EOTW: Faded Boundaries: Chapter Twenty Four

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War
Book 1: Faded Boundaries
Chapter Twenty Four

     Blazepaw crouched, growling low in his chest as he tried to figure out a way to throw off his opponent. The gray tabby's pelt looked almost ginger in the glow of sunset. He bounded towards the larger tom, dodging to the side at the last minute and landing a powerful blow on the tom's shoulder. When the tabby whirled to meet him, Blazepaw slipped under his belly, knocking one of his hind legs out from under him on the way out. The tom stumbled, and Blazepaw slipped onto his back, wrestling his head to the ground with a fierce growl.

     The tabby struggled for a few moments before going limp. “Well done, Blazepaw,” Bumblestripe mewed warmly. Both cats separated, Blazepaw backing up so his mentor could get to his paws. He sat facing Bumblestripe, glowing with pride.

     “That was a great move, knocking my leg out from under me,” Bumblestripe said as he shook the sand out of his pelt. He sat and began grooming, cleaning the grit and sand out of his fur. “And nice timing on the dodge, though you should have aimed a little lower to truly knock me off balance. But we'll work on it later. Your fighting may need work, but you've been making excellent progress with your hunting.”

     Blazepaw held his head up proudly. “I had to, hunting's been hard, and the Clan needed to eat,” he explained as modestly as he could manage with the pride prickling at his pelt.

     “Still, I'm impressed with how hard you've been working,” Bumblestripe mewed warmly to his apprentice. “You have the makings of a fine warrior.” Blazepaw tried not to show how much those words made him want to bounce around gleefully like a kit. “Now,” he continued, lowering into a crouch, “let's try that move again, only aim lower this time.”

     The ginger tom nodded. He started to crouch, but before he could attack his mentor, Rosepetal bounded towards them, yowling gleefully. “Bramblestar wants every cat back at camp,” she announced, tail curled with joy. “He's decided we're moving back to camp in the morning, he wants every cat to rest for the trip.”

     Mentor and apprentice shared an excited glance. The last few patrols to check the lake's borders had reported that the camp was no longer underwater. Now, it seemed Bramblestar had finally deemed the camp water-free enough to live in once again. “Home,” he breathed. “We get to go home.” He would be able to sleep in the cave with his moss nest, and eat prey beneath the sky, and listen to Bramblestar speak from the Highledge, and listen to Spiderleg grumbling beneath the roots of a birch tree. The twoleg nest didn't feel nearly as constricting now, after a moon of living there, but it would never be home. Not the way the stone hollow was.

     Bumblestripe got to his paws. “Thank you, Rosepetal,” he told the dark cream she-cat. “We'll return now.” He glanced down at his apprentice with a knowing expression. “Ready to go home?” he asked.

     “Yes!” Blazepaw bounded to his paws, excited as a kit. He had to resist the urge to take off for the stone hollow right that moment. “Let's get back to the nest!” He wanted to get to sleep so morning would come sooner.

     His mentor purred in amusement. “Alright. Let's go.” Bumblestripe, Blazepaw, and Rosepetal left the sandy training area behind and started towards the twoleg nest.

SCENEBREAK

     Bramblestar was there to greet them when the cats returned. “Good, you're here,” the dark tabby rumbled as Lionblaze touched noses with his son. “The only cats left are the last border patrol. I sent Lilyfrost to bring them back to camp. Hopefully, they'll come back soon.”

     “What are we doing about Squirrelflight?” Bumblestripe asked curiously. “Isn't Redkit too young to be moved? She was only born a quarter-moon ago.”

     The leader shook his head. “Squirrelflight says she'll be fine. She's carrying Redkit herself.” He flicked his tail in dismissal, and Bumblestripe and Blazepaw padded off. The apprentice bounded up the blocks to the upper level and grabbed a finch off the fresh-kill pile.

     As he was heading back down the blocks, he heard Bramblestar speaking, “There is something I've been meaning to ask you.” When the reached the lower level, he saw the leader speaking with Lionblaze. He snuck around the warriors, heading for his own den. “We need to tell Rowanstar that Tawnypelt has died. I'm sending you alone to the camp. If Rowanstar reacts badly or tries to blame ThunderClan for her death, he might attack whoever I send there.”

     “And I'm the only one with no chance of getting harmed,” Lionblaze realized. “Very well. When do you want me to leave?”

     “After we get settled back into camp.”

     Lionblaze was about to reply when Lilyfrost padded into the nest. “I found the patrol.” Blazepaw paused just outside his den, turning to look at the tabby-and-white warrior. Something about her tone sounded off, and she hesitated just outside the entrance. “They met Rowanstar and some of his warriors by the border. He says he's looking for Tawnypelt.” Every cat froze. “They told him she was here, but not... you know.”

     Bramblestar hesitated, grief for his sister flashing in his eyes once more, then dipped his head. “Bring them in,” he rasped. As Lilyfrost ducked back outside the nest, the leader glanced back at Blazepaw. “Go get Dewfrost,” he ordered.

     The apprentice dipped his head, then quickly headed for the warrior's den. He poked his head inside, scanning the warriors within until he saw the familiar spiky gray pelt. “Dewfrost,” he called. The warrior looked up, ice-blue eyes blinking open sleepily. “Rowanstar is here.”

     Dewfrost was instantly awake. Without another word, she got to her paws, walking past Blazepaw and out of the den. He followed her.

     Cats were starting to gather, clearly having heard who was here. Rowanstar was in the nest, along with two tortoiseshell she-cats that Blazepaw didn't know. Dewfrost perked up immediately at the sight of them. “Olivenose! Specklefoot!” She bounded towards the warriors, purring and rubbing muzzles with her Clanmates. But Blazepaw's focus was on Rowanstar. The dark ginger tom looked ragged and skinny. Was that from looking and worrying over his mate? Or looking after his Clan after the flood? Either way, the ShadowClan leader didn't look very well.

     Rowanstar relaxed at the sight of Dewfrost. “I see you've been treating my warrior well enough,” he mewed gruffly to Bramblestar. “She looks well-fed, for a prisoner.”

     “She wasn't a prisoner,” Bramblestar said wearily, as though he'd already explained this. “She and Tawnypelt got lost, and it wasn't safe to take them back across the border into your territory, so we sheltered them here.”

     Dewfrost dipped her head to him. “ThunderClan has been very generous to me,” she told her leader.

     “I can see that.” His voice hardened. “But what I don't see is my mate. Where are you keeping her?”

     Blazepaw winced. He could see the the hard grief in Bramblestar's eyes. This had to be as hard to break to Rowanstar as it was for Rowanstar to hear. “Rowanstar, I'm so sorry. But Tawnypelt gave birth, and something went wrong. She's gone.”

     Rowanstar's eyes widened. He opened his jaws, but no sound came out. The leader swayed on his paws before Olivenose came to support him on one side. Blazepaw was stunned by how weak the tom suddenly looked. “Gone?” he whispered, his wide green eyes staring at nothing.

     “Yes. I'm so sorry, Rowanstar.” Bramblestar approached the ShadowClan leader, resting his head against Rowanstar's. For a moment, they didn't look like the leaders of enemy Clans. They looked like Clanmates, friends united in grief.

     Dewfrost, Olivenose, and Specklefoot watched their leader's grief with expressions soft with sympathy. “The kits are still alive, Rowanstar,” Dewfrost told him gently.

     Something lit up in Rowanstar's eyes. “Our kits...” A desperate light glowed in his eyes as he turned to ThunderClan's leader. “Bramblestar, where are they?”

     “The nursery. I'll take you there.” The broad-shouldered tabby rose to his paws and started towards the blocks, Rowanstar following on shaky legs. Blazepaw watched as they ascended up to the upper level.

     More cats began emerging from their dens, murmuring curiously. Snowpaw approached Blazepaw, blinking sleepily. “What's going on?” he asked.

     “Rowanstar is here,” he told his friend. “Bramblestar took him to see his kits.” Snowpaw stiffened, suddenly looking much more awake. They both looked up at the blocks, waiting.

     It took several minutes for the two leaders to return from the upper level. No cat spoke as they slowly descended down the blocks. Blazepaw noticed neither tom was carrying kits, to his surprise. Rowanstar broke off, returning to his Clanmates. He spoke to them in a low voice. Their voices rose in surprise, but a sharp mew from him silenced them. Rowanstar led his Clanmates to the entrance, but before they could leave, Dewfrost turned back to the ThunderClan cats. “Thank you for your hospitality,” she mewed quietly. “I will always be grateful for how ThunderClan sheltered us.”

     Bramblestar dipped his head to the spiky-furred warrior. “May StarClan go with you, Dewfrost,” he said respectfully. Dewfrost gave a small nod, then followed her leader out of the nest. There was a brief silence after the ShadowClan cats left. Blazepaw was wildly confused. Why hadn't they taken Tawnypelt's kits with them?

     After several moments, Bramblestar lifted his head. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here for a Clan meeting.” The few cats who hadn't been in the nest's clearing soon emerged from their dens and joined the crowd.

     “Rowanstar has come and taken Dewfrost back to ShadowClan,” he announced to all the listening cats. “But there is something else you must know. He, Squirrelflight, and I have spoken at length, and we have decided it would be best if Tawnypelt's kits were to remain with ThunderClan.”

     The crowd burst into confused cries. “He's leaving his kits?” Birchfall cried in shock. “Why in StarClan would any cat do that?”

     “Can't a queen from his Clan feed the kits?” Poppyfrost asked.

     Bramblestar shook his head. “There aren't any nursing queens in ShadowClan,” he explained. “Pinenose just weaned her kits, and Applefur and Dawnpelt's kits have been eating solid prey for moons. There would be no one to feed them.”

     “But why doesn't he just have us feed the kits until they're weaned, then send them to ShadowClan?” Berrynose demanded. “Doesn't he care about his own kits at all?” Similar cries rang out from the crowd, and Blazepaw had to agree. What kind of father would agree to let his kits be raised in another Clan? Lionblaze was worrying his pelt out over Silentpaw being in another Clan for one moon. How could Rowanstar even consider letting his enemies keep his kits all their lives?

     “Silence,” Bramblestar hissed. The cries reluctantly died down, replaced with grumbles and confused whispers. “What's done is done. The kits are ours. Squirrelflight and I will raise them along with Redkit. They will be our kits, and any cat who says they don't belong here will have to answer to me.” The dark tabby glared out at his Clanmates, a dangerous glint to his eyes. Blazepaw was surprised to see how protective Bramblestar already was of the kits. He and Squirrelflight must have bonded with them more in the half moon since she'd been nursing them than Blazepaw had thought.

     As the crowd muttered and grumbled to themselves, Daisy spoke up from the crowd. The fluffy she-cat looked nervous to speaking up in front of so many cats, but seemed to relax as she looked out and recognized all the Clanmates she was speaking to. “I lived at the horseplace for a long time before I joined ThunderClan, and my kits were born there,” she began. “But our loyalty is to ThunderClan, and it always will be. Don't doubt these kits because of where they were born. Give them a chance to grow into true ThunderClan warriors.” Bramblestar dipped his head in thanks to the queen.

     “Daisy's right,” Lionblaze added. “I'm half WindClan. Does any cat doubt my loyalty, or Jayfeather's?” No one seemed to want to argue that point. Cats looked away uncomfortably. “We might never know why Rowanstar gave up his own kits. But that's his own business. These kits deserve a home, and we can give them that.”

     It was clear the Clan wasn't totally satisfied, but no cat challenged Bramblestar again. Instead, Molefoot asked, “What will their names be?”

     “We discussed names with Rowanstar before he left,” Bramblestar explained. “We have named the she-kit Sunnykit, for the sun-drown journey that we shared with Tawnypelt.”

     “And the tom?” Ivypool asked.

     Bramblestar stared evenly back at her. “Shadowkit.”

     After ShadowClan, Blazepaw thought uneasily. These kits might be raised in ThunderClan, but the tom's name proved that they would always have ties to ShadowClan. All of the doubts he had ever felt about the relationship between Clan and Clan came together now, making his stomach turn with fear. He leaned closer to Snowpaw, whispering, “But these are ShadowClan kits, surely. How can they ever belong in ThunderClan?”

     Snowpaw stiffened. In an unusually curt tone, he reminded Blazepaw, “Technically, Tawnypelt was a full-blooded ThunderClan with ThunderClan parents, even after she joined ShadowClan. So these kits are half ThunderClan. Just like me.” Blazepaw's eyes widened in horror as he realized what he'd just said. “I'm half kittypet, remember? Do you think I should be sitting on a cushion eating rabbit droppings somewhere?”

     “No, that's not what I meant,” Blazepaw hurried to assure his friend. “You and Amberpaw are warriors through and through. I just, I worry sometimes. The Clans seem to be getting more familiar than they should these days, and these kits just seem to prove it more than anything. How can we ever fight each other in battle like we're supposed to when we just start giving each other our kits?”

     The snow-white apprentice relaxed. He nudged his friend with his shoulder, telling him, “Trust in the warrior code. These kits may have ShadowClan blood, but they will be loyal to ThunderClan. Maybe they'll wrestle with their ancestry. Even probably. But in the end, they'll have to make a decision. Every cat does.”

     “But how could any cat ever fight his own kin?” Blazepaw demanded. There were so many cats with kin in different Clans. Bramblestar and these kits would have kin in ShadowClan. He, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather had kin in WindClan. Even the leader of RiverClan herself had kin in ThunderClan. So many cats with divided loyalties. How could any cat choose between their family and their Clan?

     Snowpaw told him, “Because in the end, the Clans aren't enemies. We fight when we have to, but there's a reason there have always been four Clans. Because when the danger is greatest, we will always stand together. The Clans have a loyalty to each other that is stronger than what keeps us apart. And in the end, when all is said and done, we will all belong to the same Clan.” He flicked his tail against Blazepaw's side, then padded off, leaving the ginger apprentice alone with his thoughts.

     The meeting was starting to break up. Cats were returning to their dens, still grumbling and muttering to themselves. Even though no one had challenged Bramblestar further, no cat seemed totally comfortable with raising the kits of another Clan's leader. Blazepaw had too many tangled thoughts to figure out how he felt about it anymore. After a few moments of watching Bramblestar retreat up the blocks to visit his new kits, Blazepaw finally turned away and trudged back to the apprentice's den.

     Snowpaw was already curled up in his nest next to Amberpaw. Lightpaw looked up when Blazepaw padded in, then returned his head onto his paws, closing his eyes. Beside him, Sparkpaw was snoring, his tail and paws twitching in his sleep. Blazepaw looked over his denmates briefly. None of the cats in front of him were pure ThunderClan. Two of them had a father who had been a kittypet, and the other two had parents with ties to the horseplace. He himself had both kittypet blood and WindClan blood. The Clans were mixing their blood more and more by the day.

     But all the cats in front of him were also undeniably loyal to ThunderClan. He would never question any of them, no matter how much or little he liked them. Maybe the Clans were becoming too familiar, but he knew that he could always trust his Clanmates to stand by his side. And that was what truly mattered.

     Content at last, and filled with excitement to go home, Blazepaw curled up in her nest, pulling his tail tight around his paws. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the excitement thrumming in his paws and drift off into sleep. Tawnypelt's kits would be true ThunderClan warriors, and tomorrow, they would get to see their true home for the first time.