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Fandom A Runaway’s New Home [Private 1x1]

DewSpring turned to her left, venturing onwards in the opposite direction of the northern stones where the forest grew colder from the Riverclan breeze. Unlike the northern territories’ lack of foliage, only the occasional mushrooms and vast amounts of moss splitting through the thawed earth, their walk was decorated by the buds of small flowers finally waking from the long, harsh Shadowclan winter.

The dark cinnamon she-cat hummed her rhymeless tune, the vibration echoing the more open neck of the neck. Her lengthy talons snagged on the roots and stems of daisies as she strolled, her brown tail curling and twisting behind her in the light breeze.


“It’s so peaceful out here.” DewSpring seemingly to herself, looking up at the shady canopy that rustles with the life of Newleaf, her green eyes reflecting the songbirds that danced and fluttered between the branches. Only when the grass below the two began to turn into stone did DewSpring look down from the sky, her claws clicking on the rocks.

Much similar to the northern stones, the caves were scattered about the clearing of trees in sheets of rock. These stones reflect a brilliant white, much smoother than the rocks near the marshes and like Riverclan’s sunning rocks across the border.

Some of the rocks curved and bent to greater heights, hallowing out beneath them in various depths from shallow burrows that acted as shade to twisting abysses where darkness twined out of sight to dive into the earth. DewSpring hopped up the top of these tall flat pillars of stone, her nose twitching as she searched quietly.


Diving between the cracks of rock like a fox, her arm snaking into the crevices, her claws grab what she’s looking for. “Yarrow!” She chirps up to HoneyPool, showing off the little white flowers in her paws.

The herb was scattered about between the cracks and partings of stone, the soft petals residing along the clearing as the wind blew them about. “We only need a few before we have enough for the whole clan.” DewSpring informs, departing to gain ground with her short muzzle brushing across the white flowers before pulling them up, gesturing for HoneyPool to do the same.






“No.” RobinFang said flatly, the back of his neck’s fur rising as he conceded this would be the most insufferable part of his day. While the tom grumbles, not wanting to take the snot-nosed kit along the patrol, despite PoppyBush giving him a disapproving glare, SnakeShine waves him off with his tail.

“Of course you can, CherryPaw!” He replies, encouraging, his dark gray paw waving his apprentice forward to join the group. “This can be excellent training.“ The tom gave a playful wink to the red cat, not planning for the border patrol to be anything outside of chattering on the go, much to RobinFang’s dismay.


“I think I’ll sit this one out.” RobinFang concluded, but not without guilt seeping into his pelt at the motion of just staying in camp. ThornMask and SnakeShine frowned at this, looking at each other, obviously up to something, before trotting a few paces closer to the tom as he turned away.

“Aw, come on!” ThornMask complained, muttering at the tortoiseshell’s theatrics, a frown deepening. SnakeShine rolled his eyes, a sly smile quickly replacing his scowl knowingly.

“Don’t be so lazy, RobinFang.” SnakeShine huffed, the lean warrior immediately glaring at tabby’s statement before getting up, not even waiting for the others as he left camp to lead them on patrol.
 
Honeypool followed behind the stout she-cat, her amber eyes falling on anything new she did not recognize. This was a new path for her, and she couldn't help but wonder what she would see. Would the caves be just as exciting as the old twoleg den? She wondered as her excitement bubbled in her. like an apprentice who was let out of camp for the first time. Falling into step beside Dewspring, Honeypool was glad to be moving at a much slower pace. The atmosphere beween her and the healer vs her and Robinfang was night and day.

She wouldn't consider Robinfang a bad cat, but his snappy nature was something she would rather avoid if she could. Not wanting to be on the short end of the stick with him. Her ears twitched uneasily. There was a lot more to see here in ShadowClan than WindClan. The moor was bare with a few bushes and trees. Some flowers also made their way there, but minus that, the landscape was all grass and slopes.

It was impossible to run properly here without tripping over something at least. Her legs ached to get a good run in one of these days. The small chase she had back in the old den was nice, but clearly not what she wanted. Maybe she could run outside of the clans territory? She hummed to herself in thought. If you can get outside the territory, then just leave. And then what? Her mind went blank. She had plenty of time to think of a plan. Maybe leave around leaf-fall? Or maybe-

Her thoughts were cut short as Dewspring spoke. She flinched slightly before looking over at the calico she-cat. "Yes. Peaceful." Honeypool echoed back. A small drop of guilt formed within her, but she ignored it. The sound of songbirds made Honeypool look up as well. She had wished she had at least eaten something before coming out here. Her mind flashed to the hunt she went on with Robinfang wondering why she didn't just eat when he was eating that crow. They had caught plenty. Surely there would be food when she got back though.

Honeypool paused seeing the caves now come into view. Her mouth parted slightly taking in the very bright rocks. Seeing them up close was very different than seeing them from across the lake. She had noticed them a few times but never knew what they were. The sun shining on them was bright enough to see all the way in WindClan from certain areas. She followed Dewspring up a rock. The smooth stone sent a slight chill through her paw pads. She hadn't even noticed Dewspring had begun looking for herbs until she called out. Honeypool jumped before turning to look beside her at the she-cat holding flowers in her paws.

Some of the rocks curved and bent to greater heights, hallowing out beneath them in various depths from shallow burrows that acted as shade to twisting abysses where darkness twined out of sight to dive into the earth. DewSpring hopped up the top of these tall flat pillars of stone, her nose twitching as she searched quietly. She could stare at the rocks later. She blinked before sliding herself off the rock and onto the floor beside the medicine cat to help her gather what they needed.


Cherrypaw had easily brushed of Robinfang's hostile tone with a smile. Her fur fluffed out against the cold winds as she sat there, knowing the snappy tom would of course turn her down. She only let out a squeak of joy hearing Snakeshine say she could. She quickly got to her paws, ready to go. Her eyes slightly glimmering at the spotted tom. "Thank you thank you! I promise I won't slow you down." She said matter of factly.

She turned to look at Robinfang who had now began to turn away. A small huff escaped from her nose as he wanted to leave. Her gaze then fell on Thornmask and Snakeshine. She blinked as they looked at each other before making their way to Robinfang. Her head tilted slightly, curios at what they were thinking. But she said nothing seeing Snakeshine had now began to leave. Scrambling to follow him out she let her curiosity flood to somewhere else. "Which border are we going to patrol? Both? Could we do both?" She began questioning him. Her tail high in the air as she padded alongside him. "Are we going to do some hunting as well. I saw a huge frog the other day near RiverClan's border but it hopped in the river before I could go after it." She spoke quickly as she told her little story. Her blue eyes looking straight ahead. "Frogs are always so hard to catch, arent they? They are usually so slippery its hard to get a grip on them." She added not letting anyone properly speak of catch up to what she was rambling on about.
 
A cool breeze ruffled her cinnamon coat, tossing the herbs the healer had stored in her tangles and knots of fur. Yarrow petals danced across the smooth white surfaces of stone, the actual flower’s roots only snaking between the hard-to-reach corners and crevices of the caves where it was safe from excessive rain and sun.

DewSpring’s head poked through the caves’ edges, her broader face making it difficult to reach the weeds that thrive in the dry corners of the stone. Her body pressed against the rocks, her wide shoulder’s contacting the smooth surface, lazily snapping at the yarrow an inch away.

She was utterly clueless about the herb that resided by her feet for much easier access, the yarrow dancing in the wind as DewSpring stuck her head between the rocks like a woodpecker. It was truly a miracle of Starclan how that she-cat managed to get around.




RobinFang’s ears flattened with a groan as the apprentice talked, contemplating throwing himself off a cliff and into the lake rather than going a step forward with this noisy patrol. SnakeShine had no problem listening to CherryPaw chatter on, his ears perking intently as she excitedly jabbered as the tom trotted between his darker-coat sister and the ginger apprentice.

The group moved north, RobinFang’s leaner form padding at a faster pace ahead of the three as he led, knowing exactly which scents have grown weaker with the thawing snow with the knowledge of his past patrols and recent hunt. The tom found himself missing HoneyPool’s quiet company when compared to the three, their voices invasive to the more comforting sounds of nature. At the thought, the tortoiseshell's pace quickened, gaining some distance between him and the patrol as they passed over the stones.


“Maybe you can try your luck with toads and fish.” SnakeShine shrugs, his eyes gesturing ahead of them as they neared the lake’s shore. The sunlight casting a magnificent clearness into the lake, its beauty able to be spotted from yards away between the forest’s spruce trees.
 
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Honeypool found herself traveling a bit deeper into the caves. Her warm eyes filled with awe at the sight of the caves. Why couldn’t WindClan have cool and mysterious things like this? Her tail waved behind her as she took a few more steps toward. A small bundle of yarrow was dangling from her jaws as she stopped to stare as a small white rock. The piece laid on the outskirts of the caves path. It’s white surface catching her eye as it sat in the shadows.

She stared at it before looking back at Dewspring. Watching for a few moments as the she-cat collected her herbs. Honeypool’s ears twitched at the medicine cat's composure, a smile forming on her lips as she held back a laugh before turning back to the rock. Could she take it back with her? It was just a small rock, but she really liked the way it looked.

Without thinking she padded towards it and scooped up the tiny pebble. Its cold surface makes a tinge run through her paws at how cold it was. It’s like ice. Honeypool turned the rock over on her paws a few times. It was smooth, very smooth, almost soft in a way. She blinked unsure what to do with the stone as she was already carrying something in her jaws. Her ears flattened not wanting to leave it behind. She placed the rock back down where she could see it better and got back to work collecting herbs. She would just have to remember to grab it before she left.

She crouched back down. Half her body was in the shade while the rest sat out in the sun as she reached her long limps into the small creases of the rocks. Gathering another small pile in her claws she withdrew herself and sat up shaking the dust and dirt from her pelt.


"You think so?" Her blue eyes looked up Snakeshine in wonder before she turned to look at the lake ahead of them. Her eyes reflected the blueness of the lake before she sped off in the direction of the shore. Her paws making their way into the shallow water as she padded along the shore. She scanned the water looking for any signs of movement. Her tail waving back and forth but quickly drooped down realizing that there was nothing interesting to be found. "The fish are going to be in the deeper parts of the lake." She mewed before padding back up the sandy-pebbled shore and back onto the forest floor.

She seemed disappointed for a moment before her eyes lit up again and she made her way over to Robinfang with round innocent eyes. "Aren't you glad you came now?" She nudged him slightly with her paw before casting her gaze to the lake. "You would've missed this view." She nodded her head watching the sunlight ripple off the small waves in the distance. The water glistened under the warm rays. Cherrypaw turned to look at Robinfang again, knowing he wasn't happy with her being near him. Her ears twitched a bit. "Hey." She quickly began to speak again. "What's the new she-cat like?" She asked not taking her eyes off the tom. "I haven't had the chance to meet her yet and so far, you've been around her the most." Cherrypaw narrowed her eyes a bit searching his face.
 
DewSpring continued to dottle about, her dark coat slowly painted white as yarrow intertwined between her mess of fur. The she-cat’s claws scraped across the ground as she trotted across the smooth stones, sometimes getting the healer’s paws trapped in her own long tangled pelt and caught between rocks. All the while, DewSpring often getting stuck in nooks and crannies, and almost getting lost in the depth’s of caves, the herb gathering was rather slow.


Despite the sloth’s pace of progress, the air was peaceful. The cinnamon cat oblivious to her own ditzy-ness as she often tried to mimic the sounds of sound birds with gentle hymns that rumbled her throat with purrs. DewSpring turned to HoneyPool, the two now on opposite sides of the clearing as collected the flowers, tilting her head to ponder.


Her heavy green eyes stare blankly at the siamese colored cat, observing her seeming to enjoy herself. It has only been a day since joining Shadowclan, DewSpring thought, while naively, that she has already made herself at home.

While she may be dense, the healer stilled remembered that HoneyPool’s panics and fears costed her sleep only the night before, so her tone of the question was tainted by her hopeful feelings.

“How are you feeling? Since you’ve joined.” She meowed from up top a cave, her dark herb filled coat turning to rust in the sun, wanting to know how HoneyPool was doing.




RobinFang rubbed along the barks of trees, marking the shore’s border before taking a few steps out on the pebbled shore, the tiny rocks uncomfortably getting into his wrapped paws. Huffing at the feeling he retreats to the trees, sitting under a burnt pine tree as he kicked rocks out from his casts. The tortoiseshell watched the two other warriors join CherryPaw from afar to take a drink of the lake’s surface. He sat in the shadows of the forest a few paces away, as the three sat on the cusp of the sunny beach and the casted shade of the trees.

Not really paying attention to the apprentice’s words or actions, he keeps his eyes on task, only grumbling at the unwelcome contact the ginger cat gave him to pull his eyes upwards at her gesture. Admittedly, It truly was a sight to behold, the lake sparkling as if it just awakened from its winter slumber, to his right the spectacle of scorched trees, and left the damp but wonder holding marshes. A sigh left the tom, finally easing up as he took in the nature around him, reminding him of his awe when he first stumbled upon the territory.


That relaxation evaporated as CherryPaw continued to talk in her higher pitched tone. ThornMask instantly turning her head at any new information he may drop on HoneyPool, with SnakeShine’s nosiness a more subtle blue gaze and twitch of the ears. RobinFang scowled, remembering why he didn’t want to come along with his nosy clanmates as he curtly responded.

“She-“ ThronMask scooted closer, RobinFang squinting at the action, as she egged him on with an excited grin. “-a cat.” He shrugged a bit confused at CherryPaw's false idea of his and HoneyPool's familiarity, the tabby she-cat deflating in defeat and disappointment. RobinFang stands, his square muzzle pointing him to the more orange toned woods of maple on his left, as he ordered out a command.

“Now come along you three, the Thunderclan border isn’t going to mark itself.” He huffed, as he paced forward hiding a smile as ThornMask whined. While he assured himself he was simply respecting HoneyPool’s privacy, he couldn’t help the spiteful satisfaction it gave him to keep his mouth shut.
 
Honeypool's ears pricked up at the sound of Dewsprings voice. She turned her head to look over in the direction of the she-cat. Her amber eyes round as if her voice had spooked her. Honeypool settled, shuffling her paws a bit at the question. How was she settling? It had only been a day. She couldn't base an answer around the events that had followed. She was still homesick and regrated getting caught in the first place. Where would she be now if she hadn't been spotted?

She blinked slowly. What could she say? That her small hunting trip with Robinfang had gone well? That ShadowClan had more places to explore than back home? That despite everything that happened at home her heart was still aching for her ex-mate. What would they think of her if her story ever got out? What would happen if she somehow managed to run into him, or another cat from her clan? What about a gathering? When was the next gathering? Her mind spiraled with question after question.

How was she feeling? Scared, guilty, lost, confused, and paranoid. But she couldn't bring herself to say that. She wouldn't. Honeypool instead cleared her throat and turned to look away from Dewspring. "I am still trying to get settled." Her voice sounded strained. Though the answer was honest, it wasn't the complete truth either. She didn't want to get settled in properly. She didn't want to feel comfortable or welcomed here and so far that wasn't an issue as many cats just seemed interested is why she was here, what drove her to join this clan. A lie. She turned back to look at Dewspring with dark, half opened eyes.

Her whole life she had lied about so many things time and time again. Why would it stop now?


Cherrypaw frowned at Robinfang's answer. "What kind of mouse-brained-" She began to speak but caught herself. Her dark fur fluffed out in annoyance before she casted a glance at Thornmask and her brother. Of course, he wasn't going to answer her properly with these two standing around. She sighed and followed Robinfang down the border. Only stopping to rub her fur along some rock or bush. Her own curiosity of the new cat made her paws itch with excitement. She had only seen her from afar and hadn't had the time to really speak to her.

"We are all cats." Cherrypaw mumbled as she padded closer to Robinfang, keeping her distance this time but still remaining close to his side. Her blue eyes were filled with annoyance. "Is she nice?" Cherrypaw mewed looking up at the patched tom's face again. "She seems nice." She added before she raced up to a tree and circled herself around the trunk. Brushing her scent all over it. "She seems to care about her appearance a lot." Cherrypaw spoke again as her eyes focused on nothing in particular. "Are you sure she's not actually from RiverClan. They always seem to be so scared of their fur being out of place." The ginger apprentice mumbled as her tail waved behind her in annoyance.
 
DewSpring ears lowered, feeling she ruined the peaceful mood that she and HoneyPool had, the sour taste of regret sticking to her tongue making the she-cat frown slightly. The medicine cat’s gut sunk at HoneyPool’s strained tone, giving away the fact something was left unsaid, the cinnamon cat sighing at the realization.

“… that’s good.” She hesitantly spoke, her green eyes to the ground as her claw drew circles awkwardly, now feeling guilty for even asking when she should’ve known better than to intrude. Her dense pelt felt a bit heavier as she got back to work, her eyes flickering to meet HoneyPool’s, before returning to the ground and darting between sources of yarrow. The songbirds still sung as the cave reflected the sun brightly, not recognizing the shift in the atmosphere.


DewSpring’s pace quicken as a stiff awkwardness nipped at her tail, shuffling between the remaining flowers to pluck from their roots, not wanting to bother the she-cat further. A moment too long was suspended in silence, not in tension, but still uncomfortable with the unspoken words hanging in the air.


The medicine cat swallowed the feeling, getting over herself as she subtly neared the other, passing from herb to herb til she was only a few fox tails away from HoneyPool. With her fur settled, her mind a bit more clear as she refuses to acknowledge the growing unease, she gentle meows to the she-cat.

“If you need anything at all, I’m here to help. You don’t have to say why, just ask.” DewSpring chirped with an affirming nod, hoping to confirm HoneyPool’s safety as she looked into her eyes. As much as she would’ve loved HoneyPool to trust her on the first day with all of her hidden fears, she knew it was best to not push HoneyPool, even if it was in her interest.







The area was in long due for some scenting, the damp mosses and dirt driving away most warriors as marks stuck to the wet surfaces of bark and undergrowth. RobinFang hopped from tree root to root, hopping to keep his bandaging clean as he rubbed his pelt along the shallow marsh’s oaks and maples. Despite the tom’s attempts, he couldn’t separate himself from the patrol due to his careful but slow footing.

SnakeShine seemed just as attentive as CherryPaw, almost as if his apprentice’s questions were his own. “Why do you think she left Windclan in the first place?” ThornMaks voiced pointedly but not entirely directed to the tortoiseshell, the disscuion between her and her brother rising in volume and enthusiasm at the provoked disscuion. RobinFang rolled his eyes at the questions, his sharp glare pointed downwards at the three as he balanced a foot higher then the patrol along taproots to keep dry.


“She’s quiet.” He huffs curtly, leaping away from the patrol from across the skinny creek to to mark a moss encased tree, slightly struggling to land his jump due to his lack of grappling. He grunts as he hopped back, joining the three again as he quickly caught up, a growl rumbling through his throat as he spoke.

“-A trait all of you should admire as Shadowclan cats I imagine.” RobinFang harshly hinted at, wanting them to hush up already.
 
Honeypool was staring at the small pile of white flowers she had collected. Her paws careful pushing the flowers around as she looked down with unfocused dark eyes. The sun felt thick around her as she closed her eyes slightly. The feeling of guilt worked it’s way through her brown and cream colored pelt before settling into the pit of her stomach.

A small wave of dizziness overwhelmed her as she tried to swallow it down. Getting to her feet she climbed to the top of the caves, her fur bristling slightly as she felt uneasy now. Not that it was anyone’s fault but her own as she sat on top of one of the rocks to try and get some fresh air. Living in a new clan was overwhelming.

Feeling her claws scrape against the surface of the smooth stone she blinked. It was temporary. All of this was just temporary. The friendships she may make wouldn’t last. No one could find out her past unless she told them, knowing in her heart her mate would never tell the story of how everything truly went down between them. But then again neither could she as she was confused herself as to why things had turned so awful between them.

Her stare was now focused on RiverClan territory. She blinked before shaking her head and sighing. She felt guilty, as if she was taking advantage of ShadowClan. Using their herbs, eating their food, and possibly making some cat think she was here to stay.

The warm sunlight penetrated her pelt. It was still slightly damp but she could feel it starting to dry out as she fluffed it out against the warm rays. She would just have to try hard while she stayed here. Try to not step on any cat’s tail and keep her distance. Turning she looked at the lake in the distance. The water was calm and still as the morning light gentle cascaded on top of it. Her ears drew back a bit. If she did leave would she be able to find another lake to make a home by? What was even out there? She turned to look in the distance towards the unclaimed land that no cat had probably been outside of.

She finally turned and climbed back down into the caves, landing a bit of closer to Dewspring that she attended. “I know, and I am grateful for your help.” She finales mewed looking over at her slow healer with warm eyes. “It’s much appreciated.” She added dipping her head a bit.


Cherrypaw frowned, listening to Robinfang as she let him get a few steps ahead of her. Her scruffy fur was covered in tree bark and bits of brush as she continued to walk with the patrol. A small huff of air escaped her nose in the dissatisfaction of the answer she got. Was she not nice then? She leaped landing carefully on a tree root before brushing herself against it, not really caring for the task all that much. She just wanted to get out of camp for a bit.

Her ears twitching slightly as she wove herself through the long and twisted vines of a maple tree. Her eyes scanning the area in front of her before she looked over at ThunderClan’s side of the border. Her tail flicking back and forth as she raced ahead of the group with bouncy paw steps. All 4 of her paws hardly left the ground at different times as she walked.

She stopped to sniff at a small pile of snow that hadn’t fully melted. Taking small licks at the cracking ice pile before lifting her head up. “So then you don’t know anything about her either, despite all the time you’ve spent with her. Aren’t you in charge of her, isn’t that concerning?” The smaller she-cat asked out loud. Her tail fluffing up in the process. “What if she’s planning something?” Cherrypaw froze in place. Her blue eyes round. Was WindClan going to attack them? Her eyes flicked back towards ThunderClan’s land but her gaze was much further than that.

She looked over her shoulder at the small patrol with round eyes. “Or was she exiled?” She continued to speak looking over at Robinfang. “You’ve seen the scar of her. Do you think she got into a fight with someone? Is she aggressive?” Her eyes got rounder wondering just what the new cat’s story was. Her fur almost doubled in size as she stood frozen in place with slight fear.
 
The forest seemed to grow more still as HoneyPool thought, the breeze being the only sound as it chilled their coats and the songbirds turned silent. The canopy shifted as the Molly finally spoke, the color pointed she-cat’s voice having to cut through the dense air before the woods returned to its quiet.


“I know, and I am grateful for your help.” HoneyPool meowed, the sound of her mental exhaustion veiling her hesitation. DewSpring didn’t seem to quite register that she finally spoken up, but it was unclear if she just hadn’t realized she spoken yet or still too stuck in her own thoughts to react. The cinnamon cat only giving a slow blink as the warrior went on.

“It’s much appreciated.” HoneyPool finished with a dip of her head, DewSpring taking a moment too long to show any signs she was still there before the healer’s muzzle could quirk up a small smile. She closed her eyes as she dipped her head, seeming to greatly appreciate HoneyPool’s gestured response.


Internally DewSpring thanked HoneyPool for her trust, the thought of the molly slowly opening up appealing to her as a medicine cat. She blinked, seeming to be too distracted to reply by nothing in particular, her green eyes slowly scanning the caves and her own herb ridden pelt.


“I think we’re almost done here. Just a couple more and we’ll have enough to head back to camp.” She informed, the smaller cat counting the dozen of yarrow plants entangled with her chest and pelt along with HoneyPool’s own supply at a snail’s pace. The stout cat stood, tail high as she hummed, the songbird’s voices finally returning.





RobinFang ears flattened as his attempt to shut up the apprentice failed, the ginger she-cat and two tabbies now bursting with curiosity as they chattered on. The tom felt like he couldn’t properly think with all the noise, despite the tortoiseshell internally scolding himself to quiet his mind while trying to settle his rising fur. The sound of cat’s talking, their meows at different pitches and intervening volumes, began to blend with his environment, creating a cacophony of static like chaos.

He shuddered as ThornMask and SnakeShine gossiped and laughed, the two not noticing as he silently resisted the vibrations that ringed his skull. The louder volume reminding him of gurgling chuckles of blunt teeth and canine shrieks. His pace quickened, gaining a few tails ahead of the patrol to catch a breath and recount the conversation before hopping down from the marsh’s roots to level with them.


SnakeShine was in the middle of backing his apprentice up, nodding in agreement as he voiced his own suspicions. “She has refused to tell us why she even ran all the way here from windclan-“ His speculation was interrupted as the warrior stopped them up ahead, the tom turning to the three.

“I’ve only hunted with HoneyPool once, and I can guarantee if she is up to anything-“ RobinFang stopped himself from voicing his doubt as he went on. “She would be much too skittish to accomplish anything, much less an attack.” He barked out gruffly, flicking his tail behind him like an anger snake, as he turned to near the dark part of the forest.

“Now shut it.” He tossed over his shoulder, a snarl parting his fangs as he crept through the underbrush.


The two warriors seemed caught off guard by his outburst of attitude, but quickly shrugging it off as they now left the marshes of the Thunderclan border.
 
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Honeypool nodded, unsure if Dewspring even saw her movements as she went back to collecting the small delicate flowers. Her paws now covered in dirt and smeared in some flowers essence.

The scent now stronger as she wrinkled her nose to it. Yarrow was a scent she wasn’t a fan of. It was something that never truly smelled the same whenever she got near it. It either smelled of pine or some pungent and rotten thing that she couldn’t put her mind towards. Regardless the pretty little flowers never smelled as nice as lavenders, or roses.

How can something so pretty smell so horrid? Honeypool frowned, cupping her flowers in a pile she began to wipe her paws on the hard cave surface on an attempt to get the smell off. She would have to wash her paws in the stream before they left. She was now wishing she didn’t even have white paws but of well. Thanks father. She froze. It had been a long time since she had thought about her parents. Their images flashing in her head as she caught down the memories.

Casting her gaze in the direction of WindClan, her ears dropped slightly. She had left them back in WindClan. She shook her head and looked back down at her pile. No point in thinking about it now. She collected herself. She was tired and hungry and just wanted to head back to camp and sleep for a bit before possibly doing anything else. She was hoping the warrior’s den would be empty when she got back into camp.

She looked over at Dewspring, the tension between them still felt off to her. She had asked a small question that quickly shifted the atmosphere from calming to panic. She was overreacting and overthinking right? Her tail waved back and forth as Honeypool laid in the dirt starring into the dark folds of the rocks as if she was waiting for something to come out.


The rust colored cat fell quiet as she fell into step beside the two siblings. Her ears flattened a bit as Robinfang’s harsh tone. Looking up at Snakeshine and Thornmask who also seemed taken back by the tortoiseshells outburst, she had expected it but not this harshly. Who could blame them for being so curious? No one else had spent so much time with the new comer besides…. “Dewspring’s been with her a lot.” Cherrypaw quickly blurred out without thinking.

She then fell silent again. It would be useless asking the weird healer anything that was outside of herbs though. She probably didn’t know much about the brown and cream she-cat either. Frustration prickled her pelt as her head swam with so many questions. “Do you think something bad is happening in WindClan to make their warriors flee?” Cherrypaw mewed softly to the two tabbies as she kept to their side. “Maybe Sorrelstar has lost her mind?”

Cherrypaw had only seen the silver leader a few times at gathering but that was it. She always seemed to be the calm and collected one of the group. I don’t think any cat had heard her yell before. “Maybe someone will say something at the gathering.” She chimed in just wanting to get her questions answered. She looked over at Robinfang with narrowed eyes before she broke into a small sprint to catch up with him.

She fell into step with the small male. Her blue eyes were filled with so much curiosity it was almost worrying. She had already forgotten about his outburst. “Are you defending her or yourself.” Her tone was hushed, a quiet whisper. She kept her ears pinned back and her tail low, as if she was upset. “Sorry for bothering you.” She spoke louder that time, throwing a small glance over her shoulder to see the duo behind her talking to themselves before looking down at her paws, in fake defeat. “What if it’s all an act?” She added softly, before she stopped walking and fell back to Snakeshine’s side.
 
DewSpring paws padded through the clearing, the rocks echoing the soft almost silent sound as she tucked a piece of yarrow into her hind’s fur. Her coat felt heavy with the supply of herbs, signaling for her return back to camp.

She turned to her companion from across the stretch of caves, finding the warrior splayed out wistfully splayed in the dirt below. The stout cat’s head popped over from the high grounds of rocks, only a tail above the warrior, as she called.

“I’m finished up if you are!” She shouted, her sleepy tone still small and quiet as her green eyes blinked at HoneyPool. Tilting her head, she wondered if the warrior was still trapped in her thoughts from their discussion, the healer almost already forgetting the conversation as she kept down to meet the she-cat.




RobinFang’s facial expression harden at CherryPaw’s comment, his eyebrows creasing together as his green eyes darkened, still facing forward as he refused to give the three any further attention beside the “tch” of his clicking younger. His ears faltered to his skull before twitching upwards to correct the motion, his face unrevealing to the thoughts that now brewed in his head triggered by the apprentice’s doubt.


CherryPaw’s first statement was ridiculous, the tom having no reason to defend a cat he barely knew or to ensure his own position in his own clan. He only snapped at the three because their constant yapping and nosiness boiled his skin with irritation, nothing more. The she-cat did have one point, however, calling out the very real possibility HoneyPool’s only tricking them for her own desires.

…Those desires are unclear at best, and even the thought of the skittish panicked she-cat’s leading an attack made him mentally scoff. While he understood the other’s suspicions of a traitor, he grimly remembered HoneyPool’s panic attack in the medicine den, having to shove away the creepy stiff corpse like image and grasping paw out of his head. RobinFang thought over his own theories, now presuming the warrior to just be a cowardice runaway looking for a new place to settle with a shrug.


Whatever it was that made HoneyPool flee from her home was no something for him to pry into, his job now only being to watch over and incorporate the cat into the clan. He will take his clanmates worries into consideration though, now making a mental note to keep a safe distance from HoneyPool, but he himself was a bit unsure if was for his safety or his reputation as he crept closely to the border.



“-I think she was exiled!” ThornMask bets, a challenging look in her eyes as she spoke confidently. The patrol was now discussing their theories and speculation of HoneyPool’s origin, some of the tabby she-cat’s leaning on the more ridiculous side as SnakeShine remained level headed. Their pelts rubbed along against the yew trees and ferns, carefully to not stray too far into the dark woods that harbored the much larger predators of the forest.

SnakeShine head tilted, taking the proposition into consideration before responding. “It’s always is the quiet ones isn’t it?” The hefty tom meowed, his tail waving behind him causing the undergrowth and weeds he was scenting to rustle. He turned to CherryPaw and ThornMask to his left, speculation in his voice as he spoke. “What you thinking she did if she was exiled?”

“Maybe murder or something.” His sister shrugged, the topic losing it’s taboo edge as the conversation was echoed through the shadowy depths of wood, the rotting trees keeping the area blackened despite signs of sun high peaking through the canopy. SnakeShine huffed in amusement at ThornMask’s grim but aloof reply before turning downwards to CherryPaw, waiting for her cut in as his blue gazed eyed her.
 
Honeypool quickly popped her head up from her longing gaze at the darkness. Her amber eyes round as she then sat up before standing up and giving her pelt a strong shake. She nodded her head to Dewspring's quiet announcement, she had only half heard it though as she mind was still slightly spinning with memories of her old life. She looked down at her small pile of yarrow wondering if she had gathered enough. Was she at least pulling her weight? The fur along her spine rose slightly.

She looked back up at the dark calico as if she was waiting for her to say something, to tell her that she had gathered enough, or give her some type of response. Did she really need the praise of someone else to tell her if she had done something good or not? Mentally, she would have to admit she did. It made her feel pathetic. Like she was a kit, or a newly made apprentice that she needed the slightest bit of praise or else she would dwell on it for moons. Why can't you just grow up? She blinked at herself already knowing the answer to her own question but still found the need to belittle herself. Pathetic.

She stomached the feeling. "We can go now." She said softly. A dark haze filled her eyes as she bent down to pick up the pile of herbs carefully between her teeth. She was really tired of this voice in her head. She looked up at the clear blue sky from the cracks in the caves, seeing clouds beginning to form before turning her gaze back to the healer to get ready to go.


Cherrypaw looked up at her mentor. Her eyes flickering from cat to cat as they spoke. Hearing them speak made her wonder. Was the tortoiseshell really clueless or was he just hiding anyway the new cat's secrets. She frowned, unsure of which would be the best answer. He had to know something. Right? She signed giving up on asking him anything else for now. It would be better to ask the newcomer herself. A small smile appeared on her face at the thought.

Her blue eyes went round as she thought of so many questions to finally ask her. They just had to get back to camp first. She glanced at her mentor meeting his gaze. "What are cats usually exiled for?" Her mew was innocent as she wasn't used to hearing about cat's getting thrown out of camp. She felt her body shutter at Thronmask response. "If it was murder, I would hate to see the other cat." She gave her head a shake at the image that flashed in her head. Was she capable of murder? Was she going to murder one of them next? If she did murder someone, who was it? And why?

Her ears flattened against her head as she pressed closer to Snakeshine, her paws almost giving out as the questions filled her head. "Maybe...." She began to speak but trailed off getting lost in her own thoughts. Thinking about the warrior code she couldn't think of anything that would really get the she-cat exiled except, "Maybe she is actually seeing someone from a different clan." She spoke quickly at the thought rushed to her head. Her tail fluffing up. "But who?" She hummed out her response. "Or what if she was sneaking around with the medicine cat from her clan and they found out?" Her eyes grew wider as a tinge ran through her body. "Do you think she's a queen and she had to leave her kits behind?" Her voice came out as a sharp squeak.
 
The duo was only a few paces away from the caves, the shiny reflection of their smooth surfaces still bright. Cinnamon paws padded through the lush, the healer parting through the flowers that brushed along the side of her pelt. DewSpring heavy greens eyes faced upwards towards the canopy where the noon sky lit the treetops and the birds flew from branch to branch.

The medicine cat seemed truly in her element here, her pupils dancing to follow the feathered creatures, the birds grouping in pairs before splitting again in song. The she-cat turns to HoneyPool for a moment, observing her, too dense and unaware of the complex thoughts going through the warrior’s head. Her meow was soft and tired, not alarming the small creatures hidden in the dense forest.


“…I’m sorry if I pried.” She apologized, her tone unbothered despite her sympathetic voice. Her gaze turned back to face the birds, a humming sound rumbling from her throat, alternating pitches but remaining at a steady tempo mimicking the red-chested birds singing on branches.

“Are we still on good terms?” Her head turned downwards, watching where she stepped, her heavy eyes staring earnestly at the ground. Robins cheered and pranced in the pine trees around them, the two finally leaving the caves out of sight.






SnakeShine smiled worriedly as CherryPaw’s voice turned more panic as she went on, the apprentice nearly leaning on him as he gave ThornMask a concerned look as she realized her reply may have sent her down a spiral of anxiety. The tom slowed his pace, RobinFang not stopping as he trod deeper into the dark woods, waving off his front paw in an easing action as he meowed.

“You know cats can be exiled from their clans for a number of reasons. Not just murder.” He informed as they trotted along the ferns, the rotten undergrowth and woods wafting the smell of fungi. ThornMask nodded in agreement with her brother as she spoke. “It’s only usually murder-“ The she-cat was shut up by the tom’s tail whipping at her side like a sharp nip.


CherryPaw’s proposition of HoneyPool’s secret Shadowclan mate intrigued him incredibly, already edger to gossip about the idea with ThornMask. Still, he forced himself to focus back on his apprentice as she sharply squeaked.

“While that’s very interesting-“ Briefly pausing as his eyes flickered to ThornMask, who he could see was bursting at the seams at the idea. “I don’t know any Shadowclan cats who would take her as a mate.” ‘-not yet, at least’ he reframed from adding.

“Plus, I don’t think any queen would abandon her kits only to join her mate’s clan in search of safety.” He finished confidently, referencing their only Shadowclan queen, PoppyBush, an ex-Thunderclan warrior. As he finished addressing his apprentice’s concerns, not realizing the three of them had slowed to a stop at some point, he looked around.


His ears flicked, only the sound of wind tussling the dead leaves at their feet breaking through the shadowy forest’s silence. He huffed in annoyance as he spoke. “Now let’s go catch up with RobinFang.” ThornMask grumbled at his statement, realizing that the tortoiseshell was probably already a dozen fox-lengths away as she picked up the pace.
 
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Honeypool padded alongside Dewspring. Her tail was slightly drooped down as she walked. Her amber eyes were still slightly clouded as she trudged herself along the forest. The sounds around her were both calming and terrifying. While it wasn’t that quiet, it was quiet enough to make her panic a tiny bit. Though her demeanor was sulking, the fur along her spine was raised a bit. She was slightly on edge.

Hearing the birds in the distance flutter through the trees made her ears prick up slightly, but she never lifted her gaze up. Her eyes were unfocused as the world around her was a blurry mess. Thought after thought rose to the surface in her brain. The healer’s voice made her blink herself back to reality.

She opened her mouth, confused about what she had said as she wasn’t listening. Everything sounded hallow to her at the moment. Luckily she spoke again causing Honeypool’s eyes to widen slightly. “Why would we not be on good terms?” Her voice was full of concern as she looked over at the calico.

”Because of the question you asked?“ Honeypool added clearly not hearing the first sentence Dewspring had spoken. Her amber eyes narrowed a bit in understanding. She moved a bit closer to the she-cat, her voice soft and reassuring. “You were just worried, I am fine. I’m still trying to get settled as well as get use to the fact I’m not in WindClan anymore. Its going to be a while before I’m fully comfortable here.” She spoke honestly about the situation. As well as deal with the trauma that’s been plaguing me every night. She bit her tongue slightly.

Of course she wasn’t going to say that. “We are still on the best of terms.” Honeypot said with a smile on her face. She couldn’t bring herself to be mad or upset with Dewspring, at least not over a reason like that.


Cherrypaw followed beside her mentor the whole way, not wanting to step away from him as more thoughts and theories popped into her head, but many of them not sticking properly. Her ears flattened in defeat as she couldn’t bring herself to a good idea as to why they had received a new clanmate.

She groaned out loud as her paws began to pick up mud and dry leaves from the forest ground. She had stopped to give her feet a quick shake before sprint to catch up to the siblings. Her dark fur melting into the shadows as she caught up with them, this time padding in between the two of them. “If she did have a secr mate we would know by now I think?“ Her voice was low as she ponded back to the idea. “No cat has been around her except Dewspring and Robinfang.” She quickly pointed out. Her blue eyes looked off in the distance still not seeing the patched tom but she could easily pick up his scent.

Her ears twitched as a deadpanned expression appeared on her face. “And I highly doubt anyone has taken grumpy Robinfang as a mate.” She let out a snort though her nose at the idea. The air around them stirred almost as if it was agreeing with the younger cat. She turned to glance at Thornmask. Her fur rising slightly at the thought of her idea being the closets one to making any sense. “I mean, she came to camp all scratched and bruised up, like she had to fight her way through something. And you saw how much prey Robinfang brought back, so she seems to be skilled at hunting.” Her blue eyes darkened as she started fitting pieces together to fill the story in her head.

Her whole body fluffed up in alarm. “What if we are housing a murder?“ Her voice was filled with alarm as she glanced between Snakeshine and Thornmask.
 
DewSpring’s eyes were glued to the ground for a second too long, her pace slow and careful like a slow as her wavy long curls of fur brushed the flowers. Still taking the time to not destroy the floral as she walked.



“You were just worried, I am fine. I’m still trying to get settled as well as get use to the fact I’m not in WindClan anymore. It’s going to be a while before I’m fully comfortable here.” The warrior’s meow quiet as she inched over to her cinnamon counterpart.

DewSpring blankly stared at her after she-cat’s response with her round eyes scanning HoneyPool’s features. Of course, the healer would be patient with the molly’s adjustment, helping her along with what she could provide in herbs. The medicine cat was glad they both understood where the other was coming from, DewSpring’s curiosity and HoneyPool’s unease were both perfectly normal for the situation.

This doesn’t stop DewSpring’s folded ears from wavering and drooping at the emotional distance between them, too naïve to distrust the ex-Windclan cat like her ShadowClan peers did. Her ears quickly perk up to fix themselves, not wanting to pressure HoneyPool in any way, as she listened.



“We are still on the best of terms.” Honeypool said with a smile on her face, DewSpring smiling in return at the motion as her tail happily waved behind her as she forgot all her disappointment in an instant. She held her head a bit higher, closing her eyes in consideration as the birds sang. As she gaze unblinded as she looked upwards at the canopy of songbirds, the forest seeming to make her eyes glow a bit brighter, the she-cat’s innocent grin smeared across her face as she chirped.



“Good.”







SnakeShine and ThornMask paced quicken for a second in a small attempt to catch up with the tortoiseshell tom, but the male tabby soon figuring that RobinFang would make his way back to the patrol out of necessity, slowed to allow CherryPaw’s shorter legs to keep up with the two of them. ThornMask slowed in response, still padding a few tails ahead, as the mentor and apprentice rejoin their paw steps’ tempo.

ThornMask listened in as CherryPaw talked on about her suspicions, the ginger making some good points, his blue gaze still scanning the area for possible danger as his sister marked her scent on the low-growing vegetation. The three of them diving deeper into the dark woods, the sunlight’s specs through the canopy of abandon vines and rotten trees growing slim, as they follow the small tom’s scent.



“If she did have a secret mate we would know by now I think? No cat has been around her except Dewspring and Robinfang.” She pointed out, SnakeShine rising a claw to intercept with his own possible ideas before a snort interrupted his thoughts.

“-And I highly doubt anyone has taken grumpy Robinfang as a mate.” SnakeShine grinned at the thought, his nose crinkling with a puff of air leaving his nose. The notion of RobinFang having any sort of love life made him want to laugh before the idea of some poor cat foolish enough to take to the sour tom made him grimace.

-“Ugh.” SnakeShine sticks out his tongue for comedic effect, the sound of ThornMask snorting sounded up ahead of them, the tom turning to CherryPaw for a moment before focusing back on the patrol and their missing member.



“I mean, she came to camp all scratched and bruised up, like she had to fight her way through something. And you saw how much prey Robinfang brought back, so she seems to be skilled at hunting.” The response grew more serious as CherryPaw’s eyes darkened made SnakeShine frown.

“Well-“ The tom’s interjection was cut as the she-cat reached her conclusion.



“What if we are housing a murderer?“ Her green eyes darted to the two warriors as her voice sounded in alarm. SnakeShine’s own gaze turned shifted away from the apprentice, the usually good smooth talker now a bit stiff as he himself was left unsure how to respond. The warrior was clueless as to why CoalStar thought of it as a good idea, the only event reciting her introduction into ShadowClan being RobinFang’s short visit into the medicine den and KestrelFall pulling the leader aside to talk.



SnakeShine huffed a bit disgruntled with the odd situation himself as he spoke, trying the more easy route to take this conversation. “The statics of that are low CherryPaw-“ His lie was cut as ThornMask turned a meow over her shoulder in an instructional ton. SnakeShine scowled at being interrupted for the third time as his sister talked.

“-That’s why we gotta keep an eye on her! Shadowclan is as successful in this cold neck of the woods because we can’t afford to trust outsiders.” She mewled coldly, thinking their clan’s lack of numbers hadn’t prompted the she-cat’s stay. The she-cat found herself a bit guilty from the whole situation, only wanting to help the frazzled Windclan cat when she brought her back from patrol.



SnakeShine’s silence was a sign of agreement, the air turning a bit cold at their determination to the new mission that set them on the course of distrust between them and the new she-cat. The she-cat pelt prickled at the feeling, the tom remaining a bit more aloof as he found the scenario too stressful for his liking. ThornMask faced forward again, just in time to butt her face on an orange and grey forehead.



“Watch it ThornMask.” RobinFang bristled, rubbing his sore skull as the she-cat remained dazed, his sharp green gaze scanning his clanmates.

“What took you so long anyways? I already marked the rest of the border without you three.” The tortoiseshell barked curtly, the atmosphere returning to its normal temperature as ThornMask whined in pain holding her snout.
 
Honeypool held herself back from letting out a purr, happy that the two of them were okay and still on good terms. She wasn’t trying to make enemies, especially with the healer, out of all cats. And Coalstar. Her body shivered a bit at the imagination of the albino leader. She didn’t want to see any cat loose their temper towards her.

She waved off the memories and pushed on. Her fur was now just damp at the roots, but it still had a messy look to it. She would have to take care of it later after her nap as she wasn’t too worried about it at the moment. She picked up the place slightly, not liking the scent of yarrow. Looking over at Dewspring the she-cat seemed to be in her own paradise. A small feeling of jealously picked at Honeypool’s skin wishing she could feel the same way.

Her ears pricked up hearing the sound of cat’s chatting knowing they were closing in on ShadowClan’s camp. Was Robinfang back? She instantly wondered but upon sliding into the camp grounds she couldn’t make out his pelt anywhere. The growing feeling of discomfort twisted inside her belly as she padded into the medicine cat den’s with Dewspring behind her.

”Where would you like these?” She asked through a mouthful of yarrow flowers.


Cherrypaw’s eyes shifted from each warrior before falling on Robinfang. Her fur was fluffed up in fear, even though her mentor had tried to easy her fear Thornmask had made it spike up again. Her shirt legs wobbled as she took a seat to try and collect herself. Her eyes were mostly focused on the floor. Would they warn him? Should she warn him?

Robinfang might not even believe them, she knew that well enough, but at least they could say something, right? She didn’t want the snappy tom to wind up dead somewhere at the paws of the newcomer. Did Sorrelstar send the warrior here to tear down ShadowClan? Her small mind was whirling with theories and ideas as her body shivered some more. All questions she had for the brown she-cat had now been tossed aside and she was now ready to defend her clan if it came down to it.

She opened her mouth to speak but stopped. She had caught herself quickly. Robinfang had been so quick to defend her earlier. Was he in on it? Cherrypaw’s eyes widened as she wiggled herself underneath Snakeshine. Her heart thumping loudly in her chest as she crawled out from the outside to put some distance between them.

“You’re the one who ran off.” Cherrypaw finally spoke, not hiding the bitterness in her voice at all. She shot a tiny glare over Snakeshine’s shoulder at the patched tom. Her tail flicking fro back to forth with hostility. “We are suppose to be a patrol.” Her teeth gritted a bit. Did he actually go mark the rest of the borders? Was he lying?
 
The walk to the camp was short, the healer too entrapped by the sounds of the lively canopy above to contain any troubles in her vacant head.



DewSpring remained in her own little world of song and herbs as she padded under the thorn and bramble of the camp entrance, not having to duck due to her short stature. The she-cat continued the hymn, automatically treading across the clearing to enter her den, but slowed to a stop as HoneyPool spoke.



The warrior’s words wrapped around the herbs she held, the medicine cat taking a moment longer to recognize the question. Her green eyes blinked as slowly as a toad would when the realization lit her mind, her short blocky muzzle opening agape as DewSpring stringed her words together.

“The medicine den of course!” She smiled, scratching the back of her ear lazily. The movement caused her curly pelt and the yarrow tangled in it to jiggle.



A crinkle of mirth in her eyes remained as she trotted the rest of the way across the clearing to the moss-encased burrow, her clanmates parting out of their likeness for the healer. ShadowClan was still wary of her counterpart, the hefty warriors openly eyeing HoneyPool with a scowl. DewSpring was still completely oblivious to the threatening aura that loomed over them.



Entering the overgrown damp den, vines draping low and in need of a trim brushing along HoneyPool’s pelt. The was fixed to settle herself in the center of the burrow, wanting to spend her last moments of time with the taller she-cat to store their herbs in the overbrush of vines. The duo was halted by the presence of a muscular densely coated ginger she-cat that smelt of milk and oak, her blue eyes and black ears turning to the sound of the two entering the den.

“PoppyBush?” DewSpring’s head tilted at the queen, the older black and red she-cat standing confidently as her blue eyes narrowed at the two. Her oval gaze flickers at HoneyPool, her nose flinching to wrinkle bitterly for only a second before her eyes turned softly at the medicine cat.

“I’d like to speak to you.” Her head turned to HoneyPool’s presence. “In private.” The queen huffed, her voice remaining cool in a distinct lack of volume of hostility despite her undertone.










Rubbing at his forehead, ridding of any remaining sores quickly as ThornMask still sourly murmured under her breath. RobinFang scanned the quiet patrol, noticing their unease and alertness stuck in their rising pelts and cloudy gaze quickly.

‘So they’re only quiet when I’m not here.’ He thought with a grimace of annoyance.



His green eyes ended on CherryPaw, the stiffest of the three in the silence as she shuffled behind her gray and black-colored mentor. His ears twitched, almost hearing the sound of the apprentice’s scrambled brain overthinking from foxtails away as she stumbled to speak. His skills in observation could only take him so far, being in the dark of the mood shift bothering him despite the tortoiseshell remaining his composure.



RobinFang watched CherryPaw’s facial expression change under ThornMask’s shaggy pelt, the two siblings uncomfortable at the silence as the tom thrived in it. He swatted some undergrowth off his bandaged front paws, the thick wrapping of cobwebs and thin brindle weed catching some leaves from his travel. Mentally sighing wistfully, he already missed his time alone.

While the dark part of the forest warned off many cats, even most ShadowClan cats stayed away from the bear-infested woods, it comforted RobinFang. The complete silence and darkness that was insulated by the dense canopy of rotten yews and decaying cedars provided a perfect environment for him to collect himself whenever the racket of clanmates got too much for him, eventually knowing the placement of trees by heart.



As the apprentice bitterly snapped at the tom, cowardly sending a glare from the safety behind SnakeShine, it pulled RobinFang back to reality with a sour frown at the accusing tone.

“I did you three lazy snails a favor.” He snarled back harshly, his long fangs snapping together, not in the mood to be questioned in his most basic capabilities as a warrior by some barely trained child.

“If I waited for you yapping blabbermouths to mark the border we’d be wouldn’t be back in camp for another moon.” RobinFang barked curtly with a huff, his voice clearly displaying his lack of patience.



SnakeShine ears flattened at the dwindling mood of the patrol, shifting a bit defensively in fount of CherryPaw knowing the warrior had no problem picking a fight. His blue eyes sharpened, grumbling in disapproval as his sister tensed and apprentice panicked, his tail flickering behind him as he spoke.

“We’ll take your word for it.” SnakeShine rolled his eyes at the smaller tom, the tabby voice exasperated as he his head guided his body the way the patrol came.

“Let’s just head back to camp.” ThornMask added, following her brother, disappointed but not surprised with the lack of information they’ve gotten about HoneyPool from RobinFang.
 
Honeypool nodded at Dewspring’s comment. Of course she would want them in the medicine cat’s den, but where in the den? She said nothing though as she followed the healer across the clearing. She could feel the atmosphere change instantly now that more cats were up and eyeing her. Her eyes stayed locked onto the medicine cat’s burrow not daring to look around.

She was afraid to lock eyes with anyone in the clearing as the feeling of hostility burned through her pelt. She didn’t know what was worse being ignored by a whole clan or have them watch your every pawstep with disgust and bitterness. She found herself looking down at the clearing ground the rest of the way to the vine covered den.

Her amber eyes finally looked up as she entered the den. A sigh of relief escaped her now that she was covered up from the hostile stares she didn’t even notice the other presence in the den with them until Dewspring said something. Her amber eyes met blue ones as she stared at the black and ginger she-cat.

Upon hearing her speak that was clearly her cue to leave. Honeypool almost winced knowing she was going to have to go back into the clearing with the majority of the clan seeming like they wanted to claw her pelt off. She dipped her head, trying to understand why now she was being thrown into the lion’s den. It was bound to happen.

She placed her pile of yarrow on the side of the burrow, away from where anyone could trample on them before turning to Dewspring and giving her a nod goodbye before making her way out the den. She was actually going to ask the healer for a few lavender petals but she would come back later.

Exiting the dimly lit den to come in contact with the bright clearing, even for a second had thrown Honeypool for a small loop. Blinking at the unwanted sunlight, she headed straight for the warrior’s den to take her nap. Her claws were lightly digging into the dirt as she trotted quickly towards the slope.

Her mouth felt full of water as her stomach twisted and turned. Her breathing becoming unsteady as she made it halfway to the den. Relax. Relax…. Relax! She was screaming at herself as she felt her legs bunch up slightly as she tripped over herself slightly. She paused before beginning to walk up the slope toward the dead bushes. She was hoping no one would be inside but at this point she just didn’t want to be out in the open.

Pushing herself into the opening she quickly curled up in her nest and burrowed herself into it. She hated this feeling. The feeling of being alone and clearly unwanted, but what had she expected? her nose wrinkled up slightly as she stared into nothingness. So many thoughts were swimming around in her head that she wanted to claw her ears off in hopes that they would shut up.

But she also knew that wouldn’t help. Her heartbeat was pounding loudly in her chest it almost hurt as she fought off the nausea and dizziness she was slightly feeling. She mentally thanked StarClan she didn’t have a panic attack in the middle of the clearing. These cats already watched her as she walked to and fro. She didn’t want a bigger scene unfolding. She sighed once more before squeezing her eyes shut. She was drained in more ways than one and hoped a nap would help her a bit.


Cherrypaw almost hissed back at Robinfang but in return just snarled at him. Who did he think he was? Just because he was older didn’t mean he had the right to boss them around. What was he even in a rush for? Her blue eyes were blazing as she turned to follow the patrol back to camp.

She stuck to her mentors side, not wanting to get any closer to the patchy Tom that she needed to. Her fur was bristling with anger at his outburst before it finally calmed down a bit of ways through the journey. She found herself rolling her blue eyes before finally speaking. “He probably wants to rush us so he can get back to Honeypool.” Her tone came off in a mocking way as she whispered out her remark. Her tail lashing out behind her. “We weren’t even taking up that much time, yet he acts as if he’s the leader of us.” She spat out before huffing through her nose.

She looked over at Thornmask for a few seconds. “Maybe they are up to something, it’ll be better to keep an eye on both of them.” She continued to speak in a lowly tone not wanting to get her ears clawed off by the tortoiseshell. The curious side of her could think of a million ideas of what they were possibly up to but the thought of the new she-cat being a murdered came back quickly into her head.

She glanced over at Robinfang for a heartbeat before feeling her eyes flatten. Despite how bossy he was, he was still her clan mate. She wanted to warn him so desperately about the possible danger he was in but how? He was so stubborn and shirt tempered that anything she would say would go through one ear and out the other, she was sure of it.

She found herself mumbling as she looked over at the two siblings. Would they be able to warn him if the time came? They were friends of course, thought she could imagine how difficult it might be being friends with an angry lump of fur. “What if Robinfang knows she’s dangerous and that’s why he’s sticking so close to her?” Cherrypaw asked softly. The bitterness in her voice was still present.

She had no clue where that thought came from but it was out in the open now. WindClan warriors are nimble making them difficult to fight. Would he be able to defend himself in they were alone? She blinked and said nothing more. She was unsure what to really do about the brown female except stick to what Thornmask had said. Keep an eye on her.
 
DewSpring didn't pick up on the queen's undertone, her green eyes only turning to HoneyPool as she seemed to shrink away from the ginger she-cat to shuffle to the burrow's entrance. Her smile damped, her ears drooping slightly, seeing the warrior leave, the medicine cat always looking forward to spending any time with her patients.

She quickly flashed a smile at the brown molly as she placed the yarrow aside from the mossy den's exit, the short cat's head tilting as her tailed waved goodbye. "Thanks for the help HoneyPool." She wistfully chirped in her lazy tone, hiding her worry, her voice too slow to add '-and come back anytime.' before HoneyPool left.


She took a moment too long before realizing the she-cat was gone, only realizing her place when PoppyBush waved a black paw in front of her gaze.

"Huh-?" DewSpring spoke confused with a lazy blink, forgetting any thought process or concern that might have crossed her mind. PoppyBush sighed knowingly with a grimace, repeating what she said.

"I was saying, I running low on milk right now and-





The gazes and wary stares of clanmates greeted HoneyPool, the warriors too blunt to worry about hiding their suspicions as accusations were freely talked about. Their eyes tracked the she-cat, almost as if pulled by ex-Windclan cat's gravity, as she walked, the clearing occasionally parting to keep distance with the stranger in camp.


"I bet exiled." One hefty tom whispered to his comrades, his solid black pelt and scars marking him as distinctively ShadowClan, not fearing the scolding of CoalStar as he spoke freely.

"No way! I thinking more of a traitorous runaway." Countered another heavy-set tom, with a flick of his white tail, seeming to be a thinner one-eyed version of his clanmate as he slyly sneered. His response prompted another from a third cat, the conversation growing smaller as HoneyPool quickened.


While most cats were not as bold as the senior warriors, most too tired with sunlight now lashing at their pelts to make any comments, their quick glances at the outsider made their agreement clear as the she-cat rushed along the muddy slope into the vacant warrior's den.


The skeleton of shrubs and ferns didn't do much to silence the sounds of camp, but the distance alone was enough to quiet the cruel sensation of judgment and suspicion that rippled through the clearing. While every cat knew ShadowClan was just about the least welcoming clan any outsider could join, it seemed to be made even more abundantly clear with every passing moment stuck in camp.



Huffing a puff of air in a curt dismissal, RobinFang walks ahead of the group with his leaner less heavy form carrying naturally to a faster pace. His black tail flickers like a warning rattlesnake as he trots through the underbrush of fungi and rotten leaves, slowly and reluctantly beginning to cool off from his and CherryPaw's little spat.

Internal scorned by the apprentice's disrespectful scolding, the tom having every right like any of his clanmates to not be questioned by some kit, his ears flatten as he gains a short distance away from the patrol. Only a few foxtails away, his pelt able to rest peacefully alone on his skin, his fur easily ruffled, and his green eyes soften to a dull glare.

Passing out of the dark part of the woods, light now able to speckle through the canopy above, does the warrior allow himself to reminisce about his short, but quiet, time away from the group of three to distract himself from the rising whispers of his patrol and instead embrace the lush still territory around him.



The walk for the other three was relatively quiet, the air still tense from the mix of RobinFang's hostility and suspicion of the potential threat residing in their new clanmate. ThornMask looked slightly peeved with a combination of unease and curiosity as possibilities raced through her mind. SnakeShine obviously very uncomfortable with the unrelaxing shift in tone as his angry apprentice stuck to his side.


"He probably wants to rush us so he can get back to Honeypool.” CherryPaw's mocking voice cut the silence with a hushed tone, the black and gray tom's ear twitching at the sound of the ginger's mumbling. His blue eyes glance to meet hers without moving his head, not wanting to draw the sour warrior's attention to the huffing she-cat.

CherryPaw's tail lashed as she remarked. “We weren’t even taking up that much time, yet he acts as if he’s the leader of us.” While SnakeShine knew it was best to reprimand the apprentice for displaying such disdain to a clanmate, the tom couldn't help but smile as she quietly complained, having her just let it out before responding.

"...That's RobinFang for you." SnakeShine grumbles between her pause, mentally tracing back to their time as apprentices when RobinPaw was just a quiet kit before turning into the more cold and touchy warrior today. The mentor quickly shooed those memories away as CherryPaw turned to his sister.



“Maybe they are up to something, it’ll be better to keep an eye on both of them.” CherryPaw prompted almost silently, ThornMask looking to her inquisitively in consideration of the idea. SnakeShine eyes widen for a moment as the apprentice's words contaminated the air, a quick flash of his pupil forward to check if RobinFang heard, knowing the sensitive warrior would skin his apprentice alive if he heard the potential accusation.

"Maybe. Birds of a feather fly together." ThornMask shrugged with a hushed tone, referencing the two's shared outsider's blood casually. SnakeShine squinted at the she-cat with a glare, tired of his sister consistently planting seeds of doubt and panic into his apprentice's head. As much as he adored gossip with his sibling when the camp shared tongues, the duo webbing whatever random piece of social information with another to create a design of jumped conclusions, he wished it wasn't at the expense of CherryPaw's trust in her clanmates.

"ThornMask-" SnakeShine's hushed scolding was interrupted by another of CherryPaw's spontaneous burst of thoughts that bubbled over, her next reply softer than the last.


“What if Robinfang knows she’s dangerous and that’s why he’s sticking so close to her?” SnakeShine's gaze of annoyance weakened at CherryPaw's tone, practically hearing the red she-cat overthinking as she glanced between the two warriors.

SnakeShine pondered a good way to respond, giving a quick glare to silence ThornMask to be safe as he thought things over. While he was sure the tortoiseshell could handle himself in a fight, considering how often he managed to pick them, he had little to no idea of the other tom's intentions or why he seemed so defensive over the strange she-cat.

'Maybe ThornMask is right..' SnakeShine thought with a huff before properly speaking.

"CoalStar and KestrelFall assigned her to him, and I'm sure the two of them know what they're doing." He told half truthfully, knowing the leader to have the best in mind for his clan KestrelFall right alongside him in her dedication, but also aware of the she-cat's strained and foggy history with RobinFang as possibly affecting her judgment as well.



The patrol was silent for most of the journey, the hushed conversation carrying them along the marsh before quiet consumed them again.


"....So, are we just going to dismiss the whole secret mate thing or-?" ThornMask prompted the group curiously, her eyebrow raised as SnakeShine groaned.
 
Honeypool squeezed herself into a tight ball as her eyes hung heavy in the dark den. She was mentally tired as the voices from outside penetrated the walls around her. Her ears twitched slightly before folding in on themselves. She felt like a cornered animal as she pressed herself against the prickled wall of the den. The branches harshly scraping against her skin, not that she cared as she wanted to disappear. She wished she could, that the ground would split in half and she would be swallowed up.

Would going back home be the best choice?

She blinked slightly. She could be back at home, in a sandy den, pressed beside her mate instead of a rough wall. She shifted ever so slightly, the branches digging deeper into her fur. Closing her eyes she could imagine his scent. The sweet scent of birch wood instantly hit her nose followed by the warmth of his fur. She sunk deeper into her nest feeling a bit comforted in the memory.

She could instantly recall a few memories of them together that weren’t bad. Things weren’t always so angry and violent between them. In the beginning things were peaceful and now everything felt so bittersweet. More bitter than sweet. She sighed to herself knowing that even if she did go back home she probably wouldn’t be accepted back or things would quickly go back to the way there were before. Right?

Forget it. That option had been passed up and she wasn’t going to cave into it now. Her home was currently ShadowClan until she could seek refuge somewhere else. Her eyes shifted towards the opening of the den. Despite Robinfang saying that ShadowClan was full of random and misplaced cats, outsiders, they were still very hostile about it. She moved, letting the branches scratch at her skin as she turned to face her back against the opening.

Her stomach letting out a low rumble and she instantly felt annoyed that she still hadn’t eaten since that time back in Dewspring’s den. Despite her stomach letting her know it was empty she wasn’t actually hungry and the thought of it now made her feel nauseous. She mentally groaned at herself and decided to just let it go and try to drift off to sleep.


She blinked thoughtfully at her mentor. Of course they should trust in their leader and deputy and whatever weird reason they had put those two together. Do mentor’s usually know who their apprentices are going to be before hand? She side eyed Snakeshine wondering if he knew she was going to be assigned to him. She blinked her blue eyes sparklin, almost. “True, they did assign me to you after all.” Her voice was cheery as she bumped her head into the spotted tom’s flank. She would choose Snakeshine as her mentor a million times over some other cat, especially Robinfang.

Cherrypaw shot a glance at Thornmask. Her blue eyes flashed at the other she-cat’s statement. Secret mate… She then looked at her mentor who didn’t seem to believe that was the case or was at least opposed to the random theory that had spilled out of the ginger she-cats mouth some moments before.

Her tail waved behind her as she searched for an idea to pop up. “Well you two are warriors, you share a den with her.” She began to state before her mind went black for a bit, unsure of where she was going with this. She was only an apprentice and hadn’t thought too much if at all about having a mate. “I would think if she did have a mate it would be known?” Her voice was full of uncertainty.

”Coalstar already accepted her into the clan so I don’t see why they would hide it.” Cherrypaw went out trying to make sense of the idea. It was doubtful but would be interesting if they were actually right but the pieces weren’t sticking as well as she hoped. “Did she sleep with anyone last night, or near someone?” Her blue eyes looked at both the gray cats seeing if that theory could still possibly be salvaged.

These two would been more up to the task of finding out her brown she-cats secrets that she would. She just had ideas and maybe a few plans, but it would be a while before she would be a warrior so she would try to help from a distance.
 
DewSpring waved the Queen off with her heavy curly, the ginger cat carrying a stem of blue borage to the nursery. The cinnamon cat’s pelt was still heavy with the yarrow untangled between strands of fur, her short legs having to put more effort into standing as her lazy body dragged her a step backwards into the burrow.


The Molly couldn’t help but feel she forgot something, ducking under the bundles of yarrow before her small form outstretched to reach the supply of treatments for skin blemishes and bruises. She sighed, a long claw itching the back of her head as she thought, beginning to claw and cut herbs from her curly coat.

Her gaze turned out to were the ex-thunderclan mother exited, the only source of light that was allowing into the mossy burrow, scanning between the various dark pelts and scars of her clan mates in search of any kind of a reminder. She shrugged turning back to her work as a delicate breeze tugged on the low hanging vines of the den.






ThornMask eyes darted around the apprentice features in thought, before giving up the subject with disappointment groan. SnakeShine rolled his eyes at his sister reaction, knowing the she-cat was looking forward to any tall tale she could stretch with whatever clanmate was willing to listen.

The Tom was great full for the other warrior’s lack of serious, her constant nosiness lightening the air around him.



“…you three paying any attention? We turn here.” RobinFang called out to the group speaking in hushed tones above them a top a moss encased root of a marsh tree, his scarred muzzle pointing to their left facing the northern stones in the near distance.
 
Cherrypaw jumped slightly as she turned her attention to Robinfang. She had, for a split second, forgot all about the Tom while they group talked about Honeypool. Her blue eyes fading a bit as the conversation died down. When did he get up there? Her tail waved behind her back and forth as she turned to look away from the patched male. “Why is he acting like we don’t know the way back to camp?” Her voice was filled with utter confusion but she quickly dropped the comment not expecting anyone to properly answer her.

Her ears flattened as no one had answered her previous question, and assumed they weren’t sure, or the theory was dropped as a whole. Her cheeks puffed up in slight frustration. Why couldn’t Robinfang just tell her what she wanted to know about the new cat. He had to know something and yet he was acting like he didn’t know a thing.

She sided stepped a bit before looking over in the direction he was pointing. The northern stones. Her paws flexed slightly as she got a slight urge to climb the rocks. They were done with border patrol so maybe they could hunt a bit? Or take a break? She glanced up at her mentor hoping to ask if she could practice her hunting tactics but she never spoke wondering if it was worth it. They could always come out later. Her fur fluffed up suddenly as she turned to look at her mentor with wide eyes. “Hey, do you think you could ask Honeypool to join us one day?” Her blue eyes were sparkling at this point at her idea. “It’ll be easier to talk to her that way.” Her voice remained quiet. “Maybe to join us for hunting training or battle training?”
 
So sorry I’m super slow! I’ve been really sick lately… hope I can make it up to you soon enough when I get better : ) //

A huff escaped from his jaws as his paws planted on the ground, RobinFang’s eyes quickly scanning his bandages, a puff of content leaving his nostrils finding them still clean and intact before walking. He’s been careful through out the patrol to keep his bandages from getting dirty, bouncing from marsh roots and between murky puddles, wanting nothing more then to have a meal as he laid in his nest at camp without having to bother DewSpring.

He knew it was only a few days til he could rip these awful casting of cobwebs off his paws, the weight making his pace clunky and ungrateful, but he shrugged figuring he never used his paws in battle or hunting anyhow. Forcing his sharp gaze forward and away from his two paws, the Tom focuses on getting back to camp and away from this tiring group of cats as he traversed for the stones with a sigh.



SnakeShine’s eyebrows creased at RobinFang’s more downgrading tone, forcing himself to keep from rolling his eyes at warrior more rude mannerisms as he turned. CherryPaw spoke bluntly, voicing her complaint without thought as she followed the patrol as ThornMask gave a grumble in agreement to the apprentice’s statement.


“Hey, do you think you could ask Honeypool to join us one day?” CherryPaw’s gaze shined at the idea, ShakeShine’s gaze already pointed to his apprentice as he watched her ginger fur ruffle and her claws flex wanting to speak.

“It’ll be easier to talk to her that way.” The young cat’s voice remained quiet as she continued on. “Maybe to join us for hunting training or battle training?”


SnakeShine mouth stretched to a thin flat line in consideration, unsure wether to have the potential dangerous stranger, who they were just saying could be a exiled murder, near his apprentice. His blue eyes turned to the dirt floor beneath them, trying to stop himself from saying yes out of his own curiosity of their new clanmate before eventually losing the battle within himself.

“That sounds like a great idea! Just be sure to keep a safe distance and I’ll charm her my way to our next hunt.” He stated sounding surely with a toothy grin despite internal berating himself for his irresponsible. ThornMask own smile double her brother’s gleam, excitement lashing her tail about at the thought of squeezing the she-cat’s origin out from her as they reached the northern stones.
 
//Oh no! I hope you feel better soon. At least you’re sick while it’s cold out. Being I’ll in the summer is by far the worst! Just take it easy and rest up. No need to beat yourself up over it. ❤︎

Cherrypaw’s eyes lit up as she jumped in place at her mentors answer. Her fur fluffing up more than anyone thought was possible as she let out an excited squeak. At least now she could probably get to ask the she-cat any question she wanted. Which would would she ask first? Which one should she ask first?

She had hardly heard him speak to her again as her brain whirled with thoughts and questions. Her ears twitched as she looked over at his spotted pelt. “Yeah, safe distance and charming, got it.” Her mew was quick and short, but the excitement was bubbling out of her mouth like a stream as she did a little “walk-dance” next to him.

Charming? She halted eruptly before shooting a glare at her mentor. Her blue eyes intense as she looked at him. “Just don’t over do it.” She almost groaned at the thought knowing how her mentor could get sometimes.

Cherrypaw trotted ahead of them. Her tail happily waving behind herself as they approached the stones. She wasted no time leaping up to one of them. Her short legs, however did not make the job easy as she scrambled her way up the rest of the way. Taking in the view of the sights and smells around her, she sat down and just enjoyed the sunlight warming her pelt. The bright beams making it look like she was on fire herself.

She looked over to look over at Robinfang. Her tail tip twitching back and forth. “Make sure he doesn’t come.” He looked down at the two siblings already knowing Robinfang would ruin all their fun if he did. Or he might hog Honeypool all to himself. She mentally stuck her tongue out at the patched tom before sliding off the rock to land beside Thornmask.
 
RobinFang quickly glanced back at the sound of the squealing apprentice, the high-pitched sound pulling him from under his feet and out of his coherent thoughts. He grimaced for just a second seeing the excitable young cat, almost confusing her for a deranged squirrel, swift to face forward again as he picked up speed.

Dust wafted off the tom's pelt as he entered the patches of sun, SnakeShine and ThornMask becoming almost opaque in reaction to the light on their gray pelts just a step behind CherryPaw. SnakeShine rolled his eyes at the grumpy's tom overreaction, turning his gaze back to his apprentice who still seemed too wrapped in her own world to concentrate as she happily trotted and danced.

ThornMask also seemed to be put in a good mood by the news of the new clanmate joining them, her heavy shoulders more freely moved as they walked, her head lift higher with ears standing tall, and eyes gleaming in curiosity in what she herself would ask the mysterious cat. While she was relatively unsuccessful in prying any information during the patrol with DustWatcher and RobinFang, she would be sure to milk all she could from the she-cat she thought with a toothy grin.


SnakeShine only really noticed when his apprentice snapped out of it when his apprentice took a curt more direct tone. “Yeah, safe distance and charming, got it. Just don’t overdo it.” CherryPaw's ear flicked as her gaze glared at her mentor. SnakeShine scoffed in reaction, insulted by the mere insinuation that he wouldn't know what he was doing charm-wise.

"Of course not. You act like she'd be the first she-cat I've ever spoken to." He grin confidently, his ego bruised as ThornMask gave him a similar stern look, his sister looking back over her shoulder before she leaped from stone to stone.

SnakeShine huffed, his fur ruffled by the two she-cats, as he also joined them on the smooth platforms of rocks.



CherryPaw bounded up a taller patch of craved stone and looked forward, her ginger pelt aflame from the sun above, squinting at the further ahead tortoiseshell as the other two warriors clawed at the smooth surfaces as they paced below. Her tail's tip whipped as she spoke “Make sure he doesn’t come.” Her blue gaze turned to the two below as her expression soured like a grumpy kit.

RobinFang was too far ahead to notice anything they spoke of, his eyes sticking to the ground below him as his pelt absorbed the sun to his back and his ears focused on the busy canopy above, both uncaring and disinterested in the rest of the patrol as SnakeShine and ThornMask huffed in agreement to CherryPaw's statement as she lept down to join them.

His green gaze pointed ahead, about dozen paces away from the rest of the group, his muzzle now pointing to the air as his ears tilted forward sensing camp was near.
 
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