Tell Me Something [CLOSED]

Canren limped up to the rafter's of the barn, everyone was sleeping. He held a small mouse in his jaws for the prisoner. He wasn't entirely sure of the gray tabby's name, he'd have to ask. He was just glad the guards had also fallen asleep. They seemed to forget that he really shouldn't be up here. If his father found out he'd been talking to the prisoner... he'd be scarred again. The reason why so many parts of his body hurt right about now.

"He-hello.. I brought something for you to eat." His amber eyes were scared, mostly for his own safety. He spoke quietly to ensure nobody would hear him up here. Just him and the prisoner. "I really shouldn't be up here, but I've got a question. What are the clans like?" His left paw was folded next to his body as he stood on three paws, the recent injury still too hurt to stand on without pain.

Cinderfall's eyes fluttered open. A cat was nearby. Was it Shade? Here to scar him again? No... It was Canren. Shade's sane son. He was scared and seemed to have a limp. Cinderfall lifted his head, careful not to use his own four paws. Any pressure sent the clearstone in deeper. "Oh... Thank you." He wasn't sure if Canren wanted him to eat first or what, so he didn't adress it. "The Clans...?" He hadn't been there in so long. "Well... It's like being in one big family, I guess. We don't all like each other necessarily but we all protect each other and at the end of the day, we all sleep in the same den. It's not so different from your Regime... But our leaders have nine lives, given to them by Starclan. That's where the good cats go when you die. If you were a Clan cat, I'd bet that's where you'd end up. The Dark Forest is where cats like Shade will go. It's a horrible place for horrible cats. I... I bet my father believes that I'm in Starclan." He went silent for a sorrowful moment as he remembered Jaystar, and how much pain he had to have been in. Despite this, he continued to speak with a small waver to his voice. "We also have a Code that we live by, to stay good cats. And Medicine Cats who heal their Clanmates. We share prey and care for the elders and kits. I think you'd like it...

If your father were dead." His voice went bitter. "I know you don't like him. That's because you have at least half a brain." He didn't want to conclude on that note, but the tom didn't know what else to say. Then, he did. "And our names are not like yours. Shade's name was Shadefang. Kittens have names like Sagekit or Peatkit. Apprentices train and have specific mentors. Their names end in -paw, such as Stormpaw or Littlepaw. And when you complete your training, you get your suffix, like Robinpatch or Orchidpool." He named the names of his littermates, several of which were dead. Stormstrike... He hated him. What had Cinderfall done? Existing as the firstborn? Poor Canren had an evil sister and an evil father... Perhaps Stormstrike belonged here and Canren belonged in Stormstrike's place.

Canren listened in wonder. It sounded much better than where he was right now. And the prisoner had a family to get back to. Keeping him here just for revenge, it was horrible. He didn't deserve it. "The clans sound wonderful. I'm going to get there someday, I need to get away from these cats. Most are monsters and others just care about themselves. I don't want to end up like them." His amber eyes were still scared, but less so now. "I'll try and help you back to your family, but I can't do much with an injured paw and my father and sister watching my every move. I'll try and get you more food though!" Canren smiled at him, he couldn't let this cat suffer because his father wanted revenge. "A code and a medicine cat sound nice, it makes sure you don't just die because you're wounded." Canren gingerly placed his paw down, putting himself in a sitting position. "What's your name? I'm Canren." Introductions were necessary, he didn't want to keep calling this cat "Prisoner".

Cinderfall smiled sadly. "And I'd help you out too, but I'm too weak and... um... Shade took care of my feet." He lifted up a paw and showed the tom his scarred pad. Clearstone stuck out in several spots and other former clearstone scars showed. "I appreciate the food thought, though. I'm sure you're a great hunter." This little tom... He was so young. And yet so understanding despite how he was raised. It was miraculous. "Cinderfall. I was named after my mother, Cinderpaw, and my grandmother, whose warrior name was Ivyfall. She became a leader, Ivystar, after that. But... She was killed by foxes. So now we have Jaystar, my father." He explained. The tom had always took pride in his namesakes. "What's the reaosn for your name? I've never heard of anything close to it."

The smaller brown tom looked on in surprise at all the clearstone in the Prisoner's paws. That was horrible! Torture... just like Shade did to him. "It's nice that they named you after people they loved. You being the son of their leader also explains why Shade didn't kill you. Is Jaystar nice?" Then the gray tom, Cinderfall, asked about his name. "Well... my mother told me it was in another language. In the other language my name means "Cruel", because my father wanted me named something violent. My sister, Xuexi, her name means "Bloodbath". Guess only one of those names came true." His tone had turned sad. He had wanted a close bond with his sister, but then she started gloating about injuring cats. She was really Shade's daughter...

Cinderfall felt better talking to Canren. He was so nice, so innocent. "He is. He's fair and just wants the best for us, his clan." He explained. "I think it does fit, in a different way. You have had many cruel things done to you. Don't worry about different. You're good. You're a good cat. Good-hearted rogues are hard to find."

"Really? That's sad. There should be more good cats in the world. It seems like despite what Shade says, clans aren't that bad. Why did he leave in the first place?"

Canren knew that Cinderfall must've been able to hold answers to the question that had plagued him for so long. What were his father's beginnings? Surely something must've happened to him to make him like this. Cats aren't just born bad, they're raised bad. Shade just really hated Riverclan...

Cinderfall sighed. "There was a cat named Sweetheart. She had a kit with a Shadowclan cat... and that kit was Shadekit. He hated his mother. He thought she was too soft and, well, sweet. She was loving and kind, but Shadekit didn't care. He loved to hurt, hurt prey or cats. He wanted to- no, he still wants to become leader. And take over the forest, probably. He attacked our deputy... two cats came to help. Those cats were Spotfur and Duckpuddle. Shade killed Duckpuddle while trying to kill Scorchclaw and tore off Spotfur's leg. Then he was exiled. Every scar that remains on me- even the old ones like my crooked tail and my eye and ear- They're all from Shade. He's attacked and killed so many cats... my only hope is that with me as the scapegoat, he'll stop."