What We're Fighting For

Swanpaw (she laughed inwardly at the thought of her name, because she was just a pathetic imitation of a Clan cat now, wasn't she? but she had never shed her apprentice name, even when she felt she would never see this place again, and she wouldn't bother doing so now) walked out of RiverClan's camp, but after that she ran.

Something her (former, her mind told her, there was no way she could ever go back now, after everything she had said today) leader had said came to mind as she ran. To stay away from the Sunningrocks. With that thought, her contrary and spiteful nature led her to move in the direction she believed the Sunningrocks were - memories were coming back now that she was in the territory she had lived in.

Maybe, just maybe, if she was told to stay away from the Sunningrocks, the answers she still sought would be found there. Namely, why was ThunderClan attacking RiverClan over Sunningrocks now, in the middle of leaf-bare? What on Earth had they done that caused a RiverClan cat to kill one of their apprentices and take their medicine cat? Nothing close to this had ever occurred in her life, and she had no idea of how to act.

She had done what she always did. Been Swanpaw. Loud and confrontational, even when she really shouldn't have been. Nutfur had told her to shut her mouth, and had she listened? No, she had personally called out Ivystar. And then she had left like nothing had happened. She had told her Clan to pretend she had never returned to them. (She felt a small pang of regret for Snailbelly, and for the few friends she had made - Nutfur among them. Her only solace was that they were better off without her, anyway.) She had somehow, miraculously, found her way back to the Clans and now she found herself wishing that she hadn't. What would her mother think of her? Flowerpetal, who had died courageously facing down something she couldn't have defeated - the Mist, that had in the end been the Dark Forest?

She reached the Sunningrocks eventually, as familiar as they had ever been even with their leaf-bare coat of snow, and she sat there, waiting. Either for one of her former Clanmates to come chase her farther away, or a ThunderClan cat to come by that she could speak to - she wasn't mouse-brained enough to actually expect answers, but she was allowed to hope, wasn't she?

She was certain that StarClan had cursed her.

Again, he stood here. His eyes looked over each dotting of blood that still stained the grey rocks. Only snow covered patches hid the gore from a cat's sharp eye. A soft sigh escaped his maw. Oh how he wished the rest of the Oasis cats would have been here to stop this. So much senseless violence, senseless death. If only he had fought harder to keep the Riverclan warrior and leader from knocking down all of the Thunderclan cats. If only he would have seen the one lunge for the apprentice, the one he now knew as Thistlepaw. This had not been the first time he had witnessed another cat die, and it would not be the last, but this certainly stirred something in him. Artemis fixed his eyes on the space ahead. This battle would not be easily forgot.

The sound of a cat approaching caused his eyes to snap up quickly and land on a warrior aged she-cat. However, he could only faintly smell Riverclan on her. Artemis, unsure of quite what compelled him to do so, stepped out from his hiding place. It was more curiousity than anything, besides, if a fight broke out, he could take her. Standing almost defensively, he locked eyes with the she-cat and asked, "Who are you?"

She looked at the cat who was already there, confused. This clearly wasn't a ThunderClan cat, but... He carried ThunderClan's scent.

He had asked her a question. 'Who are you?' Who was she, indeed. ...Well, there was one answer that was more accurate than most. "Swanpaw," she said, trying not to sound impolite. The fact that he didn't immediately attack her boded relatively well, anyway. "Who are you?"

"Are you a Riverclan cat, Swan Paw?" He asked cautiously with narrowed eyes. The fact that she was not immediately bristling at the sight of him was rather impressive. Given the tensions between Riverclan and Thunderclan, he was used to the border skirmishes that had begun to constantly break out. He had gotten caught up in one himself with a brown she-cat. But, this cat was definitely different. Her obvious confusion only further hinted at that. Artemis cautiously re-sheathed his claws as he waited for an answer. If the senseless fighting could be avoided today, he would most certainly go that route.

She had quickly shot back her own, reasonable question to which he responded honestly and formally as normal, "My name is Artemis Odan of the Oasis." It was simple and quick, but it was all he needed to say for now.

Artemisodan of the Oasis. The name was certainly strange to the pale she-cat, but it wasn't the only strange name she had encountered after her journey through the Twolegplace.

He was asking if she was a RiverClan cat. She pondered that for only a moment before answering honestly. "I was."

It was the truth, no lie to be found, but spared this rogue she had just met (and didn't trust just yet) the whole, embarrassing tale.

"You must have come to your senses," He narrowed his eyes, looking past the she-cat and staring into Riverclan territory, "from all I have seen they seem to train less than honorable cats." His claws dug into the snow as his gaze scanned the rocks and he remembered Thistlepaw's body broken on the stone once more. An Oasis cat would never harm such a young cat so violently. The morals instilled in him would never allow for such a thing. Artemis flicked his ear and focused back on the white cat in front of him, Swan Paw.

"What has brought near the Thunderclan lands?" After watching the conflict twist Nutfur's face, he wasn't surprised to see other Riverclan cats who disagreed with their leader's actions. However, what did confuse him, was the fact that unlike Nutfur, this Swan Paw was willing to leave her clan. She had character. He managed a soft smile at the thought. Although, he still wondered why she found herself here. The fluffy, white tom had found himself becoming rather protective of the forest clan, despite the fact he was not one of them. He hoped to figure out what made her come here and deter any trouble for Blizzard Star if it came.

Swanpaw's answer was simple, and the bitterness in her voice as she referred to her former leader was clear. "The cat that calls herself a leader told me to stay away from the Sunningrocks. So, I thought I might find answers here."

(i'm so sorry this is so short aaaaa)

"I'm not sure what answers you hope to find here, but the red on the rocks tells its own tale pretty well..." His fluffy white tail flicked towards the pile of rocks that had been fought over so hard. Again, at what cost, he wasn't sure. Thunderclan had lost so much trying to save their clan. Blizzard Star felt defeated by the whole thing. Their clanmates had been lost. Blue eyes clouded over with the thought for a brief moment. Oasis cats had the tendency to over-analyze and search for the meaning and purpose of things. It was their value of knowledge that often lead them to be this way. But, was it present here?

"If you need to know any more of the battle, I am happy to help. I was there." Artemis meowed simply. He could not help by seeking answers that potentially did not exist, but maybe he could enlighten the she-cat a little bit. She had left Riverclan for a reason.

"I know there was a battle fought here... But why?" she asked quietly. "The Sunningrocks have been RiverClan's territory for longer than I've been alive, so what led ThunderClan to try and take them now? In the middle of leaf-bare, when they barely stood a chance?" She may not have known much about ThunderClan, but she knew about the Clan that had raised her. RiverClan fared better than the other Clans in leaf-bare, and she had heard stories of the suffering the other Clans had gone through - ThunderClan included. "Why would they fight an almost certainly hopeless battle? And what led RiverClan to murder a ThunderClan apprentice? ...And what led you there? You're clearly not a ThunderClan cat, but you carry their scent."

"They're starving, Swan Paw. Their clan is struggling through the cold season." Artemis meowed matter-of-factly. His tone held a seriousness that was not often used. With a flick of his long white tail, the tom motioned towards the charred trees that were now covered in snow. With the snowfall and frozen world so shortly after the fire that had hurt the whole forest, there had been little time for healing. It was obvious why they had sought more territory, specifically some that had been left untouched by the flames.

"Blizzard Star is a wise cat and would not have acted without reason. I chose to fight by their side because they need help. I cannot sit idly by while good cats died. My parents taught me since day one to never stand by and watch the innocent suffer." Remembering his parents the tom could not help but wonder how things were back in the Oasis. It had been so long since he had been around. But, given all that was going on right now, he could not turn back. His place was here for now. His blue eyes darted back to the former Riverclan she-cat as he waited for a response.

"Oh," Swanpaw breathed, as if it were obvious. And it was, once she thought about it. Nothing else could drive a leader considered soft by almost everyone to such an extreme. "I see."

The cat she had been moons ago would have declared ThunderClan deserved it, would have believed that with all her heart. She would have jumped at the chance to go to war, to fight for her Clan - the Clan that could do no wrong, in her eyes. But she understood a little more now, had wandered for moons believing each day would be her last. She could only imagine what it was like to lead a Clan, to watch them suffer that way.

A small part of her wondered if that was why her former leader had been so distant... But she brushed that thought aside, it was irrelevant now. She was leaving her life in RiverClan behind her - aside from the few memories she had made, there was nothing for her there.

"I'm so sorry. My old home isn't the way I remember it... Or maybe I was blind to it all along, maybe it was always like this, but I think I believe things were different once, even if I just want to believe that. But when I heard part of what happened - a murderer, unpunished and congratulated by a supposedly fair leader - I left again. I wish..."

I wish I could help you.

The unspoken words hung in the air between them, and she didn't know what else to say, or what to do.

His ear flicked slightly as he registered the meaning of her silence. Artemis knew the rest of the sentence that hung in the air. He nodded stiffly. As she spoke, the tom found himself wondering what he would have done in her position. What would he have done if Titus had acted unjustly? There was no way. The elder Oasis cat stuck fast to the morals of his ancestors, as every Oasis cat did. It would be unheard of to do otherwise. Each understood the vision of their existence and would not step away from that. A pang of sympathy hit him as he considered it. Her reality was one he would not want to live in.

"I'm sorry, Swan Paw..." He muttered, blue eyes showing how clearly he meant it. Had the Ivy Star been like his father once? Hopefully not. Artemis truly hoped things were different. It was then a bit of homesickness settled in his stomach. Moons had passed since he left home and he wondered how his kin was fairing. But, that could wait for later. There were things here that had to have his attention now. After a break in their conversation, the massive tom finally meowed, "What are you going to do now?"

Swanpaw considered the question carefully. "I don't know," she said finally, honesty winning out once again. "What do you do when you've abandoned your home?" she asked, a hint of bitterness giving her otherwise soft voice a sharp edge. She needed to think. Where could she go?

"I am not quite sure. I never abandoned home but left with a purpose..." His eyes stared off into the space behind her as he became engrossed in thought. The Oasis tom wanted to have an idea for her. The she-cat seemed fairly lost. He respected her reasoning for leaving her home and even understood it; in fact, he might have done the same considering the circumstances.

"Perhaps you simply need to dictate your own destiny for now, Swan Paw. There are plenty of places near the borders to rest and think. In due time you will discover your path." Unfortunately, that was all he had to offer the she-cat. Artemis had no idea what forest cats did when they left their clans. Each Oasis cat that had broken away from home had done so with the determination to become an adventurer and still serve the group in a different capacity. There were very few stories in their history of cats abandoning the group in favor of finding something else. After a brief pause, he added, "I will be around the borders as well if you ever need someone to talk to. There is not anything I can do to make your decisions, but I am more than willing to lend a paw if needed."

Swanpaw nodded, still trying to think of a place she could go, when it hit her. She knew exactly where she could stay.

"Thank you," she said simply, and it was genuine. "But I think I'll be staying clear of most of the borders for the moment."

With that, she turned away from the rocks.