Warrior Cat Clans 2 (WCC2 aka Classic) is a roleplay site inspired by the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. Whether you are a fan of the books or new to the Warrior cats world, WCC2 offers a diverse environment with over a decade’s worth of lore for you - and your characters - to explore. Join us today and become a part of our ongoing story!
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The NightClan leader shifted awkwardly. This conversation was the one she had been dreading most after she told Phantomfox that Rosethorn would be a welcomed addition to the group. Of course, Aspenstar had meant that; she knew that Phantomfox loved Rosethorn and accepting her into the group was Aspenstar's duty to her best friend. That didn't mean she was ... particularly comfortable with the idea of the former SummerClan deputy living in NightClan. Rosethorn was welcomed, yes, but Aspenstar didn't know how her integration into the clan would change things. Things had already changed so much, she couldn't bare to think that her relationship with her closest confidant would change and shift. The two were close, and she knew she wouldn't be able to blame Rosethorn if the was uncomfortable or jealous of the relation between the two high ranking cats. After all, Aspenstar knew deep down, she too was a little jealous of the other.
Still, she had to put that aside for the evening. It had been several days since Rosethorn had settled into the nest, and Aspenstar had a meeting with Ratstar the following day. She knew that he'd ask about her to make sure that she was settling in comfortably and being treated well. To be able to answer those questions, the leader knew that she had to break the ice.
She found herself at the entrance of the nursery. Oh, she really didn't want to do this, and her feet were already getting cold. Couldn't she send Duskveil to do this? She considered it for a second, before letting out a troubled sigh. No, that wouldn't be a good look for her. She had to be the one to engage.
"Rosethorn," she called into the den, her voice awkward. "You in here?"
Life had been thrown at Rosethorn without mercy in the last few weeks, and she wasn't sure she'd ever recover. A few weeks ago, she'd been the witty, bright-eyed deputy of Summerclan, expecting her first litter. Now she'd been baptized in blood and loss once more, and emerged through her painful labor with five dead kits and one sickly son. She'd left behind her position, her sister, her nieces and nephews, her home. Now she was in a new clan, surrounded by strangers once more, adjusting to a nocturnal way of life.
She knew Phantomfox was worried about her. She knew she didn't laugh or smile with any life these days. She knew it was unhealthy, how much she worried over Foxkit, but she couldn't help it. Rosethorn was adrift in her grief and pain and loneliness, holed up in the nursery while Phantomfox worked. She appreciated how quickly he returned to her side when he was free, but the former Garden Keeper knew she was causing worry with her sudden appearance in the clan.
A voice stirred her from her reverie. Her wide amber eyes lifted to the nursery entrance. "I'm here," she responded, before glancing at the sleeping form of her son. She was pretty sure that was the voice of Aspenstar. The pretty cream and gray queen moved to sit up as the leader entered, offering her a hollow smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It's an honor, Aspenstar. How... uh, how are you today?"
She entered the den, offering a half-smile to the queen. "No need for that," she meowed in reference to her first sentence. "I appreciate the flattery, don't get me wrong, but don't feel like you have to offer platitudes if you don't want to." Aspenstar had always tried to be personable and just like any normal cat, so she was a little bit uncomfortable with the idea that any cat was honored to meet her.
"I'm pleased to finally get a chance to meet you. Phantomfox has told me nothing but good things about you." She offered an uncharacteristic full smile. "I apologize that it's taken me some time to check in on you. I know that things have been...." Horrible? Traumatic? There were a myriad of words she could use to describe Rosethorn's live the last few moons. "... hard," she settled, although she looked uncomfortable. Things had been more than hard for Rosethorn, but Aspenstar was not sure how to articulate it. "I wanted to make sure you had some time to adjust before I bothered you."
She paused before answering her question. "I'm... hanging in there as best as I can. Still picking up the pieces after Oakleaf, but things are getting better." Rosethorn probably had no idea what she meant by that. After all, her brother had died just before Rosethorn had joined.
"I'm far more concerned about how you are doing with everything, though," she meowed after a moment. She shifted her weight awkwardly. "I told Phantomfox that I needed to borrow you, so he should be on his way to take care of Foxkit. Are you well enough to leave camp? I figured it might be easier to check in with you where there aren't ears that could be listening in." She glanced to Foxkit, who laid by his mother in a light sleep. Of course, she was concerned that Rosethorn wouldn't be able to be honest around her child, but she was more concerned that she might not be comfortable being honest when her new clan mates could hear.
Rosethorn considered her request for a long moment before nodding slowly. The idea of leaving Foxkit alone was terrifying. What if he was hungry? What if he got cold? What if he got sick all of the sudden? There was a horrifying thought lurking in her mind that if she left, she'd return to another dead kit. If it had been anyone other than her mate, she would've said no. But she trusted Phantomfox to look after their son. "I think... I think I can manage a walk," she said, gaze darting up as Phantomfox pushed into the den. She lifted her nose to return his nuzzle of greeting, before following the leader out of the den, out of camp, and out into the still unfamiliar woods.
Rosethorn instinctively stuck close to Aspenstar. She was no fighter, she never had been, and being disoriented in the territory made her feel exposed and worried about attack. It was unreasonable, she knew, but she couldn't help feeling that way. "I can't help but wishing you'd met me a few moons ago," she said quietly, her amber gaze moving among the trees. "I was certainly much livelier back then. I feel like I'm making Phantomfox look like a liar, at least in how he must have described me."
What had the leader asked? "Nightclan's not Summerclan in terms of hospitality, by any means," Rosethorn said after a pause. "Though the others have been as kind as they can. It's an adjustment, but I'm sure I'll get there."
"I promise you on my life that nothing will happen to him," she murmured quietly, touching her tail tip to her shoulder. Her gaze was somber; she meant every word that she said. "While he is in our care, he will be safe. I will make sure myself that no harm will ever come to him if I can stop it." She probably would have said that either way, but in this case, she was being completely, fully honest. She wouldn't let a hair on Foxkit's head get misplaced. Perhaps she wasn't the one who should be protective of the small child, but she couldn't help seeing him as a part of her family. Phantomfox was her family, his son was as well, and Aspenstar had sworn to herself the night Oakleaf died that she would never let her family be hurt again.
She noticed how close Rosethorn stayed to her, and she couldn't help but feel a deep twinge of sadness. The feline next to her was timid and traumatized, and there was a part of Aspenstar that was deeply empathetic to her plight. What had happened to Rosethorn had been horrible in and of itself, and then to leave the place that was your home? Aspenstar couldn't imagine.
"I'm sure you're being too hard on yourself," she meowed. "From what I understand, you've been to hell and back over the last period of your life. It is understandable and so, so valid to feel as if you aren't yourself. The cat that he told me about is still inside you somewhere. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you find her again." She then paused, offering a half smile. "Plus, I wouldn't worry about making Phantomfox into a liar- I always take everything he says with a grain of salt." She flicked her tail slowly.
"I apologize for any coldness that my clanmates may have towards you. I hate to say it, but I believe that might be my fault. I don't tend to be very open to outsiders, so it makes sense that my warriors experience the same hesitation. That doesn't make it any easier for you as you transition, though. Once they understand you are here to stay, though..." She paused, before quickly adding in a "assuming you are staying, which you absolutely do not have to." Her ear flicked awkwardly. "Once they start viewing you as a clanmate, you may find that our small knit group is a vibrant family." When she spoke of NightClan, she couldn't help but have pride well in her eyes. This was her home, her family.
They arrived at their destination as she spoke. Aspenstar had consulted Phantomfox about where the best place to take her would be, and together, they had decided that she should take her to the quietest point of the river. Trees littered the shoreline, making it one of the most hidden parts of the territory. They were still uphill, though, and the high vantage point made it a perfect place to take the queen, at least in her mind. "It isn't SummerClan, of course, but Phantomfox suggested that the water may make you feel a little more at home."
Rosethorn hoped Aspenstar was right- that that cat was inside her somewhere. She hoped one day that she would feel like herself again. Right now it was all she could do to stay afloat. "Thank you," she responded simply, a faint smile on her features. Rose really did appreciate Aspenstar's gestures, even if she wasn't sure how much good anyone could do her.
"It's understandable. I was the deputy of an entirely different clan. I do plan on staying, though. I've relocated once before, and I can do it again. I don't doubt that time will bring me and my new clan mates closer, or heal my wounds. I just wish... sometimes I just wish that time would move a little faster." Rosethorn wanted the things Aspenstar was describing- a tight knit family, a sense of familiarity. She knew those were things built over time, but to have them and lose them overnight made readjusting more difficult.
She came to a stop at the hilltop, looking down over the river, and the ghost of a smile flitted across her features. "It's lovely," she assured Aspenstar, sitting under the shade of one of the trees and watching the water trickle placidly past. "Thank you," she said again. "Now distract me for a bit, if you don't mind. I understand you're newer to leadership than Ratstar was. How is it treating you?"
She nodded once in response to Rosethorn's thank you, not quite knowing what to say. Aspenstar couldn't blame the cat if she didn't trust her word, or didn't trust her in general, but she was trying her hardest to be normal around her and make sure she knew she was supported. She let out a soft sigh, before nodding.
"Time is funny like that. In the moments that you need it to go by quickly, it doesn't, but in the good moments, you blink and a moon has gone by," she meowed with a nod. "Hopefully, it gets better sooner rather than later." Her mismatched gaze rested upon the other cat with a half-smile. "You have support here if you need it. Just remember that, okay? Beyond just Phantomfox."
She let out a soft chuckle. "I have to say, I'm still transitioning. I wonder if I'll ever transition fully. Phantomfox really just literally threw it at me completely unexpectedly," she meowed, a slight amusement. "But, other than that, it's been treating me well. It was a little harder transitioning after my brother died, honestly. It's hard to do what you need to do when your heart is so heavy," she mewed with a flick of her tail. "The rest of it has been exciting, though. The kittens unleashing a spider infestation? Not my favorite moment, but exciting all the same."
"He has a habit of throwing things at people," Rosethorn mumbled, but the faint glitter in her gaze was fond. He had done a similar thing to her- pulled her aside at a Gathering and confessed his love out of the blue. It wasn't hard to imagine him doing the same with a leadership position to someone he trusted.
At the offer of support, and the mention of Aspenstar's brother's death, Rose dipped her head again. She hadn't known that, and she couldn't imagine. The loss of her children, and all their potential, was horrible enough, but she'd be a wreck if anything happened to her sister, Orchiddrop. She almost had lost her, when her mate had attempted to kill her for lying about the paternity of her kits. The thought of having to lead during something like that...
"You're a stronger cat than most," Rosethorn said sincerely. She didn't know how close she'd been with her brother, but she couldn't imagine. Aspenstar was certainly a more tenacious soul than herself- she had stepped down immediately following her stillbirths. Grief had always consumed her, distracted her from the other parts of her life. "I think it's admirable, really. I'm glad I wasn't around for the spider infestation, though."
She smiled at her words, letting out a sigh. She'd gotten used to Phantomfox's tomfoolery, but she'd grown accostumed to it now. Now, even if he was throwing things on her like, oh, having a mate in a different clan, or oh, fighting the mate of the deputy, he was a fixture in her life that she couldn't imagine it without. "He's a good guy, but god damn, some times he gives me grey hairs," she meowed with a slight laugh. Maybe things wouldn't be so awkward between the two after all?
"I appreciate your kindness. Personally, I'm not sure if it is strength or necessity. Sometimes, necessity demands a little more strength than we think we have." This was true. Had she not been leader, she would be in an entirely different place. But, she was. NightClan needed her, so there came a point where she needed to put her own struggles behind to lead the clan that she loved.
She then grinned at her comment about the spider infection. "I've never been so close to sending some kittens to the prison in my life," she meowed. "I have terrible arachnophobia, and when Violetglass told me that one was in the mouth of Crystalkit, I thought I was going to be sick. Not NightClan's finest moment, that is for sure. I still am nervous every time I look in the nursery, even though I know it's been taken care of," she meowed with a nervous chuckle. Spiders? Aspenstar? Not an ideal combination.
"I never thought he and I would be here now," she said, a small smile tugging on her lips. "Our first meeting was a screaming match at the Moonclan border. When he told me he loved me a few moons later, I thought he was lying- or he'd hit his head or something." Rosethorn had never thought she'd leave Summerclan. A pang of longing shot through her stomach, and she looked away. She missed the gardens, mentoring, afternoon chats with her sister.
"Still, it takes a certain amount of strength to do even that- one might argue that I should have remained deputy out of necessity. Even now, I beat myself up for it sometimes, though my sister told me that no one would blame me." Rosethorn flicked her ear back, forcing herself to sit up straight and shake off some of the gloominess. "Sorry- I've become a real downer lately. How did that story end? Did Crystalkit... eat the spider?" Rosethorn's pretty features wrinkled in disgust, hoping that wasn't the case. She wasn't the biggest fan of spiders either.
She smiled at the queen's recollection of their meeting. "Sounds like him," she agreed with a slight sigh. Phantomfox sure was... something. What, she wasn't quite sure. "We are happy to have you here, if that's any consolation. I know it's probably not where you really want to be, but I hope it's something." She let out a awkward cough, before listening to the cat continue.
"Your sister was right," she meowed with a nod after a pause. "Sometimes, we can't jump right back into the ring when horrible, traumatic things happen to us, and that's okay, yeah?" Her gaze was soft, the haunted blue and the pale green showing concern for the other. "Don't worry about being a downer," she meowed, "it happens to the best of us. Between you and me, I'm a downer more than I'm not." Perhaps that wasn't a shock to anyone, though, as the she-cat's unending anxieties were only just hidden behind the surface.
Aspenstar then shook her head in disgust. "Unfortunately, Violetglass confirmed that at least one of them was in her mouth. If she ate it, I can't say for sure, because I told Violetglass that I just didn't want to know."
Aspenstar was nice, Rosethorn had decided, and while a simple conversation couldn't fix all the broken parts of her, it did help to know she had someone else to talk to- someone who was an outsider to her grief. Phantomfox had his own burdens to bear, and both of them were too overcome with their demons to be of any help to each other. So this conversation did help, in its own way, particularly knowing that the leader empathized with her, that not everyone blamed her like she blamed herself.
Deciding not to dwell any longer on their sorrows, she refocused on their new conversation. "Maybe it's better not to know- though I'm nosy enough that I would've asked," Rosethorn said with a laugh. She stood, shaking out the soft billows of her fur. "Can we go closer to the river? I'd like to feel the water under my paws." She'd never been a big swimmer, but it did remind her of home, and she felt more relaxed the longer they were out in the territory.
Aspenstar seemed slightly surprised at the request, but she nodded. "If we come this way," she meowed as she padded off to their left, her pace quickening, "there's a little bridge. On the other side of it, the water is more shallow. It drops off quickly on this side," she meowed. She knew that far too well herself, given her particular history down this river. The duo crossed the bridge quickly, before Aspenstar nodded to the water. It was crystal clear, clear enough that you could see the minnows near the surface.
"I'm probably going to hang back a bit," she meowed, "but go right ahead." She was afraid of the water still, as much as she didn't want to admit it. So much had been taken from her by the river, and she still wasn't quite right in the head from it. This made her deeply sad; after all, wading in the warm shallows used to be one of her favorite activities. Now, though, she was wary. "I hear the water in SummerClan is beautiful?" she then meowed, hoping that reminiscing wouldn't upset the she-cat. "I'm sure our water is not quite as nice," she chuckled with a half smie.
Rosethorn didn't register the emotion as fear- she just assumed that like most cats, Aspenstar didn't enjoy getting her paws wet. She moved forward, feeling the familiar sweep of slow currents around her feet and wet rocks under her paw pads. It was almost therapeutic. A faint smile crossed her features, and under the sun and trees Rosethorn felt almost like her old self again.
"The water in Summerclan is beautiful, but this river is just as lovely. If you only had an ocean nearby, it would be perfect." Rosethorn turned to her new friend with a smile, glancing down at the clear water and bending down to lap up a few swallows. "Have you lived here your whole life?" She found that she was rather curious about this leader with mismatched eyes.
Aspenstar watched te she-cat in the water, and she couldn't help but smile. Rosethorn looked happier than she'd seen her before, and this genuinely made Aspenstar a little relieved. If she was able to break through to her, get her to smile, other cats probably would too, right? Phantomfox had been right; this was working, although she'd never admit that to him.
"I've never seen the ocean," she admitted. "I've heard that it goes on forever. I'd like to see it one day," she responded with a flick of her ear. Even when she went directly to SummerClan, she hadn't gone near the water. The trek was long enough, and often, she and Ratstar met in the neutral territory half way between the Enchanted Forest and the Mountain clans.
Aspenstar then nodded at the other's question. "NightClan, born and raised," she meowed with a flick of her ear. "At one point, there were five of us: Sequoia, Pine, Maple, Oak and I. We lived our whole lives in these walls." She glanced back to the water, her gaze somewhat nostalgic. "I couldn't leave it if I wanted to, although sometimes, I do want to see the world a little bit." She hadn't told anyone that before, that there was a part of her that was listless and wanted to wander. Maybe Rosethorn would understand? "Were you always in SummerClan?"
"It certainly does seem to go on forever- and if there's anything on the other side, I couldn't tell you what it is." Rosethorn said, content to stand in the water while they chatted. "My sister always liked the ocean more than I did, though." She flicked an ear back, listening to Aspenstar's response to her question.
"Not always," she said, glancing back towards the water. "We were loners for the first part of our lives, living with our parents. After they... were killed, we joined Summerclan. But I can empathize with wanting to get out and wander. I used to roam all over as an apprentice and a young warrior. I met quite a few interesting cats. I've had a few homes over the years, and I'm hoping Nightclan will feel as much as a home to me as Summerclan did. Though unless I convince my sister to bring Crow and all their kids over here, it'll always feel slightly off. No offense." Rosethorn glanced over at Aspenstar with a smile. "You have siblings, so I'm sure you understand."
