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twilights-800-cats · 5 years

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<< Allegiances | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | From the Beginning >>

Chapter 14

“T-Tinystar?”

The small voice woke Tinystar from a restless slumber. It had been two days since the incident with Stonepaw at Sunningrocks. Tinystar lifted his head from Sandstorm’s flank, blinking sleep from his eyes. He peered into the predawn light filtering through into his den and spotted the kit-small shape of Sorrelkit.

Tinystar nudged Sandstorm awake. The pale ginger she-cat protested, but her jaws shut when she scented Sorrelkit at the entrance. Her green eyes flashed with concern.

“He’s gone again, isn’t he?” Tinystar guessed.

Sorrelkit nodded. The kitten’s yellow eyes were filled with worry.

“Then let’s be after him,” Sandstorm decided briskly. “There’s no time to lose.”

“I’m coming, too?” Sorrelkit asked as Tinystar and Sandstorm got to their paws.

Tinystar shook moss from his pelt. “Of course,” he told her. Sandstorm flashed him a warning gaze, but Tinystar returned it with a soft look. He’d given Sorrelkit this mission – she would be downhearted if she were left out. He whispered into Sandstorm’s ear, “I don’t think Stonepaw would attack his own Clanmate. It’s likely that this isn’t as bad as we fear.”

Sandstorm huffed, but didn’t protest.

They were on their paws and on their way in a matter of moments, with Sorrelkit leading the way out of camp. Tinystar needed only a moment to put Whitestorm in charge of camp – the white warrior was worried about his kit going off into the forest, but he seemed alright with Tinystar and Sandstorm accompanying her.

Tinystar hoped they wouldn’t be gone long.

As they pushed their way through the gorse tunnel, Tinystar felt an uncomfortable prickle behind his ears. The last time he and Sandstorm had tracked an apprentice like this, it had been Cloudtail during her training… and at the end of the trail Cloudtail had been taken away from them by Twolegs.

He hoped this wouldn’t end the same way.

———————————————————-

“He went this way!”

Sorrelkit raised her dappled tail, looking back at Tinystar and Sandstorm. Tinystar opened his jaws. Stonepaw’s scent crossed his scent glands. He nodded to Sorrelkit. “Good job,” he offered.

The kitten’s fur fluffed. “T-Thanks!” She wiggled excitedly. “He usually takes the same way – off the paths the other warriors take. You can smell it!”

She was right – Stonepaw’s scent was deep in the earth on this off-path track. Tinystar glanced worriedly at Sandstorm.

“Let’s hurry on,” Sandstorm meowed. “Lead the way, Sorrelkit.”

Sorrelkit nodded, her own excitement tempered by worry for her Clanmate. She turned about and pushed through the ragged undergrowth. Tinystar and Sandstorm followed, their paws itching to go faster than a kitten’s pace.

“She’s a good tracker,” Sandstorm meowed into Tinystar’s ear. “Spunky, too.”

Tinystar nodded. “She’ll make a great apprentice,” he agreed. “I’m just worried where that nose of her’s is leading us.”

Sunningrocks loomed through the trees ahead. Tinystar and Sandstorm caught up to Sorrelkit, pushing her between them despite the kitten’s protests. They kept their bodies low, their tails still above the leaf litter, like they were stalking prey. Sorrelkit, thankfully, kept her jaws shut as they crept through the last paces of undergrowth.

This is where Stonepaw always goes, Tinystar thought, scanning the pebbly shore. Where is he?

“There!” hissed Sorrelkit, stretching out a paw to point.

Sandstorm hushed the kit. Tinystar followed Sorrelkit’s paw, which pointed downstream, towards the stepping-stones. Tinystar’s fur prickled. Stonepaw sat on one of the stepping-stones near the ThunderClan bank, his tail wrapped around his paws and his back to his onlookers.

On the stone just before him was Darkstripe.

“I knew it,” hissed Sandstorm. “Of course it’s Darkstripe!”

Sorrelkit bristled indignantly. “He’s such a fox-heart!” she hissed. “Come on, Tinystar – let’s get Stonepaw away from him!”

“Wait,” Tinystar hushed, planting a paw on Sorrelkit’s back to keep her haunches from disturbing the foliage. “We can’t let them know we’re here just yet – I want to hear what they’re talking about first.”

They hunkered down more, Sandstorm and Tinystar pressing Sorrelkit’s fidgeting body between them in hopes of dampening the sounds she was making. Horror crept over Tinystar’s pelt as he looked at Darkstripe – the sleek black tabby was fit and healthy, looking down at Stonepaw with confidence in his pale eyes.

LionClan made this possible, Tinystar thought, his belly clenching. Darkstripe would never be able to get so close to the stepping-stones like this!

Tinystar strained his ears.

“… are you feeling, Stonepaw?” The water was thankfully gentle today, making Darkstripe’s mew easier to hear.

Stonepaw was shaking his head. “It’s still the same – worse, even,” he meowed. His tone was panicked and sorrowful. “Everyone’s judging me, like you said they would. I can see it in their eyes when they look at me… Mistypaw won’t believe me when I say they look at her like that, too! She won’t listen to me about anything anymore, it feels like…”

Darkstripe’s eyes softened piteously. Tinystar dug his claws into the earth.

“You shouldn’t have to fight for your Clanmate’s approval,” Darkstripe said softly. “That’s not fair.”

“It’s not!” Stonepaw snapped back. His neck fur bristled. “It’s not fair at all! But that’s all anyone keeps telling me – do everything better than anyone else or everyone thinks you’re a traitor! Do you know how frustrating that is?!”

Oh, Stonepaw, Tinystar thought, glancing at Sandstorm. The pale she-cat’s eyes were round with sorrow. I should have done more for you! I have to!

Darkstripe’s tail wound around his paws. He was nodding. “My offer still stands, Stonepaw – in LionClan there would be none of this nonsense,” he meowed. “The longer you stay in ThunderClan, the more unwanted you’ll feel. You’d be able to see everything with your own eyes – not through ThunderClan’s… bias. You know they refuse to see that Bluestar has changed.”

Stonepaw stiffened on his stepping-stone.

Tinystar’s eyes widened. How long had Darkstripe been trying to coax Stonepaw into LionClan – or ShadowClan, for that matter? Sandstorm held a low growl in her throat, her eyes flashing protectively.

“Stop!”

Tinystar felt his fur burn as Sorrelkit rocketed out from between himself and Sandstorm. The calico kitten streaked across the shore, bounding over the stepping-stones without a care and pushing past Stonepaw to lunge herself at Darkstripe, paws and claws outstretched to latch onto the dark tabby warrior.

“Sorrelkit!” Sandstorm cried.

Tinystar burst through the undergrowth to chase after the kit as she and Darkstripe wrestled on the small stone. Darkstripe’s claws flashed. Sandstorm pulled ahead, scattering pebbles in her wake. When Darkstripe thrust Sorrelkit into the river, Sandstorm dove in immediately after her. Tinystar skidded to a stop at the shore, his pads burning against the stones.

“You see, Stonepaw?” hissed Darkstripe. Tinystar turned his gaze, narrowing his ice-blue eyes at the dark warrior. Darkstripe was adjusting himself on his stone, his claws clinging to its edges. “You see? Do you know what they’ll do to you just for speaking to me? Exile!”

Stonepaw’s eyes were wide, his legs trembling. “N-No!”

“Yes!” snapped Darkstripe.

“That’s not true, Stonepaw!” Tinystar called. He tried to keep his eye on the river, on Sandstorm struggling in the water with Sorrelkit, but he had to focus. “We came here to talk to you!”

Stonepaw’s eyes flashed between Tinystar and Darkstripe. He swallowed, shivering.

“Are you going to listen to the one cat who judges you most for being Bluestar’s son?” Darkstripe snapped, neck fur bristling. “When has he ever looked at you or your littermates and not seen her?”

Fury flashed through Tinystar’s pelt. He unsheathed his claws. “Do you really think I’m so small-minded?” he snarled to Darkstripe. “I know their worth, and so will ThunderClan!”

“When?” sneered Darkstripe. “How much blood must Stonepaw shed before his so-called Clanmates finally recognize his loyalty? You of all cats should know that no matter what you do, some cats will see you as nothing more than a useless kittypet.”

Tinystar bunched his muscles.

“Stonepaw, don’t listen to him!” Tinystar pleaded. “Please! There are cats in ThunderClan who love you, who need you! What about Mistypaw? Mosspaw? Oakheart?”

From the corner of his eye Tinystar spotted Sandstorm pulling herself out of the river, dragging Sorrelkit behind her. Both were sodden, drenched to the bone.

Stonepaw looked between Darkstripe and Tinystar. His eyes narrowed. “They never understood why I was upset,” he snapped. “We shouldn’t have to work harder than anyone else to prove our loyalty just because of what our mother did!”

“Yes,” Darkstripe purred. “Yes, Stonepaw!”

“I-I’m tired of the way cats look at me,” Stonepaw went on. “Of the way they treat me. I’m sorry, Tinystar – I’m grateful that you tried, but you just didn’t try hard enough. I don’t feel like I belong anywhere right now – but I know I don’t belong in ThunderClan.”

Tinystar’s heart plummeted.

Darkstripe raised his head, his eyes sparkling with triumph.

Tinystar bunched himself, preparing to spring.

“Tinystar! Sorrelkit isn’t breathing!”

Tinystar started.

“Go on, Tinystar,” Darkstripe sneered. “Take care of your Clanmate. After all, that is your job, isn’t it?”

Tinystar bristled. He snapped back, “Close your jaws! If she dies, it’ll be on your head, traitor!”

“Come on, Stonepaw,” Darkstripe meowed, grinning. “LionClan is waiting for you.”

Stonepaw hesitated, looking back at Tinystar with worry in his eyes. But Darkstripe leaned over the gap between their stones and grasped Stonepaw’s scruff in his jaws, tugging him along. Tinystar had to push them out of sight and mind to go to Sandstorm, who was desperately trying to push the water out of Sorrelkit.

“I-It’s not coming out!” Sandstorm meowed frantically. “Oh StarClan, don’t take her!”

Tinystar bristled, fury and frustration filling his body. He planted his paws against Sorrelkit’s lungs and pushed with near all his might. The kit shuddered under his weight and gasped, vomiting up a lungful of river water.

“Oh, Tinystar…” Sandstorm sighed. “Oh, thank StarClan!”

Sorrelkit bunched herself up, groaning and shivering. Sandstorm began furiously lapping at her pelt, pushing the fur the wrong way to warm her. Tinystar joined her, but he felt so disconnected from the task at his paws.

Stonepaw was gone.

Gone to LionClan.

And it’s my fault.

———————————————————-

They were in the medicine cat’s den as quickly as they could manage – but the moments stretched into seasons for Tinystar, especially when he had to tell the Clan what had happened. His Clanmate’s reactions hit like a blow – from the devastation in their eyes, Tinystar knew he ought to have tried so much harder to keep Stonepaw from falling into LionClan clutches.

“I never meant to…” Mousefur bristled. “I never meant to make him feel like that!”

“None of us did,” Cinderpelt mewed gently. “We had no idea he was hurting so much…”

Dustpelt dropped his gaze to his paws. “We of all cats ought to know not to judge others by their birth…”

Mistypaw wailed, and Mosspaw was shivering beside her sister. Disbelief hung in their blue eyes, even as they watched over Sorrelkit. Brackenfur was tending to her, with Willowpelt wrapped around her little kit.

“There’s no place in StarClan for one who’d toss a kitten in the river,” Brackenfur declared. “He could have drowned her!”

Willowpelt’s body rippled with grief. “I must have been such a poor mother, for Darkstripe to end up such a villain…”

“That’s not true!” Rainkit chimed in.

Sootkit, by his brother’s side, was bristling. “It’s not! You’re the best mother ever!”

“This isn’t your fault, Willowpelt,” Tinystar meowed, touching his nose to the queen’s forehead. “He was always on Bluestar’s side, likely from the moment he was her apprentice.”

“I thought she would teach him well!” Willowpelt breathed, her eyes wide and filled with sorrow. “But look at what he’s become! Look at what they’ve both become! How can a kit turn out so different from either of his parents?”

Brackenfur hushed her, lapping gently at Willowpelt’s flank. “Don’t blame yourself, Willowpelt. StarClan knows you’re not the cause. There, there… let your kits calm you. Sorrelkit needs to be kept warm or she’ll catch a chill!”

“She’s not moving!” Rainkit mewled as he settled beside his sister.

“She’s in shock,” Brackenfur explained. “She’ll wake soon, and she’ll feel a lot better when she does. Can you feel her breathing?”

Rainkit nodded. He and Sootkit, along with Willowpelt, formed a protective ring around Sorrelkit, warm and soft with all their leaf-bare fluff. Tinystar knew that the kitten would be alright - especially with Brackenfur to care for her.

Tinystar had to leave the medicine den then. There was nothing more for him there. He sagged under the weight of his guilt and it seemed like guilt clouded over the entire clearing. Cats had their heads low, their tails still. They had lost one of their own but there was no body to mourn for Stonepaw. His presence would likely never be felt in the clearing again.

It’s my fault. Tinystar couldn’t stop the nagging doubt in his mind. I should have done so much more for him. How could he call himself leader if one of his own cats was so easily convinced to leave his Clan altogether?

“What are you going to do?”

The voice was trembling with sorrow, but backed up by indignation. Tinystar looked up from his paws to see Mistypaw and Mosspaw standing before him, their shoulders both squared and their tails bristling.

“Well?” Mistypaw asked, stepping forward. “Are you going to go get him back?”

Tinystar sighed. “I don’t know that I can, Mistypaw,” he breathed, looking over the sisters. “He left of his own volition.”

“He was tricked!” Mosspaw insisted. “He had to have been!”

“Stonepaw is a ThunderClan cat!” Mistypaw went on. Her eyes glittered. “We need to fight for him! You always said that Bluestar just wanted to use us! She’s going to use him, too!”

“StarClan can’t let this happen!” Mosspaw added, shaking her head. “They just can’t!”

Tinystar felt so badly for the sisters, and so badly for himself. The weight of failure as a warrior or deputy or apprentice did not hang so heavy or sting as hard as failure did for a leader. He felt as if he hadn’t just failed one small clique of cats – Tinystar knew he had failed his Clan as a whole.

“We’re going to try,” Tinystar meowed. “It’s all we can do.”

“And if he doesn’t want to come back?” Mistypaw murmured.

Tinystar touched his nose to her muzzle, the reply of then nothing can be done hanging in the air. Tinystar felt right now that if he spoke those words aloud he would believe them for the rest of his days. There had to be something he could do – but right now the thought of being capable of doing anything wasn’t occurring.

Mistypaw and Mosspaw padded away, their tails twined and pelts brushing. They disappeared into the medicine cat’s den together.

Sandstorm brushed against him, wrapping her tail with his. “This is my fault,” she breathed. “If I had been a better mentor…”

“It’s my fault,” Tinystar insisted. He looked out at the clearing, at all the grieving cats. At Oakheart, who paced in front of Whitestorm and Longtail with his tail kinked and his eyes wild with the worry of a desperate father. “I needed to do more. I needed to make him feel more accepted. I needed to make sure he felt no different than any other cat.”

“You’re Clan leader now,” Sandstorm admonished. “You can’t possibly have time for every little thing. There’s more I could have done, too – like helping him deal with Ashpaw or even not being so strict at times.” She worked her paws into the earth. “I won’t let anything like this ever happen to one of my apprentices again – and if Stonepaw wants to come back… and wants me as his mentor… I’ll give him better than my best.”

Tinystar took heart in her confidence and determination despite the circumstances – losing her apprentice to Darkstripe was a low blow to her pride. Tinystar leaned against his mate, looking out at his Clanmates, feeling her determination swell up inside his chest.

“We’ll get him back,” he decided. “We have to try.”

Tigerstar’s words came back to him, words spoken when Tinystar admitted to sneaking Ravenpaw away from ThunderClan so long ago, words he’d echoed to Mistypaw, too: That not every cat had the heart of a Clan cat. Not every cat was born where they belonged.

Did that apply to Stonepaw, too?

We’ll get him back… If that’s even what he really wants.

#tb au #tb the darkest hour

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