CotS #1: The Dark Path (currently being rewritten)

Two kits mewled at Starrynight's belly. Honeykit and Hivekit were pretty much weaned, so she was okay to nurse. Mudwish had named them: Frostkit and Sunkit. He hadn't named any of them after Iceleaf, but Frostkit was pretty much as close as it got without copying her name, so I supposed that was fine.

I suddenly remembered something Iceleaf had told me: that she was Ice, and they were all rogues, and Lightcry was fooling us. I needed to confirm that with Mudwish, but I hoped he wasn't too sad to answer.

Mudwish was quietly watching his sleeping kits, sorrow in his eyes. Frostkit was the splitting image of Iceleaf, and must be a painful reminder to him.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked.

He looked up. I saw tear tracks on his face.

"Are you Mud?" I asked.

He cocked his head.

"Something Iceleaf said," I told him. "She said she was Ice, you're not Feathermist's descendants, and Lightcry lied. Is this all true?"

Mudwish sighed. "Yeah. It is. Lightcry's great-great-great-great-grandmother was Feathermist's kin, but her blood is so tainted now by rogues. She was determined to find you, though. Lightcry is a descendant of Feathermist. No one else is. I mean, I know Sunstreak is her brother, and Earthmist is her sister. But only those three. None of the rest."

"Okay," I said softly. "Thank you."

Thinking about that, I padded away.

"Hey – um – Stormdawn! Do you want to share prey in a completely Clanmate way?"

I looked up. Cloudysky.

"Okay," I said finally. "Since it's in a Clanmate way. Go grab some prey, will you? I need to talk to Heathermist."

I walked over to Heathermist as she chatted with – ugh – my mother.

"Heathermist!" I called.

She looked up. "Oh, hi, Stormdawn."

"I can train Swanpaw tomorrow," I confirmed. "Sorry for making you do that."

She shook her head. "It's no big deal." Then she lowered her voice so Peacewind couldn't hear her. "Made any advance on those toms? I can see you finally agreed to Cloudysky."

I sighed. "It's in a Clanmate way, Heathermist."

"Or so you think." She winked playfully.

Shaking my head in mock anger, I strolled over to the same place I'd left before going to talk to Heathermist. Cloudysky was waiting there, talking to Duskypelt, whose jaw had just dropped. I rolled my eyes.

"Woah," Duskypelt was saying. "Seriously? You guys gonna be mates or something?"

"No," I said.

Cloudysky and Duskypelt jerked around, staring at me.

"No gossip," I said. "Because this is in a completely Clanmate way."

"You know," said Cloudysky, "when I said Clanmate, I meant like, Clan mate, you know, with a spacing. Your mate in the Clan."

I stared at him through slitted eyes. "Eat your prey yourself." I stalked off. I couldn't even share polite prey with him without him talking about us being mates. Looked like I wasn't going to ever share prey with him, even in a Clanmate way, if that meant 'Clan mate'. Seriously, did he twist everything he said?