Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 2. (A Path Beyond Stars)

~A Path Beyond Stars: Chapter 19~

When Reedtail woke up, a warm sunbeam shone on her pelt. She stretched in delight, admiring the warmth for a moment before getting up.
Reedtail saw that Ashpelt, Swiftflight, Voleroach, Tigerfur and Iris-Eye were already gone, most likely on a patrol. She turned to see Pebblesoot, Whitestripe, Windcaller and Mossgaze in their nests. Everyone else was in the clearing.
Reedtail could see Coldpaw and Brackenpaw talking happily away by the fresh-kill pile while Fuzzyear and Windcaller watched from the Nursery.
Reedtail got up and quickly cleaned herself before leaving the den and padded over to where Fernfeather sat beneath the Highledge in Stonestar's usual place. She looked as though she was lost in thought, occasionally side-eyeing the Medicine Den.
She greeted Reedtail as she passed, then returned to her thoughtful frown.
Reedtail walked over to Coldpaw and Brackenpaw. "Hello," Coldpaw said cheerfully. Brackenpaw gave her a smile.
"Brackenpaw, where's Spidertail?" she asked the young apprentice.
Brackenpaw shrugged and answered, "He's not here. Fernfeather said he'd gone out before dawn but didn't say where."
"Strange," Reedtail said. "In that case, did he show you our territory yesterday?"
Brackenpaw shook his head.
"Well, I'm going to show Coldpaw around the territory today," she began. "Would you like to join us since Spidertail's not here?"
"Can I?" asked the apprentice hoperfully.
"Of course. Come, we'll leave now before the rain comes."
She had only just noticed the hideously gray clouds gathered in the sky, covering the sun that had been shining through the warriors' den just moments earlier.
"If we go now, we should be able to make it back before the storm starts," Reedtail said, beckoning the two young apprentices to follow.
She took them around to the RiverClan border first, as it was closer to camp than the border between ThunderClan and Twolegplace.
"One thing you must always remember," Reedtail said to the two apprentices, "is to never cross the border separating our territory."
"Why not?" Coldpaw asked.
"First, it is, technically, against the warrior code. Second, you don't have any reason to cross the border. Unless it's absolutely necessary and unless you're helping someone and have been given permission to cross, you should remember to always stay on our territory."
"What happens if we go outside it?" Brackenpaw asked.
"You will most likely be attacked, and that is only if you're lucky enough to get away."
"But Spidertail told me you went far past our territory once," Brackenpaw said suddenly.
Reedtail came to a halt. "When did he say this?" she asked.
Brackenpaw shrugged, stopping behind her alongside his brother. "Some time yesterday during hunting."
Reedtail huffed and continued down the border, showing them where they could go and where they probably shouldn't go.
Once they had finished, Brackenpaw had wanted to catch some more prey and Coldpaw had agreed, so they spent the rest of that time hunting. This leaf-bare had not been as harsh as the ones she had heard of in the Old Territories. It didn't snow in this Lake, which she was slightly disappointed about. She had never seen or touched real ice or snow before.
One day, she thought to herself with a slight grin.
Reedtail spent the rest of that morning hunting with the apprentices. After that, Coldpaw and Brackenpaw sparred and, eventually, in the early evening, Spidertail returned.
"Where were you?" Reedtail scoffed.
"I was busy doing something productive," the older warrior snapped back. Without another word, he stormed into ThunderClan's camp.
Reedtail felt something wet fall on her head and looked up. The clouds had grown darker and she could now hear thunder in the distance. A slow patter of rain began to fall.
"Inside," she ordered the apprentices. Racing after them, she ushered Coldpaw and Brackenpaw into their den.
Reedtail watched as Ashpelt shepherded Frostpaw into the apprentices' den, walking in after her. He gave Reedtail a disgruntled look of acknowledgement.
"That rain came out of nowhere," Frostpaw commented, shaking her wet fur.
"The sky's been gray since this morning," Brackenpaw pointed out. He slowly turned his head to Reedtail. "Can we still go out hunting after it stops?"
"We'll need to see if anything's flooded before we decide to train," Ashpelt grunted before Reedtail could answer. "We may be able to do a quick hunt if it has flooded, but I doubt the prey would be willing to throw itself in harm's way."
"You three should wait here until the rain slows," Reedtail said. The rain was starting to fall faster now, which reminded Reedtail sickeningly of her nightmare only the night before last.
Brackenpaw, Coldpaw and Frostpaw sat down in their nests and grabbed separate balls of moss.
"Well, it's their bedding," Ashpelt grumbled as they both walked out and ran to the spare den that was once Buzzardstar's temporary den. Pebblesoot had been given a new nest in the warriors' den, but it was only for as long as he stayed that the nest would remain.
"You're still angry about yesterday?" Reedtail guessed. Ashpelt's answer was a snort, which she assumed meant yes. "I didn't mean to be rude or insensitive," she said. Ashpelt scoffed, but she continued. "But you have to think about ThunderClan's survival. We're the only Clan left in the Lake able to defeat Half-Sight, and there are barely any members of RiverClan or WindClan left alive. We can't trust the kittypets-" she went to add, but Ashpelt cut her off with a sharp hiss.
"We can trust Horizon!" he growled.
"I wasn't talking about your mate!" Reedtail retorted. "Fluffy and Spots aren't trustworthy. You can go on prancing around with Horizon as much as you like, but you need to remember where your loyalty truly lies! You cannot question my loyalty when you're in love with a kittypet!"
Ashpelt's ears were flat against his head now. He snarled at Reedtail and ran out of the den, out of the camp and beyond the border.
Reedtail watched him go, boiling with rage. If he couldn't learn to work with ThunderClan more often, then he probably wouldn't be able to work with them at all even if he wanted to.
"What was that all about?" Flameclaw asked, poking his head into the den to look curiously at Reedtail.
"Erm..." Reedtail didn't know how to answer. Had he heard the entire conversation?
"I won't tell anyone," Flameclaw promised.
"Ashpelt's got a mate," Reedtail said quietly.
"He has?" Flameclaw asked, his ears pricked. "Who is it?"
"A kittypet..."
Flameclaw's face was blank.
"She's mine and Spiraltail's friend," Reedtail said quickly. "But she likes Ashpelt, and he doesn't know discretion."
"Huh," was his only comment. "Well, Fernfeather and Russetfire wanted to speak to you. They're in the Medicine Den right now."
Reedtail nodded and ran across the clearing and into the warm Medicine Den. Newleaf was soon to come, thankfully, and they wouldn't have to put up with such dreadfully long leaf-bares until it was time to leave the Lake, if they decided to.
"Reedtail, where are the apprentices?" Fernfeather asked immediately.
"I took them back to the apprentices' den earlier," Reedtail replied. "They're safe and dry."
"What about Willowleaf's kits?"
"Still in the Nursery, as far as I'm aware. I haven't heard them and when I last checked on the queens, the kits were still sleeping."
Russetfire gave her a look of uncertainty, but it was Fernfeather who spoke. "We think the kits may be sick with kittencough. Russetfire checked them while you were out training with Coldpaw, and Brackenpaw, I noticed," added the deputy with a skeptical look.
"Spidertail wasn't in camp and Brackenpaw wanted to see the borders with me and Coldpaw," Reedtail explained. "Are all of them sick?" she asked, switching the subject back to Echokit, Amberkit and Ivykit.
"Ivykit definitely is," Russetfire answered. "I'm not sure about Echokit yet. Amberkit seems fine so Fuzzyear's keeping her away from her sisters for now. Echokit is with Specklefern at the moment."
"So Ivykit is sick and Echokit's possibly the next to get it?" Reedtail assumed. Russetfire nodded.
After a long pause, Reedtail said, "Why would you need to tell me?"
"You'll need to keep an eye on Echokit and Amberkit in case one, if not both, of them fall ill," Fernfeather said.
"But I still have to train Coldpaw!"
"Find a time you can do it when you aren't training with him," Fernfeather said sternly. "We can't afford to lose the kits, not with the worst of leaf-bare coming."
"Everything gets worse before it gets better," Russetfire muttered as Fernfeather left the den.
"How is Stonestar?" Reedtail asked, but the furious coughing from around the corner inside the den told her all she needed to know.
"I think he's got blackcough, or is soon to get it," Russetfire said fearfully with a cautious glance in his direction. "It got worse last night."
Nobody survives blackcough. Everyone knew it, and nobody in ThunderClan had had it since Russetwhisker and Silver-Eye died.
Thunder rumbled in the sky. The sky had gotten darker and the rain was heavy now. "I'll go check on the kits now, if that helps," Reedtail offered.
"Please do," Russetfire said gratefully.
Reedtail ran out of the Medicine Den, her pelt instantly becoming soaked with every second she spent outside. She charged across the clearing and stopped at the Nursery entrance, panting.
Specklefern sat with a sleeping Echokit while Ivykit sat by Willowleaf. Fuzzyear had Amberkit at her side, the kit looking somewhat scared, but also confused.
"How are the kits?" Reedtail asked Willowleaf. The gray queen held Ivykit close with her tail. The kit seemed to be sniffling slightly and lay against her mother's shoulder with her head lolled to the side.
"Ivykit is ill," Fuzzyear said. Willowleaf's face was blank as she stared at her kit.
"I'm sorry," Reedtail said to Willowleaf, dipping her head.
"Reedtail?" said a voice from outside. Spiraltail poked her head into the Nursery. "Can I talk to you?"
Reedtail nodded, backing away from the depressed queen and following Spiraltail to the spare den, Spidertail's probing eyes watching from the warriors' den.
"What is it?" Reedtail said with an impatient flick of her tail.
"I've been thinking about the incident with Half-Sight and Russetwhisker," Spiraltail said. "See, Grayfur's sister, Snow-"
"Was able to see memories, I know," Reedtail snapped. "Why should Half-Sight have anything to do with Snow?"
"Think about it," Spiraltail said calmly. "Daisypelt, missing. Snow, missing! He's attacking cats connected to ThunderClan, and we still don't know why."
"Such a genius," Reedtail snorted.
"What's your problem?" Spiraltail huffed. "You seemed fine in the Nursery."
"Ivykit's going to die and so is Stonestar," Reedtail growled. "Grayfur's already gone, and I've already lost my birth mother, not to mention my mentor."
"Creamfur died fighting, as did Runningstar and Grayfur," Spiraltail flared. "Their deaths happened a while ago. Though reluctantly, even I have let go of my grief, and I mourned for my mother for an entire moon, perhaps longer."
A pause before Reedtail finally said, "What do you want?"
"I want to know how and why Half-Sight thought Russetwhisker and Silver-Eye should die," said her friend, sitting down.
"And I am here because?"
"Well, do you remember what happened that night?" Spiraltail asked. Reedtail shook her head, and her friend let off a scoff of disapproval. "Which is why my second option was Memory-Seeing."
"I will not have you invade my mind," Reedtail said immediately. "My mind is my own."
"I won't invade your mind," Spiraltail protested. "I know how to search for the thoughts and memories I want or need."
"And how many of our Clanmates have you practiced on without their own volition?"
"Ashpelt, Flameclaw and Whitestripe helped me work with this power," Spiraltail admitted.
"Were you successful?" Reedtail asked, somewhat curious now.
"I could travel through your memories with ease, but only if you let me," Spiraltail said.
With ease? Doubtful. My memory is quite expansive, she thought. Not as long as the elders and Specklefern, but still longer than yours.
After a long pause, she said, "Did you and Ashpelt let Snow into your mind, or was she able to break the barrier of your thoughts?"
"We found out that only a few of us are able to do what Snow could," Spiraltail said. "I cannot, and I don't know if Grayfur could either. If I were able to search through her memories, or if she had told me in the first place, perhaps it would've been easier to navigate Memory-Seeing."
"Perhaps. Or it would've made it more complicated, knowing what she did."
"You may be right, but will you allow me to check your thoughts?"
Reedtail hesitated and Spiraltail added, "We can't help the remaining survivors if we don't cooperate."
She let out a deep sigh. "Fine," Reedtail said.
Spiraltail closed her eyes, and Reedtail quickly spoke. "Wait!"
Spiraltail looked up. "What?"
"Could you stay away from memories involving the Twolegplace?" she asked carefully. "There are some things there I would like to leave untouched for now."
Spiraltail was skeptical, but she nodded, closing her eyes once more. Reedtail did the same, and she felt a burst of energy run through her head, like a sort of energetic pulse.
Spiraltail had entered the barrier surrounding Reedtail's thoughts.