[TB] DAWN -- Chapter 7 (Patreon)

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Sunhigh had come and gone by the time Stoneheart, Wolftooth, and Pinewhisker made it to the edge of ShadowClan territory, where the marshlands and the Twolegplace met. The long stretch of fence, broken up into different materials depending on the size of a Twoleg’s territory, made a boundary that was difficult to miss, especially since ShadowClan had been marking the very bottoms of those Twoleg fences for seasons now.

“What’s the point of this?” Pinewhisker asked as they approached. His tail had been flicking the whole trip, and he looked back at Stoneheart. “I thought this lake of yours was where we’re meant to be.”

“It is,” Stoneheart grunted, noting Pinewhisker’s skeptical tone.

Wolftooth raised his head. He’d been sniffing at the boundary, to make sure that it was still intact, but now his pale eyes were glowering right into Pinewhisker and Stoneheart. “Russetstar says that Twolegplace is an option, so an option it is. The warrior code says her word is law.”

Pinewhisker still didn’t look satisfied. “Then let her come and scout it out,” he mumbled.

Stoneheart rolled his eyes and forged ahead, staring down the line of Twoleg fences. Most here were well-maintained, but further down the line there was a well-known spot where cats could squeeze through a gap in the wooden planks and come and go between Twolegplace and marshland. It had been suggested ages ago to block it, somehow, but ShadowClan’s leader at the time, Raggedstar, had disagreed.

“Let the kittypets come,” he’d reportedly crowed from atop the Clanrock. “They’ll feel ShadowClan’s claws and flee like the cowards they are. If they don’t, we’ll keep them!”

Stoneheart didn’t know how true that was, but the hole in the fence was real enough. He raised his tail when he found it, and Wolftooth and Pinewhisker were soon by his side. It smelled as if no cats had made their way through it in a few moons – likely because of the Twolegs stomping through the forest.

Wolftooth went first, his broad shoulders scraping at the edges of the wood. Pinewhisker was a thinner cat, and he slipped through with ease. Stoneheart took up the rear, ducking to avoid the feeling of wood rubbing against his ears and anxious not to be stuck.

The yard beyond the broken fence was somewhat famous in ShadowClan for how in disrepair it was compared to the yards and dens around it. Stoneheart couldn’t imagine a Twoleg wanting to stay there for more than a moon – the windows were broken, and some walls had rotted-out holes as big as a badger. Twoleg trash of all shapes and sizes were strewn about in the long, unkempt grass, and the smell of crow-food hung faintly in the air.

It reminded Stoneheart of the Twoleg nest he and the other journeying cats had taken shelter in with Purdy in his big Twolegplace – though, somehow that one had seemed cleaner. Self-consciously, Stoneheart licked at his shoulder. The rat bite he’d gotten there had long since healed, but the injury had certainly been an inconvenience to himself and the others.

“We should keep moving,” he meowed, feeling wary. “There might be rats around.”

“Right,” Wolftooth agreed. He lifted his tail. “Let’s go.”

The big gray tabby led the way through the grass towards the fence. Pinewhisker took the rear as they followed the ragged slats of wood around the old den, towards the Thunderpath that lay past it. Stoneheart pricked his ears, noting that this was a smaller Thunderpath, one that could only fit two lines of monsters.

He tasted the air and found only the reek of monsters, but at least it was on the stale side. “Seems quiet,” Stoneheart meowed, whiskers twitching.

Wolftooth’s eyes flashed. “Good,” he grunted. “I’m tired of Twolegs – their monsters, too.”

“We should wait until night,” Pinewhisker pointed out, glancing at Wolftooth. “The Twolegs would be less active.”

“We’re on a time limit,” Stoneheart reminded him. “Moving at night would be best, but it’ll take too long.” If the missing cats are here, we have to find them!

Wolftooth was nodding in agreement. “He’s right. For now, let’s keep away from the Thunderpath and to the shade. That ought to keep us hidden.”

Following that thought, the three cats clustered together. Though they were arguably the three warriors most familiar with Twolegplaces in all of ShadowClan, Stoneheart had to admit that they all felt the same level of discomfort. This place was not meant for cats, and Stoneheart felt it in every fiber of his being, like he had in Purdy’s Twolegplace.

What if Russetstar ends up choosing this place for us anyway? Stoneheart wondered with a shudder. The decision would no doubt divide ShadowClan. I certainly don’t want to live here!

“So, what’re we even looking for?” Pinewhisker wondered. The three of them had crossed into another yard, heading away from the forest. “We’re not going to find a marsh in all this.”

Wolftooth kept them close to the fence, following it even when it touched the side of a Twoleg den. As they brushed their pelts past the pockmarked stones that lined the den walls, Wolftooth glanced back and meowed: “There might not be marshland here, but there are places where there could be enough shelter for a Clan.”

Pinewhisker scoffed. “Surely not all in one spot!” They broke into a trot, crossing the open yard to the fence on the opposite side. Stoneheart could feel his Clanmates puffing, their bony sides heaving. “Some Twolegplaces have spots that might be big enough, but there wouldn’t be enough prey!”

“Trash attracts mice,” Stoneheart pointed out, glancing back at a scrapcan pushed up near the fence behind them.

“It also attracts rats and raccoons,” Pinewhisker returned, curling his lip. “Have you ever fought a raccoon?”

“Can’t say so, no,” Stoneheart admitted.

Pinewhisker narrowed his eyes. “Well, you don’t want to!”

“Just keep a look out,” Wolftooth meowed, looking back at the other two. Stoneheart felt the older tom’s frustration in his gaze. He’d already voiced his disagreement with living among Twolegs again. “Alleys, old dens... there are places to live in a Twolegplace.”

“But can you live well is the real question...” Pinewhisker mumbled, when Wolftooth had turned his back.

Stoneheart had to agree, but he also had to admit that, as they stalked along Twoleg dens and fences, he wasn’t looking for a place to call home – he was looking for any signs of the missing cats, a goal he was aware that the others were ignorant of. So far, there was nothing – and he wasn’t sure what he ought to be looking for in the first place, and the sounds and smells of the Twolegplace were clogging his every sense.

What if they’re not here? His heart trembled with worry. We could spend a moon searching this place and find nothing at all! He thought of Rowanclaw, lost to the Twolegs – what would they do to his beloved? Stoneheart couldn’t imagine Rowanclaw settling into a kittypet’s life! Would he be forced to live like a rogue?

“Let’s have a rest,” Wolftooth suggested finally. He pointed with his nose to what lay ahead – it seemed like the end of their quiet journey was almost done, and taller buildings took the places of the smaller dens beyond what looked to be a larger Thunderpath.

Pinewhisker flopped down. “Thank StarClan – my paws hurt.” He bent to lick them.

Stoneheart glanced about, finding some broad, leafy dock growing just along the fence they were near. He pulled off a few leaves and began chewing them, like he’d seen Shadepaw do many times on the journey. His poultice was messy, but he passed it off to Pinewhisker.

“Thanks,” Pinewhisker mewed, rubbing his pads in the green goop.

“Want some, Wolftooth?” Stoneheart asked.

Wolftooth shook his head, and turned over his pads. They were hard and gray, toughened to stone. They reminded Stoneheart of the Tribe cat’s paws. “I was born here, remember?” Wolftooth meowed. “I’m good.”

Stoneheart nodded in understanding and rubbed the dock on his own paws. He hadn’t had much of a chance to hunt with the Tribe cats while he’d stayed in the mountains, so his pads had hardly developed any toughness before they reached the forest again. Still, it seemed like they didn’t sting as badly as Pinewhisker’s.

“I thought you lived with Twolegs, too?” Stoneheart wondered to his Clanmate.

“Not in a place like this,” Pinewhisker admitted. “I grew up on a farm beyond the Carrionplace – my mothers were mousers. Twolegs might’ve pet me now and then, and I might’ve seen a vet; but I didn’t cross too many Thunderpaths.”

“Lucky,” Wolftooth grunted. He glanced at the stone river nearby, wincing as a monster crawled past. “I’ve seen many a cat die on a Thunderpath.”

“They were probably running away from you,” Pinewhisker joked, whiskers twitching.

Wolftooth’s eyes hardened, and his claws flexed in the grass. “They were,” he growled, no humor in his tone.

Stoneheart suppressed a shiver, and he heard Pinewhisker gulp. The thought brought back memories of fighting at Fourtrees, battling for the safety of the forest with his sister and four Clans' worth of apprentices. It was easy to forget that Wolftooth had been a part of BloodClan, and how ruthless those cats had been – especially for cats like Pinewhisker, who only knew the stories.

“Was BloodClan really as awful as they say?” Pinewhisker wondered, his voice quiet. “Cats passing by our barn didn’t often mention them, but when they did...”

Wolftooth nodded. “Meaner than you’ve probably heard, in some ways,” he rumbled back. “But as far as I know, they’re gone now.”

“I hope so,” Pinewhisker murmured. “I’d hate to share territory with anyone like that.”

Stoneheart fidgeted, and he decided that now was as good a time as any – there was no way he could search on his own: “Russetstar made it seem like staying here wasn’t her plan.”

“What do you mean?” Wolftooth wondered, raising his chin. Beside him, Pinewhisker looked hopeful, suddenly, his ears pricking up as Wolftooth went on, “She went on and on about how it was an option to consider and all that!”

Stoneheart blinked, feeling faintly embarrassed – but he twitched his whiskers and explained: “Cats from all the Clans have gotten captured by Twolegs, not just Rowanclaw. One of them was Tawnypelt – I think that if we find her, we might be able to change Leopardstar’s mind and get her to come with us to the lake. Russetstar wasn’t sure whether or not the missing cats would be here, but...”

“But she thought it’s a good place to start,” Pinewhisker finished. He sagged with relief. “Thank StarClan, Russetstar hasn’t gotten bees in her brain!”

Wolftooth swallowed, and suddenly he avoided Stoneheart’s gaze. “I never got to say that I’m sorry about what happened to Rowanclaw...”

Stoneheart stiffened. “Wolftooth...”

“I tried,” Wolftooth sighed, staring at his paws. It felt strange to see the proud older warrior look so upset. “I’ve gotten cats out of that situation before, Stoneheart, I swear it by StarClan – I tried everything I knew! But it just wouldn’t open... and then the Twolegs came...”

Stoneheart hesitated. He’d never thought about being upset about Wolftooth’s failure – the only thing on his mind had been Rowanclaw’s safety. Stoneheart got to his paws and touched his nose to Wolftooth’s ear.

“It’s alright,” he promised. There was a tug at his heart, like a claw was pricking him there. “I’m not angry. I understand. I just want Rowanclaw back.”

“We all do,” Pinewhisker murmured.

Wolftooth raised his head, and the older warrior looked determined. “We’re going to find him,” he declared assuredly. “I swear it by StarClan.”

Stoneheart felt warm from his ears to his toes. “Good,” he purred, “because I’m not leaving him behind ever again.”

“Ugh, what is this?” crowed a voice from above. “I want to retch, it’s so annoying.”

Stoneheart looked up, and his heart began to race. Balancing on the fence were four ragged, lean cats, their pelts rumpled and marred by scars. They each glowered down at the ShadowClan patrol with hungry, angry eyes and, worst of all... Stoneheart saw that two of them bore collars bristling with dog’s teeth.

“BloodClan!” he hissed, springing to his paws. Curse this Twolegplace! If there hadn’t been so many smells and sounds, there’s no way these rogues would have snuck up on them! And Wolftooth was just saying how BloodClan was gone...

Pinewhisker and Wolftooth were immediately on alert, claws unsheathed and spines bristling. Stoneheart’s mind began to race – there were four of these ragged cats, and three of the ShadowClan warriors; but BloodClan fought without remorse, and this was their territory. Even if the ShadowClan cats were smarter and more disciplined, they were at a huge disadvantage.

“BloodClan?!” repeated one of the cats – a ragged ginger-and-white she-cat. She looked offended by the name. “BloodClan hasn’t been around for forever - we’re IceClan cats!”

IceClan? Stoneheart glanced at Pinewhisker and Wolftooth, confused.

“Yeah,” said another of the “IceClan” cats, a gray tom with a foul odor. He gathered his haunches, glaring down at Stoneheart with narrowed green eyes. “We’re IceClan... and you’re going to regret setting your nasty forest paws on our territory!”

All four IceClan rogues were on alert now, hostility and eagerness rippling through their pelts. Stoneheart squared his shoulders, feeling Wolftooth and Pinewhisker press up against him in preparation for an aerial assault.

StarClan above, Stoneheart thought desperately, glaring into the eyes of their leader, I hate Twolegplaces!