Chapter Text
Brambleclaw had been acting weird, Squirrelpaw noted. He’d been jumpy and anxiously pacing for the entire day. Squirrelpaw had tried cornering him for answers but he’d managed to slip away.
Now the sun was falling and Brambleclaw had become even more antsy, almost obnoxiously so. Squirrelpaw watched.
As the sun had fallen past the trees and coated the sky in darkness, baring the clans to Starclan’s eyes, Brambleclaw snuck out of camp.
Squirrelpaw watched him. The new moon was high in the sky as Squirrelpaw crept after the tom. Her confusion only increased as the time passed but Brambleclaw kept walking, occasionally stopping and listening, where Squirrelpaw had to freeze and stay completely still.
They traverse Thunderclan territory, Brambleclaw anxiously looking over his shoulder and Squirrelpaw melting into the shadows.
Squirrelpaw wonders what the warrior could possibly be doing as they approach fourtrees. Squirrelpaw stays behind as Brambleclaw leaves the comfort of the forest to enter the clearing, clearly on edge.
Curiosity finally wins and Squirrelpaw bursts into the clearing, startling Brambleclaw. The tom metaphorically jumps several tail lengths into the air, letting out a startled yowl. He turns on Squirrelpaw, fur puffed out.
“Squirrelpaw! What are you doing here?” He hisses , sitting down and smoothing down his chest fur with his tongue in an attempt to collect himself. “You’re supposed to be asleep.”
“Well, maybe don’t act so suspicious if you want me to sleep!” Squirrelpaw argues petulantly, eyes narrowed challengingly.
“You know it was wrong to follow me. Go back to camp.” Brambleclaw orders. He seems to have quite enough of Squirrelpaw’s antics.
Squirrelpaw’s eyes widen, suddenly panicked. “Wait, you can’t send me back! Firestar will kill me.” She hisses.
“Well, you can’t stay here! Go back before I make you.” Brambleclaw growls, tail lashing.
“I’ll tell on you!” Squirrelpaw threatens, fur burred out. This finally seems to get through to the tom as he pauses, before groaning loudly.
“Fine. Just don’t speak of this to anybody.” Brambleclaw commands, an underlying threat in his tone.
Squirrelpaw sits down, tilting her chin up proudly, happy she’d won the argument. She huddles close to Brambleclaw, just in case.
A familiar presence makes himself known, stalking out from the shadows of the forest to hunch down beside Squirrelpaw, tail flicking with agitation.
“I have a bad feeling about this.” Tiny hisses agitatedly. He’s glaring all across the clearing, fur bristling. Squirrelpaw observes and notes that Tiny doesn’t just seem agitated about the current events. It seems to be more than that.
Squirrelpaw rolls her eyes, flicking her tail in a silent urge for the ghost to calm down. Tiny turns his glare towards Squirrelpaw, nose scrunching as he bites his tongue of any retort. Over the moons, Squirrelpaw had seen Tiny throw hateful insults at her clanmates and especially her father, but he never seemed to spite Squirrelpaw or Leafpaw. Even when Squirrelpaw teased the tom, he only replied in kind with similar teases.
Suddenly, Tiny bristles and shoots to his paws. “Cats!” He hisses, back arches into the air and tail burred out to twice its size.
Squirrelpaw shoots to her own paws, startled by the ghost’s warning.
Brambleclaw seems startled at Squirrelpaw’s reaction, confusion clear on his face. But true to Tiny’s words, they soon hear pawsteps approaching.
Scourge does not know how he managed to get roped into this. First he’d only followed Squirrelpaw to make sure she didn’t get into any trouble, which she of course did. And now he’s traveling among a group of six cats completely unaware of his presence, except for his niece of course.
First had Tawnypelt, Brambleclaw’s sister, arrived. The two had shared a joyous greeting as Squirrelpaw smoothed down her fur after the scare.
Second was Stormfur and Feathertail, the two halfclan siblings sired by Graystripe. Scourge vaguely remembers seeing them, Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt and Ashfur aiding in killing Bone.
Finally came the last (and least, in Scourge’s opinion). A scrawny little apprentice from Windclan. The other cats identified him as Crowpaw. The tom immediately threw a hissy fit and tried to start a fight.
They had now left the clan territories and were heading to what Scourge had identified in passing conversation to be called the ‘Sundrown place’.
Scourge was already starting to get tired as Squirrelpaw and Crowpaw went on endlessly bickering. Their voices were starting to grate at his ears. But finally Feathertail stepped in. The two apprentices immediately mellowed out in the presence of Feathertail’s soothing attitude.
But as soon as the silvery cat increased her pace to join her brother, the apprentices were at it again, just quieter this time. Scourge groans quietly, looking up at the sky and wondering what he did to deserve this.