[TB AU] LEOPARDSTAR'S LIE -- Chapter 8 (Patreon)

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Two moons passed, and Leopardstar padded out of her den to a world warmed by sunshine. She flicked her ear against an insect that fluttered near, making her way over to the Clan Root. Tawnypelt was there, giving out her daily patrol assignments as she had since her appointment what felt like an eternity ago.

Leopardstar scanned the crowd. Leaf-bare and newleaf had been kind to RiverClan, with only a whitecough outbreak that, thankfully, did not turn for the worse. Her warriors were sleek and healthy, ready to face greenleaf together. Dawnflower had moved to the nursery half a moon ago, and Leopardstar was excited for new blood to join the Clan.

Mothwing and Falcontail were warriors now, receiving their names just after the last Gathering a few nights ago. Leopardstar had never been prouder, standing up on the Clan Root and welcoming her kits as full members of RiverClan. She would never forget the cheering of her Clan, or the looks on Mothwing and Falcontail’s faces as they settled down for their vigil at the center of camp. They waited now with the other warriors for their assignments.

Leopardstar settled herself beside Tawnypelt. The tortoiseshell she-cat touched her tail to Leopardstar’s flank in acknowledgement, too focused on choosing cats for the evening patrol to say a proper greeting.

“... I want you to check out the greenleaf Twolegplace,” Tawnypelt was meowing to Brackenflight. “Newleaf is ending, and I don’t want to be surprised if Twolegs start crowding the river.”

“Of course,” Brackenflight meowed.

“Mudfur mentioned needing coltsfoot today,” Mothwing offered, slipping in before Tawnypelt could assign another patrol. “Could I go and fetch some?”

Tawnypelt flicked her ear. “I suppose,” she conceded. She glanced at Leopardstar, who nodded in approval, proud that her daughter was taking initiative. Normally that would be an apprentice task, but RiverClan was lacking apprentices at the moment. “Take Leafwhisker with you, and get as much of what Mudfur needs as you can. I’m sure his list is longer than just coltsfoot.”

“It is!” Mothwing agreed, eyes wide. “Thank you!”

Leopardstar did not miss Leafwhisker rolling his eyes at the thought. Leopardstar frowned. No warrior liked playing with herbs, but helping out the Clan’s medicine cat was nothing to be ashamed of.

“I’d like to lead a hunting patrol,” Falcontail meowed, stepping forward.

Tawnypelt pricked her ears, likely surprised that Falcontail was eager to lead his own patrol. “Sure,” she meowed. “Take whoever is free, and maybe try near the gorge. Some land prey to fill out the fresh-kill pile wouldn’t be missed.”

Falcontail blinked in acknowledgement. Leopardstar couldn’t help but raise her chin a little, and she blinked gratefully at her son. Falcontail turned his muzzle away. Leopardstar swallowed, pushing down her disappointment. He’s just focused, she thought. He doesn’t want his mother doting on him anymore... not that he ever did.

“That will be all for now,” Tawnypelt decided. She raised her tail, and the warriors disbanded.

Through the crowd of cats, Feathertail padded up to Mothwing. “I’ll swap with Leafwhisker, if you want,” she offered, her tail swishing.

Mothwing’s eyes shone, and she looked at Tawnypelt. “Is that alright?” she asked eagerly.

“If Leafwhisker is okay with it,” Tawnypelt meowed, shrugging. “He can go with Falcontail instead.”

Leafwhisker needed no more encouragement to offer his spot. The tabby warrior glued himself to Falcontail’s patrol immediately, looking relieved as they slipped through the reed barrier together. Feathertail and Mothwing put their heads together, purring, and set off.

Leopardstar’s amusement was tempered by a familiar discomfort as she watched Mothwing and Feathertail pad away. Their warrior ceremonies had come and gone and Leopardstar still could not think of a good time to tell her children about their father. They were so happy in the Clan, and she just knew the news would destroy that. How could she do that to them?

Just because they’re friends, doesn’t mean they’ll be mates, Leopardstar told herself. Maybe Feathertail wouldn’t be interested in such a young warrior?

“It bothers me a little, too,” Tawnypelt agreed. She bent her chin to wash her chest fur. “Mothwing should be focusing on warrior tasks, not running errands for Mudfur.”

Leopardstar realized she was bristling, and quickly smoothed her pelt. Though Tawnypelt was technically wrong about what was bothering her, Leopardstar shared her deputy’s concerns. “There are no apprentices right now,” she pointed out. “Mothwing just wants to help.”

“I suppose it wouldn’t be the worst thing if she were to become Mudfur’s apprentice,” Tawnypelt considered, lifting her chin. “He’s getting older.”

“He is,” Leopardstar agreed, sorrow in her heart. She wasn’t the only cat who had noticed Mudfur’s age catching up to him. He’d served RiverClan for so long... Leopardstar didn’t want to let go of her father, but she knew that there was a special place in StarClan for a cat with his dedication.

But, Mothwing? Leopardstar frowned. It was true that Mothwing had taken an interest in the medicine den in the days leading up to her warrior ceremony. Heronleap had fallen from a tree after chasing a squirrel and Mudfur had needed help to set his shoulder. Mothwing had volunteered, and since then she’d been helping her grandfather with the odd errand whenever she could, even going so far as to collect herbs while on her warrior assessment. Is that really what she might want?

Leopardstar’s thoughts were interrupted as the reed barrier swished. An unfamiliar scent washed over the clearing, and Leopardstar’s spine bristled. Tawnypelt got to her paws, unsheathing her claws as Falcontail and Leafwhisker padded into camp, pushing a skinny white cat in before them.

A loner? Leopardstar didn’t recognize the cat’s scent as she stepped forward, caution tensing her muscles. The cats remaining in camp encircled the stranger, bristling with wariness. There had been peace for moons, but Leopardstar knew her warriors were ready for a fight at the smallest signal.

“What is this?” she asked, pushing her way out of the crowd. Tawnypelt was at her shoulder.

“We found him sniffing around camp,” Falcontail reported, flicking his tail at the white tom. “When we caught him, he asked to be taken to RiverClan.”

Leopardstar glanced at Tawnypelt. The white tom smelled like the uplands, with heather and moorland grasses caught in his pelt. His pale eyes were round as he lifted his head to scan the clearing, and the cats within. Suddenly, his eyes glowed, and he yowled, “Dawnflower!”

Dawnflower?

Dawnflower had been sunning her round belly on the sunning-rock by the medicine cat’s den, and she lifted her head at the sound of her name. Her eyes shone brightly, and she got to her paws. “Frosty!”

A murmur of confusion rippled through the crowd as Dawnflower pushed her way into the center. She touched noses with Frosty, who looked thrilled to the tip of his tail to see her. Leopardstar sighed. I see how it is...

Leopardstar glanced at her deputy, noting that the same realization was there. “So that’s where her head’s been,” Tawnypelt grunted under her breath.

“What is this, Dawnflower?” demanded Leafwhisker. “How do you know this loner?”

Is he so blind? Leopardstar felt a little sorry for him. She padded forward, placing herself before the couple. Their purrs were audible, the affection in their gazes clear. Leopardstar cleared her throat to get their attention, satisfied that they looked embarrassed.

“You are the father, I presume?” Leopardstar guessed, glowering down at Frosty.

Frosty trembled as he looked up at her, but he swallowed and declared, “Yes, I am – and I want to join RiverClan. T-To be with my family.”

Leopardstar was not surprised. She scanned the crowd, gauging their reaction. Most cats looked uncomfortable, some shifting on their paws and others looking uncertain. She heard a few mutterings about how skinny Frosty was, though some others countered that all loners were skinny.

It wasn’t against the warrior code anymore for Frosty to make this demand – he had a better reason than some of the other random loners that the other Clans had taken in, to be certain. Leopardstar looked him over more closely – he was skinny, yes, but he would fill out, and he had survived what looked like a few seasons. If he was willing...

“It will be hard work,” Leopardstar told him. “We Clans do not live a forgiving life.”

“But you live it together,” Frosty countered, “and being with my kits is worth anything.”

“Even giving up the freedom of being a loner?” Tawnypelt asked, an edge to her mew.

Frosty nodded. Though he was trembling with worry, there was a spark in his eyes that Leopardstar couldn’t ignore. He’s quite determined. “I want to be with my kits, and with Dawnflower,” he declared. “Dawnflower made it clear that that meant being in RiverClan... so here I am.”

Dawnflower purred, pressing her muzzle into Frosty’s. Her eyes turned to Leopardstar and Tawnypelt, pleading wordlessly.

Leopardstar sighed. “Very well.”

Frosty’s ears pricked. “R-Really?”

“Really?!”

Leopardstar did not miss Falcontail’s hiss of disbelief. Her son stepped forward, his shoulder fur bristling. Swallowing, Leopardstar suppressed thoughts of where he got that look in his eye.

“That’s all it takes? Some whimpering about family and kin and he just gets to join us?” Falcontail went on. He glared at Frosty. “Being a Clan cat isn’t just kits and sunshine!”

Frosty lowered his head. He didn’t challenge Falcontail, but Leopardstar did not miss the way the white tom’s neck fur was bristling as he meowed, “Dawnflower told me that your warrior code-”

“The code changed, yes, but that doesn’t mean you can just walk in and get what you want!” snapped Falcontail, interrupting Frosty.

“Falcontail, don’t be so mean!” Dawnflower insisted. The young queen pushed her way between Frosty and her Clanmate, tail bushing.

“He does have a point,” Leopardstar admitting. “But Dawnflower is right, too, Falcontail – lower your hackles.”

Falcontail threw his mother a mutinous look, but obeyed. Leopardstar swept on, looking at Frosty now: “Frosty, in order to become a Clan cat, you must prove yourself. You will be treated as we would treat our apprentices. You will be given a mentor to train you, tasked with chores around camp, and asked to hunt for our elderly and sick before we accept you as one of us.”

“Dawnflower told me that, too,” Frosty admitted, “and I’m willing. I want to be with my family, Leopardstar – I grew up all alone, and I can’t let my kittens grow up the same way.”

Leopardstar swallowed. Raising her muzzle, she decided, “Very well – from this moment on, you will be known as Frostpaw. Until you prove your skill and worth to this Clan and to StarClan, your mentor will be Falcontail.”

Falcontail looked taken aback. “W-What?” he breathed. The rest of the Clan looked shocked, too – it was not every day that a warrior so young was given an apprentice.

“You challenged him,” Leopardstar pointed out, flicking her dappled tail. “Who better to teach him our ways than a cat that will not hold back?”

Falcontail stammered something, but it wasn’t coherent. Finally, he shook himself and raised his chin. He stared Frostpaw in the eyes and declared, “I’ll do it.”

“Good,” Leopardstar meowed. She swept her tail around her paws. “You can start his training by taking him on your hunting patrol. Assess his skills, and report to back to Tawnypelt.”

“Yes, Leopardstar,” Falcontail meowed, dipping his head. “Come, Frostpaw. Let’s go.”

Frostpaw’s eyes widened, and he glanced at Dawnflower. Leopardstar blinked – the loner hadn’t been expecting it all to happen so quickly. You won’t find much time to be lazy, she thought with some satisfaction. Dawnflower nudged Frostpaw along. But I’ll have to make sure he’ll have time for his mate.

The matter was settled; the crowd began to disperse. Dawnflower returned to the nursery, looking giddy on her paws. Leopardstar sighed – but pushed aside her frustrations. Dawnflower would have raised her kittens alone without that new addition to the warrior code. She thanked StarClan that the young queen wouldn’t have to go through that hardship, which Leopardstar knew too well.

“Some cats will call favoritism on that,” Tawnypelt warned. Her gaze landed on Ripplecloud, who looked annoyed as he chatted with Heronleap and Heavystep.

“I know,” Leopardstar agreed, following their gaze. All three of those warriors were far older and more experienced. “But Frostpaw looks like a cat that won’t take much training to make into a warrior – it will be good practice for Falcontail.” Curious, Leopardstar asked, “Who would you have chosen instead?”

“Stormfur,” Tawnypelt answered almost immediately. “But perhaps he would have been too easy on a loner.”

Leopardstar glanced over at Stormfur, who was heading out on a patrol. Ripplecloud parted from his group to join him. Stormfur was a noble young warrior, to be sure, but Leopardstar already knew that if she were to give him an apprentice, she would need to give Feathertail one too, and with Feathertail’s attitude...

“Falcontail was the right choice,” Leopardstar decided firmly.

Tawnypelt’s eyes flashed. “I hope so.” She got to her paws and stretched. “I think it was kind of you to let him in, though – he's right; no kits deserve to grow up without parents, if they can avoid it.”

Leopardstar frowned to herself as Tawnypelt headed for the nursery, to check up on her own kits. Was Tawnypelt trying to say that Leopardstar should tell Mothwing and Falcontail the truth? That’s not her decision!

I’ll decide when, and not a moment sooner! Leopardstar dug her claws into the earth. They’re not ready to know yet!