[TB] DAWN -- Chapter 10 (Patreon)

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“Stoneheart? Stoneheart, wake up!”

Stoneheart opened his eyes with a start, his claws gripping the earth. He got his bearings quickly – the sky was orange with evening, and he was in the patch of woods behind the Twoleg vet. His panic faded, his heartbeat slowing. I must have dozed off.

Wolftooth was sitting near him, whiskers twitching with amusement, with a paw raised to prod him. Stoneheart pushed himself to his paws, feeling embarrassment pricking his pelt. He licked his chest fur to soothe it.

“Tucker says Branch ought to be coming out soon,” Wolftooth meowed. He nodded to a scraggly clump of ferns near Pinewhisker and Tucker, who were chatting. “We managed to save you a sparrow – they're thin here, too, but easy enough to catch.”

Stoneheart nodded his thanks. He stretched sleep from his muscles and then padded over to the makeshift fresh-kill pile. Wolftooth was right – the sparrow was tiny compared to what flew in the forest, but that didn’t matter. Just the sight of it made Stoneheart’s stomach yowl.

He gave thanks to StarClan for the meal as he tucked in, observing the world around him while he ate. From what Purdy had said, Twolegplaces got loud near the end of the day – this one seemed to be no different. Stoneheart could see monster after monster passing by beyond the vet’s den, and he could hear that loud roar they make when awakened everywhere around him. The Twolegs must be heading home.

Stoneheart fought a sigh – would that they were heading home, too. He pushed away the bones of his meal, feeling dissatisfied. He wanted to sleep in his nest in ShadowClan camp, not under Twoleg bushes, and he wanted Rowanclaw by his side now more than ever. His dreams were so restless without his beloved by his side.

He felt hurt bloom in his chest, and he tried to stamp it down. We’ll find him; that’s why we’re here! Instead of focusing on missing his mate, Stoneheart turned his ears to catch what Pinewhisker and Tucker were talking about.

“... so, do you guys have vets?” the kittypet was asking. “You guys have to get sick out there, and I know you get into fights. Who do you go to if you don’t have a vet?”

Pinewhisker scoffed, “We don’t need Twolegs to take care of us – we've got medicine cats.”

“Medicine cats?” Tucker looked confused, but intrigued.

Pinewhisker nodded. “They collect herbs and know what they do, and they use them to heal us when we’re sick or hurt,” he explained. “They also guide the Clan with signs they receive from our warrior ancestors.”

“Oh, wow!” Tucker’s eyes widened like bright little moons. Then, he looked confused: “But you said you weren’t born a Clan cat, Pinewhisker. You don’t have warrior ancestors then, right?”

Pinewhisker shrugged. “Probably not,” he admitted, “but when I die, I’ll go to StarClan, and then I’ll be a warrior ancestor for my kits, and their kits.” He raised his head, looking proud. “The first of my line!”

Wolftooth looked his way, his eyes sparking with mischief. “You’ll be the last if you don’t give Nightwing the time of day,” he chuckled.

Pinewhisker bristled, looking offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, incredulous. “Nightwing knows how I feel about her!”

Wolftooth grinned. “Does she? Have you told her?”

Stoneheart twitched his whiskers at Pinewhisker, trying not to purr at his Clanmate’s abashed expression. Nightwing and Pinewhisker padding in circles after one another wasn’t something he’d thought he’d come back to when he left on the journey, but there it was.

“I-I think she knows!” Pinewhisker stammered back.

“You need to tell her, Pinewhisker,” Stoneheart meowed. He recalled the worried way Nightwing had begged to come with them, and how dismissive Pinewhisker had been. “Don’t lead her on by the tail. If you don’t say it, how can you know she knows?”

Pinewhisker looked like a fish, his mouth opening in closing as if gasping for air. Finally, he sagged, and meowed, “Fine - if we make it out of this place, I’ll tell her.”

“Good,” Wolftooth grunted. The big gray tom stretched out, triumphant. “And when we get to the lake, you two can have as many kits as you can handle.”

Pinewhisker’s tail bristled, and whatever response he might have made, Stoneheart missed – his heartbreak had opened anew, and he couldn’t help but wallow. He was happy for Pinewhisker and Nightwing and whatever the future might hold for them, but bitter claws gripped his shoulders.

What if he never found Rowanclaw?

Stoneheart stared down at the remains of his meal, finding that it was now a lump in his throat. If he never found Rowanclaw, if he had to leave the forest without him... would he ever feel happy again? Would his dreams keep taking him to dark, dank places? Would he succumb to his own anxieties and fears? Sometimes it felt like the hope that Rowanclaw might be out there was all that was keeping him going.

His expression must have given his thoughts away – he felt Wolftooth’s tail rest on his shoulders. “Hey,” the older warrior grunted, his breath close to Stoneheart’s ear, “it’ll be okay. We’ll find Rowanclaw.”

Stoneheart leaned into Wolftooth, feeling his limbs go weak. “What... What if StarClan wants me to leave him behind?” he whispered. Speaking such a secret fear made his tongue dry as wood.

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Wolftooth murmured back. “And you can’t think that, either.”

Stoneheart swallowed. He was aware that both Pinewhisker and Tucker were staring at him, their eyes round and, in Tucker’s case, confused. Stoneheart pulled away from Wolftooth, giving his pelt a shake. Clanmates were one thing, but Stoneheart couldn’t bring himself to look so weak in front of a kittypet - what kind of Clan cat would he be?

“I see I have visitors.”

The voice was pleasant, soft, and, above all, unfamiliar; coming as the dark of night descended upon the Twolegplace. Weak moonlight lit up the massive, powerful shoulders of a very, very large tomcat, turning his dark brown pelt to silver. He tilted his broad head, observing the four cats with calm yellow eyes that glowed like small suns.

Tucker nearly jumped out of his pelt. “Branch!” he cried. “You scared us!”

Wolftooth stepped forward. “You’re Branch?” he asked.

“I am,” Branch answered, dipping his head.

Stoneheart was stunned – this Branch dwarfed even Wolftooth, who was one of ShadowClan’s largest cats, alongside Blackfoot, who might look like a kit in comparison. How does a cat even get that big? More importantly, how had such a large cat appeared without anyone noticing him?

Stoneheart couldn’t help but lean forward and sniff. Something about Branch’s scent seemed... off. It was plain, alien, with a subtle tang that Stoneheart felt came from nowhere in nature. Perhaps that was why they hadn’t noticed him coming – this tom barely smelled like a cat at all!

Branch calmly observed the ShadowClan cats, his eyes resting on each in turn. When his eyes met Stoneheart’s, he meowed, “I’m sorry to keep you waiting; my partner had a patient who needed some extra attention.”

“Your partner?” Pinewhisker tilted his head.

“The vet,” Branch meowed, nodding back to the building behind him. He licked a paw and drew it over his ear. “We are not owner and kittypet, as you might think. We consider one another partners. You three aren’t here to talk with me about that, however.”

Branch looked at Tucker, and the kittypet stood at attention: “These cats want your help, Branch,” he explained, gesturing to the ShadowClan patrol with his tail. “They came from the marshlands, in the forest, and they’re--”

“They’re looking for someone,” Branch finished. Stoneheart felt unnerved – the big tom’s eyes had not left him. “That much seems obvious. Thank you, Tucker, for bringing them to me.”

“So, you’ll help us?” Pinewhisker guessed, looking hopeful.

Branch nodded, his eyes soft and compliant. “I am not the type to turn away someone in need – now, tell me, who are you looking for? I will help if I can.”

“My mate,” Stoneheart burst, taking a step towards Branch. His heart thudded in his ears, and he was aware of just how selfish he seemed. “Ah... there are others, too – they were all taken by the Twolegs that are destroying the forest. We can’t leave for our new home without them.”

“Tucker and Cody tell us that you’re the cat to see about finding the missing,” Wolftooth rumbled on.

Branch blinked. “Well, I don’t like to brag, but... they are correct. Come.”

The big tom brushed past, heading further into the little patch of woodland behind the vet’s den. Tucker followed without question, his tail up and his eyes bright with excitement. Wolftooth shrugged and got to his paws, heading after them.

Pinewhisker rubbed his pelt against Stoneheart’s. “What’s there to lose?” he offered, sounding encouraging.

Stoneheart nodded in agreement, his heart lifting despite the uncertainty as he followed Pinewhisker. What could this Branch cat offer that no one else could? Perhaps he was like a medicine cat himself, if something like that could exist within a Twolegplace.

This patch of woodland was small, and Branch led them to its very heart. Despite being able to see Thunderpaths and monsters and even Twolegs from where they sat, it seemed very quiet here, the sound muffled by the thin trees and scrappy bushes. Moonlight streamed down between the branches, which had already lost almost all their leaves.

Branch settled down beside the stump of what might have been a very tall oak. He curled his tail around his paws, sweeping dry leaves around him. He turned his muzzle to the sky, and took a deep breath, his whiskers trembling with concentration.

“What’s he doing?” Pinewhisker wondered.

“Ssh!” Tucker hissed, his eyes round and bright. “You’ll see!”

Stoneheart glanced warily at Wolftooth. The big gray tom looked just as concerned, and as time stretched on, Stoneheart was half tempted to prod at Branch – the brown tom seemed frozen stiff, his muzzle to the sky and his tail covered in leaves.

The night stretched on, and it seemed like an eternity before Branch lowered his muzzle.

“My apologies,” he said, sounding tired. “With the workfolk in the forest, the earth has become hard to hear.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Stoneheart wondered, getting to his paws. His heart began to beat faster. “You can’t find them?”

Branch blinked, staring into Stoneheart’s eyes. “I can find them,” he said, with no uncertainty, “but I am saying that it won’t be easy.”

“Well, what can we do to help?” Wolftooth wondered. He glanced at the sky, and how the moon was a catscratch from half-full. He’d promised Russetstar that their patrol would be back before that happened, Stoneheart recalled. “We’re running out of time.”

Branch twitched his whiskers. “Tell me about those you’re looking for. That may help me find them.”

Pinewhisker worked his jaw. “Well... it’s not like we know them all personally, but... Robinwing is a WindClan cat – she's brown with blue eyes. Smells like moor grass and heather.”

“Tawnypelt is RiverClan’s deputy,” Wolftooth went on. “She’s fierce, and strong, and smells like willows and river water and fish, like all RiverClan cats. An older tortoiseshell with a scarred pelt.”

Stoneheart swallowed. “Cloudtail and Brightheart are mates, and they’re both so brave. Brightheart is missing an eye, and an ear, and Cloudtail is the best tracker in ThunderClan.” His heart stirred with memories of ThunderClan, only to ache again as he went on, “And Rowanclaw... he’s my mate. I love him so much – h-he's dark ginger, and his eyes sparkle when he purrs, and I would do anything just to see him again, a-and...”

He was conscious of the eyes on him, now, but it didn’t stop it all from tumbling out: “I just want to tell him I’m sorry for leaving him alone.” He stared into Branch’s eyes, willing him to understand, hoping that this would help. “I want to tell him that I want to have kits, and that I’m sorry for being too scared to tell him that. I want to look into his eyes again, and I want to hear his voice, even if he says he doesn’t forgive me for leaving him behind.”

Stoneheart swallowed, realizing that the lump in his throat was almost choking him. He fell to his haunches, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a ball. Being so vulnerable made him feel like his pelt had fallen off of his body. His voice was a whimper, now: “I want to tell him that... e-even if we make it to the lake... to me, it’ll mean nothing if he’s not there beside me...”

He felt Pinewhisker and Wolftooth press close to him, a gesture which normally would have pricked at his pride, but right now he wanted nothing more than the companionship of his Clanmates, especially in this strange place. Stoneheart managed to lift his head, and his eyes met Branch’s, blue to yellow.

“We can’t leave the forest without any of them,” he meowed, “but without Rowanclaw...”

“I understand,” Branch soothed. He stood up on all fours, planting his paws firmly against the earth. “I hear your love, Stoneheart, and the earth feels it. You call to your Family, and I join my voice to yours.”

Stoneheart had no idea what the strange cat meant – Branch sank down, shoving his paws into the earth as if they were the roots of a tree. The brown tom touched his nose to the soil, and again he was silent and still, but for the twitch of his ears or the sweep of his tail.

Stoneheart was conscious of every moment fading away into oblivion. Was it working? There was no way to tell, and that not knowing was making Stoneheart’s pelt crawl, as if ants had made a home in his fur.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Branch shivered from ears to tail, gasping as he lifted his head. The big cat staggered, and Tucker rushed forward to steady him, though the big tom would have crushed the kittypet if he fell.

Branch regained himself, thanking Tucker with a murmur. He looked exhausted, now, his eyes drawn and drooping, but he lifted his head and declared, “I’ve found them.”

Stoneheart got to his paws. “You did?” His heart thudded, threatening to leap out of his chest. “Truly?”

Branch nodded. “They are in the forest,” he breathed. “Something surrounds them, blocking my senses, but... I heard them crying out from within.” He looked at the Clan cats. “Their cries were weak, difficult to hear.”

“Where are they in the forest?” Wolftooth asked, stepping forward. “Could you tell?”

Branch struggled, for a moment. “The earth was broken all around them,” he said, “trampled by workfolk and their monsters. But... something remained, something nearby that resonated with the energy your Clans put into it. Rocks... rocks that formed little caves, rocks that hid secrets...”

“Snakerocks?” Stoneheart guessed.

“Yes,” Branch nodded, “a sinister place, but one that knows your Clans.”

“They’re in ThunderClan territory,” Stoneheart breathed. Wind stirred his pelt, and he looked to Wolftooth and Pinewhisker. “Snakerocks must have been one of the first places the Twolegs destroyed in ThunderClan.”

His mouth felt dry, but his limbs were charged, and Stoneheart felt as if he could leap over all of Twolegplace. He could picture Snakerocks now – that flat piece of land, barren of trees, would be a perfect place to keep the captured cats. I know where Rowanclaw is!

“But how do we get to them?” Pinewhisker wondered, eyes wide. “If the Twolegs are all over that place, then...”

“We can figure that out later,” Wolftooth grunted. “What matters is that we found them. Russetstar will know what to do from here.”

“You must take care, and act swiftly,” Branch meowed. He seemed to be regaining his strength. “If the workfolk took these cats from the forest, there isn’t much time before they’re sent to the city.”

“What will happen to them then?” Pinewhisker wondered, his eyes round.

“They’ll be given to Twolegs, or taken to the vet to be Cut and released, if no Twoleg will take them,” Tucker answered. “That’s what they usually do to the cats they catch.”

Wolftooth bristled. “Then there’s no time to waste,” he growled. “Tucker, can you take us back to the forest? We need to get to our leader with this information immediately.”

Tucker blinked. He looked dazzled by these events. “I... yes, I think I can,” he meowed. “We’ll need to leave now, though, if you’re in a hurry!”

Wolftooth seemed all right with that. He turned and nodded to Branch, meowing, “Thank you for your help.”

“It’s no problem,” Branch meowed. He dipped his head formally. “It’s my purpose to help others. The earth speaks, and I listen.”

Tucker raised his tail, and Wolftooth and Pinewhisker clustered around the kittypet. Stoneheart got to his paws to join them, only to find that Branch had put his massive body between him and is Clanmates.

“Good luck on your Great Wander,” he meowed evenly, his eyes pale and sparkling. “We may not see one another again, but through the earth we are connected.”

Stoneheart blinked at the tom, confused. He had no idea what Branch meant, or what strange powers he possessed, but he felt the sentiment. He meowed, “Thank you,” before pushing past the big brown tom and heading after Wolftooth and Pinewhisker.

“Family is forever!” Branch called after them. “And Family is always wherever you are!”

———————————————————

Dawn had broken by the time that Stoneheart, Wolftooth, and Pinewhisker had to stay good-bye to Tucker. The kittypet had been beside himself with sorrow, especially knowing that he would never see the Clan cats again – but the farewells had to be brief, and Stoneheart sent a prayer to StarClan, thanking them for Tucker’s help.

He found himself leading the way across the open marshes, Wolftooth and Pinewhisker streaming behind him. There was no need to speak – there was no time. Tiredness and hunger were forgotten in their flight. The Twoleg monsters had already roared to life in ShadowClan territory, and the sight of the smoke they belched, so close to ShadowClan’s camp, put speed to their paws.

Ultimately, though, when they arrived at the crest of a hill that overlooked the ShadowClan camp from a distance, they saw that they were too late.

The monsters were devouring the very heart of ShadowClan.