Book 2: City of Ice and Fire (a warriors cats and shadowhunters crossover)

Chapter 29: The Sharper the Thorn, The Deadlier the Secret (Clace)

***Arrowheart's POV***

Patchfur was a warm presence by his side, the black and ginger tom leading them with confident strides towards the FaerieClan border. Goldenclaw was on the bicolored tom's other side, his golden eyes fixated on the destination ahead. Behind them trailed Dawnmist, Sparkpaw, Nightrose and Simon. It had taken a lot of convincing on their part for Blossomstar to allow a group of this size to go on this trip.

Arrowheart had hoped that his words would be enough to sway the HunterClan leader, but in the end it was Dawnmist that convinced Blossomstar a group of this size would be necessary. They set off as soon as the sun started to set. If they were not home by moon high, a patrol would be sent out after them.

It was a reasonable stipulation, seeing as the faerie cats were known for being unpredictable, and for doing rather....unseemly things. Scandals flashed in his mind from the past, those stories of the fae bringing in mundane kittypets and other Downworlders and even the occasional Shadowhunter into their whispering woods a big reminder as to why their clan was both mysterious and worrisome.

Making a big group all the more reasonable. We have no idea just what we might find here.

Patchfur stopped once they reached the FaerieClan border, his paws rooted to the ground. Yellow green eyes bore into the stretch of overgrowth that lay before them, his expression unreadable. The warlockian tom had been pretty uneasy about coming to see Vinestar, something about the leader knowing things about him he'd decidedly not want Arrowheart to know about quite yet. What had won him over in the end was the need to help Violetpaw. Patchfur was likely one of the most experienced in HunterClan in these types of interactions with other Downworlders. It would be foolish not to bring him.

"Hey! Why did we stop?" Goldenclaw grunts.

Dawnmist brushes past his parabatai, annoyance in her clear blue eyes. "We must wait for a patrol to come get us."

"But what if that takes awhile?" Simon asks worriedly.

"Violetpaw really needs our help. Shouldn't we just go in now and apologize later." Sparkpaw mewed.

Arrowheart shakes his head at his apprentice. "No Sparkpaw. As much as I'd like to rush to their camp to, forgo all the niceties... FaerieClan is known for being very particular about guests. We have to be respectful. Otherwise...."

"Otherwise they might not help us at all." Dawnmist agrees.

Patchfur sniffs the air, his whiskers twitching. "Besides. I can smell them on their way here now."

A second after he said that, a patrol burst into view. Arrowheart takes in each of the cats with an air of caution. The patrol consists of four cats: Shynose, Springpaw, Harryfur and Beckonstep. Arrowheart felt a burst of relief at the sight of the two Wild Hunt toms. They had been apprentices at the same time Arrowheart, Goldenclaw and Nightrose. The two had been decent conversationalists with level heads on their shoulders.

Surely they will help us. I hope.

"What are HunterClan cats doing so close to our border?" Shynose asked. The cream colored she-cat's white belly fur could hardly be seen due to the thick swathes of grass growing out of the ground on FaerieClan territory. Unlike HunterClan's own forest, the land of the fey was an overgrown tangled wonder of fauna and mystery.

Who knows just what secrets this place might hold. It was because of the land's mysterious nature that many special herbs grew there and unique healing techniques were established. Featherflight had raved about the time he had visited the lands back when he was an apprentice. Doebelly took good care of what did grow there, that much was confirmed by the elder healer.