Chapter Text
The oaks casted refreshing shadows onto the gorge below, gently humming above the clan like a queen calming down a restless kit. Dawn had just broken and the air smelled fresh; the scents of the forest were enhanced, the air was warm and heavy. Suddenly a loud caw cut the air as a pair of huge, black wings drifted across the sky. The wind turned, as if the corvid was responsible for it. A malevolent chill ran through the breeze as a weak but clear voice caught the attention of every cat that was already up in ThunderClan camp:
“Redtail! He is dead!”
The sleepiness of the clearing was broken by a yowling figure that bursted out of the gorse tunnel. A tiny apprentice collided head first into a big warrior who tried to grab his scruff before the young cat’s legs caved in.
"They need help! Now!" he mewed pitifully, squirming in the warrior's grip so that he had to let go in fear of hurting him more, his concerned eyes following the young cat as he backed away. A brown tabby blocked the apprentice with his lithe frame, his ears flat.
“You’re mistaken!” he hissed in a needlessly harsh tone, but the apprentice was in shock and couldn’t but stare at him.
“Ravenpaw!” Lionheart, the big warrior he had run into, meowed in a firm, concerned voice, nudging him with his huge, broad muzzle.
“Ravenpaw, for StarClan’s sake, what are you talking about? Are you alright?”
The apprentice looked at him with huge, sorrow-clouded eyes and tried to say something, but the words died out on his lips. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed. The brown tabby—Runningwind—caught him with his shoulder and shot a pleading look at the golden warrior. The clan started to stir—very few were actually able to sleep, instead they waited for the news of the battle. Not even the morning patrol, led by Lionheart himself, had yet left the camp.
“Spottedleaf!” yowled the clan leader, who had made her way across the group of shocked cats and was now examining the apprentice with her blue eyes darkened, but the healer was already hurrying towards them with a bunch of herbs in her jaws.
“Is it true what he said?” Bluestar demanded. “Where are Tigerclaw and the rest?”
Everyone started to look around, restlessness spreading among them. Lionheart was signalling to his patrol. A small, older queen ran from the elders’ den towards the injured apprentice and began to lick him gently. The anticipation brewed like an incoming storm, but before the cats could do anything it was released by the thundering of big paws as Tigerclaw appeared. Between his front paws was the limp, blood-dripping body of the clan deputy. Behind him sulked a dark grey tabby and finally a grief-struck, pale grey cat helping a limping smaller warrior. None spoke, they just watched as Tigerclaw dragged the lithe body onto the middle of the clearing. A desperate yowl sounded from among the warriors, as Runningwind shouldered his way forward. The tabby warrior lowered the body onto the ground, eyes burning with hatred. He bowed his head to his fallen comrade for a moment, before jumping over the body, head held high.
“Oakheart killed him!” he roared before anyone could bring themselves to ask anything. He let his gaze sweep all the cats, their shocked expressions and opened mouths.
“Where is Ravenpaw? I sent him to fetch help,” he continued, unfazed. Bluestar stared at him, looking devastated, but managed to nod towards the medicine cat.
“He is here, Spottedlead is tending to his injuries.”
The cats gathered around the deputy’s body, wailing and comforting each other as the bitter smell of anger thickened. The great warrior marched towards his apprentice, who was now a mere black bundle lying on the ground.
“Is he dead?” he asked, reaching out to sniff the top of his head.
“No–” muttered Spottedleaf. “But he has lost a lot of blood and is in shock. Give him space,” she ordered, giving Ravenpaw a soft lick on the ear. The warrior gave the small she-cat a glance but nodded, now focusing on Bluestar and the rest of the cats. The apprentice was a matter to be dealt with later.
“Tigerclaw. Tell us what happened,” commanded the clan leader, now looking all composed and calm despite the glimmer of sadness in her eyes. She stared across the hunched backs and bowed heads at the lifeless flank of her deputy—her friend. Tigerclaw huffed and gave his chest a brief lick, as if to gather his thoughts.
"The tide was about to turn, we were going to win," he started, flicking his tail, "But then Oakheart jumped on him, and they both fell down from the rocks. Oakheart landed on top of him and crushed his throat—there was nothing I could have done, StarClan knows I tried."
"So it was an accident?" asked Whitestorm, who had appeared on Bluestar's side. Tigerclaw curled his lip to reveal his sharp fangs.
"He will definitely say that, but I saw him. I have fought more battles than many warriors of this clan combined. I know what is an accident, and what isn't." His amber gaze drilled into Bluestar's eyes.
"Battles half of which he no doubt started himself," muttered Smallear to Patchpelt, but no one paid it any mind.
"We need to hold RiverClan accountable for this!" the tabby growled. The leader flicked her ears.
"Of course. Redtail will have justice," she replied, raising her voice so all cats could hear. "But today, we will sit vigil and mourn for the loss of a noble warrior and excellent deputy. The injured will rest and heal. Willowpelt, Tigerclaw, the clan thanks you and your patrol for the service you have done today, even if the cost was greater than any could have foreseen. I hope Mousefur and Ravenpaw make a quick recovery."
She nodded, and Tigerclaw knew he was dismissed. He bent his head and marched on without even looking at Ravenpaw, who was now being carried to the medicine cat's den by Longtail and Robinwing.
"Despite everything the clan needs to be fed,” Bluestar announced, her eyes bright and tail held high.
"Lionheart, the morning patrol may continue. Whitestorm, take young Graypaw and gather up a small hunting patrol. Mousefur and Ravenpaw need fresh-kill."
The cats obeyed immediately. Bluestar padded softly across the clearing and pressed her nose to his cold, blood-stained fur.
"Oh, Redtail. What will I do without you?" she whispered, closing her eyes and inhaling Redtail's already fading scent. Beside her, Runningwind had buried his nose into his late partner's fur and mumbled silent prayers, eyes cloudy and distant.
"I will never forgive StarClan for taking you away from me," Bluestar heard him whisper, as she pressed her flank against the grieving tabby. On his other side, Dustpaw crouched with his eyes clouded and distant, leaning to his father’s flank, as Patchpelt lay beside him, licking his ears gently. For once, Dustpaw welcomed it, allowing himself to be comforted by the white-and-black elder.
★
No cat could persuade Runningwind to leave Redtail—not that anyone would have had the heart to try; yet the patrols had to go on, the apprentices had to be trained. The atmosphere was grim, but all cats knew that they had to keep working. Except for the small tabby, who felt like his whole world had just crumbled down on him. The shadows moved around the gorge as the sun travelled across the sky and started to grow longer again, when Bluestar made her way onto the Highrock.
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the high rock for a clan meeting!”
Everyone knew that this was coming, so the cats were quick to gather around. They were serious and silent and drew devastated glances to Redtail, who seemed to only be sleeping. Runningwind was still beside him, and as Bluestar met his green eyes she nodded to him. You may stay.
“As you all know, Redtail, our beloved deputy, a noble and just warrior, joined StarClan last night. It has come to my attention that his death was a tragedy, and also a violation against the Clan Code. We will seek justice for him.”
The clan hummed in unison, tails raised high and determined gazes shot to the darkening sky.
“Redtail! Redtail!” they called, letting the wind take the fragments of their grief and carry them all the way to StarClan.
“As the Code demands, I will now name a new deputy, so Redtail’s spirit can see and accept my choice. He was a great warrior, and I believe this cat will live up to him. Lionheart is the new deputy of ThunderClan.”
The clan was satisfied, although this was expected.
“Lionheart! Lionheart! Lionheart!” they bellowed, as the senior warrior blinked in genuine surprise. He bowed at the Highrock.
“I will do my best to follow in Redtail’s pawsteps,” he meowed. “This is a greater honour than I could have expected.”
He turned from Bluestar to all the clan.
“I thank you for your trust”, he continued, and was met with a choir of purring and words of encouragement. “I will do my best to ensure it is well-placed.”
"May StarClan light up your path and give you strength to serve your clan. The task is not easy, but you have what it takes."
Bluestar's voice was proud and warm as she bowed at her clanmates.
"But now it is time to sit vigil for Redtail. He will spend his last night among his Clan, before joining the ranks of our stellar ancestors in Silverpelt. Let us pay our respects. Tonight the ThunderClan will mourn, but tomorrow life goes on, as Redtail would have wanted."
She called off the meeting by the flick of her tail, before leaping down from Highrock, swift and graceful. The leader took her place next to Runningwind again, this time giving more attention to her personal grief, as she gave her friend the softest little nudge.
To let the other cats say their goodbyes, she didn’t stay for long. After most of the crowd had gone to sleep, she would have plenty of time to sit next to her deputy. Her paws led her to the edge of the camp, into the medicine cat's den.
“Spottedleaf?” she called softly, and the young tortoiseshell cat spun around like a feather, flashing a motherly smile that the leader was not used to. Usually it was her who did the comforting. Her blue-grey tail flicked in confusion, but she nodded and then noticed two cats bundled up in the shadows of the den. Robinwing was there, too, curled by Ravenpaw’s side.
“How are they?” Bluestar asked, giving her chest a brief lick. Spottedleaf glanced at her patients, then sat down, wrapping her tail neatly around her small paws.
“They will both make full recovery,” she told her, but her tone was flat. “At least physically.”
Bluestar saw the glimmer of worry in the healer’s amber eyes, and her ears tilted back a bit.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Spottedleaf sat still a while, before humming to herself and got up, walking past her leader.
“Walk with me,” she urged as she went. Bluestar padded after her, and they walked in silence along the path that led them up the gorge. There, at a small stony clearing with a good view to the Silverpelt above, she gestured for Bluestar to sit down next to her.
The two she-cats remained silent for a while.
"You made a good choice", Spottedleaf spoke suddenly, smiling and blinking encouragingly at her Clan leader.
"About time," Bluestar responded dryly, but responded to the compliment with a soft hum. "The clan needs more good choices. Desperately."
"You are being too hard on yourself. It's not your fault that prey is scarce and queens bear no kits."
Bluestar hummed again. "Perhaps not, but I am responsible for my Clan's wellbeing."
She glanced to the sky before meeting Spottedleaf's amber eyes again.
"What did you mean with what you said about Mousefur and Ravenpaw?"
The medicine cat sighed. "I meant mostly Ravenpaw. He is so young, and his mind is fragile. I fear that witnessing the tragedy will have an impact on him."
Bluestar nodded. "That will be difficult for Tigerclaw to accept," she added, to vocalise the young healer's concern.
"Yes. His hard mentorship might do more harm than good."
"Are you saying I should tell Tigerclaw he needs to give his apprentice away?" asked Bluestar with a hint of bitterness in her tone. "He won't take that well."
"I am saying we need to value Ravenpaw's wellbeing more than Tigerclaw's feelings."
Bluestar shut her mouth and let out a long sigh, gazing at the stars.
"You are right. Of course. I will see what I can do."
Spottedleaf studied her broad face and grey streaks on her muzzle, before joining the leader and lifting her gaze to the Clan's ancestors. Their cold, distant light shone on the surrounding trees and danced on their leaves.
Suddenly a shooting star flew across the sky. The fur on Spottedleaf's spine bristled, and Bluestar sensed how she tensed up, but didn’t say anything. The healer's amber eyes reflected starlight, and they had a distant, eerie look, before she shook her head and flicked her tail.
"It was an omen from StarClan," she said hastily. Her voice was like a hoarse whisper, as if she was out of breath from pelting across the territories. Bluestar perked her round ears.
"The wind will sweep through the forest, revealing the truth that lies beneath."
Bluestar couldn't hide the disappointed look in her blue eyes.
"Wind will sweep through the forest?" she echoed. "Do you think it means WindClan?"
She found herself glancing at the stars again.
"I… am not sure. The messages rarely are self-explanatory. I'm sure the meaning will come to us in time. Let's keep our hearts open," Spottedleaf said softly, but sounded thoughtful as well. "Let's head back to the camp now. I need to sit vigil with my brother. Maybe StarClan will speak again later."
Bluestar felt a little sting in her heart as she nodded and followed the medicine cat down to the camp. As they appeared out of the same gorse tunnel Ravenpaw had run through only this morning, bringing the grim news that now weighed his heart forever, they both saw a small group of cats sitting together beside the deputy's lifeless form.
Willowpelt gave Runningwind a lick on his cheek and turned to nod at Bluestar and Spottedleaf. Mousefur had limped their way to be there for their brother, and was silently laying still, paws tucked underneath them. Bluestar settled beside them and touched Redtail's ear with her nose, and Spottedleaf crouched down, pressing herself against his brother's shoulder next to Dustpelt, who was now accompanied by Longtail sitting at his flank, his striped tail resting on the apprentice’s shoulder.
"I'm sure he is proud of your choice," said Runningwind suddenly, in a raspy, thin voice. He lifted his hollow gaze from Redtail's fur, and blinked at the leader. "He always respected Lionheart."
Bluestar reflected his sorrow with her blue eyes, touching noses with the tom.
"Thank you.”
Runningwind nodded, burying his nose back into Redtail's neck in a desperate attempt to catch the final glimpse of his scent.
"We were supposed to grow old together," he mumbled. "He was supposed to lose his hearing so he would not have to listen to me nagging."
Bluestar felt her heart break as she witnessed the young cat mourning his other half. Mousefur seemed to share their brother's pain, for once shutting up about not understanding him gushing over the deputy. All the cats fell into silence that was deep and deafening. The only audible things were the sounds of the occasionally stirring of the cats inside their nests, and the whispering of the wind in the oaks. It slowly lulled Bluestar into a dreamless sleep. As she drifted deeper into the void, the whispers grew louder.
"...Beware, beware…"
"Deception… deception… it's not what it seems… it's not what it seems…."
"...beware."