[TB AU] LEOPARDSTAR'S LIE -- Chapter 9 (Patreon)

<< INDEX || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10 >>

“Frostsplash, go with Leafwhisker and Heronleap,” Leopardstar meowed. “I want you to check the moorland border and make sure that WindClan isn’t overstepping.” This greenleaf was proving to be even hotter than the last, scorching dry the shallower streams. WindClan would no doubt be suffering for a lack of water this season, and where else could they turn but to RiverClan?

If the heat keeps up, Tallstar will be begging for water by the next Gathering, Leopardstar thought idly. She glanced at Tawnypelt, who was sitting beside her. We’ll need to talk about that possibility.

Frostsplash’s eyes brightened. “I won’t let you down, Leopardstar!”

Leopardstar blinked at the young white tom. He’d earned his warrior name just a few days ago, after a quarter moon of intense training with Falcontail. The loner’s life hadn’t been easy, and it’d helped him adapt to the Clan quickly – not to mention the motivation of kits on the way. His performance had been admirable.

Tawnypelt shifted on her paws. “Blackclaw,” she began, “I want you to assess Mackarelpaw.”

Blackclaw frowned. “Already?” He turned his muzzle over to his new apprentice, curling his lip slightly.

Leopardstar followed his gaze. Mackarelpaw was grooming herself outside of the apprentice’s den. She had come to RiverClan as a kittypet named Tilly – Leopardstar would have turned her away if she hadn’t heard of the long journey the young cat made to make it to RiverClan territory.

Supposedly it was Barley and Ravenpaw who told her about the Clans, Leopardstar recalled. She thought of Mackarelpaw bursting into the RiverClan camp, smartly avoiding every patrol only days after Frostsplash’s arrival. Her moxie was impressive, even if her size wasn’t.

“Yes,” Tawnypelt confirmed. “I want to know how swiftly she’s learning.”

“Very well,” Blackclaw grunted. He called to Mackarelpaw.

A shadow moved in the apprentice’s den, and Goldenpaw padded out. The broad-shouldered cat stretched and yawned, then meowed a greeting to Mackarelpaw, who twitched her whiskers in return as she moved away to join Blackclaw. Reedpaw and Rosepaw followed their littermate more slowly, flopping down to groom the sleep from one another’s fur.

Tawnypelt’s eyes sparkled. Her kits had been made apprentices yesterday morning, and had gone on their first full tour of RiverClan territory together. It had utterly exhausted them. Leopardstar touched her tail to Tawnypelt’s - it wasn’t long ago that Falcontail and Mothwing were apprentices, just coming out of their new den for the first time. It’s a good feeling to see your own kits grow up.

“Rosepaw!” Leafwhisker called. “We’re on patrol, hurry up!”

Rosepaw started at the sound of Leafwhisker’s voice, and she scrambled to her paws, mewing a swift good-bye to her brothers. Beside Leafwhisker, Heronleap’s whiskers twitched in amusement. Frostsplash did a quick head count, and then nodded, lifting his tail as he led the patrol towards the reed entrance, pausing to let Blackclaw and Mackarelpaw through first.

“Be careful!” purred Dawnflower. The queen, not far from kitting, was resting on the sunning-rock with Shadepelt, enjoying the morning light.

“We will!” Frostsplash meowed, before ducking out of camp.

My Clan is growing, Leopardstar thought proudly, lifting her chin.

“Stormfur, take a hunting patrol,” Tawnypelt went on. “Feathertail, Mothwing, do you want to join him?”

Leopardstar glanced away from the bustle of her Clan to the warriors gathered around her. Stormfur was looking at Mothwing and Feathertail, awaiting their response... and he wasn’t the only cat.

That familiar discomfort prickled Leopardstar’s pelt. Mothwing and Feathertail’s friendship had certainly helped Feathertail’s attitude, but the two she-cats were more than friends... and from the glances of their gathered Clanmates, the fact was more than obvious to everyone else.

“I’ll go,” Feathertail affirmed. “Mothwing?”

“I...” Mothwing looked away from Feathertail, down at her paws. “Mudfur wanted help today. I was hoping I could...”

“Again?” Feathertail’s eyes widened in surprise.

Mothwing wasn’t looking at Feathertail. “He says that this greenleaf has been so hot, it’s been hard for him to find good herbs on his own.” Her pale gaze entreated Tawnypelt instead. “Can I help him?”

Tawnypelt sighed. “Very well. Stormfur, find someone else.”

Leopardstar couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief. Mothwing’s desire to help Mudfur was clearly putting a wedge between herself and Feathertail; and while Leopardstar didn’t want to see her daughter in pain...

It would be too messy to tell her why they shouldn’t be together, she thought, and not just for Mothwing and Feathertail... the whole Clan, too.

Stormfur glanced between Feathertail and Mothwing, looking awkward. A moment later he shrugged, and then meowed, “Heavystep, want to come? You can bring Reedpaw.”

“Sure.” Heavystep flicked his tail, and Reedpaw moved to join him.

Feathertail’s eyes were hard as she whipped around, away from the other cats. She pushed through the crowd and headed for the reed tunnel, leaving the camp without even waiting for her patrol assignment. Stormfur, worry in his gaze, followed as quickly as his paws would take him. Heavystep and Reedpaw hurried after him.

The Clan shuffled. Falcontail’s gaze was impassive as he watched his sister pad over to the medicine cat’s den. Ripplecloud rolled his eyes, muttering something to Brackenflight about young cats and their drama.

Leopardstar glanced at Tawnypelt. The tortoiseshell she-cat's gaze was unreadable, but Leopardstar knew that another talk with Feathertail about her attitude was imminent.

“Alright, we need another border patrol,” Leopardstar chimed in, hoping to cut through the mood. She scanned the crowd, looking for any cats that looked interested. “I’ll lead – I want to check out the greenleaf Twolegplace again. Twolegs swarm like bees in the heat, and if they’re determined to be a nuisance, we need to know just how much of them we’re dealing with this season.”

“I’ll go,” Falcontail offered.

“Good,” Leopardstar decided, feeling a giddiness in her paws. Falcontail wanted to spend time with her? Perhaps StarClan was finally giving her an opportunity to mend their strained relationship? “We’ll do a sweep across the outskirts near the Thunderpath and the ThunderClan border, and then hunt on the way back.”

“Fine with me.”

“Tawnypelt, you have the camp,” Leopardstar stated, flicking her tail at her deputy.

Tawnypelt nodded. She turned back to the rest of the Clan and went on, “Alright, another hunting patrol for later...”

Leopardstar got to her paws and stretched. “Let’s go,” she told Falcontail. “Have you eaten?”

Falcontail blinked in confirmation, coming to her side. Leopardstar felt the brush of his fur and was reminded of his kithood, of how he’d be so annoyed and distant during play but cuddled close to her when naptime came. Mothwing still wanted the occasional cuddle while sharing tongues, but Falcontail never allowed it anymore.

This is my chance, Leopardstar told herself, leading the way out of camp. She ducked beneath the well-woven reeds that walled off RiverClan from the rest of the forest, feeling a slight breeze tickle her whiskers. I can’t blow it!

———————————————————-

Leopardstar shook a leaf from her pelt. The greenleaf Twolegplace was, unfortunately, abuzz with activity – but by her estimation, there were less Twolegs there than in the past. That was good, at least – perhaps the drought and intense heat were actually keeping them away.

Falcontail led the way along the small Thunderpath that headed to the greenleaf Twolegplace, pausing now and again to refresh the border markings. Though no other Clans touched them on this side of the forest, these markings still needed to be strong – they kept away rogues and loners and deterred predators. Leopardstar paused to rub her muzzle against the trunk of a tree.

“I don’t know how ThunderClan stands it,” Falcontail sighed, coming up to her side. “All these trees! Their fur must be mostly sap.”

Leopardstar’s whiskers twitched. “We’ve just enough trees on our territory,” she agreed. “I don’t understand how they can even tell when it’s about to rain, with all those leaves overhead.”

Both Falcontail and Leopardstar lowered their bodies into the light undergrowth as a Twoleg monster rattled past, bumping along the small Thunderpath. Leopardstar curled her lip at the foul stench the shiny creature belched out into the world.

“Let’s keep moving,” she decided when the monster passed.

So far, the patrol was going well. The lands along the outskirts of the forest were hardly a problem. Leopardstar and Falcontail leaped as one over the smaller of the two streams that ran beneath the small Thunderpath. If they followed either, it would take them back to the RiverClan camp. Leopardstar couldn’t help but notice that the water was far, far lower than she had hoped – what if it dried up entirely?

It’s quieter than I’d like, too, Leopardstar thought, glancing back at Falcontail. Her son had been focused on the task ahead, eyes alert for any signs of trouble, but Leopardstar found herself itching for more than that. It’s just the two of us! Can’t we just talk?

She felt a twinge in her stomach as she realized how hard she was struggling to talk to her son. Mothwing was so easy – she loved to talk, chat, gossip... she was so easygoing! If Mothwing had a problem, she’d come to her mother. Falcontail, though, felt as much a stranger to Leopardstar as a cat from another Clan at times, and it hurt.

He’s a fine warrior, though, Leopardstar decided. Falcontail’s senses were sharp and his claws were even sharper – his dedication on patrols and hunting was something even the senior warriors commended. And, really, if Falcontail wanted to focus on being a loyal warrior, how mad could Leopardstar be? Wasn’t that what she wanted for him?

I’m his mother, though, she thought, glancing back at him. Falcontail was sniffing at a patch of ferns, his pale-yellow eyes narrowed in thought. Aren’t I allowed to want more than that?

“So!” Leopardstar lifted her chin, her tone brisk. “Has any cat caught your eye?”

Falcontail looked up from the ferns, puzzled. “W-What?”

Leopardstar flicked her tail. “I asked if you had any cat in mind for a mate, Falcontail,” she purred, twitching an ear.

“Oh.” Falcontail trotted past her. Leopardstar lengthened her stride to catch up to him, amusement tickling her toes when she saw just how ruffled the fur at the base of his tail was.

“Well?” she wondered, raising her brow.

Falcontail looked away from her. “There’s no one,” he answered.

Leopardstar blinked, unsure. Was he telling the truth? “Are you certain?” she pressed. “You can tell me, you know.”

“I’m not Mothwing,” Falcontail responded, his tail twitching to and fro. “I don’t just fall for whatever cat smiles at me.”

Frowning, Leopardstar meowed, “That’s no way to talk about your sister.”

Falcontail rolled his eyes. “She’s a fluff-brain, Mother,” he scoffed. “An airhead. She can’t even decide whether she wants to be a medicine cat or a warrior! Not to mention Feathertail.”

The two paused at the bank of the second stream. Leopardstar watched her son bunch his haunches and leap over the thin trickle of water. He landed with ease on the other side, a puff of dust clouding near his paws.

“Mothwing and Feathertail’s business is their business,” Leopardstar pointed out. She cleared the stream in a single bound, turning about to check the water level. Though this stream was wider than the previous, it still held the same amount of water – which made sense, as they were connected up by the RiverClan camp. “We’re talking about you, not Mothwing.”

“I’m not interested in anyone,” Falcontail said firmly, turning away.

Leopardstar followed him down the trail. This would take them to the main river that cut through the forest, where an old Twoleg bridge connected the small Thunderpath. The RiverClan border ended there, and beyond it was the Treecut Place and ThunderClan territory.

“That’s all you needed to say,” Leopardstar told him.

“That’s what I said,” Falcontail pointed out.

Leopardstar tried not to feel hurt by her son’s tone. He’s always been prickly, she told herself. I just pushed too hard.

“What are you planning to do with Feathertail, anyway?” Falcontail asked. He glanced back at Leopardstar, his gaze difficult to read. “She’s been insubordinate for seasons, and I heard a rumor that she was thinking of joining ThunderClan.”

“Where did you hear that?” Leopardstar demanded.

Falcontail scoffed. “Leafwhisker overheard her talking to her father at the last Gathering,” he meowed. “Tawnypelt isn’t the only cat with ears in RiverClan!”

The fur between Leopardstar’s shoulders bristled. Tawnypelt had told her about a conversation with Feathertail after the last Gathering, where Graystripe had offered his daughter a place in his Clan – but Tawnypelt hadn’t told anyone else, and Leopardstar had told her to leave it alone until they had reason to do otherwise. Were Falcontail and his friends eavesdropping on private conversations?

“That is also none of your business, Falcontail,” Leopardstar said tersely, taking the lead again. She brushed past her son, hoping he didn’t feel the way her fur was prickling. “That is between Tawnypelt, Feathertail, and myself.”

“But what are you going to do?” Falcontail inquired regardless. He strode up to walk at Leopardstar’s shoulder, his eyes piercing into hers. “We have a warrior thinking of leaving our Clan, and taking our secrets with her! ThunderClan already has Silverstream – who knows what she’s told them? Doesn’t that bother you?”

“It does,” Leopardstar admitted, blinking at him evenly. She sighed. He was so passionate about RiverClan... it’s no wonder he’d get so annoyed. “Falcontail, there’s something you learn when you become leader of a Clan – deputy, too, for that matter. Some things are just out of your control.”

Falcontail frowned. “You’re Clan leader, Leopardstar,” he meowed seriously. “There’s nothing out of your control.”

Leopardstar paused the patrol with a wave of her tail. They had reached the river, and the Twoleg bridge arched overhead. She gestured to the flowing river with her paw. “I cannot control the way the river flows, Falcontail – no cat can. Just like no cat can control what lies in another’s heart. If Feathertail’s heart lies in ThunderClan, I can’t stop her from going – but if it lies in RiverClan, I’ll do everything I can to make this place her home.”

Falcontail looked into the river and curled his lip. “RiverClan should be her home anyway,” he growled. “We’re not ThunderClan – we don’t just shuffle our warriors around to other Clans willy-nilly.”

Leopardstar sighed. As much as she understood her son’s frustrations, she did find herself empathizing with Feathertail’s position. My mistakes have earned me the skepticism of many cats – not all of them are as open about it as Feathertail is.

“Being half-Clan is complicated, Falcontail,” she explained. “And I can’t imagine what it’s like to have parents in another Clan, either. I can’t control what goes on in Feathertail’s heart, and she cannot control the fact that she was born half-Clan.”

“I guess so.” Falcontail’s frown intensified, and he struck out at the water – at his reflection – with one paw. Leopardstar blinked, confused, until he raised his damp paw to clean his whiskers. “I still think her attitude isn’t good for the Clan – and I'm not the only one. If it were me, she’d be sorted out by now. We need every cat to fight the other Clans if they start demanding our water.”

“I doubt it will come to that,” Leopardstar soothed. She felt a twinge of discomfort at the way Falcontail was talking.

“What if it does?” Falcontail wondered, lifting his head. His eyes were sharp. “We’d have three Clans at our borders, outnumbered on every side!”

Leopardstar stretched out her back legs, partially to hide her amusement at her son’s seriousness. “It would be a rare thing indeed for all three Clans to come together in an agreement like that!” she meowed. She could imagine WindClan and ThunderClan teaming up, but ShadowClan? Russetstar wouldn’t agree, not with Tallstar and Tinystar. “I highly doubt this drought will last that long – there is always rain on the way, Falcontail.”

“I hope so,” he grumbled.

They got to their paws, and Leopardstar led the way underneath the Twoleg bridge. The shade was welcome on Leopardstar’s back after walking in the hot sun for so long. On the other side, Leopardstar placed a marker on one of the stone legs that held up the little bridge. Falcontail moved ahead, his tail twitching.

“Leopardstar, come here!” he called.

Leopardstar trotted to his side. “What is it?”

“Do you smell that?” Falcontail asked, lifting his head.

Leopardstar breathed in the air, letting it pass over her scent glands. “Badger,” she surmised. Glancing about, she could see evidence of foraging – here and there the bark of the trees had been disturbed, at the right level for a badger’s claws.

“Badger,” Falcontail agreed, lowering his voice. He nodded over a small hill, crested by dry, scraggly bushes. “I think it’s over by the old rabbit warrens.”

Leopardstar swallowed. That warren has been empty since LionClan used it to keep prisoners, she thought, her stomach clenching. Of course a badger would make it into its den!

“We need to head back,” Leopardstar declared. “Tawnypelt needs to know.”

Falcontail frowned. “Without seeing where it’s nesting?”

“We’re only two cats, Falcontail,” Leopardstar reasoned. “We’re in no position to take that risk.”

Falcontail narrowed his eyes, but conceded, “Fine; let’s go.”

Leopardstar was glad she didn’t have to fight with him about it, especially here. Badgers weren’t diurnal creatures, and if one was sleeping in those warrens, Leopardstar didn’t want to be the reason why it woke.

Quickly, lowering her body to keep her steps quiet, Leopardstar skirted the rabbit warrens. She felt Falcontail’s breath on her hind leg as she moved. Pulling one paw carefully before the other, she rounded the hill, pausing to lift her head to see into the old warrens.

The hillside was dappled with several holes, where rabbits once made their dens, sheltered by bushes. One of the holes, however, had always been larger than the others, and it led into a dark little cavern below the earth. What made it, Leopardstar had no idea, but the cavern had seen use by the Clan before.

It reeked of badger here, now, and Leopardstar curled her lip. “It’s definitely here,” she whispered to Falcontail. “In the big hole. It’s cornered there – we could flush it out easily and drive it away.”

Falcontail nodded in agreement, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. “We can catch it just before dusk, when it’s sight isn’t so good.”

“Good thinking.” Leopardstar felt a burst of pride that her son was such a good strategist. “Let’s head back to camp.”

Leopardstar had just turned to go when, suddenly, a yowl split the air behind her. Bristling, she whipped around, her heart beating in her ears. What was that?!

Falcontail had one paw lifted awkwardly, his ears pinned and his eyes glazed with pain. “I trod on a thorn,” he complained.

“Are you kidding me!?” Leopardstar hissed, bristling. “You could have woken the--”

A dull roar interrupted her, and Leopardstar’s heart dropped. A dark shape moved in the big hole, and two bright, beady eyes opened in the darkness. Lamely, she finished, “--badger.”

The badger lumbered out of the den, their foul odor filling the air. Leopardstar bushed out her tail as it swung its head around, confused by the sunlight. It can’t see us! We can still flee!

She pushed Falcontail ahead of her. “Go!” she hissed. “Hurry!”

“My paw!” Falcontail complained. He lifted his paw, letting it dangle uselessly before him. “It hurts!”

Leopardstar looked back, gasping in shock as the badger, hearing their voices and no doubt smelling them, began heading in their direction. Leopardstar’s heart beat in her ears, and she pushed Falcontail even harder – but her son was heavy, and his unwillingness to move made him even heavier.

The badger was upon them a moment later, blindly swinging its paws at the warriors. Leopardstar managed to push Falcontail out of the way, falling onto her side in the process – she managed to roll just out of the way of the badger’s swatting paw, a sharp wind stirring her pelt telling her just how close she had come to injury.

“Find a patrol!” she yowled, scrambling to her paws. “Go!”

“But!”

“I said go!”

Leopardstar lashed out with one paw, her claws scraping harmlessly through fur. I will not watch this thing kill my son! A fierce rush of protectiveness flooded her muscles, making her senses scream.

The badger turned and raised its paw again. Leopardstar just barely managed to dodge, turning on her hind paw to lash out with her claws again. This time she struck skin, and a bright rush of blood followed her blow.

Moaning, the badger staggered back a pace, shaking its muzzle. Leopardstar took the moment to catch her breath and figure out her surroundings – one cat against a badger were not favorable odds, but if there was something here she could use to distract it...

Her eye caught on Falcontail, who was still standing where Leopardstar had left him. Fury boiled up in Leopardstar’s fur. “What are you still doing here!” she demanded. “Get moving!”

Falcontail only stared back at her. He made no motion to leave, all four paws planted firmly on the ground. Something flickered near him, some shape that Leopardstar could not identify.

But wasn’t his paw hurt...? Whatever realization Leopardstar had been about to make, it was interrupted. She hardly felt the badger slamming into her. Leopardstar let out a screech of horror as the creature’s wild, blind flailing flipped her onto her back and exposed her belly.

Leopardstar hissed, using every claw she had to try and dislodge the beast – but badgers were far heavier than cats, and this one was stubborn. Leopardstar blinked rapidly as a drop of blood hit her in the eye, blinding her for a moment – and that moment was all it took.

She felt the badger’s jaws close around her throat, and nothing more after that.