[TB] TWILIGHT -- Chapter 13 (Patreon)

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The two she-cats made it to the abandoned Twoleg nest as the sun lowered into the evening. The harsh red lighting didn't make the place look very welcoming, with its sunken roof and broken walls - but, by the scents, it was most assuredly abandoned and had been for a long time.

“I've never seen one that looks like this,” Sorreltail admitted. Her tail was slightly bushed, and she looked unnerved to be so close to a Twoleg structure, even one that was about to fall in on itself like this one.

“It reminds me of the one we stayed in on the journey,” Shadepool admitted. That nest had been broken down and in disrepair, too, and it had had a small overgrown garden. That one had been in the middle of a large Twolegplace, though - this one was on its own, and its garden looked much bigger than the one Shadepool was thinking of.

“You stayed in a Twoleg nest?!” Sorreltail hissed incredulously. “How?”

“There weren't any Twolegs in it!” Shadepool assured her quickly. “It was the only place we could stay; rats had attacked us, and Stoneheart and Nightfrost had gotten hurt. We needed a safe place to regroup, so Purdy led us there.” She breathed a sigh. “I was lucky there was burdock growing in the yard.”

Sorreltail tilted her head. “Purdy?”

“An old kittypet that we met,” Shadepool explained fondly. She thought of the old tabby and wondered if she would ever see him again. She hoped he was well. “He was very sweet and helped us get through that Twolegplace.”

“You should tell me more about that journey sometime,” Sorreltail mused. Her tail flicked Shadepool's shoulder. It seemed like Shadepool had managed to ease her worries. “It sounds like a real adventure!”

Warmed, Shadepool approached the walls of the garden. Unlike most Twoleg nests she knew, the fence around this yard wasn't made of wood, but instead stacked-up stones stuck together by what looked like hardened mud. It reminded her a little of how RiverClan kept their woven dens together, though she knew this wouldn't float down a stream.

It wasn't a foolproof way of construction, though, as she quickly found a broken down and overgrown portion nearby, with dormant vines breaking through the rock. She could easily pick her way up the stones, ignoring a worried hiss from Sorreltail as she bounded down into the yard.

She took a deep breath. The yard was full of fresh scents, new growths from a hundred different plants tingling Shadepool's scent glands. That old stone wall surrounded the flat expanse, but the grass within had long since grown tall, the bushes were wild, and vines had claimed most of the nest that faced her, to the point where Shadepool wondered if the ivy was what kept it standing.

Though nature was abundant, Shadepool didn't immediately find anything new or useful - however, her eye spotted several wooden structures that sat oddly atop the ground, and she chose to investigate.

They were hollow squares, she found as she drew near, and they were filled to the brim with dirt. Most were full of weeds, but between the useless leaves, Shadepool could identify shoots of herbs that the Clans used and, more importantly -

“Catmint!”

“What?” Sorreltail scrambled over the rock wall, her tail puffed. “Really?”

Shadepool was rapidly pulling the weeds away from the precious shoots as Sorreltail came to her side to help. Soon enough, they were cleared of the refuse that might choke them, the little buds sitting just at the top of the soil.

Shadepool's heart thudded. Catmint was such a rare herb that Clans often fought wars over it. To have it growing in one's own territory was a great blessing, and she thanked StarClan for bringing ThunderClan here.

“There's not much to it now, but if we take care of it, we'll have a constant supply!” Shadepool purred excitedly. This was exactly the sort of thing Brackenfur had been looking for. “In fact, we could use these things for growing our own herbs!”

“Our own?” Sorreltail repeated, confused.

Shadepool nodded. “It's something that RiverClan does, but we can do it too, now!” Her heart swelled. “Oh, Sorreltail; with this, we'll never run out of medicine!”

Sorreltail dug her claws into the old wood. “We're so close to the ShadowClan border, though,” she cautioned, eyes flickering to the top of the stone walls. The stream was not far beyond. “We need to keep this to ourselves. If they find out we have catmint...”

“I know.” Shadepool didn't like the idea of keeping such resources away from the other Clans, especially if it might help them someday - but warriors did not think like medicine cats, and that was for a reason, even if Shadepool could never fully wrap her head around the mentality.

Sorreltail glanced up at the sky. “We should head back. It's getting cold again.”

“Right,” Shadepool agreed. She came down from the little walled garden, the smell of catmint caught in her nose. It filled her chest with hope. “We can bring a full patrol to weed this tomorrow.” The quicker the plants were properly tended again, the quicker they'd grow once newleaf was here for good.

“As much fun as this was, I might pass on that,” Sorreltail chuckled. Her whiskers twitched. “I'm going to be cleaning dirt out from between my claws for a moon - not to mention what I must smell like!”

Shadepool purred along and didn't blame Sorreltail a bit. She was just glad that this first day of her punishment hadn't turned out to be so punishing after all.

———————————————————

The she-cats returned by moonrise. Shadepool was sore-legged and empty-pawed, but not at all disappointed. Sorreltail had managed to spook out a rabbit on their way back, an adult big enough to feed three cats at least. When they pushed their way through the thorn tunnel and into the clearing, Sorreltail nudged it towards Shadepool.

“For you and Brackenfur,” she mumbled around the fresh-kill.

Shadepool's ears burned. “We couldn't possibly finish all that!”

“Just take it!” Sorreltail purred, setting the rabbit down at Shadepool's paws. “I need to go talk to Sun, anyway. Thanks for being a friend, Shadepool!”

A friend?

Before Shadepool could protest further, Sorreltil trotted off, heading for the warrior's den. Sun was there with Swiftfoot, Cloudtail, and Brightheart. The two she-cats brushed muzzles, and Sorreltail pressed close to Sun, purring. Sun's ears pricked, and she glanced over Sorreltail's head at Shadepool, as if looking for an answer.

Shadepool looked away, feeling embarrassed for staring. Sorreltail and I are friends now?

She decided to leave that for later as she hefted up the rabbit and headed for the medicine cat's cave. The big meal and the news of the old Twoleg nest's potential were sure to put a smile on Brackenfur's face, even if the deliverer was a disappointment at the moment.

Her mentor was huddled deep in the cave, resting in his nest with his leg stretched out. When Shadepool entered, he lifted his head but did not move until Shadepool laid the rabbit out between them, pushing it towards him with a paw. Brackenfur bent and gave it a sniff.

“What did you find?” he asked before tucking in.

Shadepool circled him and sat beside his leg, discreetly sniffing it. It was warm, swollen slightly from the day's exertions, and Shadepool wondered if the old injury was paining him.

Still, she gave her full report, recounting what she'd found throughout their territory: “... and we didn't even explore the whole forest,” she finished, whiskers twitching happily. “I can't even imagine what else might be growing out there!”

Brackenfur came up from his meal with a bloody muzzle. “You're certain you found catmint?”

Shadepool nodded. “Just sprouts, mind you, but there was old growth, too!” She stepped gently around Brackenfur, crouching down before the rabbit. Her stomach snarled, and she tore off a leg for herself to gnaw.

“I don't think ThunderClan has had a supply of catmint in its territory for...” he paused. “Well. Ever. We've only heard of it growing in Twoleg gardens!”

“Whoever lived in that old nest must've had a kittypet,” Shadepool guessed. “Or just liked having cats around.”

“It's a blessing either way,” Brackenfur sighed, wistful. “We've been lucky that greencough hasn't been a problem in our Clan this leafbare. If we take good care of those plants, luck won't be as much of a factor anymore.”

Shadepool pulled away a strip of rabbit meat. “I was thinking we could try and clear the weeds tomorrow,” she suggested. She glanced at his leg and added, “If you're feeling up to it, that is.”

Brackenfur grimaced. “I would love to,” he rasped, his eyes glazing with pain, “but I think this thaw isn't going to stick around. I can feel it in my leg - there's another storm coming.”

“I'll take care of it, then,” Shadepool assured quickly. “I'll see who's free to help tomorrow - maybe Spiderpaw and Larchpaw? They could do with learning a few things about herbs...”

Brackenfur blinked at her in thanks.

The two ate silently, and Shadepool was surprised that they both finished the whole rabbit. When they were done, Shadepool pushed the refuse out towards the cave entrance to clean up later. Brackenfur was tucking himself deeper into his nest when she returned to the cave.

“Are you all right?” Shadepool asked softly, hoping not to prick his pride. “You've been so tired lately... Are you certain it's just your leg? Have you been sleeping well?” She sniffed around Brackenfur again - no signs of fever, no sour smells of sickness.

“I'm fine, Shadepool,” Brackenfur insisted. He bristled slightly. “I'm not that old!”

Shadepool pulled back, sighing. He wouldn't give up yet that something was clearly on his mind. Instead, she asked, “Is there anything else you want me to do tonight?”

“Take Tinystar his medicine, and then you're free,” Brackenfur told her. “Remember - just one seed.”

Shadepool hesitated. “Do you think that's a good idea?” she wondered. “Does he even want to see me?”

Brackenfur gave her a plain look. “Shadepool, he is your father. I don't think there is anything in this world that you could do to truly lose his love.”

Shadepool frowned. I don't know about that, she thought grimly as she turned to the side cave where they stored herbs. The poppy head was near the front, and she wet her nose and stuck one to it. If Father knew about Crowflight and I...

She left the cave and carefully headed up the rocky steps to the Highledge. The cold stone sapped her warmth, and Shadepool shivered. Graystripe's scent was stale on the rocks - he wasn't sharing Tinystar's nest tonight. The realization made her heart beat loud - the idea of seeing her father, just the two of them, scared her deeply.

Staring into the yawning darkness of her father's den, Shadepool took a deep breath. You're a medicine cat, she told herself, first and foremost and forever.

She stepped into the dark cleft and was surprised by how warm it was inside her father's den. The thick layer of rock must have insulated the space from the worst of the chill, and the sandy floor underpaw reminded her of his den back in the old forest, soft and cozy.

Her father's nest was freshly made, and Tinystar was sitting in it, his chin resting on the edge of the moss and bracken. His icy-blue eyes were gazing off into the distance, and Shadepool only had the twitch of his ears to tell her that he had even noticed her presence.

Shadepool took the poppy seed from her nose with her paw and extended it to Tinystar. “To ease your sleep, Father,” she mumbled.

Tinystar blinked, and did not move.

Shadepool felt guilt clench her heart. Was her father ever going to speak to her again?

Finally, though, he turned and lapped the seed from her paw. He turned himself over in his nest, settling into a more comfortable sleeping position, his tail tucked over his nose. Curled up so tight, he looked like a frightened kit.

“Do... Do you want company?” Shadepool wondered. “I'm sure Graystripe wouldn't mind-”

“I will be fine,” her father rasped. His eyes flickered, resting on Shadepool. “I love Graystripe - he is a dear friend - but Silverstream deserves to share his nest, too.” His whiskers twitched.  “Besides, he snores.”

Shadepool couldn't help but purr in amusement. That levity faded quickly, however. She shifted on her paws and meowed, “I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean to worry you. I was doing what I thought was right.”

For a moment, she wondered if this had been the wrong time - but Tinystar only sighed after a heartbeat. His thin shoulders fell, and he beckoned her close with his tail. Shadepool shuffled near, crouching down beside her father.

He yawned. “Do you remember how I stopped a war between ThunderClan and WindClan?”

Shadepool nodded. She'd heard that story many times from Speckletail: “You went behind Tigerstar's back and negotiated a peace talk between him and Tallstar. It saved many lives.”

“It wasn't just Tigerstar that I had disappointed that day,” Tinystar admitted. “To make it work, I had to convince every other cat in the Clan to go along with it, too - to hold off from fighting for as long as possible. Even though it turned out for the better, it took me a long time to earn back their faith because I had disobeyed Tigerstar, and broken the warrior code.”

Shadepool looked down at her paws.

“Actions have consequences, Shadepool,” Tinystar whispered. His eyes drooped. “Everything I did, everything that was 'the right thing to do' - all of it came with the risk of death, or exile, or causing pain to those I held dear to my heart: the new family I had made in ThunderClan.” His eyes fogged over. “I did what was right, yes, but I was also very lucky.”

He sighed, nestling deeper into his nest. “What you did...” His speech slurred with sleep. “I can understand how frustrated Tigerstar got with me at those times..” He sighed heavily. “I love you, my dear Shade...”

Shadepool leaned forward and licked her father between the ears. She wanted nothing more than to curl up next to him and wail out her problems, even if it revealed her love for Crowflight. She knew she couldn't. His breathing eased, and she felt him sink further down.

“I can't lose you, too...” he mumbled. “Sandstorm... She would never forgive me...”

Her father went still, his eyes finally closing. Shadepool stayed until she was sure he was asleep, then touched her nose to his forehead. She couldn't imagine the pain her father was feeling, and she prayed to StarClan to send him good dreams free of sorrow.

Quietly, she withdrew, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders, as if her father had forgiven her. Brackenfur was right in this, too. That, at least, made her heart feel better.

Outside her father's den, she sat upon the Highledge, watching her Clanmates as they prepared for the night. She thought of the fur tuft she had found, and her heart clenched - she couldn't believe that the gray cat could be one of her own Clanmates, but she couldn't help but wonder...

Cinderpelt? The older warrior was with Dustpelt, saying goodnight to Spiderpaw by the apprentice's den. No. Too loyal to Tinystar to do something like that, and Spiderpaw is far too young.

Ashfur was with Ferncloud and Snowstep, watching Larchpaw stalk a moss ball - clearly showing off what his apprentice had learned. Ashfur is mean-spirited, but he doesn't care about WindClan, not enough to hurt anyone outside of battle. Ferncloud was in the nursery at the time, so no to her, too.

What about... Sorreltail, Sun, Sootfur, and Rainwhisker were heading to the warrior's den. Rainwhisker suddenly leaped onto Sootfur, tackling him to the ground. The two wrestled while the she-cats watched.

No, not those two, Shadepool insisted. They were young then, but they were still old enough to know Onewhisker was a friend. She was also sure that her brother would never befriend a murderer.

From that thought, she also eliminated Graystripe and Silverstream: Graystripe has known Onewhisker just as long as Tinystar, and he'd never do something like that, even if he were ordered to. Silverstream's fur is too light; it doesn't match, and she'd never hurt Graystripe and Tinystar like that.

That left one last gray cat: Mistyfoot.

She was with Mousefur, sharing a late dinner. Mistyfoot was one of the cats that Shadepool had spent the most time with, aside from Brackenfur or Nightfrost, and she couldn't believe that she now had to wonder if she was a murderer or not.

Bluestar was her mother, Shadepool thought uncomfortably, but that alone doesn't mean Mistyfoot is anything like her. Mistyfoot had done everything she could to distance herself from her mother's horrible legacy, making her a very respected warrior - not just in ThunderClan, but in all the Clans.

Shadepool laid down on the cold stone slab of the Highledge and rested her muzzle on her paws. It came back to her, then: One of her very first visions from StarClan outside of her dreams, what felt like a lifetime ago - the mist-covered forest and Mistyfoot at the head of a large group of shadowy warriors, leading them somewhere mysterious with Nightfrost at her side.

She had thought at first that perhaps the meaning was that Mistyfoot was going to lead ThunderClan one day - but after the Great Journey, she was sure that this was what the message had meant: Mistyfoot was to show all four Clans to safety by the lake, which she had done.

Brackenfur, however, had seen something more sinister in the mist. Shadepool frowned as she recalled how vehemently he'd defended his view. Had he been right? He was right about many other things, after all.

Shadepool hadn't thought so then, and she found she didn't think so now. Mistyfoot looks up to Tinystar like a second father - she would never do anything to hurt him or ThunderClan. Never.

Shaking her head, Shadepool forced herself to put it out of her mind. Her father was right - there were just too many gray cats in the Clans, and pointing at any one based on a little scentless tuft of fur was impossible and would cause more harm than good. There was little to be gained in suspecting her Clanmates like this.

She stared up at the moon and sighed. The next half-moon was only a few days away, and leafbare was ending. Before she could do anything and even see StarClan or Crowflight again, she had to step back and face the consequences of her actions, as her father had done all those moons ago - she had to pay the price for doing what was right.