Ospreypaw followed Darkshadow closely as he led them along the river. Webheart and Eelmask walked with them; their ears were perked, and their eyes scanned the far shore for any signs of disruption. So far, they'd traveled around at least half of the island without encountering any issues. They hadn't had a chance to inspect the opposite shores, and Ospreypaw doubted they'd be able to.
With the sun high in the sky, they padded past the huge tree-bridge. Ospreypaw searched the water's edge for signs of an easy catch, but saw nothing until they were near the northern fork in the river.
They caught sight of a school of minnows, and peered down at them from above. "Can we stop to catch these?"
"Hm." Darkshadow glanced around. "We really shouldn't. It'd be best to report back first, and then we can come back out to fish if it's needed."
"It couldn't hurt," Eelmask mewed quietly without looking at Darkshadow. "We could all catch something."
"Eel is right," Webheart said, flicking his tail. "Besides, I'd like to see Osprey's progress. All of the apprentices wanted to be assigned to you, you know."
"Alright, fine," Darkshadow said after a few moments of consideration. "It's not like I can argue with two senior warriors. Go ahead, Osprey."
Ospreypaw crouched quickly, eyeing the fish as they swam circles in the shallows. They pulled their paw back with claws unsheathed, ready to fish them out and present them to the older cats. Just as they tensed their muscles to lash out, a commotion sounded from NightClan's shores.
They perked their ears and glanced at the patrol briefly. Webheart, Eelmask, and Darkshadow each angled their ears toward the noise as well. Ospreypaw looked across the river and saw a group of NightClan cats walking down from the distant river beyond Clan territory. Starfalls is up there, Ospreypaw thought, narrowing their eyes. One day, I'll have to travel there, too, to complete my training.
Ashenpeak, Finchcall, and Rookshade were all on the patrol. Ashenpeak and Finchcall walked closely together, their grey and brown pelts brushing, while Rookshade walked at the rear of the patrol. There were two more cats with them—a slender grey molly named Nyx, said to be the mother of Ashenpeak and Rainberry, and a dark brown tom that could only be Gladepaw, one of Finchcall's kits.
Suddenly, Ashenpeak broke away from the group to splash around in the shallow water. She called for Finchcall to join her, her voice echoing over the still river. Gladepaw padded closely by Rookshade's side, both of them watching their Clanmate.
"I'll join you if you can catch a fish," Finchcall meowed, her ears flattened in disgust.
"Easy," Ashenpeak laughed loudly, waving her tail at her patrol before turning to look at the water. "Watch this."
"Ash!" Nyx snapped, approaching the water's edge fearlessly. "Get out of there before you cause more trouble."
"Relax, mom," Ashenpeak said, splashing the water back at her. "If anything happens with RushClan, we'll just pummel them again—I'm sure Daceclaw and Mudbreath won't soon forget how their fights went!"
Beside Osprey, Webheart stifled a low growl. They glanced at him and caught him digging his claws into the sandy earth. Mudbreath is still suffering because of them! Ospreypaw thought angrily, lashing their tail.
"Web, Osprey, relax," Eelmask urged quietly, brushing against each of them. "We'll be able to return the favor soon enough. They'll be sorry, then."
"They're snake-hearts," Darkshadow muttered, lifting his chin. "The whole Clan is—especially Falconstar and his coward deputy, Fogsight."
Ospreypaw narrowed their eyes when their mentor affirmed their own thoughts. "That's it," they snarled and stomped into the water. Eelmask and Webheart both hissed for them to come back, but they hardly flicked an ear as they jumped into the river's depths.
"Osprey!" Darkshadow called, his tone sharp with surprise. "Shit—don't go over there!"
At their mentor's call, the NightClan patrol caught sight of Ospreypaw. One by one, they realized the apprentice was heading for them and one by one, they bristled defensively. Nyx and Rookshade swapped shocked looks. Gladepaw bristled until he was twice as large and stepped toward the water, but Osprey wasn't interested in him. They headed straight toward Ashenpeak, wading into the shallows until they stood whisker-to-whisker.
"Get out of our river, fish-brain," they hissed at the dark grey molly.
"Or what, kit?" Ashenpeak snorted loudly and shot a smug look at her Clanmates. "Are you gonna try to take me on?"
"I'd love to be the one to knock you down a peg," Ospreypaw shot back, stretching to stand just as tall as her.
Ashenpeak hesitated at Ospreypaw's certainty before snorting again. "Scram. You can't lay claim to an entire river." Behind her on the shore, Gladepaw nodded aggressively in agreement.
"Maybe not," Ospreypaw said, "but you've been muddying the waters and making it hard for us to catch fish! It's more than enough reason to ban you from it."
"Me?" Ashenpeak laughed loudly. "Me, specifically?"
"Yes!" Ospreypaw exclaimed, amazed that she'd try to feign ignorance. "I saw you splashing around and yowling only a moon ago with her!" They raised a paw, jabbing it in Finchcall's direction. The brown-furred molly jumped at the accusation, then lowered her blue eyes guiltily.
Ashenpeak glanced back at Finchcall and rolled her eyes. With a scowl, she said, "Oh, please. Some of you could stand to lose some weight, with how much fish you eat."
"Ashen!" Nyx hissed. She stomped to the water's edge, her green eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to start fights? You're lucky to be a shade, and yet you behave like an apprentice seeing the water for the first time—for how long has this been going on?"
"This is stupid!" Gladepaw chimed in, sticking his nose up to Nyx and Ospreypaw. "We have as much right to the river as they do. They even let BlazeClan come up to the river—father told me so!"
Finchcall raised her head again when he spoke up. "That's enough, Gladepaw," she hissed sharply. She shot Rookshade a look, and the black-furred cat cleared his throat loudly and deliberately.
"Y-Yes, mother," Gladepaw mumbled, returning to Rookshade's side immediately. He kept sending Ospreypaw harsh glares, though he remained silent.
Everyone fell silent for a few moments. Neither Ashenpeak or Ospreypaw backed down until they noticed Nyx glowering at her daughter. Ashenpeak opened her mouth to make another remark before deciding against it and retreating from the water.
"Okay," Nyx sighed loudly, letting her gaze sweep over all of the cats. "Ashenpeak, you're at my side until we return—I want this patrol to continue without any more problems. And you, apprentice, return to your own Clan. Don't let this happen again."
Nyx hardly waited for a response before turning to lead her patrol off. They each filed after her; Gladepaw and Ashenpeak each acted as if they wanted to send Ospreypaw more dirty looks, but they stopped halfway through their motions and kept walking. Ospreypaw lifted their chin proudly and watched them leave before swimming back across the river.
When they rejoined their patrol, none of them said anything. Darkshadow was frighteningly quiet; even though he kept his emotions guarded, a threatening aura came from him in waves. Eelmask and Webheart glanced at each other, then at him, before glancing at each other once again.
"Webheart," Darkshadow said suddenly, his voice harsh. "Eelmask. You two can go on ahead. We'll either catch up with you or meet you at camp."
The senior cats said nothing. Instead, they both nodded and took up a quick pace and trotted away. Ospreypaw watched them leave hurriedly, their paws itching to follow them. I just faced Ashenpeak! they thought. Adrenaline still pumped through their blood, making their fur stand on end. Once Webheart and Eelmask were long gone, Darkshadow rounded on Ospreypaw without warning.
"What were you thinking?" he demanded with flattened ears. "Do you know how quickly that could have escalated? You could have gotten seriously hurt, or caused one of us to get hurt."
Ospreypaw immediately bristled in defense. "Someone had to tell them off! Ashenpeak does nothing but gloat and antagonize us! I hate her." They were bragging about what they did to Mudbreath again! How could they ignore that?
"Yes," Darkshadow said with an angry sneer. "We all know how she baits us to react, Osprey. That's why we don't react."
"Wh—" Ospreypaw blinked in surprise. "I couldn't stand by and do nothing, Darkshadow!"
"You should have." Darkshadow gave another angry growl and turned around. "Don't let that happen again. Come on."
A breeze swept across the river, as if following Darkshadow's motions. Ospreypaw watched him for a few moments in astonishment. They couldn't understand his anger—surely he should be happy that they confronted the NightClan patrol. When they hesitated a few moments too long, the dark tom stopped and stared expectantly back at them.
"I understand." The soft wind tickled Ospreypaw's ear, mimicking the sound of reassuring words. They met Darkshadow's gaze and finally decided to follow him back to the camp, ignoring how much they dreaded the deafening silence between them. Next time, I'll give Ashenpeak a face full of claws to remember me by!
---
Not even two sunrises later, Ospreypaw paced in the center of the camp anxiously. Most of the Clan gathered, their focus on a group of cats at the base of the Daystones. Eveningshell and Ripplestar both stood on the stones, their ears perked as they listened to the urgent reports.
"We tried taking them to Starfalls," Runningblaze said and motioned toward Poolpaw and Currentpaw with their tail. "But we couldn't even get close."
"Fogsight was waiting there with Marigoldbloom, Stormflight, and Stagpaw," Sticklefur added, spitting out their names like a rotten piece of fish. "They said they can't let anyone pass without consulting Falconstar first, but when we asked to wait for him, Fogsight decided to deny us entry altogether."
"What?" Riverflower shoved her way through the crowd. "Starfalls is open to everyone!"
Ripplestar bristled angrily, her ears flattening. "I've had it with them. They attack our patrols and antagonize us every chance they get. Now that we've stopped sending patrols across the river, they decided to take the sacred pool from us, as well?"
Ospreypaw tensed and watched their Clanmates closely. All apprentices are supposed to visit Starfalls before they become a warrior! they thought as they dug their claws into the sand. What if we can't do that?
"Ripplestar, we should send a small group to BlazeClan—" Eveningshell spoke quietly, yet her voice seemed to ring in Ospreypaw's ears.
"Absolutely not!" Ripplestar hissed without waiting for the deputy to finish.
"I know you don't like asking for help," the deputy said, "but this is something they should know about. Lightstar has already offered to be our ally through this."
"Ally or not, we can't afford to send a diplomatic party to another Clan right now," Ripplestar countered. Unlike Eveningshell, she kept her voice raised and her chin high, unafraid of discussing such things in front of the Clan. "If NightClan launched an attack, we'd be at their mercy!"
"We already are!" Eveningshell yowled suddenly, her tail lashing wildly. "They're practically twice as large as we are with better trained warriors, and more on the way! The only thing protecting us is the river, Ripple!"
Neither of the mollies spoke for several moments after that. Ospreypaw's pelt prickled at the uncomfortable silence and glanced around quickly. Poolpaw and Currentpaw were quietly retreating to the back of the crowd, where Crabpaw snuck around to greet them. Wavedance, Beaverpatch, and Splashpaw all sat together; Splash's gaze was fixed on Eveningshell, his blue eyes wide at his mentor's outburst.
Beside Ospreypaw, Darkshadow sat eerily still. He hardly looked bothered by the discussion or the sudden tensions between Eveningshell and Ripplestar. Ospreypaw caught his eye quickly and he shook his head, signaling for them to pay attention to whatever Ripplestar decided to respond with.
"I won't send anyone to another Clan," she finally said. When Eveningshell bristled in defiance, she added, "However, I suppose if a border patrol were to encounter our BlazeClan allies, they could pass along the information."
"In that case, they usually send a patrol out about now," Eveningshell visibly relaxed and glanced up at the sun. She turned away from Ripplestar, addressing the crowd instead. "It won't be hard to find them, but we'll send a patrol out immediately. Darkshadow, you should lead it with Beaverpatch, Lilypetal, and your apprentice."
"Be quick," Ripplestar added sternly. "Stars forbid NightClan becomes brave enough to use the tree-bridge while you're gone."
Ospreypaw blinked in surprise. They'd never seen Eveningshell snap like that, and definitely not at their leader, yet Ripplestar showed no intentions of acknowledging the deputy's behavior. They glanced at Darkshadow, noticing how he eyed the pair of cats more closely than before. Within the next few moments, Darkshadow turned his attention onto Ospreypaw and led them to the camp's entrance. Lilypetal and Beaverpatch joined them before long, and they set off at a swift pace.
Darkshadow led them across the island with sure pawsteps, headed straight toward the treebridge to cross the river. When they reached it, Ospreypaw peered out over the water, noticing how serene it looked—it'd be great weather for fishing, if they were a hunting patrol.
"Osprey," Darkshadow said. They turned to him and saw him standing at the end of the fallen tree. "The river is calm today. You should use this chance to swim to the other shore. Lilypetal, Beaverpatch, and I will meet you over there."
"I think Osprey should just use the bridge like us—" Beaverpatch frowned, his green gaze flickering with uncertainty.
"Just trust me, Beaver," Darkshadow grunted with a dismissive tail-flick. "Swimming across instead of using the bridge will help them build endurance; this will make their lungs stronger in the long run, which is something they need. Don't you agree?"
"It's fine, dad," Ospreypaw said when their father stayed silent. "Darkshadow is right. If I can strengthen my lungs, I might not get sick so easily. Besides, it's not like I can't swim across."
"Whatever the decision, we should hurry up," Lilypetal said and hopped past Darkshadow onto the log. She trotted across it effortlessly, pausing halfway to look over her shoulder and say, "If we wait any longer, we'll miss the BlazeClan patrol."
Ospreypaw offered a half-hearted shrug to their father before wading into the water. They quickly paddled across the river while the three warriors hurried across the tree-bridge, meeting them only moments after they reached the shore. Darkshadow hardly waited for them before setting a swift pace once more—though they caught a soft murmur of approval at their swimming speed. They shook the water out of the fur, careful not to spray the warriors before trotting alongside them.
Surprisingly enough, it didn't take long for them to meet a BlazeClan patrol. Almost immediately, Ospreypaw recognized the pure-white pelts of Blizzardfur and Mallowpaw. Dunepaw was with them, too, alongside a calico-furred molly with a white tail.
"Blizzardfur," Darkshadow greeted the patrol with a wave of his tail. "Hemlocktail. I hope you're both doing well."
Lilypetal and Beaverpatch both greeted the BlazeClan warriors, who offered their own greetings in turn. Ospreypaw felt their paws itch with excitement and silently greeted Dunepaw and Mallowpaw with a tail-wave, just like Darkshadow.
"We're doing well, thanks to the hunting rights at the edge of the forest," Blizzardfur said and bowed his head. "We can't express our gratitude enough."
"Nonsense," Darkshadow purred, his expression impassive. "It's not like we were hunting the prey here. You know, you're more than welcome to have a go at any of the herons you come across—damn things just eat all our fish, and we don't like the taste of them enough to hunt them ourselves."
Hemlocktail let out a loud snort of amusement at the mention of hunting herons, while Dunepaw steadily flicked her tail at Mallowpaw. Ospreypaw watched closely, trying to see if they could remember the few motions they were taught before. Beaverpatch and Lilypetal glanced at each other, as if they were trying to decide which of them would bring up the news of what had happened. It is pretty serious, Ospreypaw thought, not taking their eyes off the other apprentices for more than a few moments. Starfalls is sacred land shared by all the Clans.
"It's just as well that we'd run into you, though," Blizzardfur said when Darkshadow moved to speak again. "Lightstar hates to ask so much of you after giving us hunting rights, but our territory has been unusually dry lately. Would it be alright for our patrols to travel just to the river's edge for water?"
"I don't see why that would be an issue, so long as nobody disturbs the water," Darkshadow decided after a short pause. "Lily, Beaver, you two can finish the patrol by yourselves, since the rest of the distance borders BlazeClan or unclaimed territory. Osprey and I will meet you back at the camp."
Lilypetal and Beaverpatch wordlessly nodded. While the senior warrior didn't hesitate to leave, Beaverpatch stopped to touch his muzzle to Ospreypaw's forehead. Ospreypaw held their father's gaze for a heartbeat before he followed Lilypetal, waving his tail as a silent farewell to the BlazeClan patrol. Once they were gone, Darkshadow led their neighbors to the river with perked ears.
"So your land is having a bit of a heat wave?" he asked, glancing over at the BlazeClan warriors—specifically at Blizzardfur. "I know your brother is as reluctant to ask for help as he is quick to offer it. How is your prey handling the dry spell?"
Hemlocktail and Blizzardfur glanced at each other, swapping silent words before Blizzardfur offered a response. "As well as you'd assume," he said slowly, though he held his tail high. "As proud as Lightstar can be, I'm glad he's let us ask for your help. Our Clans have a good relationship, and we could further benefit one another, no?"
"Of course." Darkshadow sent a glance at Ospreypaw over his shoulder, silently ordering them to pay attention to the interaction. "Ripplestar is happy to let our allies utilize the river and the land near it; let Lightstar know as much. I think it'd be a tragedy if you suffered when we were able to provide relief for your hardships."
"That's wonderful to hear from you, Darkshadow," Hemlocktail purred, and Ospreypaw caught her shooting a relieved look at Blizzardfur. "Especially considering your intimidating reputation."
"Ha!" Darkshadow gave a bark of amusement and shook his head. "That reputation is only for our enemies, and you and your Clan are far from that. No need to worry."
His reputation? Ospreypaw blinked curiously at their political banter. He's basically a hero to us—how different is it to the other Clans? Before long, they'd reached the river, and all four BlazeClan cats eagerly crouched at the water's edge. When they started to drink, Darkshadow sat comfortably a few tail-lengths away from them.
"Speaking of enemies," he mewed casually, sending a sly glance at Ospreypaw. "The craziest thing happened today with NightClan. So crazy, in fact, that Ripplestar and Eveningshell both think your Clan should be the first to hear about it."
Darkshadow repeated what had happened at Starfalls, his gaze shifting lazily to the BlazeClan warriors once again. Mallowpaw and Dunepaw were the first to retreat from the water and quickly joined Ospreypaw, offering to teach them more of their sign language. Ospreypaw vaguely heard Blizzardfur choke on water when Darkshadow told them of NightClan's actions, and briefly wondered if they should pay attention before they let the other apprentices distract them.
While Darkshadow conversed with the warriors, Ospreypaw eagerly gave Dunepaw and Mallowpaw their attention. They copied Dunepaw's movements and nodded at the words she said, hoping the information would remain in their mind after they parted ways. They didn't miss how Mallowpaw quietly chortled when they'd mess up one of the movements, or the way Dunepaw tried to hide her own laughter. It wasn't the least bit embarrassing, though; if anything, it just made Ospreypaw more eager to practice.
"Travel home safely," Darkshadow said when they finally ended their conversation. He waited for the four cats to vanish into the forest before swiftly turning and leading Ospreypaw back along the river. ". . . you should pay more attention to these kinds of things, Osprey."
Ospreypaw frowned. Was he upset with them? "Dunepaw and Mallowpaw were teaching me something," they mumbled and watched their mentor. "I thought it would be useful."
"It looked like you were goofing off," Darkshadow continued in a more scolding tone. "Knowing what to say to cats from the other Clans is more useful than you might think, especially when it's a crucial ally like BlazeClan."
"You couldn't even tell what we were doing," Ospreypaw pointed out, resisting the urge to roll their eyes. "That just proves it could be useful for me to learn it."
The warrior didn't respond after that. He simply eyed Ospreypaw, a look of consideration passing through his eyes before he turned his gaze back on the path ahead. He must have realized I'm right! Ospreypaw thought triumphantly, skipping a bit to walk alongside him. It'd be really useful to be able to communicate without NightClan understanding!
----
A little note, for once. We're heading into a less regular update schedule, as an upcoming chapter is a huge turning point, but its events have me a little . . . stumped. Once it's done and posted you'll understand why.
I also think it's neat for Darkshadow and Runningblaze to know proper swear words due to their short time as housecats when they were younger.