success. We don‘t doubt you will, so no need for you to do so.“
As the tom let‘s himself slow, Frost and Sparrow passing him, briefly interrupting a quiet discussion they were having to observe the bright pelt fall back into the main body of the patrol, Talon is left alone at the top again.
Abuzz as it has set his mind, the talk aided in passing time. They are nearly at their access point now. Letting out a deep breath, Talon raises his head again. Difficult it may be, he needs to remain focused. He‘ll have a lot to work through either way now when they get back. No need to add to it by provoking mistakes. Turning a corner and downward some of the older thunderpaths, not as smooth as the others, but composed of cobbled stones, neatly alined row after row after row, their target comes in sight. An opening, a stream of water, mostly molten snow right now, pouring forth quietly from it. Steel bars are sealing it off from dogs or twolegs, but the ample space between the bars assures it would be no obstacle to any of them. Drawing closer to it, Talon lets out a huff as his nose twitches. The oder is less severe than most other places to access the sewer might be, perhaps because only actual water seems to flow from it, but being connected to the rest leaves none the less an awful aftertaste upon the scent. And it‘ll only get worse when they move deeper into it.
Talon stops before the gaping access to this place he‘d not hoped to ever have to venture into, turning towards the patrol as it increasingly gathers before him. Wary looks wander from many to the tunnel, a fair number strengthening themselves with purpose and determination as they then fall back onto Talon. The last stragglers soon arrive, eyes upon their leader. With a flick of his tail, he summons Frost and Sparrow to his side.
„Sparrow will walk beside me, guiding our direction in there. But the right way will serve us none if we lead ourselves blindly into a swarm of rats or worse. Frost, select one or two cats, stay close to Sparrow and I. You‘ll lead them forward to scout ahead whenever we embark down a new tunnel, make sure we don‘t run into dangers.“
The white veteran warrior nods, trying to turn, only to be stopped by Talon‘s long, fuzz tail.
„Only scouting. I don‘t want anyone, or anything, down there to know of our presence any more than the rogues above us. Proceed in silence and any danger spotted, you report it immediately.“
Talon‘s words are firm, masking the worry behind them. They know little of the sewers. Too little. Risks could spiral out of control too easily if they are careless. Could cost them all dearly. The knot of wariness in Talon‘s gut lightens a little at Frost‘s renewed nod, amber eyes dead serious.
„Understood.“
„Good…“
As Talon‘s tail pulls back, Frost hurries over to the rest of the patrol to take his pick. Left alone with Sparrow, the red eyed tom looks over to their guide to be.
„We‘re depending on you a lot for this, Sparrow. You are certain you can find us the right way?“
The brown tom looks up from drawing a few grooming licks over his mane, mild annoyance flickering in his eyes
„I will, I said I would.“
Talon nods slowly, turning his head to look into the looming dark of the sewer
„If you do this well, you’ll do a great service to the faction and the clan. A service, I don‘t intend on forgetting once we‘re back“
One of Sparrow‘s ears locks on to Talon, a brief moment of interest flashing in his eyes.
„We‘ll get there and back. All that‘s left is to do it. Can‘t say I look forward to the smell though“
A mildly amused scoff escapes Talon, Frost already returning with Lantern and Wax by his side
„No kidding. But… we do what must be done. Let‘s go.“
At the return of the former second-in-command, Talon gives the white tom a nod towards the sewer. Without another word, the three cats designated to scout on move past between the steel bars and into the sewer, Talon slowly walking in after them, with Sparrow at his side and the rest of the patrol following. Talon at them over his shoulder.
„Stick together! No lingering in the back. Only together we‘re strongest. Alone we may well get lost.“
Slowly, they proceed onwards. The smell worsens quickly, but it seems warmer than outside. Padding along the small stream running past them, Frost and the other scouts soon returning.
„Clear till the next cross section, not far ahead.“
The grey leader gives a curt nod of acknowledgement
„Good. We‘ll proceed this way each tunnel we enter. How long about till we might get there?“
Talon turns his head to Sparrow. The brown tom hums, eyes remaining focused down the dim tunnel
„Getting there, walking straight, would be perhaps till barely before sunhigh. Twists and turns down here, no doubt it‘ll be longer. Don‘t think we‘ll be back before well after sundown.“
Besides a small hum, Talon gives no further response. Not ideal, but to be expected. Still, remaining together, remaining watchful, it seems doable. Not much light down here anyway most likely, so it‘ll not hamper their way back much. His jaws pressed tightly against each other, Talon leads the way forth with Sparrow. They‘ll make it. They have to.

The passage of time turns difficult to keep track of, down here. It wasn‘t long after entering that the tunnels mostly leading water outward opened up to the less savoury wider sewers. Wandering on beside streams of murky waters, dirt and things difficult to even recognise, more than once is it heard that someone in the patrol wretches. The scent of this place is beyond abysmal, foul and mouldy, putrid in a dozen different ways. To Talon‘s surprise, there are some twoleg lights here and there in he wider sections. The stone paths are slick and disgusting, but at least it‘s less likely someone missteps and falls into the horrid stream. Talon makes a mental note to walk through any little patch of snow or grass he can when they get back out in their territory. Cleaning his paws is bound to leave a stomach heaving taste in his mouth for a while either way, any chance to lessen that would be beyond welcome. Still, a certain satisfaction has since arisen, quelling his worries a bit. So far things have gone smoothly. They may not advance as quickly as they could, but all remains fine for now. Down some tunnels, the noise of rats has been heard, but all were avoided thus far. Focused on his work, his mind visibly at work, Sparrow remains very quiet beyond pointing the way each time they come upon a new spot where the tunnels split. Moths in flight let the bit of light the twoleg lights seem slightly flickering and there are enough cobwebs in some parts to fill the healer‘s den twice over. Still, progress, continuous progress.
His thoughts cease as Talon happens upon Frost, Lantern and Wax again, the three waiting where the tunnels split once more. Sparrow briefly looks at the paths ahead, pointing towards one and pressing on. Frost and Wax move on ahead, but Talon halts, seeing Lantern hesitating, casting a look down another tunnel.
„What‘s wrong?“
Startled a bit by Talon‘s words, Lantern shakes his head.
„I‘m not sure. Sparrow, where do you think this one leads?“
He points down the tunnel he‘d been eyeing. Sparrow lets out a grunt, making no secret of his displeasure at being disturbed in his work and focus.
„You see there‘s a curve ahead down there. It leads back into the territories. If it goes mostly straight after that, somewhere under Kestrel‘s or Wraith‘s territory.“
Frost stops, looking back.
„Talon‘s territory now, Sparrow“
„Don‘t you start…“
The annoyance behind Sparrow‘s grumble is emphasised by his lashing tail. Talon shakes his head at the two before turning back to Lantern.
„Why? Heard something down that way?“
Lantern again hesitates briefly, tilting his head as if questioning himself
„No, not heard… but I thought I caught a scent. A somewhat familiar one…maybe I‘m wrong“
„Would be surprised if you could distinguish any scent at all. Greatest filth of all twoleg place down here…“
Owl grumbles, trying to wipe his nose with the back of his paw, the rest of the patrol arriving, never far behind Talon. Lantern nods with a thoughtful expression.
„Maybe. Doesn‘t make much sense anyway“
Talon flicks his ear
„What did you think you smelled anyway? We don‘t know what all could be down here.“
Raising his gaze to Talon or a few heartbeats before looking back down the tunnel, the butterscotch tom flicks his tail a few times
„I thought… it was Brick‘s scent. But that‘s not really possible, right? Brick left, either dead or a long way from Bloodclan’s territory by now.“
Interest sparkles in Talon‘s eyes at the mention of such a reminiscent name. Mutters, whispers and quiet conversation go through the patrol. He hadn‘t seen Brick among the dead in the Dark Forest, so he may still be alive. But as Lantern says, he left with a pawful of others when the clan began to splinter. He‘d always assumed he went somewhere far off, maybe tried to make his own, new Bloodclan in another twoleg place. Why would he remain so close by still? The journey too dangerous? Why not at least let the clan know he‘s still somewhere around? If he‘s indeed alive dow here, he must have survived for a long time in these dank tunnels. No one ever reported noticing his scent again on the surface.
„Talon!“
His train of thought is interrupted by Sparrow‘s voice
„We‘re losing time. We still got a way to go.“
Looking down the tunnel from which Lantern reported the scent, Talon remains still for a few heartbeats, before letting out a mildly annoyed growl. Yes, they are wasting time. The clan is thinning, cats are hungry. No matter how much this intrigues him, the priority today remains clear. For today at least. He nods and resumes on his way.
„We might look into that another time. We need to keep going, Lantern. And we still need the path ahead secured“
After one last inquisitive look, Lantern turns towards Talon again, giving a deep nod an bounds to catch up with Frost and Wax, whom have already advanced a bit further down the way. Curious as lantern is, this is not likely to let go of him anytime soon. Although, Talon has to admit to himself that he is no less interested. Brick basically founded Bloodclan beside Scourge and Bone. One of the very first Bloodclan cats, a cat he‘d seen and spoken to many times before the forest. If anything, Brick would have had the most solid claim to become the next leader out of everyone… before he left. Annoyance boils in Talon‘s mind that he can not find out if Lantern was right or not right now. But nothing can come before today‘s mission. They need the food, urgently. Only that can matter now. And they are getting there. He won‘t watch these cats hunger and starve. There can only be success, nothing else can be allowed. He‘ll do what must be done. Scourge will see that he understands, even if others don‘t. Not because the former leader wishes it, but because Talon has to. Onward he walks, with his scouts before him and his patrol behind him, into ever deeper tunnels.

Chapter Text

Onwards, ever onwards. Time continues to run by, it‘s precise passage unknowable underground, only the increasing onset of aching paws and legs telling them that they‘ve been moving for quite a while. Sparrow remains focused, holding little hesitation each time he directs their course down another tunnel, although even he seems to grow a little tired at it.
„We should be just about there. At last…“
The relieved sigh of Sparrow sparks some much overdue relief in Talon as well. If he is certain that they‘re almost there, it shouldn‘t be far now. At least if Sparrow‘s ability to orientate himself is as good as promised… Talon banishes the thought that his guide might not be as able and that they could be irreparably lost from his mind as quick as he manages, though an uncomfortable, cold shudder remains for several more steps. No, they must almost be there. The trip thus far has gone all as it should. No major undue surprises, a few smaller groups of rats that tried to defend their damp little nests, stink and darkness, but no true obstacles. Twice they adjusted their course to avoid larger swarms of rats, but none of the deviations cost them all that much more time, at least so Sparrow proclaimed. All goes well. All will go well. The stress has not left Talon for a moment the entire time and even the relief of hearing that they MIGHT almost be out feels like rain after a drought. Following the brown coated guide, soon they find themselves nigh a stacked pile of boxes. Large boxes underneath, forming a foundation, atop which smaller ones are stacked, leaving a climbable trail to a slit of sunlight descending down, one of the holes through which rain usually drains from thunderpaths. Sparrow sits down and huffs, visibly pleased with himself. Several others of the patrol, those who‘d been on the scouting mission, all breathe up as they seem to recognise the place, causing a breath of relieved joy from the rest as well.
„So this is it?“
Talon turns to Sparrow, but finds Frost stepping up beside him, looking pleased up to the opening above.
„Yes, this is it. And the boxes are still here. I was worried a bit the twolegs might have moved them, but all still here.“
Talon looks off down the tunnel, ears swivelling in the same direction. Twolegs are at work, further down that way. How or why, he neither knows nor cares to know right now. The boxes clearly have not been here too long, strong dark grey plastic, the dampness of the sewers barely upon it. Some of the smaller boxes are open, twoleg tools and lights laying around. This will all be gone when the twolegs finish up whatever they‘re up to down here, that much his lifelong experience living in twoleg place tells Talon.
„You neglected to mention our access out of the sewer might be dependant on the comings and goings of twolegs…“
After the long walk, Talon does not disguise his displeasure as he turns his head back just enough to shoot Frost a look from the corner of his eye.
„We saw them bring the boxes here from above. One of the fools even tried to reach out to touch us…“
Frost shakes his head at the memory with some distaste.
„But if they brought this much stuff, Kestrel expected they would be busy here a few days at least. Rare as it is, I kinda agreed with that. Twolegs don‘t seem to like unneeded effort. Wouldn‘t bring all this for some small, quick task.“
With a slow nod, Talon looks up to their exit.
„Fair enough. Still, I‘d rather get out of here. Is there someplace nearby outside we can rest a moment?“
Sparrow, freshly up on his paws again and stretching himself butts in
„There was that shaded wall right by the place, I think. Bit out of sight, but right by the meat place.“
Frost nods slowly
„Yeah, that should do fairly well for a brief rest.“
With a quiet grunt, Talon leaps up onto the larger boxes, looking down at the patrol, many sitting down to rest their paws a bit.
„We‘ll take a small rest outside. I want us as ready as possible for when we go in. For now, let‘s get out of the sewers“
The attention of most is drawn towards Talon as he speaks, using the same loud-and-clear voice he does for announcements in his alley. Beckoning Frost up with him, to show the way from here on, the white tom wastes no time to leap up and begin climbing the smaller boxes. The plastic feels smooth and slightly slippery under their paws after stepping through the damp all this time, Talon letting his hind claws unsheathe a bit in his climbing for more certain grip. From the highest box, Frost easily leaps the little distance to the water drain and slips outside. After a moment and a look back to see that the patrol is collectively beginning to scale the tower of boxes, Talon follows Frost‘s example, reaching the drain easily and climbing forth from it. Blinking in the light outside, letting his eyes adapt to the brightness, his ears swivel, scanning his surroundings. Bit by bit the surroundings become clearer, a tiny dead-end side alley, not long, not wide, but shaded and populated by a few larger dumpsters mainly. A not very busy thunderpath connects to it, Frost sitting out by the edge, looking out from the alley. He follows the white warrior, whom turns his head towards Talon as he approaches, before swaying it outward as a sign to see what he‘s looking at. Before Talon even arrives by Frost‘s side, before he has a chance to see it, he smells it. The scent lies temptingly in the air, leaving Talon feeling saliva gathering in his maw. Meat. Not just prey, nor old, fresh twoleg meats. A rare treat and the air is thick with it‘s smell here. There is no doubt anymore, they arrived at the right place. Sitting down beside Frost, Talon‘s eyes soon focus in on their target, the direction of the smell simple to find. Behind large panes of glass in the front of the building, large pieces of meat, some bigger than even a dog could carry, neatly on display. But that‘s not where the smell originates from, the occasional opening of the door when a twoleg enters or leaves not enough to saturate the air like this. No, the smell comes from the side of the building, where Talon sees past a still twoleg monster the window, the open window Kestrel reported. As if on cue, a twoleg, clad in mostly white smeared with some blood, leans outward on the edge of the window, pulling forth one of the foul smelling smoke sticks and sets fire to on side, beginning to blow smoke about.
„Exactly as you reported… good. Very good.“
Eyes remaining fixed to the building, one of his ears sways in Frost‘s direction as that one chuckles
„Can‘t wait to see what we can grab from there…“
„We probably won‘t have time to make much of a selection. We grab what we can and get out. Things went well this far, I‘d rather not tempt fate now“
Frost hums, observing the smoke breathing twoleg a while before nodding
„Yeah… makes sense. Besides, just about anything from in there should make for a welcome catch“
„That‘s what we‘re hoping for“
At last pulling his eyes from the meat place, Talon looks back, most of the patrol having emerged from the sewer by now, finding room to sit by the wall to rest or stepping closer to the same corner as Frost and Talon, drawn closer by the same smell. Raising his red yes to the sky, observing that sunhigh has been over for a bit now, the sun already descending very slowly, Talon‘s tail sways with some unrest.
„We rest now… but we can‘t rest too long. It took us much of the day to get here and we still will have to carry everything back. We can‘t idle long.“
Frost nods slowly, stretching himself long, even thinned as he currently is muscles rippling under his short pelt as he does so.
„Probably best that way. I‘ll go check if everyone‘s out of the sewer by now.“
Talon shakes out his pelt as he rises up to his paws again, slowly walking past the former second-in-command and towards the greater mass of warriors he brought
„Alright, you do that. Meanwhile I would like one or two cats to go keep an eye on the window from up closer. Get a look inside, figure out if there is any time it‘d be safe for us to enter.“
Raising his voice a little as he goes along, making sure his warriors hear him, he looks around expectantly. Rapidly, Grail steps forth, fuzzy tail held high.
„I will“
Talon nods slowly, before looking around again.
„Anyone else?“
A few moments later, Wax steps forth, a faint pleased purr emitting as he steps from the shade into the sunlight, it‘s warmth clearly welcomed by the long haired black tom.
„Sure, I can go. Just observing for openings for now, right?“
„Exactly. From on top of the still monster you‘ll probably have the best view. Just watch, see what can be seen, where the food is, when we might get in and out without trouble… It‘s rarely wise to challenge twolegs on their own turf, so I want if possible to be gone before anyone of them have much chance to do anything.“
Calmly padding over to Grail, Wax nods, his white face turning towards their destination
„Got it. Should‘t be a problem.“
Grail looks from Wax to Talon, a confident smile on her, for a moment allowing Talon to forget her injury as he sees the warrior, her thick russet fur holding a beautiful shine in the descending sunlight.
„We‘ll get it done.“
The two set out, after a moment of observation crossing the thunderpath and hurrying over to the inactive monster. Immediately noticed by the twoleg at the window, no real reaction follows beyond it pondering the two warriors for a while, before eventually tossing it‘s burned down smoke stick away onto the pavement and returning back inside.
Returning into the small alley‘s shade and laying down amidst the rest of the patrol, Talon lays down his head for a bit with a quiet huff. It‘s been a long walk and the icky feeling his paws got from the grounds they stepped has not faded. Hardly any snow out today, nor do there seem to be any patches of green to rub his pads off on. No matter. They got their target in sight now. As soon as they are rested up a little, they will get what they came for and get back home. The patrol around either sits or lies, all remaining fairly close to the others, talking, joking. A few try to predict what exactly they might find inside the meatplace, only to be contradicted by someone equally unknowing, several rings of discussion forming. From time to time a rogue or loner pads by the alley, their astonishment and often curiosity cut short between the spontaneous guards, Frost and Owl, and they quickly continue walking. Though at times it seems to find a gap in his pelt, sending a small shiver down his spine, the cold is mostly pleasant on his legs currently. After a while, Talon rises back up, briefly shaking out his pelt before padding up to the thunderpath, right by Owl.
„I‘ll go see if our scouts found us a decent opening. The patrol stays here until I give sign to proceed“
Owl gives no words but a stern nod in response, turning his head to a few warriors who‘d already been getting up and about to follow after seeing Talon rise to his paws. With a sway of his rugged old tail, Owl signals them to stay put, which they comply with fairly quickly, most simply returning to their circles of conversation for now. With looks in both sides and a moment to listen, Talon deems the thunderpath safe for now and quickly bounds cross, leaping up onto the monster Grail and Wax are posted on.
„Found anything useful for us?“
Grail turns her head and nods, visibly pleased.
„A few things. It‘s often shortly, but the twoleg does leave the room regularly.“
Through the open window Talon sees the twoleg, at work at a large table, cutting away at a large piece of meat, slowly clearing it off around a huge bone with a single curved metal claw in it‘s hand. Wax chimes in, pointing into the room at a door to the left, only slightly open.
„And from there he keeps grabbing and bringing meat from and to. I bet my tail that‘s where we find what we seek. Long as the twoleg doesn‘t close it up, it should be quick and easy for us.“
Talon nods, observing the door a moment, before returning his attention to the twoleg, whom finishes clearing almost all the meat cleanly off the bone, leaving it on the table for a moment before exchanging it‘s metal claw for a longer and straighter one, cutting apart the meat itself. Talon hums as he watches the bone for a bit. He‘s seen the bones of larger dogs before and this is well bigger still.
„I did always wonder what prey twolegs hunt… Must be enormous beasts, bigger than themselves“
Wax follows Talons gaze, his ear flicking before emitting a slight chuckle, perhaps genuine, perhaps just to mask the growling of his stomach, audible still behind his chuckle and words.
„Well, they seem to be through with the hunting part on this one. Right now I mostly care wether if tastes better than dog.“
Talon throws a discrete look along Wax‘s body. The black tom‘s long fur obscures it somewhat, but he too has thinned over the past moon. Turning and stepping to the other side of the monster, in sight of Frost and Owl, Talon sways his tail for them all to come over. The two guards rushing into the alley to tell the others, Talon turns to Grail and Wax.
„Next opportunity to go in, give me the signal. We know what we need to know, next chance we get we grab what we can and leave“
As the two warriors nod, Talon leaps down to the ground. Already Lantern, Sparrow and Hornet are crossing the thunderpath, more quickly following. Gathering them as they arrive, closely behind the inactive monster, out of immediate sight should the twoleg look out the window again, to wait. As Frost and Owl arrive last, Talon puts one of his reinforcing claws up against his lips, preventing discussions from coming up. Their wait is not long however, before Grail‘s head pops up above them, looking down the edge of the monster at the patrol.
„He‘s gone, it‘s clear now!“
„Good. Everyone, follow, now! We don‘t have much time, grab the biggest you can carry and get out! We gather by the sewer access after this. Now go!“
Talon rushes forth, through under the monster and leaps up to the open window, before dropping off into the room, trusting Grail‘s report blindly. Within two heartbeats, more cats jump into the room. Taking a quick look around as he does so, Talon rapidly moves towards the door he saw, pleased that it remains slightly open. Cold air gushes forth from the other side, but as does scent. Meat, many kinds, much of it! Talon tries to push the door open with his head, finding it a good bit heavier than it looks, growling as he doubles down on his effort. Only very slowly does the door open, before Gash joins in, soon to be followed by Hornet and Spider. As the door opens more and more, warriors push past, some even leap over the four cats pushing the door, entering the cold room. After a grateful nod to Gash, Hornet and Spider, Talon too enters the room, though the sight makes him stop in his tracks for a brief moment. In open plastic boxes, hung on hooks or dangling from metal staves above, meat. So very much, some pieces large enough to bury a large grown hound under.
„Woah…“
Talon‘s attention is drawn in by Grail as she pads in, her pupils expanding at such a scene.
„There‘s enough here to last all Bloodclan two leafbares… if not more.“
Talon nods, turning his head back to see several other cats observing the nigh unreal room in awe, a few however already on trying to reach some of the biggest pieces they can conceivably carry. Right, they don‘t have time to gawk.
„Grab what you can carry! We don‘t stay a moment longer than needed!“
Quickly turning to Wax, whom is standing in the doorway and was going to enter, Talon stops him with his tail.
„Stay outside, we need someone to give alarm if the twoleg comes back. If this door closes on us, we‘re trapped“
Nodding briskly, the black warrior with the white face backs away
„Hurry then, he‘s never gone long.“
Looking around for a heartbeat to find something good that no-one else seems to have their eye on already, Talon soon finds that he might be able to reach some of the sausages hanging from the staves above if he climbs some of the stacked boxes. Such a rare treat out there in the dumpsters, here they hang in the dozens, in the hundreds even! Rapidly going to work, he leaps up, up the red plastic boxes, that seem to be filled for the most part with shredded meats. Taking a generous bite from the contents of the highest box, eagerly gulping down the chilled food, Talon reaches out, slowly able to pull on the long string of sausages. Much to his displeasure though, his one pawed pulls do not manage to pull much more of the long string down towards him. Beneath, several warriors are racing off and out of there already, sizeable pieces of meat between their jaws as they get out. There is no time to lose… Looking up at the steel on which the precious food is wound, Talon briefly prepares, lowering himself, before leaping up high to it. Clamping down his jaws around one of the sausages, he finds himself falling down, pulling some with him. Landing with a thud on his paws and startling Spider as he was passing with a plastic bag, seemingly filled with finely shredded meat. Looking around, Talon briefly inspects the fruit of his labor. The very sausage he sank his teeth into tore, everything beyond it remains hanging up there. Everything past it however has successfully come down. Five whole sausages and the torn one. Not as much as Talon wound have liked, but then again, only so much he can carry himself and still a lot of food. He picks up his string roughly in the middle, partially winding the rest around himself, Scourge knows he wouldn‘t want to drag this food over the sewer floor when return.
Right as he turns to leave, as many others already have, his fur stands up on edge at the shrill sound of Wax‘s howl of alarm. Immediately following Wax‘s howl, the loud, clearly displeased voice of the twoleg thunders through both rooms. Talon races, rapid as his legs can carry him, hearing behind him the hard pawsteps of every other warrior remaining. The initial fear coursing through Talon lessens a little as he and the others still there get out of the death trap that is the cold room, only to instantly reignite as the twoleg stroms forth on the opposite side of the table. It‘s not heading for the door, it‘s heading for the window! Breaking into a desperate sprint, Talon dashes forth towards the window, only to see the fat paw of the twoleg already reach for it‘s handle by the time Talon is close enough to leap up to it. With a furious howl, his usually friendly face distorted with rage, Wax storms in from the other side of the window, leaping into the twoleg‘s face with his claws unsheathed. Briefly, the twoleg is staggered, letting out a bellowing cry as Wax‘s claws dig into it‘s thick cheeked face. An opening, a last chance. Talon turns his head, beholding the remaining warriors. Hornet and Spider, Grail and Soot, Rat and Owl.
„Now! Go!“
Talon waits for no reply, leaping up to the window, watching with concern as the twoleg throws Wax off of itself, holding it‘s bleeding face and stumbling back towards the window.
Hornet and Spider both quickly pass, their leaps almost clearing over the window and down the other side in one go.
Slightly disoriented, it reached for the handle, speaking what could only be curses in it‘s unintelligible tongue.
Grail gets up and passes, quick as her paws can carry her, leaping off the other side. Soot, displaying uncharacteristic rapidity of movement, is right at Grail‘s tail, worry and thankfulness aplenty in his eyes as he passes the threshold.
It‘s hand finds the handle, pushing the window shut. Letting anger course through him, Talon slams himself against the glass, intent on being as much an obstacle as possible. For a brief moment, it slows the closing, before the twoleg simply uses more force, Talon being pushed back with ease. Through the window, Talon can see Rat, standing on the window cill, dropping his loot in terror as the window closes too far for him to pass anymore. With a hiss, Talon tries to hold against the twoleg from the other side of the window, to no avail at all. Until it screeches once more. Looking amid the hard breathing his effort has worked up, Talon can see Owl, hanging from the twoleg‘s wrist by his teeth. It whirls around, slamming the old veteran warrior against the wall, upon which he relents his grip and falls dow. But the twoleg is distracted, for just a moment. Under Talon‘s continuous pushing, the window opens just a bit more. Rat, the terror of this experience still plain upon his face, pushes through the gap, with no food but his life none the less. Talon watches the warrior leap down, distracting him from the twoleg‘s hand grabbing the lever yet again. Caught unaware, the red eyed tom is flung down as the window closed with force, a loud bang sounding at the impact. Talon barely manages to land upon his paws, shaken a few heartbeats, breathing hard. It takes a moment for his thoughts to return to him. Wax, Owl, still inside. Got to get them out. Must get them out!
Leaping back up to the window, leaving his prize on the floor by the monster, Talon rams against the window, only to be greeted by the immovability of it. Panic spreads through Talon, stepping back a step before trying again. And again. Pain flares in his shoulder after the third attempt was as pointless as the last two. Locked, damned foxhearted coward twoleg locked it… Peering through the glass, Talon sees his two warriors. The uproar has drawn in more twolegs, now three of them in the room, trying to chase down the two cats. Wax and Owl dash out of the way each time one comes close, but it‘s clear that Owl‘s impact against the wall does not aid him now. The old veteran warrior‘s face disfigured with intense pain each time he makes a dash. This won‘t last long, they won‘t last long… With a snarl, Talon rakes his claws repeatedly across the grass. Faint traces, nothing more, even with his reinforced claws. Panic, fear, it screams in Talon‘s mind as he strikes the glass, again and again, a flurry of swipes that‘d disassemble a badger if it stood still enough for it. Faint lines in the glass, each strike doing nothing to aid the two cats inside, nothing but obscure Talon‘s vision through the glass a tiny bit more with each strike. Each swipe, the panic dies down a little more, in it‘s stead a haunting realisation, a lesson remembered. Where is the line drawn… Panting, Talon casts one last regretful look through the scratched glass, his stomach bound into a knot, his mind still racing, but a cold feeling, an icy understanding chilling his heart. There is nothing more to be done here. They got what they came for. The clan, the faction will survive. Nothing more can be done here. They did what had to be done. Slowly turning away, sliding down off the window cill and picking up the food he came here for, regret stabbing at his sides with each step he takes, he pads slowly towards the rest of the patrol. They did what had to be done. Talon did. The patrol did. Owl and Wax did. What had to be done. Just once Scourge could have been wrong. But of course not. Talon wanted to be leader. Wants to be leader. As Scourge predicted, today a lesson is learned. Time to go home, cats are starving.

Chapter Text

A cloudy, nigh starless night reigns the sky. Icy winds howl through twoleg-place, sending shivers through much of the patrol regularly as their tired paws push them onward. Ever since they emerged back out from the sewer, the only lights have been the twoleg lights ad a half veiled moon, as they make their way back to the alley. The journey back has been marked by silence. The scouts resumed their job in the sewers as before without needing another order, without needing another word. Sparrow‘s directions were rarely more than a word or two as he charted the way back. Silence, persueing the patrol ever since Talon rejoined them by the sewer access, alone.
The red eyed leader, back on familiar territory, lets out a deep breath through his nose, leading the warriors back home, padding alone in the front. Frost had walked beside him for a few pawsteps after they reemerged, but soon fell back. No words were needed for the white tom to understand that huddling too close would find no appreciation right now. Talon‘s mind keeps racing, his thoughts unable to quiet down for even a single heartbeat. Maybe there could have still been a way? The window was closed, solid. Could there have been another path? They wouldn‘t know if there was, and the twolegs seemed not keen on allowing escape. A constant debate of two sides, both speaking in his own voice, arguing, argumenting relentlessly, working up a splitting headache. A feeling as though Talon‘s skull was being pulled apart by two sides, each tugging and pulling in it‘s own direction without relenting. They got the food. They achieved what they set out to do. The faction will survive leafbare. Many lives were helped, saved. Scourge would have known that, he would have known the greater good for the clan was served and not batted an eye. But Talon is not Scourge. For once, Talon feels what he presumes must be Frost‘s regularly reoccurring frustration. This would be so much easier if Talon could simply be like Scourge. But it‘s not that simple.
A faint shadow of relief remains in the back of Talon‘s mind that they succeeded, and that Grail escaped in the nick of time, but it fails to make a dent in the abyss of thought and blame and inner turmoil currently raging within Talon‘s head. The fury of it almost making him miss the moment when he turns in to his alley at last again. Ferret‘s call, the young warrior perched on one of the platforms of the stairs, the night guard of this day, pulls at least part of Talon‘s perception back to the here and now. Much of the faction that stayed, despite the late hour, seems to be gathered in the alley, immediately looking up from discussions and the odd sparring match, over to the returning patrol. Even in the somber gloom of the alley at night, it‘d be impossible to miss their eyes collectively lighting up, first at the return, more so still at the sight of the food carried by the returning warriors. Cheers sound, the loudest stemming from Ferret as she descends from her post, as well as Bee, whom immediately makes a dash for the patrol as Hornet‘s pelt comes into view. Silver sits by the dumpster near the wall, even his eyes showing relief at the scene. Though his are also the first to somber, observing the patrol‘s return, the lack of enthusiasm in them one would have expected at such triumph. As Kestrel emerges from the twoleg den with a stretch, most other cats in the alley are already in one large swarm, the returning patrol surrounded by the other warriors. Slowly the enthused shouts die down, bit by bit, as their joy is only in part reciprocated. An uneasy silence begins to fall as Talon approaches his wall, dropping the sausages he took to the ground before leaping up the dumpster, past Silver, and from there up to his perch. The faction‘s eyes rise up to him, though a few are looking through the patrol, the looming suspicions on what‘s going on growing. Talon looks down upon the cats of his faction, cats that trust his judgement with their lives. Underneath the reinforcing claws, his real ones press against the bricks. This is the first time his orders directly cost them warriors. Cats the others know, warriors they counted on having return to them. The headache reaches intensity to the point it leaves a light ringing in Talon‘s ears. He did what he had to, right? He can‘t show weakness now, Scourge would never have. Even in loss, especially in loss, they need to be able to count on him, what else is a leader for? He must be strong. If he cracks now and they begin to doubt his ability to lead them when the going gets hard, then a tragedy may still turn into a full blown disaster for the faction. He draws in a deep breath, the ice cold air burning in his lungs. Strong, immovable… nothing less will do, not with these news.
„We have returned from our mission. We did as we set out to do, our faction will not hunger this leafbare anymore!“
His voice starts out a little quieter than he would have liked, working it‘s way louder, clearer as he goes along. The eyes of every cat in the alley are on him, all ears turned to hear his words. No weakness, strong, factual…
„Our victory, as is twoleg-place‘s nature, came at a price. Wax and Owl enabled us to bring our much needed food back home. Bravery, loyalty, for which they paid a high price.“
Murmurs and shocked expressions go through the cats that remained in the territory, most of the patrol silent. Some of their eyes are mournful, more attempt themselves at being stone faced. The slightest sliver of relief enters Talon, seeing that he is not alone in trying, very actively, not to show what he feels on the matter. Still, the sorrow visibly runs deep among the cats. Ferret shoots her father, the sizeable chunk of meat still tightly locked between Gash‘s jaws, a look of surprise and sorrow, before bumping her head against his shoulder in sad sympathy. A spark of gratefulness shows in the warrior‘s otherwise stubbornly neutral gaze. Bee brushes her pelt against Hornet‘s, cuddling against her larger mate, who‘s response is to wrap her tail around her. Clover spits to the side, her displeasure showing in agitation, looking away for most of Talon‘s speech.
Talon takes a few breaths, before resuming his speech, his teeth clenched against each other fiercely before speaking forces him to part his jaws anew.
„The faction survives ad remains strong thanks to their sacrifice. But also, through the effort of all others that contributed to this raid.“
Slowly Talon‘s eyes turn towards Sparrow. He still cares little for the tom‘s usual attitude, but now more than ever he must show the faction that there will be continuity under him, no matter what. That, and a promise remains a promise…
„Sparrow! Step forth.“
The brown tom looks up in mild surprise, handing off his loot to his sibling Rat, who‘d sat down beside him. After briefly shaking out his mane-like fluff, he steps forth. Many a curious look descend upon the tom.
„Sparrow, I said that successfully guiding us to and from our objective would be a great and valuable service to our faction and to Bloodclan. A service the clan would not forget. And with Owl‘s sacrifice, a position as veteran warrior is now mine to hand out. Would you accept to take on that position?“
The surprise in Sparrow‘s eyes is joined by the same shine they held in the sewers, if anything his surprise even greater now. After a few heartbeats, Sparrow nods his head.
„I would!“
A brief wave of noise arises as the assembled alley breaks into talk, most surprised. Some seem a little dismayed, deeming it too early to replace Owl already, but more are the cats that seem to hold approval, especially among those who went on the patrol. Silence returns as Talon raises his tail to quiet the faction.
„Then so it shall be. From today on, you count among the veteran warriors of Bloodclan. The clan rewards loyal and exceptional service. Hold your head high and let the clan recognise your new position. Sparrow!“
The alley erupts into shouting Sparrow‘s name, no-one failing to participate from what Talon can see from atop his wall. Rat especially calls out loudly, the meat he carried placed at his paws as he shouts his littermate‘s name with enthused pride, the ragged looking tom‘s empathy for his kin on full display. Sparrow needs no instruction to keep his head high and his tail higher still, basking in the sound of his name, shouted aloud by the entire alley. The new veteran warrior turns and looks through the ranks of his surrounding clanmates, before at last the shouting dies down of it‘s own again. His gaze returns upwards to Talon after mostly silence returns. As good as it is to see a moment of joy for them, Talon knows that it won‘t overshadow their losses, not entirely. Still, they will survive. Briefly, Talon clears his voice, eager to get off of the wall, preferably to drop off the face of the earth for a while, but his den would need to suffice for now.
„As my first order to our new veteran warrior, I put the responsibility that the entirety of our haul is brought to and safely stowed at our food pile. After that, all but tonight‘s guards should rest. It has been a long day… Dismissed!“
Sparrow nods and steps back towards the rest of the faction. Some pad off, but most remain, either to talk, wait for or help the returned patrol. With attention turned away from himself, Talon let‘s out a deep sigh before dropping down onto the dumpster, fatigue barely concealed upon his face and painfully visible in his eyes. Still his stomach lies heavy, still his thoughts churn mercilessly. Though uncertainty if he will find any tonight is considerable in the dark furred leader, his craving for sleep and rest, a chance to put this day behind him drives his paws onward. Exasperation immediately spikes in the red eyed tom as Kestrel leaps up to the dumpster, impeding his progress towards rest.
„I‘m sorry to hear about the lost. Still, you did brilliantly, this food will last us a long time indeed. None of us will hunger much anymore this leafbare“
Talon looks off to the side, an brief, aggravated hiss escaping his tired self.
„If I‘d done ´brilliantly´, we‘d have two more warriors here now. I did…“
Pondering his own words for a heartbeat, before shaking his head with another sigh
„did only what needed to be done. I never thought I could resent Scourge being right about things this much“
Kestrel tilts his head at this, understanding of Talon‘s exhaustion, but clearly curious by his comment
„Something about the things he discusses with you, I presume?“
Talon nods slowly, not returning his gaze to Kestrel, nor elaborating on the matter. He wants quiet now. His mind will keep him busy already, anything adding to it now is a thing too much. Kestrel remains a brief moment longer, before it becomes clear that nothing further will be added. With a quiet hum, Kestrel steps aside.
„Well, I presume after a day on your paws, conversation might not be the highest of desires right now. The night guard is already organised. Ferret now, Rover taking over after. He and Moon arrived back in the alley a little while ago.“
One of Talon‘s ears turns towards Kestrel. Another thing that needs his attention, the search for the traitor, still going on, still with no true clues, tapping in the dark.
„Good…“
With one more slow nod, Talon pads past his second-in-command, dropping down onto the pavement below. Dragging himself over and into his den, the last of their catch being brought into the abandoned twoleg den, Talon lets himself fall into his bedding at the first opportunity. With a quiet grumble, he flumps down, staring emptily ahead. He‘d managed to keep his faction going for a good while now, but now his orders lost them warriors. Worse still, they couldn‘t even know if they were dead by now or in pain, or anything. Left to the mercy of twolegs. The thought sickens Talon. There are kind ones, but there are at least just as many dangerous ones, and all of them are possessive beasts. It‘s not like Wax and Owl were left at just a normal twoleg den, to be potentially kept as kitty-pets. That they could escape. But this was different. These were not, as the kitty-pets call them, ´housefolk´, these ones did not seem the type. The uncertainty rests nearly as heavy on Talon as the fact that he abandoned them. There was no alternative, nothing to be done, yet it feels like nothing less than that, abandonment… betrayal. Betrayal of cats that trusted him, that followed his orders, only to end up in that situation.
Eyes darting and breathing somewhat harder as his mind seems bend on wrecking itself, Talon does not register as another cat enters the den at first.
„Talon?“
The voice violently startles Talon, his pelt spiking on end, wide eyes still holding the entirety of his internal turmoil plainly visible in them darting to find the source of the voice. A heartbeat later, they settle on the shape obscuring much of the already faint light that still enters through the den‘s entrance at this time. Too dark to immediately recognise by sight, Talon‘s pelt slowly lays low again as he identifies the cat by scent. His heart still beating fast with stress, the dark grey tom sits up.
„Grail… is there something to report?“
His attempt at keeping his voice calm enough to hide the already obvious turmoil inside fails miserably, between the mild tremor in his words and his too loud volume, though he can‘t really get himself to care much currently.
„No… I just wanted to say that we‘re all grateful for you. I am grateful. The faction is going to be fed for the remaining cold times now. Some of the others want to mourn Owl and Wax tomorrow properly. If you permit“
The russet warrior steps a few pawsteps deeper into the den before sitting down. Her silhouette now a little sharper in Talon‘s sight as his eyes adjust, he sees her pull her tail around herself. Her left ear is drooped, the right one only slightly so, from time to time slightly flicking. Talon lowers his gaze to his paws, the slightly sun yellowed reinforcing claws almost the only thing giving away their position in the dark den. After a few heartbeats Talon shakes his head and raises the first of his front paws up to begin removing the large dogteeth.
„Of course they may mourn. I thank you for informing me, though I don‘t think any cat needed my permission for this.“
Slowly he begins carefully wrangling the dogteeth loose off his own claws, letting them drop onto next to his nest.
„I think it‘s more that they want to know they have your blessing to do so than really permission. You led us today. You brought this food home for us. That matters, to us all.“
Talon briefly raises his gaze to Grail, the faint reflective shimmer of her golden eyes on him. To all… except two. Two whom aren‘t here now. And Grail of all cats to tell him, Lantern‘s words still echoing in the back of Talon‘s mind, all the louder again now as she sits before him. She has proven herself as capable as all other warriors on the patrol. Still, Talon had reservations initially. Would he still hold reservations the next time? As he pulls the reinforcing claws off his second front paw, he wonders. His mind is too abuzz to feel much embarrassment, even as he has to admit to himself that he does care for the she-cat. But does he do so sufficiently and for the right reasons? And if so, is it wise to care for her like this now, or at least to do so visibly? Agitation rises as the last claw falls onto the small pile. If he pushes her away because of the risk it might put her in, it‘s only proof that he does not trust her as a warrior, self-sufficient and able to defend herself, which is exactly what Lantern spoke of. But none the less, is it fair? After two clanmates already fell because of his orders, and not even in battle to reunify the clan, just to secure their mere subsistence? The headache throbs fiercely, causing Talon to raise one paw up against his skull an exhale in a huff.
„Are you alright, Talon? Should I fetch Rain?“
Talon‘s eyes shoo back towards Grail as she advances a few steps closer, worry undisguised in her voice.
„NO! No, I don‘t need… I‘ll be fine. It‘s just been a very long day. It‘ll be alright.“
Gail slightly flinches back at Talon‘s initial shout. Guilt for his unkept reaction arising in him, his remaining words carry an apologetic, if deeply exhausted tone.
„It‘ll be better by tomorrow. Just… your care is appreciated, Grail. You did well today. You should get some rest, we all should.“
Grail observes Talon a few heartbeats longer, before she bows her head, retreating from the den. Talon observes her silhouette disappear from view before shaking his head, an angry snarl forming on his face. Well done, brilliantly done, couldn‘t have messed that up better if he planned it. With a strong swipe, he sends the pile of dogteeth, as well as a little bit of bedding flying across the den to scatter across the floor. Collecting them again will be a job for tomorrow-Talon. Letting himself fall back into his nest, the red eyed tom stares off into the dark of his den, tail wrapped around himself, head resting on it‘s fuzz. Sooner or later cats were going to die. Cats have already died in Wrath‘s faction. Now in his. And things have only just truly begun, if they even that. As leader, he will need to learn to deal with it somehow. As a tom he‘ll have to figure out what he truly intends for Grail and himself. And then there‘s still Ashfur, the traitor, the entire reunification of Bloodclan…
Sighing to himself, Talon closes his eyes. So much to still worry about, so much to still get done. But right now he won‘t solve any of them. Time to see whom will win the sordid contest, his hurting head full of thoughts he‘d prefer to choke out of himself, or his lamenting, tired body. Hopefully the latter. He could use the sleep. Maybe there will be just a bit more calm to his thoughts when he wakes, if sleep does come. Hopefully.

Chapter Text

Fresh snow, a cold morning. The sky has mostly cleared by now, letting the new white radiate with the shine of the sun‘s descending light. Right now though, it‘s pleasantly warm to Talon, as well as a few others. Exhaling, the red eyed tom observes the old, in some spots partially rosted through barrel, the flames within only visible to narrow slits around his eye level as he sits. The slits look a bit as though they‘d been struck with something like a claw, only bigger. Eyeing som of the twolegs around the barrel, he briefly ponders if they might have made these holes, or simply found the barrel like this and used it. The thoughts soon enough fade away, as it really does not matter. The snow is melted away around the metal cylinder in a nigh perfect circle, and within that circle; pleasant warmth. Trying to keep his thoughts from wandering to the prior day, Talon returns his gaze to the twolegs, standing around the barrel, seeming to crave it‘s warmth no less than he does. Dishevelled twolegs, what little fur they have unkept upon their heads and faces, smelling of fatigue, old leather and less pleasant things still. Odd. They do not seem like most their ilk. They are rarely as handsy as younger twolegs, but unlike most other fully grown twolegs, they seem to almost acknowledge the cats here, Bloodclan, rogues… Still somewhat unpredictable, like all of their kind, but perhaps less so. Aside from observing Talon, Ferret and Spider as they arrived for a while, they made no attempts to chase them from what seems to be their barrel, fire and warmth they made. The cats won‘t be able to stay too long anyway though. The first sunrise patrol would soon be back and Spider will be on the next, now laying on the warmed asphalt of the little side alley they are in, pleasedly soaking up what heat he can before he‘ll have to venture out into the surrounding cold. Some of the returning patrol will no doubt want a spot here as long as the fire burns once they hear of it. As for Talon, he should return to the his alley soon. He has a faction to lead, remaining here all day will not do.
The loud, breaking crack of a piece of wood amidst the fire in the barrel briefly makes Talon‘s ears swivel towards it, perked in alert, but soon calming again. With a silent hum, he observes Ferret, the young warrior fixated on the distorting hot air rising from the barrel, the occasional flight of embers bursting forth. Usually a bit more energised, the tawny and brown warrior seems thoughtful.
„Your mind busy too then, it seems“
The words pass Talon without much thinking. After most of the night had been spend agonising over his own thoughts, it seemed almost merciful that, at least for now, most of his mind is quiet. For the time being he hopes that it may last a while longer. Ferret blinks, visibly surprised the be addressed after the long silence in which the three had been resting here since they arrived.
„Maybe. I don‘t know. I always figured Owl would be one of the few managing to get to go of old age. Father thought so too. Apparently he was a strong warrior in the clan‘s early days before he became…“
She hums, seeking kinder words than the ones initially coming to her. Talon nods with a small chuckle
„Old? Grumpy? Difficult to be around? He was not one for mincing words, nor did he like it when others did.“
Ferret lowers her head a bit, seeming a bit ashamed that she can‘t but agree with the words Talon chose. Still she nods.
„Was he? A strong warrior, I mean. Gash said he fought fiercely.“
One of Spider‘s ears turns to listen in on the conversation, but he remains quiet, continuing to bask in the warmth of the flames. Talon raises one of his paws, observing the reinforcing claws adorning it.
„I was still quite young myself then, but he was formidable when he joined us, yes. Never the most friendly cat, but dependable. The clan was glad to have him. And he the clan, he was not well liked by some of the groups of rogues around here. He used to treat that like an honour and was often among the first to volunteer when another group was to be chased off. That‘s how he became a veteran warrior, one of Scourge‘s guard. But he was one of the oldest to join Scourge.“
A small while of mostly silence ensues, the raspy coughing of one of the twolegs and the crackling of the fire being the only noise above the usual background of monsters rolling along the thunderpaths. At last, Spider‘s grunt as he slowly rises up and shakes his pelt out, breaks the silence.
„Patrol should be back soon. Hornet‘s probably gathering her patrol already.“
Talon nods towards the grey furred tom, getting up as well.
„Most likely. I‘ll head back as well. You coming too, Ferret?“
Talon turns to look at her, but she calmly shakes her head
„Not yet. In a bit perhaps. I‘ll be on my assigned sunhigh patrol in time though, I promise.“
Talon nods as Spider walks over to him.
„I never put that in question. Goodbye then, Ferret“
As the two toms slowly pad on out of the pleasant warmth and through the snow, Ferret mews a quick ’bye‘, just barely audible over the crackling in the barrel. Talon strides on, Spider at his side, out of the small side alley and along the thunderpath, sticking close to the twoleg dens to remain out of the way of the twolegs constantly bustling about. Despite his best attempts, his recounting of his early memories of Owl allowed regret to fill the almost void he had managed to maintain in his mind. Owl and Wax, both gone, not even their collars remaining to be remembered by. Spider‘s mewl from the side pulls Talon out of his thoughts before sinking in too deeply
„Will you come? To tonight‘s thing for Wax and Owl. Not really a burial or bringing a collar to the Hall,… not much of anything really. But I think some cats would approve if you were there“
Talon looks at Spider from the side for a brief moment before retuning his gaze to in front of him, navigating the way by instinct.
„Probably. On top of the monster nest, watching sundown, was it?“
„Yeah. Don‘t think anyone‘s gonna do much of a speech or anything, but yeah. Seemed correct, doing something for them at least, if we can‘t do much else“
Talon lets out a deep breath, the exhaled air clouding immediately. Thinking for several heartbeats on how to respond without either sounding as rueful as he feels, nor as cold and thankless as Scourge might have, he resorts to simple silent nod. He feels Spider‘s eyes piercing him from the side, unable to tell what the warrior might be thinking. Was the nod not enough? Perhaps something should have been said, but what? Again, it is Spider breaking the resulting silence.
„Is it true? What some of the others were saying?“
„Depends, what are they saying?“
Talon flicks one of his ears Spider‘s way as the two turn at last into Talon‘s alley. Near the wall, Hornet is pacing back and forth, her patrol gathering. Hornet spots Spider from some distance, impatience sparkling in her eyes. Spider lets out a sigh at the sight, a small entertained smirk arising on Talon. They‘d all been on patrols with a moody patrol leader at some point, the feeling is know. But there is no trace of Frost‘s patrol having returned yet. So, perhaps there‘d be no harm in Hornet‘s not moving out immediately already. Slowly, Talon slowly to a halt, sitting down to at least finish his conversation with Spider. With an amused hum, Spider signals his understanding of Talon‘s intent, sitting down beside the leader. The gratitude in his golden eyes soon makes room for something more difficult to read. The faint smile replaced with a more neutral expression, Spider continues a bit more quietly in tone
„That you speak with Scourge.“
Talon observes the tom closely, ignoring the fairly distracting lashing of Hornet‘s brightly coloured striped tail. He can‘t quite determine Spider‘s thoughts, the lighter warrior giving little to base any guesses on.
„Is that making rounds again, then?“
Perhaps if Spider‘s train of thought is hard to read, Talon could still find out the general opinion on the matter. So far there has been no signs of much discontent, perhaps Kestrel was right and it‘s not as big a deal as initially thought. Then again, how could something like that not be a big deal?
„It‘s been making rounds ever since we joined you. Still don‘t know how Kestrel found out, and none of us have ever heard you talk much about it.“
Talon turns his head towards his wall, his brown pelted second-in-command sitting atop the dumpster, observing the alley below, regularly returning his gaze to Talon since he returned. He waves his tail in greeting, seeing Talon looking over to him. After returning the gesture, Talon lowers his eyes to his clawed paws.
„I have some ideas on how he found out by now… but why is that now relevant? Or are our clanmates just growing curious?“
Spider slightly tilts his head to the side, seeming to search his words for a brief instant
„It‘s just, some of us notice that you don‘t always act the way we thought you would anymore. Not in a bad way or nothing, but, we kind of notice. Frost keeps spouting things like you‘d become a second Scourge. And since Kestrel said it back when we joined factions… warriors talk. Can’t help wonder what we‘re even talking about though.“
Talon nods slowly, looking upon Spider, eyes drawn in where his pelt slowly changes shade, from the brighter brown of his body to the deeper and darker brown of his legs. The subject was always going to come up sooner or later, but how much should Talon say? It‘d serve no purpose to try and contradict the claims by now, but how much detail would be too much? Telling them about the Dark Forest might not be wise, it could be twisted too easily into Talon sharing beliefs with the forest clans. At the same time telling them of the Void would be… concerning news for his cats to take in, especially in times where they have still enough to worry about in the here and now. Not to mention the implications of it… All the clanmates that died before Scourge did and found refuge for them, all the cats that have been irreparably lost to the Void. Parents, siblings, friends they had back when they were rogues, loners, kittypets… gone. But that Scourge still exists, Bone, that there is somewhere for them now, regardless of where it is, that may yet bring them some hope.
„Yes. From time to time at least. Scourge chooses when he cares to speak or not. It‘s good to see Bone and some of the others again“
Spider listens closely, ears intently zeroed in on Talon, soon a small nod escaping him
„So… there is someplace. After this, I mean?“
„There is. No paradise by any means, but definitely better than there being just literally nothing.“
Spider lets out a small scoffed chuckle, shaking his head
„Suppose so. Not like life‘s a paradise either. But I keep thinking, what does that all mean for us? Doesn‘t seem to make all that much impact on us here right now.“
Talon‘s ears swivel on his head. A few nearby discussions have ceased. Frustration builds behind Talon‘s brow. Their conversation is the furthest thing from private. Every word he speaks on the matter now will circle through the faction and possibly the clan before long. Words must be selected carefully.
„Mainly it means it isn‘t just over after we die. Scourge would not suffer the same nonsense the Forest clans cling to. He gives advice when he cares to, but life remains for us to live. If we rely too much on our dead, our living will become weaker for it.“
Spider ponders Talon‘s words, quick hushed talks taking place in small circles around. No lie spoken, Scourge cares not to make a Starclan of his own and he could clearly take more influence in things than he does. He made it clear that Talon should be independent from him by the end. He knew things might go wrong on their mission to the meat-place, but thought it better for the clan if it happened and Talon learned from it than to try to intervene in any way… Though masking it, a twinge or resentment bubbles up in Talon. He understands the logic behind it, but to accept the lives of clanmates as mere payment for lessons learned… Scourge‘s coldness reaches depths Talon is unsure he could ever reach, unsure if he‘d ever WANT to reach. The red eyed leader does not get to deepen himself too far into these thoughts however before Spider sways his head from one side to the other.
„Kind of sounds like him alright… An imperfect ever-after with Scourge still calling the shots, suppose that‘s the best us alley delvers could have hoped for. An eternal could-be-worse.“
Talon let‘s out a quiet huff, the tip of his tail flicking. His answer a bit quieter as he slowly rises to his paws again
„Well, welcome to Bloodclan.“
Spider gets up quickly, shaking his pelt out with a small smile that is in equal parts genuine and ironic
„Welcome to Bloodclan indeed. But if I leave Hornet waiting much longer, I fear I‘ll be able to answer my own questions soon. Scourge guide your claws, Talon“
With a brief bow, Spider turns on the spot and bounds towards the assembled and waiting patrol, Hornet‘s brightly coloured tail swishing in agitation as she impatiently awaits the last to arrive, shooting Spider a deeply displeased glare as he winds past her with a hushed apology. Talon slightly turns his head to the side, looking from the edge of his vision at one of the groups he knows to have listened in. Soot, Poppy and Gravel all try their best at seeming inconspicuous, but too forcedly so to have any success, all seated nearby in a small circle, painfully clearly trying to not look Talon‘s way and revive their previous discussion.
Talon suppresses the need to let out a deep sigh at that before stepping forth. He‘s probably done the best he can with what he has to work with. Hopefully. Hornet dibs her head in greeting as she passes Talon with her patrol, out on the unenviable task of making the round along Granite and Wrath‘s borders in the biting cold. Talon wanders over to the dumpster by his wall, leaping up easily, though the frost has rendered the top somewhat slippery.
„Nothing new to report just yet, I reckon?“
Kestrel shakes his head in response, observing Talon from the side
„No, all quiet here. Pleasantly so for now. Cats are calmer now with the food situation visibly better“
„Good.“
Talon nods as courtly as he answers before leaping up the rest of the way to the top of his wall, taking his usual spot. The faction gets on, if they keep up the effort they‘ll get through this leafbare without much hunger. That‘s done at least. They got what they needed, what they set out for. Starvation could have cost them dearly, especially with a few young ones among them. Talon looks out over the alley, though truly stares off into nothing. They did as needed. He did what has to be done. Despite the knot in his stomach, thinking of the coming little goodbye ceremony his clanmates have arranged for this evening. He‘s seen many cats die, a fair number of clanmates, such is just life in twoleg-place. Why do these two rest so heavily on Talon‘s gut? Is it really just because this time, it was HIS orders, HIS mission? He‘d feel sorrow for Bloodclan‘s fallen, he felt sorrow for Fang, Echo… Wicker too, but it‘s not the same. There is no hiding behind someone else having given the say so this time. It wasn‘t Scourge, who coldly but logically determined they‘d win more than they‘d lose, it wasn‘t Wrath that he could resent for hasty actions. This was him, this rests entirely on Talon, even if it‘s the same thing he‘s seen many times before.
The dark furred leader snaps back to reality at the intrusive clacking of claws against asphalt. Frost approaches as the rest of his patrol, clearly just returned, splits up to go their separate ways.
„Greetings, Talon. All quiet on our border with Wraith. Seen a few hunters at work, but well on their side of the border.“
Talon nods shortly at the news. So far there‘s been no real threat from the quiet leader, but with how well she can blend into any minuscule shadow despite her white pelt, how much more dangerous might she be with fresh snow everywhere to camouflage her. It‘d be careless for Talon to let his guard down now. They paid a steep price for the food now filling their bellies, it‘d be a disgrace to the sacrifice Owl and Wax made to let it fall into another‘s paws now. But food is not their only concern. Beckoning Frost closer to the wall with a sway of his tail, Talon looks out over the alley. Venom could return any day. So far they‘ve been fortunate, the cold has only made for a few cracked pads so far, easily fixed by young Rain. Sickness could still arise before the weather begins to warm again, they will need to restock their herbs already, as Talon has promised. Or are those vastly different herbs than what Venom took with her to Wrath? He‘d need to ask Rain, or better yet, Venom. Beyond having been taught b his mother to chew burdock to dull pain or for small infections, Talon has no real knowledge of any of these plants. Taught so long ago… How long has it been since he thought of her?
Sliding his paw along the side of his face both to discretely clear his thoughts and fix his whiskers, Talon returns his gaze to the white veteran warrior before the wall.
„Let‘s hope it stays so. Take some food and rest before heading out after patrolling in deep snow. Will you attend that little ceremony for yesterday‘s fallen?“
Frost briefly tilts his head a bit in thought of the matter
„Can‘t really say I knew either of them al that well. Nor do I really relish the idea of sitting still outside when the sundown chill begins to creep in. I feel I‘d stick out like an infected claw“
Flexing his claws against the edge of the wall and arching his back in a bit of a stretch as the cold air already begins to annoyingly seep into his fur, Talon gives a brief hum
„A pity, but understandable. Very well, dismissed. And tell Moon or Rover when you see them that I want an update on their activities soon“
Frost bows his head, his tail flicking behind him as he turns around
„Will do. Scourge guide your claws“
„And yours, Frost“
Talon watches the former second-in-command step away, only to find integrate himself into a small conversation between Clover and Quail further down the alley. Fair enough, though Talon would have thought that at least Owl would be a bit more closely acquainted to a fellow veteran warrior. Then again, every cat‘s free to associate with or avoid each other as they please when not under orders. Either way, it would not matter in Talon‘s case. His conscience would no doubt give him another uneasy night if he chose not to go. He owes them this much at least. All that remains for now is to see the rest of the day through until then. Talon lets out a huffed nasal breath, observing the little cloud it creates in the freezing air.

The sun runs it‘s course across the sky, though by the feeling of it, it might as well be missing. Time passing by, the cold perseveres all throughout, even during sunhigh barely a difference being perceivable. Though, aside from the cold, the day goes by without any trouble above minor nuisances. Almost strange, so calm and normal a day, right after a day of extraordinary feats and losses. Talon looks at the lowering sun, touching the edges of the large twoleg dens in the distance. Not long now until it touches the actual horizon. At least if one is high enough up to see it. Talon looks down, observing Kestrel returning to the wall, leaping up onto the dumpster and giving a grateful nod up to Talon.
„Appreciated that you kept position till I got back. Don‘t think many leaders would stay to cover for their second instead of the other way around“
The red eyed tom slowly unwinds his furry tail that had been wrapped around himself, before jumping down, landing beside Kestrel
„Well, now you get to do just that. Doubt much will happen between now and the end of sundown, but…“
„Never wrong to be cautious. I get it. Besides, can‘t fault you for wanting to attend the thing. It‘s a good look for you as leader.“
Kestrel stretches himself long before turning to face the alley and sit down. Talon nods, observing Gash and Sparrow bringing in a pair of small rats to the food pile. Not much on these scrawny rodents, but everything that permits them to stretch their newly won supply is welcome.
„Probably. Anyway, I should get going. You can leave once our night-guard takes his post. It‘s Soot‘s turn tonight“
„Very well then. Have a pleasant evening, Talon. If the bunch of you don‘t freeze solid up there…“
Talon leaps off the dumpster, shaking out his pelt before moving on.
„Would be a bit too convenient for you. Can‘t make it that easy for you to become leader, can I?“
To the sound of Kestrel‘s entertained chuckle, Talon pads onward, soon leaving the alley behind. Quick paws moving over asphalt, snow and strewn salt, knowing the way, before too long the destination comes into view. The huge structure towering above all others around, not nearly as tall as the sky-pillars in the middle of twoleg-place, but easily overlooking most other buildings around these parts. Entering through the doorless opening unopposed, Talon is quick to find the stairs upwards, casting a quick look into the large, open main room as he begins his ascent. Monsters, all quiet, left to rest here while their twolegs are elsewhere. And the same on the next floor, and the next, all the way to the very top. To build one den for so many monsters. Twolegs are odd creatures indeed… But it does make for a brilliant vantage point all the way up. Arising up the winding concrete stairs, going on just long enough to be mildly annoying, Talon finally finds himself at the top level, spotting right away the gathering cats, talking by or sitting atop the small stone wall that marks the building‘s edge. The descending sun silhouettes the warriors as Talon pads over. While not silent, the noise of twoleg-place I slowly decreasing a bit as night approaches. The red eyed tom is greeted by several nods and small bows as he steps through the small group of cats still sitting on the ground, Talon himself jumping onto the little wall once it‘s in safe range. Broader than his wall in the alley, and rounded off a bit. Considerably more comfortable. Ahead of him, now visible past the buildings that obscure it on ground level, the horizon is clearly visible, just in time as well, as the lower edge of the sun begins to touch it. Bright and radiant, even in the cold. The talking of his clanmates increasingly dies down as they take notice that it has begun, one after the other leaping or climbing onto a free spot of the wall.
Talon‘s gaze is drawn in as a familiar pelt appears at the edge of his vision, watching Grail sit down beside him with a small bow, but no words. Talon‘s heart beats a little more firmly, but now would not be the time for words, simply nodding his head to return the golden eyed she-cat‘s greeting before turning his gaze back towards the horizon. The sun seems to radiate a different shade of colour as it slowly sinks, drenching the sky in the most brilliant orange-red, going out from a brilliant golden orb.
The sun moves but slowly, yet fast enough to very much perceive. Such an intriguing thing. It rises every day, descends every day, but no cat can know for sure what it truly is. It is light and it is warmth, it dictates the sleeping and waking of most creatures, and it outlasts everything. Talon slowly blinks. Owl and Wax were born under the same sun they probably died under by now. The same sun Talon was born under, the same sun Scourge was born under. Or is it a new one that rises each day, a new offspring ascending every morning? Probably not, but who can say… Hard to say which would be the better symbol either. To have the certainty of something constant, no matter what hardships they face, or to see with each sun-rise and sun-down that things go on even if some things end. Which would they have preferred? Owl would have certainly liked perpetuity. Wax, hard to say, but upbeat and eager as he was, perhaps he would have preferred to see something new in each day. Perhaps…
The cold increasingly creeps in, frosting everyone‘s breath all the more, as more of the sun vanishes behind the distant line. The colours all the more magnificent to behold as the bright orb releases it‘s hold on the sky. The silence however remains, no words are spoken, none will be, not before the sun is gone. Still, the involuntary noise of some of the warriors mildly shaking in the cold is very much audible. Can‘t be helped. Talon himself is none too far from that himself, but for now he tries to steel himself. An attempt also made, yet seemingly failed by Grail, her fluffy tail wrapping around her mildly shaking self. Talon‘s ear turns in her direction. He still has yet to make a decision regarding Grail. Or does he? He can not disrespect her by shielding her the way he would some vulnerable kit. Nor can he deny that her proximity is… good. Pleasant. Soothing, in a perhaps still awkward kind of way. And she has made a lot of effort to attain his attention, a lot more than he has for hers.
His ears warming, Talon winds his tail over to Grail, slowly laying itself around her. Talon feels a brief jitter from her, unsure if it is surprise, her twitchings, or disapproval. He tries to pull his tail away in deepest embarrassment, only to find it‘s retreat halted. Though slightly contorting into small jerkings, Grail‘s right paw holds the fuzz of Talon‘s tail against herself. Relaxing a little, Talon lays his tail back around her side, finding no resistance to it. Soon, slowly, Grain simply leans over, resting her head against Talon‘s shoulder. There are no words, only the descending sun. And the promise of a new sun tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Observing the entrance of the alley, Talon rests atop his wall, the cold air blowing strong and ruffling his pelt. They should arrive soon, or so he was told when Gash returned early from Castle‘s patrol to announce it. It‘ll be good to have her back. Meanwhile, life in the alley bustles as it should, cats coming and going. Lantern and Edge, near the alley‘s entrance teaching Dawn, Dusk and Lion battle moves, under the close supervision of Viper. The young ones have been growing well the last few moons. Sometime coming newleaf, they may well undergo their trials to become Bloodclan warriors. It‘ll still be a few moons, but time flies. And their faction could well use new warriors with all that remains ahead. They aren‘t much older than Soot and Daze‘s kits, perhaps they will follow suit later in newleaf or during greenleaf. One may hope…
A familiar pelt brushes past the corner into the alley, brining forth a small, pleased smile. The tortoiseshell she-cat walks in direct line towards the wall, some heads turning and greetings sounding from her clanmates along the way, before she stops.
„Venom, we are all glad to see you back here. I hope the way back was without difficulty“
Somewhat tired eyes look up at Talon, Venom‘s head briefly dipping low to drop the leaf she was carrying before speaking
„The way back was fine. Wrath remains as exhausting to tend to as ever. It‘s like trying to get a kit to swallow bitter leaves, trying to heal his wounds. But I have done what I can. The rest is in his paws.“
Talon nods, a small crowd forming, a general joy to be seen in many faces at the healer‘s return.
„I have no doubt you did. You will be pleased to hear Rain has fared rather decently in the meantime. However, I fear I must welcome you back with mixed news“
Venom‘s eyes shake off most of the exhaustion, focusing in on Talon
„So do I, but what has occurred?“
Talon slowly lets out a nasal breath. Though not as harshly as before, his guts twist as his thoughts are unavoidably brought back to that subject.
„We undertook the raid on the twoleg meat-place Kestrel scoped out. It was a success. We returned with plenty of food to help last us till newleaf. But, it came at a cost. Wax and Owl sacrificed themselves to give us a chance to escape and had to be left behind.“
Surprise forms in Venom‘s face, before she shakes her head with a heavy sigh
„Damn it… well, at least it was not for nothing then. Seeing how Wrath‘s faction is faring, I can understand. The lack of hunting and gathering is hurting them. Many of them have grown dangerously thin... I worried for their kits for a while. Wrath had to make some… drastic choices. But things are luckily getting better again, little by little. With most warriors now up again, they‘re finding enough for now“
For a brief moment a shadow runs over Venom‘s face, a brief snarl of disgust, yet begrudging acceptance. Knowing better than to question the matter further, as few solutions to starvation earning the description of ‘drastic‘ ought to be spoken of aloud, Talon simply nods. Better not to know, better not to indulge the memories of things in times before Bloodclan too much.
„At least they are on the mend then. Take some food for yourself before returning to the healer‘s den.“
Relief shows itself in Venom‘s eyes. From atop the wall and with her long fur, Talon couldn‘t see, but she would likely have thinned as well. They would have seen that the cat healing their warriors ad leader was fed, no doubt, but if they had so little, it can‘t have been much for Venom either. Still, the relief slowly fades again as Venom takes a deep breath before speaking anew
„As I said, most their wounded have improved, many back on their paws. But, not all. Not all could be saved“
Talon nods, mildly absent minded at news he‘d already heard, seeing Wicker‘s twitching, agonised on the ground of Wrath‘s alley as if he were standing there again.
„Yes, I know. Wicker died, not long after we left. At least he no longer suffers.“
Venom backs away a little, surprise and confusion undisguised upon her.
„You may have guessed it was Wicker, with how his condition was… but how could you know it happened right after you left?“
Kestrel, intrigued and seemingly amused looks up to Talon from his position atop the dumpster, interest sparkling in his eyes, though he remains silent. Talon flicks his tail before letting it hang off the front of the wall, his claws digging into the notches they have imprinted into the bricks. That was a mistake. He couldn‘t know that as far as Venom is concerned.
„Not relevant now. What might interest you more is that by tomorrow, I‘ll have determined a new forest clan to raid to refill your supplies. It seems most of what you took with you was used in the end“
Venom remain still for a moment, mildly cocking her head to the side with an inquisitive and unsatisfied expression. Soon though, she looks down at the leaf she returned with, flicking it open to reveal preciously few herbs within.
„Yes, much of it. I left a few simple things behind with instructions on when to chew them to help them heal still, but of all I went with much is gone now. Luckily we kept most we‘d need for diseases and the like here, but if we get any big battles we‘re not looking too good again. Still better than it was before the first raid, but that‘s not saying much“
„Then we will remedy that. For now, you should rest a bit and see Rain. The young one has done good work“
Folding the leaf closed again with her paw, Venom nods before looking back up at Talon. No attempt is made that her earlier question went unanswered somewhat dismays and intrigues her, still some of her previous relief returns at being home again.
„That shall be for me to evaluate. But it is good to be back. Still, if nothing else, we have ingratiated us somewhat to Wrath‘s warriors. Hush most certainly seemed appreciative once Scream was back on her paws, so was Reborn. Although with that fool‘s luck, he‘d have probably been fine regardless“
Picking her leaf up, the tortoiseshell she-cat heads over into the healer‘s den, Rain waiting for her with earnest eagerness by the entrance, following inside right behind her.
„Yes, he probably would have…“
Talon mutters to himself, leaning his head back, looking up into the sky. A moment of silence passes, before the clacking of Kestrel‘s reinforcing claws on the dumpster draw Talon‘s attention. He finds his second-in-command standing on the nearest edge of the dumpster, looking over at him with his usual grin.
„Keeping secrets, are we? Don‘t worry, the instinct of what knowledge to share and what to keep safely bottled up, even without paying much attention, comes with practice. I should know.“
Talon rolls his eyes before resting his gaze upon the brown and cream coated tom
„I reckon you would indeed. Some things I should probably only feed the clan one bite at a time… I can not say I enjoy it, but I do not think it‘d be anyone‘s gain if I did it any different“
Kestrel hums with mild entertainment
„On, no need to tell me. Easing cats into things, one pawstep at a time, is a fairly reliable tactic. Though, of course, I can‘t help but be curious. I do hope that if you were to share more with some trusted warriors, your loyal second-in-command would be among them“
Talon observes Kestrel, his nicked ear flicking as he ponders. Might not be the worst idea actually. Sooner or later the clan will need to know, but when that time comes it would be useful to have an inner circle already in the know to back Talon up. Perhaps.
„Maybe. It‘s not my highest priority, but it may carry merit. I‘ll have to think on it. But for right now, we should focus on the problems still right in front of us. We still have a traitor to catch and after tonight I‘ll have a new target for a raid. Hopefully this one goes as well as the last“
Kestrel lays down at the edge of the dumpster, letting his right legs and tail hang down.
„After tonight… Going to confer with your forest friend on where to strike, then?“
With a soft grunt, Talon bounds off the wall and onto the dumpster
„Not gonna be a friend for long if we keep raiding his clan alone. The clans seem to still remain rivals in many ways, so my hope is some clan is currently being a pest to Thunderclan. Their storage should still be filled after all. That and I believe Ashfur would appreciate his enemies getting humbled“
Kestrel grins lazily, resting his head on his left front paw
„The enemy of my enemy and all that, fair enough. Though, I think someone else is looking for your attention right now“
Talon looks over at Kestrel, slightly tilting his head. Kestrel points out ahead into the alley with his gaze, which Talon‘s eyes follow. Sitting in the shade, seeming to have waited for Talon‘s conversation to end, but now getting up and walking over upon detection, are Rover and Moon. They grey pelted leader sways his tail in greeting to the approaching pair, before motioning over to his den, which Moon responds to with a nod.
„So it seems. You‘ll manage without me for a bit, I trust“
As Talon leaps down, Kestrel briefly stretches with a calm groan
„I‘ll do my very best“
Talon lands with the clack of his reinforcing claws upon the asphalt, before immediately heading for his den, Moon and her mate close behind. Turning around once inside the den, the red eyed tom observes the two following cats as they sit down.
„Has your investigation led to anything new? I have noticed no further activity from the traitor for a while now, nor do I get the impression that keeping two warriors bound up in this endeavour is doing the faction much good thus far“
Moon shakes her head, slightly lowering it in the process
„Not much. The rogues and loners were not much help. Those that aren‘t skittish are standoff-ish. The only lead we have is… tenuous at best“
She turns towards Rover, whom after taking the cue looks from Moon to Talon
„A lot of the plant was harvested and we‘d have likely noticed it’s scent if some cat would have tried to get rid of the quantity that must remain in the open. It has to remain stored somewhere. It must be out there to be found. Much was harvested around the same places, but some were taken away from it, in roughly a line away from the main spots. Gives us a rough direction to look in. I think whoever did it had no idea how much might be needed and kept taking what more they found on the way back to where it would be hidden. I might be wrong but I think we could find it still. I‘m certain it can‘t be far from where the border between us and Kestrel used to be. After our factions became one, no more border patrols went there anymore. From one day to the next that bit of territory became almost completely unchecked. Perfect for keeping something hidden.“
Talon waits patiently for Rover‘s exposition to end, ears attentively perked at each word. The red eyed tom, looks off into the shadows of his den, pondering briefly
„What you say makes sense, but it‘s all supposition. That and we have no indication so far that anything more will follow on the matter…“
Nodding to himself as he thinks it through some more, Talon ends up returning his gaze to the two cats before him, sitting in the gloom, their illuminated silhouettes making their precise expression hard to see.
„I‘ll give you a few more days. If by then nothing further is found, I think it‘ll be in the better interest of the faction if you both returned to regular duties. Chasing ghosts does not keep the clan safe“
Moon bows her head at Talon‘s decision, more quickly than Rover does, mild frustration clear in the brown tom.
„You still have a chance, Rover. But you are both valuable warriors and I can‘t keep you bound up in this indefinitely. No doubt some of our clanmates are already wondering what you remain up to and as I made clear, I want no undue talk of the whole matter. Besides, I believe you have plans of your own in due time, no?“
Talon permits himself a small, yet warm grin. Moon winds her tail over, around Rover‘s. Her sleek black pelt makes it impossible to see in the current light, but her softly shining good eye seems to indicate a smile in return.
„We might. In time, once the cold ceases“
Rover‘s ears splay to the sides, a sheepish smile upon him as he leans against his slightly larger mate.
„Yes, when newleaf comes around. Speaking of, we wish you luck as well. We‘ve heard the evening yesterday went well for you.“
Talon is mildly taken aback by the directness of this sudden comment, looking off to the side, once more grateful that his dark pelt hides well his heating ears. No doubt few other leaders, let alone Scourge would have approved of so personal a comment, but Talon fails to summon the rigidness to respond according to that fact
„I would not know what you speak of. And either way, it‘d be way too early to consider the same kind of thing you two are now considering.“
With a soft whack of her paw against Rover, Moon turns her eye back to Talon.
„What this indiscrete mousebrain meant to say is that we wish Scourge to guide your claws, on all of your paths.“
Clearing his voice and flicking his tail to signal the dismissal of Moon and Rover, Talon slowly turns his eyes to them without turning his head
„And yours. Take a break, perhaps visit the kit we retrieved, then return to trying to find our thief and saboteur.“
With mild amusement sparkling in Moon‘s eye, she turns to leave, Rover following suit with a grin. The couple out of sight for a few heartbeats, Talon shakes his head, a small grin creeping onto his face. Word must have gotten around, considering they weren‘t at the ceremony themselves. To be expected, it‘s not like any attempt had been made to hide anything. The memory remains pleasant in Talon‘s mind, Grail‘s warmth, her scent, the sound of the quiet purr she vainfully tried to suppress, his own in response. He should probably go see her before heading out tonight. But what for? Smalltalk is no strength of his, as Talon knows well. A patrol perhaps? Hunting possibly. Maybe…
With some discomfort, Talon tries to clear his head of these thoughts as he steps out of his den once more. He can still decide later. He still has cats to lead. Scourge has not called him to the Dark Forest last night, so perhaps finding some of clanmates for sparring would not go amiss. The faction must remain strong, and Talon even more so. Castle might make for a capable opponent and should be free now, same with Hornet, perhaps Gash? As long as he returns sometime between it all to make sure his presence is not required in his alley, it seems like a day well planned already.

Hornet‘s spiked up fur and fierce glare would suffice to make weaker warriors back off on their own. Slowly circling each other, Talon observes carefully for any opening, cautious to keep at least two steps distance. Slowly turning, the she-cat remains facing Talon, claws unsheathed and impatiently pressing against the asphalt below, her limbs bend and wound up for a pounce or dash forward. Her stance is formidable… no good chances to approach without opening himself to an immediate attack. But perhaps… After lashing his tail side to side for a few heartbeats, Talon rushes forth. Small, superficial scratches from his previous bout with Gash stinging as he darts straight for the veteran warrior. The instant he enters her reach, with a fearsome hiss, Hornet bounds forth to meet him, front paws outstretched to secure her mark, ensuring the chance to deliver a bite that could end the fight right away. Talon slams down his right front paw, just as Hornet‘s claws grip him. Raising to his hind legs and bringing his full force down, Hornet‘s jaws snap shut, only catching some of Talon‘s chest fuzz between her teeth. Seeing an opening, Talon bites Hornet‘s right front leg, with a firm pull removing her paws claws from his shoulders and flipping the tortoiseshell warrior onto her back. Before he can further capitalise, her other paw, only accelerated by the motion, smacks him squarely in the side of his head. Send reeling to the side a step, Talon eases his hold on Hornet‘s paw for but a moment, which suffices her to forcefully pull it from his jaws. His ear ringing, Talon does not permit his opponent‘s attempt to get back up however, immediately bounding back in an attempt to pin the veteran warrior. Misjudging the strength of his leap just a little, right as his front paws find their mark, pressing down on the large she-cat‘s ribcage, he finds the fact that part of his belly is above her punished as she kicks up and pushed with her left hind leg. Forced to shift more to the side, the air partially knocked out of his lungs, Hornet attempts to strike back. After a swift swipe against Talon‘s right front leg, further destabilising him towards the left, she bites down on the leg, trying to twist it off of her and get herself back onto her paws in a single motion. Unable to fully stop her, Talon crashes to the ground, but not before hooking his left front paw‘s claws into her right shoulder, leaving Venom unable to do more than a half-roll. Neither of them willing to waste time and let the other get an advantage, Talon tries to return to a pinning position by pulling himself towards Hornet by the claws embedded in her shoulder, while the tortoiseshell warrior strikes out upwards, battering Talon‘s paw off of her. The dark pelted leader is left, back on his paws, but too far for an immediate pin and too close to safely find a new angle of attack. Her paw coming down hard, Hornet catches Talon‘s collar in her claws, pulling his head down. His neck well exposed, Talon thrusts forth his left front paw, catching Hornet‘s already forth shooting teeth, the pure force of the collision sending her fangs into Talon‘s pads, drawing blood. He barely feels it, as he uses the brief window to bite down on Hornet‘s chest, bringing his right front paw down on her exposed bely, claws unsheathed, in a position to tear open a terrifying wound.
The two warriors remain motionless for a brief moment, only the huffing of their laboured, nasal breaths, before at last Hornet lets her head fall back with a mildly disgruntled huff. Talon releases the veteran warrior, retrieving his paw from her belly before pulling the other from her maw once he has a stable stance again. Blood has already stained Hornet‘s chin, the she-cat licking part of it off as she rolls onto her paws. Sitting down, Talon inspects his paw, crimson dripping from two deep pierced wounds, the sting of which only beginning to set in. Lapping away the continuously leaking red, he can see both Hornet looking over, while Gash and Rat, whom had ultimately joined them, come over. Though Hornet says nothing, her gaze holds the question of how the wound is faring. It should not have happened. Never the less, the sting only a small, numb throbbing, Talon shakes his head in response.
„Not worth the mention. Good fight. Good counter to the pin“
She nods, wiping the last droplets off her chin with her paw, before lapping the paw clean.
„Mhm. Your defence was better. Not bad.“
Brief and still somewhat stern, Hornet‘s voice is somewhat mellowed from it‘s usual fierceness, now with the rush of battle still coursing through her, accompanied with the old familiar taste of blood upon her tongue. The rogue she once was on display as the aftermath of the fight visibly calms the fierce veteran warrior. Stepping close, Rat observes the wounds over Talon‘s shoulder.
„Still, might be better to get Venom to patch it up. Nobody’s served if it gets infected. None of us at any rate“
Talon nods, giving it a few more laps before responding
„Probably, yes. Still plan to do some walking today and I‘d rather not step on some pointy pebble or salt near the thunderpaths with this“
Rat pulls a little face at the mention, seemingly well able to imagine the discomfort that might bring. Gash, sitting a taillength further away nods in agreement.
„Well, who‘s next? You sitting one out, Hornet? Then I and Rat can…“
The she-cat turns to face the brown tom before his last sentence has a chance to be finished, her thick tail lashing behind her
„I can keep going. Are you going to fight me, or will you, Rat?“
Rat recoils slightly with an uncertain smile
„I don‘t think that‘d be very fulfilling for either of us… Gash, you wanna…?“
With a small sigh, the scarred, green eyed warrior nods, leading Hornet and himself a bit away from Talon and Rat. Talon watches the two of them sink into their battle stances before rising to his own paws
„Well, I should go. I‘ve had my share for today.“
Rat flicks his tail as he sits down and gives a small bow with his head. With a quiet hum, Talon walks a bit further, sitting down by the neatly piled up dogteeth, beginning the process of reattaching his. Rat observes the ongoing bout between Gash and Hornet for a while, slightly tilting his head, only looking back at Talon after a while.
„Going back to the alley?“
After fixing the last of the reinforcing claws in place, un- and resheathing his claws a few times to see if they sit comfortably, Talon nods.
„Straight to Venom. Still have other places to be today. You?“
Rat returns his gaze to the fight for a moment, before scratching at one of his scarcely furred patches.
„If Gash wants, I might still go a round, but if not I‘ll probably go see if any patrol could use me. Scourge guide your claws though, Talon!“
„And may he guide yours, Rat.“
Talon waves his tail in goodbye as he leaves. The sting has grown a little stronger, each time Talon puts pressure on the paw, it somewhat spikes. Though it remains manageable. Better to make sure it indeed does not get infected though. An image of Wicker, delirious and writhing, sneaks it‘s way briefly into the back of Talon‘s thoughts. No, too much to do still. No way that he‘d allow himself to die like that. Not at all, if possible, but not yet regardless. Too much still left to do. Though, the pressure, as it mounts in Talon‘s mind briefly, soon finds itself soothed. Both the prospect of a calm patrol with Grail, as well as the well deserved evening by the river are pleasant outlooks. Though it becomes difficult to tell, which he looks forward to more, before coming to the both amusing, yet sobering realisation, that that may well rest upon him. But while he has no plan on what to expect for the patrol, he does know that it will be interesting to see if the brutish Dark Forest training is indeed strengthening Ashfur, or not. Their training tonight shall provide an answer. Both on that, as well as the faction‘s next target… A productive evening lays before the red eyed leader, as he pads alongside the thunderpaths, back to his alley.

Chapter Text

The cold evening air increasingly descending, Ashfur slowly draws his tongue over his shoulder, grooming his pelt and cleaning the new scars beneath. Looking up for a brief moment as he notices Lionpaw running off alongside Hollypaw, towards the apprentice den. They‘re growing quickly, soon they‘ll be fully grown. And warriors on top of that. Brackenfur will likely place Hollypaw‘s assessment into early newleaf, when the cold retreats and a bit more prey comes out again. Lionpaw would become insufferable if he had to wait longer than his littermate. Perhaps the two mentors could coordinate themselves, have their assessments at the same time. Not an uncommon thing for multiple apprentices to go out at the same time… if Brackenfur manages to keep his maw shut about Lionpaw‘s training. A twinge of anger pulses under his skin at the other warriors remarks, but looking up at the quickly darkening sky, with a few breaths, it fades again. It has been a while and beyond some looks, the older warrior has left Ashfur well in peace. Perhaps it‘d be wiser to let it slide. Ashfur will need to remember asking Brackenfur in the near future then. Tonight would be a bit late for it now…
Turning his head, Ashfur observes most of the clan‘s warriors begin to slowly retreat into the warrior den. Soon he‘ll be heading out. Though a mild pain in his shoulder remains, the wounds of his training sessions with Thistleclaw have all closed well by now. With an eagerness he finds very rarely these days, Ashfur‘s paws prickle with anticipation to show what he‘s learned, how he‘s improved, to learn and improve yet more when Talon arrives. Firestar disappears into the leader‘s den, soon followed by Sandstorm. The last apprentices are shooed into their den by the warriors sitting by the warrior den, still telling each other of some of today‘s happenings, before they too will likely retreat for the night. There‘d been no sight of her… good. Likely in the warrior den already then, out of sight and if anyhow possible, out of mind. The shallow first writhings in his chest from letting his thoughts wander that way, Ashfur shakes off and he continue grooming his pelt. No, this is not the kind of night to let himself be distracted and weakened by this. He‘s making progress, he has to after all the work and exhaustion.
The last rays of the sun trying to prevent their own drowning beyond the far horizon, unseen through the dense forest of Thunderclan‘s territory, illuminate emerging silverpelt in a colourful last stand before all that remains is the light of the stars and the rising moon. Soon, but why wait? Talon will arrive soon enough, but in he meantime, Ashfur could enjoy the familiar serenity of the river spot. A pleasant idea, painting a faint smile across Ashfur‘s grey muzzle, the warrior rising to his paws and shaking out his coat. Yes, why not. The night is still young after all, why not enjoy it. Striding onward, the blue eyed warrior heads for the camp‘s entrance. The smile, short-lived as it was, fades as a scent brings an uncomfortable realisation. Ashfur pads onward, though every step feels as though he gets closer to leaping into the open maw of a hound. Brushing through the leaves and finally out of the camp, familiar eyes observe Ashfur. The sharp sting in his chest growing to grotesque intensity as the warrior battles the consideration to return her stare. A quiet huff escapes Ashfur, forcing himself to move forward past the discomfort. Each time one of his paws hits the ground, it‘s as if the thorned vines already piercing his heart contract and squeeze tighter around it.
„Ashfur…?“
His paws halt instantly. It has been some time since he‘s heard her voice speak his name. How long has it been? Moons? Seasons? Firmly shutting his eyes briefly and sucking in a silent breath, Ashfur turns his head, looking up to Squirrelflight, sitting by the camp‘s entrance. The brilliant orange of her coat impossible to fully see in the dim starlight, her emerald eyes however hold the same beautiful shine regardless in the dim light. They do not hold the warmth Ashfur once found such comfort in, there is no affection and happiness, but worry, concern practically surrounding the faint reflection of himself Ashfur sees in their brilliant green depths. Thorns, claws, digging through the inside of Ashfur‘s chest.
„…yes?“
With all the effort of leaving no trace of his pain upon his face, Ashfur realises too late that the effort does not extent to his voice. Squirrelflight‘s ears flatten slightly, the single word that escapes Ashfur so obviously laden with discomfort, unhappiness. Anger at this slip-up surges through the grey tom, causing him to turn away his head, grinding his teeth in self-directed fury, away from Squirrelflight‘s sight. Stupid! Foolish mousebrain, not worth the pelt on his back! He shouldn‘t give her yet more reasons to see him as weak. Why can‘t he do a single thing right once Squirrelflight is in any way involved? It didn‘t use to be that way… or was it? His thoughts are eventually interrupted as the orange she-cat‘s voice pierces the silence once more.
„Just be careful out there…“
Ashfur‘s nicked ear flicks as a cold breeze blows by. Is it concern in her voice? Difficult to tell without looking back at her, but Ashfur can not muster the strength to do so again right now. It certainly does not sound like indifference or anything worse. All else aside, they are still clanmates. Squirrelflight always cared for their clanmates. It makes some sense. Even if all else ended, shrivelled up and been dying for a long time, some things still remain, perhaps. For what seems like the briefest moment, the stinging eases, just enough to permit for the warmth of a little hope to creep in. Ashfur nods, keeping his eyes firmly on the path ahead.
„I will try. I‘ll be back by sunrise.“
Slowly, one step at a time, Ashfur puts himself into motion again, not looking back. Stepping further and further from the camp and clan, further from Squirrelflight, into that cold night. It‘ll be alright. He just needs more time. Grow better. Grow stronger. Worthy of what he took for far too granted. As slow walking turns to quick padding, turns to fierce dash through the underbrush of the forest, Ashfur hopes that, in time, his path will lead back again. Back to the one thing he truly craves. He can only hope. Cruel hope pushing him onwards and keeping his muzzle shut in a snarl, while he truly wishes to scream the pain he feels in the meantime up to the stars, shining cold and distant.

Ripples move across the water‘s surface as another small pebble sinks into the deep briefly visible under the surface before it disappears from view. Ashfur observes the last spot it was visible for a while, before kicking the next pebble down into the water. Laying by the river‘s edge, waiting, watching the ripples, the blue eyed warrior finds his thoughts periodically return to the chance encounter as he left camp. Still a mild sting remains, though thankfully most has passed by now. It appears as if she has not become completely indifferent to him. A hopeful thought. If he can reach the goal he‘s set for himself, Ashfur may have a real chance. Still, he remains up against the deputy and father of her kits, his old friend and very able warrior, Brambleclaw. Ashfur will need to be more than good, nothing short of excellence will suffice. But it might be doable… there is hope.
The sound of reeds moving and brushing against each other brings the blue eyed warrior to look over to the side, a familiar shape approaching through the dry waterside vegetation. A faint feeling of pleased familiarity and companionship arises as the grey Thunderclan warrior sits up. It‘s good to see the Bloodclan cat, clearly recuperated from the wounds that kept him away last time. A brief moment of humour in the back of Ashfur‘s mind, realising just how upsetting his thoughts would likely be to just about any of his clanmates.
„Welcome back, Talon. Wounds healed well, it seems?“
Talon tilts his head briefly, seeming to think of what the Thunderclan cat is talking about, before realisation seems to hit.
„Right, the battle with the rogues… I‘d all but forgotten. It‘s been a very busy time since then…“
Sitting down in the small clearing between the reeds, Talon raises his paw to push his chest pelt against it‘s natural direction, letting Ashfur see the new scars, normally hidden under the dark grey fur. Though the blue eyed tom observes it for a moment, but his attention is more captured by the very thoughtful tone of the Bloodclan tom. Ashfur tilts his head to the side, his curiosity undisguised but not saying anything. Recognising the inquisitive look on Ashfur, Talon shakes his head and puts down his paw again
„Later, perhaps. I don‘t mind talking about some of it, in fact I‘d welcome a chance to get a few things off my chest, but I don‘t think there‘ll be much of a fighting mood left afterwards, so…“
Nodding, Ashfur slowly looks back to the evenly running water of the river
„I understand. Probably best that way for both of us, first training then talk… I have a lot on my mind lately as well. And I suppose some questions I‘d been saving up.“
Talon chuckles with mild amusement, following Ashfur‘s gaze, observing the reflection of the two of them in the currents
„We continue our game of questions and answers then? Fine by me. Shall we begin right away with training then?“
Ashfur nods again, more energetically this time, determination forming in his eyes before he rises to his paws.
„Yes. I think I‘ve made progress, I‘m eager to find out“
Talon gets up and stretches himself, claws unsheathed fully under his reinforcing dogteeth, before shaking his pelt out and returning a nod to Ashfur. He turns his left front paw, holding it up in the pale moonlight.
„It should not make a difference, but it is possible if I step on something that I‘ll be a bit compromised. Small bite wound from earlier today.“
The blue eyed warrior inspects the paw, recognising the faint glimmer of cobwebs between the ground and dust that‘s settled on it from continuing to make use of the paw. A very light scent of herbs, too light to be detected from more than two whiskers away but clearly present. It seems Bloodclan‘s healers do things much the same as medicine cats do. Then again, making that judgement on only a similarly treated paw injury might be rash. Nor would any Bloodclan cat be receiving Starclan‘s guidance, even their healers. But… might they receive guidance from their own dead perhaps? As the Tribe does, possibly? Another question for later.
„Training in Bloodclan can get rough then… though I‘m not much surprised at that.“
Talon shakes his head, turning and stepping away a good two tail lengths, before turning anew and removing his reinforcing claws, facing the Thunderclan tom, whom slowly sinks into a battle stance.
„Your technique can‘t get much better if you can‘t try out most your options in training. Small wounds will happen, unavoidable. The trick is not to damage more than you build up…“
As Talon sinks into a stance as well, Ashfur briefly hesitates. Training with Thistleclaw has brought i‘s fair share of wounds and if it weren‘t for the possibility of Leafpool asking too many questions, it‘d no doubt be more and worse still. But Talon could not know any of that. Perhaps Bloodclan has a few cats training more like Thistleclaw and that comment was less meant for Ashfur personally… but why did it for a brief moment seem so directed at him? Perhaps that‘s just imagination…
With only a heartbeat‘s worth of time to prepare, Ashfur narrowly gets out of the way of Talon‘s paw, the Bloodclan warrior having closed the distance immediately with a quick leap, doubtlessly in direct response to Ashfur allowing himself to be distracted for a brief moment. With a snarl, the blue eyed tom goes in to counterattack. He won‘t repeat that mistake, not today at the very least. Remember, teeth are valid, use your full weight in a tackle… Between exhaustion and seriousness, between claws and the occasional drop of blood, the sting in his chest is forgotten, Ashfur‘s focus entirely on his opponent. Crashing into each other, swiping and leaping at each other, time passes for the two toms. The sparring from time to time interrupted by small lessons, things that could be improved, showcases and attempts on how to do better, before the main fight resumes anew. Ashfur finds his spirits lifted as several hits are landed, the brief sparkle of approval or even pride in Talon‘s eyes when the Thunderclan tom fends off an attack or succeeds in getting out of his comfort zone and using his teeth. The hight of triumph arrives when the blue eyed Thunderclan warrior manages a firm grip on Talon‘s scruff with his jaws, just above the collar, and with a forceful fling raises the Bloodclan cat‘s upper body first off the ground, before sending him back down to the side, crashing onto the cold clay below. Ashfur‘s pleased, if tired, gloating, even short-lived as it is, leaves him open for a heartbeat too long. Talon reaches up, hooking his claws in on both sides of Ashfur‘s head. Startled, the Thunderclan warrior tries to move back, which only ends in painfully pulling the grounded Talon along. With a firm pull, the red eyed warrior pulls Ashfur‘s head downward, leaving him with no defence as the Bloodclan tom raises his head up, finding easy access to close his jaws around Ashfur‘s throat. Remaining for a brief moment like this, Talon soon sheathes his claws and lets go of the other warrior‘s neck, though remains on his back, visibly a little tired. Ashfur lets off a quiet growl as the very unnerving sensation of fangs pushing against his veins goes away again and he regains the ability to raise his head without the weight of a fully grown warrior hanging from it.
„Hnn… can‘t say I like the feel of that…“
„Up to you to avoid it then“
Talon lays his head back with a pleased grin, before slowly rolling over into a loafing position.
„You have gotten better though, I can not deny it. Still, you gave me some opportunities I could have exploited, mistakes that could cost you a real battle. It still shows at times that you were trained to fight warriors who‘ll actively avoid lethal blows. You must protect your neck better“
Ashfur nods and sits down, rubbing his paw against his throat.
„Yeah… not yet good enough“
Talon rolls his eyes and slowly rises to his paws, stretching himself as a variety of small wounds glisten in the moonlight
„You remain too hard on yourself. You‘ve improved and you will continue to. Your guard in general is better, more time and work to get through. Which is time and opportunity you can use to find openings in your opponent‘s defence. I had to think very quickly at the end there. If you hadn‘t gloated, it could have gotten dangerous for me.“
With a calm hum, Ashfur looks over to Talon. The Bloodclan warrior‘s voice has generally become less distant over their meetings, but right after training it always sounds the most earnest. Right now, the words feel genuine, encouraging. Observing the dark grey Bloodclan cat pad over to the river‘s edge, Ashfur takes a moment to lap away the beads of blood a few minor scratches have left on his pelt, before following.
„Perhaps. But it‘s sometimes difficult to be patient. Especially with myself. As for the gloating, well…“
Sitting down beside the Bloodclan cat, Ashfur looks into the water running right before them.
„…not very frequent that I feel like I achieve much lately. Getting that hold, managing to throw you down, it felt like a small victory. Actual progress.“
Talon lays down at the very precipice of the riverbank, lowering his wounded paw into the water. A brief shudder goes through the dark grey cat, Ashfur presumes due to the predictably icy temperature of the river, before Talon raises his gaze over to the sitting Thunderclan warrior.
„Plenty of time to celebrate after a battle‘s securely done and won. But I would agree, you show progress. Your training pays off…“
Ashfur can‘t help but notice the Bloodclan cat seem to trail off a bit towards the end, Talon‘s eyes lowering back to the water. His red gaze seems to grow thoughtful, displeasedly pensive. It‘s not difficult to tell the Bloodclan cat is drifting off into unpleasant thoughts.
„Is something the matter, Talon?“
Ashfur tilts his head, a bit of genuine concern in his voice. Talon flicks his nicked ear, his fuzzy tail pulling to his side
„It‘s been a busy time in Bloodclan since my last visit. A lot has happened and a lot to think about. I was very much looking forward to coming back here, but now that I‘m here…“
A pause of seeming contemplation, before Talon looks back over to Ashfur again. Pensive red eyes search Ashfur‘s blue ones. Deep consideration and a bit of wariness move behind Talon‘s look, but as does a cautious hope.
„I CAN trust you, right?“
Ashfur holds the Bloodclan tom‘s gaze, narrowing his eyes slightly, trying to evaluate his options. Everything and everyone in Thunderclan would no doubt caution him against promising a Bloodclan warrior his standing trustworthiness. At the same time, Ashfur already somewhat trusts this cat. Talon could have killed him one time, left him to die another… He has laid bare his strife to this twoleg-place cat more directly than to clanmates he‘s known his entire life. The clan would not understand, much less be able to help much… Talon does, or at the very least tries. Taking a deep nasal breath, as a breeze lets the surrounding reeds sway and rattle against each other, Ashfur nods, before turning his gaze to the flowing water.
„Yes. I believe you can.“
Talon closes his eyes an sighs deeply, before nodding slowly in reply.
„Very well… then for the things I will speak of to make sense, there may be something you should know about me… “

Chapter Text

Ashfur looks into the flowing water, thoughts rushing through his mind as he processes what he‘s been told. Raising his gaze over to the Bloodclan cat, no, the Bloodclan leader beside him, he finds Talon keeping his eyes on the river. Though the dark grey tom remains calmly sitting, a quiet pressure visible upon his face, his left ear remaining attentively turned towards Ashfur. Several things make much more sense now. Talon’s prior refusal to speak of his faction’s leadership, being able to send Silver in his stead… Ashfur isn‘t too surprised even. Still, the idea that the cat that saved his life, trains and speaks to him, could be a leader of Bloodclan, was too outlandish to even enter Ashfur‘s mind.
„Why?“
Talon slightly turns his head, his eyes meeting Ashfur‘s
„Why what?“
A subtle worry remains audible upon the red eyed tom‘s voice, a cautious uncertainty as he still gauges Ashfur‘s response to his revelation
„Why tell me now?“
Talon lowers his gaze to his paws, un- and resheathing his claws a few times into the cold clay. His nicked ear flicks and consideration enters his eyes
„We agreed we could trust each other. Being leader of Bloodclan, be it of the clan entire or just a faction, comes with expectations… and risks. I need to be cautious whom I talk to and about what. Last time I confided something in Silver in private, it turned out we were eavesdropped upon. Here we’re away from anyone listening and I get to hear a fresh opinion. You have no stake in matters of Bloodclan. Just as I have no stakes in matters of Thunderclan. In a way, we are free here.“
Ashfur‘s observes Talon for a bit longer before turning his head away.
„I suppose… although my clan would disagree with just about all of this.“
„My faction will not attack Thunderclan again. In fact, that is part of the reason why I chose to reveal my position to you. Other things can be done, other targets“
Ashfur turns to face Talon, his head slightly tilted in uncertainty
„Other targets? What do you mean?“
Talon holds Ashfur‘s gaze for a little while before he pulls away, looking up at the stars. Uncertainty makes way for the mixed feelings of a memory upon the dark grey leader‘s face
„There was a battle, another faction was bloodied, some of our clanmates died, several remained badly injured. We, or rather, I chose to help. Now we need to resupply ourselves again, earlier than I would have liked. So, the question I hoped to ask tonight was: is any clan bordering yours being a nuisance?“
As Talon slowly returns his gaze upon Ashfur, it does so with the feeling of a mounting weight upon the Thunderclan warrior, his head lowering below his shoulders as understanding of what he‘s being asked begins to sink in
„…you would attack a clan on my word alone?“
„Well… not truly attack.“
Talon‘s tail winds around his paws
„My goals and methods remain the same. I will try my best to assure no cat dies. We just need the herbs. As for you and Thunderclan, a raid may well humble your enemies a bit, make them send cats they‘d otherwise harass your clan with to guard their border. All I need is to know the who and where.“
Stunned, Ashfur remains speechless for a while, slowly pulling his gaze away from Talon and back to the water. The stars reflect upon it‘s surface, a little distorted but shining with the same distance and carelessness as ever. It might serve Windclan well to be reminded that they too have borders that can be intruded upon. The idea of Onestar seething at his inability to defend his territory is humorous… and Thunderclan could well do with a reprieve from Windclan’s constant border quarrels. At the same time, the very proposition brings back haunting flashes of a memory. The battle for the old forrest, Bloodclan‘s warriors fighting, killing, pushing back the clans. More unexpectedly, there is a rapidly rising conflict within him between guilt and old resentment. Lowering his gaze, Ashfur observes his own right front paw as he raises it. For the briefest moment, it seems smaller. There is no river before him, but a hulking body of white and black fur, bleeding, slowly growing cold as the sun shines down upon them. He doesn‘t see it, but he knows another body is near, no less bloodied, no less motionless, pristine white pelt painted red. Hot, sticky blood covers his paw, dripping down to the ground, as his own heartbeat hammers in his ears. The memory disappears with the next blink of his eye, yet the feeling remains. Talon was not there that day, dealing with him is one thing… but directing a raiding patrol of Bloodclan? The clan that murdered his father? The clan of which Ashfur murdered a cat in revenge? A cat Talon explicitly had called a friend of his… and he doesn‘t know. How could he know? Ashfur has kept it a secret. A secret… not unlike Talon‘s position. How would he react to finding out? No, how WILL he react? After everything, how could he now continue to deny Talon this truth?
„Talon, in the old territories, during the battle… I killed a cat, I killed one of your clanmates.“
Talon tilts his head, observing the Thundeclan warrior. Thoughts are churning behind red eyes, their direction difficult to read.
„And you feel you‘re not fit to advise me because of that? It was war, Ashfur. We killed because those were our orders, you killed because those were yours. If anything, I‘m surprised you managed to kill one of us. You must have been young back then, if I‘m guessing your age correctly, I could be wrong“
Uncertainty grows upon Talon‘s face as he doubtlessly sees the growing discomfort and worry, even mild fear building within Ashfur.
„I was young, just an apprentice, but… during the battle, together with several other apprentices, I…“
Ashfur goes silent as Talon‘s eyes widen with realisation, a short nasal breath leaving the Bloodclan cat as if an unexpected kick to the gut had pushed out what remained in his lungs. Talon slowly turns his head, looking down but at nothing in particular as he visibly struggles to figure out what to think of that. Ashfur‘s fear ebbs away as the moment stretches long and no anger seems to fill the cat next to him. That however does not clear the cramping stomach, laying heavy in the blue eyed tom as he sees sorrow flashing briefly in Talon‘s eyes before they are shut and remain shut for a while.
„I see… I heard the stories of course after the warriors returned. I suppose I never really thought of the fact that the young warriors from then would, necessarily, be grown now. I can‘t hold it much against you, Bone would have done the same if the roles had been reversed, nor would he much care for vengeance… but I can‘t say I expected this. Bone was there for me from my very first day when I joined Bloodclan, before it was even really called that. He and Silver and a few others…“
Talon‘s voice remains somewhat quiet, effort audible in it‘s unemotional evenness, though it comes close to cracking at the end. Ashfur‘s ears fold flat. He remembers so well that day. All he felt was rage and sorrow, the need to avenge Whitestorm. Bone was a brute, a murderer, a violent rogue, barely even a cat. There was pride in him as he stood over the huge warrior, that he would be able to set the finishing blow on such an enemy, even if it was with the help of the other apprentices. The thought that Bone could mean so much to any cat was as far from his mind as it could have possibly been then. Now he watches Talon take several deeper breaths for the Bloodclan leader to level himself, the old wound of grieving over a cat he looked up to freshly torn open.
„He killed my father in that battle. I didn‘t think…“
Ashfur‘s quiet explanation is silenced as Talon raises his maw for him to stop
„You don‘t need to justify.“
Taking one more deep breath before opening his eyes again, Talon looks at their reflections in the water, their silhouettes wobbling with the stream
„Your father was the Thunderclan second-in-command then… I heard of that fight. You did what you had to. That‘s just what war is. Every battle can be a warrior‘s last. We know that well. Sometimes you don‘t even need a battlefield for that.“
Talon raises his head, observing Ashfur from the side. The Thunderclan tom‘s ears had slightly risen again, though remain splayed to the back.
„We agreed on honesty, so I won‘t pretend this does not faze me. Bone was closer to being a father to me than my father ever was. He and Silver both. I‘m grateful one of them remains. Being an alley cat, you know death is rarely far. Can‘t escape it, so you learn to accept it. Bone knew that quite well. He survived a long time as a rogue before Bloodclan came to be. He knew.“
Ashfur slowly nods, ears slowly rising again, though both toms avert their gaze, looking at the reflections in the water before them. Silence descends upon the area, only the running river and he gently swaying reeds making sound. Calm sounds, relaxing sounds as time slowly drags on. The same old noises Ashfur listened to when he needed to be away from things, as he knows is true for Talon as well. Lingering guilt remains though slowly, as the moments melt away and it becomes difficult to say just how much time has gone by, the tension pressing down on the whole situation lightens up a bit. Perhaps Ashfur could try to lead them away from this matter. He could still give Talon an answer to his original question later, but somehow he must manage to turn the discussion less severe. The thought that they could leave things as they are right now for tonight brings active discomfort to the blue eyed warrior.
„You had rogues joining your clan?“
Though his voice is a little quieter than average, filling the by now somewhat long silence, Ashfur‘s words seem almost boomingly loud. Talon flicks his ear, taking a moment to react beyond that. When he does, a short scoffed chuckle escapes him, looking over at the Thunderclan warrior from the side of his eye
„Did we have rogues…? We‘re a young clan, founded in twoleg-place. Most of us were rogues in the beginning. That‘s basically Bloodclan‘s entire origin and reason for being. Alley rogues tired of having to live as such. I was a rogue. Or maybe technically a loner, after my mother died. As if that distinction really matters. An alley cat destined to die in some gutter either way. Before Scourge came anyway.“
Ashfur nods slowly, though some astonishment remains in his gaze
„I wouldn‘t have pictured you as one. I couldn‘t imagine life without the clan.“
Talon raises his paw, observing the still mostly encrusted webbing covered wound in it
„You never needed to, you were born into your clan. It‘s your normal, always was. I was born in some small alley. We had a box to sleep in, my mother and I, until I was about… six moons, I think? Maybe a little less. That was all I‘d seen of the world up to then. So eager I was to explore more back then…“
Talon slightly tilts his head, keeping his gaze on the treated wound, eyes growing thoughtful
„Twoleg-place is not a forgiving place. From a certain point on, you have to grow up very quickly. Learn to find food, no matter from where, stay alive. And most mistakes you do, you‘re lucky if you even get the chance to repeat them.“
He turns his head down the left side of his body, looking at the scars adorning his shoulder and side. Ashfur follows his gaze, observing quietly the past gashes on the Bloodclan cat for a moment
„From back then?“
The red eyed leader nods
„Dark pelt hides most scars quite well, if the wound get a chance to heal properly. Malnutrition makes them heal more poorly.“
The dark grey tom partially stands up to shake out his coat before sitting back down
„But enough of that. What about you? I imagine growing up in Thunderclan was quite different“
Ashfur hums, pulling a slight grimace as he looks up to the stars, shining on in Silverpelt
„Yes, but I am not the best example. I grew up during the trouble with Tigerstar. A lot of things happened… I told you what that foxhearted monster did to my mother. He led Bloodclan to the forest, then tried to betray Scourge… and that ended up killed my father. I was glad to have my siblings and my mentor Dustpelt. They were all the family I had by the time I became a warrior.“
Anger rapidly boils up in Ashfur‘s voice, his eyes narrowed and darkened as he beholds the far celestial sparkles. The very memory of Tigerstar sets his blood ablaze with fury, the thought that now Brambleclaw trains under him only furthering his seething. Only towards the end does the revulsion in his voice ease up a bit. The comfort of Ferncloud, the company of Cloudtail, the guidance of Dustpelt, they each were there for him, they all cared and never truly ceased to. A small spark of comfort, among the wretched rest. Especially in the early days after Squirrelflight left him, Ferncloud‘s consoling had been soothing. He shakes his head and takes a deep breath of the icy air before returning his gaze to Talon, whom is listening attentively.
„Do you have any siblings? Other family?“
Talon calmly shakes his head, with a quiet grunt laying down, tail laying close against his side
„No siblings. My mother died, starved. As for my father…“
Talon‘s whiskers twitch in amusement, though by tone of voice Ashfur isn‘t sure if it‘s real of fake
„…I‘m a Jake‘s kit“
A brief silence ensues, Ashfur left mildly confused by the answer. It takes a few heartbeats before Talon glances back at the other tom, noticing the confusion in his gaze
„Ah, right… I forgot, you‘d probably not know that expression. There was a well known kitty-pet turned wandering loner named Jake in twoleg-place. And everywhere he went, he left fatherless kits behind. So, anytime a kit is born and no one knows who the father is, they‘re just called a Jake‘s kit. Though I do not think THE Jake was my father, I don‘t think he ever passed through that part of twoleg-place.“
Ashfur blinks a few times, before nodding and turning is head away
„I see. No, in the clans usually everyone knows who everyone‘s parents are or were. I‘m sorry. I did not mean to pry on something like that“
Talon chuckles and shakes his head before returning his gaze out over the water
„No need to apologise. Not every father is a good father out in the alleys. Maybe it‘s a mercy I never knew him. Either way, just twoleg-place being twoleg-place.“
„Right…“
Ashfur slowly lays down as well. Though it clearly isn‘t something Talon wants if his answer is anything to go by, but the Thunderclan cat can‘t help but feel some amount of pity. Everything Talon has told him so far of twoleg-place, especially before Bloodclan, sounds like a fate worse than the Dark Forest. Fierce as he seemed to be, it‘s becoming clear why cats chose Scourge over continuing a life like that. Though, as his thoughts go deeper, remaining directed towards kin and family, a question he‘d found himself wondering about before returns to the Thunderclan warrior. He‘d spoken about his own troubles with a mate, potentially raising a family, but what of Talon? Bloodclan is a clan, Talon had spoken of their young when he explained their Trials. Clearly they must have families too, mates, kits. Perhaps that‘d be prying a bit too deeply.
„You got other questions.“
Ashfur finds Talon observing him from the side with mild amusement
„You‘re fairly easy to read when you‘re zoning out. Well go on. You‘ll have quite some tales to sit through when I get to recount my latest misadventures, so now would be the time.“
A brief hint of sadness flashes in Talon‘s eyes as he speaks, though it seems gone with his next blink. His expression remains entertained, his left ear attentively perked towards the Thunderclan cat.
„Well, you know of me and Squirrelflight. I was wondering if you have a mate, in Bloodclan?“
Ashfurs mild embarrassment at being caught deep in thought again turns increasingly to curiosity as he sees Talon lower his gaze, red eyes rapidly showing some deeper pondering at the question
„Hm… If you had asked me when we began training, my answer would have been a clear no. I‘ve had some brief… encounters after battles or the like, but never something meant to last.“
Crossing his front legs, Ashfur flicks his notched ear, a visibly questioning look upon him
„What do you mean by that?“
The Bloodclan leader returns a mildly confused look before letting out a scoff, whiskers twitching amused
„Oh come now, you‘re a grown warrior, are you not? You mean to tell me that after a fierce battle, the rush still in your head, your pulse still in your ear, the tang of blood still on your tongue, you‘ve never looked at one or another of your clanmates a bit… differently for a night or so?“
The blue eyed tom mildly recoils at the question, eyes wide in surprise
„No! No, never. I don‘t think that‘s something that happens often in our clans. Is that common in Bloodclan?“
Talon blinks, visibly no much less surprised by Ashfur‘s answer as the Thunderclan cat was by the question. With a quiet hum, Talon looks at his reflection in the water, pondering for a heartbeat
„Well… I doesn‘t happen much anymore now that we‘re divided into factions. So, maybe that‘s only something that happens with enough cats around to not make it awkward, I suppose. But among warriors without mates, it used to happen. Longest I ever was with someone was with Hound, a few days, but aside from being predestined to be short-lived, it didn‘t end very well. But…“
Talon waves his paw dismissingly and shakes his head
„Anyway, I might soon, is the best answer I can give. It… turned out that I‘d been blind to a she-cat having her eyes on me for a little while now until recently. Imagine how foolish I felt, finding out that apparently the whole clan had noticed well before I ever did. I never even really thought of taking a mate until that point.“
Finding some mild humour in this revelation, Ashfur still finds himself a little too stunned by the previous one. More so still, Hound does not sound like a she-cat‘s name either, leaving him on the Thunderclan tom on uncertain ground. That‘d not be something you‘d much see in the forest clans, or at least not something any cat speaks of. The idea had never really occurred to him, perhaps because of that same reason. Still, an answer he sought and he certainly received one. So, the Bloodclan leader might soon have a mate of his own. As he still struggles to become worthy of the one who holds his own heart. Though he feels some joy in this for Talon, it is tainted by the slightest hint of jealousy.
„I‘m glad for you then. My time with Squirrelflight was easily the best of my life. I hope you find that same happiness.“
Despite the little spark of envy, Ashfur speaks with genuine sincerity, getting a grateful look and nod from Talon
„One may hope. It‘s not absolute certainty yet, mind you. I feel like I‘m stumbling and improvising most of the time, but I‘m beginning to truly care for it to go well. She is special, in a lot of good ways… Either way, we still have to get you your mate back. I have promised to train you and I am not about to abandon that endeavour any time soon.“
Ashfur reciprocates the look of gratefulness, the certainty of the Bloodclan leader‘s promise bringing a mild sense of ease.
„I appreciate that. I‘ll keep up the effort.“
„I have no doubt on that. You‘ve made clear how important it is to you.“
Talon rests his head on his paws, his tail flicking before returning right back to his side. A moment of silence returns, this time pleasantly free of any underlying pressure. The two toms just resting by the river, observing the rippling river, the stars. The serenity of this little spot soothing as it always has been, the pine trees on the other side of the water gently swaying in the light wind. This is nice. For a moment, Ashfur can forget, there is nothing bothering, no aching. Just a few heartbeats of tranquility. In an instant like this, even the light of the stars seems less cold, less like far and uncaring. Just the brilliant shine of ancestors in Starclan, granting their light to illuminate Silverpelt. A hope inspiring sight. This may just all work out. And perhaps some day they may sit and speak of their mates and families to each other.
„I don‘t like having to pressure you…“
Ashfur‘s ears perk up as Talon‘s voice cuts through the quiet, his head turning to observe the dark grey leader as he tips one of his claws into the water‘s surface repeatedly, distorting their reflections in it
„but I still need your answer. I understand if you wish to have no part in it, but we will have to launch a raid either way. And you help, your directions, would be a great help to us“
Ashfur nods slowly, before looking down at the wobbling image of himself, pulled in strange ways by the little ripples, considering for a brief heartbeat
„I only wish to see them squirming a bit for continuing to make trouble at the border. I do not want any of them to die. No cat will die, right, Talon?“
The Bloodclan cat ceases poking the water, turning his gaze over to Ashfur, a hint of warm sincerity hiding in the eyes of an otherwise serious expression
„I will do my very best to make it so. That, I promise“
The blue eyed warrior holds the leader‘s gaze for a heartbeat before nodding once more and looking back at his own reflection, now clearer once more, staring back at himself as he speaks
„Past the end of our forest, the open moor, reaching all the way to the horseplace, that is Windclan territory. Their camp is in a scoop, not very far from the lake. You‘ll need to be careful though. Unless there‘s bad weather, they apparently prefer to sleep out in the open in the middle of camp. And they‘re fast. If the Gathering patrol returns and persues you before you‘re off their territory, they will almost certainly catch up with your warriors.“
Talon listens with both ears perked, listening to each word and visibly mulling over it, his eyes lowered and mildl darting in thought.
„They do have a healer‘s den too though, correct?“
„Yes, should be one of the few real dens they got. But unless Barkface brings him to the Gathering, his apprentice will be in the medicine den.“
Talon hums, which fades into a small chuckle
„We dealt with that well enough last time. The warriors all sleeping outside is a bigger issue… we‘ll waste valuable time, waiting for them to be surely asleep, but if we don‘t it‘ll turn into a battle… unless…“
Ashfur watches the Bloodclan leader closely as an idea seems to begin taking shape behind red eyes
„If the clans are still alert from our last raid, Windclan might have a guard out even during their Gathering night. If so, we could use that to our advantage.“
The Thunderclan warrior gives no comment, though some mild concern sparks in the back of his mind. Talon‘s eyes are focused and cold, the sheer seriousness of his expression as he mutters quietly, seemingly mostly to himself borders on the concerning. It seems as though, much like during their first real encounter, when they still considered each other enemies, the blue eyed tom now gets a glimpse at a true Bloodclan cat. After a little while, Talon nod and a small pleased smile grows upon him
„It will be different from the raid on Thunderclan, but I believe I know how to go about it now. Your information may well have saved lives, Ashfur. If we had just blindly tried the exact same thing there, it would have likely ended in a bloodbath“
The red eyed leader‘s head lowers down to rest upon his paws, visibly easing up, which in turn, though not completely, eases Ashfur‘s concern as well.
„So… it will go by without bloodshed?“
Talon looks over at Ashfur from the side with pleased confidence
„I believe so. We can remove most of the risk pretty easily this time. Certainly more secure than our last big adventure“
The confidence remains in the shining red eyes a heartbeat longer, before sorrow begins to slowly supplant it and the smile begins to fade. Ashfur gives him a questioning look, his concern for Windclan quick to be replaced by one for his current companion
„What‘s wrong, Talon? What happened?“
Talon seems briefly pulled out of some memories, looking at Ashfur before turning his gaze outward once more over the river
„Well, get comfortable. It‘s quite a story and for it to make full sense, I‘ll have to start from fairly early on, all the way from our last dog hunt…“

Chapter Text

Talon yawns wide, stretching his body after arising from his nest. The only brief sleep weighs him down a little, and yet he feels lighter than he has for quite a while. Despite the emotional ups and downs of yesterday‘s talks with Ashfur, being able to have these ups and downs without having to veil it, being able to speak aloud the doubt and guilt plaguing his mind, has proven to be everything the red eyed leader had hoped for and more still. It is not gone, quite possibly parts of it will never fully go away, but it haunts the background of his thoughts far less. More still, a pleasant sense of accomplishment strengthens the dark furred tom, as he strides out of his den. He has the target he sought, more informations on it than he even expected to receive. It will be quite a different procedure from their last raid, but provided these Windclan cats prove even remotely sensible, it may even be safer than their last one. After the bittersweet success of their search for food, it will raise moral to pull this off, not least for Talon himself.
Blinking against the light of the rising sun, he observes the alley as it slowly awakens to life, warriors arising from their dens, stretching in the early light, greetings and the first discussions coming up. After a slow turn, Talon leaps up onto the dumpster and from there on up, onto his wall. Kestrel isn‘t up yet, it seems. No matter, he will be up soon enough. He knows that there‘ll be news today, he‘d not pass it up being among the first to hear it. Would not be like him. Then again, there is no need to hurry, this will best be shared with the veteran warriors, once they are all up and about. Perhaps, it would be wise to first fill in those who know of Ashfur, secure himself some support. It risks being a somewhat dividing subject, considering the question of where these informations came from will indubitably come up. Then again, it might not be necessary to waste time on two rounds of discussion. Silver will certainly stand by him, Moon likely as well. Venom is pragmatic, probably won‘t mind, and Kestrel so far has dependably towed the line. Frost may not like it, but with a firm word from Talon, he should fall in line. Only Castle and Sparrow are unknown in how they might view the matter, but at least the latter should still be in a good mood from his ascension to veteran warrior. The more he thinks about it, the more it seems like it may go reasonably well. With mild guilt, the realisation arises that Owl‘s demise may have saved him some debating on this matter, but with a quiet scoff the red eyed tom banishes the thought. No, not a good thought to have. Owl gave his life for the faction. No matter the disposition the old tom had, his sacrifice ought not to be diminished.
Still, with all things as they are, it‘ll be a quicker procedure to just call in the veteran warriors once for this. Slowly beginning to groom his front legs and paws, one after the other, Talon also reminds himself of the both empowering and sobering fact that he is, in fact, leader. Yesterday‘s talks at the river, pleasantly unbound from his position had almost allowed it to slip his mind. Scourge would not ask or debate, he would inform about the already made decision. And though their search for food has cost them, when pressed or inspired, Talon‘s orders have always reached their intended goal in the end, wether they were for patrols and regular gathering, or more exceptional like their recent raids for food or herbs. Perhaps it would be a good opportunity to attempt at appearing more imperial, more leader-like. Scourge urges it, Frost and Silver advised it… If the clan is to truly unite under him, it‘ll be unescapable that he appears more like their founder in time, regardless of wether that is his heart‘s truth or not.
Barely done with the quick wash, Kestrel hopping onto his dumpster draws Talon‘s eye. With a small bow of his head and his usual confident grin, the second-in-command greets the dark furred tom above.
„Greetings. Was your night been productive? You seem reasonably pleased.“
Talon flicks his nicked ear before leaving it turned towards the brown tom below.
„It proved very productive. We have a target and know how to proceed. All we need to do is get ready and strike when the opportunity presents itself“
Kestrel nods, though his eyes betray a certain pensiveness, hidden behind the remaining warm smirk.
„Very good. Venom will certainly be pleased. That and we may all profit from it, should it come to… altercations“
„Should I be concerned that we‘ll have such a one? I presume your night wasn‘t eventless either“
The brown tom shakes his head
„Not us, not for now. But yes, I kept busy. Something interesting has been overheard, Laurel and Blackbird on a patrol at the twins border. Sadly it was only heard in passing, so we only know so much, but there seems to be confusion in Granite‘s faction about a plan to partition territory. Now, I‘m just speculating, but the way they‘ve been keeping an eye on Ice and Snake‘s territory and Wrath certainly striking back against them…“
Talon narrows his eyes, turning his head towards his second-in-command
„You think they might support Wrath for a part of the territory when he attacks? How did they organise this?“
„That is what bothers me the most. I do not think Wrath knows anything of this yet. There has never been a meeting between them, no talks. Granite is plotting on his own, but if he manages to make this is the first stepping stone towards an alliance between them… we are safe because we have the numbers of two factions. If they conquer the territory between them with minimal further losses, together they‘d have the cats of three factions, not even factoring in the strength of Wrath and Flame fighting alongside each other.“
A cold shudder slides down along Talon‘s spine, all pushing all earlier joy aside
„Not good. If it happens. Granite does not strike me as the kind to share power though. Perhaps he just wishes to even his odds against us by taking in half of the twins faction?“
„Yes, I was under that impression as well… I‘m keeping my many eyes and ears out there on it. Perhaps it‘s just that, though it‘d still not be ideal for us. Dangerous times. Best we can do is remain watchful and perhaps get something out of Granite about it during the next gathering. Doubtful that anything happens before that anyway.“
„Granite would not diminish what he stands to gain if anyhow he can. Tired and wounded warriors are at risk after a fight in Leafbare, the long march home might claim more lives than the battle. More territory doesn‘t help much if you no longer have the numbers to make something of it.“
„Agreed. But let‘s not fall into doom and gloom just yet.“
Kestrel fixes his whiskers briefly before looking back up to Talon
„After all, you have good news as well. I presume you‘ll want to tell us about it sometime today?“
Taking a deep breath first, Talon nods, before looking out into the alley again
„Yes. I‘d like you to gather the veteran warriors later. It‘s time to reveal our next target.“
Kestrel tilts his head
„Certainly. Anything else planned before that, or why else delay this to later?“
Talon observes him for a few heartbeats with no answer, before rolling his eyes in mild embarrassment
„If you must know, I promised Grail yesterday to eat with her and her brothers before their patrols today. I planned on sending at least one of them before sunhigh along the border with Wraith, that doesn‘t leave much time…“
Unable to withhold a chuckle, Kestrel turns his head away, scanning the alley
„I‘m not saying anything. Fine, then I reckon we should arrange to patrols for this half of the day now and gather the veterans just after sunhigh. That sound workable then?“
„Sounds like a plan. Let‘s get it done.“

„How can we be certain of this information? There‘s no reason to assume a forest cat would tell us how to attack their own“
Castle shakes her head in dismay, her tail lashing behind her, the eyes of the circle of veteran warriors on her. Having found a quiet place on the other side of the wall of Talon‘s alley, the meeting has consisted of little more than Talon recounting the situation as he knows it, from the full moon gatherings of the clans, down to where Windclan camp should be. Of course, the explanation where this knowledge came from seems not to sit equally well with everyone. Sparrow pulls a somewhat discontent grimace.
„I‘m all for clear directions, but this seems like a good way to ambush us. All the way to the lake, there‘d be a lot of room to cut us off.“
„You manoeuvre trough the sewers, but some plains and flat moors worry you?“
Soot observes Sparrow with somewhat tired eyes, but an entertained tone to his voice. One of the few lying instead of sitting amidst the other veteran warriors, the calm tom flicks his ear
„Would not be ideal, but if it came to it, we are still Bloodclan. We could fight our way out. And if it does go well, along wit what remains of the last raid we should be uniquely well stocked, right?“
Before Sparrow gets a chance to voice his very visible agitation, Soot looks to Venom, whom nods and flicks her tail
„Uniquely is right. We‘d have more herbs than we even had at the best points when the clan was united. Of course, not all is equally useful, but it would give us a much more secure situation. Avoid the mess Wrath‘s warriors were in.“
„No one is debating the idea behind another raid. It‘s wether or not the direction we‘ve been given won‘t lead us into a trap that we need to talk about“
Sparrow scoffs, shaking his head, still shooting a glare towards Soot. The golden eyed black tom however shows no signs of caring about the sharp looks in the least, after a few heartbeats simply beginning to clean his front paws. Silver clears his voice, drawing some attention to himself
„If it eases minds, on Talon‘s orders I have encountered the forest cat myself already. I do no believe he would lure us into a trap. Not only does he not strike me the type, he had plenty opportunities to attempt such on Talon or I. If he won‘t organise an ambush on one Bloodclan cat, I do not believe he would a large Bloodclan patrol, let alone over a clan his own is at odds with.“
Small discussion continues on, mostly between Castle, Sparrow and Silver, Moon occasionally chiming in to back Silver‘s calm rational reasonings, much to the entertainment of Soot. Kestrel simply listens, not adding much of his own and Venom scoffs, rolling her eyes at the ongoing noise she clearly does not consider herself much of a participant of.
Talon throws Frost a glance from the side. He expected the white tom to voice his opinion with at least the same volume Castle does, yet he remains fairly quiet, taking in the round of discussion before somewhat absently. Curiosity somewhat arises in Talon on what might occupy his former second-in-command‘s thoughts right now, though it seems a poor time to ask. Perhaps he could be awakened from his state if Talon were to cut the talking short. He had considered this to be a potential time to show himself more strongly in control. His red eyes wander among the circle of honoured warriors, his pads sweating. When Scourge wished to speak while others talked, Bone silenced them, Scourge himself never raised his voice much to be heard. Talon does not have a mountain of a cat at his side to such ends. But there is something that has worked before. He glimpses down at his reinforcing claws for a brief moment. Doing this too often will wear them off, force him to regularly fix or replace them, but he is to make the impression he wishes to, he must have something that will certainly work. A half-measure won‘t do.
The talking goes on for a heartbeat longer, before the loud sound of bone forcefully dragged against asphalt cuts it short. Heads snap over to look at the origin of the shrill grating sound, only to be met by Talon‘s gaze, slowly moving over the assembled veteran warriors.
„You have been informed of how the information we WILL use has been obtained. Now, we move on from that, to our plan of attack“
He raises his dogteeth from the rough ground, white lines remaining visible on the asphalt. No need to look, Talon already knows he‘ll need to carve the tips back into shape again. Though now that can not matter. His voice remains clear and serious as he keeps letting his gaze wander among the cats assembled. Sure enough, Frost has been pulled from his thoughts as well, fur standing slightly on edge, visibly somewhat startled.
„We can not approach this the same as our other raid. There is no way to do this without detection, so we must proceed speed and precision instead.“
Castle gives a small grumble, but nods. Both Moon and Sparrow are quick to nod in agreement as well, while Soot and Silver watch with interest. Returned from his pondering, Frost gives a quiet hum, before speaking
„What would you have us do?“
Talon looks over at the white tom. The initial startling having departed already by the look of it, Frost returns the look with now very attentive, as well as a certain a pleased surprise.
„Simple, we use both our knowledge of them and our own reputation in our favour. We go in once their gathering patrol has left, and seize a few of the cats nearest to their camp‘s entrance, beginning with their guard if they have one that night. The only way to get what we want and get out is to make attacking us too dangerous to their own.“
„Taking hostages. As long as we‘re quick, it should work. They won‘t doubt for a moment that we‘d kill them if they don‘t comply, which ironically will be what keeps them safe. And us uninjured.“
Silver nods slowly, pondering the situation. Frost grows a small grin, raising one of his dogteeth armed paws
„And if we bring enough warriors, with some of their own already out of camp, they must see that they would be on the losing side even if they did take the risk to fight. A good plan, straightforward.“
Sparrow tilts his head pensively, leaning it slightly into his mane like fluff
„Perhaps. We‘ll need to know the way though. After a stunt like that, we‘ll want the fastest route out of there“
„We will have a fast escape route, worry not.“
It nearly startles Talon as, after a brief moment of other voices making themselves heard and eyes wandering once more, the sound of his words instantly draw in the others attention once more. All attentive, all perking their ears to hear what he has to say. Holding his façade, he goes on after a heartbeat
„We know their camp isn‘t that far from their border with Thunderclan, a river. The same river that flows through twoleg-place. Thunderclan will have no patrols out at that time, so once we have what we need, we‘ll head for that border, that river, and follow it back home. Their precious code prevents them from carelessly crossing borders, so if there is trouble, we just cross it and head into Thunderclan territory before continuing home.“
Kestrel smirks, nodding
„Not bad, good thinking.“
Moon looks from Kestrel to Talon
„We just need to make sure we do get the drop on them.“
„Then we must make sure of it“
Talon stands up, slowly walking towards the wall. As he observes it, figuring the best way to climb it, he can hear everyday life going on in his alley on the other side.
„We establish who all comes with us early and ALL of them train their sneaking in the days before we go. Frost is already with us, I want three more of you with us. Kestrel, we will discuss which warriors to bring along in the coming days. We got some time before then, let‘s not waste it.“
Leaping up, Talon begins his ascent, the rough wall giving him sufficient chances to cling to it by his claws to keep climbing, tough the larger reinforcing claws are proving as cumbersome as ever when trying to climb. Very soon though, Talon arrives atop the wall, hearing the veteran warriors slowly beginning to discuss amongst themselves, while someone else is climbing the wall, soon to be revealed as Venom, leaping down onto the dumpster.
„We‘ll get you your supplies, Venom.“
The healer walks to the edge of the dumpster before looking back up to Talon
„I know, I‘ve never doubted your word. I know you’ll get what you’re setting out for. Though, it sounds like you want this all to happen without bloodshed. I don‘t mind, Talon, but while your reasoning is sound as far as the rest of these clan cats go, take it from a healer: being held down can make some cats very feisty, even if it‘s to their own good. Make sure our warriors understand that to avoid… accidents with the hostages. Just something to think of“
Talon blinks as Venom turns and leaps off to pad to the healer‘s den. Good point, not something he‘d thought of. Between mild admiration for Venom‘s sharp mind and mild frustration that despite his own pride at the plan he came up with, he has to admit that there was an oversight. It could be a problem… it will need to be adressed when they head out and they need to hope for the best. It‘ll have to work out. Ashfur gave him this information under the purview of trying not to kill any cat. With a quiet sigh, the leader overlooks the warriors wandering about in the alley, Lantern play fighting with Dusk and Dawn at the far end. No plan is perfect. The decision is made now, he even managed to project himself decently before his veteran warriors. There is only forward now. He will do his best, to get what he needs and keep his word to a friend.
As Kestrel descends off the wall and onto his dumpster, Talon briefly observes his second-in-command before just looking ahead at nothing in particular. So proud to find a functional solution, only for there to be stress on a possible weakspot in the plan after all. There is no rest for the wicked, certainly not for him anytime soon. Though despite that, a fresh memory warm Talon all the same. It was nice, to sit by Grail and her kin‘s side this morning. Despite Lantern‘s knowing looks. Thankfully, he needn‘t worry about getting those from Edge. All in all is was pleasant. Perhaps they could share a meal again soon. He’d like that.

Chapter Text

As the day slowly reaches it‘s end, thoughts that have occupied Ashfur‘s thinking all day remain persistent still. Lionpaw has clearly noticed his mentor‘s absentmindedness, but beyond looks that range from intrigued to annoyed has not responded much to it. Today‘s training was fairly straightforward, thankfully enough. Some battle training in the mossy clearing, followed by a mock assessment, letting the apprentice show if he can catch his own prey well enough yet. Though some small troubles presented themselves, mostly due to lack of experience, experience Lionpaw should have at this point if he weren‘t so insistent on battle training, it actually went reasonably well. A vole and a plump mouse, no feast for the whole clan but as the outcome of a single hunt none too bad. A bit more hunting training and the young tom will pass his assessment with ease.
Still, it is difficult to pretend that his whole focus was on the young cat he‘s meant to train today for the grey pelted warrior. Much of his encounter with Talon last night continues to reemerge in his thoughts regularly. Between all he learned, of Bloodclan, of Talon and all that happened in twoleg-place, Ashur catches himself constantly drifting off into thought. A lot has been weighing on his riverside companion. The clans are always fast to condemn kitty-pets as lazy for being from twoleg-place, yet it seems for most cats there it is anything but cozy. The remaining injury to the cat that might become his mate, the clanmates he could not save, it is difficult to imagine how that might weigh upon a cat. As his bright pelted apprentice leaves his side upon striding into camp, Ashfur finds himself following at a slower pace towards the freshkill pile. Despite their similarities, it remains apparent that there are still some great differences between clans like Thunderclan and Bloodclan. And the coming raid on Windclan… has Ashfur made the right choice? He has not betrayed his own clan, and according to Talon it was going to happen either way, that what Ashfur told him might prevent lives from being lost. He can only hope that‘s true. His dislike for Windclan does not reach far enough as that he would wish death upon any of them.
By the time Ashfur arrives, Lionpaw has deposited his catches and already bounds onward, presumably to find his kin. Focusing for a moment, the warrior pushes the new prey aside, as well as cuffing a squirrel that was lying under it out of the way with a small scoff, trying to see what lies even further beneath. With some interest, his eyes settle on a starling, which he proceeds to carefully pull forth without letting the rest of the pile fall into too much disarray. This will do nicely. It has been a little while since he enjoyed on of these. It’s usually Thornclaw or Brackenfur who manage to get these and it has as of yet eluded Ashfur how or where they so consistently manage that. Perhaps they learned from watching Brook, she had proven very capable at catching birds. Shame she and Stormfur left the clan. They had been decent company, pleasant to have around on patrols and generally.
Recognising from he corner of his eye other cats approaching the freshkill pile, Ashfur takes a few steps to the side to make room, earning him a brief, appreciative nod from Whitewing. The white she-cat goes in to pick Lionpaw‘s vole without much deliberation, while Sorreltail traveling beside her eagerly takes the squirrel Ashfur shunned. With a hum, the grey tom looks over who else is trying to reach the pile, finding Brightheart and Brambleclaw engaged in calm discussion as they wait for the pair of she-cats before them to clear off. Not taking a chance at potentially being pulled into talking with the clan‘s deputy, the blue eye warrior pads off. His mind is already being louder than it should today, no need to provoke adding to it. Perhaps a spot can be found where he may eat in peace. After a brief surveil of the clearing, Ashfur settles down beside the nursery and begins plucking the feathers off the small bird. The worst disturbance he should encounter here should be one of Daisy‘s kits emerging to playing with the feathers, some of which already begin to dance in a soft breeze blowing through camp, at best Ferncloud might show. Either way, it ought to be fine here. Daisy‘s kits… Spiderleg‘s kits. Easy to forget that they are kin. The thought is mildly entertaining to the grey tom as he takes his first real bite out of the starling‘s chest. If he considers Cloudtail‘s bloodline kin as well, it occurs to Ashfur that he is part of quite the sizeable family. A somewhat peaceful idea. His mind calming a bit, he enjoys his meal, tearing into the small bird between his paws. Though in the far back of his mind he knows that it is temporary, he welcomes the respite the moment offers. Who knows, perhaps at the end of it all, when all is done, he may yet add to that family himself still. Maybe, in due time. Though eventually the pondering on kin draws his thoughts eventually away from progeny. There is on other member of his family that he may see again very soon. A mixture of anticipation, as well as mild dread arises in the blue eyed warrior. It‘s quite possible Thistleclaw might call him to train again tonight. Leafpool has resigned herself to asking very few questions by now about the regularly reoccurring bruises and the cuts. She retains her usual warmth of character, but there is a tiredness to her lately. No doubt she‘s been seeing these injuries on Brambleclaw as well, now him… and perhaps more still. Thistleclaw had mentioned Tigerstar training yet someone else from time to time. Along with her normal duties and the stress Talon‘s raid must have put her under, her resilience is admirable. Most warriors would have begun complaining at some point with all of that piling up. Plucking away a few more feathers to lay free more of the meat beneath, Ashfur feels a measure of shame for contributing to it all, more so still for excusing it with empty little lies. As if a medicine cat couldn‘t distinguish between a gash made by a thorn and a clawed paw. Perhaps he could offer to help her seek herbs or the like when newleaf comes around. Try to ease his conscience a bit by helping out. If Jaypaw doesn‘t drive him up a tree with his snarky comments at the attempt.
Licking his lips to get the blood off his muzzle, Ashfur looks up at the evening sky. Not too late yet. He may still have time to go out hunting one more time, even if Thistleclaw plans to bring him to the Dark Forest tonight. A quick hunt around Thunderclan‘s outer border, a moment of calm at his spot by he river, not necessarily in that order, before returning to camp and retreating to the warrior den for the night. He‘ll have to see. Licking the delicate bones of what was a starling, his rough tongue loosening the little bits of meat still clinging to them, he flicks his tail and gets ready to rise up again. Better to stop thinking about it all too much if he can. Otherwise his mind will unavoidably wander to Leafpool and Jaypaw‘s kin and then a rare pleasant evening will be soured. Now then, where to first…

„We were growing weak…“
Ashfur's ears perk up and his head rises from licking his newly struck wounds. Laying on the ground covered in it's ever rotting leaves, the Thunderclan warrior and his ancestor rest by a small pond of murky, sinister water. Training has been hard, harsh, like last time, but Ashfur had endured it well enough. Though still, Thistleclaw had shown his descendant that he had a far way yet to go to reach the same kind of prowess in battle. The spiky furred spirit turns his head to look at the living warrior. The cut Ashfur has managed to deal the spectre on his left cheek brings some small satisfaction to the warrior, but like the rest of Thistleclaw‘s injuries it pales in comparison to his own gashes.
"You asked to know of my story, of what happened. Training is over for tonight and you haven't left yet. Might as well tell it now. No point wasting time"
Ashfur's nicked ear flicks. His interest palpable, he lays down his right front leg he'd been tending, his attention entirely on the spirit that just moments earlier tore the gashes now stinging Ashfur.
"Things could have always been better, but it truly began to show when Pinestar abandoned Thunderclan. To become a kitty-pet of all things."
Turning his head and staring into the murky water with a glare, Thistleclaw's voice drips with venom at the last sentence.
"Tigerstar's father. A strong fighter but he'd always been too soft... we just never realised how bad it was. After that, it became ever more clear. Under Sunstar it was slow, but constant. But as hard to watch as that was, when Bluefur discovered her ambitions to become deputy, to become the next leader, I knew Thunderclan would become a breeding ground for weakness. She always despised me. She knew I wanted to be leader. I did not care for that kind of position, but it would have been the only way to guide us back to strength. So she did what she always did, try to sabotage me, try to deny me, weaken everyone around her..."
Thistleclaw's voice rises and falls between it's neutral, gruff sound and actively flaring in anger, up and down. With a swat of his paw, Thistleclaw sends a few leaves into the pond, only to watch them sink, disappearing in the depths within moments.
"Why? What led Bluestar to despise you?"
Shooting a glare at Ashfur along with a scoff, Thistleclaw claws at the ground.
"The weak often despise the strong. And she had always been weak. Soft on kitty-pets, trespassers, enemies... We never cared for each other, but she was never good at losing and she could not stand it when she, in her cursed mind, lost something valuable to me. That was when dismay turned to hate in her, when she decided to undermine me with every breath she took!"
Listening closely, Ashfur feels like his ancestor is referencing something he's supposed to understand, but finds himself clueless. Sufficiently so to be evidently visible upon him, as after a brief silence Thistleclaw turns his gaze to his descendant, only to shake his head with a grunt of annoyance.
"Of course... you know nothing of your own kin. Your eyes. They are the exact same as hers... Snowfur. Your ancestor, my mate... Bluefur's littermate. Whitestorm inherited her pelt, you her eyes."
A hint of sadness enters the spiked spirit's voice, even if it was so brief, the blue eyed warrior could have thought he merely imagined it. Unexpected to hear from a warrior such as Thistleclaw, who's only emotions Ashfur had heard so far were anger and annoyance in varying degrees.
"Whitestorm never told us much of his parents. Or much in general... Brindleface raised us for the most part."
Ashfur's reply seems to not even register as Thistleclaw looks up into the black, starless sky. The same searching, almost longing gaze he saw on Thistleclaw last time.
"Bluefur got her own sibling killed on the thunderpath. Things were different after that. I tried to raise Whitepaw, raise him to be strong, but I failed. Bluestar took him from me, infected him with her weakness. I tried to raise my apprentice to be strong, Tigerpaw. I thought I succeeded in that... but he craved power more than strength. His need to prove himself better than his coward father made him a traitor in the end. Even there, my effort turned out wasted. As if it even matters in the end. The clan turned weak either way. Kitty-pet leader, kitty-pet warriors. The Thunderclan I served died a long time ago."
His gaze hardens into a fierce glare, still looking into the inky black sky. Fur spiked on end as he glares at a Silverpelt unseeable from here, claws unsheathed and digging into the ground. Ashfur observes his ancestor for a few moments, before looking back into the pond of dark water. A faint putrid odour arises from it, though the smell of rotting leaves mostly drowns it out.
"But, why are you here then? It's clear why Tigerstar would be here, but you? What did you do to be send here? You were loyal to your clan, it's clear you were proud to be such"
Ashfur's voice comes out more quietly than intended. Thistleclaw's tail lashes as his glare turns to his descendant. Ashfur fights the urge to shift away. Few as their meetings have been, he'd quickly been made to understand that Thistleclaw has both little hesitation with his claws and skill the Thunderclan tom can not compete with, not yet anyway. The scowl on the spiky furred spirit turns to a toothy snarl.
"I was not send here first. That was the final insult they dealt me. I WAS loyal to my clan. I hunted for it, fought for it, never betrayed it. I walked the hunting grounds of Starclan. I was at Snowfur‘s side agan, even if some of those so self-proclaimed 'wise ancestors' already disagreed with it back then. But when they foresaw that Bluestar had a role to play among them once she would die, they had to make sure she would not question it. They knew that would never happen with me there"
Thistleclaw's pelt by now bristled up enough to make him seem almost twice his size, even still lying down as he is. Raw fury burning behind his eyes, the likes of which could send a pack of badgers whimpering away. The only thing Ashfur could possibly compare it to was a fiercely blazing inferno, an all consuming fire, leaving naught but wrath, with a tone of voice to match.
"They CLAIMEd I needed to be judged anew for my deeds. My training in the Dark Forest, the way I protected Thunderclan, the way I stood for THEIR very code. The only selfish thing I ever did was trying to find a new mate in Spottedpaw, just to perhaps..."
Thistleclaw's voice lowers and turns slightly pensive for a heartbeat, before he fiercely shakes his head as if physically wanting to clear it of any notion of being wrong, violently rejecting the guilt this seems to hold, before continuing with the same fiery voice
"They condemned me for that as well. They claimed my heart was dark. They banished one of their own, a Starclan cat, to the Dark Forest. Away from Snowfur, this time forever. My pelt shone with the light of stars when I arrived here! Over moons it grew dimmer, until I became a full Dark Forest cat. Let that teach you of the 'grace' of Starclan. They care only for their own plots, bending their own rules as they please."
The old spirit seethes on, jaws clenched tightly enough that one could worry a few teeth might shatter in his snarl. His gaze is directed towards the barely visible reflection in the overly murky water, his tail thrashing back and forth. Though what he received as an answer certainly interests Ashfur, the last thing he wanted to do, among other reasons for his own safety, was bringing his ancestor to such fury. He can't help but wonder if that's all there is to the story. If in the brief time he's known his ancestor by now he learned anything, it's that Thistleclaw is fierce in just about anything he does. That along with his seemingly very strict ideals, it would not be too difficult to imagine that there could have been trouble. And what about Spottedpaw? If it's Spottedleaf he's talking of, she was a medicine cat. Someone who was as strict as Thistleclaw with the rules would certainly never try to be mates with a medicine cat... unless she only chose that path after his advances. The possible implications of that are worrying at best. Sure enough though, it is not a safe moment now to voice any of those thoughts. The Thunderclan warrior waits, wordlessly, without much motion, as slowly, very slowly, Thistleclaw's tail ceases lashing, his neck fuzz settles down again. As much as it was ever settled down at any rate. As the spirit lets out a loud nasal huff and rests his head on his front paws, Ashfur deems it safe enough to move again, resuming licking his newest wounds. Some of the blood has seeped into his fur by now, tinting it darker. Much longer and it would have begun to crust, would have been a much bigger hassle to get it cleaned off again. Seeming to notice the motion beside him, almost with slight surprise for a moment, Thistleclaw grumbles.
"Go on, get back to your clan. There won't be any more questions tonight. You got your answers, that is all you will receive.“
Looking up from cleaning his wounds, Ashfur nods, though before he can get up, a noise grabs his attention. His ears perk up directed where it seemed to come from. A pained, rageful shout. Thistleclaw turns his head in the same direction with a quiet, yet deep hm
„Tigerstar is training.“
Ashfur looks at Thistleclaw briefly before looking back in the direction of the shout. Too far to see from there, the dense undergrowth of leafless bushes of the Dark Forest not helping. It certainly wasn‘t Tigerstar‘s voice. Nor was it Brambleclaw or Hawkfrost. It was younger, in an odd way familiar sounding. Ashfur is certain he‘s heard such a shout before. But where? Slowly, the blue eyed warrior rises up.
„Don‘t think about it“
A warning grumble arises from Thistleclaw, who‘s turned his head just enough to glare at Ashfur from the edge of his vision.
„Not your business to poke your nose into. This isn‘t Thunderclan. You do not meddle in the affairs of other Dark Forest cats unasked. When he trains Brambleclaw, perhaps you can take a peek, because that is your reason for being here and I train you for it. Most have their own little territories here and wandering far is asking for trouble. A lot of cats easy to anger, with nothing better to do than hold grudges. And you know Tigerstar“
Ashfur nods, though his narrowed eyes shoot a lengthy glare over into the depths of the Dark Forest. A slow hiss escapes him as he slowly turns away from it, his blood feeling as if burning with anger as his thoughts center around the tabby in question. The mangled form of his fellow apprentice, the one nurturing parent he had partially devoured, his brother‘s mate disfigured…
„Yes, I do know Tigerstar…“
With a scoff, the warrior pads off at a little distance. He has not forgotten. Nor does he forget his kin. Hawkfrost plotting, playing his little games, Brambleclaw taking Squirrelflight. How could he forget. Perhaps if Thunderclan had seen that foxheart for what he was in time, they could have all been spared the rest. Ashfur could have been spared the rest. Sitting down, he shakes his head. Pointess… they didn‘t and the past can‘t be changed. No, he has to remain stalwart in his own endeavour. That must remain his focus, it is his only chance to right at least one of the wrongs. And for that, he needs rest, heal his wounds, train some more. Taking deep breaths, Ashfur attempts to calm himself, despite the mouldy smell ever lingering in the air here. He‘ll get there. He has Thistleclaw and Talon to aid him. Brambleclaw only has Tigerstar, it will not suffice to remain ahead.
Very slowly, a sense of calm returns to Ashfur and he lets himself fall into actual sleep, the dreary scenery of the Dark Forest falling away around him like droplets of rain off his fur. Patience. Soon enough, but for now patience and rest.

Chapter Text

Returning to the alley Talon shakes out his pelt before proceeding back to his spot atop the wall, while the patrol he led begins to scatter. Almost time for a gathering with the other leaders again, how time flies lately. Between leading during the day, regular visits to the forest at night, and even more regular training with Scourge in his sleep, the last ten days have passed like a singular bat of an eye. Three days till their gathering… and soon after the Gathering of the forest clans and their next raid at last. Anticipation for it has been steadily rising among his clanmates as the day approaches. Seated on his wall, he observes the coming and going of his faction. Led by Soot, a patrol regularly descends to the horse place, from the hight of the barn overlooking part of the Windclan territory. With a rough idea of how many they are and the plan in place, it is now just a matter of patience… and due preparation. With a small grin Talon watches Frost, Quail and Ferret returning to the alley, all looking battered and dishevelled from training, heading into the healer‘s den. Nigh everyone wants to be with the raiding party, many training intensely in hopes to be noticed as strong and picked, especially the younger warriors.
Frost looks up before slinking into the healer‘s den, giving an acknowledging nod up at Talon, which is answered with a sway of the dark grey leader‘s tail. The white pelted veteran slipping out of sight, Talon finds himself pleased. The former second-in-command has been very accommodating later. Though there is certainly still no love lost between them, there has been no more fights with Kestrel. Trying to take a slightly more direct, slightly more Scourge-like approach to leading, Talon found it quite noticeable that Frost seems more at ease. His displeasure at some things remains palpable, his darkening and diverted gaze the few times when the subject of Ashfur is mentioned, his visible uncertainty when having helped Wrath is spoken of, his subtile suggestions that perhaps it would send a stronger message to kill at least a few during the upcoming raid. Beyond that, he has turned pleasantly docile. Not only Talon noticed either, Frost seeming to have expanded his circle of friends, semi-regularly spending time with Moon and Rover, now that their search ended and they have more time to spend among the rest of the faction.
While in almost full automation speaking with Clover and advising her about an apparent dispute on the location of a new den between her and Spider, listening much, speaking little, but making sure his words are clear and understood, his mind meanwhile wanders. While Daze doesn‘t reject the kit, it‘s as noticeable as she said it might be that she differentiates between her own litter and the little rogue-born. Moon clearly shows interest in mothering the little one, but presumably she hesitates due to her promise to Rover. How well would the adopted kit fit in if she herself is to have a litter. Perhaps well, perhaps not at all. And while, at least to Talon, it seems likely that the dutiful she-cat would love the little one, would Rover? With so many questions, her trepidation to make a choice is understandable. Still, with the kit‘s eyes open by now, some choice will need to be made eventually, even as the tiny she-kit remains reliant of Daze‘s milk. Not the kind of problems Talon expected to have to contend with, though certainly preferable to worrying about dogs, starvation or their clanmates launching an attack on the faction. No, luckily things have thus far remained decently peaceably. The only thing that drew a cold sweat and a few sleepless nights out of Talon had been when a patrol thought to have caught scent at Wraith‘s border, scent crossing into Talon‘s territory, a single she-cat‘s scent. But that was three days ago and so far no unfavourable nighttime visits have occurred, his neck remains intact. Perhaps some of the warmer, half-rain snow that‘s been descending regularly the past week moved some scent where it shouldn‘t be.
Clover clearing off at last, seeming somewhat content with the rather mundane compromise of the two warriors simply making their new dens on opposing sides of the same street, Talon let‘s out a small huff. They still come with the oddest little problems to their leader. One can only wonder if the other leaders keep this little tradition alive. Not that it matters all that much. In time, it will be Talon‘s decision wether to keep it or not. Leafbare is not yet over and is almost certain to get colder again, but until then the reprieve is welcome. But once it ends at long last… though it took some pondering and convincing himself, the decision has been made; they will take Granite‘s territory, before he can do anything foolish with the dogs at the dog-fight place. Kestrel is in on it, early plans are made, nothing solid yet, but it remains moons before anything happens. They will need to start somewhere and of all the threats they might face, Granite seems the most likely to strike at Talon‘s faction, given half a chance. And if luck is on their side, as far as Flame is concerned, there is a chance that he simply decides not to want to do anything. Talon is no challenge to the enormous ginger warrior and they both know it, nothing that would get Granite‘s son motivated. It‘s unlikely anyone from Talon‘s faction beside Edge could give him a proper fight anyway and the blind warrior is best used to defend territory, rather than sending him on the offensive on grounds he doesn‘t know as well.
„Staring off again?“
Talon flicks his nicked ear, slowly turning his head down to Silver, the aged veteran warrior sitting calmly beside the dumpster, looking up at his leader.
„Pondering a thing or two. Is there something to report or requiring my presence?“
Talon leaps down onto the dumpster, Kestrel being off somewhere leaving plenty of space for Talon to do a long stretch before taking the two more steps to the edge, leaving him closer to the white and grey furred warrior.
„Nothing major. Food runs have gone decently, rogues remain at distance and from what I hear Gash is recuperating well from his case of whitecough. Everything is going well, as far as I can tell“
Talon nods, looking through the alley with a brief hum before jumping off, landing beside Silver.
„Good. I was hoping Gash might come along for the raid, it‘d be good if he were doing well again by then. What about you, Silver? Would you care to accompany us? You did well last time“
Silver shakes his head, slowly beginning to walk down the alley, Talon padding beside him
„No, I don‘t think so. Truth be told, I‘ve been spending more time with the young ones, helping to train them for their trials when new-leaf comes, rather than train much for myself lately. Edge and Viper seemed appreciative to be left with some time to themselves.“
A small chuckle escapes Talon as a faint smile forms upon him
„No less important than the raid, making sure the young ones are prepared. It‘s a dangerous world out there, everything to better their odds is wise. How old are they now? Must be six moons by now at least“
Silver returns the chuckles as the two stride on at a calm pace. The sky is mostly blue today, few clouds in sight, the treacherous warmth of the sun belying the freezing breeze whistling by from time to time.
„Edge‘s are seven moons. Lantern‘s is six moons. By the time new-leaf has truly begun, none of them should be any less than eight moons.“
Talon nods. Arriving at the entrance of the alley, he waits for a few heartbeats to see if Silver has any direction he‘d care to venture into. As the moment of the two toms standing there draws longer, Talon seizes initiative and leads them off towards the right.
„Good. We‘ll see if they are ready by then. Although unless they prove truly exceptional, I‘d prefer that they were ten moons before their trials at least.“
Silver remains right by Talon‘s side, giving a short nod before looking over to the other side of the thunderpath, seeming to observe the various twoleg dens
„Wise. They‘ll be bigger by then, had more time to train. If we send all three together once Lion is ten moons old, their odds should be good. If the rogue kit grows up well, you can send her out with Soot and Daze‘s kits when their time comes too.“
„That‘s the plan, as far as there is one so far. Twoleg-place is not forgiving, being in a small group will aid their survival considerably. We can‘t afford to lose potential warriors with the way things are shaping up to be. Nor would I wish that on their parents“
Talon briefly stops to ensure no monsters are approaching before, with quick steps, making his way from one sidewalk to the next. Not many monsters seem to be out today, nor many twolegs. Twoleg-place seems a lot quieter than most days, pleasantly so. The off smell of the monsters doesn‘t sour the air. A good day thus far by any standard. Should it remain this way, perhaps he could go hunting later with Grail. That would be good. Unnoticed by himself, a warm smile forms on Talon‘s face, only coming to his attention as Silver‘s soft chuckle has him looking over to the veteran warrior. The older tom observes his leader with a kind grin.
„Thoughts ever wandering, it seems. Somewhere nicer this time. A certain clanmate, by chance?“
Talon rolls his eyes before looking away, a small smile remaining still as his ears heat up a little.
„Possibly. I remain uncertain how or when to actually ask the big question. It seems early still. At the same time, it‘s difficult to deny that there is… I‘m not even certain on what words would best describe it. Solace? Comfort? How come you never took a mate, Silver? Surely it can‘t have been out of a lack of choices.“
Silver lets out a small laugh, shaking his head
„Perhaps. But I never really cared to go chasing such things when I was younger and now it is just way too late. Perhaps Argent will keep our bloodline going at some point, he is still a bit younger than I after all. And if not, so be it. Bloodclan is my family and that family will go on. As long as that remains true, I can feel like I‘ve done my part. I just hope to still see it handed to someone, who cares for it the way it deserves to be cared for.“
Talon gives Silver a look from the corner of his eye, more neutral in expression once more
„I will try my best, to get there and to live up to that wish.“
„I never doubted that. You have come far. Your efforts, both for and how you lead us are not going unnoticed.“
A deep sigh escapes Talon, the aimless wandering leading him onward through areas he doesn‘t visit very often.
„I just dread the blood that will need to be spilled before this is all over. Were it not for that, this would be much easier. I don‘t mind extinguishing a few rogues, but our clanmates… I didn‘t have to take the life of one of them, not with my own claws. Part of me hopes and partially reassures me that I have the strength to do it when the moment arrives. Another part of me wretches at the thought.“
It takes Talon a few steps to notice Silver no longer walking by his side. The grey leader stops and turns, to find the veteran warrior sitting, by now over a tail-length from Talon, observing the red eyed tom with calm and understanding eyes.
„It won‘t be easy, no. I find no joy in the thought, I believe very few of us all do, even in the other factions. That is why you will make a good leader. You don‘t risk shedding blood, if we don‘t stand to gain far more in return, all of us, yet you don‘t shy away from action to help your clanmates. And once, in due time, you find the certainty to silence your own doubts, Bloodclan will have it‘s new leader. Of that I am certain and for that I would fight.“
Talon remains motionless for a few heartbeats, before scoffing quietly and approaching Silver with a small grin.
„I could only hope to grow worthy of your words, Silver. Time will surely tell. Until then, I am grateful to have you at my side. You‘ve always been there for me since the beginning, I‘ve never forgotten that“
The green eyed tom laughs, whiskers twitching in amusement before he tilts his head and responds
„I‘ve only given some advice once in a while and trained with you some times. Nothing that cats like Bone or Claw didn‘t do as well and Bone since before I even became a Bloodclan cat. He was your first trainer, wasn‘t he?“
Talon lets out an amused scoff
„When I joined, yes. Tossed me around a fair number of times. But it‘s different, still. Bone was always a friend and I looked up to him in many things, but you always felt more like older, wiser kin. The father of my father, perhaps, although I would never wish such ungrateful progeny upon you“
Silver hums, his head remaining somewhat tilted as his smile eases up
„You never spoke much of your father, not once as far as I recall. You only ever mentioned your mother a few times and even that seems long ago“
The red eyed leader rolls his eyes, mildly displeased to have steered a cheerful conversation onto this course.
„Because I have nothing to say. I do not know him, never once saw him. If my pelt is any indication, perhaps he had black fur, but I know that that‘s not always how that works, inheriting traits from one‘s parents. So, essentially, the only defining trait he ever had was that he abandoned his mate and kit. I am not even angry, not anymore at least. I am simply indifferent to his existence. If he‘s alive or if the crows picked his bones clean, I am unable to care. Another rogue in twoleg-place“
Silver nods slowly before sitting down on his haunches
„Or parents were proper rogues, Argent and mine. Part of a small group that held a few alleys in the far reaches of what is now Wraith‘s territory. Fairly close to the former territories of the forest clans.“
Talon sits down beside the older tom, observing him from the side of his eye
„The group split when Bloodclan rose, if I remember your stories correctly.“
„Indeed. Most of the younger ones wanted to see if joining this new, rapidly growing group could be a better life than the one we had thus far. The elder, our parents included, were more territorial, wouldn‘t give up what they had. Lived in alleys of twoleg-place all their lives, thought thy knew how everything works. Groups that big never last long, someone will try to grab power, the group divides into two opposing factions, tears itself apart until what‘s left is like any other group again. So they insisted anyway. And while we left, they stayed and waited for their little prophecy to come true. Waited for us to come crawling back to them, admitting that we were wrong and they were right. They waited and waited, until Bloodclan bordered them, expanded one more time, and they had to leave. They weren‘t bad cats, no worse than any other alley cats at least, but they were so sure that they were right, that they staked ever seeing their kits again on it. A wager they lost. They could have joined alongside us, but they didn‘t“
Talon nods slowly, turning his head to look down along the thunderpath.
„Do you ever miss them?“
Silver lets out a calm little chuckle
„They were older cats back then, by now they are long dead no doubt. At first, sometimes. He would never admit it these days, but Argent missed them a lot for a while. But we found everything we had hoped to in Bloodclan, as well as things a bunch of alley-borns never would have thought of at the time. It was no easy choice, but it was the right choice. Just as you both will and did face difficult choices. And so far, you‘ve shown that you will choose wisely.“
Talon pulls a slight grimace
„We shall see. Scourge has been pushing me a lot lately. Both in fighting training, as well as in his instructions how to lead. He doesn‘t seem too disappointed, so I figure I‘m making some progress… although he doesn‘t make it easy to tell“
„He never did. But Scourge would not waste his efforts. If he keeps training you, it mus…“
The loud howl cuts Silver off, both he and Talon immediately rising up, heads snapping into the direction of the nearby sound. No dog, for sure. A signal from one of their own. As Aspen bounds their way with speed, it can only be assumed she signalled. Is the faction looking for Talon? He‘s been gone barely a moment. Curiosity, tempered by worry shoots through the dark pelted leader, at rapid pace padding to meet Aspen.
„What‘s going on? Report!“
Talon barely notices the hardness of his voice, the tone of authority that infuses his words as stress builds, making his paw pads sweat under him. The slender she-cat literally grinds to a halt as a small patch of ice on the asphalt preserves her momentum for a heartbeat.
„I don‘t know. Kestrel, he came racing into camp a moment ago, said something happened, that you‘d want to know without delay. Send out several of us to find you right away.“
Talon nods at the sleek warrior, before bursting into a run back to his alley. The clacking of bone on pavement letting him know that Aspen and Silver both are barely a tail-length behind him, keeping pace. Just a moment, he‘d been gone for just a few heartbeats. What calamity could occur in that small timespan? Grinding his teeth in a snarl, pushing out breath as he darts onward, Talon‘s head already races. What? Are any of the others attacking them? That would be foolish. Dogs? Shouldn‘t be any around, and Granite has left the dog-fight place in peace for a while. What then? A tinge of panic enters Talon‘s heart. Grail, she‘s alright, she must be. No, no, it couldn‘t be, she can defend herself. Can’t be. It must not be!
With the grinding crunch of small loose pieces of sediment under his paws, Talon turns the corner into the alley at top speed, his heart beating loudly in his ears. Slower, but still at bounding speed, he proceeds down the alley, eyes quickly focusing in on Kestrel‘s pelt. The second-in-command is breathing heavily, no doubt having come here as quick as he could himself. Most other shapes in the alley, Talon does not fully compute. He vaguely recognises cats, but his focus is nigh entirely on Kestrel. Only for a brief moment does that waver, almost at his destination, as he sees a familiar shade of russet to the side of him. Turning his head, it takes a moment for his eyes to focus, but sure enough, Grail is sitting there, near the healer‘s den, an expression between curiosity and worry in her face, her right ear flicking almost rhythmically, but unharmed. She‘s fine. She‘s alright, nothing happened. The sudden relief easing the sensation of jaws biting down on his heart eases away, almost sufficiently so to stop Talon in his movement. He catches himself just in time, forcing his legs onward. No, no time, not now. Something still happened. Returning his gaze to Kestrel, Talon‘s now close enough to see the a mixture of frustration and unease in the brown coated tom‘s eyes. Talon is offered a quick bow, before Kestrel immediately slinks into the leader‘s den, before either of them gets much chance to say anything. Fine… if it‘s this important, that may be the wiser choice anyway. Stopping briefly before the entrance to his den, Talon looks behind him, Aspen and Silver still close behind, but having already allowed another tail-length between them and their leader as they approached his den.
„Guard the den. No-one approaches, no-one listens in.“
Both immediately nod, padding forth a little more to sit on either side of the entrance. By the time they are both seated, Talon already descended into his den, finding Kestrel at the far side of it. Out of public view, a rare snarl is seen on him, a quiet hiss escaping the tom as he looks off into nothing.
„I thought they‘d at least wait till new-leaf… Damn Granite, how did this miserable old flea peddler…“
Talon steps closer, raising his voice with the volume of a larger dogs bark
„Report!“
Kestrel‘s eyes snap over to Talon, a brief moment passing, before the second-in-command takes a deep breath, his expression easing up a little, all be it not sufficiently to hide the remaining agitation. His voice starts out fairly quiet, forcing Talon to perk his ears to hear him well enough
„Do you remember, a silly little prognosis I made some time ago, when I noticed Granite‘s cats giving the twins border more attention? That if they would want to capitalise on anything Wrath does, they‘d need to know what was going on and should have no means to do that?“
Talon‘s tail lashes behind him as he sits down, a bad feeling weighing down his stomach.
„I remember…“
Kestrel scoffs with a mildly stressed laugh
„Well, I was wrong! It seems, our clanmates under the twins grew tired of them, their nonsense, their failing… when they found out Wrath was still alive, they knew that big mountain of displeasure was going to come for them and they decided the Ice and Snake are not worth dying for“
Talon‘s teeth are grinding against each other behind closed lips, his tail tapping against the ground, but no words escape him as he waits for Kestrel to continue.
„Turns out, some of them must have made a deal with Granite. And Granite, ancient fox-heart that he is, has been waiting ever since for Wrath to attack. Predictable that the twins were going to use the rogues again as a first line of defence, to preserve and keep close their Bloodclan warriors. Warriors that apparently sold them out a while ago already, probably.“
Talon‘s face lowers, eyes firmly shut. His claws unsheathed under the dogteeth, hooked into the ground beneath
„And now, Wrath attacked. Right?“
„Rolled over the rogues like a iron snake from what I hear, meanwhile Granite led a patrol over the border on the other side, politely invited in with no resistance. I don‘t know what happened deeper in the twins territory, still have not many eyes there, but both Wrath and Granite‘s patrols entered it and left it, mostly intact. I smell a deal was made, Talon. And whatever it is, it is not in our favour. Granite has made his big opening move and I fear it‘s a considerable one…“

Chapter Text

Talon is greeted, wordlessly, by the respectful nod of Wraith, as he steps to the meeting point in the old twoleg storage den. He returns his fellow leader‘s gesture before finding his spot to sit, the cats behind him finding their own places, most sitting, a few laying down, fewer still approaching individual warriors of Wraith‘s faction that approach them in turn. As quiet conversations start among those warriors, Wraith and Talon both remain quietly at their spots, the latter allowing himself a deep nasal breath, the only indication of the stress plaguing his mind currently. No other factions have arrived yet. This along with what Talon knows, appears to him as a clear reason for concern. Ice and Snake have been late and last to arrive a few times, but Wrath? The only time his faction ever arrived late was when he was too injured to come himself. And Granite is usually the first, or at the least second to arrive. Now, out of everyone, they are tardy? Talon can feel the warmth of the sweat dotting the ground under his pads. Could be too early to make assumptions just yet.
For a brief heartbeat, from the corner of his eye, Talon believes to see Wraith inconspicuously observing him from the side. Ever so slightly turning his head and looking over to the white she-cat, it seems as if her gaze has remained unmoved, looking ahead with the faintest hint of boredom, staring at nothing in particular as they wait for the other factions to arrive. Perhaps he was wrong, what reason would Wraith have to keep her eyes on him after all. Or her reactions hopelessly exceed Talon‘s, the most minute indication of movement having prompted her to look away. Either is possible. With mild frustration, the red eyed leader must confess to himself that anything going on in his ominous neighbouring leader‘s mind, be it her goals, her motivations, even most of her methods, remain absolute enigma. If he were to approach her about an alliance, would she accept unconditionally or drive her fangs through the top of his skull, or something in the vast spectrum between those two possibilities? He couldn‘t tell.
His thoughts are interrupted as Wraith suddenly moves, fist one ear flicking back, turned to the entrance of the building, then a slow turn of her head to observe in the same direction. Talon turns his ear in the same direction, though he doesn‘t register anything for a few heartbeats. Only then does he turn his head to look as well, faint sounds finally registering, the clacking of reinforcing dogteeth on the hard ground. A brief thought of awe arises. One would not think that the a cat of the territory with the iron snake place would have such sharp hearing, noisy as it can be there. Then again, any cat would be a fool to underestimate the cold blue eyed huntress. Moments later at last, a familiar pelt brushes past the sides of the door, making his way towards the other leaders. Harsh green eyes wandering from Talon to Wraith and back, as the large tom advances, his delegation for tonight pouring in behind him.
„Wraith. Talon…“
Wrath‘s gruff voice seems to faintly soften at Talon, but the dark grey tom could have just as easily just imagined it, as the massive black leader‘s expression and gaze remain as immovable and cold as steel. Talon nods in greeting.
„Wrath. I am pleased to see you up again.“
They can‘t know for certain what and how much of the situation both Wrath and Granite might speak of tonight. Perhaps it‘d be wiser of Talon not to let them know how much he knows. In fact, it might be best to make it seem as though he knows nothing at all for now.
Wrath glances Talon‘s way as he passes, making his way to his usual spot, roughly opposite from Talon.
„We shall see if that lasts. Granite should arrive any moment now, then we shall begin“
A quiet hum emits from Talon, his head mildly tilted. It is not hard to feign being intrigued by Wrath‘ words, as the curiosity is real. Keeping it free from any indications of the unsettling feeling, sitting squarely in Talon‘s gut, proves harder. Aside from insinuations not boding well for the twins, how would Wrath know when Granite arrives? Nothing about this is reassuring. It begins to demand somewhat active attention from Talon to keep his tail from lashing.
Wrath is barely seated, to Talon‘s surprise not with Abrarc right behind him, but Argent, that more noise already sounds from the entrance. Wrath‘s cats finding their places, Granite strides into the room with quick, long steps, followed a heartbeat later by his own delegation.
„Apologies for keeping everyone waiting. These are busy times and a few things kept me occupied.“
Red eyes fixed on the older leader, Talon scans Granite closely. Though confidence is something one could always expect from the grey, dark flecked tom, the mild grin seeming to solidly stick to his face does little to ease Talon‘s mind. With quick motions arriving finding himself a place to sit in the circle, he barely waits for Copper to take his place behind him, let alone the rest of his delegation, before beginning in a clear voice, hints of his own mirth undisguised and audible
„We may commence, as all remaining leaders are now present.“
„The twins won‘t come then…“
Wraith‘s voice, though a fair bit quieter than Granites, seems to echo with the gravity of it‘s words. Cats from her own faction look around between the leaders, somewhat uneasy, even if Wraith herself remains the very model of composure, not the smallest hint of her train of thought externally noticeable as her cold gaze lingers on Granite. Talon hears some movement behind him as well. Shifting, whispering. They haven‘t been told, but ever since Kestrel‘s seeking to report urgent news to Talon, they‘d already known that something was up. Noise… Granite seems quite pleased at the small discord he ignited, while the beginnings of a headache begin to form in Talon‘s head. Pressing his teeth together behind closed lips, Talon all but can feel Scourge‘s scratch on his chest. He needs to think, consider his words carefully. This noise, it does not help. Nor does seeing Granite‘s pleasure at sowing disorder among his cats with such ease. The last thing he can afford now is to lose composure, let show that he is on edge as it is. It does not help, so it must CEASE!
With a forceful pull, the squealing, grinding noise of bone against concrete, shriller than it would have been on asphalt, sounds loudly. The echoing, vast and empty room throw the sound back around several times, as voices cease. Attention, of any and all, is drawn to Talon. The many gazes resting upon him keeps his pads sweating, but the background noise is gone. Silence, order. Taking the time of a slow, deep breath, managing to keep himself stone-faced, even if it is with effort, Talon pulls his tail forth and wraps it over his front paws.
„Now that we have order again… I presume you would know because you had a paw in making it so, Grante?“
Granite for a few heartbeats observes Talon, his expression retaking the same grin, but his eyes showing more complex things going on behind the mask. Disappointment that his delightful little chaos has been cut short, anger at it, but certainly surprise. He hadn‘t expected what must have been a well planned out attempt to sow a bit of unrest to be cut short. Wrath‘s eyes on the other paw sparkle with amusement for an instant, before he blinks and it‘s gone as if it‘d never been there. His gaze turns to Granite as the older leader clears his throat in preparation of his response
„Ice and Snake were an embarrassment at best and a threat at worst, to all Bloodclan. Even you will have to agree that they needed dealing with. It would have cost a fair few lives for any one of us to just fight our way through to them. But much in the spirit of your ideas, I decided to preserve Bloodclan lives. When Wrath launched his retaliatory attack against them, getting rid of most of their rogues, I found myself invited by some… less than content clanmates from the twins faction.“
Talon lets his gaze wander past Granite, to the cats in his delegation. After just a brief search, he finds Rocky and Eel sitting among them, returning the look in silence with determinate eyes. So the faction has ceased to be… the temptation to look over to Wrath‘s delegation, to try and spot if any of the twins cats are there now as well is considerable, but Talon fights it. If he now noticeably does so, they might consider this a sign that he already suspected their cooperation. No, they don‘t get to know what all Kestrel‘s sources got for them. Better to keep them in the dark, keep them underestimating Talon if possible. Considering his words carefully, Talon nods, though a single flick of his notched ear manages to worm it‘s way past his defences.
„Their faction has ceased then… Then, who holds the territory and warriors now?“
Raising his head pleasely, seeming to notice Talon spotting the newcomers among his followers, Granite turns his head to look back at them.
„Well, it was a joined effort, so the decision was made to share the spoils. Especially after I gave Wrath a… small gift. A show of good will, really“
Keeping the mask from slipping grows only harder for Talon sees the grim amusement in Granite‘s eyes when at last he turns his head back towards his fellow leaders.
„After all, Wrath has been wronged and in such an honour-less fashion. I was not about to deny him righteous vengeance for Fang, for Wicker, for Echo. And his quarry was elusive… or tried to be“
Wraith nods slowly, ears perked in the direction of Granite of Wrath both.
„The sons of Bone are dead then.“
Wrath turns his gaze her way, his silence an answer more louder than any words as he raises one of his paws and taps one of his reinforcing claws against a trophy on his collar. A new one, the bits of leather around the puncture point still jagged and showcasing the typical brown colour that all leather collars seem to have under their outer colouring. His green eyes almost rival the white she-cat‘s in coldness. As he turns his gaze from her after a few moments, it crosses Talon‘s. There is no remorse to be found in their depths, no regret. Only the low gleaming embers of what used to be great rage, the flames of which have now been sated for now, smouldering on with the threat of being able to ignite anew should there be any cause. But for now, for now the heat burns low. Lower than usual at least. Leaving no question to his strength, his resolve, Wrath‘s eyes bear no challenge today. Perhaps even the fierce Wrath can feel some relief when such matters finally find themselves resolved.
Talon‘s stomach turns. It was always likely that those two would end up having to die, but this does not sound like they fell in battle. This sounds like nothing less than execution. Perhaps deserved, but still the thought dismays the red eyed leader greatly. But even so, there is another matter, for various reasons occupying his mind even more.
„What happened in terms of casualties?“
Granite flicks his tail, looking from Talon over to Wrath, seeming to expect the large leader to answer this one in his stead. Noticing, Wrath lets out a brief huff.
„Mostly rogues. Those that didn’t die, ran when it became clear no reinforcements would ever arrive. We did not care to count their carcasses. Reborn got hurt… again. Hush and Sin both fought for fierce vengeance and were injured as well, but none as severely as last time. None in immediate danger. As for the other side…“
He turns his head slightly looking from the corner of his eye into his delegation, finally giving Talon a good excuse to scan the group of cats for any he‘s recognise from the twins faction, quickly detecting Foam, presumably the one Wrath is looking at. Large in figure and fierce of gaze, the former veteran warrior of the new dissolved faction fits in nigh seamlessly between the warriors of Wrath‘s group.
„Shed was leading the rogues in the twins stead. She fell. Snook apparently wasn‘t involved in Granite‘s conniving and attempted to buy Ice and Snake time.“
Wrath‘s gaze shifts to Granite, narrowed and sparkling with disapproval at the word „conniving“. Granite holds the larger leader‘s gaze, his expression unchanged.
„Did not having to fight the most actual warriors not help you out? If there had been a true battle, you would have way fewer warriors than you do now. And for your aspirations, you need warriors, do you not? And without me, you would not have completed your revenge, not truly. Don‘t you remember me kindly handing them over?“
His tone remains calm, until the end where the hints of a threat creep into his words, drawing a toothy snarl from Wrath.
„You? You plotted and schemed and used subterfuge. Flame handed over what was mine to claim.“
Talon‘s breath briefly stops, the sweat under his paws running cold enough to give the impression he had frozen to the ground. Flame? That explains how the two couldn‘t have gotten away. He must have seen hunting down the fleeing twin leaders as a greater challenge than fighting them could have been. And Snook… poor fool. No wonder he did not make it, standing in Flame‘s way…
Granite gives an indifferent hum at Wrath‘s remark.
„It happened on my orders. You may consider it whatever you please.“
Wrath scoffs, his head raised high
„As if your words and orders mattered. They didn‘t prevent Flame from tearing Timber‘s throat out.“
Granite‘s eyes narrow, firing a fierce glare back at the large back furred leader. Apparently not something he‘d intended to make known tonight. From the corner of his eye, Talon can see that this information is found to be intriguing even by Wraith, as the white pelted leader slightly tilts her head to ponder this new morsel of knowledge, remaining perfectly silent however. Flame is not a cat that can be ordered, that much is known. He can only be enticed, motivated by the prospect of a challenge, nothing else seems to be able to move the large warrior. And ever since Scourge‘s death, he‘s had few truly promising prospects for challenging himself. No doubt he contributes still as little, or even less than he used to back before the clan fractured. Understandable that some cats would get upset at time… although that is but the first possibility that enters Talon‘s mind. Needless to ask, he‘d doubtlessly learn not much more of value about the matter. Granite‘s tail lashes behind him
„My words, I believe, should matter a great deal, Wrath. Consider my proposal. And consider how well you‘d manage without me, nevermind against me. I agree with your wishes, your views. If they truly are what matters most to you, you stand to gain everything. Think on it…“
„Proposal?“
Granite and Wrath both slightly turn their heads at the sound of Talon‘s voice. Keeping it and his expression calm requires at this point draining amounts of energy. By the time this gathering ends, he‘d likely have barely the fortitude left to make it to forest. If even… It might be wiser, though the thought saps what little joy this evening had, his anticipation for the river spot, to let Silver go again tonight. At the current rate of events, Talon will be lucky if he can drag himself into his den.
Granite shakes his head, a small grin arising on him once more
„Nothing for you to worry about just yet, Talon. Time alone will tell“
Wrath briefly looks back at Granite before returning his gaze to Talon, seeming to briefly ponder the situation, before he too shakes his head
„Nothing is decided yet, it is too early to speak of any would or could-be‘s. Something you too should remember, Granite… I have not agreed to anything yet. Do not act like you‘ve won yet! And if I ever suspect that you would try the same kind of backstabbing as you did with the twins against me…“
A dangerous sparkle enters Wrath‘s eyes as he peers down at the elder leader, looking down upon him from his full, towering hight
„…then you better be quick to hide in your kit‘s shadow, and even that won‘t keep you safe from me.“
A moment of tension flares up between the two leaders, although beside Wrath‘s seemingly reawakened menace, the smaller and old Granite ends up looking horridly outclassed. Not that that in any way lets the old one‘s fierce retaliatory glare lessen, his straight and proud posture crumble. Granite remains, posture unmoving like an ancient tree, roots growing deep and securing against any force that might try itself against him.
„That is your reports concluded then?“
Talon‘s ear flicks in surprise as Wraith‘s quiet voice cuts through the heat of the moment like a well sharpened claw. Wrath and Granite both find their gazes drawn away from each other, turning them to the huntress leader, her own blue eyes seemingly unimpressed wandering from one to the other. As the tension seems to dissipate, a slight feeling of déjà-vu arises in Talon. A heartbeat of silence follows, before Wrath gives a small scoff and lifts one of his paws to groom and clean the long reinforcing claws extending from it.
„The new border runs along the thunderpaths of the narrowest point of Ice and Snake‘s old territory, to the bridge to the neutral territory. Foam, Burn, Chili, Steam and Rust joined us, the rest went with Granite. That now concludes my report.“
Talon nods in acknowledgement. It seems Wrath still won‘t mention the fallen of the last battle before the other leaders. Nor does he seem inclined to address Argent now sitting by him as second-in-command. It would not be like him to admit to anything that‘d indicate any kind of weakness on his faction‘s side. As far as Wrath knows, only Talon and his faction know of their dead and Talon won‘t waste what little good will he bought from Wrath by revealing this now, even though it saddens him. Granite nods after a deep breath
„Yes. Rocky, Fidget, Otter and Eel have joined us, food remains manageable, borders both new and old are secure. Not much further to be said. What of you then, Talon?“
Once more, Talon nods, though this time slower. Moments to silence pass as he tries to arrange the right words. Wrath may choose to withhold such matters, just as Granite seemed unwilling to mention Timber‘s death of his own, and as leaders such might be their right. But Talon will not. The pause and silence only seeming to have build some anticipation for the other leaders, Talon speaks with a clear, but even voice, attempting his best to sound as strictly matter-of-factly as possible.
„We engaged on a venture outside Bloodclan territory to secure food. Our supply, along with the remaining food sources of our territory are now well sufficient to keep us fed the remainder of leafbare. This boon, however, came at a cost. Owl and Wax have committed their honourable sacrifice to enable this for us. Sparrow has been elevated to veteran warrior for his role in the undertaking and Rain is shaping up to be an able healer under Venom‘s guidance. Beyond that, our borders remain secure and our warriors strong“
A quiet murmur goes through the other factions. Granite flicks one of his ears, before giving a quick and courteous bow, though his eyes show very little care. Wrath takes a moment longer before giving a short bow of his head, though it is slightly deeper than Granite‘s. As the massive tom raises his head anew, despite the same unmoved expression of displeasure remains upon him, Talon feels like it is closer to being genuine than the other leader‘s. A brief flicker of sincerity behind the lime green eyes that otherwise yield not their eternal glare. Talon only notices Wraith‘s bow as her white head arising back from it catches his peripheral vision.
„Condolences. Theirs was an honourable deed.“
Head slightly turned in her direction, Talon observes the she-cat. Neither her voice, nor her expression change in even the slightest. The red eyed leader couldn‘t begin to figure if Wraith‘s words are meant to be taunting or genuine, or just emotionless politeness. He believes to spot some sympathy in Asphalt‘s expression, sitting right behind her leader and looking over to Talon and his faction. The second-in-command‘s warm green eyes far less difficult to decipher than her leader‘s icy blue ones, but even so, Asphalt‘s intact ear remaining vigilantly scanning in the direction of the other two tom leaders regardless. Commendable, prudent…
Talon returns a small nod of the head.
„We thank you for your words. Honourable and brave are the only words befitting their selfless act. I hope you and yours fared well in the meantime?“
Wraith‘s tail sways behind her briefly in the slow and curved motion of a snake, a short heartbeat passing before she turns her head back towards the center of the circle.
„Prey and food are well. The rogues seem restless, but the border remains secure. Further, we confirmed that Moth is pregnant. We presume the kits will be due in time for the beginning of new-leaf“
Wraith‘s quiet, yet steadily monotone voice fails to diminish to surprise as it hits Talon. Judging by the sudden increase in talking among several factions, the red eyed tom is far from alone in that sentiment. With a brief look through her delegation, he finds Hawk, the father to be, unable to keep himself from growing a proud smile upon his white face, the grey-brown fuzz of his mane only adding to accentuate his expression.
„We extend our congratulations. The beginning of new-leaf would be an auspicious time for kits.“
Hawk turns his gaze over to Talon and briefly but gives a visibly appreciative nod, but knows better than to speak aloud among the leaders. Still he receives warm looks from the cats around him, Thunder placing his tail on his shoulder in a show of camaraderie. Talon‘s eye wanders just a little further, only barely noticing Wraith few quiet words of thanks as his eyes land on Forge. The large ginger tom, father of Grail, of Edge and Lantern, smiles as warmly as the other warriors around him at Hawk, yet Talon can‘t shake the impression that he very actively avoids looking too far in the direction of Talon‘s faction. Although, with all the information and feelings of today‘s gathering, the headache it has by now brought upon Talon he could be imagining it. There is too much to ponder already in either way. Talon‘s plans for the beginning of new-leaf will need to be reconsidered thoroughly now… if no more ominous matters come to pass before that still. Returning his eyes back to Wrath and Granite, worry grows preeminent in his mind, despite the joyful news from Wraith‘ faction. She must know it too, no doubt. Wraith may be difficult to evaluate, but she is certainly no fool. This is alarming, to both of them. And it risks getting worse yet.

Chapter Text

Kestrel flicks his ear, watching Talon pacing back and forth, the two of them in the gloom of Talon‘s den, himself in no less pensive a mood. Reinforced claws clicking against the ground with each step as Talon continues, continuously back and forth, until his agitation at the noise spikes and he sits down, pulling the dogteeth off his paws with considerably less caution than normal.
„So… recruitment then?“
Kestrel‘s voice almost makes Talon jump, causing one of the last dogteeth he was pulling off to yank somewhat painfully at his own claw underneath. Tossing the carved dog bone aside, the dark grey tom hisses in discomfort for a moment, before calming himself.
„Granite and Wrath each gaining a few cats is less of a problem than the possibility that may join together. They would outnumber us currently. We can try to reduce their advantage, if we make sure we have enough warriors. It will be difficult for them to launch an attack, at least not without adequate preparation.“
Kestrel slightly tilts his head to the side
„I get the gist of it, but who would we take? The rogues remain somewhat spooked, last thing I heard. I haven‘t heard much talk of any kitty-pet being considered promisingly talented and in leafbare there’s few wandering loners about. We have solved the food problem for now, but only as long as every grown cat still continues to contribute. We can‘t invite any dead weight in.“
Talon nods, huffing out a deep breath, eyes narrowed at the ground.
„I know… but I can command the patrols to keep an eye out for anyone that could be worth giving the chance to. Unless you can tell me what goes on in Wraith‘s head and that she might be sympathetic to us, I fail to see many other options. We need to try and assemble more warriors, and before all else, preserve the ones we have now. If it weren‘t just as important to potentially keep everyone alive, I‘d be hesitant to even conduct that raid now… We can not lose any other cats“
The brown furred second-in-command sighs and shakes his head in visible frustration
„You don‘t understand how gladly I would be able to tell you a single thing about Wraith beyond what we all know anyway. She‘s elusive, even on her own territory. She gives most of her commands through her second, Asphalt, and her sibling, Grave. She leads hunting patrols, beyond that she acts more like a particularly sneaky loner. I can tell you what her faction is doing most of the time, but hardly ever what she is up to. It‘s been a headache of mine for quite some time…“
A little calmed, but still visibly restless, Talon observes Kestrel for a heartbeat before nodding with a slight grimace
„I kind of figured something along those lines. Surely she must see that she‘s as much, if not more at risk here as us. She‘s the logical next target for Wrath, with or without Granite. Perhaps we should request to speak with her. Something ought to be doable there. Even if we can‘t convince her to join us, a purely defensive alliance would still be in everyone‘s favour, no?“
Returning his gaze to Kestrel, Talon finds the golden eyed tom deeply thoughtful, pondering undisguised, eyes darting back and forth. It takes several moments before he gives a small, barely noticeable nod
„Perhaps. With your permission, I will send a warrior to the border, to make the proposition when the next patrol passes. At least we‘ll have tried it then. At least this is a gamble where we don‘t lose much if it falls flat. Remains to be seen if we have a shot at winning it. But again, she seems quite the loner. We shouldn‘t be too disappointed if there isn‘t much of an answer.“
The amount of thoughts currently going though Kestrel‘s head is heard in every word, almost strained consideration in each syllable. Talon raises his paw, unsheathing his claws and observing the one he‘d yanked moments ago for any damages or cracks.
„Do that, yes. Thank you for taking that off my paws. I‘ll keep an eye on our preparations for the coming raid. The sooner we get that over with, the better.“
He lowers his paw back down, as with some relief he finds nothing wrong with it, beyond a mild discomfort when putting pressure on that part of the paw.
„The odds are still in our favour, but we‘ll need to keep them so.“
Kestrel looks up at those words, as if he‘d been explicitly called out unexpectedly, blinking a few times, possibly to better see Talon in the dim light of the den. He hums after that, his tail flicking behind him.
„Yes, for now, the odds remain in our favour. Every outcome remains possible. But we‘ll all need to place our bets carefully from now on. I‘ll keep in touch with my eyes and ears throughout twoleg-place, see if any good opportunities, or any less fortunate things, surface that we might wish to know of“
„Then that‘s the plan for now. Playing things safe and stacking the odds in our favour.“
Kestrel lets out a scoffed chuckle
„A bit over-simplified, but not the worst I‘ve heard in terms of plans. Now to go get it done. Unless you need me for anything else…“
Talon shakes his head, rising back onto his paws, slowly padding towards Kestrel and the exit.
„No, that should be it for now. Send an envoy to Wraith‘s border and keep out an ear for anything of interest. As far as our warriors are concerned, it‘s business as usual; patrols, gathering and training.“
„Then so it shall be“
After a quick nod, Kestrel turns about and rises to his paws in one swooping motion, padding out of the den ahead of Talon. The red eyed leader follows closely behind, immediately greeted by a gust of a cold blowing wind, ruffling through his pelt. As his second-in-command wanders off, to some surprise seeming headed for Frost, Talon lets his gaze wander over the alley. A fair few warriors remain here, despite the night having long devoured the last remaining sunlight, only the glow of the twoleg-lights at the alley‘s entrance shining somewhat dimly in. Even the stars seem hidden behind a thick wall of clouds tonight. Discussions going on, young warriors between excitement and fearful worry, a round of most of the veteran warriors speaking in quiet voices with grim stonefaced expressions, others still seeming more angry then concerned, Clover and Hornet holding their discussion in loud enough a tone for none to miss out on their dismay about Wrath possibly becoming a tangible threat after all that was done for him, their speech decorated with colourful choice of words.
Considering wether he should tell them to retreat into their dens for now, or leave it to their own discretion, Talon notices Silver and Grail making their way over to him. Headache and tiredness are the prevalent forces in the dark grey leader currently, but after a heartbeat of consideration he decides against saying anything that could be considered dismissive. No, not to them.
„How are you faring, Talon?“
Silver‘s voice is quiet, the older veteran warrior knowing well enough to not ask such a thing loud enough for all to hear. Talon gives him an appreciative look, sitting down and drawing his tail around his paws
„Stressed, if truth be told. But I‘ll manage. We knew they wouldn‘t sit around doing nothing while we grow stronger. I suppose in part, I should be grateful. I expected any gains in territory made by Wrath or Granite to be paid for in the blood of many of our clanmates. Still, all that means is that any real battles from here on out will be bigger, and even more bloody in themselves. We‘ll have to be ready either way.“
Silver nods as he settles down. Grail sits down as well, her eyes slightly more openly concerned, but beyond a slight one in her leg, making her rock for a brief moment, the spasms seem to be fairly under control right now.
„Wrath wouldn‘t just join Granite anyway. Right? He knows Granite does not have a shred of his sense of honour. I don‘t think they much care for each other.“
There is cautious doubt in her words, but beyond what her eyes give away, she keeps a straight posture. Talon would have loved to confirm what she said, agree and take the doubt out of the shining golden eyes, that rival the sun when all they reflect are happiness. But the mere idea of so blatantly lying to her feels like a kick to the gut.
„I fear it‘s not that simple. It depends mainly on what Granite offers and how he presents it. Wrath, more than leadership, wants to see certain things happen for and in Bloodclan. I think he might be willing to give away his position if Granite can make him belief that he‘ll go for a campaign of bloody vengeance against the forest clans and instil the discipline and honour Wrath imagines among the warriors. Wrath has a vision for Bloodclan, ultimately I don‘t think he cares if he ends up as leader as long as it comes true. And Granite seems to have figured that out… “
Silver lets a quiet, yet deep breath out through his nose, nodding with his eyes closed
„The only thing giving the matter some much needed nuance is indeed his sense of honour. He knows Granite has little trouble disrespecting the laws of Bloodclan, or using as he would say ‚underhanded tactics‘. That will stall him from accepting. But still, Wrath also knows that he must reach more of our clanmates with his ideas and expand his territory towards the forest clans. Joining with Granite would do both, half the clan would now have to adhere to his ideas.“
„Only those of his ideas, that Granite wants cats to adhere to…“
Talon scoffs and looks off to the side
„Because once Wrath accepts, he himself will be trapped. Granite won‘t let him be leader and Wrath‘s honour would not let him go against someone he‘s acknowledged as his leader. Granite will give him only as much as it takes to keep him somewhat in line, not a single rat’s tail more, I predict. And it might leave us facing half the clan.“
Silver flicks his tail, eyes opening again, seeming tired and confirming of Talon‘s words
„The only way to avoid being outnumbered at that point would be to join with Wraith‘s faction. And if we do that, it will be half the clan against half the clan.“
Grail looks from Talon to Silver, her right ear noticeably flicking more at the mention of Wraith. The russet she-cat shifts uncomfortably, but as her eyes draw away from Silver they seem almost… longing, nostalgic. It takes her a few heartbeats to notice Talon‘s gaze upon her. Equally, it takes Talon a few moments to realise that he‘d all but completely let slip his usual mask, curiosity and yet more so still deep caring in his stare undisguised until he catches himself. Ears heating, he straightens his posture, trying to restore a more neutral expression again, under an amused, small grin from Silver and Grail rapidly turning her head away, her left ear flat against her head as a string of small spasms go through her right side under the stress of her embarrassment. A few moments and a deep breath from Talon later, the red eyed clears his throat
„Is everything alright, Grail? Mentioning Wraith, you seem to have thoughts on the matter?“
Talon attempts to keep his voice even, but the painfully obvious acting at this point only makes him feel exceedingly foolish. Grail shakes her head, right ear still flicking as she turns back towards Talon
„No… no, not on Wraith herself. It‘s just, my father remains in her faction. The relationship between us, my siblings and I, with Forge is… it is complicated. I think that is why he joined her faction instead of following us to join you. He wanted to give us… space. Us or himself, I‘m not sure. I don‘t know how to say it any better.“
Talon hums quietly, nodding slowly
„I don‘t quite get the impression that you despise him. Many cats know something is off between your father and you tree, but I don‘t think anyone has more than rumours on what is going on“
Grail looks up almost a bit shocked, before firmly shaking her head
„Despise? No! No, not at all. Not… not really. It‘s, it‘s just complicated. Things happened, back when we were little, and we know they had to happen, but sometimes your head and your heart pull in different directions. I… don‘t think I want to say any more, Talon. Just…no, we don‘t hate Forge, and we know Forge cares greatly about us“
Grail shrinks a bit, an apologetic look about her as she looks at Talon. Struck by that sight, impulse acts faster than thought, as Talon‘s tail uncurls from around him and lays down, resting it‘s fuzzy tip on Grail‘s paws.
„There is no need to feel sorry. I would not press you, on this matter or any other. It‘s fine, Grail. You don‘t need to say anything you wouldn‘t want to.“
The icy wind goes unnoticed by now as Talon almost his ears radiate warmth, but despite the embarrassment, his whiskers twitch in an earnest smile. A smile, soon returned by Grail.
„I know. Thank you, Talon“
Silver hums, turning to overlook the alley.
„Seeing as I‘m beginning to feel somewhat intruding, I believe I‘ll head home for tonight. I suppose anything else can well wait until tomorrow anyway.“
Talon looks over to the older, white pelted tom, giving a curt nod of the head in goodbye. As Silver pads off, Grail looks after him for a few heartbeats before turning her head back towards Talon, the tip of her tail tapping against the ground. „I know you will figure things out. They have not united yet, maybe they won‘t. Either way, I know you‘ll manage.“
The comment that she might be putting more faith in him than he does himself at times rolls around in Talon’s mind, but he denies himself any chance of saying so out loud. Nothing to be gained in doing so and he shouldn’t show his worries so openly. Then again, Silver can’t have missed it, nor would Kestrel. Still, perhaps he should still keep the circle small on this. Nor does the idea of Grail of all cats seeing that his frailties in such a way. If anything, she’s a source of motivation to see it through despite it all. It’d be nothing short of ungrateful, for that and for much else, to buckle now. She’s right, nothing’s happened yet, all is yet possible.
“I’ll do my very best. Wraith is still an unpredictable piece in this game, perhaps we can do something with her. One thing at a time, our next objective is the coming raid. I guess you’ll want to come along?”
A pleasantly familiar sigh arises as the confident grin of a warrior takes shape upon Grail’s face.
“Last time I was mostly on watch duty. This time. We need a more active approach, so you said. I want to do my part in this.”
A pleased grin and scoff escape Talon, as he nods.
“Very well then. Consider yourself invited. We’ll need a fair number of warriors to pull this off without bloodshed and I have no cause to deny a warrior as eager for it as you. It’ll be… good to have you along. And to have an extra pair of eyes to make sure Frost doesn’t go get overzealous. I’d like to trust him on this, but he’s pleaded a few too many times to send the clans a clearer message. But perhaps don’t tell him that.”
Grail gives a brief chuckle, her tail raising up to cover her snout in a ‘hush’ motion.
“Not a word”
Talon returns the chuckle, but finds himself staring just a moment too long. Her fluffy tail laid over her face like that turned out a far more adorable sight than expected. Looking away with warm ears, he gives a hum and tries to play it off.
“Good… good. Well, in any case, we won’t get much done if we’re all sleep deprived. Get some rest. I’ll follow my own advice on that too, I think.”
In an attempt to not let Grail notice, he rises up fairly quickly and pads towards his den. He finds himself stopped however as he hears her follow for a few paw steps before stopping. Looking back, Grail is visibly hesitating, eyes moving and a question clearly on her mind. Nervousness visibly growing as a wave of minor shakes ripples through her right shoulder, before she nods deeply, almost to the point of a bow, and turns away.
“Yes, goodnight, Talon.”
At a quickened pace she pads off, leaving Talon without much of a chance to answer, not that he would have had one. She clearly wanted to ask something. Did he do something wrong? Perhaps he was too brusk at the end. The dark furred leader remains standing for several heartbeats, until Grail is nearly out of the alley, before he turns his head and resumes his own walk. Damnit… Slinking into the dark of his den under the wall, he grabs one of his dogteeth, carrying it over to his nest before cosily sinking into it. Is she disappointed? Angry? Cursing his own ineptitude, he begins carefully carving away at the tip of the dog bone. Dragging it along the ground has dulled it a little… needs to be fixed. Like so much else. Devoting his slowly fading focus to this task in an attempt to keep himself from asking yet more questions that won’t do him any good, Talon eventually falls asleep.

His face turns to dismay as a familiar mouldy scent hits his nose. So much for rest and escaping thoughts. After a deep breath, he rises up and opens his eyes, shaking his pelt out to get rid of several rotting leaves clinging to it.
“Greetings, Scourge.”
The small black tom sits nearby, between several high roots of one of the crooked, leafless trees, a handful of the faintly blue glowing fungi growing from their sides.
“Don’t get too distracted. Your vigilance becomes increasingly vital to your success, do not allow some tail waving to make you drop your guard.”
Talon turns his head towards the former leader. Even though he can’t deny the truth of his words, Scourge’s specific choice of them lets a brief flare of anger arise in him. THAT isn’t what he’s after, nor would he ever think so lowly of Grail to assume that she did. As if sensing his rage, Scourge gets up and bounds over the roots.
“Save it for training. It will all be very short lived if you let the likes of Granite kill you because you failed to prepare. Even you must comprehend that.”
Talon scoffs quietly under his breath as he follows Scourge. True, but still… Their journey turns out to be a short one as soon they arrive in the little clearing they sometimes train in, not far from where the rest of their dead hide out. Are those fallen in the recent takeover here already? Is Timber? Talon can’t help but be curious what happened for the brown coated to fall out so terminally with Flame.
“Did any of the newly dead get here?”
Scourge takes his time, striding into the middle of the clearing, before turning around and sitting down, all in one graceful motion.
“Timber and Shed. Gremlin… won’t be joining us. Found what was left of her spirit, voidhusks got her. Never was much of a fighter.”
Talon nods slowly. Didn’t know her particularly well, still, having fought through the sorrowful husks of what once were the spirits of cats, it does not take him much imagining to picture how easily one could get overwhelmed by them. A pity.
“What about Owl and Wax?”
“I’d need to know where they died to even begin searching. No chance.”
Talon lets out a small hiss, looking off to the side. Scourge’s cold, matter-of-factly voice does not agitate him as much as the fact that the selfless service of these two toms might end up rewarded with a slow, lonely end somewhere in the void.
The glinting of claws in his far periphery and the subtle moving of leaves too quickly in a place with no wind are the only warning given. Scourge’s paw descends down at full speed as the black cat’s leap comes to it’s conclusion right before Talon. Pushing himself off to the side, the red eyed tom dodges at literally a whisker’s breadth, Scourge’s claws clipping off two of his whiskers close to the snout. Surprise and remaining anger discharge in an instinctual leap straight forward, right at the small black leader as he impacts the ground. Jaws parting, Talon goes for a bite, directly to the face. His teeth gnash loudly in the air as Scourge ducks away under it. But this is a game they’ve plaid before. Enemy underneath, will try to strike up, tear open the chest all the way to the upper end of his throat. Rearing up high onto his hind legs, the predicted attack from below shoots up, this time with enough space between them. With a fierce shout, Talon propels his full weight downwards now, paw extended and descending towards the former leader with reckless force. It impacts the ground with a loud thump, Scourge having moved aside just barely enough for it to miss, sitting back down, but being right in Talon’s face in their current position.
“… at least your reflexes are coming along adequately. But next time you shout and make such foolish noise, you will be silenced. We can not afford to be found here.”
Scourge’s words are spoken quietly, calmly, unnervingly calmly, as his piercing glare meets Talon’s. Talon parts his jaws to answer, only to freeze. The pointed tips of Scourge’s claws dig into the underside of his mouth, just above the throat. He didn’t move…Scourge didn’t move, that paw was already there. From so close up, Talon hadn’t even noticed that right when he was looking up from his strike, there had already been a counter attack. It’s the black paw, somehow everyone always expects Scourge to strike with his white paw, his right paw, his strong paw. Slowly he feels the pressure go away as Scourge pull his paws in close, giving it two cleaning licks before setting it down.
“You are here to train, that should be your focus. Do not allow your attention to waver again until we’re done for the night.”
Taking a cautiously slow step backwards, Talon nods, doing his best to not let show the cold chill that ran down his spine a mere moment ago. He needs to see his adversary, fully, otherwise he might never even see the blow coming that would fell him. A frightful way to teach, but yet again, the lesson would certainly stick.
“Alright. I’m ready”
Scourge observe Talon closely, remaining seated as he is. It doesn’t fool Talon, Scourge is loaded like a spring at all times, in single blink he can be somewhere else. Light of body and strong of limb. A larger cat could not hope to compete with that agility, the only plausible defence are flawless reflexes. And Talon’s might be getting good, but still a long way from truly flawless.
“We shall see. Again!”

Chapter Text

Ashfur hums quietly to himself, whether it is in dismay at his current situation or discomfort of what he knows, he fails to figure out. Soon after Thunderclan had gotten to the Gathering island, Hawkfrost had already found his side. Beyond a greeting and a knowing glance, the Riverclan warrior has not bothered the grey tom much yet, but it seems to Ashfur as if the sly son of Tigerstar could smell that something was wrong, different today. Watching as the leaders still greet each other and wait on Blackstar to arrive, the clans mingle as they usually do. In that sense no one would give it a second glance, Ashfur and Hawkfrost sitting retreated a bit further from the large tree, upon which’s branches their leaders sit. Until, at last, the silence is broken.
“I did not expect you to get so enraptured by a tom…”
Ashfur’s head snaps to the side towards Hawkfrost, much to the latter’s amusement, the bright tabby’s whiskers twitching.
“What are you talking about, Hawkfrost?”
Ashfur’s voice comes out as a low hiss, his ears folded back, hot in equal parts with rage and whatever improper insinuations might be going through the Riverclan cat’s head
“So, we’re going to pretend your eyes have not been locked onto Onestar from the moment you sat down? As you please, but silence doesn’t mean not noticing”
Flicking his fuzzy tail behind himself, Hawkfrost grins, though for all the amusement in the depths of his eyes intrigue pulsates. Ashfur scoffs with annoyance, part of his upper back’s fur standing up. It figures that Hawkfrost of all cats would sense that something is afoot, although the greatest annoyance Ashfur reserves for himself. He hadn’t noticed his own transfixed stare towards the Windclan leader. His knowledge of the coming, or perhaps even already ongoing raid snakes it’s way into nigh every thought of his tonight, the only distraction from that having been condemned to walk behind Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw on the way here, and if given the choice he’d rather take the stress of knowing what he shouldn’t over that again.
“So hostile. I’ve done nothing to you, have I? I’ve helped you with Thistleclaw, kept your secret about the Bloodclan cat, work on things that may benefit your quest for Squirrelflight… Have I really done anything to deserve your silence?”
Hawkfrost slightly tilts his head, some amusement clearly remaining in his gaze, but ceasing his nigh chuckle.
“I’ll even apologise about the tom comment. Even if it did get more of a reaction than I thought it would…”
Ashfur shoots a glare at his companion, before squeezing his eyes firmly shut and shaking his head as if trying to shake off a pesky coat full of rain. The uncomfortable truth is that Hawkfrost speaks the truth. He did help, even if he desires recompense for it. He does keep the secret, otherwise the grey warrior would be in a lot of trouble. And, though small the chance is, that if he manages to get Brambleclaw too busy for her, that perhaps Squirrelflight… Maybe, just maybe. As much as he clings to his training, his attempts to grow as a warrior to become worthy of his love for the sake of farfetched hope, so too does he find himself unwillingly intrigued by the possibility presented by Brambleclaw’s sibling. In the end, aside from a gut feeling and his skill at getting under his skin with a few words, Hawkfrost has done nothing to warrant his loathing. Not yet at any rate. With a loud exhale, Ashfur opens his eyes again, returning his gaze to the leaders atop the tree.
“What is it you want, Hawkfrost?”
Seeming pleased by Ashfur’s now significantly calmer voice, Hawkfrost lets his gaze wander over the forming circles of warriors all throughout the clearing, as at last Shadowclan arrives.
“You know me to be very curious. I can tell something has you on edge tonight. More so than most times that I’ve seen you, or rather, in a different way so at least.”
The Thunderclan warrior flicks his left ear, pondering the words spoken to him, before nodding slowly, speaking quietly.
“If there’s time afterwards. They’re about to begin.”
He can spot the sparkle of victory and inquisitiveness in Hawkfrost’s eyes from the edge of his vision as the Riverclan tom shoots him a brief look, before settling his own sight on the now assembled leaders.
The same things as always. A few small moments of tension between bordering clans, the assurances that prey is running well, the veiled threats that borders remain secure and all warriors are at their full strength to defend them. Halfway through, the words begin to melt into each other, ceasing to become truly recognisable as such to Ashfur. No longer words but just... noise, the only differences being the noise’s change of tune and pitch as the next leader takes over rattling down the same words as most Gatherings. With a almost impercievable hum, he notices that Blackstar seems tired, echausted, but the proud leader of Shadowclan lets no notion of that enter his voice as he pronounces his report. Leopardstar seems better nourrished again than she was while Riverclan had to relocate their camp to the island for a while. Firestar, with his flame-coloured ginger pelt on full display is as regal an appearance as ever, although some of the caution still has not left his gaze, the caution that has remained in his emerald eyes ever since the raid on Thunderclan’s camp. The tip of Ashfur’s tail taps on the ground as a mild twisting sensation forms in his gut. His thoughts had been on Windclan ever since he learned Talon’s plans. He hadn’t noticed that the unspoken dread of the collar wearing clan still appears to ring loudly in his leader’s mind, even if he does not adress it. Then again, it’s only been some two moons, even if it feels like so much longer. As the head of Thunderclan, it would be nigh irresponsible to fully drop his cover just yet. Some small part of him would relish the chance to speak with the leader, assure him that Thunderclan for the foreseeable future needs not worry about Bloodclan, but he is far too aware that any mention of that spoken with any degree of certainty would be damning for himself. He holds no ill will towards the father of Squirrelflight. To have a leader as accomplished as Firestar is a source of pride, for Ashfur like for any other Thunderclan cat. The one who battled the dogs who... who... The grey warrior briefly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Not now, not here. Not the time and place for such memories.
At last Onestar begins and Ashfur finds his focus sharpening once more, from empty noise words arise again. Every word, the Thunderclan warrior clings to, analyses thoroughly. Does he know anything? Does Windclan suspect anything? Has it occured too early and been thwarted?
But alas, the monotony of the brown pelted leader’s words proves as boring as it is relieving. Standard speech with a few more and a few less veiled words of caution towards Thunderclan to mind the border. Nothing beyond the regular and expected. He can spot Hawkfrost’s ear for a short moment turning his way, clearly having heard the end of Ashfur’s tail tapping, the short, calmed nasal exhale, but he is spared any questions for at least a few moments longer.
Finally, the Windclan leader concludes his talk, leaving an air of quiet glaring between his and Thunderclan’s warriors. Indeed, few cats of the two clans are seated in the same groups tonight. Such a stark difference from how things were under Tallstar, although to Ashfur himself very little has changed. Aside from one or two Shadowclan warriors and Reedwhisker, he has never really found himself talking with any reoccurring acquaintances from other clans at Gatherings. And even that has lessened, both as his agonising over Squirrelflight deepened and Reedwhisker grew more distant from him. It seems Onestar’s words can touch cats even outside his own clan, though it failed to cause Ashfur any major grief. But even these surface level thoughts, glancing ever so briefly over Squirrelflight cause a quick sting in his chest.
“It appears we’ll be here for a bit longer. Although...”
Ashfur turns his head towards Hawkfrost at the sound of his words, only to find the warrior gazing skyward. Looking up himself, the grey tom finds the bright, full moon shining plainly onto the clearing, though a veritable wall of clouds, swallowing the luminescent sparkle of the stars in it’s wake, is quickly advancing towards it.
“...not for all too long”
“It appears so.”
Ashfur nods in agreement, before lowering his gaze onto the white bellied tom beside him, whom already observes him with all the seeming curiosity of a kit waiting for an elder’s tale of times long past. A brief moment of amusement squirms past the slowly fading echo of the stinging in Ashfur’s chest. An almost endearing sight. Almost.
His ears swivelling atop his head, Ashfur assures that no other cat is too close to them or approaching, before speaking in a hushed voice.
“I don’t know your plans for the rest of tonight, where all your nightly swims drive you to trespace, but... I suggest you don’t visit Windclan tonight.”
The blue eyed Riverclan warrior slightly tilts his head, his interest undisguisedly peaked.
“Oh? Surely Thunderclan would not attack another clan on a Gathering night, even after the Gathering. That does not sound like Firestar.”
“No, no cat following the Warrior Code would even concider such a thing. But a clan without the Warrior Code...”
Hawkfrost’s eyes widen, shining brightly enough to nigh compete with the moon overhead as a chuckling gring grows across his muzzle
“You may just be the most interesting cat here, Ashfur. Really, Bloodclan? And you know that for certain?”
The praise eases the heavy feeling in Ashfur’s gut slightly. He cannot bring himself to feel joy at what he knows, yet to be considered more interesting than the leaders, deputies and medicine cats all gathered here tonight holds a pleasantly rousing tingle in itself.
“He would not lie about that. It is likely happening right now, or just about over already. But I need not tell you that this is not something to tell anyone.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to?”
Hawkfrost smirks, his tail flicking over to lay beside him, a barrier of darker striped brown fur with a small white tip.
“I should think I’ve proven that I’m good at keeping a secret or two. But you might need to introduce me to your collared friend someday. It seems interesting things happen when you two are left alone”
Ashfur pulls a slight grimace and shakes his head
“I do not think he would appreciate me bringing some other cat. Also, they still call Tigerstar the forest tyrant in Bloodclan. I doubt his kin would be well received, even among the mildest of their kind”
A short-lived expression of rather potent disapproval shadows Hawkfrost’s face for an instant, before he looks off to the side, a calmer smile returned to him.
“A pity. Despite all, there was a reason my father sought them out. But most plans are only worth it if you don’t die in the process. Just ask him next time you two meet, who knows. We have other things to focus on for the time being anyway, right, Ashfur?”
The grey pelted tom nods, but answers not. Someone’s approaching. It takes a heartbeat’s worth of time for him to recognise the newcomer, though finds little difficulty in it. The nigh radiant golden pelt, dappled along the back of the she-cat padding their way is hard to mistake for anyone else.
“Mothwing’s coming.”
Hawkfrost turns his head at Ashfur’s quiet alert, before sending him an appreciative look. As the medicine cat arrives, Hawkfrost greets her with a wide sway of his tail.
“Ah, Mothwing. All quiet in the medicine den, I hope? I know I don’t ask as often as I should”
The golden she-cat greets Ashfur with a dip of her head before sitting down to respond to her kin
“All’s well. Beechfur’s paw heals well. I’m more concerned about Stonestream’s whitecough, but for his age he’s holding on quite well. I’m sure he has one or two more leafbares in him at least.”
“Starclan willing...”
Hawkfrost’s smile takes on barely perceptible malicious cheekiness. For the briefest moment, the medicine cat seems to shrink a bit, sending her brother a somewhat disheartened look.
“Yes, of course. If Starclan’s willing...”
Ashfur’s eyes wander between the two siblings, slightly tilting his head, very much aware that he’s not fully in the know of whatever they mean. Then again, he would neither care to pry, nor should he. The dealings of Riverclan’s medicine cat are between her clan and Starclan.
“I’m certain he is in good paws. Leafpool seems to think quite well of you. I can think of few greater praises.”
Mothwing smiles as she faces Ashfur, nodding deeply in appreciation, eyes shining in genuine warmth at the mention of Squirrelflight’s sister.
“Leafpool was a great help to me when I became a medicine cat. Her skills are as great as her heart. Thunderclan must be very lucky to have a medicine cat such as her”
“That we must be. As often as she had to put me back together, I can only be grateful to her”
Mothwing chuckles and shakes her head
“It is hard to believe that it came to that. I’ve heard that you are a great warrior. Barkface told me you even impressed some of Windclan’s warriors when you helped with the dogs running through their territory.”
Ashfur blinks a few times, unable to hide being taken aback a little. His worries of being insufficient, being at most second best after Brambleclaw leave him little understanding why any cat would be talking so about him and instead of Thunderclan’s deputy. With some uncertainty, he looks over to Hawkfrost, whom returns a smug look that veritably screams ‘I told you so’.
“I... was not aware the other clans know me much, let alone that they seem to think me some great warrior. I just do as the Warrior Code and Firestar bid me.”
Hawkfrost rolls his eyes, before speaking in a tone of voice, that is as warm as a nest after a long patrol through a snow storm.
“As a mere apprentice, you already raced dogs and battled Bloodclan cats, and you’ve proven that you know how to fight more than once since. You deserve better than you currently got. Perhaps in time, you’ll see that too and finally go get what should be rightfully yours.”
Ashfur’s gaze lowers onto his paws in thought. He’d proven clearly weaker than both Talon and Thistleclaw, and evidentially beneath Brambleclaw. But Talon is a Bloodclan leader, the only thing that Ashfur would know to compare that too was the terrifying Scourge. And Thistleclaw, at least in his own words, was the by far strongest Thunderclan warrior of his own lifetime. They are both exceptional in their own way. Brambleclaw too. Not only the son of Tigerstar, who was known and later feared for being a vicious warrior, but Ashfur has not forgotten their old days as apprentices, friends. So often Brambleclaw had to prove himself against the fearful and doubtful of Thunderclan, and it made him strong in the end. Ashfur tries to compare himself to cats that are the furthest thing from regular warriors. He’s not proven strong enough to be whom Squirrelflight would look to, but perhaps that doesn’t mean that he’s weak. Not entirely at least.
But as if to contradict his thoughts, he realises where his mind had wandered too late. Completely unprepared, the sharp sting burns up in his chest, in reflex his paw rising and clutching above his heart. Beyond a brief grimace, he manages to keep his reaction limited otherwise. Torn from his deeper thoughts, he only for the blink of an eye sees the look of caring, yet profound worry that Mothwing side-eyes towards her sibling, before she notices Ashfur’s clutching, seemingly pulling her from her own pondering. A medicine cat indeed, her ears perk up attentively and she rises to her paws, taking a quick step closer to Ashfur.
“Is everything alright? You’re not feeling ill, are you? If you feel a rasping in your lungs, you should tell Leafpool. It could be the onset of whitecough. It can come more easily than you think in leafbare.”
She extends one paw to try and feel Ashfur’s chest, but the blue eyed Thunderclan warrior gently moves it aside as he stops the clutching, before setting his own paw down again.
“You are kind, Mothwing, but it’s alright. I’m not sick. It’s just... something that sometimes comes and goes. Nothing a medicine cat should need to waste their time on. You heal the sick and injured and confer with Starclan. This isn’t worth the notice compared to all that”
Ashfur offers up the kindest smile he can muster, but it’s evident that his gaze betrays that there is pain. Tangible pain, still and evermore. Mothwing’s ears lower, an uncertain worry to be seen in her amber eyes, but nods in acknowledgement as she sits back down.
“Well, I hope it heals, still. And if it ever does get worse, do still seek out Leafpool.”
“He’ll be fine, sister. Some wounds heal, not through herbs and time, but through actions, achievements. I’m certain that, in the end, Ashfur’s pain will find an end. Isn’t that right?”
Hawkfrost send a surprisingly neutral glance towards his sibling, difficult to read, before turning an expectant smile towards the Thunderclan warrior. Ashfur takes a deep breath, before giving a firm nod, a flicker of determination strengthening him as he recalls what he’s working towards. Though the thought of Her, the memory of the plush orange fur against his own, the warmth of her paw on his, brings pain right now, so the certitude that it will cease and never return once he is back in that position strengthens his resolve. He’s invested much into this; he could never just abandon it now.
“Yes. So it will be.”
“That’s the spirit!”
A pleased grin paints Hawkfrost’s face, Mothwing sending a brief, noticeably unsettled look to the tabby. It disappears behind a calm, unseeming expression just a moment later, as she rises up.
“I’m glad you’re making friends beyond Brambleclaw, Hawkfrost. And it was nice talking to you, Ashfur. You two, be safe.”
Shifting in direction away from Hawkfrost to turn around, Ashfur finds the medicine cat keeping her eyes on him as she speaks those last words, before facing ahead and padding off. Discomfort runs down Ashfur’s spine. What was that? A warning? It seems a lot like it. Letting none of it show in his expression, Ashfur’s gaze shifts to Hawkfrost, whom watches his sibling leave with a silent intensity. Perhaps he is not the first cat to have been pulled into some scheme of Hawkfrost’s design. Although what, he couldn’t fathom. He’d heard a rumour that Mothwing became a medicine cat through nothing less than an omen from Starclan. Surely nothing bad could happen to a cat so directly chosen by their warrior ancestors. Or perhaps she just knows her sibling’s antics and urges caution. If so, it seems like decent advice to take. Still, so far his cooperation with Hawkfrost has indeed been entirely to Ashfur’s benefit. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too oxymoronic to trust the Riverclan warrior and still exercise a healthy measure of caution for the time being.
Finally facing the Thunderclan tom once more, Hawkfrost slowly rises to his paws.
“Don’t mind Mothwing. She, of course, means well, but us being Tigerstar’s kits, trust was not always easy to come by when we grew up in Riverclan. She can be overly prudent sometimes. Perhaps not the worst trait in the medicine den, but outside...”
Showfully shaking out his pelt, leaving it fluffed up, Hawkfrost motions for the two of them to walk towards the rest of the cats with a kindly smile. The faintest trace of jealousy runs through Ashfur at the idea of how cosily warm the Riverclan cat’s thicker pelt must be during the chill of leafbare, compared to his own rather dense but short fur, but he rises to his paws none the less.
“Anyway, we should go find our clans. The moonlight is all but gone, I don’t think we’ll be here for much longer.”
Ashfur looks up at the dark sky. Aside from a small remaining sliver of the moon, being devoured by the unstoppable advance of the clouds, only the light of a few brighter stars leaves any light at all.
“Seems so. Alright then.”
As the Thunderclan warrior sets into a calm padding back towards the rest of the warriors, indeed many circles and groups throughout the clearing seeming to have the same idea and breaking up, Hawkfrost settles in beside him at matching pace.
“My sister is right about one thing though; it is pleasant to find a friendly soul out here. Odd circumstances aside, there is certainly worse company to be had. I do hope you’re beginning to come around to feeling the same way.”
The blue eyed Thunderclan warrior turns a slightly amused glance to his current companion.
“If that’s you asking to be friends, I don’t think any cat tried that one since I was an apprentice meeting other apprentices for the first time at a Gathering”
The tabby’s whiskers twitch as a small chuckle escapes him
“That’s no answer yet”
Ashfur lets out a thoughtful hum, turning his head forward, but eyes glancing upwards, at the few vigilant stars shining their light in spite of the all-surrounding darkness. That precious little light that lets them see even so deep in the night. That lets them find their way home. They shine distant, but ever present, ever watching. Starclan still has not given him any sign that he’s going the wrong way. Perhaps that is a sign in and off itself. Who knows. He cannot pretend to understand the wisdom of their warrior ancestors.
“Alright... I suppose so. I just hope it all works out as you promised, Hawkfrost.”
“Nothing to worry then, friend. We’ll see it all through and the world will look very different”
“That, I hope.”
“That, I guarantee.”
One last time for tonight, Ashfur faces the Riverclan warrior, dipping his head in goodbye.
“We’ll certainly see, won’t we? May Starclan light your path, Hawkfrost. I’m still considering your proposal, but... if it’s truly just a meeting you want me to arrange... well, we’ll see.”
Hawkfrost’s bright blue eyes sparkle in victory, which reflects equally in the exceedingly content smile upon his face.
“That’s all I ask. In the meantime, I shall be watching Windclan the next few days. A dear friend told me there might be some mayhem there. May Starclan light your path, Ashfur.”
As Ashfur leaves, joining the rest of Thunderclan, very shortly after departing for the bridge as the first clan to make their way home tonight, Hawkfrost stands near his own clan, just a bit off to the side, peering up at the sky. His eyes firmly fixed on a pair of stars. Like a far distant, but ever watching pair of grim, amber eyes. A gaze, that the Riverclan warrior returns knowingly. His voice a faint whisper under his own breath.
“Don’t you worry. Your pain WILL end when it’s all done... and the world will look different indeed. THAT, I guarantee.”

Chapter Text

In the shade of the horse-place‘s barn, peering out past the fences, Talon remains motionless. The neigh of some of the horses inside is almost all noise that can be heard, alongside with the distant rumbling of twoleg monsters, despite the amount of warriors huddled together. No words are spoken, anticipation thick in the air. At last, movement before Talon. Two pelts rushing from Windclan territory back towards them. The moon shines somewhat dimly tonight and many stars are veiled behind clouds, it‘d be difficult to recognise the cats approaching, if they didn‘t seem to know exactly where to run, no doubt or undue caution as they race closer to the Bloodclan cats. Only once they are almost at the fences, do enough features become visible in the gloomed light to identify Rover and Sparrow. Slowing in their final steps until they come to a halt, both are breathing hard, but the sparkle in Rover‘s eye brings an optimistic joy to Talon.
„Has the camp been found and is the patrol gone?“
Sparrow nods and tries to speak, but the run back seems to have taken a bit more out of the new veteran warrior. A brief moment later, seeing this, Rover takes a step forward to report instead.
„All is ready. They‘ve left, never knew they were being observed.“
Rover stops himself, though just barely, but Talon can tell the words aching to leave his clanmate‘s mouth; the moment to strike is now. And true it is. With a nod, Talon turns to the other cats, all up on their paws, the news invigorating them, every last one eager to see this through. Frost stands by his side, confidence and determination in his gaze as he looks out over the grounds of Windclan. Catching his leader‘s lingering attention, he gives a firm confirming nod with a small grin the tip of one of his fangs peaking out from beneath his lips, glistening in the pale light.
„The time is now. Give the command and we‘ll bring you victory, Talon.“
A brief chuckle escapes Talon, his bushy tail brushing the ground a few times.
„I have no doubt about that, Frost.“
His eyes moving over the rest of the crowd again, head held high as the cold breeze slightly ruffles his pelt.
„I know that we will succeed tonight. We have successfully raided one of their clan before, and Windclan is no more an obstacle to us than Thunderclan is. We all know what to do, we all know what to look for. We move fast and we move decisive. Just remember, if we start killing, they will have no reason to keep complying and remaining docile and if a fight breaks out we can‘t guarantee that their patrol wont return before it’s over, or a messenger might escape in the chaos. Keep your claws dry, but make them understand that if they do become foolish, they might pay a bitter price for it. They will learn the same lesson the rogues did many times, let them fear us and know that opposing Bloodclan never comes cheap.“
Nods, grins flashing sharp teeth to the night, eager eyes sparkling brighter than the few stars that dared show themselves tonight and approving murmurs arise from the patrol, their eyes fixed on Talon. Though, deeply hidden behind the façade of his expression, doubt, worry that tonight might end in blood afterall remain, the sight before him eases these uncertainties. These cats trust him, believe fervently in his plan. This will work, it can‘t not work. Even Frost, who‘s doubts about keeping it bloodless were well known to more than just Talon, seems to be bursting with motivation. Slowly turning, readying to lead the patrol onwards, following Sparrow and Rover‘s guidance, Talon‘s eyes remain upon Grail for a heartbeat, her golden gaze meeting his red, the briefest exchange of wordless admiration. Short as it was, as Talon strides forth, his two scouts directing and all others falling in behind to follow him, it seems as though the chilled night was just a little less cold. Perhaps another day he would have tried to push the feeling further aside, force a clear head upon himself, but the journey to the Windclan camp would doubtlessly take at least a bit of time and, at least for now, he finds an encouraging comfort in it, in the knowledge of her presence. He can‘t let it go to his head once they arrive, once he‘ll need all of his attention to keep the situation contained, to keep his promises to both Ashfur and Venom, but for now it shall warm his bones and strengthen his limbs unobstructed.
The run through marshland and grassy planes, only interrupted by small, semi-regular hills drags on. The reason for Sparrow‘s lack of breath earlier becomes increasingly apparent. Even from the horse-place, the closest point to their target they could have gathered at, the camp is still on the other side of the territory, it‘s entire length now the path Talon‘s patrol must venture. Regardless, their journey to the twoleg meat-place was longer. A quiet scoff, lost to the night, escapes Talon, the warmth fading as his thoughts turn to faces, a pair of faces on the wrong side of a pane of glass. No, not now. It does not help them to think of it now. He could only help most his cats, not all. He couldn‘t help… but tonight is different, no such risk tonight. Their target, their approach, all is different. The result will be different. Shaking his head firmly to rid himself of thoughts and memories that would only hinder him tonight, he notices the slowing pace of the two scouts guiding his path just in time to come to a halt between the two of them.
The grass grows tall here, the first droplets of dew glistening on the long blades, atop the small hill the Bloodclan raiding party now halts. Below, the grasslands stretch a little further, before a gulch, almost a crater, dips into the ground, free of grass. It could have passed as a mere feature of the landscape, were the scent of cats not strong in the air here, or the few larger rocks within the gulch conveniently auspicious in their placement, offering clear shelter beneath. After several heartbeats of observation, Talon spots movement. Not much, small dark lumps on the ground in the light starved night turning, briefly sitting up before laying down again… There can be no doubt, Windclan‘s camp lies before them. But they cannot stay. Even without the possibility of their gathering patrol returning, a simple turn of the wind could steal away their element of surprise. Voice as a whisper, Talon slightly turns his head towards Sparrow.
„We know if there‘s a night guard?“
The brown tom nods, pointing with one of his dogteeth towards the edge of the camp. A shallow ravine, most likely their main entrance and exit… and after just a few moments, Talon believes to spot a brief motion, a head slightly turning, mostly hidden between tufts of high grown grasses and reeds that wind around part of the crater‘s outer edge like a mane. After a slow nod, Talon turns to find Frost, the white tom close-by, his tail tip flicking side to side with impatience.
„The guard is yours. Let the others pass before dragging him in.“
As Frost positively beams at his given task, Talon looks over the others, ears perking up at the quiet orders all presume are about to be given.
„We move down the hill fast, can‘t let them spot our approach. We approach the entrance along the side of the camp, but keep a little distance from it. The grass won‘t fully hide us. If they see out silhouettes over the ridge, they‘ll know something is wrong. The moment we hear Frost dealing with the guard, we rush in. You all know the plan from there on out. No room for mistakes.“
A silent wave of nods goes through the warriors, eyes remaining fixed on Talon, only the occasional gaze trailing off to behold the Windclan camp down below. It‘s now or never… and Talon can not back out at this point anymore. The only way is forward. The only acceptable outcome is victory. Slowly turning back towards their target, he begins the descend down the hill, starting at a quick trot and accelerating into a sprint down the hillside. The sound of paws, dozens, following close behind, the soft ground swallowing the treacherous clacking their reinforcing claws would make upon the hard asphalt of their home. The run takes but instants, before Talon arrives near the edge of the gulch keeping himself in a low hunter‘s crawl to from here keep advancing along the camp‘s side. The noise grows more quiet the more of his clanmates arrive and mimic the same way to advance further. The soft earth makes sneaking so much easier here… a brief thought crossing Talon‘s mind, quick to be banished as he tries to keep his entire focus on their move forward. The already slow stalk comes to a halt near the corner that turns to the side in which the passage, and the guard, are located. Only the softest rustle still sounds, as Frost moves up, briefly stopping aside Talon to receive the final go ahead. Talon lets his eyes move from the white pelted veteran warrior to the corner and back to him, a quick acknowledging nod from Frost being the last exchange before the former second-in-command quickly and quietly darts forth, low enough for even the shallowest of greeneries to brush against his belly.
The moment lasts, lasts longer than Talon takes comfort in. There is no sound, no indication of confrontation. Frozen in his low position, a mild pulling in his muscles adds to the dark grey tom‘s discomfort, but he does not allow himself to lie down. The moment there is sound, and there must be soon, one way or another, he must move. First to help, or better yet, first in the foreign camp. Hearing the beating of his own heart after the little sprint, Talon remains, motionless, the moment dragging on painfully. Until at last, it begins.
At the sound of spitting hisses, Talon bounds forth like a wound un spring, around the corner, racing to the shallow ravine. There is only the blink of an eye‘s worth of time to register the scene. Frost managed to get behind the guard, a tabby tom. The Bloodclan cat‘s teeth sunk deep into the Windclan nape, keeping him down, but as the very energetic struggling indicates, not into the spine. Never stopping in his movement, Talon races past, down into the camp. On the drier, harder ground, the familiar clacking of dogteeth, his own and many others behind him. Eyes, sparkling in alarm all throughout the camp, heads looking up, confused, alarmed, murmuring arising to aloud talking, within moments of Talon‘s emergence growing into shouting. No time to pick adversaries, there are not here for a fight… With a strong leap, Talon pounces upon the closest cat to him. Not yet fully aware of what‘s going on, the smaller brown tom fails to muster up any decent defence by the time Talon‘s weight crushes down upon him. His struggle is forceful, but yields little results as within a heartbeat, Talon‘s paw pushed down upon his neck, claws unsheathed and slightly digging into the soft flesh below. Left with few options but to vainfully try to kick with his hind legs, the amber eyed warrior can only glare and hiss. It would be so simple to stop his struggles… years of ingrained instincts whisper for Talon to commit to that minuscule last bit of effort, to pull his paw to the side, end the threat and turn his attention to the next. With a deep breath, Talon pushes the need aside, though it leaves a feeling of lacking accomplishment in his chest. A foe bested, but permitted to continue being a potential threat in the future. His need to keep to his logic and promise hold firm against it. These are not rogues, they do not function like rogues… keeping him, keeping them alive is the logically sounder path.
After a few heartbeats of gathering himself, his enemy firmly kept down, Talon looks around to get a sense of the situation. A brief moment of tension arises, as another Windclan cat is racing straight for the Bloodclan leader. Small, young, but with unmistakable ferocity in his gaze, the jet black tom darts towards his quarry, piercing amber eyes focused on his enemy, too focused. Leaping straight for Talon, mid-air the familiar pelt of Grail collides with him, sending the both of them crashing to the ground. As they arise and face off several other such battles have already broken out. At least two other Windclan warriors have already been pinned, held down as their captors await the end of the skirmish. The camp, well and fully reawakened and up, scrambles to leap into the fray, but in several cases already the tactic begins to work. Windclan warriors approaching Bloodclan warriors, but hesitating to attack, lest the captive come to harm. Looks of confusion, worry and fury spread across the Windclan warriors as the battle rapidly loses it‘s movement. The entire Bloodclan patrol standing within the camp, those without a hostage backing up their clanmates that do, standing beside or in front of them, like protecting walls. Several of Talon‘s warriors seem to struggle with the same internal conflict as the red eyed leader a moment ago, the outcome of real fights ending with their foes alive and squirming meeting varying degrees of annoyance in the Bloodclan cats. So very against anything they are used to. But used to following orders, they are, and, some compromising with a rougher handling of their captives, all do avoid the final lethal blow. The howls of battle increasingly give way to nervous whispers and cursing. Soon only one place remains aloud with the sound of battle, attracting many eyes from Windclan and Bloodclan alike, turning it from a fight to a spectacle duel. Talon‘s gaze falls back onto the confrontation of the young Windclan tom and Grail, brief periods of circling each other continuously interrupted by strikes, pounces and dodges, a few wounds dripping crimson onto the earth beneath both of them.The dark pelted leader‘s attention is drawn to Grail. Her eyes are focused, her stances good, her concentration undeniable. The slightest shudders are moving through her right front leg, but her form holds, her ear flicks, but in her focus she seems not even to register it. A mild feeling of relief arises in Talon. Perhaps his caution really was baseless. She can fight still. If her condition impacted her ability, she must have found ways around most of it by now. There are benefits to having siblings to train with daily, no doubt. She is in no need of protection. She remains a warrior, as ever she was.
Though her opponent was a daring pick. With fierce determination and a rage filled drive to push his ever advantage as aggressively as he can, the young one shows promise for his age. Grail fights no worse than most Bloodclan warriors, yet while taking more strikes than he manages to deal, the black young one keeps pace surprisingly well. Were it not for the stakes of tonight‘s venture, it would have been nothing short of entertaining to behold this match. At last, Grail buckles on her right side, an instant of worry arising in Talon that perhaps not all is well after all, but as the young one leaps in to try and exploit the seeming moment of weakness, Grail reveals her feint, pushing herself off towards the left. Just before the amber eyed tom lands on empty space, a swipe pulls his front paws from under him, sending him to the ground on his side to bear the entire impact of his leap and weight. Though wincing, he tries to roll over to get back onto his paws, only for Grail‘s paw to descend forcefully onto his chest, her dogteeth pointed up towards his throat. Unwilling to concede defeat, the young one tries to swipe her paw aside with one of his own and roll over still, only for the attempt to come to a quick end as Grail simply pushes her paw upwards, the tips of her reinforcing claws pushing firmly against his throat. A good fight. With the right training, this one could become a fierce warrior. A pity. A bit hotheaded by the seems of it, but Bloodclan could have used such talent. But that cannot matter now.
The situation having come to a halt at last, Talon looks over to Clover, motioning the she-cat over to take over the still squirming tom he is holding pinned. With a nod of acknowledgement, the tortoiseshell does as instructed, the brown, black eared tom‘s inevitable attempt to skitter out of his predicament resulting with him tripped and held beneath his new guardian. Good. Good! So far there has been no deaths, all is working… now it‘s Talon‘s part. He shakes out his pelt, striding a few pawsteps further, standing between the two lines that have formed, the Bloodclan cats and their hostages and the Windclan cats, their scanning for openings interrupted as their attention turns towards Talon.
„Your clanmates will be fine. Provided no one attempts anything overly foolish. Remain out of our way, and we will leave without anyone coming to more harm. We have no need for bloodshed, but any challenge will have dire consequences.“
„And what guarantee do we have for that?“
A voice arises as one of the Windclan cats strides closer to meet Talon. A pelt dark enough to disappear near seamless into the sparingly illuminated night, with the only exception of sparkling blue eyes. The Windclan cat holds Talon‘s gaze with seriousness. There is rage behind his stare, but little of it put too openly on display. Sleek, like most Windclan cats, but his stance despite the situation is imperious. There is no fear in this one. Odd. According to Ashfur, second-in-commands, or ´deputies‘ are supposed to be present at gatherings. This warrior shows all the signs of holding importance, but these clans have no veteran warriors. He may not hold a title, but judging by his approach and the silence of his clan when he spoke up, clearly he holds some sway here. Perhaps a trusted senior warrior? Striking him down would hush the rest instantly.
The very moment Talon becomes aware of his last thought, frustration grows within him. No, they are not rogues… they follow different rules. They follow ANY rules to begin with. The dark grey Bloodclan tom realises how much he‘d underestimated how much this would be a struggle for himself, presumably for all his clanmates. He‘d been too focused on worrying about Frost as the one to openly talk of it, that he forgot how it might be for all those that didn‘t speak up. Maybe he did ask more of his warriors than he‘d originally realised. All the more impressive, in his mind, that it all went without any bloody accidents still.
„You have none but my word. That and precedence. We chose against killing Thunderclan cats on our last raid. You are no more our enemies than they are. And we want the same here as we did there.“
The Windclan warrior‘s eyes narrow, observing Talon for a heartbeat before continuing, tail lashing behind him
„Herbs? Why?“
„Our reasons are the last of your concerns currently“
The blue eyed warrior‘s claws dig into the ground beneath, his pelt just barely being kept from standing up in spikes. It seems his rage is becoming harder to suppress. Perhaps not quite as imperious after all…
„This will not happen again. Next time any Bloodclan foxheart shows themself on Windclan territory, they‘ll leave without a tail.“
„We shall see. Will you stand aside?“
Visibly grinding his teeth, the Windclan cat holds in for a bit. As he opens his mouth to reply though, a voice rings out from behind him.
„Crowfeather, please, you must get him ba…“
The warrior‘s head snaps around, firing a piercing glare to his clanmate that spoke up, a just as black pelted she-cat, amber eyes filled with dreadful worry, in absolute disregard to the sharp look she‘s receiving.
„NOT now, Nightcloud! You‘re not helping.“
Talon follows the she-cat‘s gaze as it moves back and forth from Crowfeather to somewhere else, past Talon. Sure enough, her concern is for one of the hostages, the young one Grail defeated. Three black pelts in one camp… so that‘s how it is.
With a hum, Talon turns back toward Crowfeather, whom in turn returned his attention to Talon.
„Your son will not be harmed. If you comply. We get what we want, you retain what you want. As long as we get what we want, killing him would earn us nothing. But provoking us could cost you much“
Crowfeather‘s glare remains squarely on Talon, a moment of silence ensuing.
„You will leave, and you will release all our clanmates, no one will be harmed.“
Talon slowly nods. To a Windclan cat the gesture may mean nothing, but perhaps they could read the situation enough to see the weight of it all the same. Talon raises one of his paws to his collar, hooking his claws into the upper edge of the leather.
„I swear. Comply and all will be released, unharmed“
A scoff escapes Crowfeather, Talon’s vow clearly not impressing the tom much, but a few heartbeats later he steps aside, looking over to a cracked boulder, in the crack of which a young, visibly frightened mottled tom stands, observing the whole situation, shrinking under Crowfeather‘s gaze as it turns to him.
„Let them through, Kestrelpaw. We will not sacrifice clanmates for the sake of some plants.“
„COWARD!“
Talon turns his head, to find the black furred young one redoubling his struggle, in his eyes a fury the likes of which could have come from Wrath himself as he beholds his presumed father.
„You‘d surrender to Windclan‘s enemies without even fighting? You call yourself a warrior? We should fight, defend our territory!“
„We will not let clanmates die because of your pride, Breezepaw! The clan comes first, always, and you will be quiet!“
Surprising Talon, Crowfeather‘s tone is every bit as loud and forceful as his offspring‘s, and yet, it does not sound quite the same. Breezepaw’s voice holds nothing less than absolute contempt, loathing thick enough to ooze from every word. Crowfeather‘s seems… somewhere between annoyedly bored and exhausted. Strong, unmistakably displeased, but it is clear that much strength has been spent already. This seem not to be the first confrontation between them. Or are there yet other reasons? With a quiet hum, Talon turns to his clanmates and motions to the boulder. This family feud is not his to get involved in either way. He is here for one thing and one thing only. Understanding immediately, most Bloodclan cats without someone to hold down move forth, Rover taking the lead in guiding the others to their prize. Windclan moves out of the way, hateful looks and spitting hisses accompanying the Bloodclan warriors passing them, but none seem to attempt themselves at a fight. The young tom by the boulder, Kestrelpaw, bounds aside, watching well disturbed as the warriors enter the den, soon to reemerge, mawfulls of herbs carried away. Almost done… almost. Talon looks over to Breezepaw, struggling on under Grail, giving the she-cat almost more trouble now than during their fight. He might try something once released… Perhaps it‘d be wiser to prepare for that. They‘re almost good to go.
Talon pads over to Grail‘s side, waiting for the last to emerge from the medicine den, for all they can take to be secured. Soon that is done, the final Bloodclan warrior, Aspen, arising from the crack with but a few leaves in her maw, sending a cautionary hiss at a Windclan warrior standing a bit too close for her liking, before with quick, lithe steps rejoining the rest of the patrol. Talon looks over his cats, giving a pleased nod.
„Good. We got what we came for, let‘s go. The route we discussed. Let‘s go!“
At Talon‘s signal, the Bloodclan warriors release their hostages, some by simply leaping off of them, others following Castle‘s quick example in flinging them out from under themselves by their neck and towards the rest of Windclan, before quickly finding their way up the small ravine and out of the camp.
As soon as Grail gets off of her foe as well, the young Windclan tom wastes no time winding over onto his paws, readying to pounce and resume their previous battle. Before he gets a chance to leap, Talon crashes into him with his full might, sending a surprised Breezepaw flying backwards, towards his presumed mother, that‘s already dashing forth at full pace. By the time the she-cat has defensively curled around the furiously hissing young one, Talon and Grail are both already dashing up the ravine. It´s done, they succeeded. Now all that´s left is to get out and home.
The rest of the patrol already waiting, immediately sets into motion as Talon arises to them, Frost still holding down the tabby guard, who‘s equally enraged and fearful amber eyes follow Talon closely.
„Release him, Frost. We‘re leaving, now!.“
Frost grumbles quietly, looking down at the tom under him for but a moment, but ultimately opens his jaws and stands up. Hissing and rubbing his bleeding neck, the tom scurries several steps backwards, away from the departing patrol of Bloodclan warriors. Wordlessly, the white veteran warrior bounds over into the thick of the patrol, Talon and Grail right behind the rest.
After an initial sprint to gain some distance from the camp, journey back goes slower than their storm towards the Windclan camp, once the Bloodclan cats arrive at the river, now needing to do nothing more than to follow it and keep going straight once it bends towards the distant mountains. No need for speed and running now. Sure enough, a Windclan patrol had begun following them, trailing them at a safe distance behind them. No doubt making sure the Bloodclan cats are actually leaving the territory. No matter. They´d be approaching faster if they wanted a fight, and anything short of that is fine by Talon for all he cares. They got what they came for, no-one died, Venom might not use his pelt as nesting material just yet. Visibly pleased, Talon continues padding along, the other warriors, those who`s maws are not filled with strange tasting plants, are already brightening the mood with accounts of their fight and the at times fairly desperate attempts of their captives to wind themselves out from under them. There is laughter, a few wounds, and most importantly victory. A smile creeps onto Talon`s face. It was certainly unlike anything they`d done before, and yet the feeling after is pleasantly familiar. A feeling of good times now in the past, getting to bloom up again. Grail remains at his side, a few swipes letting her blood glisten in the moonlight, but nothing serious.
„You fought well. You certainly had a lively one.“
The russet warrior looks over, a bit surprised at Talon breaking the silence, before a content smile forms on her and she nods.
„I don`t think I`d have fought like that when I was that size. It was good to be in a battle again, even if it ended a bit… awkwardly? But your plan worked, as I knew it would.“
„Apparently so. We should be well equipped to get through the rest of leafbare now. With a bit of luck, we won`t need any such expeditions for a pleasant while now. Focus on the the clan. Focus on us for a change“
Padding along after the others, it takes a little while, before the flicking of Grail`s ear in the corner of his vision brings his gaze back to her, finding an embaressed, but not unhappy smile upon her. He scoffs softly, looking away.
„Maybe I should have have phrased that differently. Or… perhaps not. I hope you forgive me for my poor handling of… us.“
„There is nothing to forgive. And… I`d welcome it.“
Talon nods slowly, the chill of the leafbare night no longer reaching him, warmth flooding his pelt. As they leave behind the forest clan territories, he glances over at Grail, for nought but to admire her joy, when he discovers a sparkle at some distance, robbing him of some of the joyful notion. Eyes, eyes by the river, the other side of it. Can`t be Windclan then… Without turning his head too much to give himself away, he tries to scan it more closely. Blue? Could it be Ashfur then? He should know better… or is it someone else? An unpleasant feeling forms in Talon`s gut, but with one he tries to shake for now. No, today has been won, there is no point in souring it with such worries now. A problem for another day, if at all. Right now, the walk home alongside Grail shall not be spoiled by anything.

Chapter Text

„Is that how it is then?“
Talon tilts his head slightly. Kestrel`s tail sways behind him slowly as he sits in the warmth of the few rays of sunlight directly falling into Talon`s den, his eyes moving from his leader to Silver sitting beside him, listening attentively.
„At least as far as my eyes and ears out there tell it. It certainly sounds plausible enough. Disregarding the chain of command to accept our help put Abrarc into a difficult position as far as Wrath is concerned. I have no doubt that he still remains Wrath`s main source of advice, but keeping him as his official Second-in-command was just out of the question after that stunt. So…“
Silver nods slowly, thoughtfully looking off at nothing in particular
„So he made my sibling his second-in-command. That does explain what we saw at our last gathering. A great honour for Argent, I have no doubt he needed no time to think it over before agreeing. And if loyalty is what Wrath was looking for, he most certainly found it in him.“
Talon`s eyes move over to the older veteran warrior, a spark of compassion within his gaze
„I presume that`ll mean he won`t be in a position to speak to you much from now on…“
Silver returns his leader`s gaze with a mild smile
„Perhaps. But I mostly cared to see if my sibling was faring well anyway. Simply attending gatherings will serve the same purpose from now on then. We may not get to speak much, but we don`t need to.“
The white furred older tom turns towards Kestrel, bowing his head in gratitude
„I thank you for telling me“
Tilting his head to rest it on his shoulder, Kestrel softly hums
„Figured changes in leadership rules was relevant news to report, and that this would be something you`d care to know also. Moreover, you know the new second-in-command of Wrath better than any cat. Even with Abrarc still around, his voice and advice now holds weight. And with Granite seeming to try and make plays involving Wrath`s faction…“
Silver observes the brown tom for a few moments, before looking to the ground, seeming to ponder the question before he speaks it aloud
„You hope I might be able to tell if Argent could end up swaying Wrath towards favouring that unification.“
„From where we sit now, it seems relevant to know. We`re stronger than either of them in terms of numbers, but not stronger than both of them together. Our merger was meant to give us the safety of being unassailable. Depending on how things go, that won`t be the case anymore“
Talon looks to Kestrel, eyes mildly narrowed at the percieved insinuations
„A bit too late to reconsider our merger now. I do hope you are aware of that“
Kestrel rolls his eyes with a small scoff, ending in his usual grin
„Painfully so. If we would split up now, it`d only reduce us all to easy prey. No, I knew when I made the offer that both for better and worse, we would be in it together. That being said, nothing is lost just yet. My betting on you has not yet proven a mistake. Nor are we out of options.“
„No, were`re not… we can try to see if we can find enough common ground with Wrath to snatch him out from under Granite`s nose. If nothing else, we`ll have a chance to try after the aid we gave them. Or we put ourselves on at least equal ground of that alliance before it comes to be… with Wraith.“
Kestrel`s ears slightly sink as the faintest hint of uncertainty flashes through his eyes at the mention, though the smile never fades and the doubt disappears from view as quickly as it arrived.
„Perhaps, yes. The best option being the first one, easily. It`d give us the most cats, territory, Granite`s territory would be surrounded by ours. Not to mention with Wrath himself and his best warriors at our disposal, any credible opposition would cease to exist. Granite and Wraith`s surrender would be reduced to mere formality.“
Talon`s tailtip flicks, a hint of interest entering his gaze
„Certainly true. But we don’t know how achievable that is. Wrath is very driven towards his ideals and he knows we don’t share them. Meanwhile we know nothing of Wraith`s convictions, only that she must see the risk to her own faction that alliance would be.“
Silver turns to Talon after drawing a paw over his left ear
„True, but so does our faction as far as she knows. Granite and us all share the goal of unifying the clan. Unless we can convince her that Granite will attempt taking her territory by force, the only reason she`d have for joining us would be if we gave her one. And as you said, we know very little of what she might want.“
„Not to mention the message that will send. If we try to gain Wraith for ourselves, it`ll be blatant that we chose to put our readiness to fight Granite and Wrath directly over any hope of getting Wrath onto our side peacefully. We could end up forcing him into Granite`s alliance, just to keep having a chance to see at least part of his vision fulfilled.“
Kestrel`s voice remains mostly calm, but he begins slightly shifting his weight from one front leg to the other back and forth as he sits. Talon nods slowly
„Perhaps. But do tell me, is there any other reason why we should avoid Wraith? The idea does not seem to sit well with you, circumstance aside, Kestrel“
The brown tom scoffs silently off to the side, shaking his head
„Are any points I`ve made not objectively plausible?“
„They are all sound. But you avoid my question. Are there any other reasons I ought to know about?“
Under Talon`s stare, Kestrel`s smile crumbles a bit, leaving him with an unnerved half-grin.
„Perhaps I`m merely imagining it, but I`ve had the impression for quite some time that Wraith is no fan of mine.“
Silver turns his regard back to the second-in-command
„None of the other leaders seem to. We`ve heard plenty from Granite, Wrath, Ice and Snake when they still drew breath… In fact, she is the only other leader I have not heard speak a bad word about you“
Kestrel shakes his head
„No, but aside from Wrath, that has all only really begun when the clan split apart. Wraith, I`ve felt she disliked my habit of breathing since well before. Not only do I have no idea what she`s up to at any given time, I am certain she`s been keeping an eye on me, closer than any hope to sleep soundly would allow knowing about.“
„And she has what reason to do so?“
Talon`s eyes sparkle with interest. She does not seem the kind of cat to hold a grudge, then again, what does he know of her? Aside from having seen her hunt prey and enemies with frightening skill both, Talon may have exchanged a total of four words with before the clan fractured. Her sibling Grave is reasonably agreeable, but they never much spoke of Wraith, nor does Talon expect he`d have learned much that way. Grave may be more talkative than Wraith, but that`s a low standard to set.
„Well, perhaps competition. We used to offer our respective skillsets to Scourge. As you can imagine, two methods towards very similar ends often enough. Only that hers sometimes ended more… extensively than mine“
Kestrel tips one of his reinforcing claws against his neck, his smile mostly regained, but eyes still somewhat wary
„Truth is, her presence has been somewhat unsettling to me for a long time now. The fact that for all my attempts, I never could figure her out even a little bit did not help to diminish that“
Unable to keep a small smirk from arising, Talon tilts his head at his second-in-command
„Don`t tell me you`re worried she`d replace you“
„Wraith can only be in one place at any given time, good as she may be. I have eyes in many places at all times. And I have proven the worth of my means to you. Besides, let`s not forget you already had word sent to her that you might care to speak and we`ve received but silence in return“
Silver lets out a nasal breath
„Odd. I would have expected at least a message that she declines to see you. But perhaps silence does suit Wraith best.“
Talon`s face sours a bit as he nods
„Right, I`ve had you send message to her. You delegated Frost for that, right? Did we really receive no answer at all, not even a `no`?“
Kestrel shakes his head
„Was left standing at the border after giving word onward to the first patrol that passed. Noone came back for him. After two more patrols had passed, none with an answer for him, he returned.“
Talon`s expression only sours further, before he lets out a sigh and shakes his head
„That is… unfortunate. Well, we can try our luck with Wrath, but it‘ll be difficult to say wether we can turn him to our cause. It would require concessions, no doubt, and I don‘t know how many we can make. The clan needs to be reunited, the distribution and acquisition of food secured, the warriors of Bloodclan once again comfortable around their own clanmates before any large venture like an attack on the forest clans could even be conceivable without risking to bring devastation upon ourselves yet again.“
Kestrel tilts his head, a spark of interest glistening in his eyes
„But it could still be considered eventually, then? Despite your… acquaintance in the forest? Good, that‘s very good. That may just be enough to lure Wrath to our side.“
Talon‘s eyes slightly narrow. He can‘t allow himself to show it, but internally he grits his teeth. Taking a heartbeat before answering, he keeps his voice calm
„It would still take time before we could do it, but if that is truly necessary to reunite Bloodclan, then it is my duty, is it not? And Ashfur would be useful to have leading up to it. That said, I do would prefer to recruit him into Bloodclan before such an undertaking. Either way, we‘re still too far from any of it as that making major plans would make much sense yet.“
They‘ve struck at the forest clans before and nearly won. The idea is not inconceivable. But to win, they‘d NEED to stand united. But it‘s doable, it clearly is. He would not repeat Scourge‘s mistake. And yet… the idea sits squarely in Talon‘s chest, leaving his heart heavy. Ashfur, even in his current situation, would not approve. Less than not approve. Talon would risk turning a friend, a valued confidant, into a bitter enemy. It should not bother him as much as it does. The thought of some Thunderclan cats blood on his claws does not shake him in the slightest, but the notion of the bloodied pelt beneath him being a familiar grey spotted one, the long scar down his back from their first fight, blue eyes that were full of interest and sincerity during their talks staring back emptily and glazed over... It suffices to cut Talon‘s hunger short, his reinforcing claws feeling heavy as steel on his paws.
„I reckon it would be, your duty that is. But I also agree, the cat among their ranks would be useful and a waste to let die among the rest. You‘ve trained him. Surely he would be an asset to us.“
Kestrel‘s voice dragging him back to the discussion, Talon simply nods curtly
„If we can fully turn him to our side. But that is not a discussion for today. But turning to other things, have we spotted any promising prospects among the rogues so far?“
Kestrel draws his tongue over his left front paw twice, before in turn drawing it over his ear
„Depends. From what I hear Frost has two in his sights that may be worth something. I overheard Soot and Moon talking about it, considering one or two as well. If they haven‘t told you themselves yet, I‘d imagine they are not yet completely sure and want to watch them a little longer before making their mind up about them.“
Talon nods slowly
„Four potential now clanmates… that‘d not be a bad haul. Three or two is more likely, considering the trials, but even that would be a decent outcome. I hate to replace them like that, but losing Owl and Wax hurt us and filling that gap will help keep us ahead of the other factions.“
„No arguing there. Also taking in even just a small pawful of them might calm the rogues around the southern borders a bit.“
Silver hums with a thoughtful expression
„True. Although we still don‘t know what riled them up in the first place. Perhaps once we approach these potential recruits, we might finally figure out what happened. Usually a group challenging Bloodclan and facing the consequences doesn‘t faze them much. If anything one or two groups end up all the happier for it, now having empty standing territories and hunting grounds to snatch up for free.“
Talon slowly rises to his paws, drawing the attention of the other two toms, whom arise a moment later themselves
„Perhaps. But while that might be interesting, it‘s far from our priority to figure out the problems of rogues currently. Kestrel, see that the efforts to look for promising recruits continues. If any kitty-pets show an unusual amount of promise, I‘m certain you‘d be able to find out. Look in that direction as well. We may soon head out to have a talk with Wrath again, but I doubt we‘ll need very large a patrol for that. Beyond that, it‘s business as usual in the alley, for now.“
Kestrel and Silver both bow their heads briefly, turning to leave the den at Talon‘s dismissing sway of his tail. As they leave, Talon finds himself remaining, standing but thinking. Could he even convince Ashfur to join them? He‘d been supportive of the grey tom to put his life in Thunderclan back together. What reason would he have for leaving, especially if he succeeded? Talon could ask, implant the idea the blue eyed warrior, but there seems not much else that could reasonably be done for now. If reuniting the clan can not be done without an attack, a bloody one this time, on the forest clans, his duty, his loyalty is with Bloodclan. But what would be the cost… Perhaps an attack on A clan would suffice for the time being to appease Wrath? Then he could pick any clan other than Thunderclan… but will that suffice as an offer? Would more be required? How to handle it… scoffing quietly at himself, the red eyed leader finds no simple solutions in his current lack of certainties. Before he talks with Wrath, he simply can not be truly sure. All Talon knows is that he‘d, if anyhow possible, not want to betray his riverside confidant. Why is this such a mess? The few other friendships Talon had grown outside Bloodclan never put him in such dilemmas. Then again, those he had all made before he‘d become a leader. Kitty-pets and wandering loners were never going to be an issue for Bloodclan anyway, but a warrior for a clan most his clanmates would consider hostile? Perhaps Talon should have known better, but curiosity had gotten the better of him. He‘d hoped the promised bloodless victory over Windclan would lighten the mood of his next meeting with Ashfur, but now another shadow would hang over this and any future meetings by the river spot.
Time passes Talon by, before a moving shadow makes him look up at his den‘s entrance.
„Talon? Do you have a moment to talk?“
Taking a few slow steps towards the exit, standing in the cast down shade of Moon, Talon looks up at the she-cat.
„Does it require confidentiality? Otherwise, I would walk a bit. But either way, yes, I‘ve got a moment.“
Moon nods, backing away clear Talon‘s path out of his den
„No, nothing that needs much secrecy. Or at least nothing most would know what to do with.“
After a rapid climb out of the den, Talon blinks against the sun for a few heartbeats, before padding down the alley, Moon wandering closely by his side.
„Very well then, what is it, Moon? All well with Rover, I trust?“
„All is indeed well. That was one of the things I wished to inform you about. Rover, as well as several others too, if that‘s not too direct, see your courtship of Grail as a good omen, despite the trouble around the faction. It brings a notion of hope. And allows decisions to be made.“
Talon lets out a brief scoff, walking on, looking at the bustling life of the alley. Warriors coming and going, kits playing and training with their parents, the scent in the air being one of concrete and cats with wafts of twoleg monster smoke and the subtle tinge of blood. Strange. Thinking about it, it should be uncomfortable, disagreeable. No cat likes twoleg monster smoke. The smell of concrete is monotonous and bland, only growing stronger after heavy rain. The scent of blood would be foreboding at best anywhere else. But here, it is… familiar, it all comes together as comforting, as safe, as home. Talon slightly turns his head to look at Moon, not ceasing his motion.
„Decisions such as?“
Interest ignites in his gaze as he sees the usually fairly serious she-cat battling against a small grin.
„Among more private decisions, Rover and I are in agreement… we will take in the rogue kit, raise it as our own. Daze knows and seems relieved for it. The kit will soon take to solid food, then we‘ll take it to our own den. In the meantime I will remain close-by, so the kit grows used to me.“
Talon‘s pace slows as he turns a bit more towards the veteran warrior, allowing himself a warm and genuinely happy glance at her.
„I am glad to hear it. The little one should have a home, a family, and Bloodclan welcomes a new clanmate. I have no doubts you will care well for her.“
Moon gives a brief nod, joy visible in her good eye, even after she‘s managed to wrestle down the smile again
„We have no intention to disappoint you or the kit. But I have other news as well. While Rover was easily happy to accept this, he remains stubborn on something else. I do not expect it to matter much, but I figured you‘d wish to know.“
„That does not sound like anything too dire. What is wrong?“
The two cats pad on, reaching the end of the alley and continuing on alongside the thunderpath. Moon takes a little while to answer, seemingly trying to seek the right words.
„Rover… was convinced he could find the herbs, the ones we‘d been looking for on your orders. In that, he remains certain. We have found no proof, but in his words he can `feel that it‘s nearby`. Your orders were to abandon the search, but he persists. The idea that we, that you might have a traitor closeby, still unidentified, still posing a threat, has left him restless.“
Talon looks ahead, unflinching as twoleg monsters rush by.
„I can not approve of orders not being followed, though I find it difficult to condemn Rover‘s loyalty. What say you? Could there be truth to his claim?“
Blinking against the gust of air striking her face after another monster passes, Moon flicks her ear
„The truth is that I do not know. It is possible, but I have not seen any real reason to believe so. Perhaps I should have more faith in my mate, yet I‘ve seen nothing to convince me.“
Talon hums thoughtfully. Moon is rarely wrong. She‘s methodical, logical. But could Rover be right regardless? It would be good to find who led the rogues into their territory at last. With the coming trouble with Granite, having to worry about watching his back even amongst his own would not help Talon. Then again, nothing has happened ever since the rogues… perhaps he had overestimated the danger. But would Scourge? The founder had warned him explicitly after all. Rover‘s search has not inconvenienced the faction so far. Talon slows, before coming to a stop and facing Moon.
„If this is how Rover wishes to spend his time, then as long as he fulfils all other duties, he is free to do so. If he succeeds, all the better, if not he should grow bored of it in due time. But let him know that there won‘t be a next time for him disregarding an order. I believe that is the fairest judgement I can make on the whole matter.“
Moon lets out a little breath, nodding her head
„It is and I am grateful for it. I promise, there will not be any further deviations from your orders. I will make sure of it personally.“
Talon barely manages to suppress a chuckle at the implication, amusement shining in his eyes
„I trust you will. I shall leave Rover in your capable paws then. But until then, my plan for now was to get my mind off of the entire situation with the other factions for now by seeing if anything worth hunting might show. I am open to suggestions on where, if you care to join me.“
„Perhaps the one of the stone planes? They may be fewer in leafbare, but some doves remain about, looking for twoleg scraps.“
„Then the stone planes it is. As long as I‘m back by sun-high to announce the later patrols, noone should miss me too much. Let‘s go see what we can catch…“

Chapter Text

Huffing for air, a few droplets of blood glistening under the pale light of moon and stars, Ashfur settles down by the river‘s edge, soon followed by Talon, the Bloodclan cat in a fairly similar condition. Talon turns his gaze to the Thunderclan warrior, past the exhaustion clear pride shining in his red eyes.
„You‘ve grown a lot fiercer. Certainly stronger than most forest cats I‘ve seen thus far.“
Ashfur lets out a small chuckle, shaking his head, before looking at his reflection in the water.
„Perhaps. I hope so. Training has been rough. Though, I admit, I have been looking forward to meeting you again. I wasn‘t sure about your raid on Windclan, but somehow you managed it. They‘ve been running nervous ever since.“
Talon nods slowly, turning his eyes towards the water. His gaze seems to grow heavier, exhausted beyond what physical effort tonight‘s training contained.
„I am glad it worked out as well. But the peace of mind that brought did not last long. No shortage of things to worry about lately. With Granite and Wrath possibly joining together, I admit that I‘m far more on edge than I care for. The truth is, if that happens, I do not think we could win.“
Ashfur‘s ears lower a bit as he turns his head towards his companion.
„It‘s truly that bad?“
„The prospect of Flame and Wrath both in one faction and against me should make any sane cat reconsider where they stand. But I fear they would be able to outfight us even without them. I have a few strong warriors, but Wrath has managed to gather some of our very best around himself, and Granite still has Copper too.“
Talon dips the tip of his claw into the flowing stream, creating an ongoing ripple in the surface. His eyes remain focused on this, though their reflection tells Ashfur that a lot of thinking is happening behind them.
„Wasn‘t there one more leader you told me of? They must be as threatened by such an alliance as you are“
„More so, I‘d say. My faction is strong due to having taken in Kestrel‘s. Wraith, she stands alone still. Technically easy prey. But…“
Talon moves his claw in a small circular motion a few times before pulling it from the water, letting it hover over the river for a few heartbeats as a droplet forms and eventually drops down into the currents.
„She seems unwilling to talk. I‘m not certain why. Perhaps to her, the danger is the same, wether from the alliance of Granite and Wrath, or myself and Kestrel. And in that, she‘d not even be wrong. She will lose autonomy either way. Best she can do is try to join the side that she believes will suit her better… or whichever side is simply more likely to win.“
„And you fear that yours does not look like the victor currently.“
Concluding Talon‘s thoughts, Ashfur watches the Bloodclan leader nod.
„I had hoped I‘d have bought myself time, breathing space, by conducting the raid on Windclan, but one issue only gives way to another at this point.“
Moments of silence drag on, only the rushing water sounding for many long heartbeats, before at last Talon shakes his head.
„Regardless now. I don‘t need to lay all that upon you. You did well, you continue to do well, and aside from it all, I am grateful for your company. It may not always sound like it, but it helps.“
„I see…“
Ashfur nods slowly. His own worries feel so small, so selfish, next to Talon‘s tales. His own conscience seems to be most of what the Thunderclan warrior is wagering, while his friend carries the weight of many lives. It seems pathetic to even compare. He ceases functioning in the presence of Squirrelflight, while in twoleg-place Talon negotiates with warriors and leaders that‘d just as easily kill him than listen to him. How could he not feel small next to that.
His thoughts weighing him down, in his own mind only further pronouncing his unworthiness, Ashfur is soon interrupted by the gentle prod of Talon‘s paw.
„No need to wreck your head about it. You have your own problems to deal with. Wiser to focus on them. In your estimation, we getting closer to the goal?“
Talon‘s voice is calm, quiet, an understanding look in his eyes, from one cat prone to losing themselves in their darker thoughts to another. Ashfur musters a slightly amused scoff along a faint smile.
„I think so? It‘s difficult to guess accurately where I stand compared to Brambleclaw. We‘d need to have a fight where I could see him at his best.“
Talon nods briefly, tilting his head
„Fair, but do not forget, overcoming Brambleclaw is only a means to an end. It‘s that end that should be your focus“
The smile fades from Ashfur, a sharp nasal exhale escapes him as his tail curls around his paws. The old familiar sting rearing it‘s head, the Thunderclan warrior turns his gaze back to the water.
„I couldn‘t avoid it if I tried to. And I did, many times. But how can I avoid it if it‘s the first scent I smell when I wake, when it‘s something I see every day, no matter my efforts to avoid it. Yes, it remains my focus. I‘m currently… working on something on the side. It might shift the odds in my favour. I hope it will.“
Talon‘s left ear perks up attentively, interest shining in his eyes
„How so?“
„If all goes as it should, as Hawkfrost told it, Brambleclaw will end up too busy for Squirrelflight. Loose her interest, when she looses his attention.“
Talon hums, the tip of his tail tapping on the ground
„Hawkfrost… I think you‘ve mentioned this cat before, his name sounds familiar.“
„Brambleclaws brother. Or half-brother, anyway. Another son of Tigerstar. He was the one that first noticed you and told me, remember?“
Talon‘s expression sours, a look of mild concern forming upon his face
„Right. I remember now… You are free to do as you please, Ashfur, but if you want my advice, be cautious and keep your claws sharpened. From what little I know, he seems the plotting type. I would not trust him beyond what I can see with my own eyes, and even with that, I‘d be careful.“
Ashfur shakes his head before drawing a few licks over a small wound
„I thought you wouldn‘t like him. That‘s why I told him no when he asked if I would introduce you to each other. But don‘t you have such a cat right close to you as well from what you told me?“
Talon pulls a slight grimace, looking at the slowly swaying reeds as a cold wind begins blowing
„Yes, Kestrel. But I am well aware of it and he knows that I know. It‘s somewhat of an open secret, really. The difference is that I know exactly what he is after. What is Hawkfrost‘s final goal in all of this? Do you know?“
The grey Thunderclan warrior feels some annoyance prickling under his pelt at Talon‘s doubts about his choices. The realisation that, in fact, he doesn‘t truly know the end of the Riverclan schemer‘s gambit, only adds to it, even if this annoyance is more directed towards his own self.
„I owe him a favour, Talon. It is as simple as that. My task is a simple one and it will help me achieve my own goals in time.“
Turning his head back towards his companion, Talon raises an eyebrow
„You‘re indebted to him? How so?“
Ashfur takes a deep breath, the icy cold air slightly burning in his lungs. He can‘t tell Talon quite everything. What would a Bloodclan cat even do with the knowledge of him training in the Dark Forest. They do not believe in Starclan and the Place Of No Stars. Then again, Talon did ask about odd dreams, interpreting them and their connection to Starclan. That had been odd enough to remain embedded in Ashfur‘s memory. Still, even if not to keep Talon in the dark, Thistleclaw would likely not appreciate the Bloodclan cat getting to know such things. And it is seldom a smart choice to anger Thistleclaw…
„He was the one that aided me in finding me the opportunity for regular training that you advised me to seek out. Gave me a chance I wouldn‘t have found on my own so easily. So, even if whatever he‘s trying to do doesn‘t end up aiding me, I still got my ongoing training.“
It is brief, barely a heartbeat, though it isn‘t quite as subtle as Talon may have wanted. A brief look of revelation, eyes widening a little as several pieces previously unconnected seem to fall into place. The Bloodclan leader‘s face returning to a neutral expression with a barely audible hum, Ashfur can‘t shake the feeling that a question unknown to the blue eyed warrior has just been answered. What could Talon be hiding that would have anything to do with any of this? He should feel angry to be left out of the know, but he too chooses to withhold information, leading only to a sinking sensation of mild guilt in the warrior‘s gut, underneath the still shallowly stinging feeling in his chest. He could ask… but it wouldn‘t be fair to ask for more than he‘s willing to give himself.
„Alright then… “
Talon‘s voice pulls Ashfur‘s attention back towards the Bloodclan tom, whom observes the warrior from the corner of his eye
„I trust you, Ashfur. Just stay alert, don‘t let something catch you off-guard. That is all I ask.“
Ashfur nods slowly, letting his eyes sink down to the water‘s edge, watching the current lap at the shore. His heart weighs heavy as a boulder within him, watching the warping and misshapen reflection of his own face in the rippling surface of the river.
„So long… it‘s been going on for so long. I don‘t know how many seasons anymore. I have to take what chances I get, Talon. It can‘t go on forever like this. I can‘t go on forever like this. Some days it feels like it‘s getting worse. Slowly chipping away at me. I‘ll try to be careful, but if there‘s hope, I have to try. And then I hear of your troubles and all my problems feel so small, so… selfish in comparison, yet I can‘t help it. Starclan knows I tried. I hope Starclan knows I tried.“
Ashfur‘s shoulder jerks at the sudden contact and he looks over at it, as Talon‘s tail rests upon it comfortingly. The Bloodclan leader watches his friend with a small, encouraging smile.
„Ours are very different sets of problems. I don‘t think comparing them does either of us justice. And if those ancestors of yours have any care at all, I‘m fairly certain they know your pain. Do not doubt yourself too much. You‘re making good progress. If there‘s any chance at all to gain her heart through prowess as a warrior, you will succeed by the end of this.“
Ashfur nods once more. Gratefulness warms him, though it manages not to outgrow the weight in his chest. Returning his gaze to the river yet again, he blinks away the water gathering in his eyes. He’s cried once in front of Talon, he can‘t do it again. Their talks are already a great relief from Ashfur‘s attempts to uphold Bluestar‘s old advice to suffer his pain in silence, but this border he can‘t cross a second time. Breathing deeply, he remains silent, the two toms resting by the water, the only noise coming from Talon as he begins lapping at one of his own wounds and grooming the pelt around it after a small while.
At last, what feels like half an eternity later, Talon‘s voice pierces the silence.
„It is getting late… or early more like. We should get back to our clans.“
Ashfur slowly looks up from the rushing water, but remains transfixed straight ahead, looking at the reeds swaying on Windclan‘s side of the border. His composure regained, the night still feels colder as Talon‘s tail draws away from him.
„Yes. You‘re probably right. Lionpaw will not let me forget it if I‘m not up to train him. His assessment is slowly getting closer.“
With a deep exhale, the blue eyed warrior pushes himself up onto his paws, a few small wounds stinging under his pelt, fatigue stiffening his muscles. Risen already, Talon gives him a thoughtful look for several heartbeats.
„You know… if you ever decided that things just don‘t work at Thunderclan, if you ever needed to get away… You could join Bloodclan. I could vouch for you.“
Ashfur stands motionless, expressionless as the Bloodclan leader‘s words seem to drip in slowly one at a time in his tired mind. Only after a little while does their meaning take shape in Ashfur‘s head. His brow furrowed, staring in contemplation onwards, trying to register if he even heard right, it takes yet several more heartbeats before he turns his head towards Talon, a surprised confusion plain in his eyes.
„…what? Are you…“
Talon shakes his head, beginning to turn around.
„I need no immediate answer. In fact, don‘t answer. I just want you to know that… you have the option, an alternative to it all. You‘d only ever need to follow me. But I reckon that‘s neither a concern for today, nor tomorrow. For now, goodnight, Ashfur. Scourge guide your claws.“
Not waiting for a response, Talon begins walking off, visibly slowed by his own exhaustion. Having pushed aside the heavy thoughts that had occupied it earlier and now the full weight of his tiredness having descended upon him, everything in Ashfur‘s head turns a bit slower, looking after the Bloodclan cat pushing through the reeds.
„Starclan light your path…“
Ashfur‘s voice is quiet, his thoughtful tone ever so slightly slurred. Still, it clearly reaches Talon‘s ears, the dark grey leader stopping briefly and waving his tail in goodbye, before resuming on his way.
Remaining behind, Ashfur is left in a contemplative silence. Bloodclan? He has grown a new respect for the twolegplace clan, but joining them? How could he ever? Thunderclan is his birth clan, the clan he earned his warrior name in, the clan of his ancestors and family. True, things have been… harsh, for a longer while now, only seeming to worsen with time even, but none the less, Ashfur‘s loyalty is here. Perhaps this offer is more akin to receiving Talon‘s recognition, that Ashfur has indeed become stronger, that he would be worthy of joining, just in theory. Even if things don‘t work out as hoped, he couldn‘t just leave. Right? Raising his head to behold the stars. The glimmering gaze of warrior ancestors in the vast distance. Silverpelt surely stretches over twoleg-place just as much as it does over the territories. They‘d seen the stars even during the Great Journey after all. But still, Starclan just as surely would not be shining it‘s light upon cats on Bloodclan grounds. As far as the clans are concerned, as far as Starclan is concerned, they remain an enemy, right? Even in his occasional doubt, how could Ashfur remove himself entirely from Starclan‘s light? Without the ancestors to light the path… what guidance would he be left with?
Heartbeats of silence growing into what feels like seasons, at last Ashfur shakes his head. No, he could not. His place is here, it must be. Starclan does not abandon it‘s own, not if they don‘t abandon Starclan first. Closing his eyes, the lone warrior speaks a prayer to his warrior ancestors, the same he‘s spoken countless times by now. His ancestors would guide him. That is what they do. He has received no sign that he‘s on the wrong path, so he must go on. Past pain and exhaustion, he must proceed, ever onward. All will be well in the end. He‘s doing everything in his power to get there, something must work after everything. It must.
Eventually, his eyes open anew, slivers of blue reflecting the descending light of an unmoved starry sky. Well, enough time spend out here in the cold… Ashfur still has warrior duties to fulfill come come sunrise, not least of all a very eager, if increasingly a little arrogant apprentice. Time to go home and get what little rest he can.

Chapter Text

The path is long, the night air is freezing. New cuts glisten and sting as Talon pads onward. The night‘s endeavour has been well worth it. The fight with his in strength growing prodigy of Thunderclan has served well to quell some of the unease that‘s been weighing on his heart. Their talks and the calm tranquility of their shared spot by the river soothed him as it always has. Though tonight has infested Talon with a new worry as well. Hawkfrost… he‘d remember the name well, now more than ever. Kin of the forest tyrant, schemer, and Scourge knows what all else. So that is how Ashfur came to the Dark Forest, to meet his ancestor and trainer. Just what has the grey pelted fool gotten himself mixed up in? He knows that it‘d serve no purpose worrying too much about it, nor could he do much about it all. Still, a cat that since has earned his respect and friendship, thought more for his tenacity and camaraderie than his decision making, has landed himself in trouble he may not be able to rescue himself from in the end. This would no doubt find ways to haunt Talon‘s few peaceful moments and dreams, however few of them weren‘t poisoned already with the prospect of the possible alliance between his rivals.
With a deep breath, the cold air burning in his lungs, the red eyed tom tries to banish the the host of troublesome thoughts. Nothing has happened yet. To each problem, a solution, in time. The tall twoleg-dens rising up before him as he nears familiar grounds, he pushes himself to stride on faster. There won‘t be much sleep tonight, it‘d be better to get as much of it as he could. Perhaps, if the day proves a calm one, he would get the chance for a brief nap or two throughout it to make up. That would be a boon, a sorely needed one. Wandering this path he has trodden many times before mercifully requires no thought, his paws guiding him on their own, even the cautious crossing of the thunderpaths having become an automatism. Deeper and deeper into familiar territory, Talon delves, his tired mind picturing the warmth of his nest. His ears twitch from time to time, scanning the direction of any noise that may be suspicious, though nothing rings perilous enough to break Talon from his advance. The scream of a fox or two in the far distance, scavenging through dumpsters on the outskirts of twoleg-place, the overly loud and odd noises of twolegs, arguing or celebrating, often difficult to discern, especially the ones still outside at this time of day…
„You smell of blood.“
The sudden voice stops Talon dead in his tracks, eyes focusing into the dark from which it sounded. Though surprised and sufficiently startled, the familiarity of the voice and it‘s quiet tone didn‘t draw forth Talon‘s claws, his irises widening in an attempt to take in enough light to see more than the reflective eye staring back at him from the pure blackness underneath the large wheeled dumpster nearby. Though it didn‘t help much, faintly recognising the the white ear fluff and markings on her face, along with the lone lime coloured eye, tells the Bloodclan leader all he needs to know.
„Not able to sleep, Moon?“
His slightly risen pelt settles back down on Talon as the eye in the dark blinks at him, before looking up at the star-spangled sky.
„Not yet. Rover has yet to return. He remains on his little quest still. He claimed to have found some promising lead, but he claims so most nights. I remain doubtful.“
After a few moments of gazing at the glimmering lights in the sky, Moon emerges out from under the dumpster.
„If you permit the presumption, there is not enough blood for it to have been a fight with rogues and with the direction you come from… the forest cat?“
Talon nods, the rough contours of the veteran warrior now visible, though he quickly realises that with his own dark pelt response in motion might not be very effective in such low light.
„Yes. He‘s coming along well as a fighter. Though there are some concerns that I have, I trust things will work out. He may be a bit foolhardy at times, but he‘s not incompetent when he wants to.“
A brief entertained rumble sounds from Moon, the slight motion of her eye all that shows that she nods
„Sounds a lot like Rover in that regard.“
Talon lets out an entertained scoff, sitting down for a moment. His muscles ache and his body welcomes the small reprieve this offers, even though he knows he should not remain stationary for too long, lest the chill in the air and ground seep into his joints and make the rest of the trip even more miserable.
„I reckon so. Outside the veteran warriors, no one else knows of him still, correct?“
Moon moves her head, but having closed her eye for it, it is difficult to tell wether she nods or shakes her head.
„Normally, yes. Though, with Frost‘s frustration over it, he may have or will tell someone. We were not told to treat it as a secret. Should we? I can relay that order to the others in the morning, if you wish“
Talon lets out a small breath, but shakes his head
„I mostly do not wish for it to possibly be a hinderance when I speak to Wrath again. Beyond that, it matters little to me. At least for now.“
Looking out at the thunderpath stretching on ahead of him, the red eyed tom tilts his head. Few twoleg-lights around these parts. Nor are many monsters roaming the thunderpath. Their rumbling can be heard in the distance, but here it seems reasonably peaceful, despite being very dark.
„When does Rover usually return?“
„Once so, once so… Though usually he would be back by now. But you don‘t need to worry about that. He always returns.“
With a hum, Talon rises to his paws again, stretching himself with a slight groan.
„Of course, he is a Bloodclan cat. He knows to navigate the dangers of twoleg-place as well as any of us.“
Taking a few steps, Talon sees from the corner of his eye Moon falling in stride with him.
„You don‘t need to accompany me if you wish to rest. I would not keep you from your mate once he returns.“
Speeding up a little for a few steps, Moon continues on beside Talon, close enough now to easily recognise her shaking her head.
„I could not sleep and do not mind walking a bit. And after making me wait, it wouldn‘t hurt Rover to wait for me a bit should he return in the meantime.“
Talon casts an amused glance over at her before looking back ahead, padding along the side of the tunderpath.
„How careless for a warrior to make a veteran warrior wait.“
Continuing her stride, Moon keeps looking on ahead.
„I would not invoke rank against my mate outside of patrols. Not often anyway.“
Though her last words are barely more than a whisper under Moon‘s breath, Talon‘s whiskers twitch in amusement at it, though he gives no reply. Though the way stretches on, the two make good time. Soon, the high twoleg-monster den is but a few thunderpaths away. His eyes moving over to it for a brief moment suffice to bring mixed emotions to Talon‘s mind. They grieved for the ones they lost getting their current reserves of food. But it was also the first truly open show of affection between Grail and him. There was no veil, no rank, no excuses… a good memory. The beginning of what now feels like monumental things. The mere recollection seems to bring some warmth with it. A gentle wave of heat spreading underneath his pelt, the cold air around seeming unable to reach him.
It takes a little while before, between autonomous movement and permitting himself to delve into more pleasant thoughts for a moment for once, for Talon to note the increasingly twitchy motions of Moon‘s ears. Flicking from one direction to another, as if scanning the environment for something specific. Talon parts his jaws to speak, only for stress scent to hit his tongue. Worry rapidly grows within the red eyed leader.
„What is going on, Moon?“
His voice is a whisper, the sudden change in Moon‘s behaviour pushing Talon to caution. Enemies? Surely they would have heard another faction trying to advance. A dog perhaps, a fox that ventured further than they usually do? Moon returns Talon‘s look, a measure of uncertainty and confusion clouding her usually strong and certain gaze before she shakes her head.
„I believe not. I haven‘t heard anything to that effect. Please excuse me, just… an off feeling.“
Though slowed, they pad onward, the grey furred leader‘s tail striking side to side in short lashes. Moon is not an emotional cat. Rover is more the type to let a feeling dictate his actions, as proven by his current endeavours. If Moon feels sufficiently alerted to let it affect her, it might be worth keeping his guard up.
„I see…“
Slow steps, observing their surroundings closely, Talon‘s claws itch in his paws. He may not be in the best state for a fight, but he can push himself if need be. But the moment drags on and on. They manage to travel but little distance, caution dictating every step, every shadow below, every window cill above observed, but nothing. A twoleg monster roars past them on the thunderpath. Still, nothing. A movement catches Talon‘s eye, but he lets out a breath upon realising it‘s but a small bat that crossed through the beam of light from one of the twoleg-lights. Nothing. Nothing’s approaching them. They don‘t seem to be followed, lest it be Wraith, but even then, Talon remembers the feeling of the ghostly leader‘s eyes upon him from the shadows well enough and this feels different. He turns to Moon, his own pelt laying flat once more, while hers remains slightly bristled up. Maybe he is not the only one who gets stressed out over their current situation.
Moon notices Talon‘s look, seeming to understand his thoughts immediately, a spark of apology entering her one good eye. The sharp howl piercing the night air cuts her attempt at begging-pardon off before it begins.
Talon‘s head snaps over in the direction it sounded from, ears perked attentively. Against expectation however, Moon wastes no time, breaking into a dash towards the howl, leaving the leader alone for a heartbeat. Uncharacteristically incautious, but then again, she‘d been on edge as was. With a growl, Talon bounds forward, speeding up despite the protest of his aching muscles, following behind the sprinting shadow that is Moon, her white tail tip being the most reliable guide in the surrounding twilight. If they heard it, others must have too. Maybe some others are on their way there too. The question of what emitted that howl answers itself in the form of a second shout. A familiar sound, a voice, far too familiar. Followed by yet another, a sound Talon curses himself for knowing so well from his own first lone ventures through twoleg-place. A high screech, a monster‘s tires trying to grind to a halt against rough asphalt, failing. Cold horror flows like ice water through Talon‘s spine, seeing Moon‘s speed increase yet more, running faster than any cat he‘d seen in his lifetime, dashing across thunderpaths, uncaring of the monsters roaming it, causing several to let out their horridly loud trumpeting roars.
They approach where it must have come from, but Talon looses Moon, despite putting all he can into speeding forward falling far enough behind the she-cat for her to disappear behind several bends in the path. Please be wrong. It can not be as he fears. Some kitty-pet got careless. That‘s all. Unfortunate, but that‘s all. That must be it.
Talon‘s hope, faint and false as he already knew it to be, shatters like a falling window, winding around the last corner, the sound of Moon‘s harrowing cry hitting Talon before he even comes within line of sight. Paws pulling him forward, even as his mind screams against seeing it, Talon approaches the dark frame of Moon, hunched over, clinging to what resides on the thunderpath. The scent of blood begins saturating the air, before Talon can see it. Worse waft through the air with it, invoking images in Talon‘s mind he‘d rather not see, his pawsteps getting slower the closer he gets. In the radiant cone of a twoleg-light, the stalwart veteran warrior lets out another blood-curdling wail, the shaking that‘s begun overtaking her rattling the sound towards the end. Red leaks out from under her, as she remains atop to brown pelt, almost as if to shield it, as if there still was something to shied. Slowly it pools more and more around, Moon‘s head buried in dark brown fur, shaking as the only words still arising from her are a quietly, yet frantically repeated „no“.
Panting from the race here, Talon stops a good tail-length to the side of them, his ears folded flat against his skull. Only the arising patter of paws makes him look up, trying to force his ears up, but failing beyond splaying them to the sides. Viper and Edge arrive from one side, stopping short at some distance. A few quiet words are exchanged between Edge, who visibly hopes that what he concludes from scents and sounds might be wrong, and Viper, whom has no choice but to confirm her mate‘s worry, her eyes growing heavy with sorrow at beholding the scene before her. Moments later, Frost dashes in from the other side, panting after his quick run, stepping to Talon‘s side, only really getting a look from there, and freezing on the spot once he does. His ears folding low, he speaks not a word, taking a respectful step backwards again and sitting down, trying to regain his breath.
Heartbeats pass, feeling like eternities, before the shuddering mount that is Moon slowly moves, only halfway getting off, but looking up at Talon, in doing so opening up the a view that the red eyed tom knows would haunt him, his stomach feeling as though packed with ice covered rocks. Moon‘s white belly and chest fur are painted a bright red. The veteran warrior tries to recollect herself, attempts to not look shattered, her expression forced into something that should have resembled neutral, but even looking past the remaining shaking going through her, it fails, breaking again and again as she snaps for air or her tearing eye gets irritated, winking several times, setting lose another set of tears to roll down the side of her face, before making way for the next attempt.
Beneath, the tabby pelt of Rover lies tattered with blood. Maw torn open in a scream that never managed to escape him, a trail of blood running from it. The mark of the tire right along the side of his mid-section, just below the ribcage, is unmistakable, the horrid result of it even more so. Gut burst open, parts of insides lay outside, having been crushed under the unrelenting weight of a monster. Blood keeps drizzling forth from the cavity in his belly, some streams of it lighter, some darker, all flowing together into the crimson pool slowly extending further from his broken shape. The deep claw-marks of a swipe with reinforcing claws decorate his shoulder, one single clean hit. It takes a moment, before beyond all the rest, the bite-mark on the back of his neck is even visible. Fur darkened by blood already, the puncture wounds would be night hidden if they weren‘t torn a little larger than a simple bite on it‘s own would do.
Sadness wrestles with a rising, unyielding rage within Talon, his claws extending and digging into the asphalt. He was thrown. There was no mistake here, no accident, no argument gone out of control. He was thrown off balance and tossed onto the thunderpath. Deliberate. Rover, who was looking… looking for a traitor. A traitor Talon underestimated. Traitor… Traitor! The coward will be found and if not before, after this it will be a violent end to them. Talon‘s blood feels ignited in his veins.
The few monsters trying to pass are winking with their odd yellow lights, slowly trailing around the scene, seeming cautious about briefly trespassing onto the other half of the thunderpath, before resuming their journey. Talon barely notices as his pelt bristles on end. Measureless seething only ceases for a moment, as Moon with shaking legs gets up entirely, taking several deep breaths in an attempt to compose herself enough to speak, before finally going for it.
„The… the collar. He will need to be added to the Hall of Remembrance, but I would… I request to keep it for a few days.“
Her eye remains low, too focused on trying to keep herself together to risk any more eye contact. An effort visibly taxing to the she-cat. Taking a deep breath, banishing his wrath from his voice at least for now, Talon nods slowly.
„…of course. Keep the collar as long as you require. I will accompany you when you chose to bring it to the Hall.“
She nods without a word, her gaze not rising from the ground, as she slowly moves over, beginning to, carefully, as gently as though she was handling a newborn kit, lifts Rover‘s head by sliding a paw under it and slowly working the collar upwards. Talon watches as very slowly the collar is worked upwards towards the still head, before she pulls it off over it, softly as if risking to wake her mate from a nap as she lowers his head back onto the ground, the black collar hanging from her jaws before she sets it down for the moment.
„Moon, I‘m so sorry. If you need anything at all…“
Viper pads closer, putting her paw on the veteran warrior‘s back, only to retract it at the near violent shake that is Moon‘s immediate reaction.
„I am… Thank you. It will be fine. I just need… I‘ll be fine.“
Moon takes deep breaths, trying to keep her voice calm, her own claws much like Talon‘s hooked against the coarse asphalt beneath, the effort in her attempts to keep from breaking palpable in her every word, refusing to look any cat‘s way for now. Edge steps forth to sit beside his mate, silent for a bit, before his nose twitches.
„What was Rover doing out here at this time? It‘s late to go herb collecting for Venom.“
„Herb collecting?“
Talon‘s entire focus immediately centres on Edge, as Viper looks to him puzzled.
„What do you mean?“
Edge‘s sightless face turns to face Viper, blind eyes blinking.
„Can‘t you smell it? He‘s got herb scent on him.“
Before Talon can speak, Moon raises her head again at last, an expression as haunted as it is murderously furious upon her, her bared fangs shining in the descending light.
„…he found it. He was right all along, he found it. That‘s why…“
Talon nods slowly.
„It must be around here somewhere then… Frost!“
Turning to the pure white tom, who‘s pelt positively beams reflecting the straying light of the twoleg-light while sitting outside it‘s direct cone. His amber eyes only slowly manage to tear themselves away from Rover to return Talon‘s gaze.
„Run to the alley, bring back a patrol. We will find what Rover was looking for. And bring Venom.“
Frost lowers his gaze for a moment before raising it again, ears splayed apologetically to the sides.
„Talon, shouldn‘t we first…“
Perhaps his mood is too explosive, or maybe enough of Scourge has rubbed off on him. All Talon knows is that Frost is silenced and recoils two steps as his eyes meet Talon‘s again. The patience runs thin behind red eyes, narrowed into nigh slits, shining like two pieces of red hot gleaming coals in the dark outside the light.
„now…“
Talon‘s voice does not sound above a louder whisper, a quiet word. A brief flicker of fear flashes in Frost‘s eyes, before it makes way for something else. Contentment? Perhaps more like pride. Pride… in Talon? The red eyed leader does not get the time to philosophise long on it, as Frost dips his head low.
„Yes, Talon.“
The former second-in-command dashes off in a merciless sprint, off towards what had been Talon‘s destination before… this. With a quiet, self-reflecting hum, Talon turns back towards Rover. Perhaps he has become more like Scourge at times… still, it does not suffice. After the first few moons of his reign, no one would have dared do something like this under Scourge. Someone dared under Talon… but no one will ever again, once Talon gets his claws into that traitor. This, there can be no mercy for.
„If I… may make a request.“
Talon‘s ear flicks, looking over to Moon. The shaking seems to have mostly stopped. Her breaths remain deeper than normal, trying to support her self-imposed calm, which in itself is impressive. She has taken the grieving rattle from her own voice, her eye seems to have stopped crying. A bit more wobbly than usual, but she sits as she always would; back straight, head held high, ears attentively up.
„You may. What do you need, Moon? We will take care of Rover, he will be buried properly.“
„I know he will. He deserves that much at least… But that is for him, this is for me.“
Drawing in a deep breath, closing her eye as her chest swills with air, opening again as it slowly leaves her again. Her eye. Moon appears calm, but her green eye lets see past that mask. A calm intensity, burning hotter than even the flames of rage in Talon currently.
„If anyhow the situation permits, I would ask you, when the traitor is caught… permit me to carry out the sentence. Give him to me.“
Talon and Moon remain silent for a few heartbeats, neither flinching from the other‘s gaze, though the effort for that lies far more on Talon‘s side. The words from Moon‘s maw may ask something, but there is no question in her gaze. Only a certainty, an inevitability. If the one who did this won‘t die by Talon‘s claws, they WILL at hers. To try and deny her would change nothing. Even a leader‘s will could not surmount this. One way or another, Moon would see her mate‘s murderer bleed. And so it shall be. Something was taken, from the clan, the faction, but far more was taken from her. Talon would not deny her. If this is the solace she craves, Talon will deliver it.
„You have my word on it.“
Wordlessly, Moon nods, her features softening for a brief moment into an expression of gratitude. Her attempt to recover a neutral expression after that nearly fails, as her gaze returns to Rover. Halfway catching a sob in her throat before it can escape her, a slight shivering overtakes her again. She permits herself no further noise beyond her focused breathing, though a slow, yet steady tickle of tears soon drips from her chin, down into the pool of red her paws still soak in.
Edge slowly pads over to Talon, sitting down beside the leader, his hulking frame making the red eyed tom almost looking small. His voice is quiet, as Viper very gently attempts to approach Moon, her reaction to touch no longer so extreme, soon even accepting the other she-cat‘s shoulder to lean on.
„Is this truly what I think it is? A traitor, in our midst?“
Talon nods, before realising a moment later whom he is nodding to. But attempting to speak, Edge raises his paw, before unsheathing a single claw and pointing at his whiskers.
„Whiskers. I could feel your response from this close. But this…“
He turns his head roughly in the direction of the two she-cats.
„How long have we known?“
Talon lets out a deep breath.
„Meat from the dog-kill went missing, resurfacing among the rogues that invaded… along with herbs. Scourge told me before that still, but wouldn‘t say who it was…“
Edge grumbles in thought at this for a moment.
„Perhaps it is a test of sorts. For you to find the traitor… and punish them. Scourge would know you were hesitant top draw Bloodclan blood.“
Talon‘s claws drag through the asphalt, as much grinding themselves down as leaving marks upon the ground with a slow shrieking sound. Every pump of his heart sends a searing heat through his veins at the mere suggestion.
„A mere test does not get to incorporate the deaths of clanmates…“
Edge furrows his brow, nodding slowly.
„Either way, that foxheart will be found. After this, there will be no hiding, they will be flushed out. In this, all of us will stand as one!“
Talon lets out a scoffing hiss
„All of us except one…“
But Edge is right. It‘s his fault, Talon did not take a known threat seriously enough. He allowed his search to drag, Rover to wander alone. Now, he will make it right, as right as it still can. Scourge will answer him, the traitor will be found. This time, Talon may just enjoy the bloodshed more than the fight itself, if there is any joy to be found at all in this mess. There can be no mercy for this. A rogue kills because he hopes to gain the means to survive another day. Killing a clanmate, there is no excuse for, no explanation. There can be only one punishment.

Chapter Text

Fury bubbles still under Talon’s pelt, prickling at his skin as he steps into the twoleg den, a long smashed window having been the point of entry. Moist and rank, the smell of this place would have been severely offputting were the circumstances any more permissible to such sentiment, but with every further step towards the store of herbs visible on the far side of the room, it’s smell becomes stronger, until it overpowers the dampness all around. Viper sits next to the crudly plucked plants, sending them one more glance before returning her gaze to Talon with a mixture of uncertainty and discomfort. Edge had been quick to alert Talon to their find, but leaping down into the deep twoleg den was something Viper had to do, lest his inability to predict the depth cause even more harm than has already come to pass in the early hours of this already darkly marked day. The blind cat’s nose has proven it’s worth all the same, finding this. A small sliver of Talon wishes he could feel the gratitude towards his clanmate this would deserve, but it finds no purchase in the sea of barely contained rage that has flooded his heart.
“That’s it. Has to be.”
Frost, returned not long ago with the reinforcements Talon ordered, steps up beside the leader, eying the crop, a fair bit of which by now ruined, wet or downright wilted and rotting due to the humid conditions. Talon nods slowly.
“Has to be... any chance that traces or scents remain of who brought it here?”
Viper shakes her head, ears slightly lowered with a sorrowful glance.
“I did not find any. The smells are strong here, easy to mask something weaker like a scent. And if the traitor wasn’t here very often, there’s likely little to go on.”
The red eyed tom expected this answer since the first of this pungent place’s smells hit his nose, still it fuels his anger, his claws unsheathing and pulling back on the compared to asphalt relatively soft concrete, leaving little notches in the floor as he pulls back his paw.
“There MUST be something here. Search, tear the enitre place up, chew through the concrete if you must. Rover did not die for nothing. There is something in this place, anything!”
Echoing through the room just below a shout, there is no hiding Talon’s agitation in his voice, the fur on the back of his neck standing up in spikes.
“Too many cats in here could be counterproductive to finding any finer clues. Perhaps fewer cats should be rummaging around in here... and if anyhow you can, perhaps you should find some rest.”
Talon turns to see Silver sitting up in the broken window, the glinting eyes of several more clanmates peering in. The older tom’s voice rings calmly, grounded, still his own gaze betrays that he is not unmoved. Like the onset rain upon a raging fire, his reason might not extinguish the blaze that consumes Talon, but it douses it somewhat. Gnashing his teeth and shaking his head, Talon gives no immediate answer, but at last gives a heavy exhale and begins padding slowly towards the window.
“You have your orders. Find something. Tell me immediately if you do. Wake me if needed. This... must hold priority over most else.”
Not turning to see if Frost, Viper and Poppy, the other cats down there with him, give a nod, or any response, but sure enough he hears the patter of their paws wandering around the room a moment later. With a quick leap up onto a crooked shelf, as delapidated as everything else down there, from there he jumps up into the window frame, immediately struck by the chilling cold outside once more. Pausing a brief moment, attempting to think, Talon glances at Silver from the side, the dutiful white cat sitting beside him.
“Keep three or four cats here, search around outside this place. Perhaps there’s some kind of trail or something that indicates who was here. But don’t scatter too far from each other. There will not be any more bad news today. There will not.”
Silver nods, before holding Talon’s gaze once more. The dark grey leader gives a small nod in return, before falling silent for a few heartbeats again, remaining motionless where he stands, before he finds some words again.
“How... fares Moon?”
Silver sighs, closing his eyes.
“Somewhere between grieving and seething. I can’t tell which more. She was never one to display much emotion openly, but this... some wounds cut deep. We managed to get her to leave, return home, to her den, with Rover’s collar. But I don’t think she’ll find much rest in the near future, wether we find the traitor or not. She needs time. I would recommend trying to keep her busy, but nothing too hard or with the potential for... violent mistakes. I don’t think she should go on border patrols for a while. If what’s festering in her discharges on some fool getting too close to the border, especially a clanmate from a different faction...”
A sigh escapes Talon, his tail flicking behind him.
“Yes, that might be for the best. I’ll tell Kestrel. Keep her gathering and hunting for now.”
He looks over to the green eyed tom, fatigue increasingly beginning to wrestle with his still searing fury within.
“You’ve got things under controle here, right?”
Silver tail bends forth, gently resting on Talon’s shoulder for a few heartbeats
“I got it. Go find some rest, Talon. We still need our leader.”
Letting his gaze wander across the other cats present, retreated back a few taillengths, speaking in hushed voices. Concern, anger, undisguised upon their faces, rightfully so. The news is out now about there being a traitor, telling them to remain silent would do little good at this point. This knowledge will spread, it’s no longer avoidable. Talon’s voice is a whisper as he brushes past Silver.
“If we keep losing warriors, how long will that stay true?”
Waiting for no answer, Talon wanders past them all, slowly resuming his way back to the alley, his paws feeling heavy as steel with every step. He hears the sound of Silver giving his orders to them, but the precise words elude his hearing. The only words echoing in his mind are Edge’s. Is it a test? Scourge knows more than he told Talon. Why? Scourge always had a certain callousness, but never at the cost of the clan. Either way, he will tell all he knows. This has gone on long enough, cost them too much. This can not be permitted to persist.
Time passes Talon by as he wanders on, anger fueling his stride, the alley soon reached. The questioning stares of cats fail to reach Talon. He will need to make an announcement in the morning anyway, they will know what they need to know. By then, Talon will have something, a name, a traitor. There will be no pardon, no forgiveness, not for this, not now of all times. Slinking down into his den, Talon’s course leads directly to his nest. Letting himself fall into what earlier he had hoped would be restful comfort, now barely so. Though fury remains pumping through his veins, with some small amount of thankfulness, the grey tom finds that after training with Ashfur, after the sprint through the territory, after everything, his tired body seems to waste little time in burdening his eye lids with weight. Though he’d felt it, the extend of his exhaustion seems to have escaped him before this moment. Now, lying still at last, it crashes down upon him like an avalanch.

„Is it?“
Scourge doesn‘t slow in his pace as the two cats wander the Dark Forest, making their way through by now somewhat familiar places, the crooked trees and glowing fungy having become more predictable by now to Talon.
„Be specific.I don‘t call you here for guessing games.“
Talon‘s tail lashes behind him, yet he attempts to keep his voice calm.
„A test. This whole matter with the traitor. Rover‘s death now. Has he been found yet anyway?“
„Not yet, too early. But he will be found. Slower than I care for, but we are getting better at orientating ourselves in the Void.“
Talon nods, padding after the previous leader, carefully avoiding sticks or bigger leaves to keep their noise down. Still, he waits for an answer to his initial question, frustration rising with each moment he is denied one, yet none comes.
„Well, is it? A test?“
Fury bristling his pelt, narrowed eyes staring at the small black tom padding before him. The words leaving Talon’s maw contain undisguised accusation at this point. Scourge turns his head, not breaking his stride, just enough to shoot a look with one of his cold blue eyes back at Talon. His voice, high pitched as it is, remains as calm and flat as ever. Merely a small flick of the tip of his tail indicates his displeasure at the words spoken to him.
„I invite you to reconsider your tone. The leader of Bloodclan would be my equal. YOU remain a long way from that.“
Turning back to look ahead, a brief pause ensues, before Scourge resumes, his head ever so slightly tilted in search of the right way to phrase things.
„In a way. Nothing that occured was of my design. But you seek to be leader. This is something you would need to deal with, regardless on wether I were here or not. And Bloodclan will not follow the foolish example of the forest cats. My clan will not grow reliant on the dead to warn them of dangers.“
„But you know! You know who it is! By the time the sun rises, we could have the traitor. I would see to their punishment, the faction could be safe again!“
A sligh sigh and a shake of his head are Scourge‘s immediate answer.
„Two factions, each by now dangerously close in power to your own might unite against you. Leafbare, though slowly subsiding, still goes on. Rogues are ever at the borders. At all time a swarm of rats from the sewers or a dog from the twolegs could be loose on the territory. The forest clans are aware of our presence once more and none can predict what the twolegs might do at any given time. Safe, Talon? Bloodclan‘s cats are NEVER safe. Which is precisely why you must remain vigilant.“
Stopping sharply, Scourge turns about, looking Talon in the eye, forcing him to stop in his tracks.
„And do you pretend that once the clan is reunited, all will be happy, all animosity will just be forgotten? Do you think you will have won once the factions are all one again? That there might not be traitors in the future, cats that were loyal to creeds that do not align with yours? Victory is not something that lasts past the brief moment it is achieved in. Do you presume my guidance through all that as well, yet still try to call yourself leader? If you can not deal with this yourself, you stand no chance at all that may yet come to be. In that sense, yes, it is a test. The same test twoleg-place would force upon any cat presuming to call themself a leader within it‘s bounds, and will keep forcing upon you for as long as you bear such a title.“
A rarely open frustration visible upon Scourge‘s features, his tail slowly swishing back and forth behind him, unwavering with his cold stare. Taken aback, Talon attempts to mouth words but can find none. This was as much an outburst as it was an explanation. Scourge does not have outburst, he never did. Is this the true weight of leadership as it has been resting on Scourge all this time? Slowly ceasing to mouth words that wouldn‘t come, Talon just grits his teeth. Sure, what he says is true, but none the less… the image of Moon‘s grief is too fresh in Talon‘s mind to try and shut out. He‘d never thought to see such raw emotion, such agony on a cat that usually sands so firmly. Yes, there will be much work, much danger in the future, and though it disgusts Talon, he hadn‘t thought much of Bloodclan‘s cohesion once they were united again. Still, if he could just have this one matter solved now, could refocus most his attention on getting there, to unification, perhaps…
Opening his maw once more to speak, Talon shivers. Temperature had not been something he‘d thought much of in the Dark Forest. It never felt hot nor cold here. Yet he all but can feel the very air chilling around him at the sight of Scourge‘s glare.
„This conversation is concluded now. We go train.“
The small black tom turns around, slowly resuming his walk. Without the chance of words, Talon finds his paws moving in tandem with Scourge‘s. It bothers, it gnaws at the back of Talon‘s mind, but Scourge has made a decision. The dead leaves crunch slightly under his steps. He recognizes the path Scourge has chosen. Not to the small clearing of Bloodclan‘s dead, but straight to the little hollow, where they have trained so many times now, where the roots have tasted his blood, the leaves heard his hisses. Again today. Again, after blood was already shed. Talon‘s jaw clenches, his teeth pressed together, nigh chipping from the pressure. A Bloodclan cat must be able to be cold, but be so against his enemies, not his clanmates, not friends. It seems unserious. Worse, it seems humiliating, to honour one of their own who has fallen so little, when even his spirit has yet to be brought to safety.
Stepping out of the deep shadows of the close growing trees, into the clearing, anger still bites at Talon. Deep breaths. The earthy, slightly fungal smelling air fills his lungs in an attempt to calm himself.
„Positions“
The sudden word breaking the silence causes Talons ears to perk up, though he has heard this command often enough before, watching Scourge take a few more steps before turning to face him, in the same mouvement dropping into a low fighting stance. Talon shakes his head, a tingle remaining still in his spine from his former leader‘s earlier stare, but the tumultuous cocophony of his mind still rings louder. He is the leader of faction, he must defend his faction. There must be a way to get what he needs out of someone who knows. But Scourge is his leader, he can not demand… but can‘t he? Is Scourge his leader? He is dead. He died. All this madness, it is because Bloodclan has no leader. If he is to take that role, if he is to become as Scourge was, how could he cower, especially if he was specifically taught not to?
„Positions, Talon! The loss of one warrior can not put your mind off a fight that‘s right in front of you!“
Talon blinks, Scourge‘s tail lashing with impatience, the only readable emotion about the smaller tom, who‘s icy eyes seem to stare straight through him. Talon had remaind standing with no guard, no stance before the battle ready spirit for a few heartbeats now and only now becomes truly aware of it. Talon shakes his head, sinking into a semi-ready battle position.
„Scourge, I know you speak the truth. But don‘t I have a duty to fulfill? As leader, I have to deal with this and fast. If you won‘t just tell me, at least tell me where to look. A lead, a hint is all I ask. My faction, YOUR clan suffers!“
Slowly readying himself more properly, he observes the small tom, the lashing tail ceasing, freezing motionlessly behind Scourge. Moments pass with no mouvement, no matter how slight, how minute on either side.
At last, Scourge appears to ease his stance, raising himself up a little higher again upon his legs, expression as unreadable as ever, an unheard sigh of relief escaping under Talon‘s breath.
„…a demonstration of leadership then?“
The spirit‘s voice just slightly above a whisper, Talon nods in reponse, his own posture easing up.
„If I can only…“
Talon‘s words melt into a yelp as in the brief moment of a single blink Scourge‘s claws have gone from being sheathed at the ground to tearing a gash over Talon‘s face, sending him reeling back a few steps. He hisses at the pain, instinctively lowering himself into a guard once more. Overstepped. He was told to cease and didn‘t. Fair… But as Talon blinks past the droplets of blood already beginning to run down his face, he can not find Scourge in front of him. Pain shoots through him right hind haunch as hooked claws rip a deep wound into it. Talon bounds forward, hoping to put at least a little distance between them, immediately turning to face Scourge upon his paws touching the ground. He buys himself just enough time to behold that Scourge made the same jump less than half a second later himself, his black front paw outstretched and aimed for a blow at Talon‘s shoulder. He could try to take a quick step back, try to use the attack to launch a counter-attack… but Scourge is quick. The instant the former leader‘s paws are on solid ground again, Talon hopelessly loses any speed advantage. No, no backpeddling, no simple counters. Forward, ever forward. He can‘t fight passively, not against someone this much faster than himself. He wants to land a hit, let him. Fury warming his muscles, Talon lashes out with all the leverage his taller build offers him on the same side. As Scourge‘s claws miss their mark, pulling a minor gash into Talon‘s front leg, the latter‘s paw connects squarely to the side of Scourge‘s head, two claws hooking into the spirit‘s cheek and pulling a wound all the way to his maw, throwing the smaller cat‘s head to the side.
Good. A fine tradeoff. If Talon can keep landing solid blows in return for minor ones, maybe he can finally use a strategy that works against the smaller, much more nimble leader. Perhaps… or not. Instantly as Scourge‘s white paw grounds, he kicks out at the ground his one of his hind legs, adding to the impact of Talon‘s strike to spin him around, his other hind leg raised high. Approaching as a single flash of black fur, Talon has no chance to dodge or counter as Scourge‘s hind claws pull through his face, dangerously close to his eye, forcing it shut in reflex. Before it even opens again, Talon hears Scourge‘s next move. Off to the left, right past his side. He tries to catch Scourge with a wide yet quick sweeping strike in that direction, turning with it to not let the former leader remain out of sight. He catches naught but tuft from the slender black tail, the end of his sweep met by Scourge‘s jaws clenching down fiercely around his front leg right above his paw. A long hiss escapes Talon at the piercing pain as teeth dig into his flesh. No, no long planning, instinct. Instinct is faster! Fighting through the pain, fuelled by wrath, Talon forcefully pulls his paw in front of him, Scourge still attached. Can‘t bite, paw in the way, so… With a thundering crash, no true plan but to damage, no, destroy his attacker, Talon throws his head downward, hammering it against Scourge‘s. The impact wanders straight through, into the bitewound, causing Talon to shout in pain, but with an indescribable noise, closest thing it could be compared to being the wretching of a cat that doesn‘t yet know if they‘ll throw up or not, Scourge‘s grip relents, jaws opening. Before the smaller cat can regain composure, Talon slams his injured paw down for stability, near cursing himself for it as the most exquisitly burning agony flares up in his leg for it, but all the same tearing him other paw upwards. Claws dig into Scourge‘s upper chest and pull the smaller cat into the air as they tear deep gashes, reaching to and ultimately stopped by the leather of his collar. Flying through the air for a brief moment before landing in a thud on the ground, on his side, defenseless, Scourge now is open for Talon to approach. In a bounding leap, the grey tom shoots towards Scourge, his red eyes ablaze with pain-fuelled rage, his jaws open to close around the smaller one‘s upper spine. The very moment Scourge‘s eye meets Talon‘s however, he realises the mistake. Should have stayed grounded, stayed stable on the floor. Scourge pushes himself off the ground, neither away, nor centrally towards Talon, but slightly to the side. Talon‘s teeth gnash in the empty air as Scourge, light as he may be, barrely with all his might into Talon‘s uninjured left front legt, knocking it from under him less than an instant before it would have touched the ground. Agony. Absolute, breath-robbing agony as Talon‘s heavily damaged leg is left to absorb every bit of the initial impact back with the floor. Time seems to drip by like slowed as the pressure and weight on it keep building, Talon‘s larger body descending. Tears well up in the corners of his crimson eyes. He knows what happens before it does, there could be no other way. His leg gives, buckles completely under the strain, sending his body unceremoniously crashing into the dead leaves, kicking up dust. His jaws part in a soundless scream as red hot torturous pain shoots through his limb. He can tell Scourge wastes no time in following it up with further strikes, shredding Talon‘s left side, but he can barely feel the gashes next to his leg, his body curling up.
Talon‘s mind is abuzz with nought but pain. He couldn‘t tell how much longer Scourge‘s assault went on, only that a bloodied mess is all that remains before the small black leader, by now sitting before Talon, slowly licking at his chest wound. Talon‘s breath only comes in rattlingly. No words come to mind, but he tries to speak. Impossible. None sound from maw, though it does suffice to seemingly draw Scourge‘s attention. Cold blue eyes looking down upon Talon. Odd. It seems oddly… familiar. It hadn‘t been Scourge‘s claws that rendered him so then, but this seems… reminiscant of when they first met. Despite it all, the reminiscence offers somewhat of a warmth, a different warmth from the seemingly searing pain, an almost comforting one. Still, much like Talon himself, it finds itself outclassed.
„You are no leader yet…“
Huffing for breath, the pain so prevalent in his mind, it takes active forcus for Talon to even hear Scourge‘s high pitched words.
„I give you more than I should already, for one reason and one reason alone. I will not watch Bloodclan, MY clan, my life‘s work, fall apart. Had I been lost in the Void, you‘d have no training here, no fast advice and lessons on how to become a true leader. You‘d have to make due, figure it out, and that is how it should be. I will keep training you, but until you ARE the leader, clearly and uncontestably, NEVER challenge me again.“
Talon slowly manages a nod. It takes a few more heartbeats and far more effort than it seems like it should, before Talon manages to pull himself to at least lie upright on his belly, no longer panting into the rotting leaves and the earthy ground. Scourge watches the effort with no reaction greater than licking up a slowly descending drop of blood from the wound near his maw. Moments pass of solemn silence before Scourge lookd down at his chest wound, only to let out a quiet hum and rise to his paws.
„You did land good strikes… headstrong as you are, there is progress. Missguided as you remain, you show no fear standing up for your vision of Bloodclan…“
Scourge walks, brushing past Talon. The red eyed tom can only turn his ears to follow his former leader, anything else would only add to the agony.
„Have Venom patch you up… you have cats to lead. Training is over for tonight.“

His call is weak, his vision too dim to register the already gloomy inside of the healer‘s den. Has it been a heartbeat or half the night, that he stands here trying to call for her? Probably the former, he‘d have bled dry by now otherwise. Though it is hard to tell. Another limping step deeper into the healer den, another weak call. Is he facing in the right direction towards Venom‘s nest? His eyes refuse to sufficiently adjust to the dark. Rustling. At first slow, then suddenly louder, faster. Steps quickly padding his way.
„I smell blood! Talon, what‘s wrong?“
Venom‘s words carry urgency, a hint of worry disguised underneath it. Her eyes finally come into view, shining as they reflect what little light enters the den. Serious eyes, stopping not far in front of Talon. Eyes rapidly filling with first surprised worry, then almost horror as the pupils visually widen and adapt to see more in the darkness.
„Talon! What happened? You are… This way, NOW!“
Venom moves quickly, decisively. Admirable. As her eyes fade from his view, he feels her pushing up against his side, trying to slowly guide him towards an empty nest. Or so he presumes. A slight hiss escapes Talon as Venom‘s pelt pushes into the myriad of gashes in his left side, but one limp at a time, he is herded in the right direction. Other eyes light up deeper in the den. Who… ah, yes, must be Rain. Of course. Though they proceed, Talon refuses to put weight on his right front leg, but that only serves to tire out his other front leg. And it‘s strength is fading, fading fast. Shouldn‘t so quickly. Probably bloodloss. Is he still bleeding this badly? That cant be good. Though he can hardly see at all in the den, it seems like the world around Talon twists and spins. A small chuckle arises from him.
„Nothing… Scourge… Scourge and I just had a…“
Every little bound of his one good front leg seems to get him less far than the last, his body falling lower before catching itself.
„a disagreement.“
Cold. Not the cold in which all is let go, just the ordinary icky cold of the slightly damp, hard floor of the healer den. His leg must have given out at last. He doesn‘t even remember falling, let alone the impact. Becoming aware of it, he does notice the sudden lack of warmth that Venom‘s pelt offered, despite the discomfort. Worried eyes above him. Good hits… Not quite there yet, but good hits. This clan gave him a life. Scourge gave him a life. And he‘s beginning to get in… good hits.

Chapter Text

A grunt escapes Ashfur as the grey tom slowly rises from his nest, the increasing noise of the clan getting up around him cutting his slumber short. His muscles ache, but he forces himself to stand before vigorously shaking out his pelt. An action he almost immediately regrets as his muscles all but scream up in painful protest at their sudden usage. Still, through a quiet hiss under his breath, the blue eyed tom soon pads out of the warrior den, greeted by the rising sun. The rays radiate a pleasant warmth onto Ashfur’s pelt, alongside the surprisingly mild temperature upon the breeze. Perhaps only a lucky day… or with a bit of hope the beginning of the end of leafbare. That would be a welcome change of pace. The fresh-kill pile is looking somewhat meager, most of his clanmates thin, Ashfur realises after a brief look around. If leafbare ends soon, Thunderclan will have weathered it decently well this year still. There was little real hunger in the clan as far as he could tell. Newleaf… a slight shadow arises to loom over the somewhat hopeful thoughts. Hawkfrost, whatever he has planned is meant to happen when leafbare finally subsides. Ashfur lets his paws guide him towards the fresh-kill pile absentmindedly. He still doesn’t know how to feel about the Riverclan tom. He has helped him, but it all reeks so very much of conspiracy… Perhaps Talon is correct, yet at the same time Hawkfrost’s presence has not entirely been unpleasant. He shakes his head before picking up a thrush for himself. Pointless driving himself crazy over it now, his sleep depraved self has yet to truly come to. Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw train together. Stands to reason, they would at least be roughly equally strong as fighters. If Ashfur can best one of them, he can best the other. Feeling every single movement in his limbs clearly as he lazily makes his way over to a spot of the camp’s clearing onto which the sun shines, only to plop down and begin pulling the feathers off his piece of prey, he can not help but wonder… How far has he actually come in his goal? He’d need to see Brambleclaw fight to get any measure of the tabby’s ability. Better yet, manage to get him to spar with Ashfur. Is he the equal of Tigerstar’s sons yet? How far behind does he remain? With all the training he’s gone through he should be catching up slowly, right? Hopefully soon…
Ashfur barely notices when several of his clanmates have the same idea, settling down near him, in the warming light, before her voice hits his ears. Ceasing his plucking for a moment and gritting his teeth behind closed lips, his right ear tuns towards it. He realises only now that his brother Cloudtail and Brightheart have lain down beside him to share a meal, sharing a few words every few bites, but past them he hears Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw. The fierce sting flaring up in his chest, Ashfur swallows hard, almost swallowing a feather in the process, spitting the plumage out instead. He can’t well make out the words, but the sound, warm, caring… The grey furred tom catches himself at the last moment, keeping his paw from rising up and clutching his chest, opting to put it firmly on the little bird’s wing instead and placing his other front paw over it. Winding vines of thorns, constricting around his heard, squeezing it nigh the point of bursting, the thorns digging in deep into it, bleeding it for what little worth it holds, that’d be the only way he could describe the sensation. After a few moments of trying to steady himself without seeming conspicuous, he slowly leans down again and proceeds to pull the feathers off his fresh-kill. It’s worse. He’s certain of it now. It was always bad, but I certainly was not this severe when it all started. It’s getting worse and worse, bit by bit as the moons pass. His pace remains slow and steady, pulling a few feathers from the thrush at a time, meticulously, trying to focus as well as he can on it, if only to faze out everything else around him, faze out her, them. His empty stomach growls and contracts, but little of his hunger remains right now. Ashfur must eat. He can’t keep up his draining nights without some sustenance, but it’s all but bland as he finally ventures the first bite out of the plump little avian’s breast. This can’t go on… it won’t! He must be getting close to his goal, he has to! Training with Bloodclan and the Dark Forest at night, training a talented apprentice and hunting at day, it needs to be doing something for him. It HAS to! The sooner he can prove it, the sooner Lionpaw becomes a warrior, the sooner his achievements as a warrior outshine Brambleclaw’s, the better. Maybe he could convince Thistleclaw to let him spar against Hawkfrost soon, to get a measure of where he’s at… Or maybe Hawkfrost’s nebulous plan succeeds. One or the other must succeed.
A bump into his side lets the Thunderclan warrior look up, torn from his thoughts abruptly to be met by the grinning face of his foster sibling.
“That hungry, Ashfur? I thought the role of family glutton was safely in my paws.”
Cloudtail’s whiskers twitch in amusement. Slightly dumbfounded, Ashfur fails to realise his brother’s meaning, until in his next chew, he hears, feels the snapping, like several tiny branches breaking. With a small huff, he looks down to confirm. He has in his absentmindedness bitten clean through the small chest bones, eating them alongside the meat. With a mildly annoyed expression, Ashfur swallows, feeling the sharp little bone splinters on their way down.
“I guess I’m just a bit in thoughts. Lionpaw will have his assessment before too long and good as he might be as a fighter, I still need to get him to train his hunting some more. He can be… difficult to motivate to do anything other than showing his prowess in battle.”
“Stubborn on doing things his way? Sounds like an apprentice I once knew.”
Turning his head, Ashfur sees Dustpelt stretching himself, glancing over with amused eyes. Scoffing, Ashfur rolls his eyes at his former mentor.
“I still think I would have gotten that mouse better from above. Suppose I wasn’t a perfect apprentice myself, was I?”
Dustpelt shakes his head, leisurely padding over to the blue eyed warrior with a mild chuckle.
“Perfect? Starclan, no. But that did not stop you from making me proud. In the end, you passed your assessment, as I knew you would, and no cat would deny that Thunderclan is glad to have you amongst it’s warriors.”
“Oh? Are we getting stories now of Ashpaw being difficult?”
Cloudtail smirks mischievously. Ashfur shoots back a sharp grin, his tail tapping in fake annoyance.
“Are we discussing disobeying our mentors, Cloudtail? I think I’ll win that debate. I think I can remember a fair few times where…”
Ashfur lingers on his last words, returning an equally mischievous look to his adopted kin. His whiskers twitching, Cloudtail quickly shakes his head, still amused but visibly somewhat alert not to provoke anything else being said.
“Alright, maybe we don’t do that. I may have had a… lapse of judgment here or there…”
“I’ll say. And brave to imply you don’t anymore.”
Breatheart purrs amused at her mate, Cloudtail’s fuzzy pelt fluffing up flustered. Ashfur and Dustpelt both chuckle at the white furred tom’s embarrassment. Brightheart turns her head over towards Ashfur, her neck fluff cosily nestled against her cheek, her one emerald eye shining with well-meaning warmth.
“Lionpaw looks up to you, Ashfur. That’s been clear since the day you were made his mentor. If you give him the chance, he won’t let you down. He enjoys challenges. Why don’t you take him for a test assessment? He might take better to that than just going hunting.”
Ashfur lets out a small thoughtful hum, looking down at his paws, before raising his gaze to the scarred she-cat. It is not difficult to see how Cloudtail came to choose her, despite all that happened to her to hold such warmth, such care for her clanmates. He chose well. As much as a deep respect for this former denmate of his when they were apprentices arises in Ashfur, more so does he feel joy for his sibling, currently still rubbing the side of his head. Some jealousy, certainly, but joy all the same. The words of Ashfur’s clanmates has pushed aside the piercing sting somewhat.
“Perhaps. It is certainly worth a try. Thank you, Brightheart. I feel like I’ll have the chance to find out soon enough…”
The grey tom turns his head towards the apprentice den, Brackenfur emerging with Hollypaw bounding after the experienced warrior. Once some of them are up, the rest are soon to spring forth, Lionpaw well included. Foxpaw steps out next, stretching herself before looking over her shoulder back into the den. Briefly, Ashfur cracks a small smile once more. Ferncloud’s kits are growing up so fast… before long they too will have their assessments. It only then dawns on him and the smile vanishes, as he observes what Foxpaw had been waiting for stepping out of the den. He’d been too distracted by the brief and pleasant talk to notice that Squirrelflight had gotten up to fetch her apprentice. Shaking her pelt out after stepping out of the narrow apprentice den, Squirrelflight’s dark ginger fur looks like brilliantly dancing flames in the sunlight. The warmth Ashfur had been so grateful for begins to pearl off of him like dew off a feather, the sting returning mercilessly. A small and quiet, yet still noticeable wince escapes Ashfur, pulling his eyes away and back to the half-eaten thrush. He shakes his head violently as Dustpelt’s tail taps his snout.
“Stop it, Ashfur. Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on that. You need to let it go at some point.”
Dustpelt’s voice is firm, but not without care as he looks down onto his former apprentice, pulling his tail back. His ears folded flatly against his skull, Ashfur shoots a glare up at the dark brown tabby.
“Like Whitestorm let go of Brindleface? I remember sitting vigil for my mother, I do not recall seeing my father there that night. Is that how that is meant to go? It’s no longer there so stop caring?”
Dustpelt shakes his head.
“No, of course not, Ashfur. But you are only hurting yourself and for what? She chose Brambleclaw. She has kits now. If ever there was a time to still change this, it has passed by now, you must see that…”
Ashfur scoffs, the tip of his tail tapping against the ground.
“Easy for you to say, you’ve had Ferncloud at your side from the very start, you have your own kits… third litter now, is it?”
Dustpelt’s eyes narrow at Ashfur’s cold words, but takes a deep breath before answering in an attempt to calm himself.
“Mousebrain… You’ve never even tried finding someone else. What about Hazeltail?”
Ashfur rolls his eyes and looks back down at his fresh-kill
“I have only respect for Hazeltail, but nothing even remotely like that. She’s fine, I reckon, a good fighter, clearly, but not… it! I won’t feign love where there is none, Dustpelt. Neither of us would emerge happy from that. I… won’t do that to a clanmate. I don’t think I could.”
Ashfur’s voice trails off, his heavy heart sounding in his words for once. Dustpelt shakes his head, letting out a deep breath.
“Stubborn as ever…”
“Oh, give him some room you lump of fur!”
Cloudtail places his tail onto Ashfur’s shoulder, the sheer amount of fluff veiling much of the white warrior off from Ashfur’s view as he turns his head to look at his foster sibling.
“You’ll get through this. You’re not alone and you’ve faced tougher battles than this.”
As Dustpelt, with a spat tsk and bristled neckfur, turns and leaves, Ashfur looks back over to his brother, finding Cloudtail shooting a mild glare after Dustpelt, before returning his adoptive kin’s gaze.
“Some wounds take time, I guess. Take what time you need. As I said, you’ve had tougher battles than this. You’ll get through. You always do in the end, badgers, dogs, warriors… You’ve always gotten back up.”
A small scoff escapes Ashfur, but his kin’s words do draw forth a small smile from the grey warrior.
“Very different kind of battles, those were. But I hope you’re right. I’m trying my hardest. Though I know my words to Dustpelt were harsh. I care a lot for him, for Ferncloud, their kits. I did promise her I’d protect them and I have no intention of breaking that promise.”
“No cat doubts that, Ashfur. You are loyal to your kin and that I am grateful for too.”
Brightheart’s mew are calm, before she leans over, gently bumping her head into Cloudtail’s thick neck fur.
“He can use someone looking over him from time to time, keep him out of trouble.”
Ashfur chuckles as Cloudtail slightly puffs up at Brightheart’s words in a feeble attempt to simulate offense, but almost immediately melts into her touch, resting his head over hers.
“As well as I can when the chance presents itself. We are indeed kin, I’ve never seen it any other way, ever since Firestar brought him to us. And I know Ferncloud would say the same.”
After a few heartbeats, Brightheart pulls away from her mate, who tries to follow still, resulting in him nearly flopping over onto his side. A look of amusement and warmth descends from Brightheart’s emerald eye to Cloudtail, who’s shifting his paws outward for stability to keep from falling over, before sending back a wink and grin to his mate, his whiskers twitching. Following a gentle swat to Cloudtail’s face, Brightheart turns her gaze back to Ashfur, holding a tinge more seriousness.
“Dustpelt is right about one thing though. You are hurting, Ashfur. No warrior can win a fight by letting themself get hurt constantly. Please find it in you to stop it somehow. Only you can.”
Letting out a sigh, the grey tom looks off to the side, eyes dimmed between reminiscence and contemplation.
“I know. I’m trying. I… am in fact trying to work on it currently.”
Almost grateful for it, Ashfur spots a bolt of bight ginger fur bounding over towards them. Leaving the rest of his fresh-kill, he gets up.
“Seems we’re out of time for long talks. But know that there is hope, I think. And that I very much consider the advice you gave me earlier. It might just help me deal at least with this a little easier.”
Nigh on cue, Lionpaw skips to a halt before Ashfur, eagerly beaming up at his mentor.
“Up already, then? Suppose we should begin for today.”
His voice sounding with more warmth, he addresses the young tom, reaching out and giving Lionpaw a pat on the head. It is received with a grin, before the apprentice ducks away under it.
“Yeah! What are we training today? The time Firestar took me training he showed me a move and I really want to try it out.”
“Think you’ll beat me yet?”
Ashfur gives a grin, one of his fangs flashing in the sunlight.
“Perhaps we’ll give it a try some other day. I have something planned for today. Your assessment is slowly drawing closer, so perhaps we should see how well you’ll be doing when the time comes. We’ll have our own little assessment today. Think you can impress me?”
Flashing a competitive smirk, Lionpaw nods.
„I‘ll show you that I‘m ready to be a warrior already! You know I am.“
„I know you can fight like one. But if the warriors can‘t provide for the clan, there is nothing to fight for. Show me you can and MAYBE I‘ll put in a good word with Firestar for you. Ready?“
Ashfur begins padding towards the camp‘s exit, giving a quick grateful glance over at Brightheart, before observing his bounding apprentice from the side.
„Always! But when I manage to get it done faster than any other apprentice, do we get to do some fighting practice later as well?“
Ashfur chuckles at Lionpaw‘s eagerness, though some of the sting in his chest still strikes him with discomfort each beat of his heart.
„If, not when. But perhaps. You said Firestar showed you something? I don‘t think I ever trained with our leader myself… could be interesting.“
Approaching the tunnel out of camp, forcing the two cats closer together to pass through at the same time, Ashfur‘s nose twitches. A scent, like cold iron. He hums as the two emerge from the other side, out in the forest.
„You need to fix your bedding sometime, Lionpaw. Still got thorns, it seems.“
Lionpaw rolls his eyes, the tip of his tail flicking at the pesky comment.
„You‘re one to talk. You got to fix yours too.“
With a hum, Ashfur turns his head towards the young tom, in clear displeasure at both the response and it‘s tone, souring the merely passible mood underneath his only falfway truthful enthusiasm further, before finding that Lionpaw is giving Ashfurs right flank a focused, uncharacteristically contemplative look. Following the apprentice‘s eyes, Ashfur mutters a quiet curse under his breath. The light shines through the still barren branches above in just the right angle to let a few droplets of blood sparkle on newly formed scabs through his pelt. He thought he‘d managed to lap his wounds clear of further bleeding before he got out of his nest… The grey warrior shakes his head and sighs
„Fair, I suppose… anyway, let‘s start at the ancient oak. Stalking in the undergrowth and climbing. Remember, I will mostly just observe and remain hidden. This is entirely for you to accomplish.“
Lionpaw takes longer to respond than usual, a question almost visibly forming in his face, before shaking his head dismissively.
„Alright… race you there?“
Turning from unusually calm to excited again within just a few words, Lionpaw looks at Ashfur with a far too certain glint in his eye. Ashfur lets out a deep breath, but lowers himself, ready for a dash.
„Fine. But no going straight through bushes again this time. I won‘t be the one to explain it to Leafpool if you poke an eye out on a bramble.“

Lionpaw moves silently through the undergrowth, moving with more grace now that there is no snow anymore. Ashfur observes from amidst the branches of a nearby tree, his pelt hiding him reasonably well among the still leafbare paled bark. A bird hops near the tall risen roots of an old tree, Lionpaw moving mostly on the base of scent and sound, keeping his bright pelt well out of sight as he slowly stalks closer to his would be prey. The apprentice is slower in his approach than some others would be, but not without skill. Ashfur would be lying to himself if he didn‘t admit to being mildly impressed. It remains blatant that his apprentice‘s hunting skills pale in comparison to his talent for battle, but so far it seems… acceptable. Not great, but as things are going, it appears Lionpaw would pass his assessment when the time comes. A revelation that does relieve some of the grey mentor‘s worries. He‘ll be fine. Lionpaw will receive his warrior name before too long. He will easily become one of Thunderclan‘s strongest warriors. Ashfur already kept his promise, making him the strongest cat in the apprentice den. Despite his worries, it seems he has done a decent job of mentoring this young cat after all.
Ashfur‘s observation of Lionpaw is interrupted as something moves in his peripheral vision. Turning his head, he looks out past the treeline, to the shore of the lake, narrowing his eyes in displeasure. The tall, gangly frames of twolegs wandering along the grounds. What would they be doing here? His attention thoroughly captured, the grey tom moves gracefully among the branches, with little effort leaping from one tree to the next, getting closer to the outer treeline. Twolegs rarely venture about in the territories in such cold weather, even with the snow gone… then again, he doesn‘t usually pay them much mind. Few warriors would as long as they don‘t really bother the clan. The shore line doesn‘t offer much prey, far too open terrain, at least for the way Thunderclan hunts.
Ashfur‘s curiosity is about to sink, his mind for a moment already turing back to his apprentice, as it is suddenly rekindled. One of the twolegs gets lower to the ground, digging in the tough, muddy ground. It should not interest Ashfur this much, twolegs more often than not act incomprehensibly, and yet… Something about this does not sit well with the blue eyed warrior. Something about this brings back the image of his nighttime encounter with Hawkfrost. Digging along the shoreline…
A loud chirp and the flapping of wings brings the warrior to snap his head back towards the old tree, at a bit of distance but still well within vision of his elevated position. Lionpaw raises his head, even from afar visibly pleased and possibly somewhat relieved, as the bird hangs from from his jaws. Another successful kill on his little mock assessment,valuable fresh-kill cought for the clan. With a hum, Ashur sends one last look to the twolegs, a sinking feeling in his gut, before shaking his head and returning his attention to where it should be. Can‘t do anything about twolegs doing twoleg things… all he can do is report the sighting to Firestar, for what little that will do.
Unaware of another pair of blue eyes observing him bounding back, deeper into the forest over the winding, bare branches, Ashfur gets back to observing his apprentice‘s hunt. With the grey warrior disappearing from view, Hawkfrost‘s gaze returns to the twolegs, his tabby pelt letting him blend in seamlessly, crouched low among the waterside reeds. Right on time, just as predicted. A smirk flashes across the Riverclan warrior‘s muzzle. Not long now. Soon, very soon…

Chapter Text

Talon lets out a pained groan as he leans down to lap up the pooling water, ever dripping from the
metal pipe above, into the shallow bucket below. Aside from quenching his considerable thirst, the
cold water is soothing as it travels down his throat, effort required to keep himself steady on his
paws. Under Venom‘s watchful eye, he reatreats back to the nest as soon as he‘s done, no longer
needing to support his own weight a great relief, just shifting a little to lie comfortably.
„No changing your mind on that, I presume?“
He turns his gaze to the healer, whom‘s pelt slightly ruffles at the mere question.
„No, absolutely not. I do not care wether you see the dead or are falling into such complete
madness, you mistook a full pack of badgers for Scourge, you could have been killed. You are in
miserable shape and you will not leave this den until I deem you sufficiently healed. You bled so
much, a smaller cat would have been dried out. You are in no condition to be running off anywhere.“
Talon sighs quietly, but nods
„Figured as much.“
He looks over at his side, vast swathes of it covered in leaves and webbing. He couldn‘t disagree very
well. Just getting up for a drink took effort and no small amount of discomfort. Still, he knows that
he won‘t be able to banish Rover from his mind anytime soon. It needs to be done, the traitor must
be found before they can cause even more misery. A displeased grimace forming upon the red eyed
tom, he recalls that that is far from the only current priority either. They need to speak with Wrath,
HE must speak with Wrath, soon… If Granite gets him to joing factions, too much would be at risk.
Even if he could still match that alliance somehow, desperately recruit rogues, get over himself and
dispatch several of their clanmates on the enemy‘s side to weaken them… it‘d all lead to one
horrifying end, a great and bloody battle amongst Bloodclan. The one thing that was to be avoided.
How many would die if it comes to that?
„Stop it.“
Blinking several times, Talon looks up at Venom as she approaches, her voice somewhat milder again
„I know it‘s hardly possible with all going on, but too much stress will not aid your recovery. And the
longer you need to heal, the longer you remain limited in what you can do out there. Try to rest,
Talon. It‘s the best you can do right now to help.“
Talon rests his head on his paws with a loud exhale
„We both know it‘s not that simple, Venom. But, I will try. Did anyone come to report anything while
I was unconscious?“
Venom shakes her head with a huff
„To report? No. Silver, Frost, Edge and mostly Grail came to see how you were faring. You gave her a
scare, you know? Gave us all a scare.“
A semi-amused chuckle escapes Talon
„No Kestrel, then?“
„Kestrel is busy trying to run the faction, doing so on seemingly far too little sleep. If I‘d let him, he‘d
swallow poppy seeds like water for the little rest he gives himself. But that too is hardly new.“
Talon shakes his head slightly, his tail flicking in slight annoyance at his current condition behind him
“No, I suppose it’s not. I’d like to just ask for Grail... but I need Silver and Kestrel more urgently for now.”
Venom puts her paw on Talon’s shoulder, startling him a little, her pawsteps over to him having gone completely unheard
“I get it. For what it’s worth, I am glad you two are close now.”
His briefly bristled pelt quickly laying flat again, Talon chuckles self-ironically
“That I finally opened my damn eyes, you mean. It seems like even the last kittypet in twoleg-place had figured it out before I did...”
A grin forms on the tortoiseshell she-cat as an amused scoff escapes her.
“Oh, certainly, even the birds in the sky and the rats in the sewers pieced that together before you did. But... your reaction was honest when you finally did. Sometimes too much objectivity or foresight makes you blind. Things are good now. Well, THAT particular thing is good now. But I’ll go get your right paw cats for you. After that, however, you should speak with Grail. You did scare her with this.”
Talon nods slowly, observing Venom’s paw on his shoulder for a moment before turning his head away
“Using your supreme authority of ‘the healer’s den is my realm’, I see. Though, fair enough. You might be right. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want it so myself. It seems a different world now, seeing Grail in this new light. Hopeful, in a way...”
Venom pulls her paw away and steps towards the den’s entrance
“That’s what these things do to cats. I’m sure she’ll come the moment she can. For now, keep moving to a minimum. I don’t want any of those wounds opening up again.”
The tortoiseshell she-cat leaving with fleet steps, Talon give a quiet, ironic chuckle
“as you command...”
Resting his head upon his paws, he closes his eyes. What a mess. Even aside from the way Grail makes him feel, he couldn’t put into words his gratefulness for how the pressure of the moment seems to alleviate a bit when she’s around, for there is no shortage of it currently. Even disregarding the clan, even disregarding his faction, if the two of them are to have a future, things need to be secured, the situation reigned in. A traitor, an unfortunate alliance on the horizon, Wraith’s silence... and his selfinflicted obligation towards Ashfur. He will need to maneuver it all carefully and can’t waste too much time.
In the moment of quiet that follows Venom’s departure, Talon’s gaze is drawn by the only other mouvement currently in the den. The solomnly focused figure of Rain, over by the healer den’s supplies. The young tom seems focused on identifying individual leaves of herbs and sorting them into neat piles. With naught else to do, Talon looks over the silent procedure from his alloted nest. Each stack of herbs proper and orderly, the leaves in each stack put down in clear, repeating pattern regarding direction to ensure no one side of a pile gets higher than the rest, putting the stack as a whole at risk of falling over. Surprisingly sturdy builds of fragile leafs. The young one is organized, one can‘t deny that.
But soon enough, Silver and Kestrel step through the entrance, with quick steps approaching, before sitting with a deep nod of their heads. Kestrel observes the many leaves and the webbing covering the dark grey leader’s pelt.
“Awake at last. You surprised us a bit, Talon. Didn’t think you’d be commanding from the healer’s den so soon again.”
Silver shoots the brown furred second-in-command a look with a deep huff escaping his nostrils, before returning his gaze onto Talon
“You asked for us. Do we have new orders?”
Talon raises a brow with slight amounts of amusement
“Not curious at all how I ended up like this?”
Silver flicks an ear, letting a small hum sound
“Rumours are already circulating. Some say you tried alleviating the stress of our situation on some rogues that pestered our borders, others claim to have heard something about a disagreement with Scourge? Truth be told, I am content with the relief that Venom said you’ll recuperate.”
“While I am undeniably curious, guiding the faction and keeping an ear to the ground keeps me busy most of the time. I’m annoying every source I have to learn more, and the fact I can’t turn anything new up, it seems is carving my own nerves to the marrow.”
Kestrel tilts his head, tiredness visible in his eyes, though if there is great stress as well he’s doing a far better job hiding that sentiment.
“Very well. I have new orders. Kestrel, at the risk of angering Venom, I need you to send a messenger to Wrath. Tell him I request to meet him. Either camp or at the border, either options are fine by me, a week from now, at sunhigh. The way I see it, we have few more attempts to lure him to our side, and we need to take those chances soon, before the last chance passes. If anyhow we can bring him to our side rather than Granite’s, we must take it.”
Kestrel nods once more in agreement. As Talon‘s red eyes turn to Silver, the older tom‘s ears perk up in attention.
„Silver, tonight it seems you will need to replace me for Ashfur‘s training. He‘s coming along decently. Though in his desperation, he chooses some… unfortunate company. Perhaps some words of wisdom of yours might get through where I couldn‘t.“
A calm hum arises from Silver before he dibs his head in aquiescence.
„As you order, Ta…“
Talon‘s paw reached out, laying atop Silver‘s, cuts the older tom off. A deep intensity runs through Talon‘s eyes as they peer into Silver‘s.
„Until then, and if it is not done by that, afterwards as well, you report EVERYTHING that is found out about our traitor. No detail is left out. I will have him found and I will have bood for what was done to Rover.“
The tone of Talon’s voice changes at this announcement. The almost jovialness from before giving way to something else. A dangerous calm, barely conceiling what lurks beneath. An almost blistering warmth pulsates in Talon‘s veins, his mind on the previous night‘s events. Rarely has he held such rage at something, the cause for his current state, the true cause, far from forgotten. They must find the traitor. He‘s allowed this inidentified parasite to remain for too long and the faction, Moon, pays the price. There will be no further cost to the clan, there can not be. Silver nods, as Kestrel turns his gaze from beholding the white furred tom to his side to his dark pelted leader in the nest before him.
„Unfortunately, it must be said, that whole matter is no longer confidential. Word has spread very fast, I doubt there‘s anyone in our faction that hasn‘t heard already by now. And it‘s… caused a bit of paranoia. Noone can pinpoint any obvious culprint, so naturally, everyone eyes everyone with some suspicion for now. I agree, this matter ought to be resolved as fast as possible.“
Talon sighs, loudly this time, slowly shaking his head. Again, he barely pushes past a hiss, the motion not agreeing with his current state.
„Of course they would… who could feel safe knowing there‘s a murderous traitor around? Damn it all…“
He slowly turns his gaze back to Silver.
„But your orders for now are clear. Use what forces you need. Any clue is to be persued, any possibility explored, and each pawstep of the matter reported to me.“
Silver‘s gaze is solemn, determination dappled with specks of rage of his own shining in his eyes.
„Of course. I will nod disappoint you, Talon. I did not dedicate my life to this clan to let some craven foxheart harm it from within. Moon will have his pelt.“
„We all will. To strike at one of us, is to strike at us all.“
Talon slowly pulls his paw away, nodding slowly to himself, cautious this time not to aggravate his injuries again. It‘s fire may burn a little lower now, but the anger very much remains, fueled by worry. If the faction loses cohesion now, if the other factions catch wind of all this, it could be seen as weakness. Wrath and Granite have both proven to be brazen enough to go fight larger battles despite leafbare continuing, risking the lives of their injured to land decisive blows against the twins. If they sense enough weakness from Talon‘s faction, the main competitor they both face… It can not be permitted.
With a sway of his tail, Talon dismisses Kestrel and Silver.
Left alone once more, Talon slightly scowls to himself. He will feel guilty, no doubt, but if need be, if no alternatives remain to sway Wrath… he may have to make some major concessions regarding the forest clans. Ashfur would not take that news well, but faced with the needs of Bloodclan, what choice might Talon have? Few seem to remain. If Granite promises those same things to Wrath, the destruction of Thunderclan, as well as the other forest clans, it will still happen, only this time most likely while Granite gets comfy on Talon‘s skinned pelt and holding Bloodclan in his megalomanic paws. Damn it all, why couldn‘t Wraith answer his call? The additional warriors and her own abilities could have made a difference. Talon shakes his head slowly. Frustration prickles under his pelt, but it doesn‘t matter for now. Maybe Wraith is waiting, hedging her bets based on who wins. Wouldn‘t be that bad a strategy for her at this point. How could he blame her for trying to keep the cats in her faction safe from the madness currently brewing. A mouvement near him draws his gaze, turning his head to see Rain. The young healer performs a hasty bow upon receiving Talon‘s attention, without the focus of his previous task falling into his usual nervousness during interactions by the seems of things.
„Ehm, Talon, do you… need anything? I could go get something from the food pile… or some poppy seeds? This must still hurt… “
At the sight of the younger tom‘s slight fidgeting, Talon lets out a soft sigh.
„It‘s fine. We will need our stockpile before long I fear, no point in wasting it now… I‘ll survive. With both Venom and yourself around, I know I‘m in good paws. It seems you‘re increasingly getting the hang of things. You‘re doing good work, Rain.“
Still avoiding much direct eye contact, a small, yet proud smile forms on the healer in training, followed by a nod.
„Venom is a good teacher. She knows a lot about all the different herbs. She says she‘ll teach me as well as she was tought.“
Talon lets out a soft chuckle, manageing to bury the messiness of it all for a moment. In a way, he silently thankful for the chance to reminice on any time other then right now.
„She still speaks of that? I suppose she would… She and Valerie are the first properly taught healers of Bloodclan. Though both of them chose this path because they already had at least a little knowledge of healing already at that point.“
Rain looks up at this, his head slightly tilted to the side. Curiosity winning out for the moment aver his skittishness.
„It… wasn‘t Valerie that tought her? I don‘t know any other healers in Bloodclan… is there another?“
Talon shakes his head calmly, the younger cat‘s inquisitiveness a pleasant distraction.
„So she didn‘t say much then. Well, no, there isn‘t. Not anymore. She spoke of arguably Bloodclans first healer. Dune. He was already well up in age when he joined, but Scourge knew immediately the value of his skills. He died a whole while before the battle for the forest already, you werent even born then. Kittypet-borne, but the rare kind that always feels a need to help the street cats around. Both Valerie and Venom learned under him. His collar rests not far from Scourge‘s own in the Hall of Rememberance.“
Bright-eyed, Rain absorbs every word of knowledge with unwavering attention.
„How did he know then? Did he too learn from someone?“
„In a way, at least from what I heard… When he was a kittypet his“
„Housefolk had several patches of herbs growing in their backyard. They seemed to cultivate them. And when they got sick or when they had some small injuries, they‘d use the herbs. Bit by bit, he figured out some of the herbs uses by watching his twolegs. The rest he learned trying to help the streetcats around. Rogues and loners, before Bloodclan came along.“
Talon looks over to Venom returning to the healer‘s den, pushing through the low entrance, her fuzzy tail swaying behind her like a fan of tortoiseshell fur. Talon nods, remembering the old tom well, fur the colour of sand, a collection of scars running though it that almost rivalled Wrath‘s. A kind cat and the first Bloodclan cats to die of simple old age, an achievement in itself. Many times he treated Talon‘s wounds when he was young, before the studded collar even decorated his neck. The thought that he died well before Scourge was able to find a safehaven for Bloodclan‘s dead, that his fate was the Void, draws a deep sigh from Talon. Depressing a thought as it is, it would do no good to share it now.
„Dune was a good cat. Bloodclan is grateful to have had him.“
„He was, tought us a whole lot. Not least, that just because your main duty is to heal, you can not neglect being prepared to defend yourself. A shame that I took that more to heart then Valerie.“
Venom sits down, shaking her head slowly.
„Poor, foolish she-cat. I would have stuffed Copper‘s food with oleander seasons ago.“
„Maybe, in time, we, or I, will be able to help her out, when we win over Granite.“
Talon shifts in his nest, a brief whince escaping him as the sting of his wounds harass him for the crime of moving ever so slightly. Venom looks sternly upon her leader.
„Until you have recovered, you should keep any fantasies of great rescues few and far between. Dead cats rescue no-one, Talon. So please, for all our sakes, stop ending in my healer‘s den…“
Her tone, though starting as stern as her gaze, softens into the almost pleading towards the end. A hint of worry clear in her eyes.
„Even if you are to succeed in it all, Talon, and Scourge knows we all here hope so, you are still a cat. You can be wounded, crippled… killed. Please be more cautious, Talon.“
Talon holds the she-cat’s gaze, the urgency of her request not lost on him.
“I will try my best, Venom. You know I can make few true promises. Even with all caution, I...”
Venom shakes her head with a low hiss
“Do you think I don’t know the truth, Talon? Would it have killed you to just promise regardless? Damn your truthfulness...”
Her pelt bristles in frustration as she paces back and forth for several heartbeats, before returning her gaze upon the wounded tom. Anger and understanding both swirl in her green eyes, her somewhat lowered ears betraying the hint of sadness she tried hard to hide.
“There will be battle, sooner or later. There will be blood... don’t make it yours, Talon. We will have enough sadness before all this is over. Don’t add to it with your own corpse. Not to us. And not to Grail. She hoped for long to find your attention. Do not take that from her, so shortly after granting it.”
Talon’s ears fold flat against his skull. No, it would indeed not be fait to Grail, not to any of them. But what choice might he have? He can not do as he must without exposing himself to dangers as well. Venom’s words lay heavy upon him, one weight upon many, all pressing down mercilessly, threatening to crush him. His claws flex into the bedding repeatedly.
After silence that lasts for a felt lifetime, Venom shakes her head with an exhausted sigh.
“Just don’t be stupid, that is all I ask. Wouldn’t be a good look on Bloodclan’s future leader, yeah? Even in misery, there is hope for better things...”
Talon’s gaze remains glued to his paws, his tail tip flicking
“How do you mean?”
Having begun to move towards the now thanks to Rain neatly stacked herbs, Venom stops in her stride and looks over her shoulder at Talon.
“Moon was here earlier. Checking on you when you were still out, like many... but also something else. Said she’ll take the rogue kit on in the next days. Picked a name for her too, apparently.”
Talon turns his head to look over at Venom, Rain skipping out of the way, trying his best to blend into the shadows and be invisible.
“She has...? What’s the name she picked then?”
Venom regards talon for a brief moment before turning her head away and resuming her walk
“Mink. We may have lost a clanmate... but it appears we’ve also gained one. So you see, Talon, nothing is over yet.”
“Mink...”
Talon’s thought wander to the little mewlig heap of fur they’d found after dispatching the rogues. That little thing with noone left in the world, Moon’s almost immediate resolve to foster it once it takes to solid food... her telling Talon that Rover agreed to raise it like their own just yesterday. The red eyed tom nods slowly
“A fine name. A new daughter of Bloodclan... Moon and Rover’s daughter.”
Her back remaining turned, Venom slowly nods as well.
“Yes... Moon and Rover’s daughter.”