sliverpelt-cats

[sliverpelt-cats]

what are your cat/s clans? based on their favourite food.

my tortie is in RiverClan—girl just swallowed an entire mackerel just now, meant for her son.

my ginger is in ThunderClan—though he could be in any clan since he'd try eat a door if we said it was food—

#warrior cats #warriors

[sliverpelt-cats]

tbf, there's not much talk of goldenflower's family nor any special editions. Like tigerstar I got pinestar's choice for a special edition novella and maybe his own novella in comic form too?

i think it's hilarious that Bluefur's kits "disappeared" from ThunderClan, and some moons later, Oakheart's apprenticed kits that looks JUST LIKE BLUEFUR aren't even looked at twice by ThunderClan. Or any clan, as I'm sure news of lost kits must have spread through the forest like a fire.

this fact is even more funny to me because at one point, we see firestar go "oh stonefur actually does kinda look like bluestar" about him, or Mistyfoot, one of the two. like, he looked into lost kits and all, then bluestar's like "oh yeah i gave my kits to their father" and then he told them during a battle.

im also sure crookedstar was like "huh, my brother's kits look like my old friend", but apparently not.

even when fireheart revealed their parentage to ThunderClan, they STILL didn't believe it.

same geos for The Three (Jay, Holly and Lion). I haven't read the third arc yet, but from what I've heard AND seen, hollyleaf is almost a spitting image of crowfeather albeit she has green eyes and he has blue.

i guess you wouldn't think too much into the parentage of your clanmates when you're trying to survive in the wild when you're no higher than a human knee and have to protect your found family.

for a clan of warriors who hunt, patrol and fight for their clan and a living, they aren't very perceptive with parentage.

[sliverpelt-cats]

I noticed fanart of that.

Still funny that the clans didn't think twice. I guess it is a world of talking, magic cats. Also, TC looking at squilf probably thinking "she's getting bigger" but not interpreting it as maybe she's pregnant?

To be fair, if my cat suddenly started getting bigger, I would just assume it's his fur (not that he can get pregnant anyway).

i think it's hilarious that Bluefur's kits "disappeared" from ThunderClan, and some moons later, Oakheart's apprenticed kits that looks JUST LIKE BLUEFUR aren't even looked at twice by ThunderClan. Or any clan, as I'm sure news of lost kits must have spread through the forest like a fire.

this fact is even more funny to me because at one point, we see firestar go "oh stonefur actually does kinda look like bluestar" about him, or Mistyfoot, one of the two. like, he looked into lost kits and all, then bluestar's like "oh yeah i gave my kits to their father" and then he told them during a battle.

im also sure crookedstar was like "huh, my brother's kits look like my old friend", but apparently not.

even when fireheart revealed their parentage to ThunderClan, they STILL didn't believe it.

same geos for The Three (Jay, Holly and Lion). I haven't read the third arc yet, but from what I've heard AND seen, hollyleaf is almost a spitting image of crowfeather albeit she has green eyes and he has blue.

i guess you wouldn't think too much into the parentage of your clanmates when you're trying to survive in the wild when you're no higher than a human knee and have to protect your found family.

for a clan of warriors who hunt, patrol and fight for their clan and a living, they aren't very perceptive with parentage.

[sliverpelt-cats]

tbf bramble didn't know ANYTHING about the three's origins. his wife at the time literally rocked up with her sister, holding kits like "oh yeah, we're parents now".

I like to think RiverClan assumed he adopted them with Graypool, since they kind of just appear out of nowhere after Graypool's actual kits die?

I think we get an Oakheart special edition that focuses on him raising stone and misty, I wanna know.

i think it's hilarious that Bluefur's kits "disappeared" from ThunderClan, and some moons later, Oakheart's apprenticed kits that looks JUST LIKE BLUEFUR aren't even looked at twice by ThunderClan. Or any clan, as I'm sure news of lost kits must have spread through the forest like a fire.

this fact is even more funny to me because at one point, we see firestar go "oh stonefur actually does kinda look like bluestar" about him, or Mistyfoot, one of the two. like, he looked into lost kits and all, then bluestar's like "oh yeah i gave my kits to their father" and then he told them during a battle.

im also sure crookedstar was like "huh, my brother's kits look like my old friend", but apparently not.

even when fireheart revealed their parentage to ThunderClan, they STILL didn't believe it.

same geos for The Three (Jay, Holly and Lion). I haven't read the third arc yet, but from what I've heard AND seen, hollyleaf is almost a spitting image of crowfeather albeit she has green eyes and he has blue.

i guess you wouldn't think too much into the parentage of your clanmates when you're trying to survive in the wild when you're no higher than a human knee and have to protect your found family.

for a clan of warriors who hunt, patrol and fight for their clan and a living, they aren't very perceptive with parentage.

[sliverpelt-cats]

I think cloudtail's dad is actually a pure white! I've seen art of his parents, but Oliver might be any other coat colour to be honest. and lion could've gotten his light ginger genes from sandstorm anyway, since he's a little darker than her I think.

now that I think of it, blue's kits could've been easily explained through oak as rainflower was a gray (and possibly a little blue??).

i think it's hilarious that Bluefur's kits "disappeared" from ThunderClan, and some moons later, Oakheart's apprenticed kits that looks JUST LIKE BLUEFUR aren't even looked at twice by ThunderClan. Or any clan, as I'm sure news of lost kits must have spread through the forest like a fire.

this fact is even more funny to me because at one point, we see firestar go "oh stonefur actually does kinda look like bluestar" about him, or Mistyfoot, one of the two. like, he looked into lost kits and all, then bluestar's like "oh yeah i gave my kits to their father" and then he told them during a battle.

im also sure crookedstar was like "huh, my brother's kits look like my old friend", but apparently not.

even when fireheart revealed their parentage to ThunderClan, they STILL didn't believe it.

same geos for The Three (Jay, Holly and Lion). I haven't read the third arc yet, but from what I've heard AND seen, hollyleaf is almost a spitting image of crowfeather albeit she has green eyes and he has blue.

i guess you wouldn't think too much into the parentage of your clanmates when you're trying to survive in the wild when you're no higher than a human knee and have to protect your found family.

for a clan of warriors who hunt, patrol and fight for their clan and a living, they aren't very perceptive with parentage.

[sliverpelt-cats]

Willowpelt is leopardfoot's sister, so the grey also would have come from leopardfoot too.

i think it's hilarious that Bluefur's kits "disappeared" from ThunderClan, and some moons later, Oakheart's apprenticed kits that looks JUST LIKE BLUEFUR aren't even looked at twice by ThunderClan. Or any clan, as I'm sure news of lost kits must have spread through the forest like a fire.

this fact is even more funny to me because at one point, we see firestar go "oh stonefur actually does kinda look like bluestar" about him, or Mistyfoot, one of the two. like, he looked into lost kits and all, then bluestar's like "oh yeah i gave my kits to their father" and then he told them during a battle.

im also sure crookedstar was like "huh, my brother's kits look like my old friend", but apparently not.

even when fireheart revealed their parentage to ThunderClan, they STILL didn't believe it.

same geos for The Three (Jay, Holly and Lion). I haven't read the third arc yet, but from what I've heard AND seen, hollyleaf is almost a spitting image of crowfeather albeit she has green eyes and he has blue.

i guess you wouldn't think too much into the parentage of your clanmates when you're trying to survive in the wild when you're no higher than a human knee and have to protect your found family.

for a clan of warriors who hunt, patrol and fight for their clan and a living, they aren't very perceptive with parentage.

[sliverpelt-cats]

Yeah, that makes sense. I'm not too sure about how Jayfeather could be explained, but maybe Willowpelt being Bramble's great-aunt?

i think it's hilarious that Bluefur's kits "disappeared" from ThunderClan, and some moons later, Oakheart's apprenticed kits that looks JUST LIKE BLUEFUR aren't even looked at twice by ThunderClan. Or any clan, as I'm sure news of lost kits must have spread through the forest like a fire.

this fact is even more funny to me because at one point, we see firestar go "oh stonefur actually does kinda look like bluestar" about him, or Mistyfoot, one of the two. like, he looked into lost kits and all, then bluestar's like "oh yeah i gave my kits to their father" and then he told them during a battle.

im also sure crookedstar was like "huh, my brother's kits look like my old friend", but apparently not.

even when fireheart revealed their parentage to ThunderClan, they STILL didn't believe it.

same geos for The Three (Jay, Holly and Lion). I haven't read the third arc yet, but from what I've heard AND seen, hollyleaf is almost a spitting image of crowfeather albeit she has green eyes and he has blue.

i guess you wouldn't think too much into the parentage of your clanmates when you're trying to survive in the wild when you're no higher than a human knee and have to protect your found family.

for a clan of warriors who hunt, patrol and fight for their clan and a living, they aren't very perceptive with parentage.

[sliverpelt-cats]

I figured it would be cool to do this for the valley clans.

TigerClan, living in a dense rainforest-like habitat far from the canonical five clans, very much love bulky with tabby stripes like their ancestors before them. The bigger the warrior, the more likely they are to catch much harder prey like deer. However, this beauty standard is more typical for toms, as a majority of the TigerClan toms are genetically bigger than LeopardClan or PantherClan, but smaller than LionClan. The she-cats have a different standard—while the bigger the better standard still stands, the stripes aren't as important for she-cats. All TigerClan apprentices are taught how to swim, as they use the rivers in their territory for prey and exercise. So, while bulk is liked by she-cats for toms, it is harder for toms to swim swiftly is they are bigger or fluffier. Because she-cats are trained from apprenticeship to be able to climb, they're less expected to hunt and fight from the ground. For both toms and she-cats alike, the more you are able to camouflage from prey and predators, the more likely you are to fit the standards. Torties are very well liked for this reason. While size is a major standard for TigerClan standards, Panthereye is the most desired she-cat in the clan, for her tortie pelt makes it easier for a blend in (a requirement for TigerClan in a territory with predators). For the standards of toms, Dawnstar would probably be an icon of it—being a large, fluffy tabby, and large in the muscular sense. While not born in TigerClan, Oakheart and Redtail also meet these standards for different reasons. Oakheart reminds Crabstorm especially of a tiger—while not a dark tabby per se, but the brown of his pelt is very similar to the brown of the tigers in Crabstorm's visions. The fact Redtail's a tortoiseshell is a main reason he's thought of as attractive—though not as much as Oakheart by TigerClan she-cats—as well as his thicker stature.

LeopardClan's standards are relatively similar in terms of patterns. However, spotted tabbies are more preferred in she-cats especially. A LeopardClan cat's spots are a sense of pride for them, and the more spots the more desired a cat is. Cats like Leopardstar would be well-liked in LeopardClan. As most of the members of LeopardClan have spots, none in particular are really held up high for meeting the beauty standard. Most of the standards hold up that your spots express your individuality from your clanmates. As long as you are fast and more so lean (therefore able to be faster than TigerClan or LionClan warriors), LeopardClan beauty standards are met. However, Dawnstar and Panthereye's sister had been regarded as not overly attractive by LeopardClan standards.

Unlike TigerClan and LeopardClan, LionClan beauty standards are much against patterns like spotted or classic tabby. As their territory is a dry plains compared to the forests the other two clans live in, pale and even golden pelts are more desired. The less markings you have, the more likely you are to blend in and catch more prey. The beauty standard is more preferred for the she-cats, as they're the hunters of the clan, while the toms hold positions such as leader, doctor and priest. The toms' standards aren't as well defined as the standards for the female warriors, however a large build is often sought out with LionClan toms. Smaller LionClan cats are often thought of as weak and poor hunters, and they tend to take on camp centred roles for this very reason.

PantherClan, while the other clans don't really know or care for their preferences, are much like LionClan. Most warriors aren't terribly lean like LeopardClan cats, but not thick or bulky like TigerClan or LionClan. As for their standards fitting their territory, darker grays fit more into the clan's dark and dead territory. Living on the old battlefield, much of the territory is dry and crust. So long as you can survive off what the territory provides, appearance ISN'T all that important to PantherClan cats. Very much basic, marking-less coats are liked in PantherClan, though. Lakepelt (even though TigerClan born) is a prime example of PantherClan not caring much for appearance. As a young warrior, he'd been bulky and bigger than his clanmates, but as time passed, he kept his height but was thinner than before. Growing up in TigerClan's territory with an abundance of prey, Lakepelt had grown plump and was incredibly fluffy due to genetics, and with the lack of abundant prey, he lost a lot of weight and his fluff became more droopy as he groomed it less.

#warriors oc #warriors au #warrior cats au #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats fanfiction #redtail and oakheart live au

[sliverpelt-cats]

ALSO!!

The Erins have hinted on many occasions that the cats can sense other cats' emotions, and cats irl can sense when you're upset or in pain! So, it doesn't make sense that Snowkit couldn't sense the panic in his clanmates, even if he didn't know what it meant.

what i don't get is the choice the Erins made to label Snowkit as essentially useless, purely for being deaf.

my cousin's cat is pretty much exactly like Snowkit and Cloudtail, a part from being a girl, in the sense that she's pure white with blue eyes.

its, in a sense, like being around a deaf person. there's visual cues you can use with a deaf cat that lets them know you're giving them dinner or looking for cuddles with them.

a specific instance of this is when my cousin and his fiancée look to get her attention and she's not physically looking at them, they tap the (hardwood) floor with their feet. i guess it would be harder to make the dirt shake in the wilderness. but they also tap on her tail, back or head if they're close enough to her.

and no one can tell me visual cues can't be used with a warrior. im pretty sure speckletail used them with her kit (please correct me if im wrong), and there's a headcanon that shadowclan use visual cues to communicate while hunting as to not disturb the prey.

all the visual cues ThunderClan would've had to use could be done by tail or head movements.

i dont have any deaf friends, nor am i deaf, but my friends and i use head gestures to communicate when we just dont feel like speaking in the moment.

like a head tipped back would mean "come here" and gestures to the right or left would be "look there" or "they're there" with eye movement too.

it's be harder for a warrior to patrol and hunt, sure, but they wouldn't be rendered useless.

on the topic of my cousin's deaf cat again; the last time we visited them, the cat brought a caught, dead bird inside after she'd been let out to pee.

[sliverpelt-cats]

i think it's hilarious that Bluefur's kits "disappeared" from ThunderClan, and some moons later, Oakheart's apprenticed kits that looks JUST LIKE BLUEFUR aren't even looked at twice by ThunderClan. Or any clan, as I'm sure news of lost kits must have spread through the forest like a fire.

this fact is even more funny to me because at one point, we see firestar go "oh stonefur actually does kinda look like bluestar" about him, or Mistyfoot, one of the two. like, he looked into lost kits and all, then bluestar's like "oh yeah i gave my kits to their father" and then he told them during a battle.

im also sure crookedstar was like "huh, my brother's kits look like my old friend", but apparently not.

even when fireheart revealed their parentage to ThunderClan, they STILL didn't believe it.

same geos for The Three (Jay, Holly and Lion). I haven't read the third arc yet, but from what I've heard AND seen, hollyleaf is almost a spitting image of crowfeather albeit she has green eyes and he has blue.

i guess you wouldn't think too much into the parentage of your clanmates when you're trying to survive in the wild when you're no higher than a human knee and have to protect your found family.

for a clan of warriors who hunt, patrol and fight for their clan and a living, they aren't very perceptive with parentage.

#warrior cats #warriors

[sliverpelt-cats]

i love the thought of Redtail being Fireheart/star's StarClan guide, since he was trying to prove Redtail's murder.

i also considered "what if sandstorm's half-kittypet and all of her kittypet tormenting to firepaw/heart kinda backfires?"

so like, fireheart learns more about redtail, his kittypet mate, how sandstorm came to live in ThunderClan, and redtail helps fireheart try prove to bluestar that tigerclaw killed him.

my favourite concept is that cats can't move on until their deaths have been avenged, in the cases of murder, or they accomplished what they wanted in life.

redtail, as above, couldn't join starclan until fireheart proved his murder, and he saw sandstorm grow up.

brindleface couldn't join starclan until she was sure her kits would be fine without her.

runningwind took a moment to join starclan, because he was conflicted if sandstorm still needed him*.

lionheart was worried for his kits, but he knew frostfur would protect them as best she could. once he knew cinderpelt was sure of herself as a medicine cat, and saw that brightheart had cloudtail by her side, he could join StarClan.

*I headcanon that Redtail and Runningwind were so close, they raised sandstorm together :)

#warrior cats #warriors #warriors concepts #warrior cats concepts #warriors headcanons

[sliverpelt-cats]

(i reblogged this with the wrong blog 💀💀)

thanks for letting me know the Speckletail and ShadowClan examples are canon!

also I just don't understand why no one grabbed him?? especially speckletail with mother instincts, but you know— literally anyone in the vicinity of him could've even just swiped him towards the closest den since he was a literal child and i doubt very big where he couldn't be knocked over unexpectedly.

what i don't get is the choice the Erins made to label Snowkit as essentially useless, purely for being deaf.

my cousin's cat is pretty much exactly like Snowkit and Cloudtail, a part from being a girl, in the sense that she's pure white with blue eyes.

its, in a sense, like being around a deaf person. there's visual cues you can use with a deaf cat that lets them know you're giving them dinner or looking for cuddles with them.

a specific instance of this is when my cousin and his fiancée look to get her attention and she's not physically looking at them, they tap the (hardwood) floor with their feet. i guess it would be harder to make the dirt shake in the wilderness. but they also tap on her tail, back or head if they're close enough to her.

and no one can tell me visual cues can't be used with a warrior. im pretty sure speckletail used them with her kit (please correct me if im wrong), and there's a headcanon that shadowclan use visual cues to communicate while hunting as to not disturb the prey.

all the visual cues ThunderClan would've had to use could be done by tail or head movements.

i dont have any deaf friends, nor am i deaf, but my friends and i use head gestures to communicate when we just dont feel like speaking in the moment.

like a head tipped back would mean "come here" and gestures to the right or left would be "look there" or "they're there" with eye movement too.

it's be harder for a warrior to patrol and hunt, sure, but they wouldn't be rendered useless.

on the topic of my cousin's deaf cat again; the last time we visited them, the cat brought a caught, dead bird inside after she'd been let out to pee.

#warrior cats #warriors #warriors opinions

[sliverpelt-cats]

what i don't get is the choice the Erins made to label Snowkit as essentially useless, purely for being deaf.

my cousin's cat is pretty much exactly like Snowkit and Cloudtail, a part from being a girl, in the sense that she's pure white with blue eyes.

its, in a sense, like being around a deaf person. there's visual cues you can use with a deaf cat that lets them know you're giving them dinner or looking for cuddles with them.

a specific instance of this is when my cousin and his fiancée look to get her attention and she's not physically looking at them, they tap the (hardwood) floor with their feet. i guess it would be harder to make the dirt shake in the wilderness. but they also tap on her tail, back or head if they're close enough to her.

and no one can tell me visual cues can't be used with a warrior. im pretty sure speckletail used them with her kit (please correct me if im wrong), and there's a headcanon that shadowclan use visual cues to communicate while hunting as to not disturb the prey.

all the visual cues ThunderClan would've had to use could be done by tail or head movements.

i dont have any deaf friends, nor am i deaf, but my friends and i use head gestures to communicate when we just dont feel like speaking in the moment.

like a head tipped back would mean "come here" and gestures to the right or left would be "look there" or "they're there" with eye movement too.

it's be harder for a warrior to patrol and hunt, sure, but they wouldn't be rendered useless.

on the topic of my cousin's deaf cat again; the last time we visited them, the cat brought a caught, dead bird inside after she'd been let out to pee.

#warrior cats #warriors #snowkit #deaf cats #the idea for this post came about reading a post abt jayfeather and his blindness #he wouldn't be rendered useless either #my dog (while a different animal) is virtually blind and uses her sense of smell and hearing to get around just fine #i dont think much research of blind or deaf cats went into the books #anyway

[sliverpelt-cats]

Firstly,

I have been pumping out chapters of Journey of Red and Oak (Oakheart and Redtail live AU), so I'm going to put a hold on that. If anyone would like me to continue, of course, let me know or it will be in hiatus for a while.

Second,

I've had another idea for "____ lives", which has been very popular around the fandom, as I've noticed. If you haven't guessed by now, it's Shrewpaw Lives. Now, with the last AU, I made the mistake of going right into it. I hadn't and still haven't planned very far ahead into the story for me to write around, hence the need to pause it.

This time, a proper storyline will be written out and the story will actually follow lyrics to one or random songs. I know that it will most likely be based on Lay All Your Love On Me, but the Mamma Mia version of the ABBA song. I can't say JORAO wasn't even loosely based on a song or two, because at least one chapter was (Hamilton).

And for the song to be based on Lay All Your Love On Me, there'd have to be an OC somewhere. And I just love making them, I cannot be blamed. I have decided that the OC is a kit of an already existing character, but you'll just have to wait to find out who and what Shrewpaw's warrior name would be.

Thank you all, for the support you have shown JORAO, and I hope you'll like this next series! <3

~Silver

#warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats au #warrior cats fanfiction

[sliverpelt-cats]

Journey of Oak and Red || Chapter 5 || Warriors AU

AU Prompt: Oakheart and Redtail survive the Battle for Sunningrocks, and leave the forest territories for a life out of Tigerclaw's threats.

Characters: Panthereye, Redtail, Mintpaw, Dawnstar, Honeyspot (mentioned), Larkwing of PantherClan, Larkwing's kits

Warnings: Mention of leaving a newborn to die, mention of possible abuse, Panthereye hating on a child

Author's Note: I did warn you that there would be Hamilton references. The start of this is heavy on Hamilton because I was listening to Meet Me Inside when I wrote it.

Timeframe: 7 moons since Redtail and Oakheart joined TigerClan.

°°°

Redtail tucked his tail under his belly as he sat on the second floor of the doctor's den. His ears twitched to Panthereye's pawsteps climbing up the tree. "Leafbare is hard enough without fighting one of your clanmates."

"Honeyspot was wrong. I called her bluff."

"You did nothing," Panthereye hissed. "You anger your own ally."

Redtail's tail twitched in annoyance. "You're right. I should've attacked her mouth, it would've shut her up."

"Watch your tone. I'm not a queen in need of defending," Panthereye eyed the tom as she began to pace around her den.

"Dawnstar, Honeyspot, they lie about your mind, use your name to symbolise great health."

"My name and health's been through enough. I can take it."

Redtail stood, taking his chance. He noticed Dawnstar and Brushstorm always looking for Panthereye and Crabstorm when they made choices that would later affect the clan. "I don't have your name, I don't have your title. But if you tell-"

"No."

"Tell Brushstorm to give me command of a patrol into PantherClan's territory, I could teach them not to start a war with TigerClan."

Panthereye whipped her head around to Redtail, "or you could die, and the clan needs you alive."

"I am more than willing to die for the clan."

"Your apprentice needs you alive; I need you alive!"

"Who are you to stop me from fighting for my clan?!" Redtail hesitated, his paws slipping slightly as he stepped back. He didn't mean to yell at Panthereye, and the look in her eyes made the fur on his spine stand.

Panthereye raised her head, ears forward and tail relaxed against the floor of the den. "PantherClan has taken enough from my clan. Go to your den, Redtail. That's an order."

"Panthereye-" He'd never seen her so stern. She'd been kind and gentle, soft even, when Redtail and Oakheart arrived at the clan, but this she-cat was different. Looked just like his Panthereye, but it wasn't her.

"Go to your den."

Redtail nodded, creeping down to the main floor of the den and slipped out the main entrance of the doctor's den. He noticed Oakheart watching him from between Mintpaw and Firepaw, but he shook his head and found his nest in the warrior's den.

He heard Oakheart's heavy pawsteps enter the den, and the brown tabby curled by his side. "...what did she say?"

"I wanted to take a patrol out to PantherClan's territory, to teach them a lesson..." Redtail answered softly. I need you alive. "I don't think she'd want to be my mate now...after I yelled at her."

Oakheart winced behind him, "yeah, we heard. Dewfish and Honeyspot are hunting right now, but she'll be sleeping in the apprentice den for now and I'll be mentoring Finpaw until Dawnstar sees that she can return to her warrior duties."

"I should have just ignored it."

"Well, yeah. Even a mouse could tell you that."

Redtail sneered at the ground beside his nest, "she needs help. Mousepaw, as a wonderful apprentice as he is, doesn't see that she's struggling."

"Then ask her." The brown tom coughed. "To be your mate, I mean. She'll have someone in her den if she ever needs to talk, then."

"Medicine cats can't tell StarClan secrets to warriors, Oakheart."

"Clearly you're as blind as mole. Panthereye isn't exactly a medicine cat. She only heals the clan, but Crabstorm is the cat that communicates with StarClan." Oakheart bit Redtail's shoulder, ushering the smaller tom to stand. "Go ask. The worst she could say is no."

Redtail shook his body, his shoulder aching from the nip he received. "Or she scratches me."

"Or that. Go."

He hated to admit when he was wrong, but Redtail wouldn't deny that Oakheart was right. He wouldn't actually tell Oakheart that, considering it was Redtail who'd said Panthereye would scratch him.

She did, and then she purred that it took him long enough. Before ordering Redtail to go back to his den.

Once she'd told Dawnstar that he could leave camp again, Redtail began hunting twice as much. He wanted to prove that Panthereye didn't make a wrong choice in taking him as a mate.

Redtail had seen Brushstorm and Panthereye eyeing Oakheart a few times in the last moon, so he genuinely believed she would've turned him down. Thank StarClan she didn't.

"Are we going hunting again?" Mintpaw asked her mentor, as she followed Redtail out of camp. "Actually, we're going to secure the border. Make sure the other clans aren't breaking through our scent markers."

Panthereye padded through the entrance of the camp, holding a bundle of herbs in her jaw. "Redtail, take these. I need a few more of each."

He gently took the herbs from her mouth, taking a whiff of each. "I'll get you plenty."

"Thank you," she purred, rubbing her head against his neck and shouldered back into camp.

"Is she your mate now?"

Redtail bristled at the question for a moment, before calming his fur. "Now she is."

"Finpaw and Firepaw were talking about Oakheart being taken as her mate. Or Brushstorm's. Maybe it was Brushstorm." Mintpaw frowned, shaking the falling snow from her back.

It'd only been a quarter moon since the Gathering, and in turn, Panthereye and Redtail's argument. He figured that maybe the beloved doctor would have talked to Brushstorm making Redtail in charge of a patrol to PantherClan's camp.

While he'd never actually seen the camp himself, Redtail knew the scent of PantherClan as well as any one of his clanmates. Oakheart and Panthereye had been covered in it after the battle with Panthereye's brother, Lakepelt, and his patrol.

"Redtail! PantherClan!" Mintpaw shivered, crouching down in the snow as her nose sniffed at a bush beside her.

The warrior tom crouched beside her, prodding the bush with his nose before pushing through. A PantherClan queen panted, crouching in the snow. Her panicked eyes searched the area around her, and her ears twisted back in realisation. "No no no no, we can't- Dawnstar will kill us."

"She has kits with her," Mintpaw mentioned softly, nodding at three small bundles of fur Redtail could only recognise as kits. Their tiny mews would have been the only tell, if the largest of them didn't lift its head blindly for it's mother. "Dawnstar won't kill kits...would he?"

The doubt in the young apprentice's voice should worry Redtail, but he couldn't blame her. He'd been relatively distant from the clan, and Wheateyes especially. The entire clan knew that where the only queen was, their smitten leader would be only a pawstep away. Dawnstar was spending more time in the doctor's den than he had in the nursery for moons.

Redtail gestured with his nose for his apprentice to hide further into the bush, "stay here. Move when I tell you to, and don't look back if I tell you to run."

"What are you going to do?"

"Queens are fiercely protective of their kits, Mintpaw. She might attack me because I'm from TigerClan, but also because I'm an unfamiliar tom. She might think I'd steal her kits."

"Would you?" Mintpaw glanced at the fretting queen. "She's letting her kits freeze in the snow...Wheateyes never let me out of the nursery when it snowed."

Redtail nodded, but didn't speak. Instead, he slowly crept out of the bush and towards the queen. "You're in TigerClan territory, PantherClan."

"I-I know," the queen stuttered. "Lakepelt- he-" She looked around frantically, as if the named tom would attack her at any moment. "He said it was too much a risk if I kitted in camp, so he chased me out." The young queen licked at the largest of her kits, "please, be merciful. I think this one's blind, and he's shivering more than his sisters." The two she-kits wriggled around each other to keep warm. "I can't carry all three on my own, and I just kitted...knowing your Clan's doctor and leader are the littermates of my kits' father, I thought they'd be kind and take us in. At least until I'm well enough to travel back to my clan. Without the kits."

Redtail paused. He remembered Panthereye's outbursts, and Dawnstar's distant eyes from his clan in comparison to the adoring eyes for his sister. Would they really take in their littermates kits and mate? He picked up the largest, calling for Mintpaw to pick up one of the she-kits. "Come, it'll start to snow down again soon. We need to get this one warm."

The queen thanked him profusely as she picked up her remaining kit and Redtail led the way back to camp. Thankfully most of the snow had been cleared by the apprentices, and Redtail safely placed the tom kit onto the cool ground, holding his paws gently on each side of the kit's belly.

"What is this?" Dawnstar's voice hissed, having smelt the strong scent the queen was carrying from his den. His blue eyes cast frustration down at Redtail from his branch. "Redtail, I thought much better of you. You are Panthereye's mate, and yet you bring a PantherClan queen and three kits back to our camp. Is this your way of telling me you never truly loved my littermate?"

"No, I-!"

"They're not his kits, Dawnstar. He and the apprentice were helping me carry them," the queen excused. She stood over her kits, staring up at Dawnstar. "They're Lakepelt's kits."

Murmurs spread around the clan like fire, as the TigerClan cats watched for Panthereye's appearance. The she-cat padded from her den, Mousepaw at her flank, as she approached that queen and kits. She crouched to each of them, sniffing at their wet fur. "I'm willing to look past their parentage."

"Panthereye-" Dawnstar started, standing as well he could on his branch. "They are of PantherClan."

"And they are our kin, so they're also of TigerClan," the doctor hissed at her leader, before halting in front of the grey and white tom kit. Her ears pinned back and her pupils turned to slits. "The she-kits can stay, but this one will die."

"What?!" The queen wailed.

Dawnstar stayed silent as he watched his sister snap at the new queen. Redtail felt bad for the young she-cat and pressed his cheek to Panthereye's shoulder. "Perhaps you could be more lenient."

"Why should I?" His mate hissed, pushing away from him. "Lakepelt tried to kill me, his own sister. I shouldn't even pay an ounce of respect to that crowfood of a warrior after what he did."

Dawnstar stayed quiet, as Redtail pressed his nose to Panthereye's cheek. "He's only a newborn kit; when he's old enough to be apprenticed, he'll be able to get back to PantherClan's camp on his own."

The she-cat watched him wordlessly, before nodding at the queen. "As long as you keep him from my sight, the kit can stay." She looked up at Dawnstar, "what does Wheateyes think about having a denmate?"

The leader looked towards the nursery, as the ginger point queen appeared. She sent a silent message before returning to the warmth of her den, her belly swollen with kits once more.

"Honeyspot, Finpaw, help Larkwing take her kits to the nursery." Dawnstar ordered, before dismissing the clan and making his way to his sister. Redtail stayed a tail-length behind them, as the siblings entered the doctor's den. "Those kits are just as much kin to us as Mintpaw is."

"Mintpaw doesn't look like her father," Panthereye hissed, shaking her fur to smoothen. "And why do you even ask for my advice anyway? You barely listen to me as is and when you do, it's only for the good of the clan."

"You're my sister. And my only kin left in the clan."

The tabico she-cat swatted her tail at the tom. "Those kits are your kin, and so is Mintpaw, or need I remind you about what you said to me?"

"No." Dawnstar murmured, nudging Panthereye's cheek with his forehead and padded out of the den.

Redtail purred softly, his body warming at her side. "Mintpaw's your kin?"

#warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats au #warrior cats fanfiction #redtail and oakheart live au

[sliverpelt-cats]

Journey of Oak and Red || Chapter 4 || Warriors AU

AU Prompt: Oakheart and Redtail survive the Battle for Sunningrocks, and leave the forest territories for a life out of Tigerclaw's threats.

Characters: Oakheart, Firepaw, Brushstorm, Redtail, Honeyspot, Panthereye, Dawnstar

Warnings: Slight panic, fight, Redtail gets snappy

Author's Note: I did warn you guys that there would be Hamilton references, and the next chapter will be full of them.

Timeframe: About the first few chapters of Fire and Ice, about 6 to 7 moons since Redtail and Oakheart left their clans

°°°

Leafbare was getting worse. While the creek was still running, the fish from it were slowly being taken by any bird of prey that dared to touch the freezing water.

During the many other moons since he'd joined the clan, Oakheart used the shrubbery of the forest to disguise himself from the threatening birds. They were unable to detect his presence, especially during newleaf when the forest was rich with prey of all kinds.

Now Oakheart returned with a skinny vole and what was barely a rabbit. It had all the parts just fine, but what the large warrior assumed to be juicy meat was simply long fluff that no cat would prefer over a fat meal.

"Cut your losses and tuck your tail between your legs, Oakheart?" A snide comment entered the tom's ears as he dropped his hunt in the fresh-kill hole. "Dawnstar ought to hear about this."

Honeyspot hated Oakheart, and Redtail, ever since they joined the clan. Always commenting that they didn't need more mouths to feed, when in actual fact, Redtail and Oakheart had been catching twice as much prey than the ginger she-cat had in the last moon.

"Go on, tell him then. Tell him that a warrior that has been catching more than you cut his losses." Oakheart challenged, turning in the thick snow to warm himself in the comfort of the warriors den.

As he pawed his nest, Oakheart's ears strained to hear the elder speak. "I haven't seen a Leafbare like this since I was a kit. Has StarClan spoken to you?"

"Not very clearly," the clan's priest replied. "They've been incredibly vague with their messages as of late."

"Do you think they're angry with PantherClan for attacking a doctor on our land?" Silkstep's purr wondered aloud.

Crabstorm grunted. "'Dunno. Now keep still, your fur won't be any less matted if you don't stop moving."

Oakheart hadn't thought of StarClan's involvement. He licked over the scarring wound on his shoulder, reminiscing on Honeyflight's last words before a PantherClan warrior tore at her belly.

Tell Dawnstar I'm sorry.

"Hey, you're back early." The ginger point apprentice meowed from outside the den. "Brushstorm and I thought you were still out hunting. Honeyspot said you gave up."

Oakheart hummed, "the eagles are getting an ego on them, I swear on StarClan."

"No, she said you gave up in the battle." Firepaw sat in front of Oakheart, who'd moved from his nest to groom himself at the den entrance. "Did you?"

He watched as the apprentice's eyes flickered with curiosity. "Sometimes, a warrior has to pick their battles. Your mentor made me in charge of that patrol - my only motive was to get Honeyflight and Panthereye away from the intruding warriors without a thought for myself." Oakheart raised his chin. "I had fought valiantly, if I say so myself."

"I knew you would! You're so big and strong, that you wouldn't run away from a battle!" Firepaw's eyes lit up with excitement, as the tom jumped up and got into his fighting stance. "If I'll ever be as great a warrior as you, the other clans should fear me!"

Oakheart chuckled nervously, his green eyes wandering to Redtail leaving the doctor's den. Had he been injured when he took Mintpaw hunting? Did one of the eagles attack them?

"I'm going to go see Redtail, you should go play with Mintpaw and talk about your battle training. I'm sure she'd love it." Oakheart absentmindedly said his bye to the apprentice, and padded over to his friend. "Are you okay?"

Redtail hummed, as Oakheart checked over his tri-coloured pelt. "I'm fine. I was just seeing how Panthereye's doing."

"How is she?" Oakheart had been curious about the independent she-cat lately, as she'd been spending more and more of her time in her den, and less of it in the leafbare sunlight. "Is she taking care of herself?"

"She's eating and drinking just fine, but she's been spending Mousepaw to gather herbs with Finpaw. Last time she found out Mousepaw left camp on his own, she chipped his ear." Redtail blinked a few times, before looking over to Dawnstar sharing tongues with Wheateyes. "I need to check on Wheateyes for her. I'll see you later, Oakheart."

He watched his friend push his way through the snow, the cold white powder almost past Redtail's shoulders. The poor, smaller tom would have to start jumping to get around if there were more snowfall.

"Oakheart, can you take Firepaw on a border patrol?" Brushstorm asked, stopping by the large tom. "I have to stay in camp, so I can't take him out."

He nodded at the she-cat, dipping his head to the apprentice and led him out of camp. "You know, I think you'd be a pretty great warrior, Firepaw. You have the strength and drive to protect your clan."

"Thank you, Oakheart." The young tom purred happily. He walked alongside him with joy in his eyes, obviously taking the warrior's compliment in stride. "Do you think I could catch one of the eagles? I've gotten bigger."

"And while that's true, they wouldn't hesitate to snatch you off your paws." Oakheart reminded the apprentice, walking down the side of the riverbed and wading into the rushing water. The stream was much colder than the snow, but it only pooled around his knees. Plus, Oakheart had grown up in an island camp. He would be fine.

Firepaw, maybe not. "Oakheart, the water's almost at my belly." The apprentice whined, shivering.

"Can you jump to me?" The warrior asked, standing on the opposite side of the creek by now. "I promise I'll catch you."

The ginger point tom nodded, flexing his paws at the creek's edge, before taking the leap. He narrowly missed the edge, before Oakheart clutched the scruff of Firepaw's neck in his jaws and hauled him up the side of the riverbank and into the sunlit snow. "Thank you, Oakheart."

"I'm sure you could have swan that if the water wasn't rushing so quickly," Oakheart frowned, staring down at the chilling water. "It was calmer at dawn... we'll get back to camp the other way."

When he returned to camp, Oakheart sent Firepaw to take some fresh-kill and warm in the apprentice's den while he informed Brushstorm of the patrol.

"PantherClan's scent is more faint than yesterday, and there's been no pawprints that don't smell like one of our clanmates. The eagles and birds of prey seem to have been hiding in their nests, too."

Brushstorm nodded her thanks. "How was Firepaw? I hope he wasn't too much."

"There was a current that almost toppled me over. Firepaw was a little afraid to wade in, so he jumped over instead." Watching Brushstorm nod about her apprentice, Oakheart added. "He'd make a fine warrior, Brushstorm."

The she-cat purred with a curt nod. "I'll have his assessment soon then. Thank you, Oakheart."

He nodded his head, turning to take a fat rabbit from the pile and sit in the warmth of the warrior's den and away from the snow. As he started to eat, his ears caught the sound of Redtail's paws breaking the twigs underneath the snow padding covering the camp. "Where have you been?"

"Helping Panthereye and Mousepaw." Redtail murmured, stretching as he reached his nest. The smaller tom curled into the moss, tucking his tail over his paws. "What have you been doing?"

"Hunting, I took Firepaw out for a patrol. How's Mintpaw's training?"

"I sent her to clean the elder's bedding and take ticks out of Silkstep's fur."

Oakheart frowned. "Did she do something wrong?"

"Not at all, but no cat else was going to do it. And she needs to learn basic chores." Oakheart hummed, taking the excuse since Redtail clearly didn't want to argue. The tortoiseshell rested his chin on his tail and closed his eyes. "Panthereye is pretty, but I wouldn't neglect my responsibility as Mintpaw's mentor. Bluestar made me her deputy for a reason, you know."

The hissing from the tom was new as of late. It had been moons since Oakheart and Redtail had come to heads over anything, and the old hostility returned. Was Redtail still holding a grudge because of Sunningrocks in their former territories?

He hoped not; Redtail was the closest he had to family now. Oakheart's kits were, hopefully, still in RiverClan and his brother was leading that clan. With his parents long gone before he left the clan, Oakheart only thought about his only sibling and kits.

The rest of the day flowed slowly, contrary to the creek, and Oakheart readied himself in the middle of the clearing for Dawnstar's announcement.

"We won't be attending the Gathering, this moon. We lost one of our very best, and cannot afford to leave the camp unguarded. Both Crabstorm and Panthereye, as well as Mousepaw, will require a bodyguard. That leaves us down two warriors from attending the Gathering, and two less to protect each other on the journey."

Honeyspot stood to argue with her leader. "But we can't just not go. The Ancient Warriors will be furious if we're not there, not to mention StarClan."

"They will understand. StarClan allowed for one of our own to join them, and the Ancient Warriors guided her spirit to them." Dawnstar excused. "Crabstorm and Panthereye mentioned such."

Hushed murmurs blended through the camp. "Panthereye blames StarClan for Honeyflight's death?" Silkstep's raspy voice croaked in question.

"As well as the warriors who attacked, of course."

"Is she okay?"

Dawnstar was silent for a moment, glancing at the she-cat watching from the safety of her tree. "Panthereye is the greatest doctor TigerClan has ever had. We all know she is fine."

"No, she's not." Redtail muttered, his teeth blaring.

Honeyspot hissed, looking around the other warriors at him. "What did you say, rogue?"

"I said that she isn't." Redtail hissed, his hackles rising at the ginger she-cat. "I've spent the last half-moon with her and even a mouse-brain like you can tell she's in pain."

"What did you call me?"

"Redtail, Honeyspot enough."

"You heard what I said, clearer than a thrush's call." Redtail retaliated.

Panthereye's slim figure stood, her ears twisted back. "Redtail. Meet me inside." When the tortoiseshell didn't move, the silver tabico hissed, "do I have to drag you into my den like a disobedient kit? Get inside."

"Yes, ma'am." He didn't ignore her a second time. Only StarClan knew what would happen if he did.

#warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats au #warrior cats fanfiction #redtail and oakheart live au

[sliverpelt-cats]

Journey of Oak and Red || Chapter 3 || Warriors AU

AU Prompt: Oakheart and Redtail survive the Battle for Sunningrocks, and leave the forest territories for a life out of Tigerclaw's threats.

Characters: Oakheart, Redtail, Panthereye, Dawnstar, Honeyflight, Mousepaw, Mintkit/paw

Warnings: mental break, description of death, loose description of panic attack

Author's Note: Panthereye is just getting aggressive 👀

Timeframe: About the end of Into the Wild, start of Fire and Ice

°°°

Redtail was lulling to sleep just outside of the warrior's den, when he felt a paw prod his side. His hazel eyes opened, to see Panthereye's blue eyes peering at him in the dark. "Crabstorm wants to see you?"

"Right now? At moonhigh?" Redtail yawned, "shouldn't he be asleep?"

"Well, not after who he just met." At the look in the she-cat's eyes, the tom jumped up to run into the priest's den. He heard Panthereye's pawsteps behind him as Crabstorm slowly looked up at his clanmates.

"Redtail," the brown tom meowed, his voice deep and harsh.

Was Tigerclaw here? Did he really hunt Redtail this far?

Crabstorm dipped his paw into the moonpool between him and Redtail, Panthereye sitting to the side of the two toms. The water ripped to reveal a spotted tortoiseshell she-cat Redtail recognised instantly. "You didn't tell your sister you were leaving...?"

"Spottedleaf..."

"Tigerclaw said you drowned," the she-cat's voice echoed. "He said that Oakheart pushed you into the river, knowing you can't swim. So he drowned Oakheart in the river. As soon as I came to StarClan, our mother told me you weren't here. Neither was Oakheart."

The fox-pelt like tom lowered his head, crouching beside the water. "I pushed Oakheart towards the lake, but I tripped- lost my footing on the riverbank."

"You tripped, or you lost your footing?" Panthereye spoke up, her blue eyes staring at Redtail. "Sounds like you don't know what happened."

She thinks Tigerclaw will come for her clan if he finds out I'm here. "No, I tripped. I tripped on something and fell in the river. Oakheart fought with me underwater before we both passed out. We resurfaced by the barn and left from there." Redtail explained, looking at Panthereye in hopes she would believe him.

"But if Tigerclaw didn't avenge you," Spottedleaf's spirit in the pool started, "then why would he lie? And what did you trip on?"

"Panthereye?" Mousepaw's sleepy voice mewed as he entered the priest's den. "I can't sleep."

"Eat some poppy seeds and try again." Once her apprentice wandered back into their den, Panthereye wondered aloud, "what if you tripped on Tigerclaw?"

"You did say he threatened to kill you. Maybe he was trying to actually kill you," Crabstorm reasoned. He shook his body, his brown fur fluffing up in the Leafbare chill. "Anyway, I figured you may want to talk with your sister. You know, Spottedleaf being your sister and all.

Panthereye purred quietly, rubbing her head against Redtail's cheek before heading back to her own den through the vines at the doctor's den entrance. "Thank you, Crabstorm," he meowed to the tom, who pawed back into his nest. "How'd you go to StarClan?"

"Clawface killed me when he was stealing Frostfur's kits." Spottedleaf explained. "You know, Willowpelt was pretty heartbroken over the news of your death. You're our only brother, and she doesn't know you're still alive."

"It's for the best, Sister," Redtail purred. "I'd rather she thinks I'm dead rather than her seeing my cold body. What about Dustpaw? How's he doing?"

Spottedleaf hummed. "Darkstripe's his mentor now."

"I would have preferred Willowpelt mentor him," Redtail grumbled.

"She was mourning you when Bluestar appointed Dustpaw a new mentor. It wasn't fair to our sister, when your apprentice would only remind her of you even more."

The tom nodded in agreement, stretching his tail to make sure he doesn't fall asleep while talking to his sister. "Bluestar mentioned bringing a kittypet to the clan. How did that go?"

"Firepaw is a spirited one, that's for sure. Much like you, dare I say. Stubborn too - he didn't let Longtail scare him off."

"Then he'll be a good warrior for ThunderClan?"

"Bluestar wouldn't have brought him to the clan otherwise, Redtail." Spottedleaf's spirit turned as if someone was calling her. "Leopardfoot is calling me. I'll come speak to you again soon, Brother."

"Wait, Spottedleaf-" But it was no use. Redtail watched as the water rippled on its own, a reflection of himself appearing where Spottedleaf has been. He was alone with his thoughts, as he slowly walked back to the warriors den and found his empty nest to curl in. It was nice to see his sister's face again, and Redtail was glad that his family was taking care of her in StarClan.

Redtail continued to clean his head, almost bathing in the sunhigh light beaming through the treetops. Honeyflight and Oakheart had accompanied Panthereye to gather herbs, with the news of PantherClan warriors lurking in rival clan territories.

LionClan's leader had suggested attacking PantherClan at their camp, to prove to the rival clan that the other clans weren't to be messed with, but thankfully Dawnstar and LeopardClan's Quillstar had reasoned with her.

He just hoped his clanmates would return unharmed. Especially Panthereye. Redtail looked up as the apprentices battle trained in the middle of the clearing, Mousepaw off to the side. The young tom watched silently, his eyes glancing at the camp entrance.

"Looking out for Panthereye?"

Mousepaw nodded. "She usually gives me things to do at dawn, but she left before I even woke up." His tail tapped the forest floor impatiently, and Redtail sat beside him. "She doesn't usually take this long; I'm getting worried, Redtail."

"She teaches you battle moves, doesn't she?" The young tom nodded. "Then she'll be fine. And she has two of the clan's strongest warriors with her."

"I think you're stronger than Honeyflight," Mousepaw meowed gently, his gaze turning to his littermates.

Redtail felt his heart swell at the compliment.

"PantherClan attacked!" Oakheart's voice hissed, as he and Panthereye tumbled into the camp. Both of them had deep wounds over their bodies, Panthereye's mostly on her flank while Oakheart's were covering his stomach and back.

Redtail felt his heart sink at the sight.

Panthereye's body trembled as she held Honeyflight's limp body in her jaws. "Mousepaw!" She yowled, moving hastily towards her den. "Get every herb we need!"

The apprentice scampered into their den, probably climbing the tree as fast as he could to get to the herb store. Redtail moved to help the doctor carry their clanmate's body. The light ginger she-cat whined as she felt another cat's teeth on her hind, lifting her off the ground.

Redtail heard Oakheart wheezing in the background, explaining the attack to Dawnstar. The next thing he heard was his heart beating in his ears. Loud thumps against his eardrums.

Thump. Thump. THUMP.

Once Honeyflight's heaving body lay on the moss nest, Panthereye and Mousepaw worked diligently to save the warrior.

Thump. Thump. THUMP.

"Redtail, you know some medical practices," Dawnstar's voice gently murmured. "Oakheart's wounds need tending to."

Thump. Thump. THUMP.

Oakheart's purrs interrupted Redtail's heartbeat, the brown tabby watching Redtail. "Hey, Redtail?"

The tom felt his lungs tighten, his hazel eyes staring intensely at the dirt floor.

Thump. Thump. THUMP.

"Hey, hey," Panthereye's voice purred, and he felt her matted fur against his side. "Deep breaths, focus on my voice. You can do it." Her purrs vibrated her body, the tabico she-cat pressing herself to Redtail as he calmed down. "It's okay."

Redtail let out a throaty whine, headbutting his cheek to the back of Panthereye's head. "I thought- you- I-"

"I'm okay," she purred. Her head slowly turned, and lifted her forehead to his chin. "Oakheart took the worst of it, after Honeyflight." Her voice cracked as she murmured, "oh, Honeyflight."

The fox-like tortoiseshell looked up to see the cold, pale ginger body of his clanmate lifeless on the nest. "She's with StarClan now."

"She shouldn't be," Panthereye's bitter hiss fell from her lips. "This is our territory. They had no right to attack us again."

Oakheart licked at his wounds as Mousepaw covered the remaining. Clearly, he wasn't too bothered by the taste of poultice. After what the brown tabby had just been through, Redtail couldn't blame him. "Thankfully we saw it coming. We could protect Panthereye, with what training she didn't have."

"You shouldn't have had to. Honeyflight shouldn't have needed to die for my safety," the tabico she-cat hissed again, before taking a breath and standing. Her legs shook as pain wracked her body, reminding her of the battle.

Brushstorm's pawsteps stopped as the she-cat entered the den. "Dawnstar, Honeyspot and Dewfish recommend a warrior ceremony for Finpaw and Firepaw."

"Not now, Brushstorm."

"Dawnstar-"

"I said, not now." The tom growled, moving from beside Honeyflight's body to Panthereye's side. "My littermate needs me, Brushstorm. Tell them to inform Silkstep of a burial."

The deputy nodded, and wordlessly left the doctor's den. Redtail shook his head, pressing his muzzle to Panthereye's as she sought comfort in his warmth. The doctor eventually shook herself, her legs growing used to standing as she nodded at Honeyflight. "Carry her out of the den. Mousepaw and I need to prepare her body for the vigil."

"Panthereye," Dawnstar started, but upon seeing the stare his sister shot him, the leader obeyed her orders and lifted Honeyflight's front onto his back. Redtail took the late she-cat's flank on his own, following Panthereye to the main floor of the doctor's den. "If you need anything, Sister-"

"I need you, Oakheart and Redtail to get out." Panthereye's voice monotonous, as she stared at her clanmate's body. "Oakheart will need some rest, and he can do that in his own den."

Redtail found no trace of the gentle and kind she-cat who welcomed him and Oakheart to TigerClan some moons ago. All he saw was a silver tabico she-cat who was now a shell of her former self.

"Losing your best friend will do that," Dawnstar meowed softly, obviously knowing what Redtail was thinking. "My dear sister has held the lives of her clanmates in her paws for many moons, and none of them has torn her as much as this; even our parents. I assume a grey and white tom was there, Oakheart?"

The brown tom looked up at the leader at the question. "Yes, how did you know?"

"Lakepelt left TigerClan when our mother passed two newleafs ago. Pheasanttail, our sister, left when we were apprentices for LeopardClan. She saw a better life there." Dawnstar sat to lick his dirty paws. "Lakepelt wanted nothing to do with us after she left, he only stayed for Riverwind, our mother. Panthereye and I were our father's greatest prides. Lakepelt came second to even Pheasanttail, and she was second to us in our father's eyes.

"Seeing our brother attack her clanmates must have wrecked Panthereye." Dawnstar lowered his head, staring at the ground. "I wish she could tell me things. I'm her brother."

Redtail watched the leader as he silently walked to his tree, climbing the trunk to call a clan meeting. "You're okay, right?" He whispered to Oakheart.

"Worried about me?"

"I know you can fight just fine," the tortoiseshell hissed at his friend, before sitting to listen in to the meeting. "Had to check."

"PantherClan has ruthlessly attacked our patrol, and killed one of our own in battle." Dawnstar's voice echoed. "We will sit vigil for Honeyflight tonight. Both Panthereye and Oakheart have suffered great wounds, but will heal with time. For now, I have made come to learn that a young kit is awaiting her apprentice ceremony."

A small, dark ginger she-cat bounced energetically beside Silkstep. Clearly, the young she-cat couldn't wait, as she bounded up to the tree's trunk before Dawnstar could continue. "Mintkit, you have reached the age of seven moons, and your apprenticeship is long overdue. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Mintpaw. Your mentor will be Redtail."

All eyes fell on him, as Redtail stared up at his leader in surprise.

"Redtail, you are ready to take on an apprentice. Crabstorm has told me you had a few apprentices in your former clan, as StarClan has told him. Your swimming technique may need some work," the clan let out laughs at this, "but you have proven yourself to be hardworking and caring. You will be the mentor of Mintpaw and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." His dark blue eyes cast over to the doctor's den, as Panthereye painfully carried Honeyflight's body to the middle of the gathered cats. "Clan dismissed."

Panthereye walked to Redtail and Oakheart's side, a smile rising on her face. "Congratulations, Redtail. Your first TigerClan apprentice."

"How are you feeling?" Redtail murmured, pressing his nose to her head and gave her forehead gentle licks. "I can take Mousepaw off your paws for a bit, if you like."

"No, I'll be fine. Thank you." She purred, lifting her head to lick his cheek. "I've sent him to check on Silkstep and Wheateyes. She's expecting more kits again." Her purrs vibrated from her body to the tom's, her tail flicking at Redtail's new apprentice. "You should take her out, he'd enjoy looking around the territory."

Redtail nodded. "Why don't you come? Fresh air from outside camp might be good." He suggested, watching the she-cat facial expressions change momentarily. She accepted his offer, waiting by the camp entrance as Redtail went to fetch his new apprentice. "Mintpaw, we're going with Panthereye to the wider territory. We'll show you around, and all the best hunting spots."

"Is that wise?" Wheateyes meowed softly, looking up from her daughter to the warrior. "I know you mean well, Redtail, but...well, Honeyflight was killed from a PantherClan ambush only a few moments ago."

"I'll protect her with my life," Redtail promised, blinking slowly at the queen. She followed Mousepaw towards the doctor's den without another word.

The young apprentice bounced around her mentor's paws. "Are we going to catch a deer like the one you all brought back a quarter-moon ago? Are we going to fight PantherClan for killing Honeyflight?"

"No cat is killing anyone, and the deer have been all spooked off for the past few days," Panthereye purred at the young she-cat's excitement. "Right now, Redtail is going to show you the more important parts of our territory - after our camp, of course."

"How do you know PantherClan killed Honeyflight?" Redtail frowned, looking down at his apprentice.

Mintpaw padded ahead of him, "Finpaw and Firepaw were talking about it before my ceremony."

He continued to think about the fact a 6 moon old kit already knew about a death in the clan. It wasn't much of a surprise, considering the size of the clan, but for a kit to hear about it and not be scared concerned Redtail to no end.

"And what's this?" Mintpaw swiped a paw at the spinning water, ripples relaying from the gentle attack.

"This is the Riverpool. The first doctor of TigerClan named this spot after himself; it's found that it has healing properties."

Mintpaw stared up at the older she-cat, and Redtail noted the adoration on his apprentice's face. "Do you and Mousepaw still use it?"

"It's more like just a pool," Panthereye chuckled, dipping her paws into it. "I don't think there's ever been healing water in this; it streams from the mountains in LionClan's territory. It wouldn't make sense if only we had healing water, when the river runs from another clan's territory."

"It's cold." Mintpaw shivered, shaking and stepped back from the water's edge.

"We also use this to teach apprentices how to swim."

The apprentice shook her head. "No way, it's too cold."

"You have thick fur," Redtail reminded her. He nodded at his own, short fur and fluffy tail. "The only part of me that keeps warm in the river is my tail, and that's not very helpful when all of my important organs aren't in my tail." As Mintpaw headed on deeper into the forest with happiness in her step, Redtail and Panthereye padded a tail-length away.

Her shoulder pressed against his. "How are you?"

"Good, I think. I get why Mintpaw didn't want to go into the pool, it really is cold. You look freezing." He gestured at Panthereye's drenched fur with his nose to her back. "And you're so small. I'm surprised you didn't slip under."

Panthereye snorted. "First of all, let me remind you about the grown tom that couldn't swim. Second, I'm just the perfect size! And the pool's shallow enough for a kit to have their head just above the water."

"Well, you're almost apprentice-sized, so..."

She playfully swiped at his nose, before licking his cheek affectionately. Panthereye trotted on, catching up to the young, silver she-cat. If Panthereye didn't have the splotches of light brown and light grey on her silver pelt, or if Mintpaw had the splotches, Redtail would say the two she-cats were identical. Their walking patterns were almost the same, and their mannerisms matched.

"What's that smell?" Mintpaw murmured, her ears bent back in fear, and Redtail caught up to the she-cats.

Panthereye approached the bush in front of the three of them, crouching and lifting her nose to sniff at the shrubbery. After a moment, she turned to the warrior and apprentice. "PantherClan scent markers, is what it is. They've sprayed the shrubs."

"We should report it to Dawnstar," Redtail nodded and turned back the way they had come. As they entered the camp again, the tom let his apprentice take something to eat and sit with her denmates. As he and Panthereye approached Dawnstar outside of his den, the silver tabby's expression changed to one of concern. "PantherClan has left their scent."

Dawnstar nodded, and at the mention of the Gathering the following night, he turned to his warrior and doctor. "None of us will speak of this at the Gathering. The PantherClan attack and scenting will be kept a secret unless PantherClan themselves mention it."

"Dawnstar-"

"Panthereye. It will not be mentioned unless PantherClan does." The tom looked at the clan doctor sternly. The she-cat returned the look with a grumble, and she turned to her den, disappearing through the vine. Dawnstar sighed, looking from the vine-covered entrance to the warrior. "Promise me you'll keep an eye on her? This was bound to happen, but I didn't think it'd happen so soon... she's not young, but she's not old enough to be a grumpy old she-cat yet. She still has so much of her life to be happy about, an apprentice who adores her more than life itself."

Redtail remembered the adoration Mintpaw watched Panthereye with. Mousepaw certainly wasn't the only apprentice to look at her with such amazement. Before he could ask anything about it, Dawnstar had turned to enter his own den and escape from the outside world.

#warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats au #warrior cats fanfiction #redtail and oakheart live au