The cats of Beechclan had settled back into their camp as the water retreated and the sun showed his face once more. Momomoon and Frostsong had rescued all of the seemingly lost prey by the grace of Starclan, and though the squirrels were a bit soggy the food was little worse for wear. The two heroes had gotten off easy considering the raging waters they had faced, with Frostsong suffering only from whitecough and holing up in the patched-up medicine den to rest. The weather was nice and the cats injured in the war had begun to heal and recuperate- but their was one part of the clan that had not healed, one part that would likely never heal. For despite the good fortune the clan had been blessed with in food and shelter, grief hung heavily over the camp- a fog that even the shining sun of greenleaf could not lift. Cedarslash sat before the graves of Skunkbrush and Yarrowkit, who know had two more freshly churned graves besides them. Graves too small for a mature cat that betrayed the fact that those within had died all too soon. Sleetfoot was perched besides his mate, letting her lean against him for comfort though both of them trembled equally as sorrow wracked their pelts. "Chicorykit and Snapperkit," Cedarslash murmered suddenly. Her mate glanced over at her, his expression both concerned and curious. "Cedarslash?" "I would have named them Chicorykit and Snapperkit." "Those- those are beautiful names." Sleetfoot nodded his head, "Beautiful as they were." He couldn't stop nodding, his body was no longer under his control- he couldn't feel it. Cedarslash on the other hand felt everything far too sharply. Asptail's poppyseeds had worn off and now everything hurt from her head to her heart. "It was my fault." Her mew cracked, "My fault." "Cedarslash no. Why would you think that?" "I-" Whatever the she-cat was going to say was interrupted quiet footsteps and a cleared throat. "Sleetfoot, Sorrelstar says she needs you," Malloweyes purred easily to the deputy. He looked about ready to protest but the elder inturreupted him first with a calming shush. She grinned and pressed her pelt against Cedarslash's as if to comfort her, all it did was send a chill down the she-cat's spine, and assured the tom, "I'll watch out for her. Go be a good deputy- run along." Cedarslash swallowed her fear at being left alone with Malloweyes and nodded at her mate, who gave her a torn look, a quick nuzzle, and a promise to return soon before dashing off.
"What did you do to me?" Cedarslash demanded once alone with the elder, her voice shaky with fear turned fury. Malloweyes didn't flinch, didn't even drop her smile. The warrior half expected her to just deny the whole thing in that silky-soft purr but the elder didn't bother. Instead she laughed, a terrible cracking sound that echoed in Cedarslash's ears even after Malloweyes had gone on to answer in her signature purr. "Yarrow. In small doses it cures coughs, in large doses it's fatal- but don't worry. I only gave you enough to kill your kits." "Don't worry? Don't worry? You poison my kits inside of me and you tell me 'don't worry'?!" The warrior was on her paws screeching, ready to lunge at the elder. Malloweyes just clicked her tongue as if Cedarslash were a naughty kit who needed to be reprimanded. "Do keep your voice down. We don't want the whole forest hearing things it shouldn't do we? Especially your involvement in such things." It was amazing how the elder managed to keep her voice so sweet and sensible as she threatened cats, almost like it was all a game to her. But the game worked well enough to shut Cedarslash up, the threat of revelation coupled with the appearance of Sharkfang and Burntsoul behind Malloweyes did wonders to sheath her tongue and claws. "Yeah, do what she says or I'll shut you up," Burntsoul added in unnecessarily, her grin even wider than that of the other two murderers she stood besides. It wasn't everyday she had more power than her mentor. But still not enough power to keep talking after Malloweyes glared at her. "Why?" Cedarslash dared ask, be it at a much softer volume. Why would Malloweyes do this?Why would she kill kits- her kits? "To remind you. You've been getting ideas and making choices. You've seem to forgotten that you made one choice- to follow me- all the rest of your choices were surrendered then. Becoming mates with the deputy, having his kits?" Malloweyes snorted at the fanciful thoughts Cedarslash had jammed in her brain and Burntsoul joined in. "Like you could find love," she sneered. This comment set Cedarslash off. "Like your chances with Webwing?" she shot back, but before Burntsould could respond either verbally or physically, Sharkfang stepped between the she-cats, sheathing and unsheathing his claws warningly. Malloweyes cleared her throat and continued, "Both would be fine if you had asked me, you could have even asked me for help like Burntsoul did- I wouldn't disappoint. But you, you took matters into your own paws and that, that is where your made a mistake. Everything Cedarslash, everything is in my paws. Your kit's lives, your mate's life, your life. If you value them then you know what you have to do. Be a good little girl and let me direct you." Malloweyes placed a paw under Cedarslash's chin and raised her brown eyes to Malloweye's piercing green ones. "My poor, poor Cedarslash," Malloweyes crooned, "I'll take care of you from here on out- right?" The fur on Cedarslash's back was spiked and her ears flattened against her head, but anger is a temporary fuel and suddenly the weight of everything seemed to crash down on the young warrior's back. There was no option, Malloweyes was right. The only choice she had ever made was the one to throw the rest of her life away. Cedarslash pressed herself against the ground, his tail pulled under her belly- still swollen with yet to dry-up milk, and ears tucked not in anger but in utter submission. "What do you want me to do?" Her dull surrender excited Malloweyes greatly, her eyes glinting even colder and her smile clearly a sneer. "That's better, isn't it? Now, staying mates with Sleetfoot? Fine, we'll use him. Having his kits? Also fine, provided they are raised dedicated to me. Why don't you go back to your business now, we've taken up enough of your time." You've taken up all of my life, the she-cat thought bitterly, but she nodded and got to her paws as instructed, turning tail and heading back to camp utterly defeated and exhausted.
"I want in." It was a simple statement, but completely shocking to the trio of cats who heard it. Eelpaw slunk out of the brush in which he had obviously been hiding in for quite some time. The lean dark apprentice utterly resembled his namesake in the low, slinking way that he moved towards them. "Who's this brat?" spat Burntsoul, clearly still harboring her dislike for all cats younger than she. "My apprentice," Sharkfang replied, looking over the tom who Sorrelstar had put in his charge upon Malloweyes's recommendation, "I was training him when you called me Malloweyes, he must have followed. How much did you hear?" Eelpaw didn't flinch at Sharkfang's sharp tone- he seemed about ready to start grooming himself actually, such a change from the stuttering tom who had hidden behind his aunt...step-mom...whatever. "All of it. And I want in. Seems siding with you is better than siding against you." Malloweyes grinned, a new voluntary recruit was not what she had expected from the day but if the day wanted to give it to her then she was more than glad to receive. "You certainly sound like a smart tom." She circled Eelpaw as she purred, her eyes flashing. Still he didn't flinch, didn't even tremble. "And I'd much rather gain an ally than an enemy." "I would never be an enemy m'am, I've seen what you do." "Yes you have, but as you've also seen, I seem to have a problem keeping willing associates. I'd hate to have to go through that again." "Yes m'am." Malloweyes stopped circling and hmmed to herself. "What do you two think?" she asked Sharkfang and Burntsoul, who had been watching the exchange with interest. "I think he would be useful, he's my apprentice and I would love if my training went to good use." "I say he prove himself!" Burntsoul demanded, "We don't need any half-hearts." Malloweyes nodded and turned back to the young tom. "Would you be willing to prove yourself Eelpaw?" "Yes m'am!" "Good. Burntsoul get him." Not waiting for any explanation as to why she was being allowed to rip the fur off this apprentice, Burntsoul launched herself onto Eelpaw and began digging her claws into him. The tom understandibly yelped and started thrashing but stopped as Malloweyes spoke again. "Siding with me will be painful and any fighting back will be punished. Get used to it by taking these blows." Eelpaw obeyed, biting back a yowl as the stronger she-cat carved into him. "Don't worry, I won't let her kill you"
When Eelpaw limped his way into the medicine den, aided by Sharkfang, his face was so bloodied that he could not speak without it dribbling into his mouth. Instead, Sharkfang answered Pigeonkit's anxious, "What happened?" for him."We ran into a dog while training. Eelpaw fought it bravely while I was too far away to help, eventually I reached him and ran it off but he was already badly injured." The tom nodded stiffly, as if it hurt him to move his head, and Pigeonkit seeing no reason not to believe the story mewed briskly, "Eelpaw come over here, there's a free nest by Sunheart. I need you to hold still while I wipe up the blood with some moss, okay?" He nodded again- he was very good at holding still. As Pigeonkit grabbed a scrap from her stored river-soaked moss and began to dab gently at Eelpaw's face Sharkfang stuck around. He was supposed to stay in the medicine den anyways and get treatment for his leg. "When did she become a medicine cat, I thought your daughter was still a kit," the tom asked Dunpond, who was in the midst of grooming himself. "Oh she's a natural," Dunpond replied, his eyes gleaming with pride, "She's been helping Asptail out with all the patients. The poor boy took Cedarslash's kits' deaths very hard." "He's holed up in the herb storage and won't come out. Won't even let me see him," Sunheart lamented. Despite being new Malloweyes had caught Sharkfang up on all the clan gossip such as how Asptail was Sunheart's son from his failed mateship with Sorrelstar. "He kept muttering something about a promise and Starclan. I hope he's okay." Before Sharkfang could get any more information out of the toms, Pigeonkit had nudged up against his knee, which was as high as she could reach. "I cleaned him up as best I could. I'll have to ask Asptail about what herbs to use, maybe I can get him to come out and treat Eelpaw too? Well I can hope. Anyways Eelpaw'll be fine but his face will scar badly." Pigeonkit sighed, seeming more like a hundred moons than six, but then quickly shattered that illusion by adding, "It's too bad, he was cute."
"Hey Sparksong!" "Hmm?" Claywhistle and Sparksong were out sunning themselves on the bank of the river, a ways upstream from Beechclan camp. "What's white and tan and white and tan and white and tan?" the tom asked, grinning preemptively as he set up the joke. Sparksong, who lay on her side across from him, smiled too. "Tell me." "Frostsong rolling down a hill!" They both howled with laughter, mostly at the truth of the lame joke. Frostsong had indeed rolled down many hills in order to entertain his new siblings. "You'd think with his whitecough Asptail'd confine him to the medicine den," Sparksong chuckled, but Claywhistle's laughter trailed off abruptly. Once his returned it was more forced. "Herbbutt's too busy sitting in the herbs to control him- not that any cat could of course." There was a bitter note to his normal joking tone that the teasing in his last statement couldn't cover up. Sparksong sat up straight and regarded Clawywhistle more seriously. "How are you doing?" "Oh fine, though the last squirrel was a bit washed up eh?" This time when the tom laughed his friend didn't join in. "Too bad of a joke?" "Claywhistle..." The she-cat settled herself besides her friend, pressing her red pelt against his brown. "I'm serious. Your sister's been captured by Soulclan for murder and your own mother denounced her. And your brother's holed himself up in his den ever since he lost Cedarslash's kits- a kit is treating everyone in his place! Your family's in shreds, you don't have to laugh everything off." Claywhistle was silent for a moment, staring at the sandy grass beneath his paws. He'd certainly be thanking Sparksong for shoving all of his issues back in his face all over again, sure he would. It wasn't like they weren't on his mind every second of the day or anything! But the tom didn't snap, Sparksong was only being honest and inquisitive- it was her nature. Just like his was to hide behind jokes. "But I do. I'm the only one left unbroken- heh, never thought I'd be the strongest one of us- and I can't let the hurt show. I'd break just like mom and Asptail and Barkknot and then where would I be?" Claywhistle let out a bitter laugh. "I'm the one who has to stay strong- there's no one to pick up my pieces if I-" "Yes there is. There's me." Sparksong nuzzled her friend, her breath warm against his cheek. "I want to pick up your pieces when you break, I want to put you back together, and I want you to do the same for me. I want to laugh with you and cry with you and just be with you. Claywhistle I want to be your best friend forever and always- I want to be your mate." Claywhistle, the tom who always had a retort for everything, was speechless for the second time that day. Then the tears came, soft racking sobs as he leaned against Sparksong and she curled around him naturally."Thank you. Thank you Sparksong." "You're welcome," she murmured back, then suddenly flustered added, "Is that a yes?" "Yes." Claywhistle was smiling as he cried, like he had a personal sun-shower inside of him. "I want to pick up your pieces and put you together. I want to laugh and cry and live and love with you Sparksong. I want to be your mate- platonically and romantically." And the pair laughed together at that last, terrible joke, their tails intertwined.
Becoming an apprentice: Pigeonkit
Kits is 1 moons: Starlingthroat
x1 catmint used: Frostsong
x1 large fish eaten (3) x1 squirrel eaten (2)
Hunting Patrol: Momomoon*, Cougarheart, Dunpond, Dandelionbloom, Webwing, Burntsoul
Patrol: Claywhistle, Shadowslip, Stormripple, Sparksong, Wispwhisper, Flaxpool
Becoming mates: Sparksong and Claywhistle
Training: Sharkfang -> Eelpaw
Sunheart- Badly, badly, badly scratched up | Needs: ???
Dunpond- Scratches and bruises| Needs: ???
Frostsong- Scratches/whitecough | Needs: ??? and catmint✔️
Sharkfang- Deep leg bite, minor scratches | Needs: ???
Eelpaw- Torn ears, bruised body, clawed-up face | Needs: ???
