In the moorland of WindClan, a kit is found. The kit is taken into the Clan and given the name of Yellowkit. But the rogue blood in her veins is strong, and she can't find any proof that StarClan exists. So when the medicine cats have a vision from...
Yellowpaw's ear twitched. "My father?" She echoed, looking the tom up and down. His dark brown tabby fur looked nothing like her ginger pelt, although she didn't know who her mother was. But the bright green eyes- so much like her own, perhaps even the same- were remarkable. And claiming to be her father was a bit of a specific statement...
"I'm Briar," The tom mewed. "I live at the barn. I had a mate named Squirrel, but she died, I think, while kitting." His eyes flashed with a bit of grief. "I saw her on a patrol, but she looked smaller, and her eyes were different... she looked like you."
Yellowpaw's eyes widened. "Who were the other cats?"
"Uh, there was a brown she-cat with tan ear tips and legs, like sand... a white tom... and a gray she-cat who looked around the same age as you. She was the one attacking you, right?"
"Yes," Yellowpaw nodded. "And that was the patrol I went on, one time." She remembered the rabbit she had caught, and the distress Larkpaw was in when she had returned. Then Larchpaw had died. Such a terrible day...
Briar blinked. "So... am I your father?"
"I don't know," Yellowpaw admitted. "I'll ask Deadbee- er, one of the warriors who found my mother and me, as a kit- and see if I look like my mother."
Briar nodded. "I think I'll go help your... kingdom."
"Clan."
"That's what I meant, sorry." Briar smiled awkwardly. "I hope I see you soon." He glanced at Yellowpaw intently, and she realized he was looking at her scars. "I'm sorry Clan life did this to you." Before Yellowpaw could explain, he bounded away, his short tail whisking out of sight as he clambered up the slippery hillside.
Yellowpaw was about to race after him so she could keep fighting, when a yowl of rage sounded faintly on the wind. Turning, Yellowpaw realized it had come from the gorge.
She began to run, her paws slipping occasionally on the wet ground. It was still dark out, and the rain didn't help her already bad sight, so she couldn't see nor scent who the yowl was. But she could see the silohouette of a cat, hissing as another cat lunged down the hillside towards them with swift paws.
Another cat ran a few fox-lengths away from Yellowpaw, heading towards the cats. Yellowpaw was close enough to realize it was Logpaw, his yellow eyes gleaming in the moonlight, and his claws unsheathed and silver.
The lunging cat edged closer, claws still outstretched. Amber eyes gleamed, and Yellowpaw felt sick as she realized she knew who it was.
"Finchpaw! Stop!" Logpaw hissed. Shooting forward, he lunged, just as Finchpaw reached out with claws outstretched. She hit Logpaw hard in the neck, and her claws dug deep into his flesh. He choked and hit the ground, his own blood spilling onto the grass. Finchpaw choked on her own saliva and coughed for a moment, then yanked her claws out of Logpaw's fur and took a step back, gazing in horror at her brother.
"Logpaw! No!" The cat who Finchpaw had tried to attack was Fallowpaw, who stumbled over to his brother and pressed his nose against his fur. "What is wrong with you?" He demanded, looking up at Finchpaw.
Finchpaw looked as if she was about to vomit, her ears twitching uncontrollably. "I didn't mean- he just slipped- I wasn't going to hurt you that bad-"
Fallowpaw turned back to his brother, who was now laying motionless, his neck still bleeding. "Logpaw," Fallowpaw rasped. "Logpaw, it was all a mistake. You shouldn't be dead." There was a flash of gold in the sky, and the rain crashed down harder. Fallowpaw whimpered, and Yellowpaw felt tears began to well in her eyes.
Logpaw? Dead? She never really liked him, but she had assumed that he might like her a little better, after the battle. And how could Finchpaw kill him, even if it was accidental? None of it made sense.
A gust of wind shook Yellowpaw's pelt. Something bright red caught her eye, and she saw two blood-red berries rolling towards Fallowpaw. They bumped against his paw, and he looked towards them, his eyes dull. Deathberries. Yellowpaw could remember finding them in Larchpaw's fur, but what were they doing here?
Fallowpaw hooked a deathberry on one claw, looked at Logpaw, then glanced at the deathberry. "I know what I have to do."
"Fallowpaw, stop!" Finchpaw gasped, but it was too late.
The small gray and black apprentice tossed the deathberry in his jaws, then quickly ate the other before Finchpaw could pull it away. Then he convulsed once, went still, right next to Logpaw's unmoving body.
***
Logpaw? Where are you?
Fallowpaw was floating in darkness, his belly aching and his chest seeming clamped, as if a hawk's talon was gripping it. His lungs ached, and he could feel wet berry juice dripping down his neck. He tried to remember what had happened, and once he did, he forced open his eyes, blinking painfully.
He was in a soft grass field, covered with stars like morning dew on grass. He blinked to clear the dreariness from his eyes, and then staggered unsteadily to his paws. Pain clutched his chest, like yew spreading through all of his limbs. The deathberries.
He was distracted by muffled yowling, and turned to see Logpaw, his brother. The tom had stars in his fur, and his eyes gleamed as he pleaded to a brown tom who Fallowpaw recognized as Speckleleg.
"Let me go back! I shouldn't have died yet!" Logpaw was pleading.
Speckleleg shook his head. "No, you shouldn't have. But the only way for you to get back is for someone to give their spirit to you, and no StarClan warrior would be willing to. Besides, even if a living cat does, they will be gone forever. And we simply cannot just rob a living cat of their soul; that is wrong, and even you know it."
"What about a Dark Forest cat?" Logpaw mewed hopefully. "Like Specklebird? I heard Applestar say that he died."
Speckleleg shook his head. "It's too dangerous to go into Dark Forest. I'm sorry, but-"
"Let him take mine!" Fallowpaw spoke up, bounding over to join the cats. I came here for a reason. "Let him have it! I don't need it anymore." With StarClan restored, why did the Clans need him? The battle was nearly won.
Speckleleg turned to him, his gaze serious. "Fallowpaw, if you give your life to Logpaw, then you will never be able to live. Nor go to StarClan."
"What are you even doing here?" Logpaw croaked, but Fallowpaw ignored him.
"He can take it." Fallowpaw insisted. "I've lived a life with friends and peace. I've felt fear, sadness, happiness, and guilt all in one. I will miss the feel of pain and blood seeping down my fur, due to the fact that it let me feel alive and well. But as long as the battle is won, and my kin is safe and alive, then why should I need more? I've only ever wanted to be a true, honest warrior, and if I need to die an apprentice to be that, so be it."
Logpaw's eyes rounded. "Fallowpaw, no-"
"Let me do it." Fallowpaw mewed to Speckleleg. He couldn't believe his own words- he was saying goodbye to his life, and his life in StarClan. No more prey that would fly into his paws, no chasing rabbits in the wind- it was time for complete darkness, silent and peaceful like moonlight. He lifted his chin. "I'm ready."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
