tainted line - chapter nine

Wrenpaw's reaction was similar to hers, as Skypaw could feel her body stiffen beside her as they faced the intruder. Both of them glared at the apprentice with narrowed eyes, although for Skypaw, it was for an entirely different reason other than simply trespassing on their territory. She couldn't even begin to imagine what mouse-brained cat would think it was okay to trot into another Clan's territory without any thought as to what they were doing.

Skypaw squinted her eyes, watching as the she-cat grasped for a response, as she seemed to be a bit overwhelmed. She was growing impatient, however, and she could tell that Wrenpaw and Quickbreeze felt the same by their bristling fur. The she-cat took a step forward, looking straight into the other's green eyes.

"Who are you and why are you in our territory?" she repeated the same question as Quickbreeze, and from the anxious look on the ginger she-cat's face, she was feeling more pressured than ever to give an answer. Skypaw's cold blue eyes demanded one.

"My name… it's Foxpaw. I'm from RavenClan," the apprentice said.

"I think we've already established where you are from. The scent alone gives you away," Quickbreeze scoffed. She suddenly looked around, and at first Skypaw had to wonder why, but it suddenly occurred to her that she could be looking to see if they had any other "visitors." She only just noticed the small scratch that ran down the apprentice's side. It looked as though it was from a thorn. Was it a trick? To possible lure them into an ambush?

"Dancing around the main question isn't going to do you any good," Wrenpaw suddenly spoke up, voicing all of their thoughts as she stepped forward to join Skypaw. She could hear the movements of the cats in the camp who were no doubt curious as to what was happening outside of camp, but so far no one came out to see what was happening.

"I'm not here to steal prey or anything," Foxpaw said, tail flicking nervously. Under the gaze of the three cats, the young apprentice turned her head. "I'm… I'm here to see Blotchfire."

Skypaw could feel Wrenpaw looking at her, but she couldn't really form a coherent response. Was this cat mouse-brained? Was she truly kept in the dark about Blotchfire's identity and whereabouts for all this time? Even if he was still in the Clan, what gave her the right to demand to see him when she was already breaking the Warrior Code by just being here?

Besides the anger that just waiting to be released from Skypaw and the unusual caution shown by Wrenpaw, it was really left up to Quickbreeze to say something.

"This isn't anything of your concern," Quickbreeze said carefully, but Skypaw could sense the hostility beneath her words. "You cannot stay here. Why you even attempted to come here in the first place is beyond my understanding." Seeing the warrior check her surroundings once more, it was clear to Skypaw that Quickbreeze didn't really need to think of her response. If it was truly an ambush, it would not do them any good to remain outside of camp.

Foxpaw looked back as well, making Skypaw believe that an ambush wasn't even that far-fetched. Her eyes were wide, as if surprised that they would turn her away.

"But—but I told you, I'm not here to steal prey or spy! I just want to see Blotchfire." The she-cat's tone held one of nervousness, but more prominently exasperation and even impatience.

Skypaw moved to Wrenpaw's other side, wanting to keep a good distance away from the RavenClan apprentice, especially since she appeared to be so persistent. There was a sense of unease surrounding her, and believably so, as speaking to an enemy just outside of camp wasn't something that could be considered casual by any means.

"She's crazy," Skypaw murmured to Wrenpaw. "What does she expect us to do? Invite her into our camp?" She actually managed to catch the eye of the apprentice, giving her a hard glare which caused the she-cat to quickly look away.

"I don't know," Wrenpaw answered, shaking her head as she lowered her own voice. "Quickbreeze is definitely losing her patience, though."

"She's not the only one," Skypaw growled.

The two she-cats looked up at their Clanmate, who by now, had lost any tolerance she might have had in the beginning. Skypaw was right behind her in that aspect. Bickering over a cat or a patrol crossing the border happened every now and again, but not often did a cat come straight to the camp.

Her friends in her own Clan must think she's so brave. Skypaw rolled her eyes at the thought. This is the most foolish act that any cat can commit.

"You need to leave," Quickbreeze snarled, taking a step forward which in turn caused the ginger apprentice to back up a bit. "I will not say it again."

"But—"

"Did you not hear Quickbreeze?" Skypaw finally spoke, pulling away from Wrenpaw to stand beside Quickbreeze. She wasn't one for confrontation, and in truth she would rather leave hostile situations up to her more rash friend—as immature as that might be—but she knew she had to push herself this time. The warrior code dictated that they chase out intruders. She could argue parts of it all she wanted, but if it didn't exist, Skypaw would still fiercely defend what she believed to be theirs. "She said to leave. This is our territory, not yours."

The cream and white warrior paused to allow for Skypaw to speak before continuing. "I will not listen to any other excuses you might have for being here. I will escort you to the border where you will return to your own camp."

Quickbreeze's tone left no room for argument, and Foxpaw seemed to realize it. Her head lowered and her tail fell in defeat, which the warrior was ready to take as compliance. No other words left her mouth, showing that the conversation was finished.

Skypaw moved back to Wrenpaw and listened when Quickbreeze turned to them. "I'm going straight to the border and back. Let everyone know where I have gone," she said quietly. Skypaw was surprised at how calm she sounded, considering her initial reaction; even more so when she remembered how short-tempered the she-cat could be—especially to apprentices.

Wrenpaw nodded immediately, and Skypaw followed suit, albeit a bit delayed. Her eyes were more or less locked on to the ginger she-cat who stood behind Quickbreeze. The look of innocence she held seemed fake, and her true feeling was expressed through her lashing tail.

Skypaw had been told many times before that she could be quite expressive with her emotions, and other times she could hide them quite well. This cat, however, seemed to be holding herself back. Her eyes moved back and forth, almost frantically, but not once did Skypaw see her show one ounce of fear. She was lucky that Quickbreeze had been so lenient.

She and Wrenpaw did not return to camp immediately; instead, they watched as Quickbreeze and Foxpaw padded away in the direction of the border. Neither made a move, and from the looks of things, Skypaw knew that Wrenpaw wouldn't be the one to break their sudden focus. When Skypaw was sure that her Clanmate was out of sight, she shoved Wrenpaw—although a bit harder than she intended—and said, "We should go tell them what happened."

Wrenpaw looked far more interested in the possibility of following after Quickbreeze to make sure that the RavenClan cat had been taken away from their territory, but they really had no reason to do so, and Skypaw's mood did not require the extra fire that came from her anger.

With an extra nudge, Wrenpaw finally started moving, and they were quickly met with curious looks from their Clanmates when they entered camp once more. Larksplash was sitting outside of the nursery and gave them a questioning glance, but it was Mudwhisker who actually approached them.

"What's going on?" the ashy-brown tabby asked. "I heard some growling and thought you guys might have run into a badger."

"Well, if we had, you definitely wouldn't have been any help," Wrenpaw replied sarcastically, with Mudwhisker rolling his eyes in response. Besides being a young warrior, the tom didn't really show much responsibility in anything other than his apprentice, Whitepaw. Some days were worse than others, and unfortunately, today was one of those days.

"It was a RavenClan cat. Quickbreeze is bringing them back to the border now," Skypaw explained.

"But I heard voices from inside the camp. You're saying that this cat was right outside?" Mudwhisker scoffed.

"That's about accurate," Wrenpaw said.

"And only one cat? Wow… I was almost hoping for a little more excitement," the tom scowled, and then scratched the earth with his claws. "But, whatever. There are better things to worry about than some random RavenClan cat that crosses the border for some thrills."

The care-free tom trotted away, suddenly disinterested in their news of what happened. Still, there was no doubt that word would spread around the camp—or at least, to the cats that remained in the camp.

"I wonder if Silentstar will speak to Ivystar about this," Wrenpaw said without thought.

"When would he do that?" Skypaw asked incredulously. "Tonight's the gathering. The only time he'd be able to bring it up would be the next gathering."

Wrenpaw shrugged. "He could request to speak with her. Maybe catch a border patrol and pass along a message? I have no clue."

"That's better than walking straight into enemy territory," Skypaw scoffed, wondering what thought would drive a cat to do something so risky—and without any back up. It only encouraged the theory that she could have been trying to trick them; but then, she had also asked for Blotchfire. There were other ways that they could have been tricked.

There was a long silence between them, and neither seemed too eager to break it. Skypaw had to wonder if there was anything else they could have done. She felt anxious, and for a moment actually regretted coming back to camp instead of following after Quickbreeze. At least if she had, she could have gotten peace of mind and wouldn't have to shuffle through the many doubts rolling around in her head.

"Foxpaw is Redwhisker's kit, isn't she?"

Skypaw broke away from her thoughts when Wrenpaw questioned her, and she nodded slowly, "Yeah." Although Wrenpaw hadn't been at the gathering the night it was revealed, those who did not attend were quickly informed of the news between the other Clans. However, it was still somewhat surprising that Wrenpaw had remembered at all.

She knew that the RavenClan she-cat was Blotchfire's daughter—that was easy enough to figure out. The stories she heard based around what had happened lined up perfectly with the time and their current ages. So why was it that Foxpaw seemed to be so far behind in terms of understanding how she came to be?

"She doesn't know that Blotchfire isn't here," Skypaw said quietly. Her friend looked at her curiously, and she continued. "How can that even happen? Ivystar knows about it, so why wouldn't the rest of the Clan?"

"They probably do know," the pale brown tabby reasoned. "But who's to say that this cat doesn't? I don't think this is something you talk about every day."

Skypaw bit her lip, trying to imagine how RavenClan and their leader might have originally responded to the truth that Redwhisker was expecting kits with a cat from another Clan. Surely there must have been some kind of punishment? But then, more than six moons had passed before then. As fast as word could spread throughout the Clan, Skypaw knew well enough that if they truly wanted to keep something private, it wasn't impossible to do so.

"She was hoping to meet him," Skypaw let out a dry laugh. "Does she just assume he's been sitting around for the past few moons without bothering to speak with her? I can't imagine a cat being dense enough to believe that."

"I won't disagree with you," Wrenpaw said, although her voice was a little more controlled. "But I mean, maybe you can't really blame her for seeking out her kin."

Skypaw felt like a mouse-brain for even having to elaborate in the first place. "She has kin. She has her mother. So do I," she said. "Many cats live without a parent—sometimes two. You don't see me running through the forest trying to find my father. Even if I was, I'm also not trespassing on another Clan's territory to do so."

"Calm down," Wrenpaw warned. "I know that. I'm just saying that I can see why she might have done it. In no way am I saying it was a smart move." She resting her tail on Skypaw's shoulder and gave her a small grin, probably to diffuse the tension.

Skypaw took a deep breath, and let it out with a loud huff. "It's nothing to worry about anymore, anyway. She's gone. I don't know about you, but after taking care of bedding and herbs all day, I think I can sleep for a moon."

"You're not alone there," Wrenpaw laughed.

Their movements were slow as they padded towards their den, and the reason was purely from the amount of trouble and work they had to go through today. Even Wrenpaw's sharp comments were silenced from their growing exhaustion, and when they finally sank down into their nests, they didn't even bother to speak—or even gossip—about the day's events. Just a simple "good night" was enough to suffice.

Skypaw could hear her friend's breathing even out, showing that she was asleep, but it felt as though her eyes didn't want to close. She could feel the sleep pulling at her body, but she couldn't settle down. Her heart was still racing and her stomach twisted with anxiety. Other nights, it was tempting to go to Bristlefur to get herbs to help her sleep, but she always turned it down. This night was one of the rare occurrences where she wouldn't have minded it. Of course, Bristlefur also happened to be away at the moment that she would have liked it.

She eventually managed to settle her head on her paws, and she willed herself to follow in Wrenpaw's example and just relax. She found that taking a few deep breaths relieved part of the tension that her body held, and after only a little while, she found that she was able to close her eyes with little problem. She felt heavy, and in this instance, she found that to be a good thing.

Her breaths eventually matched her friend's, and she drifted off without any knowledge of how she managed to do it.


Movement in the camp broke her from her otherwise peaceful sleep, and she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and let it consume her once more. But she couldn't do that. She was now alerted to the presence of cats entering the camp, and while her logical mind told her it was just the cats returning from the gathering, she knew she wouldn't be going back to sleep until she at least made sure that everyone had returned safely.

She stepped around Wrenpaw who was still deep in slumber. Any other time she might have stepped on her tail to annoy her, but she felt a little more considerate this time around. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the sights of the camp as opposed to her den, and it confirmed her belief that it was only her Clanmates returning from the gathering.

Silentstar was the first to enter the camp, and behind him, Scarletstream. There was a strange feeling in the air, though. Based on the looks given by Duskleap and the other cats who did not attend the gathering, they felt it as well. Silentstar's gaze was hard and focused—something she only witnessed when they were faced with a threat. It was the same look he gave them when he spoke about the rogues a half moon ago.

The source of these emotions were hard to pinpoint, but the small ginger she-cat that followed solemnly after the two cats gave her the answer.

"What are you doing back here?" She turned her head at Quickbreeze's voice. The she-cat had stepped forward to meet the patrol, and the rest of the cats soon filed into camp, spreading around as to give the leader ample space. Bristlefur remained close by, looking quite worried compared to the other cats who looked mildly annoyed to passive aggressive. "Silentstar, this cat is an enemy. Why is she in our camp?"

Skypaw previously thought that it was impossible to feel a stare without previously making eye contact, but Foxpaw contradicted this quickly enough, as her pale green eyes met hers head on. A short staring contest took place before the RavenClan she-cat finally looked away. It could have been from intimidation, but the more pressing matter was that she was in an enemy's camp without anyone on her own side.

"We spotted this apprentice on our way home from the gathering. She said that she needed to speak with me," Silentstar replied, although he did look mildly curious at Quickbreeze's choice of words. "What do you mean by 'back here'? Has this cat been here before?"

Skypaw knew that she was not going to be excluded from this conversation. It almost felt like she was barging in, but she was a witness to the confrontation with the RavenClan she-cat. She had the same right to speak as Quickbreeze did. The tabby and white she-cat padded over just in time to hear Quickbreeze's explanation.

"She came here not long after you left. We caught her right outside of camp."

"Who did?" Silentstar looked thoughtful for a moment, and only then took notice of Skypaw. "You and Skypaw?"

"Wrenpaw, too," Skypaw said.

"I told her to leave. I even took her back to the border myself," Quickbreeze told the leader, looking down at the ginger she-cat. Unlike Skypaw's own experience, this time Foxpaw was far more willing to keep eye contact with the larger warrior.

With Silentstar being aware of the true situation, his attitude changed as well, and Foxpaw moved away from him, as if she could feel it herself. Her attention was now on the leader, rather than the warrior, and she was able to stand her ground and look confident, despite what opposing feelings she might have.

The whole Clan watched as Silentstar addressed their "visitor" with a sharp tongue and an impatient state of mind. "You said that you needed to speak to me, which is unusual in itself. Apprentices do not usually take it upon themselves to speak to a leader of an enemy Clan. What makes this even more interesting is that you have apparently been here before, disobeying my warrior's orders that you leave our territory."

Surprisingly, Silentstar did not continue, and after a moment Skypaw realized that he was actually giving this cat the chance to defend her actions. The chance of an ambush was slowly dwindling, and before she even said it, Skypaw knew that her excuse would be the same.

"I wanted to see Blotchfire. I was told that he was in AspenClan," she said.

Silentstar reacted in a similar way that she had, and it was easy to assume that the same thoughts were going through his head. "You wanted to see Blotchfire," he echoed. There was a long pause before Silentstar spoke again, his voice cold as ice. "May I ask where you have heard of that name?"

By now, their conversation had caught the attention of the rest of her Clanmates, and they were beginning to crowd around to hear just what was being said. Foxpaw looked around, and Skypaw wondered if she was even going to answer, but it was forced out more by her than anything else.

"My mother said that he was my father," she said. "In AspenClan."

Quiet murmurs moved through the crowd, and now all attention was put on this one cat that apparently had more kinship with their Clan than her own. She was willing to push her way through enemy warriors just to see the father she never knew; the one that was no longer here to begin with.

"You're out of luck," Skypaw said curtly. "He's not here."

She could now feel Silentstar glowering at her, but for once, she didn't care to notice. If no one was going to come out and say it, she wouldn't mind taking up that responsibility.

"What?" Foxpaw questioned, her eyes wide with disbelief. "But, my mother told me he was here..."

"Your mother was wrong, and apparently lied to you," Skypaw retorted.

Silentstar cleared his throat, cutting off the two apprentices before their own exchanges could turn into a full on fight. "You were given false information. Blotchfire is not here—or at least, not anymore. From your lack of understanding, I take it that the situation regarding your birth was not properly explained to you, although I am sure that your mother knew of the circumstances."

"I'm… not sure," Foxpaw murmured. "Redwhisker just told me that my father's name was Blotchfire, and that he came from AspenClan."

"Then she failed to tell you that Blotchfire was exiled from AspenClan for being involved with her in the first place," Skypaw hissed. The lack of knowledge this she-cat had about her own family irked her greatly, and it was slowly turning into anger at Foxpaw's refusal to understand that her mother was the cause of Blotchfire's departure from her life in the first place.

Foxpaw grew quiet, and even Silentstar seemed to know that it was better not to say anything. "Oh," she finally said.

The silence seemed to drag on, and for that time, no one wanted to say anything. It was an uncomfortable situation that was made even more awkward by their uncertainty of what to do now. Thankfully, Silentstar came through and spoke for all of them when he said, "If that is all you have come for, then I'm sorry to disappoint." Skypaw could hear his sincerity, but defenses were very quickly being put up. "But since we cannot help you, I think it's time you return to your own camp. I will have two warriors escort you home."

"Wait," Foxpaw broke in suddenly, and Skypaw almost jumped back at her abruptness. She looked lost for words. "I don't want to go back. I can't. My mother must have known. She lied to me. If she did, then the rest of the Clan must have, too. I knew there was something she wasn't telling me. Up until a moon ago, she didn't say a word about who my father was."

Silentstar took in this information without much of a reaction, but the true question was still dangling in the air. "What do you want us to do, then?" he asked. "I'm sorry for the situation, but there's not much else we can do. Blotchfire is not here, which was your reason for coming in the first place. Where do you plan to go from here?"

A long pause, and then, "I wish to join your Clan."

"What?" Skypaw gasped, and felt fur brush hers as both Brackenpaw and Wrenpaw joined her, with the latter being woken from the commotion.

"Is that even allowed?" Wrenpaw hissed under her breath.

"Your request is not unwarranted," Silentstar said slowly. "But I don't think you understand the implications of what you are asking. You mean to tell me that you wish to leave your birth Clan in favor of another?"

Foxpaw looked down at her paws, but when she lifted her head again, her eyes were brimming with quiet determination. "That is exactly what I'm saying."

There were several cats who tried to voice their own opinions, but they were quickly drowned by the other cats that would rather hear what their leader had to say. Even Scarletstream was smart enough to keep quiet, even though it must have been killing her to have to sit and listen.

The gray tabby had almost been stunned into silence, with his eyes wide and for once, filled with uncertainty. Cats did not switch Clans—Skypaw knew that, Silentstar knew it… even the kits knew it! Why, then, would he even consider it?

"This is not a request I am taking lightly... but I will not deny a chance at AspenClan growing stronger. If you are serious about this, I will allow you a trial period to train. I will speak to Ivystar when appropriate. Considering what you have told me, they must be aware of your absence." Skypaw couldn't believe what she was hearing. Foxpaw, on the other hand, looked relieved. "But be warned—any disloyalty or waver in reliability will get you chased off before you can say 'mouse.' Do I make myself clear?"

Foxpaw nodded fiercely. "Yes, I understand." Her voice wavered a bit, but it was mostly ignored by Silentstar.

"Alright, then," he concluded. With a flick of his tail, he beckoned his deputy to join them, and in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he spoke; "I chose Scarletstream as my deputy for a reason—she has a good eye for spotting those who do not pull their own weight or act in the best interest of our Clan. For this reason, I will be assigning her to this apprentice. I trust that she will teach her well."

As unusual as this "ceremony" was, tradition still stood that the two cats would touch noses, and with some initial hesitance, the two did so without any further trouble.

Some of the more welcoming cats—like Embercloud—were quick to greet the new apprentice, although not quite as warmly as they would with a cat from their own Clan. Skypaw didn't stick around, and she could feel that Wrenpaw wasn't feeling up to it, either. Brackenpaw appeared to be curious, at the least, but he eventually followed after them, too.

They stood at the edge of the crowd, but still close enough to hear Silentstar. While the two other apprentices were distracted by their surrounding Clanmates, Skypaw listened in as Bristlefur spoke with their leader.

"I must go to the Frozenpool tonight to speak with StarClan," he said quietly.

"This late?" Silentstar protested. "Bristlefur, is this so urgent that it cannot wait until tomorrow?"

"Right now, I feel it is," he sighed.

Skypaw had to strain her ears to hear, but she managed to catch Silentstar ask, "Does this have anything to do with our new… arrival?"

The silver and white tabby flicked an ear, but remained rooted to the spot.

"I… have a feeling. I cannot tell you what it is, but I feel that this is necessary," Bristlefur explained.

Finally, Silentstar heaved a great sigh. "Alright. If you must go tonight, I will not stop you. But I would at least like you to take a couple cats with you. You can take Duskleap and—"

"I would like to take Jaggedclaw and Wrenpaw, if that's alright," Bristlefur broke it, and it wasn't the first time that Skypaw was surprised yet confused by his actions.

Silentstar appeared to feel the same, but he didn't object, and simply nodded. "If that is what you feel is best."

The discussion ended there, but as Skypaw looked at her two friends next to her, she had to take Silentstar's words into consideration; when did a cat stop acting in the best interest of their Clan?

Did they ever really realize it?