Post by curelovely on Oct 10, 2022 0:15:02 GMT -5
Hello, and welcome to my first Warriors fic in 5-6 years! It's a kitty murder mystery set in fan Clans living near a glacier in western Canada.
Summary: Acornspot of RidgeClan has his paws full just looking after his shy apprentice, Snowpaw. However, when the deputy's corpse is found on the border, Acornspot is dissatisfied with the assumption that a LakeClan cat was the culprit. Along with Snowpaw, he begins investigating the murder, all the while unearthing secrets that may be best kept hidden.
Allegiances
Prologue
"Well, it's not like any of us know where to go, so -"
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highjut!"
Robincrest pressed his nose to Falconpaw's, completing her ceremony. The two backed away into the throng of Clanmates, stopping next to Shimmerbreeze.
Summary: Acornspot of RidgeClan has his paws full just looking after his shy apprentice, Snowpaw. However, when the deputy's corpse is found on the border, Acornspot is dissatisfied with the assumption that a LakeClan cat was the culprit. Along with Snowpaw, he begins investigating the murder, all the while unearthing secrets that may be best kept hidden.
Allegiances
RidgeClan
Leader: Brightstar - white she-cat with brown patches
Deputy: Jaggedtail - brown tabby tom
Medicine Cat: Stagthorn - black tom with piercing green eyes
(Apprentice, Lilacpaw)
Warriors: Acornspot - brown spotted tabby tom
(Apprentice, Snowpaw)
Robincrest - reddish-brown tom with white chest and tail tip
(Apprentice, Falconpaw)
Shimmerbreeze - pale grey she-cat with white paws and blue eyes
Sapclaw - reddish-brown tom with green eyes
Squirrelfoot - grey she-cat with one white paw and a white tail tip
Sleetfall - dark grey tom
Batflight - light brown tabby she-cat
Owlfeather - black-and-brown tortoiseshell she-cat
(Apprentice, Moosepaw)
Dappleshine - orange-and-white tortoiseshell she-cat
Wolfpelt - grey tabby tom with white paws and underbelly
Pinewhisper - thick-furred dark brown she-cat
(Apprentice, Ferretpaw)
Poplarnose - dark brown tom with a black stripe down his back and a bushy tail
Flamedash - ginger tabby she-cat
Orchidheart - thick-furred white tom
Apprentices: Snowpaw - small white tom with blue eyes
Lilacpaw - light brown she-cat with amber eyes
Falconpaw - light grey she-cat with black markings
Moosepaw - brown tabby tom with a stumpy tail
Ferretpaw - light brown tabby tom
Queens: Morninglight - golden brown she-cat, mother to three kits (Larchkit, brown she-kit with white paws; Loonkit, white tom with dark green eyes; Hawkkit, thick-furred golden brown tom)
Darkblaze - ginger-and-white tortoiseshell she-cat with black patches, mother to two kits (Firekit, ginger-and-white tortoiseshell she-kit; Emberkit, light grey tom with a long tail)
Sprucefur - dark brown she-cat with white patches
Elders: Twigwhisker - light brown tabby tom missing a paw
Dawnspeckle - cream she-cat
LakeClan
Leader: Cranestar - small blue-grey she-cat
Deputy: Pebblestep - light grey tom with one white paw and a white tail tip
Medicine Cat: Lichenberry - white she-cat with black spots
GlacierClan
Leader: Flakestar - large white tom
Deputy: Violetfrost - black she-cat with white paws and underbelly
Medicine Cat: Icepelt - white she-cat with one blue eye and one green eye
(Apprentice, Doepaw - light brown she-cat with white paws, underbelly, and tail tip)
Cats Outside the Clans
Sundew - ginger tom, rogue
Jupiter - fluffy white kittypet with blue eyes
Medicine Cat: Stagthorn - black tom with piercing green eyes
(Apprentice, Lilacpaw)
Warriors: Acornspot - brown spotted tabby tom
(Apprentice, Snowpaw)
Robincrest - reddish-brown tom with white chest and tail tip
(Apprentice, Falconpaw)
Shimmerbreeze - pale grey she-cat with white paws and blue eyes
Sapclaw - reddish-brown tom with green eyes
Squirrelfoot - grey she-cat with one white paw and a white tail tip
Sleetfall - dark grey tom
Batflight - light brown tabby she-cat
Owlfeather - black-and-brown tortoiseshell she-cat
(Apprentice, Moosepaw)
Dappleshine - orange-and-white tortoiseshell she-cat
Wolfpelt - grey tabby tom with white paws and underbelly
Pinewhisper - thick-furred dark brown she-cat
(Apprentice, Ferretpaw)
Poplarnose - dark brown tom with a black stripe down his back and a bushy tail
Flamedash - ginger tabby she-cat
Orchidheart - thick-furred white tom
Apprentices: Snowpaw - small white tom with blue eyes
Lilacpaw - light brown she-cat with amber eyes
Falconpaw - light grey she-cat with black markings
Moosepaw - brown tabby tom with a stumpy tail
Ferretpaw - light brown tabby tom
Queens: Morninglight - golden brown she-cat, mother to three kits (Larchkit, brown she-kit with white paws; Loonkit, white tom with dark green eyes; Hawkkit, thick-furred golden brown tom)
Darkblaze - ginger-and-white tortoiseshell she-cat with black patches, mother to two kits (Firekit, ginger-and-white tortoiseshell she-kit; Emberkit, light grey tom with a long tail)
Sprucefur - dark brown she-cat with white patches
Elders: Twigwhisker - light brown tabby tom missing a paw
Dawnspeckle - cream she-cat
LakeClan
Leader: Cranestar - small blue-grey she-cat
Deputy: Pebblestep - light grey tom with one white paw and a white tail tip
Medicine Cat: Lichenberry - white she-cat with black spots
GlacierClan
Leader: Flakestar - large white tom
Deputy: Violetfrost - black she-cat with white paws and underbelly
Medicine Cat: Icepelt - white she-cat with one blue eye and one green eye
(Apprentice, Doepaw - light brown she-cat with white paws, underbelly, and tail tip)
Cats Outside the Clans
Sundew - ginger tom, rogue
Jupiter - fluffy white kittypet with blue eyes
Prologue
The eastern border of RidgeClan had stood firm ever since the reign of Ridgestar, or so it was said. There was truth to this legend, though - there was simply no reason for the Clan to expand eastward. Beyond the four tall poplars that marked the border, there was only rough, craggy land with few trees and even less prey. Besides, a twoleg nest stood on that land, so RidgeClan cats tended to avoid the area, unless they were stealing the herbs that grew on the outskirts of the nest. Apart from a few glimpses of a kittypet or two, Acornspot had never seen a cat living in that patch of barren land.
So why did he hear the mewls of a kit coming from that direction?
At the front of the line, Jaggedtail stiffened. "We're getting closer." He closed his eyes, tilting his head from side to side for a moment, then turned to the left. "This way."
With that said, Jaggedtail dashed forward, leaving his patrol to frantically run after him. Before long, the four other cats were panting. Even if the cats hadn't been walking since sunrise, catching up to Jaggedtail was no easy feat; as an apprentice, Acornspot had heard rumors that Jaggedtail could outrun even the fastest squirrels, catching them before they could reach the safety of the treetops. Whether those rumors were true or not, Jaggedtail was undoubtedly the fastest warrior in the Clan. He didn't look back at his patrol even once, and Acornspot knew that he trusted them to follow his lead, even if they were a bit slower.
The mewl rang out again. Acornspot pushed himself harder, willing his paws to move faster. He had to find the kit, whoever they were. Perhaps they were one of RidgeClan's kits, perhaps they weren't, but no kit deserved to be left alone in leaf-bare, no matter their origins.
As if he'd heard Acornspot's thoughts, Wolfpaw spoke up. "Do you think it's one of Batflight's kits? Or maybe Shimmerbreeze's?"
Robincrest, Wolfpaw's mentor, cut in before Acornspot could open his mouth to reply. "Don't be a mouse-brain. We left at sunrise, remember? And all the kits were still there. There's no way a kit could get all the way from our camp to the border before we did."
Wolfpaw hung his head, embarrassed. "Sorry."
"Less talking, more running," Robincrest replied, his voice sharp. "Jaggedtail's getting ahead."
You're the one who's doing all the talking, Acornspot thought, rolling his eyes.
It wasn't long before the patrol reached the eastern border. Jaggedtail kept running, ignoring the scent line, and after a brief pause his patrol followed suit.
Behind Acornspot, Owlfeather was panting hard. "Does he…even know…where he's going?"
"Well, it's not like any of us know where to go, so -"
Acornspot was cut off as Jaggedtail came to an abrupt stop, causing the rest of the patrol to skid in the snow, their bodies still lurching forward with leftover momentum. Acornspot stopped a whisker-length away from face-planting into Wolfpaw. Wolfpaw wasn't so lucky - he wound up crashing into Robincrest, who kicked him to the side with his hind legs.
Acornspot backed a few steps away, then looked up. "What is it, Jaggedtail? Did you find anything?"
Jaggedtail didn't speak. Instead, he turned to face the group, a furry bundle dangling from his mouth.
It wasn't a RidgeClan kit, that was for sure. The kit was pure white, pale as the snow, unlike any of the kits in the nursery. They appeared to be about two moons old, and they hung limply from Jaggedtail's jaws. For a moment, Acornspot thought they were dead. Looking closer, however, Acornspot could see their lungs moving ever so slightly, taking in shallow breaths.
Clearly, the kit was freezing to death.
Acornspot immediately rushed forward, stopping a pawstep from Jaggedtail. "We need to warm them up. How can I help?"
Sounds came from Jaggedtail's mouth, but they were muffled by the kit's fur.
"It's too cold to lick them… Maybe you could curl around them and rub them a little?" Wolfpaw suggested.
Jaggedtail nodded to Acornspot, then gently dropped the kit into the snow. Acornspot immediately lowered himself to the ground, wrapping himself around the kit - a tom, he noticed - like he'd seen queens do in the nursery. With one paw, he slowly rubbed the kit's face, hoping to get some blood flowing.
"Maybe the kit's from GlacierClan? He looks like one of them," Wolfpaw mewed, tilting his head.
Robincrest glared at him. "In case you haven't noticed, the GlacierClan border is far to the north, and the camp is even further up. Using logic - a concept that you don't seem to understand - I can easily come to the conclusion that a kit couldn't have come here all the way from the GlacierClan camp without freezing to death. And before you start asking about LakeClan, remember that they live to the west of our territory. This is the eastern border."
Wolfpaw looked away, pelt prickling with embarrassment, but said nothing.
"Okay, so he isn't from any of the Clans," Owlfeather began, "and there aren't any loners or rogues around these parts. He's probably a kittypet."
"Perhaps he snuck out of the twoleg den and got lost," Jaggedtail theorized. "I suppose we could try leaving him just outside the den so that his twolegs can find him."
Acornspot frowned. "But what if they purposefully cast him out? What if they don't want him back?"
"It's none of our business," Owlfeather replied. She turned back towards the border, then looked over her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go. We haven't even done a full border patrol yet."
"Excuse me, but since when were you the leader of this patrol?" Acornspot snapped. He pointed his nose at Jaggedtail. "He is. And he's, you know, the deputy."
Jaggedtail shot him a glare. "You don't need to speak for me, Acornspot." He sighed. "Still, it would be cruel to -"
"Look! He's waking up!"
Acornspot could only watch and smile as the kit's eyelids twitched. His breathing was still shallow, but it was stronger than before. Perhaps Wolfpaw's suggestion really had made a difference.
The kit's eyes opened, just by a crack. He gasped, sucking in air like he'd never breathed before, and then his eyes opened a bit more. They were a nice dark shade of blue, though still rather unfocused. When his eyes finally fell on Acornspot, he let out a small whimper, curling into a ball.
"Hey, it's all right," Acornspot whispered, trying to keep his voice reassuring. "We just want to help you."
"You're not speaking for all of us," Robincrest muttered. "Just being near a kittypet is dangerous. Who knows when his twolegs will show up to take him back?"
Acornspot could feel the kit begin to tremble at his side. He glared at Robincrest. Honestly, can he go one day without being a foxheart?
"We don't even know for sure that he's a kittypet," Jaggedtail argued. He nodded at Acornspot. "Why don't you ask him?"
Acornspot brought his gaze back to the tiny, trembling kit. "Hey, do you know where your mother is? Or do you have housefolk?" Right, housefolk - that's what kittypets call their twolegs, right? Good thing Dawnspeckle taught me that.
The kit only stared at him, still shaking, not saying a thing.
Owlfeather walked over to where Acornspot lay, growling in frustration. She stuck her muzzle right next to the kit's face. "Can't you talk? Are you dumb?"
The kit's only response was to bury his face in Acornspot's fur. Acornspot could feel his heart ache - this kit already trusted him.
With one paw, he shoved Owlfeather away. "Stop it. He's obviously terrified out of his mind!"
Owlfeather hissed and began to pad away. "You're not his father, you know."
That's right - I'm not this kit's father. Even if we take him in, I still won't be his father. But that doesn't mean I can't advocate for him.
"Still," Wolfpaw said, "it's against the code to ignore a kit in need."
"And once again, my apprentice is a mouse-brain," Robincrest growled. "That rule only applies to Clan cats. Not kittypets or rogues."
Wolfpaw cocked his head. "Really? But the rule goes, 'No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if -'"
"Even if the kit is from a different Clan," Robincrest finished.
"There's still a lot of room for interpretation there," Acornspot protested. "The rule doesn't actually say anything about kittypets or rogues. It just says not to let kits die."
"Then what do you suggest we do? Take this stranger back to the camp? It's leaf-bare; the last thing we need is another mouth to feed. Besides, who would raise him? Is he even weaned?" As Robincrest spoke, he paced forward, until the tip of his nose was a whisker-length from Acornspot's face.
Acornspot refused to back down. Robincrest might be large and rather foxhearted, but he was still just a cat. "Shimmerbreeze's kits are around the same age, and even though they're weaned, she's still got milk."
"Still, we don't need another burd-"
"He won't be a burden; we can make him an apprentice in a few moons, and -"
"He's a kittypet. Can they even learn?"
"I'm sure he ca-"
"Oh, you're sure? Who made you the expert on-"
"Enough!"
Both Acornspot and Robincrest looked up, startled, to see Jaggedtail looming over them.
Jaggedtail cleared his throat. "In case you two need a reminder, I'm the deputy. Not you. I'm in charge of this patrol. And even so, I answer to a higher power - Brightstar. We'll take the kit back to the camp and ask her what to do with him. No more arguing."
With that said, Jaggedtail turned and began walking back in the direction of the camp, not bothering to check if his patrol was behind him.
Owlfeather sighed, then moved to follow. "Well, at least we'll be out of the snow before long."
Robincrest wasn't as quick to fall in line. He looked Acornspot right in the eyes, then moved his head closer until the two cats' noses were almost touching. "I know exactly what you're thinking. You think that Brightstar will allow him to stay. And you're right - she was always the sensitive type. Good job - you've won this battle." He turned and padded away, only to look back. "But don't blame me when your little son destroys your life."
Before Acornspot could even process what Robincrest had said, he'd walked away, with Wolfpaw right behind him.
At his side, the little kit slowly removed his head from Acornspot's belly fur. He looked around, then back up at Acornspot, and Acornspot could've sworn he saw sadness in the kit's eyes.
"Everything's going to be all right," Acornspot said softly. "You'll be okay. I'm going to carry you back to the camp. You'll be safe and warm there. Okay?"
The kit still looked unsure, but Acornspot picked him up in his jaws anyway, then stood up. He already knew that this kit's life wouldn't be easy - many of his new Clanmates would be judgemental, and he'd have to work twice as hard as the Clanborn apprentices to earn any recognition. Still, Acornspot knew that he'd be all right. He just needed guidance. Protection. And nothing would get in the way of Acornspot giving him those things.
Is this what parenthood feels like?
I'm not his father. I need to remember that.
Still, I can at least be his friend, right?
Either way, it was only growing colder - Acornspot could tell a storm was coming. Hopefully, he could make it back to the camp before the storm hit.
Soundlessly, Acornspot began the long walk home, leaving a trail of pawprints in the snow.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highjut!"
Acornspot had been anticipating those words for days. Falconkit and Snowkit were six moons old now, after all, and an apprentice ceremony was clearly in order. A moon and a half ago, Batflight's kits had all become apprentices, now going by the names of Lilacpaw, Moosepaw, and Ferretpaw. Acornspot had to admit that he'd felt a little jealous after the ceremony - he'd never had an apprentice before, and so he'd expected to be named mentor to one of the kits. Still, Pinewhisper and Owlfeather were strong warriors, and Acornspot was sure that they'd do just fine. Besides, Lilacpaw - the kit he'd hoped to mentor the most - had chosen to become a medicine cat apprentice, so perhaps things had turned out for the best.
But that day had passed, and it was time to move on. From his seat atop a stump close to the Highjut, he could see Snowkit and Falconkit sitting in the center of the clearing, heads held high.
Falconkit sat proudly, her fur gleaming from being licked so much. Even so, her mother Shimmerbreeze continued to lick furiously at her face, working hard to get every clump to stay down.
Snowkit barely resembled the half-frozen kit Jaggedtail had found near the eastern border. He'd grown quite a bit, though he was still a bit small for his age, and his pelt was fuller as well. Though he held his head up, he failed to hide his nervous twitching. Acornspot couldn't help but feel sentimental. Feels like just yesterday he was a tiny scrap of fur!
"...and make sure to always do your best, and don't forget to respect the elders, and definitely -"
"Mother!" Falconkit snapped, cutting Shimmerbreeze off. "I know all of that already! Just let the ceremony start already."
Shimmerbreeze sighed. "All right. But just know that I love you, and I'll keep loving you no matter what."
She turned to walk to her usual spot, then froze. Sheepishly, she looked back at Snowkit, who was trying his best not to stare at her.
"Snowkit…"
Acornspot wished he could run up to Shimmerbreeze and give her a piece of his mind, but it was none of his business - at least, it wasn't supposed to be. Besides, the ceremony was about to begin.
After almost a minute of hesitation, Shimmerbreeze finally spoke up. "Good luck, okay?"
"Thanks," Snowkit whispered, his tail twitching. He turned his head back towards the Highjut, not watching as Shimmerbreeze walked away to sit by Orchidheart.
Brightstar cleared her throat, a wordless signal for the Clan to quiet down. Silence spread through the camp, making even the sound of the crickets chirping seem as loud as a yowl. From her position on the Highjut (the highest ledge on the cliff wall that lined the northern border of the camp), Brightstar gazed down at the Clan, raking her eyes on every last cat. When her eyes finally met Acornspot's, she gave him a slight smile, then moved on.
What's that supposed to mean? Am I finally getting an apprentice?
Perhaps he was! It was a reasonable assumption - he'd been a warrior for quite some time, and it made sense that he'd get an apprentice sooner or later. So that meant he'd be mentoring either Falconkit or Snowkit. His thoughts immediately moved to Snowkit, and he chided himself for such blatant favoritism. I might be chosen to mentor Falconkit, and that's fine. I'll do it well, just as I do everything else.
And I shouldn't get too carried away. That smile might have meant something else.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when Brightstar began to speak. "Today is a happy day for RidgeClan. Today, we will celebrate two new apprentices! But first, let us remember those we have lost." The white-and-brown she-cat lowered her head. "Silverkit, I hope you are watching from StarClan as your sister and Snowkit take the first step on the path to becoming warriors. May these new apprentices continue to honor you as they continue their lives."
Brightstar paused, giving Silverkit a moment of silence. Acornspot could feel the sadness that emanated from his Clanmates - although kits dying during leaf-bare was not uncommon, it always felt like a punch to the gut. Even worse, after Silverkit had died, some of RidgeClan's less accepting cats started murmuring about useless wastes of food, glaring at Snowkit all the while. As if a few more bites of food could have saved the already-weak kit!
And judging by how Falconkit gave Snowkit a hard stare after her sister was mentioned, it seemed that she had never really let it go.
"Falconkit, step forward," Brightstar finally said. After Falconkit obeyed the order, Brightstar continued. "Falconkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Falconpaw. Your mentor will be Robincrest."
Acornspot couldn't help but internally question his leader's decision. Robincrest? Really? It hasn't even been that long since Wolfpelt became a warrior…
Still, who was he to question Brightstar? She'd led the Clan for many seasons - she must know what she was doing. Just because I don't like Robincrest doesn't mean that he's a bad mentor. He's just rude. And inconsiderate. And a foxheart. Okay, maybe I'm biased.
While Acornspot had been thinking, Robincrest had walked up to Falconpaw, who shuddered a bit - apparently Acornspot wasn't the only one with a negative opinion of Robincrest.
"Robincrest, you have proved yourself countless times to be strong and bold, and I trust that you will pass all your knowledge on to Falconpaw," Brightstar meowed, her voice steady. "May the stars light your shared path."
Robincrest pressed his nose to Falconpaw's, completing her ceremony. The two backed away into the throng of Clanmates, stopping next to Shimmerbreeze.
"Snowkit, step forward."
Snowkit let out an audible gulp, but did as he was told.
"Snowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed," Brightstar declared. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw."
Brightstar's gaze fell again to Acornspot. He could only suck in a breath - was this really happening? Was he really going to mentor Snowpaw?
"Acornspot, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Dawnspeckle, and you have shown yourself to be loyal and clever. You will be the mentor of Snowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Snowpaw. May the stars light your shared path."
For a moment, Acornspot couldn't do anything but stare. His whole body felt numb, but not with grief. Was this a dream? Was he sleeping? No, he was awake, and he finally had an apprentice! And it was Snowpaw!
Acornspot didn't realize that he'd been standing there, slackjawed, for almost a minute until Wolfpelt lightly shoved him forwards. "Congratulations!"
Right, he had to actually move. And move he did, from the stump to just below the Highjut, until he was touching noses with Snowpaw.
An apprentice. His apprentice.
"Thank you," Snowpaw whispered. "I was afraid that nobody would want to be my mentor."
Even hearing the little apprentice's voice brought joy to Acornspot's heart. Snowpaw had spent a whole moon in the nursery completely silent, and though he gradually began to speak, he'd remained quite timid. Hopefully, Acornspot could help him come out of his shell, at least a little.
"It's no problem," Acornspot whispered back. "I'm proud to have an apprentice like you."
Snowpaw's eyes filled with delight. "You really mean it?"
"I do. You're a good cat, and you shouldn't believe anyone who tries to say you're not."
The two stepped apart, and Sleetfall and Dawnspeckle immediately took the opportunity to run up to Acornspot and congratulate him. Acornspot could barely hear them, however: he was concentrating on the eager chanting of his Clanmates.
"Falconpaw! Snowpaw!"
Sure, the chant was louder when it was Falconpaw's turn to have her name called, but that was to be expected from a Clan so unused to outsiders. And they were still chanting Snowpaw's name!
Acornspot had known from the beginning that Snowpaw's life would be tough, that he'd have to work hard to have anything resembling a good reputation, but Acornspot could help with that. Yes, he'd train Snowpaw as well as he possibly could, until Snowpaw was such an exemplary warrior that nobody would dare question his origins.
It would be a lot of work, but Acornspot was sure that he could do it.
He had to.