Chapter Text
MyrtleSpot padded after the tom in the lead of his border patrol, HyperSmoke. HyperSmoke sure lived up to his name; a jumpy, playful tom who just floated around and appeared in any conversation. Nosy furball. His handsome, head turning pelt of sleek black and flecks of sandy gold made up for his nosiness though.
Yet today, as he led the small patrol of MyrtleSpot and StarlingWing with his apprentice GingerPaw, he seemed calmer than usual. His gait wasn’t bouncy and he didn’t try to stop to chat halfway out camp, or through the forest. Even as the tom glanced back at his clanmates, there was just a blank screen over his eyes. MyrtleSpot watched him for a heartbeat longer before picking up his pace so he could draw in front of his clanmates and trot alongside HyperSmoke.
“What’s on your mind today, HyperSmoke?” MyrtleSpot asked coolly. The tom he had spoken to turned his head to him, face lighting up with the natural enthusiasm once more, assuring MyrtleSpot. I know it isn’t good for anyone being down in the clan, but I especially don’t want HyperSmoke to be feeling blue.
Snapped out of his thoughts before he could process what he had just internally spoken, HyperSmoke was speaking with a smile. “I was just thinking about MorningMist’s kits. They’re coming of age to be apprenticed, right?”
MyrtleSpot hummed in agreement, nodding. His maw pulling into a soft smile as he talked to his
friend.
“Mhm, I wonder who HueStar will assign them to. Do you think you’re ready for one? Mine as well be a part-time queen.” He joked, a soft chuckle tainted his voice.
HyperSmoke gave a mock apprehensive shiver. “Oh, Starclan, no! I’ve got some life ahead of me yet! I can’t let those mouse-sized monsters drain me!” He snorted with laughter.
MyrtleSpot smiled widely at the laugh, swinging his gaze towards a bush and pretending to spot prey as to hide the smile. He felt a fluttering in his stomach, tracking it down to HyperSmoke’s addictive laugh.
“Do you scent vole over there?” StarlingWing could hardly get the sentence out before HyperSmoke immediately dove into the bush, leaving MyrtleSpot bemused beside StarlingWing and GingerPaw, who she herself was bouncing on her toes. Presumably trying to predict what HyperSmoke would catch.
HyperSmoke popped out of the bush, ears twitching with annoyance even as he smiled, amused himself. “Mouse dung! Lost it.”
MyrtleSpot chuckled, tail flicking to signal they leave. “We’d better get going. I wouldn’t doubt ShadowClan to be sneaky and cross the border while we’ve been delaying.” The other three cats nodded in response, HyperSmoke waded out of the bush rather noisily to lead them off to the border.
—
Pacing at the border angrily, StarlingWing hissed with contempt. “Those mouse-hearts, can’t even own up to chasing our prey in our territory!” He glanced to GingerPaw, who was copying his stance more awkwardly. Her claws out, ears flattened to her head with anger, and eyes narrowed with the slightest annoyance mingled with frustration. She looked up hopefully as StarlingWing glanced at her. MyrtleSpot paid no attention to the tom’s next advise, because he turned to HyperSmoke whom was looking dejected.
“Now what’s on your mind?” MyrtleSpot huffed as he shifted closer to the tom.
HyperSmoke hesitated before speaking. “Well.. maybe I shouldn’t have delayed trying to get prey. Then we could have caught the trespassers.”
MyrtleSpot shook his head, feeling sensitive for the tom despite their situation and angry companions. “We don’t even know for sure when they were here. They could have come in and out, before we would have even seen them anyway. It’s not your fault.” He leaned forward, resisting the sudden urge to caress the tom’s forehead with an assuring lick. Instead, he touched his nose to HyperSmoke’s ear. It was still a risky move, but he cherished the touch.
Risky?
..why?
—
As HyperSmoke and MrytleSpot walked up to high rock, StarlingWing had stayed behind so he could do a few extra lessons with GingerPaw, distracting the younger cat from any chaos that was about to happen in camp. MrytleSpot walked beside HyperSmoke. Their pelts brushing each others. The detail was soon swept to the back of the tom’s mind as HyperSmoke called into the lichen protecting HueStar’s den. An authority filled rumble responded.
“Come in. What has ShadowClan done this time.” HueStar growled, frustrated with the clan for being so irritant with their borders.
Both HyperSmoke and MrytleSpot had their heads bowed, muscles both rippling over their shoulder blades. Though they were both warrior toms, MyrtleSpot’s were admittedly bulkier. Unimportant.
As the two explained and reported what had happened on the patrol, HueStar stood, muzzle scrunched in disgust and anger. As he strode forward, MyrtleSpot quickly shuffled out of the way. Pressing his body to the walls of the den. HyperSmoke however couldn’t find his footing soon enough and almost collided with HueStar before clumsily throwing himself to the wall, bouncing off a moment later behind HueStar with an oof as he thumped to the ground. The leader paid no attention, simply gliding out of his den to call a meeting.
MyrtleSpot hurried to HyperSmoke’s aid, the tom’s ears flushed with embarrassment. Whatever his next words would have been were drowned out by HueStar. But MyrtleSpot nudged HyperSmoke’s shoulder with his nose softly, letting out a mrrow of concern accompanied by a swift lick on the shoulder.
“All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath high rock for a clan meeting!” HueStar’s demand echoed in camp. As HyperSmoke sat up and started towards the lichen draped exit, MyrtleSpot held his tail over HyperSmoke’s shoulder to halt him, signaling to stay in the den.
“The wretched cats of ShadowClan have passed over our borders one too many times!” The clan leader growled outside. “Those mouse-hearted excuses of warriors must have heads and ears stuffed with thistle-fluff to think they can keep getting away with trespassing on ThunderClan territory and stealing prey! Dirty thieves!”
The name of dirty thieves echoed in murmurs of agreement around camp before several cats cried out.
“StarClan looks down on their foolishness!”
“Pathetic mouse-hearts can’t tell the difference from the scent of pine or oak!”
“Frog eaters eat frogs! They should not be stealing our fattening squirrels or mice!”
MyrtleSpot could easily picture HueStar, scanning the clan’s faces with pride. A battle was brewing, and he knew it.